The premise of breaking up in Tokyo

Little Lily actually took out her pink wallet, which contained a few coins, some worn-out change, a stack of supermarket discount coupons, and a school meal card.

Just kidding, you actually took it seriously...

Sheng Yan took out the red envelope, pulled out a 10,000 yuan bill, and placed it on the cashier's counter: "Check out, change."

Xiaobaihe's hand trembled as she held the wallet, then she put it away and opened the cash register.

While she was fumbling for change, Sheng Yan grabbed the work boots, tore off the price tags, and put them on his own feet.

After putting on her shoes, Little Lily also sorted out her change.

She was still standing behind the cashier with her head down, motionless.

It's 10 o'clock sharp, time for the shift change.

Sheng Yan put the change into the red envelope and asked, "Aren't you going home after get off work?"

Xiaobaihe stiffly raised her head, a glimmer of light appearing in her red-rimmed eyes. She didn't speak, but carefully, almost in slow motion, lifted the cover of the cash register.

Seeing that she was moving too slowly, Sheng Yan grabbed the back of her coat collar and tried to pull her out.

"Ah~" Little Lily seemed to instinctively close her eyes and squat down, covering her head with her hands and whispering, "Don't hit me~"

Her small hand touched Katsuhiko's wrist, and the information immediately flashed into Katsuhiko's mind: [Assets: 18500 yen]

Sheng Yan was somewhat surprised.

In 93, Japan's sluggish economy was akin to the end of the world for ordinary people, with the entire nation burdened with debt.

She was a female graduate from a third-rate university, without a formal job, but not only did she have no debts, she also had assets of nearly 20,000 yen, which, although not much, was still quite impressive.

After all, the ingrained habits of materialism and decadent lifestyles from the past few years still exist.

As fashion trendsetters, how can college students not swipe credit cards, take out consumer loans, and compete with each other?

Besides, she's a girl, doesn't she have any vanity? She's not bad-looking either, but she spends money on cosmetics, lipsticks, and bags.

Is she a rich heiress here to experience life? Or is she scheming, having hooked up with several boyfriends and spending their money?

Sheng Yan looked her up and down carefully.

She squatted on the ground with her head in her hands, looking like a little potato.

The shoes, tights, and coat weren't designer brands; they'd been worn for a long time... The pleated skirt and shirt underneath were from a convenience store uniform.

She wasn't wearing makeup or lipstick; her pale face was so delicate and adorable.

"Don't be afraid, I won't hit you."

Sheng Yan held her shoulders and easily lifted her up, placing her on a small stool. Then, he half-squatted in front of her, smiling, and asked in a coaxing tone, "Tell me, what do your mom and dad do?"

"Are you going to kidnap me? My family is very poor..." Little Lily said, her voice trembling with tears, as she shrank back.

To a normal person, Katsuhiko's ill-fitting small clothes look bizarre and make him look like a thug from a street gang.

This tone, which sounds like it's being coaxed a child, can easily be misunderstood.

Katsuhiko's face darkened: "Answer whatever I ask!"

Xiaobaihe's shoulders trembled. "My dad delivers goods by car."

Where do you deliver?

"Daejeon Wholesale Market".

Sheng Yan asked again, "Where's your mother?"

"Washing dishes at a barbecue restaurant."

Which barbecue restaurant?

"Marukichi yakiniku restaurant near Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station."

She also has a younger brother who has just started elementary school; they are an ordinary family.

Xiaobaihe's terrified eyes held a pleading look, clearly indicating she wasn't a liar... The barbecue restaurant was so close, it was easy to verify.

Girls in their early twenties are at the age when their vanity is at its peak and they spend money extravagantly. After all, the hype from capital is overwhelming, and even men can't resist the idea of ​​"taking good care of yourself and buying a game console," let alone girls.

Is a girl who's so good at saving money destined to bring good fortune to her husband?

Katsuhiko asked, "How do you usually spend your money?"

"Top up your meal card...discount coupon..."

If you only eat at the school cafeteria, even with a part-time job at a convenience store, you can definitely save some money...

Katsuhiko rubbed his chin with his index finger, glanced at her sideways, and asked, "Do you have a boyfriend?"

Sayuri seemed not to have reacted yet, and after a moment of hesitation, she whispered, "No."

Katsuhiko raised an eyebrow and asked with a wry smile, "Have you ever had a boyfriend before?"

"I've never paid any..." Xiaobaihe's lips trembled, a hint of shame flashing in her eyes.

The women's university next door has a pitifully small number of male students. Although you can always see a few luxury cars parked at the school gate, there are far more students than available spots...

"You're twenty-three and have never even been in a relationship. What's wrong with you?"

Little Lily seemed to have forgotten her fear because of her extreme embarrassment; her small, oval face turned red, and she looked very ashamed.

Sheng Yan didn't embarrass her for long. He changed his squatting position, put his hands on his hips, tilted his head, looked at her flushed face, and asked, "Want to find a boyfriend?"

Little Lily's little hands, which were gripping her knees, suddenly tightened. Her head slowly lowered, then turned to the right, her eyes somewhat unfocused, and she remained silent.

"Turn your face around," Katsuhiko said, straightening the collar of his shirt that had popped off a button. "Look at the single man next to you. Does he look like he's looking for a girlfriend?"

Sayuri seemed to subconsciously look up at him, and Katsuhiko, with a blank expression, met her gaze.

Their eyes met for less than half a second before she belatedly realized what was happening and hurriedly looked down, turning her body slightly to the side, revealing the red tips of her ears peeking out from her hair.

"You seem quite satisfied. I think you're pretty good too, so let's decide on this one!"

As he spoke, Sheng Yan got up, picked up a small stool, and moved it to the side along with the little lily that seemed to be rooted to the stool. Then he walked to the cashier.

A taxi pulled up in front of the store, and a woman got out wearing a bodycon skirt, wavy hair, and 10-centimeter high heels. She looked quite tall, with heavy makeup and an indescribable weariness in her eyes.

The little bell on the glass door jingled softly.

After she stepped into the store, she looked up at the cashier, her face stiffening instantly, and she instinctively stopped at the doorway.

Perhaps it was because she saw Katsuhiko staring at her, or perhaps it was Katsuhiko's bare chest that surprised her.

"The clothes are a little small, and a button popped off. I understand, it's not easy for anyone," Katsuhiko said casually, pulling up the shirt collar and moving closer to his chest. He then asked, "What do you want to buy?"

The woman blinked, her high heels clicking on the white tiled floor, and walked to the cashier, where she lit a pack of cigarettes.

Sheng Yan skillfully printed receipts, collected money, and gave change.

Thank you for your patronage, and welcome back next time!

After the woman pushed open the glass door and stepped out with one foot, Sheng Yan remembered to give her a slogan.

The woman immediately stopped at the doorway, looking at it strangely. She glanced back, said nothing, and went out to get into a taxi.

Sayuri was still sitting on the stool in the corner, leaning against the microwave on the cabinet, holding a small brown bag in her arms, her head down, her eyes occasionally glancing at Katsuhiko with a hint of curiosity.

Witnessing the whole thing makes it seem not so scary...

Sheng Yan glanced back at her, and she immediately lowered her head again.

"Have you eaten?" Sheng Yan asked casually, handing over the pasta box he had just bought.

Little Lily stammered softly, "I...I've already eaten..."

Katsuhiko walked over to her, gently tapped the microwave she was leaning against, and said, "Your boyfriend hasn't eaten yet."

As if a switch had been flipped, Xiaobaihe suddenly shuddered, stiffly turning to the side to move aside from the microwave oven door.

"The school dorms are locked," Sheng Yan said, opening the microwave door, putting the pasta container inside, and asking, "Where are you sleeping tonight?"

Xiao Baihe had mentioned many times that she was always trembling with fear every time she returned to the dormitory. When the dormitory supervisor inspected the dorm, she had to hide in the closet... It was very humiliating.

She probably wouldn't be able to stay for much longer. Katsuhiko thought of the "him who disappeared" before, who had also stayed in the school dormitory and was then expelled by the school, and that's when Kenta came to his rescue.

There's only a narrow, simple dining table in the convenience store now. Even though there's air conditioning, it's still quite cold to sleep on it all night. She doesn't go to work early in the morning either.

Three shifts: Katsuhiko works the night shift, the store manager's wife Mikoto works the morning shift, and Sayuri works the afternoon shift.

Katsuhiko took out the house key with the room number label and handed it directly to Sayuri.

"Go sleep at your boyfriend's place, and while you're at it, clean his room."

Sheng Yan noticed that she would twitch and shudder whenever the word "boyfriend" was mentioned.

However, as soon as the apartment key was handed to her, her whole body stiffened, her eyes became vacant, and she seemed to have even forgotten to breathe.

Sheng Yan waited a moment, glanced at her flushed face, and said, "Is it so embarrassing to clean your boyfriend's room?"

As if waking from a dream, Sayuri shuddered, her eyes widening as she quickly glanced at Katsuhiko's face before immediately lowering her head.

Katsuhiko immediately patted her on the shoulder and asked, "You know the Green Apple Apartments at the Okubo 1-chome intersection, right?"

Little Lily shrank back again, stammering softly, "I...I know..."

From the convenience store's location between 3-chome and 1-chome, it's all on a main road, and patrol cars come and go, so it's generally safe.

"Let's go then!"

As he spoke, Sheng Yan lifted her off the stool and placed her on the ground.

She kept her head down and didn't move, her hands seemingly unsure of what to do, constantly fiddling with the key she was holding.

Katsuhiko grabbed her coat by the elbow, making her face the doorway, and then gently pushed her forward.

She lowered her head, took a few steps forward, stopped, and stood there frozen without turning around.

Katsuhiko walked over and pushed it forward a little more.

She took a few more steps, then stopped again.

Shengyan continued to push her until she reached the door.

Katsuhiko pushed open the glass door with one hand, grabbed her by the back of her coat collar with the other, and pulled her outside, saying, "Need me to wind you up?"

Xiaobaihe kept her head down, her short, straight black hair covering her flushed oval face. Her eyelashes trembled, her eyes darted around, and she pursed her lips as if she wanted to say something, but remained silent.

"Okay, as a boyfriend, I should always give my girlfriend some support."

As Sheng Yan spoke, he grabbed her hand that was clutching the keys.

Her hand trembled slightly, and she didn't manage to pull it out, but her arm and wrist were a little stiff.

Sheng Yan quickly lowered his head and took a puff of air onto her face, making a soft "pop" sound.

Sayuri's eyes suddenly widened, her lips slightly parted, and she looked up at Katsuhiko. But as soon as her gaze met Katsuhiko's eyes, she shuddered and quickly looked down.

Her hand was still being gently held by Katsuhiko.

"Is it because you're not strong enough?" Katsuhiko lifted her small hand and pulled her closer, then said, "I think your little lips are softer than your little face."

Xiaobaihe quickly pulled her hand back and walked forward with her head down.

Sheng Yan said, "You're going the wrong way. That's the direction of your dorm, and it's locked."

Xiaobaihe paused, her shoes scraping the ground, then took two more steps forward before finally turning around, head down, clutching her handbag strap, and slowly walking back.

Sheng Yan deliberately stepped aside to make way for her. She kept her head down and walked to Sheng Yan's side without stopping, even quickening her pace a little.

But after taking a dozen or so steps, her pace slowed down, and she turned halfway back before turning back again, looking hesitant as if she wanted to look back but didn't dare to.

"I'm going to catch up!" Katsuhiko shouted, his footsteps echoing as he ran.

Sayuri turned around in a panic, and Sheng Yan immediately waved to her and said loudly, "I'll be home at 6 a.m. tomorrow. You have to clean the room spotless, or I'll break up with you."

Little Lily stumbled and almost bumped her head into a lamppost.