Tokyo: Starting with taking on his wife's debts

"Let me check if our child will have enough to eat in the future..."

The dark green vest made of woolen material also fell to the floor, followed by Aya's high-waisted, dark blue tight-fitting trousers.

"Not here...you shameless bastard..."

Ayako's heart pounded wildly. She subconsciously tilted her head to look at the door. Although the door was closed, Midori Umezu had an access card... It didn't matter if she shouted through the door, but if she was seen at a glance, she would definitely not be able to stand it.

"What's there to be afraid of in your own home?"

Despite saying that, Xiuming picked up Ayako and had her wrap her legs around his waist as they walked upstairs to the bedroom. The sofa was too small to fit two people.

Once inside the bedroom, Ayako was gently placed on the white mattress by Hideaki.

Before Ayako could even catch her breath, a jolt of electricity coursing through her body, she saw Hideaki's head moving towards her abdomen. Her heart skipped a beat again, a mix of shame and anxiety rushing to her head. She was afraid of being disliked, and she was also afraid of upsetting him...

She subconsciously pushed Xiuming's head and stammered, "Stop practicing those dumpling ears, okay... it's so embarrassing..."

"With such a great figure and such charm..." Xiuming mumbled, "it would be a waste not to practice..."

As a couple who are deeply in love and in the midst of a passionate relationship, there is absolutely no need to worry about being disliked by anyone.

Ayako suffered severe mental anguish in the hospital. Although she never considered suicide, the mental stagnation caused by internal conflict must have accumulated a lot. She should release her suppressed emotions as soon as possible to avoid affecting her physical and mental health.

Ayako's skin was delicate, white, and smooth all over.

Those TV commercials selling hair removal creams, where female celebrities raise their arms, apply the cream to their armpits, and after a while, the armpit hair falls out... Ayako doesn't need any of that at all. Her armpit skin is smooth and pink, and she naturally doesn't need hair removal cream.

Previous experiences have shown that Ayako can accept it.

It was simply a subconscious rejection stemming from their own modesty and shame.

Afterwards, she would become as docile as a little lamb, and all her irritability would disappear completely.

In this matter, Riko would simply hide under the covers and remain motionless, so no one could see what she looked like.

Although I was also quite curious to see her shy little expression, I decided against it, considering that she had covered herself up entirely to alleviate the shame and anxiety that was welling up inside her.

As a good husband who cares about his family, he should naturally understand his wife's emotions and give her some alone time. He should never interrupt her self-repair and relief process.

Since we can't see Riko, looking at Ayako will do...

If it's something that both parties can accept, it will only make the relationship sweeter and more stable, since both can derive happiness from it.

To make Ayako realize how charming she was, Hideaki started with her rosy ears and went all the way down to her trembling little toes... It took him quite a bit of talking.

"Why is it always like this... It's so shameful... It's perverted."

Like a newlywed, Ayako clutched a white goose-feather pillow to her chest, half of her flushed face hidden by the pillow. Her watery eyes darted around as she chewed on the pillow, muttering, "What a waste, such a precious thing... How annoying..."

For a woman, this is indeed quite shameful, but it must be said that for someone who genuinely likes her to do this shows immense respect, almost to the point of being obsessive. There's no disgust whatsoever, making her feel utterly ashamed and unable to repay the kindness shown…

"What are you doing!" Xiuming threw his clothes on the floor in a few quick movements, then slumped onto the mattress, rubbing his sore ears, and said irritably, "You've had your fun, now it's my turn."

Ayako froze for a moment, then couldn't help but burst out laughing. Most of the shame in her heart instantly dissipated. She threw the pillow on Xiuming's head, rolled over and pounced on him, pressing his hands to the sides of his head...

.

Meanwhile, at Tokyo Medical University Hospital.

After Hideaki left the hospital cafeteria, Sophia asked him the question, "Who is Ayako?"

Chieko replied, "She's also a colleague, an employee of Hideaki," and Riko nodded in agreement.

After learning about it, Sophia realized that she would be working at the company as Hideaki's secretary, making her a colleague of Ayako. She also noticed that when Hideaki suddenly mentioned Ayako, Chieko seemed quite frightened, and even Riko's expression was a little unnatural.

Then she asked Chieko, "Isn't Ayako amazing?"

Chieko glanced at Riko instinctively, then nodded, half-jokingly saying, "It's alright, but she arrived earlier than me, so she's a senior..."

Chieko was very careful not to let Ayako find out about her relationship with Hideaki.

In Chieko's eyes, who was delicate and slender, Ayako always seemed aggressive and was taller and stronger than her, making her an easy opponent.

Especially those huge breasts, which Chieko felt were bigger than her head; just hitting her face with them would probably make her faint.

Currently, she is only in the stage of suspicion. As long as she doesn't get substantial evidence, she is safe. And the basis of this safety is to cling to Riko's coattails, because Hideaki cares about Riko the most.

Sophia noticed Chieko's gaze and looked at Riko with a puzzled expression.

Seeing Keiko's cautious plea for help, Riko said directly, "Don't be afraid of her. I've been with her longer than her and I'm her senior. If she bullies you, I'll protect you."

Riko makes no attempt to hide her dislike for Ayako.

Ayako was the first person to compete with her for Hideaki, and she left the deepest impression on me.

At that time, Riko was still fantasizing about "a lifetime of love," "husband and wife returning home together," and "growing old together," but Ayako shattered her pure love dream, leading to this situation that can never be reversed.

She's been made into an incompetent wife, almost like a psychopath... Luckily, her husband is a family man and gives her a great sense of security.

Of course, Hideaki's womanizing was also a major reason, but what made Riko most indignant was that Ayako barged in too quickly.

That day on the rooftop, it was my first night with Xiuming. In my dazed state, I was yelling "Help!" when she suddenly pulled back the tent flap.

Who can imagine the terror at the time, and the shame that followed?

I don't even dare to think about it!

Even a fleeting memory can make me tear the soles of my shoes apart.

As long as Riko still cares about this, she can continue to hate Ayako.

Besides this, there was another thing that Riko hated the most: Ayako's undisguised attitude of wanting to replace her.

Back when she was at Ayako's house, Riko was cooking in the living room on the first floor, while Ayako was on the second floor, urging Hideaki to divorce her.

It left a deep impression, struck my soul, and almost scared me to death... Luckily, my husband remained steadfast and gave me enough sense of security.

As long as Ayako never changes her attitude, Riko can hate her for the rest of her life.

In any case, Ayako exudes an aura of disgust in Riko's eyes, inside and out. Although she wouldn't drive her away, nor could she, it was absolutely impossible for her to be friends with her.

Yesterday, another annoying person was added to the list: Funakawa Yoshiko, who stole her ring and then her pendant before leaving.

She's such a skilled thief, I'm really worried she might even steal Xiuming secretly...

Sophia was unaware that the two of them were speaking in riddles; she only felt that Ayako must be a person with a bad temper.

But the way Hideaki seemed so concerned when he received the call made Sophia subconsciously think that Ayako must be a very capable employee, maybe even a pillar of the company!

They also expressed full understanding of Riko's attitude as Hideaki's "sister".

Perhaps when Hideaki was at the company, in order to consider the overall situation of the company, he gave some special rewards or made concessions to Ayako, who had a strong work ability. This made Riko, as his younger sister, feel indignant on behalf of her brother, thinking that how could her brother, as the company president, condescend to make such concessions to a subordinate...

Yes, that must be it.

As her future sister-in-law, I certainly can't act impulsively like Riko. I need to learn from Hideaki and consider the bigger picture. I will definitely become a qualified and good wife and sister-in-law...

Chapter 204 Riko: Honey, I'm sorry to bother you...

As Riko, Chieko, and Sophia walked towards the ward, Midori Umezu was still chatting with Sophia's mother.

Both of them laid bare their innermost thoughts and worries.

Sophia's mother said: This is how my life is going to be. That son-in-law, though a bit of a womanizer, is handsome, rich, and has a sweet tongue; he knows how to make his mother-in-law happy…and he seems quite responsible. Not only did he not abandon his wife, but he also paid for his girlfriend's mother's medical treatment. He's practically the perfect son-in-law, right? So, her biggest worry is that her mentally challenged daughter, Sophia, won't be able to accept this situation, or even if she does, will she be bullied by others…

Umezu Midori first expressed her agreement and understanding of Sofia's mother's concerns.

Before expressing her own thoughts, fearing that Sofia's mother might suddenly make a desperate request like "Can you leave Xiuming?", she deliberately added a section about her past emotional journey. She said: "I have lived in domestic violence for many years and can't see any hope. I once thought about killing myself and my ex-husband. I bought several fruit knives, and even half a pig and a meat grinder to simulate how to kill someone..."

After Sofia's mother's eyes became somewhat dazed, Midori Umezu began to express her attitude towards her future life. She emphasized: "From now on, I will be someone without any ambitions. As long as no one stops me from staying by Hideaki's side, the world will be at peace. As for who Hideaki wants to find or who he wants to stay by his side, it doesn't matter, I don't care."

Sofia's mother also expressed great understanding and approval of her attitude towards life.

Then, after a moment's thought, Sophia's mother understood immediately: this was a roundabout way of pointing her out, just to prevent her from being asked to take care of Sophia again!

Of course, Sophia's mother didn't mind, because she didn't have any unrealistic expectations of having Midori Umezu, Ayako, or any other woman take care of Sophia.

She was simply trying her best to reduce their hostility towards Sophia, and she was quite satisfied as long as they didn't make things difficult for Sophia.

After all, Sofia had never had a boyfriend since she was a child and was very naive about relationships. How could she compare to a tough divorced woman like Midori Umezu who had even experienced domestic violence?

Finally, the two of them started talking about Riko again.

Sophia's mother said that she still felt guilty towards Mrs. Riko, after all, her whole family had not only used her money, but also her husband... In addition, it was hard to be sure whether Mrs. Riko's attitude towards Sophia would remain the same.

Sophia's mother wanted to find out more about Riko from Midori Umezu.

Midori Umezu understood what she meant and said: Although I haven’t known Mrs. Riko for very long, I do have some understanding of Mrs. Riko’s personality and temperament. As long as your daughter doesn’t have any intention of replacing Riko, then she is absolutely safe.

Sofia's mother was worried after hearing this.

Since Riko's current identity is that of a pretending younger sister, how could Sophia not have the same thoughts?

Midori Umezu realized the situation and cautiously suggested that Sophia's mother try to talk to Sophia.

Sophia's mother thought it was a bit much for a mother to advise her daughter to do this, but she couldn't bear to give up a good son-in-law who was eloquent and wealthy, since she would really have to rely on him for the rest of her life.

She ultimately stated that things should proceed gradually and be planned in the long term.

It was already dark when Riko, Chieko, and Sophia entered the ward.

Riko, Chieko, and Midori Umezu were about to say goodbye when, before leaving, Sophia's mother spoke to Riko alone for a few minutes.

He first expressed his gratitude to Riko, then expressed his deep remorse towards her, and then gave her great affirmation and praise for her gentleness, virtue, tolerance and generosity.

Finally, Sophia's mother, holding Riko's hand with extremely complicated emotions, said, "Riko-chan, if Sophia has any intention or thought of marrying Hideaki-kun, please just ignore it. I will never agree to it. Auntie firmly believes that you and Hideaki are the perfect couple... If Sophia does anything wrong, please forgive her..."

Riko blushed at the comments and just kept her head down, picking at her toes. Even after leaving the ward and being escorted to the elevator by Sophia, she still hadn't recovered.

7 PM.

White streetlights illuminated the garden below the inpatient building.

Riko, Chieko, and Midori Umezu left the inpatient ward building and walked along the winding pebble path in the garden toward the hospital gate.

Riko walked in the middle, with Chieko on her left. Umezu Midori on her right was overly enthusiastic, hugging Riko's arm tightly.

Riko glanced furtively at her not-so-small chest and felt a little pressure.

She was only slightly younger than the annoying Ayako, Chieko was slightly younger than her, and I was slightly younger than Chieko...

Riko asked, "Midori-chan, where do you live?"

Riko and Chieko went back to the supermarket.

Right now, the only one who can truly lead the supermarket business is Misako; Hitomi Shiraishi can only play a supporting role.