My love index is at its maximum.

"She doesn't want to be in the newspaper tomorrow."

"In the newspaper?"

Tazaki Tsukasa forked a piece of steak, chewed a few times, and said, "You mean to say that Shimamoto-sensei is a big celebrity?"

"I guess so." Kuriyama Sakura stared at the steak in his hand, looking somewhat tempted to eat it.

"Don't look, do it yourself."

Kuriyama Sakura continued to stare.

Tazaki Tsukasa gave her a disdainful look: "Don't even think about me feeding you!"

“You only took one fork…” Kuriyama Sakura sighed, looking at him with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot: “Does Tazaki-kun expect me, his master, to eat steak with my hands?”

Oh, right... she is the master.

If she hadn't mentioned it, Tsukasa Tazaki wouldn't have remembered at all. He even took only a fork with the intention of sharing it with Kana Shimamoto, and didn't think of Little Flat at all.

"I can give you the fork, but you have to answer one question for me."

Kuriyama Sakura emphasized again: "I am the master!"

"To answer or not to answer?"

"Rude guest!"

Sakura Kuriyama's cheeks puffed out slightly once again. The warm, soft light made her face look exceptionally beautiful.

Tsukasa Tazaki found her appearance particularly adorable, so he decided to tease her from time to time.

The light fell into her eyes, and her long eyelashes trembled.

Kuriyama Sakura gritted her teeth and forced out a fierce "Ask already!"

"Why is Shimamoto-sensei here?" Tsukasa Tazaki asked, voicing his biggest question.

"Accompanying her husband... Hey, what are you doing..."

"I'm going to kill that scoundrel!"

"Do you know her husband?"

“Oh right…” Tsukasa Tazaki sat back down on the sofa, clasping his hands together. “My dear Minister, please lead the way. Don’t worry, I promise I won’t leave any evidence for the police to find out we’re in cahoots.”

Kuriyama Sakura sighed deeply, and finally couldn't help but curse, "Idiot!"

Tazaki Tsukasa casually forked a piece of steak at her: "She's been separated from her husband for years, how come they're still together?"

"Political marriage".

"I understand, a marriage without feelings or facts."

"Are you happy?"

"Of course, Shimamoto-sensei is so beautiful."

Kuriyama Sakura took a big bite of her steak: "You're such an annoying man..."

Tsukasa Tazaki smiled slightly and pointed to the empty glass on the table: "Minister, where's the orange juice?"

"..."

"You didn't drink it, did you?"

"nonsense!"

The little tablet blushed instantly, and in a fierce tone even cuter than a cat trying to be cute, it retorted, "It was Mr. Shimamoto who drank it!"

Tsukasa Tazaki didn't bother to expose her. After finishing the apple juice in his glass, he ate a piece of cream pudding, poured half a glass of wine, and savored it.

Hmm... I don't know much about alcohol, so I think it tastes a bit unpleasant.

After regaining her composure, Kuriyama Sakura scoffed at him, "If you don't know how to appreciate wine, don't drink it. There's a Chinese idiom, 'a cow chewing a peony,' which perfectly describes you right now."

"I'm in a good mood right now and I don't plan to argue with you."

Kuriyama Sakura snorted smugly, happily finishing the entire steak and a crab leg.

Tazaki Tsukasa devoured cherry tomatoes one after another. When the plate was almost empty, he closed his eyes and leaned back on the sofa to rest.

The clinking of glasses echoed in my ears, sounding like the rising tide from the distant sea.

After a while, he opened his eyes and said, "Let's talk, otherwise I feel like I'm slacking off."

"Slacking off?" Kuriyama Sakura suddenly remembered something and stared at him in surprise: "By the way, how did you know there was a dance tonight, and how did you get in?"

"My girlfriend let me in." Tazaki Tsukasa looked around listlessly, his tone helpless: "Otherwise, why would I waste my precious study time here chatting with you?"

Kuriyama Sakura picked up a napkin from the table, lightly wiped her mouth, and then put it back. Not fully understanding Tazaki Tsukasa's meaning, she couldn't help but ask, "Your girlfriend sent you to accompany another woman to the ball?"

"Yeah, isn't it silly?"

"really."

"I'm going to give her a good scolding later."

"Of course."

Tsukasa Tazaki nodded: "A woman who doesn't know her place should be scolded to wake her up."

"I recorded that."

"Please delete this now, thank you, unless you want to attend my funeral tomorrow."

Kuriyama Sakura squinted her eyes, imagined the funeral scene in her mind, and then gave him a smile that was twice as cute: "I'll write the epitaph for you."

"Thanks." Tsukasa Tazaki shrugged slightly and changed the subject: "Let's chat casually, how about telling me about your childhood?"

"You go first."

"Mine? That boring past is uninteresting to talk about."

Kuriyama Sakura said earnestly, "I want to hear what you have to say, especially what you used to be good at."

Tazaki Tsukasa leaned back on the sofa, staring at the crystal chandelier above the ceiling, the light shining directly into his eyes.

"Compared to the things I'm good at, I think of a lot of things I'm not good at. For example, I can't cook, I can't clean, I'm often forgetful, I'm clumsy, I have zero sense of direction, and I can't tell east from west. When I get angry, I can't do anything but regret it, I'm inexplicably afraid of meeting strangers, and I don't have any friends."

At this point, Tsukasa Tazaki turned to look at her: "Although I have a lot of flaws, I also have my strengths."

Kuriyama Sakura asked curiously, "What advantages?"

"He's handsome and doesn't have cavities."

"puff……"

The sudden burst of laughter startled Kuriyama Sakura, who quickly covered her mouth. While trying her best to suppress her laughter, she glared at Tazaki Tsukasa, her fair face once again flushed with a blush.

After Tazaki waited for her to catch her breath, he continued, "When I was little, I lacked confidence in everything I did and was always trembling with fear. So I was often bullied at school and at home, and I can still recall that feeling often."

"So I'm very curious about your change. Aren't you going to tell me the reason?"

Kuriyama Sakura stared into his eyes, her gaze as if she were trying to peek into the outside world through the gaps in the blinds.

Tsukasa Tazaki shrugged slightly: "Because I've now become a lumberjack in the forest."

"Lumberjack?"

"Yes, a hardworking lumberjack. No matter how big the forest is, he will work hard to cut down the whole forest bit by bit."

Kuriyama Sakura nodded: "I think it's amazing that you can do that."

Does it refer to the effort put into logging or the achievement of clearing out an entire forest?

“Both are remarkable.” Kuriyama Sakura laughed.

Tsukasa Tazaki responded with a silent smile.

"Sakura, who is this?"

A rather authoritative voice sounded from behind, and Kuriyama Sakura's smile instantly froze.

Tazaki Tsukasa turned around and saw a tall, middle-aged man standing behind the sofa, scrutinizing him with sharp eyes and without mercy.

Is this the father of the little tablet?

After a moment's thought, Tsukasa Tazaki introduced himself: "Hello, Uncle, I'm just here to freeload."

Chapter 101 The G-Wagon That Never Left

"Hello, Uncle, I'm just here to freeload a meal."

"Getting a free meal?"

Kuriyama Kazuki frowned slightly, scrutinizing Tazaki Tsukasa's face across the sofa. After a long while, he shook his head: "I don't quite understand what you mean."

“Dad…” Kuriyama Sakura bit her lower lip slightly, “He is my…”

“It was Kuriyama-san who brought me in.” Tsukasa Tazaki interrupted her, then said in a shy tone unique to young men, “My family has been poor since I was a child, and I have never been to a high society ball, so I have been begging Kuriyama-san to bring me in... Um, this suit I am wearing was also rented for me by Kuriyama-san.”

“Sakura has never really paid attention to people.” Kuriyama Kazuki frowned as if he had discovered a scandal, and asked in a flat tone without any inflection, “She would never bring you in just because you want to see it.”

“I’m thick-skinned, and she can’t stand my nagging.”

Tsukasa Tazaki scratched his cheek: "Or rather, well... it's like seeing a stray cat soaked by the winter rain in winter. Kuriyama-san probably had a lot of sympathy and just brought me here to see it."

"If it's as pitiful as a stray cat, then I can understand." Kuriyama Kazuki nodded, his voice as calm as his expression: "Now you see?"

"Yes, that's amazing. You can't imagine it unless you see it with your own eyes."

“Then take your time to look around.” Kuriyama Kazuki glanced at his watch and added, “Let’s head back when it’s almost time, don’t stay too late.”

After saying that, he nodded to his daughter, turned around and walked back to the dance floor.

Under the bright yet soft light, Kuriyama Sakura crossed her arms and silently stared at Tazaki Tsukasa's face. Although Tazaki Tsukasa was looking at her father, he still noticed her gaze lingering on his left cheek.

That gaze was incredible; it subtly conveyed a feeling of 'I understand you'.

Good that you understand.

Cabinet ministers are among the very top tier of people in politics. Tazaki Tsukasa didn't want him to misunderstand that she had any relationship with his daughter. Large families have their own social circles, and commoners who join them won't be well-received.

Moreover, judging from Kuriyama Sakura's expression, her relationship with her seemingly domineering father wasn't very good. By saying this, she wouldn't have to worry about how to explain it to her father, killing two birds with one stone.

Just when he thought he could get away with it tonight, Kuriyama Sakura suddenly stood next to him and called out, "Dad, wait a minute."