My love index is at its maximum.

"You're not allowed to look at that!"

Why are you always jealous of your own mother?

"Isn't it because you're such a scumbag?"

"..."

Tazaki Tsukasa had no rebuttal, so he could only laugh twice and continue walking forward, taking her hand in his.

It was a clear autumn afternoon, but with a strong wind and a chill in the air.

The long tables on the lawn were covered with ironed tablecloths, and waiters with bow ties carried drinks and moved among the tables, serving the guests while also being careful not to let any fallen leaves get into the dishes.

The entrance to the banquet was a flower-decorated archway.

To the left of the entrance is a reception area covered with a light pink tablecloth. Elegantly dressed female guests are bending over to sign their names. All the guests are dressed smartly and clearly belong to the wealthy and powerful.

Passing through the archway, the pool unfolds, and a whole symphony orchestra is playing on the shore.

The ginkgo leaves that had fallen onto the water's surface seemed to be stuck there, floating motionless. A little further away, someone had lit a bonfire, and white smoke curled up from it.

The air was filled with the scent of late autumn as it began to fade away, and the music played by the symphony orchestra sounded exceptionally pleasant.

From the moment they stepped into the banquet, Tsukasa Tazaki and Yui Sugawa became the focus of the entire event.

The blonde girl, dressed in a pristine white gown, exuded elegance and grace. Beside her stood a handsome and intelligent young man. From any angle, the two appeared perfectly matched, a sight to behold.

Is this still Tsukasa Tazaki?

Many people had the same question in their minds, and their eyes were fixed on him with even more curiosity.

"Hello everyone." Tsukasa Tazaki smiled and nodded in greeting.

Then she ignored these people and walked towards the ginkgo tree with Qichuan Wei.

Kurisu Kirikawa stood under the ginkgo tree, chatting with a lady holding a glass of white wine. The lady was wearing a rather beautiful, light evening gown, reminiscent of those worn by Middle Eastern women, though it was rather thin.

As if she knew the two had arrived, Kurisu looked up and smiled kindly when she saw her daughter and Tsukasa Tazaki walking over. Then she whispered a few words to the lady.

The lady then looked at Tsukasa Tazaki and nodded with a knowing smile.

"Tasaki, Yui," Kurisu waved, "Come over here quickly, I've been waiting for you two for a long time."

“Mom,” Yui Kichikawa called out, then looked at the lady and said, “Aunt Naiko, it’s been a long time.”

Kurisu ignored her daughter's greeting and smiled at Tsukasa Tazaki, a smile as if she were scolding a naive child.

"Why are you so late?" she asked.

Tsukasa Tazaki put his arm around Yui Kikawa's waist, his expression slightly helpless: "It's not my fault. Yui wouldn't let me go out, and she kept bothering me when I was changing clothes, which made me dawdle all afternoon."

"Shut up!" Yui Kichikawa snapped at him angrily.

Tazaki Tsukasa stared straight into her blue eyes and said in a playful tone, "Miss, may I ask who was it that was pulling my arm and whispering in my ear just now?"

In his eyes beneath his long eyelashes, Yui Kikawa seemed to see a gleam of triumphant mischief.

She bit her lower lip slightly and grumbled angrily, "Mere Tazaki..."

Seeing her daughter's embarrassed and annoyed expression, Kurisu quietly leaned close to the lady's ear and whispered, "See? I told you that Yui has changed a lot lately. She's becoming more and more like a girl in love."

"Xiao Wei is so cute." Aunt Nai patted her forehead and leaned back with a laugh.

"You guys chat..."

Qichuan Wei, being quite disappointing, turned around and ran away.

Before leaving, she didn't forget to vent her anger by forcefully nudging Tazaki Tsukasa's side with her elbow, then straightened her back, puffed out her chest, and walked to a chair for resting.

“Auntie,” Tsukasa Tazaki clutched his waist, hissing in pain, “You need to keep a closer eye on Yui. That was too forceful. If I weren’t healthy, I might have ended up in the hospital.”

The two ladies laughed like young girls.

Many guests, napkins in hand or wine glasses in hand, chatted and laughed. Amidst the scattered ginkgo leaves, the perfume worn by the female guests wafted on the breeze.

After laughing for a while, Kurisuki straightened up, opened her arms in front of Tsukasa Tazaki, and asked very happily, "How do I look in my outfit today? Did it scare you?"

"To be honest, I was quite startled," Tsukasa Tazaki answered honestly. "I almost didn't recognize her at first glance. Is this really my aunt? She looks completely refreshed, so delicate and pretty, you know?"

"Is it really that exaggerated?"

"Yes, if my aunt used to be a rose, then my aunt now is a jasmine. She is beautiful but not ostentatious, and her elegant and noble temperament is truly captivating."

Kurisu was very happy to be coaxed and couldn't help but reach out and pat his head: "Does Si think roses are prettier, or jasmine?"

Why do women of all ages and personalities always try to rank themselves based on their different styles of dress?

Tsukasa Tazaki didn't understand this.

but it does not matter.

His ability to explain things is first-rate, as Kuriyama Sakura can attest.

"Beautiful people look good in anything, and what looks good and what touches people's hearts is all a matter of taste. As for my taste, I can only tell my aunt that I'm not picky about anything except spinach."

"Haha~" Kurisu was overjoyed, laughing merrily without a care for her image, her charm overshadowing all the female guests in the courtyard.

Hearing the commotion, the surrounding guests couldn't help but turn around to look.

After lingering on Kurisu for a few seconds, his gaze inevitably shifted to Tsukasa Tazaki.

The handsome and tall young man, standing under the falling ginkgo leaves, fulfilled all people's fantasies about a beautiful sixteen-year-old boy.

Several chairs were placed under the open eaves extending from the first floor. Yui Kikawa turned on the computer brought by the maid, but her gaze was fixed on Tsukasa Tazaki, watching him make her mother laugh.

As she watched, her mother suddenly put her hands in her jeans pockets, struck a fashionable girlish pose, and shouted, "Xiaowei, your boyfriend said that Mom is the most beautiful woman at the ball!"

"...?"

Yui blinked in confusion, not understanding what was going on over there.

“It’s fake, it’s fake,” Tsukasa Tazaki quickly said. “My aunt forced me to say it. If I didn’t, she would take away all my benefits.”

"..." Qichuan Yui rubbed her temples as if she had a headache, and looked down at the computer screen.

He made up his mind to ignore those two people.

But the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up, and her fair and translucent neck looked even more elegant.

"Xiao Si," Aunt Naizi from next door, who had been ignored, suddenly spoke up, her tone displeased, "Why are you only talking to Chestnut and ignoring me, Aunt Naizi?"

Tsukasa Tazaki turned to look at him, her brows furrowing slightly. "I'm sorry, I don't know you. You look so young, how could you possibly be Aunt Naoko?"

This Naoki Kawakawa can be traced back to some degree of kinship.

We used to see each other occasionally, but after she went to take charge of the Kichikawa family's business in South America, we haven't seen each other for five or six years.

Tazaki Tsukasa didn't harbor much hostility towards the elders of the Kichikawa family; if they were friendly, he wouldn't mind exchanging ideas.

Kikawa Nai burst out laughing.

"I told you, this kid is incredibly good at sweet talk," Kurisu Kawa said with a laugh. "I don't know if Xiaowei has been fooled by his words, she's always going against her own mother."

"Do you even have the demeanor of a loving mother?" Tazaki Tsukasa thought to herself.

“I think this kid is quite interesting…” Kikawa Nai nodded, gently patting Tazaki Tsukasa’s shoulder: “It’s been a few years, and you’re becoming more and more like Rin-nee back in the day, not bad, not bad…”

At this point, she suddenly remembered something, grabbed Kurisu's arm instantly, and laughed heartily: "Kurisu used to like Rin-nee the most, almost to the point of obsession. Could it be that she wanted to get Rin-nee's son, which is why she's so nice to you?"

Congratulations.

Aunt Nai, you got it right.

"Naiko, I'm going to get angry if you keep saying that!" Kurisu Kirikawa put one hand on her hip, pretending to be angry, and jokingly changed the subject.

"Huh, is this Rin-nee's son?"

A gasp came from behind them, and the three turned to see a woman walking towards them, braving the autumn wind as she stepped across the lawn. She wore a glossy, very soft dress. A yellow scarf was wrapped around her neck, and the wind occasionally brushed against her cheeks as she walked.

"This is Aunt Fumiko." Kurisu Kawakami walked over, took Tsukasa Tazaki's arm, and went to greet her.

and so……

Who was it again?

Tsukasa Tazaki had no recollection of him, but that didn't stop him from giving a polite, fake smile.

Aunt Bumiko stood in front of the two of them, staring at Tsukasa Tazaki with great interest for a while, and then extended her hand: "Tazaki-kun, right? Please take care of me."

On that bony wrist, a gold bracelet swayed back and forth.

"Hello, Auntie," Tsukasa Tazaki replied politely, then extended his hand and shook hers gently, as if inviting a woman to dance.

“Tazaki-kun’s hands are so warm,” she said with a joking laugh, “I don’t want to let go.”

Kurisu Kawakami laughed and said, "You're trying to steal someone right in front of me!"

"Auntie, you'd better let go quickly," Tsukasa Tazaki shook his head with a wry smile. "Whether it's Yui or Auntie, they're both the most petty. If they both get angry at the same time, it'll be a question whether I can leave safely tonight."

“That’s true, Kuri is terrifying when he gets angry…” Fumiko quickly let go, then looked at Kuri with an expression that said, “Kuri, you saw it too, I didn’t take advantage of him.”

"But you spoke ill of me!"

"Sister Chestnut, have mercy!"

"No, I have to tell your husband and let him stand up for me."

“Oh, that won’t do. Besides…” Fumiko shifted the blame, “Tasaki-kun just said you’re petty, so let’s punish both of you at the same time.”

“It’s different,” Kurisuki put her arm around Tsukasa Tazaki’s shoulder. “Tsukasa is going to call me Mom, so of course I have to favor him a little. Unless you call me Mom too, then forget it.”

Fumiko responded with a smile and gave a small bow.

Judging from her small gesture, Tsukasa Tazaki felt it was absolutely necessary for her to cling to her aunt's coattails.

After the joke, Aunt Bumiko looked at Tsukasa Tazaki again: "Now that we know each other, don't be so reserved. By the way, shall I get you something to drink? What should I get? Wine, beer, and also diluted whiskey and cocktails. What would you like to drink? You can drink, right?"

Tsukasa Tazaki straightened his back and answered seriously, "Minors cannot drink alcohol!"

"Don't look so scary," Aunt Bu Meizi said with a smile. "It reminds me of my middle school homeroom teacher who was always so fierce."

"What a coincidence, I like my teacher the most."

"You like the teacher?"

"Yes, my biggest dream is to become a teacher when I grow up. If I can't become a teacher, I'll settle for being a teacher's husband."

Instantly, Kurisu grabbed Tazaki Tsukasa's cheek and tugged at it like a child: "Today is a family dinner, be serious with your aunt, don't start talking nonsense as soon as you open your mouth."