My dear wife, I still love you more.

Yukinoshita, who had initially felt humiliated, relaxed upon seeing Hiratsuka Shizuka's expression: "Shizuka-nee, I'm sorry, but Hasegawa is my man now." Yukinoshita recalled the time when she had declared war on Hiratsuka Shizuka.

"But, but, but Hasegawa, he, he and your mother, how could you—"

"Alright, Jing-jie, stop talking. I know everything you're saying. So what? I've come to terms with it. Life is just like that, not too long, not too short. Why make yourself unhappy? Right now, I just want to live happily and enjoy what I want to enjoy. Jing-jie, let me tell you, Hasegawa is really amazing. No wonder so many women are obsessed with him." Yukinoshita Haruno said with a hint of pride and a touch of boasting.

"..." Hiratsuka Shizuka felt like her worldview was about to be shattered.

Yes, the last time her worldview was shattered was when Hiratsuka Shizuka discovered that her mother was repeatedly going to sleep with Hasegawa. It was also at that moment that Hiratsuka Shizuka tried her best to suppress the thoughts and ideas that she felt were inappropriate.

Now, Yukinoshita Haruno is facing the same situation as her, but Yukinoshita Haruno's choice is completely different from hers.

"Shizuka-nee, are you here to see my mother? She's asleep and resting right now. It's not convenient for you to visit her." Yukinoshita Haruno didn't care about Hiratsuka Shizuka's thoughts and said with a smile.

"...Yang Nai, does your mother know about this? Aren't you worried that she'll find out?"

“I’m not worried at all, because I’ve already told my mom everything, and she’s even tacitly approved. It might seem absurd to you, and well, I think it’s absurd myself, but it doesn’t matter. My mom and I have already let it go. As long as this kind of thing doesn’t get out and outsiders find out, there won’t be any problems.” Even at this moment, Yukinoshita Haruno was still clinging to Hasegawa, her hands still inside his clothes.

Hiratsuka Shizuka felt as if her brain had been bombed again, and she was dizzy and had no idea what to do.

"Shizuka-nee, do you want to join us? Let's do it together." Yukinoshita Haruno extended an invitation to Hiratsuka Shizuka.

Hiratsuka Shizuka was taken aback by Yukinoshita Haruno's actions. She stared at Harunoshita in astonishment, then shook her head violently before running away quickly.

Seeing Hiratsuka Shizuka's actions, Yukinoshita Haruno shook her head in disappointment. The reason she invited Hiratsuka Shizuka was simply because Hiratsuka's situation was similar to hers—both had mothers who had already established a relationship with Hasegawa. If Hiratsuka Shizuka were to join them, Yukinoshita Haruno wouldn't be under so much pressure. As for having another person share Hasegawa with her? Hasegawa already had so many women; one more Hiratsuka Shizuka wouldn't make a difference.

Chapter 119 Shizuka Hiratsuka's Compromise

"Mom, where are you going?"

She was somewhat distracted all day, and even made several mistakes while teaching her students. When she finally got home from get off work, Hiratsuka Shizuka saw her mother dressed up beautifully and getting ready to go out, and subconsciously asked her a question.

"Mom's going to get her hair done," Hiratsuka's mother said to Hiratsuka Shizuka with a smile.

"Get your hair done? Huh? Mom, you're not going to see Hasegawa, are you?" Hiratsuka Shizuka realized what was happening and couldn't help but frown.

"Xiao Jing, it's better to keep some things to yourself than to say them out loud!" Hiratsuka's mother said with a smile.

"..." Hiratsuka Shizuka's face was extremely pale: "Mom, you, how could you, how could you become like this? You weren't like this before!"

"That's because we hadn't met Hasegawa before!" Hiratsuka's mother said without any politeness or attempt to hide her true feelings.

"..." Hiratsuka Shizuka felt extremely uncomfortable. Her mother had become like this, and then there was Yukinoshita Haruno. Yukinoshita Haruno's situation was the same as hers, no, it should be said that her situation was even worse than hers. After all, her mother had given birth to her younger siblings with Hasegawa, and now she was also with Hasegawa. And yet she seemed so happy about it, she had absolutely no sense of shame.

Hiratsuka Shizuka should be looking down on Yukinoshita Haruno right now, looking down on her actions. But besides the so-called contempt, Hiratsuka Shizuka actually felt a little envious, and even a little jealous.

When Hiratsuka Shizuka discovered this, she was overwhelmed with shame.

"Xiao Jing, Mom won't be home for dinner. You can have the servants cook for you. If I'm not home by nine o'clock tonight, don't wait for me." Hiratsuka's mother, unaware of her daughter's thoughts and feelings at this moment, casually said to Hiratsuka Shizuka.

Hiratsuka Shizuka's expression nearly exploded when she heard her mother's words: "Wait a minute, Mom!"

"Hmm? What's wrong, Shizuka? If it's not something particularly important, we can talk when I get back. After all, Hasegawa and I have already made an appointment."

Hearing her mother mention Hasegawa again, Hiratsuka Shizuka felt increasingly resentful: "Mom, why, why can you, why can you so naturally, so naturally maintain this kind of relationship with Hasegawa, and even make no attempt to hide it from me? Don't you, don't you know that I like Hasegawa—I used to like Hasegawa?"

Hearing what Hiratsuka Shizuka said, Hiratsuka's mother turned around and looked at Shizuka's current appearance: "Of course I know. But, Shizuka, generally speaking, when boys and girls are dating, it's mostly the boy who pursues the girl, and it's usually the boy who takes the initiative. The girl just needs to give an appropriate response at the right time. However, there are exceptions. For example, there are outstanding boys who have many girls who like them. In this case, the girl needs to take the initiative. Of course, this initiative must be kept within a certain range to prevent the boy from misunderstanding that the girl is frivolous."

"Mom, why are you bringing this up? What does this have to do with what I'm saying?" Hiratsuka Shizuka frowned, finding it utterly inexplicable that her mother was suddenly saying this.

"Of course it's related, Shizuka. Hasegawa is a very outstanding person. So it's true that you like him, but there are also many, many girls who like him, even women my age can't help but like him. So at this point, unless it's a woman that Hasegawa himself particularly likes or cherishes, if you want to have a future with Hasegawa, you have to take the initiative, Shizuka. You might be a little too proud of your status, so have you ever taken the initiative with Hasegawa? In fact, if it weren't for that time you took the opportunity to have a relationship with Hasegawa, would your relationship have progressed further? It's impossible, isn't it?" Hiratsuka's mother shook her head.

"I, I, I am his teacher—"

“That’s right, it’s because you have this idea. So until now, not only have you failed to get closer to Hasegawa, but you may even be drifting further and further apart. Look at Haruno, she likes someone, and if she likes someone, she likes them. Even if she has to use some methods, if it doesn’t work the first time, she can try again. Now, hasn’t it all come to fruition?” Hiratsuka’s mother shook her head and then gave an example.

"Huh? Mom, you know about Haruno and Hasegawa—"

"Of course I know. My sister and I have a pretty good relationship. We chat almost every day lately. After all, she's been spending a lot of time in her room since giving birth, so she's naturally looking for me to chat with. I've heard about the relationship between Haruno and Hasegawa from my sister."

"But, but, Mom, don't you think this is... this is too absurd? Clearly, clearly Hasegawa and Aunt Yukinoshita already have children, and yet Haruno is doing this—"

“It is indeed absurd!” Hiratsuka’s mother nodded.

"Right, right. I told you it was ridiculous—"

"But so what?"

"Ugh?"

"Xiaojing, you should have experienced this firsthand. Because of Hasegawa and me, you've been restraining yourself. But put your hand on your heart, do you really like this? Do you really feel happy? Have you laughed from the bottom of your heart during this time? You used to love reading anime books, do you still read them now?" Hiratsuka's mother questioned.

“I—” Hiratsuka Shizuka’s eyes were filled with confusion.

"It must be tough, really tough. And this is only for a short time. There's a long road ahead. Do you think you can get through this? If you can't, can you handle it? Such a long time. As for me, I couldn't handle it, so I gave in. Your Aunt Yukinoshita and Haruno couldn't handle it either, so they gave in too. What about you, Shizuka? Can you handle it?" Hiratsuka's mother poured her heart out to Shizuka.

"But, but, but this, this—"

“I know this doesn’t make sense, and you can’t figure it out, so you’ve been struggling with it. But if you keep struggling like this, you’ll only be the one suffering. Besides, I don’t think you, Shizuka, are the most capable of handling this. Just like me, after that accident, I was planning to give up, but who knew—” Hiratsuka’s mother gave a bitter smile: “If possible, who would want to share a man with another woman?”

"Mom, then, then tell me, tell me what I should do?" Hiratsuka Shizuka pleaded with her mother.

"Here's what we'll do. Today, you go see Hasegawa in my place. After meeting him, perhaps you can make a real decision in your heart—whether to do the same as Haruno, or to break up completely. The choice is yours. If you don't have the courage under normal circumstances, then you can go with a drink. Drink a little, but don't get too drunk or lose your mind. Use alcohol to amplify some thought in your heart, whether it's a complete breakup or some other choice. After making a choice, you won't be in as much pain as you are now."

Hiratsuka Shizuka was, after all, her daughter, so Hiratsuka's mother gave her a very sincere piece of advice.

"I, I, I understand." Hiratsuka Shizuka's expression kept changing, and finally she nodded heavily, then decided to go see Hasegawa.

……

In the room where Hiratsuka's mother had arranged to meet, Hasegawa ordered some red wine and waited for her arrival.

Even now, Hasegawa still doesn't really like drinking, but Hiratsuka's mother does, so Hasegawa prepares some for her. Although she doesn't drink much each time, it's still a nice way to add to the fun.

Hasegawa glanced at the time; it was almost time for the agreed-upon meeting, but Hiratsuka's mother hadn't arrived yet. This struck Hasegawa as odd, since Hiratsuka's mother usually arrived well in advance after making an appointment with him. After all, at her age, she was very eager for such things, so she would often arrive early. But today, with the agreed-upon time approaching, she still hadn't arrived, which made Hasegawa feel a bit strange.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Hasegawa knew that Hiratsuka's mother had arrived.

I quickly went to the door, opened it, and a strong smell of alcohol hit me.

"Hiratsuka-ma—Shizuka-nee?"

Upon seeing Hasegawa, Hiratsuka Shizuka immediately pounced on him and began frantically touching his cheeks and features with her breath reeking of alcohol.

"Sister Jing, you, you—"

...The dividing line between the river crab mythical beast...

Hasegawa let out a soft breath, looking at Hiratsuka Shizuka lying on top of him, seemingly asleep. Hasegawa felt a mix of emotions.

How to put it? Strange, surprised, and somewhat bewildered, yet also mixed with a hint of joy.

After all, Hasegawa couldn't be said to be completely indifferent to Hiratsuka Shizuka. He actually quite liked this woman, but due to Hiratsuka's mother and Shizuka's own feelings, he had never made a move. Hasegawa even thought he might be missing out on Hiratsuka. Now, in this situation, Hasegawa could be considered to have gotten what he wanted.

Looking at Hiratsuka Shizuka, who seemed to have fallen asleep, Hasegawa gently stroked her head, but he could clearly sense that her breathing had become heavier.

Clearly, she hadn't actually fallen asleep; she was just pretending to be asleep because she was shy.

Having discovered this, she sang it to Congcong without pointing it out. After all, Hiratsuka Shizuka was probably very shy right now. Since she wanted to bury her head in the sand and hide, she should let her hide.

Chapter 120 Shiina Mashiro's Dependence

"Shizuka, you're back. Coming back so late, it seems you've already made your choice." Hiratsuka's mother looked at Shizuka with a slightly complicated expression.

Although Hiratsuka's mother seemed to be constantly trying to comfort and persuade Hiratsuka Shizuka, she still felt uneasy after Shizuka made that choice. After all, such things are bound to be absurd.

"Mom." Hiratsuka Shizuka's cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head, somewhat afraid to face her mother.

"Xiao Shizuka, congratulations! You finally don't have to worry about it anymore." Hiratsuka's mother smiled and said to Hiratsuka Shizuka.

"But, but—" Even though Hiratsuka Shizuka had made her choice, she still felt a little uneasy when she returned home and saw her mother.

"Alright, no more buts. Shizuka, how about you call me 'older sister' from now on? Although we're mother and daughter, from Hasegawa's perspective, calling each other sisters doesn't seem wrong, does it? Come on, call me 'older sister'." Hiratsuka's mother said with a smile.

"Mom, you, you, what nonsense are you talking about? What sisters? I, I would never, I would never do it with you and Hasegawa—anyway, that's absolutely unacceptable." Hiratsuka Shizuka blushed and kept shaking her head.

"Mom didn't say anything, it's you who kept thinking about it in that direction, okay? So Xiaojing, deep down you actually think it's exciting to do this, right?"

"No way!"

"Really not?"

"Absolutely not!"

I don't believe it.

"I said no, and that means no."

……

"Hasegawa, you're back." When Hasegawa returned home, Shiina Mashiro, who had been sitting in the living room in a daze, suddenly brightened up.

"Mashiro! Yes, I'm back." Hasegawa greeted Shiina Mashiro with a smile.

"Is Hasegawa still leaving? Hasegawa has been away from home a lot lately. I thought you didn't want me anymore, Hasegawa." Shiina Mashiro ran up to Hasegawa, grabbed the hem of his shirt, and squeezed it hard.

"Um, well, this is my home. I spent a lot of money to buy this house, how could I not come back? Hehehe." Hasegawa chuckled dryly. Shiina Mashiro's words were too ambiguous. What did she mean by saying he didn't want her anymore? Their relationship hadn't reached that point.

"Yes, that's what my cousin said too." Shiina Mashiro nodded, but she still held onto Hasegawa's clothes tightly.

Seeing Shiina Mashiro's actions, Hasegawa couldn't help but scratch his head. Shiina Mashiro's dependence on him seemed to have suddenly become a bit too much. He had only stayed away from home for the past few days because of Yukinoshita Haruno and Hiratsuka Shizuka, so there was no need for this. Besides, there was nothing wrong between him and Shiina Mashiro.

"Um, do you still have any of your Baumkuchen? If not, I'll make you some." Hasegawa thought for a moment and decided to change the subject.

"Nothing."

"Alright, I'll make it for you right away." Hasegawa was about to make a Baumkuchen, but Shiina Mashiro's hand still wouldn't let go of his clothes: "Mashiro, let go of me. If you keep holding me like this, I can't make you a Baumkuchen. Besides, this is my house, and I'm not leaving."

Shiina Mashiro tilted her head and looked at Hasegawa, thought for a moment, and then let go of his hand.

Although she let go of Hasegawa's hand, Shiina Mashiro still followed behind him, going wherever he went and almost never letting him out of her sight.

Hasegawa couldn't help but smile wryly at Shiina Mashiro's behavior, while also being puzzled as to why Shiina Mashiro had suddenly become like this; he hadn't been like this before. Could it be because he hadn't been back much these past few days? That seemed a bit too much.

After finishing the Baumkuchen, Hasegawa watched as Shiina Mashiro ate it bite by bite, her seemingly expressionless face filled with happiness. Seeing Shiina Mashiro like this, Hasegawa smiled.

"Hasegawa, you eat too!" Shiina Mashiro placed a piece of Baumkuchen near Hasegawa's mouth.

"Thank you!" Hasegawa said thank you and opened his mouth to eat the Baumkuchen that Shiina Mashiro handed him.

Shiina Mashiro ate several large pieces of Baumkuchen, then let out a burp. Well, Hasegawa knew that Shiina Mashiro would definitely not eat any more for the next main meal.

However, when Hasegawa looked up, he saw Shiina Mashiro staring straight at him, which made Hasegawa feel a little confused.

"Mashiro, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?" Hasegawa subconsciously wiped his face.