How rude, we are pure love!

After the mother and daughter walked outside, Yukinoshita Yukino breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at him: "How have you been lately, sister?"

Qingye replied: "I am so happy that I don't miss my homeland."

Yukinoshita Yukino's bright eyes were slightly confused: "?"

The life she imagined her sister living: painful and confused, accompanied by alcohol every day, living a dark and muddled life, made her sad, but the reality was... eh?

She seemed to have thought of something, and the corners of her mouth twitched slightly.

She glared at Qingye inexplicably, and with a helpless expression, Yukinoshita Yukino quietly moved to the door, silently listening to the conversation between her mother and sister, and Qingye followed.

On the eaves, moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves, casting mottled shadows on the floor.

Yukinoshita's mother looked at the bright night sky. When people talk about their memories, they seem to like looking into the distance. Is this person the same?

Yukinoshita Haruno was thinking about irrelevant things, watching the clouds moving and changing into various shapes.

Time passed quietly, and Yukinoshita's mother carefully spoke out her inner thoughts.

"The other day you said I was partial to Yukino, and my first reaction was to deny it. I thought I had always treated you all equally, in terms of clothing and life. But these past few days, I've been seriously thinking back over the past few years and I think I might have made a mistake."

Her voice was still the gentle and peaceful voice that Yukinoshita Haruno was familiar with, but with a sigh in it. Yukinoshita Haruno just said "oh" lightly.

"Perhaps, I do unconsciously favor Yukino."

Admitting that one child favors another in front of another is undoubtedly a parent's dereliction of duty, but Yukinoshita's mother still faced it with strength. Perhaps Yukinoshita Yukino's personality was inherited from her.

"There are many reasons for this. Yukino has always been quiet and withdrawn, and she's also too strong-willed. Other children wouldn't play with her, isolated her, and bullied her. I also feel guilty about not wanting her to inherit the family business, and because of Yukino's experiences abroad... Seeing such a lonely daughter, as a mother, I just want to love and care for her as much as possible."

Loneliness and memories flashed in Yukinoshita's mother's eyes, as if she saw the past.

She slowly turned her head and gazed at her daughter who had once made her proud.

"Then, it's about you, Yang No."

Yukinoshita's mother said softly, "Yukino is a lovable child who needs care, while Haruno is a strong-hearted, mature and reliable child. I made this mistake."

"Hino has always been very well-behaved and obedient. I trained you as the heir to the Yukinoshita family, and you lived up to my expectations. You did your best in everything, and everyone around you praised you. As a result, I unknowingly immersed myself in this illusion."

When did it start? She sighed, her voice a little dazed.

"Because Haruno is likable and doesn't require much worry, I unconsciously paid more attention and gaze to Yukino... But this is wrong. Your cheerfulness, your gentleness, your obedience, are just masks that you constantly adjust. I didn't notice it the whole time... Actually, I know it, but it's not as serious as I imagined."

"It's not just you. Even I am working hard to maintain my image in front of my children."

When a woman is young, she lives for her parents; when she grows up, she lives for her husband; and then she lives for her children. Whether she is happy or painful, she has to consider so many things.

She suddenly remembered what happened before Yang Nai was born. At that time, she was arguing with her husband about who would be the good cop and who would be the bad cop in front of the child. Children, of course, prefer gentle parents, but excessive indulgence would only make the child domineering. In the end, she would still have to be the bad cop because her husband was not good at this kind of thing.

But what mother doesn't want her children to be closer to her? But over the years, she has also been constrained by her own image.

Yukinoshita Haruno looked at her mother in a daze. It was the first time she heard this person say such words to her.

It turns out that the powerful mother was also created intentionally?

As time goes by, every child's impression of their parents changes constantly, from the omnipotent admiration of their childhood, to the parents who bother them when they ask strange questions, and then to the parents who occasionally show fatigue and helplessness when they grow up...

Unlike ordinary families, in her heart, her mother is always a person who is both majestic and gentle. Opposition is a channel of communication and hostility is a means of education.

This was the first time she had seen a mother like this.

Why did the mother say these words at the cost of her image that she had built over the past decade?

What was her mother thinking about during the days she was away?

Yukinoshita Haruno listened silently.

"Thinking about it now, every time you faked a smile at me over the years, it was like a knife cutting through my heart. You were right, I'm indeed an unfit mother."

Yukinoshita's mother spoke clearly, word for word, but her voice was trembling at the end.

"What's the point of you saying this now..."

The words that came out of her mouth, almost in anger, rang out. Yukinoshita Haruno didn't expect that she would be so impulsive.

"Yeah, some things are too late to do even if you want to do them now..."

Yukinoshita's mother closed her eyes, as if she was trying to sort herself out.

"But you can't keep making mistakes like this. You can resent me and do whatever you want freely. But no matter what, I hope you and Yukino can get along well."

She opened her eyes, her gaze firm and her voice steady.

The relationship between the two sisters was damaged by her mistake, but family affection is something that will not change no matter how long it passes, and will not fade away no matter how much you neglect it. As a mother, her only wish now is that her two daughters can continue to love each other.

Yukinoshita Haruno thought, is this for Yukino?

That’s not true. To the younger sister, the older sister is very important, but to the older sister, the younger sister is also the inseparable half of her body.

In this respect, they are equal.

Quiet breaths, calm words.

"Yukino is my sister, of course I will take care of her."

——So said.

Yukinoshita's mother breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. She lowered her brows and murmured, "Well, then I feel relieved."

There was a long silence, with only the sound of the bamboo tube swinging.

Yukinoshita's mother stared into the distance and spoke again: "Yono, is it painful for you to inherit the family business?"

"I've grown accustomed to daily life, so there's no such thing as pain or no pain."

Yukinoshita Haruno simply sat on the ground, supporting herself with her hands, and stared blankly at the sky. In a trance, she seemed to have returned to the scene of talking with her mother when she was a child.

If it were in the past, Yukinoshita's mother would definitely remind her to pay attention to etiquette, or even give her advice, but she doesn't want to say that anymore.

Mother Yukinoshita dug out her fading memories and narrated calmly:

"...I grew up this way before. I've encountered more things and secretly complained about them, but life isn't always as we wish. Looking back, although this path has its hardships and its annoying moments, it's generally been easy and happy. So, I want you to follow my path, so that you can at least grasp the same happiness."

Yukinoshita's mother seemed to be explaining, but also seemed to be talking to herself.

She has always been confident in her teaching, and she is not the type who needs other people's opinions, but her daughter's tears made her realize that she is not absolutely right.

The image of her mother in her mind became increasingly deviant and distinct.

"But this family inheritance isn't that important to me. To me, it represents my parents' expectations and responsibilities. My father passed it down to me. Other relatives are just vines clinging to this big tree. I have an obligation to protect it, but that's all."

Yukinoshita's mother said without hesitation:

"If I had to choose, I would choose you, even if it means disappointing my father."

She looked straight into Yang Nai's eyes, which were gentle, apologetic and regretful.

“Although it may be a little too late to say this now…

Yang Nai, just choose the way of life you like."

How can I describe my current mood?

Joyful, melancholy, confused...

She heard what she wanted to hear and felt what she longed for from her mother's attitude, but, but...

Yukinoshita Haruno thought that she must not have forgiven her mother yet, after all, this was resentment that had accumulated for more than ten years.

But I don't hate her that much anymore.

She carried these feelings of more than ten years——

"What if I say I want to go abroad?"

Ask quietly.

"The world outside is not safe right now. Short-term travel is fine, but long-term settlement requires careful consideration." Her mother gave her the answer she had always wanted.

Yukinoshita Haruno then asked, "...What if I want to play in a band?"

"This world is too complicated. If you can ensure you don't develop bad habits and just treat it as a hobby, then it's fine."

"Even if you say so, I don't know what to do. You've already planned my life into a single trajectory..."

"Just think about it slowly. Our family does have some background." Her mother's voice was so soft and steady that it was unfamiliar to her.

Ahhh——

Yukinoshita Haruno scratched her head in annoyance, without looking at her mother, and just lay down on the wooden floor.

From her perspective, she could just see the dazzling starry sky after the dark clouds had dispersed.

It is said that the light of the stars comes from the distant past, dozens of light years away. She doesn't know whether the light really exists at this moment. Maybe that is why it looks so beautiful. Things that are out of reach and things that have been lost are always special.

Knowing this, I cannot reach out and touch it.

That is the freedom we long for.

Is this what freedom feels like?

It seems like I have gained something, but also like I have lost something. It feels like I am in a dream, lonely and hazy.

At that moment, the days spent in this home, the time spent under her mother's guidance, rolled in like a muddy torrent and drowned her.

This is a forking point in life.

She originally thought that she would be the one to walk alone and resolutely down another path, but now her family gave her a warm and gentle push.

From now on, she no longer has to force herself to smile, and can live a simple and peaceful life without any changes.

But after losing her status as heir, can she still continue to be with Qingye?

In a familiar home, under the familiar night sky.

What should I pursue in the future? Where should I go?

She turned her head and happened to meet the eyes of Kiyono and Yukino who were peeking in. She stared at the two of them quietly with a gentle smile on her face.

The story of Yukinoshita Haruno has come to an end for the time being.

Next, it’s the story of Yukinoshita Yukino.

A gentle night breeze blew by, and Yukinoshita Haruno just looked at the leisurely moon in the night sky.

——In another distant world, can she become the heroine who spends her life with this person?

Chapter 115: The End of the Volume: Your Life with Yukinoshita (Part 1)

Outside the house, the mother and daughter were filled with emotion.

Inside the house, Yukinoshita Yukino was also full of thoughts.

In her heart, her mother was as majestic as a mountain and as gentle as a river. She had always made decisions about their lives. But at this moment, she realized that her mother was also like an ordinary person. She would make mistakes, feel guilty, and be weak.

The same goes for her sister. Before her sister's outburst, she never thought that her sister would be so annoyed, resentful, and envious of her.

She wondered, when people looked at others, did they only see in them what they themselves lacked?

She admired her sister's omnipotence and envied her sister for being recognized by their mother, but unknown to her, her sister was also jealous of her freedom and her mother's love.

At this time, the sound of light footsteps was heard. Yukinoshita Yukino and Kiyono looked at each other, and they quickly sat back in their original seats and brushed their hair as if nothing had happened.

Yukinoshita's mother sat across from them, her gentle gaze resting on her second daughter:

"Yukino, Haruno wants to do other things now. What about you? Are you still interested in your work at home?"

Yukinoshita Yukino took a deep breath. She looked at her mother. Although she was not so confident, she did not flinch or evade, and expressed her opinion firmly:

"I want to do it."

"If you really don't like it, don't force yourself. After all, Qingye-kun is here..."

It seemed that the incident with Haruno had left a shadow in her heart, and Yukinoshita's mother rarely showed hesitation.

...Hmm? What's my opinion?

Qingye fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

"At least, I want to try."

Since it had come to this, Yukinoshita no longer hesitated, her bright black eyes filled with seriousness.

"Then just go for it, Yukino."

Yukinoshita's mother sighed softly, half relieved and half helpless. To be honest, Yukino's personality was too awkward and she wasn't good at dealing with people, so she might not be able to adapt to this job. But she had let it go now - it didn't matter even if she failed.