Their restricted abilities are refreshed every week.

He is indeed Toyokawa Shoko's father, Toyokawa Kiyoshi.

He was still drinking before being beaten. What a decadent man.

Fengchuan Qingjiao's eyes were sunken, the stubble on his face had not been shaved for a long time, and his hair was covered with oil and wine stains, and was tangled together in a mess.

The clothes he was wearing were originally clean, but after being beaten and kicked by the debt collectors, even the last bit of decency was gone.

"One million yen." The young man with the baseball bat looked at Shirakawa Haru with interest. "What's the matter? Are you going to pay him back? Let's make it clear in advance that if you can't pay it back, you'll have to leave lying down like the man on the ground."

Shirakawa Haru ignored him and slapped Toyokawa Kiyoshi in the face, "Toyokawa Kiyoshi, where are you now and what are you doing?"

Toyokawa Seikao had his eyes closed and did not respond, as if he was dead, or perhaps his soul and body were separated, with the soul and body at the two ends that never intersected and each holding their own opinions.

So Shirakawa Haru slapped him again, "Are you pretending to be dead, or are you trying to say that you are not 'Toyokawa Kiyoshi'?"

"Coward! Think about where you are now and where Xiangzi is!" Baichuan Qing's tone became intense, but soon became indifferent.

Hearing the familiar name, Toyokawa Kiyoshi finally opened his eyes. He looked at Shirakawa Haru in a daze, not knowing who Shirakawa Haru was and why she came to find him.

"I did a rough calculation of the losses of the Toyokawa Group, and it's roughly around 300 billion yen. For a truly large enterprise, this is far from a serious blow. Moreover, after the wrong decision was made, someone quickly made a decision, reducing the losses to around 160 billion yen. As a son-in-law, you are not capable of making decisions of this level, and the Toyokawa Group is not a one-man show for the Toyokawa family. You are a victim of the wrong decisions within the Toyokawa Group, and a scapegoat who helps others take the blame. Of course, you must have done something irreparable in there." Shirakawa Haru analyzed calmly. He had read the financial reports of the Toyokawa Group and could roughly deduce the ins and outs of the incident that year.

"The real estate industry is a murky place. How could you possibly acquire a rubbish company like that? 200 billion yen? Even 20 billion is too much! You even bought so much equipment you won't need, using the money to build relationships ahead of time. Your business partners must have conspired to set you up, right?" Shirakawa Haru tugged at Toyokawa Kiyoshi's collar. "After you were kicked out of the Toyokawa family, did Xiangzi come with you? And then, how did you treat her? You felt like a loser, so you attempted suicide, thinking that death would put an end to everything?"

"After I die, Xiangzi will be able to return to the Toyokawa family and not suffer? Don't you know how proud Xiangzi is? How naive must you be to think that?" Shirakawa Haru's voice was a little dull. "How old was Xiangzi before you left? The only jobs she could find were delivering newspapers and washing dishes. Even convenience store cashiers wouldn't let her."

"Where were you then? You probably borrowed money from others, hoping to start over, but this is the end result." Shirakawa Haru pointed at Toyokawa Kiyoshi and complained, "I really don't know what Toyokawa Mizuho saw in you. People like you are so selfish. In the name of 'for Xiangzi's good', you keep hurting her."

"Mizuho!" Upon hearing this name, Toyokawa Seikao's body began to twitch, and his eyes were full of confusion.

"Do you like her very much?" Shirakawa Haru asked Kawai Kazuyu to hand the information about Toyokawa Mizuho that he had with him to Toyokawa Seikao.

"I...I, I love her!" Toyokawa Kiyoshi said with trembling lips. This was the first time he had truly expressed his feelings and faced his own feelings after leaving Toyokawa Shoko, confessing his feelings to the deceased.

He had been drinking to drown his sorrows.

"Then what is the most precious treasure she left you, and where did you throw it away?" Baichuan Qing's words were like nails, deeply embedded in the decadent middle-aged man's body.

"I..." A confused look appeared on Fengchuan Qingjiao's face again. Perhaps the alcohol had completely paralyzed his brain. "What treasure?"

"The fruit of your love with Toyokawa Mizuho, the flesh and blood separated from her, a miracle of life. The treasure is named Toyokawa Shoko, with amber eyes and ocean-blue hair. She wears twin ponytails and loves to play the piano. Her birthday is February 2th, and she's an Aquarius." Shirakawa Haru said, "She's currently the vice president of the Hinomori Academy High School Student Council."

"Shoko, yes, Shoko. She is the treasure of Mizuho and me." Toyokawa Kiyoshi came to his senses completely. "Hinomori Academy, I know that school. Shoko became the vice president of the student union. Unlike me, she is so outstanding, just like... Mizuho." He murmured to himself in a low voice with a relieved tone.

"Xiangzi needs you. The fact that you are not dead is a great comfort to her." Shirakawa Haru said as he helped Toyokawa Kiyoshi up.

Toyokawa Kiyoshi was beaten so hard that he couldn't stand up.

"Do you want to start over? Do you want to meet Xiangzi? But you can't do that in your current state." Shirakawa Haru took off his coat and handed it to Kawai Heyou, asking him to hold it. "Can you fight?"

Shirakawa Haru asked a gentle, almost cowardly man if he would fight. The answer was obvious.

Toyokawa Kiyoshi said that he didn't know how to fight.

Baichuan Qing said, this group of people beat you for so long just now, do you hate them? Do you want to fight back?

Fengchuan Qinggao hesitated and didn't say anything.

"I'm going to fight with the other side soon. As long as you dare to fight with them, I will help you pay off your debt." It doesn't matter whether there will be a fight or not. What matters is that Shirakawa Haru wants to see if Toyokawa Kiyoshi has the courage to start over.

"What's the point of talking so much to a man like that? If it worked, would his wife still divorce him? I overheard a little of your conversation just now. He's a man who abandoned his wife and children, isn't he?" The bat boy taunted Toyokawa Kiyoshi. "What kind of woman could fall for a coward like that? And as for his daughter..."

"I want to see Xiangzi." Fengchuan Qinggao stood staggeringly.

He wants to fight them.

He admitted that he was a coward and a bastard father who abandoned Xiangzi, but he would never allow anyone to insult Ruihui or insult Xiangzi, who was born into this world because of his and Ruihui's love.

If he didn't dare to fight with these guys even though he was by Toyokawa Seikao's side to cover for him, then Shirakawa Haru would turn around and leave immediately. Although he would still help him pay back the debt, he would pretend that he had never met Toyokawa Seikao today, and he would not tell Xiangzi that his father was still alive.

"So you're not going to pay back the money?" The young man with the baseball bat picked up the bat and kept slapping his palms.

"We will pay you back, but first we have to beat you up and make you all lie down." Baichuan Qing stretched out his limbs, and the exposed muscles on his body contracted and relaxed as if breathing.

"Shoko... Mizuho!" Toyokawa Kiyoshi suddenly rushed towards the young man with the baseball bat at a speed no one had expected.

The young man with the baseball bat reacted and hit his thigh with a stick. Fengchuan Qinggao staggered and hugged the young man with the baseball bat tightly, knocking him to the ground.

What was going through this man's mind as he rushed forward? What could have made such a coward burst out with such courage? In his still somewhat dizzy vision, Toyokawa Kiyoshi saw the vivid Toyokawa Mizuho and Toyokawa Shoko, who was holding a doll and wearing a small dress.

They stood together, encouraging him. He had been a good father. He wasn't a bad person; he truly loved Toyokawa Shoko.

So Fengchuan Qingjiao gritted his teeth, grabbed the bat and threw it out the moment it fell and was raised, then punched the young man with the bat again and again, sometimes opening his mouth to bite his arm.

Passed.

Shirakawa Haru looked deeply at Toyokawa Kiyoshi's back and thought to himself that this was what a father should be.

This is what it means to have the backbone of a father.

Shirakawa Haru joined the battle, and it was over in an instant. The debt collectors, unable to even scream, lay sprawled on the ground.

"That's awesome, boss." Kawai and You helped Shirakawa Haru put on his coat. "I didn't expect you to be such a good fighter."

"generally."

Shirakawa Haru retrieved the phone from the bat boy's clothes, unlocked it with his fingerprint, and found the phone number in the address book that was highlighted in red. The note read: "Boss." Shirakawa Haru dialed the number under the boy's resentful gaze. "Hello?"

"Hello? Didn't I tell you not to come to me if you have nothing to do..." There was a long silence on the other end of the line. "Shirakawa-kun?" The tone was full of surprise. He and Shirakawa Haru were acquaintances.

"Ah."

"Why did you take the initiative to call me today?"

"I have a friend..." Shirakawa Haru told the story of Fengchuan Qinggao. The person on the other end of the conversation immediately patted his chest and promised to wipe out Fengchuan Qinggao's debt. He also said that he would treat Shirakawa Haru and Fengchuan Qinggao to a meal to apologize. Shirakawa Haru immediately realized that he wanted her to do him a favor.

"If you need my help with anything, just tell me directly. No need to beat around the bush."

"I can't hide it from Shirakawa-kun after all." The tone on the other end of the phone was complicated.

After discussing the matter, Shirakawa Haru asked the bruised Toyokawa Kiyoshi: "Are you going to meet him like this?"

"No, wait a little longer. At least until I can become a father again." Toyokawa Kiyoshi's face was filled with guilt. He thought about how irresponsible it was for him, as an adult, to abandon his daughter and commit suicide. Is Xiangzi okay now? Does she hate him?

"Do you have a job?"

"I... haven't found it yet."

"I can offer you a job with room and board. Would you like to come?" Shirakawa Haru was a little worried about letting Fengchuan Qinggao wander around, worried that he might get hurt again and run off somewhere. He figured there were two spacious basements beneath his garage that could be habitable with a little tidying up. It would be a waste to leave them unused, so he decided to hire Fengchuan Qinggao as a domestic worker. "It wouldn't be hard. Just cleaning and tending to the flower garden."

"I... want to come!" The man in front of him must have a good relationship with Xiangzi, otherwise he wouldn't have come to help him. If you think about it ambiguously, it's not difficult to guess the relationship between this handsome man who calls Xiangzi's name so intimately and Xiangzi.

In this case, there is no need to doubt the requests or suggestions he makes.

"It's a bit late today. I'll wait for you here tomorrow night."

Toyokawa Seikao nodded and watched Shirakawa Haru and Kawai Kazuyu walk out of the alley.

"That's what a man is." The young man with the baseball bat who was knocked over by him limped to his feet. When he passed by Toyokawa Seikan, he did not use a mocking tone for the first time.

Chapter 2 Friendship Through Kissing

The night after helping Toyokawa Qinggao pay off his debts, Shirakawa Haru came to the alley next to the bar as promised.

There was no power shortage in the street lamps today. Every lamp was very dazzling, and the light circles fell on the bluestone slabs, overlapping and diffusing with each other, like sunlight flowing in a clear stream in spring.

Shirakawa Haru looked up and saw Toyokawa Kiyoshi standing under the streetlight at the entrance of the alley. His temperament and mental state were completely different from yesterday.

He had an elegant and mature face, neat and fluffy hair, and wore a patched suit and obviously mismatched trousers, yet he looked neat and proper.

He was holding a suitcase in his hand, with the tow bar pulled out and some small items tied to it.

This is the image of Toyokawa Kiyoshige today, after he has turned over a new leaf and is ready to become a father again.

"What should I call you?" Toyokawa Kiyoshi walked towards Shirakawa Haru, pulling a suitcase, the wheels of which kept making noises on the cobblestone road.

His movements were exactly the same as the way Toyokawa Shoko pulled the suitcase.

"Let's get acquainted now. My name is Shirakawa Haru. I don't mind whether you call me by my first name or last name," Shirakawa Haru said. "Without further delay, do you have anything else to do, or any luggage or daily necessities you haven't packed yet? I can wait for you for a while."

"No. These are all my belongings: a quilt, a few sets of clothes, a stack of photos, records, and a record player," Toyokawa Kiyoshi said. "You probably already know my name, Shirakawa-kun, right? Is it okay to call me Shirakawa-kun? I no longer use the surname Toyokawa, so you can just call me Kiyoshi."

"Then Mr. Qing Gao, let's go now." Shirakawa Haru said and turned to leave. Fengchuan Qing Gao followed him with his suitcase.

Yesterday, Shirakawa Haru told his sister that he would hire a maid to clean their basement and garage today, so when he took Toyokawa Haru out of the taxi, Suho Yuki was standing gracefully at the gate looking at them from afar.

Then she walked over with graceful steps.

"Excuse me, who is this?" Toyokawa Seikao lowered his head, his gaze lingering on Suho Yuki's face for a moment before moving away.

"My sister is Yuki Suho. You can just call her 'Yuki'." Shirakawa Haru said lightly, opened the artistic iron door at the entrance and walked in with Toyokawa Kiyoshi.

"You are also the hostess of this house." Suho Yuki took the shopping bag from Shirakawa Haru's hand, which was filled with her favorite snacks and ingredients for tonight's dinner. She looked at Toyokawa Seikao with an inexplicable expression.

She instinctively hated the middle-aged man's face because the soft contours of his features and the expression when he lowered his head were too similar to those of Toyokawa Shoko.

She hates Shoko Toyokawa.

Yuki Suho now looks through Shirakawa Haru's diary whenever she has time, and finds out that he has had unclear relationships with several girls in recent days.

It's normal for men to be more passionate and romantic.

As long as her brother likes those girls, she will support him in pursuing them.

Although her heart would occasionally tremble in pain, there was nothing she could do. After all, she loved Shirakawa Haru the most, and Shirakawa Haru also loved her the most.

It doesn't matter how many girls there are, as long as Shirakawa Haru loves her the most. She wants to be the oldest among all the girls.

Except for Shoko Toyokawa.

The only thing Yuki Suho couldn't accept was her. This hostility was long-standing.

Perhaps it was a destined incompatibility during a certain meeting, or perhaps it was the unintentional eye contact when the two walked towards each other, or perhaps it was because she was clearly accepting Shirakawa Haru's love and help but still showed dissatisfaction with him.

It's really frustrating.

"Ms. Yuki, my name is 'Kiyoshi', I don't have a surname." Toyokawa Kiyoshi nodded towards Suo Yuki. Suo Yuki, I seem to have heard of this name at a banquet a few years ago... The surname is Suo, Suo...

Originally, Toyokawa Kiyoshi was still a little uncertain, but when he looked up at Suo Aki's flawless, crystal-clear cross-section and exquisite profile, and combined it with Suo's surname and the name that sounded familiar to him, he was certain that the girl in front of him was the current heir of the Suo family!

Miss Yuki said that she was the hostess of this house, so it is easy to imagine who the host is.

Even if the relationship between Shirakawa-kun and Ms. Yuki is not equal, he is definitely far superior to the average heir of the noble family.

He went to great lengths to find me for Xiangzi's sake. Now Toyokawa Kiyoshi was really curious about the relationship between his daughter and this Shirakawa-kun.

I hope Xiangzi can be happy.

This is Toyokawa Kiyosuke's only wish now.

"Okay, Mr. Qinggao." Suho Yuki smiled gently. Her perfect smile and demeanor could be described as "perfect" in the eyes of any etiquette master.

However, Shirakawa Haru could tell at a glance that Yuki was just pretending to be in front of outsiders.

Shirakawa Haru asked Toyokawa Kiyoshi to change his shoes at the entrance, and then Toyokawa Kiyoshi officially stepped into the main house.

Fengchuan Qingjiao had never seen so many doors in a villa. This house was more luxurious than the one where his family of three lived before. Except for the lack of a pool table and some game equipment that adults liked to socialize on the first floor, there were closed doors everywhere, and some doors were open.

He glanced into the open room, which was full of clothes.

Rows upon rows are filled with all kinds of popular or unpopular clothes that girls like to wear, such as long skirts, knitted sweaters, bat shirts, etc. Rows upon rows are filled with leather jackets and jeans that boys like to wear, with a faint smell of camphor.

Below the wardrobe is the shoe cabinet, which contains as many types of shoes as clothes.

There is also an open room which is a study, with a chair and ten thousand books, a leather chair, and ten thousand books neatly arranged on rows of bookshelves, as well as a thin and bright light and a pot of quiet and warm flowers.

Toyokawa Kiyoshi was shocked by the villa where Shirakawa Haru and Suho Yuki lived.

"Mr. Qinggao, why don't you go sit in the living room for a while." Shirakawa Haru walked into the kitchen with a large bag of food and poked his head out the door. "I'm going to cook soon. If you want to get a feel for where you'll be living and working, you can ask Yuki to show you around."

After he finished speaking, Shirakawa Haru started to get busy. The sound of water and the rhythmic sound of a knife cutting on the chopping board could be heard in the kitchen.

Outside the kitchen, Yuki Suho was sitting on the large sofa in the middle, and Kiyoshi Toyokawa was sitting on the second sofa.

Yuki Suho doesn't often stay on the first floor of the villa. She usually plays games with Haru Shirakawa on the second floor, and their bedrooms are also on the second floor.

Because there are not many guests coming to the house, the reception hall on the first floor is rarely used. It is only used during the Chinese New Year when Shirakawa Haru invites the chairman to visit his home.

"Ms. Yuki, are you free now? If you don't mind, could you take me to see the garage and the basement?" Toyokawa Seikao's expression was extremely restrained. He could sense that Suo Yuki had no ill will towards him, but the scrutinizing gaze made it difficult for him to look her in the eye.

In front of Yuki Suho, he felt that he was the younger one and was full of pressure.

He desperately wanted to be alone for a while, and it was also necessary for him to learn more about his future work environment.

Toyokawa Kiyoshi was not allowed to enter the main house. If he wanted to come in, he had to call or ring the doorbell of the villa.

Under normal circumstances, he can only move around in the garage and basement next door.