In the anime series, Goto Ichiri is actually my childhood sweetheart?

"so amazing!"

Goto Ichiri reached out to touch the bottom.

"No, it's very hot."

Gao Qiaofeng grabbed her hand back.

Chapter 28 Christmas Invitation

With the click of lighters, the room was filled with candlelight.

"It's like celebrating my birthday." Goto Ichiri remembered how his parents celebrated his birthday. The lights were turned off, the curtains were drawn tightly, and the family sat at the table, singing Happy Birthday. Goto Ichiri in the middle, wearing a small hat, made a wish in front of the cake.

That day, she faced such candlelight.

Takahashi Feng had never celebrated his birthday in such a grand manner. Ryoko would buy him a cake, but the two of them would just eat it and that was it. They were not the type of people who liked a grand atmosphere.

"It's quite similar, but what we want to eat is not cake, but lunch box."

After Takahashi Feng lit the candles, he took out the lunch box. Ryoko went back to her room to change clothes and just came out.

The three of them sat around the table, tearing off the lids of their lunch boxes. The aroma of curry and meat filled the room, mixed with the smell of candlelight, making people feel very relaxed.

"Ryoko, did Aunt Goto say when she'd be picking her up?"

It was still raining outside. Looking out the window, the huge amount of precipitation had exceeded the capacity of the city's drainage system.

The low-lying areas were filled with water. There were no pedestrians on the road and almost no cars passing by. The sky was gray, looking gloomy and scary.

"She just sent me a message saying that the rain was too heavy and the water on the road was too deep, making the intersection impassable. It would be good if the rain could stop, but the problem is that it's still raining."

"Xiao Yili, you may not be able to go back today, so please stay with us for one night, okay?" Ryoko looked at Goto Yili and said softly.

Goto Ichiri nodded to show that he had no problem.

When she heard that her mother couldn't come, Goto Ichiri was actually a little disappointed, but because of special reasons, staying at a friend's house always gave her a fresh and exciting feeling.

"Then Goto, you can sleep in my bed. There are only two bedrooms in the house. Ryoko and I will help you change the mattress later."

Gao Qiaofeng consciously gave up his bed. After all, he was an adult, so there was no point in fighting for the bed with a child.

"Then where do you sleep?" asked Goto Ichiri.

"As for the sofa, just cover it with a small quilt." Gao Qiaofeng said casually. After all, he often lay on the sofa in his previous life.

Specifically, he was too tired after work to take a shower, but he was too dirty and didn't want to dirty the bed, so he just slept on the sofa. Apart from the back pain he suffered when he woke up the next day, it was actually quite convenient.

"That won't do!" Ryoko was the first to raise an objection. "It's easy to catch a cold if you sleep in the living room. Xiaofeng, you should sleep with me at night." The real purpose was revealed.

When Takahashi Feng was very young, Ryoko often hugged him to sleep. Because Ryoko's sleeping posture was not very good, she would often press Takahashi Feng so hard that he could not breathe when he woke up in the morning.

"No." Gao Qiaofeng turned his head and refused with a firm expression.

"Just cover yourself with a quilt. There are blankets in the cupboard. If you're cold, just cover yourself with two more layers." He curled his lips and said nonchalantly.

"It's okay to sleep together, I don't..."

"Hmm? What?"

Goto Ichiri opened her mouth to try to get Takahashi Kaede to change her mind, but her voice became smaller and smaller, and Takahashi Kaede couldn't hear what she said at all.

"nothing......"

Goto Ichiri felt that he was being a little willful and didn't dare to continue.

Everyone was eating their lunch boxes, and the sound of rain became the embellishment of their silent background.

"Ryoko, have you decided where I should go to elementary school?"

Gao Qiaofeng asked suddenly, because next year he will be old enough to go to college and it is time to consider these things.

"I've already thought about the nearest one. I've checked it out. The school environment is pretty good, the tuition is not high, and I heard the food in the cafeteria is also very popular."

Gao Qiaofeng had seen that school when he was looking at a map in his spare time. It was indeed very close. You didn't even need to take the school bus and it was only a dozen minutes' walk away. There were residential areas all along the way, and in the morning there were children and parents coming and going. If you take good care of yourself, you don't need to worry about safety issues at all.

"Oh, it's the same as mine!" Goto Ichiri was surprised to find that he and Takahashi Kaede went to the same elementary school.

"Oh, that's great, we can go to school together."

"Ok!"

This is the best news Goto Ichiri has received today.

Ryoko was also very happy: "Ichiri and Xiaofeng go to the same school? That's great, you must take good care of each other."

They say they care about each other, but in time it may turn into one-sided support.

Takahashi Feng could already imagine how many obstacles Goto Ichiri had to overcome in school. Poor academic performance due to inattention was a small matter. The big problem was not being able to make friends and sitting alone in his seat every day.

He didn't want Goto Ichiri to become a marginalized member of society, living at home with an unshaven beard all day, eating the minimum living allowance and waiting to die.

It can be felt that Goto Ichiri is eager to socialize, and Takahashi Kaede only hopes that she can be braver in elementary school.

"Actually, Xiaofeng's home is very close to mine. It only takes a few minutes to drive there, and a little longer to get to school."

It didn't take Goto's mother much time to take Goto Ichiri home.

"Is it such a coincidence?" Gao Qiao Feng was surprised. The home of a friend he made casually at school was not far from his home. The probability of such a thing happening was still very small.

"Feng, if you don't believe me, you can come to my house and play. Mom and Dad will definitely welcome you." Goto Ichiri invited Takahashi Feng with a smile.

"It's always me who comes to Feng's house, but you haven't been to my house yet."

"Sure, when?"

"Christmas! Santa Claus always gives me presents every Christmas. Feng, he will definitely give you some too! And mom will make a lot of delicious food that day!"

Goto Ichiri's eyes light up when she thinks of Christmas, because every Christmas Eve Santa Claus would put a sock under her pillow, which was filled with her favorite things.

"There are also gifts. If you come, mom will definitely prepare gifts for you." Goto Ichiri eagerly explained the joy of Christmas to Takahashi Kaede.

"It seems there will be a gift exchange session. We can prepare gifts for each other at that time. Just wait, Xiao Feng. I will definitely prepare your favorite gift for you!"

Ryoko was surprised by Goto Ichiri's excitement. She looked at Takahashi Kaede:

"Xiaoyi Li has invited you so much, do you want to go?"

"But...leaving you home alone on Christmas Eve...I don't think that's possible. I definitely can't leave my family home alone and go out to play by myself, so...I'm sorry Goto-san."

If Takahashi Kaede went to Goto Ichiri's house on Christmas Eve, then Ryoko must have been alone at home. Takahashi Kaede couldn't bear the thought of Christmas Eve, when the lights outside were bright, the Christmas tree was decorated with various pendants, and families gathered together to celebrate the festival, while Ryoko was sitting alone at home looking out the window, looking lost.

Chapter 29: It’s cold, but it’s not cold when we sleep together

Even if Ryoko said it was okay and she could go, Takahashi Kaede would not agree. Even if he said it was okay, he would still feel lonely when the time came.

"That's it..."

Goto Ichiri was visibly depressed. She mustered up the courage to invite her friends, but failed. Even though Takahashi Kaede gave her good reasons, she still felt uncomfortable.

"That's easy. I can go with you."

Ryoko said casually while eating.

"????"

Gao Qiaofeng didn't expect it to be like this.

"Is…is this okay?"

"What's wrong with that? Michiyo and I have a pretty good personal relationship and we've been in touch recently. There's nothing strange about our two families spending Christmas together."

Ryoko spoke casually, and Goto Ichiri rekindled hope, looking at Takahashi Kaede with her big blue eyes as if asking for help.

Naturally, Takahashi Kaede couldn't stand this kind of attention.

"Okay, okay, Ryoko has said so, how can I not go? I will go, of course, and I will prepare a gift for you, so look forward to it."

"Great!" Goto Ichiri raised his hands and cheered.

"I really can't do anything about you--" Takahashi Feng looked at Goto Ichiri with a face that said "I really can't do anything about you". Takahashi Feng was a little flattered that she valued him so much. It seemed that he had to prepare the gift carefully.

After dinner, the rain outside gradually subsided, and the thunder and lightning disappeared into the night and no longer appeared.

The electricity still didn't come back. When Takahashi Feng heard Ryoko say that someone would come to repair it tomorrow morning, he was speechless. With this speed of repair, he didn't know what to do if a major disaster occurred.

"Oh, by the way, the dough we made in the afternoon is still in the refrigerator. I hope it won't break down if the power is out overnight." Gao Qiaofeng suddenly remembered that he made cookies in the afternoon, and the refrigerator must have stopped cooling now.

"If it's been left overnight, don't eat it no matter what. Let it go. Safety first." Although the weather was cold, Ryoko still asked Takahashi Feng to throw it away. After all, she had seen many news reports about families being hospitalized because of people stubbornly eating leftover food.

"Eh--"

"No, that's a veto. Xiao Feng, take Yili to check out your room and change the sheets."

"Okay--" Takahashi Kaede took Goto Ichiri into his room.

There was nothing fancy about the room, it was decorated in simple white. The desk was a bit messy with a lot of books on it, many of which had folded corners. The bed was a single bed, and there was a big bear against the wall.

With the faint light coming from the living room, Goto Ichiri could clearly see an open book on the desk - unfortunately it was all in Chinese and she couldn't understand it.

There are not only Chinese books on the desk, there are also many Japanese books.

"What a big bear!" exclaimed Goto Ichiri.

"I won't buy it if it's not big. I just want a big bear to hug when I sleep at night so that I can feel comfortable." Kneeling on the bed, Gao Qiaofeng said while changing the sheets.

"Okay, I've changed. You can go to bed right away."

"oh oh."

The ancients had no electricity and mutton fat was a rare commodity. When the sun went down and everything became quiet and dark, they would go to bed directly. Modern people have the support of electricity, so they can enjoy the lights and party even at night and don’t have to go to bed right away.

But there was a power outage in Takahashi Kaede's home, so they had to return to the simple and healthy routine of the ancients, which was to go to bed at sunset.

After everyone washed up with cold water, Ryoko yawned. Being in a dark environment had increased her melatonin secretion, and she was already feeling sleepy.

"Xiao Feng, you guys should go to bed early today. I'm sleepy and I'm going to bed first."

After saying that, Ryoko went back to her room and closed the door.

Only two people were left surrounded by candlelight.

Taking two blankets and covering the sofa, Takahashi Feng sent Goto Ichiri back to his room to sleep. After blowing out the candle in front of the sofa, he also lay down on the sofa.

The rain hadn't stopped yet, and from time to time water drops hit the window, making a 'patter' sound. The wind outside was blowing hard, making a whistling sound like in a horror game.

......

Goto Ichiri was lying on Takahashi Kaede's bed. The window kept rattling. Even though she was hugging the bear beside her, she was still scared. She got up, put on her shoes, and walked to the living room to find Takahashi Kaede.

"Xiao Feng, Xiao Feng." Goto Ichiri patted Takahashi Feng gently and found that the quilt was shaking slightly.

She suddenly felt a slight breeze blowing from outside, very fine, but able to blow away a layer of heat from her skin.

There are windows in the front and back of the house, which are connected. Although it is conducive to light transmission and makes the room bright in sunny weather, it will cause the house to form a narrow tube effect, that is, ventilation, on windy and rainy days.

Goto Ichiri touched Takahashi Kaede's face and found it was icy cold. He was frightened and quickly shook him to wake him up.

"Feng, get up quickly. Let's go to the room and sleep. It's too cold outside."

"It's okay, just go to sleep and don't worry about me."

Takahashi Feng was woken up and after hearing what Goto Ichiri said, he wanted to go to the room to sleep, but he refused.

"Feng, the room is too dark and the wind is blowing outside. I'm scared..."

After hearing this, Takahashi Feng stood up and was led into the room by Goto Ichiri.

Although the bed was not big, it was more than enough for two children to sleep in. Goto Ichiri turned over and lay on his back, Takahashi Kaede gradually calmed down and stopped trembling.

As if she wanted to engrave him in her mind, she carefully looked at Takahashi Kaede's eyes, eyebrows, and nose, and even reached out to touch Takahashi Kaede's face.

It's cool, soft and feels great, no wonder Ryoko likes to rub his face.

Takahashi Kaede fell asleep almost as soon as he got into bed, and didn't respond at all to Goto Ichiri's careful touch.

Goto Ichiri felt that all the fear he had just felt had disappeared, leaving only a feeling of security. It was a different feeling from when his mother sat next to him and told him a bedtime story, because his mother would leave after she finished telling the story, but Takahashi Kaede was always by his side.

He could clearly feel the rise and fall of the quilt beside him, as well as the heat. Seeing that Takahashi Kaede didn't react, Goto Ichiri arched forward and pressed against the cold Takahashi Kaede, hoping to warm him up again.

"Good night, Xiao Feng."

The two of them snuggled together like this, and gradually the sound of even breathing could be heard.

......