The Newly Built Detached House

Satoru Gojo instantly dropped his wounded expression. Even behind his sunglasses and mask, his smug satisfaction practically radiated. "Heh-heh, surprise!"

He snapped his fingers, finally looking a little more serious. "Just come with me. I promise you'll be satisfied!"

Seeing the onlookers starting to gather, Chen Tian didn't hesitate. He took the hand of Kitagawa, who was curiously looking around, and said succinctly, "Let's go."

Gojo whistled cheerfully and turned to lead the way.

Itadori and the other two followed at once. The group quickly made their way through the crowd toward the parking lot, leaving behind a small cluster of passersby still excitedly chatting.

A Newly Built Detached House

Holding Kitagawa's hand, Chen Tian followed Gojo and the others through the station's VIP passageway and arrived at the parking lot.

Two gleaming black Toyota Alphards were parked in reserved VIP spaces. Beside each one stood a driver in a crisp tailcoat and white gloves, posture respectful.

Chen Tian raised an eyebrow.

Well, Gojo might be flighty and unreliable, but he was still the head of the Gojo Family, one of the Three Great Families. He had never been short on money or grandeur.

"How's that, Nero?" Gojo sidled over with a cheeky grin, trying to sling an arm around Chen Tian's shoulders. "Thoughtful enough? Private car service!"

Chen Tian couldn't even be bothered to answer. He lifted an arm and easily brushed away Gojo's reaching paw, then walked straight toward one of the Alphards, still holding Kitagawa's hand.

The rear door slid open automatically. He ushered Kitagawa inside first, then followed her.

"Hey? Wait for me..." Gojo had just tried to squeeze into the same car's back seat when a foot in a black sneaker extended steadily from inside and planted itself squarely on his chest without the slightest courtesy—

The kick wasn't hard, but it was enough to send Gojo tumbling off the car.

Gojo stumbled backward from the unexpected kick, nearly crashing into Itadori, who was following behind.

"Pfft—" Nobara Kugisaki couldn't hold back a laugh, then hurriedly covered her mouth.

Fushiguro Megumi expressionlessly looked away.

"Hey, hey, hey! Nero! That's cold!" Gojo regained his footing and made an exaggerated "protest" through the car window.

The window lowered a crack, revealing half of Chen Tian's expressionless face. "You're in the other car." His voice was flat. Before he could say anything more, the window rolled back up.

"Tsk..." Gojo pursed his lips and peered through the gap into the car. Kitagawa was already settled comfortably beside Chen Tian, blinking her curious red eyes at the little scene outside, looking completely innocent.

Gojo could only shrug and turn around, waving for his three students to follow. "Come on, kids. We'll take the other car. Honestly, what a heartless man..."

The driver silently opened the door of the other Alphard for Gojo and his group.

The two black luxury MPVs smoothly drove out of the VIP parking lot one after the other, merging into the evening traffic in Tokyo and heading toward Suginami Ward.

The two black Alphards passed through the streets of Suginami Ward before finally stopping in front of a newly built detached house.

Gojo was the first to jump out of the car, throwing his arms wide with a flourish. "Ta-da! Surprise! Hahaha!"

As Chen Tian helped Kitagawa out, the girl's eyes immediately widened. "Ah~ The house is back!"

She let go of Chen Tian's hand and trotted a few steps to the gate. A cobbled path led to the entrance, a brand-new wind chime hung beneath the eaves, and even the little flower bed in the corner of the yard had been restored.

Chen Tian's gaze swept over the house, which was almost identical to the one he remembered, then turned to Gojo. "You did this?"

"More or less~" Gojo took off his blindfold, revealing his sly blue eyes. "While you and your little girlfriend were traveling, I dealt with those old fossils' assets."

He nudged the stone lantern by the entrance with his foot. "I used their money to rebuild it. Think of it as a thank-you for helping us deal with a huge problem."

Chen Tian nodded. "Thanks."

Hearing Chen Tian thank him, Gojo dramatically clasped his hands to his face and swayed bashfully. "Oh my, oh my~ The aloof Nero-kun thanked me!"

His three students watched their teacher go off the rails again and instinctively covered their faces.

Chen Tian's cheek twitched. "Be serious."

Gojo chuckled and continued. "I had people restore your house as closely as possible, but they could only reproduce the exterior. You're the only ones who know what the interior looked like—the decorations, furniture, and all. So I had them make it as modern as they could."

Kitagawa was already impatiently pulling Chen Tian toward the house. "Tian Jun, come look!"

She slid open the entryway door. The brand-new tatami gave off a faint grassy scent, while the living room's simple Scandinavian-style furniture blended perfectly with the Japanese layout.

Gojo followed at an unhurried pace. "The kitchen equipment is all brand-new, and the bathroom's been redesigned too."

He clasped his hands behind his head. "Aside from the furniture and appliances, the bedding and everything else was bought at the highest quality. Those old fossils had plenty of money, after all."

As he spoke, he leaned closer to Chen Tian and slung an arm around his neck again. "Nero, what do you think? I put a lot of thought into this, didn't I?"

Chen Tian raised an eyebrow. "Spit it out. You don't do this kind of thing for nothing. What do you want?"

Gojo chuckled and glanced at Kitagawa, who was excitedly pressing the smart-home control panel in the living room. Lowering his voice, he said, "It's nothing much. Now that the two biggest villains in the Curse world are dead, the rest will just be small-time trouble. We won't need you to step in."

Chen Tian nodded slightly.

That was true. With Kenjaku and Sukuna dead, there wasn't much left to pose a serious threat.

At that thought, he gave Gojo a sidelong glance.

Gojo continued, "But Cursed Spirits can never be wiped out for good. So..." His expression turned a little more serious. "It's possible some super-powerful monster will show up someday."

A sudden "Wow!" came from Kitagawa. She had just turned on the whole-house smart system, and the lights throughout the house began changing colors automatically.

Gojo took the opportunity to move closer to Chen Tian. "So, if you happen to run into that kind of Cursed Spirit, I hope you'll take care of it for us instead of..." He made a gesture over his eyes. "Turning a blind eye."

Chen Tian glanced at Kitagawa, who was having the time of her life playing with the voice-control system, then looked back at him. "That's it?"

"That's it." Gojo spread his hands. "For you, it's just a quick favor anyway."

In the living room, Kitagawa had already managed to get the smart speaker playing an anime theme song. She gently swayed her golden hair to the beat.

Chen Tian looked at Kitagawa. "If I come across one, or it interferes with my life, I'll take care of it."

Gojo immediately went back to his cheeky grin. "That's great! And in return—"

He drew the words out deliberately. "I had Ijichi get you a black card with no spending limit. Think of it as... consultant fees?"

Before Chen Tian could answer, Kitagawa came bouncing over, her red eyes sparkling. "Tian Jun! The smart bathtub in the bathroom can make rainbow bubble baths!"

Gojo seized the chance to slip a black card into Chen Tian's pocket and winked. "Have fun~"

With that, he hurried toward the entrance and called to his students, "Come on, let's go. We shouldn't intrude on the newlyweds' first experience in their new home~"

Fushiguro gave Chen Tian a small, expressionless bow before following the others. Itadori smiled and waved goodbye, while Nobara seemed a little reluctant. After all, Nero was her idol too.

Chen Tian watched Gojo and the others get into the Alphard and drive away from the gate. Kitagawa, like a dutiful hostess, politely waved goodbye until the taillights disappeared around the corner.

As soon as the car was gone, she turned around and flung herself into Chen Tian's arms like a little golden cannonball.

"Tian Jun! Tian Jun!" She looked up at him, her red eyes brimming with excitement and curiosity, shining brilliantly.

"Those people from earlier were so interesting! Especially that tall, white-haired man. He seemed so strong! Who is he? And what about those students? Are they your friends? Are they the superheroes you told me about?"

She clutched the front of Chen Tian's shirt and rose up on her tiptoes, swaying slightly with curiosity. Her expression begged him to tell her everything.

Chen Tian nodded but didn't answer her questions directly. He simply said, "Let's put away the luggage first."

Seeing him dodge the subject, Kitagawa gave a cute little pout, but her excitement about the new home soon took over. She immediately let go and answered brightly, "Okay!"

She turned and bounced toward the suitcases by the entrance.

Watching her skipping figure, Chen Tian's lips curved almost imperceptibly.

He turned and walked into the kitchen.

The brand-new kitchen was spacious and bright, with high-end appliances built into the gleaming cabinets.

He opened the enormous double-door refrigerator. As expected, it was already packed with fresh ingredients.

Great. That saved him some trouble.

He swiftly took out the vegetables, meat, eggs, and a small packet of neatly packaged dried noodles.

He'd just stir-fry a few dishes and make some oil-splashed noodles.

Before long, the kitchen filled with the steady sound of chopping.

In the living room, Kitagawa had dragged both suitcases to the bedroom door.

Curiously, she slid open the door and peeked inside. The room had an equally new bed and a simple, modern wardrobe. Then she ran back to the living room to keep experimenting with the amazing smart-home control panel.

"Tian Jun~ What are we having for dinner?" she called toward the kitchen, her voice full of anticipation.

"Stir-fry and noodles," Chen Tian replied without looking up, deftly heating the pan and pouring in the oil.

"Yay!" Kitagawa cheered. She set the control panel aside for the moment and bounced over to the kitchen doorway, peeking inside around the frame.

The oil was at just the right temperature. Chen Tian flicked his wrist, and the sliced meat slid into the pan with a sharp sizzle, sending a burst of fragrance into the air.

"Wow! It smells so good!" Kitagawa's eyes sparkled as she sniffed eagerly with her little nose, looking like a hungry kitten.

The range hood hummed quietly. The only sounds in the kitchen were the clink of the spatula and the sizzle of ingredients as they stir-fried, mingling with the enticing aroma that soon filled the brand-new space.

Outside, the lights of Tokyo gradually came on. Inside, the steam rose from the cooking, and the house began to feel like a home.

The next morning, the faint light of dawn slipped through the gaps in the newly installed curtains.

Kitagawa was still sleeping sweetly beneath the soft covers, her face half-buried in them. Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted and sleepily opened her bleary eyes.

It was Chen Tian, carrying her in his arms.

"Mm... Good morning, boyfriend..." She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, her voice soft and slurred with sleep.

"Morning." Chen Tian answered quietly and carried her steadily out of the bedroom.

He crossed the living room and entered the brand-new bathroom, then gently set her down. Beside the sink, a toothbrush with toothpaste already squeezed onto it lay by a cup.

Chen Tian placed a light kiss on her forehead. "Brush your teeth. Then..." He paused. "Take a bath. There's still some of last night's lingering scent." After saying that, he turned away. "Breakfast is in the kitchen."

Kitagawa was still a little dazed. She blankly nodded her head. "Oh... Okay..."

Chen Tian said nothing more and walked straight out. A little while later, the faint clink of cookware came from the kitchen.

Kitagawa rubbed her eyes, brushed her teeth slowly, and washed her face with cold water. At last, she felt a little more awake.

Water trickled down her cheeks as she wiped her face in front of the mirror. Suddenly, she stopped.

As if remembering something, she tugged the collar of her pajama shirt open a little and leaned closer to the mirror. Two faint red marks stood out clearly on her fair neck.

"Oh!" she let out a little gasp, her cheeks instantly flushing. "Oh no, the marks haven't faded yet..."

She touched the marks, her brows knitting slightly, and muttered, "Should I cover them with concealer?"

But the next moment, as if she'd just thought of something amusing, her eyes suddenly lit up and the corners of her mouth lifted uncontrollably.

"Heh-heh..." She looked at herself in the mirror with a hint of smugness. "Maybe this is a good thing..." She gently touched the marks on her neck, her eyes sparkling. "I can show them to that Young Miss!"

The thought lifted her spirits. All her shyness gave way to excitement.

She gave herself a spirited little fist pump in the mirror, then hummed a tune and bounced into the bathroom to take a shower.

Kitagawa finished washing up soon and changed into a clean white shirt.

She seemed especially fond of wearing it this way: she tied the hem of the shirt neatly at her slender waist, tucked the rest into her short skirt, and loosely draped a tie around her neck.

Like a cheerful little bird, she bounced into the kitchen.

Chen Tian had his back to the entrance, frying eggs in a sizzling pan. Kitagawa popped her head out from behind him, rose onto her tiptoes, and quickly planted a smacking kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks for all your hard work, Tian Jun!" Her voice was bright and energetic.

Chen Tian didn't turn around. He just gave a low "Mm" from his throat.

Satisfied, Kitagawa obediently slipped over to the dining table and pulled out a chair.

She propped her chin on both hands and stared unblinkingly at Chen Tian's broad back with her sparkling red eyes, smiling as if she were a little animal waiting to be fed.

Chen Tian neatly transferred the golden fried eggs onto a plate. As he turned and carried them over, his gaze swept across the girl at the table.

Seeing the way she'd tied her shirt, the casual looseness of her tie, and her undisguised, expectant smile, he smiled warmly.

Kitagawa immediately returned a big, sunny smile.

Chen Tian set breakfast—fried eggs, rice porridge, and side dishes—on the table, pulled out the chair beside Kitagawa's, and sat down next to her naturally.

The dining table was filled with the fragrance of porridge and the golden glow of fried eggs.

Chen Tian had just picked up some side dishes when the phone beside his hand suddenly vibrated.

The screen lit up, and the words "Young Miss" stood out clearly.

Kitagawa, sipping her porridge in small mouthfuls, glanced over and saw the name. Her little nose immediately wrinkled, and her cheeks puffed up slightly like an angry kitten.

She "fiercely" picked up the half an egg left on her plate and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing hard as if the egg were the flesh of that Young Miss.