Chapter Twenty-Five
From the moment Xiao Yufeng first met Xiao Zhiyu, he became her number one fan.
At home, he can't stop talking about "Zhiyu" when he's at home. He'll either ask, "Did my sister smile today?" or ask, "Does my sister know how to play with my robot?" He even remembers to save a cookie for his sister when he's eating. He's a complete Zhiyu fan.
His family couldn't stand his pestering, so they had to take him to the Yukimura residence every few days.
Yukimura was extremely frustrated by this. Especially when his daughter, Chiyo, was just learning to speak, he would say "Papa" to her every day. But the first time the little one clearly said it was "Brother" in a crisp voice—and she was saying it to Xiao Yufeng in a video.
Now, Yukimura was completely consumed by jealousy, and he complained to Yuzuru countless times in secret: "What kind of bewitching potion did that kid give Chiyo?" "I'm clearly the father, but she called me 'brother' first!"
But Yuzuru would always smile and pat the back of his hand, advising, "Little Yufeng is so cute, so sensible and loving towards his younger sister. Why are you arguing with a child?"
Upon receiving this response, Yukimura became even more frustrated—not only had his daughter's attention been stolen, but even his wife was siding with outsiders, causing his status at home to plummet!
Unable to bear it any longer, Yukimura arranged to meet with Tezuka and sternly complained, "You need to control your son. Stop him from coming to my house all the time. He's practically throwing his weight around here!"
Upon hearing this, Tezuka raised an eyebrow, adjusted his glasses, and said calmly, "Yufeng is a man, he has his own ideas." He then sent a message to his son: "Go see your sister, don't be careless, go ahead."
Communication failed completely, and Yukimura, seething with anger, dragged Tezuka into a friendly match.
But with his mind filled with resentment over "his daughter being taken away," he made frequent mistakes due to his agitated state of mind, ultimately ending in a crushing defeat.
Left with no other choice, they could only acquiesce to Xiao Yufeng's "privilege" of freely entering and leaving the Yukimura residence.
Children grow up so fast that it's impossible to stop them. Xiao Zhiyu changes every day, growing from a babbling baby into a beautiful little girl.
Yuzuru looked at the baby in his arms and became more and more depressed: the baby's fair face, bright eyes, and even the radiant smile were exactly the same as Yukimura's. It was practically a mini version of him! Apart from being certain that the baby was born from his own belly, there was almost no trace of his own on the baby's face.
After much deliberation, Yuzuru's pent-up frustration grew. She glanced at Yukimura, who was sitting quietly on the sofa reading a book, walked straight over, and gently pinched his side.
Yukimura was startled by the pinch, put down his book, and looked at her in shock: "Yu? What's wrong?"
Yuzuru raised his chin and said matter-of-factly, "It's nothing, I just didn't like you earlier, but I'm happy now after pinching you."
Yukimura paused for a moment, then smiled helplessly. He had two queens at home, one was the delicate little Chiyu, and the other was the unpredictable Yuzuru. He couldn't afford to offend either of them, so he could only reach out and pull her to sit down next to him, ruffling her hair: "Okay, whatever makes you happy."
Little Zhiyu's first birthday was celebrated in a grand and lively manner. As the only granddaughter of the Momozawa and Yukimura families, her first birthday party became a major event for both families, with relatives and friends coming to offer their congratulations.
Since our home couldn't accommodate so many people, we booked a banquet at a highly-rated hotel to celebrate the little one's arrival in a lively and festive manner.
Before the banquet began, Momozawa's father and Yukimura's father stood side by side at the front of the stage, their faces beaming with undisguised joy.
The two spoke in turn, first expressing their sincere gratitude to all the guests for coming, and then gently introducing today's little protagonist: "Now, let's welcome our little princess, Yukimura Tomoyo."
Little Chiyu, held in Yuzuru's arms, was wearing a pink princess dress with a small bow in her hair. She looked around at everyone with her big, round eyes, showing no stage fright whatsoever.
Hearing the adults' applause, she grinned, revealing a toothless, adorable smile, and said in a sweet, childish voice, "Hello everyone~"
Her soft, sweet voice, like a little candy, instantly melted the hearts of everyone present. Immediately, even more enthusiastic applause and waves of praise erupted: "So cute!" "That little face is like an angel descended from heaven!" "She looks exactly like Oichi!"
At the banquet, there was also a group of special guests—old friends from the Rikkai University tennis club.
Genichiro Sanada, dressed in a crisp uniform, is now a decisive and efficient police officer, his brow still bearing the sternness of his youth. Renji Yanagi, adjusting his glasses and holding a notebook, continues his academic pursuits, maintaining a diligent and studious attitude. Masaharu Niou, in a well-tailored suit, exudes the competence and composure of a lawyer. Like Renji Yanagi, Hiroshi Yagyu has chosen to continue his studies, his demeanor becoming increasingly mature. Bunta Marui remains full of energy, now a physical education teacher, passing on his love for sports to children. Kuwazono Jackal has joined a well-known company, shedding his youthful naiveté and gaining a more mature and steady professional air.
As for Akaya Kirihara, he remains dedicated to his tennis career, continuing to shine on the court, though his habit of being late seems to have remained unchanged.
He arrived in a hurry halfway through the banquet, rushing into the banquet hall covered in sweat. As soon as he saw Yukimura and Sanada, he immediately bowed at a ninety-degree angle and apologized repeatedly: "I'm so sorry! I took the wrong turn and went the long way. I will never do it again next time!" His flustered yet sincere appearance made his old friends smile at each other, as if they had returned to the days when they were in the tennis club.
Time flies, and Xiao Zhiyu has grown up quickly under the love of her family, turning five years old in the blink of an eye.
In recent years, Yukimura has remained active in the world tennis scene, still the "son of God" who inspires awe in his opponents. However, he has long since learned to balance his career and family. He no longer competes as frequently as he did during his peak years, and he always manages to spend ample time with Yuzuru and Chiyo, ensuring he doesn't miss a single moment of his daughter's growth.
Whether it was inherited from her parents' gentleness or from watching them be affectionate from a young age, Xiao Zhiyu developed a special habit—she likes to kiss the people she likes.
Eight-year-old Yu Feng is still his sister's most affectionate friend. Every time he comes to visit, Xiao Zhi Yu always comes up and gives him a "smack" kiss, leaving his face covered in sweet saliva.
Yuzuru always felt bad and would rush to get tissues to wipe Xiao Yufeng's face, but Xiao Yufeng would always take the tissues first, carefully wiping his face while keeping a serious expression just like Tezuka's, and whisper to Xiao Zhiyu, "Zhiyu, you can't just kiss other people like that."
But Xiao Zhiyu could always immediately flash her signature sweet smile, stretch out her short arms to hug Xiao Yufeng's leg, tilt her delicate, rosy face up, and say in a soft yet firm voice: "Brother Yufeng is no stranger, Zhiyu likes Brother Yufeng the most!"
At this point, Xiao Yufeng could only sigh helplessly and carefully bend down to pick up his younger sister.
Before he could even stand up straight, Xiao Zhiyu would seize the opportunity to lean in and give him another kiss on the cheek, her eyes crinkling with laughter.
Xiao Yufeng shook his head helplessly, but his eyes were filled with tenderness as he let his sister snuggle in his arms.
The sudden emergency business trip disrupted the original plan. Yuzuru was still muttering about it while packing his luggage, while Yukimura was still competing in France.
Faced with this dilemma, Xiao Zhiyu was temporarily sent to Tezuka's house and entrusted to Mina for care.
As soon as they entered the house, Xiao Zhiyu followed Xiao Yufeng around like a curious little tail.
She pointed to the sketchbook on Xiao Yufeng's desk, her little finger pointing to a page, and asked with bright eyes, "Brother, brother, what is this?"
Xiao Yufeng put down his book, leaned over to take a closer look, and answered seriously, "This is a bear, an animal, a very fierce one."
"Do bears eat people?" Xiao Zhiyu tilted her head and asked again, "Last time Daddy said wolves are fierce and they eat people."
"Yes, it will." Xiao Yufeng nodded, his tone firm. "Bears are much bigger than wolves, and they are also much stronger."
"Wow—that's so scary!" Xiao Zhiyu instinctively shrank her neck, tugged at Xiao Yufeng's clothes, and earnestly warned, "Brother, if you see a bear in the future, you must stay far away, okay? You can't get caught by it!"
“Yes, I know.” Xiao Yufeng replied, turned around and found a picture book on the bookshelf, pulled Xiao Zhiyu to sit on the carpet, and slowly turned the pages. “I’ll tell you a bedtime story, and then we’ll go to sleep.”
Under the soft light, Xiao Yufeng's voice was steady and gentle. Xiao Zhiyu leaned against him and started yawning as she listened.
She instinctively grasped Xiao Yufeng's hand, her eyelids heavy, and murmured in a daze, "Brother, don't go, stay with Zhiyu."
"Okay, I won't leave." Xiao Yufeng gently patted the back of her hand, softening his voice as he continued to tell the story in a low voice until the breathing beside him became even.
When Mina later pushed open the door to check on the room, she saw the two little ones snuggling together, already fast asleep.
Xiao Zhiyu rested her little head on Xiao Yufeng's shoulder, her little hands tightly gripping the hem of his clothes, while Xiao Yufeng turned slightly to the side, as if deliberately protecting her.
Mina couldn't help but slow her pace, gently covering them with a thin blanket before quietly slipping out.
Three days later, Yuzuru finished his business trip and rushed to Tezuka's house to pick up his daughter, Tomoyo.
But just as they were about to leave, Xiao Zhiyu suddenly hugged Xiao Yufeng tightly around the waist and wouldn't let go. Tears welled up instantly, and she wailed, "Waaah—I don't want to go home! Don't leave Brother Yufeng!"
Yuzuru stood to the side, feeling both helpless and amused. He knelt down and gently patted his daughter's back, coaxing, "We're not leaving, baby, we're going home. Don't you miss Mommy? Daddy will be back from France tonight too, do you miss Daddy? If you like Brother Yufeng, we can come and play with him again tomorrow, okay?"
She coaxed and pleaded with Xiao Zhiyu for a long time, but Xiao Zhiyu was still sobbing.
Xiao Yufeng squatted down, patted her head, and earnestly promised, "Zhiyu, be good. I'll come see you tomorrow and take you to play with new toys."
Hearing this, Xiao Zhiyu gradually stopped crying, reluctantly let go of Yuzuru's hand, and followed him home, looking back every few steps.
Later, when Yukimura heard about this from Hanyu, the smile on his face froze instantly, and he felt a pang of sadness and heartache.
Who can understand a father's helplessness? His own precious daughter would rather stay at someone else's house, clinging to them and refusing to let go, completely forgetting her own father!
He sighed into the air, feeling that his position in the family was once again in jeopardy.
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