My love index is at its maximum.

Tazaki Tsukasa looked back at Kuriyama Sakura: "Let's continue brainstorming. The opponent knows me very well. This information must have come from the Kikawa family. Only the Kikawa family has the ability and motivation to observe me and the people around me for a long time. And if I'm not mistaken, this should be my grandfather's intention. It's also the reason why my older brother can only remind me and can't say it outright."

“Your grandfather meant…” Kuriyama Sakura bit her pen, her brow furrowing into a beautiful shape.

Tsukasa Tazaki looked at her quietly.

In his eyes, the tall, handsome minister was the second smartest person in the world, second only to himself. And she was also the person he clicked with most; she could definitely guess why.

After pondering quietly for two minutes, Kuriyama Sakura put down her pen. Under Tazaki Tsukasa's expectant gaze, she relaxed her brow and said, "I wanted to test your abilities with this. But this is an unfair contest, and you will definitely lose. Then you will have no choice but to accept the help of the Kikawa family and return to the family! I understand now. I finally understand where your older brother's confidence comes from. It turns out that your grandfather paved the way for him in secret."

Qichuan Yui snorted dismissively.

"As expected of the Minister!" Tsukasa Tazaki gave a thumbs up.

“We can deduce who the enemy is from your return to the Kikawa family!” Kuriyama Sakura bent her knees, resting her chin on them, lost in thought. Throughout this, she watched Tazaki Tsukasa with a smile, clearly enjoying their unspoken understanding.

Tsukasa Tazaki still looked at the minister with anticipation.

“Returning to the Kichikawa family... means losing freedom, being bound from now on, and having to leave many people.”

Kuriyama Sakura opened and closed her small mouth, rambling on and on about what was on her mind. As she spoke, she extracted key clues from the scattered information.

Tsukasa Tazaki listened intently, holding his breath.

Apart from the pattering rain outside the window, the only other sound in the room was her almost murmured whisper.

"Leaving behind many people..."

"Leaving Hanami-nee might mean that one of Hanami-nee's suitors is going after you... but as far as I know, none of Hanami-nee's suitors are that powerful."

"Leave me? Hmm... My dad asked me to bring you back to see him today, so it's impossible."

"Leave Ninomiya? Ah, that's a joke."

"Leave... Shimamoto Kana!"

Kuriyama Sakura suddenly raised her head, her long eyelashes trembling gently like those of a mimosa: "Governor of Tokyo!"

A few strands of hair on her smooth forehead trembled slightly as she looked up, and her clear eyes shone with a happiness that came from the bottom of her heart. This fleeting charm, accentuated by this, made her allure reach the peak that Tsukasa Tazaki had known about her, so perfect that there was not a single flaw, comparable to Hoshino Hanami raising carp streamers at dusk.

This made him think again that if he were just an ordinary fifteen-year-old boy, he would definitely fall head over heels into the web of love she had woven, and then fall into an abyss of misfortune from which he could not extricate himself.

Chapter 217 At the Kichikawa family home, Miss Tono was cleaning his small courtyard by herself.

Liking other men's wives...that's a really bad habit!

So please rest assured, Mr. Shimamoto, I will definitely change after your divorce!

Tazaki Tsukasa leaned against the kitchen sink, drank a glass of water, and pondered, pursing his lips. Forcing Shimamoto-sensei into marriage through a scheme was a stain that could ruin a political career. The governor couldn't possibly be unaware of Shimamoto-sensei; therefore, he must have been being watched the very first night he visited Shimamoto-sensei's house…

Having figured this out, he pressed his temples twice with his fingers, then turned to look at Yui Kichikawa: "Where is Sachiko-nee?"

“I don’t know much…” Qichuan Yui snorted slightly as if she hesitated for a moment, “but from what my mother told me, she’s definitely alright now.”

"That's good."

Tazaki Tsukasa poured himself another glass of water and sipped it slowly.

A faint gurgling sound occasionally came from her throat. When Yui Kikawa listened carefully, the sound was strange, as if it were coming from the far side of the moon.

A faint smile appeared on Kuriyama Sakura's lips; it was indeed a very faint smile. Noticing that Tazaki Tsukasa had relaxed completely, she relaxed as well. She got out of bed and, as if to ease her body, went to the window and stretched her neck.

Tokyo on a rainy night is particularly enchanting. Countless raindrops fall to the ground under the artificial neon lights. From the window, you can see the Yamanote Line railway, with its brightly lit green carriages making a clattering sound as they pass over the viaduct.

"What are you looking at?" Tsukasa Tazaki asked as he came to her side.

Kuriyama Sakura smiled and replied, "I was looking to see if there were any stray cats, and I'm planning to pick one up and keep it with you."

"Impossible!" Tsukasa Tazaki refused without even thinking.

Are you going to reject me?

"I'm not rejecting you, I'm rejecting the cat!"

“I am a cat!” Kuriyama Sakura turned her head and stared straight at him with her cold eyes. In the slightly damp air caused by the rain, her long ponytail hung down quietly as if it had lost all its strength.

"...We'll talk about it later." Tsukasa Tazaki chuckled.

The minister is indeed a cat; he even meows when he scratches his chin.

Kikawa Yui rested her chin on her hand, silently watching the two of them standing side by side.

On the surface, everything remained calm, but inside, I felt a pang of jealousy.

These two seem so well-matched... When can I be like that?

"Big brother."

Tsukasa Tazaki turned to look at him: "Let's go back."

"Go back?" Qichuan Wei jumped up and asked incredulously, "You mean go back?"

"Is there a problem with meeting my aunt?"

"no!"

The light rain continued to fall, tapping out fairly pleasant notes on the glass. The usually calm blonde girl's emotions inexplicably surged, her heartbeat dancing with the raindrops outside the window.

Kuriyama Sakura noticed the subtle expression on Tazaki Tsukasa's face, frowned, and thought for a moment, but still didn't ask.

As Tazaki Tsukasa walked to the door, he turned back and greeted her, "Thank you for your hard work, Department Head. Leave the rest to me."

"Don't embarrass me."

"I guarantee it will be handled perfectly!"

Kuriyama Sakura gritted her teeth and said, "What I mean is, don't forget to stick to your own beliefs!"

"...?" Tsukasa Tazaki's gaze drifted down from her face to her slightly curled, pale feet: "Don't worry, I will not lose myself until I touch both your legs and Kikawa's legs at the same time!"

Kuriyama Sakura: "..."

Sichuan Yui: "..."

At that moment, both of the most beautiful girls simultaneously wondered in their hearts: Has this guy finally revealed his perverted side after hiding it for so long?

After going downstairs, the familiar Cullinan was already waiting at the alley entrance.

The two climbed into the back seat one after the other, and the car shuddered slightly as it drove towards Chiyoda.

The luxury sedan has achieved the ultimate in shock absorption and sound insulation. Immersed in the soft embrace of the sofa, Tsukasa Tazaki has a tranquil feeling, like being still at the bottom of the water while swimming.

Kikawa Yui leaned against the central armrest, her eyes fixed on him.

His physique is much more fit than before; you can see the outline of his strong chest even through his shirt. His slender fingers gently tap his cheek, and coupled with his handsome appearance and focused demeanor when thinking, he could almost instantly capture the hearts of any young girl.

As she watched, she squeezed her legs together, and a strange flush gradually crept onto her expressionless, pale face.

My possessiveness is acting up again...

The Cullinan drove along Shinjuku Avenue, and after passing the Imperial Palace moat, it turned onto an uphill road marked with a sign for "Private Property" and slowly stopped in front of the Kikawa family residence.

In Tsukasa Tazaki's memory, the mansion was filled with many ancient willow trees, their branches and leaves so lush that they gave off a gloomy impression even during the day. There were also bodyguards everywhere, dressed in black suits and wearing sunglasses, their tall and cool figures resembling Neo from The Matrix.

Following behind Yui Kikawa, we walked inside.

The antique wooden corridor meandered endlessly in the night rain. Servants in kimonos would occasionally approach, and upon seeing the two, they would bow respectfully against the wall, greeting them with "Miss, Master."

Despite these greetings, the blonde girl's indifferent and aloof expression remained unchanged.

Tazaki Tsukasa didn't find this scene strange at all—except for her aunt, she maintained a distant attitude towards almost everyone, exercising alone in the morning, making her own breakfast, and then repeating the boring and busy elite education courses.

It was better that she wasn't designated as the heir. Back then, she would take time every day to go to the small courtyard where Tsukasa Tazaki lived to relax and, incidentally, teach those peers who bullied him a lesson.

With a heavy heart, Tsukasa Tazaki followed her into the backyard, through a gate to the flower field, where the chirping of birds filled the air. Under the bright yellow light, Kurikawa Kuri, wearing an ugly black half-length raincoat, braved the rain to loosen the soil around the flowers with a small hoe.

“Mom…” Yui Kikawa called out, “Tazaki is back.”

She looked up and smiled happily, "Long time no see, Xiao Si, are you here to help your aunt loosen the pollen?"

This beautiful young lady, as the head of a famous family, showed no sign of falsehood or pretense in her smile.

"Yes." Tsukasa Tazaki nodded, picked up a hoe, and stepped into the rain. A refreshing scent immediately wafted to his nose, but there were too many flowers, and they were too mixed, so he couldn't tell which flower's fragrance it was.

Qichuan Wei narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at her mother.

The black raincoat was ugly, and underneath were cream-colored shorts. Her toes, clad in slippers, were covered in mud, and she wore white work gloves. For some reason, whenever I saw my mother dressed like a flower grower, I felt that she seemed to enjoy herself, possessing a natural and unpretentious charm.

The servant brought tea and snacks and placed them on a garden chair by the flower field. The blonde girl, not wanting to get her clothes dirty, sat there drinking tea and listening to her mother and the boy's conversation.

The drizzle fell silently, and all kinds of flowers bloomed beautifully in the night. Being there, you could not hear the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, as if you had entered a secret realm.

"Does Xiao Si know anything about flowers?"

"I know it fairly well." Tsukasa Tazaki loosened the soil around a common rose bush with a small hoe, turning his gaze left and right.

The flower field was planted with common flowers and plants that could be found anywhere, such as gladiolus, anemones, daisies, and some things that he considered to be weeds were also mixed in.

Kurisu Kirikawa fixed a wisteria vine to a trellis and pointed to a glass house next to the flower field: "The expensive stuff is inside."

Through the light, one could barely make out the expensive orchids, Polynesian wildflowers, and other valuable plants inside.

However, Tsukasa Tazaki wasn't interested in those either. He preferred the flowers growing in the open-air flower field beneath his feet, growing freely and without any affectation.

"Ah~" Kurisu reached up and wiped the raindrops from her forehead, feigning confusion as she asked, "Doesn't Tsukasa like those flowers?"

“I like this.” Tazaki Tsukasa smiled as he walked to a small patch of bellflowers, took out his phone, snapped a selfie, and sent it to Hoshino Hanami.

Kurisu, with the curious look of a child, leaned closer and asked, "Who is it sent to?"

"Of course, it should be sent to Hoshino-sensei."

"Xiao Si is so biased!"

"It's not a matter of favoritism. One is someone I like, and the other is just an aunt I don't know very well."

"How annoying!" Kurisu said petulantly like a child. "If you asked Tsukasa to choose a bouquet of flowers to give to your aunt in this garden, what would you choose?"

Tazaki Tsukasa glanced around and picked a golden rose for her: "There's no need to choose. This is the only flower that can match your aunt."

The Golden Rose is a very special bicolor rose variety. Its petals are orange with a red border around them, like the playful trim on a girl's skirt. It has a lively feel to it and is perfect for giving to a woman like my aunt who seems cute and charming but is actually a strong woman with thorns.

Kuri took off her gloves, and with her delicate, girlish fingertips, she gently took the rose from his hand and smelled it.

The thorny branches, warm-colored petals, and rich, intoxicating fragrance added a touch of romance to the slightly chilly rainy night.

"Does Xiao Si know the meaning of the Golden Rose?"