Chapter 229

This thought made her secretly jump for joy.

Before long, Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui followed Natsume Chikage to a two-story old-fashioned apartment building.

Although the building had a sense of age, it was maintained cleanly and tidily, and the environment was quiet.

What made her happiest was that this place was indeed only a five-minute walk from her own apartment.

Hee hee, it seems she can come here often in the future!

Her little abacus in her heart was clicking loudly.

"Please come in." Natsume Chikage opened the door.

"Excuse the intrusion." Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui collected her thoughts and followed him into the room.

The room wasn't big; it was a typical "three-tsubo" small apartment common in Tokyo.

Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui had long known that the Natsume family had fallen on hard times, so she was mentally prepared for this and wasn't surprised, nor did she mind at all.

Like is like; she didn't want to mix in other utilitarian considerations.

Even if they really reached the point of marriage in the future, she wasn't very worried about economic issues, because her own family didn't lack money.

Instead, after seeing that the room was organized and spotless, her favor for Natsume Chikage increased by a few points.

After all, she had heard before that boys' rooms were relatively messy and dirty.

Looking at it now, that wasn't entirely true.

"Ruri, I'm home."

"Welcome home... ah, Fujiwara-sister?"

Natsume Ruri, who had long been prepared, was a bit surprised to see Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui.

"Good afternoon, Ruri-chan!" Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui greeted her energetically, "You're dressed so cutely today!"

"Fujiwara-sister is too..." Natsume Ruri responded a bit shyly.

Natsume Chikage checked the time: "If you're both ready, let's go. It's about ten minutes to walk there, the time is just right."

Naturally, the two had no objections.

Thus, the three of them walked toward the cinema together.

The cinema was located on the eighth floor of a comprehensive commercial building.

After the elevator doors opened, the spacious lobby was full of audience members waiting to enter.

"Wow, there are so many people here to see 'Zootopia 2' today." Natsume Ruri sighed.

"After all, the reputation of the first one was too good." Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui smiled.

"Mm-hmm, I've been looking forward to the sequel for a long time!"

"Me too!"

The two girls talked happily, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

Natsume Chikage glanced at the time: "It's almost starting, I'll go buy some drinks and popcorn."

"Okay!" The two said in unison.

After buying snacks and drinks, the staff began checking tickets for entry.

The three of them walked into the cinema hall with the crowd.

Just not far behind them, Xuecun Lingyin, who had just arrived at the cinema, caught a glimpse of a back that looked very much like Natsume Chikage's.

She frowned slightly, thinking she must have seen wrong, and didn't delve into it.

Having come alone, she saw that the audience had already started entering, so she quickly bought some popcorn and a drink and walked into the cinema hall.

Very soon, the lights dimmed, and the screen lit up.

Whether it was Xuecun Lingyin sitting alone not far away, or Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui and Natsume Ruri sitting right next to Natsume Chikage on both sides, they were all immersed in the world of the movie.

Natsume Chikage looked at the opening scene, but his thoughts drifted for a moment—didn't Konoe Hitomi say Mido Orihime would come today?

It had been calm until now; it seems she was just talking?

Or did she simply forget?

No matter which it was.

On a rare day off, he didn't want any complications.

It's best if nothing happens.

After a period of time.

The movie ended, and the atmosphere was enthusiastic.

Although Natsume Chikage hadn't seen the previous work, he still felt the story was wonderful and the production was excellent; no wonder his sister and Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui were so expectant.

Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui was excitedly discussing the plot with Natsume Ruri.

"Nick and Judy are really a perfect match, I love this CP of theirs so much!"

"Mm-hmm, Ruri thinks so too!"

While chatting happily, Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui suddenly froze, secretly annoyed: Oh no! I was so focused on watching the movie that I forgot to take the opportunity to get closer to Natsume-kun!

But it's okay, it's just six o'clock now, which is exactly dinner time.

If she finds a reason later to ask the brother and sister to eat together, it should be successful, right?

But before that, she should go to the bathroom first; she had been holding it for a while.

"Um, I'm going to the restroom, you guys wait for me for a bit."

"Okay."

"Fujiwara-sister, come back quickly."

Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui left in a rush.

Natsume Ruri pulled her brother and lingered in the official merchandise store next to the cinema.

It was crowded with audience members who had just left the cinema, all excitedly picking out products.

Just at this moment, Natsume Chikage noticed a familiar figure—Xuecun Lingyin.

She was being blocked in front of a shelf by a frivolous man wearing a flashy shirt with his hair slicked back.

"Miss, watching a movie alone? How boring, why not come for a ride with me? I know a good place..." The man leaned in with a cheeky smile.

Xuecun Lingyin frowned slightly, her cold gaze sweeping over the other party, not immediately getting angry, just calmly taking half a step back to open up a clear social distance.

"Is that okay?" However, the man was relentless and leaned in again.

"No, I'm not interested, could you please move aside?" Her voice was cold, already carrying a trace of impatience.

"Don't be so cold. I've reserved a restaurant that's very hard to book; how about giving me some face and having a meal together? For a lady as beautiful as you, it's too much of a pity to be alone."

The man smiled confidently, as if he were very confident in his own appearance.

Xuecun Lingyin stopped her retreating steps.

She raised her head, her eyes as clear as ice and snow looking straight at the other party, with no expression on her face, but emitting an invisible sense of oppression.

She spoke softly, her voice not high, but every word was clear, carrying a kind of anatomical calmness and precise sarcasm:

"First, your pickup line is as stale as the half-price bento left over at the convenience store last week, completely unoriginal and making one have no appetite at all."

"Second, whether I am alone, whether it is a 'pity', the right of definition and the standard of judgment—when did it become the turn of a third party who needs to rely on pestering a stranger to gain a sense of presence, and who cannot even follow basic clothing etiquette, to exercise it?"

"Finally, if your confidence were a type of energy, I'm afraid it should have been listed as a non-renewable resource and protected long ago—after all, it looks so scarce, yet it is consumed so worthlessly."

"Now, can I ask you to move aside? Your very existence is already blocking me from breathing fresh air!!"

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the man's instantly stiff face like an ice blade.

The man opened his mouth, a bit annoyed, seemingly wanting to retort.

But after seeing the gaze of the person behind Xuecun Lingyin, his face froze, and all his words were stuck in his throat.

A few suppressed laughs could be heard vaguely from the surroundings.

"Someone else's boyfriend is right behind her, and he dares to hit on her."

"Haha, he deserves to be scolded."

"If I were this woman, I would definitely choose my own boyfriend too; there's no comparison at all."

His face turned red and then white, and in the end, he could only slink away and squeeze out of the crowd, disappearing.

Xuecun Lingyin seemed to have just brushed off a speck of dust, her expression unchanged, turning to continue browsing the products on the shelf, as if that one-sided "poison-tongued crushing" had never happened.

And just at this moment.

She only then noticed in surprise that Natsume Chikage had been standing beside her for who knows how long.

"Natsume-kun, you... why are you here?"

"I'm the one who should be asking that." ===== CHAPTER 230 =====