I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

Qingdeng shook his head with a wry smile and said:

"Miss Hikari, isn't it a bit too deceptive to keep us in suspense at such a crucial point?"

Tonight's meeting lasted longer than any of Aoto's previous conversations with Okita Hikaru.

Thanks to tonight's long conversation, Aoto's understanding of Okita Hikaru has deepened even further.

It wasn't until now that Aoto realized that Okita Hikaru also had such a... mischievous side.

Previously, Aoto had always thought that the sisters, Hikari Okita and Souji, had very different personalities; the former was a mature and composed older sister type, while the latter was a cheerful and lively sunny girl.

In retrospect, that idea was completely wrong.

Hikaru Okita, who always presents himself as a "mature professional," also has a mischievous and playful side, much like Souji.

When Miss Hikari was young, she must have been a playful girl like Okita-kun, who loved to play pranks and cause mischief... Aoto couldn't help but think to himself.

"I sometimes think I might have a talent for storytelling."

After making a small joke, Okita Hikaru, as if preparing to announce some extremely important news, took a deep breath and straightened his back.

"Xiao Si didn't speak immediately—she just stood there dumbfounded."

"Then, her whole face turned bright red, and after a while she came to her senses and scolded me: Sister, what are you talking about? Tachibana and I are just ordinary good friends."

"Xiao Si's story may fool others, but it won't fool me, her older sister, who was also young once."

“I could tell at a glance—Xiao Si’s feelings for you are definitely not ordinary. She would never show such an expression if she didn’t like you very much.”

"If she really only sees you as an ordinary friend with whom she has a simple relationship, she would definitely laugh at me and say, 'Sister, you're overthinking it,' while taking out a konpeito from her pocket and eating it."

Upon hearing this, Qing Deng realized something was amiss.

"Wait, Ms. Hikari, it seems that Souji didn't say she liked me personally."

"Orange-kun".

Okita Hikaru gave Aoto a look that said, "You just don't understand, do you?"

"What's the difference between the expression Xiaosi gave at that time and telling me directly, 'I really like Tachibana Aoto'?"

After saying that, Okita Hikaru ignored Aoto's dumbfounded expression, raised his arms high above his head, and stretched vigorously.

"Alright... let's end this long storytelling session here."

"Tachibana-kun, let's talk about your thoughts."

"I have been completely open and honest; now it is your turn to speak frankly and openly."

"What do you mean by 'open your heart'?" Qing Deng certainly understood what Okita Hikaru meant by "talk about your thoughts properly".

But that topic was just too difficult to answer.

When faced with a difficult answer, Qingdeng instinctively chose to escape.

"Don't play dumb."

Okita feigned anger.

"You know what I'm referring to—tell me, what do you think of Xiao Si?"

Hikaru Okita paused for a moment, then quickly added:

"To stop you from playing dumb, let me put it simply and directly—do you like Xiao Si?"

After speaking, Okita Hikaru remained silent, quietly awaiting Aoto's reply.

The courtyard was enveloped in a quiet stillness so profound you could hear a pin drop.

Qingdeng felt as if all the joints in his body were bound by chains, extremely stiff.

—Oh, I see…

The logic is all clear now.

The reasons for all the problems have been clarified.

—She truly is a rational and intellectual woman…

Qingdeng half-closed his eyes, hissed as he inhaled, and silently felt ashamed of his previous misunderstanding.

When Okita Hikaru suddenly blurted out, "Let's marry Tsukasa," Aoto thought that Okita Hikaru might have drunk too much and was just talking nonsense.

The result... this wasn't just drunken ramblings at all; it was a perfectly rational and insightful discourse!

Hikaru Okita's plans are really well-thought-out!

Qingdeng is now neither short of money, nor lacking in connections or social status.

Judging from the values ​​of the Edo period, Seito was undoubtedly a winner in life, far surpassing 99% of his peers.

If we can get on the coattails of Qingdeng... even an ugly duckling can soar to the sky!

In order to enable Souji to live a good life, he wanted to matchmake Aoto and Souji—Okita Hikaru's idea may seem mercenary and materialistic at first glance, but it is understandable.

As the saying goes: poverty-stricken couples face a hundred sorrows.

Love that isn't based on money is just a castle in the air, easily destroyed.

Qingdeng believes in love and that there are happy couples in this world who, even if they are dirt poor, can still live happily every day with "love" as their sustenance.

But such couples are extremely rare.

You might not find a couple as optimistic as this among ten thousand couples.

Putting himself in Qingdeng's shoes, if he had a younger sister who was still unmarried, he would never allow his brother-in-law to be a good-for-nothing who was so poor that he could only lead his family to starve.

"call……"

The scent emanating from Qingdeng's mouth and nose immediately turned into a transparent white mist upon contact with the cold air.

Although some time had passed, Aoto was still reeling from Okita Hikaru's blunt marriage proposal in Souji's bedroom.

Before their emotions could catch up with the present situation, they were hit by a completely new "shock":

Orange-kun, do you like Xiao Si?

Without the slightest hint of euphemism.

There is absolutely no room for maneuver.

Okita Hikaru threw a straight shot with a solemn, mature tone.

Qingdeng's body trembled slightly, his gaze wandering aimlessly.

“Uh… Okita-kun… she… she…”

Do you like Xiao Si?

"Well... how should I put it..."

Do you like Xiao Si?

“Okita-kun is an important comrade of mine, um… so…”

Do you like Xiao Si?

"My relationship and feelings for Okita-kun are difficult to define in just a few words..."

Do you like Xiao Si?

……

This back-and-forth conversation lasted for nearly a minute.

Okita Hikaru stared intently into Aoto's eyes with a sharp gaze that never wavered.

As if trying to block all escape routes, as if trying to force Qingdeng into a desperate situation with no way out, they asked a series of straightforward questions.

No matter how awkwardly Qing Deng tried to evade the question, Okita Hikaru's response was always the same: "Do you like Tsukasa?"

He seemed determined not to give up until he received a "like" or "dislike" response.

"me……"

Hikaru Okita's continuous questioning interrupted Aoto's thoughts time and time again; she seemed to be deliberately not giving Aoto any time or space to think.

Like a dam breached by a flood, Qingdeng's thinking ability was shattered.

Feeling like his mind was a complete mess, Qingdeng stammered and stuttered, making sounds that sounded like groans without any real meaning.

As if trying to escape reality, Qingdeng engaged in a mental activity completely unrelated to the current situation, much to his amusement and dismay:

—What's going on lately...? Why are acquaintances coming one after another to propose marriage...?

Within a month, two "parents" approached her to act as matchmakers.

Previously, Kanazawa Tadatsugu had asked him if he wanted to marry his sister.

Now, Hikaru Okita is asking him, "Do you want to marry Souji?"

However... despite facing the exact same events, Qing Deng's state of mind underwent a completely different change.

When Jinze Zhongfu asked him if he was willing to marry Jinze Qin from their family, the wording and emotion of his refusal almost instantly surged into Qing Deng's heart.

But now... now...

All sorts of thoughts and memories fluttered around in my mind.

Qingdeng didn't know how to describe his current state of mind.

However, one thing is certain—he did not immediately feel "rejection" like he did when Kanazawa Tadashi proposed.

At that moment, a hearty laugh entered Qingdeng's thoughts.

"I see, I understand now."

"Huh? What do you understand?"

Aoto looked at Okita Hikaru with surprise.

Okita Mitsuaki smiled sweetly:

"I understand that you also like Xiao Si."

Qingdeng's eyes widened instantly, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinholes, and a large amount of white vapor sprayed from his slightly open mouth.

Before Aoto could respond, Okita Hikaru stretched his arms behind him, supported himself on the ground with his palms, tilted his head slightly, and looked into Aoto's eyes with a smile.