They all have hidden attributes!

"It's unnecessary, it's just sugar."

"Then go ahead and try it, just like you would get your ears pierced, enjoy the taste, not just for the purpose of replenishing your sugar levels."

"Hmm...that makes sense."

Upon entering the cake shop, Makoto Takahashi chose the rich chocolate flavor of the Opera cake, while Reiko Kashima, who didn't like whipped cream, opted for the fruit tart.

After paying the bill, the two carried a tray with black tea and cake to a seat by the window. After sitting down at the round table, Kashima Reiko took out her phone to take pictures.

The camera focuses on two gorgeous cakes, and inadvertently captures Makoto Takahashi's well-defined fingers.

Ever since they watched a fireworks festival together last year, her Instagram posts have always been related to Makoto Takahashi.

Would you like a fruit tart?

After the photos were taken, Kashima Reiko gently pushed the tray over, and Takahashi Makoto unceremoniously extended his hand holding a fork: "Speaking of which, you don't necessarily have to go to a beauty salon to get your ears pierced, right? How about I do it for you?"

Getting your ears pierced can indeed cause infection, and it can be very painful even if you go to a reputable hospital.

Makoto Takahashi was confident that he could give her a painless and safe experience, but in Reiko Kashima’s opinion, entrusting her to him was probably riskier than going to a beauty salon.

Reiko Kashima has a personality that dislikes taking risks.

Just as he was pondering how to persuade her, Kashima Reiko reached out and cut a piece of his opera cake, putting it in her mouth: "Okay."

Makoto Takahashi blinked in surprise. She swallowed the cake and said frankly, "Although I don't quite trust you, it's still a memory. You'll have to take responsibility for any trouble it causes."

"In this situation, wouldn't it be better not to head directly to the destination?"

"Hmm..." Kashima Reiko was caught in a dilemma.

Makoto Takahashi took a bite of the opera cake. It was sweet and delicious. The young lady loved all the chocolate desserts. He could make some for Sachi Tachi next time.

After finishing the cake, Kashima Reiko finally made a decision.

"Let nature take its course. If something unexpected really happens, there's no other way but to find joy in hardship."

The implication is that it's better to go directly to the destination, even if it might be a little boring.

"Let's go to the beauty salon next, I'll help you get your ears pierced painlessly."

Makoto Takahashi took a sip of black tea, reached into his pocket, took out a box, and opened it in front of her: "This is a Valentine's Day return gift. I made it myself. What style do you like? I can make earrings out of the leftover materials."

Inside the box was a sapphire ring, the platinum setting perfectly complementing the heart-shaped sapphire, creating a breathtakingly luxurious effect.

Kashima Reiko put down her fork, rubbed her cheeks with both hands, and after a moment of blankness, raised her bright blue eyes: "I like the way you want me to be. Does that sound stupid?"

"No, it's very cute." Makoto Takahashi smiled brightly.

No matter the situation, Kashima Reiko always showed him the most sincere attitude.

While the two were happily on their date, on the other side, they met the head of the family.

After finishing her morning exercise, Maya Uesugi, wearing a moon-white bathrobe, walked through a long corridor lined with cherry trees on both sides, their pink and white petals slowly drifting down in the misty steam.

Walking on the solid wood floor to the end, by the open-air hot spring pool, a stone lantern is lit, and the firelight is reflected in the water, shattering into thousands of pieces.

She sat down by the hot spring, her slender, snow-white legs dipping into the water. The warm water was very comforting. Yuki Tachimi was leaning against a smooth stone a little further away, soaking in the bath.

The clear, melodious chirping of birds drifted from the clear sky, sounding somewhat distant.

Maya Uesugi looked up at the bamboo grove surrounding the open-air hot spring. A gentle breeze blew, and the slender, emerald-green leaves made a soft, gentle rustling sound.

She wanted to try to improve her relationship with Tachibana Yuki, and after careful consideration, she could only come up with one solution: the cunning she had learned from Shiraishi Junka.

—To show a little bit of your dark side.

I had originally planned to use it on Makoto Takahashi, but after thinking it over, I felt it wasn't appropriate. Or rather, I felt that as long as I was straightforward, being charming to him would be more effective than being scheming.

Uesugi Maya couldn't bring herself to act cute towards Miyuki, and even felt ashamed to call her "older sister." Since that was the case, "scheming" was the only option left.

If Tachibana Yuki feels important to him, he should be able to use this method to enhance their relationship. If she doesn't care about him, then there's no need for them to be close, and he won't lose anything either way.

Just as he was about to speak, Tachimi Yuki broke the ice: "Saya, I've noticed you've been replying to emails a lot lately. Is it because the Tokyo Dome live show isn't going well?"

"With Lengzi's help, the preparation for the live performance went very smoothly, and there was no need to worry about the publicity."

Maya Uesugi pulled her long black hair back and said with a cold face, "It's about my new book. I sent electronic copies to several university professors, literature lecturers, and the publishing house, and received their feedback."

Tachimi Yuki was used to her cold attitude, but she was surprised by Uesugi Maya's actions: "Is that so? I didn't expect you to do something like this. You used to be very... hurt when you saw others criticize you?"

"Their opinions are at least professional and well-founded."

"So, what was the result?"

"Most people say it's a good book. Several professors are really looking forward to its publication. People who criticized the previous book for being too gloomy and straightforward are also very optimistic about it. The publisher, on the other hand, is very tactful and subtle."

Maya Uesugi wore an indifferent expression, as if she didn't know why the publisher refused to release the book.

"Mmm~ That's great!"

Yuki Tachimi stood up from the hot spring, glistening water droplets sliding down her fair, flawless skin: "I've finished reading it too. It would be a lie to say I wasn't scared."

Seeing that she was about to leave, Uesugi Maya took a deep breath and said in a calm but firm tone, "Even if it can't be published, I want him to read it himself. He can just read the original manuscript."

"I don't think this is a good idea, Yoru. Makoto might reject you," Tachimi Yuki said with a gentle smile.

To her surprise, Maya Uesugi didn't stubbornly insist that she would definitely win, or say anything more in line with her personality. Instead, she frankly admitted that she had foreseen the outcome.

“Even so, sister, I don’t need your protection,” Uesugi Maya suddenly said.

The relaxed atmosphere suddenly became tense, the temperature dropped noticeably by two degrees, and the steam rising from the hot spring clung tightly to the surface of the water, creating a heavy sense of oppression.

Tachibana Yuki's smile was slightly stiff, and she could only try her best to control her emotions.

"Xiaoye, your older sister will really get angry."

Her tone was far less composed than usual, and a hint of warning lurked beneath her sweet voice.

"The only thing I want to deal with is matters of the heart."

Uesugi Maya gazed at her shimmering blonde hair, remaining calm and composed:

"I don't think I have no chance of winning, and I know clearly that I'm almost certain to lose. Actually, the outcome doesn't matter at all. What matters is that I must let Cheng know that I love him."

Tachibana Yuki put on a stern, innocent face and looked down at Uesugi Maya. In the shadow cast by his blond hair, his dangerous gaze became even more terrifying, making Uesugi Maya feel breathless for the first time, and even the back of her neck was covered in sweat.

Chapter 238 White Valentine's Day (Part 2)

Back at the Tachimi family home, Makoto Takahashi walked toward Tachimi Yuki's detached villa. Maids were tending the lawn, and the sound of lawnmowers filled the air with the fresh scent of fresh grass juice.

Before even entering the villa, I could see through the glass that Uesugi Maya and Tachimi Yuki were sitting opposite each other on the sofa in the living room, separated by a coffee table.

The atmosphere looked a bit eerie, as if a storm was brewing.

Makoto Takahashi raised his wrist; the time displayed on the cobalt blue dial was not yet 10 a.m.

isn't it?

They've been apart for only a few hours, and they've already become enemies?

Pushing open the door to the villa, Makoto Takahashi went straight into the living room. The bright sunlight slanted into the clean and bright French windows, but there was no warmth at all.

Maya Uesugi crossed her arms over her chest, her legs, encased in black stockings, crossed below her white high-waisted long skirt. Her dark green shirt had a crisp, straight shoulder line, just like her sharp eyes.

Opposite her, Tachimi Yuki, dressed in a Western-style dress, leaned against the sofa with one hand supporting her head, idly flipping through a shoujo manga, yet exuding a terrifying aura.

Makoto Takahashi's gaze lingered between the two of them. Seeing that the coffee table was empty, he walked towards the bar counter and asked, "Would you like some black tea?"

Neither of them responded, and the atmosphere became tense. The situation was far more difficult to handle than one person wanting tea and the other wanting coffee.

After brewing the black tea, Makoto Takahashi brought it over and placed it next to Yuki Tachimi. Then he went around to the other side and sat down next to Maya Uesugi.

Li Jianxing poured himself a cup of black tea and squinted at him.

"You messed up again?" Makoto Takahashi reached out and pinched Maya Uesugi's nape, giving her a slight tug, and she obediently rested her head on his shoulder.

"What makes you so sure it's my problem?" Uesugi Maya asked coldly.

“I wasn’t sure before, but now I can confirm that you were wrong. If you had any confidence, you would have just attacked me directly.” Takahashi Makoto ruffled her head, making her soft, long black hair look messy.

Uesugi Maya pressed the corners of her mouth into a "he" shape, her gaze fixed straight on Tachimi Yuki. Because of the perfect height and firmness of Takahashi Makoto's shoulder, she did not resist his hand.

She certainly didn't want the atmosphere to turn out like this. Her original intention was to improve interpersonal relationships, but before she could even use her cunning, the situation unknowingly deteriorated.

Perhaps it's just a matter of habit, but over the years, the two of them have always been like this, arguing for no apparent reason.

Before I met Makoto Takahashi, we occasionally had brief periods of harmonious coexistence. But after last year's rainy season, our past friendship had long been covered with layers of dust.

"What did you originally want to say to Sachi?" Takahashi Makoto leaned down and whispered in Uesugi Maya's ear.

"...I can't tell you."

"Then organize your thoughts and tell her yourself later?"

Perhaps because Tatsumi Yuki's aura was too strong, Uesugi Maya, who was severely suppressed, was much more docile than usual today.

Seeing her nod, Makoto Takahashi stood up and walked to Yuki Tachimi's side: "Yo won't embarrass you, right?"

The young lady's emotions are usually very stable, and it is quite rare for her to be so angry. Of all the reasons that Takahashi Makoto could think of, the most likely one was that Uesugi Maya had embarrassed her to the point of feeling ashamed.

"It's nothing."

Tachibana sat up straight, picked up the black tea and gently blew on it to cool it down: "It's just that my foolish sister said I didn't need it. All along, I've been deluding myself."

Just as Makoto Takahashi had predicted, Maya Uesugi's words made Yuki Tatsumi feel like a clown, which is why she was angry to an unprecedented degree.

"You know Ah Ye's communication skills, I bet that's not what she meant."

Makoto Takahashi gave Maya Uesugi a questioning look. She hesitated, her pink lips slightly moving as if she wanted to say something, then she took a long, restrained breath and carefully chose her words.

"That's not what I meant at all. It's your controlling nature that led you to misinterpret my statement."

Tachimi Yuki's protection is indeed closely related to her desire for control.

Uesugi Maya, on the other hand, often gets into conflicts with others because of her personality and way of speaking.

The two of them are like a drum set and a guitar; without the buffer of a bass, no matter how much they try to work together, they can't understand each other and will only fall apart.

"Sachi, as the older sister, how about trying to be more patient with Aya? She's not completely unaware of your gentleness."

Makoto Takahashi tried to persuade Yuki Tatsumi with a word, and then walked towards the kitchen: "I'll go cut some fruit. Speaking of which, I found a really delicious cake shop today. They have opera cakes, but the cream puffs were just so-so."

The atmosphere eased slightly, and he left the space to Uesugi Maya and Tachimi Yuki.

Ultimately, the feud between the two women is something they must resolve themselves. If things don't go well, they can bring the fruit back.