In the anime, who is not a childhood sweetheart?

As her daughter, I should have inherited this constitution from her, but it's not certain.

What if I really gain weight and can’t lose it…

When Hesha thought of that scene, Yuan Qianye's look of disgust and disappointment as he looked at his fat self flashed through his mind again.

She instantly lost her appetite due to worry.

After this, Hesha basically just watched Yuan Qianye showing off his physique.

Seeing him eating so happily, Hesha felt quite resentful at first, but she soon got over it.

I was also happy to add some extra food for him when he was taking it!

She had a beautiful idea. If she ate less and persuaded Yuan Qianye many times, the difference in their figures would be further widened.

This way, even if she gains a little weight in the future, it won't be so obvious in front of him.

Eat, eat, it would be best if you become a fat man, then it will be my turn to despise you.

She had no idea that her intimate behavior was driven by bad thoughts.

What does it mean to outsiders?

"The daughter has a really good relationship with the runner-up of this competition."

“They always do.”

"Are you two also good friends who can talk about anything in private?"

"Haha, you can definitely use your imagination a little more."

Not far away, Touma Yoko was holding a glass of red wine and talking to some familiar reporters from the TV station.

She deliberately drew the reporters' attention to Hesha and Qianye, and spoke in an ambiguous manner. Her purpose was self-evident.

I have to say sorry to that kendo girl.

It's just that your turn is over.

Now it’s my baby daughter’s turn.

"In fact, in my mind, Yuan Qianye might be the winner of this competition."

Someone asked Yaozi: "Why do you say that?"

At this moment, Yoko dropped another bombshell on the reporters: "Because, at most, he's only been formally learning piano for a few months."

The reporters all looked at each other, and some tried to find a joking expression on her face.

But unfortunately, Yoko was serious.

"Excuse me first." Yaozi smiled lightly, left here, came to his daughter and Yuan Qianye, and went to introduce himself to some of her friends in the circle.

Time flies, and soon it is past seven o'clock.

Yuan Qianye has now gradually become accustomed to this occasion.

When meeting someone, it's always a good idea to smile first, introduce each other, and then actively express respect or admiration for the other person.

But he didn't expect that Touma Yoko would take the initiative to bring them to Shinomiya Kaguya and talk to her.

He didn't care about the young lady, but what concerned him was the blonde girl in waitress uniform next to her.

With similar hair color and a similar mindset to Eriri's, and obvious Western ancestry, it's undoubtedly Hayasaka Ai.

She stayed quietly beside her eldest daughter and saw Gen Chiye approaching on his own initiative under the leadership of Touma Yoko.

The two were only a few steps apart.

There was no moving expression on her delicate face.

…………

100: The Guilty Maid

"Hayasaka, when will this end..."

The banquet had been going on for more than an hour, and Miss Kaguya once again chatted with the people who came forward to greet her with a smile on her face.

He turned around and ran to a quiet corner, immediately revealing his impatience.

"The party has just begun. It would be inappropriate and rude to leave now. Please be patient for a while, young lady."

Hayasaka Ainori, who was being complained about, still spoke very skillfully to comfort and soothe the young lady's emotions.

Similar situations have happened countless times since she was a child, and she has long been accustomed to it.

There is nothing we can do about it.

Perhaps in the eyes of outsiders, as the daughter of the Shinomiya Group, she has no worries about food and clothing and can enjoy the most luxurious standard of life all her life.

However, few people know that beneath this seemingly glamorous appearance, they also have to bear tremendous pressure that ordinary people can hardly imagine. They lack freedom and cannot make independent decisions about their own lives, just like a bird in a cage.

At the same time, because he is at the center of the vortex of interests, he cannot escape the attention of various forces, resulting in even more excessive surveillance...

"Okay, I get it." Miss Shinomiya sighed softly, "I'll stay here obediently for a while, so Hayasaka, please stop showing that serious expression."

"..." Hayasaka Ai's somewhat gloomy eyes slowly turned back to normal because of the words of the young lady she was serving.

She didn't make that expression just now because of the eldest lady's complaint.

Rather, when he thought about having to report the eldest lady's recent situation to his family after returning tonight, he felt a little disgusted with himself as a "traitor".

But there was no way to tell her such a thing.

Suddenly, Hayasaka Ai noticed several people approaching from a distance.

Especially when she saw the person who had supported her silently during this period among the visitors, her heartbeat suddenly started to speed up.

However, as Miss Shinomiya's personal maid, she did not forget her duties at this moment. She suppressed her emotions and whispered, "Someone is coming, Miss."

Upon hearing this, Kaguya Shinomiya quickly adjusted herself to the state of a rich lady, showing a gentle and well-mannered smile.

----

Touma Yoko's idea was actually very simple. She knew that one of the sponsors of this competition was the Shinomiya Group.

And when she saw someone from the Shinomiya family at the banquet, even if it was just a child, she felt it necessary to go up and say hello.

Actively express goodwill, this is the social approach that Yoko practices.

Over the years, her comfortable style of doing things has helped her make many friends and gain many rewards far beyond her expectations.

The eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family originally saw that the two people following her were the champion and runner-up who had surpassed her in the competition that had just ended.

At first, I was in a bad mood, thinking darkly that this woman with a fake smile on her face was showing off to me.

But as the conversation progressed, she gradually let go of her prejudice and had to admit that the lady in front of her had a high emotional intelligence.

As the conversation went on, Yaozi did not mention any topic related to the competition, but instead talked about other unrelated things very familiarly.

For example, he mentioned the outstanding achievements that Kaguya Shinomiya had made in the Guzheng and Kyudo competitions, and congratulated her calmly.

Although Miss Shinomiya realized that she was giving her a compliment, she did not feel indifferent or even disgusted like she had with other people's compliments before.

The reason is simple. Yaozi gives people a very sincere feeling, and he has a clear understanding of the specific circumstances of his previous competitions, and can also explain some details clearly.

To put it simply, it means flattery that touches the heart, which makes people feel very comfortable.

"...Congratulations to both of you for winning the first and second place in this competition." The other party took the initiative to show goodwill, so naturally, Shinomiya Kaguya couldn't show any lack of magnanimity.

When she was outside, she always remembered that she was a member of the Shinomiya family, and any of her actions must not bring shame to the Shinomiya family.

"Thank you." Yuan Qianye, who was mentioned, expressed his gratitude.

But when he answered, his gaze only stayed on Shinomiya Kaguya for a moment, and then turned to Hayasaka Ai beside her.

No one present noticed his subtle movement.

But Hayasaka Ai, who was stared at by him, keenly felt that his simple thanks seemed to have a hidden meaning.

It was as if the person he was talking about was not the young lady, but himself...

Did he recognize himself?

No, no.

As soon as this thought came to her mind, Hayasaka Ai immediately denied it.

There were no flaws in the process of sending flowers before.

Plus, they were just children when they first met.

The reason why she remembered such a long-ago event so clearly was because it was the first time she experienced a "big crisis" in her life.

I almost lost the baby contact book with my mother, and in a panic, things took a turn for the better.

It was because of the ups and downs in her mood that she could still remember things that happened so long ago.

But for Yuan Qianye, it was probably just a random incident from his childhood that he didn't remember much about, and he must have forgotten it completely long ago...

Gen Chiye saw that Hayasaka Ai's eyes met his and then she looked away silently shortly after, without any change in expression, as if she was looking at a stranger, and he felt a little puzzled.

Could it be that his previous guess was wrong? Could it be that someone else had sent him flowers?

The other person's expression was cold, as if he regarded himself as a servant of his master. It was certainly not easy for him to speak to her directly.

In the end, Yaozi smiled and decided to stop talking. When they had almost finished chatting, he took the two of them away.

"As expected of a famous pianist, it's no accident that he has achieved what he has today. His conversation and cultivation are outstanding." Kaguya sighed as she looked at the business card handed to her by Yoko.

She waited silently for a few seconds, but unexpectedly did not receive a reply from Hayasaka Ai.

Kaguya turned her head and was surprised to find that Hayasaka was staring motionlessly in the direction of the three people who had just left. Her hands, which naturally hung down on both sides of her, were slightly clenched into fists, and her eyes seemed to be particularly concerned.

"Hayasaka?" Kaguya called out softly again with concern.

Hayasaka heard it this time: "What's wrong, Miss?"

Ah, back to normal.

Kaguya was secretly complaining in her heart.

I have to participate in competitions during this period, and Hayasaka has been busy running around with me, so she must be exhausted...

"Nothing much. Do you have any plans after you get back?"

"This banquet is the last part of today's schedule."

"Really? Then when we get home today, I'll go back to my room early, and you should go to bed early too."

"Yes, Miss."

----

Without the help of external tools, humans generally cannot see what is behind them.

But Yuan Qianye is an exception.

Not only did he see it, he saw it very clearly.

It was clearer than what Kaguya Shinomiya, who was right next to Hayasaka Ai, could see.

Although the blonde girl acted calm in front of him, after he turned around, she thought she was safe, but she revealed her flaws.

He was now certain that the person who sent him flowers was her.

As for the reason why she didn't directly express that she knew him, but deliberately concealed it, he could explain it by putting himself in her position from another perspective.

After all, he and Kaguya Shinomiya were rivals in this competition.

On this basis, she secretly supported the opponent of her master, which was somewhat inappropriate.

After understanding her difficulties, Yuan Qianye felt relieved. There was really nothing he could do about it.

Everyone living in this world has his or her own difficulties.

The three of them came to the edge of the banquet area.

This side is by the window, and you can see the very nice night view outside through the floor-to-ceiling glass.

Dong Ma Youzi took a sip of red wine, and for the time being ignored her daughter who had a cold face and was in a bad mood, and instead spoke to Yuan Qianye with a pointed look,

"Just now, I taught you extra lessons besides piano."