My love index is at its maximum.

While he was cooking in the kitchen, the phone rang in the living room. He was humming a tune as he put the noodles into the pot; the song was "Seven Friends of Snow White," a perfect melody for cooking pasta.

"Snow White and her seven friends are seven little dwarfs..."

"Seven dwarfs are seven..."

The phone rang loudly, and Tsukasa Tazaki initially didn't want to go out and answer it. Firstly, cooking pasta requires precise timing, and secondly, the song was genuinely cheerful. But the phone call eventually forced him to turn down the gas and go to the living room to pick up the receiver.

He comforted himself, thinking that perhaps Dr. Kobayashi had something important to do.

"Tazaki-kun!"

On the other end of the phone, Mrs. Kuriyama abruptly asked, "What's going on? I've been calling your cell phone, but you haven't answered."

cell phone?

Tsukasa Tazaki checked his pockets but didn't find his phone.

Thinking about it carefully, it seems that his phone has been missing since last night, completely out of sight. The last time he saw it was when Shimamoto Kana was playing on the sofa before taking a bath.

"I'm sorry, Auntie," he said politely, "I don't know where I left my phone. Is it urgent for you?"

"It's nothing urgent, just a routine question. How has Sakura been these days?" Mrs. Kuriyama's tone softened, her voice gentle and ethereal.

"It's all good, no surprises." Tsukasa Tazaki peeked into the kitchen from the doorway, where steam was rising from the pot. "Recently, I've been growing a lot of vegetables and fruits with Dr. Kobayashi, and I also go to the mountains to pick beautiful and delicious wild vegetables and mushrooms."

"That thing is edible?"

"Don't worry, there will be a doctor leading the team. They will tell us what we can and cannot pick, how to cook this and that, and how to cook it. Everything will be fine."

How is Sakura's appetite?

"Hmm, her appetite is fine, but she has lost a little weight. But don't worry, because I have been supervising her to maintain exercise and a regular diet, her weight is still within a healthy range."

"How are you feeling? Have you gotten any better?"

"It's so much better than before. When we have free time, we read books together, listen to music, and knit towels and scarves to play with. The sanatorium also has a well-equipped library and a movie theater, and I often take her there for some fresh air. Oh, and we also go to the church often, but we don't go there to pray; we just go there to listen to their instruments."

"That's good, thank you very much for your company."

"You're welcome. This is exactly what I wanted to do. Please rest assured, Auntie, leave it to me. As for which path Sakura will take after leaving here, I have no idea. However, I can assure you that Sakura Kuriyama, with her crystal-clear brilliance, will not gradually lose her dazzling radiance as puberty progresses. She will always be unique, always possessing a sharp edge that is admirable from afar, and she will still be a beautiful and outstanding woman when she grows up."

"I trust Tazaki-kun. Auntie still needs to talk to Dr. Kobayashi, so I'll hang up now."

"Ok."

"Remember to bring your phone with you, otherwise Auntie won't be able to contact you and might get into trouble."

"No problem, I'll go find it right away."

After hanging up the phone, Tsukasa Tazaki went into the kitchen, turned off the gas, and scooped the spaghetti into the bowl. Because of the phone call with Mrs. Kuriyama, the noodles were a little soft, but thankfully not inedible.

Looking at the white noodles, Tsukasa Tazaki fell into deep thought.

During this time, Kuriyama Sakura pulled Ninomiya Shiori along, and the two of them quietly slipped out the door to pick up Sikawa Yui.

After a while, Tsukasa Tazaki ate all the pasta by himself, then cooked another pot of springy noodles, prepared a rich and flavorful sauce, and went back upstairs to call the others down to eat.

First, push open the door to the two children's room.

There was no one in the room. The bed was neatly made, and the blankets were no longer warm.

"Sakura, Shiori?"

I called out a few times, but no one responded. I figured they must have slipped out while I was cooking.

Returning to the room where he had spent the night with Kana Shimamoto, Tsukasa Tazaki first pressed his ear against the door and listened for a while. Only after confirming that there was no sound inside did he push the door open and enter the room.

I pushed it away gently, without making a sound.

Hoshino Hanami was asleep in bed, while Shimamoto Kana stood by the window gazing at the scenery of the sanatorium outside. She held onto the windowsill with both hands, looking up with her brows slightly furrowed, appearing somewhat uncomfortable.

She changed out of her bathrobe and was now wearing a white long-sleeved chiffon blouse and a blue skirt. The white top and blue bottom made her look like a white cloud floating in the blue sky, which was very beautiful.

The window was open, and the crisp spring breeze blew through the white lace curtains and lifted her waist-length black hair—a scene that would inspire any painter or photographer.

Tsukasa Tazaki stared at her, holding his breath.

The distant mountains outside the window, his wife standing by the window, and himself—these three points form a static line in the room. Just as she was captivated by the scenery, Tazaki was also captivated by her colorful charm and her voluptuous figure.

After a while, he remembered that the Italian food would get cold if they didn't eat it soon, so he walked behind Shimamoto Kana, gently put his arm around her waist, and looked out the window with her eyes: "There's nothing special to see outside, why are you looking at it so intently?"

Feeling the lingering burning pain and a slightly unsettling sensation, Shimamoto Kana gritted her teeth and said irritably, "I'm going to jump from here!"

Seeing her furrowed brows, Tsukasa Tazaki asked in confusion, "Madam seems to be feeling unwell?"

"Mind your own business!" Shimamoto Kana's face was flushed, and she looked very charming.

Tazaki Tsukasa chuckled inwardly, then nibbled on her earlobe and asked, "It's tiring to talk standing up, let's go sit on the sofa."

Kana Shimamoto ignored him completely.

"Do you need me to carry you?" Tsukasa Tazaki tightened his grip around her waist from behind.

"Um--"

Kana Shimamoto subconsciously twisted her waist twice, trying to break free.

However, in Tazaki's view, this level of resistance was clearly intended to create a mood of wanting to resist while welcoming.

"Has Hanami-nee-san taught you a lesson?" Tsukasa Tazaki whispered in her ear.

Stop talking nonsense!

"let me see."

"no!"

Kana Shimamoto suddenly pushed her buttocks back to prevent him from touching her.

"Aren't you afraid your Hanami-nee will wake up?"

"It's not my fault, it's just that my wife looks quite charming like this."

"What kind of mood is this? It makes you look older."

"Not at all. You're still so beautiful, even more so than usual, with an added touch of shyness."

"Don't try to please me so early in the morning."

As they were talking, Tsukasa Tazaki suddenly pressed down on her back, leaning her upper body against the windowsill and squeezing her chest down.

"What are you doing?" Shimamoto Kana panicked. "Stop it! Don't you dare pull my skirt!"

Without saying a word, Tsukasa Tazaki untied the ribbon on her dress.

"Let go... Ah, I'll get angry if you keep doing this! Don't touch me!" Shimamoto Kana kept twisting her body, reaching behind her to slap Tazaki Tsukasa's hands repeatedly: "You can't look today!"

"why?"

"There's no reason why!"

"You were just as self-righteous when you tricked me last night!"

“…Me.” Shimamoto Kana’s momentum immediately faltered.

She pursed her lips, still struggling slightly. Tazaki Tsukasa became increasingly curious. Usually, she would only struggle symbolically, so why was she resisting so much today? There must be something to see.

Ignoring her protests, Tsukasa Tazaki quickly ripped off the ribbons of her dress.

The long skirt was lifted, revealing long, slender legs and white lace, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

Kana Shimamoto hurriedly reached out to cover herself, angrily saying, "Close your eyes!"

But in reality, her small hands couldn't hide it at all; on her snow-white skin, one could vaguely see many indistinct red handprints.

Tazaki Tsukasa paused for a moment, his eyes looking quite strange.

His wife's figure was perfect, every part of her was breathtaking. He just didn't expect that Hoshino Hana would be so ruthless. The visual effect was unprecedented and unparalleled.

Shimamoto Kana completely lost the momentum she had shown last night. Feeling both ashamed and angry, she buried her face in her hair and muttered weakly, "You and Hoshino Hanami are both bastards!"

Tazaki Tsukasa couldn't help but chuckle a few times, and while helping her tie her skirt, he said, "I'll talk to her for you later."

You and she are in cahoots... Shimamoto Kana felt even more ashamed and angry, and couldn't help but curse, "You two are exactly the same! Hypocritical scoundrels, one of you took advantage of your strength to steal someone's first kiss, and the other of you beat someone up because of your strength!"

Tazaki Tsukasa recalled the scene from earlier and thought to herself, "My sister is really amazing."

But when Shimamoto Kana turned around and saw his face, she looked like she was about to cry. Tazaki Tsukasa's heart softened, and he couldn't bear it, so he gently hugged her and comforted her, "It's okay, it's alright, don't be angry."

Kana Shimamoto remained silent.

"How about I help you get revenge tonight?" Tsukasa Tazaki asked.

Kana Shimamoto sneered, "If you're really willing to do it, go now. She didn't sleep well last night and is catching up on sleep here."

Tazaki Tsukasa glanced back at Hoshino Hanami, who was fast asleep on the bed. Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips: "How could that be? Of course I wouldn't want to."

Kana Shimamoto got even angrier, pushing his chest with both hands: "You can't bear to see her get beaten, but you can bear to see me get beaten, huh?"

"Who told you to have so many bad ideas? You deserve to be punished!"

Upon hearing his words, Shimamoto Kana felt utterly wronged and had nowhere to seek redress. Then, he said something that made her both angry and amused.

"Besides, the way my wife called me 'sister' was so cute, it almost made my nose bleed."

"Alright, stop laughing at me!" Shimamoto Kana shook her head helplessly. "I hope you two don't end up in my hands in the future, or I'll make you pay double."

“There’s a chance.” Tsukasa Tazaki smiled gently. “If things continue like this, it won’t be long before Hanami-nee starts calling you ‘older sister’.”

Kana Shimamoto couldn't help but laugh, laughing so hard she was shaking uncontrollably.

“How about this,” she asked with a hint of temptation, “when she calls me sister, you call me mom, and then call her aunt?”

"...?" Tsukasa Tazaki fell into his imagination.

"You really want to?" Shimamoto Kana half-closed her eyes, looking at Tazaki Tsukasa with a tender expression, "My big bad guy, your expression tells me you like it."

Tsukasa Tazaki was speechless for a moment.

It wasn't that he didn't know how to refute her, but his wife's current demeanor was very natural and gentle. A slightly playful smile outlined a rich and colorful charm on her elegant face, which was not only admirable but also made people's hearts flutter!

but……

Is it possible that... it's because of the title "Auntie" that her heart fluttered?

Something is wrong!

Stop!