Tokyo: Starting with taking on his wife's debts

Ayako Sora's gaze twitched as she stared at the elevator door. She glanced sideways at Umezu Midori, then looked back without saying a word.

“Go home now, and I guarantee that the moment you get home, Hideaki-kun will be right behind you.” Umezu Midori was secretly delighted and continued, “If it’s not what I said, you can hit me, even kill me.”

If Ayako were to process her terrible condition on her own, it would probably take her two or three days to recover, so there's no need for her to pretend.

However, deceiving Xiuming like this feels like playing with fire. I'll just use it this once, and I can't tell anyone, lest it be abused and something unexpected happens… I really want to get along with Ayako and ask her where she got her clothes custom-made. I have a feeling she made them herself, since she has a workbench in her bedroom. If our relationship is too strained, she definitely won't make me any pretty clothes…

Ayako's eyes twitched again.

It was only then that she remembered that Hideaki was with Riko, Chieko, and Sophia.

Aya didn't want to see Sophia anymore; Sophia's mother felt like a heavy stone weighing on Aya's heart.

Umezu Midori's suggestion was quite appealing to her, but she was feeling so upset that she didn't feel like speaking. She felt that if she opened her mouth, she would burst into tears of grievance. Never before had she felt such an urgent need to find Hideaki.

"Hurry up and go home to wait!"

Seeing that Ayako's eyes were starting to tear up again, Midori Umezu quickly helped her up and dragged her to the elevator. When the elevator doors opened, she pulled her inside and pressed the button for the first floor. She wanted to go to the nurses' station to make a call, but she was worried about Ayako's wooden-like state, so she had to go down to the first floor with her.

It was already getting dark outside, around seven o'clock. Although it would only take ten minutes to walk to Ayako's house, I was even more afraid to let her go back alone in this state. Just as I was about to look for a taxi, I spotted Shiraishi Ichiro's Toyota Crown in the parking lot, with Shiraishi Ichiro sitting in the driver's seat eating a boxed lunch.

The first time I went to Ayako's house, it was Ichiro Shiraishi who drove her and Hideaki there.

Umezu's green eyes lit up; now he could rest assured.

He immediately grabbed Ayako and ran over, opened the back door of the car, and shoved her inside. Ignoring the displeased Shiraishi Ichiro, he gave him a brief instruction and ran straight back to the inpatient ward building, turning back as he ran to say, "Ayako-chan, I'm calling Hideaki-kun. It'll only take five or six minutes... Wait for me at home. Trust me, you have to trust me..."

Ichiro Shiraishi naturally recognized Ayako. When he was driving a taxi, Hideaki carried Ayako, who had an injured ankle, and they rode in his taxi home.

Back then, Ayako was like a vixen, flirting with Hideaki. Her "distraught" appearance today surprised Shiraishi Ichiro quite a bit. He swallowed the "refusal to take him" words that were on the tip of his tongue and reluctantly started the car.

Meijin Midori ran back to the nurses' station, mustered her anxiety, and immediately dialed Xiuming's number.

After the call was answered, before Hideaki could speak, she quickly said, "Hideaki-kun, something terrible has happened! I didn't expect Ayako-chan to be so fragile. Auntie was just joking with her, and she..."

Umezu Midori recounted the events that occurred after Ayako entered the ward, especially the scene where Ayako collapsed on the floor, crying uncontrollably.

There was no need to hide anything. Sophia's mother's purpose from beginning to end was simply to prevent Sophia from being bullied. She had no intention of driving anyone away; she just used a little moral blackmail tactic.

Midori Umezu briefly recounted what had happened, and then said in a tearful voice, "I've never seen her so upset before. I have a feeling something bad has happened. I wonder if she's thinking of doing something drastic..."

"Where did she go?"

Xiuming instinctively stood up while holding the mobile phone.

It's only been forty minutes since Midori Umezu last called. I've finished my leisurely meal and was thinking of taking a walk in the garden outside the restaurant to prolong the time.

Sophia's mother's tactic of moral blackmail might not work on Ezaki, but it was a devastating blow to Ayako, who was pretending to be tough. She wasn't afraid of hard tactics, but she was most afraid of soft ones.

"She said she wanted to go home to visit... I don't know if she just wants to go home for a quick visit or what... Should I call the police? I'm really worried about her... Should I go back to check on her?"

Upon hearing Hideaki's tone, Umezu Midori knew that things were mostly settled, and continued to embellish the story.

Although it feels like I'm deceiving Xiuming, if you look at it in a positive light, this is actually strengthening our sisterly relationship, and Xiuming will probably understand.

But it definitely can't be used carelessly, otherwise he might not believe it and cause a serious mistake, and then it would be too late to regret it. Actually, Ayako's current state really does seem like... Hideaki really needs to go over there.

"Alright, let's hang up. I'll go back and check."

Xiuming put away his mobile phone, pulled out a chair, and walked out of the private room.

Riko, Chieko, and Sophia all stared at him with wide eyes.

Xiuming opened the door to the private room and said, "It seems like something happened to Ayako. You guys go back to your wards, I'll go back and check on her."

Riko paused for a moment, then nodded obediently.

Chieko's heart tightened, and she blurted out, "She's back?"

"Just got back today..."

Xiuming didn't say much and went straight out.

Sophia's voice came from the private room behind them: "Who is Ayako...?"

Ichiro Shiraishi drove Ayako home. Ayako still seemed listless. She got out of the car and went into the courtyard.

Ichiro Shiraishi frowned, feeling a sense of impending suicide... Shouldn't he call Hideaki right now?

However, remembering that Midori had already called Hideaki, she calmed down for the time being, but still parked the car at the iron gate.

Thinking to myself, it only takes four or five minutes to run from the hospital to here, so I'll wait another five minutes.

If Xiuming doesn't come back, it would be better to go and check on him to put my mind at ease. After all, that child is about the same age as my daughter and is also my daughter's rival in love. If he dies like this, I would feel a sense of selfishness, like I'm doing this for my daughter's benefit and not helping him. It would be quite a dilemma.

Just as Ichiro Shiraishi was secretly annoyed by his "good-for-nothing daughter's" "shamelessness," he spotted Hideaki running towards him from afar.

Shiraishi Ichiro immediately shouted, "Go inside and check! Your woman is trying to commit suicide!"

Chapter 203 My Turn...

Xiuming's expression changed, and without saying a word, he climbed over the gate and jumped into the courtyard.

.

Ayako opened the door, walked into the entryway, and sat on the sofa in the living room without changing into slippers or taking off her coat, still wearing her high heels.

She is in a terrible mood right now, having been morally blackmailed by a seriously ill patient.

After a moment's thought, she understood Sophia's mother's purpose: to first make a request that she herself could not fulfill, and then, after being rejected, to make a request that could be easily fulfilled.

But she couldn't do either of those things.

How could she possibly take care of a woman who stole her man?

But the more he thought about it, the image of Sophia's mother grabbing his hand and crying kept popping into his mind.

Her illness wasn't fake. Although she said it as a joke earlier, there was some truth to it... At least she was worried about Sophia... But it seems her mother really doesn't have much longer to live...

The more Ayako struggled with her feelings, the more aggrieved she felt. Her nose stung, and she let the tears stream down her face.

I wonder if that annoying Umezu Midori's phone call will even work. I feel so upset and wronged...

The access control beeped softly.

Xiuming stepped through the doorway. The living room lights were off, but the yellowish sunlight from the west window shone through the floor, making the entire living room dim.

Ayako was leaning against the armrest of the sofa diagonally opposite the door.

She stared blankly at the doorway, motionless, her eyes wide open, tears streaming down her face, the tear tracks reflecting the glow of the setting sun outside the window.

Hideaki didn't even have time to change his slippers. He took two steps over, and before he could say anything, Ayako suddenly threw herself into his arms and burst into tears: "Hideaki-kun, I missed you so much..."

Xiuming was knocked onto the sofa armrest by her, and she hugged his waist tightly. She knelt on the floor, pressed her face against Xiuming's stomach, and sobbed.

For some people who are so irrational that they want to take extreme measures, the greatest sorrow is the repression of a broken heart. What is most frightening is that they remain silent and motionless, engaging in a mental breakdown and exhaustion. In a metaphysical explanation, it is like the spirit cannot bear the constraints of the body, desperately wanting to break free, and then destroying the body itself.

At this moment, Ayako was crying so hard she could barely breathe, as if she wanted to cry her lungs out, but it also relieved Hideaki.

Once you release the suppressed and draining emotions, there shouldn't be any major problems.

Sophia's mother's special circumstances, making such a request to Ayako and causing her to break down, also proves her kindness. Often, the kinder a person is, the more easily they fall into mental exhaustion.

However, she should also be criticized. Even though she was manipulated and held hostage by her kindness, there was no need for her to fight to the point of almost committing suicide.

If Funakawa Yoshiko were forced to do something she couldn't accept, she probably wouldn't care whether Sophia's mother had just had surgery or not. She might not flip her bed on the spot, but she would definitely instruct Yagami Katsumi to do something underhanded.

I couldn't help but think of Ezaki, who definitely wouldn't be able to be controlled... Speaking of which, she's been acting all mysterious. I should find an opportunity to keep an eye on her again; I have a feeling she's about to pull something big.

In the few minutes that Hideaki was lost in thought, Ayako had stopped crying. She hugged Hideaki's waist, nuzzled her head against his chest, and looked up to ask, "What did Midori Umezu tell you? Why did you come back so quickly?"

With a dark expression, Xiuming moved the sofa armrest off the sofa, sat down, then picked Ayako up and placed her on his lap. He then held the back of her head so that her face was facing him, and said irritably, "She said you were going to commit suicide."

“Why wouldn’t I…” Ayako’s bewildered eyes twitched, then she wrapped her arms around Hideaki’s neck, pressed her head against Hideaki’s chest and nodded, “Yes, yes… I was a little confused just now, but I feel much better now.”

Although I was in a terrible mood, all I wanted to do was see Xiuming. I never thought about suicide; that would be stupid!

So this is the method Midori Umezu used?

Ayako gave a sly smile, her eyes darting around.

Xiuming's heart sank. He grabbed her ear, pulled her head close to his chest, and said with a stern face, "You're not thinking of anything funny, are you?"

"What kind of crazy ideas could I possibly have?" Ayako widened her eyes, shook her head, then pressed her head against Hideaki's chest and continued, "The thought that Hideaki-kun cares about me so much, even ignoring Riko, makes me so happy I want to laugh..."

She never hid her envy, jealousy, and hostility towards Riko.

Hideaki patted Ayako's soft shoulder and casually said, "After all, this is a matter of life and death, so we can't take it lightly. I hate people who joke about things like this. Midori-chan cares about you so much, you should thank her properly. Did you hear her call me?"

Xiuming was quite worried that someone might joke about this with him, since overflowing emotions are inherently inappropriate and would definitely hurt someone's feelings.

When it comes to matters of life and death, especially for someone like me with complicated emotional relationships, I really can't doubt the truth. Once it comes up, I have to act immediately.

"She stole my husband, and I'm thanking her?" Ayako laughed.

Hideaki's roundabout way of speaking makes it seem like he thinks I'd lie for Umezu Midori... Ayako sat up slightly, wrapped her arms around Hideaki's neck, and brought her smiling face close to his, continuing, "She told me herself that she has a way to make you come back to me. So she used the joke you hate the most. Well, hurry up and get rid of her! I can't wait."

Facing the healthy and well-behaved Midori Umezu, Ayako felt no pressure to stab her in the back. Besides, she had been wronged at the hospital by Midori Umezu, so who else would she stab if not her?

Today's situation is unusual for Hideaki, and Midori Umezu's concerns are reasonable.

After all, even the neutral Shiraishi Ichiro thought so. Besides, he was also startled by her dejected appearance when he first entered the room.

Xiuming then noticed that Ayako's outfit really accentuated her figure, so he immediately had her sit facing him on his lap.

"Ayako-chan, it's been a week, and I feel like your chest... has gotten a little bigger?" Hideaki changed the subject, placing his hands on her shoulders and gently shaking her, causing the hem of her black trench coat to sway from side to side.

Ayako paused, blinked, and when she looked up again, her cheeks were slightly flushed. She glanced at Hideaki and whispered, "No... I think it's normal."

“I don’t believe you. I suspect you’re inflated with air…” Xiuming said seriously, pointing to the buttons on her black trench coat at the collar. “Unbutton them and let me see.”

"What's so interesting..." Ayako slightly turned her shoulder, puffed out her chest a little, smiled, and her pink lips pursed, her eyes glistening with tears. "I'm tired of seeing it all..."

This was Ayako's favorite part. Hideaki's fascination with her figure made her regain confidence in her own charm. After all, it was a two-way street, and she was so happy she almost flew away.

Of course, we can't let him get his way so easily. We need to learn to be charming and coax him into saying nice things...

“If I said that to Riko, she would obediently unbutton her clothes. You are far inferior to Riko.”

"You brought up Riko again!" Ayako's smiling eyebrows shot up, and she quickly unbuttoned her trench coat, revealing a dark blue deep-V vest underneath. Then she opened the coat wide and shoved it over Hideaki's head, saying angrily, "I'm suffocating... Oh dear, this is my only outfit, don't wrinkle it..."

"Just iron it and it'll be fine..." Xiuming mumbled, "It wasn't torn..."

"What are you doing...?"

Ayako's black trench coat was still on the floor.