Tokyo: Starting with taking on his wife's debts

"Really? Then you're quite talented."

"Yes, yes... Oh no, you flatter me."

"If you pass the interview, your monthly salary will be the amount shown in your lunchbox, how about that?"

"So many?" Sophia was initially delighted, then her heart tightened, and she subconsciously swallowed. "You don't mean...?"

"What kind of look is that? You're so rude!" Xiuming shouted. "Who do you take me for?"

“You’re married now…” Sofia’s nose tingled with sadness.

When she woke up in her room, the hotel staff told her that Xiuming secretly liked her and had specially worn her white coat to the nightclub to find her.

She thought she had met her Prince Charming, but his driver told her that he had a wife.

"Do you believe everything others say? Are you always so trusting of others?"

Before she could finish speaking, Xiuming immediately shouted.

She really couldn't accept this.

But she really needs help in her situation. If we were just strangers, we would never bother with her.

I started dating her to help her.

Xiuming has a clear understanding of his own character; he will never become a selfless and philanthropic person in this life, after all, his own ideology has been swept up by the tide of the times.

In such a society, if you want to be a great philanthropist, you will always be questioned, ostracized, suspected, envied, and obstructed by a few individuals... They won't stop until you become like them.

Xiuming couldn't stand this attitude and felt he couldn't possibly handle it...

Sofia looked dazed.

Xiuming continued to lie through his teeth: "When others handed you beer before, you drank it without even looking at it. If you hadn't met me, you wouldn't know what happened."

"Your driver also said that you have a girlfriend..." Sophia's mind was a little dazed, her heart was pounding. Xiuming's confident manner made her subconsciously believe him and think that the driver was lying.

Xiuming noticed her hesitation and immediately said loudly, "Does this kind of question even need explaining? Do you believe him but not me?"

"So, you're not married and don't have many girlfriends, is that right?" Sophia's eyes lit up with anticipation. She clutched her clothes tightly, stared intently at Xiuming, and asked in a trembling voice.

"You're so boring, I don't want to answer any of your questions," Xiuming said loudly, turning and walking away. "You're so disappointing, you know that? I'm so sad!!"

"I..." Sophia was both happy and nervous, and froze on the spot, watching as Xiuming walked into the darkness with the lunchbox.

"What are you standing there for? Come here right now."

“Okay.” Sophia’s heart skipped a beat. She swallowed hard, suppressing her excitement, and quickly caught up with Xiuming.

The streetlights in the alley are about ten meters apart, with a dark section in the middle. Under the streetlights in the distance is the small door of the apartment where Sofia rents.

Xiuming walked slowly and didn't say a word. Sophia easily kept up with Xiuming's slow pace and walked alongside him, their hands occasionally touching.

Sophia's heart pounded as she recalled the waitress's earlier speculations about Xiuming liking her, and she dared not breathe.

"If you touch the back of my hand again, I'll grab it... Ha~ you touched me."

Before Sophia could react, Xiuming grabbed her left hand. She instinctively took a breath, her blood rushing to her head, making her feel dizzy.

"Your hands are so soft and smooth, why are they so sweaty?" Xiuming pried open her fingers, intertwined them, shook them a couple of times, and then said, "Just now at the elevator, I saw the beautiful dress you were wearing underneath, but you ran too fast and I didn't get a good look. Can I unbutton the top button of your collar now and take a look inside?"

What is he saying?

This is such an embarrassing question, it's really hard to answer... Is this what dating is all about? Are all couples like this?

Sofia turned her head away and whispered, "Whatever you want to do, just don't ask me... Uh? Didn't we say we'd only unbutton the first button?"

"Sorry, my hand slipped. It's okay, there's no one else in the alley." Xiuming replied indistinctly as he walked towards the streetlight.

It was pitch black for about ten meters...

"Didn't you say you were just going to look?" Sophia couldn't help but close her eyes tightly in embarrassment.

"It was pitch black, so we had to get close to see it."

It took more than ten minutes to walk through the narrow alley, which was only a dozen meters long.

When they stood at the gate under the streetlights, Xiuming put Sophia on the ground.

Sofia's white coat was buttoned up neatly. Her face was slightly flushed, her lips were a little swollen, she was holding a lunchbox in her left hand, her right elbow was resting on the wooden lamppost by the door, she was panting with her right hand on her chest, and her eyes were about to well up with tears.

So this is what couples are like? Wow...that's amazing...so crazy, Xiuming is so naughty...

Just as Xiuming was about to push open the door, his mobile phone suddenly rang.

It turned out to be the landline number for apartment 403. I pressed the answer button, and it was Chieko calling.

"Um, Hideaki-kun, Riko-chan asked me to ask if you're coming back tonight?"

Chieko spoke haltingly, with a hint of shyness. In the receiver, one could faintly hear Funakawa Yoshiko and Shiraishi Hitomi talking, though the words were unclear. Their tone was sharp, as if they were arguing.

Hideaki figured she'd definitely be going home tonight; Sophia's mother shared an apartment with her. However, he was quite curious about the phone number. It was Yoshioka Ken who gave her the cell phone; besides Ezaki, Yoshioka Ken, and Daisuke, probably no one else knew about it, right?

"How did you know this number?" Xiuming asked.

Knowing Keiko's little secret, Hideaki understood. Even if he went back tonight, he wouldn't tell them, giving them a surprise.

"It was President Ezaki who said it, he told Riko-chan, that if there's any emergency, she can call this number." Chieko paused, then continued, "She also said, um, you have a new foreign girlfriend, you know... are you coming back tonight? I'm asking on Riko-chan's behalf, don't overthink it."

“You mean my girlfriend? She looks like a foreigner, but she’s actually a local. She’s from Okinawa and she’s very cute,” Hideaki said loudly to get Sophia’s attention, then added, “Where’s Riko? Let her answer the phone.”

Sofia, standing next to the lamppost, was still panting, clutching her chest, her eyes filled with a dazed and wistful look, seemingly unconcerned about who Xiuming was talking to on the phone.

After Xiuming called her name, she immediately turned her head, her eyes showing a hint of surprise and nervousness.

Hideaki would definitely not hide this from Riko.

His deliberate avoidance of Sophia's question about whether he was married made him feel quite guilty towards his ex-wife, Riko.

After all, Riko is so considerate and gentle. As a good family man, no matter what the situation, he can't forget his obedient and considerate wife at home.

Sofia couldn't accept this, but she really needed help, otherwise she would have to make adult videos to survive.

The house she lives in now is too dilapidated, and these dark alleys are not safe. She needs to move. If she moves, she will definitely meet with Riko and the others.

Let me greet Riko first.

"Okay..." Chieko agreed with a pitiful expression. A moment later, Riko's soft, gentle voice came through the receiver, "Honey? What's up..."

"Riko-chan, have you eaten?"

"We've already eaten. We ate at home with Chieko-chan, Misako-chan, Hitomi-chan, and Funakawa-san."

The food made by Misako.

"Does calling Funakawa Yoshiko that mean you two don't get along well?" It probably isn't much better, considering you two got into a fight.

"No, no... well, well, we had a fight." Riko's voice was almost inaudible with guilt as she finished speaking.

My relationship with Funakawa Yoshiko is neither good nor bad. I don't want to hang out with her, but she insists on staying at my house, and I feel bad about kicking her out.

As for the fight, she really wanted to lie, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. After telling the truth, she felt uneasy, worried that Hideaki would hate her, and also worried that Hideaki would cause Funakawa Yoshiko to be abandoned because of this, since that would be too pitiful for her.

"You even got into a fight? Did you get hurt?"

"No, no, it was just for fun, just for fun. um...it was the four of us who beat her up. I'm sorry, honey, I was wrong, I'll never bully her again..."

"Uh... okay, it's fine, just playing around, I don't mind," Hideaki guessed that Riko would definitely be fine, after all, she already had a group of girls. "Oh right, let's talk about my girlfriend Sophia! She doesn't know you guys yet, why don't you call her and get to know her?"

Chapter 190 My Cat Can Flip Over

"She doesn't know us yet?" Riko was taken aback. "Then how should I tell her..."

Before Riko could finish speaking, Hideaki had already handed the cell phone to Sophia and said loudly, "Sophia, come here, my family wants to make a phone call to you."

"Family?" Sofia nearly jumped up, pleading and waving her hands frantically as she whispered, "It's too sudden, I... I'm not prepared at all..."

"It's okay, Riko-chan is very nice, just say whatever you want." Hideaki said, shoving the cell phone into Sophia's hands.

Riko, on the other end of the line, breathed a sigh of relief. She had already given Ezaki his phone number when he called to give her his, so she was somewhat prepared. However, Ezaki's tone had a sarcastic, critical feel to it, as if he was indirectly criticizing her, saying that out of all the women in her family, none of them could control her husband.

But would I dare to get involved in something like this?

Our household registration transcripts are fake; we don't even know my husband's real name. Although I'm happy that he keeps assuring me that he won't abandon me or give up on me, what if it's all just a dream?

Xiuming has only mentioned his new girlfriend's name, without saying anything about her personality, and his sudden phone conversation has left her feeling extremely confused.

How should I put it?

If I cause Miss Sophia to break up with her husband because of me being his wife, wouldn't I become a jealous wife? That would cause trouble for my husband, and he'd dislike me...

"Hello, this is Sophia. May I ask if you are Ms. Riko?" Sophia's fingers gripped the phone so tightly they turned white.

I don't know if the family member Hideaki was referring to was his older sister or his younger sister... It should be his younger sister, right? After all, he called her Riko-chan.

The way she spoke to me was so kind; we must be very close family.

I'm so bad at talking, I'm stuttering... Will she hate me? Will she disapprove of our relationship? Will she stop us from getting married? Will she not let me have a baby?

"Hello, I, I, I am Riko. Um, please take care of me from now on."

"Yes, and I would also appreciate your guidance."

Neither of them spoke.

"Did Riko hang up the phone?" Hideaki asked.

Sofia's face turned bright red as she shook her head, clutching her cell phone, her eyes pleading for help.

On the other end of the phone, Riko's bare toes were also scratching at the wooden floor.

"Since we have nothing to talk about," Hideaki said, taking the phone. "Riko-chan, shall we hang up now?"

"Honey, I'm sorry, I don't know what to say."

Riko was filled with grievances and felt so tired. If she hadn't been worried about being impolite, she would have shoved the phone into Chieko's hand.

"That's great, that's great, you're all awesome, bye." At this moment, Xiuming was thinking that he and Sophia seemed to be really destined for each other, even Riko was helping them, they would become good sisters.

Sophie, now seated on the ground, looked up nervously and said, "I'm sorry, I really don't know what to say. Does Riko dislike me?"

“She said you’re shy, just like her,” Xiuming put away his cell phone, helped Sophia up, and continued, “She likes you so much.”

"As long as you don't hate me..." Sofia patted her chest and breathed a long sigh of relief, but couldn't help complaining, "How could you introduce me to your family so suddenly! My heart was about to explode just now."

"Everything's fine, Riko-chan is doing great."