"This kind of ending is pretty nice."
"But still… a hundred female leads. Just thinking about it feels absurd."
Lin Mo wore an odd expression as he spoke, and couldn't help shooting a reproachful glance at Yae Miko.
A light novel about the everyday romance between one man and a hundred heroines—no matter how he looked at it, it didn't seem like something Ei would normally enjoy, did it?
At that moment, Chiyo could no longer suppress the curiosity in her heart. She turned to Yae Miko and asked, "Miko, does this light novel really end the way we hope it does?"
Yae Miko merely replied with a mysterious smile.
"If the ending is revealed ahead of time, wouldn't the story lose all its flavor?"
"That's true. We should still wait and see the ending for ourselves," Ei nodded in agreement.
Chiyo puffed out her cheeks, clearly unhappy.
If Ei weren't holding the book right now, she probably would've already flipped straight to the last chapter to see the finale.
As for Lin Mo, even though he hadn't read the book, he could already guess how it would end.
Most likely, just as Ei hoped—the male lead would end up living happily ever after with all one hundred heroines.
After all, this was a light novel personally chosen by Yae Miko. Before handing it to Ei, she'd even given a few subtle hints like "it suits you very well" and "you'll definitely like it."
Given Yae Miko's understanding of these women, she could probably guess exactly what kind of ending they wanted to see.
At this moment, Ei stood in front of Yae Publishing House, holding the novel and reading with rapt attention.
"Hm? The first heroine is an elf girl?"
"I really like this girl's personality!" Chiyo said with growing excitement.
Fox Saiguu nodded in agreement beside her.
"Even though her behavior and hobbies seem rather dangerous, she truly loves our protagonist."
…
Seeing how absorbed they were, Lin Mo didn't want to disturb them. He quietly walked over to the cherry blossom tree beside Yae Publishing House and enjoyed the peaceful moment beneath the crimson petals.
Watching the three of them react to the twists and turns of the story—smiling one moment, sighing the next—Lin Mo couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth in his heart.
"Life like this… doesn't seem half bad," he murmured.
Just then, Lin Mo noticed several suspicious figures lurking near Yae Publishing House.
"Hm? Why are Paimon and Lumine hiding over there?"
He looked more closely and realized that it wasn't just Paimon and Lumine—Thoma, with his tall build, was there too.
All of them were peeking from afar, clearly watching him, yet none of them approached. That only made things more suspicious.
Just as Lin Mo was about to rise from his seat and ask them what they were up to, he noticed another figure behind Lumine.
That graceful silhouette held a folding fan up to her face. Her beautiful eyes, tinged with shyness, gazed at him from afar.
"Ayaka…"
Lin Mo recognized her instantly—the reserved young woman with snow-colored bangs.
The moment he saw her, a deep sense of comfort and relief welled up in his heart.
Ayaka… you've grown up.
As they gazed at each other from a distance, their thoughts drifted back—without any need for words—to years ago, to the time when they first met.
Back then, Kamisato Ayaka was not yet the widely admired "White Heron Princess."
As the daughter of the Kamisato Clan, one of the Tri-Commission families of Inazuma, her childhood had been marked by sudden tragedy.
Her parents passed away one after another, and the Kamisato family found itself besieged—suppressed by the other great clans of the Shogunate, and plagued by internal struggles for power.
The family's situation was precarious, to say the least.
Young Ayaka and her older brother, Kamisato Ayato, bore a heavy burden on their shoulders.
At that time, Ayaka was far from the poised and revered young lady she would later become.
Grieving the loss of her parents, she spent her days in tears.
One day, Kamisato Ayato brought Lin Mo before her.
"Ayaka," he said gently, "this is the Kamisato family's new steward—Lin Mo."
Ayaka looked at the handsome young man before her and asked in confusion,
"Lin Mo… are you an outsider?"
"Miss Kamisato, it's a pleasure to meet you. I come from Liyue. I am indeed not from Inazuma," Lin Mo replied with a polite smile and a nod.
Ayaka turned her questioning gaze toward her brother. She couldn't understand why he would suddenly replace the family's steward—and with someone from outside Inazuma, no less.
Ayato gave a helpless smile as he explained,
"The previous steward was discovered to be a spy planted by one of the other great clans. I had no choice but to dismiss him."
"Right now, Inazuma City is rife with undercurrents."
"The other clans are watching our Kamisato family closely from the shadows."
"That's why… I don't dare entrust important positions to any outstanding candidates from within Inazuma."
"But Mr. Lin Mo here is exceptional. I personally traveled to Liyue to invite him."
"His background is clean, his identity simple, and he's trustworthy."
After hearing her brother's explanation, Ayaka slowly nodded.
From that day on, Lin Mo took on the role of steward of the Kamisato household, managing the family's affairs.
At the time, the foundation of the Kamisato family was still largely upheld by Ayato alone.
For the sake of the clan, Ayato was constantly busy—sometimes only returning home once or twice a week.
Thus, most days, Ayaka would sit alone in the front hall of the Yashiro Commission residence, gazing out at the sea, quietly recalling memories of her parents and sinking into sorrow.
But she also understood something very clearly.
As one of the Kamisato family's last hopes, it was unbecoming for her to spend her days drowning in tears.
If the other great clans found out, they would surely mock her.
And if anything were to happen to her brother, Ayato…
Then she would have no choice but to shoulder the responsibility of protecting the Kamisato family herself.
So, no matter how unwilling she felt, she forced herself to study calligraphy and painting, practice tea ceremony, train in swordsmanship, and learn etiquette.
She prepared herself in advance for the heavy responsibility that awaited her.
Yet… none of these were her strengths.
Calligraphy, poetry, tea, swordsmanship, etiquette—
The only thing she could truly claim as her own was the refined bearing and manners she had absorbed since childhood as a noble.
One day, Ayaka sat before a volume of ancient poetry, her delicate brows tightly knit.
The verses were obscure and difficult to understand—let alone memorize.
Just then, Lin Mo approached her with tea and pastries.
"Miss, today's afternoon tea is matcha cakes and sakura blossom tea."
Ayaka didn't respond, her gaze still fixed on the poem before her.
"Miss?"
Lin Mo called out again.
"Hm? Oh… Lin Mo."
She finally snapped back to reality.
"Just set it down. I'll eat later."
She lowered her head once more, staring at the poem, her brow furrowed.
After placing the tea and pastries aside, Lin Mo didn't leave immediately. Instead, he sat down beside her and asked gently,
"Are you having trouble memorizing and understanding these poems, Miss?"
"Mm…"
Ayaka nodded lightly, complaining with a troubled sigh,
"I really don't know who came up with these poems in the first place."
"They're hard enough to read—how am I supposed to memorize them?"
"For someone who doesn't understand them, they're just obscure words," Lin Mo said calmly.
"But for those who do, those few short lines…"
"…carry the author's deepest emotions."
"Love, friendship, family, devotion to one's country."
"Studying poetry isn't about rigid memorization," he continued patiently.
"It's about allowing you, as the young lady of the Kamisato family, to learn how people of the past viewed these emotions—how they understood them, and how they acted upon them."
"To put it simply," Lin Mo said with a smile,
"the purpose of learning poetry is to shape one's values in life."
Yet Ayaka still frowned slightly.
"How can I feel the author's emotions through such cryptic words…?"
"You might try learning about the background in which the poem was written first," Lin Mo suggested gently.
"Then, when you place that background and emotion into the words, you may find the meaning much clearer."
"It's still so hard…"
Ayaka shook her head helplessly, then looked up at him.
"Lin Mo… could you give me an example?"
"An example… I suppose I could."
Lin Mo looked at her with a smile.
"For instance—one day in the future, I will surely leave the Kamisato household."
"If that day comes, and I think of you, Miss Ayaka…"
"…what kind of feelings do you think I would have?"
As Lin Mo posed this hypothetical, Ayaka felt a flicker of curiosity stir within her, and she looked at him intently.
At that moment, Lin Mo smiled and slowly recited:
"There is a beauty I once beheld—
One glance, and she could not be forgotten.
One day apart, and my longing grows mad."
"Not forgotten…"
"Longing grows mad…"
Ayaka's cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
This was the first time in her life she had ever heard such a bold confession.
Looking at Lin Mo's gentle, smiling face, she couldn't help but lower her head slightly, her heart pounding wildly.
"You see? If you first place yourself in the author's background and emotions, it becomes much easier to understand the poem's meaning," Lin Mo said softly.
In that instant, Ayaka felt as though she had been struck by sudden enlightenment.
So… poetry was actually that simple.
Just from hearing Lin Mo recite those lines, she immediately understood the meaning behind every word, every phrase.
"Was that poem… something you composed on the spot, Lin Mo?"
Ayaka's eyes trembled slightly, a faint anticipation hidden within.
"Yes," Lin Mo nodded with a smile.
"Does it have a name?"
"It didn't before—but now it does."
"Let's call it 'The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate.'"
"'The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate'…"
Ayaka's heartbeat quickened once more.
She no longer dared to meet Lin Mo's gaze, lowering her head as she spoke in a soft voice:
"Lin Mo… from today onward, will you teach me poetry?"
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T/N:
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