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

The two had encountered a robber on a previous trip together. Although the robber was eventually subdued, the process was indeed somewhat dangerous, so this statement is not wrong.

When reminded of this incident, Hayasaka Ai couldn't help but smile, and the tension in her heart immediately subsided considerably.

"Ah, alright, then Chiyo... actually, there are some more detailed inside stories about the Yukinoshita family..."

As the conversation unfolded, Hayasaka Ai's tone became increasingly lighthearted.

In contrast, he gradually frowned as he learned the specific political situation of the Yukinoshita family from Hayasaka Ai.

It's not a very complicated matter.

simply put--

A crucial education reform bill is about to be voted on in the Diet. Mr. Yukinoshita is a staunch supporter of the bill, which aims to weaken the privileged class's monopoly on educational resources and touches on the core interests of conservatives, including the current prime minister.

Mr. Yukinoshita's position is simple and quite idealistic: for the sake of social justice and to ensure that welfare is available to all citizens, the bill must be passed.

But some people don't think so. Not to mention the vested interests of the opposition, a large amount of political funding comes from allies in the same camp as the financial groups that oppose the bill, and there are also many hypocrites.

Not everyone is as idealistic as Mr. Yukinoshita. After realizing that it would be very difficult to pass the bill, many people secretly turned against it for their own benefit.

Among them were Amakusa and Gono, whom Chiya had met briefly at a previous banquet and who had shown considerable closeness to the Yukinoshita family.

They have actually been persuaded and won over in private, and they will defect to Congress and vote against the bill.

The reason why Hayasaka Ai knows this so clearly is because her mother, Hayasaka Nao, works for a conglomerate that opposes the bill—the Shinomiya Group.

Nao Hayasaka has worked for the Shinomiya family for many years and has risen to a very high position due to her outstanding abilities. The Shinomiya family will also directly assign her to handle some important matters.

This time it was quite a coincidence. She was ordered to find a way to win over those wavering councilors, and after achieving some success, she ran into Minamoto Chiya, who was attending with the Yukinoshita family, at the banquet.

Considering that everything had pretty much settled down and it wasn't a major issue that could affect the situation, the mother privately approached her beloved daughter and instructed her to tell Yuan Qianye about it, as a way of doing her a favor.

This can also be seen as a subtle reminder to Yukino Shinobu: in the political arena, being too eager for quick success and too sharp-edged will only make one a target of criticism. Only by blending in with the world and shedding one's sharp edges can one achieve steady progress in this field.

"...Although several other families besides the Yukinoshita family also rejected this offer, it was all in vain. Their camps were not united and were in disarray, so their defeat was already inevitable."

Therefore, the Yukinoshita family should no longer blindly persist in things that will not yield results, but should instead think about how to use this intelligence to protect themselves before the Diet session begins.

If one insists on sticking to their original ideas, then by going against the majority, there's a high chance they'll lose even their current political base, making their future political path increasingly difficult.

Hayasaka Ai told Minamoto Chiya all the information she had received from her mother without reservation.

From her perspective, whether the Yukinoshita family lives or dies is none of her business.

But she still went to such lengths to give me this reminder.

This is not finished.

She knows a little about politics, but isn't particularly knowledgeable about it.

Therefore, she specifically consulted her mother and presented the basic ideas she had learned about how the Yukinoshita family should proceed under such circumstances, giving rational advice on how the Yukinoshita family should take the next step.

Reaching this level of thoughtfulness goes beyond simply being considerate.

In a sense, what she is doing now is no different from the caring attitude that Kazusa has always shown towards Minamoto Chiya.

As for her feelings, Yuan Qianye was naturally well aware of them.

"Thank you."

This thank you from Gen Chiya was heartfelt. As he thanked her, he also formally placed his hands on his knees and bowed his head at a ninety-degree angle toward Hayasaka Ai.

He knew, of course, that Hayasaka Ai's actions had long surpassed the boundaries of ordinary friendship.

The information she conveyed involved risky personal connections and was imbued with genuine concern.

Such gratitude cannot be measured by words; it is a debt that must be repaid with actions and results.

As for how to repay the favor, he doesn't have a good idea yet, but he is certain that he will repay this great favor far more than he has done.

"You just said I was being too polite." Hayasaka Ai's implication was that it shouldn't just be me being casual; you should treat me the same way.

Yuan Qianye shook his head: "That's different. One thing at a time. Some things still need to be explained in detail. I know that no matter how much I promise now, it will seem empty. But please rest assured, I will definitely repay the kindness you showed me today a hundredfold in the future."

"Your words and the tone you're using give me the feeling of a gangster, which is a bit scary. Besides, I'm telling you this out of my own will, and I don't expect anything in return from you."

"I feel the same way about wanting to reciprocate. Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. We haven't seen each other for a while. Let's not keep talking about these things. It's still early. Let's do something together... I remember you were quite interested in games."

"Yeah, it's just that I'm usually too busy with work to have much time to play."

"I just got a new game console and some game discs. Let's pick one that interests you and play it together."

Gen Chiya deftly turned on the game console, grabbed the controller, and the two began playing a light and brightly colored puzzle game together.

During the game's loading screen, the two also shared some interesting things that had happened to them recently.

They laughed and chatted throughout the meeting, and the initial awkwardness quickly faded away as they rediscovered the familiar and natural camaraderie they used to share.

Soon it was 11:40 a.m.

The game was paused, and Yuan Qianye got up and went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.

Hayasaka Ai got up, wanting to help, but Minamoto Chiya pressed her shoulders down and made her sit down, telling her in a slightly forceful tone to stay in the living room and watch TV, saying that as a guest, she should just wait to be served.

The maid wasn't really used to it, but since her master had said so, she had no choice but to do as he said.

Soon from the kitchen came the crisp sound of chopping vegetables and the whooshing sound of the range hood being turned on.

I'll be able to eat a meal made by Chiya himself for lunch today...

Hayasaka Ai seemed quite excited about this, peeking towards the kitchen from time to time, and the way her slender legs gently swayed on the edge of the sofa revealed her inner joy.

However, not long after, Gen Chiya suddenly came out of the kitchen.

Hayasaka Ai noticed that he had taken off his apron.

"What's wrong?" She realized something.

Yuan Qianye explained, "It's nothing. My sister usually cooks at home. I didn't even know we were out of soy sauce and sake. I'll go downstairs to buy some now."

"Let me go, just tell me the brand you usually use."

"No need, no need. There's no reason to make guests run errands. Just wait at home. I've put some water on the stove on a low flame. It shouldn't be boiling before I get back, but just in case, please keep an eye out for any noise."

Without giving a word of explanation, Gen Chiya made this arrangement, walked to the entrance, smiled at Hayasaka Ai who had followed him, said "I'll be back soon," and went straight out.

Hayasaka Ai lowered her gently waving right hand, looked at the tightly closed door, and belatedly realized what was going on. Suddenly, she laughed without any more worries.

"What? This feels like a young couple's relationship..."

She murmured to herself softly, her smile widening.

She turned and went into the kitchen, where she saw a large pot of water boiling on the stove, along with clean pork ribs next to it, indicating that they would be boiled later.

Hayasaka Ai rolled up her sleeves, intending to put on an apron and make some preparations she could manage.

However, she stopped moving abruptly as if a pause button had been pressed when she had only extended halfway.

Her eyes widened slightly as she suddenly realized something truly extraordinary!

Qianye went out, and now there's no one else at home besides her...

This means that during this short period of time, she was completely free!

No matter where you go or what you do, as long as you don't leave a trace, there won't be any problems!

Hayasaka Ai's breathing gradually became rapid.

She quickly regained her senses, and after confirming that the water on the stove would not boil for the time being, she turned around and started walking.

The second door she pushed open made her instinctively take a deep breath.

This is Chiya's room!

Knowing that Chiya, who had gone out to buy soy sauce, might return at any time, Hayasaka Ai didn't have much time to savor or appreciate anything. The room that she used to secretly watch was now right in front of her.

Skipping over the foreplay, she couldn't contain her pounding heart any longer. She took a few quick steps to Yuan Qianye's bedside, carefully reached out and touched the pillow, then swallowed hard and pressed her face against it without any hesitation.

"Hmm...~"

The moment I pressed my face against the pillow and felt its soft texture, and smelled his unique scent, was unforgettable.

The maid couldn't help but let out a cute moan, like a cat whining.

The next moment, he buried his head in the blanket and began an epic lung-clearing session!

…………

Chapter 069: If I'm discovered, my life is over.

As Yuan Qianye stepped into the convenience store, a mechanical voice on the speaker above the door announced "Welcome."

He went straight to the condiment section on the shelf and grabbed soy sauce and sake, but instead of heading to the cashier, he sat down on a lounge chair and took out his phone.

He planned to linger for a while, maybe five minutes before going back. Including the time it would take him to go up and down the stairs, there would be a gap of about ten minutes in total.

The timing was just right, satisfying the maid without making it too long or seeming unnatural.

"What kind of mess is this...?"

He shook his head and sighed softly.

Although he had already made his decision about today's arrangements, when he calmed down and thought about it, he still felt that he was really quite abnormal.

The only way I could repay Ai-chan's meticulous help and tips was in this way.

No, strictly speaking, that can't be considered a reward at all; it's completely irrelevant to me.

While there was gratitude in all these actions, the majority of the feeling was pity.

Hayasaka Ai was not lacking in ability, background, or even material life, but after witnessing her secretly spying on him late at night time and time again, he developed a genuine feeling of pity for her.

This emotion also influenced his specific attitude towards her.

Working in a wealthy family like that meant spending most of the day on high-intensity work, and even when you were asleep, you were always on standby.

If you think this is actually not so bad, then please consider that she started this kind of work when she was in kindergarten.

While Chiyo was carefree, wandering the streets exploring maps, she had already donned a maid's dress and officially begun her part-time job.

Thinking about it this way, her life couldn't unfold as she had hoped. She lacked the company of her parents from a very young age and was strictly required to learn various skills. Years of accumulated heavy work without enough rest time weighed on her shoulders... Considering all these factors combined, Ai-chan's pressure was indeed too great.

Under such immense pressure, it's not particularly difficult to understand why some people might develop secret sexual fetishes or find ways to relieve stress.

Thinking of this, Gen Chiya could only sigh with regret. He really had no way to deal with Hayasaka Ai right now.

Given the complicated relationship between the two of them so far, the fact that he could pretend not to know anything and cooperate with Ai-chan's somewhat unique way of relieving stress, while protecting Ai-chan's self-esteem, was already the greatest help he could offer.