In crossover anime, who isn't a childhood friend?

"It wasn't much money..."

"Don't be vague or lie to me; I want to hear the truth."

"There are many miscellaneous expenses, and I can't give you the exact figures, but I can confirm that it's around 160 million."

"..."

Shihua's eyelids twitched slightly in alarm the moment she heard the number.

Actually, this was a number that Yuan Qianye deliberately understated.

This is just the cost of acquiring the shop here.

If you add in the extra costs of renovation, materials, labor, and various commercial appliances inside the store, the figure will easily reach 200 million.

It's safe to say that Yuan Qianye has spent all the savings he accumulated through various channels, including competitions, endorsements, and book publishing, in one go. Now, all that's left in his bank account is a small amount of interest.

When he decided to buy the shop, Touma Yoko had subtly advised him that the current economic climate was not good and offline businesses were not doing well. She suggested that it would be safer to put the money into stable financial investment projects.

But Gen Chiya didn't listen and insisted on doing things the way he had originally planned.

Money can be earned back, but how many graduation seasons does Shihua have?

In fact, for him, being so moved by Shika's yearning was already worth the price of admission.

Shihua cleared her muddled mind and then held up two fingers.

"You're making a V sign with your hand, are you going to take a picture? The pose is a bit old-fashioned, but since you're so pretty, it doesn't really matter." Yuan Qianye was still in the mood to joke.

But Shika was not affected by him at all: "I am really happy that you went to the trouble of preparing these for me. However, I am sorry that I cannot accept your kindness so shamelessly."

Yuan Qianye retorted, "How can you call it shameless? I did it voluntarily..."

"Chiya!" Toka interrupted him, "Please listen to me first."

"Alright, alright." Yuan Qianye stopped what he was doing, shrugged helplessly, and obediently indicated that he would not speak for the time being.

"Two things. First, I don't know how you put this property in my name, but please take it back and put it back in your name. This is the result of your hard work, and no one, including me, has the right to possess it alone."

"What do you mean 'yours' and 'mine'?" Yuan Qianye was a little unhappy. "I've long wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, Shihua, and have two or three more children. Even if we die, I want to tell them to mix our ashes together in one coffin. I can't always be by your side while we're alive, but I want to make sure we do this after we die. Is it really necessary for us to be so clear about these trivial things?"

Shihua's face turned rosy, and the joy that welled up in her heart revealed her satisfaction.

She certainly didn't deny her feelings for Qianye, but she also knew that one thing should be kept separate from another.

"We really don't need to calculate things so precisely between us."

"Then don't say things like that again."

"But on this matter, I really cannot compromise."

Shihua showed great determination.

Yuan Qianye was somewhat troubled, but fortunately, this was a situation he had anticipated.

He delivered the explanation he had prepared beforehand.

“I understand your thinking, but property transfer, especially commercial property transfer, can be very troublesome. Not to mention the various complicated procedures, there will be an extra expense just in terms of transfer tax.”

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Shika's expression visibly wavered.

"That tax... how much exactly do I need to pay?"

Knowing that Yuan Qianye was unfamiliar with these matters, he continued casually without changing his expression.

"Well, I'd conservatively estimate it to be over ten million. After all, this shop is very expensive. Besides that, we might have to pay registration tax, property acquisition tax, and legal fees. All these miscellaneous expenses combined could probably buy another luxury car for our family."

"..."

"Shihua, look, this is such a troublesome and wasteful thing. Let's just forget about it. How about you just put your name on the shop and keep it for me?"

"...You thought of this already, didn't you?" Toka realized something.

Gen Chiya feigned ignorance: "Huh? What do you mean by Toka?"

"never mind……"

Thinking about it carefully, from the moment we confirmed our relationship until now, whatever he wanted, I had no power to resist at all, without exception.

Yuan Qianye smiled and said, "Alright, let's leave the first matter as it is for now. What's the second matter?"

Toka left her seat at the bar and went into the kitchen, standing next to Minamoto Chiya.

"I already told you, you're resting tonight, let me serve you..."

"That's not it, I just couldn't help myself."

"Couldn't help it?"

"Yes, these commercial kitchen utensils, appliances, and equipment are completely different from household products. They have higher power, more robust materials, and more functions. I used to only see them on TV, and I've wanted to try them out myself for a long time."

At this point, the fervor in Toka's eyes faded, and she shyly and insecurely avoided meeting Chiya's gaze.

"Am I acting a little strange...?"

"It's not surprising, I can understand. It's like when gamers see a top-of-the-line controller, or golfers see a professional custom-made club set. Toka, you love cooking, so it's normal for you to want to try out these commercial kitchen equipment yourself. I guess I've misunderstood."

"Qianye, you're fine. It was just that I was a bit willful."

"How long have you been holding back this desire to experience it for yourself?"

"It started the moment I opened my eyes."

Yuan Qianye couldn't help but chuckle.

Tonight, I've lost all my chance to act like a gentleman.

But as long as Shihua is happy, that's all that matters.

He took off his apron and helped her put it on.

"Then I'll leave the preparation of dinner to you."

"Yes, no problem."

Like a child who has just received a new toy, Shihua's eyes were filled with eager anticipation.

She skillfully prepared all the high-quality ingredients, such as abalone, lobster, and beef.

The hot iron plate heats up, and then hot oil is poured over it. All the ingredients are placed on it, and the sizzling sound of the oil fills the room with an irresistible aroma.

At the same time, Rikka was eating leftovers from breakfast at home.

They were quite pleased and satisfied.

"My sister is so kind. She even made me chicken curry while she was out. It was so spicy and delicious! I remember Qianye also loves this. It's a pity I won't be able to have it today."

…………

Chapter 275: The Sacrifice of Ten Flowers

Toka Kotori was very happy, not only because, as a cooking enthusiast, she was able to access some very useful commercial kitchen equipment.

She also realized how important she was to Qianye.

This understanding has been refreshed, raising the bar.

A man who is willing to spend money on a woman is not necessarily in love with her, but conversely, if a man is not even willing to spend money on a woman, then you can imagine how little she means to him.

This statement has brainwashed countless women in modern society. Although it is now deliberately misinterpreted by many gold diggers as an excuse to morally blackmail women and make money, it does have a certain degree of relevance.

Yuan Qianye was also very happy. His reason for being happy was very pure and simple: he was simply happy because Toka was happy.

His original plan was to bring Shihua to the shop to surprise her, have a simple dinner there, and then go straight home.

But Shihua was in high spirits, and afterwards she took his hand and, with his company, explored every corner of the store, carefully observing everything before she was finally satisfied.

It was getting late, past ten o'clock, and Rikka sent messages to both of them, asking what time they would be back that night. Only then did she reluctantly leave the store.

"By the way, there's something I need to make clear to you."

In the taxi on their way home, Chiya Minamoto held Toka's hand tightly in the back seat.

"Hmm~"

Shihua responded with a soft hum.

She half-closed her eyes, resting her head on his shoulder. She hadn't drunk any alcohol at dinner, but for some reason, she felt even more dizzy than when she left Yang Nai's apartment at noon.

This is probably because the intake of happiness in a short period of time was excessive.

“Once I acquire that shop, I will definitely hand it over to you to manage from now on.”

"Thousand Nights..."

"Let me finish. You don't need to worry about the funding for opening the shop. My dad owns several bars and has experience in running businesses, so he will definitely help."

Of course, everything is based on your own ideas. If you don't have the idea of ​​opening a shop yet, or feel that you are not ready and need to focus on your studies first, that's fine too. The shop can just be left there, and it can be used as a professional venue for our Yuan family to entertain friends and hold banquets.

In short, Chiyo's idea was simple: he hoped that the shop he acquired would bring Toka a positive and uplifting meaning, and he didn't want her to feel burdened.

Shihua completely understood what he meant.

I've already said more polite things in the store.

If she continued with that polite and courteous reply, it would only upset Chiyo, so Toka simply nodded obediently.

"I see."

"There's no need to rush. You can take your time to think it over."

"No need to think about it, I can make a decision right now. The feeling of cooking in that kitchen over there just now... was really great."

Moreover, the sign on the bar that bore her name and the chef's badge filled her with an indescribable longing and desire.

This feeling is something that non-culinary enthusiasts or those aspiring to achieve something in this industry can empathize with.

"Whatever you're thinking, Shihua, just go ahead and do it. I will always support you unconditionally."

"Um……"

Shika, who had been resting her head on his shoulder, now buried it in his chest.

If she weren't in a taxi right now, she probably would have given herself up again.

I don't know why, but today I just couldn't stop wanting to kiss him.

Before today, Shihua could never have imagined that she would one day take the initiative to become like this.