He tried to save the fallen girls, but they came after him instead.

Kana lowered her head, her face flushed red to her ears.

"Um... I'm sorry, Miike-nee."

“So,” Sanchi said, fiddling with a walnut, “once things stabilize in three months, you have to pay me back double.”

"Yes, definitely, definitely!"

Hearing Shirakawa's promise, Miike finally put his hand down and gave up.

"Miike, are you really pregnant?"

"It's getting late, let's get in the car and talk in detail."

......

In the car, Shirakawa was still sitting in the passenger seat, while Kana sat in the back.

The three of them had a brief chat about having children.

Miike talked to Kana last night, and Kana wasn't too surprised by the result.

On the contrary, it was Michi's nonchalant demeanor that puzzled her.

"Miike, you already have a child, how can you still be so carefree?"

"Shirakawa has already promised to be a good and responsible father, and we can earn money to support the child through the photography studio, so why would I feel pressured?"

"But Shirakawa-kun is Maki's boyfriend. Under what title should you stay by Shirakawa's side in the future?"

“I don’t need any status,” Miike replied. “Even if we are husband and wife, we will separate if we don’t love each other anymore. I don’t ask for any status or title, I just want to maintain the status quo.”

“My relationship with Shirakawa is common knowledge, and Maki and Sakura are also on good terms with me. I suppose they wouldn’t be too surprised if I told them I have a child. But what about you? How do you plan to handle your relationship with Shirakawa and your daughter?” Miike asked.

"Ah, I...I don't know," Kana stammered.

"Even if Maki and Shirakawa get married and have a family in the future, do you still want to find time and opportunities to cheat on them like this?" Miike continued to press.

"This this..."

It was more like they were teasing her than questioning her. She knew the Mei Du family's personalities well, and she guessed that in the end, the story might end with them all being taken.

However, it's quite amusing to see Kana's hesitant and flustered expression when pressed for answers.

"Alright, alright, Miike-nee, stop teasing Auntie," Shirakawa said. "Let's just leave it at that, maintain the status quo as you said, and we'll talk about the future later."

Maintaining the status quo... While maintaining the status quo is enough for Kana, she wants to go further.

He even fantasized about taking Shirakawa's arm to a forbidden place where no one else had ever set foot...

She had never experienced that feeling before, and even that barrier was something Kana had touched when she was amusing herself.

"Eh~~~ Shirakawa-kun, you're actually speaking up for Kana. Sigh~~ No wonder, I can't do happy things with you, and my status is not as high as Kana's." Miike said, feigning sadness.

"Um, you are all the most important people to me, you are all my wings." Shirakawa was also tongue-tied and didn't know how to answer.

"Wings? What kind of metaphor is that?" Michi chuckled. "Alright, alright, just kidding. Let's stop talking now. It's getting late, let's drive home and get some sleep."

Shirakawa turned around and saw Kana with her head down, seemingly lost in thought.

292. Danger is creeping in again.

Meanwhile, in the hospital.

The entrance to the ward was heavily guarded by black-clad bodyguards from the Hoshimiya family.

Hoshimiya Shio, Hoshimiya Rin, and Rie walked up to the bodyguard.

The bodyguards immediately made way for them and opened the door.

The person lying in the hospital bed is Yoshioka.

Without brass knuckles, Yoshioka has completely degenerated into a thin, sickly, and reclusive man.

His face was pale, his body was wrapped in bandages, and his mouth was taped shut.

Next to him was Dr. Aoki, who had previously participated in the surgery to rescue Shirakawa.

Holding a test report form in his hand, he kept making marks and drawings on it with a pen.

"Master, you've arrived?" Upon seeing Hoshigumi Xi arrive, Aoki immediately put down his work and stood up to greet her.

Yoshioka was very excited when he saw Hoshimiya Shio arrive, and kept shaking his battered body.

"Is there any progress regarding Yoshioka's physical changes?" Hoshimiya Shio asked.

"According to the examination report, apart from the external injuries caused by the blows and stabs, there were no other abnormalities in his physical indicators."

"Tear the tape off his mouth."

"Yes."

Aoki stepped forward and tore off the tape.

"I, I'm innocent! I'm not that Yoshioka! I'm not!" Yoshioka shouted hysterically.

"Quiet!" Xing Gongxi shouted.

"Let me out! Let me out!" Yoshioka kept shouting.

Hoshimiya Shiori was clearly angry. She glanced at Hoshimiya Rin, who understood and drew the dagger from her waist, stepping forward and stabbing it fiercely into his pillow.

The blade of the dagger had penetrated deep into the bed.

Startled, Yoshioka immediately shut up.

"That's more like it. Now tell me, how did you transform?"

"I do not know what you're talking about?"

"Stop pretending. If you cooperate, I'll let you return to a normal school life and go back to your family. If you refuse, I don't mind turning you into a biological slide and putting you in the lab for researchers to study."

Hoshimiya Shio threatened, though she was just trying to scare Yoshioka.

Yoshioka, who was mentally only a high school senior, was intimidated by Hoshimiya Shio's words and told her everything he knew.

"Yes, it's that brass knuckles. As long as you wear those brass knuckles, you can turn into that look."

Is it some kind of supernatural thing again...?

This reminded Hoshimiya Shio of the magical pocket watch from before.

"Where did this brass knuckle come from?"

“My family bought it from a mystery vendor while traveling abroad; it was a gift for me.”

Where did that brass knuckle go?

"Shirakawa took it?"

"He knows you can transform because of brass knuckles?"

"Ah."

It's Shirakawa again. It feels like Shirakawa is at the center of all the strange events, and everything is related to him.

"When he fought you, did you know where those spider tentacles came from?"

"I don't know, I just heard him say he has the same mysterious item as me..."

Hmm... There are many mysteries surrounding Shirakawa, so we should pay more attention to him.

"Alright, I've finished asking, Dr. Aoki. Seal his mouth shut."

"Yes."

Jingle bell~~

Rie Hoshimiya's phone rang. She wanted to turn it off, but when she saw the caller ID, she couldn't help but frown.

"Excuse me, I'll go out to get it."

Rie hurriedly ran out of the ward and went to a more secluded spot in the corridor to answer the phone.

"what happened?"

"Shirakawa Akira's fake identity has been completed, but it's not easy to find a woman who is suitable for marriage, willing to get married, and meets your requirements."

"What's so hard about finding one? The Hoshimiya family is such a large clan, can't they even find a girl?"

"Your requirements are a bit...too difficult. She has to be petite and cute, innocent and naive, and related to the Hoshimiya family...There aren't many people who meet all these criteria. However, there are quite a few eligible girls who are willing to get married. Why don't you lower your standards and pick someone you find pleasing to the eye?"

"No, don't try to bargain, just find one according to my requirements."

Rie Hoshimiya, having been the head of a family and having navigated the business world for many years, possesses keen insight and, through these interactions, has long since seen through Shirakawa's character flaws.

Kind-hearted, unable to bear abandoning others, yet deep down he is an empty, easygoing man.

In other words, he seeks to find fulfillment and value in his life by saving others.

All you need is a silly, cute little girl who needs his help with everything.

Even if he doesn't like her, Shirakawa won't abandon her. After a while, Shirakawa won't resist fiercely.

Bai Chuan will eventually marry into the Xing Gong family as their son-in-law and be protected by them. Xing Gong Xi will let go of Bai Chuan once she learns that he has a beautiful wife who is also a member of the Xing Gong family. She will then cut off all contact with him.

"Well, okay, since you put it that way, I'll try my best."