My life in the underworld begins at the Takayanagi family!

In the past, Kiyoura Setsuna and Saionji Odori didn't care much about their daughter's life at school, as their focus was on their careers.

However, after everyone sat down and had a proper talk, they discovered something unusual about Katsura Manami's situation and also understood why Takayanagi Ichiro became Katsura Manami's man.

"I would never deny that."

Actually, Takayanagi Ichiro's initial interaction with this family stemmed from a takeout order one evening, a fact that Katsura Manami didn't need to mention.

"I am sincerely inviting you to join my small team because I believe that Mr. Takayanagi might be able to bring about a series of changes to your careers."

You can take your time to think about it. Anyway, I won't be able to meet with Mr. Takayanagi for a while.

And the reason you know about my relationship with Mr. Takayanagi must be because you learned it from your daughter, right?

"If Mr. Takayanagi and your daughter have some kind of relationship by then, it wouldn't be appropriate for you to intervene."

"Your mouth is as sharp as ever, but this matter concerns our future lives, so we need to think it over carefully. I won't give you a quick response."

"Manami, is Mr. Takayanagi really that strong?"

Kiyoura Setsuna's attitude was that she wanted to have a proper talk and wouldn't give a response immediately.

However, Saionji Eiko asked a completely unrelated question, which earned her a disdainful look from Kiyoura Setsuna.

"Of course, anyway, when I fought against Mr. Takayanagi, I was no match for him at all, and I could only let him do whatever he wanted."

Katsura Manami said this with a silent expression, which surprised both Kiyoura Setsuna and Saionji Odori.

It should be noted that Katsura Manami, who is young, is a gifted person. It is unexpected that her fighting strength is so weak in front of Takayanagi Ichiro.

Ignoring the gazes of Kiyoura Setsuna and Saionji Odori, Katsura Manami reached out and pinched her cheek, which was very bouncy.

"And this is also the change that Mr. Takayanagi brought to me."

Chapter 397 Fighting for the Status of a Concubine

Katsura Manami pinching her own cheeks puzzled Saionji Yoko, who wondered why Katsura Manami would suddenly do such a thing.

But Kiyoura Mai suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of a certain possibility. Pointing at Katsura Manami, she asked in surprise:

“Manami, you’re not trying to tell us that the reason you’re in this state isn’t because you take good care of yourself, are you?”

"This situation didn't arise because your shop has developed further; it's because of Mr. Takayanagi."

After hearing Kiyoura Mai's words, Saionji Odori also realized what was going on, and then looked at Katsura Manami with a surprised expression, hoping that Katsura Manami could answer the question directly.

You should know that they were shocked when they met Katsura Manami at the control panel.

Although the cooking fumes on the work surface slightly obscured Katsura Manami's mental state, she was at least four or five years younger than the others.

I initially thought that this change in her mental state was because the shop had achieved a second wave of development, which made Katsura Manami feel gratified. However, it now seems that there may be other reasons.

After being asked this question by Kiyoura Mai, Katsura Manami smiled and gave an affirmative answer.

"Yes, actually my condition was similar to yours before, and I couldn't win much at all."

However, since I started communicating with Mr. Takayanagi, my personal condition has been improving rapidly.

The person you see here isn't in their best condition yet, since I haven't been able to communicate with Mr. Takayanagi for a while, and my condition has deteriorated somewhat.

"If I could spend more time with Mr. Takayanagi, I might even look ten years younger."

"What? How is this possible?"

At this moment, Saionji Odori and Kiyoura Mai covered their mouths with their hands, clearly not believing Katsura Manami's explanation.

"I know you won't believe what I'm saying, but I've seen people like that with my own eyes, right here in Mr. Takayanagi's office."

That woman also has a high school daughter who is a little older than us.

However, she looked much younger than me, which was because she had been with Mr. Takayanagi for a long time.

Because I owed Mr. Takayanagi money, I prioritized repaying some of my debts, which led to my communication with him and improved my overall condition considerably.

However, because I have to run this fried chicken shop, I can't stay by Mr. Takayanagi's side, so I can't keep improving my mental state.

The reason I'm telling you this is because we used to be good friends.

Although there is some competition now, I still hope to form an alliance with you so that we can get more attention from Mr. Takayanagi.

Of course, I'm not doing this to compete for favor with the others around Mr. Takayanagi; it's just a necessary tactic, and the choice is still yours.

After hearing what Katsura Manami said, Saionji Odori and Kiyoura Mai were silent for a moment, and they did not agree immediately.

Despite being quite shocked, communicating with Ichiro Takayanagi will lead to an improvement and change in one's state of mind.

“Manami, Mr. Takayanagi once helped my daughter see the true colors of a boy and even expelled him from school. Would you consider treating Mr. Takayanagi to a meal to express my gratitude?”

At this moment, Saionji Yoko suddenly asked such a question. She did not directly invite Takayanagi Ichiro, but wanted to make some inferences through Katsura Manami, since Katsura Manami and Takayanagi Ichiro had communicated before.

"If it's just about eating, there's no problem. But if you want to give yourselves away for nothing, you'd better find a more suitable time."

Katsura Manami knows Saionji Odori quite well, so since the other party asked such a question, she must have already made a choice in her heart.

"What are you talking about? I'm quite popular, why would I do something like giving myself away for nothing?"

Saionji Yoko's plan was directly exposed by Katsura Manami, which annoyed her. Why was Katsura Manami so clever at this moment?

Kiyoura Mai didn't speak, because she could sense that her daughter disliked Takayanagi Ichiro somewhat.

After all, she's a high school girl, and to be called an elementary school student like that would make anyone a little angry, right?

"I think you should let your daughter go and invite her herself. If you suddenly ask her, people will definitely think you have ulterior motives."

"I see."

At this moment, Saionji Yoko nodded. She knew that Katsura Manami would never set any traps for her in this matter.

Just then, Saionji Odori and Kiyoura Mai felt the gazes of Oki Haruka and Oki Suzuka, making them slightly uneasy. Did they think that the two of them were threatening Katsura Manami?

"Alright, we've learned what we needed to know today. If we don't leave now, we might be mistaken for bad guys."

Once you're on the bad guys list, it'll be impossible for anything to happen to you.

Katsura Manami knew that Saionji Odori was referring to Ōki Haruka and Ōki Suzuka, but she didn't intend to speak up for them.

“Ooki Haruka and Ooki Suzuka are like family to me. Even if we form an alliance in the future, their relationship will still be deeper than yours.”

"I understand what you mean. From now on, you will be the representatives of the concubines in this household, and we will be the maids."

But some things are uncertain. If the two of us join forces and take away your status as a concubine, then you'll have to listen to us.

Hearing that Saionji Odori was trying to go against Katsura Manami, Kiyoura Mai quickly pulled her away, thinking there was no need to waste a few cents at this moment.

"If you can take it by force, then take it. I won't mind."

To the bewilderment of Saionji Odori and Kiyoura Mai, Katsura Manami showed no intention of considering the matter further.

"Okay, we'll try to compete. If we can't, then we'll admit defeat."

After saying that, Saionji Odori pulled Kiyoura Mai's double away.

Suzuka Ooki and Haruka Ooki arrived at Katsura Manami's side around the same time, asking with concern whether Odori Saionji and Mai Kiyoura had come to cause trouble.

Sensing the care the two showed her, Katsura Manami didn't hide their relationship and slowly explained it to Oki Haruka and Oki Suzuka.

Chapter 398 The Responsibility Kotoha Couldn't Handle

After listening to Katsura Manami's explanation, Oki Haruka and Oki Suzuka nodded. They now knew the identities of the two women from earlier and would have a better understanding of how to handle them if they encountered them again.

Moreover, Katsura Manami didn't hide anything from them; she wanted to contact those two women and bring them into her own small group.

Furthermore, it was mentioned that the two women's daughters also attend the same school, so Haruka Oki could get on good terms with their daughters first.

"Why isn't Kotoha doing it?"

Katsura Kotonoha is Katsura Manami's daughter, so these things should be done by Katsura Kotonoha, because doing so would win her some popularity.

"Oh my god, Suzuka Ooki's question!" Manami Katsura shook her head, a little disappointed, and said:

"It's fine as long as Kotoha is normal at home. I never even imagined her going out and socializing."

But Suzuka is different. When she worked part-time here, she showed a different kind of skill that Kotoha couldn't match.

So letting her teach their daughter is a good thing for us.

Regardless of the final outcome, having one or two more friends at school is always a good thing.

Katsura Manami understands her eldest daughter quite well; she's already doing a great job taking care of the family and her younger sister.

It's unrealistic to expect her to go out and engage in friendly social interactions.

In this respect, Haruka Oki has a unique talent, and the next generation may well follow in her footsteps.

After Katsura Manami said those words, Oki Suzuka was a little happy, but she also sternly reminded her daughter.

"Rinka, you can do what Aunt Manami asked you to do, but you can't do anything to be proud of in the future."

You should know that the reason we are able to live peacefully here is because your beloved Auntie has put in a lot of effort.

Life here is different from life at home. Although they have to work every day, Haruka and Suzuka are very happy.

That's why Suzuka Ooki reminded her daughter not to be arrogant and reckless, and to stay true to her place.

Although Katsura Kotonoha and Takayanagi Ichiro didn't have any real relationship, it was precisely this kind of interaction that made Ooki Suzuka a little envious.

Even if Haruka Oki befriends the daughters of those two women, she certainly can't replace Kotonoha Katsura in Ichiro Takayanagi's heart, so there's no need for her to do anything out of line.

"Mom, I treat Kotoha and Kokoro like my own little sisters. How could I do anything to betray them? Please don't worry about it."

After being reminded by her mother, Haruka Oki immediately made such a promise.

She is indeed a little older than Katsura Kotonoha and Katsura Kokoro, so it's necessary for her to be a helpful older sister and do more things.

Moreover, she wanted to learn more about Takayanagi Ichiro, and learning from Katsura Kotonoha alone wasn't enough.

You could try contacting the daughters of those two women; they definitely have some kind of interaction with Takayanagi Ichiro.

"Chunxiang, don't be too strict with Lingxia. He's someone I think highly of."

"When we get old, this shop will definitely be inherited by her; my two daughters don't have that ability."