[Shaoyin] like a short-lived epiphyllum

As Zhang Zi expected, at Sishi the next day, he and Changhao were listening to Qingming telling a story.Aunt Lian was wearing different clothes from the past, and the colors were also different from the bright and dull colors in the past.

"Aunt Lian, where's mother?"

He had promised to pick her up with Aunt Lian, but at this moment it was only Aunt Lian and a girl who was a few years older than her.For a moment, she thought of a dream she had had last night, no matter how hard she chased it, she couldn't catch up with her mother.

"...Let's go back, Ms. Zhangzi."

Zhang Zi shook his head, constantly backing away, trying to avoid the girl's overstretched hand.

"No, don't. Mother promised me that she would come to pick me up."

Looking at Zhang Zi in a daze, the girl looked at Aunt Lian with some difficulty.Aunt Lian's mood is very complicated now, no matter how much she conceals it, Miss Zhang Zi will always know the fact that Master Lingzi has passed away.It would be better to take her back to accept the facts according to what that lord said, and...that lord...

"stamp…"

Chang Hao walked from his grandfather to Zhang Zi and hugged her, stroking her head like his mother did.

"It's okay, I'll go with you and go back together."

Zhang Zi's tears also fell at that moment, and no matter how hard he wiped them off, he couldn't finish them.

——Zhang Zibe good, mother will pick you up, come with Aunt Lian.Let's meet at our home together.

——『□□, I will be your family member, after we leave here, we will buy a house.Then that will be our future home!Promise! 』

It's clearly agreed, it's clearly agreed.

>>>

Zhang Zi was led home by Chang Hao all the way, and her heart was probably on the verge of collapse at this time.Aunt Lian walked in front and opened the door, and what she saw was a room of black and white. Chang Hao wanted to block Zhang Zi's sight with his hand, but Zhang Zi, who had already seen clearly, let go of the hand he was holding and ran to the back room.

As expected, it was a chilling scene.The woman lying there, with a white dress and a white cloth covering her face.Zhang Zi walked up to the lying person step by step, knelt down beside her, took that pale and cold hand and put it on his cheek.

——Smile more, mother likes a smiling Zhang Zi.

In the afternoon of that day, facing her who was frowning and putting on the jacket for her mother, the woman stroked her cheek and said with a smile.What kind of smile did she show her mother at that time?It must be a happier smile than now.

"Little girl, make a contract with me."

The door didn't know when it was closed, and the window didn't know when it was closed.Zhang Zi raised his head and looked at Chang Hao's snow-white fox in the air. There was a string of pink beads under the fur on its neck, and a silver bell on its left ear.

"Who are you?"

"Well~ If it wasn't for Mother's order, I wouldn't want to come!"

Its voice was like that of a lively girl, expressing its dissatisfaction with this matter.It jumped down from mid-air to Zhang Zi's shoulder, and stretched out its paws to wipe away her tears.

"It can be regarded as a return to your mother, I will protect you, Zhang Zi."

People outside don't know anything about this place.Because a barrier was set up around this room, Abe Seimei held his young grandson to prevent him from passing.The god who followed next to him appeared, Qingming frowned and resisted the blood in his body.

Aunt Lian and the girl stood in front of Qingming, and they were not afraid of the cold weapons that the generals pointed at them.

"This is to let Miss live better, we have to do this."

"Master Seimei, please do not interfere."

Seimei didn't know the fact that the two people in front of them were not human beings at the moment when they stood in front of them, although she didn't know how to completely hide their aura.

"I won't take care of what you are going to do. But I have to take care of Zhang Zi's affairs, after all, I promised her."

Qingming took out the talisman paper and put it in front of him, looking sharply at the two lotus demons who already had some characteristics in front of him.They also knew that it was impossible to successfully stop Abe Seimei, but for the daughter of the person they loved, they would rather choose to trust that adult.

"Aunt Lian, that's enough."

The moment the door opened, Aunt Lian and the girl changed back to human appearances.Zhang Zi came out holding the snow-white fox, her eyes were very red, and her mouth was always pursed.

"Miss……"

"I am no longer your young lady, and your mother is gone, so you are free."

Zhang Zi hugged the fox tightly in his arms, and the fox patted the girl's arm with its tail.When Aunt Lian saw the fox, she already knew that the matter was over.Their young lady was extra safe, Aunt Lian sighed and walked in front of the girl, took her hand and held it in the palm of both hands.

"No matter what happens, Miss will always be my Miss. Aunt Lian will take care of Miss to the end, with this old life."

Zhang Zi looked at Aunt Lian in a daze, and Aunt Lian smiled and hugged Zhang Zi in her arms and rubbed against her.

"No matter where you are in the future, miss, no matter what you become, miss. Aunt Lian will always be miss's family."

"……Um."

Answering with sobs, Zhang Zi smiled and nodded.

Seimei, who was at the side, let out a breath and told the generals to put down the weapons in their hands.He looked at Chang Hao who was happy because Zhang Zi finally showed his smile today, and patted his head helplessly.

The subsequent funerals were organized by Aunt Lian and the Abe family, and Mr. Fujiwara did not come until later.

"No matter what happens, I will protect Akiko. Promise!"

"Yeah! Don't forget!"

Under the setting sun, the little fingers of the boy and the girl hooked together for the eternal promise.

>>>

The girl looked helplessly at the other girl who kept checking her, and reached out her hand to stop her from further inspection.

"It's alright, Xue Ling is following me, nothing will happen. Don't worry, Junko."

"Then how about it, I'd better go together! How can I rest assured that this fox can protect you!"

"I said you have an opinion on me or something, how could something happen to Zhang Zi with me! Anyway, I am also a Tianhu clan!"

The girl helplessly stopped the childish quarrel later, she stroked the white fox's hair and turned to the girl who looked at the white fox with resentful eyes.

"Just like Xue Ling said, nothing will happen. I'm just going to buy dried peaches, and I'm more worried about Aunt Xue's situation."

When Junko heard what her lady said, she could only nod helplessly, and she couldn't leave her behind because something happened to her mother, so she gave up the idea of ​​keeping up, and watched one person and one fox go away.

The young girl is Zhang Zi, she is not as immature as before, but now she is at the age of flowers and jade.Not only does she have a delicate face, but she also has long black hair that is as smooth as a waterfall. Ji's hairstyle makes her look good among her peers.

"Aunt Xue is just too tired recently, don't worry, Zhang Zi, it will be fine."

"Ok, I know."

Zhang Zi nodded, she was just too afraid of losing Aunt Xue.

Looking at the crowds on the street, even though he knew that Xue Ling would not be easily seen, he still unconsciously pulled his coat forward.

"Don't call me grandson! My name is Masahiro, Masahiro Abe! So what if Grandpa is amazing!"

Walking around the corner, Xue Ling heard a familiar rebuttal not far away, smiled and wagged her tail.

"He still cares about the title."

"Um."

Her childhood sweetheart Masahiro is a well-known onmyoji in Heian-kyo and the successor of Abe Seimei. Since he lost the power of seeing ghosts, he decided to go other ways, but he didn't seem to succeed.

"Chang Hao?"

He was talking to the cat-sized creature in front of him, but neither a cat nor a dog.Zhang Zi came closer and found that it had red mottled forehead, which looked like a flower, its ears were like rabbits hanging down to the back, and there was a necklace like hook jade around its neck.Eyes as warm as the sunset are staring at Changhao.

"stamp!"

Chang Hao, who was arguing with the monster in front of him, heard someone calling him, and when he looked up, he saw Zhang Zi in his coat. He immediately stood up, picked up the stationery and walked to Zhang Zi.

"Where are you going?"

"Well, Aunt Lian wants to eat dried peaches, and I'm going to the market to buy them."

Zhang Zi replied with a smile, but seeing that the monster was still there, she blinked and asked.

"Who is that creature?"

"Ah...youkai that came out of nowhere."

"Really, Changho, can you see monsters?"

Seeing Chang Hao shaking his head, Zhang Zi let out a breath for some reason.When he saw the question in Changhao's hand, he asked worriedly.

"Calligraphy, too?"

Chang Hao shrugged his shoulders and sighed deeply, but he also thought that Zhang Zi was going out alone today, and there was no Aunt Xue or Junzi by his side, so he couldn't let Zhang Zi go to the market alone.

"Zhang Zi, it's too dangerous for you to go out alone, let me go with you!"

As for Chang Hao, who has no power to see ghosts, Zhang Zi can't refuse, after all, he can't see Xue Ling at the moment.Just when he was about to ask the monster if he was going with him, he turned his head and there was already an empty space.

"Ara, where was that little monster just now? Seeing that you chatted so well, I wanted to invite it to go with me."

"Forget about it, let's go."

"Um."

I don't know if it's a habit over the years or what, whenever Chang Hao and her go, their hands are always held together.Now is no exception, Zhang Zi looks at their holding hands all the way, I don't know if this habit is good or bad.

"Hooho~ You're so loving early in the morning~"

Xue Ling's voice rang in her ears, Zhang Zi's thoughts were interrupted, her face instantly felt the temperature rise, she retorted softly.

"That's not true! Xue Ling, don't talk nonsense!"

Xu Shi accidentally didn't control the strength. Chang Hao felt that Zhang Zi was holding his hand a little too hard, thinking she was uncomfortable and asked worriedly.

"Zhang Zi, is there something uncomfortable?"

"Eh? Ah, ah! No, no!"

Zhang Ziqi was a little stunned at the beginning, but he shook his head immediately when he realized it. Seeing that Changhao was worried about her health after hearing her answer like this, he turned his head after giving a warning, and she softly blamed Xue Ling who was still giggling.

Along the way, Chang Hao and Zhang Zi were talking about what happened recently, but what surprised Zhang Zi was that Chang Hao talked about monsters today, which he would not talk about in normal words.But Chang Hao, who didn't know that Zhang Zi had spiritual power, just said so, and Zhang Zi just laughed beside him without saying a word.

Arriving at the market, looking at the crowd in front of the stall, Zhang Zi led Changhao skillfully around the crowd to a stall, smiled at the woman and told her how much dried peaches he wanted, and paid for it when he got it , took out a dried peach from the paper bag and put it in front of Changhao.Chang Hao looked at the dried peaches in front of him, and lost his mind for a moment while looking at the smiling Zhang Zi.

"Changhao? Don't you want to eat? The dried peaches in this family are delicious."

"Eh, no! I want to eat!"

Chang Hao opened his mouth and ate the dried peaches handed over by Zhang Zi. After chewing for a while, he found that the insides were not lightly sweet after being sun-dried, but as sweet as honey, and the taste of peaches was fully displayed inside.Seeing that Chang Hao liked it very much, Zhang Zi smiled and put another paper bag in Chang Hao's hand.

"I heard that peaches have the effect of exorcising evil spirits. I hope it can be effective for you."

"Ah, um! Thank you, Zhangzi."

Chang Hao took the paper bag carefully, then took Zhang Zi's hand very naturally and sent her home.

When Chang Hao returned home, he was staring at the paper bag in a daze. It was not the first time he had received such a gift. He carefully collected or tasted the things Zhang Zi gave him.He knew that Zhang Zi was not as simple as a childhood sweetheart to him, he just wanted to be with Zhang Zi, and wanted to be together for a long time, so he knew that Zhang Zi was learning calligraphy and piano skills.Since he doesn't have the power to see ghosts now, he also needs to protect her in other places.

——No matter what happens, I will protect Zhang Zi.Promise!

--Um!Don't forget!

What he thought of when he closed his eyes was the agreement under the sunset at that time, he always remembered it, never forgot it.

The author has something to say: this is probably the end of the childhood chapters, maybe there will be in the future

Then it's probably time to step into the plot now!