There was still some distance to go when Dubian Che, relying on his excellent hearing, heard the gentle sounds of a harp.
This was the Highland Church.
As the three of them walked closer, they saw that the Highland Church's predecessor was the Hoshino Youxuetang, built in 1921, thus the words "Hoshino Youxuetang" were still visible above the church's large doors.
A woman in a robe, a member of the clergy, said to them at the entrance:
"There's a performance inside, please come in and listen for a while if you don't mind."
"Shall we go in?" Dubian Che asked the others.
"Let's take a look," Jiutiao Meijie replied.
After thanking the staff member, Dubian Che pushed the door open, and the strong aura of the church enveloped them.
Rows of long wooden chairs lined either side of the aisle, sparsely occupied by people sitting at their leisure, some towards the front and some towards the back.
Directly facing the entrance—at the very end of the church—was a massive triangular window.
Behind the enormous glass, lush trees appeared like a vibrant and lively painting.
The light coming in through the window cast upon the title page of a "Bible" on a wooden table, creating an aura of sanctity.
In front of the table displaying the large "Bible," a choir was chanting the gospel, accompanied by a harp and an organ.
Dubian Che smelled a faint scent—it was the distinctive smell of wooden architecture.
Several people sitting in the middle of the church suddenly turned around, waving at the three, notably the two ladies.
There were also some unfamiliar faces beside them, likely ladies and misses who had come to Karuizawa to escape the summer heat.
Jiutiao Meijie walked straight over to them, while Kiyono Lin turned and left the church.
Watching Kiyono Lin disappear, Dubian Che walked toward Jiutiao Meijie and set his baseball jacket on the long bench.
"Miss Meijie, congratulations!" said one miss in a low voice, watching the scene with a chuckle.
"Are you planning to have your wedding here?" asked another miss right after.
"I recommend the Stone Church. When I get married, I plan to have it there," said a third miss.
"What do you say?" Jiutiao Meijie smiled and asked Dubian Che.
"The Stone Church is also in Karuizawa, let's decide after we've seen it," Dubian Che replied in a whisper.
"Oh—" the misses let out a teasing laugh.
The ladies in front turned around and gave them a stern look, signaling them to be quiet.
The misses immediately sat up straight and, after the ladies had turned away, resumed their hushed conversations.
"Where did you travel in July?"
"I went to a mountain villa in Hokkaido. It was so boring, never going back there."
"I told you to come with me to Chile's Ski Portillo. The scenery of the Inca Lake is even more beautiful than in pictures!"
"I was cooped up at home learning all sorts of annoying things, barely made it to Karuizawa and had to come to church."
"Stayed in Tokyo, didn't go anywhere."
"Miss Meijie is different from us; she has already taken over family matters."
"And she already has a fiancé."
The misses started to giggle coyly at Dubian Che.
"I think I just saw Kiyono Lin," said one miss meaningfully to the others.
"She walked away as soon as she saw us," another miss laughed.
"Still putting on airs, thinking so highly of herself, acting as if she's something else," the third miss said with a glimpse at Mrs. Kiyono sitting in the front row. She lowered her voice, not hiding the repulsion on her face.
Dubian Che gave her a look.
"Mr. Dubian is really unlucky," the miss went on without noticing Dubian Che's expression. "Because of family obligations, Miss Meijie has to interact with her, and now you do too."
"That's how human nature is," Jiutiao Meijie interjected suddenly.
The others looked at her, puzzled.
Jiutiao Meijie flicked the hem of her skirt, making it fall more naturally, speaking as if it was nothing:
"If you hate someone, everything they do to uphold their dignity gets called hypocrisy; every embellishment they make gets taken as a lie; if they keep silent about certain things, they're outright accused of betrayal."
The miss's face showed a moment's ugliness, which she quickly covered up.
"Let's focus on the performance, or we'll be scolded," another miss said with a laugh.
"We've been scolded several times already," the miss joked as if nothing had happened.
They quieted down and watched the performance in front of them.
Dubian Che whispered to Jiutiao Meijie: "The sentence from 'The Moon and Sixpence', you certainly have a way with words."
"Having no work lately, I've fallen to the point of killing time with these boring books."
"You didn't read before?"
"I did. But even if I read foreign books, it was to learn the language on the side, and I only read things like 'Monarch Theory' or 'Han Feizi.' I went to see that opera 'Wisdom Battle' just because it was named 'Wisdom Battle,' and it so happened to catch you there."
"...I'm surprised you would defend her."
"But in Kiyono's eyes, I'm no different from those people," Jiutiao Meijie cut in, then suddenly turned her head, fixing Dubian Che with her profound eyes, "Don't you find her impartial treatment of us quite harsh?"
Before Dubian Che could speak, she added:
"I almost forgot." ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novel~fire~net
Her tone returned to normal: "In this regard, you firmly take her side."
Dubian Che looked at Jiutiao Meijie, at a loss for words.
A close person, even if it's a well-intentioned lie, Kiyono Lin will reject it coldly.
She is someone who interacts with others in this way and never regrets it.
Dubian Che thought her unfeeling demeanor was beautiful.
After a while, he took Jiutiao Meijie's hand and gave it a slight squeeze.
"I can deal with anyone else, but you and her, I will do everything in my power to reconcile you two."
"Unless she kneels down and licks my shoes," Jiutiao Meijie said while looking ahead in the church.