Tokyo: Starting with taking on his wife's debts

He then gave a perfunctory reply and walked towards Ayako, who was still standing frozen at the door of Eri's house.

Ayako was holding a pencil sharpener in her hand, her brows slightly furrowed. She glanced at the pencil sharpener every now and then, then at the tightly closed bathroom door, her face filled with hesitation.

Xiuming was stunned. No wonder Ayako had called him upstairs in a voice that sounded like she was about to die of fright. It turned out she had used a knife.

Could it be that Eri threatened him with a knife?

However, the way Eri rushed into the bathroom as if she were fleeing for her life didn't seem like it.

Hideaki took the pencil sharpener from Ayako's hand, folded it, and casually tossed it onto the small table by the window in the room, asking, "What's going on?"

“I thought she was going to commit suicide… It feels like she played me,” Ayako pursed her lips, gritted her teeth, and continued, “Don’t you hate people who threaten suicide all the time? You have to do something. Last time when Midori Umezu did that, you didn’t do anything about it.”

Previously, when Ayako was pushed to her breaking point by Sophia's mother, Midori Umezu used this method to lie and say that Ayako was going to commit suicide, thus deceiving Hideaki.

Although she was helping Ayako, Ayako wasn't grateful at all, since she had been tricked into going to the hospital to be mistreated.

If everyone continues to use such extreme methods to threaten each other, how can we have fun together in the future?

Moreover, on the way here, Hideaki complained that Ayako hadn't fulfilled her duty to kick people out... It's infuriating.

Xiuming wasn't too worried about extreme methods. He could use intelligence-locking to spy on people, but the frequency was low, which was a minor drawback. He needed to correct their mindset and make everyone feel that they could be dumped at any time. He had to carefully cultivate his "scumbag" persona.

In addition, it's essential to let them know that emotions aren't the most important thing in life; realizing self-worth is the ultimate goal, such as earning money, reading, learning, reading newspapers, etc. Actively participating in animal rescue is also a good idea.

"You always make me figure out everything, what's the point of keeping you around?"

As Xiuming casually spoke, he kicked off his shoes, bent down, picked Ayako up in his arms, carried her into the messy room, and sat down on the messy little bed.

Ayako's concerns just reflect her personality; how should I put it, she's quite tactful, which is what I admire most about her. She's getting more and more adorable, *kiss*

"Oh dear, why did you suddenly do that..."

Ayako was still thinking about how to refute Hideaki's words when he suddenly touched her cheek. Her heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously turned her head to look at the open door.

The atmosphere in the small room is nothing like that on the street; it's so unusual that you'd be very embarrassed if someone saw you there.

Hideaki opened his eyes wide, lifted Ayako's head which was turned to the side and brought it closer to his face, saying, "It's just a kiss on the cheek, why are you being so shy? Give me your mouth."

"Take what? Can't you even speak properly..." Ayako stiffened her reddened neck and turned her head toward the door. "I'm not taking it."

The thought that this was the first time he had ever taken the initiative like this, kissing her cheek so suddenly, made her heart tremble uncontrollably, and her face burned. She didn't even dare to look Xiuming in the eye.

"I'll tickle you." Xiuming leaned his head down.

"How did you become such a pervert?" Ayako couldn't help but laugh, revealing a row of pearly white teeth. "You haven't fallen in love with me, have you?"

Hideaki's relentless pursuit only fueled Ayako's uncontrollable joy. Her initial goal was to make Hideaki inseparable from her, and his infatuated behavior was truly delightful.

Given the current situation, the best approach is to hide your laughter and continue to subtly influence him without letting him notice, and certainly not to say it so directly, since men are all concerned about their image and always like to argue and assert themselves.

The problem is, I was just too happy to resist.

Next, he'll probably start saying one thing and meaning another...

"I love many women, and you're one of them. Hand over your mouth." Xiuming continued his actions dismissively.

Of course, he didn't intend to do anything here. He was already holding her in his arms, their faces so close, and since he had nothing better to do, he leaned down and kissed her to express his appreciation. Maybe he just couldn't resist. Anyway, he kissed her because he wanted to, and he wasn't going to do anything else. After all, they were an old married couple.

"You're not really going to do this, are you?" Ayako trembled, as if all her strength had been drained away. She instinctively covered her mouth, suppressing her shame and anxiety, and said, "We can't do it here... Tachibana is next door!"

As for the kissing issue, it's definitely not going to work. Multiple experiences have proven that once someone is kissed, it's no longer a matter of whether Xiuming is willing or not.

After all, when you're facing someone you like, you're constantly building up emotions inside and out, making you very easy to get agitated. Once those emotions erupt, they're beyond your control, leaving you only with regret, shame, remorse, and a desire to disappear afterward...

Besides, this is Eri's house, it's so unfamiliar, I feel like I'm stealing from her.

She only dared to be in familiar places, whether it was her own villa or the massage room in the supermarket, which she was familiar with. But here, absolutely not... she would die, wouldn't she?

"Tachibana is next door?" Hideaki asked in surprise.

When Tachibana came out, Hideaki was engrossed in reading a manga at the front gate and didn't pay any attention to what was happening here, so he didn't see Tachibana.

I wonder if Tachibana, who was in the "cooling-off period after the breakup," has reflected on her actions?

"She's not only next door, but she's also become best friends with annoying Eri. I bet neither of them has mentioned anything about you..."

When Ayako saw that Hideaki had stopped, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. Tachibana is so annoying...

But now is not the time to dwell on such things. Just thinking about how Eri tricked me earlier makes me furious. I might as well take advantage of Eri being in the bathroom and provoke Tachibana to backstab her.

Anyway, with their personalities, they could never be good friends. It's just better to let them fight sooner rather than later.

Then, Ayako wrapped her arms around Hideaki's neck, swaying her shoulders as she said, "Honey~ you have to help me, Eri just bullied me..."

"Who did you learn this lousy habit from..." Xiuming got goosebumps all over. Just a moment ago she was cute and shy, but in the blink of an eye she became nauseating. He threw Ayako on the bed and got up to say, "I won't help anyone except Riko. Your coquettishness won't work. Get rid of this lousy habit. It's not attractive at all."

"Bringing her up again, that scumbag...he turns his back on me like that..."

Ayako froze, then grabbed a pillow and threw it at Hideaki. However, she remembered Hideaki's infatuated face from earlier, so she didn't feel much resistance to bringing up Riko again. The thought that one day Hideaki would divorce Riko because he was obsessed with her made Riko seem pitiful... Hehe~ No, she couldn't be too happy yet.

Ayako quickly shook off her wandering thoughts and focused on the currently annoying Tachibana and the irritating Eri. Then, her eyes darted around, and she continued, "Tachibana always thought you were single, right? When she came out just now, I told her you're my husband~"

Previously, Hideaki had said that Tachibana was pure-hearted and very innocent, and that she might be unable to think straight if she suffered an emotional blow. This made Ayako somewhat hesitant to act against Tachibana.

But unlike Riko, who always backs down in the face of trouble, Ayako wanted the whole world to know that Hideaki was her husband, even though they weren't officially married yet...

She is now testing how important she is to Xiuming.

“So what if she said it?” Xiuming said nonchalantly. “We are in a ‘cooling-off period’ now. If she reflects on it and realizes she was wrong, then I will be her husband in the future.”

"Uh...shameless."

Ayako was stunned. She thought he would be nervous. She spat at Hideaki, but she knew what kind of person he was. He was a scumbag who didn't care about anyone. But now he was starting to care about her without realizing it. He didn't seem to care about Tachibana... Hehe... Ayako was secretly pleased. Then she asked, "If I go and knock on her door now, will she do something rash?"

"What do you think I created the 'cooling-off period' for? It's just to give some love-struck fools something to look forward to."

Both Riko and Chieko mentioned before that Tachibana frequently calls the landline at apartment 403, starting by complaining about her good neighbor Eri, and then subtly inquiring about Hideaki's situation by mentioning how things are progressing between Riko and Hideaki. Recently, she's been asking about Hideaki's game development company. Given this pattern, Tachibana is probably not far from apologizing.

"Then I'll destroy it for you," Ayako said with a pout and a smile.

"Go, go, hurry up!" Xiuming picked up the comic strip from the bed, which was the clothing pattern that Eri had designed. Then he opened the comic book, tucked it into the cover page, and sat down on the stool to read the comic. "I'm going to read comics now."

Hideaki really wasn't interested in going. He'd wait until Eri came out and ask her how much money she'd made, and if she was interested in joining the anime team at the game development company.

Her plot design is quite captivating; I'm always curious to know what kind of personality her next beautiful wife will have, what difficulties she'll encounter, and how she'll portray her...

In reality, I might have a dozen or so girlfriends at most, but in manga, I could have hundreds. If it's serialized for decades, even when I'm in my seventies or eighties, the manga characters will still be youthful and energetic, continuously saving bankrupt wives... Eri is really something else.

"Don't go out..."

Ayako smiled and put on her shoes, then walked out of the room and closed the door.

Hideaki waved his hand dismissively, treating everyone equally except Riko, lest Tachibana, who is also emotionally empty, become like Eri, thinking the whole world is full of sweetness after getting a little bit of sweetness, and turning into a fool who doesn't know what's important.

But it seems to have changed now...

Outside the door. Ayako walked to Tachibana's room, knocked twice, and no longer bothered to hide her identity, saying with a grin, "Tachibana-chan, you must have heard that Hideaki-kun is here! He's my husband now~"

"I don't know anyone... I don't know you either, honey, go away."

Tachibana called out through the door. She had heard it just as Hideaki came upstairs. It was like a stab to the head, and Hideaki's face immediately appeared before her eyes.

I was initially quite pleasantly surprised, but during the numerous arguments I had with Eri these past few days, I tried more than once to prove that I have a boyfriend... to properly suppress Eri's arrogance.

But just as he grabbed the doorknob, he suddenly realized that he was looking for Eri, and that they knew each other very well...

In his daze, he also remembered Ayako's identity—the rich and promiscuous woman who provided Hideaki with funds for stock trading, right? Hideaki had even admitted to sleeping at her house…

When Ayako mentioned that Hideaki had become her husband, her heart clenched painfully, her legs went weak, and she slumped against the door, collapsing onto the floor.

I couldn't help but think of Riko. Did she already know? Was she as heartbroken as I was now...? Perhaps Hideaki-kun was forced into it... After all, that woman with the big breasts was so rich...

Never before have I hated a woman with a lewd body as much as I do now.

Chapter 212 Tachibana, Eri, Ayako

"Don't you know him?" Ayako was taken aback, and an uncontrollable laugh escaped her lips. "Are you sure you don't know him? Do you dare to say you'll never bother him again?"

If Tachibana withdraws directly, then revenge for being tricked by Eri will become insignificant, since there will be one less competitor.

But considering what Hideaki mentioned about a "cooling-off period after a breakup," and his current smug look, it seems like Tachibana is lying because she's afraid I'll hit her. After all, Eri's face turned pale with fright when I hit her earlier.

"Who's bothering him? He wasn't even married when I started dating him!"

Tachibana subconsciously clenched her small fists. The reason she denied it just now was entirely due to her pure love. When it came to issues of propriety and shame, she felt guilty and subconsciously wanted to escape.

But Ayako's tone, which seemed to pin the blame on Tachibana, angered her; she didn't think she had done anything wrong.

After all, she really didn't bother Hideaki, but these past few days have been very difficult, and the argument with Eri has been like rubbing salt into her wounds.

She regretted it, but thankfully, there was a "cooling-off period" after the breakup. Does that mean that as long as she found Xiuming and told him "I've calmed down," they could get back together? Wouldn't she keep the initiative in her own hands all along?

These past few days, when I've been talking to Riko on the phone, I keep having the thought of going back to her and competing fairly with her, but I'm too embarrassed to say it outright.

After all, when he parted ways with Riko after having dinner together, due to his pure love mentality, he almost explicitly stated that he was withdrawing and giving her the opportunity.

But after several phone calls, he kept asking Riko about Hideaki, which probably revealed too much emotion. Riko became wary and stopped answering the phone, and Chieko answered instead.

Tachibana could roughly understand Riko's feelings about running away, after all, she was going back to steal her crush's boyfriend...

Tachibana often regrets that if she hadn't withdrawn back then and had continued to talk to Riko as "Hideaki's current girlfriend," then she would have been the one who felt awkward.

However, talking to Chieko and talking to Riko were no different. Anyway, the word had already been spread and Riko knew about it, so the focus now was on finding out about Hideaki.

Then, during the conversation, Chieko overheard that Hideaki had founded a very successful game development company. Hideaki never visited the company or even cared about it, but the employees were working like crazy, putting in extra hours, and the company's performance was soaring, even attracting newspaper reporters to come and interview them...

Ever since her dramatic and forced resignation, Tachibana has been unemployed and looking for work. After Chieko mentioned it, she took it to heart.

She had already written her resume today and planned to apply for a job at Xiuming's game development company this afternoon. Her plan was to pretend she didn't know it was Xiuming's company, and then, when Xiuming inspected the company, she would dress up beautifully and deliberately bump into him a few times. As the book "Dating Guide" says, this is called creating fate. It's not about deliberately pestering him, but rather that when fate comes, you can't stop it...

But now that Ayako is certain that she will continue to pursue Hideaki, it has completely exposed her inner thoughts, making her feel ashamed, annoyed, and angry. In addition, Ayako keeps claiming that Hideaki is her husband, so she subconsciously assumes that the two are already married.

If that's the case, then everything I've done will have been in vain.

"But you're married now, married to me~ You'd better swear it! And don't live here anymore, I'll give you money to move far away, away from Tokyo."

Since Xiuming doesn't care, it's best to get rid of him. If he continues to stay here, given his despicable character, it will be difficult for him to achieve his goal.

"I didn't do anything wrong, why should I move out?"

Tachibana slammed her fist on the door and continued, "Don't think you're so great just because you have money. Don't be too smug. Even if you marry Hideaki, you'll definitely get divorced. And even if you don't, he's such a womanizer, you'll just have to wait to be cuckolded! I'm telling you."

Tachibana thought of Riko. Hideaki had said that he still liked Riko, which meant that his marriage to Ayako now was either forced by her or for her money. It was foreseeable that in the future, as Hideaki's game development company grew bigger and bigger, divorcing Ayako would be as easy as taking off a coat. Besides, Hideaki's set of philandering ideas were entirely predictable.

As Tachibana thought this through, a wicked idea popped into her head: should she consult Riko for a plan to steal her boyfriend? But that would be too unethical... So she decided to hold back a little longer. If they continued to push their luck, she wouldn't hold back...