Chapter 71 "Yes, you can call me that from now on..."

When Yoriichi Tsugikuni went to his mother's place alone, he was asked again why Ori hadn't come with him.

This was the first time recently that Zhu Nai was a little worried that the girl might be sick, because the weather had cooled down a bit, and it would be easy for her to get sick if she wasn't careful.

Yoriichi slowly raised his eyes, holding the kite his mother had placed in his hands, and said in a measured tone, "She hasn't woken up yet."

Aori hadn't slept in for a long time. Although she wasn't the first to get up, she would wake up not long after Yoriichi finished washing up.

This morning, the girl slept very soundly, and even after Guo Yuanyi finished eating, she kept her eyes closed and her lips slightly parted, as if she were immersed in a beautiful dream.

Yoriichi did not disturb Ori. After leaving the food, he tied his hair up and carefully closed the door.

Aori has been by his side for far longer than that kitten who was only temporarily staying, and she has never shown any sign of leaving. Yoriichi has unknowingly become quite used to her presence.

For example, he would slow down while walking so that the girl could keep up, but the next second, he would realize that Azhi was not walking with him today, so he would purse his lips and speed up.

For example, when he received the kite, his first thought was that it had been a bit windy lately, but not too windy, which would be perfect for flying a kite. He was sure A-Zhi would be very happy...

Ori is pure and genuine; she is the treasure that makes Yoriichi Tsugikuni's connection with this world even stronger, and also the treasure that makes him discover that life is more interesting.

He will treat her well.

Zhu Nai's eyes warmed slightly: "I see."

She covered her lips with her hand, never so grateful for the decision she had made unintentionally. It seemed that Yoriichi wouldn't be too lonely in the future.

At this moment, in Yoriichi's little house, Aori folded the blankets, yawned, and finally woke up completely from her groggy state.

She seemed dazed for a moment, then pouted as if she had just realized something, squinting as she leaned on the low table: "Why didn't you call me today?"

That's right, the reason why Azhi is able to get up on time is not because of her own self-discipline, but because she asked 000 for help.

The girl's voice trailed off, and after careful listening, 000 noticed a subtle hint of accusation in her tone. Compared to her initial timidity, she seemed to have become much more lively.

It's like a small animal that has adapted to its environment and been well-fed, gradually revealing its true nature.

Like Azhi, who is very delicate and pampered. 000 has already had to struggle with her several times over getting her out of bed.

Whenever she was called, Azhi would mumble a few words in a soft voice, and it was hard to hear what she was saying, but it sounded like she was being coquettish.

When asked after she was fully awake, the girl looked completely bewildered and said she hadn't done it. After being asked repeatedly, she became increasingly assertive.

But it's not a big deal, and there's nothing wrong with the host being a little delicate. 000 told the truth: [I didn't wake you because I saw you grinning like an idiot and having sweet dreams.]

The truth is that Azhi didn't wake up after being called twice. She wasn't smiling foolishly, but rather with a cute smile. Since there was no reason for her to get up, 000 just let her be.

Azhi blinked her watery eyes. After a moment's thought, she belatedly began to blush and stammer, unable to utter a complete sentence: "You, you..."

The fact is that she really had a good dream. Under this premise, Azhi immediately believed 000's words and could already imagine how ashamed she was under the system's description.

Azhi wished she could fall asleep again. She felt something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She felt like she had been bullied.

As soon as Yoriichi opened the door, the first thing he saw was a girl with her forehead pressed against the table. She was covering her flushed face, and her eyes revealed an expression that looked like she was sad.

He immediately put down the kite, knelt on one knee in front of the girl, lifted her chin with his hand to examine her carefully, and asked in a deep voice with a frown, "What's wrong?"

He was only gone for a short while, so nothing should have happened to Azhi.

The slightly rough palm pressed against his cheek was warm, just like the boy's mood at that moment. It was rare for Yoriichi Tsugikuni to show such straightforward emotions, but Aori was unable to answer his question truthfully.

She let out a soft "ah," looked up at Yoriichi, and said dryly, "...It's nothing."

She didn't look like anything was wrong, but she didn't say anything.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni couldn't understand. He paused for a moment and said in a very ordinary tone, "Going to fly a kite?"

Azhi was naturally very interested and agreed.

Although she was reluctant to admit that she had no talent for playing, somehow, even with a steady breeze, her kite just wouldn't fly.

Even if Yoriichi sets up the kite and then pulls the string to her, the kite that was flying so well in the air will not last long in her hands before it falls.

No matter how hard A-Zhi tried, she couldn't control the kite string. If the wind blew even slightly to one side, the kite flying in mid-air would start to sway left and right, and eventually it even drifted up into a tree.

She was dejected, feeling utterly stupid. It was perfectly fine when she gave it to her, but now it's turned out like this.

Even 000 couldn't stand it anymore. Ah Zhi was a typical example of someone who was both bad at the game and loved to play. It planned to tell her the tricks next time, or at least guide her step by step.

The girl looked down at the rope in her hand, then looked over with a disappointed expression.

This was just a trivial matter, and Yoriichi Tsugikuni didn't intend for it to occupy Aori's mind too much. He climbed the not-so-tall tree without much effort.

When they went to retrieve it, they discovered that things were not so simple. Not only was the kite stuck in the tree, but the kite string was also tangled up in the branches by the wind.

The rope was too tangled. Ji Guoyuan pulled at it a few times and realized that cutting it wouldn't solve the problem. If he were to untangle it by hand, it would probably take a lot of time.

Following the establishment of the national unity, the meeting was caught in a dilemma.

Aori waited under the tree for a while and realized that Yoriichi Tsugikuni hadn't come down yet. She knew something was wrong and bit her cheek in frustration.

********

Ji Guoyansheng is in a very good mood today because something very rare has happened.

The retainer who taught him swordsmanship praised his recent rapid progress in front of the lord, which brought Kokushiro Tsugikatsu a smile from his father, a smile he hadn't received in a long time, and he felt lightheaded.

Therefore, when he went to see Yoriichi this time, he brought along the kite that the servant had just brought. Naturally, his mother had prepared such a fun-related item for him.

Because his father discovered their last meeting, he flew into a rage and ordered his servants to keep an eye on him, so that Kokugoro Iwakatsu did not go out for a long time.

This can be considered a punishment for his "relaxation." Kokushiro Tsugikuni didn't experience much negative emotion. He and Yoriichi were ultimately different, and they were destined to bear different burdens.

So he studied even harder, doing his job to the best of his ability, so that no one could find fault with him.

In his spare time, images of playing with Yoriichi and Ori would involuntarily float into his mind.

Once, they climbed a tree together to pick fruit, but the fruit was sour and astringent. Ah Zhi only took one bite, and it tasted so bad that tears almost streamed down her face. The most amazing thing was that she was the one who asked them to pick the fruit...

Thinking of this, Ji Guoyansheng's lips curled into the same smile as that day. He quickly realized his mistake and suppressed it, but a hidden expectation sprouted in his heart.

So much so that he completely overlooked one thing: Yoriichi also had toys that he received from his mother.

So, when he saw a similar-looking kite flying in the sky from afar, clearly a pair with the one in his hand, Ji Guoyansheng subconsciously lowered his arm.

He didn't know whether he should go over there or not. This thought came out of nowhere, but it had the power to make him stop in his tracks and not dare to take another step forward.

Kokuichi finally put the inexplicable idea out of his mind. When he walked over, he looked around but did not see Yoriichi and Aori.

He didn't hesitate for long; surely the person couldn't have already left!

Azhi heard the noise, and holding one end of the rope in her hand, she peeked out from among the lush foliage, revealing her head and then most of her body.

She wore a pinkish dress, which became the only bright spot in the green. A gentle breeze blew by, carrying with it a vibrant and refreshing feeling.

Like a flower just beginning to bloom.

She waved her hand: "We're here!"

Ji Guoyansheng's eyes trembled for a moment, a subtle tremor spreading from the bottom of his heart. He walked to the tree, looked up at the girl above, and smiled as she wiped the sweat from Yuan Yi's forehead.

Yoriichi was still struggling with the rope, but he didn't forget to protect the girl when she leaned out to prevent her from losing her footing and falling. In the end, he told her to be careful, though he was a little helpless.

Kokushiro didn't know how he could see the helplessness on Yoriichi's face. He waited for a while, but the rope was never untied.

So his kite wasn't a complete waste.

After experiencing several more falls, under the guidance of Kokushiro Tsugikuni, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, and 000, Aori finally mastered how to adjust her height by reeling in and out the rope when the wind direction was different.

Ji Guoyan looked at Azhi's profile, which was covered in sweat from running. Her hair was sticking to her neck. She leaned against the tree trunk and sat down, slowly calming her breathing.

Although they were playing together, only Aori felt tired; Kokushibo and Yoriichi barely even broke a sweat.

To take care of her, Yoriichi went to fetch water.

Azhi rubbed her sore wrists nearby. Because they were not far apart, Jiguo Yansheng's arm was gently nudged, as if a kitten had scratched it.

He suddenly spoke: "A-Zhi."

The girl had just finished exercising, and her body was still limp, making her voice even softer. She had just called out Yoriichi's name, so this situation, which he usually ignored, became very noticeable.

Ji Guoyan remained calm, his gaze unwavering, but his questioning tone was casual: "Azhi, what did you call me?"

The question was asked very abruptly. When she first heard it, Azhi didn't understand it at all. She took a few seconds to react while Tsugikuni Iwakatsu waited.

She doesn't seem to address people directly in everyday life, mostly using "you" instead, especially towards Jiguo Yansheng.

But he asked this question today.

Azhi was momentarily confused. She actually wanted to answer "Young Master," since all the other servants did, but there seemed to be expectation deep in the boy's eyes...

Unsure if she was seeing things, she hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, "...Yan...Yan Sheng?"

Azhi found it very strange that Jikuni Iwakatsu was still agonizing over this matter at a time like this!

The girl spoke unclearly and deliberately lowered her voice, making it sound like she was whispering something. Ji Guoyan couldn't help but lower his head to listen, instantly closing the distance between them.

He also heard the answer he wanted.

Ji Guoyan raised his chin slightly, but not arrogantly. His voice was light and cheerful: "Yes, you can call me that from now on!"