I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 204: Acting Together with His Mother-in-Law?

Few men can resist money, power, and beauty.

Few women can resist gifts, romance, and roses.

Gen Tsukino doesn't think that making some sacrifices constitutes being a "simp." Selfless sacrifice, sacrifice without expecting anything in return, and even sacrifice that harms oneself—that's what it means to be a "simp" who ends up with nothing.

She had already given herself so much before the boy even gave her the gift.

It's only at times like these that there's a suitable reason to naturally reciprocate.

"It's certainly not a very romantic gesture, but I'll allow you to take a picture of me."

With her chin held high in haughtiness, she sat on the edge of the carriage.

She proactively found the best angle to capture everything for Tsukino Gen; compared to the vibrant flowers, she was the best embellishment among them.

You can find tens of thousands of flowers in one city. But in many corners of the world, you won't find a girl named Rin Asagiri. That's what makes her so precious.

"I've taken the photos, should I send them to you?"

"Show me first."

Take Tsukino Gen's phone.

After tapping a few times, Tsukino Gen didn't care what the other person was looking at.

My habit is to delete sensitive things on the same day as possible, so as not to leave any so-called evidence. After all, I have an excellent memory.

Just didn't expect it.

"Okay, here you go."

When he got his phone back, the wallpaper had changed to Rin Asagiri holding a bunch of roses.

He looked at the other person.

The girl looked at him nonchalantly, "What?"

"It's nothing, I just discovered that my phone seems to have developed its own consciousness and can change the wallpaper by itself."

"Really? Then it must have chosen the one it thought was the best. I think it probably has good taste."

A response that seemed quite serious.

Gen Tsukino couldn't suppress a smile. "Indeed, quite tasteful."

Asagiri Rin also laughed. Perhaps some issues still remained and couldn't be completely erased. But that didn't stop her from feeling cheerful now.

Holding onto resentment and turning happy moments into sources of bitterness is incredibly irrational, yet it's a mistake most couples make.

She tilted her head slightly, "You're not allowed to change it until I've calmed down."

Gen Tsukino looked at the other person in surprise, "I thought you were going to say that you're not allowed to change even when the world ends."

Asagiri Rin scoffed, "Of course not, I'll definitely have even prettier photos in the future."

"How about I just take this phone?"

"Why would I change the wallpaper if it's not yours? You're crazy."

Morita Kaoru was quite impressed by the boy's methods. It wasn't that giving high heels and flowers was particularly novel or romantic. It was just that he could still do this after what had happened.
Just how thick-skinned do you need to be?!
I would never have done that myself.

But it seems that their young lady is susceptible to this. Despite being surrounded by luxury and never lacking in top-tier luxuries, she still succumbs to the ways of ordinary people.

Is it something rare or something to regret?
Before she could even express her feelings or say anything, another car headlight came on at the end of the road.

It seems a new, uninvited guest has arrived.

Asagiri Rin also saw the arrival of the white SUV immediately, as if it had stopped there as expected.

To avoid any misunderstanding, Tsukino Gen immediately said, "This was not my arrangement."

"I know."

"Ok?"

"This is."

"boom."

The white SUV stopped briefly before the door opened.

The first thing that catches the eye is not anything else, but a pair of fair and slender legs, wearing high heels.

Then her slender and graceful figure was exposed under the streetlights at night.

A mature and charming woman has a seductive figure and a noble demeanor.

She has similar facial features to the girl next to her, but at a different age, exuding a different charm.

Tsukino Gen almost instantly guessed the other person's identity.

"I don't think it's necessary to call the parents for such a small matter."

He looked over.

Asagiri Rin rolled her eyes at her, annoyed. "You think I was the one who called me?"

"Otherwise..."

Almost simultaneously, both of them turned their gazes toward Morita Kaoru, who was standing to the side of the electric scooter, trying to minimize her presence.

Morita Kaoru paused for a moment, then said innocently, "It was Madam who called, I couldn't help it."

Now we've found the traitor.

However, it's really not Morita Kaoru's fault. After all, that's her job, and she has no reason to deceive this woman.

As the woman approached, she brought with her a fragrance that seemed inexplicable, yet it was not so simple. It was as if she had ushered in a unique world, dispelling all the romantic ambiguity between the young boy and girl.

It was as if everything around her should submit to her unique aura.

Approaching the two with a smile, she first looked at the girl holding the flowers, "The flowers are so beautiful. I don't think you've ever given me flowers before."

Asagiri Rin wasn't as nervous as I'd imagined. She replied softly, "I thought you didn't like these things."

The mature woman smiled radiantly, "What woman doesn't love roses?"

Gen Tsukino glanced at the two of them, thought for a moment, and said, "If Auntie likes them, she can take them all."

The woman then looked at Tsukino Gen and said with a half-smile, "You are Tsukino Gen?"

"Yes."

"My name is Jun Asagiri, and I am Rin's mother."

"I thought Asagiri was already one of the most beautiful women in the world, but I never imagined there was such a beautiful woman as you, Auntie. These flowers are probably not good enough for you."

Gen Tsukino said with a sincere expression.

Asagiri Jun covered her mouth and laughed, "You have such a sweet tongue. You're so handsome and you know how to talk so well. You're really amazing."

Asagiri Rin looked at the two of them with some displeasure, "Those were flowers meant for me, how could you give them to her?"

Jun Asagiri feigned surprise as she looked at the girl, "You're even jealous of your mother?"

"Why are you here?"

Rin Asagiri didn't answer that question, but instead directly raised her own question.

Asagiri Jun gracefully reached out and touched the strands of hair beside her ear, tucking them behind her ear. Every movement seemed to radiate light, as if she were always surrounded by an aura.

She is indeed a charming woman. At this age, not only has time left no trace on her, but it has also given her an outward aura that attracts attention anytime, anywhere.

Like a weapon of mass destruction, you never know when you might be seduced by her charm.

"It's nothing, I just happened to hear you were by the sea, and I haven't seen the ocean in a long time, so I came to visit."

Do you believe this claim yourself?

Asagiri Rin seemed to dismiss it with disdain.

Jun Asagiri smiled. "You have to get used to it. Sometimes lies sound better than the truth, and harmless lies aren't really hurtful, right, Tsukino-kun?"

Huh? What does this have to do with me?

"I'm an honest guy, I don't like to lie." Sensing the gazes of both mother and daughter fixed upon him, Tsukino Gen answered with a frank expression.

"I'm not too sure about that. I always avoid lying. I think the most important thing between people is sincerity."

Even Asagiri Rin wanted to laugh when she heard this.

You actually came across this sincerely?

Jun Asagiri nodded repeatedly, "That's right, I also think this is a very important quality."

Rin Asagiri didn't want to watch the two of them continue talking nonsense, so she said, "Alright, let's go home."

Jun Asagiri, however, was in a different hurry. "Going home already? It's our first time meeting Tsukino-kun, shouldn't we give him a proper welcome?"

entertain?

How should we entertain them?

Gen Tsukino, of course, wouldn't ask that question. He understood Rin Asagiri's meaning, and he didn't intend to have much interaction with this woman. Although it seemed unavoidable, it seemed somewhat inappropriate in the current situation.

So he said, "I will visit you when I have time. I really shouldn't bother you too much today."

"How could it be a disturbance? Get in the car. There are many things I'd like to discuss with Tsukino-kun. There's no time like the present, what do you say?"

The woman's deep gaze was fixed on the boy, her expression gentle and kind, like that of a loving elder. But it was hard to tell whether her ambiguous smile was a word of advice or a warning.

Gen Tsukino thought for a moment and replied, "My electric scooter is still here. There have been a lot of battery thefts lately, so it's not safe to leave it here."

"It's alright." Jun Asagiri waved slightly. "Kaoru, you can take his car back with you. As for Rin's car, someone will come and take it away."

"..." Tsukino Gen glanced at Asagiri Rin, who frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with her mother's arrangement. In her opinion, it was self-evident what her mother wanted to say to this boy.

These things may come sooner or later, but she doesn't want them to happen now. There are many things she hasn't had time to do yet, and she doesn't want anyone to force things to grow or nip them in the bud.

But clearly, he couldn't resist this woman's will.

Gen Tsukino could tell that he didn't intend to make things difficult for Rin Asagiri.

He quickly changed his troubled expression into a warm and welcoming smile.

"Since Auntie has said so, I certainly can't be ungrateful."

"Sigh, actually I don't like to force people to do things they don't want to do. I guess in Rin's eyes I'm almost like one of those rigid parents, an old witch. If Tsukino-kun is really in a difficult position, then forget it."

Jun Asagiri looked like he was sighing.

Tsukino Gen's smile remained unchanged. "No, that's not true at all. It's my honor to travel with someone as charming as your aunt. There's absolutely no question of making things difficult for you."

"That's good, get in the car."

Seemingly quite pleased with the boy's flattery, she swayed and got into the car first.

Asagiri Rin glanced at Tsukino Gen, "That's just an act. Don't actually think she'll believe your sweet talk to a young girl."

Gen Tsukino smiled indifferently, "But you, don't overcomplicate things. Your mother seems quite easy to talk to."

"It only appears that way."

"Maybe the truth is different from what you think?"

"It's best if they're different."

She couldn't be bothered to remind the boy of anything more; after all, things had come to this point, and it wasn't up to her to decide anymore.

When this woman arrived, the nature of the situation changed.

The three people got into the car one after another.

The driver who arrived went to drive Asagiri Rin's car, while Morita Kaoru came to see Asagiri Jun's car.

All three people were in the back seat. The back seat of the SUV was quite spacious, but the atmosphere was cramped.

Even Asagiri Rin felt somewhat suffocated.

Looking at the expression of the boy beside her, she saw that he seemed quite at ease, as if there was no place he was uncomfortable with. He shouldn't be called Tsukino Gen; he should be called Water Bear.

"Tsukino-kun and Rin have known each other for a long time, haven't they?"

The car slowly started moving, and the street scene began to recede.

Asagiri Jun began speaking in a calm and casual manner, as if she were having a casual chat.

Gen Tsukino nodded. "Yes, we met when we were in the orphanage."

"An orphanage? Come to think of it, there was indeed an orphanage where we lived when the child's father was still alive."

She seemed completely unaware of this, as if she were recalling something while answering.

Gen Tsukino didn't expose this simple acting, and said with a smile, "Yes, it's that orphanage. Her paper airplanes often fell here, and I got to know her after helping her pick them up a few times."

"Is that so? Indeed, Rin is the kind of person who likes to cause trouble for others. Thank you so much, Tsukino-kun. After all, I've never seen her get along so well with any boy before, even going to the beach together."

Asagiri Rin couldn't stand her mother's way of asking questions she already knew the answer to.

She had investigated everything thoroughly, probably even knowing what color underwear the boy wore on which day of the week, yet she still insisted on doing this.

It's fortunate that this young man was so patient and cooperative.

"Really? Asagiri is probably the most popular girl in our school. Even if she's a bit aloof, countless boys would be willing to be her knights. Maybe Asagiri has particularly high standards?"

"Pfft, is this implying that you, Tsukino-kun, are exceptionally outstanding?"

Jun Asagiri seemed to be amused and trembling with laughter. She had no intention of discouraging the boy at all, but instead asked questions with great interest.

Genya Tsukino seemed to have completely immersed himself in the role.

He pretended to hesitate and said, "I'm not particularly outstanding overall, but my grades are pretty good. I've consistently ranked in the top three in my grade, and my teachers all say I'm a good student."

"Ha ha ha ha."

She let out a cheerful, light laugh, like that of a young girl.

After laughing, Jun Asagiri looked at the boy and said, "You must have read a lot of novels and watched a lot of TV dramas, so you should know that we are not an ordinary family. Perhaps just having excellent grades isn't enough."

"I'm also quite good at sports."

It seemed to be some kind of childish talent showcase segment.

Despite being reminded by the other party, the boy still seemed to bring up one trivial matter after another.

Rin Asagiri is about to put on a mask of pain.

Are smart people pretending to be stupid?
"Anything else?" Asagiri Jun still didn't dampen the boy's enthusiasm.

"Because I live alone, I also know how to cook."

"Oh? Really? I haven't eaten yet."

"Then I can show off my skills to Auntie."

"But I'm very picky about food, and many professional chefs I've hired can't satisfy my appetite."

"My Chinese food is especially authentic."

"Can I give it a try? Won't that be too much trouble for Tsukino-kun?"

"Of course not, please give me this opportunity to demonstrate, Auntie."