Their restricted abilities are refreshed every week.

"Guess, Shirakawa-kun?" Nagasaki Motoyo winked at Shirakawa Haru with a mischievous smile. "No," Shirakawa Haru said. "Girls are too complicated. Guessing right is natural, but guessing wrong will only make them angry... By the way, that was a famous line from Oshino Meme in the Monogatari series."

"The Monogatari Series, Oshino Meme? I haven't heard of it." Nagasaki Motoyo put her fingers against her face and thought for a while before she was sure that she had indeed never heard of this work.

"But I can find out," she said.

"Hmm." Baichuan Qing suddenly thought of a sentence...

Outside the kitchen, the sound of an electronic lock opening was heard at the door. With a "ding" sound, the door was pushed open.

Then came the voice of a woman who sounded a little tired but full of energy.

"Surprise, Sushi! Mom promised to come home for dinner with you tonight, but I broke the promise due to work. I really feel sorry for you, so I took a day off tonight to be with you. It smells so good! What are we having for dinner tonight?"

The door slammed shut, and the electronic lock clicked before locking again. The woman changed into her slippers at the door, and the clattering footsteps on the floor drew closer.

"Mom?" Nagasaki Suyo looked at Shirakawa Haru's face nervously and found that his expression had not changed. He was even wiping the knife with a towel.

"Suyo? Are you in the kitchen?" Nagasaki Suyo's mother walked towards the kitchen.

Chapter 8.5: Mother and Daughter's Combo (k

When Nagasaki Motoyo's mother came home from get off work, she pushed open the door of her house, took off her high heels at the entrance, changed into indoor slippers, and leaned against the wall, looking tired.

There is too much work in the company. She has worked hard to get to this position. There are some troubles that she cannot avoid just because she wants to.

Today, she didn't even have dinner and led a group of her subordinates to work around the clock to speed up the progress of the work, so as to finish the work early and squeeze out some time to accompany her daughter Su Shi.

She had promised Su Shi last time to go home and accompany her, but as soon as she walked out of the company gate, the head of another department called her, apologizing and asking her to help look after a project he was in charge of.

This project was very important, and if anything went wrong, even she might be significantly affected. So, after only a few steps outside the company, she turned back.

So she broke her promise to her daughter.

Although Su Shi concealed it well, she could still sense Su Shi's loneliness from the phone call.

She must be disappointed in herself.

Really, I am your mother. Su Shi, can your little tricks really deceive me, your mother?

Nagasaki Suyo's mother feels very sorry for Nagasaki Suyo. She is a career-oriented woman and now her work in the company has a high priority for her. In order to provide Suyo with sufficient material conditions, she must work hard.

She has tried her best to love her daughter Su Shi, but her energy is limited, and she inevitably has to neglect one between work and her daughter.

She wanted to make it up to Su Shi, so she came back today without saying hello to Su Shi on the phone. She wanted to give Su Shi a surprise.

Nagasaki Suyo's mother glanced at the wall clock and then glanced at the night view outside the floor-to-ceiling window.

It's late, but not too late, and many Tokyo families like to have dinner at this time.

What expression would appear on Su Shi’s face when he saw himself coming home unexpectedly? Would it be surprise?

Her face was filled with anticipation. She lowered her head to look at her own smiling face, imprinted on the illuminated floor. She walked over to the clothes rack as usual, ready to take off her coat and hang it up. But when she looked up, her smile froze. She saw the leather jacket hanging on the hanger. It had a nice fit, but the size was too big for Su Shi, and...it was definitely not a women's leather jacket.

There is also the aroma of food on the dining table in the living room. Just by taking a slight sniff, you can taste how delicious and sumptuous the food is.

who is it?

While she was away, Su Shi brought a man she didn't know home. Judging from the size of his clothes, he should be a tall adult man. Could he be someone from society?

Nagasaki Suyo's mother didn't try to hide her footsteps. As she was changing her shoes at the entrance, she heard her daughter Suyo and a stranger talking in the kitchen. The voices disappeared only after she entered the entrance. They were still in the kitchen.

She was terrified that Su Shi had been tricked by some shady person while she was gone. If that were to happen, she would surely shed tears of regret. Perhaps even she herself hadn't noticed, but as she headed for the kitchen, her footsteps grew heavier, and her face wore the same authority she used to give orders at work.

In the kitchen, Nagasaki Suyo stood on tiptoe and reached out to untie the knot on Shirakawa Haru's apron, but she remembered that she had tied many knots. Except for the first bow that would fall apart if she pulled it lightly, the remaining knots were more difficult to untie than the other.

"Shirakawa Haru, I don't think I've done anything bad." Shirakawa Haru tilted his head slightly, glancing at the white hand on his shoulder. Just now, Shirakawa Sushi had told him with his eyes to speak softly. Although he didn't understand why he had to do that, he still tried to lower his voice. "Was that your mother just now? She's back. Shirakawa Haru, do you want to go say hello to your aunt first?"

"Wait, Shirakawa-kun..." Nagasaki Suyo's fingers were very flexible, and the knots were untied one after another in her hands. However, even so, there were still at least half of the knots that she couldn't untie in time. "Take off your apron first!"

In Nagasaki Suyo's worldview, bedding, slippers, one's own home, and a girl's boudoir all carry a certain special and personal quality. Compared to other girls, she attaches particular importance to these things, a bit like the ancient sentiment that if a woman's delicate bare ankles were seen, she would be the one to marry. She is a girl who is both bold and conservative.

At the moment, she didn't want Shirakawa-kun to be seen by her mother wearing her own apron.

What would my mother think if she saw me and Shirakawa-kun being so close?

"Nagasaki-san's mother, what should I call her? Can I call her 'Auntie'?" Shirakawa Haru tugged at the apron straps around her neck, but Nagasaki Motoyo slapped her hand away for obstructing her from untying the knot. "Then I'll just call her Auntie. It makes me look younger."

"Wait, wait, Mom is coming soon, and there are still many knots that have not been untied! Slow down, slow down!" Nagasaki Suyo muttered, her fingers were butterflies dancing among the flowers, and the knots were bouquets of flowers that the butterflies could touch.

"Nagasaki-san, I saw Auntie. She is indeed a very young lady." Shirakawa Haru said softly, and hesitated whether to say hello to her, but Nagasaki Suyo was still behind her, trying to help her take off her apron.

That girl is his daughter Nagasaki Suyo?

Nagasaki Sushijie's mother walked into the kitchen and couldn't believe what she saw: her daughter was clinging affectionately to the man's back, standing on tiptoe, her hand extended, working something on his neck. The man had a well-proportioned figure and broad shoulders. Just from his back and the exposed neck, she could tell he had a remarkable temperament and appearance. She also saw small white flowers and an apron with a small flower print.

This man is wearing her apron!

It looked like Su Shi was helping the man untie his apron. No, why was this man wearing their apron?

In an instant, all the past events flashed through Nagasaki Suyo's mother's mind, but a sudden "Hello, Auntie" interrupted her continuously changing thoughts. Hello, Auntie... Auntie?

Nagasaki Suyo gently patted Shirakawa Qing's back, indicating that she didn't want to continue untying the knot, so she just wore the apron, since her mother had seen it anyway.

So Baichuan turned around and looked at Nagasaki Sushijie's mother. As she walked towards the kitchen, her eyes reflected her growing body, and she said obediently:

"Hello Auntie."

It was only then that Nagasaki Motoyo's mother saw Shirakawa Haru's face clearly. It was exactly the same as she had imagined. The man who greeted her had a mature face, but if you looked closely, you could find that the charming corners of his fox eyes and his lips still had a hint of childishness. The striped plaid shirt and jeans he wore were a favorite outfit of young students. The skin on his palms was also very white, unlike those people who were out in society and working in a company.

To sum up, he is most likely still just a student.

"Suye, who is this..." Nagasaki Suye's mother walked up to Nagasaki Suye and asked her softly while biting her ear.

"It's... my friend. I recently joined a band, and he's our amateur manager." Nagasaki Suyo rubbed her fingers, her flesh-colored nails tapping against each other gently. She hadn't lied to her mother, but she had omitted the most important part.

He is also the boy she likes.

This child, Suyo, is hiding something from me. As Nagasaki Suyo's mother, she naturally knew how Nagasaki Suyo behaved when she was hesitant and wanted to hide something - fiddling with her fingers.

"Your friends are coming, why don't you tell your mother? That way she can be prepared before she goes home."

"Mom, you haven't come back to have dinner with me for a long time. I thought you would just stay at the company instead of coming back."

"That's why I just came back, secretly preparing a surprise for you. Who knew you'd come to visit with your friends? If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have come back." Nagasaki Suyo's mother leaned close to Nagasaki Suyo, whispering in her ear, "Mom knows Suyo is a child who lacks a sense of security. You brought him to our house. To be honest, do you like this boy a little bit?"

"Hey, Mom, don't say that..." Nagasaki Suyo was a little nervous, afraid that her conversation with her mother would be heard by Shirakawa Haru. She pinched her mother's arm and tapped her cheek lightly.

"It hurts! Okay, okay, mom knows I was wrong~" Nagasaki Suyo's mother gently kissed Nagasaki Suyo's forehead, "These are just our girls' private conversations, don't worry, he can't hear clearly."

In her mother's eyes, Nagasaki Suyo relaxed and changed the way she pinched her fingers.

Sure enough, their relationship is not ordinary. Maybe it can't be said that she likes him at the moment, but Su Shi must have some degree of affection for this boy.

Nagasaki Motoyo's mother thought that it was impossible for her daughter to bring a boy home as a guest.

Thinking of this, she loosened her arms around her daughter and said in a voice that Shirakawa Haru could hear:

"Su Shi, I still don't know the name of your friend."

"Auntie, my name is Shirakawa Haru. My last name is Shirakawa and my given name is Haru. You can just call me 'Shirakawa'." Shirakawa Haru hooked his arm and stretched it back, trying to feel the shape of the knot with his hands and untie it.

"What did Suyo call you?" Nagasaki Suyo's mother gave Shirakawa Haru a gentle smile that only elders could give.

"Shirakawa-kun." Shirakawa Haru replied.

"Then can I also call you Shirakawa-kun, just like Su Shi?"

"Yeah." Shirakawa Haru nodded.

"Sushi, it's rare for someone to visit our home, why did you only let your friend in wearing disposable shoe covers? Aren't there several pairs of new indoor slippers ready on the shoe cabinet at the door?" Nagasaki Sushi's mother winked at her own mother, "Hurry up and take Shirakawa-kun over to change into a new pair of slippers."

"No need, Auntie. I can just wear shoe covers. Wearing slippers will dirty my shoes. I'm just a guest here occasionally. There's no need to go through so much trouble." Shirakawa Haru said.

"It's okay, we have plenty of indoor slippers at home." Nagasaki Suyo's mother walked up behind her, supported her, and lifted her up. "Suyo, quickly take your friend to change their shoes." At the end, she added, "Mom is so hungry, I want to have a big dinner tonight!"

As a mother, she actually acted coquettishly towards her daughter, "I smelled a delicious smell in the living room just now. What did you have for dinner? Can you tell me?" Nagasaki Motoyo's mother's voice became lighter again.

"Steamed soft-shelled turtle soup, chicken crystal soup, beef tenderloin stewed with mushrooms, creamed asparagus, creamed green beans..." Nagasaki Suye listed the names of the dishes, and her face began to turn red as she spoke.

She didn't realize it when she was watching Baichuan Qing eating, but now she realized that the dinner she prepared today was really rich.

"Mom wants to eat these too!" She hugged Nagasaki Suyo and kissed her a few more times, then she lay on Nagasaki Suyo's body and hung on her like a sloth.

"Mom, please be mindful of your image in front of Shirakawa-kun!" Nagasaki Suyo pulled her mother's hand away, turned around and hugged her, carrying her to the sofa in the living room. Then she turned on the air conditioner and said to Shirakawa Haru who followed her out, "Shirakawa-kun, go change into a pair of indoor slippers at the door. Don't let your elders down."

Did mom notice something?

Nagasaki Suyo sat on the sofa, gently rubbing her mother's temples with her white hands, carefully brushing the hair on her forehead back to prevent her from pressing on her hair, and then took a soft air-conditioned blanket from the room to cover her.

Of course, after all, she is my favorite mother.

"Mom Su-se wants to eat beef stew with potatoes today." Nagasaki Su-se's mother closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

"I know, Mom." Nagasaki Suyo pinched her nose.

Shirakawa Haru changed into a pair of blue rabbit slippers. The sizes of the other slippers were too small, so only this pair could he barely fit into. But even so, he still felt a little unnatural when walking.

"Shirakawa-kun, I need to make dinner for Mom." Nagasaki Sushige put on an apron and bit the rubber band to tie her flaxen hair up high, revealing her snow-white, slender neck. "I just found a fairy tale book in the room. You can use it to entertain yourself for a while. If you have anything, tell me. I'll be in the kitchen."

"Let me help you." Bai Chuanqing said, "Auntie must be very hungry now. No matter what it is, two people can do it much faster than one person."

"Then I'll trouble you, Shirakawa-kun." Nagasaki Suyo was standing in the kitchen, Shirakawa Haru was standing beside her. She walked behind Shirakawa Haru and hugged his waist, "Thank you, Shirakawa-kun. This hug is a reward for you... Is my body particularly soft?" Just when Shirakawa Haru wanted to speak, Nagasaki Suyo suddenly let go of her hand, and then smiled mischievously, "Shirakawa-kun were not really feeling it carefully just now?" Her smile was like a flower blooming, so light, not disturbing anyone, the delicate fragrance of the flower inadvertently drifted with the wind, and her smile turned into thousands of wind chimes, swaying from the glazed eaves to the sky.

There was a clacking sound as the knife sliced through the potatoes and landed on the cutting board. Nagasaki Suyo put an apron on Shirakawa Haru again, and the white flowers on the apron smiled at the girl beside the boy. But this time, she didn't put a knot around Shirakawa Haru's neck.

"Nagasaki-san, you just need to wash these vegetables. The meat is all bought from the supermarket and covered with plastic wrap, so there's not much dirt on it. Just blanch it in water later and it will be clean." Shirakawa Haru said, "Auntie finally came back. Nagasaki-san, take this opportunity to spend some time with her."

In fact, cooking is a physical job.

It’s okay for dishes that don’t require shaking the spoon or the pan, but when it comes to stir-frying, you need to wave the spoon all the time to prevent the ingredients in the pan from being overcooked.

The whole table of dishes was prepared by Nagasaki Suyo, and she must be very tired now.

"Well, Mom will be staying home all night tonight, but Shirakawa-kun will be going back in the evening." Nagasaki Suyo stood beside Shirakawa Haru, looking at the soft and beautiful profile, "Now I want to stay with Shirakawa-kun for a while longer."

"Then stay away from me a little." Baichuan Qing said, "If you get too close, the smell of the frying pan will get on your hair."

"It's okay." After hearing what he said, Nagasaki Motoyo moved closer to him. "I was planning to take a shower today anyway."

"Auntie, what's your taste like? Do you prefer lighter meals, or stronger ones? It's better to have lighter meals at night."

"Mom's taste is the same as mine, relatively light."

"No wonder Nagasaki-san didn't eat much during dinner." Shirakawa Haru stopped what he was doing while the beef and potatoes were simmering in the pot. "Nagasaki-san, did you really eat enough for dinner?"

"I am full."

"I'll make you a bowl of vegetable pasta later. I think there are still some ingredients in the refrigerator. I always feel that you haven't eaten enough." Shirakawa Haru said, "Grandpa has a puppy at home. Every time I feed the puppy, Grandpa will feed it again. He always thinks the puppy is hungry. Now I feel the same way."

The pot made a sizzling sound as the water evaporated. Shirakawa Haru felt that the juice was almost collected, so he turned the heat to the lowest and added a little salt. The aroma of the potato stew filled the air:

"Come and try it?" Shirakawa Haru took a pair of chopsticks from the counter and handed them to Nagasaki Suyo. "This is dinner for Auntie, so it's not convenient for me to taste it... Be careful, it's hot, blow on it before eating."

"Shirakawa-kun talks a lot...it tastes delicious."

"Then please ask Nagasaki to take all these dishes out." Shirakawa Haru wiped his hands on his apron and cleaned the pots and pans briefly. He turned around and looked at her.

"Is there anything missing?" Nagasaki Suyo, wearing thick, scald-proof gloves, held a large pot of potato and beef stew in her hands. Her long flaxen hair was tied back, making her look like a young cook. "The dishes are all ready. Shirakawa-kun, you can rest now."

"There's still one dish of vegetable macaroni left to make. I still have to clean the pots and pans afterwards." Shirakawa Haru pulled out a bag of macaroni from the refrigerator, took out a bowlful of it and soaked it in water. "Go stay with Auntie for a while. It must be difficult for her to come back and spend time with you."

"Shirakawa-kun talks a lot. I'm not a child, but you always tell me everything. It's like an old man or woman who likes to bask in the sun."

"I'm sorry, because I often take care of others, so sometimes I do talk a lot. If you find me annoying, I can say less."

"It's actually good to talk a lot. At least the people you take care of will definitely feel that they are being taken care of, cared for and loved. Shirakawa-kun, remember to come here quickly." Nagasaki Suyo turned around.

"Slow work produces fine results, it can't be done quickly." Baichuan Qing waved his hand.

Nagasaki Suyo walked into the living room, put the dishes she was carrying on the dining table, walked to the sofa, looked at her mother's defenseless sleepy eyes, lowered her head and leaned over to ask her softly: "Mom, were you hiding behind the kitchen door just now to peek at me and Shirakawa-kun? Mom - your trouser legs are showing."

"Don't pinch my nose!" Nagasaki Suye's mother suddenly sat up from the sofa, her messy black hair locked in a light green headband. "I just wanted to see what you were doing... Why are you so mean to me? Mom is working hard outside for you."

"I know, Mom." Nagasaki Suyo gently hugged her mother.

"That boy, Shirakawa-kun, do you like him?" She asked Nagasaki Suyo lightly, touching the side of her face with her hand. "He seems to be a thoughtful and gentle child. Where did you meet him?"

"I met him on the road." Nagasaki Suyo deliberately did not answer the previous question. Her mother did not ask any further questions.

"If you don't want to say it, forget it." Nagasaki Suye's mother didn't expect that Nagasaki Suye really met Shirakawa Haru on the road.

The sound of water was heard in the kitchen for the last time, and then all sounds fell silent, leaving only the faint sound of footsteps.

Nagasaki Suyo and her mother looked at Shirakawa Haru at the same time. He walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of vegetable pasta and placed the porcelain bowl on the dining table.

"Sushi, Mom is going to enjoy dinner. It's a good opportunity to try out your friend's cooking skills." Sushi's mother walked towards the dining table, and Nagasaki Sushi followed behind her, so she asked Nagasaki Sushi, "Sushi, you haven't had dinner yet?" She frowned and looked at Shirakawa Haru with extreme dissatisfaction.