Chapter 298: Tokyo's Nine Flower Moon
There is no doubt that Tokyo is bustling.

Looking out from the floor-to-ceiling windows of a high-rise apartment in Tokyo, the night view looks like a vast city star map. The bustling streets crisscross, and street lights, neon lights, and car taillights interweave like flowing rivers. The windows of high-rise buildings are neatly arranged, and the city is divided into countless flashing areas.

In comparison, Otaru city is not so lively at night.

It should be said that it is deserted.

Jiuhuayue likes lively places and doesn't like quiet places.

But even when walking on the busiest streets in Tokyo, she couldn't feel a trace of warmth.

He really liked Fujii Itsuki's explanation of her. No matter how prosperous the city was or how many people there were, because there was no communication between them and there was no need to communicate, the so-called "bustle" was nothing more than the hustle and bustle of passers-by.

In contrast, although Otaru is quiet, it has a familiar warmth - streets covered with snow, familiar figures, and small restaurants with steam coming out of the streets. In the cold and desolate, there is the taste of home.

Jiuhuayue stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the entire city until the door behind her was pushed open.

Mrs. Jiuhua looked at her daughter's thin back, clasped her hands in front of her, walked forward to look at the same night view with her, and said:
"Don't you want to stay and celebrate the New Year together this year?"

"Neither did last year." Jiu Huayue just replied without moving her eyes at all.

"Didn't you have a fight with your father last year, Xiaoyue? The situation is different."

Jiu Huayue didn't want to talk about her father, so she closed her eyes and snorted, "Then why doesn't he quarrel with me now?"

Jiuhua Zhenling lowered her head slightly and chose to remain silent.

She heard the father and daughter arguing outside the guest room a few days ago.

"You have nothing to say?"

Jiuhuayue clenched her fists beside her skirt.

Her expression looked like she was trying hard to endure something, but she never exploded.

She unclenched her fist and said softly, "I thought you guys had gone too far before... but now, you still want to use me as a tool for your Jiuhua family. In your eyes, no matter what happens to me in the future, you won't care, right?"

"how come."

"Then mother, can you explain to me the unusual attitude of father? Why can he pretend not to see it now? Why does he choose not to stop me now? Isn't it just that he wants to borrow the relationship between me and uncle, and then contact Xinchun and the Matsumae family to talk to each other!"

Although Jiuhuayue's voice was light, it was stinging and hit Mrs. Jiuhua's heart directly. The air in the room seemed to freeze all of a sudden, only the neon lights and car lights outside the window were still flowing, but the prosperity of the city could not cover up the cold confrontation between mother and daughter.

Jiuhua Zhenling frowned slightly and moved her lips, as if she wanted to refute, but couldn't say it.

She knew that her daughter's words were not entirely unreasonable. Ever since the relationship between the Matsumae family and the Jiuhua family broke down, the family's future and interests had always been a major concern for Jiuhua's father, and Jiuhua Yue had undoubtedly become the bridge connecting the two families.

"Xiaoyue, you misunderstood." She spoke softly, trying to keep her tone calm.

"Misunderstand?"

Jiuhuayue laughed and finally turned around, with irony and sadness that were hard to conceal in her eyes, but more of it was calmness.

She shook her head.

"You are helping him again. What misunderstanding can there be? Since childhood, my so-called 'achievements' have been tied to the interests of the family. From childhood to adulthood, every decision I made was for what you call the 'future'? Now that you see that I have a connection with the uncle, you think there is an opportunity and want to use me to win over the Matsumae family, right?"

Mrs. Jiuhua didn't say anything else. She knew that no matter what she explained at this moment, it would only make things worse.

Jiu Huayue now felt that she was getting very angry.

She returned to Tokyo a while ago because she was needed to participate in a stage performance in Takarazuka. Her mother took the opportunity to find her backstage after her performance and told her that her father wanted to talk to her.

Jiuhuayue didn't want to pay attention to it at first, but Mrs. Jiuhua said that her father would apologize.

Apologize?

At that time, Jiuhuayue thought it was a fantasy, but she went anyway.

In fact, the atmosphere when the family is having a meal together is quite good. Although there are not many words, they still sit down together to eat.

The problem was that her father suddenly told her that he agreed with her current relationship with Fujii Itsuki.

Jiuhuayue was really curious, why did her father agree?

In my father’s eyes, isn’t the uncle just a down-and-out young man who failed and returned to his hometown to be a teacher?

Will his father like him?

Jiu Huayue felt something was wrong and started to ask questions. At first, her father didn't want to elaborate, but after a few more questions, Jiu Huayue understood instantly.
My father knew about the engagement between my uncle and the Matsumae family.

Okay.

Now that the purpose has been exposed, the father should say that Jiuhua Ryuichi just said it directly. He wants to try to communicate with the head of the Matsumae family again in the future.

Jiu Huayue asked, when the uncle and Matsumae Shinchun get married, he will become the head of the Matsumae family. With what identity will he communicate with the other party?
The moment Jiuhualong said the word "lover", all of Jiuhuayue's rationality collapsed.

Without hesitation, she grabbed her bag and left the room without even looking back.

When she recalls that scene now, she still feels suffocated in her heart.

".Xiaoyue, if you don't agree, your father..."

Jiuhua Zhenling also sighed, "I'm afraid he will not let you leave Tokyo like he did last time."

"I can leave if I want to. How can he care about this?!"

".Your father can still do this in Tokyo. At least there is no problem keeping you here. You also know your father's temper."

Jiuhuayue listened to her mother's words, feeling annoyed and her face showing more stubbornness.

"Anyway, no matter what you say, I won't agree. If you want to lock me up, lock me up for life. You've already locked me up for two days, so I don't care."

Jiuhua Zhenling looked at the stacked lunch boxes she brought with her.

Sure enough, just like yesterday, my daughter didn't eat anything.

"Eat some."

"Don't eat."

"You haven't eaten in two days."

"."

Jiuhuayue didn't answer a word. She stood there stubbornly with cold eyes, as if she had built a high wall in her heart.

Jiuhua Zhenling saw her like this, and looking at her daughter's familiar yet unfamiliar face, she felt a pang of pain in her heart. Her refusal was not just against the food, but against this relationship that had been suppressed for many years - against this family that treated her as a tool.

This is her daughter.

I was very innocent and lively when I was a child.

Jiuhua Zhenling still remembers that when the family was in Otaru, Jiuhua Yue saw her come home and called her "Mom, Mom" ​​every day.

but
Everything has changed since the Matsumae family parted ways with the Kuka family. Not only has the environment changed, not only has the husband changed, but even the daughter who used to be cheerful and lively has changed.

She sighed softly, put the new lunch box in her hand on the table, and softened her tone: "Xiaoyue, mother knows that you are very sad, and also knows that you don't want to be controlled by us. However, eating is good for your body. No matter what you think, your body is still the most important."

Jiu Huayue pursed her lips and still didn't look at her.

Jiuhua Zhenling took a few steps closer and gently touched her daughter's shoulder. She actually felt a little strange.
"Your father has his considerations."

Jiuhua Zhenling's tone became softer. "But mother doesn't want to see you suffer because of these things. If you really want to leave, mother can help you. But you have to promise me that you will take care of yourself first and stop torturing your body, okay? Eat something first."

Jiuhuayue didn't react at first. After a few seconds, she turned around.

"what?"

"I said, I can help you."

"You're lying to me again."

Jiuhuayue didn't even look at her.

Jiuhua Zhenling sighed, then took out the key that was locked with an iron chain at the door and placed it on the table next to the lunch box.

Jiu Huayue heard the sound, looked over, and saw the keys.

Jiuhuayue's eyes flashed with a complicated expression as she heard the key fall on the table.

She was confused, would her mother really help her?
In this family, she seemed to have received nothing but indifference and control. But now, the key was right in front of her.
"What do you mean?" Jiu Huayue finally spoke, with some suspicion and vigilance in her voice.

Jiuhua Zhenling gently pushed the key and whispered, "I know you don't want to be locked up here. You have your own ideas and your own life. Mother doesn't want to stop you. If you really want to leave, I won't stop you. But you have to promise me first to eat something."

Jiu Huayue's eyes wavered for a moment, then turned cold again, and she turned her head away:

"Do you think you can buy my obedience with this key? I no longer believe in you."

Jiuhua Zhenling felt a pang in her heart when she heard this, but she did not rush to respond. She just stood quietly beside the table, was silent for a moment, and then said:

"Xiaoyue, mother has no other choice. You know this family, father has always been very strict, and I am his wife. If one day even I choose not to trust him and respect him, how can I be worthy of the promise I made to him? Who can stay with him?"

".Then this is not a reason for you to help the evil." Jiuhuayue frowned, and then relaxed a little.

Jiuhua Zhenling took a deep breath, and said in a low and apologetic voice: "Most of the time, I didn't stand by you and didn't protect you. I know you have suffered a lot, and I also know that you have learned not to trust anyone in this family since you were a child. Mom is wrong, but I... I am confused. Sometimes I really think that Long Yi's choice is right, but when I see you sad alone, I feel that I am wrong."

"So now you want to tell me that you are starting to regret it?" Jiu Huayue muttered.

"Do you regret it? Right." Jiuhua Zhenling sighed helplessly, "But most of the time I choose to believe your father. Your father has his reasons. I can't help but support him, and I can't go against his expectations for this family. But as a mother, I don't want to see you continue to suffer because of family affairs."

"."

Jiu Huayue looked down at the key in her hand, her fingers rubbing unconsciously on its edge. She was struggling in her heart, on the one hand she wanted to escape from this home, on the other hand she felt she was falling into deeper confusion.

"Will you really let me go?" She said in a low voice, almost as if she was talking to herself.

Jiuhua Zhenling nodded and said softly, "If this is what you want, I will help you. Even if it means that we will be further apart as mother and daughter, I am willing to do so because I don't want you to continue to be trapped here like me. If you want to find Fujii-kun, go ahead."

This sentence touched Jiu Huayue, and her defenses seemed to be pierced. She unconsciously clenched the key, raised her eyes to look at her mother, and her expression finally relaxed a little: "Why are you saying this now?"

"Because I don't want to lose you again, it's that simple."

"What will you do if I leave? How will you answer your father?"

"I just said that you stole the key while I was having dinner with you and while I was in the bathroom. It's that simple."

".Then. Then you, you won't be affected by what he says?"

"I will continue to stay with your father. This is the path I have chosen. But Xiaoyue, you don't need to be like me."

Jiuhuayue took the key from her mother, held it in her palm, and looked at it with a little disbelief.

Jiuhua Zhenling smiled and said, "Now that you have made up your mind, how about having some food first?"

Jiuhuayue looked at her mother and suddenly felt a little sour in her heart.

She had rarely seen her mother being so gentle, and she had never thought that her mother would be willing to do such a thing for her this time.

She always thought that her mother was just a shadow of her father, cold, submissive, and without a voice of her own.

"You really..." Her voice was trembling, still a little bit unbelievable.

"real."

Jiuhua Zhenling smiled and gently patted the back of Jiuhua Yue's hand, "So, eat something first. If you're hungry, I'll eat with you."

Jiuhuayue's heart gradually softened and her stomach made a slight gurgling sound at the right time.

She lowered her head a little embarrassedly, staring at the lunch box in front of her, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Don't stare at me, I'll eat by myself." She muttered and picked up the chopsticks. She ate too fast because she had been hungry for two days, and her cheeks were a little red.

"Okay, okay, mom won't watch." Jiuhua Zhenling smiled and turned around, pretending to be looking at the night view, but she secretly glanced at her daughter from the corner of her eyes. She watched Jiuhua Yue finally start to eat, and she felt inexplicably relieved.

Jiu Huayue ate while muttering: "You were never this good before."

"Mom was wrong before." Jiuhua Zhenling said softly, "Now I know."

"What do you think about the matter between me and the uncle?" Jiu Huayue asked.

"For this, I still choose to trust your choice."

Jiu Huayue swallowed a mouthful of rice and asked again, "Then you, mother, you also know the relationship between uncle and Xinchun, right?"

"Ah."

"Then you agree to this."

"In fact, I'm definitely not happy about it, but if you don't have any objections, then Mom doesn't have any objections either."

"Oh"

Jiuhuayue responded and continued to eat.

After dinner, Jiuhuayue took the mobile phone from her mother. She immediately sent a message to Fujii Itsuki saying that she would return to Otaru tomorrow, and then bought a ticket back tomorrow.

The next day, Jiuhua Zhenling accompanied her to the airport and waved goodbye to her at the gate.

There was no conversation along the way, but when Jiu Huayue carried the suitcase and looked back at her mother, she still felt a little bit in her heart.

She turned around again and looked at her mother waving goodbye to her, then turned back again, lowered her head, and bit her lips lightly.

“Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?”

“Really”

(End of this chapter)