Chapter 16 Cold and Snow

[If he cared about you, why didn't he inform you in advance when he returned to Otaru?]
For some reason, the words my father said yesterday afternoon keep lingering in my mind.

I have already confirmed in my heart that this is absolutely impossible.

But the brain can't help but think about it, imagine the possibility of this situation, and imagine what it would be like when this scene happens.

The first time I became aware of Brother Tree’s existence was when I was three years old and fell ill.

I suddenly had a high fever late at night, and the small clinics nearby were helpless against my cold. Common antipyretic drugs and fever patches were completely ineffective.

If you want to get treatment, you can only go to a big hospital in the city center.

That day, it snowed really really hard.

There were no people or cars on the street, only streets covered with heavy snow, roadside trees, and street lights that were so dim that they were almost out.

My whole body was in pain, and my head was dizzy. I didn't know what was happening or where I was.

In a daze, I only remember that on such a snowy day, there was someone in front of me who kept comforting me, calling my name, and telling me not to be afraid, not to sleep, and that the hospital would be there soon.

At that time, I realized that I was actually on the back of a familiar person.
He carried himself on his back, kept running, kept panting, and kept calling his name. He also told Chitose to hold on and not sleep, and that he would have new candies to eat tomorrow.

At that time, I didn’t know where I would go, nor why I would go there.

I just felt his back was so warm and solid, and I just thought I would have new candies to eat tomorrow.

I don't remember much about the hospital scene.

I only remember that when I was sent to the intensive care unit, I saw many strangers. They were wearing white clothes, white hats, and had a silver snake hanging around their necks.

They seemed to be saying some very horrible, horrible things. I had to go into a room alone and stay with them.

I was so scared at that time. I just hid in the arms of that acquaintance, hugged him tightly, and clung to him. I didn't want to be separated from him.
He smiled and patiently comforted me not to be afraid, saying that he would always be with me, always with me.
I promised him that we could be separated for a while.

Although I agreed, I didn't realize how scared I was until I didn't see him.
An unfamiliar room, unfamiliar people, and the scary man in white even put the silver snake on his chest to scare him.

I really want to see him, I really want him to hug me, I really want the candy he gives me.
I clearly promised him not to cry, but I still couldn't help but shed tears.

After finally meeting him, I kept telling him that I wanted him to hug me.
He hugged himself warmly, patted his back, and told himself that he had been obedient and would have candy tomorrow.

It was at that time that I realized that I had always had a very good brother by my side.

His name is Fujii Itsuki. He was the one who found me in the snow and he is my brother.

He was the one who brought me up and became my family member.

Later, when I was a little older, the dean talked about what happened that year again.

The dean said that that night, after Brother Shu understood his condition, he carried him on his back without hesitation and ran to the city center.

In the deep snowy night with the temperature at -10°C, he ran for more than two hours carrying himself on his back.
The dean also said, "Since the day Shu picked you up and named you, he has loved you like his own sister. He is a sensible and mature child. He probably saw a shadow of his past in you. You were all alone and abandoned in the snow right after you were born. You had no family willing to love you, and no parents or relatives willing to accept your existence, so he treated you as his own family."

Yes, I have no family and no parents who are willing to accept my existence and care about my existence.

Growing up, I always had trouble getting along with other children in the orphanage because of my heart disease.
It was he who had always taken care of me and always shared with me the good things he had gotten. It was he who had saved me more than once and regarded me as important as a family member. It was also he who had given me love and support on my growth path more than once, allowing me to strive to survive despite my congenital illness.

Because of all the above, I am so dependent on the tree brother who has always cared for me.
Brother Tree, will you not care about yourself?
impossible.

This is absolutely impossible.

The father must not know what happened between the two of them in the past, so he would say such things.

'Impossible, this is impossible, absolutely impossible.'

Yang Kui Chitose gave herself three psychological hints in succession and took several deep breaths before she managed to calm down.

She got up at five o'clock as usual.

Today we have to prepare various ingredients for side dishes and sushi, so my mother got up early and went to the kitchen to get busy.

When Yang Kui Chitose entered the kitchen, he saw that she was already busy cooking noodles for the two of them.

"Qian Sui, didn't I tell you to take more rest today?"

"It's okay! Dad said that he would be very busy preparing the ingredients today, and I would feel uncomfortable if I got up late. Mom is the one who got up earlier than me."

While busying herself, Yang Kui Eriko said, "I want you to rest more today, so I got up early to cook noodles for you. It's still early, so there's no need to get busy yet. Chitose, how about going back to your room and catching up on some sleep, or sitting down and waiting for me to make breakfast?"

"This is not okay!"

Chitose Yang Kui always has a smile on her face, and just looking at her makes you feel particularly comfortable.

For Eriko Yangaoki, her adopted daughter's smile has always been positive, sunny and uplifting.

This child is very sensible. She never says anything and always does and helps.

She can do many things well.

"Qian Sui, I spoke to the old man for you last night. What he said yesterday was really too much."

"It's okay, I don't take it seriously at all." Yang Kui Chitose said with a smile, and put the condiments for the noodles into three bowls.

Yang Kui Eriko sighed, "He has always been strict with you. It wasn't like this before. The Yuehui incident had a huge impact on the family."

One year after Qiansui entered the Yangkui family, Yangkui Yuehui died early.

She had no impression of this brother whom she seldom met, except that he was a man who loved sports very much.

He would go out with his friends from time to time.
At the beginning, his father had always wanted him to inherit the Yangkui family business. He had always been troubled by Yangkui Yuehui who was always looking forward to the outside world, and had always tried his best to prevent them from doing dangerous things like climbing snow-capped mountains.

That year, their mountaineering team encountered a snowstorm not long after they reached the mountain. On the way down the mountain, Yang Kui Yuehui was unfortunately swept into the wind and snow and fell to the bottom of the mountain.

Three days later, the news of Yang Kui Yuehui's death was reported back home, but even the body had not been found.

Qiansui still remembers that his father was depressed for a long time in front of Yang Kui Yuehui's portrait.

It was also from that time that his father became extremely strict with him.

"Here, Chitose, open it and take a look."

While waiting for the water to boil and cook the noodles, Eriko Yangkui suddenly took out an exquisite little wooden box.

"what is this?"

"Chitose, just open it and you'll know." Yang Kui Eriko put her hands in front of her and smiled.

With curiosity, Chitose Yangkui opened the small wooden box and found two exquisite handmade sushi inside. Unlike traditional sushi, there were no sashimi, salmon roe, cucumber or other ingredients on top.

Instead, there are two little rabbit head sculptures carved from carrots and inserted on the sides of the sushi.

It’s just that the rabbit is very serious and stern, and doesn’t look cute at all.

"This is."

"I asked the old man to hand over his apology to you personally, but he refused and just pushed it to me without saying anything."

"Did your father carve the little rabbit?"

"The old man carved it secretly at night while you were sleeping."

"what"

Chitose Yangkui held the two pieces of sushi in her hand and laughed.

"The old man also asked me to convey some words to you, asking you not to go out today and stay to help him."

Yang Kui Chitose held the small wooden box and looked at the two pieces of sushi inside. She couldn't stop smiling, "I suddenly think my father is quite cute."

"If the old man heard what you said, he would be really angry."

"Yeah, I know. Dad is very proud."

"So Chitose is going out today?"

"Today." Yang Kui Chitose hesitated for a moment when she thought about what she had agreed to do yesterday to make breakfast for Fujii Itsuki.

"For today, I won't go out for the time being. I'll call Brother Shu and tell him."

Yang Kui Eriko smiled and nodded, "I think it's all right. The main thing is that the store is busy, and the old man is worried that you, a girl, will encounter something bad when you go out. I don't think so. When children grow up, they will always be independent. If you always worry about the safety of children, then the children will never grow up."

"thanks Mom."

"Just don't mind what happened yesterday, Chitose."

The rest of the process was the same as usual. I had breakfast and then started preparing the ingredients that would be used in the hot spring shop for the rest of the day.

While eating breakfast, the father sitting opposite me was as serious as usual.

He rarely talks.

"You're not going out today, are you?"

"Well, not today."

"That's good."

These were the only two sentences exchanged during breakfast, and after that, Yang Kui Nagano ate his noodles in silence, with a serious face, and didn't say another word.

After breakfast and cleaning up the dishes, it's time to start working.

Chitose Yang Aoi changed into the exclusive yukata of the hot spring shop, and only then did she have time to call Fujii Itsuki.

"Brother Shu! I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'll have to break my contract this morning."

[Breach of contract?]
The voice on the other end of the phone sounded dull and hoarse.

If she hadn't looked at the phone notes, Yang Kui Chitose would even have thought she had dialed the wrong number.

She quickly continued, "We agreed yesterday to make breakfast for Brother Shu. Brother Shu, why is your voice wrong?"

[I have a cold.] The response came from the other end of the phone.

"You have a cold?! No, it's nothing. Maybe you just came back to Otaru from Tokyo and haven't adjusted to the temperature yet."

[It's okay, just take some medicine at home.]
Yang Kui Qiansui's heart tightened.

Brother Shu is lying. He just came back from Tokyo and he only had that much luggage with him. He didn't even have a cotton-padded jacket, so how could he have any antipyretic medicine?

But maybe it was the antipyretic medicine from Jiuhua's home?

Because Jiuhua has antipyretic medicine at home, that's why Brother Shu answered himself like this.
Yang Kui Qiansui then asked: "Brother Shu just came back, do you have any medicine to reduce the fever?"

[Don’t worry, I still have enough energy to go out and buy medicine.]
My heart tightened again.

Yesterday, my father's words, "If he cared about you, wouldn't he have informed you in advance before returning to Otaru?", lingered in my mind again.

This caused Yang Kui Chitose to waver in her heart.
How should we understand what Brother Shu said?

If it were in the past, I would have thought that Brother Shu didn't want me to worry, so he didn't want me to go there.

But if we think about it from another perspective, is it because Brother Shu no longer likes me and doesn’t want me to get close to him or help him, that’s why he said that?
Brother Tree is trying to distance himself
impossible
Absolutely impossible
Chitose Yang Kui kept giving herself hints.

But once this idea came up, it was like a quagmire. The more I thought about it, the more doubtful I became, and the more I got stuck in it. It also connected it with some details that had happened between the two of them in the past few days.

When they first met, Brother Shu clearly wanted to touch my head but he reached out halfway and then pulled his hand back.

When we first met, Brother Shu didn't think of asking me how I was, but instead started talking to me about Jiuhua.

I helped Brother Shu make breakfast that day. Brother Shu was also keeping an eye on where Jiuhua was going.
Why.
Why do I always think about her?

Is Jiuhua-san important?

Or is it that they haven't seen each other for four years, and even though they have kept in touch during that time, the journey from Tokyo to Otaru has indirectly widened the distance between them?
Have I and Brother Shu become strangers after all?

No.
impossible.

This is absolutely impossible.

The relationship between the two is obviously more important than a lifetime, and more profound than a lifetime!
Brother Shu obviously cares about me, likes me very much, and even praises me for being beautiful.

When I was sick before, Brother Shu carried me on his back for two hours to the hospital and stayed with me all night.

Now that he is sick, how can I not go to find him?
What would Brother Tree think if I didn’t go find him?
Would you think that Chitose doesn’t like him as much as before?
Would you think that Chitose was also deliberately distancing herself from him?

No, Chitose didn't think so. Definitely never thought so.
Stay away from things like Brother Tree.
No, absolutely not.
In just a few seconds, countless thoughts and emotions emerged in Yang Kui Qiansui's mind. She was stunned for two seconds, then she tightly grasped the phone in her hand and quickly said into it:
"That won't do! It's snowing outside and there's no car to take. Going out will only make you sicker. Brother Shu is waiting at home. I'll buy some medicine and bring it over right away."

Yang Kui Chitose hung up the phone with a panicked look on her face. She didn't even change out of the yukata she was wearing at the hot spring shop. She just put on a windbreaker and prepared to go out.

Halfway through, she hurried to her father and carefully looked at his back from behind.

"."

I wanted to say something, but I didn't dare to speak directly.

She knew that her father had promised less than 10 minutes ago that he would not go out today.

My father will be angry.

"Why have you been so careful since you walked in?"

Yang Kui Nagano's serious voice came from behind him.

Yang Kui Qiansui knew that her father had discovered her before she entered the door.
"I" she took a deep breath and whispered again, "I'm sorry"

Upon hearing his daughter's apology, Yang Kui Nagano put down what he was doing, turned around, and looked at her:
"You want to go out again?"

"Um"

"Did I say anything to you yesterday in vain? Or did you not listen to me at all? Or do you want to learn from Yuehui and just go against what I said?"

Yang Kui Chitose explained anxiously, "Brother Shu is sick.

Yang Kui Nagano frowned for a moment and raised his voice, "Is it Fujii Itsuki again?"

"Hmm" Yang Kui Chitose lowered her voice in an instant.

"You just told me you wouldn't go out today, and in less than ten minutes you're going out again. What do you think your apology will do?"

"But! Father, Brother Shu is sick and has a high fever. He just returned to Otaru and lives alone in the city. No one can take care of him. Besides, it's snowing heavily outside. It must be difficult for him to go out to buy medicine by himself. I want to go see him!"

"."

Yang Kui Nagano didn't say anything. The girl opened her mouth and added, "I just want to go see Brother Shu and I will be back soon. When I come back, I will sincerely apologize to my father."

Hinano Nagano saw the look on her daughter's face.

He was the one who adopted her personally, so of course he understood and saw the relationship between her and Fujii Itsuki over the years.

In the girl's words, they are like brother and sister.

She is now so in such a state, so pleading with herself
Oh, even if I don't agree with her going out, she will find a way to go out sooner or later.

He could make decisions for her on other matters, but he couldn't stop her when it came to Fujii Itsuki.

Just like Yuehui back then.

What an irony.

Yang Kui Nagano put on a stern face, turned around, waved his right hand, and stopped looking at her.

Yang Kui Qiansui immediately understood his father's answer, his face showed joy, and his voice became a little louder, "Thank you, father!"

"Don't be too happy too soon. I'll settle the score with you when I get back. If you don't practice five hundred times, you are not allowed to go back to sleep at night!"

(End of this chapter)