Chapter 40: Pursuing Dreams

  After returning to the room, Nifu kept looking at Yafeng with a smile that was not quite a smile.

  "Hey, Yushi brother, is there something you can tell me? You're making me feel really embarrassed by staring at me like that all the time." Yafeng couldn't take it anymore and finally opened his mouth.

  "Ah, isn't it obvious?"

  The three black stripes on the forehead of the elegant and refined Yafeng were actually a disguise for his clumsiness.

  "Yu Shi Ge Ge." Yafeng helplessly called out.

  "Hehe, sorry." A completely insincere apology with a mocking smile still hanging at the corner of his mouth.

  Yah Feng really didn't know what to say anymore and could only turn his head away and ignore him.

  "I was just thinking what other unknown talents Yafeng has, tonight's outstanding performance by Yafeng made me feel both happy and proud, yet disappointed and heartbroken."

  Ning Zu's sudden straightforwardness left Ya Feng stunned for a while before she came back to her senses. She turned her head and looked at Ning Zu, saying very seriously: "That's all, the erhu and sheng are my only specialties. I don't know how to sing, paint, or play other instruments, or dance." Ya Feng confessed, then apologized with a hint of regret: "I'm sorry for not telling you that I can play these two instruments, because I haven't seen them here, so I thought it wasn't necessary to mention it."

  Renzong patted Yafeng's head and said: "It's also because I, this older brother, didn't do a good job."

  He wanted to retort with his usual sharp tongue, but seeing Ren's unusually serious expression, he swallowed his words.

  The next day, everyone was engaged in a new round of training. Yafeng was leisurely watching from under the shade of a tree, looking at the group of people who were sweating and chasing their dreams on the court under the sun.

  "Yafeng is quite leisurely." Niji said casually as he sat down beside Yafeng.

  "Yes, I'm the manager, after all, and I don't have to compete." Yafeng easily threw the question at Nifu.

  "Hehe, is Yafeng saying I'm lazy again?" Not Two's smile brightened a bit.

  "This is what Zhou Zhi said himself."

  "Haha, yeah, I was indeed slacking off." Niji also frankly admitted.

  "It's just not the same without ice cream!" Yafeng couldn't help but sigh.

  "That's right, without ice cream it wouldn't be as much fun." Niji seemed to be responding to Yasaka's question while also reminiscing about someone.

  "But with Yuta-kun's help, shouldn't it be satisfying enough?" Although it was a question, Gafu said it in an affirmative tone.

  "Not two, one daze, then the corner of his mouth hooked up a habitual smile and said: "Yafeng really understands me."

  "It's my honor."

  "I wonder if I understand Yafeng in the same way?"

  Yafeng was stunned by Nifu's sudden question, and then let it go. She understood Nifu mainly because of her understanding of him in the anime, and also because of their similar personalities. However, it was impossible for Nifu to have such an understanding of her, after all, they had not met many times, and the time they spent alone together was very little.

  "Is it really Sanada that you care about the most?"

  Yah Feng was taken aback, was his own behavior so obvious?

  "Patience is also very important."

  “……。”

  "Ryoma seems very open-minded, but in reality, not many people can truly accept him, right? The members of Seishun's tennis club, Renji, Atobe, and Kaido... Ryoma must have accepted them, right? And me? Has Ryoma accepted me?" Tezuka asked slowly.

  Ya Feng was no longer simply surprised at this time.

  "It seems like it hasn't been accepted yet," Niji said with a hint of disappointment, "The only one who can truly make Yafuu completely let his guard down is Sanada, and besides, Yafuu doesn't feel very secure."

  At this time, Ya Feng can be described as terrified.

  "It seems I was right, Yafeng has a secret that can't be told to others. And it seems like Yafeng doesn't have anything she wants to pursue either."

  "What is it that you're after?" Yafeng asked Niji.

  "Yes, it's something that you can go all out for, and in the process of pursuing it, you can gain a lot of happiness. Yafeng should also have such a goal, otherwise life would be very dull."

  Looking at Nii's encouraging expression, Yafeng smiled from the heart: "Yes, I want to find something that can be pursued with all one's might." Then, pretending to be distressed, he said: "Chou-suke really understands me, it's very uncomfortable to be seen through like this."

  "Hehe," said Niji, rubbing Yafeng's hair: "We're allies, and Yafeng has also said that we're the same kind of people. Since Yafeng understands me so well, how could I not understand Yafeng?"

  In an instant, Ya Feng felt that a certain place in his heart had collapsed. Such a person who understood him should be trustworthy as a friend, right?

  Mikasa and Levi were chatting happily on this side, but they didn't notice how many people were paying attention to them.

  "Hey, partner, if you like her, you should say it out loud. Yafeng is quite popular, you know." Renwang said, leaning against Ryuson's back as he stared at Yafeng and Niji.

  Yūshū's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything.

  "Partner, don't try to deny it, the whole department except for Bunta and Akane, those two naive guys, everyone else has already figured out that you like Yafeng. Of course, Yafeng, that guy who's clueless about emotions, probably doesn't even realize it himself." Niwang dropped a bombshell.

  Liu Sheng's eyebrows furrowed even tighter, and Ren Wang thought he wouldn't speak again. But then he slowly opened his mouth and said in a low voice: "In Yafeng's heart, I am her brother, just like I am to all of you."

  Ning Wang did not refute what Liu Sheng said because he was telling the truth, but "Biliu Shi, I know what you mean, but isn't it a pity to give up without even trying?"

  "If she knew, it would only add to her troubles. For someone who has found their place in life, it's hard to change." Lu Sheng's voice was filled with a deep bitterness.

  Ni Wang wanted to say something else but after hearing the last sentence he didn't say anything again, and patted Liu Sheng's shoulder comfortingly.

  "It's good to see her like this too, isn't it, Masaji?"

  The king nodded slightly with some difficulty.

  Hisami watched the two people chatting happily on that side and felt very uncomfortable in her heart, one was the prince she had recognized two years ago and the other was someone she admired very much.

  "Kumiko, what's wrong?" Narumi asked, noticing Kumiko's unusual behavior.

  "Sei, you said Shūsuke-nii is with Yafu, right?" Narumi asked with a sob.

  When Narumi heard Kumi's words, Narumi also looked at the two of them. The scene of them being together was so harmonious and happy, and Ni no Tsubasa's smile was so different from usual. Narumi found herself not knowing how to comfort Kumi.

  "Yahiko is so excellent, only she can match up to Shuusei onii-chan?" Yumi still choked back tears.

  "Kumiko, you go ask Yafeng first if she's with Futaba-senpai. If so, it's not too late for you to back out now. It's useless for you to be here making wild guesses alone."

  Hisami fell silent for a moment before saying, "Mm, thank you Narumi."

  And on this side, Traces watched the two people on that side with a fire that was not ordinary. After exhausting Hyuga's strength, he walked up and said to him in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Traces is jealous for Yagami, right?"

  "This old man..."

  "Don't try to deny it, I've already seen through you. If you want Yafeng to like you too, you'd better listen to me." Ninsa interrupted Sekibu's rebuttal.

  When Traces saw Ren's confident expression, he knew that he already knew everything and there was no need to hide anything.

  "Hey, as Yafeng's brother, I hope she can find someone who will always be good to her. And I know you, Tsuba, are capable of that, so I'm willing to help you pursue her. However, you must promise me that you'll never hurt Yafeng." Ninsoku said with an uncharacteristic serious tone.

  "This old man would never do something so unglamorous."

  After getting a promise from Traces, Ninsu's mouth corners rose slightly and said: "Yafeng is still emotionally blank until now, and her emotional intelligence is also very low. To chase her, you must be very proactive, you must clearly tell her that you like her, she will think about it in that direction. So you have to confess first."

  "Don't worry, my confession will definitely be the most magnificent." Tsuba regained his usual confident and flamboyant self.