The morning sun, filtering through the gaps in the blinds, cast dappled light spots on the room's floor.
Jaden sat up from his bed, feeling an indescribable awkwardness throughout his body.
He rubbed his still-sleepy eyes, fragments of last night's bizarre dream lingering in his mind—a big tree, sunlight, and Marinette...
"Good morning, Master."
A timid, tiny voice sounded from the bedside. It was Duusu.
The indigo-blue kwami was already awake, hovering in mid-air, looking at him curiously with its big, watery eyes.
Jaden smiled at it, got out of bed, and began to wash up and get dressed.
He dipped his toothbrush, already squeezed with toothpaste, into water, while staring blankly at himself in the mirror.
The young man in the mirror had slightly upturned black hair and clear eyes, looking no different than usual. But only he knew about that dream...
"Master, did you... have a bad dream?"
Duusu cautiously flew to his side, asking worriedly, "Your face... it looks like something's wrong."
Jaden rinsed his mouth with clear water, spat out the foam, and then wiped his face with a towel.
He looked at the face in the mirror, still bearing a hint of confusion, and said helplessly to Duusu: "A dream... I don't know if it was a good dream or a nightmare."
The dream was too real.
Originally, he had only dreamed of sitting under a huge, leafy tree.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, warm and pleasant. Then, Marinette appeared.
In the dream, she was completely different from the girl in reality who would blush, stutter, and become flustered the moment she saw him.
She walked up to him confidently, a warm and radiant smile on her face.
She sat down naturally beside him, and even... even intimately linked her arm through his.
What made him feel most awkward was the address.
"Roni."
That address, like a stone thrown into the lake of his heart, stirred up circles of strange ripples.
It was full of intimacy, full of dependence, full of... an unreserved warmth he had never felt from Marinette in reality.
Jaden shook his head, trying to shake off that unreal feeling.
He attributed it all to too many recent events, leading to a waking preoccupation that manifested in his dreams.
He prepared breakfast for Duusu—several delicate, delicious-looking French biscuits, placed on a special small plate.
"Alright, Duusu,"
He adjusted his collar and said to the little kwami, who was sitting at the table, happily munching on biscuits, "I have an appointment today.
You can stay home. If you want to watch something, you can turn on the TV and learn more about this world.
If you want to eat anything, you can tell me first, and I'll buy it all for you when I get back."
"Wow! Really?"
Duusu's eyes instantly lit up. It excitedly spun in a circle in the air, then began to enthusiastically list food items, "I want that... that bread with red jam! And that... that little cake with cream and fruit! And also..."
"Okay, okay, I'll buy it all for you," Jaden said with a smile, then opened the door and walked out.
The moment the door closed, Duusu let out a cheer. It hugged a biscuit larger than itself and pressed the remote control's power button with its tiny hand.
The TV screen lit up, showing the morning news. It watched with relish, still savoring the warm connection it had shared with its Master through the dream last night.
It didn't know who the girl who met its Master in the dream was.
But that emotional resonance filled it with immense peace and joy... And just as Jaden left, preparing to head to the agreed-upon meeting place with Rose and Juleka.
At the other end, in the cozy attic above the Dupain-Cheng bakery, another chaotic morning was just beginning.
Marinette suddenly woke up from her dream.
Sunlight had already streamed through the skylight, illuminating the entire room. She blinked a little dazedly, her mind still lingering on last night's wonderful dream, which she hadn't wanted to wake from.
How... how did it get light so quickly? Was that dream too short?
She still wanted... she still wanted to spend more time with "Roni"...
She stretched lazily, a little reluctantly, and was about to get up when suddenly,
Something was wrong... Her sleepiness, in that instant, was completely dispelled.
"Marinette,"
Tikki, sleeping not far from her pillow, also rubbed its eyes and woke up.
It sniffed the strange smell in the air with its tiny nose, then said in a curious tone, "Ah, Marinette, did you wet your pants?"
"Boom—"
Tikki's words exploded in Marinette's mind like a clap of thunder.
Her face, at a visible speed, changed from pink to crimson, and finally, to the deep red of a ripe tomato.
This... this was definitely not wetting her pants!
After Alya's half-understood "love education" gleaned from various teen magazines, plus last night's wonderfully real dream that still made her heart race...
She instantly understood that she... she had... had a wet dream! And... and also...
"Ah ah ah ah!"
She let out a silent scream, suddenly wrapping herself from head to toe in her blanket, like a startled ostrich, wishing she could dig a hole in the bed and crawl into it immediately.
What to do? What to do? How was she going to explain this to Mom and Dad?
No! Absolutely not! How could something like this possibly be explained clearly?!
She frantically threw off the blanket, her mind blank.
Her only thought was—she had to hide the bedsheet! Immediately! Right now!
But... how to hide it? Mom came up every day to help her tidy the room. Such a large bedsheet, wouldn't it be immediately obvious?
Just as she was fretting like an ant on a hot pan, downstairs, she heard the familiar footsteps she least wanted to hear at that moment.
It was Mom!
"Marinette—" Sabine's gentle voice was coming from the staircase on the third floor, getting closer and closer,
"Even though it's the weekend today, you can't sleep in. Get up quickly, Dad baked your favorite croissants."
"Mom! Don't come up!"
Marinette almost instinctively cried out in panic.
The footsteps on the stairs paused.
"What's wrong, honey?" Sabine's voice held a hint of confusion and concern, "Is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"N-no! I'm fine! I'll get up right away! You... you go downstairs first!"
Marinette's voice became high-pitched and thin with nervousness.
However, her words only aroused Sabine's suspicion further.
With a "click," the floor hatch leading to the attic was pushed open from below.
Sabine's gentle and beautiful face appeared at the top of the stairs.
She immediately saw her daughter still curled up in bed, tightly wrapped in her blanket, her face filled with panic.
"Honey,"
Sabine walked up the stairs with concern, came to her bedside, and reached out to touch her forehead, "What's wrong with you? Did you have a nightmare? Why is your face so red?"
"Y-yes! I... I had a nightmare! A very, very scary nightmare!"
Marinette stammered incoherently, instinctively shrinking back,
"So... so Mom, could you... please go downstairs first? I want... I want to be alone for a while."
Sabine looked at her daughter, who was so nervous she was almost crying, and then at the blanket she was desperately holding down, a hint of understanding flashing in her eyes.
She didn't get any closer, but just stood by the bed, and said slowly in an even gentler tone than before:
"Marinette, you... should go to the bathroom first, take a good shower, and change into clean clothes."
Marinette was stunned.
"As for... the bedsheet problem,"
Sabine's face showed an understanding, slightly smiling expression, "Put all the clothes that need washing in the laundry basket. Mom will take care of it for you."
After she finished speaking, she said no more, only smiled gently at her daughter, then turned and walked back down the stairs.
"Tom," she returned to the third-floor living room and said to her husband, who was busy in the kitchen, "Our daughter... has grown up."
Hearing her parents' hushed, yet still faintly audible conversation downstairs, Marinette felt her brain had completely crashed.
She covered her head with the blanket and rolled around on the bed in shame.
"Ah ah ah ah ah! This is too embarrassing! I'd rather just die!"
"It's okay, Marinette."
Tikki flew to her ear, rubbing her cheek with its tiny body, comforting her, "Girls... these are all very normal physiological phenomena. Your mom understands you."
"But… but this is too embarrassing!" Marinette's voice came muffled from under the covers. "Mom knows, and…!"
"But? Marinette, look at yourself now. Isn't this even more embarrassing?"
Tikki hovered in mid-air, pointing its tiny finger at the duvet wrapped around Marinette like a spring roll, then at the bedsheets, which she had rumpled into a chaotic mess.
"Ah—"
Marinette let out a shriek of mortified anguish, finally resignedly climbing out of bed.
For the next hour, the entire attic was like a battlefield after a small storm.
Marinette rushed into the bathroom with unprecedented, frantic yet efficient speed, showered, changed clothes, then, like a thief, bundled the 'evidence' bedsheet and her changed pajamas into a ball, stuffing them into the very bottom of the laundry basket, even covering them with several clean clothes.
After all this, she slumped onto the chair, panting, feeling as if she had fought a war.
Just as she was still shaken, Alya's characteristic, vibrant voice came from downstairs.
"Hello, Uncle and Auntie!"
Immediately followed by a "thump-thump-thump" of footsteps ascending the stairs. Before Marinette could react, the trapdoor leading to the attic was flung open with a "bang."
Alya's face, etched with "extreme urgency," appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Marinette! It's bad! Something big has happened!"
"Wh-What is it?" Marinette was startled by her flustered appearance, subconsciously thinking her embarrassing secret had been discovered, and her heart skipped a beat.
"Not you! It's them! Juleka and Rose! They're eloping!"
Alya practically shoved her phone into Marinette's face.
"Eloping? What do you mean?" Marinette took the phone, looking bewildered.
On the screen was a photo. The background of the photo was the Seine River, and a houseboat named "The Liberty."
The main character of the photo was none other than Jaden. He stood on the bank, a gentle smile on his face, seemingly conversing with someone on the boat.
And on the deck of that boat stood several people.
Marinette immediately recognized Rose in her cute pink dress, and Juleka, in Gothic style, looking down.
But beside them stood a woman who appeared unusually agitated, and a handsome young man with short blue hair, who was trying to calm the woman down.
"This… Is there a problem?" Marinette looked at the photo, still completely confused.
To her, it was just an ordinary photo of friends gathering on a weekend.
"My silly girl! There's a huge problem!" Alya was practically dying of exasperation with her clueless best friend. She zoomed in on the photo, pointing at the other two people on the boat,
"Look! This woman with red glasses and short gray hair is Anarka! Juleka's mother!
The one next to her, holding a guitar and trying to console her with a helpless expression, is Luka! Juleka's brother! Can't you see it?!"
"See… see what?"
"Oh my goodness!" Alya clutched her forehead, letting out a pained groan.
She felt like she wasn't being a love guru for her best friend, but rather explaining complex calculus to a kindergarten child.
"Oh my goodness, Marinette, can't you see it?!"
She took a deep breath and began to analyze the "plot and scheme" for her in the simplest, most direct language: "This is a setup! A series of schemes!
Listen carefully—first, Rose used her illness (though she really was sick) as an excuse to successfully arrange to meet Jaden!
Then, under the pretext of 'visiting her good friend Juleka,' she naturally brought Jaden to Juleka's home—which is this boat!
And then? Meeting the parents! Look at Anarka's expression; although she's emotional, it could be the look of a mother-in-law seeing her future son-in-law!
And look at Luka's expression; he's clearly trying to calm his overprotective mother down!
This is a meticulously planned 'meeting the parents' scheme! If this continues, by the time Jaden gets off the boat, he and Juleka might already be an item!
By then, your chances… will be completely ruined, girl!"
Alya's words were like a heavy hammer, each word striking Marinette's heart with force.
"Wh-What?!"
Marinette's body swayed abruptly, losing her footing and almost falling directly from the chair. She fumbled to grab the table, steadying herself.
The color drained from her face, and her blue eyes were filled with shock, panic, and… a never-before-seen determination.
"No… Absolutely not!" She suddenly lifted her head, her eyes burning with fierce fighting spirit. "They absolutely cannot succeed!"
"That's more like it!" Alya patted her shoulder with satisfaction. "So, now… do you know what to do?"
"Yes!" Marinette nodded heavily, clenching her fists. "We… must go over… and disrupt… no! Stop them!"
The two girls exchanged glances, seeing burning flames in each other's eyes.
They quickly tidied their attire, checked their bags, and then, like two brave female warriors about to rush into battle, they stormed down from the attic with formidable momentum.
Destination—"The Liberty" houseboat!
...Meanwhile, in the vast and empty, concert hall-like room of the Agreste Mansion.
Adrien sat at the black grand piano. His slender fingers danced across the keys, playing a series of fluid notes.
However, on his handsome face, there was no trace of musical joy; instead, it was filled with obvious frustration and suppression.
Gabriel stood not far from the piano, his hands clasped behind his back.
Nathalie stood behind him like a silent shadow.
To Adrien, the piano music might have sounded smooth, but to Gabriel's extremely discerning ears, it was full of flaws—every note seemed to be covered in a layer of dust, lacking the proper luster and emotion.
Finally, the piece ended. Silence returned to the room, with only the piano's lingering echoes still reverberating in the air.
Just then, Adrien's phone in his pocket rang at an inopportune moment.
Adrien's body stiffened abruptly. He instinctively glanced at his father first.
Seeing that his father's icy face seemed unchanged by the sudden ringtone, he then cautiously took out his phone from his pocket.
The screen displayed the caller—Nino.
"Hello, Nino, is something wrong?" He pressed the answer button, his voice very low.
"Hey, buddy!"
From the other end of the phone, Nino's energetic, loud voice immediately came through: "Hey, buddy! Today's the weekend! Do you have any plans? Come out and play games with us! Max just downloaded an awesome new multiplayer battle game! We're just waiting for you!"
Before Adrien could answer, Kim's voice came from the phone: "Yeah, yeah! Adrien! Come on! We're three short!"
Following that was Max's voice, with a hint of electronic distortion: "Data analysis shows that with your participation, our win rate can increase by 42.8%. Adrien, we need you."
Hearing his friends' enthusiastic invitations, the thick, 'disappointing' gloom on Adrien's face seemed to be instantly blown away.
A genuine, longing smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"I…"
Just as he was about to agree, the corner of his eye caught sight of his father's figure, standing like a statue not far away.
His smile instantly froze.
He quickly covered the phone's microphone with his hand, turned around, and whispered to Gabriel in an almost pleading tone: "Father… Today is the weekend, I… can I go out with my friends… for a while?"
"Your friends?" Gabriel's voice was so flat that no emotion could be discerned.
"Yes, Father." Adrien nodded quickly. "It's… Nino, Kim, and Max…"
Gabriel did not answer immediately. He just quietly looked at his son, his deep blue eyes showing no sign of happiness or anger.
The atmosphere in the room was so oppressive it was suffocating.
After a long pause, he slowly spoke, asking a question completely unrelated to the friends' invitation:
"Do you think the Chopin piece you just played was up to standard?"