I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

"Okay, okay!"

As if doused with a bucket of cold water, Yukino Yukinoshita lost all her arrogance and tried her best to maintain her composure.

Because she was standing directly opposite her, Yuu Tenkuji could see her very clearly.

When Yui's voice rang out, Yukino Yukinoshita's expression became incredibly complex for a moment, a mixture of stiffness, panic, guilt, confusion, and entanglement, and her face also turned noticeably red.

"Xiaoxue? What's wrong?"

The observant Yui naturally didn't miss this strange reaction. With a look of doubt and worry on her face, she opened the kitchen door and walked in.

"It's nothing..." Yukino Yukinoshita quickly adjusted her mindset, casually passing by Yuu Tenkuji to pick up the rice bucket she had just put down.

In the instant the two passed each other, Tenkuji Yu's lips moved slightly, controlling his voice, which secretly reached her ears.

"I chose you... I'll tell Yui about this when we have time; I can't keep it from her."

"..."

Yukino Yukinoshita took a deep breath and didn't say anything, only nodding slightly in a barely perceptible way. After that, the two of them not only had to find time to tell Yui Yuigahama everything, but also had to have a good discussion about what exactly the "ideal boyfriend mission" was.

Only by knowing more information can she fulfill her promise.

When she picked up the rice bucket and turned around, Yukino Yukinoshita's expression had returned to calm, except that her face was still as red as if she had just been roasted. She just didn't dare to look Yui Yuigahama in the eye.

"There's a lot of stuff, let them all come in and help carry it."

"Huh? Oh, I see..."

My gaze followed her figure to the door. Even after she left the kitchen, Yui Yuigahama remained in the same spot, frowning and looking puzzled, as she glanced at Yuu Tenkuji, who was also picking up two plates of food from the kitchen counter.

"Xiaoyou, Xiaoxue, she...?"

"Why is your face so red, right?"

Tenkuji Yu naturally responded to her words and honestly confessed, "I teased her a bit just now, and she was mostly red with anger."

"I see." Hearing that this was a common occurrence, Yui nodded in relief, dispelling the inexplicable little unease in her heart.

She smiled, her eyes filled with trust and unwavering reliance on him, and trotted to the kitchen counter to bring out two dishes as well.

"Mmm~ It smells so good! As expected, the dishes that Xiaoyou and Xiaoxue made together are mouthwatering just by smelling them!"

Tenkuji Yu smiled and said, "Want to eat it? I'll make it for you every day."

"Is it okay?!...No, forget it!"

Shaking her head vigorously, Yui Yuigahama stood beside him and walked towards the door with him, her tone firm and full of conviction:

"I will work hard to improve my skills, and one day I will make delicious bento boxes that Xiaoyou will want to eat for the rest of her life!"

As their shoulders touched, their warmth shared, Yuuya Tenkuji softly said:

"Okay, I'll look forward to it for the rest of my life."

"Hehehe~"

Even though she was the one who spoke first, Yui Yuigahama suddenly became shy, laughing foolishly and lightly.

A smile unconsciously crept onto his lips. Yuu Tenkuji turned his gaze away from her, only to find himself staring at Yukino Yukinoshita, who was turning back ahead.

Not far apart, the two saw each other in their eyes.

...Did you hear your own voice, or did you guess what you just said just by looking at it?

Her expression was unlike anything she had ever shown before; it was indescribably complex.

With Yui Yuigahama's shoulder leaning against his, and his eyes fixed on Yukino Yukinoshita, Yuuto Tenkuji suddenly paused, as if sensing something—

The relationship between the three of them may have started from this moment, plummeting into an abyss of no return.

……

Bermuda Grand Ballroom.

At this moment, a gathering of elites and high-ranking officials has been assembled.

At noon, people dressed in suits and formal attire chatted and laughed, creating a harmonious and pleasant atmosphere.

Soft classical music filled the magnificent hall, and long dining tables neatly divided the vast space, laden with various wines and foods. The abundant and delicious high-end dishes were served as if they were free for everyone to take.

Yukino took a glass of champagne from the waiter's tray, sipped it, and looked around for that very obvious figure.

Most of the parents have already found suitable partners to discuss business, so now it's time for these younger generations to socialize freely—ostensibly to build connections, but in reality it's a marriage alliance gathering, and no one is there simply to make friends.

That's just how it is for her.

There are flirting opportunities everywhere, and you can encounter people trying to pick you up everywhere. If it weren't for the fear of not being able to explain it to her mother, Yukino Yukinoshita would have brought out her boyfriend long ago to drive away those flies.

"Oh, Miss Haruno..."

"Sorry, I'm busy right now."

Passing by a noble young man with a gentle demeanor, not wasting time on unnecessary people, Yukinoshita Haruno circled the banquet hall and finally found the silver-haired girl with a gloomy aura in a corner.

She seemed to have already turned down quite a few people; at this moment, the surroundings were empty, and no inconsiderate flies came to bother her.

Click, click.

With a blank expression, she slowly nibbled on the apple rabbit's head until Yukinoshita approached. Only then did Natsukawa Masuzu put down her fork and plate, and bow gently and gracefully to her.

"Greetings, Miss Yukinoshita. I am grateful for your care the other day."

"They took care of you; I didn't do anything."

Yukinoshita waved her hand casually, carefully examining the overly fake, faint smile on her face, as well as the polite yet emotionless, cold distance.

As if she had thought of something funny, the young lady of the Yukinoshita family couldn't help but laugh from the bottom of her heart.

"Puhahaha..."

"Um, excuse me?"

Frowning at her smiling face, Natsukawa Masuzu tilted her head in confusion and asked with her eyes, "Where did you come from, you mentally ill person?"

Yukino Yukinoshita didn't mind, and quickly stopped laughing, letting out a cheerful breath as she gently swirled the pale purple champagne in her glass.

"Sorry, do you think I'm weird?"

"It is quite strange."

Natsukawa Masaki nodded obediently and sat back down in that corner, her attitude implying that she did not want to talk any further.

Yukino Yukinoshita, however, seemed oblivious, her arms supporting her voluptuous breasts as she lightly touched the rim of her cup to her rosy lips, her alluring eyes slightly narrowed.

"It's strange, but the important thing is... I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I always feel like we have a lot in common."

She curled her lips into a half-smile, glancing at the surprised Natsukawa Masaki, a thoughtful glint in the depths of her eyes:

"The gem of the Natsukawa family... No, Xiaozhenliang~"

"Would you like to have a life talk with your sister?"

Chapter 58 Yukinoshita Haruno's Intelligence Warfare

"A discussion about life?"

Natsukawa Masuzu read it softly, then shook her head uninterestedly: "Sorry, I'm not feeling well. Could you leave me alone in peace?"

"Well, don't be so quick to refuse~"

She sat down next to her as if they were old friends, and Yukino Shino crossed her long, white, and plump legs under her dress, swinging them leisurely: "Your father... Mr. Ryoji Natsukawa brought you here, probably so that you could meet more friends in high society, and incidentally show you off as an added bonus to his business, right?"

Natsukawa Masaki paused in her apple-eating motion, her eyes darting around as she stared at her: "Why are you..."

Yukino Yukinoshita casually waved her hand: "Oh dear, those middle-aged and elderly people are all playing the same game over and over again, especially the pretty girls in big families, about 90% of them have had similar experiences."

Having said that, she suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, didn't you lose your sense of taste? I see you eating an apple here, has it been cured?"

"No. The doctor said it's stress-induced taste disorder, which is probably caused by psychological stress, and it's not easy to cure."

She glanced at the apple rabbit on the plate, now only half-eaten, and calmly replied, "Right now, I'm just eating to keep myself occupied. I don't know if it's sweet or not, but it's crunchy and juicy, which helps me regain some of the feeling of eating normally."

"Oh, I see. I'll have one."

Ignoring Natsukawa Masuzu's bewildered expression, Yukinoshita Haruno unabashedly picked up a piece of apple from the plate, ate it with gusto, and then nodded vigorously.

"It's so sweet! It's such a shame you can't taste the flavor."

"I don't care..."

"So, does it matter what caused your sudden loss of taste?"

"Of course not, I already have—"

She instinctively answered as if to follow her words, but as soon as the words left her mouth, Natsukawa Masaki suddenly realized what was happening, stood up as if facing a formidable enemy, and stared at her coldly:

"Are you trying to trick me into telling me something?"

"I really don't know whether to say you're perceptive or smart, you found out so quickly."

With a regretful sigh, Yang Nai, like a robber who had just thrown away his weapon, spread his hands and said with an innocent look:

"I wouldn't do anything like that, you're my sister's classmate! We're just having a chat, okay?"

Before Natsukawa Masaki could answer, she suddenly leaned forward and smiled as she moved closer.

As if trying to compress the other person's room for thought, along with the air itself, to the point of being unable to breathe, at such close proximity, Yukinoshita Haruno whispered to Natsukawa Masuri:

"Later, I can help you deal with your father and tell him not to take you around to meet those young talents... You know, those people also like to arrange marriages for their children."

"..."

It was like the whispers of a demon echoing in my ears, or like being stared at by the cold eyes of a snake.

Natsukawa Masaki sat stiffly in her seat, like a statue, silent and without answering.

Yukinoshita gazed intently into her eyes, as if trying to find the splendor that once existed within those dark blue sapphires, not missing a single change in expression, and firmly controlling the atmosphere and rhythm of the conversation.

The prey has taken the bait—the next step is to break down her psychological defenses.

With a slight upturn at the corners of her lips, carrying a mature yet languid smile, Yukinoshita Haruno affectionately put her arm around her shoulder, her tone gentle and bright:

"Don't be so wary, I really just want to chat with you... Ah, how about this!"

"Let's exchange information. Let's talk about things that interest us both, shall I start?"