I practiced as a monk alone in Japan.

Chapter 253 Mercury
Eating simple noodles with a fried egg, Mochizuki Miki, who had eaten all sorts of rich and delicious food, felt as if she could shed tears of happiness.

The woman's eyes were red.

Gen Tsukino took out a tissue and handed it to him.

"I didn't add any chili peppers, did I? Why are you crying like this?"

Mochizuki Miki sniffed, like an innocent little girl. She took the tissue and gave Tsukino Gen a reproachful look.

"I didn't look like I was about to cry. I just felt like I was enjoying the moment, and even felt a little moved."

"Touched? Just because of a bowl of noodles?"

Gen Tsukino ate very quickly, perhaps because he was really hungry. Before the other person had even finished half of their meal, he had already finished his.

Mochizuki Miki muttered, "It's all because of a bowl of noodles. I feel like no one has ever been this nice to me before."

Gen Tsukino couldn't help but laugh out loud. "There are countless people in this world who are willing to be kind to you. They would do anything for you, not just a bowl of noodles. It's probably because I just treated you that you have this extra benefit."

"Do you really have to shatter my feelings into pieces?" Mochizuki Miki said with dissatisfaction.

Gen Tsukino shook his head. "It's not that I reject being moved, it's just that this isn't like you."

Mochizuki Miki snorted softly, "I'm an actress, I can portray anything. So there's no need to worry about whether it's the real me or not. I'll be whatever I need to be at any given time."

Gen Tsukino, of course, wouldn't insist on whether it was real or not; he simply nodded and put away his chopsticks.

"It's a good way of life, pretty cool."

"Are you full? Do you want to eat what I left?"

Seeing how fast the boy was eating, Mochizuki Miki wasn't thinking about competing in speed; instead, she was worried about whether the boy had eaten enough.

Gen Tsukino shook his head. "No need, I don't eat that much. By the way, why is your refrigerator so empty? There are no fruits or vegetables, just noodles, eggs, and water. It's too clean."

Indeed, it's different from what I imagined.

Mochizuki Miki's refrigerator wasn't filled with any fancy drinks or desserts.

It was filled with water, though.

The noodles and eggs were placed in a corner, and there weren't many of them.

It appears much simpler than the average family home.

Mochizuki Miki smiled. "Because actors always have to maintain their figure. And you know I've had this problem for a long time, so for about two years now I've been eating very cleanly. I basically eat food delivered fresh. Besides, I'm always running around to film sets, so I don't actually spend much time at home."

It's pitch black outside the window.

Even if the rain stops, we are destined not to see a sky full of stars tonight.

The room lights were on very brightly, seemingly magnifying countless flaws and imperfections. But even up close, the woman seemed to show no weakness whatsoever.

Even the finest works of art are no more exquisite than this.

Tsukino Gen felt that she should be exhibited in the largest, most luxurious, and safest museum, rather than being kept in someone's home.

That's still a bit too generous.

"It sounds like it must be quite tough."

"So, I wish I could have you by my side. Not only could I see you every day, but I could also eat your noodles anytime, anywhere."

Gen Tsukino cleared the table of dishes and looked at the other person with a smile.

"I don't just know how to cook, it's just that you don't have enough stuff at home."

As she spoke, she took the empty bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen, placed them in the sink, and then turned on the tap to start washing the dishes.

It wasn't that I had any interest in doing any work, but seeing the used bowls lying around made me instinctively uncomfortable. Such a nice kitchen should be clean and tidy, just like it was originally.

Footsteps followed closely behind, and Mochizuki Miki, who had regained much of her strength and was no longer hungry, stood behind the boy and spoke softly.

"Then I'll remember to prepare more ingredients at home in the future."

"Huh? Am I the cook you hired?"

The boy asked curiously.

Mochizuki Miki covered her mouth and chuckled, "Treatment isn't something that can be cured in one or two sessions, you'll definitely come back next time. Or would you rather go to Chosui-in than my house? Or perhaps a hotel?"

Gen Tsukino answered without hesitation, "This place is fine. But do I have to cook a meal every time I finish treating you? It feels like I'm being used as a slave."

The woman approached the boy from behind and then wrapped her arms around his waist.

“I’m not that heartless. So I’d rather you get a good night’s sleep at my house after you’ve finished treating me, and then decide whether or not to cook.”

"How can you make 'taking a nap' sound so easy? Is this the charm of a mature woman?"

"I always feel like you're being sarcastic and calling me an old woman."

He seemed somewhat dissatisfied.

Or perhaps it's just an excuse.

Mochizuki Miki tiptoed slightly and gently bit the boy's neck.

Then, seemingly worried that he might hurt the boy by biting him, he pressed his lips to the boy's and kissed him, as if that would soothe the so-called pain.

Of course, this bit of pain was practically no different from a mosquito bite for Tsukino Gen. However, the kiss was ticklish, making him want to turn his head away.

But as soon as she turned her head, she met the other person's cunning eyes and reached out to cup her face in her hands.

Only then did I understand.

I've fallen for this woman's excellent acting skills.

He laughed, somewhat annoyed, "Where did you learn so many tricks? Is this the benefit of filming a lot?"

Mochizuki Miki blinked at the boy in front of her, "Would you believe me if I said I've never filmed a scene like this before?"

"It's not that you can't believe it."

"So this is my talent, do you like it?"

Mochizuki Miki asked with a smile.

Even her voice matched her movements perfectly, making it sound exceptionally sweet.

Gen Tsukino thought for a moment before replying, "I think whether you like it or not doesn't depend on the action itself, but on you, so it's hard not to like it, right?"

"That's your most satisfying display of glibness."

Is being glib and smooth-talking also divided into making people satisfied and not?
If you're satisfied, then you're just being glib; if you're not, then you're just being greasy.

She leaned in and gently kissed Tsukino Gen's lips, then let the boy finish washing the dishes.

Having done all this, it seems that the story has truly come to an end.

Mochizuki Miki, sitting on the sofa, looked at the boy and asked, "Are you really planning to go back?"

"Hmm. Otherwise, you really wouldn't stay, would you?"

"Nobody's saying you're being lazy, and besides, it's so late. I'm not willing to go back like this."

"Ok?"

"I'm worried about you."

"It's best not to say what you really think."

Gen Tsukino waved briefly and walked towards the door. "Alright, the next treatment will be in a week. Get some rest, goodnight."

"OK, good night."

Mochizuki Miki did not try to persuade her to stay any longer.

A smart woman should be able to tell whether a man truly wants to leave or is playing hard to get, and then formulate different strategies accordingly.

Gen Tsukino may seem gentle and mild-mannered at times, but once he's made up his mind, he won't easily change it, and persistent pleading won't work. The only explanation is probably that he feels the timing isn't right.

Or perhaps they feel that doing anything else without a definite result would be a guilty conscience.

There's really no need for that, since it's not really a reward.

That was something she had wanted to give him from the very beginning—everything she had.

They left Mochizuki Miki's house.

Of course, I still kept an eye on my movements. After all, it was this woman's house, and there were bound to be paparazzi watching at any time.

Gen Tsukino, whose senses are much sharper than the average person, didn't spot any paparazzi. However, he did notice a car that looked somewhat familiar.

Before he even got close, the other person rolled down their car window.

"Come here, I'll take you home."

Gen Tsukino stepped forward and looked at the gray-haired woman's calm and indifferent face.

Somewhat curious.

"Since when did the student council president become someone's driver? That's not a good idea."

"If you knew it was inappropriate, you shouldn't have come to your aunt's house alone without any preparation. It would be better if I walked you out. There's nothing wrong in the neighborhood, but there are a lot of paparazzi watching outside."

Gaining attention for something like this is certainly not what the boy wants.

He got into the passenger seat without any hesitation.

It's a bit outrageous that Shiramine Koyo was driving this car all by herself, without any driver or anything.

The current president of Baifeng is driving himself? I can't think of any other explanation besides being addicted to driving, or perhaps he doesn't want anyone to know about what happened tonight.

Apart from her and him in the car.

She drove out of the residential area, and as soon as she came out, Tsukino Gen noticed that many of the spots that weren't there when she came before had now been filled with camera positions.

They're pretty good at timing things.

I didn't see it when I came, but when I came out it was like a starry sky, with eyes and spies everywhere.

What kind of amazing people are these?
"There are quite a lot of people."

"So if you had just walked out like that, there would have been plenty of people who would have made far-fetched connections between you two."

"There are quite a few people in this neighborhood, is it appropriate to connect them like this?"

"They are paparazzi, people who only care about traffic, popularity, and attention. They don't care about the truth at all. As long as the things they report get attention, that's all that matters."

"So this is your reason for coming here specifically to pick me up and leave?"

Turning my head, I saw Tsukino Gen's face, which had a half-smile on it.

Every time she saw that look in his eyes, she felt a deep-seated disgust. Not for any other reason than that she realized her own powerlessness at that moment—powerless to control everything, and unable to see through his thoughts.

That vague threat still exists.

It seems like it will never disappear.

"Well, you could think of it that way."

That's how she answered.

Gen Tsukino looked out the car window at the night view.

"That doesn't seem right. If that's the case, you can just send any driver. There's no need for you to come in person. I don't think you really want to see me, so just say what you want to say."

A moment of silence.

Bai Feng Hongye asked in a low voice, "Are you treating your aunt's illness?"

"Yes." The boy didn't try to hide it.

"Are you sure?"

"Today is a good start, but you should know that nothing is 100% certain."

She lowered her eyes slightly and asked again.

"If you could cure your aunt, would you marry her?"

"will not."

They gave a more decisive answer than expected.

It was as simple as when I asked that woman back then.

She possessed a certain magnanimity, which this young man naturally perceived as shamelessness.

She couldn't help but let out a long sigh, and then said.

"I really don't understand you guys. One of you is willing to give everything, not caring about any title or outcome, just wanting a moment of pleasure. And the other is also excessively open and honest, as if maintaining countless ambiguous relationships is a matter of course."

"So are you accusing me? Or are you planning to warn me, or punish me?"

Tsukino Gendo asked.

However, the woman could not answer this question.

After all, there was nothing she could do for him.

Gen Tsukino looked ahead and then spoke.

"Put me down in front of you."

"Ah."

The car slowly came to a stop on the almost deserted side of the street. Tsukino Gen unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car without immediately closing the door.

Instead, he rested his arm on the car door and looked down at the woman inside.

"You don't understand much about relationships, and everyone is making sacrifices. You think that I, who saved her life and saved your Baifeng Club, don't deserve anything? But relationships aren't about being worthy or unworthy; it's about one thing."

"what?"

"Do you like it or not? Alright, it's a long night, drive carefully, I'm off."

At the end of the long street, his shadow was stretched infinitely long by the streetlights.

Long.

It's like a shadow from the past to the future.

Like mercury spilled onto the ground.

……

(End of this chapter)