Tokyo Three Generations

Here we go again. Jun Takasaki simply couldn't understand why Minami Mori was so hostile towards her daughter, and he was too lazy to even try to figure out the thought process of a mentally ill person.

"Don't worry, since you and your son have made it clear that you're backing her up, I won't bully her anymore." Mori Minami could tell that Takasaki Jun didn't trust her at all, so she didn't dwell on the topic. "We haven't argued at all during this time. I've let her do as she pleases, and she hasn't bothered me. We'll just live like this for a few years, and then I'll hand her over to you cleanly and completely... Now you can worry about it, I'll be completely at ease."

Although these words seem very irresponsible, Jun Takasaki felt that this might be a solution.

For Mu, "staying away from her parents" should solve most of her mental health problems.

As for "who will win the prize," that's another question.

“Mu will have her own life. She’s not someone you can just hand over to and expect her to live with.” He said coldly. “Besides, she’s not as weak as she looks. She can handle her own affairs.”

Then he added, "Since you and she have already reached this point, it will be even more impossible for you to have any contact with her after she comes of age, right?"

"That's hard to say... Just because I don't associate with her doesn't mean I can't associate with my family..." Minami chuckled with a hint of teasing. "If I really became your mother-in-law, we could see each other every few days—should we rehearse how we'd get along so well?"

What's this woman thinking about now...?

Jun Takasaki was completely helpless.

Well, she has already fulfilled her promise, so there's no need to ask anything more of her.

Do whatever you want.

After all this turmoil, he found that his tolerance was also increasing, and he couldn't get angry at Minami anymore—although she was a terrible person, she did give him a lot of benefits after all…it was hard to hate her.

So, Jun Takasaki stopped arguing with her and turned to walk into the basement.

92, Yearning

While Jun Takasaki was still entangled with Minami Mori, Mio Takasaki, completely unaware of what was happening, was also led by Mutsu Wakaba to the underground video room.

Senmina wasn't exaggerating; this home theater is quite large, and it's fully equipped with all kinds of musical instruments and audio equipment.

Mio Takasaki was not surprised by this, after all, she had already witnessed the couple's extravagant lifestyle.

What truly moved her was the fact that the underground audio-visual room was covered in signs of use, and the instruments inside were neither new nor old, indicating that people often practiced there.

Both Minami and her husband are very busy people, so the only person who can use this place is probably Mutsu Wakaba.

So, this child is surprisingly very hardworking...

Thinking of this, Mio Takasaki couldn't help but feel a little pity again.

"Xiao Mu, you've really worked hard all this time..."

This was her heartfelt statement. Although she had known for a long time that "Mori Nami was not good to her daughter," it was only after the home visit that she truly felt how serious this isolation and neglect really was—the mother and daughter even rarely took photos together.

It's easy to imagine what kind of environment Ye Mu grew up in; he must have suffered a lot.

Of course, this is also related to her "judging by appearance" personality. It is precisely because Wakaba Mutsu is so cute that her heart is so full of affection.

Faced with her aunt's distressed gaze and gentle comfort, Ruoye Mu was also moved, and she responded with a faint smile.

During this short period of time, she was rescued by Chun, surrounded and cheered by the villagers, and loved by the aunt. She felt cherished and cared for by others, and her originally parched heart was gradually moistened by kindness.

In fact, the mother and son even made a special trip here today, just to stand up for him.

This is what she wants; she longs to grasp these beautiful things and even become part of them.

"I am already very lucky to be loved by so many people." She squinted her eyes slightly, seemingly lost in the moment.

Next, Mutsumi Wakaba walked into the instrument display case, picked up her favorite guitar, and then looked back at Mio Takasaki.

"Auntie... I said before that I would play the guitar for you, what would you like to hear?"

“I’m open to any style,” Mio Takasaki smiled. “Mutsu can play whatever she likes; I’d love to hear it all.”

"You can't play any of them!"

Just kidding, how could Wakaba Mutsu say something so silly?

She thought for a moment, since her aunt had studied in the United States in the early 90s, she should be more accustomed to listening to guitar music from that era.

So she searched her mind and finally chose a piece by Steve Ray Vaughn, the most famous guitarist in the United States in the 80s and 90s.

After choosing the piece, she first plucked the strings a few times to get a feel for it, and then slowly got into the zone and began to play.

This piece has a soothing rhythm, minimalist chords, and a lively melody. It is a popular casual guitar classic from the 90s in Europe and America, titled "Life Without You".

As she played, the underground audio-visual room was soon filled with the unique timbre of the guitar, gradually drawing people into the space of music.

As Takasaki Mio listened, she quickly recognized the piece.

Then, she recalled her experiences and memories from her youth.

Her unbridled arrogance back then and her current precarious existence as a congresswoman's wife can be described as "living two lives."

Of course, she didn't regret it. Life is always like this, with gains and losses. Although this marriage brought her a lot of pain, it also brought her power and prestige, and more importantly, her son.

But regardless, that carefree time studying abroad is one of her most precious memories.

So, accompanied by soft music, she drifted into a sea of ​​memories, even humming softly as if she were accompanying Wakaba Mutsu.

A few minutes later, Wakaba Mutsu finished playing the piece. Then, she looked at Takasaki Mio with some trepidation, as if waiting for the other's evaluation.

Mio Takasaki did not disappoint Mutsu Wakaba's heartfelt performance. She looked at Mutsu Wakaba with surprise and then praised him from the bottom of her heart.

"You played so well, Xiao Mu! You completely surprised me!"

As she spoke, she clapped softly.

This wasn't just polite talk. Although she wasn't a musical expert, she at least had basic musical literacy, and she could tell whether someone had "real talent" or not.

Although Ruoye Mu's playing is still somewhat immature and cannot be compared with those professional masters, it is already far superior to her peers, and she can sense the brilliance of that talent.

After being praised by her aunt, Ruoye Mu didn't show any outward expression, but her slightly flushed face betrayed her joy.

All that preparation and careful selection paid off.

After being praised, Wakaba Mutsu's spirits soared even higher, so she improvised and played a few more pieces. Takasaki Mio was very obliging and sang along with the music she had heard before, and patiently listened to the pieces she hadn't heard before. The two sides were enjoying themselves immensely.

At that moment, Jun Takasaki also entered the audiovisual room.

To be honest, he was a little nervous before he came in, but seeing how engrossed they were, he felt relieved.

Mio Takasaki was a little puzzled that her son was so late in coming in, but she didn't pay much attention to it. She simply gestured for her son to sit down and listen with her.

And so, under the watchful eyes of her mother and son, Ruoye Mu completed her small solo recital with all her heart, almost the most dedicated performance she had ever given in her life.

When she stopped playing, there were fine beads of sweat on the tip of her nose.

Mio Takasaki could tell that she was definitely tired, so she spoke up to stop her.

"Okay, that's enough for now." She said as she walked to Ruoye Mutsu's side, then leaned down affectionately and hugged her tightly.

"Xiao Mu, you're even more amazing than I thought! Auntie is very happy to hear that."

"It's good that I can... make everyone happy." Wakaba Mutsu's voice was weak from exhaustion, but she was still in a very good mood. She even secretly glanced at Takasaki Jun behind her aunt, as if urging her to do something.

Jun Takasaki knew he couldn't spoil the mood, so he quickly gave her a thumbs-up, which earned him a subtle but undeniable smile.

"Alright, let's take a break." Takasaki Mio pulled Wakaba Mutsu to sit down next to her, and then took out her handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

For her, this was nothing out of the ordinary, but for Wakaba Mutsu, it was an extremely rare experience.

For years, she had hidden herself in this room, using practice and performance to dispel her bitterness and confusion, but no one paid any attention to her or cared. This was the first time someone had come here to acknowledge her in such a kind way and help her relieve her fatigue.

People are often indifferent not because they don't want something, but because they can't get it and can only comfort themselves with "I don't want it".

"Mom..." she called out instinctively.

Mio Takasaki thought she was calling for Minami Mori, so she subconsciously turned around to look, only to find that Minami Mori didn't seem to be there.

"Where is Ms. Mori?" she asked her son. "Weren't you all outside just now? Why did you come here alone?"

"I don't know, they're probably still waiting for us up there," Jun Takasaki replied without changing his expression.

Why won't they come and see their daughter's talent show?

Mio Takasaki sighed inwardly.

Oh well, as long as she doesn't continue to bully Mu, I'll let her do whatever she wants.

Then, she turned her attention back to Wakaba Mutsu.

"Xiao Mu, your performance today really surprised me... You're amazing!" she praised sincerely.

"I...I'm not good at it." Wakaba Mutsu gently nestled in her arms and answered softly. "I'm ashamed...and scared too."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Takasaki Mio asked.

“I can’t do calligraphy, I can’t get into Tokyo University, I can’t even… I can’t even speak properly, I… I can’t do anything right.” Wakaba Mutsu blinked, seemingly on the verge of tears. “I feel like I’m not qualified to be friends with everyone. Everyone… everyone is so amazing. I’m just a burden to everyone.”

"Silly child!" Mio Takasaki couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Then, she gently stroked the girl's hair in her arms. "It's already remarkable for an ordinary person to excel at something, but you, just from what I've seen, are already extraordinary. You're proficient in botany and gardening, and so talented in music. You're an amazing child, and I'd even say your talent is among the best I've ever seen in the younger generation. So, don't say anything silly like you're a burden to everyone. You deserve to be anyone's friend, and you deserve to be liked by everyone."

Besides, so what if your exam scores aren't as good as others? This world isn't about how exams determine your life... There are so many other things people can do besides going to school and taking exams.

Then, she pointed to her son and said, “I don’t want to pretend in front of you. I admit that seeing my son grow into an excellent student makes me very proud and gives me a sense of fulfillment in life… But even if he weren’t an excellent student, he would still be my son. I love him first, and then I’m proud of all his achievements. Even if his grades were average and his talent was average, I would still treat him as my precious son. It’s the same with you. People are friends with you not because they want anything from you, but because they like you.”

Comforted by Takasaki Mio, Wakaba Mutsu was even more moved. Although she felt a little rude, she still boldly and willfully stayed in Takasaki Mio's arms, wanting to draw that warmth from her mother.

At this moment, Takasaki Mio also noticed that Mutsu wanted to be close to her, so she patiently stroked Mutsu's hair, just like a real mother and daughter.

She suddenly remembered the photo of the four of them with her son.

"Xiao Mu, who else besides Jun is the 'everyone' you're talking about? Are you referring to the other two girls in that group photo? Hmm... Miss Toyokawa and Miss Nagasaki, right?"

Ruoye Mu nodded gently in her arms.

"They are all very talented, with excellent grades...and they even said that they want to go to Tokyo University together in the future."

"I see." Takasaki Mio suddenly realized.

Seeing her friends so "ambitious", Wakaba Mutsu, who didn't do well in school, worried that she would "fall behind", be abandoned by her clique, and become all alone.

"That's the kind of anxiety that only Japanese girls have..." she couldn't help but smile bitterly to herself.

It's not surprising, though. Girls this age are in puberty and tend to overthink things, worry about gains and losses, and imagine trivial matters as more serious than life and death.

Actually, once it's all over, I'll probably find myself ridiculous.

So, let's comfort her now.

"Ha, what are you worrying about? Miss Toyokawa doesn't seem like the cold-hearted type. Even if she goes to Tokyo University and takes over the family business, she wouldn't abandon her good friends. I haven't met Miss Nagasaki yet, but I'm sure she's not such a heartless person either. Don't worry about it."

While chatting and laughing, she glanced at her son and then deliberately put on a serious expression.

"Chun, you listen to me!"

"Huh?" Jun Takasaki, who had been silent the whole time, was surprised by his mother's sudden greeting. "Mom, what's wrong?"

“Look, Xiao Mu is worried that no one will play with her anymore... Since you get along well with them, if they have any conflicts in the future, you should help mediate their disputes. Don't let them abandon Xiao Mu. Also... you must not show favoritism or treat them differently, or you will hurt Xiao Mu’s feelings.”

Strange, these girls are forming their own clique, what does this have to do with me? This is truly an undeserved disaster... Jun Takasaki could only smile bitterly to himself.

However, he did not resist his mother's orders.

He could also tell that his mother was obviously trying to make Ruoye Mu happy, and of course he didn't mind doing the same thing.

"Yes, I understand." He nodded vigorously. "If Xiangzi dares to bully Xiaomu, I'll give her two punches!"

"Hahaha..." Takasaki Mio was amused. "What are you talking about? Even if you're going to be a knight in shining armor, you can't hit people... Besides, if Miss Toyokawa really gets angry and wants to take you down too, I can't stop her, hahaha..."

The mother and son laughed together, and in Takasaki Mio's arms, Wakaba Mutsu couldn't help but smile as well.

Although she could tell it was a joke, the mother and son's support and help were genuine, so how could she not appreciate it?

Many things may happen in the future, but she will always remember this conversation.

93, Mutual Dependence

While the mother and son chatted and laughed, Wakaba Mutsu nestled in Takasaki Mio's arms, listening quietly and contentedly.

She wished this moment could last forever, but in the end, there are more unsatisfactory things in the world, and even the most heartwarming moments will eventually pass.

Mio Takasaki thought to herself that now that Mutsuka Wakaba had rested enough, it was time for her to say goodbye to her son.

Her main purpose in coming here was to support Wakaba Mutsu, and she had already achieved that goal. She had also been pleasantly surprised to hear Wakaba Mutsu's solo performance. Logically, it should be time to take her leave now; after all, it was just a routine home visit, and there was no reason to stay until night, nor could she be too impolite to her hosts.

However, she could also tell that Ruoye Mu was clearly reluctant to leave the mother and son like this.

So she helped Wakaba Mutsu up from her arms, and then gently asked her, "Mutsu, are you very familiar with Miss Toyokawa?"