Yilin and Aoi were watching Kiyotaka and Ensho from the shadows. This was because Aoi had said, “They might start grabbing at each other’s collars again, so we have to be ready to step in.”
Yilin had been skeptical that the two men would fight like that, but the atmosphere had indeed been tense and volatile. Even as an onlooker, she’d been nervous.
The moment Kiyotaka took off his jacket and draped it over Ensho, Aoi placed a hand on her chest and murmured, “Thank goodness.”
Yilin, on the other hand, crouched down, unable to contain her excitement. “Those two are so...” she said, a hand over her mouth.
“I know.” Aoi nodded. “It’s moving, isn’t it?”
Despite Aoi’s concurrence, Yilin suspected their feelings weren’t quite the same. In Yilin’s case, it was the same trembling sensation she had when watching anime—a feeling of intense affection toward characters and their interactions. But as Aoi said, it was also moving.
Yilin didn’t know much about Kiyotaka and Ensho’s shared past, but she sensed that they’d been rivals with their fair share of clashes. Now Kiyotaka was giving Ensho harsh yet heartfelt advice, and although Ensho understood that, he couldn’t respond honestly.
The young woman felt like she could understand Ensho’s feelings. He wanted to trust Kiyotaka and open his heart to him, but he couldn’t shake his suspicion that the man might betray him. That was why he’d made those accusations. As for Kiyotaka, he was fully aware of Ensho’s feelings yet chose to openly declare his ulterior motives.
Yilin suddenly remembered something Aoi had said: “I’m happy that he’s honest with me.” She finally understood what that meant. If Kiyotaka had said, “I simply admire you as an artist and want to support you,” Ensho would try to find a hidden meaning in those words. But since Kiyotaka had admitted to having ulterior motives, there was nothing left to probe.
Yilin’s father and Takamiya wanted to support Ensho too, but Kiyotaka was clearly the closest to him at the moment. He also seemed to be the most suited for the job.
“It doesn’t look like we’ll have to worry about them fighting, so let’s go back to the hall,” said Aoi.
Yilin snapped out of her thoughts. “Okay. Also, you sound like their mom when you say that.”
“Those two act like kids when they’re together.”
The two women laughed as they returned from the terrace.
“Good evening, Yilin,” came a familiar voice in English.
Yilin looked up and saw four of her relatives smiling at her. “Ah...”
Her father had two sisters, an older one named Liming and a younger one named Zhulan. They were here with their husbands, named Haoyi and Bowen, respectively.
Yilin tensed at the sight of them. “I wasn’t expecting to see all of you here,” she said, forcing a smile to hide her discomfort.
“Your father told us you’ve been doing good work for him,” said Aunt Liming.
“Yes, he said you probably set up this party for his sake, but he’s too busy with work to attend,” said Uncle Haoyi. “So we came in his stead, though it’s also a vacation for us.”
“Huh?” Yilin’s eyes widened. “My father said that?”
She had been reporting everything to her father in detail, including how she had arranged this party with the help of Kiyotaka and Aoi to facilitate further interaction with Takamiya. Her father’s replies were always curt, as if she should be happy to get any response at all. But apparently he actually recognized her efforts. Her heart surged with emotion, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Suddenly, Aunt Liming snorted. “I see the murderer’s daughter is desperate to ingratiate herself with her father,” she spat out in Chinese.
Yilin’s heart thumped loudly.
“Liming, this girl didn’t do anything wrong,” Aunt Zhulan whispered.
“Oh? Would you still be able to say that when faced with vermin?”
“Vermin? You’re too harsh on her...”
“It’s disgusting how she tries so hard to curry favor with him. She should just behave herself. If anything, you and your husband are too soft on her.”
“You say that, but Yilin is still a member of our family,” said Uncle Bowen.
“She is not family,” Aunt Liming insisted. “I feel so sorry for Keqing.”
Despite the nature of the conversation, everyone was smiling. What was more, they switched to Chinese for their unpleasant gossiping. To an outsider, it probably seemed like friendly chatter. Perhaps Kiyotaka would have noticed what was going on, but he was still talking to Ensho in the garden.
Yilin maintained her smile as she felt her fingertips grow ice-cold. Although this was nothing new, she must have let her guard down after spending so much time enjoying herself away from her relatives. The pain was beyond anything she’d experienced before. Her chest throbbed, her ears rang, and her relatives’ voices sounded distant.
Suddenly, Aoi took her hand. “Who are you talking to, Yilin? Can you introduce me?” she asked cheerfully.
Yilin’s relatives immediately fell silent.
“Oh, of course,” said Yilin, snapping back to attention. “This is my father’s older sister, Liming, and her husband, Haoyi. And this is my father’s younger sister, Zhulan, and her husband, Bowen.”
Aoi nodded and turned to face the relatives. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said in unskilled English. “Yilin has helped me a lot.”
“Ah, that’s lovely to hear,” said Aunt Liming.
“Keep up the good work, Yilin,” said Uncle Haoyi.
“We’ll be in Japan for a while, so let us know if you need anything,” said Uncle Bowen.
“Yes, it’ll be a leisurely trip, so feel free to visit us anytime,” said Aunt Zhulan.
With that, the four left. Aoi was still holding Yilin’s hand.
“Um, Aoi?” Yilin asked.
“Oh, sorry. You looked so pale, I was afraid you might faint. Your hand is so cold too.” Aoi cupped Yilin’s hand in both of hers and rubbed it gently. “Are you okay?”
Yilin nodded, but now that her relatives were gone, her body began to tremble. She hurriedly wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes.
Aoi pulled her into a hug and caressed her back. “There’s no need to worry anymore.” Her warmth spread to Yilin’s freezing body. “Take a deep breath. In, then out.”
Yilin realized she’d become short of breath. She slowly inhaled, then exhaled. Her tense muscles relaxed as Aoi continued to stroke her back.
“Thank you,” said Yilin. “I’m fine now.”
Aoi pulled away, took her handkerchief out of her purse, and gently wiped at Yilin’s tears. Her kindness made Yilin want to cry even more.
Suddenly, Yilin sensed someone’s gaze on her. She looked up and saw Kiyotaka and Ensho standing on the terrace. Azusa was also staring at her in surprise.
Yilin expected Azusa to make a fuss about how it was unfair that she’d been hugged by Aoi. Instead, the young lady glanced at Yilin’s relatives to make sure they were out of earshot before frowning and saying, “Those people were incredibly awful to you.”
“What were they saying?” Kiyotaka asked.
“They called her...the daughter of a murderer.”
“A murderer?” Kiyotaka furrowed his brow.
Aoi covered her mouth in shock. “Why would they say something so horrible?”
Yilin lowered her gaze and shook her head. “It’s not horrible. It’s the truth,” she whispered.
Ensho shrugged. “That ain’t your fault, right? It ain’t worth getting worked up over.” He already knew her circumstances.
Aoi and Kiyotaka were probably curious, but they didn’t say anything out of consideration for Yilin.
On the other hand, Azusa eagerly asked, “What do you mean by that? Tell me so I can help you.”
Hearing everyone’s reactions made Yilin feel a bit more at ease. “Will you listen to my story?”
“Of course,” everyone replied in unison.