I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema

Chapter 193 Junrou Koshino appears again! Ikuna clearly states she doesn't like him! Nohara Sashi's president-like demeanor!

"What--?!"

Sakurada Ikuna's already large eyes widened instantly, and her cherry-like mouth opened slightly, wide enough to fit an egg.

Her clear, shocked exclamation instantly echoed throughout the entire coffee shop!
The few customers scattered in the store subconsciously looked over in the direction of the sound, their eyes filled with curiosity and inquiry.

Sakurada Ikuna then realized her lapse in composure, and her fair cheeks flushed bright red, like a ripe apple.

She quickly covered her mouth with both hands, but her bright, sparkling eyes were still filled with disbelief and shock.

"The mayor's...the mayor's family dinner?" She lowered her voice, a slight tremor in it, as if she had just experienced a hallucination: "Sashi-kun, you...you're not joking with me, are you?"

In her view, the mayor was a high and mighty figure who only existed in television news and newspaper headlines.

And now, Nohara Sashi's fiancé, who, despite his successful career, is essentially still a simple farmer, has actually been invited by the mayor to attend a private family banquet?!
This was even more unbelievable and impactful than when she heard that Hiroshi Nohara's movies had grossed billions of yen!

Seeing his fiancée's adorably stunned expression, Nohara Sasuke felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction and pride well up inside him. He knew that this glory belonged not only to him personally, but also to the entire Nohara family, and to his younger brother who was stirring up trouble far away in Tokyo.

"Of course I'm not joking." Nohara Saji smiled innocently, reached out and gently stroked Ikuna's pert little nose. His doting gesture warmed Ikuna's heart.

He lowered his voice and explained in a slightly boastful yet perfectly understated tone, "This morning, I went to the city hall and gave the mayor twenty-five of the best-looking Akita dogs from our breeding base. The mayor was very pleased and specially invited us to dinner tonight, saying it was... to strengthen our relationship in the name of family."

He spoke the words "in the name of the family" with exceptional clarity, and the subtext was self-evident.

However, after hearing this, the shock on Sakurada Ikuna's face did not subside; instead, it intensified.

"Twenty-five?! And the best quality ones at that?!" she exclaimed again, this time not even caring about the stares of the surrounding customers. "Hiroshi-kun! Are you... are you crazy?! I know Hiroshi-kun's movies are very popular and have made Akita dogs famous, but... but that's just a movie! Akita dogs... don't seem to be that valuable, do they?"

In her mind, although Akita dogs have become popular because of Hiroshi Nohara's movies, they are essentially just the local dogs that can be seen everywhere in the countryside of Akita Prefecture.

Even if it's incredibly valuable, it shouldn't warrant such a serious treatment from the mayor, right?
"Hehe, Ikuna, you don't know this, do you?" Nohara Saji couldn't help but laugh as he looked at his fiancée's adorable "little money-grubber" appearance.

He reached out and pulled her into his arms. His confidence and composure made him exceptionally charming at that moment.

“The Akita dogs of today are not the same as the mongrel dogs of the past.” He leaned close to Ikuna’s ear and whispered in a somewhat mysterious tone, “Now, they represent cultural symbols of ‘loyalty’ and ‘intelligence’! They are ‘scarce resources’ that even the rich and powerful people in Tokyo are scrambling to get!”

He paused, his tone becoming even more proud: "Hiroshi said that what we're selling now isn't the Akita dog itself, but... the future... the power to define the entire Akita dog market in Japan!"

Sakurada Ikuna nestled blankly in Nohara Saji's arms, listening to his strong heartbeat and feeling the reassuring warmth emanating from him, but her mind was a complete mess.

The right to speak? Cultural symbols?

These seemingly profound and mysterious words made her feel dizzy.

She only vaguely sensed that her seemingly honest and simple fiancé, and his younger brother who was like a god in Tokyo, were playing a game of chess that she couldn't understand at all, yet which was incredibly grand and awe-inspiring...

"That's... amazing." She murmured to herself, her bright eyes now filled with nothing but a deep-seated admiration and love.

However, in this warm and sweet atmosphere, a piercing car engine suddenly roared outside the coffee shop.

The voice, arrogant and provocative, instantly shattered the tranquil, artistic atmosphere of the shop.

Sakurada Ikuna's brow furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly. She subconsciously looked up and gazed out the window, a fleeting hint of annoyance flashing in her usually gentle eyes.

"That little Kano Junrou is here again," she muttered softly, her voice carrying a hint of helplessness and disgust.

Upon hearing this, Nohara Sashi frowned slightly.

Okano Junro.

He was familiar with this name.

That was a persistent suitor that Ikuna encountered when she worked at a coffee shop.

A lazy, good-for-nothing delinquent who, relying on his family's small fortune, spends his days causing trouble outside...

Nohara Sashi thought that since he and Ikuna got engaged, this guy should have given up.

But to my surprise, even after more than half a year, he is still haunting me!

Just then, the coffee shop door was suddenly pushed open.

"jingle--"

The wind chimes emitted a rapid and shrill sound, as if foreshadowing the arrival of an uninvited guest.

A young man who looked to be in his early twenties and dressed in an unusually "trendy" manner swaggered in with an air of nonchalance.

He was dressed in baggy, oversized American hip-hop style clothing with exaggerated graffiti, a gold chain thicker than a finger around his neck, and a huge gold watch on his wrist. His nouveau riche appearance seemed completely out of place in this cozy and elegant coffee shop.

His slightly pale face now wore an arrogant and provocative smile, and his eyes, which always gleamed with ill intent, instantly ignited a flame of jealousy when he saw Sakurada Ikuna nestled in Nohara Saji's arms.

"Hey, isn't this Yucai?"

Junro Kojima's voice carried a nauseating greasiness. He walked straight up to the two of them, glancing contemptuously at Nohara Saji as if he were looking at an eyesore of a fly.

"What? You haven't seen him for half a year, and you're still hanging around with this country bumpkin?" He curled his lip, his tone full of disdain and mockery. "I told you long ago, there's no future in following him. Look at him, dressed so rusticly, he's obviously a country bumpkin who's never seen the world. And look at me!"

He puffed out his chest smugly, the thick gold chain gleaming dazzlingly under the light.

"I'm completely different now! I've invested all the money in the family into the stock market! Now, I'm a billionaire with a net worth of fifty million yen!" He laughed loudly, his voice filled with the arrogance typical of a nouveau riche: "Yuka, if you want to turn back now, it's not too late! Follow me, and I guarantee you'll live the life of the elite!"

His "confession," smack of money and greed, made Sakurada Ikuna's cheeks flush bright red instantly.

That wasn't shyness, it was... anger!
"Kano Junrou! What nonsense are you spouting!" Sakurada Ikuna abruptly broke free from Nohara Saji's embrace, her usually gentle eyes now blazing with fury: "I've told you before! Saji-kun and I are already engaged! I love him for who he is, not for his money! Besides, I like him as a simple and honest countryman, and I would never like someone like you, a delinquent who looks so unreliable!"

Her words, like the sharpest knife, pierced precisely into Junro Koshino's fragile and insecure heart.

"You... what did you say?!" Junro Kogane's face instantly turned bright red. His nouveau riche arrogance vanished in an instant, leaving only a look of embarrassment and anger after his disguise was exposed.

He clenched his fists tightly, and his malicious eyes flashed with an almost insane rage.

"You actually called me a delinquent?! You actually look down on me?!" He roared hysterically, his voice sharp and piercing. "Let me tell you! I'm now a billionaire with 50 million yen in stock assets! I amassed this wealth in just six months using all my savings! I'm a stock market genius! Let me tell you! It's an honor for you, a country bumpkin, that I've even set my sights on you! And you still dare to look down on me?!"

His furious appearance resembled that of a mad dog whose tail had been stepped on—ugly and laughable.

Sakurada Ikuna was so angry that she trembled all over. She wanted to argue back, but a large, warm hand gently pressed down on her shoulder.

Nohara Sasuke had somehow appeared in front of her, his tall and sturdy figure like a mountain, shielding her from all the wind and rain.

He didn't look at the still roaring Kano Junrou, but calmly gazed at his fiancée. His usually honest eyes now shone with a reassuring calmness.

"Alright, Yu Cai, don't argue with a child."

Nohara Sashi's voice, though not loud, was like a morning bell and evening drum, instantly silencing the noise in the coffee shop.

He slowly turned around, his gaze calmly landing on the still furious young Kano Junrou. His eyes were like those of someone looking at an ignorant child, without anger or disdain, only a kind of... faint indifference from a superior to a subordinate.

“I don’t want to talk to children like this.” Nohara Saji’s voice remained calm and composed, as if what he had just heard was not an insulting remark, but just some irrelevant nonsense. “Besides, tonight I have to accompany my fiancée to the mayor’s dinner party. So please don’t waste our time here.”

His words were powerful and resounding, each one like a heavy hammer, striking hard against Junro Kogane's heart.

"What?! The mayor's... the mayor's family banquet?!"

Junro Kogane's body trembled violently, his malicious eyes widened instantly, and his face was filled with disbelief and horror!

He stared blankly at Nohara Sashi, his mind completely blank.

"You...you're talking nonsense! You're just a country bumpkin! How could you...how could you possibly be invited by the mayor to a family banquet?!" he retorted instinctively, his voice trembling slightly.

However, his rebuttal seemed so weak and feeble.

Because he saw Nohara Sashi's calm yet profound eyes, eyes that held no lies, only a suffocating truth.

"A country bumpkin?" Sakurada Ikuna had also recovered from the huge shock. She looked at Kogane Junrou's panicked appearance and gave him a disdainful sneer.

She straightened her back, and that womanly pride made her stand out brilliantly at that moment.

“Kano Junrou, listen to me.” Sakurada Ikuna’s voice was clear and full of power: “My fiancé, Nohara Sashi, is now the president of Nohara Agriculture Co., Ltd., which owns thousands of acres of land! His assets alone are worth hundreds of millions of yen! Your mere fifty million yen is not even a fraction of what he has!”

boom--!
Sakurada Ikuna's words were like the most precise nuclear bomb, instantly exploding in Kano Junrou's heart!
Thousands of acres of land!
Assets worth hundreds of millions of yen!

These staggering figures utterly crushed his fragile self-esteem into dust.

He stood there blankly, all the color draining from his pale face in an instant, leaving only a deathly ashen complexion.

Looking at Nohara Saji's calm yet profound face, and at Sakurada Ikuna's face filled with pride and happiness, his heart, which had long been filled with money and desire, was completely swallowed up at this moment by an unprecedented emotion called "despair."

He clenched his teeth, and in his otherwise malicious eyes, there was now only the humiliation and resentment of being utterly crushed.

He didn't say another word, but suddenly turned around and, with unsteady steps, fled the coffee shop like a stray dog.

His back view was filled with panic and dejection, a stark contrast to the arrogance and swagger he had displayed when he entered.

Seeing his disheveled appearance, Sakurada Ikuna finally felt satisfied and revealed a bright smile of a prankster who had succeeded.

She turned around and threw herself into Nohara Sashi's arms again. The pride and happiness she felt from the bottom of her heart made her feel as if she owned the whole world.

"Sashi-kun, you were so cool just now!" She looked up at her fair and beautiful face, her bright eyes filled with admiration and love for her fiancé.

Nohara Saji just smiled憨厚ly. He reached out and gently ruffled her hair, his tenderness like a spring breeze caressing her heart.

“But then again,” Sakurada Ikuna’s lips curled into a sly smile, her eyes like those of a little fox who had just stolen some fish, “that guy was like a child showing off his toys, so immature.”

“Yes.” Nohara Saji nodded, looking at the charming little woman in his arms, a hint of doting and…decisiveness flashing in his eyes.

"Yu Cai," he said softly, his voice low but full of strength, "starting today, don't work here anymore."

Sakurada Ikuna was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. She looked up, her bright, sparkling eyes filled with confusion.

"Why?" she asked, puzzled.

“Because…” Nohara Saki’s gaze fell on the vast Akita countryside outside the window, his eyes deep and full of expectation: “Our Nohara family company is in dire need of manpower right now. I need a capable wife who can help me manage the company and fight alongside me…”

He paused, his gaze returning to Ikuna Sakurada's face, his eyes filled with sincerity: "So, Ikuna, are you willing to help me?"

Looking at Nohara Sashi's expectant face, Sakurada Ikuna's heart, which had long been completely conquered by him, was filled at this moment with an unprecedented emotion called "happiness".

She knew that this was not just a job offer, but also a profound trust and entrustment from her fiancé.

Her cheeks flushed bright red in an instant, like a ripe apple.

She nodded gently, her voice barely audible yet filled with unwavering determination: "Yes... I... I'm willing."

She paused, as if she had thought of something, and a cute worry appeared on her blushing face: "But...but I don't know anything. You can't complain about my clumsiness when the time comes."

Upon hearing this, Nohara Sashi's face broke into a bright smile.

He stretched out his arms and held the soft, fragrant woman in his arms tightly, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.

"Absolutely not." He leaned close to her ear and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, whispered yet with unwavering conviction, made that eternal vow that belonged only to the two of them.

Outside the window, the spring breeze blows, and cherry blossoms are in full bloom, adorning this countryside full of love and hope like a dream.

The air inside the coffee shop was strangely silent because of the brief but intense exchange that had just taken place.

The few scattered guests subconsciously turned their gazes toward the door, watching the back of the figure who had been so arrogant just moments before, but was now fleeing in a sorry state like a stray dog, their eyes filled with mockery and... a trace of awe.

The ridicule was directed at the young man dressed in American hip-hop style.

Their awe-inspiring gazes all converged on that tall and composed figure—Nohara Sashi.

This man, who usually dressed simply and looked just like them, an ordinary countryman, was now exuding a powerful aura that made them feel both unfamiliar and awe-inspiring.

"Oh my! Yucai-chan, you really... found a good man!"

Behind the bar, the coffee shop owner, a woman nearing fifty with a perpetual smile, was carrying two freshly brewed, steaming cups of coffee as she walked over with light steps.

Her face, which always wore a warm smile, was now filled with genuine admiration and envy. She gently placed the coffee on the table in front of them, and her eyes, which always shone with shrewdness, were now filled with appreciation for Nohara Saji and a hint of flattery.

"President Nohara." She even changed her form of address, her tone carrying just the right amount of respect: "What you just said was truly...so powerful! That brat from the Kano family deserves to be taught a lesson long ago! Just because his family has some money, he's always causing trouble outside. He's a disgrace to our Oguri City!"

She paused, then turned her gaze to Sakurada Ikuna, her eyes filled with the love and pride of an elder for a younger person: "Ikuna-chan, you have such good taste! President Nohara is not only successful in his career and humble, but more importantly, he is responsible and has a strong sense of duty! He is the kind of man you can truly entrust your life to!"

Upon hearing this, Sakurada Ikuna's cheeks flushed bright red once again.

She lowered her head shyly. The recognition and praise from others made her heart, which was already filled with happiness, feel even sweeter, as if it had been filled with honey.

Nohara Sashi just smiled憨厚ly, scratching his head. His simplicity and sincerity made him particularly charming at that moment.

“You flatter me, madam.” He spoke softly, his tone calm and humble: “I just… just did what I was supposed to do.”

"Oh dear! President Nohara, you're too modest!" the proprietress said with a smile. She glanced at Nohara Saji, then at Sakurada Ikuna, her eyes filled with gossip and curiosity: "Speaking of which, President Nohara, I just heard you say that you're going to the mayor's dinner party tonight? Is...is that true?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the customers who had been talking in hushed tones in the store immediately perked up their ears, their curiosity almost bursting forth.

The mayor's family dinner!
This was an honor that ordinary country folk like them could never have imagined!

"Yes, it's true." Nohara Sashi nodded. He knew that this kind of thing couldn't be kept secret.

He paused, then added, "It was the mayor who personally invited us, saying it was... to strengthen our relationship in the name of family."

boom--!
Nohara Sashi's words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, instantly creating a deafening roar in the coffee shop!
"what?!"

"The mayor personally invited me?!"

"And in the name of family?!"

"My God! President Nohara! You...you are absolutely amazing!"

After a brief silence, the store was instantly engulfed in a huge uproar and commotion!
Those guests who were originally just watching the commotion were now so excited that they were incoherent, their faces filled with disbelief and horror!
They looked at Nohara Sashi with eyes full of envy, jealousy, and a deep-seated awe!
They knew that Nohara Sashi, a man who looked just like them, an ordinary countryman, had gradually reached a height that they could never reach!

He has become the most sought-after rising star in Omagari City, and even the entire Akita Prefecture!

……

The night was as still as water, casting a gentle golden hue over the streets of Daqu City.

"Shofutei," a high-class restaurant renowned for its exquisite kaiseki cuisine and elegant garden, is brightly lit at this moment, with various expensive luxury cars parked in front.

When Nohara Sashi's Toyota Land Cruiser slowly drove into the parking lot, it immediately attracted the attention of many people.

However, when they saw that the person getting out of the car was Nohara Saji, who was now famous in Omagari City, and the woman beside him, Sakurada Ikuna, who was as gentle and charming as if she had stepped out of a painting, their eyes instantly turned into understanding and envy.

"Oh my! Sashi-kun! Ikuna-san! You've finally arrived!"

Mayor Kenji Ito and his wife, dressed in a magnificent kimono and exuding elegance, had been waiting for some time at the entrance of the restaurant.

Upon seeing Nohara Saji and Sakurada Ikuna, they immediately greeted them with beaming smiles. Their enthusiasm made it seem as if the mayor was not receiving businessmen from a subordinate region, but rather as a kind elder welcoming his favorite juniors.

"Mayor! Mayor's wife!"

Nohara Saji and Sakurada Ikuna quickly bowed in return, their humility and composure perfectly appropriate.

"Oh dear! Get up, get up!" Kenji Ito said with a smile. He glanced at Ikuna Sakurada, this ordinary girl, without the slightest hint of disdain. Instead, he nodded warmly and said, "This must be Miss Ikuna, right? She's... truly a stunning beauty! Sashi-kun, you're so lucky!"

His wife chimed in, taking Sakurada Ikuna's hand with a loving smile on her face: "Yes, Miss Ikuna, you are so... beautiful! Even I, as your aunt, adore you! Come on in, it's cold outside."

Sakurada Ikuna blushed as they praised her, feeling flattered and overwhelmed by the recognition and compliments from those in power.

She glanced subconsciously at Nohara Saji beside her, her eyes filled with dependence and affection.

Nohara Sashi simply smiled, reached out, and gently took his fiancée's hand. The warmth and strength he gave her instantly put her at ease.

Inside the private room, a sumptuous kaiseki meal had already been prepared.

The exquisite tableware, the meticulous plating, and the dishes that resembled works of art all demonstrated the high standards and sincerity of this family banquet.

During the meal, Kenji Ito and his wife showed great care and concern for Nohara Saji and Sakurada Ikuna.

They didn't talk about business, only about everyday things, from Nohara Hiroshi's childhood anecdotes to Sakurada Ikuna's hobbies, from Nohara Hiroshi's dream of making movies to their future wedding plans.

That closeness and warmth gave Nohara Saji and Sakurada Ikuna an unprecedented sense of being valued and recognized.

They knew that this family dinner was more than just a meal.

It is more of a silent "political investment," a "change of interests" full of warmth and calculation.

And they, Nohara Sashi and Sakurada Ikuna, as well as the entire Nohara family behind them, will reap unimaginable huge returns from this "investment".

……

Just as the family banquet in Daqu City was in full swing...

In a luxury hot spring hotel not far from Daqu City, a “family trial” filled with anger and resentment is quietly unfolding.

"Snapped!"

A crisp slap rang out in the quiet room, sounding particularly jarring.

On Junro Koshino's already pale face, a clear five-finger mark instantly appeared. The burning pain made his heart, which was already filled with humiliation and resentment, boil over as if it had been thrown into a pot of boiling oil.

"You unfilial son! You...you're going to drive me crazy!"

Jijiro Kogane, the rice shop owner who was quite prominent in Omagari City, was trembling with anger. He pointed at his good-for-nothing son, his usually warm smile now filled with barely suppressed rage.

He had just received a call from a friend who, in a gloating tone, vividly described how his son had "caught in the crossfire" at the coffee shop that day.

When he heard that his son had dared to insult Nohara Sashi in public and even mock him as a "country bumpkin," Kojiro Nojiro felt his heart was about to jump out of his throat.

Nohara Sashi!

That "celebrity" who is now a hot commodity in Omagari City and even the entire Akita Prefecture!
Behind him stood Hiroshi Nohara, the "big shot" whom even the mayor had to treat with deference!
My stupid son actually... actually dared to provoke him?!
This is simply courting death!

"Dad! You...how dare you hit me?!" Kojiro Suzuru clutched his burning cheek, his eyes, which had been filled with ill intent, now brimming with resentment and malice. "I...what did I say wrong?! That Nohara Sashi, isn't he just a country bumpkin?! He..."

"You still dare to be stubborn!" Jiro Kojiro raised his hand in anger again, but in the end, he had no choice but to put it down.

Looking at his spoiled son, his anger was gradually replaced by a deep sense of powerlessness and fear.

He knew that he was really in big trouble this time.

"Country bumpkin?" Kojiro sneered, his voice filled with self-mockery and...fear: "What do you know?! That Nohara Sashi, he's now the president of Nohara Agriculture Co., Ltd., which owns thousands of acres of land! His assets alone are worth hundreds of millions of yen! Your measly fifty million yen is nothing compared to him!"

He paused, his tone growing even more grave, the fear almost consuming him completely: "And do you even know who his brother is?! It's Hiroshi Nohara! The Hiroshi Nohara who directed 'Seven Warriors Die' and 'Hachiko Monogatari'! The Hiroshi Nohara who even the Governor of Tokyo had to personally meet with!"

"You...you actually dared to provoke him?! Do you want our Little Deer family to die even faster?!"

"Nohara Sashi has a very good relationship with the agricultural cooperative right now, and he's even buying land in Omagari City! We're a rice shop! We buy all the rice in Omagari City! If Nohara Sashi, this country bumpkin, teams up with the other country folk and refuses to sell us rice, what do you think will happen to us!?"

Jijiro Kojiro roared angrily, his fear causing even the pampered company president to lose faith in his son.

Especially looking at Junro Koshino's hip-hop style.

This made him hate it so much he wanted to grind his teeth.

He's an old-fashioned man, and he doesn't like the United States!

Junro Kano stood there, stunned, listening to his father's roar. In his mind, he kept replaying the proud and happy face of Ikuna Sakurada and the calm and deep eyes of Sashi Nohara.

His heart, which had long been filled with money and desire, was completely consumed at this moment by an emotion called "fear".

He clenched his teeth, and in his otherwise malicious eyes, there was only despair and resentment after being utterly crushed.

He knew that this time, he had really bitten off more than he could chew.

Although he made a lot of money through stocks, he also understood that if his family's chain rice stores and rice trading business ran into problems, his family could really go bankrupt!

……

Under the simple and elegant porch of "Songfeng Pavilion," the soft glow of lanterns casts a warm hue over the late spring night.

After saying goodbye to Kenji Ito and his wife, Saji Nohara and Ikuna, they drove away.

Only when the taillights, representing power, completely disappeared around the corner of the street did Sakurada Ikuna let out a long sigh of relief, a sigh that carried a hint of relief and a touch of dreamlike disorientation.

She subconsciously turned her head, her large, bright eyes under the light staring intently at the tall, composed figure beside her, her voice carrying a hint of uncertainty, as if floating on a cloud.

"Sashi-kun... I... am I dreaming? We... we really had dinner with the mayor and his wife just now? And the mayor even paid the bill?"

She felt her legs were still a little weak; those two hours in the private room were more tiring than working ten hours straight in a coffee shop.

The invisible pressure from high society and the immense mental impact of chatting and laughing with the mayor and his wife made her ordinary young heart pound like a deer.

Looking at his fiancée's adorable, completely stunned expression, Nohara Sashi felt an indescribable surge of tenderness and pride.

Once upon a time, he was also a country boy who would get nervous for half a day just to see the village chief.

But now, he is able to sit at the same table with the mayor, drinking and chatting with him with ease.

This growth, this transformation, all stems from that younger brother who is far away in Tokyo, a figure who exists like a god.

It also stems from the composure and confidence he has accumulated through his own hard work and experience over this period.

"Of course I wasn't dreaming." Nohara Saji smiled innocently, reaching out to gently stroke Ikuna's soft, long hair. His tenderness was like a spring breeze caressing her heart.

He walked to the imposing Toyota Land Cruiser and gentlemanly opened the passenger door for her, a movement that was both natural and powerful.

“Come on up, my future Mrs. Nohara Saji.” He said with a smile, his gentleness tinged with a domineering air, which made Sakurada Ikuna’s cheeks flush red again. “I’ll take you home.”

The car drove smoothly through the night. Outside the window, the street scene of Daqu City slowly receded, appearing peaceful yet full of life under the neon lights.

Inside the train carriage, Sakurada Ikuna's excited heart still couldn't calm down.

She turned her head and looked at Nohara Saji's profile, which appeared particularly angular in the dim light, his bright eyes filled with an irrepressible adoration and love.

"Xia Zhi-kun, you're amazing!" she couldn't help but exclaim, her voice filled with heartfelt admiration. "Just now at the dinner table, I overheard the mayor and his wife saying that when we get married at the end of the year, he... he's actually going to officiate our wedding himself! That's the mayor! I... I can hardly believe my ears!"

In her view, this was simply the greatest honor to bring glory to her ancestors and her family!

Upon hearing this, Nohara Sashi also broke into a bright smile.

He steered the wheel steadily, and his composure and confidence made him exceptionally charming.

"Yes, I didn't expect the mayor to be so kind." He spoke softly, his tone tinged with emotion and pride: "This is not only a sign of respect for the two of us, but also an affirmation of the entire Nohara family and Hiroshi. The mayor is a smart man; he knows that the Nohara family has a bright future."

This respect from the mayor gave him, a man who usually buried himself in his work, an unprecedented sense of satisfaction from being recognized and valued.

“But speaking of which,” Sakurada Ikuna’s lips curled into a sly smile, her eyes like those of a little fox who had just stolen some fish, “I overheard you saying at the dinner table that our Akita dogs are now selling for a million yen each? That… that’s too outrageous, isn’t it? Are they… are they really worth that much money?”

This question had been on her mind all night.

In her opinion, although Akita dogs are cute and loyal, they are still just dogs, so how could they be sold for such an exorbitant price?

Upon hearing this, Nohara Sashi gave a mysterious smile.

He knew that this was the most important "business lesson" his younger brother, Hiroshi Nohara, had taught him.

“Ikuna, listen to me.” Nohara Saji’s voice became deep and full of power, and his confidence made Sakurada Ikuna feel a little unfamiliar: “The Akita dogs of today are not the Akita dogs of the past. They are divided into two types.”

He paused, his tone becoming more serious: "One type is the mongrels that can be found everywhere in Akita Prefecture. They may be cute and loyal, but they have no 'identity' or 'pedigree,' so they are worthless."

P.S.: Still asking for votes~ That's all for today's two updates! I hope everyone can support me! If you can, please subscribe to all chapters~ I'm begging you~
(End of this chapter)