This Japanese Monogatari Isn't Lame
Chapter 325 - 238. "Asuka" (8000-word goal achieved)_2

Chapter 325: Chapter 238. "Asuka" (8000-word goal achieved)_2

Moreover, anyone with a clear eye could see that she bought the votes online.

Beichuan Si shook his head and tossed all his thoughts out of mind.

Today, Beichuan Huili won first place, and he only thought of making a delicious meal to celebrate Huili’s great ranking.

Other than that, Beichuan Si wouldn’t think about anything else today.

As soon as Beichuan Si opened the door to his house, he heard an exceptionally excited voice. Following that, Beichuan Si felt a weight on him as Beichuan Huili jumped up happily like a koala hugging a tree and clung to Beichuan Si.

"Brother Temple! I did it!"

"Hmm, did you? What did you succeed in?" Beichuan Si temporarily set down his things on the ground and pealed Beichuan Huili off, replying nonchalantly.

His expression didn’t change in the slightest.

"Young Artists’ Online Voting Contest!" Beichuan Huili exclaimed, pulling up the page on her mobile phone.

The voting had ended, and the final count was frozen at 3,425 votes, ’barely’ ahead of Anda Feiniao by a ’mere’ dozen or so votes.

"Hehe! This is my artwork! I’ve been holding back and didn’t tell you, Brother Temple! Now that I’ve won first place, I want you to have a look!" Beichuan Huili’s little feet danced joyfully, her mood lifting much higher.

"Is that so? You indeed did quite well." Beichuan Si smiled and gently rubbed Beichuan Huili’s head, his voice, however, remaining as calm as usual.

He carried the groceries and headed to the kitchen.

Watching Beichuan Si’s retreating back, Beichuan Huili scratched her head.

Eh—?

That’s it?

Isn’t Brother Temple surprised at all?

Beichuan Huili had wanted to see a look of amazement on Beichuan Si’s face, but his reaction was so underwhelming.

No, that won’t do! I must get Brother Temple to praise me!

Beichuan Huili trotted to the kitchen: "Brother Temple, I did win first place!"

"Did you?" Beichuan Si had already washed his hands and was now bending over to select a kitchen knife.

His response sounded more like an absent-minded acknowledgment, making Beichuan Huili feel like Beichuan Si was merely humoring her.

This made Beichuan Huili even more uncomfortable.

She had gone through so much hardship to get first place, and Ando Fuyu had even resorted to buying votes.

A mere "You did quite well" was nowhere near satisfying for Beichuan Huili.

She pouted, "No, Brother Temple, you have to praise me."

"Haven’t I already said it?" Beichuan Si’s question was phrased with doubt, but uttered with certainty.

"— I want more... a more passionate compliment!" Beichuan Huili stomped her foot, her face reddening.

"You did well," Si repeated calmly.

Ah! Frustration coursed through Beichuan Huili.

"Alright, enough with the nonsense. If you’re really that free, you might as well come and give me a hand," Beichuan Si skipped over the topic, passing an apron hanging on the side to Beichuan Huili.

"...," said Beichuan Huili.

Alright then.

Brother Temple is still the same, completely unmoved by such things.

Beichuan Huili gave up.

She took the apron and stood next to Beichuan Si, starting to help him peel potatoes.

Halfway through, Beichuan Si suddenly asked,

"Did you enjoy the process of the contest?"

Did I enjoy it?

Beichuan Huili looked up at her elder brother next to her, stopping her movements.

Bullied.

Her paintings torn up the moment she left the studio.

Unpleasant rumors about her spread throughout the school.

Unfair treatment online, almost losing the first place...

Beichuan Huili’s mouth twitched, then she wiped her eyes with her sleeve, revealing a smile:

"Very much so."

She couldn’t let Brother Temple know about these things.

Beichuan Huili wanted to share only happiness with Brother Temple, not these unhappy incidents.

"Is that so?" Beichuan Si slightly turned his head, his expression becoming much gentler, "Hui Li, you really worked hard."

"Mhm." Beichuan Hui Li nodded forcefully, murmuring to herself, "I really, really, really, really tried my best."

It felt like all the effort of her short life had been exhausted.

The words seemed to be for herself as much as for Beichuan Si.

But she quickly chuckled twice, "Actually, I think I might have just been lucky this time, the person in second place tried to stuff the ballot at the last minute, but the votes for my artwork kept increasing, steadily staying a dozen or more ahead of second place. If not for that, I doubt I could have won first place."

Saying this, Beichuan Hui Li blinked, her tone somewhat wistful, "Maybe... there really are good people in this world... who dislike seeing unfair competition."

"I really hope to meet this good person someday."

Her tone was distant, filled with gratitude.

Without that anonymous good person, she might currently be beneath Ando Fuyu, right?

If they met, she would certainly introduce Beichuan Si to them, after all, they had helped her so much, surely they must be very handsome — but definitely still not as handsome as Brother Temple!

"You’ll have the chance to meet them someday," Beichuan Si said as he patted Beichuan Hui Li’s head, his expression calm.

He hadn’t told Beichuan Hui Li that he had known all along.

If Beichuan Hui Li didn’t want him to know these trivial things, then he would just pretend to be unaware.

It was that simple.

He respected Beichuan Hui Li’s choice.

Likewise, from Beichuan Hui Li’s choices, he could see her growth.

And in this process of growth, there would inevitably be hardships.

In the face of this, Beichuan Si could only silently stand in front of Beichuan Hui Li, shielding her from some of the dark clouds, watching her walk the life path she had laid out for herself.

To cover a part, to let her bear a part.

That was enough.

Beichuan Si recalled the oil painting by Beichuan Hui Li he saw online.

The work painted by Beichuan Hui Li —

"Asuka"

It was a painting with large areas left blank.

Although named "Asuka," there were no birds with spread wings flying away in the painting.

It was a painting with a background of pale wisteria and peacock blue.

In the middle, slightly towards the bottom, was a shattered, yet semi-circular white eggshell, faintly tinged with a light blue color.

In some of the blank areas, the bird’s dark blue feathers were delicately depicted as scattered about.

The title of Beichuan Hui Li’s painting was "Asuka".

So where did the bird go?

Looking at the broken eggshells scattered on the ground provided the answer.

The lapis lazuli bird had broken free from the eggshell, soaring into the distant sky, naturally leaving no trace of it on the canvas.

The shattered eggshells were the traces of its fierce struggle, the scattered feathers were remnants of its flight into the sky.

In the lower right corner of the painting was the exhibition venue.

Written there was Beichuan Hui Li’s name, her school, and the small comment she left —

’This painting is dedicated to my most respected, beloved, most handsome, and most incredible brother Beichuan Si.’

’Hui Li has grown up and can now face the storms alone. Brother, I’ve always been thankful for your care, and I might trouble you in the future, but I will definitely try to stand on my own.’

Looking at these words, Beichuan Si couldn’t articulate exactly how he felt.

He still had to continue pondering —

"Ouch!" The cry of pain from Beichuan Hui Li pulled Beichuan Si out of his memories.

It turned out that the little girl had accidentally pricked her fingertip while peeling potatoes, and a bright drop of blood oozed out instantly.

With a forlorn face, she turned back to Beichuan Si, "Temple, Brother Temple...!!! Help me!!!"

Woowoo —

Seeing Beichuan Hui Li’s tearful face as she started to softly cry, Beichuan Si pressed his temples, feeling like the seven or eight hundred words of his internal monologue had just gone to waste.

He sighed deeply, took Beichuan Hui Li’s hand, and used his healing skills to mend her fingertip.

Watching Beichuan Hui Li’s tears turn to laughter, Beichuan Si shook his head.

The Salty Egg nurturing plan, it seemed, must continue.