CHAPTER 706: CHAPTER 431 ANOTHER HANABI’S SMILE

The door was quickly opened, and the two ladies saw the well-dressed Uesugi Sakura.

"Does it take so long to open a door, Sakura?" Hanamaru’s mother wore a faint, inexplicable smile. When she entered the room earlier, she noticed Hanamaru Hanabi licking a tiny white grain of rice at the corner of his mouth from behind him.

These two kids.

Have they reached this stage already?

Hard to imagine.

It’s a wonder Sakura could persuade the shy Hanamaru Hanabi to help him.

But on second thought, when a girl is newly married, she easily falls into a sweet trap. Sakura must have coaxed her with sweet words, and Hanabi, who has always been in a weak position since childhood, half-heartedly agreed.

"I was just in the bathroom," Uesugi Sakura tried to explain, "Hanabi was busy in the bedroom and couldn’t hear me."

"That’s understandable, your house is quite spacious after all." Hanamaru’s mother fully believed it, just smiling.

"Please come in and sit down, I’ll make some tea for auntie."

"No need," Hanamaru’s mother handed over the fruit wrapped in a plastic bag to Uesugi Sakura, "We were just passing by, and have to hurry back to take care of the four little ones, so we won’t stay."

"Won’t you rest for a bit?"

"No." Hanamaru’s mother looked at his very serious expression, with a slight teasing smile on her face, "Come home and visit us sometime."

She poked her head around, waved at Hanamaru Hanabi standing behind Uesugi Sakura, and said:

"Hanabi, goodbye."

"Mm, goodbye."

The two ladies really just came to drop off the fruit. As soon as the door to the entrance closed, they were gone.

Uesugi Sakura looked at the plastic bag in his hand, feeling a bit guilty about doing such a thing at such close quarters.

Thinking back to the last subtle smile from his mother-in-law...

Could it be they were found out?

"Sakura-kun..."

As soon as the two mothers left, Hanamaru Hanabi immediately stuck close, prying open his palm with her small hand and clutching it tightly, her whole body lunging into his embrace.

She buried her face in his clothes, taking a deep breath.

She held herself so tightly against him, such close intimacy triggered a bit of tenderness in Uesugi Sakura’s heart, especially since she had just confessed how lonely she felt when abandoned.

Uesugi Sakura still felt heartbroken for her.

"Sakura-kun, just now Hanabi carefully counted, three minutes, over ninety beats," Hanamaru Hanabi traced a finger in circles on his chest, "Sakura-kun, you’ve weakened."

"...It’s because of the circumstances... I was in a rush just now, otherwise, I’m really strong."

"Oh? Really?" Hanamaru Hanabi’s hand climbed to his face, caressing the contours of his cheeks.

"Of course."

"Then later Sakura-kun has to perform well for Hanabi, okay."

Uesugi Sakura knew there was no escaping it now.

....

The starry night was beautiful, with dim skies dotted by abundant lights.

A pair of bare, rosy feet stepped onto the floor. The gracefully shaped girl walked to the water dispenser in the bedroom, poured a little water, lifted the water cup, brushed aside the sweaty hair from her delicate face, and took a small sip of the cool water.

The cool flow of water slightly soothed her heated body.

She pressed the button on the water dispenser again, poured another cup of cool water, turned around, and sat down by the bed.

Uesugi Sakura was lying in bed drenched in sweat, a white silk sheet covering half of his body. Seeing the girl had brought him cool water, he propped himself up with both hands to lean against the wall behind him.

The air conditioner’s vanes swung up and down, blowing warm air.

"Does Sakura feel hot?"

"A bit." Uesugi Sakura took a sip of the cool water, and Hanamaru Hanabi took the empty cup he had finished, placing it on the bedside table.

Hanamaru Hanabi looked at his handsome face drenched with sweat and couldn’t help but show a smile:

"Sakura-kun, you were amazing just now."

Amazing?

Uesugi Sakura didn’t feel it at all; he thought his recent workouts seemed to have no effect, and now he felt like a deflated ball.

This was the first time, with another Hanabi.

Nothing he said today would work as an excuse.

All he wanted now was to sleep.

"Sakura-kun, actually..."

"..."

Uesugi Sakura dared not speak.

Hanamaru Hanabi squeezed her soft, boneless body up:

"Sakura-kun~ look at how cute Hanabi is, with a pretty face, a nice figure, and fair skin, truly a beautiful girl."

"..."

"Hmm? Sakura-kun~"

"..."

"Sakura-kun~ respond to me~"

Uesugi Sakura couldn’t resist her acting spoiled like this.

"It’s a bit hot inside, would you like to go outside?"

Hanamaru Hanabi brightened up: "Sure, let’s go chat outside."

The balcony breeze was refreshing. Hanamaru Hanabi propped her hands on the wooden railing, some strands of her hair fluttering in the breeze as she looked at the distant Tokyo Tower with curiosity.

"I never noticed before that now it’s lit with orange lights, huh."

"After all, it’s autumn now." Uesugi Sakura responded from behind her.

"Huh? Is there a difference?"

"Summer is white; spring, autumn, and winter are orange."

"Is there any explanation for this? Why is only summer white?"

"I don’t know; no one’s ever explained it. Maybe an entirely white Tokyo Tower looks cooler in the summer."

"I see." In Hanamaru Hanabi’s violet eyes, the bright Tokyo Tower in the distance was reflected.

Uesugi Sakura thought she seemed unaffected and couldn’t help but indulge her more.

Hanamaru Hanabi craned her neck outward, just able to see the bustling traffic below, then turned her head back with a smile and said to Uesugi Sakura, "Hanabi had no reaction at all, did that hurt Sakura-kun’s pride?"