Green plums cannot become lovers.

Her tone was light and casual, as if she were asking about something trivial, but her eyes clearly said, "I know everything."

Anhe and Feiniao remained unfazed.

"Xiao Ai is off today."

"Oh?" Akane Kousaka drawled, "Why would you suddenly take a break?"

Her gaze swept over his face, meaningfully. She could guess the crux of the matter with a little thought; she didn't need any reasoning skills at all.

After all, young people are more excited after a short separation, and they're bound to spend the whole night being all lovey-dovey.

She just asked the question on purpose.

An and Asuka paused, then coughed lightly and looked away.

"When you're tired, you should rest."

His tone was very flat, so flat that it seemed somewhat deliberate.

Akane Akasaka stopped and tapped his head. The tap wasn't hard, but it wasn't light either; her knuckles struck his skull with a dull thud.

"You young people, don't take advantage of your good health to act recklessly, and don't bully them, understand?"

Her tone was a bit more serious than usual. She knew about the boy's situation and that he had more than one person by his side, but she wouldn't say much about it or judge him by worldly standards.

But she will still offer reminders where necessary—young people are easily carried away by certain things, and when they are carried away, they easily lose their composure.

An and Asuka rubbed the spot where they had been hit and nodded helplessly.

"Yes, I understand."

He was the one who was being bullied.

Akane Akane saw his "I have a problem I can't explain" expression, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly, but she didn't continue the topic.

She turned around and continued walking forward in her high heels. The sound of her heels hitting the ground echoed in the empty square, tap-tap-tap, like a metronome counting beats.

The two went to a restaurant not far from the company.

The shop isn't large, but its decor exudes understated luxury. The moment you push open the door, a blast of cool air hits you, mixed with a faint scent of wood and miso soup.

Several watercolor paintings hang on the wall of the shop, seemingly the works of some great artist.

The two sat down in a corner.

The waiter brought two glasses of iced water and a menu.

An and Asuka flipped through a couple of pages, then ordered a few of their usual dishes without much thought. Akane Akasaka didn't look at the menu; she leaned back in her chair, twirling her water glass with her fingers, her gaze fixed on him, lost in thought.

The dishes were served at a moderate pace.

The first dish was cold tofu salad, drizzled with light soy sauce and sprinkled with finely chopped scallions and a small pinch of bonito flakes. The bonito flakes twitched gently in the steam, as if they were alive.

The two continued chatting while eating.

"By the way, when does school start again?" Akane Akasaka asked, picking up a piece of tofu, putting it in her mouth, and speaking indistinctly.

"September 2nd, two days left."

Today is August 31st. The last two days of summer vacation are like the last grains of sand in an hourglass, still leaking away, but it looks like it's about to run out.

"I see." Akane Akasaka put down her chopsticks, looked out the window at the street, and said with a hint of emotion that she herself did not realize, "I really didn't expect that your high school life is already halfway over."

She remembered that when she first met this boy, he was only in the second year of junior high school.

In the blink of an eye, so much time has passed.

She calculated her age and realized she was almost twenty-two, or more precisely, she would be twenty-nine in a few months.

For most people, this age would likely mean marriage, and maybe even children old enough to run errands. But what about her? Single, without a steady romantic partner, and her closest person is a boy more than ten years younger than her.

My family has pressured me before. My mother would always "casually" mention on the phone that someone else's daughter had given birth to a second child, and my father's silence always carried a sigh of "When will you finally settle down?"

She did consider finding someone to deal with, but she always nipped the thought in the bud the moment it arose.

She didn't want to just settle for anyone and spend her life with someone.

She is proud.

At a young age, she became the owner of a large firm, establishing herself firmly in the industry and enjoying unparalleled success. The projects she handled were increasingly large, and the names she collaborated with were increasingly prestigious. When people in the industry mentioned the name "Akane Akane," no one would ask, "Who is that?"

Therefore, her other half must also be outstanding.

You need to be capable, responsible, and have something she admires.

He should have a good personality, not be chauvinistic, and not complain about her neglecting the family when she's busy with work. He should be considerate and gentle, know where to find medicine when she has a stomachache, and bring her an extra portion of breakfast if she forgets.

Just like—

Just like the boy in front of me - Yi Ling? Yao Qi Si Wu Jiu??? Jiu?? 紦.

Akane Akasaka's gaze fell on An and Asuka, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

She quickly shook her head, a few strands of hair slipping from behind her ears and swaying on the side of her face.

"What's wrong, Sister Zhu Yin?"

An and Asuka noticed her unusual behavior, stopped eating with their chopsticks, and looked at her with concern.

"Is your stomach upset again?"

No, it's not.

Akane Akasaka stammered for a rare moment. She picked up her water glass and took a sip; the icy water slid down her throat, the coolness suppressing her momentary panic. She put the glass down, her expression already calm and composed.

"I was just thinking that you've grown up."

She tried her best to make her tone sound normal.

"By the way, what are your plans after graduating from high school? Go to university or go straight to work?"

She changed the subject, speaking a little faster than usual, but not noticeably.

With his grades and abilities, he could choose any of the best universities in Tokyo. Even if he didn't go to university, his current popularity and accumulated works would be enough for him to achieve even greater things.

An and Asuka thought for a moment.

"I will take the college entrance exam first."

He paused, then added, "But I will also frequently help Sister Zhu Yin."

"Do I need your help?" Akane Akasaka raised an eyebrow, her tone slightly dismissive, but the light in her eyes softened considerably. "If you're going to school, then study hard."

We'll see when the time comes.

"You're not allowed to look at it later." Her tone became more forceful, and she leaned forward slightly, tapping the table with her finger like a teacher tapping on a podium. "You have to listen to me. I'm your older sister."

Her tone held an undeniable certainty, but also a softer quality; it was only natural for her to be kind to the boy before her.

After all, this boy already calls her "Sister Zhu Yin," so of course she has to plan his future properly; otherwise, wouldn't this title be meaningless?

"Yes, yes, Sister Zhu Yin."

An and Asuka raised their hands in a gesture of surrender, but the curve of their lips betrayed their true feelings.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves outside the window, casting dappled patterns of light on the white tablecloth. The dishes on the table were still steaming, and the chopsticks of the two people occasionally clinked together, making a very soft "tinkling" sound.

The atmosphere was very warm and cozy.

But this warmth was soon shattered.

"Zhu Yin, what are you doing here?"

A gentle voice came from the side, its tone unhurried and polite, with a deliberately refined tone. The voice was like a stone whose edges had been smoothed, smooth but devoid of warmth.

An and the flying bird turned their heads away.

A man was standing next to the table.

She looked to be in her early thirties, wearing a neatly ironed light blue shirt with the top button undone, revealing a white undershirt underneath. Her hair was meticulously combed, styled with hairspray into just the right curl—neither overly exaggerated nor overly casual.

A pair of silver-rimmed glasses sat on his nose, behind which were long, narrow eyes with a habitual curve at the corners, as if always ready to smile.

He looked refined and polite, like a standard model who had stepped out of the glass doors of some high-end office building. Everything was just right, everything was impeccable, but precisely because of this, it felt like something was missing.

An and Asuka noticed that Akane Akasaka's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly the moment she saw the man.

"Let's have a meal here."

Her tone was indifferent.

"That's perfect, I haven't eaten either." The man's eyes lit up, and the smile on his lips widened. "Want to share a table? This meal's on me."

He spoke so naturally, as if he had rehearsed it countless times.

"No need, we can afford it ourselves."

Akane Akasaka's tone was flat, but her refusal was like a door being shut—crucial and decisive, leaving no room for negotiation.

The man clearly noticed her tone, but his expression didn't change much; the corners of his mouth were still curved in a smile. However, the light in his eyes dimmed for a moment, as if someone had gently pulled the curtains behind him.

"But I haven't seen you in a long time, and I'd like to have a meal with you."

His voice softened even more, to the point of seeming deliberate.

An and Asuka picked up their water glasses and took a sip. The ice cubes clinked softly against the glass. Through the rim of the glass, they saw Akane Akasaka's left hand clench slightly under the table before relaxing.

"I'm too busy, I don't have time."

Her answer was as crisp as a pair of scissors, cutting that soft, weak sentence in half.

The man stood by the table, his smile freezing for less than half a second before returning to normal. His gaze shifted from Akane Akasaka to An and Asuka, as if he had found a way to get around the situation.

“Little friend,” his tone became much kinder, with a kind of adult’s tolerance towards a child, “are you Zhu Yin’s younger brother?”

He clearly hadn't considered any other possibilities. The boy looked quite young, maybe sixteen or seventeen at most, and wasn't dressed in designer clothes; he exuded a youthful naiveté. So how could this possibly be Zhu Yin's boyfriend? He was probably just a relative's child.

Anhe Feiniao put down his water glass, the bottom of which made a soft tapping sound on the table.

No, that's not it.

He raised an eyebrow, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

"I am Zhu Yinyi Qi Liu Yishan Er Jiu*-Er Jie's boyfriend."

The air fell silent for a moment.

The man's mouth opened, as if someone had slapped him on the chin. His teeth were exposed, and his tongue hovered between them, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know what to say.

Akane Akasaka's eyes widened as well.

Her eyelashes rolled upwards, revealing a small circle of white in her eyes, and her pupils reflected the nonchalant face of the boy opposite her.

She clearly didn't expect him to say that.

"Right, Sister Zhu Yin?"

An and Asuka turned to look at her, their gazes frank. There was no questioning, no hint in their eyes, but rather a hint of a smile.

Akane Kousaka was momentarily speechless at the sight of those eyes.

She wanted to deny it, but the thought that the man would continue to pester her if she did so made her take a deep breath and put on a perfectly gentle smile.

Yes, he is my boyfriend.

She spoke slowly, pronouncing each word clearly.

The man's mouth was still open.

"But you two..." His gaze swept back and forth between the two of them several times, as if trying to find some flaw, "Your ages are clearly..."

"As long as there is love, age doesn't matter."

An and Asuka took over the conversation. He leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped on the table, his long, slender fingers casting a faint shadow on the white tablecloth.

"Besides, Sister Zhu Yin is so beautiful, her age is only a plus—mature, beautiful, gentle..."

He tilted his head, as if seriously considering what other words he could use.

Akane Akasaka was a little embarrassed by what was said.

The boy's tone was so natural, so natural it sounded like he was telling the truth. When he looked into her eyes, there was a light in them that she didn't dare to look too closely.

"Alright, Asuka, stop talking."

Her voice was lower than usual, and she spoke faster, as if she were stepping on an accelerator.

"Okay, got it."