Tokyo Three Generations

Hearing her aunt's heartwarming words of comfort, Ai Yin was even more moved.

Moreover, she knew that her aunt wasn't just talking; she not only allowed her son to help her withdraw from school, but also helped her contact schools in China to accept her as a transfer student, which was quite a lot of effort.

If measured in monetary terms, I owe her a huge sum of money.

Although the aunt certainly doesn't care about these things, she will always remember this kindness.

During this time, Aine was abroad, so she was unaware of the recent controversy surrounding Takasaki Mio. If she had known, she would probably have felt even more guilty.

"Auntie, you are like another mother to me..." Overwhelmed with emotion, she blurted out, "When I grow up, I will definitely take good care of you."

Mio Takasaki was taken aback at first, then covered her mouth and laughed. She then looked at her best friend, Mrs. Chihaya, and asked, "You're calling her 'Mom' so soon? Haruka, you don't mind, do you?"

Mrs. Chihaya shook her head repeatedly, "I don't mind, how could I mind? Mio, if Aine could really become your daughter, I wouldn't have to worry about anything..."

Mio Takasaki glanced at her son beside her, as if to say, "See? That's what everyone's saying."

Then, she became serious again. "Alright, it's getting late. Let's go back first. Haruka, let's go to your house first. I'll drive."

Mrs. Chihaya was completely at a loss at this moment, so of course she had no objections. Thus, the four of them went to the parking lot together, got into Takasaki Mio's car, and then drove towards Tokyo together.

Because they had already vented their emotions at the airport, no one spoke much in the car. Ai-yin sat in the back seat, staring blankly out the window.

The familiar scenery and lights, which she had never paid attention to before because they were so familiar, now gave her a long-lost feeling of warmth.

She has finally returned to her "comfort zone".

This is where she was born and raised, the place where her soul finds peace.

The ambition to "shine brightly overseas" has now vanished; ultimately, one's life will shine in this place.

That's... not bad at all.

Growing up and growing old among the people you know and love most is also a kind of happiness.

Moreover, when you go to a new school and make new friends, you can rebuild your network of relationships. You may even be able to rebuild that sparkling campus life within your "comfort zone".

Maybe I can't be a campus idol who's in the spotlight like before, but becoming a core figure in a small circle shouldn't be a problem, right?

The thought of rebuilding her self-esteem made the frustration and embarrassment of her recent "fleeing" from England seem less painful.

She turned her head and looked at the profile of Takasaki Jun, who was also sitting in the back seat. He was dozing off with his head turned to the side and his eyes closed because of the fatigue of the journey.

As reliable as ever... In the silence of loneliness, the corners of Aine's mouth turned up slightly.

Perhaps this is the source of my confidence to be willful...

However, I don't want to disappoint him anymore. From now on, I must strive to manage my life correctly and without hesitation.

Life with him.

With a slight smile of relief, she squinted her eyes, leaned on his shoulder, and fell into a deep sleep.

116, adding insult to injury.

After reuniting at the airport, Mio Takasaki drove Chihaya and her daughter to Chihaya's house.

Although it was late at night, Chihaya and her daughter still warmly invited Takasaki and her son to come in and sit for a while. Unable to refuse their hospitality, the mother and son got out of the car and went into Chihaya's house.

By this time, Mr. Chihaya had also gone home from get off work. The father and daughter met and shared another round of sighs and reflections.

Because the two families had visited each other many times, they were quite familiar with each other, and neither Takasaki nor her son were overly polite.

Before going to the airport to pick up the person, Mrs. Chihaya had already prepared the ingredients for dinner and busied herself for a while before serving a very sumptuous meal.

For Chihaya and her husband, although their daughter's defeat was a tragedy, her return unscathed was something to be thankful for.

At the dinner table, Chihaya and her husband tacitly avoided mentioning anything about England, and Takasaki and her son cooperated by chatting about funny stories from their childhood. It was a harmonious and pleasant time.

Next, Chihaya will bury the nightmares of this period in her memories and move on to a new chapter in her life.

Amidst the laughter and conversation, Takasaki Mio felt a lingering hesitation, unsure whether she should clarify certain things with Aine.

However, seeing Aine still managing to pull herself together despite such a bleak situation, she gradually made up her mind.

Since there are some things she's destined to know, it's better to tell her clearly sooner rather than later so she has some idea and won't be caught off guard.

So, as dinner was drawing to a close, Takasaki Mio suddenly looked at Aine and said, "Aine, do you have a little time? I'd like to talk to you alone."

As a guest, making such a request suddenly was obviously a bit impolite. However, Takasaki Mio was the core of this group of girlfriends, so Mrs. Chihaya was used to following her lead. Besides, Mrs. Chihaya didn't believe that Mio would have any ill intentions towards her daughter.

So she urged her daughter instead, "Aiyin, listen to Auntie."

Aine nodded obediently, then stood up and led Aunt Mio to the room next door.

"Aine, regarding your transfer, because it happened so suddenly and you don't want to go back to your old school, my options are limited. Among the schools I'm considering, the best one is called Haneoka Girls' Academy... Well, although it's the best one, it's just an ordinary school, with a much lower average deviation score than your old school... Do you think that's acceptable?"

“I can accept it!” Ai Yin nodded without hesitation. “Auntie, since this school is to your liking, it can’t be too bad, at least the basic learning environment is definitely not a problem. I’m now mentally prepared to start over, and I will work hard to complete my studies, so don’t worry.”

"Very good." Seeing Aine's determination to cheer up, Takasaki Mio nodded in satisfaction.

However, this was not her real purpose in specifically calling Aine.

After hesitating for a moment, she picked up her phone. "Also, there's something I need to tell you first..."

Chihaya Aine was initially confused, but when she saw the screen on Aunt Mio's phone, she gasped in surprise.

Because it was a group photo of Chun-gege and three girls.

In the photo, Jun Takasaki and the three girls are all wearing yukatas, and some of them are holding incense sticks, suggesting they are participating in some kind of festival.

However, that's not the point. The point is that all three girls are incredibly beautiful. Even though she's already considered a beauty among her peers, she doesn't seem to have any confidence that can overshadow the three girls in the picture above.

What's worse, the loose-fitting yukatas allowed her to see that although the three people's "strength" varied, they all seemed to be able to overpower her.

For a moment, she felt a burning pain on her face, and even forgot basic etiquette. She looked up at Aunt Mio and asked, "Who is this? And what's going on?"

“It’s nothing serious,” Takasaki Mio shook her head gently. “It’s just that Jun has made a few friends recently.”

This one sentence instantly plunged Aine's hard-won composure back into despair.

"What a coincidence, all the friends I make happen to be pretty girls," she couldn't help but remark with a hint of sarcasm.

Mio Takasaki was also a little embarrassed. She didn't know how to comfort Aine, and could only sigh in the end, "Jun is indeed a bit frivolous in this regard. I think he should be restrained."

That's what she said, but she didn't know how to restrain him. After all, her son was already an adult and had such strong opinions that she really couldn't control him.

Aine didn't respond to that. She simply turned her gaze back to the faces of the girls in the photo and saw their satisfied smiles.

Why are they laughing so happily? It must be because Chun-gege helped them... Although she felt a little sad, she found it hard to really hate the people inside.

After all, they are not only exceptionally beautiful, but they also have a great temperament, as if they were raised in well-off families.

"Who are they?" Ai Yin couldn't help but ask, her curiosity piqued.

"The one on the left is called Wakaba Mutsu, I've already met her. The one on the right seems to be called Nagasaki Motoyo, I haven't met her yet. As for the one in the middle... her name is Toyokawa Shoko, she is the heiress of the Toyokawa Group."

“Toyokawa Group…” Aine gasped. Although she wasn’t very familiar with the social situation, she had certainly heard of the Toyokawa Group’s reputation.

Her gaze immediately fell upon Miss Toyokawa.

In the photo, she smiles sweetly, without any makeup, yet she naturally stands in the center of the picture, as if she has been used to it since childhood.

Aine and the young lady in the photo exchanged a glance, but in the end, she looked away.

At this moment, her brain had not yet processed this sudden news, after all, it seemed so absurd, or rather, beyond imagination.

"Brother Chun, are you dating Miss Toyokawa?" Shock and worry made her blurt out the question.

"I wouldn't say we're dating yet, but... our two families have been interacting much more frequently lately, and Miss Toyokawa is clearly quite enthusiastic towards Jun..."

Ai Yin was at a loss for words.

After failing to study abroad, the hard-won hope for rebuilding one's life is extinguished in an instant, a feeling that can destroy anyone.

"Aine, don't be discouraged." Seeing her speechless dejection, Takasaki Mio immediately reached out and stroked her cheek. "Auntie told you this not to upset you, but to let you know the situation so that things won't happen hastily... You should understand Auntie's good intentions."

Chihaya Aine then realized that her aunt could have kept everything from her, but instead secretly told her, which clearly showed that she was still biased towards her in terms of feelings.

This wasn't just Aine's own conjecture; Takasaki Mio genuinely thought so.

While Miss Toyokawa is undoubtedly a high-class beauty, according to the Toyokawa family tradition, marrying her would come at the cost of changing one's name and marrying into the family, a situation she cannot accept.

Because there's always this feeling of handing over a precious son, whom you've raised with great care and placed all your hopes on, to someone else.

Furthermore, the lifespan of Miss Toyokawa is unknown. What if her son, like Toyokawa Kiyoko, loses his wife early in life?

In her view, although her family was not top-tier, they were enough to live comfortably, and there was no need to pay such a price to curry favor with the powerful.

As for Wakaba Mutsu, although she had a good impression of Mutsu and admired Mutsu's stunning beauty, considering Wakaba Mutsu's mother... that was a complete minus.

She couldn't imagine her son having to live with such a vicious mother-in-law; it would be too unbearable.

As for Nagasaki Motoyo... I've never even met her, so there's no way I could have any thoughts about her.

After much thought, she decided that she was more inclined towards Aine in terms of her personal feelings.

Chihaya's family isn't extremely wealthy, but they are well-off and won't be a burden. As for Aine, she's watched her grow up since she was little, and her looks, intelligence, and personality are all perfect. Moreover, she knows her background well, so she seems like the perfect candidate.

People have emotional tendencies and habitual thinking. Although Mio Takasaki is smart, she is no exception. Since her two children were little, she has been thinking about "bringing Aine home as her daughter-in-law when she grows up". Now, when weighing the pros and cons, she will naturally subconsciously magnify the shortcomings of others and speak well of Aine.

Of course, that's what she said, but Mio Takasaki didn't want to force her son to make a decision. At most, she could only help create some conditions, but she couldn't be sure what the outcome would be.

Anyway, after Takasaki Mio's explicit and implicit suggestions, Aine finally recovered from her frustration. She carefully examined the photo again, then pouted unconvinced, "Auntie, it's really nothing. When Jun-nii was in school, many classmates and juniors confessed to him, but in the end, they were all disappointed... Jun-nii isn't the kind of person who is greedy for fame and fortune or opportunistic. No matter how powerful Miss Toyokawa is, she can't sway him. I can be sure of that."

That's right, Aine, but what if Miss Toyokawa possessed beauty and wealth, and was also well-educated, polite, and talented? How would you handle that? Takasaki Mio didn't say this aloud, after all, she didn't want to provoke Aine too much.

At that moment, the scene of Xiangzi's last visit to her home flashed into her mind again.

Ah, Miss Toyokawa, she really knows how to be the center of attention... she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

At this moment, Aine handed the phone back to Takasaki Mio.

"Thank you for reminding me, Auntie..." she bowed slightly.

"Aine, what are you planning to do?" Takasaki Mio asked with concern as she put away her phone.

“Right now, there’s nothing I can do…” Chihaya Aine shook her head. “After all, I don’t know any of them and have never interacted with them. It would be unfair to be jealous or hate someone without knowing them well enough. If I have the chance in the future, I will try to get to know them better before making a decision.”

At this point, she raised her head slightly, "Besides, I also have my own strengths and pride. I don't need to be so afraid of anyone that I lose my soul... I've spent so many years with Brother Chun and we have so many beautiful memories. I believe these can never be erased... Anyway, there's plenty of time, and everything will eventually be answered by time."

Seeing Aine's response, Takasaki Mio was both surprised and pleased.

Even when she was "hurt" by others, she didn't get angry and speak ill of them. Instead, she felt she should try to understand the situation first. Moreover, she was able to maintain her self-respect, which is truly remarkable.

Now that things have come to this point, she felt she had nothing more to say.

“Good child, I’m so glad you said that. Now, just do what you like.” She nodded. “As for things in your life, just tell me. The nightmares of the past are over, and we can look forward to the future. Aiyin, Auntie really likes you.”

After she finished speaking, she nodded slightly in acknowledgment, then turned and left the room.

After her aunt left, Chihaya Aine also fell silent.

Although she spoke confidently just now, she was certainly not that relaxed inside.

After all, the potential "imaginary opponent" is actually a top "chaebol sister" in the country. For those people from their alma mater, it's like they've suddenly become supermodels, going from newbies to big bosses in an instant.

However, there's no point in escaping reality. Since things have come to this, unless you give up, you have no choice but to persevere.

She was originally a very confident person, even somewhat arrogant and conceited under the adoration of her classmates (going to study in the UK without any preparation is proof of this mentality). Now, after a series of nightmarish experiences, most of her arrogant and conceited mentality has finally disappeared—although some vanity inevitably remains.

She has already lost a lot, so she should work even harder to protect what she has left.

If you can do your best without being worse than others, then no matter how much others clamor, you will not lose your dignity or hope.

Let's start with her studies and rebuild Chihaya Aine's pride.

With this newfound confidence born from deep self-reflection, she returned to the restaurant.

Now that dinner was over, Takasaki and her son were clearly preparing to say goodbye and go home.

"Goodbye, Jun-nii." Aine waved to Takasaki Jun with a big smile.

"Goodbye, Aine." Junya Takasaki waved goodbye.

"Please remember our promise~" Aine reminded him with a smile, "We should experience all the delicious food and fun activities together again."

"Yes, of course, I remember. Just call me and I'll be happy to oblige as long as I'm free." Jun Takasaki nodded immediately, then turned and left with his mother, getting into the car and heading home.

117, feeling uneasy

I've had a really bad cold for the past two days, and my head has been foggy the whole time. It seems like quite a few of my colleagues have caught it too... Everyone should be careful.

After saying goodbye to Aine, Jun Takasaki got into a car with his mother to return home.