Tokyo Three Generations

“I don’t know if she knew…” Jun Takasaki sighed. “Anyway, after that, she and I continued to interact as before, without any changes.”

Mio Takasaki nodded slightly.

As the future head of the Toyokawa family, Shoko couldn't possibly be unaware of such a major event. However, despite already enduring such a blow, the young lady of the Toyokawa family remained unchanged, and her devotion was truly admirable.

Son, you've really let them down... she couldn't help but sigh in her heart.

However, despite her feelings of regret, out of maternal love, she still completely sided with her son.

At this moment, Takasaki Hiroshi also had a similar deduction to his wife.

The son explicitly refused to marry into the family, but the cooperation between the Toyokawa family and himself remained unchanged, and they were even making efforts to improve relations... This must also be the eldest daughter's intention.

He was even a little jealous of his son. How could he have such an "honor"? If he had been chosen by Toyokawa Mizuho when he was young, he would have... Well, he wouldn't have abandoned his Takasaki family name to marry into her family.

Forget about thinking about it anymore; the most important thing now is to deal with the troubles at hand.

Since the son has clearly rejected the other party's proposal, then getting too entangled with the Toyokawa family would obviously be a big problem.

We must find a way to maintain as much distance as possible from the Toyokawa family while cooperating, so as not to get entangled in it further.

With this in mind, Hiroshi Takasaki spoke again.

"Jun, you don't know, the Toyokawa family has been approaching me many times recently, asking for my help. With your brain, you can surely figure it out, right? They don't actually need my help; they just want to further strengthen the relationship between our two families... This show of goodwill is both an opportunity and a potential bomb in the future. In short, it puts me in a very difficult position."

Jun Takasaki fell silent; he knew what his parents were worried about.

They worried that their family was too deeply involved with the Toyokawa family, and if the two of them parted ways, they wouldn't know how to repay the favors they owed the Toyokawa family.

"Xiangzi isn't the kind of person who would take advantage of a favor—and she's very fair about separating public and private matters." He defended Xiangzi, "No matter what our relationship is like in the future, she won't retaliate against my family. At most, she'll just teach me a lesson because I offended her..."

Based on Jun Takasaki's understanding of Shoko, he probably wouldn't even retaliate against her; she'd likely just hide away, sulk, and cry in secret.

"Is it true? Don't be so confident." Mio Takasaki shook her head. "Girls' minds are very fickle, and even if she doesn't retaliate, the Toyokawa family might not be able to swallow this insult."

So, I think that since you've already clearly rejected them, you should cut ties decisively and keep your distance from them as soon as possible, and stop bothering them—”

Jun Takasaki fell silent at his mother's words.

Rationally, he knew his mother was right. Since the two of them were destined to have no future together, it was better to keep their distance early on to avoid getting entangled and damaging the relationship between their families.

However, he was reluctant to actually make that decision.

He liked Xiangzi very much—so cute, humble, talented, and witty.

Besides, he and Xiangzi had an agreement, and he couldn't afford to back down now that there was no progress.

After a moment of silence, he whispered to his mother, "I promised her that before I took over the family business, I would join the Toyokawa Group to assist her and help her take over the family business. I can't break my promise now, otherwise she might be even angrier."

Although the reason was a bit far-fetched, Mio Takasaki couldn't refute it for the time being.

So she could only sigh softly, "You really can't bear to part with it... What a greedy little devil."

"Alright, in that case, let's think of another way," Takasaki Hiroshi immediately smoothed things over for his son.

Only a man can understand another man; he understood his son's mentality all too well.

Who wouldn't want to spend more time with such a young lady? Especially since she also shows her favor.

As a father, he needs to help balance his son's personal feelings with the interests of the family and come up with a solution that can take both into account as much as possible.

"Chun, you can continue to interact with her as you normally would. How well you get along depends on fate. However, your mother and I will try to minimize contact with the Toyokawa family. Any cooperation or problems will be handled through you. You can resolve them together with Miss Toyokawa. I will try my best to avoid getting involved and not owe them any favors, so as not to put you in a difficult position."

As for you, whatever you do, do it well and don't let her good intentions go to waste. Xiangzi is a good girl, and I like her quite a bit. So whether you become that son-in-law or not, don't make her too sad; she's quite pitiful too.

Mio Takasaki originally wanted to say a few more words to her son, but after seeing what her husband said, she thought about it and gave up.

Sigh, my son is too young and doesn't know his place. Let him be. He should know his limits anyway.

His father's words were so different from his usual carefree demeanor that Takasaki Jun was a little taken aback.

However, he also knew in his heart that his father was taking his concerns so seriously because it involved him.

Moreover, the solution he proposed is indeed the best way to balance personal and family needs at present.

“I’m sorry, Dad, I’ve caused you trouble.” He lowered his head and sincerely apologized to his father. “I didn’t think things through in many ways, which has caused you distress.”

"It's alright, isn't that what family is all about—causing trouble for each other? I've caused you a lot of trouble too. I'm not like your grandfather, a rigid old man who'll find excuses to scold you all the time. I just want to help you solve your problems as much as possible." Takasaki Hiroshi waved his hand dismissively. "Don't put on that act. Life's short, be happy when you should... When you get older, you'll have plenty of opportunities to be upset~"

132, Sharing the same rest as the nation

Life is short, so be happy while you can... When you get older, you'll have plenty of opportunities to be worried.

His father's words stirred a feeling of emotion in Jun Takasaki.

Although her parents had a long-standing feud and were practically strangers, they were both very kind to her.

I've caused them trouble this time.

At this point, he also felt that he had to examine his relationship with Xiangzi.

Although Xiangzi is indeed good-tempered, she is, after all, the heir of the Toyokawa family, and the face of the Toyokawa family rests on her shoulders. She is not someone who can be treated casually.

Alas, if everything were limited to just the two of them, things would be simple. Unfortunately, that's impossible; both of them carry the expectations of an entire family.

With this sudden heavy feeling, Jun Takasaki had dinner with his parents.

At this point, in an attempt to ease the tension, Mio Takasaki changed the subject.

"By the way, Jun, how's Aine doing lately? Are you still in contact with her?"

“Aine is doing well. She just transferred to a new school and is trying to adapt,” Jun Takasaki replied while eating. “However… she’s a bit restless and wants to start a band.”

"Hmm?" Takasaki Mio immediately became interested and asked in confusion, "Why does she suddenly want to start a band? I've never heard of her having this hobby before?"

Because she suddenly wanted to argue with the young lady... I don't understand what's wrong with her either.

Jun Takasaki swallowed those words; he wanted to keep Aine's secret.

Of course, the most important thing is to save face for Aine.

After all, the probability of Aine losing is too high, and if it were up to her, she certainly wouldn't want to publicize this matter so openly.

So, Jun Takasaki chose to lie.

"I don't know, maybe it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision. After all, she's been under a lot of pressure lately, so it's normal for her to want to find a way to vent."

“That makes sense.” Mio Takasaki nodded in deep agreement.

She was a little surprised at first, but then she thought about it and supported Aine's decision.

After all, she had seen how much suffering Aine had endured, so in her eyes, it was a good thing that Aine was able to get over it so quickly and find an outlet for her emotions.

“It would be good to have some club activities in your spare time. Aiyin transferred to a new school and doesn’t know anyone. It must be so lonely. If we could organize a band, even if it doesn’t improve her musical skills, it would be good to have more friends to get together regularly…” A relieved smile appeared on her face. “I was worried that she wouldn’t be able to get over it. Now that she has figured it out so quickly, I’m relieved.”

Then she asked, "How's Ai Yin's band doing now?"

“It’s only just begun, and there hasn’t been any progress yet,” Jun Takasaki shrugged. “Didn’t you say that she’s in a new environment and doesn’t know anyone, how could she possibly find teammates so quickly? Actually, she even asked me to help her find teammates.”

"So that's how it is..." Takasaki Mio fell into deep thought.

She had watched Aine grow up since she was a child, and in her heart she was almost no different from her daughter, so when she heard that Aine was asking for help, she wanted to do her best to help.

Then she remembered that wasn't Wakaba Mutsu very good at playing musical instruments?

She clearly remembered that when Ruoye Mutsu was at her house, he even played the guitar for her in person, and his skill level was truly exceptional.

Moreover, the two are about the same age, and have just started high school.

This must be what they call fate.

She loves Aine very much, and she also feels sorry for the poor child Ruoye Mu. So if she could bring the two of them together as friends, wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?

Two girls come together because of their love of music and work together to heal their emotional wounds; it sounds incredibly healing.

The more she thought about it, the more excited she became, and the more reasonable it seemed. So, she discussed it directly with her son.

"Since Aine wants to find teammates, how about I introduce Xiaomu to her? Xiaomu's musical talent is simply undeniable, she'd be more than capable of supporting her, and Xiaomu would also gain a new friend, it's a win-win situation! Right?"

Mio Takasaki was in high spirits, her eyes full of smiles, clearly very pleased with her idea.

However, Jun Takasaki lowered his head awkwardly, his expression becoming quite strange.

If Ye Mu is Xiangzi's best friend, how could she possibly defect and join Aine's team?

Moreover, based on Nagasaki Motoyo's account, he believed that Wakaba Mutsumi also had the idea of ​​"defeating" Aine, making it even more impossible for them to form a team.

However, I can't tell my mother these things.

"Jun, why do you look so dismissive? Don't you think my idea is bad?" Takasaki Mio asked, puzzled, seeing her son's expression. "I think they are both outstanding, wouldn't it be great if they became friends?"

It's great, but it's impossible... Jun Takasaki sighed inwardly.

“Xiao Mu is very shy and doesn’t easily interact with strangers. She doesn’t have many friends at school. So, I’m afraid it will be difficult for Aine to become her friend,” Jun Takasaki offered an excuse. “Besides, Aine and she don’t go to the same school. Even if they did become teammates, it would be difficult to maintain basic training.”

This reason left Mio Takasaki speechless for a moment.

After all, she had witnessed firsthand how shy Ruoye Mu was.

However, she has always been a persistent person, and once a thought takes root in her mind, it is not easy to shake it off.

In her opinion, why not give such a "win-win" opportunity a try? If it really succeeds, it will be a great help to both children.

So she secretly memorized it.

Ai-yin's topic eased the heavy atmosphere at the dinner table. After dinner, the three said goodnight to each other and then returned to their respective rooms.

=================================

The next day, following Takasaki Hiroshi's orders, Sakura Kenji took the relevant project documents from the Toyokawa Group and went to find Takasaki Jun.

“Young Master, I have listed out all our cooperation with the Toyokawa family, including their specific requirements and the current progress of implementation.”

As he spoke, he shoved a large stack of documents into Takasaki Jun's hands. "Also, I've prepared all the documents related to their financial dealings with us and sent them to your private account. You can review them when you have time."

When Hiroshi Takasaki said he wanted his son to manage matters related to the Toyokawa family, Kenji Sakura was initially a little surprised, since it was a bit too early for the young master.

However, he quickly accepted the idea—after all, all they really cared about was the young master, and letting the young master handle things himself would actually put their minds at ease.

You could even say that this is exactly the kind of handling the situation the other party is hoping for.

Sigh, winning over the young lady's heart is truly a shortcut in life...

Of course, that's just talk; the young lady isn't so easy to please, so he wasn't envious at all.

Jun Takasaki took the documents and spent some time looking at them.

The collaborations listed above have been ongoing for many years, most of which are "consulting" activities (i.e., lobbying for money), and none of them are of great importance, nor are the amounts received substantial.

This shows that over the decades, the Toyokawa family did not value the Takasaki family much, treating them merely as a useful partner, routinely sending them money every year to maintain relations between the two sides.

However, in recent months, the situation has completely changed, and the Toyokawa family has been asking the Takasaki family for more and more important things.

Clearly, it wasn't that the Takasaki family had suddenly risen in status and become much stronger than before, but rather it was the young lady's idea.

For example, this land consolidation project has clearly exceeded the authority of the Takasaki family. At most, they can only say a few good words for them. The fact that the Toyokawa family has come to them about this means that there is really no other explanation than "finding a reason to give them money".

No wonder Dad suddenly panicked, fearing he owed the Toyokawa family too many favors.

Thinking of this, Jun Takasaki gave a wry smile.

Good intentions, if taken too far, can become a heavy burden...

That being said, since the other party has entrusted this matter to us, we should still help them.

Regardless of what their future relationship with Xiangzi will be, "strengthening the friendship between the two families" is never a wrong thing to do.

After a moment's hesitation, he put the document back into Kenji Sakura's hands.

"Okay, Kenji, I understand. I will do my best to do it from now on."

He then pressed the other party, "What do you think of the current situation of the Fengchuan Group?"

"What do you mean, 'how'?" Kenji Sakura asked, looking confused. "Isn't it just like that?"

Jun Takasaki was speechless.

This is indeed a conservative country, where everyone is complacent with the status quo and takes it for granted, even considering it immutable.

To outsiders, although the Toyokawa Group has experienced a dramatic change in leadership due to the death of Mrs. Mizuho and the resignation of Mr. Sadaharu, this large conglomerate, which has spanned several generations, still has deep-rooted connections in the political and business circles. Therefore, it will continue to thrive and firmly occupy the lifeline of the country's economy.

In a sense, this idea is correct.

Despite its various problems, the Toyokawa Group is so powerful that it has become intertwined with the state.

How many jobs depend on it? How many businesses rely on its orders to operate? How many politicians and groups rely on money from it to sustain their political activities?