I Am an Emperor in a World of Mixed Anime

"I've always been in the habit of considering the worst possible outcome, so that no matter how bad things get, it's still within my expectations and won't get any worse."

"Have you ever considered that one day I'll be able to support myself and then I won't be able to be with you anymore?"

"You haven't considered what would happen if someone who can easily offer a month's salary to hire a girl like you who currently offers no value other than herself didn't intend to accept your offer."

Akira Higashino calmly looked at the street on his way home and slowly said, "I actually have a very strong possessive streak."

"Because Kawasaki is a nice and cute girl who needs money, I approached you. If you hadn't agreed at the time, I wouldn't have bothered you. But since you agreed, the right to terminate our relationship is solely in my hands. You only have the right to terminate my relationship with you."

"I don't consider myself a man who falls in love with every girl he meets. I have my own standards and bottom line for choosing a partner. I won't force anyone, that would be too tasteless. At the same time, I don't like to give up on girls who are already mine easily."

After a long silence, Kawasaki Saki echoed the sentiment she had expressed when they first met, "You... you're always thinking only of yourself."

Toyokawa Shoko: "???"

Damn it, I was enjoying the gossip so much when I suddenly felt like I was being attacked by sarcasm!

"After all, that's just who I am."

Akira Higashino readily accepted Saki Kawasaki's assessment and nodded approvingly.

"I might not fall in love with you."

"I do not care."

“I mean…” Kawasaki Saki lowered her head and took a deep breath, clutching the candy he had casually given her earlier in her palm, “Anyway, I have no other choice, so I’ll try my best to like you.”

So it really was a dream.

How could this guy suddenly become like a normal person, with a drastic personality change, actively trying to please others, and casually making some incredible moves?

How annoying, I almost made her fall for me.

Thankfully, I've woken up from that dream.

Higashino Akira was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then remained silent for a while before hugging her a little tighter.

"Thank you."

Chapter Twenty: Teasing Kids is Really Fun

We walked slowly, side by side, gradually fading into the distance until dawn.

Akira Higashino and Saki Kawasaki parted ways at the tram station.

He intended to take her directly to his home, but when the girl heard that Higashino Akira had a younger sister at home, she absolutely refused to go and visit him so abruptly.

Therefore, Akira Higashino had no choice but to return alone.

It's been almost a month since I last stayed at Jianzi's place. I left her some living expenses before, but I haven't paid much attention to her since. I don't know how she's doing lately.

When I got close to home, I could see the house was brightly lit from some distance away. When I got to the door, I could faintly hear the television and the laughter of girls coming from inside.

Higashino Akira knocked on the door, stood at the door for a while and waited until the noise inside subsided before taking out his key, opening the door and going inside.

Two girls were sitting together on the sofa, looking very serious, their eyes fixed on the entrance.

Upon seeing that it was Higashino Akira who entered, the two of them breathed a long sigh of relief.

Happy Halloween, Higashino-san!

"Yes, you are happy too."

"Hehe, whether I'm happy or not doesn't depend on Higashino-nii's opinion!" Yurikawa Hana suddenly stood up, waving energetically at Higashino Akira, then suddenly gave him a sly grin and made a face at him, "Tsk tsk, trick or treat!"

The girl wasn't dressed in anything too outlandish; she was simply wearing a classic white ghost robe that looked like an old bed sheet. Her unusually good figure for her age stretched the bed sheet high. To be honest, it wasn't too scary, but rather a bit erotic.

Moreover, he's frighteningly outgoing and always appears full of energy.

Having not spent much time with Akira Higashino for a while, Miko Yotsuya seemed somewhat distant. She stood there staring intently at him, not daring to move, her legs even trembling slightly, giving the impression that she was vaguely afraid of him.

Oh well, anyway, from the beginning, Higashino Akira never intended to get too close to her.

At least she saves herself a lot of trouble and rarely bothers herself, which is pretty good.

His gaze returned to Yurikawa Hana, who was smiling at him with her hands clasped together in a bowl shape. Higashino Akira shook his head with a normal expression.

"Xiaohua, Halloween was already over last night, so you won't be able to get any candy this way."

"Hey... it's because Higashino-nii didn't come back early yesterday. If Higashino-nii had been with us yesterday, he would definitely have given us candy. Miko and I have been looking forward to it for so long, so even though Higashino-nii came back late, he can't renege on his promise!"

Yurikawa Hana unintentionally spoke up for her good friend with cheerful words, and even occasionally made cute little expressions to complain about her older brother, Higashino Akira.

After all, Jianzi is still a girl. Even if they aren't real siblings, since we've decided to take care of her, it would be too neglectful to just leave her living alone for so long without ever coming back to visit.

As a friend, she knew that aside from her initial worries, Jianzi got along quite well with her new brother. However, apart from the first few days, they had very few opportunities to meet and contact each other.

I suggested that Jianzi take the initiative to sweet-talk and contact Dongye-ge, but she was too shy.

Then I'll just have to spend more time with her whenever I have the chance, and try to subtly remind Higashino-san as well.

Honestly, I'm so good to Miko. What if she likes me too much?

The optimistic young girl was filled with worry.

"Okay, how about this? I'll teach you a little trick to get candy after Halloween, so you can go ask others for candy, how about that?"

Akira Higashino could sense Yurikawa Hana's little thoughts, but he didn't pay attention to them. After pondering for a moment, he offered his suggestion.

Upon hearing this, Yuri Kawana immediately nodded in agreement, "Okay, okay!"

"Okay, then give me some candy first, to use as a teaching aid."

Upon hearing this, Baihe Chuanhua immediately handed over a piece of candy.

Higashino Akira weighed it in his hand and shook his head. "Not enough, have another one."

Yurikawa Hana handed another candy to Higashino Akira and placed it in his palm, her eyes sparkling as she watched his next move.

Beside her, Miko Yotsuya seemed to have anticipated something, her expression somewhat subtle.

“Now, you start yelling ‘trick or treat!’”

"Oh, oh!" Yurikawa Hana nodded seriously to show that she understood, and shouted in agreement, "Trick or treat!"

"Here you go." Higashino Akira immediately placed a piece of candy in her hand.

"Eh—!?"

Seeing the extra candy in her palm, Yuri Kawana's eyes widened, and her mind went blank for a moment.

On the other side, Akira Higashino had already raised his hand and waved to Miko Yotsuya, signaling her to come forward, and then gestured to her with the other candy he had left in his hand.

Yotsuya Miko blushed immediately, hesitated for a long while, and then shyly whispered, "Trick or treat..."

Another candy was handed out, and Yotsuya Miko quickly caught it, holding it in her palm with a wandering gaze.

"Wait a minute!" Yurikawa Hana exclaimed in surprise, "Higashino-nii is so cunning! These are clearly our candies, how could he take our candies and give them to us!"

"That's how cunning you are, Corporal Yurikawa."

As soon as he finished speaking, Higashino Akira smiled as he looked at Yurikawa Hana, who was clinging to Miko's arm and muttering to her about the crimes of a certain older brother, occasionally turning her little face to glare at him resentfully with a pout.

It's so much fun to tease kids.

No wonder so many people like it.

Just then, Higashino Akira's phone rang. After glancing at the caller ID, he walked a little further away to answer the call.

"Your Majesty, something has happened to Master Kongming."

"Explain in detail."

"Last night, Mr. Kongming went out for a stroll with his classmates. Because of his famous appearance, he was surrounded by a large crowd who wanted to take photos with him. He was forced to separate from his classmates. Later, he was taken by passersby to a livehouse to watch a performance. When he finally came out, he was so drunk that he was incoherent and lay down in the alley outside the store."

"You didn't bring him back?"

"Just as our men, who had been secretly protecting him, were about to make their move, a female singer who had previously performed in the shop came out. Hearing Mr. Kongming praising her singing, she took pity on him and brought him home. The bodyguard hadn't yet obtained his official identity and was afraid that a sudden appearance would arouse suspicion and lead to questioning of his background. Seeing that Mr. Kongming, although drunk, still had some judgment and didn't actively refuse, we could only acquiesce to the situation and continue to observe and protect him secretly."

"I understand. After that, check that woman's identity and send me the results."

After hanging up the phone, Higashino Akira didn't have to wait long before the Imperial Guard sent over the intelligence that had been prepared in advance. Although it wasn't very detailed, it at least told people what the other party looked like, what their name was, and what they did.

However, as he scrolled through the images, looking at the blond-haired boy standing on the stage on his phone screen, Akira Higashino fell silent for a moment.

Tsukimi Eiko?

He has blond hair, his name contains both "moon" and "hero," and he even has a connection with Zhuge Liang.

Not really.

Chapter Twenty-One Planning

When Akira Higashino returned to the living room, the two girls, who had stayed up all night, were yawning and preparing to go to rest.

After saying goodnight to Higashino Akira, they went into the bedroom together.

Since it was a holiday and she had already told her family beforehand, Baihe Chuanhua wasn't in a hurry to go home.

Akira Higashino also took the opportunity to catch up on some sleep.

In the afternoon, there was a knock on the door. After getting ready, Higashino Akira opened the door and followed the person outside, heading towards Shimokitazawa.

They found Kongming in a live house called STARRY.

A month later, Kongming was now able to communicate fluently in Japanese, and had begun to study economics and local law. He was also quite proficient in internet applications.

Instead of getting down to business, Higashino Akira looked at the blond-haired girl rehearsing on stage and gave her a sharp look.

[Name: Tsukimi Eiko]

[Fortune: Purple]

It's almost certainly a female character from some anime.

She might even be from the same anime as Kongming, since the name sounds too similar to the name of Zhuge Kongming's wife in some folk tales.

Kongming, who possesses golden luck, should be the core protagonist of that anime.

Instead of the characters that Higashino Akira initially envisioned, which were drawn from purely ancient historical figures.

Indeed, one should know his extraordinary nature from his incredible learning progress. It's not so easy for a typical historical figure to learn a language in a month and also study other majors.

"You like her?"

Looking at Kongming, whose eyes occasionally revealed a hint of nostalgia, Higashino Akira asked.

“My lord has misunderstood me. I, Yu Yingzi, merely admire her singing and talent, and am grateful for her rescue yesterday that saved me from freezing to death.”