I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 179 My niece is just a shield!
Some things are hard to explain, so I simply don't bother explaining them.

Kiyono Mizuki never expected that a man could be so reckless about something like this. No, it wasn't recklessness; it was just a joke.

There is no such thing!
They even took advantage of my disability, saying I couldn't catch up with them, and went to the kitchen to cook in the blink of an eye.

What do you mean, this isn't a mosquito bite, it's a hickey?
Are you trying to give me a science lesson?!

Gen Tsukino couldn't be said to be fearless, after all, he was an honest man, how could he lie to people so easily? As for whether the other party would feel wronged, Gen Tsukino thought that the grievance of losing both legs in an accident should be much more painful than such a thing.

It wasn't really desensitization therapy; it was just a preventative measure, letting her know clearly that helping her and curing her had absolutely nothing to do with whether he was a good man or not.

After cooking and serving the dishes, I saw Kiyono Mizuki sitting on the sofa, looking at her phone with a gloomy expression.

He didn't even look up when he heard the noise.

Gen Tsukino walked over and stood in front of her.

Kiyono Mitsuki turned her head away, deliberately ignoring him.

So the boy took another step forward, his entire waist and abdomen almost touching the other person's face. There was no way to ignore it then.

Who wouldn't be anxious if a gun was pointed at them?

The girl leaned back in shame and anger, then looked up and shouted, "What are you doing?! Harassing me, huh?!"

Tsukino Gen looked at her amusedly, "Are you still angry?"

Kiyono Mizuki scoffed, "Why would I be angry? What right do I have to be angry with my brother? You saved my life, so it would be ungrateful of me to be angry."

Where did this Lin Daiyu come from?

Gen Tsukino nodded. "Good to know. Come and eat."

Qingye Mizue:? ? ?
"I will not eat!"

"Why aren't you eating?"

"Not hungry."

"Oh."

The boy squatted down in front of the other person and then pulled open his collar.

"Look."

Although Kiyono Mizuki was reluctant to obey the other party's orders at this time, she still looked over. Besides seeing the beautiful lines of the boy's neck, she also noticed that the place that should have had a rosy mark was now clean and white.

The so-called traces seemed to have never appeared; they were merely my own illusions.

Logically speaking, this thing shouldn't disappear so quickly.
"This is.?"

Kiyono looked at the boy with a puzzled expression, then a strange sense of joy welled up inside her. Could it be that she had misunderstood?
"The hickey disappeared all at once?"

"Then this is"

"It's a lipstick mark."

"."

Kiyono Mizuki lunged forward, swinging her fist.

"I SHATTERED YOU!!"

Because of her leg injury, the girl's movement was indeed a lunge, relying entirely on her own center of gravity, since she couldn't really move forward even if she wanted to.

So even though he looked fierce, once Tsukino Gen opened his arms, the girl was like a moth drawn to a flame, automatically falling into the boy's embrace.

Then Tsukino Gen picked her up, and Kiyono Mizuki, who was still refusing to let go, blushed.

"let me go!"

She waved her little fists and pounded on the boy's back in an irregular manner.

Actually, she didn't feel much pain; she simply couldn't bring herself to hit him hard. Unlike some girls in real life who, when something happens, treat their boyfriends like enemies and beat them up badly.

That's not flirting, that's just pure venting.

The boy gently placed her on the chair and looked at the girl's flushed face. "Alright, eat your food. Why are you getting so worked up over a couple of jokes?"

Kiyono Mizuki's eyes widened. "You really know how to joke. If you were even slightly ugly, you would never have a girlfriend in your life!"

That's the truth. After all, who would often make such risky jokes with a girl?

However, Kiyono Mizuki never considered that if he didn't look like this, would he still be the Tsukino Gen who made him both love and hate him?
The answer seems to be different again.

Gen Tsukino smiled nonchalantly, almost as if he were deliberately showing off.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it. I've grown up like this, so of course I should be a little more carefree. At least you'll have a better appetite when you see me eating, right?"

"Stop being so pretty!"

It really is.

It's a completely different experience from eating instant noodles alone at home. Besides the different food, there's also the effect of this boy.

Although he didn't put in much effort, he still managed to win the girl over.

After dinner, Kiyono Mizuki felt a little sleepy, so Tsukino Gen took her to her room and massaged her legs.

Feeling the energy within my own body.

He didn't pay much attention to her slender, delicate legs.

Although the spiritual energy I've accumulated over the past few days has fluctuated slightly due to the events I've encountered, it's still adding up little by little. While the transition from the third to the fourth level is much more difficult than from the second to the third, based on experience, I'm already more than halfway there.

It seems like it's time for something big to happen.

As for where this big meeting would be held, Tsukino Gen already had a plan.

Thinking about it this way, Bai Feng Hongye has already had quite a bit of time. Is that gray-haired young woman capable of doing it?

"Om."

Just as I was idly thinking like this, the phone suddenly rang.

Gen Tsukino glanced at the girl who had fallen into a light sleep under his massage, then released her, gently covered her with the air conditioning blanket, and quietly left the house.

He left Kiyono Mizuki's house and went straight to his room before answering the persistent phone call that hadn't been hung up yet.

"Hey, Miss Koyo."

The somewhat teasing address caused the other person to fall silent for a moment.

It was as if you could even hear the other person subtly adjusting their breathing.

Is now a convenient time to talk?

The other person appeared calm and cautious, unaffected by Tsukino Gen's flippant tone. However, this display of self-improvement seemed slightly contrived.

However, Tsukino Gen did not expose the other party's attempt to undermine their confidence.

"Convenient, what do you want to say?"

"During this period, I have had people investigate and find out most of the assets that Daigo Nakajima currently holds. There is still a portion that I cannot find out, but there is really nothing I can do about it."

The boy looked out the window at the sunlight falling quietly, and the leaves swayed gently in the summer breeze.

"That's normal. That part is definitely his last resort, so naturally he wouldn't let you find it out easily. But it doesn't matter. Whether he has a chance to make a comeback has never depended on these things."

"Then, through Representative Kitano, with whom we have always cooperated at the Hakukai Summit, we have conveyed our willingness to negotiate to Nakajima. Now it's up to them."

Upon hearing this, Tsukino Gen smiled. "That's a pretty good hand, but was it your own idea? Or did your aunt remind you?" There was another moment of silence on the other end.

Gen Tsukino thought she was probably quite unhappy right now, but there was nothing he could do. Mochizuki Miki was different from Shiramine Momiji. Due to her own circumstances, Mochizuki Miki had a somewhat disillusioned air about the world, and she wouldn't be so fixated on power.

But Shiramine Momiji was different; from her very first encounter with power, her ambition was already evident. Tsukino Gen could tolerate a somewhat intelligent puppet, but he never considered nurturing a tiger that would eventually threaten his own future.

As for the method Mochizuki Miki mentioned, was it even a method? It was simply a way for her niece to find a backer, a mutually exploitative deal. He had no interest in it whatsoever.

"It was my aunt who reminded me."

"That's very honest, but there really isn't a problem. So what did you want to say when you called today?"

"Perhaps...the meeting will take place in the next few days. I hope Mr. Tsukino can prepare accordingly. As I said before, as long as the matter is accomplished, I will keep my promise to you. However, I think Daigo Nakajima won't agree so easily, and even if he does, there will certainly be many harsh conditions for his personal safety. Have you considered these arrangements thoroughly?"

They even started to worry about whether they could perfectly fulfill all the promises they made.

But it's normal.

Perhaps from Shiramine Akane's perspective, this was a matter of life and death. There seemed to be no detailed plan, only a predetermined framework.

Because the more detailed the plan, the more likely there is to be unexpected events, so the correctness of the overall framework is even more important, at least to prevent failure due to one or two unexpected events.

As for Tsukino Gen's body
There was no pressure from beginning to end; it was simply time pushing the plot forward until this crucial juncture was finally reached. Or rather, he had been waiting for this for a long time, and this mess should have ended sooner rather than later.

"Don't worry, I prefer you sitting in this position to him. Just let me know when there are results."

"I understand, then I won't bother you any longer."

"Ah."

The boy hung up the phone.

Inside the Butterfly Water Courtyard.

The gray-haired woman was sitting in the tea room, looking at the rising steam in front of her and the mature woman sitting opposite her, seemingly brewing tea for her.

Even now, Shiramine Koyo couldn't quite control her gaze.

It seems that this woman has become the epitome of beauty in her eyes, but unfortunately, she understands that some things must be kept deep in her heart.

Regardless of her identity or current situation, especially the uncontrollable smile on her face when she made the call, it all indicated that her mind was not on him.

In her eyes, she might just be a symbol of the continuation of the family line, without any other significance.

She liked and admired only the beauty that the boy represented.

"How about it?"

Mochizuki Miki, who was at the theater in the morning, has now returned to Chosui-in and calmly puts down her teapot.

She didn't know why, but she used to always feel like she didn't have enough time, and after filming in the morning, she wished she could use all the remaining time to rest. Now that she understood her physical condition, she realized that time was running out.

On the contrary, they became more energetic.

I'm not sleepy at all right now.

Perhaps this is just human nature; we only learn to cherish and make good use of things when we realize they are scarce.

"He said he would be prepared once things were settled. His attitude was no different from before."

There seemed to be a slight resentment in those words.

Mochizuki Miki's gaze softened, and she pushed the teacup on the coffee table toward her niece.

Then say it softly.

"No difference is the best thing. It proves that he is not nervous about the changes, or that your progress is exactly as he expected."

What Shiramine Koyo couldn't stand the most was Mochizuki Miki's attitude of treating the other person like a god.

It's as if every action of his can be justified. Does going to the toilet without toilet paper mean he's clean?
"Maybe he wasn't prepared at all, Aunt. I think this is too risky. What if he can't solve it at all? Then we'll be the ones who are put in a passive position."

Mochizuki Miki looked at the young woman, "Now you're already thinking of backing out?"

Bai Feng Hongye shook his head. "That's not what I meant. We've already reached this point, and the other side knows exactly what we're thinking. Even if I wanted to back down and see things through, I doubt they would allow it."

"As long as you know."

"I just think we need to be prepared for both possibilities. Blindly trusting an uncertain factor is tantamount to handing over our safety to someone else."

Mochizuki Miki took a sip of tea.

"I'm glad you think that way; it proves that you can indeed look at issues from more perspectives."

Hearing Mochizuki Miki say this, Shiramine Kouyou felt a little smug. Even though the situation left her with only a short time, she was not so weak that she couldn't do anything. She was just not a monster or a genius, and she just needed a little time.

If the situation were better, and there were more time, they might not have needed to use that boy. They might even have made him their only hope. This feeling is truly awful.

"But you need to understand our current situation. We are not in a position of strength, and we are also quite short-handed. If we allocate some resources as your so-called backup plan, it would be tantamount to handing over the initiative. You don't even have enough people to help you with the basics, so what are you talking about preparing for both scenarios?"

"Sometimes, opportunity lies in a split second. The key to seizing that opportunity is how much you're willing to sacrifice for such a small chance."

Bai Feng Hongye looked at the tea in his teacup, where the water was rippling slightly.

She looked up and gazed at her aunt.

"Auntie, you want me to give my all for this and trust him unconditionally."

This is absolutely not a judgment a rational person should make. In Shiramine Koyo's view, her judgment is burdened with too many things unrelated to reason. That's a woman's limitation, or rather, a blind spot that even Mochizuki Miki cannot escape.

"Yes, it seems that's the only way."

The woman said calmly.

Bai Feng Hongye sighed, "If my aunt is willing to gamble like this, I will naturally play along."

"I still don't feel reassured."

Mochizuki Miki said with a smile.

Shiramine Koyo looked at the other person without speaking, and at that moment, Mochizuki Miki gracefully stood up.

"If you're really worried, I'll go meet with him and ask him directly."

Bai Feng Hongye glanced at the woman, "What do you mean I'm not at ease? It's clearly you who wanted to see her, and now you're using me as a shield."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Mochizuki Miki couldn't stop laughing.

However, she did not deny it; instead, her eyes revealed a brilliance that Shiramine Momiji had never seen before.

"Time is limited, so of course I want to see the people I want to see as many times as possible."

The thought of that boy's attitude and his unbridled lust made Shiramine Koyo feel sorry for Mochizuki Miki.

But when she thought about her problems and saw the light in her eyes, she could only swallow her grievances.

She understands.

Some things can't be solved just because you want to solve them for the other person.

What she needs isn't solutions to these problems, but rather someone to be with her.

……

(End of this chapter)