Ten'u Masanori

Given Jiaming's current personality, since the other party had said they would not leave until he came, the best choice would naturally have been not to go and let him wait for the rest of his life. Of course, that best choice could only remain a fantasy in his mind. They were roughly on the same level, and the other party had invited him so sincerely; if he did not go, there was no telling whether the man might lose his temper. Though from all appearances, Ten'u Masanori seemed like the easygoing type.

However, while having breakfast with Lingjing and Shasha on the way to school the next morning, he discovered a dilemma.

"West Sea Road Cinema? Three in the afternoon? A Chinese Odyssey?"

"Yeah, yeah. Dad gave me three movie tickets last night. He said the movie was pretty hilarious and interesting, and that we'd probably like it. Remember to leave together after school." Holding the three tickets, Shasha spoke happily.

"But I have something to do at two in the afternoon..." He pointed at the two girls, thinking, Why are you two dragging me along as a third wheel on your date? Naturally, he did not say that aloud. Seeing Sister Liu's expression about to erupt, he hurriedly smiled. "Haha, no problem. I'll definitely make it in time. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Who are you going to see? That Japanese girl?" Shasha asked with narrowed eyes.

"I can't even understand what she says. Why would I go see her? I heard she's an old friend of my dad's. She's leaving Jianghai City today and wants to see me, say a few words, then leave. Maybe she'll even give me some spending money. I'll buy the popcorn for today's movie..."

Shasha's expression eased somewhat, but she still said, "Hmph. There are lots of things you can do without talking."

"You'd know, would you?" Jiaming glanced at her. Seeing her blush slightly, as though she had recalled something that could be done without talking, he felt faintly puzzled. He had no idea that Shasha was remembering the kiss they had shared in the woods behind the lumber processing plant.

After the three finished eating, Jiaming walked in front while the two girls whispered behind him.

"Shasha, why did you question him so much..."

"Ah, Dad said men can go bad if you're not careful. Lingjing, we need to keep a close eye on him!"

"But... but... it feels so strange..."

They whispered behind him, but every word reached Jiaming's ears, leaving him helpless. What were girls these days even thinking? Please, you two are yuri—you're each other's girlfriends, okay? I'm just your friend, not some shared human massage wand...

After school that morning, the entire campus did a cleanup. The three of them then had lunch at the Ye Family Martial Arts School. Since Jiaming had an appointment, he left shortly after one. As he was leaving, Shasha was punching a sandbag with loud thuds. "Remember... get there... early!" She looked as though she were treating Jiaming as an imaginary enemy.

After wandering around the nearby streets, Jiaming arrived at Xidu Cafe at exactly two o'clock.

As he walked through the glass doors, pleasant warm air washed over him. Jiaming was still wearing his Xinghui High School uniform and looked rather listless. Just as the waiter at the entrance was about to stop him, someone poked his head up from the innermost table by the window and waved toward him with a familiar air. Eight years later, Ten'u Masanori would be mature and steady; at this moment, he was still a university student. He was not especially handsome, but he was the sort of person who inspired trust at first sight. If one did not know his background, some might have mistaken him for a newly hired salesman.

Gentle piano music drifted through the cafe's hall. Every seating area was separated by elegant decorations. Only when he reached the table could he see Yuechi Xun sitting inside, her figure previously hidden behind an ornamental flowering tree. She had evidently recovered and been discharged from the hospital. Dressed in white casual clothes, her slender, delicate figure was outlined all the more clearly, giving her the air of a girl just beginning to blossom into adulthood. Seeing Jiaming arrive, she placed both hands on her knees and bowed. A trace of apology even appeared on her usually expressionless face.

"Hello, I'm Ten'u Masanori." Speaking fluent Chinese, the man smiled as he extended his hand. They shook hands, and there was no probing behind the gesture. If this man had not always been sincere and kind, Jiaming probably would not have decided to come. He would have simply found a sniper rifle and killed him from the shadows. "I'm Gu Jiaming. Just call me Jiaming."

Jiaming sat down across from him and ordered a coffee before speaking. "Do you know the police are watching you? Calling me out at a time like this could get me into trouble. I hate trouble the most."

"Hehe, I'm confident that I can avoid the police's attention as much as possible. Besides, I believe you have that ability too, Jiaming, don't you?"

"Ordinary police aren't a problem, of course. But how do you know who belongs to Yanhuang Awakening?"

"Aren't you one?" Ten'u Masanori asked, slightly puzzled. Jiaming took a sip of coffee. "Don't test me. I told you, I hate trouble."

"Heh, my apologies. Actually, I invited you here for two reasons. First, to thank you for saving Xun. Second, because Xun said you were very familiar with my affairs, so... you understand, some of my personal matters are things even my family does not know. Of course, I also hope you can forgive Xun for inadvertently revealing some things. In truth, I uncovered more of it through my own investigation. That child named Cao Dongfeng, whom you currently have in a mental hospital—I took care of him while I was at it. I hope you don't mind..."

"I knew long ago that you might notice something. Cao Dongfeng was my oversight." Jiaming smiled, glancing at Yuechi Xun, who looked calm on the surface but was clearly somewhat uneasy. "She's still too immature... Oh, right. Is Yui attending the University of Tokyo now too? If I remember correctly, she's in her second year. Mm, she's pretty good at housekeeping..."

The atmosphere around the coffee table seemed to change abruptly. Ten'u Masanori's aura suddenly turned cold, but after a moment, it relaxed again. "Could it be... you know Yui? Is that why you know about me? No, that can't be right. Although the Longtang Family has been excluded everywhere, they have always disliked China, and Yui has never been here. Then that means you must have been to Japan..."

Analyzing it all in front of Jiaming showed that Ten'u Masanori did not wish to conduct an investigation in secret that would make both sides uncomfortable. Jiaming smiled and stood up. "My affairs are complicated. You won't be able to find anything, and there's no need to investigate, because I have no connection to any faction and don't want any connections. Of course, if you insist on investigating... mm, I'm the second son of Japan's Ichiyakyu Clan... All right, I have things to do. I hope we never meet again. Have a safe trip, you two."

With that, he left the cafe. After a moment, Xun asked from beside him, "Ten'u, what... did Gu Jun say?"

"Mm, he said he was the second son of Japan's Ichiyakyu Clan." Ten'u Masanori spoke with a faint smile.

"The Ichiyakyu Clan... the second son..." Yuechi Xun repeated the strange name. Seeing her serious expression, Ten'u Masanori could not help laughing. "Mm, understood in the Chinese sense, that means he's Ichiyakujikuro. Our flight leaves in three hours. Let's prepare to return to Japan, Xun."

After leaving the cafe and boarding a crowded bus, Jiaming checked his watch. It was two thirty-five. He still had enough time.

Though it was not rush hour, the bus was still packed like a can of sardines. Jiaming had only just found his footing by the door when he spotted a somewhat familiar figure. It was Mu Zhenzhen, the high school girl who had pretended to be a police officer and taken his statement a few days ago. She was wearing a sharp blue tracksuit, her short hair brushing her shoulders, and was squeezed tightly among the passengers. Early winter had arrived, and with the carriage packed like this, it was certainly warm, but with so many people, it was inevitably stuffy. The passengers all looked distracted. Only this high school girl had bright, alert eyes, a rare sight indeed.

Following her gaze, he saw a young man secretly opening a middle-aged woman's handbag. Pinching a small packet between two fingers, he carefully pulled it out. The young man looked only seventeen or eighteen. As he worked, he kept glancing around. When he noticed Mu Zhenzhen watching him, he shot her a vicious glare. Immediately afterward, Mu Zhenzhen shouted without backing down.

"Thief—!"

The bus instantly erupted into chaos. The thief was so startled that he quickly let go of what he was holding. Dozens of passengers packed into the bus began checking their belongings, and everything became a mess. Mu Zhenzhen forced her way toward the thief, trying to grab him. Two young men squeezed over and deliberately blocked her as though by accident, while the thief instinctively ran toward the door, stepping on who knew how many feet along the way.

No one knew where Mu Zhenzhen got such strength, but she forcibly pushed through the crowd. At the same moment she grabbed the thief's arm, one of his feet happened to kick Jiaming, who had nowhere to dodge.

The kick was not powerful, but it left a clear footprint on Jiaming's chest. Brushing at the stain, Jiaming helplessly and innocently pursed his lips.

"Very good. Very powerful..."

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