Confirming this month's lunch and dinner preparations by the two ladies made playing tennis with Dubian Che a very comfortable affair.
The balls that Dubian Che hit over were the type that required a bit of effort to receive.
They fully enjoyed the satisfaction and tactile feeling of hitting the ball back.
Happily, all slim beautiful legs and cunning, they played for two and a half hours until eleven o'clock. The five of them packed up their racquets and water bottles and returned to the villa.
"At the New Year, Shen Jie said Mr. Dubian is an all-round genius, and I did not quite agree then, but now I am gradually appreciating it," Mrs. Jiutiao said with a rosy complexion, sporting the exhilaration of exercise, and clicked her tongue in commendation.
"Where's this talk of an all-round genius? I only excel in reading, sports, and music," Dubian Che said.
"That's wonderful," Mrs. Kiyono said with a smile, "Let's go horse riding soon, and then we'll properly embarrass you."
"Mother," Kiyono Lin's temples were damp with sweat, and a long strand of hair beautifully stuck to her fair cheek, "Take whatever Mr. Dubian says as a lie."
"Mind your words, Miss Kiyono. My years-built honest image is about to be ruined by you."
"How about Meiji's view?" Mrs. Jiutiao affectionately leaned shoulder to shoulder with her daughter.
"It's hard to call him straightforward, no matter how much one wants to favor him," said this grudge-holding young lady.
"Agreed," Kiyono Lin nodded.
"Can you two be a bit more consistent? Don't suddenly act like we're making up while you're bullying me."
"How about Mr. Dubian plays the villain for once, and bullies both of you at the same time," Mrs. Kiyono said with a big smile, happily flicking her elegant short hair.
"Good idea. It's only when they team up that they stand a sliver of chance against someone like me."
"Who was the one who pitifully crawled over to me by the bed after being kicked?" Jiutiao Meiji asked with a hint of laughter in her voice.
"Who?" Dubian Che asked the passing birds.
"I don't know who it was that froze up for a long time unable to utter a word after just one glare from me."
"That version from Meiji could be passed off as half-true, half-false, but Miss Kiyono, yours..."
So scary, those cold eyes.
Dubian Che pretended as if nothing had happened and leisurely whistled "Jingle Bells."
"Hahaha." The ladies burst into laughter.
Kiyono Lin covered her mouth, her eyes glinting with a touch of mirth.
Jiutiao Meiji poked Dubian Che's buttocks with her racquet.
Dubian Che jumped away, gripped his racquet in the posture of a swordsman, and shouted, "Come on!"
"Dare to fight back?" Jiutiao Meiji chased after Dubian Che, hitting him.
"I was wrong! I was wrong! I'm sorry!"
Cuckoo calls came from the forest, and on the verdant branches, unnamed birds hopped around.
The forest turned red, and Little Lian came back drenched in sweat, riding her bicycle.
She ran to the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water with difficulty, and gulped it down with her head tilted back.
"Did you have fun today?" Dubian Che put down the book he was holding.
"I've been hanging out by the golf course," Little Lian said, setting down her cup and wiping the sweat from her forehead.
"The golf course?" Dubian Che asked with a puzzled look.
"Is there a wide road there, less crowded than other areas? Were you practicing cycling there?" Mrs. Jiutiao's last question was directed at Little Lian.
"Uh-huh!" Little Lian obediently nodded.
"Ah!" Mrs. Kiyono suddenly held her forehead in regret, a gesture equally graceful, "We should have played golf—maybe we could have beaten Mr. Dubian."
"You might have lost even worse," Kiyono Lin said, not even looking up.
"Mr. Dubian plays golf too?" Mrs. Kiyono asked skeptically.
"He can learn on the spot."
"I don't believe it," Mrs. Kiyono rested her chin on her hand and said to Dubian Che, "Let's go play golf tomorrow."
"Loser takes out the trash?"
"You're so cruel, Mr. Dubian; Karuizawa has bats at night," Mrs. Kiyono lamented.
Little Lian set her cup down and ran to the dining table.
Dubian Che pulled out the chair next to him for her, and she climbed into it in a crawling motion.
"Che, I still have to go be a teacher tomorrow," she said, swinging her short legs and looking up at Dubian Che. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel✶fire.net
"Those people still haven't learned?" Dubian Che helped her tidy her bangs.
"Uh-huh," Little Lian nodded first, then suddenly exclaimed in a tone of discovery, "Che, Che, I also saw adults learning to ride bicycles!"
"Kazuki must have been mocking those adults,"
Little Lian's eyes widened in surprise, "How did you know?"
"I have a thousand-mile eye."
"Woah, that's amazing, a thousand-mile eye is really cool!" Little Lian held her face, utterly enchanted.
Kiyono Lin turned a page in her book, lifted her head momentarily, and glanced at Dubian Che.
Dubian Che acted as though he hadn't noticed.
"By the way," Little Lian came back to herself from the awesomeness of the thousand-mile eye, "Kazuki said she's a first-grader at Holy Girl Elementary."
"So you are classmates," Dubian Che nodded.
"Yeah." Little Lian's mood suddenly calmed down, "Next year, I won't be a first-grader at Misezawa Elementary, but a second-grader at Holy Girl Elementary."
Dubian Che patted her head.
For the next few days, after finishing morning classes with Kiyono Lin, Little Lian would push her children's bicycle and play with Kazuki and the other kids.
Every day, they played until they were sweaty and even dirty.
At dinner, the other five listened to her recount the day's events.
Kazuki indeed knew every corner of Karuizawa well, which forests held stag beetles, which birds were calling, which streams had fireflies—even distinguishing whether they were Genji or Heike fireflies.
On August 5th, Ayane Kumi, Ichiki Aoi, and Horikita Mai each sent messages in turns—the Wind Instrument Club had successfully advanced.