I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

After what seemed like a mental struggle, when Yukinoshita Saori opened her eyes again, her gaze toward her daughter was still cold, but her tone was no longer so stiff.

You could even hear a hint of helplessness and guilt in his voice.

"Yang Nai, is this your belated rebellious phase? Is it because I was too strict with you in the past, thinking you were very sensible, and placed all my expectations on you, which made you suppress yourself too much, and that's why you did this..."

"No, it has nothing to do with the mother."

A clear and firm voice suddenly rang out.

Even in this serious atmosphere, Yukinoshita Haruno still smiled and said in a relaxed manner, "It's just that he's damn charming, that's why I fell in love with him by accident... It has nothing to do with anyone else, it's a problem between him and me."

"Besides, if my personality weren't so terrible, maybe we wouldn't have been able to get to this point? So I'm actually very grateful to you, Mother."

Yukino blinked, and looking at her mother whose eyes were gradually turning terrifying, she sincerely thanked her, saying, "Thank you for raising me so strictly since I was little, which turned me into this twisted and awful person, and gave me the opportunity to meet him!"

The atmosphere did not lighten because of her tone; instead, it became even colder and heavier.

Suppressing her inner reluctance and desire to compromise, Yukino and her mother looked at each other, their smiles never wavering.

Immature answers, childish provocations, and deliberately over-the-top feigned ignorance—that's just proof.

This proves that Yukinoshita Haruno, stripped of those masks, is ultimately only this level, and is not the perfect superhero that everyone thinks she is.

But she is not afraid now; she is no longer afraid to show her weakness.

Because at least one person will accept you as you are.

No matter how far you retreat, he will rush to your side like a hero and extend his warm hands.

Who says distortion can't be corrected? Who says sinking into depravity means being buried in the mud?

Girls should have dreams. Just think of yourself as a mermaid and it's okay to sink deeper and deeper into the ocean!

—So, this is what she wanted to tell her mother.

No matter how bad the reasons and process are, as long as the result is ALL RIGHT, that's all that matters.

There's nothing we can do about it.

After all, through this lie of renting, Yukinoshita Haruno had already discovered her true feelings—

She was unwilling to let go of the boy who traveled 131 kilometers to find her because of a single sentence.

"..."

Time moved very slowly; every second felt like an eternity.

I don't know how much time passed, but it was as if the heavy snow had melted in the sunlight, and the atmosphere inside the room suddenly relaxed, returning to the warmth of early summer.

"Ugh……"

As if admitting defeat, the mother stopped trying to intimidate him with her gaze, lowered her long eyelashes, and sighed helplessly.

"Is this what true maturity is...? It seems I still don't understand my daughter well enough."

Sensing something from her attitude, Yang Nai's eyes widened in surprise: "Mother, you mean..."

"Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean anything by it."

Her expression returned to calm. The mother stretched out her fair arm, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said calmly, "Yang Nai, you are now an adult. Unless it is a major matter related to the family, I would rather discuss it with you before making a decision than give you a direct order."

"Isn't the same with arranged marriages? I was just offering my opinion and analyzing the benefits that could be brought about by an arranged marriage. If you hadn't been willing to make a 'sacrifice', we wouldn't be having dinner with the Yuuki family here now, and you wouldn't be able to go on dates with your boyfriend everywhere."

"besides……"

Seeing her mother rambling on and on as if nothing was wrong, Yang Nai couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth and let out a cold laugh.

—Is this old woman trying to shift all the blame onto her and maintain her perfect image as a mother?

She still hasn't forgotten that mocking look she gave him back then: "Anyway, the other person's conditions aren't bad, and you never date anyone, you look like you want to stay single forever, so I might as well arrange blind dates for you. At the same time, I can marry off my daughter and enhance the family's prestige, and you won't have to worry about social obligations anymore. It's a win-win-win situation!"

So, personality distortion is definitely hereditary!

"What's with that expression?" The mother paused, casting a piercing gaze.

Yang Nai looked away, pretending to drink tea and using the teacup to hide her expression: "There's nothing there~"

"...Never mind." The mother sighed deeply. If not today, it felt like it had been a long time since she'd heard such a helpless sigh from her. "Our daughter has grown up. She does start to talk back to her parents, and even abandon family for love..."

"Well, I haven't done that yet, have I?"

"Still?" The voice was extremely cold and terrifying.

"Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue. Let me have some tea to calm down."

Setting down the teacup, Yang refilled his mother's cup with tea brewed with Shizuoka tea leaves.

Although her gaze showed no sign of cooling, the mother still picked up the teacup and, amidst the swirling white steam, slowly spoke:

"Whether it's dating or marriage, you have to handle these things yourself. I will only be responsible for business negotiations with the Yuki family and will never discuss personal matters."

"Thank you, I can handle it." Yang Nai immediately became serious and nodded businesslike.

What kind of person is he?

"Beyond looks, with professional-level versatility, calling him a monster wouldn't be an exaggeration. He might even be a bit of a waste to be paired with me."

The mother blinked in surprise, then smiled and chuckled, "As expected of my daughter, she has good taste."

To avoid upsetting her again, Haruno didn't argue, but instead puffed out her chest and smiled proudly.

"So, what are you planning to do?" The mother thought for a moment and then asked, "You two aren't dating yet, right? I don't know what this 'rent-a-boyfriend' thing is, but are you confident you can get past that barrier and win him over?"

"I'm confident!"

As she answered, Yukinoshita Haruno unconsciously clenched her fists, feeling a strange tightness in her heart.

She dismissed it as an illusion and paid no attention to it—her expression, like her tone, was confident and resolute.

Seeing this, the mother felt relieved and nodded, saying, "It's good that you're confident. When are you getting married? After he graduates from high school or university? It would be best if he married into the family, but if our Yukino family can't handle his talents, it's fine for him to marry out. You can leave the inheritance of the surname to Yukino."

“Mother, you’re thinking too far ahead.” Yang Nai couldn’t help but smile bitterly, but her tone was unyielding. “We’ll talk about the rest later. I’ll let you know when I’ve made a decision, so you don’t need to worry so much.”

The mother was taken aback, then her eyes narrowed and she smiled with interest.

"Oh dear, has she really entered her rebellious phase?"

Yang was fearless and responded with a smile in return.

"You've been obedient for so long, it won't hurt to let me rebel a little, will it?"

"Sure, tolerating a child's whims is a quality a good mother should have... Ah, sorry, as a child, you probably can't understand that, right?"

"After all, they're still young."

Every word and sentence seemed to stir up a cold wind, and the temperature was steadily dropping.

Both of them wore sadistic and cruel smiles, their eyes as cold as the reflection of a blade.

In this Japanese-style room, a fierce battle between a mother and daughter is slowly unfolding.

However, eager to meet with Yuuki Tenkuji, Yukinoshita Haruno quickly stopped the standoff and said goodbye to Yukinoshita Saori.

"I have to go now, I'll be back before lunch."

"Is your boyfriend here?"

Guess~

"...Never mind, just remember to be on time. Even if we refuse the marriage alliance, there's no harm in maintaining good relations with the Yuuki family."

Yukinoshita Saori pressed her temples as if she had a headache, but when she looked up at her, she had a gentle smile on her face.

"Go for it, Haruno."

Turning around, Yukinoshita waved her hand confidently and casually.

"Don't worry, I finally fell for someone, of course I'm going to stick with him until the very end!"

"Yes, that's a great idea. She's just like my daughter."

"..."

As she opened the door, Yukinoshita Haruno couldn't help but twitch at the corner of her mouth.

So, stop trying to glorify yourself in everything!

Then, she slammed the door to the Japanese-style room shut.

After a while, she gently opened the door to a private room in a small teahouse on the shopping street.

Turning around, Yukinoshita Haruno smiled at him and said:

"What would you like to drink? How about we sneak in a little wine?"

"I'm not an adult yet."

"Forget about age, come drink with me, sister!"

Rolling her eyes, Tenkuji Yu pretended not to hear and walked into the private room:

"Give me a pot of Longjing tea."

Chapter 79 If heroes are protecting others, then who will protect the heroes?

Despite saying that, Yukinoshita Haruno still ordered him a pot of tea, but it wasn't Longjing tea; it was Shizuoka tea brewed by a tea master.

It has a refreshing aroma that enters the nose, but a rich tea flavor that lingers on the palate. The strong fragrance blends with a slight astringency, and the smooth and mellow taste leaves a lingering feeling on the lips and teeth.

"Delicious."

"My drink is also very good." She ordered a pot of shochu, swirled the clear liquid in her glass, and said unhurriedly, "There are only the two of us in the private room now, so we won't be discovered if we drink it secretly. Really, why don't you give it a try?"

"Are you really trying to get me drunk?" Yuu Tenkuji shook his head helplessly.

Seeing her raise her wine glass, he responded with his teacup.

A quiet clang rang out as porcelain struck.

With her graceful, fair neck tilted back, Yukinoshita Haruno downed a mouthful of sake, and two blushes quickly rose on her snow-white cheeks.

She put down her glass and continued pouring wine, a soft smile playing on her lips as she glanced at him.

"You can't get drunk. Neither can you, and neither can I."

"..."