Tokyo: They say it's just dating, but they're serious about it.

Of course, as her emotions intensified, Sayuri gradually became dizzy, revealing a different side of herself, until she was speechless and finally murmured, "Oh my god..."

From 6 PM to 9:30 PM...

Katsuhiko came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of udon noodles, then sat down at the small dining table, turned to look at the tatami mats, and asked:

"Little Lily Sauce, would you like some noodles?"

On the tatami mat, Sayuri stood with her back to Katsuhiko, wrapped tightly in the blanket, and whispered in a weak, trembling voice, "Thank you, I... I'm not hungry..."

"Okay, then I'll eat it myself."

The blanket on the tatami mat was partially lifted.

As Sheng Yan drank his noodles and looked back, the blanket quickly fell back down.

It's understandable; she's shy, and that's part of what makes her adorable.

"Let's go to the nearby flea market together tomorrow afternoon!" Sheng Yan said while eating noodles.

"Mmm." A soft, shy voice came from under the covers. The covers were lifted a little more, and Sheng Yan turned his head to glance over, but she quickly covered them again.

Katsuhiko plans to have Sayuri learn about the "appraisal" and "purchasing" of second-hand items so that she can take over as the manager of the second-hand store in the future, and then form a strong alliance with Mikoto's convenience store.

Even if the two of them fall out over something someday, they won't be able to separate. Of course, the best outcome would be for them to have a deep bond and not mind each other... As for how to not mind each other, they'd definitely find a common enemy, which would be a real headache.

It was not even ten o'clock after dinner, and Sheng Yan was not sleepy at all. Xiao Baihe was still hiding under the covers, peeking out.

Sheng Yan remembered the company brochure he had seen before, and since he hadn't even looked at the attached envelope, he simply tore open the letter.

The quilt on the tatami was lifted a little more, revealing half of Sayuri's flushed face, her bright eyes shining with shyness.

“It was sent by Kenta,” Katsuhiko said, looking at the letter. “He asked if I wanted to work at his factory…”

In the letter, Kenta gave a simple greeting and then asked Katsuhiko if he had found a job. If he hadn't, he suggested that Katsuhiko visit his "Watanabe Food Processing Plant".

Kenta's father is about to retire, and he is preparing to take over the factory completely.

Of course, I also complained about his situation; he had to go back to work the day after the wedding, which was really tough. Our honeymoon plans with Qinye to Bali were also ruined, which made me sad and want to cry.

He also casually inquired about Sheng Yan's new girlfriend, how things were going, when they were getting married, and whether she should send him an invitation.

Katsuhiko briefly recounted the contents of the letter to Sayuri, then put the letter back on the small table and commented, "Kenta is indeed a good brother. When we get married, we'll send him an invitation."

Suddenly, Sayuri knelt up, wrapped in the blanket, her eyes wide as she stared intently at Katsuhiko. Her lips trembled as she asked, "When...when will you send him...an invitation?"

"Once we have a wedding house, I'll send him an invitation immediately," Sheng Yan said decisively.

Xiaobaihe's eyes immediately lit up with joy and anticipation, and then she nodded slightly as if bowing: "Yes!"

“You can call me husband now,” Sheng Yan said, extending his palm forward and beckoning her with his index finger. “Say it to me.”

Xiaobaihe's kneeling body stiffened, then she slowly shrank back up, covering her head again. After a while, she lifted a crack in the blanket, and a shy voice came out: "Husband~"

"That sounds great!" Katsuhiko pounced on the tatami again, pulled back the covers and buried his head inside. "Come on, let's keep studying."

"Ah~~? But... but..." Little Lily whispered, her voice trembling.

“You hesitated when you called out ‘husband’ just now. Now, learn this and say it a hundred times.”

"It's not hesitation, it's just... ah~~" Little Lily's body trembled slightly, wrapped in the blanket. After a long while, she whispered as if facing her death, "Then... then okay~ husband..."

Perhaps because she now had a reliable way to address her, Xiaobaihe made significant progress in her studies. She was very enthusiastic, calling out "Husband~" one minute and "Oh my god~" the next.

Perhaps because she was so emotional, she didn't shout it a hundred times.

Before 10:30, she fell silent. After waking up, she wrapped her fair body, which was covered with a layer of pink, under the quilt again. This time, Sheng Yan did not let her digest the shame alone, but pulled her over and put her in his arms.

The aftercare is also important. For women, the emotions are what matter... If a man falls asleep immediately, all the effort beforehand will be wasted.

"Are you alright?" Katsuhiko gently stroked Sayuri's smooth back and asked softly.

Both of them were covered in a light sweat, but the scent of shampoo and shower gel made them feel quite relaxed and cozy.

"Hmm~" Sayuri's forehead, covered in fine sweat, pressed against Katsuhiko's chest and gently touched it, it slid.

Katsuhiko slipped his arm under Sayuri's armpits, then rolled over and placed her on top of him, asking, "Wasn't that a bit too much?"

Sayuri seemed too shy to speak, pressing her forehead against Katsuhiko's neck. After a long while, she shook her head slightly, scooted her legs into Katsuhiko's arms, and whispered, "No..."

Katsuhiko turned to his side and hugged her again, gently stroking her back, and said, "Go to sleep!"

-

He didn't go to bed very late last night, but Sheng Yan had something on his mind, and woke up promptly at around five o'clock.

A responsible time management master must have a strict work and rest schedule.

He was going to the convenience store to keep his appointment.

Little Lily's petite body was curled up in his arms, her breathing steady, clearly fast asleep.

Katsuhiko quietly got off the tatami mat, turning on a dim yellow lamp instead of the main light. He then rummaged through the cupboard for paper and a pen, leaving her a note that essentially said: Mikoto's convenience store is going to be renovated during the holiday, and he's rented half the space to open a used goods store. He needs her help out... Also, he told her to rest at home and he'd pick her up at noon to go to the secondhand market to pick up some items...

The eastern horizon was tinged with blue and white, and there were stars in the sky.

The streets were still quite deserted before 5 a.m. Only when passing through the breakfast stalls could you see a few scattered figures, mostly elderly people doing their morning exercise.

There weren't many customers, probably because of the Golden Week holiday.

Katsuhiko bought two Japanese omelets and a bowl of ochazuke (rice with tea), and ate them as he walked.

Less than twenty minutes later. The convenience store's signboard was off, and the roller shutter was pulled down two-thirds of the way down, with a faint light shining through the gap.

Mikoto had been waiting for a long time, but in the dim light, she seemed rather lonely...

Katsuhiko thought for a moment, then drank a [Recovery Potion]. It tasted like plain water, but the moment it went down, he felt refreshed.

Judging from Xiaobaihe's situation, the [Recovery Potion] is just a recovery item; it can only restore the body to its optimal state. If you're still hungry, you'll still be hungry, and if you overwork yourself, things will go back to normal. It's just a power bank.

There are two coins and one [Focus Potion] left. Go check on Kenta when you have time and use up the countdown timer locked on Kotohashi...

Chapter 20 Purifying Morals

Katsuhiko walked to the door of the iron scroll and was about to bend down and sneak in when the glass door inside was locked with iron chains.

Inside the store, near the shelf by the right wall, Mikoto was standing on a small stool, carrying bags of flour down from the shelf.

She was wearing a somewhat worn dark blue work uniform with an apron around her waist. She wasn't wearing a hat, and her black hair was tied back with a black rubber band, the strands of which had long been dyed white by flour.

Each time she carried a bag of flour, she would wipe the sweat from her brow with her sleeve, then lightly clench her hands and tap her knees, occasionally tapping her lower back a few times.

Sheng Yan stared blankly for a moment. Hardworking people do have a unique charm.

It seems that Mikoto is going to set aside an area to create a "play corner".

In that case, there's definitely no need for any office drama to unfold in the convenience store.

Katsuhiko suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

It's not that I've lost interest in her; in fact, she seems even more attractive now. It's just that I just finished with Sayuri and then came straight to Mikoto to continue, like an animal performing a monotonous task.

Katsuhiko's ideal sexual interest should be something that can be spiced up and depends on his mood. If he were to work overtime, it would deviate from his original intention.

Katsuhiko rushed over in such a hurry precisely to take care of Mikoto's feelings.

Maintaining a good and close relationship requires emotional connection as the most important factor.

Sex is just one way; ultimately, it serves emotions.

Of course, among young men and women with surging hormones, especially when things have become ambiguous with Mikoto, using condoms together is indeed a shortcut. After all, young people's rationality is often dominated by hormones.

But now, Katsuhiko has found other, better ways: moving flour sacks together, carrying shelves together, setting up the store together... Even just having her watch over things is fine, she seems quite exhausted.

This is both a sign of respect for the hardworking and capable Mikoto and a way to purify one's own integrity—a win-win situation.

Katsuhiko glanced at Mikoto's back through the crack in the door one last time, then quickly ran to the food stall across the street and bought Mikoto a bowl of ochazuke (rice with tea) and a bowl of pork miso soup.

Then he rushed back and slowly lifted the roller shutter door.

With a clang, the rolling shutter door clicked open. Mikoto put down the flour sack and turned around. Her face, flushed from hard work, was a mix of pink and white, speckled with flour, which made her look rather cute.

Katsuhiko knocked on the glass door, waving the breakfast in his hand, and said, "Open the door quickly, the Big Bad Wolf has come to deliver food."

Mikoto blinked, her lips, smeared with flour, curving upwards as she walked this way, patting the flour off her hands.

"Thank you, Mr. Big Bad Wolf."

Mikoto opened the glass door, her eyes crinkling with laughter. She then clasped her hands together, bowed, took the breakfast, and tilted her head, saying, "Shall we eat together?"

"The way you were working just now really touched my heart,"

Sheng Yan lifted her chin with his left palm, then cupped her face with his right hand and rubbed it, his thumb stroking her soft lips. "I bought this especially for you."

Mikoto blinked in bewilderment, her lips trembling slightly, looking unsure whether she should laugh or not.

He then looked up at Katsuhiko, nodded blankly, and said, "Oh..."

Katsuhiko immediately put on a stern face, pinched Mikoto's cheeks and shook them, saying, "You should be very touched right now and rush into my arms."

"Oh..." Mikoto looked like she was trying not to laugh, and slowly leaned her head on Katsuhiko's shoulder.

“Stop dawdling…” Sheng Yan put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to his chest, then leaned down and slapped her pert buttocks. He then untied the apron from her waist, tied it around his own body, and walked toward the shelves, saying, “I’m not interested in women anymore. Time to get to work.”

Mikoto, holding her breakfast, stood there stunned for a moment, then tilted her head, looking at Katsuhiko with amusement in her eyes, and said, "Fine, you're such a man who has no interest in women..."

Mikoto sat on the flour sack next to her, eating her breakfast while watching Katsuhiko move the flour sack.

Katsuhiko turned to look at her, then took off his shirt, revealing his well-defined muscles, and made a bodybuilding pose with his arms bent and waist exposed.

Mikoto covered her mouth and burst out laughing. Then she picked up a grain of rice, placed it on the tip of her upturned nose, and then gave Katsuhiko a slightly flirtatious twitch of her eyebrows. She then slowly stuck out her tongue, hooked the grain of rice stuck to the tip of her nose into her mouth, and glanced at Katsuhiko with a smile.

Katsuhiko's expression froze, as if he hadn't seen clearly, and he frowned and stared intently.

Mikoto's eyes crinkled with laughter. She pouted slightly, then tucked the rice grains she had just put into her mouth back onto the tip of her nose.

Katsuhiko was dumbfounded.

Mikoto then used her tongue to lick the rice grain that was on the tip of her nose into her mouth, and raised an eyebrow at Katsuhiko as if chewing gum, her lips curving into a smile that revealed a row of white teeth.

Katsuhiko immediately gave her a thumbs up, to express his recognition of her extraordinary talent...

Working in pairs, perhaps due to the involvement of hormones and endocrine systems, can indeed effectively alleviate fatigue to some extent.

From 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., I was busy until the sunlight shone through the glass door.

The right side of the store was completely cleared out, leaving exactly half the space, about twenty square meters.