Chapter 36 The Cold-Blooded Fox

Hana's eyelids twitched wildly, and she quickly pressed down on his hand.

Rukawa's expressionless face left her completely baffled as to what he was up to.

But Kanon noticed that beneath her hand, in the location of Rukawa Kaede's chest, his heart was pounding wildly.

Bang, bang, bang

It was fast and intense, as if it were about to leap out.

Like an electric current passing through the body, from the skin to the heart, it made her scalp tingle, and Hana quickly pulled her hand back.

She tried to remain calm and asked, "...What are you doing?"

Rukawa Kaede stood there expressionless, his dark eyes fixed on her.

I can't quite describe the feeling—a sense of restraint, a dullness, a weariness… I stare at her intently.

Every time Hanon meets his eyes, her heart feels like it's being hooked.

Take another look.

It felt as if my heart had fallen for him—

She unilaterally fell for him.

Hanon took several deep breaths, but couldn't calm her racing heart, so she just let it go.

She didn't say anything.

Rukawa Kaede didn't say anything, continuing what he was doing, taking off his coat and handing it to her, his deep, cool voice saying, "Put it on."

Hanon choked on her breath and let out a soft "Ah".

What exactly is he trying to do?

A little slow to react, Hana blinked her eyelashes: "Thank you, I'm not cold."

Hana looked at him in confusion, only to find that he was looking at her too.

Focused gaze.

After a two-second pause, Rukawa Kaede lowered his voice and explained, "Only a girl's future husband can see her skin."

Seriously... what dynasty did this old feudalist come from?

Hana couldn't help but twitch her lips, and decisively refused, "I don't want to."

Rukawa didn't give her a chance to refuse. He picked up his coat, draped it over her shoulders, and helped her button it up one by one.

His movements were gentle and careful.

Soon, with each breath, the scent on the clothes amplified, and amplified still—

Completely enveloping itself.

To avoid her heart racing, Kanon instinctively took a step back.

"Don't move."

Rukawa Kaede expressionlessly pulled up his sleeves, his voice still cold: "Give me your hand."

Hanon subconsciously reached into her sleeve; clearly, the men's team uniform didn't suit her quite well.

Not only were the sleeves too long, but the wide shoulder line was also transformed into a dropped shoulder style.

His coat covered her completely.

On the surface, Rukawa's expression was no different from before, but Kanon could see a hint of hidden satisfaction in it.

Hana rubbed her twitching temples, raised her hand to take off her coat, but her fingers were caught by a hand just as she touched the button.

She said speechlessly, "...It's a bit hot."

"Nini."

He seemed to really like calling her by her English name.

Reduplicated names naturally convey a sense of intimacy.

When spoken in such a cool and aloof tone, Hanon's heart rate nearly soared to 180.

Rukawa looked into her eyes and asked for her opinion, "Is it okay to wear this?"

The voice sounded muffled, probably because the person was still sleepy; it had a slightly nasal tone.

It sounded like he was being affectionate with her.

Hanon felt a tingling sensation in her ears and a numbing feeling in her heart.

Help! Who can stand this?!

Kanon took a step back, unable to resist protesting in a coquettish tone:

"But this is strange!"

Rukawa Kaede's Adam's apple bobbed, as if he was suppressing some emotion, and he said firmly, "No."

Hanon sensed his firm attitude and was speechless... Of course you wouldn't, I'm the one who's embarrassed!

"Oto-chan, dinner's ready!"

The two stared at each other for a while, then suddenly heard Ayako's voice, and their eyes simultaneously turned to her—

Wearing the same coat, Ayako and Kanon gazed at each other from afar, silent.

Rukawa Kaede remained expressionless, but a hint of smugness flashed clearly in his narrow, aloof fox-like eyes—see, I told you it wouldn't be strange.

An extremely lethal sense of contrast.

Hanon narrowed her eyes slightly, trying to hold back, but she couldn't resist any longer—

With a smile, she tilted her head back and beckoned to him with her finger: "Rukawa."

Rukawa Kaede's expression was indifferent, his gaze somewhat puzzled, and he lowered his head slightly.

Hanon raised her hands and ruffled his hair vigorously.

Before he could react, Hana, her heart pounding, fled in panic.

She thought to herself, "Rukawa Kaede's hair is indeed very soft!"

The moment he lowered his head, he looked just like a cat rolling onto its back.

She's very well-behaved.

Rukawa Kaede subconsciously touched his hair, his seemingly indifferent and unmoved expression concealing a heart yearning for unbridled revelry.

His face was cold as he raised his hand to cover his chest, his ears burning. After a couple of seconds, he followed her with light steps.

Haruko asked in confusion, "Is the air conditioning too cold, Kanon-neechan?"

All the team members looked over at the same time. Was that team uniform... a little too big?

Sakuragi glanced up and saw Kanon's team uniform, and immediately bristled: "Hey, sis, why are you wearing that, waaaaah..."

Hanon tightly covered the red-haired monkey's megaphone and said in a serious tone, "...Yes, I'm afraid of the cold."

Remembering that she always wore loose-fitting long sportswear, the team members nodded silently in understanding.

The little red-haired monkey gradually fell silent under the suppression of its sister's bloodline. Its lips twitched as it muttered curses, and it glared at Rukawa Kaede in the process.

Ignoring the red-haired monkey, Rukawa Kaede sat cross-legged next to Kanon, his indifferent gaze sweeping over them.

Almost immediately, all the young team members, who were eager to find out something, lowered their heads as much as possible.

Miyagi looked at Rukawa Kaede, smiled meaningfully, and then gave him a look—Junior, I understand you!

Rukawa Kaede nodded slightly to him.

Miyagi was so shocked he couldn't close his mouth.

Wow! This is absolutely historic! After knowing him for so long, this aloof and distant junior has finally responded to him for the first time!

The dining table is laden with all sorts of delicious dishes, making one's appetite soar.

The children gathered together, enjoying themselves immensely. As an elder, Akagi's mother planned to serve the cake and food and then quickly slip away to prevent the children from becoming too reserved.

Seeing her elders setting the table, Hana immediately wanted to stand up and help, but something held her skirt down—

Looking down, Hana gently nudged the person next to her.

Rukawa tilted his head slightly towards her, as if waiting for her instructions.

Hanon blinked her eyelashes twice and whispered, "Rukawa, you're pressing down on my skirt."

Rukawa Kaede glanced down slightly.

Because they were so close, his trousers were pressing down on her skirt.

The skirt on the blanket spread out in a beautiful arc like a fish tail.

Noticing that Hanon seemed somewhat dissatisfied, Rukawa Kaede glanced at her for a couple of seconds, then shifted slightly to the side and decisively said, "I'm sorry."

Hanon straightened her skirt, stood up, and took the cake from Akagi's mother.

The tall and slender Hanon caught Akagi's mother's eye a few more times. She asked, "Little girl, are you also a student at Shohoku?"

Hanon replied with a smile, "Yes, I'm a second-year high school student."

Akagi's mother asked enthusiastically, "You're so beautiful and tall! Do you have a boyfriend?"

Two beautiful girls came to her house. She had been secretly observing them for a long time, and when she discovered that Hana was so tall and slender, she started to have designs on her.

Hanon was taken aback: "...Huh?"

The boys from Shohoku stopped talking and laughing, staring intently in Hanon's direction, eagerly awaiting the next conversation.

Akagi's mother held her hand and smiled, "With your height, you'd probably like boys who are taller than you, right?"

Hana nodded, puzzled. "Yes, Auntie."

Akagi's mother, her face flushed, began to ramble on as if she'd been drinking fake alcohol:

"How about I introduce you to someone? What do you think of our Ah Xian? He's tall and strong, plays basketball well, and is a top student. Although he looks a bit older than his age, he's very responsible! Is there a chance we could become a family?"

For a moment, the atmosphere was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The human-shaped air conditioner malfunctioned, causing the indoor temperature to plummet.

A chill ran through the air, and Mitsui shivered: ...King Kong and Barbie?

Miyagi hugged her frail self tightly: ...Rukawa Kaede's coldness was eight degrees below zero.

The young team members trembled: ...I hope no one will notice their tiny breaths?

Hanon neatly tucked her hands in front of her, a smile on her face that was both awkward and polite.

After all, it's the birthday person's birthday.

She picked at her fingers, her mind racing, and just as she was about to speak, two figures stood up simultaneously—

Rukawa felt a slight unease, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

He acted faster than he thought, and quickly stood up.

At the same moment, Sakuragi blushed and leaned forward: "Auntie... what do you think of me?"

Akagi's mother froze, her gaze towards him becoming complex: "...You...what?"

Rukawa glanced at Sakuragi, his expression gradually softening. He put his hands in his pockets and stood silently behind Kanon.

The little red-haired monkey shyly scratched its head, smiling sweetly, "It's about... becoming a family..."

Everyone was stunned for a moment, unable to react—

Who knew Sakuragi was so brave! Is he trying to win over his future mother-in-law in one fell swoop?

Looking at her son, then at Sakuragi, Akagi's mother's expression turned as if she'd been struck by lightning: "You and Ken?...You two?"

Sakuragi immediately waved his hands helplessly, explaining while looking at Haruko: "It's not Gorilla, Big Brother... it's... it's..."

When Haruko saw Sakuragi's gaze, her face inexplicably turned completely red.

Akagi's face was so dark it looked like it had been blasted by coal.

Akagi's mother, incredulous, covered her mouth with both hands and cried out, "Is it or isn't it! This child... the child's father!!"

Akagi, unable to bear it any longer, nudged her: "Mother, you can go and rest now!"

As Akagi's mother walked away, she said, "Alright, alright, I won't bother you young people any longer!"

She couldn't help but glance at Sakuragi again, muttering, "The red-haired one is quite cute, it's a pity he's a boy..."

Everyone thought expressionlessly, "If we accidentally laugh out loud, will the captain and the red-haired monkey beat us to death?"

But... it's so hard to hold it in.

"Pfft... Hahahaha!"

After Akagi's mother left, Mitsui finally couldn't hold back anymore and burst into laughter, even spitting out saliva.

Great! Now that the senior member of the "Great Fool" team is taking the lead, the other junior team members are also laughing heartily.

Ayako and Kanon both burst into cheerful laughter, and the two of them helped each other to steady themselves.

Akagi's forehead veins bulged, forming a tic-tac-toe pattern, and unsurprisingly, Sakuragi got a big bump from the punch.

As for Mitsui, Akagi also wanted to say something—make nickel!

A fleeting hint of relief crossed Rukawa's eyes, but it vanished in an instant before returning to his usual calm and indifferent state.

He sat down on the carpet with Huayin without making a sound, and casually straightened her skirt.

Hmm, I didn't manage to press it this time.

Ayako joked, "Our Oto-chan is very popular with parents!"