Chapter 870

"Yeah, I think that's fine."

Yukimura Lingyin had already picked up the book again, returned to her usual cold appearance, and said flatly:

"I originally planned to stay in the club room to process the materials for the 'Seven Wonders' incident."

"Since there are no items that must be purchased or field investigations that must be done, naturally there is no need to go out specifically."

Upon hearing this, Natsume Chikage was stunned instead and looked at them with some confusion:

"Eh? Didn't you all just say you wanted to go out for a walk? Why aren't you going now?"

Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui turned her head, smiled at him, her smile hearty and sincere:

"That's because—if we want to go out and play, of course it's most fun if the four of us go out together!"

"If Natsume-kun is missing, it always feels... strange, as if something is missing."

Xiyuanji Qilai also nodded in agreement with a smile, her eyes warm:

"That's right. Acting together is more interesting."

Yukimura Lingyin didn't look up, still looking at the pages in her hand, and added flatly, as if just saying it casually:

"I don't care."

Natsume Chikage was stunned.

He looked at the three girls in front of him.

A warm current quietly surged through his heart.

He didn't say anything more, just silently engraved this sentiment, along with their appearance at this moment, in a soft corner of his heart.

Afternoon.

"Ding-a-ling—"

The crisp and pleasant school-ending bell rang on time, breaking the silence of the campus, like a stone thrown into the water, stirring up circles of happy ripples.

The teaching building was instantly filled with noise and vitality, the students' faces were filled with the joy of liberation, they packed their schoolbags one after another, calling friends and companions, or running to the club activity room, or discussing where to go to play, or walking straight to the road home.

Natsume Chikage also quickly organized his schoolbag.

He stood up and said to Yukimura Lingyin and Xiyuanji Qilai who were still in their seats:

"Then, I'll take my leave first."

Yukimura Lingyin raised her head, her cold eyes looked at him, and she nodded gently:

"Yeah, goodbye."

Xiyuanji Qilai raised a brilliant smiling face and waved:

"Natsume-kun, see you tomorrow!"

Natsume Chikage smiled at them and nodded in response:

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

After speaking, he turned around, preparing to leave Class 1-A.

However.

Just as he stepped out of the classroom door, his gaze collided with an unexpected figure.

He saw Jinwei Tong just arriving at the door.

She saw Natsume Chikage come out, and those deep eyes looked straight over, without any pleasantries, and she spoke flatly in a declarative rather than interrogative tone:

"Since you're here, let's go."

Natsume Chikage's footsteps paused, and a hint of bewilderment appeared on his face:

"Go? Go where?"

Jinwei Tong tilted her head slightly, as if she felt this question of his was superfluous, and her tone still had no ups and downs:

"Do you still need to ask?"

"Of course, it's the same as last time, to practice."

Natsume Chikage was not a fool and immediately understood what she meant.

She was referring to the time she arranged for a professional coach to guide him in baseball batting last time.

It seemed that this time she intended to continue providing similar help, perhaps she had found a pitching coach?

He thought for a moment and did not refuse.

After all, having a professional coach's guidance, even if it was just introductory basics, was far more efficient than fumbling around by himself.

"Yeah, understood."

He nodded without asking more.

"Let's go."

Saying this, Natsume Chikage followed Jinwei Tong very naturally, and the two walked side by side, intending to walk toward the stairs.

It was just that.

They had only just walked a short distance from the door of Class 1-A.

When they met Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui coming out of the Class D classroom head-on.

Natsume Chikage met her gaze, and out of politeness, nodded slightly at her, which counted as a greeting.

But he didn't stop, nor did he explain anything, just continued to follow Jinwei Tong, and soon turned into the stairwell, his figure disappearing at the corner of the corridor.

However.

The short but information-heavy conversation just now, as well as the backs of the two walking away side by side, were not only clearly seen by Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui, but also fell into the eyes of Yukimura Lingyin and Xiyuanji Qilai, who intended to go to the club room together.

The air seemed to freeze for half a second at this moment.

The schoolbag strap that Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui was carrying slipped down a bit unconsciously.

The smile on Xiyuanji Qilai's face stiffened slightly, and she blinked.

Yukimura Lingyin's fingers holding the books tightened quietly, her knuckles turning faintly white.

The three stopped in place at the same time.

"... Practice?"

Classmate Classmate Tengyuan Kui repeated this keyword in a murmur, her face full of confusion and incomprehension, and then her face flushed with shame.

Xiyuanji Qilai's brows furrowed gently, and a hint of confusion flashed in her lively eyes; clearly, she hadn't reacted for a while.

Yukimura Lingyin pursed her lips tightly, and strange thoughts kept appearing in her mind.

That sentence "practice the same as last time" was like a small stone thrown into the heart lake, stirring up layers of ripples that were difficult to calm in the three people's hearts.

Go practice together?

Practice what?

Last time... when was that?

How did the two of them look so practiced?

Why did Senior Jinwei come to find him specifically?

Between them... what kind of agreement was there?

A series of question marks surged and circled in the three girls' minds uncontrollably, making their originally relaxed mood after school instantly covered with a layer of lingering, messy haze.