Chapter 452 We Are All the Same

At first, he thought that as long as the two of them divided the work and cooperated, they could live together in harmony.

Zhuo has already experienced the thoughts of Sa Chiko and their expectations of him, so even if he wants to be someone who can help Zero in life, he has no choice. However, he also understands that it is difficult for his young and naive self to foresee the current distress.

As a result, housework can basically only be left to Ling. I used to wish I could wash like this every day, but now, while I am grateful, I want to share the burden with Ling more. It's really laughable.

Thanks to Sa Chiko's teaching, Zhuo can truly feel the feelings of others. Even if he has not learned how to cook, he has been trained to the point where he can easily feel the feelings of others just by watching and listening.

Not only that, Sa Chiko had tried many times to teach Shuo all the household chores. This was probably because, like "getting to know girls since childhood", she wanted to "let Shuo live alone in the future".

Zhuo will also establish his own family.

To be frank, Sa Chiko, who has been meeting girls for a long time without any results, cannot stay with Zhuo for the rest of his life. Zhuo will eventually leave his hometown and live alone.

It is precisely because we know that we will be separated sooner or later that we have taught Zhuo these things since he was young, so that his future life will be easier.

Thinking about it now, I am really lucky to have such parents in my life.

(…I’m really grateful to them.)
Thanks to Sa Chiko, Zhuo learned how to survive alone.

Most importantly, he found someone important.

'You must hold on to the person who makes you happy and never let go.'

Yes, Zhuo remembered Sa Qianzi's gentle and sincere advice. Only when she said these words did she put aside the inharmonious smile that was always on her face.

(I found it, Mom.)
Find the person who only has you in his eyes, who only loves you, and who will accommodate each other and achieve happiness together with you.

'One day in the future, you will meet an important person who only has you in his eyes. Then Zhuo will not think like this anymore, right?'

"Oh, really?"

Zhuo thought back to when he was younger and was perfunctory about things but had no expectation of meeting anyone. He quietly encouraged him and told him "Don't give up".

……

"wash?"

"Ah? What's wrong?"

Then Zhuo raised his head from his thoughts and saw that various dishes were already placed on the dining table. Ling was taking off her apron and folding it, looking at him with some confusion and worry.

Today is my favorite dish again.

"Are you worried about Uesugi Eri?"

"...Ah, no, I was just thinking...how lucky I am."

It has been a month since I returned to Tokyo, or to be exact, twenty days. Since tomorrow is the day I return to school, Zhuo can clearly tell the exact time.

Compared to the uneventful flower-planting trip, Zhuo didn't expect that the only problem on this trip was at customs.

The plane landed at ten o'clock in the evening.

Because it was too late, Zhuo and Ling checked into a hotel near the airport that night. Uesugi Eriya was left for the Snake Hachika family to pick her up, so she would show up after a while.

Shouldn't there be a row of men in black waiting for you as soon as you get off the plane?
Generally speaking, yes. But the reality was not like that. Zhuo waited with Eri for 20 minutes before the car that was taking Uesugi Eri home finally arrived.

It was only after Zero's explanation that Zhuo could understand that the Snake Eight Clan did this to conceal Uesugi Eriya's identity and prevent people from noticing her uniqueness. As for whether she would encounter danger, she believed that everything would be fine with Uesugi Eriya around.

In the end, the Sheqi Eight Clan did not have any more contact with them. They returned to their normal lives, as if nothing had happened.

Back to the present.

Because he was just worrying about himself, Zhuo was hesitant about whether to tell Ling that he depended on him. Seeing that he kept silent, Ling wrapped Zhuo's big hand with her small hand.

That hand was soft and delicate, yet it always comforted him so gently. Just being held by this hand made him feel relieved.

Then the warmth on Zhuo's hands disappeared.

Amid Zhuo's confusion, an even warmer touch enveloped his entire arm.

"…I feel like you're colder than me today. Is the air conditioner turned on too high?"

Zhuo was slightly stunned, then smiled with relief. He then put his hands around her back and knees and picked her up without hesitation.

Ling was held horizontally on Zhuo's thighs.

She blinked, a look of confusion on her face. The blue eyes stared at her, narrowed lovingly.

"Is this better?"

"……Um."

Seeing Ling being embraced by him without hesitation, Zhuo's worries began to dissipate. But Zhuo did not mention that he was thinking about his troubles, so he smiled slightly to prevent the warmth from turning into water drops.

Zero might think that he is being stubborn, but it doesn't matter, he is sure that Zero will accept himself as he is.

Even though he heard a helpless sigh, Zhuo did not look at her expression. He just held Ling and pressed her cheek against his strong chest.

(I really can’t beat her.)
Be it her personality, her slight reserve, or the care that almost overflowed from her heart for Zhuo, all of them were revealed without any concealment, so she would submissively act like a little bird.

In order to let Zhuo feel at ease naturally.

Ling always respected Zhuo's will and had no intention of asking him about the things he was carrying in his heart. This response made Zhuo sigh softly.

(Really, I like this part of you.)
So even though he knew that Ling was probably carrying more of the burden in this relationship, Zhuo had no intention of letting go. He encouraged himself in his heart that he must become more reliable as soon as possible and not let Ling make unilateral efforts anymore.

(…I like Zero.)
Maybe because of his experiences or because of his two lives, Zhuo has always felt that he can no longer truly like someone like a child, and he just thinks that he will only form a family with someone and live a dull life together. But after meeting Ling, Zhuo once again felt an urgent emotion.

(Want to start a family.)
(Want to be reliable.)
Such emotions did not become a burden to Zhuo, but became something that urged him to keep moving forward and pushed him forward.

...

...

Thinking of his own parents, Zero always wondered about the definition of family itself.

For Ling, loving parents is just a fantasy. That kind of family is impossible for her.

Is it really necessary for something like a family to exist? It was simply unbelievable to Zero - but as long as she saw Zhuo, she would realize that families that can care for each other, respect each other and live together do exist.

He saw the care in Zhuo's eyes, which was regarded as his own responsibility, or in other words, the busyness necessary to prove his existence. In the eyes of Ling, who had never experienced this, he looked so dazzling.

(…I like to wash.)
Ling was born in a family where even she, as a daughter, felt that she was not good enough. This background and past experiences made her unable to tolerate living with others or starting a family. However, after meeting Zhuo, she was given hope.

Being cared for, embraced and protected by Zhuo at all times like this, Ling once again truly felt that he could go on with this person and have a future together.

Thinking of this, Ling realized that his mind was full of thoughts about establishing such a relationship with Zhuo in the future, and he couldn't help but struggle slightly in Zhuo's arms.

(I really like him and I have never thought of leaving him.)
Is it too heavy for his age?
After all, it was different from her. She knew that most high school students’ relationships would not last, so most of them did not think about the future and just enjoyed the relationship. So it was a bit… no, it was quite heavy to think about the future now. That was why he was working so hard.

Ling knew that Mingzhuo also loved her deeply, and it was obvious that he wanted to accompany her for a long time, but it would be too heavy for him to consider family matters without permission from now on.

Even if it seems like nothing to her, it may be a challenge that ordinary high school students have never thought about. Even if Zhuo says that she has figured out all the things that have happened to her, she will still worry, which is understandable.

If you want to live like this for the first time, you will definitely have some shortcomings.

His involvement with the dragon clan will gradually make him realize the gap between imagination and reality.

The difficulties in life will slowly wear away the passion in my heart that I feel now.

Even she herself was flustered by this strong obsession and love, so of course it would be even more confusing for Zhuo.

Of course Zhuo didn't understand her inner confusion and just stroked her back worriedly.

Ling carefully raised his head and looked at Zhuo. To be precise, he could only see his chin and part of his cheek, but that was enough.

"……wash?"

"Ok?"

"Am I too heavy?"

She didn't say "too heavy" and maybe it was a bit cunning. Even so, Zero couldn't say it directly, and she once again admitted that Renata was a bad girl.

In response to Ling's question, Zhuo blinked a few times in a daze, then seemed to have figured something out, or smiled as if he found it interesting.

"Don't worry, you're not that heavy. Don't look at me like this, I've been training for this moment. Am I that unreliable?"

"I'm not worried..."

"You always care about things that I don't notice. Hehe, maybe we are the same in this respect. You don't have to care about these things. You can rely on me as much as you want. As long as it can make you calm down a little, I will accept it no matter what."

Zhuo smiled at me again: "We are really alike in this respect." He probably understood the two meanings of "heavy" that Ling mentioned.

Ling felt that just as he could see Zhuo worrying about her daily household chores, Zhuo was probably the same.

As for the real meaning behind "heavy", Ling didn't intend to really say it out loud, so Zhuo might not have understood what she meant, or he might have understood it, but this was enough for Ling.

As long as Zhuo is willing to accept her, it will be fine.

"I know it's okay not to talk about some things, because I am the same. If speaking out can make you feel better, then say it. As long as it makes you feel better, I can accept it."

Zhuo's attitude of completely giving the right to choose to Ling as if he had experienced it himself made Ling feel fortunate from the bottom of his heart that he had fallen in love with this person, while he relaxed his body and leaned on Zhuo.

“…It’s all right now.”

She didn't plan to tell Zhuo about the "serious" things. She had already talked about them on Christmas Eve.

She really couldn't handle the gray emotions lingering in her heart by herself.

But if Zhuo was with her, she felt she could accept the negative emotions and self-perceived memories deep inside her and move on.

"I'm not being stubborn... I just feel that if I don't figure out some things myself, I won't be able to move on."

When she was young, she longed for her parents' affection, and her "obsession with her parents" was twisted and deeply rooted in her heart. In order to continue walking with Zhuo, she must laugh at this obsession and sublimate it.

This is also to prevent yourself from making mistakes.

In order not to become that kind of person.

"...That's it."

Zhuo agreed softly, stroking Ling's back.

"It's enough to keep going like this. Because your existence can save me."

"It's too exaggerated."

"it is true."

If Zhuo hadn't been around, if he hadn't met Zhuo, there would have been no hope for Ling's future life. Ling knew this in his heart.

She won't trust anyone, and can't really fall in love with someone. Because of the past, she deceives herself and lives in a helpless depression.

I must spend my whole life alone in the shadows.

“…I am so lucky to meet Zhuo.”

"Why did you snatch what I was going to say?"

Ling murmured with emotion. Zhuo didn't say anything more after hearing it, but just hugged her gently.

……

after dinner.

"You're going back to school soon. Do you still want to continue working?"

"Well, since it's almost done, maybe it's not necessary anymore."

"about there?"

"Ah, please don't mind it. I'm not hiding anything from you, but there are some things I still have to do, please understand."

"I didn't want to ask further. Zhuo was too nervous, which made me care more."

"Then...it's the boys' business, girls, stop talking...long-winded?"

"..."

"..."

"……wash."

"Sorry, I was just joking. Anyway, I won't continue working after school starts. I plan to focus all my attention on studying, even if I don't plan to continue my studies."

“…Yeah. I understand.”

"Are you not angry? I didn't hide it from you on purpose, although I did want to hide it from you."

"I understand."

"That's fine, that's fine."

(End of this chapter)