Chapter 689

"I came over specifically to supervise the organization of the situation."

"Whenever Young Lady Mitou feels your painting is up to standard, that is when you can move in directly."

Natsume Chikage looked at the brightly lit ground-floor apartment currently being furnished and fell into a brief silence.

He truly had not expected the other party to act so swiftly, having already begun handling the physical items.

"Why?"

He withdrew his gaze and looked at Konoe Hitomi.

"Why must it be me who learns to paint?"

"With Orihime's family background and capabilities, wouldn't it be an effortless task for her to find any top-tier painting master to help her?"

Konoe Hitomi shook her head again, her tone carrying a hint of certainty that Natsume Chikage found difficult to understand:

"Those people won't do."

"Only you can... this matter, it must be you."

Natsume Chikage was even more puzzled:

"What does 'must be me' mean? What exactly is so special about me?"

Konoe Hitomi, however, offered no further explanation, simply saying faintly:

"I have already said enough."

"If you want to know more, just wait for Young Lady Mitou to tell you herself."

Natsume Chikage felt a wave of helplessness.

These two girls both spoke as if they were reciting riddles, airtight and impenetrable; trying to get any substantial information out of them was truly difficult.

Konoe Hitomi suddenly changed the subject, her tone carrying a rare, barely perceptible, almost teasing lightness:

"However... I really didn't expect that you, Natsume-kun, were actually like that at home in the past..."

Natsume Chikage's heart skipped a beat:

"Did you just... ask my younger sister about my past?"

Konoe Hitomi blinked, and in those eyes that always lacked emotional fluctuation, a trace of extremely faint amusement seemed to flash by.

"Just ordinary small talk while waiting for you to return."

"Since it was small talk, isn't it normal to chat about each other's pasts and families?"

Natsume Chikage's expression became somewhat strange:

"What... did my sister tell you?"

Konoe Hitomi's tone was calm and waveless, but the words she spoke made Natsume Chikage feel a bit uneasy:

"Nothing special, just chatted about some of your 'dark history'."

Natsume Chikage froze, unable to help but press further:

"What dark history? What exactly did you two talk about?"

Although Konoe Hitomi still had no expression on her face, her tone seemed to truly carry a hint of subtle, indescribable "amusement."

"As for that... if I were to repeat it myself, I would be a bit shy."

"But I really didn't expect... that you, Natsume-kun, were actually that style in private."

Natsume Chikage felt his face heat up slightly as he listened, and he felt even less confident:

"What do you mean 'you would be shy'? And what exactly is 'that style'?"

"What did you two talk about? Can you be clearer?"

Konoe Hitomi suddenly extended a slender index finger, gently pointing it in front of his lips, and tilted her head slightly.

The streetlamp's light fell upon her exquisite face, making those calm eyes appear as if they were brimming with a trace of extremely faint, mischievous light.

"As for that..."

She withdrew her finger, her tone returning to its usual flatness.

"I'll have to ask you to ask your sister yourself, Natsume-kun."

After saying this, she pointed to a black sedan parked on the side of the road.

"My car is parked right here, so I'll drop you off here."

"See you tomorrow, Natsume-kun."

Natsume Chikage watched her pull open the car door and sit in the driver's seat, his heart filled with various strange guesses and helplessness.

This mysterious girl with an elusive personality had clearly made up her mind not to say anything.

He had no choice but to wave his hand:

"Mm, be careful on the road, see you tomorrow."

Watching the black sedan drive silently into the night, Natsume Chikage turned and walked back.

Passing by the ground-floor apartment currently being furnished, he glanced through the window at the brand-new furniture and busy workers inside, shook his head with complex emotions, and finally returned to his own narrow, three-mat room on the top floor.

Just as he pulled open the door, Natsume Chikage couldn't help but ask directly:

"Ruri, Kaga-san, before I came back just now, what did Konoe Hitomi chat with you about regarding me?"

Natsume Ruri was tidying up the low table; hearing this, she tapped her chin with her finger, trying hard to recall:

"Hmm... Konoe-nee asked what you were like at home in the past, Brother. Ruri said that you always liked to stay in your room playing games."

"We also talked about what you were like when you occasionally went out to play, some interesting things you'd done... that's about it, right?"

Natsume Chikage felt slightly relieved, but still pressed:

"Sister, you didn't... tell her any of my 'dark history' from before, did you?"

Natsume Ruri blinked her innocent, large eyes and asked in return:

"Dark history? Which ones do you mean? Is it the thing about you not liking to wear underwear on holidays?"

Kaga Reisa's body stiffened slightly upon hearing this, and those always downcast, shy eyes couldn't help but dart quickly toward Natsume Chikage, scanning him up and down.

Immediately, her fair little face turned bright red, like a ripe apple.

She hurriedly lowered her head deeply, almost burying her face in her chest, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, not daring to look up at anyone anymore.

Natsume Chikage couldn't hold it together either, black lines seemingly hanging from his forehead.

My foolish sister... even if you didn't tell Konoe Hitomi, aren't you saying it right in front of Kaga Reisa now?!

Natsume Chikage's cheeks also burned slightly, and he helplessly supported his forehead, complaining:

"Cough, cough... Brother didn't specifically not wear them; I just forgot to bring them when I was taking a bath, so I was too lazy to put them back on."

"Also, how do you know about this?"

Natsume Ruri muttered:

"You don't even look at who is helping you wash your clothes now; how could Ruri not know?"

Fine...

Natsume Chikage coughed:

"Besides these... is that really it? Didn't you talk about anything else more... strange?"

Natsume Ruri shook her head earnestly, confirming:

"That's it! We really only talked about these!"

Natsume Chikage looked at his sister's pure, clear eyes, then recalled Konoe Hitomi's meaningful tone and expression before she left, and couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly.

That girl... she must have been deliberately teasing him with that vague phrasing just now!

Definitely! ===== CHAPTER 690 =====