Living in the bubble economy of Tokyo, I became a literary giant through lotteries.

Guan Guyu was stunned for a moment.

"The house I live in now is very big and has great natural light. Don't you like cats? There's a park downstairs with beautiful calico cats, but they don't like to interact with people."

As Guan Gufeng spoke, his tone became urgent, as if he was afraid his sister would refuse.

"My book is about to be published, and I'm also writing the second volume. The royalties and prize money combined will be enough for the two of us to live comfortably."

"You can stay here with me and do whatever you want. You don't need to..."

Guan Guyu looked at him, looking into her brother's eyes, and there was a light in those eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time.

It was the youthful spirit that re-emerged after leaving this home.

"Xiao Feng..." her voice was very soft, "I'm your older sister, how can I rely on you all by myself?"

"The family bookstore still needs me to run it."

"sister……"

Guan Guyu raised her hand, interrupting him.

"I know what you want to say." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was firm. "You think the family bookstore is already in this state, and there's no need to keep it going."

Guan Gufeng did not deny it.

"But have you thought about this?" Guan Guyu lowered her head, looking at the teacup in her hand, "If I leave too, there will be no one to look after my mother's belongings."

"I don't want him to continue ruining what my mother left behind."

She took a brown paper envelope from her inner pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Guan Gufeng.

"The bookstore's land title deed."

"I've been keeping it hidden on my person."

Guan Gufeng opened the envelope and pulled out a yellowed piece of paper. It contained his mother's name and the address of the old house.

"Take it back," Guan Guyu said. "That way I won't have to worry about them stealing it when I'm not looking."

Guan Gufeng held the land deed in his hand, remaining silent for a long time. He carefully put the deed back into the envelope and tucked it into his backpack.

"Sis," his voice was a little hoarse, "when are you coming to visit me?"

Guan Guyu reached out and patted his head.

That hand was rough, with calluses on the fingertips from years of carrying books.

She is only twenty-two years old this year.

"You're still busy right now," Guan Guyu's voice was as gentle as if she were coaxing a child. "I don't want to interfere with your writing. I'll come find you when you're finally free."

She smiled.

"Don't worry about me, the weather has warmed up recently, and it's not so cold at home anymore."

Guan Gu Feng looked at his sister's smiling face, opened his mouth, and wanted to say something.

Just then, footsteps came from outside the door.

Guan Gufeng, filled with doubt, followed Guan Guyu out of the room.

The person who came was Sato, who had come to collect the gambling debts that day. He stood in front of the bookshelf, casually flipping through a comic book.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Guan Gufeng, a look of surprise on his face.

"Guan Gufeng, you're back?" His tone was not as arrogant as it had been that day; there was even a hint of concern in it.

"How's your novel coming along?"

Guan Gufeng was even more puzzled and looked at Guan Guyu.

Guan Guyu smiled, stepped forward, and spoke as naturally as if introducing an old friend.

"Brother Sato has always been very supportive of our bookstore."

Seeing Guan Gufeng's bewildered expression, she tugged at his sleeve, gesturing for him to come inside to talk.

Sato didn't stand on ceremony and followed him in, sitting down at the low table and picking up a dorayaki to eat.

Through Guan Guyu's explanation, Guan Gufeng learned that the reason Sato had been in charge of this area was to protect the bookstore left by his mother.

He had always charged the lowest protection fees in the area, and most of the time he even allowed people to pay with books.

"He was so fierce at home before..." Guan Guyu's voice lowered a little, "...it was just an act in front of them. He was afraid that if he was too nice to the two of us, it would make things more difficult for us at home."

Guan Gu Feng fell silent, but upon careful recollection, he realized that although Sato had been fierce that day, he hadn't actually done anything to him or his sister.

"But in private, Brother Sato has always taken good care of me," Guan Guyu continued. "He would have his younger brother bring me lunch every day."

Guan Gu Feng frowned, looking at his sister's face.

"Then why are you still so thin? You're even thinner than you were a month ago."

Sato stuffed the last dorayaki into his mouth, took a sip of tea, and spoke irritably.

"It's all because of you, you brat. You went out and never came back to check on me. Your sister is worried about you, that's why she's gotten so thin."

Guan Gufeng's heart skipped a beat. He was so focused on succeeding as soon as possible and returning that he forgot...

Sato looked at his expression, sighed, and softened his tone.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore."

He sat up straight, his expression turning serious. "There's one more thing I need to tell you."

"Your bastard father," Sato said with undisguised disgust, "has pawned a lot of Sachiko's belongings to me again."

“Every time he comes, I accept it,” Sato said. “Because if I don’t accept it, he’ll go to someone else, and no one else will keep it for him.”

He looked into Guan Gufeng's eyes.

"I've kept those things very safe. I'm just waiting for the day you can take them back from me."

"Brother Sato..."

"Don't thank me yet." Sato waved his hand, then suddenly smiled wryly, "I originally thought I'd have to wait a few more years. I didn't expect you to be here so soon..."

He opened his arms and faced Guan Gufeng, making an exaggerated "look" gesture.

"She's already a contracted writer with Shincho Publishing House and has even won a major award."

Sato lowered his hand, and his voice suddenly became softer.

"I've practically watched you all grow up."

His gaze was fixed on the table, as if he were looking into the distance.

"Back when I was a student, probably fifteen or sixteen years old, my parents divorced, and neither of them wanted me."

"It was Sachiko-neechan who saved me."

"She would cook rice balls for me, let me read comic books in the bookstore for free, and lend me an umbrella on rainy days, saying, 'You can return it tomorrow, no rush.'"

"People around me laughed at me, saying I was a wild child without parents."

Sato looked up at Guan Gu Feng.

"I have no family left. She is the only person in this world I can call 'sister'."

Guan Guyu lowered her head and wiped the corner of her eye with her finger.

Sato took a deep breath, his voice becoming somewhat hoarse.

"Later, I risked my life to become the leader of this area. I thought that way I could protect her."

"Unfortunately..."

Sato was silent for a few seconds, then raised his head and stared into Guan Gufeng's eyes. There was no ferocity in his gaze, only an almost obsessive seriousness.

"I no longer have the chance to protect Sachiko-neechan."

He spoke slowly and deliberately.

"But you, Guan Gufeng, you must protect Guan Guyu."

"Otherwise, I will definitely not let you go."

Guan Gufeng looked at the man, who had scars on his face, tattoos on his neck, and an extravagant gold ring on his finger.

His profession is a thug who collects protection money, and his methods are violence.

But there was a light in his eyes, a light called kinship.

Guan Gufeng took a deep breath and solemnly lowered his head.

"I will."

The atmosphere lightened up a bit afterward.

Sato picked up another dorayaki, took a big bite, and said indistinctly, "I still remember a lot of things from when you two siblings were little."

"Like you." He pointed at Guan Gufeng with a dorayaki, "When you were little, you were chased by stray dogs and climbed up a tree because you were too scared to come down. It was your sister who chased the dogs away with a branch."

Guan Gufeng paused for a moment, then looked at Guan Guyu. Guan Guyu smiled and did not deny it.

"And you too." Sato pointed at Guan Guyu again, "Once, when your fever reached 40 degrees Celsius, your younger brother went to the pharmacy alone to buy medicine. The clerk mistook him for a lost child and almost called the police."

Guan Gufeng remembered; it was when he was seven years old.

His older sister had a high fever, and his parents weren't home, so he ran three blocks with the coins from his piggy bank.

All three of them laughed.

After laughing, Sato wiped his hands, his expression turning gloating.

"By the way, Guan Gufeng, you don't know yet, do you?"

"Know what?"

"Guan Guqiu has gotten himself into a lot of trouble lately."

Guan Gufeng raised an eyebrow.

"When he printed the contract, he printed out the royalty rate for a newcomer as 9% instead of 8%, and even signed the contract. The publisher lost 100,000 yen, which he was made to bear."

Guan Gufeng's lips twitched.

"That's just a small matter. A few days ago, he and another senior editor were liaising with an award-winning author. Guess what he did?"

He paused deliberately.

"He actually said on the spot that the writer's work didn't deserve the award, and that it wasn't as good as his."

Guan Gufeng was drinking water and almost spat it out.

"What? Is he out of his mind?"

"Who knows?" Sato shrugged. "That author was so angry that he tore up the contract on the spot and immediately signed with Kadokawa Shoten."

"I reckon right now..." Sato glanced at his watch, "he's probably packing his things in the office; he's about to be fired."

Guan Gufeng was speechless. He used to think that those outrageous plots only existed in novels.

Until he came to this family.

Sato stood up and patted the dorayaki crumbs off his pants.

"Alright, that's enough, I have something to do."

Guan Gu Feng also stood up. "Brother Sato, let me see you off."

Sato was about to refuse when he saw Guan Gufeng's eyes and immediately understood. He smiled slightly and nodded.

"it is good."

The two walked to the street corner, and Guan Gu Feng stopped and took out an envelope from his backpack containing 500,000 yen.

He handed it over with both hands, saying, "Brother Sato, thank you for taking care of me all these years. Please accept this money."

Sato looked at the envelope but didn't take it immediately.

"About my sister," Guan Gufeng glanced in the direction of the bookstore, "I need to work harder for a while longer before she feels comfortable leaving with me. Please take good care of her while I'm gone."

Sato was silent for a few seconds, then reached out and took the envelope.

There was no refusal, no polite formalities; this was a promise between men.

"Okay." Sato put the envelope into his inner pocket. "Call me before you come back next time."

He took a business card out of his pocket and handed it to Guan Gufeng.

"I'll prepare Sachiko's things; you can take them back with you."

Guan Gufeng took the business card and carefully put it away.

Sato turned and left. After a few steps, his voice carried on the wind.

"Keep up the good work, Mr. Guan Gu."