The author of the depressing comic book series makes the heroine cry.

At this time, snow was seen drifting again.

Xia Qiu was bending over to brush off the snow on his suitcase when he suddenly heard the crunching sound of wooden clogs stepping on snow coming from the courtyard next door.

"Xia Qiujun, are you enjoying your school trip?"

Mrs. Nishimiya stood by the bamboo fence, her tunic with a plum branch pattern visible from under her light green haori.

The white mist she exhaled when she spoke condensed into fine frost on her eyelashes, making her eyes, which always contained a smile, look even more gentle.

Glass was hiding behind her, using her red, frozen fingers to sign language, while Yuzuru was waving his chubby little hands lively.

“We made red bean rice cake soup…”

Mrs. Nishimiya raised the lacquered wooden food box in her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly in the cold wind, "I thought I should eat something warm on a snowy day..."

The moment the food box is opened, the sweet fragrance mixed with hot air hits you in the face.

When Xia Qiu saw the osmanthus flowers carefully decorated on the rice cake, he suddenly remembered that when Mrs. Xigong invited him to dinner last month, she also greeted him warmly in the same way.

"Oh, how can this be so kind..."

Xia Qiu was about to take it with a smile, but unexpectedly, Ying Lili, who had sharp ears, suddenly rushed out from the entrance.

The cashmere shawl dragged messy trails in the snow.

She snatched the lunch box, and the snowflakes on her golden hair fell straight down. "Thanks for your concern! But we just had lunch at the station!"

She deliberately emphasized the word "we". She caught a glimpse of Xia Qiu reaching out to catch Mrs. Xigong's fallen scarf, and immediately kicked his calf with her toes.

Glass noticed the interaction between the two and pulled her mother's sleeve in panic.

Mrs. Xigong just chuckled, and when she tied her scarf, her fingertips "inadvertently" brushed against Xia Qiu's wrist: "Is that so... Then we'll do it another day..."

"Not another day..."

Eriri was suddenly choked in the middle of her words - Yuzuru was stuffing something into Xia Qiu's pocket, and it looked like the packaging of handmade chocolates.

Kasumigaoka Utaha had been leaning against the door at some point, her nightgown belt loosely tied around her waist.

"The golden retriever's food protection behavior is really touching."

"Senior, don't talk nonsense!" Ying Lili's ears turned red, but she didn't realize that her hand was still tightly grasping Xia Qiu's sleeve.

Mrs. Nishimiya bent down to fix Yuzuru's bow, then looked at everyone gently.

“Eat rice cakes while they’re hot.”

Then, she gave Xia Qiu one last look and turned around with her daughters.

Glass turned around and used sign language to make a "good night" gesture, but Yuzuru suddenly shouted: "Xia Qiu brother! Mom said that next time I will teach you how to do--"

“Yuzuru!”

Mrs. Nishimiya raised her voice, which was unusual for her, and her ears turned visibly red.

Soon, the three of them entered the next room.

There was fire in Ying Lili's deep blue eyes, and she bared her fangs in the direction they left.

"I noticed it at the last neighborhood gathering. The way that lady looked at you..." She suddenly grabbed Xia Qiu's scarf, "Could it be that something happened when you were helping her fix the water pipe without telling us?"

Xia Qiu's eyes widened instantly when Eriri grabbed her scarf, her face full of shock, and then she said with a smile.

"Eri, what are you talking about? I have never helped Mrs. Nishimiya fix the plumbing. Where did you hear these weird things? Mrs. Nishimiya has always been warm and kind, and friendly to everyone. There is no way you would make such a wild guess."

As he spoke, Xia Qiu gently took away Ying Lili's hand that was grabbing the scarf, held her hand tightly, and the warmth of his palm was immediately transmitted to her.

"Look, I only have you and my senior sisters in my mind. How could I have anything else in mind?"

He leaned forward slightly and touched his forehead to Eriri's, gazing lovingly into her blue eyes.

Ying Lili was caught off guard by this sudden intimacy, and her cheeks instantly turned red like the sunset. She subconsciously wanted to step back, but Xia Qiu held her hands tightly.

“Don’t, don’t try that on me!” She turned her face away, and the snowflakes in her golden hair fell down. “Then why did Yuzuru say he wanted to teach you how to…do…”

"Making chocolate." Xia Qiu smiled and took out the small package from his pocket and shook it in front of her.

Kasumigaoka Utaha had already walked around behind the two of them and suddenly took away the chocolate: "Ah, even elementary school students know how to use food to capture a man's heart~"

She deliberately turned the wrapping paper over and said, "But the heart with the words 'I love Brother Xia Qiu the most' is really carefully drawn."

"You guy!"

Ying Lili jumped up to grab it, but she slipped on the snow and stumbled.

Xia Qiu quickly put his arms around her waist, and they both fell into the soft snow.

The blonde girl lay on top of him, her nose rubbing against the osmanthus scent left on the scarf, and she was immediately furious: "This scent is definitely Mrs. Xigong's incense!"

"This is Tsumugi's..."

Xia Qiu reluctantly helped her brush off the snow on her hair, and suddenly lowered his voice, "But the jealous look on Yinglili's face makes me want to taste it more than rice cake soup."

“Stupid... idiot! Who is jealous!?”

Ying Lili tried to get up in a panic, but Xia Qiu tied their necks loosely together with a scarf.

Indigo cashmere and golden hair interweave in the snow light, like a winter painting.