After Transmigrating to Become Lady Skylark - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

After a month and a half, Jin Chaoyan finally obtained her driver’s license.

Almost at the same time, her Ferrari had completed its modification. Kina specifically picked her up from the driving school and took her to the modification shop so she could see this brand-new sports car as quickly as possible!

Originally, Jin Chaoyan had decided on a pink body paint, but later felt that a single-color sports car wasn’t particularly unique. Thus, she changed the plan to half-blue and half-pink. Now, looking at the car from the side, the body was diagonally divided by color: the front half was cherry blossom pink, and the rear half was a light sky blue.

The interior, however, was entirely in blue tones.

Jin Chaoyan let out a “Wow,” took out her phone, and began taking various photos of her beloved car, sending them to the “Namimori Happy Dessert Group”—

Haru: “Hahi! So cute! Chaoyan, is this the car you mentioned modifying last time? It looks too cute! When can I sit in your passenger seat?”

Kyoko: “It matches your aura very well.”

Hana: “Corporate slave envy. When can I buy such a beautiful dream car?”

“@Haru, come today, I’ll take you for a spin. @Hana, let your husband buy it! Tell him to work harder!” Jin Chaoyan happily tagged her new friend. Realizing that the dessert gatherings with Haru and Hana were becoming livelier, she conveniently changed the group name to “Namimori Girls’ Happy Dessert Group.”

Kyoko expressed her agreement and even began discussing it seriously with Hana. “That’s right, the prize money for the boxing invitational Onii-chan participated in recently is quite substantial. Hana, if you want to buy a car too, you guys could…”

Kurokawa Hana: “Stop.”

Kurokawa Hana: “I took one look at the mortgage. I don’t want to.”

At that moment, the final member of the group belatedly surfaced.

I-Pin: “The adult world truly is cruel. @Chaoyan, Big Sister’s car is very beautiful. Not talking anymore, I’m going back to work. Recently, a picky customer always complains that the ramen I deliver is too soggy. If I get reported again, I won’t be able to keep this part-time job.”

Jin Chaoyan was very fond of this little girl who also came from China, finding her both familiar and cute in personality. Seeing her mention the customer complaints, she thought for a moment and responded: “I-Pin, if it’s too hard, I can lend you the tuition fees first. You’re still growing; it’s too exhausting to always be working and studying like this.”

“Thank you, Sister Chaoyan, but it’s okay. Self-reliance is also a form of training. I think this kind of life is quite good. When I have a need, I’ll tell you!”

“Alright, don’t push yourself too hard.”

After replying to the group message, she switched out and saw an incoming call from Kazumiko. She answered it casually, smoothing the earring that had snagged slightly on her long hair. “Hello?”

“Sister, you got your license today, right? Is your car modified too? I’m so bored staying in Tokyo. I’m coming to play with you.” Hearing her younger sister’s lively voice, Jin Chaoyan wondered if the girl had installed surveillance on her.

How was she more enthusiastic than herself?

“Suit yourself,” she said. “But if you come over, check which hotel you’re staying at in advance.”

“I know, I won’t be a third wheel to you guys, don’t worry!”

What third wheel?

Jin Chaoyan was about to retort that “someone hates crowding,” but halfway through the sentence, all she heard was the sound of the phone hanging up. She immediately gave up wasting her breath—let her interpret it however she wanted. She put the phone away and held her driver’s license up against the car for a photo:

“Let’s go, Kina. I’ll take you for a spin first!”

“My honor, Madam.”

The eye-catching sports car did a lap within Namimori’s speed limit, drawing stares from many pedestrians. But before she could reach the goal of “exploding the streets” with noise, the sky slowly began to darken. Seeing the lightning rolling in the clouds, she looked out from the car. “The sky looks like it’s going to rain.”

“Yes, the weather is not cooperating. Madam, we should head back as early as possible. You just got your license; rain makes road conditions complex and dangerous.”

Kina advised her gently from the passenger seat.

Jin Chaoyan nodded. Following the car’s navigation, she soon drove to the vicinity of Hibari’s large estate. Because his house occupied a vast area with wide roads outside, the parking area was very free. She didn’t force herself to reverse into a garage; getting the car into that general area counted as success.

She led the housekeeper through the gates and across the light, elegant corridors of the wooden courtyard design. For some reason, Jin Chaoyan’s steps were light and her eyes bright. “Kina, let’s go to the kitchen to see if the ingredients I asked for have arrived.”

Simultaneously.

The Study.

Under the plaque inscribed “I Am The Sole Honored One,” a man wearing a deep blue yukata was gazing at seven Boxes just secretly produced by the Foundation Research Department based on blueprints.

He picked up a purple Box from the tray in front of him, which had “VONGOLA” and the family crest on the front. He saw several purple decorative gemstones around the side where the ring would be infused with flames, feeling slightly surprised at the exquisite completion of this Vongola Box.

The Cloud Ring he habitually wore on his right middle finger sensed his emotions and emitted a tuft of flame, but it only burned quietly, without any intention from its master to attempt to infuse it.

The Box seemed to feel the fluctuation of the Cloud flames and trembled slightly on the table. Kyoya Hibari raised his hand and lightly touched the Box, calming it in a strange way.

Then, he dialed a number, but it wasn’t connected at first. He knitted his brows slightly and, with rare patience, redialed.

This time it was picked up, but the voice on the other side was heavy, much like the sky outside Namimori, as if rain could fall at any moment: “…Hibari-senpai, sorry, the signal wasn’t very good just now.”

“Are you in trouble?” he asked.

“Yes…” Tsuna Sawada said. After a moment of silence, he continued, “Just ten minutes ago, it was confirmed that all the Arcobaleno have died, including my tutor, Reborn.”

“…”

That small infant died too?

Kyoya Hibari didn’t speak. Fortunately, the other party clearly knew his personality and didn’t expect him to say any compensatory words of comfort at this time. Tsuna forced a bit of spirit: “Is there something important that Hibari-senpai called me for?”

“The thing you wanted has been made.”

“Is that so? I thought this concept wouldn’t succeed… it feels like some kind of providence, destined for everything to move toward the worst possible place.” The other party continued calmly: “Millefiore has completely integrated the world’s Mafia forces. With Byakuran’s patience, launching a general offensive against Vongola should happen before August.”

“Hibari-senpai, come to Italy one more time. I have a plan I’d like to ask you to cooperate with.”

After hearing him out, the man placed the now-quiet Box back on the table. His grey-blue phoenix eyes held a touch of thoughtfulness: “It seems you’ve already made your decision?”

“Yes… although this method is extremely risky, and placing destiny on a group of teenagers makes us adults look overly useless, it is the world’s last hope—”

“Hibari-senpai, I need you.”

“Kyo-san! Emergency!”

Tetsuya Kusakabe received news while on his way back from the Foundation to the Hibari residence. He pressed the accelerator to the floor the entire way. After getting out of the car, he didn’t even have time to lock it, rushing through the rain toward the corridor. Before he could slide open the screen door, his voice had already entered.

“If you’re talking about the death of the Arcobaleno, I already know.” After the “shrala” sound of the door opening, the person inside responded quite calmly, as if an imminent catastrophe like the end of the world was nothing more than that.

Kusakabe’s suit was drenched and his hairstyle was a bit messy. Seeing Hibari still so peaceful, he instinctively breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had found his backbone again. Only then did he belatedly step aside to tidy his appearance, asking through the door: “Yes, excuse me. I was too surprised. May I ask if we are providing support to the Vongola side?”

“Arrange the nearest flight route. I’m going to Italy.”

“Yes!”

Kusakabe had just agreed when he heard a movement nearby. He turned his head by reflex, only then noticing that because the rain outside was too loud, he hadn’t noticed someone approaching.

“Madam?”

The person called by him had walked near at some point. Now she waved her hand, her face carrying a bit of embarrassment: “Did I disturb you from talking about serious business?”

“What’s wrong?”

A question drifted from the open room.

Thinking for a moment, Jin Chaoyan clung to the doorframe and poked her head in to look at the man in the room. “I got my license this afternoon and wanted to celebrate, so I’m cooking tonight. Do you want to eat?”

After a pause, she added rarely, “But I’m not good at making Japanese food. I’m making Chinese food, and the flavor is a bit heavy. If you don’t want to eat, I’ll just—”

“I will.”

Kyoya Hibari responded quite decisively.

This time Jin Chaoyan was psychologically prepared and wasn’t startled. She smoothly responded “Okay,” and then turned her head to look at Tetsuya Kusakabe nearby. “Then will Mr. Kusakabe join us?”

“I…”

Kusakabe didn’t expect he could have this honor either. His expression was overwhelmed with favor. Just as he was about to offer a few polite words like “sorry for the trouble,” he was interrupted by the other person.

“He has business. He’ll eat out. No need to make his.”

“?”

The right-hand man indicated he had words he wanted to say.

But with one glance from those cold phoenix eyes, his final struggle at the tip of his tongue turned into a submissive compliance. “Yes, Madam. It’s truly a pity I can’t taste your cooking today.”

Deprived of Chinese delicacies, Kusakabe turned away helplessly. As he walked out, a gust of cold wind blew in the rain from the corridor. The cold icy rain slapped wildly against his face, and he cried out a “Woof” in his heart.

Because Kyoya Hibari was also going to eat, Jin Chaoyan changed two dishes, trying to make the flavor as light as possible. She even modified the originally planned Plum Spare Ribs, making the seasoning milder.

“The dishes Madam is making seem more complex.” Kina was helping her nearby. The omnipotent housekeeper’s knife skills and cooking abilities were both good, but she only had a slight research into Chinese food. Thus, while helping Jin Chaoyan pinch the skins of the shrimp dumplings, she couldn’t help but sigh: “Is it because of Mr. Hibari?”

“I guess, but not entirely.”

Jin Chaoyan was folding green vegetables, then replied, “He seems to be going on a long trip and probably won’t be back for a short while. I rarely have such a good mood, so I wanted him to feel the charm of Chinese cuisine?”

Although according to Kusakabe, this man had only liked Japanese food and hamburgers since childhood and was likely the type to be very stubborn in his tastes—loving one thing and eating it forever—Jin Chaoyan didn’t actually think one meal could make him switch to loving Chinese food.

One could only say she was trying her best to satisfy this picky fellow.

Crystal Shrimp Dumplings, Longjing Shrimp, Plum Spare Ribs, plus a course of Green Tea Cakes and Flower Cakes—this was the ultimate combination Jin Chaoyan had thought of from the perspective of visual aesthetics.

Fortunately, she had Kina, a skilled cook. Otherwise, relying solely on her past memories and her rather poor manual dexterity, if Hibari wanted to eat these dishes, it would be faster to hire a five-star chef.

“So you’re just doing it because you’re in a good mood and happened to cater to his tastes by changing the dishes?” Kina asked.

“Ah, yes. You can understand it that way.”

“Madam, may I ask you something? Is there a proverb in Chinese culture called ‘the dead duck’s mouth is still hard’? What exactly does this phrase mean?”

“…”

Jin Chaoyan’s movement in picking vegetables paused. She looked at this good housekeeper in disbelief. “Kina, you’ve changed! You weren’t like this before!”

The lively activity in the kitchen lasted for a long time.

Even Hibird was drawn over. It shook off the tiny water droplets blown onto its wing feathers by the wind while flying through the corridor and stood on the windowsill, saying, “Chaoyan~ dinner~”

“Baby, are you hungry?” Jin Chaoyan put down the pot for steeping tea, wiped her hands with a towel, and wanted to touch Hibird. As a result, the little guy hopped away. It tilted its head, thought for a moment, and changed the words: “Hibari~ dinner~”

Jin Chaoyan: “?”

She looked at the little bird serving as a messenger in shock. “He’s hungry and sent you to hurry dinner?”

Is this something a small pet like Hibird should have to endure?

The little bird—which had just tried to get Hibari to play with it but was rejected on the grounds that he was a bit hungry—looked at the mistress’s surprise. It didn’t know if expressing it this way was correct, so it thought for a moment and decided to sing a song for her, acting cute to brush it off.

“Green and lush Namimori~ Neither large nor small, moderate is best~”

“Always unchanging~ Healthy and strong~”

Jin Chaoyan clapped her hands, looking at the pet that even performed a show to help Hibari hurry the meal. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I know. Tell him to wait a moment; it’ll be ready soon.”

—When did that man become so cute?

The Hall.

After dinner was finished, the heavy rain that had been falling outside stopped, turning into a misty drizzle. The shishiodoshi in the courtyard, having carried too much water, slowed its “tang-tang” rhythm from hurried to steady. Matching the pitter-patter of raindrops falling from the eaves onto the ground, it had a unique charm of daily life.

Kina helped set the dinner and sensibly withdrew with Hibird. As she slid the screen door shut, Jin Chaoyan sat down by the small table. She glanced at the pattern on it and realized it was a continuous ancient-style landscape painting. “Did you change the style of the screen recently?”

It was quite beautiful; even someone who didn’t like classical paintings would think it had a lot of taste.

“Mm.”

Kyoya Hibari responded, his gaze fixed on the dishes on the small dining table. He was somewhat surprised. After all, the memory of the “everything-stewed” ramen and the soft, hand-pressed sushi from last time was still fresh, forming a sharp contrast with the exquisitely plated meal before him.

He momentarily wondered if these were all made by her housekeeper.

Even though the man still didn’t have much of an expression, Jin Chaoyan, who was staring at him this time and was rarely nervous, instantly read his thoughts. She spoke up: “Don’t worry, I’ve tasted them myself. The flavor is normal. You’re not going to ask me to test for poison first, are you?”

“No need.”

Kyoya Hibari saw her annoyed emotion and tucked away his speculation. His slender fingertips picked up the chopsticks.

After watching him take a bite of every dish, Jin Chaoyan didn’t observe any particular change in expression. She couldn’t help but ask again, “So… what do you think?”

“You made all of these?”

“Not all. For example, I’m not very good at pinching the skins of the shrimp dumplings, and I’m not very good at peeling the shrimp—I can’t manage such beautiful knife work. But the spare ribs, green tea cakes, and flower cakes were all made by me!”

“Mm.”

“What does ‘mm’ mean? Is it good or not?”

After the woman’s question fell, Kyoya Hibari lifted his eyes to look at her. His soft black bangs rested on his forehead. Even though the room was already lit by lamps, there was still a candelabra beside him. The orange light reflected on his porcelain skin, giving an illusion of a softened expression.

Especially now, as the corner of his lip curved slightly and his grey-blue eyes narrowed marginally, the light shimmering within them made one feel that this smile actually had a touch of human warmth.

“Do you care that much?” he asked.

Jin Chaoyan didn’t know what he meant by that. For an occasional cook like her, she usually treated cooking as a reward. Those who could eat a meal made by her were lucky for a lifetime. How did it become, with Kyoya Hibari, as if his deigning to taste it was her honor?

Unable to hear the answer or praise she wanted, she simply gave up. She picked up her chopsticks, took her rice bowl, and began eating herself.

When she finished the meal, set down the chopsticks, and went to take her teacup, she suddenly heard the person diagonally opposite ask, “The flower cake—what is the filling?”

For a moment, evil grew in Jin Chaoyan’s heart. “If I say it’s cher—”

Halfway through the pronunciation.

The other party said with a half-smile, “You want to try?”

“…” Her courage instantly shrank back to its original size. She licked her lips and, bored, held her cup, taking a sip of the tea inside. She looked at this petty man who detested cherry blossoms so much that he even took it out on her nails.

“It’s rose.”

Jin Chaoyan curled her lip. “Damask rose. It was just delivered from a nearby florist at noon.”

At this, Kyoya Hibari nodded. “It tastes good.”

Eh?

So he doesn’t like the shrimp dumplings, doesn’t like the Longjing shrimp and Plum spare ribs, and doesn’t like the green tea cakes?

Jin Chaoyan looked over in surprise. She really wanted to ask him exactly what he was dissatisfied with regarding the other dishes, but for the sake of her own blood pressure, she restrained herself.

She only muttered repeatedly in her heart:

He actually likes flower cakes?

This taste is so unexpected.

Although Jin Chaoyan herself liked flower cakes very much, she really couldn’t associate them with Kyoya Hibari. But considering this man could be a uniform-fetishist and have chuunibyou, adding a bit of a “princess complex” didn’t seem out of place?

Mm… a Disney Princess on the run.

While Jin Chaoyan was secretly labeling him in her heart, she suddenly heard him speak of another matter: “I’m going to Italy in the early hours of the morning.”

“Mm?”

She didn’t quite react, hesitating for two seconds. “Oh. Bon voyage. Be… be safe?”

That said, Jin Chaoyan felt that encountering Kyoya Hibari, it was probably his enemies who needed to be more concerned about safety.

Kyoya Hibari gave a slight smile, accepting her instructions. His beautiful phoenix eyes gazed at her as he spoke of something more important: “This time I’ll be gone for quite a while. Japan might become more chaotic. Do you know what you should do?”

He thought of the time after Jin Chaoyan had used that “Cero” and fallen ill because she couldn’t accept killing the enemy, intending to remind her.

But the woman quickly nodded, giving him an “OK” sign. “I’ll just stay in this house, go nowhere, and wait for you to come back!”

Is there a safer place in the world than the Hibari residence? She didn’t think so.

Kyoya Hibari, hearing this answer: “…”

In his sudden silence, Jin Chaoyan thought she had answered incorrectly. her expression transitioned from self-confidence to anxiety. “Did… did I get it wrong?”

Thinking that this place might also become a target for Millefiore’s attack, Jin Chaoyan glanced at the beautiful landscape screen, thought of the many jewelry and new clothes she had in her room and Hibird’s luxury toys. After two seconds of silence, she decided to reluctantly change her answer to “defending the fountain” for him:

“Fine, then I’ll try my best…”

“No.”

The smile in Kyoya Hibari’s eyes deepened. “You answered very well.”

He repeated Jin Chaoyan’s words: “Wait at home for me to come back.”

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