Chapter 196

Her fair, small cheeks puffed up at a speed visible to the naked eye; clearly, she was very unhappy!

She angrily took out an exquisite notebook from her school bag, flipped it open quickly, and wrote down with a pen:

'Observation Record: Lingyin Yukimura.'

'Characteristics: Cold temperament, no smile, -1 point!'

The train stopped steadily at Hibiya platform.

Passengers got off one after another.

Lingyin Yukimura glanced at Natsume Chikage beside her, was silent for a short while, and did not leave quickly alone as usual today.

Instead, she walked side by side with him on the slope leading to the school.

"Natsume-kun," she suddenly spoke, "you and Xiyuanji Qilai... have you known each other for a long time?"

Her tone carried a hint of inquiry.

"But I feel that you two don't seem very close?"

Natsume Chikage nodded slightly.

"Yes."

"We... couldn't be considered familiar before."

The confusion in Lingyin Yukimura's eyes deepened.

"Then what exactly..."

Natsume Chikage explained:

"In the first year of junior high, Xiyuanji-san and I were in the same class."

"But at that time, we didn't interact much."

"After the first year of junior high, we were assigned to different classes and almost never met again."

"The only intersection was because our fathers knew each other."

"I once followed my father to visit her house once."

"After that, it was the reunion at the start of school."

He added with a hint of apology.

"It's shameful to say, if Xiyuanji-san hadn't brought it up, I almost wouldn't remember these things."

After hearing this, Lingyin Yukimura finally understood the connection between the two.

She said softly:

"Not interacting much, it's normal not to remember clearly."

"And Qilai's memory has far exceeded ordinary people since she was a child."

"It's not strange that she can remember you."

This time, it was Natsume Chikage's turn to be curious.

"Speaking of which, how did you and Xiyuanji-san meet?"

Lingyin Yukimura didn't hide it, her eyes drifting slowly into the distance, falling into memories.

"During kindergarten and elementary school, we were in the same school."

"And our parents were old acquaintances, and the relationship was quite close."

"Therefore, we often went to each other's homes to play when we were young."

Natsume Chikage was somewhat surprised.

"Then what about junior high?"

"I seem to have never met you in junior high."

Hearing this question, Lingyin Yukimura was silent for a long time.

"... At that time, there were some changes in the family, and I went to study elsewhere in junior high."

Hearing this, Natsume Chikage didn't pursue the question further.

Prying into other people's family changes is rude.

If the other party is willing to say, they will naturally tell.

Even Natsume Chikage himself actually didn't want to tell outsiders about his family affairs in detail.

He changed the topic at the right time.

"So that's how it is."

"Speaking of Xiyuanji-san, I didn't expect you to agree to her proposal and join the Collection Force."

Lingyin Yukimura gently tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear, her tone still flat.

"It was just approaching the deadline for choosing a club, and the concept she proposed was acceptable, so I joined."

The two walked side by side like this, chatting idly.

The atmosphere wasn't warm, but neither of them disliked it.

Unknowingly, they had stepped into the campus and walked onto that famous cherry blossom path.

Students were in groups of three or four, talking and laughing, walking slowly toward the teaching building.

The cherry blossoms in early April were still brilliant, and pink and white petals drifted down with the wind.

A cherry blossom petal, neither biased nor slanted, landed gently on Natsume Chikage's black hair, very eye-catching.

But like last time, he was completely unaware.

Xuecun Lingyin noticed it.

She thought about it, but in the end, she did nothing.

It was just a petal; on this path full of falling cherry blossoms, it was nothing more normal.

Specifically reminding or picking it off would seem strange instead.

Thinking this, she walked with Natsume Chikage to the shoe cabinet area.

Their shoe cabinets were not in the same place.

Xuecun Lingyin opened her shoe cabinet, and inside lay two exquisitely framed letters quietly.

Her expression had no waves, and she reached out to take them—another love letter.

Since junior high, these would appear in her shoe cabinet from time to time, and she was already used to it.

She bent down slightly, her fingers hooked the heel of her black loafers, and she took them off elegantly.

The ankles wrapped in black silk were slender, and she neatly changed into indoor shoes.

Subsequently, she walked straight to the trash can on the side and threw the two letters in decisively.

After doing this, she happened to see Natsume Chikage walking over after changing his shoes.

When her gaze fell on his hand and she discovered he was stuffing that pile of love letters into his school bag without changing his expression, her cold expression couldn't help but freeze for a moment.

"You changed your shoes so quickly?" Natsume Chikage was surprised.

"Mm..."

"Then let's go."

Xuecun Lingyin followed him silently, her gaze lingering on his school bag for a moment.

The two returned to the classroom one after the other.

Just entering the classroom, Natsume Chikage was surrounded by several enthusiastic girls greeting him as usual.

He could only respond politely one by one.

As for Xuecun Lingyin, because of her cold aura that kept strangers away, no one came forward actively at this moment.

She was happy to be quiet and sat down in her seat peacefully.

"Good morning, Lingyin." Xiyuanji Qilai turned her body, her smile warm.

Xuecun Lingyin turned her head back, her cold expression softening slightly.

"Morning, Qilai."

At this time, Natsume Chikage finally got rid of the "siege" and returned to his seat.

"Good morning, Natsume-kun." Xiyuanji Qilai's smile was even brighter.

"Morning, Xiyuanji-san." Natsume Chikage responded, hanging his school bag on the side of his desk.

It was this action.

Xiyuanji Qilai suddenly called out to him softly.

"Natsume-kun, don't move." ===== CHAPTER 197 =====