Inoue Sakura's Tears

Hirahara Yuudai had eaten 90,000 yen worth of Chiffon's money in that one meal, enough to make Chiffon's heart ache. That guy could really fucking eat—worthy of being called a Seafood Feast.

Still, Chiffon had gained a more direct understanding and impression of Underground Heroes. After parting ways with Hirahara Yuudai, he took a car home.

When Chiffon opened the door, he saw Sister Sakura watching a TV drama and eating potato chips. She seemed to have no aftereffects at all, as though yesterday's events had never happened.

"Is that enough to eat? If not, I'll buy you some more." Chiffon walked in with a grin.

Only then did Inoue Sakura notice that Chiffon had returned. She smiled happily. "It's enough, it's enough. Fujiwara Convenience Store can't operate while it's being rebuilt, and you don't have a salary either. Where are you getting so much money to buy me snacks?"

Chiffon sat down on the sofa and watched Inoue Sakura hug her knees as she curled up on the bed, happily watching the drama.

"We'll have money soon enough," Chiffon said casually. Seeing Sister Sakura happy made him happy too. Making money was never difficult for Chiffon.

Inoue Sakura held out the chips and stuffed one into Chiffon's mouth, asking with a smile, "Why?"

"I can't tell you. It's my secret." Chiffon chuckled.

"A secret?" Inoue Sakura leaned closer. "You actually dare keep secrets from Sister Sakura now?"

"Hahaha, I wouldn't dare," Chiffon said with a laugh. "But you don't need to worry about how I make money. It's legal."

Of course, Chiffon would not tell her that he was about to fight in illegal boxing matches. Even if he did not fight underground, he still had ways to make money. Take Little Cannon's fight with Savage Mountain today, for example—he had judged it correctly and decisively bet 50,000 yen on Savage Mountain.

If Chiffon's eye for it was good enough, he could become rich through this alone. There would be no need for him to challenge anyone. Once his capital grew, he could place larger bets and earn greater returns.

Chiffon could already picture himself moving into a larger home. Hirahara Yuudai would be his spokesperson, handling matters for him in daily life. How easy would that be?

Perhaps Chiffon could cultivate his own force. After all, he was still alone and weak right now. But it was too early for that. He would wait until he became one of the Seven Saints. By then, he would not lack money, and people would naturally follow him.

"What are you grinning foolishly about?" Inoue Sakura asked with a smile, tapping Chiffon on the head.

"Something good!" Chiffon stood up and checked the time. It was already past eleven. He said to Inoue Sakura, "It's getting late, Sister Sakura. Go to sleep. The more you rest, the faster your body will recover."

Inoue Sakura also felt that it was late, but when she got up, she realized there was only one bed.

Chiffon saw what Sister Sakura was thinking and said with a smile, "You take the bed. I'll sleep on the sofa."

"How could I do that?" Inoue Sakura shook her head. "You're still young, so it's fine. Bring over another blanket and sleep on the bed with me."

"Sleep together?" Chiffon's mouth twitched. He immediately refused, "No, no. I like sleeping on the sofa. Sister Sakura, stop trying to persuade me and get into bed already."

In the end, Inoue Sakura could not outargue Chiffon and obediently went to sleep on the bed. Only after she had fallen asleep did Chiffon begin cultivating cross-legged. He felt that he was not far from Qi Cultivation Third Layer.

At dawn, Inoue Sakura woke from her sleep. The first thing she saw was Chiffon sitting upright on the sofa, exactly like the scene from when she had been hospitalized.

"Xiaofeng?" Inoue Sakura called out tentatively. She did not know whether Chiffon was asleep, since he looked rather strange like that.

After finishing his cultivation, Chiffon glanced at the clock in front of him. It was only six in the morning. Turning his head, he smiled and said, "Sister Sakura, it's only six. You're awake already? Why not sleep a little longer?"

Inoue Sakura was suddenly stunned. She got out of bed, looked at Chiffon, and asked, "You didn't sleep all night? You just sat cross-legged like that?"

She could not help being shocked. Sitting cross-legged all night without sleeping made Inoue Sakura wonder whether Chiffon had been badly frightened, or whether something was wrong with his head.

Chiffon knew that some things were bound to be impossible to hide. After all, he needed to cultivate every night and morning, leaving him less than three hours to sleep.

"Sister Sakura, I was actually cultivating," Chiffon explained in another way. "You might not know about qi cultivation. This is qi cultivation. I absorb some of the energy in the air every day to strengthen my body. It's beneficial."

If he told Sister Sakura that he was absorbing Spiritual Energy, she naturally would not understand. Spiritual Energy was scarce in this world to begin with, and people did not really know of it.

"Cultivating?" Inoue Sakura suddenly smiled. "Sister Sakura may not have studied much, but don't try to fool me."

"Sister Sakura, you're a college graduate. If you haven't studied much, then wouldn't that mean I've never gone to school?" Chiffon laughed, instantly easing the atmosphere.

Inoue Sakura asked half-believingly, "That night... was it you who saved me?"

She had finally asked the question. After thinking for a moment, Chiffon simply answered frankly, "I was the one who carried you out. That's why I said cultivation is beneficial. At the very least, it lets you face danger when it comes."

Inoue Sakura already believed him eighty percent. Her eyes suddenly welled with tears. In this world, perhaps even her parents had not shown her as much care as Chiffon had. They never asked how she was doing or whether she needed financial help.

Inoue Sakura's parents cared only about their own interests. It seemed that after losing their son, Yuu Inoue, they had changed completely. They left the island nation and were still drifting abroad to this day.

But ever since she had met Chiffon, Inoue Sakura suddenly felt that life had become interesting. She had begun to look forward to things, and life no longer seemed so bleak.

Even in the most dangerous moments, Chiffon had stepped forward for her. This sibling bond without blood ties seemed more genuine than that of some real brothers and sisters.

Inoue Sakura suddenly threw herself into Chiffon's arms. Chiffon froze, then felt two soft masses press against him. He immediately emptied his mind and thought of nothing, then heard Inoue Sakura begin to cry against him.

Chiffon patted her back. Inoue Sakura cried like a child, as though she had countless unspoken sorrows, all expressed through these tears.

Just like that, Chiffon said nothing as Inoue Sakura wept in his arms. Second by second, time passed. Chiffon felt an unusual warmth at that moment, as though time had frozen there.

After a long while, Inoue Sakura wiped away her tears and thanked Chiffon. Then, blushing, she ran to the bathroom to wash her face. Looking in the mirror, she found that her face was swollen from crying.

Inoue Sakura usually did not wear makeup. She was naturally beautiful, the kind of person whom some might think looked even better without makeup. There really were people who simply did not need makeup by nature.

Inoue Sakura's tears told Chiffon that she had said goodbye to her former self. After surviving disaster, she seemed reborn, filled with hope.