Tokyo: Starting with a fake boyfriend

Seeing this, Hojo Ryoma felt completely relieved.

"Whatever makes you happy."

The effect of discarding useless emotions failed, and Shiratori Osamu leaned back on the sofa helplessly.

I must say, the sofas in rich people's homes are really comfortable.

"Shiratori-kun, I advise you not to maintain a rational personality for too long. Rationality can help you make the best solution, but it may not be the most suitable result."

What makes us human is the combination of emotion and reason.

As an elder, Hojo Ryoma, seeing his lazy and unambitious demeanor, couldn't help but speak about the principles of being a good person.

As someone who has been through it all, he was very rational and ruthless in his youth, fully implementing the family rule of rewarding merit and punishing crime. If someone made a mistake, he would still be able to harm even blood relatives.

But after his daughter was born, he found that he could no longer be rational.

It was around that time that he discovered something: the feelings between people cannot be measured by reason and value.

The weight of the word "emotion" is beyond imagination.

"The wheat ear theory? Is it possible that I'm doing just that right now?"

Upon discovering his sudden tendency to act like a know-it-all, Shiratori Osamu raised his eyelids, feeling speechless.

The wheat ear theory is a philosophical concept proposed by Socrates, which is the principle that people seek a 'satisfactory solution' rather than an 'optimal solution' in irreversible choices.

In plain terms, it means that people should know how to be content and not pursue perfection.

He had developed this mindset in his previous life, so his life was relatively smooth sailing.

"You know quite a lot, kid."

Hojo Ryoma wasn't embarrassed by his insightful remark, as this philosophical thinking had been around for a long time.

Just then, footsteps came from the stairs.

Hearing the noise, Shiratori Osamu and Hojo Ryoma looked in the direction of the sound and saw Yamabuki Minami walking briskly downstairs.

She didn't change her clothes; she was still wearing her Takeno High School uniform, but as always, she took off her socks.

Upon arriving on the first floor, Minami Yamabuki noticed the two people's gazes. Out of embarrassment and a sense of restraint, she slowed her pace slightly and walked towards the sofa.

At the same time, footsteps came from the other side. It was Hojo Yuki, who came over with a tray of cut fruit.

"..."

Upon noticing their simultaneous appearance, Shiratori Osamu felt a sudden tightness in his chest and sat up straight.

Although he judged rationally, Konan and his mother-in-law might misunderstand Hojo Ryoma if they saw him in his normal state.

But after setting aside rational thinking, he recalled what he had said and felt ashamed, as if he had boasted too much.

Hojo Ryoma noticed the situation and was a little nervous, unsure how his daughter and granddaughter would react to Shiratori Osamu abandoning his rationality and returning to his normal state.

Thinking back, he couldn't help but offer a few words of comfort when he saw Shiratori Osamu's exhausted expression.

"Father, please have some tea."

Hojo Yuki carried the tray with both hands from the kitchen, put it down at the table in the middle of the sofa, and first served her father a cup of hot tea.

"Have a heart."

Seeing that his daughter didn't even look at Shiratori Osamu, but instead immediately served him tea, Hojo Ryoma felt a surge of joy.

"Shiratori-kun, here's your... ice water."

After completing the process, Hojo Yuki picked up the tray of ice water and handed it to Shiratori Osamu, though her words were somewhat hesitant.

Because Shiratori-kun didn't seem to be in a good mood, as if he was very tired and troubled by worries, her heart tightened.

At the same time, Yamabuki Minami went straight to Shiratori Osamu's sofa and sat down. Because her grandfather was still watching, she didn't dare to sit too close and kept a distance of nearly half a meter.

"Xiu-jun, let's study together...."

Sitting at a safe distance, Minami Yamabuki asked softly, her words pausing briefly.

Upon getting closer, she noticed that Xiu Jun, who was usually mature, composed, confident, and rarely showed any emotional fluctuations, only occasionally smiling, had droopy eyebrows and the corners of his eyes, looking quite depressed.

"What did Grandpa do to Xiujun this time?"

"What did Father do to Shiratori-kun this time?"

As this idea took shape, both Yamabuki Minami and Hojo Yuki felt a jolt in their hearts and turned to look at Hojo Ryoma beside them.

"no?"

Sitting on a single sofa, Hojo Ryoma saw this scene and immediately began to question his existence.

This situation was too strange. After seeing Shiratori Xiu's condition, the mother and daughter turned to look at him almost simultaneously, their eyes filled with resentment and suspicion.

Xiao Nan, in particular, looked at him with a hint of grievance and disappointment in her eyes.

Having met countless people, he was even able to sense a hint of rejection in their expressions.

Upon sensing such emotions, Hojo Ryoma's mind immediately went blank.

Oh no, oh no, Shiratori Osamu wasn't exaggerating just now; the truth is exactly as he predicted.

"Ugh……"

Shiratori Osamu also noticed their reactions and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Good news, he guessed right. Xiao Nan and his mother-in-law saw how exhausted and heartbroken he looked after he came out of his dual state, and they would indeed protect him.

The bad news is that Xiao Nan and his mother-in-law treated him so well, which made him feel even more guilty.

If only they hadn't experienced Tomoya Yamabuki's betrayal. If either of them had even a 0.001% chance of accepting a philanderer, he wouldn't have had the thought of leaving.

Chapter 131 This isn't right, is it?

"No, I didn't, I didn't do anything."

Realizing that his daughter and granddaughter suspected him of doing something wrong, Hojo Ryoma immediately panicked and shook his head and waved his hands in protest.

"Then why does Xiu Jun look unhappy?"

Minami Yamabuki didn't believe this at all and couldn't help but ask.

She had known Xiu Jun for so long, and the only time she had ever seen him in such a state was when he was sleeping; he always looked very tired and exhausted.

"because……"

Faced with this question, Hojo Ryoma wanted to say that it was because he felt guilty that he was acting this way, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

His daughter and granddaughter are so smart; if they knew the reason, they would definitely have noticed something was wrong, and might even have guessed that their private conversation that day ended in his defeat.

“I’m not unhappy. This has nothing to do with Mr. Hojo. It’s my own problem.”

Seeing that the old man was in an awkward position, Shiratori Osamu spoke up to help him out.

However, it would have been better if he hadn't spoken; once he opened his mouth, it only added fuel to the fire.

"Father, what did you just do to Shiratori-kun?"

Seeing that Shiratori-kun was still so understanding and speaking up for his father even now, Hojo Yuki turned around and looked at him, feeling both heartache and anger, and couldn't hold back any longer.

"I'm innocent!"

Seeing his daughter so angry that she wouldn't even call him "Dad," Hojo Ryoma felt utterly miserable.

He wanted to explain, but if he revealed the truth, things would spiral out of control.

"You said the same thing last time, but you secretly sent people to monitor Xiu Jun."

Seeing her grandfather crying out that he was innocent again, Yamabuki Minami looked at him with deep resentment.

"I……"

Hojo Ryoma was speechless upon hearing this, unsure how to respond.

At that moment, he truly regretted it.

If he had known it would turn out this way, he should have listened to Shiratori Osamu and kept his so-called rational personality... instead of acting impulsively and insisting on comparing who held a higher position in his daughter's and granddaughter's hearts.

"Aunt Hojo, class president, this really has nothing to do with Mr. Hojo. I've just been busy preparing for my final exams lately, so I'm quite tired."

Seeing that the situation was starting to get out of control, Shiratori Shu immediately activated his dual state, calmly thinking before speaking.

Is this all there is to preparing for final exams?

Minami Yamabuki was initially very anxious, but when she turned around and saw his expression, she felt much more at ease, though she was still worried.

Xiu Jun is too smart and very reliable. Maybe he said that for the sake of the overall situation.

"Shiratori-kun, you don't seem happy. Is it really not related to my father?"

Seeing that he had perked up, Hojo Yuki trusted him completely, but she was still a little worried considering her father's power and influence.

"Really, I've just been too tired lately, and this sofa is so comfortable that I relaxed after sitting on it for a while."

Faced with their concerns, and in order to completely let the matter pass, Shiratori Osamu carefully considered his words before speaking.

"Is that so?"

Upon learning of this situation, Minami Yamabuki suddenly realized what was going on.

This statement is actually quite reasonable, because she has seen how hard Xiu Jun has been studying lately, always carrying his textbooks with him as soon as he arrives at school.

Moreover, Xiu Jun's learning pace is terrifying. He went from "Mathematics I" to "Mathematics III" in one go, so it's normal for him to feel tired.

Most importantly, she had long known that Xiu Jun could also get tired.

However, Xiu Jun rarely shows this side of himself; he usually only reveals his heartbreakingly tired look when he is sleeping.

"So that's how it is..."

Realizing that her father hadn't done anything to Shiratori Osamu, Hojo Yuki felt caught off guard and looked at her father with a sense of guilt.

"Dad, I'm sorry, I misunderstood you earlier."

After hesitating for two seconds, Hojo Yuki took two steps forward and bowed to her father in apology.

"Grandpa, I'm sorry."

Seeing her mother apologize, Minami Yamabuki felt guilty after realizing what had happened.

"It's okay, it's okay."

Faced with their apologies, Hojo Ryoma snapped out of his daze, still stiff, and quickly shook his head.

In fact, he was still in a state of confusion, and his old heart was still pounding wildly.

What just happened? That was terrifying!

The emotional fluctuations of my daughter and granddaughter are like the rainy season, constantly shifting between sunshine and gloom.

What confused him the most was that Konan's love-struck mind was acting up. It was one thing for her to side with Shiratori Osamu, but Koyuki was doing the same thing. Why was that?

After the apology ended, there was a moment of silence in the sofa area.

"I told you not to do this, but you insisted on causing trouble. Now look what happened." Shiratori Osamu glanced at Hojo Ryoma and couldn't help but grumble to himself.

“Xiujun has been very tired lately. If he has to walk a long way home, staying overnight would be the best option… But Grandpa is staying at home, and Xiujun might not even be willing to have dinner with him at home, let alone stay overnight.”

Yamabuki Minami felt really sorry for Xiu Jun because of the exhaustion on his face, but when she glanced at her grandfather, she suddenly felt helpless.

The last desensitization exercise was last Monday.

She couldn't sleep at night and thought that doing more desensitization exercises would make them more like a couple, so she secretly went to Xiu Jun's room and slept next to him.

"Shiratori-kun is very tired. The best way to relieve fatigue is through massage, but what if Father is still staying at home..."

Hojo Yuki realized that Shiratori-kun had been studying very hard lately and felt sorry for him. She wanted to reward him, but when she glanced at her father, she felt just as hesitant.

A massage to relax is just rubbing the shoulders and patting the back; it's not really that intimate. I imagine it wouldn't matter even if Xiao Nan saw it, but if her father found out, that would be a different story.

"What's going on?" Feeling their gazes, Hojo Ryoma, though unaware of what the three were thinking, felt a jolt in his heart.

It was a strange feeling, as if they were the real family, and I was an unwanted outsider who was hindering their happiness.

Isn't that wrong? He, Xiaoxue, and Xiaonan are the blood relatives.

"Shiratori-kun, could you stay for dinner tonight?"

After a long silence, Hojo Yuki, unable to get a massage, had to settle for a dietary supplement instead.