After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Even Hachiman Kairin herself felt that they probably couldn't go back to the kind of trusting relationship they used to have.

but now......

"Youyu hasn't changed at all; she's still as reassuring as ever."

Seeing Toyokawa Yuu return with her first-aid kit and rummaging through medicines and bandages, Hachiman Kairin suddenly sighed.

Even when you were in a very dangerous situation, you still tried your best to take care of others... Do you still consider me one of your team members even now?

Yawata Kairin's remark caused Toyokawa Yuu to pause in her selection of medicines.

He had never considered this question.

Even if it's just for my very first goal, I would still do something like personally giving it to Hachiman Kairin.

Regardless of the intentions of the parties involved, if something is actually done, it will definitely have a certain effect of winning people's hearts.

In the past, he had used this idea to justify his actions more than once, but...

Recalling her previous death, Toyokawa Yuu still couldn't understand why she wanted to save Wakaba Mutsumi back then.

If Ye Mu is something that belongs to me... that's just an excuse I came up with after everything was over, to make myself seem less like an ungrateful idiot.

If back then it was because you were certain to die anyway, so you did a good deed that no one would remember, then what about now...?

"...It's just a habit, you guys gave me a lot of trouble back then."

As she retrieved cotton swabs, gauze, and appropriate medications from the first-aid kit, Toyokawa Yuu's voice grew somewhat impatient.

"Instead of that, it would be better to point out exactly where you are injured, otherwise I won't be able to clean your wound."

The blood-soaked cloth clung to Hachiman Kairin's skin, the black and red colors blending together, making it difficult for him to discern the exact location and size of the wound.

Besides, you can't just bandage this sticky piece of clothing along with it when you're bandaging it.

"No need to bother."

In response to Toyokawa Yuu's urging, Hachiman Kairin's smile became much more pronounced.

Kicked off her shoes, the woman in the suit reached her hands to her left leg, grabbed the top of her sock, and pulled it all the way down.

The blood-stained black silk was no longer as light as before; the blood gave it a slight weight, and it made a soft sound when it was thrown to the ground.

The only cover was removed by the person involved, and the location and size of the wound were completely exposed to Toyokawa Yuu.

Conversely, this action also left some bloodstains on Hachiman Kairin's entire fair left leg.

This behavior naturally caused Toyokawa Yuu's blood pressure to spike, as she was already in a less than relaxed mood.

The increased workload of cleaning the wound is secondary; if this action causes the wound to reopen, it might not be so easily resolved with this simple treatment.

Taking a deep breath, Toyokawa Yuu told herself not to stoop to the level of the injured person; perhaps the injured person had not only scratched their leg but also hit their head.

Yuu Toyokawa moistened a small piece of gauze with saline solution and began cleaning the bloodstains around the wound, followed by disinfection with medical alcohol and application of medication with cotton swabs...

When Yuu Toyokawa touched Hachiman Kairin's wound with a cotton swab soaked in medical alcohol, she could feel the thigh of this seemingly indifferent woman in a suit tremble slightly for a moment.

It seems that she is at least a normal person who can feel pain.

However, the minor injury that Hachiman Kairin mentioned was not entirely a perfunctory statement; the wound was indeed not serious, and Toyokawa Yuu had already progressed to the point of wrapping it with bandages quite some time ago.

As the bandaging process neared its end, Toyokawa Yuu gradually relaxed.

"You're injured like this, will you still be able to drive me home later? Or I can drive you."

The medical alcohol stung the wound, but apart from a slight tremor at the beginning, Hachiman Kairin didn't even frown, letting Toyokawa Yuu do whatever she wanted to her left leg.

While bandaging her wound, she was still pondering what Toyokawa Yuu meant by "habit becomes second nature," and also enjoying being so close to this man she hadn't seen for many years.

Such intimate physical contact is something that even Chihaya Aine probably doesn't receive, except perhaps from Toyokawa Shoko.

It wasn't until Yuu Toyokawa mentioned returning to the Toyokawa family that Kairin Hachiman gradually came to her senses.

Her fingers, resting on the edge of the desk, unconsciously clenched. Of course, she didn't want Yuu Toyokawa to leave like this.

This is my best chance now. If I really send Yuu Toyokawa back, the connection that has been broken for many years may be reconnected because of Shoko Toyokawa's death, but the gap between their identities will also be permanently sealed.

The new head of the Toyokawa family, who has taken over the position of his deceased wife, and a young, promising, and successful urban woman, although they are not entirely from two different worlds, would never be able to bandage each other's wounds at such close range as they are now.

and......

Seemingly recalling something from the past, Hachiman Kairin pursed her lips and opened her arms to Toyokawa Yuu.

As Toyokawa Yuu was bending down to wrap the bandage around Hachiman Kairin's thigh, preparing to complete this final step, she suddenly felt someone pull her shoulders into an embrace.

An instinctive tremor began again. Toyokawa Yuu looked up and saw Hachiman Kairin's emerald-like eyes, which were now brewing an indescribable emotion.

“Youyu, you don’t have to go back. As long as you nod, I can take you away right away.”

She gripped Toyokawa Yuu's shoulders with both hands, and her voice trembled slightly, perhaps influenced by the person in her arms.

However, Toyokawa Yuu's trembling stemmed from a deep-seated, primal shadow and fear etched into her heart.

As for Hachiman Kairin... Toyokawa Yuuu could even hear a hint of long-awaited excitement in her voice.

“I know that the Toyokawa family is now a den of dragons and tigers for you. If you don’t want to go back, I can take you away. Xiangzi… Xiangzi won’t have any objections.”

Upon hearing Hachiman Kairin's words, Toyokawa Yuu fell into a brief silence.

Leaving the Toyokawa family, regardless of whether Hachiman Kairin can actually do it, was indeed one of her initial goals... to live.

But it's only one of them.

Having died so many times, having feigned compliance for so long, having appeased these ticking time bombs that could explode at any moment, and even having suppressed her own inner resistance, she helped Hachiman Kairin walk the entire distance from the underground parking garage to the office.

What Yuu Toyokawa wanted was never just to live.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that after paying such a high price, all she did was to obtain the power that rightfully belonged to her... Toyokawa Yuu couldn't accept such a contemptible version of herself.

He wants to win, he wants to win everything. If he can't win, he'll start over. He still has his life to throw onto the scales.

Although I don't know when my regression will fail and I will truly fall into the hell of death.

But to ask Toyokawa Yuu to just give up everything to listen to Hachiman Kairin's plan, which might not even be feasible... He was indeed afraid of death, but not to the point of losing his mind from fear of death and giving up everything at the sight of a glimmer of hope.

"...I really am an idiot, actually thinking of just abandoning everything and running away, but...I won't leave, I want to go back."

After suppressing the fleeting impulse that rose in her heart, Toyokawa Yuu looked directly into Hachiman Kairin's eyes, and after a moment lowered her head again to complete the final step of bandaging.

"How much longer until the car is ready? Should I go back...wait?"

Before she could finish speaking, Toyokawa Yuu felt everything go black.

A pair of warm, smooth hands covered Toyokawa Yuu's eyes, and then he felt a mature aura emanating from them.

Almost instinctively, Toyokawa Yuu stretched out her palm and blocked Hachiman Kairin's approaching body.

The upper part of my palm touched the delicate neck, while the lower part pressed against the delicate collarbone.

"Hai Ling..."

Yuu Toyokawa called out softly, unsure of what had suddenly gotten into this woman in the suit.

It's just like the last time he betrayed me, doing this strange thing for no reason.

"Youyu, am I that bad? Why don't you trust me? I'm not that naive little girl anymore. I can really help you."

In the darkness, Hachiman Kairin's voice reached Toyokawa Yuu's ears.

She spoke very earnestly, even with a hint of a sob in her voice, as if she had been working hard for a certain goal for a long time, but only when she got closer did she realize that she had been deluding herself all along.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, but your current actions have absolutely nothing to do with trust.”

Feeling that delicate body that was already close at hand, yet still intending to get even closer, Toyokawa Yuu had to increase the pressure of her hand to keep Hachiman Kairin from crossing the line.

Yuu Toyokawa had a feeling that if she hadn't reached out and stopped Kairin Hachiman, the woman in the suit probably wouldn't have just wanted to give her a hug.

So, what exactly does this woman want to do?

This thought had appeared in Toyokawa Yuu's mind for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

He could no longer understand Yawata Kairin's behavior at all.

Just moments ago, he seemed so loyal and willing to go to great lengths for an old friend, but after being rejected, he engaged in this ambiguous and outrageous behavior.

Did she harbor any special feelings for herself? But how could that be?

This time, ten years ago, his attitude towards her was far colder than the last time.

Last time, she betrayed him without his knowledge, perhaps for personal gain, or perhaps she simply found it troublesome to continue getting involved in his affairs, so she let go. There's no reason for her to be so attached to him this time.

"It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature," and the information he obtained in the past at the cost of his life is unlikely to be wrong.

Just as Nagasaki Sase will relentlessly pursue her no matter what, Hatsune Miku has always been a loyal golden retriever, and Toyokawa Shoko will die no matter what, Hachiman Kairin, who betrayed her, is not someone she can completely trust.

These days, such inexplicable and outrageous behavior is even more unpredictable.

It's impossible that the colder I am to her, the more she'll like me.

But from the beginning, my coldness towards her was because I realized that the trust I had placed in her in the past seemed to have made her think too highly of herself, so I gave her a warning. My goal was to have an obedient subordinate, not anything else.

However, the current Hachiman Kairin is clearly not obedient.

How could you possibly feel at ease with someone like that?

As expected, I still have to go back to the Toyokawa family home, where there are more reliable sources of information.

The prerequisite is that we must first deal with the unpredictable Hachiman Kairin.

“Youyu, compared to Xiangzi, am I really that bad? Why is it that she was able to act coquettishly towards you from the very beginning and receive your almost boundless favoritism, while no matter how I try to be nice to you, you refuse to pay any attention to me?”

Silence suggests either a lack of knowledge on how to answer, or the answer being so obvious that the person being asked has nothing to say.

“I’ve been waiting for your complete trust for ten years. I watched you and Xiangzi being all lovey-dovey, watched you marry her, and watched you be abandoned by her and fall into this dangerous situation. But I’m still waiting for you now… Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Having finally voiced her feelings after suppressing them for ten years, Hachiman Kairin looked at the silent man before her, anxiously awaiting his answer.

Her hand remained firmly in front of Yuu Toyokawa's veiled eyes; Kairin Hachiman believed that quiet darkness was more conducive to contemplation.

"...Ms. Hachiman, please have some self-respect."

After a moment of silence, Toyokawa Yuu's voice slowly rang out.

There were no lengthy explanations, no apologies for being unable to help, and no defense of someone in a disadvantaged position; there was only polite and appropriate advice, full of social etiquette.

Even the way they addressed each other became cold and distant.

It was this title, which she had almost never heard from the other person, that made the light in Hachiman Kairin's eyes completely dim.

Almost the instant the words left her mouth, Toyokawa Yuu felt a sharp pain in her shoulder.

Sitting at her desk, Hachiman Kairin bent down and easily bit Toyokawa Yuu's shoulder.

A warm sensation, along with the pain, spread from her shoulder outwards, but perhaps because of the clothing, or perhaps because Hachiman Kairin hadn't really exerted any force, the pain didn't intensify further.

On the contrary, Hachiman Kairin quickly loosened her jaw, buried her face in Toyokawa Yuu's neck and sniffed lightly, as if she were greedy for a scent that did not belong to her at all.

Yuu Toyokawa did not choose to push her away, nor could she push away this former band bassist whose strength seemed unusually great.

He simply changed his hand from pressing against her collarbone to supporting Hachiman Kairin's shoulders, never letting her get any closer to him.

With her lips slightly pursed, Toyokawa Yuu did not push away the hand that was blocking her view.

In the darkness, the widower of the Toyokawa family lowered his head slightly, as if deep in thought.

Chapter 131 I trust you... that would be a lie.

"Why isn't Youyu back yet? It shouldn't take that long to get a guitar."

Inside the Toyokawa family mansion, a figure in light green sat listlessly on a swing in the garden, occasionally peeking out through the garden fence, seemingly eagerly awaiting someone's return.

If she is the daughter of the Wakaba family and also a long-term resident of this mansion, then in a sense, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this beautiful woman is the caretaker of this villa.

Given that the mistress of the house has passed away and the husband is temporarily away, she should be in the villa to greet the guests who came with ulterior motives.

But at this moment, she was just sitting alone in the villa's garden, swinging on a swing, completely ignoring both the deceased mistress and the guests who came to mourn.

"Could it be that she secretly ran away with Aine... It's not impossible for old flames to meet again after ten years."

“Mortis, it’s time to go back. We’ve been out for a long time. If we don’t go back soon, the guests will think that Yuu, as the head of the Toyokawa family, doesn’t know how to behave properly. Besides… Aine and Yuu aren’t lovers, and Yuu wouldn’t do that kind of thing.”

Another voice, with a different tone, rang out in the garden, seemingly displeased with the words of the beautiful woman known as Mortis.

However, this mild warning, which hardly even qualifies as a reprimand, was naturally not taken seriously by Mortis, who, despite being a mature woman in both body and age, still had the temperament of a teenage girl.

Rather, it is precisely because it was her words that Mortis was even less likely to take them to heart.

"What's so interesting about those people's fake acting? Even if we stayed in the funeral hall with Youyu the whole time, they would still find fault with us."