Tokyo: Starting with taking on his wife's debts

"Honey, you're so good to me..." Riko whispered in Hideaki's ear.

"Isn't that obvious?" Hideaki grabbed the black briefcase that Riko had been pressing against between them, let Riko lean against his back, and got up to jog.

Riko was secretly pleased because Hideaki hadn't scolded her.

But as Xiuming started running, feeling the jolting against his chest, he felt terrible.

He's doing something embarrassing again...

Between restraint and shame, she wanted to lean back a little, but worried that Xiuming was doing it on purpose, so she could only bite her lower lip and endure it.

“Although I’ve never carried Ayako on my back, I can imagine that there is indeed a difference between your figure and Ayako’s,” Hideaki suddenly said.

Riko lowered her head dejectedly: "I'm sorry..."

"Don't give me that. Do you think I can't feel you shrinking back? Hurry up and get closer."

"..." Riko didn't dare to say anything, and cautiously glanced around, as if no one was paying attention to them.

Then she slowly wrapped her arms around Xiuming's neck, tilted her head, and pressed it tightly against the back of his head.

She recalled the suicide note from back then. She couldn't remember what was written at the beginning, but the two lines that Xiuming added at the end felt like every word was hitting her heart, making it pound wildly.

Suddenly, I realized that the suicide note did not introduce his identity. It only said that I could treat him as my husband, and that as long as I fulfilled my duties as a wife, he would take on the responsibilities of a husband.

But... why didn't he tell me his real name?

Riko suddenly felt a tightness in her chest, and her wildly pounding heart suddenly slowed down.

I have a feeling that I could be abandoned by him at any moment...

When Hideaki carried Riko to Ayako's apartment complex, the sun had just set at 6:30 p.m.

As soon as I stepped through the black iron gate of Ayako's villa, I saw the ground lights in the courtyard, which had been turned on by the property management because it was dark.

The lights illuminated the lawn, creating a lush, shimmering green expanse.

Hideaki put Riko down and swiped his card to open the door.

I don't know what's wrong with her, but after I carried her and we ran, she became sullen.

Now he's standing with his head down, clutching his black flat leather shoes in both hands, looking like a schoolchild cornered in a toilet, his face full of anxiety, as if he's about to cry at any moment.

"What are you still standing there for? Come in quickly." Xiuming walked in, but she was still standing there, gesturing impatiently.

"Hmm..." Riko lowered her head and walked over with ladylike little steps.

She's great in every way, except for one thing: she's not very resilient mentally and needs to be stronger.

"Why are you taking those tiny steps again? Come on, take a bigger step, let me teach you how to walk..."

Xiuming held her shoulder with his left hand, holding a black briefcase, and with his right hand, he grabbed her black wide-leg pants above her knee and pulled them forward, as if he were teaching a toddler to walk.

"Take a step... Yes~ Land! Come on, take a step with this one leg~ Land!"

Xiuming loosened her pants and let her take a few steps on her own. The distance between her steps was five centimeters shorter than what he had taught her! It was only slightly larger than small, quick steps, and it was almost useless.

"Practice on your own!"

Xiuming lost his patience. Actually, the small, quick steps seemed acceptable, but Xiuming inexplicably wanted to conduct an optimization obedience test.

"I'm sorry..." Riko said, her eyes reddening again.

Xiuming tucked the black briefcase under his left arm again, took the leather shoes from her hand, and casually tossed them into the shoe cabinet by the door.

When Ayako's red cotton slippers were taken out, tears streamed down her face.

Xiuming was taken aback, then glared at her and shoved the slippers into her hand. "So annoying!"

Then, without looking back, he walked towards the spiral escalator leading to the second floor.

Once upstairs, glancing downstairs, Riko was already wearing slippers, tears streaming down her face, as she practiced walking with long strides around the Western-style round table in the middle of the living room.

I like her obedient way of being, but I can't always be cold to her. I have to find opportunities to give her something sweet.

Ayako's door was tightly closed and locked from the inside.

"Mrs. Sugita, open the door."

Xiuming wouldn't let her off easily for getting the technology for free. He made her work overtime sewing dolls today and sell them first thing tomorrow morning, confiscating all the money she earned and not giving her a single penny.

"You, weren't you supposed to come first thing tomorrow morning?" Ayako's voice was slightly flustered. "What are you doing here now? You, go back!"

"Could it be... that the chamber pot has been knocked over?"

Ayako suddenly fell silent.

It must be...

At the bottom of the white door, there was a small patch of brownish water stain, slightly wider than a finger.

"Isn't it just carrying out chamber pots?" Xiuming knocked on the door repeatedly with his index finger knuckles. "That's how it is in nursing homes. I've carried out plenty of them. I won't look down on you. You seem a bit feverish. Don't struggle. Just open the door!"

When Xiuming stopped knocking, there were light footsteps coming from inside the room. Then, the door clicked open a crack, revealing half of Ayako's flushed face and a pair of eyes filled with shy and angry tears.

"I really want to bite you to death," Ayako gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with tears of humiliation, and said in a sobbing voice, "You pervert, you lied to me again, did you deliberately want to embarrass me? You succeeded..."

A strong perfume scent wafted from under the door, the most intense rose fragrance.

"In my eyes, you are as slovenly and wicked as can be. There's no room for you to go any further, so what are you still trying to hide? You sly fox with a rose scent."

Xiuming gently pushed the door open, and Ayako's face stiffened with embarrassment and anger as she opened the door.

She stared intently at Xiuming's face, as if trying to detect a hint of mockery.

Xiuming didn't care at all and carefully examined her figure.

She was still wearing that black kimono, but the front was open and the sash at her waist was hanging to the ground. She simply draped it over her shoulders, and it was the only garment she owned.

With his right hand holding the door frame and his left hand holding the stainless steel support, he stood barefoot on the oak floor with his right leg at a 90-degree angle to his body, his left foot still resting on the stainless steel support.

Her right leg seemed about to give way and was trembling.

Xiuming gathered her collar together and then tied the belt.

"I poured my most expensive perfume in there. If you like the smell, you can keep it as a collection. You're a pervert."

Ayako's face showed a hint of relief.

As she spoke with a trembling voice, she loosened her grip on the door frame and stainless steel support, placed her hands on Xiuming's shoulders, and lifted her right leg to wrap around Xiuming's waist.

Behind her was a large blue plastic basin, with a white square cotton cloth covering its opening.

"I'll refrain from mocking you since you're so embarrassed and ashamed."

As Xiuming spoke, he took the stainless steel support, lifted her onto the white mattress, and then turned to walk towards the large blue basin.

Ayako remained seated where he had put her down, staring blankly at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

As Hideaki walked to the blue basin, tears welled up in Ayako's eyes and slid down her cheeks. She seemed unaware of this, still looking at Hideaki, raising her hand slightly, her lips trembling as if she were subconsciously biting her lower lip, turning her bright red lips white.

Aside from my parents when I was a child, I have never been so tolerant of anyone.

"Riko-chan, come up here!" Hideaki suddenly shouted towards the door.

"Cough cough cough!" The shout seemed to startle Ayako. Her eyes widened instantly, and after a bout of coughing, she stared blankly at Hideaki again.

She opened her mouth almost to its maximum and gasped for breath.

"What's with that expression?" Xiuming spread his hands. "Do you expect me to serve it to you?"

Ayako's strong personality clearly shows that she cares a lot about her image. She always speaks bluntly and provokes Riko, which is partly to cover up her own inferiority complex and partly to test Riko's and her own attitude.

In this era where everyone is equal and everyone values ​​their dignity, it is an insult to someone who is unwilling to be treated as inferior and has to have an older person hold her bedpan.

Although I don't mind serving it to her, if I actually serve it to her myself, she'll become even more arrogant and might even show off to Riko.

If Riko were to come, she would definitely suffer some grievances now, but as long as she brings it up later, Ayako would feel ashamed and wouldn't have the face to bully her anymore.

Riko jogged up, having broken her bad habit of taking short, quick steps.

Sitting on the white mattress, Ayako kept her eyes tightly closed, her two rows of white teeth biting her lower lip and rubbing it back and forth a few times. When she opened her eyes again, she looked exactly like a completely rotten fish.

"Husband...husband?" Riko placed her hands on her lower abdomen, lowered her head and hunched her shoulders, her gentle and soft voice filled with doubt and trepidation.

She wanted Xiuming to praise her for changing her small, shuffling steps, but she was afraid of being scolded, so she didn't dare to say it.

"Take this basin to the bathroom and pour it into the toilet," Xiuming said, pointing to the basin without changing his expression.

"Okay...okay..." Riko obediently walked to the basin, squatted down, and as soon as she placed her hands on the edge of the basin, the white square cotton cloth slid into the basin and got wet.

Riko's face stiffened, and she turned to the side, clutching her stomach and dry heaving: "Ugh~~~"

"Riko-chan~ Is it really necessary to be so dramatic?" Ayako's face was already flushed red, but she still tried to appear calm. Her left hand, hidden behind her back, was clenched into a fist and trembling, but she pretended to cross her perfectly good right leg over her left, lightly patting her shapely right foot with her right hand, and said, "I poured a whole bottle of perfume, 800 million yen! So expensive~"

The image of him being stubbornly defiant made Xiuming want to laugh.

Riko turned around blankly, tilted her head back, and looked at Hideaki.

Her face was pale, her lips were trembling, and her eyes were filled with grievance.

“Hmm,” Xiuming nodded, then continued, “That vixen really did pour out a whole bottle of rose-scented perfume, but it doesn’t seem to be working very well. Quickly take it to the bathroom and pour it out!”

"Okay...okay..." Riko burst into tears, picked up the chamber pot, and walked out crying.

Actually, Riko didn't mind handling things like changing bedpans at all. She had volunteered at a nursing home before, and the elderly people who couldn't take care of themselves were very pitiful. There were also many patients in the hospital who needed this kind of care.

I wanted to serve it to Ayako... but there are only three people in the house. If my husband served it, I would find it even more unacceptable...

Ayako's disgusting face, she doesn't even have a shred of shame...

After Riko carried the basin out the door and down the stairs, Hideaki opened all the doors and windows and turned on the electric fan, blowing it out the window.

"You scumbag! I thought you had a kind heart... You, you're bullying an honest person! How could you treat her like this? Are you even human?"

Riko carrying the basin and walking out crying filled Ayako with guilt. Anyone with a conscience would not accept that she had been bullied like this.

Besides, how can I ever hold my head up again? I have a reputation to uphold!

"If it weren't for your injured ankle, I would have thrown you to the ground."

Xiuming walked around the mattress to the work area, picking and choosing fabrics on the wooden workbench.

"I...she, she wasn't that upset just now, that's why I said that. How was I supposed to know she was so upset? It's all because you agreed with me pouring perfume, that I accidentally agreed. It's all your fault, you scumbag, you made me feel guilty. How can I hold my head up in front of her now? She looked so weak and vulnerable, I really wanted to bully her!"

"She's fine when I'm watching, but if you dare to bully her secretly, don't blame me for turning against you. You'll never be as good as her."

Hideaki disregarded Ayako's feelings and, contrary to common sense, showed favoritism towards Riko.