Chapter 145 Goddaughter

The corridor leading to the backstage was empty and the sound of high heels rubbing against the ground echoed in my ears.

Fujii Itsuki followed behind Mrs. Jiuhua and looked at the mother's back. He could more or less see some shadow of little Jiuhua.

From the back, the mother and daughter are still very similar.

"Jiuhua's performance just now was outstanding."

"Of course." Mrs. Jiuhua responded calmly, with a hint of confidence in her expression.

Fujii Itsuki could see that Mrs. Jiuhua was proud of little Jiuhua who had just successfully performed "The Purple Flowers Reflected in the Sunset Glow".

There is no doubt about this, she speaks from the heart.

"Madam, what do you think of Takarazuka?"

“Dreamland.”

"Dreamland?"

"That's right," Mrs. Jiuhua nodded gracefully and looked forward. "Standing on the Takarazuka stage means standing out from the crowd, and no one can look down on you. On the road of life, you will be admired and respected, and you will have countless more choices. Of course, it is even more important to the Jiuhua family. This is the bridge for Jiuhua's resurrection."

"Then why don't you stand there yourself, ma'am?"

"Alas," Mrs. Jiuhua sighed, "I married into the Jiuhua family so early, and I no longer have the qualifications to pursue my dreams. Although it is Ryuichi's idea to use the identity of a Takarazuka actress as a springboard to climb up to some big families in Tokyo, I just want to see Xiaoyue shine on the stage."

Jiuhua Longyi's thoughts.
To put it bluntly, it's like a peacock without any feathers wanting to lay an egg, and the egg will become a phoenix after it is born.

As for Mrs. Jiuhua
I want to see the egg I laid become a phoenix to fulfill my unfulfilled dream.

The latter is better.

At least Mrs. Jiuhua would be truly proud of her daughter.

"She has been so good at playing male roles since she was a child?"

"No," Mrs. Jiuhua answered, "No one can be born so naturally. Xiaoyue is so good at it, there is something special about it."

"Can you tell me more about it?"

"Before Xiaoyue was born, we had a certain direction in our education. I wonder if Mr. Fujii knows the concept of gender?"

Gender?

Fujii Itsuki frowned.

"Have you ever made subtle changes to Jiuhuayue?"

"It seems that Mr. Fujii knows about this."

Fujii Itsuki's brows furrowed more and more, "How did you teach Jiuhua when she was young?"

"Just treat her like a boy. Only give her toys that are boys' toys, never let her wear skirts with bows, never let her braid her hair long, and never use warm and soft colors to decorate her bedroom. Treat her like a boy in everything."

No wonder.
No wonder Fujii Itsuki wondered how Kouhaku could play the eldest prince so well.

She has a hint of masculinity in her daily life.

He also has a bad temper, very aggressive.

This is all the result of family education.

In fact, a person's perception of his or her own gender does not come entirely from physiology, but more from the influence of acquired social factors.

The vast majority of people in society are influenced by the inherent concepts of society.

Men are often described as decisive, independent, and assertive.

Women, on the other hand, are described as soft, gentle, and sensual.

In her book The Second Sex, published in 1949, French writer Simone de Beauvoir once wrote, "Women are not born, but made."

This is where the theory of "gender" comes into being.

Jiuhua's family took advantage of this and influenced Jiuhua, allowing her to perform so well.

Since she was born, Jiuhua has been imprisoned by her parents in a cage called "maleness".

It's really like a caged bird.

"Ma'am, don't you think you're going too far?"

"Mr. Fujii, how can this be considered excessive? We are simply educating Xiaoyue in the way of boys. If a baby is biologically a boy, he must be raised in the way of boys. Isn't this a feudal stereotype?"

"Whether it is a stereotype or not is not up to you to decide. In the final analysis, you have never considered what Jiuhua thinks. Moreover, you are going against the mainstream of society, which will ultimately make the child suffer more."

Mrs. Jiuhua smiled and said, "Mr. Fujii, what is mainstream will change sooner or later. Isn't it the same in the United States?"

"I don't care what's going on in the United States, this is Japan. And isn't it important to respect Jiuhua's opinions? She was still young in the past, and she might not have had any opinions about your actions, and there was no room for resistance.

"But now she has grown up. From what I have seen during this time with her, she is still a traditional little girl at heart. Whether it is in terms of physiology, gender identity, or social gender, she is still a little girl."

Mrs. Jiuhua nodded politely, "Mr. Fujii is too anxious. I have no intention of arguing with you on this point. It's just that Xiaoyue has indeed benefited from this kind of education. Didn't you see it just now, Mr. Fujii? She performed so well on the stage!"

"But this is not what she wants."

"There are so many things that children in this world don't want to do. Should we satisfy them all? This is actually a form of spoiling."

"That's not the same thing at all."

"It seems to me the same."

Ugh.
After hearing what Mrs. Jiuhua said, what else could Fujii Itsuki do except sigh?
Mrs. Jiuhua was proud of her daughter.

But she would only see Jiuhuayue's excellence on the surface and never face her real inner needs.

Yes, parents should not satisfy their children in everything.

But we cannot completely ignore the needs of children.

A child is an independent individual, not an extension of the parents' will.

Some parents control their children too strictly. Not only do they never allow their children to touch mobile phones, they even require them to go to blind dates with them.

Of course, the reality is even more outrageous.

The son asked to go to a sex shop, and his mother agreed, but she also wanted to go with him and watch him.
This is true.

Fujii Itsuki still remembers the news.

".I have one last question."

"Please speak, Mr. Fujii."

"Before, Jiuhua became a model in Tokyo. Was it also a decision you and her father made for her?"

"No, this is Xiaoyue's own request. We agreed to it as a small reward for her."

"."

"Why do you ask this, Mr. Fujii?"

"Nothing, no need to say more."

Fujii Itsuki chose to end the conversation with Mrs. Kuka.

Although Mrs. Jiuhua was confused, she did not ask any further questions.

Now we have arrived at the actors’ backstage.

In the corridor, Fujii Itsuki could see many Takarazuka staff members dressed in silver on the stage. They were all young and beautiful, with the figures of dancers who could perfectly dance Swan Lake.

You can tell from their bodies that they have been through a lot of hard work.

Ignoring them, Fujii Itsuki followed Mrs. Jiuhua to Jiuhua Yue's room.

After knocking on the door and pushing it open, Fujii Itsuki saw Jiuhuayue sitting in front of the makeup mirror, and the makeup artist was preparing to remove her makeup.

She was still dressed as the eldest prince on the stage, wearing a fu hat and a white hunting robe, and her back alone was quite handsome.

The moment Jiuhuayue heard the knock on the door, she turned her head and looked towards the door.

This moment.

Fujii Itsuki noticed the look in her eyes when she discovered him.
Those purple eyes were moist and shiny, as gorgeous and moving as gems, and it felt like she was so moved that she was about to cry.

'.Uncle!'

Although it was silent, her eyes were already filled with calls.

Noticing her eyes, Fujii Itsuki was moved and couldn't help but wonder, in just this one month, had this child suffered some inhuman torture?

Otherwise why would I miss myself so much.

Mrs. Jiuhua saw this scene from behind and chose not to disturb him. She knew what Jiuhua Longyi was thinking, and after the makeup artist left the room on his own initiative, she also took the initiative to step away.

Fujii Itsuki closed the door, then walked into the room and faced Jiuhuayue alone at that moment.

The child immediately picked up his robe, ran over and threw himself into his arms.

She rubbed against him in his arms.

The sound was like sobbing, and there was a bit of unbelievable emotion in the reunion after a long separation.

"Uncle. You. You really came."

A fragile little bird flew into his arms, crying with emotion. How could Fujii Itsuki not feel soft-hearted?

Of course, I also think she is kind of cute and makes me laugh.

He couldn't help but lower his voice and gently patted the bird's back.

"Well, I came over here to see you."

"How was the performance?"

Jiuhuayue left Fujii Itsuki's arms and faced him.

The girl still had the makeup from the stage on her face, but now, whether it was her face, her tied-up hair, her crown, or her white hunting robe, she was dressed like a handsome man.

"Xiaoyue performed very well, but..."

Fujii Itsuki stared at her different face, then reached out his hand, took off the futon on her head, and let down her long hair.

The black hair fell to the girl's waist, and finally she used her eyes to wipe away her eye shadow until the contours of the girl's face softened slightly. Fujii Itsuki smiled and said:

"This is more like Jiu Huayue." Jiu Huayue noticed that he untied her hair and helped her wipe off her stage costume, so she quickly wiped away her tears, "Uncle, you know everything?"

"It's not hard to guess. Originally, you invited me to come and watch your performance, and I couldn't figure out what you wanted to do, but now I understand. Performing is tiring, right?"

"."

When Jiuhuayue heard this, she looked at him and said nothing, just stared blankly.

Then I couldn't help it and hugged him directly.

"I, I think I understand why Chitose likes you so much, uncle."

"Tell me?"

"Uncle, I don't think I need to say anything more to you. You know everything, and you are so good at coaxing people."

"Is it so strange?"

"I don't know what other people think, but I feel so happy when I'm with you, uncle. No one has ever taken the initiative to help me, and no one has ever understood me like this. Never."

What is it like when people are most intimate with each other?
Fujii Itsuki thought it would be probably the same as it is now.

Anyway, he never thought of throwing himself into someone's arms, seeking others' understanding, and thanking others for standing up for him.

Because it's really embarrassing.

Fujii Itsuki would think so, and Xiao Jiuhua would definitely think so too.

At the beginning, she was a very prickly person, and was cold and cautious towards everyone.

What now?
Xiao Jiuhua now has no defense at all.

She even opened her heart to herself. She invited herself to watch her performance because she wanted to get to know another side of herself.

She stood on the stage, enduring the same side that she had endured for more than a decade.

But she is indeed a girl, she can be shy and blush.

After she came to her senses, she left Fujii Itsuki's chest and assumed this posture.

".You've already thrown yourself into my arms twice, why are you still so awkward?"

"After all, you are of the opposite sex."

Jiuhuayue answered in a cute voice, avoiding the other person's gaze and hesitating.

"And I, and I've never hugged a man like this before."

"Where's your father?"

“He never hugs me.”

Then Fujii Itsuki reached out and touched Jiuhuayue's head.

Little Jiuhua was much taller than Qiansui, so it was a little hard to touch her head. As a result, after Jiuhuayue, who was being touched on the head, realized what was happening, she moaned softly and hid on the sofa in the dressing room.
Fujii Itsuki saw her feeling awkward and embarrassed on the sofa, and all he could do was smile.

He understood that he just liked the shyness of this little girl.

In addition, Jiuhuayue now has disheveled hair and is dressed in ancient court style, which gives her a unique charm.

"Why are you hiding from me?"

".You, you touch my head! How can I have the nerve to do such an embarrassing thing?"

"From my impression, Jiuhua isn't the kind of girl who is outspoken and forthright?"

"No matter how openly you do it, it's not in a place like this!"

Jiuhuayue's face was even redder than before. After looking at Fujii Itsuki again, her blush deepened, and now even her ears were red.

"Also, remember to call me by my first name. Don't call me by my last name, you always forget."

"moon?"

"Um"

Jiuhuayue is beautiful in herself.

Plus, she's so shy, she's really adorable and makes people happy.

"Xiaoyue, regarding the modeling thing, that was actually your own choice, right?"

"Yeah," Jiuhuayue turned her face away and nodded softly.

"I remember that you chose to be a model when you were very young, and in Vivi magazine, you always appeared in front of the camera as a woman. Because only here can you feel at ease and feel that this is where you belong?"

"Uncle you"

"All correct?"

"Um"

That’s a good guess.

In the past, Jiuhuayue was bound by her parents. Unlike the Matsumae family who bound Xinchun with family rules, the Jiuhua family directly bound little Jiuhua in the ideal "male" framework and raised her as a boy.

"I actually realized later that I was different from others. I was basically the same as boys since I was a child. When I first went to Hyogo Prefecture, the little girls in the neighborhood looked down on me. I only felt the same as others when I was with boys.
"Of course, I can't be called a playmate of those people. They also look down on me. After all, I am actually a girl. Girls playing with boys will be laughed at there."

Fujii Itsuki inexplicably thought of the Nine Flower Moon that Matsumae Shinchun had talked about with him.

When she was a child, Jiu Huayue would break through everything, drag her along, escape the family rules, and run to places she had never been to to play.

Looking at it this way, he really is a boy.

Fujii Itsuki really felt sorry for her, no wonder she had few friends since childhood.

How could the tomboy Jiuhuayue have any friends in the past?
She is trying to please neither side.

Fujii Itsuki felt sorry for her.

"I"

"No need to say more, Xiaoyue."

"Why.?"

"Your performance is over now, are you free?"

Jiu Huayue replied blankly, "The performance is over. I can leave after talking to the teacher of the troupe and then say hello to some seniors."

"You have a good relationship with those seniors?"

"No, but that's the rule."

"Just tell the teacher. There's no need to say hello to those seniors."

"Uncle is"

"How about I take you out, take you somewhere?"

"."Jiuhuayue didn't react for a moment.

"Will you come with me?"

"I--"

"Ok?"

"I go!"

"That's right."

Fujii Itsuki smiled with satisfaction, and Jiuhuayue suddenly became shy and timid when she saw his smile.

She felt her head burning and was looking forward to him taking her away.

The uncle once told me that young people’s love is not real love, it is just a hormonal love.

but
Like this.
I feel grateful from the bottom of my heart, happy from the bottom of my heart, and always look forward to soaring in the sky with him.

This must be what true love is.

It seems that I really like the uncle.

Jiuhuayue felt that she had become much more determined.

".Come, sit over here, I'll help you remove your makeup."

"Can you remove your makeup, uncle?"

"No, but can't you teach me?"

Jiuhuayue sat down obediently in front of the dressing table, and Fujii Itsuki stood behind her.

Jiuhuayue told him step by step what to do, what to take, and what accessories to pick at each step.

Like this, combing the girl's long hair and tidying up her appearance.

It feels amazing.

Fujii Itsuki raised her eyes and looked towards the mirror, which happened to be her eyes meeting with Jiuhuayue who was looking at her at the same time. The blush on the girl's face deepened and she shyly looked away.

He smiled at each other, and then began to comb the girl's long hair.

It really feels a bit like taking care of my daughter.

He kept smiling and felt that he was kind of falling in love with this kind of relationship.

"How about you, Xiaoyue, come and be my goddaughter. I can comb your hair every day."

"."

"Why don't you speak?"

".Uncle, do you think they look similar?"

"Similar? Similar to what?"

".The scene where the prince combed his daughter's hair. The prince also said to the girl with purple eyes, you are my adopted daughter."

"Really? But I'm not the prince named Kazama."

"."

(End of this chapter)