Chapter 505

The posture of the maple tree, the density of the branches and leaves, the distribution of light and shadow...

Everything in the painting has been meticulously refined and artistically processed, yet it remains incredibly realistic, as if it were the most perfect freeze-frame of that very moment.

The light, soft as golden gauze, seems to allow one to feel that afternoon warmth.

The falling maple leaves are imbued with a dynamic trajectory, as if they are about to gently touch the ground in the next instant.

A breeze seems to be passing through the paper, brushing against the hair and clothing of the person in the painting.

And the protagonist of the painting—herself.

That face, habitually devoid of expression, unexpectedly radiates an indescribable, quiet, and moving beauty under the painter's brush.

The depiction of her features is precise and delicate.

Although her gaze remains calm, the painter seems to have captured a faint, extremely subtle glimmer of "human" softness deep within it.

Despite having no expression, she appears to be wearing a faint smile.

Light and shadow intertwine on her face, outlining perfect contours and the delicate texture of her skin.

The entire painting has harmonious composition, exquisite light and shadow, and vivid brushwork.

It is not only a likeness in form, but it also captures the spirit and atmosphere of that instant.

Lifelike.

One could even say... it is a little too beautiful.

It is as if the painter did not use a brush, but some kind of magic to "imprint" that dappled afternoon, along with her sitting under the tree, onto the paper.

"What do you think?"

Xia Xia Xia Mujun’s voice, filled with a hint of anticipation and inquiry, pulled her back from her brief moment of distraction.

Konoe Hitomi quickly suppressed the ripples in her eyes.

She straightened up and shifted her gaze, no longer looking at the painting.

After a few seconds of silence.

She commented indifferently in her characteristic, monotone tone:

"It's alright."

Xia Xia Xia Mujun did not seem surprised by her reaction; he just smiled.

He did not ask any further questions.

He carefully removed the sketch paper from the easel.

The edges of the paper were neat, and the artwork was intact.

Holding the finished painting, he turned and walked toward the backyard corridor.

He arrived before Mido Orihime.

"Here."

He handed the painting over.

Mido Orihime took the painting.

She lowered her head.

Her strange, deep gaze fell upon the drawing paper.

It fell upon Konoe Hitomi in the painting, who was sitting under the maple tree, bathed in soft spots of light.

Time seemed to stretch infinitely and freeze at this moment.

The calmness on Mido Orihime's face showed its first clear crack, like a boulder thrown into a still pond.

In those eyes of hers, which seemed to see through everything yet remain indifferent to all,

the scene in the painting was clearly reflected.

Immediately, layer upon layer of restless ripples surged.

Surprise, trance, reminiscence, some indescribable complex emotion... all intertwined.

Her breathing stalled for an imperceptible instant.

Her fingertips holding the paper tightened slightly.

She just stood there, motionless, silently staring at the painting in her hands.

She looked for a long time.

A very long time.

Mido Orihime stared at the painting in her hands, lost in thought.

Those strange, deep eyes seemed to lose focus, sinking into a hazy fog.

On the paper, light spots swayed, maple leaves were quiet and beautiful, and the portrait was serene.

Everything was so real, so... "normal."

She turned her head slowly, somewhat sluggishly.

Her gaze crossed the reality of the air and landed on Konoe Hitomi, who was standing by her side.

Her lips were slightly pursed, and her voice was very soft, carrying a rare, uncertain inquiry:

"Hitomi... this painting... does it look like you?"

Konoe Hitomi was silent.

Her gaze fell on the painting in Mido Orihime's hands, and she nodded extremely slowly.

"...Exactly the same."

Mido Orihime received her answer.

She did not speak again.

She simply lowered her head again, staring with flickering eyes at the "Konoe Hitomi" in the painting.

Her fingertips gently stroked the figure on the paper, who was bathed in the gentle sunlight, with a force bordering on pity.

Her expression was as complex as an overturned palette, with various indescribable emotions churning and settling within.

So, Hitomi... looks like this.

A long-buried memory fragment suddenly broke through her mental defenses.

In a dim childhood room.

That lump of flesh that was always twisting, wriggling, and had blurred contours.

That "existence" that emitted a sharp, inhuman sound and always exuded a chaotic aura that made one instinctively nauseated...

That was the "Hitomi" she had known since she was a child.

It was the 'Hitomi' who had always been by her side.

In her world, that was the normal state of a "person."

But now...

Mido Orihime's breathing became imperceptibly disordered for a moment.

The knuckles of the hand holding the paper turned slightly white.

After a long silence.

She raised her eyelids again.

Her gaze fell back into reality—

It fell upon the "Konoe Hitomi" beside her, who was composed of constantly twisting, proliferating, and adhering dark red flesh.

It fell upon the two "Furukawa Masahiro" and "Furukawa Saio" beside her, who were also piled together from indescribable wriggling matter, barely maintaining human outlines.

Finally.

Her gaze tightly and firmly locked onto the only 'peer' present with clear contours, normal colors, and a peaceful aura—Xia Xia Xia Mujun.

Mido Orihime looked at him in deep thought for a long time, then said softly with a restored cold expression:

"Well drawn."

"That's all for today."

"I will come to find you later."

Xia Xia Xia Mujun was completely stunned.

His face was filled with big question marks, unable to keep up with this young lady's jumping and mysterious thinking.

"Come later? What do you want to do?"

Mido Orihime's mouth curled up slightly, her strange eyes carrying a smile:

"You'll know when the time comes."

After saying this.

She did not give Xia Xia Xia Mujun any chance to ask questions.

Holding her folding fan, she slowly rose from the cushion.

The hem of her kimono spread and fell like flowing water, without a single wrinkle.

Konoe Hitomi, standing by, stepped forward almost the moment she moved.

With skilled and respectful movements, she tidied the slightly loosened collar, smoothed out any potential subtle traces on the cuffs, and gently tucked a stray strand of hair back into place.

Mido Orihime seemed to remember something.

Before stepping away, she turned her head again and said to Xia Xia Xia Mujun, who was still in a state of confusion:

"If you encounter any troublesome matters recently, you can go find Hitomi."

"She can help you handle them."

Xia Xia Xia Mujun was even more confused.

Troublesome matters?

Find Hitomi to handle them?

What is this all about?

However, before he could organize his language to ask again.

Mido Orihime had already turned her head back.

She took a step, the hem of her red and black kimono swaying gently with her pace, like a night flower blooming and closing.

Her steps were neither hurried nor slow, heading straight toward the exit of the Furukawa residence.

Konoe Hitomi followed closely behind like her most loyal shadow, silent and never falling half a step behind.

The two figures soon disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

Coming and going like the wind, mysterious and unpredictable.

Furukawa Masahiro, standing to the side, shuddered violently when he heard Mido Orihime's last words to Xia Xia Xia Mujun.

His aged face was instantly filled with unconcealable shock.

The next head of the Mido family... actually gave such a promise?

Just... because of a painting?

Or was it that Xia Xia Xia Mujun had unknowingly done something he hadn't noticed that was enough to move this unfathomable young lady?

That is the Mido family!

The Mido family, which possesses immense influence in Japan!

The promise of its next head carries the weight of a thousand jun.

And judging by that tone, it seemed to be a promise that could be redeemed immediately, without clear upper limits or harsh conditions.

This means that as long as Xia Xia Xia Mujun is willing, he can now use the power of the Mido family to solve many predicaments that ordinary people cannot overcome in their entire lives—money, connections, and even some troubles in gray areas...

But... why?

Why would someone like Mido Orihime show such heavy "favor" to a young man from an ordinary background?

Furukawa Masahiro's brain turned rapidly, trying to find a reasonable explanation.

Could it be... that Xia Xia Xia Mujun's elders had a past friendship with the Mido family?

So the Mido young lady is taking extra care of him for the sake of an old friend's child?

It seems... only this explanation makes a little sense.

As for other more outrageous guesses, such as Mido Orihime having developed feelings beyond the ordinary or even love for Xia Xia Xia Mujun...

Furukawa Masahiro denied this thought almost instinctively and firmly.

This is the next head of the Mido family!

And the marriage and emotions of the Mido family head are never decided by the individual; they inevitably involve huge family interests and strategic layouts.

Therefore, no previous Mido family head has ever had a precedent of combining with a commoner.

This is absolutely impossible!

He shook his head secretly, shaking this absurd idea out of his mind.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun stood where he was, his brows slightly furrowed, looking in the direction where Mido Orihime and Konoe Hitomi had disappeared.

These two came in a rush, played a game of chess, had him paint a picture, said a few vague and unclear words, and then left quickly.

Their style of doing things is mysterious and unpredictable.

He really can't guess what these two women, who come from prominent backgrounds and have extraordinary temperaments, intend to do.

What did Mido Orihime's last sentence mean?

Xia Xia Xia Mujun couldn't sort out his thoughts for the time being.

However, he did remember that Konoe Hitomi had indeed vaguely mentioned before that if he encountered "particularly troublesome" things, he could try to find her.

It was just that at the time, it was also implied that a corresponding "price" would need to be paid.

He knew that with the unfathomable power of the Mido family, on this land of Japan, they might really have the ability to "settle" most troubles.

But that "price"...

It is very likely not something he can easily bear now, and it might even drag him into a more complex and dangerous vortex.

Therefore, even though he now has Mido Orihime's clearer permission, Xia Xia Xia Mujun does not feel much joy or reliance in his heart.

He had originally intended to avoid getting too entangled with people like Mido Orihime and Konoe Hitomi, who have deep backgrounds and are difficult to fathom.

Unless absolutely necessary, he would never use this "connection."

That, perhaps, is the greatest protection for himself and his sister.

For now, the matter of painting can be considered to have come to an end, right?

The other party paid the "reward," which is that ten-tsubo house.

He delivered the "work."

Does this count as the transaction being completed?

It should be, right...

Xia Xia Xia Mujun thought so, and breathed a sigh of relief.

He is not a person who climbs the social ladder.

Deep down, he always maintains a clear awareness.

There must be reasons and purposes behind the extraordinary "preferential treatment" Mido Orihime and Konoe Hitomi have shown him.

It's just that he can't see through this purpose now, nor can he guess it.

Perhaps... after the "Jade Dragon Flag" kendo competition ends, and he collects the last piece of chess-related "special equipment"... he will be able to know.

Also, with the improvement of his own abilities, he feels that he should be able to find a suitable opportunity to calmly withdraw from this subtle and passive relationship between him and these two people.

That would be the best ending.

After leaving the Furukawa house.

The afternoon sun had become gentle.

Xia Xia Xia Mujun boarded the train back to Shibuya.

The carriage swayed slightly, and the city scenery outside the window swept backward rapidly.

He planned to go to the Midnight Publishing House first to bring the completed manuscript of "Snow Country" for editor Gao Gao Qiaochun to review.

At the same time, he could also take the opportunity to ask, or go directly to a nearby bookstore to see how the sales of "The Devotion of Suspect X" were on its first day of release.

However, he had not agreed on a specific time with Editor Gao in advance.

To avoid a wasted trip, or arriving at the publishing house and not finding anyone, Xia Xia Xia Mujun decided to contact him in advance.

He took his phone out of his pocket and unlocked the screen.

His fingertip tapped lightly on the LINE app icon.

He found the profile picture labeled "Gao Gao Qiaochun" in the contact list.

He clicked it to enter the chat interface.

[Xia Xia Xia Mujun: Editor Gao, good afternoon. I expect to arrive at the publishing house around four o'clock. Is that a convenient time for you?]

The message was just sent.

Almost instantly, the status showed as "Read."

Immediately after, the reply popped up.