December 24th is known as Christmas Eve, on this day, people either go home to reunite with their loved ones, or meet some friends and friends to get together for a party, and this custom has long been not limited to Europe and the United States.

01

Twenty-five-year-old Tsunayoshi Sawada sat behind his desk and breathed a sigh of relief as he faced the mountain of documents that was getting shorter.

Every year on December 24, Christmas Eve, there is always a great feast in the family, a custom that has been passed down since the reign of Penglie I, according to Reborn.

Today, all members of the family, whether the Guardian or the family members in general, will take a break from their complicated or trivial work to prepare for the banquet that the whole family will attend tonight in order to prepare for the upcoming Christmas.

The kitchen has been busy since dawn, and the lobby where the banquet is held is already full of family members.

Although these Mafia members, who usually wear suits and leather shoes, are still wearing neat and well-fitting suits at the moment, the objects they are holding in their hands have been removed from gunsWeapons and boxes were turned into colored stripes and pendants for decorating the room.

The tall fir trees that had been cut down from the forest this morning had been moved indoors, and the pleasant smell permeated the damp air.

The fir tree hasn't been decorated yet, but in a few hours, the tree will be covered with all sorts of ornaments.

But in contrast to the family's enthusiasm for the annual feast, Tsunayoshi Sawada, who had not slept all night in his office, felt that his back was aching now—not that he had done any intense exercise, but that he had been sitting in an office chair all night, causing him to be stiff at the moment.

It must have been very difficult for him to get up later.

By the time Tsunyoshi Sawada had finished processing the last documents before the banquet and tomorrow's Christmas holiday, it was already close to noon.

Sawada Tsunayoshi stretched out his hand to hammer his waist, and just as he was lamenting in his heart that he had been sitting in the office for many years and was about to get some occupational diseases that were completely incompatible with Mafia, his tutor came out of nowhere, staring at him with dark eyes and an innocent expression.

The training he received from his tutor when he was a student made Sawada Tsunayoshi subconsciously scream bad after seeing the other party's expression.

He didn't even need to be super-intuitively around to help him guess what the hell his governess was up to.

- Leave him alone, he's just an ordinary Mafia leader.

"It's the last day of the year to finish these papers," Reborn tilted his head, the little baby who had been doing so for ten years still had the same innocent expression, but if he was really as innocent as he looked......

It is impossible to live to this day.

This point, whether it is Jumping Madino, who will be there in a while, or Sawada Tsunayoshi, who is sitting at the desk at the moment with a sore back and even his neck is a little unable to turn, he is deeply touched.

Sawada Tsunakishi, who was speechless to refute - and knew that it would not do anything but make Reborn worse, remained silent, and after a long while, the Penglie Tenth Generation, who had still grown a lot in ten years, finally spoke:

"This year's banquet, Miss Jian Wen and her companions will also come to attend."

"It's the eloquent young lady," Reborn hadn't had much contact with Funakami before, but had heard something about her from Tsunayoshi Sawada and some of the other family members.

To put it simply, the lady named Minu Funaka, who claims to be the leader of the Corazzata family, has two weapons.

And these two weapons make her so different in a world where rings and crate weapons – or simply put, Dead Flame – are the dominant weapons......

— and wonderful.

By the way, the two killer features of Zhou Jian Wen are fire||Cannons and mouth cannons.

"Miss Ken Min, she ......" Sawada Tsunayoshi subconsciously wanted to defend the lady who had helped him a lot, but when the words came to his lips, he suddenly realized that there was nothing wrong with Reborn's words.

Because Zhou Jian Wen is indeed able to speak well.

As if seeing through his student's thoughts, Reborn couldn't help but sneer, but compared to his naivety that still existed after ten years, only slightly improved, his super-intuition became more reliable.

This is also the reason why Reborn has not made any moves against the boat for a long time.

On the one hand, the gentlemanly style will not allow him to rashly do anything to a lady, and on the other hand, ...... It is that he trusts the judgment of his students.

After getting along with his teacher for so long, Tsunayoshi Sawada now understands some of Reborn's intentions better than he did back then-the other party is not too obsessed with Minu Funakami's side, and in the final analysis, he still trusts his own judgment.

It's just that Sawada Tsunayoshi at this moment is actually more concerned about another matter than the problem of Zhou Jian Min.

"If I'm not mistaken, I'll be attending the party this year...... "Penglie's annual Christmas party is open to all family members, and none of the guardians can escape.

A few years ago, because of some things that everyone understands, there was no intention in the family to hold a banquet of this scale - if I really want to say that the last time such a large Christmas dinner was held, it would have been many years ago.

At that time, Kyoya Skylark excused himself from the banquet on the grounds that he "wouldn't get together", but in the end, he was abducted by Dino for some reason.

The problem is that during that gathering, the Rokudo Skeleton had jumped out several times with the help of Cullom's power to make trouble - and when the lark Kyoya, who was already impatient to gather, and the Rokudo Skeleton, who was keen to make trouble, came together......

Tsunayoshi Sawada suddenly felt that he was about to contract the old problem of his friend Shoichi Irie's stomach pain.

As for this year...... When he received the notice of the banquet, Liudaoji once said very arrogantly that he was not Mafia and would not attend Mafia's party, but he didn't know who persuaded him, and he suddenly jumped around the headquarters in the past few days......

It's like a primary school student before the spring outing.

As for the lark Kyoya who doesn't like to gather in groups...... This year, I will probably still be abducted by Dino.

Even if Dino fails...... Isn't there still a Reborn who loves to watch the excitement more than the trouble-loving Liudaoji!

Sawada Tsunayoshi believes that Reborn definitely has 10,000 ways to kidnap Kyoya Skylark without making Kyoya Skylark feel any impatience - in terms of the degree of blackness, Reborn is the first.

"yes," Reborn replied in a brisk tone, as if to see what his students were struggling with, "and the lark is sure to be attending the banquet this year." ”

…… Ah, did you really convince the lark?

"Wait, what about Balian?" Tsunakichi Sawada, who had already buried his face on the table, suddenly seemed to remember something, and then sat up straight suddenly, "Will the people of Balian also come?" ”

“…… I said it was to see that you were unhappy," Reborn paused maliciously, and just as Tsunayoshi Sawada, who was happy to be hated by Balian, breathed a sigh of relief, he added the second half of the sentence, "So they're going to come over and make trouble." ”

Tsunakichi Sawada: ".................."

He felt his stomach hurt even more.

"And Miss Ken will also attend the banquet this year......" Thinking of the little grudge between Funaka and Balian—in fact, it was friction—Sawada Tsunayoshi couldn't help but stretch out his hands to cover his face.

At this moment, he only hopes that the night can come later.

>>>>>

02

At this moment, the night of Sifeng Courtyard hopes that the night can come earlier.

She sat bored in the team building of the second team, fart||The low chair under the thighs was as soft as ever, and she held the stirring rod in her right hand and her teacup in her left hand, stirring the opaque liquid inside, but thinking about tonight's party.

If only the night had come earlier.

Feeling that today's Lingting Court is still beautiful and peaceful, Sifeng Yuan yawned at night, and then she seemed to think of something, and suddenly drank the milk tea in the cup, then wiped her mouth and got up and walked towards the door.

"Lord Night, where are you going?"

Clearly sensing her captain's impatience, Broken Bee was already restless about how to deal with the problem, but before she could think of a solution, she saw that her captain had already gotten up and walked towards the gate.

"Team Liuban," Sifeng Yuan Yaichi yawned again, and then waved his hand casually with his back to his vice-captain, "I'll go play with Junior Brother Hakuya." ”

The thirteen team houses of the thirteen teams of the Guardian Court are located in various locations in the Soul Court, but this distance is really nothing for the night of the Sifeng Temple, which is known as the "Instant God".

Using the telekinesis as a specialty, the Sifeng Yuan came to the team building of the Liuban team in a short time.

The captain's Oki is in the Soul Court - at least in the interior of the Thirteenth Team of the Guardian Court is the best pass, as soon as he saw the captain Haori marked with the word "two" behind Yoichi, and then looked at Yoichi's cold expression in front of outsiders, the members of the Rokuban team basically retreated.

What happened to the Noble Exclusive Team?

He is the real head of the five nobles!

"White little ...... Ahem, where is Captain Kuchigi now? Thinking about the things that the juniors he valued and the face, Sifeng Yuan used a dry cough to cover up his title because it was too smooth.

The members of the Sixth Team didn't dare to say anything in the face of the Night One of the Four Maple Courtyards - even if they ignored her status as the head of the family as one of the five nobles, the other party was still the captain of the Second Team.

Where is their presence that they can beak at will?

"Captain, he is in the captain's room now, the captain of the Sifeng Academy," Bi respectfully replied to Yeyi's inquiry, and the team member faced the only two female captains in the thirteenth team of the court, but felt that he was suppressed by the other party's aura and did not dare to gasp.

Obviously, the other party didn't do anything.

"Oh, yes," Ye nodded after receiving the response, and after casually saying "thank you", he walked towards the captain's room of the Rokuban team.

The overall style of the Rokuban team, which is the exclusive team of the nobility, is completely different from the second team - but this is nothing, after all, none of the thirteen teams of the thirteenth team of the Guardian Court team are similar in style.

Walked to the door of the captain's room of the Rokuban team.,After feeling the spiritual pressure of only Kuchigi Hakuya in the room.,Yaichi opened the door directly.。

"Yo, little brother Baiya, I'm here to play with you."

Kuchigi Hakuya, who was originally reviewing the documents, really didn't notice Yoichi's arrival, after all, when Yaichi deliberately restrained the spiritual pressure and footsteps, it was extremely difficult for Kuchigi Hakuya to discover her existence.

Hearing the familiar voice that could be called the shadow of his childhood, Kuchigi Hakuya's hand, which was originally reviewing the official documents, was stunned, and the fingers holding the brush tightened, and he almost pinched off the brush in his hand that was made by a famous artist.

“…… It's working time, Captain Simaplein. ”

Ever since he entered the thirteenth team of the Imperial Court, he was born with a fiery temper, but he loves to pretend to be paralyzed in front of people, and in the eyes of Yeyi, he has become completely uncute.

But she also found a new way to tease herself, a younger generation who has watched her grow up since she was a child.

Teasing Kuchigi Hakuya, who has now completely turned into an iceberg after all of us, is obviously more challenging and fun than removing a hair tie that turns Kuchigi Hakuya from a pseudo-iceberg into an active volcano.

"I'm off work in a quarter of an hour."

"Then it's also work time, Captain Sifeng."

looked at the young man in front of him who used to be a "cat demon" as soon as he saw her, and now he has grown into a rigid young man who is a "captain of Sifeng Academy...... Sifengyuan felt that he had become more rigid and boring......

I wanted to tease him even more.

"Yes," Yeyi raised an eyebrow, a pair of round cat-eyes staring maliciously at Yeyi in front of her, who was still working on documents as if she didn't exist, "Then I'll wait here for you to get off work." ”

"White, yay, little, brother."

Bang Bang –

A clear cracking sound was particularly obvious in this room filled with two captain-level spiritual pressures.

In the end, he couldn't help but pinch off the well-made brush in his hand, and his face did not change, and he casually threw the brush in his hand into the trash can placed at the foot of the table, and by the way, he threw it in, along with the completely destroyed document in his hand.

By the way, in the process, he didn't raise his head from beginning to end to look at Sifengyuan who was sitting on the sofa.

……

"It's great that you're here to help," said Shiba Satsuru, who was able to come over in advance to help check the room for the party later, even though it was the maids' job to prepare the ingredients and drinks.

Zhiba Kuzuru, who was not inferior to his brother at all, smiled, and put the wine jar in his hand and the appetizers he brought on the table, "What are you talking about, and I don't look at what kind of friendship we have." ”

Zhou Jian Wen nodded with a smile, and then instructed the maid of the Zhenzhou family to bring tea to Shiba Konghe.

But where does the tea satisfy Shiba Kuzuru? She casually put the cigarette stick in her hand aside, and her eyes began to drift to the wine jar on the table, "You said we should drink it first?" ”

"Forget it," Zhou Jian pushed the plate containing the pastry in front of Sora Tsuru, "If you drink it now, I'm afraid there will be no more wine when they come." ”

“…… Feed! ”

……

When she received the invitation from her revered vice-captain and Sanxi, Rukia Kuchigi was genuinely afraid.

She repeatedly confirmed the other party's contents, and after receiving a clear answer from Shiba with a smile, she finally realized that it was not her own momentary auditory hallucination.

"But, elder brother, he ......"

Subconsciously wanted to nod and accept the invitation, but as soon as she thought of her cold-faced brother-in-law, Rukia's heart began to straighten up.

"It's okay, it's okay, I'll talk about it for you," Haiyan put her arm around Rukia's head, and said in her usual hearty tone when she didn't hurt the other party, "It's really not okay, and then you can let someone inform him." ”

If Yonichi succeeds, he may not have to go at all.

The vice-captain, who had always trusted him, and knowing that the other party—even the captain of the second team, the captain of the fourth maple-in team, and the captain of the twelfth-team, and his brother and elder had been friends for many years, Rukia Kuchigi finally nodded after hesitating for a moment.

However, when she followed Zhibo Haiyan and his wife all the way to the mansion of the Mashu family, she was a little confused.

"Ah, don't worry, every time we meet, it's at Jianwen's house."

Casually explaining to Rukia, who was attending their party for the first time, Haiyan walked to the meeting place with her hands in her hand after the servants of the Mashu family welcomed them into the mansion.

"Yes...... Is it really Lord Zhoujian? ”

As one of the five nobles, the Zhenzhou family also has a collateral lineage, so just from the "Qingyun Zhaoshui Octagonal Pattern" that belongs to the Zhenzhou family printed on the outer wall, it is not necessarily possible to tell which one of the Zhenzhou family belongs to this mansion.

But the real boat family is called the adult of Jianwen...... There is only the head of the Zhenzhou family, Zhenzhou Jianwen.

This name Rukia Kuchigi is not unfamiliar, after all, the other party is the current head of the family, one of the five nobles, and the former captain of the Juban team. Although she doesn't often appear in everyone's eyes now, her presence should not be underestimated.

"Yes," Haiyan didn't wonder why Rukia knew about Zhou Jianwen, who had retired before she joined the Thirteenth Team of the Imperial Court—after all, the little girl was now also a member of the Kuchiki family, and these things were considered basic common knowledge among the nobles.

However, when Rukia followed the petrels indoors, she was stunned by what she saw.

The room was already full of people, and one of them, a strange woman dressed in a homely kimono that Rukia Kuchigi had never seen before, was unsurprisingly the head of the Mafune family, and besides her......

There is also Captain Yoichi of Shikaedein of the second team, Captain Kisuke Urahara of the Twelfth team, and ......

"Brother?"

Rukia Kuchigi exclaimed, and then, as if realizing something, quickly reached out and covered her mouth - this little girl whose nature was incomparably heroic and not inferior to that of a boy was like a mouse seeing a cat when she saw her cold-faced brother-in-law.

Kuchigi Hakuya obviously didn't expect to see his righteous sister here, but the reason for this actually doesn't need to be thought about, just look at the person who is with his righteous sister, and he already understands the reason.

Maintaining his usual coldness, just nodding in response to Rukia's greetings, Hakuya Kuchigi had just withdrawn his gaze from Rukia's body when he found that he had been surrounded by Yoichi Shikaedein and Shiba Haiyan.

"Don't be so cold, little brother Bai Zai."

"That's right, that's right, Rukia is also your sister, how can there be a brother who is so cold to his sister?"

"Haiyan is right! Punish you with three glasses! ”

"That's right! Three cups! ”

Rukia Kuchigi watched in amazement as her cold and serious elder brother was surrounded by Lord Sifengyuan and Lord Haiyan, and the cup full of wine was directly handed to his mouth, with the intention that he would pour it down if he didn't drink it.

Shiba and Shiba on the side were already surprised by this, and they pressed Rukia to the table and started talking.

Faced with such a scene, Rukia Kuchigi looked confused and didn't know what to do to react, when she heard a gentle voice sounding from her side.

"You're Hakuya's sister-in-law, Miss Rukia,"

"Yes, yes, Mashu-sama."

The look of sincerity and fear is really different from what Zhou Jian Wen knows, but considering that it was Kuchigi Hakuya who adopted the little girl, and the Kuchigi family is such an atmosphere, everyone can understand.

"You don't have to be so reserved, the people present and Bai Ya are also old acquaintances," Zhou Jianwen motioned to the little girl to relax, "It's okay to call us by name, we don't really like to be called by our last names." ”

Rukia felt that this was completely different from the education of the Kuchigi family, especially the style of her brother.

Aristocrat...... Especially if the big nobles should not value their surnames more?

As if seeing Rukia's confusion, Zhou Jian Min just smiled and said, "That's why I cherish my partner who can call me by my name even more." ”

The meaningful words made Rukia Kuchigi seem to understand or not, she nodded blankly, and Zhou Jian Wen didn't say anything when she saw this, but just said a few words to attract the attention of the people who turned into a noisy mess as soon as they entered the house.

After discovering that everyone's eyes were looking at him, Zhou Jian Min held the wine glass and raised it slightly-

"Actually, I don't know what to say, so let's toast to this beautiful moment."

Anyway, there was no need for a high-sounding reason to drink, and the others also picked up their glasses after hearing Zhou Jianwen's words, and several white porcelain wine glasses collided with each other, making a pleasant sound.

At the same time, everyone's response sounded -

"Cheers!"