In crossover anime, who isn't a childhood friend?

He then met Runzi's mother, who came out of the kitchen, and handed her the bag he had chosen.

"Thank you, Qianye, I love it!"

Runzi's mother was overjoyed and immediately came over to give her son a grateful hug.

It's safe to say they're mother and daughter; their ways of expressing affection are exactly the same.

Why isn't Shihua like this...?

Thinking of Toka, but not seeing her, Gen Chiya turned his head and looked around.

"Has Shihua not returned yet?"

Runzi's mother's smile faded upon hearing this, and she explained,

"Toka called to say she's going to stay at a friend's house tonight. You know her, Yukino's older sister, Haruno. Toka, that kid is really something. I told you that your brother's award today is very important. Dad can't come because of work, but you at least have to come home so our family can get together and celebrate properly. But she said she already promised someone and can't break her promise. I'm so sorry."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Qianye nodded in understanding and didn't mind.

"After all, I've already promised them, so there's nothing I can do about it."

After he said that, Runzi's mother seemed a little relieved and hurried back into the kitchen to continue her work.

"Dinner will be ready in a little while. Rikka, stop playing for now and keep Chiyo company so Chiya can rest."

"I know~"

Rikka approached Chiyo with a small toy, while Minamoto Chiya went to the bathroom.

During this brief respite from his busy schedule, he recalled Shika's unusual attitude towards him that morning.

In the past, if I participated in any competition, she would always be there if it was convenient for me, unless I explicitly refused.

If she wins an award afterward, she will celebrate for herself immediately, be genuinely proud of herself, and be happy because of her own happiness.

Now that she has won the most prestigious Edogawa Rampo Award to date, she simply sent a congratulatory message in the afternoon.

They don't even plan to make a phone call.

It was said that there was a disagreement between them, and that their relationship had suddenly developed a rift. Gen Chiya felt that this was impossible.

The reason she suddenly became distant was indeed because she had sensed something—some of her own thoughts about him.

Yuan Qianye stared at himself in the mirror and sighed softly. The future was still long and arduous.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

It was past 10 p.m.

Yuan Qianye sat at his desk, refining the outline for the next part of Si Ti.

Winning the Edogawa Rampo Award made him happy, but that was not enough to make him complacent and stop him from moving forward.

This is just the beginning.

The Hayakawa Science Fiction Award, which opens for submissions in May and will announce its results in late August, is the main event he is looking forward to.

"The Astrological Murder Mystery" has won an award and will be published. It might cause a sensation and sell very well. If we're lucky, it might even be adapted into a movie or TV series.

However, given the limitations in length and subject matter, the overall impact and revenue can be capped.

It's impossible to realize one's lofty ideals with just one book.

However, [SiTi] is different. Its core story and theme are much grander, and the IP value and influence of this product in its previous life are obvious to all.

Take it slow; nothing can be accomplished overnight.

On the bright side, Saeko's situation was a good start.

It should be considered a good start...

Just as Yuan Qianye was typing away enthusiastically on the keyboard, there was a sudden knock on the door.

His train of thought was interrupted. After responding, Rikka poked her little head out and smiled cutely at him. Then she brought in a small bowl of washed grapes and a glass of orange juice.

"Onii-chan, you're writing again? You just won an award today and it's so late, you should get some rest. You have to go to Kodansha for an interview tomorrow, so take care of yourself and get plenty of rest."

Rikka placed the tray on the desk, put her hands behind her back, and spoke sweetly.

The behavior was touching, and the atmosphere was very warm.

But Gen Chiyo's first reaction to this was to be wary.

Having lived under the same roof for so long, he considered himself to know Rikka quite well.

When he's not doing anything, this guy doesn't show the same respect he would show his older brother. He calls him by his first name, Qianye, quite naturally, without feeling that anything is wrong with it.

Then she only tries to please him when she has received some benefit from him.

Either you have something to ask of yourself, or you proactively lower your stance in advance.

Or perhaps she has done something wrong and wants me to plead with her mother and Shihua to spare her from blame and punishment.

That's why she would use her convenient identity as the younger sister.

Therefore, seeing her like this at this moment, Yuan Qianye immediately became wary, raising an eyebrow and revealing a knowing look in his eyes.

"Tell me, what do you want me to do this time?"

Rikka was quite dissatisfied with this, and put her hands on her hips.

"What do you take me for? What's wrong with a sister caring about her brother?"

With her small chest puffed out, she spoke with such confidence that she immediately placed herself on the moral high ground, leaving Yuan Qianye somewhat at a loss.

He stared at Rikka with even more suspicion, making sure there was no evasiveness in her eyes, before picking up his orange juice and taking a sip.

"I'm sorry, but it's your fault for having so many prior offenses. I'm just glad you're okay."

"The past is the past, and the present is the present. Just like you, Qianye, I will grow too. How could I only cause you trouble forever?"

Looking at the dense text document on Yuan Qianye's computer screen, she could understand how hard it was to type just by looking at it. Her pouting lips relaxed instantly, and her face regained its ingratiating expression.

She reached out to Qianye, placing her hands naturally on his shoulders and gently massaging them.

"Onii-chan, please don't write anymore tonight, just get some rest. Lie down on the bed like you used to, and I'll give you a massage, okay?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw that Yuan Qianye had finished eating the grapes, and she thoughtfully took out a tissue and handed it to his mouth, like a little maid serving her master, so that he could spit out the grape skins directly, saving him the step of bending down to aim at the trash can.

"..."

Looking at Rikka's smiling, ingratiating expression, Gen Chiya felt a sense of unease.

This little rascal never bothers with anything unless he needs something, only remembering to seek help from Buddha when disaster strikes.

This sudden, seemingly unprovoked act made him quite uncomfortable.

But Rikka is, after all, Touka's younger sister. Although she hasn't started to blossom like Touka and begun to show her feminine charm, her appearance is still outstanding and she's quite formidable.

Unlike the mixed-race Eriri and the aloof Yukino, she possesses a unique, innocent beauty reminiscent of a girl next door.

Yuan Qianye turned around to look at her and noticed that the pink and blue color-blocked nightgown she was wearing today was quite cute, with the ruffled neckline slightly upturned, making her neck look slender.

The fabric was fluffy cloud cotton, and when he raised his hand, the small fluttering sleeves swayed gently, tickling his neck.

The skirt was no longer than knee-length, and since it was evening, she wasn't wearing socks, revealing her fair and smooth calves.

"Are you going to press it or not?!"

Rikka noticed that Minamoto no Chiya was looking at her, and for some reason seemed a little guilty.

But it's strange that she didn't seem to have any ulterior motives like before.

But she couldn't quite put her finger on what was strange about it.

They didn't even consider whether there was a problem with the other person.

Minamoto no Chiya wasn't the type to overthink things, and since Rikka was so thoughtful, she nodded without much thought.

He saved the document and uploaded it to the cloud for backup, then turned off his computer and lay down on the bed.

Seeing this, Rikka naturally kicked off her slippers, climbed onto her older brother's bed, obediently knelt beside him, and placed her hands on his waist to begin to exert force.

I've massaged him many times before, so I know which parts of his body he prefers when he's being massaged.

With the slightest movement of his body, she knows which way to reach out and exert force next.

"Rikka, you're acting a bit strange tonight," Gen Chiyo said suddenly, her chin resting on the pillow.

"Is the massage not strong enough? Then I'll press harder," Rikka said, panting slightly.

"Come on, you know that's not what I meant."

"Didn't I just say that even I would be sensible when needed?" Rikka's grip strength was not great and her stamina was also lacking. After a few squeezes, her fingers felt sore, so she changed to making a fist and started gently patting her back.

"But there must be other reasons as well."

"No, really..." Rikka replied softly.

That's right.

Having already made up her mind, Yuan Qianye didn't turn around, still lying face down with her pillow in her arms: "Tell me about it, so I can feel more at ease. Otherwise, I always feel like you have some other ulterior motives."

“It’s okay if you’re a little slow on the uptake sometimes…” Rikka murmured softly. Since she had already seen through it, she didn’t intend to hide it anymore: “…I just felt that you were a little disappointed that your older sister didn’t come home to celebrate with you on such an important day as winning an award. So I thought I would do something within my power to make you happier.”

But I suddenly realized that I didn't know much either. All I could do was wash some fruit for you, make you a glass of juice, and give you a massage—these were the little things..."

"Wait a minute, stop for a second." Yuan Qianye turned over and sat cross-legged facing Rikka: "Where did you see that I looked a little disappointed?"

"It was obvious. You were quite excited when you heard the news of the award in the morning. You seemed to be in a good mood when you were answering those non-stop phone calls. You were smiling the whole time. When we had lunch together and said goodbye, you seemed just as cheerful."

Then, when you got home that evening and heard Mom say that your sister was staying at a friend's house and couldn't come home for dinner, your demeanor changed immediately. It wasn't particularly obvious, but I could sense you were down, and you spoke much less during the meal.

Seeing how confidently Liu Hua spoke.

Yuan Qianye subconsciously wanted to touch his face, but he stopped himself as soon as he raised his hand.

He was puzzled. How could Rikka, that little idiot, have noticed his change in mindset? That shouldn't be possible...

However, to be honest, he was quite touched.

Rikka is usually unreliable, but that's precisely why her sudden display of maturity is so touching.

"Alright, alright, don't think about it so much. Your sister has made plans with someone else, so there's nothing you can do about it. Even though your sister isn't here, I'm still here. Today, I'll celebrate for you on her behalf."

"You really deserve the Ranpo Award, and you even signed a contract with Kodansha! I still feel like I'm dreaming, it's unbelievable. How about the massage today is unlimited, I'll massage you until you fall asleep?"

"..."