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

After Katsuhiko left with Sayuri in his arms, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward as the three walked side by side toward Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.

"Little Lily, do you agree or refuse?"

Qin Ye's trembling eyes could no longer conceal her relief.

Although no results were reached in the negotiations—neither agreeing nor agreeing—it's tantamount to tacit acceptance, right?

Kotoha never expected that she was actually a landlady! Tomorrow morning she'll be Sayuri's dad's boss... Mrs. Kudo doesn't seem so scary after all, she's actually quite kind!

“Let’s not talk about that now,” Mikoto tilted her head and squinted, staring intently at Kotoha, and continued, “Explain why you pushed me inside first when we got to the door?”

Before Qinye could even defend herself, Yingdai rushed over, grabbed her ear, twisted it halfway, and said, "I treated you like a little sister, and you're framing me too? How could you do this to me?"

"Sisters, please let me explain..." Qin Ye pleaded repeatedly, "I was so scared at the time... I'm sorry, I'll listen to you from now on, please forgive me this time!"

“I can’t forgive you. I’ll remember you for the rest of my life. I’ll bring it up every day.” Mikoto raised her eyebrows playfully, shook her head and chuckled, then continued, “You’re so relieved now. You can be open and honest, unlike us, hiding like little mice. Isn’t that right, Eiyo-chan?”

Yingdai sternly twisted Qinye's ear again, "When we get home, I'm going to beat you up..."

"How could I dare to do it openly? Sayuri-chan was just drunk and didn't agree at all. I don't know what she'll do to me tomorrow morning..." Kotoha complained, covering her ears in pain.

“At least Mrs. Kudo won’t interfere, right?” Mikoto blinked and added fuel to the fire. “She even said she’d peel shrimp for you! How enviable! We wouldn’t dare to have such a wish.”

"Misaka-neechan, please stop talking, Eisho-neechan is pinching my ear so hard..."

"You don't think the two of us are ganging up on you, do you?" Mikoto shook her head with a smile. "From what you're saying, it sounds like Eiyo is under my command. How could I possibly be that capable? I'm just like her."

“Exactly, how could I possibly take orders from her?” Yingdai raised her eyebrows. “I just wanted to pinch you, so I did. It was my own choice to punish you for framing me.”

"I can't take it anymore, my ear is going to fall off..." Qin Ye cried out in pain, tears welling up in her eyes. It really hurt; she was even worried that her ear would be twisted off. She blurted out, "Sister Yingdai, let's go visit your mother tomorrow! That is, my, my former mother-in-law... Ah~~ It hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."

Mikoto clutched her stomach and laughed beside her.

While the three of them were attacking each other on their way home, Katsuhiko, carrying Sayuri, immediately ducked into a public phone booth.

Because Sayuri was wearing a kimono that closed off her legs and the slit wasn't very high, Katsuhiko was holding her with one arm to the side, like he was holding a child.

Who do you want to call?

Sayuri wrapped her arms around the back of Katsuhiko's neck, her drunken eyes staring straight at him, her tongue slurring as she continued, "You're not going to comfort your girlfriend right now, are you? How could you do this? You said you only loved me..."

Sayuri still harbors resentment towards Kotoha, and she doesn't even want to mention her name anymore.

Through Mrs. Kudo's 180-degree change in attitude towards Kotoha at the banquet, Sayuri felt a deep sense of powerlessness.

She originally thought that not imposing decisions on Katsuhiko was part of her plan, but in reality, she realized it was because she didn't dare, fearing that Katsuhiko would dislike her...

My plan for this banquet is to have her mother put pressure on Qinye and Shengyan. Even if Shengyan dislikes her, it's only her mother who dislikes her, not her, so there's still a lot of room for maneuver.

But when Katsuhiko revealed that the factory belonged to Kotoha, Sayuri suddenly realized that the reason Katsuhiko was able to have a place to open a company was indeed because of his good relationship with Kotoha... He was helping Kotoha on one hand, and getting benefits from her on the other... As for herself, not only had she not helped at all, but she had also gotten a used goods store for free. No matter how she thought about it, she seemed like an incompetent wife...

"When did I ever say that I only like her?"

Sheng Yan casually brushed it off, picked up the phone and dialed a number, "I need to call your parents-in-law so they can hear their daughter-in-law's voice."

Xiaobaihe's drunken eyes glazed over for a moment, then she snapped back to reality.

Registering for marriage is a legal recognition, while being introduced to the parents-in-law is a familial recognition.

Xiaobaihe's heart started pounding, and she felt inexplicably shy. She instinctively shook her head and said, "No, no, I can't, I don't know what to say..."

“Just call them Mom and Dad, and say whatever you want. As a boy from a poor family who struggles to find a wife, being able to marry a woman on your own is a great honor for your family back home. They will definitely treat you like a treasure. I will be ranked after you, especially when they first find out. They will treat you the best.”

The premise is that the boy comes from a good family and the girl doesn't cause trouble...

"Is it really like you said?" Little Lily rolled her eyes, then tentatively whispered, "You're not lying to me, are you?"

Xiaobaihe has realized that she can't really rely on her parents. They are too materialistic and will grovel just to get a job.

If you don't dare to get involved in your husband's affairs, then you might as well complain to your in-laws...

Of course, you can't complain now; you need to make the best impression first, and wait for your in-laws to arrive...

"How could I lie to you? You don't know how poor my family is. My parents have worried themselves sick trying to find me a wife. Of course, you can be proud and happy about it, but you can't be arrogant or cause trouble. Otherwise, your relationship with your mother-in-law will become very strained. It's okay if I'm caught in the middle, but I'm afraid Qin Ye will outshine you."

"Do you still want Kotoha to meet your parents?" Xiaobaihe, emboldened by alcohol, grabbed Shengyan's hair and shook him back and forth, crying as she said, "We're legally married. I'm your wife, and your parents are my parents-in-law, not Kotoha's parents-in-law. She has her own parents-in-law. You can't treat me like this. I'm so upset."

By the end, Sayuri started to sob.

It's enough to bring tears to anyone's eyes and break anyone's heart...

Just as Sheng Yan was about to come up with a twisted argument, he realized that the call had been connected sometime earlier. He heard heavy breathing coming from the receiver, seemingly suppressing surprise, astonishment, and anger; it was a man's voice.

The sound was quite diffused, with faint barking of dogs, so it must have been on speakerphone.

Katsuhiko gently scratched Sayuri's chin and said into the phone, "Hello? Dad?"

Little Lily's crying stopped abruptly. She bit her lip, and her nostrils flared with sobs filled with grievance.

"Who is the girl crying next to you?" The voice was quite serious, with a smoky, phlegmy tone.

In Sheng Yan's mind, a memory of the "disappeared him" was instantly unlocked: his father, who loved to smoke a pipe, always coughed, and was a very traditional and strict husband, in short, a super chauvinist.

“She is your daughter-in-law. Kudo Sayuri has changed her name to Takenaka Sayuri. We have registered our marriage.”

"Ah?" A woman's soft exclamation came through the receiver, covering her mouth, seemingly mixed with surprise, astonishment, and disbelief.

In Sheng Yan's mind, another memory of "him who disappeared" was unsealed: his elderly mother who loved making paper cuttings, a wife who was equally traditional and hardworking, and who always obeyed her husband's arrangements, in short, she had no opinions of her own.

Shengyan then asked, "Mom, are you here too? Have you eaten?"

"Oh, I've already eaten. You're chatting with your dad, and I'm here..."

"Humph!"

Before Shengyan's mother could finish speaking, she was interrupted by his father's cold snort.

As the long-buried memories are unearthed a little more, the old mother should be terrified.

The relationship between this elderly couple is the complete opposite of that between Xiaobaihe's parents.

Katsuhiko wondered to himself, if this old man met Mrs. Kudo, would they fight? Although there was some exaggeration involved, it was definitely impossible for them to get along peacefully.

"And who is Qinye?" Katsuhiko's father's voice sounded rather gloomy.

Xiaobaihe was crying quite loudly and speaking very clearly just now, and the other side heard everything, otherwise they wouldn't be so angry and panting...

"Oh, the person I cheated with is now my girlfriend..."

Before Sheng Yan could finish speaking, a loud "bang" came from the receiver, as if someone had slammed their hand on the table.

"Damn it! Cough cough cough cough cough..." It felt like I was coughing up my entire lungs, "Ouch cough cough... ouch cough cough~~"

The phone rang again, and Shengyan's mother's soothing voice came through the receiver, "Oh dear, talk it out, don't get angry, don't get angry, it's bad for your lungs, it's bad for your lungs... Shengyan, you're really going too far, how could you cheat on your husband, look how angry you've made your father..."

"He smokes so much, always has a cigarette in his mouth, reeks of smoke, and his teeth are all crooked and yellow. How can you blame me?"

"You unfilial son! Cough cough cough! Cough cough cough! You unfilial son! Cough cough cough, aww... It's over with that Qin Ye, it's over! Cough cough cough..."

"You silly boy, you're already married, how can you have a girlfriend again... Ouch, slow down, don't get angry..."

After coughing for about a minute, and hearing the sound of spitting through the receiver, Sheng Yan's father took a deep breath with a sense of relief, and said angrily, "Bring me your pipe!"

"Oh dear, I'm going to sleep after the phone call, why are you still smoking..."

Katsuhiko's father said in a deep voice, "Give it to me!"

Shengyan's mother's voice faded into the distance: "Shengyan, don't upset your father, speak properly..."

Before Katsuhiko could speak, his father asked angrily, "Where do you live?"

"Tokyo."

"I need your exact address! Your exact address! I need to get my money for a plane ticket first thing tomorrow morning... cough! cough cough, oops cough cough..."

"Isn't this a bit too hasty?"

Sheng Yan is planning to buy a house next month, when he should have some extra money.

If you come now, there's nowhere to stay; you'll have to rent a place.

"Oh dear, Katsuhiko, please tell us quickly!" Katsuhiko's mother chimed in.

The sound of Katsuhiko's father coughing came from a little further away in the receiver, along with the click of a lighter.

"Once we arrive at Daejeon Airport, we'll drive straight to pick you up..."

"Address, address, I'm not letting you answer! Cough cough cough..."

"Okay, Okubo 5-chome, Shinjuku-ku, used FamilyMart."

Katsuhiko also gave out the convenience store's landline number and his own mobile phone number.

The proud old father was probably sulking because he hadn't been told about the marriage. It was his first time traveling this far, and he had to turn around right after landing. He probably hadn't even flown before.

Katsuhiko repeated it three or four times before his mother finally finished writing it down. With a cautious tone, she asked:

"Is your daughter-in-law Little Lily Sauce? Is she still there?"

At that moment, Sayuri was pouting and glancing sideways at Katsuhiko.

There was little noise at night, and Xiaobaihe pressed herself against the receiver, listening intently to the entire conversation.

How should I put it? It's pretty much the same as what my husband just said—she's going to be treated like a treasure.

I was pleasantly surprised and excited, feeling like I had a strong support system. Of course, I was also a little worried, wondering if my father-in-law, who had such a severe cough, could hold on.

I thought I'd make a good impression before complaining, but I never expected my in-laws to be so righteous. Thank goodness, heaven has eyes... they're my own mother and father!

“It’s over there,” Katsuhiko said, handing the phone to Sayuri, and then added, “Say hello to your new parents.”

Suppressing her excitement and trepidation, Xiaobaihe held the phone with trembling hands and said shyly in a low voice, "Dad, Mom, hello, I, I'm Xiaobaihe, your daughter-in-law..."

Her voice still carried a hint of grievance from her earlier crying.

"Oh, what a good child, what a wonderful daughter-in-law. You've been wronged. Mom will come over tomorrow..."

Katsuhiko's mother was also a very emotional person, and she was immediately moved by Sayuri's aggrieved crying voice. As she spoke, Katsuhiko's father's violent coughing stopped on the other end of the line, and there were a few footsteps approaching. He didn't speak, but just breathed heavily beside her.

I guess I'm a sentimental person too!

"I'm not that wronged, as long as, as long as he's good to me..." Sayuri sobbed, her eyes red, glancing at Katsuhiko.

"Oh dear, don't cry, don't cry, Mommy will come and get justice for you..."

As Sheng Yan's mother spoke, the sound of footsteps receding into the distance came through the receiver, accompanied by her father's roar, "You unfilial son, you unfilial son, you're outrageous! Disgraceful... I'm going to borrow money..."

Back in my hometown, I had no worries about food and drink, but I couldn't save any spare money.