My love index is at its maximum.

"Are you drunk?" Higashino Yuichi smiled gently and extended his hand. "I know the owner of this restaurant. Let me take you to your room to rest."

"no need."

Tazaki Tsukasa helped the proprietress to her feet and said calmly, "I'll take her home."

The gentle expression on Higashino Yuichi's face vanished instantly: "Who are you?"

"He's my kept man," Sachiko Tono said, leaning on Tsukasa Tazaki with a silly grin. "We've done everything."

"..."

Higashino Yuichi's face turned green.

Only after the two of them walked out of the restaurant arm in arm in an extremely intimate manner did he pick up his phone and, through gritted teeth, issue the order to "take them away".

Chapter 111: The Strange Night of the Widow

Raindrops fell and splashed on my face.

Sachiko Tono looked up, took a deep breath, then pursed her lips and looked at Tsukasa Tazaki, trying her best to make a pure and happy expression.

However, at this moment, under the influence of alcohol, she looked a bit silly no matter how you looked at her.

Looking at the continuous rain outside the building's awning, Tsukasa Tazaki said helplessly, "We didn't bring our umbrellas with us."

“Let’s take a taxi back.” Sachiko Tono pulled his arm, and the two got into a taxi waiting for passengers at the door. She told the driver, “Sangenjaya.”

"Where is Sangenjaya, sir?" the driver asked. His voice was different from most mechanical and rigid Japanese taxi drivers; it sounded carefree.

“Taishido 2-chome.” Tono Sachiko leaned against Tazaki Tsukasa with her eyes half-closed.

The driver observed the two people in the back seat through the rearview mirror, trying to deduce their relationship from their clothing and expressions. Of course, even someone as experienced as him couldn't immediately discern the nature of their relationship, especially not just by peeking through a small rearview mirror.

"Please hurry up," Tsukasa Tazaki urged. "She's drunk. If we delay any longer, I'm afraid she'll throw up in your car."

"If you feel nauseous, please take this with you..."

Tazaki Tsukasa patted his suit pocket and found that he had nothing with him except his cell phone. He then reached into the landlady's handbag, took out two brand-new 10,000 yen bills that looked like they had just been printed, and handed them to the driver.

"No need for change, no more talk, just drive."

The driver took the banknote, checked its authenticity briefly, and readily replied, "Okay."

The taxi drove out of the winding roads of Qingshan in the port area, turned onto the elevated bridge of the Capital Expressway No. 3 from the Loop Line 8, and started to get stuck in traffic after going less than 500 meters.

The taxi carrying three people was stuck in the middle of the lane, crawling forward slowly. Often it would remain motionless for a long time, then, as if remembering its job, it would move forward a little.

"It's like this on rainy days, traffic jams everywhere," the driver said apologetically, turning on the radio to listen to a music program.

Life is long and the world is vast

We, who hold freedom in our hands, are gray.

Experience happiness and misfortune

Busy

It is the theme song of the Japanese drama "Quartet".

After listening for a while, Tsukasa Tazaki suddenly remembered a line from the play.

Confessing your feelings is something only children do; adults need temptation. To learn how to tempt, you must first abandon being human. Abandoning being human generally takes three forms: becoming a cat, a tiger, or a dog getting soaked in the rain.

So he glanced at Sachiko Tono, who was gripping his arm tightly, and wondered to himself whether she looked more like a cat or a dog that had been soaked in the rain.

It couldn't possibly be a tiger.

Lost in his own thoughts, Tsukasa Tazaki didn't notice that Sachiko Tono had already opened her eyes.

Raindrops pounded against the car windows, the annoying air conditioning blew directly onto my face, and the warmth emanating from the body pressed against mine made my consciousness quite blurred under the influence of alcohol.

As they got closer to Sangenjaya, the traffic jam was cleared, and the taxis returned to normal speed.

Sachiko Tono occasionally looked up, gazing at the flashy billboards that passed by. The lampposts stretched out endlessly at the same intervals; new lights would be brought into view only to disappear as old lights flowed away the next instant.

"Does Tazaki-kun want some candy?" she suddenly asked, reaching into her handbag and pulling out a box of throat lozenges.

Tsukasa Tazaki ate one; it was lemon-flavored.

Sachiko Tono leaned closer to him, her mouth slightly open: "It's so warm and comfortable~!"

[Tazaki-kun's health is amazing! Tono Sachiko stock index rose 20 points, current stock price: 100]

Tazaki Tsukasa enjoyed her soft touch and nodded in agreement: "It really feels very comfortable."

On a rainy night stuck in traffic, curling up in the back seat of a car with a beautiful older woman and quietly listening to music was truly a wonderful experience.

Although the sound quality of the car's audio system is far inferior to that of the sofa seats in the back, there's nothing to regret about that.

People shouldn't want too much.

The taxi exited the Metropolitan Expressway at the Sangenjaya exit and drove along some narrow roads. The buildings along the way were mostly nostalgic pubs, quaint cafes, and various artsy leisure facilities.

A few minutes later, it stopped in front of a block where vehicles could not enter.

"Wait in the car for a bit, I'll go buy an umbrella."

"No."

Sachiko Tono muttered something, picked up her handbag, and got off the bus first.

Tsukasa Tazaki was worried that she would get drunk and pass out on the street, so he had no choice but to follow her.

The rain was quite heavy, and the distant rumble of thunder could be heard from time to time. The two tried to walk along the eaves of the roadside shops, but their clothes and hair were still inevitably soaked by the rain that was blown by the wind.

Thanks to the coolness brought by the rain, Sachiko Tono became much more awake. She stood up straight and strode forward, the wind gently swaying her hair.

Tazaki Tsukasa followed behind her with a relaxed air, listening to the sound of her high heels clicking on the floor.

Turning into a narrow alley, the lights dimmed.

Three bald, burly men stood in the middle of the alley, one holding an umbrella, the other two empty-handed. Their black raincoats were soaked, and the air smelled of the night's rain.

As if she had stepped on a cracked chestnut, Sachiko Tono stopped in surprise. Rainwater slid down her cheeks to her chest, seeping through her thin, tight-fitting dress and wetting her white lace lingerie underneath.

The bald, burly man holding the umbrella took a large step forward and asked in a menacing tone, "Ms. Tono, is that right?"

What do you want to do?

Sachiko Tono instinctively stepped back, and a hand steadied her from behind.

Tsukasa Tazaki walked around to the front, turned back to her, and said, "Leave it to me."

The widow felt a slight warmth in her heart.

"No...you're still a child."

“I’ve practiced.” Tsukasa Tazaki took off his suit jacket and handed it to her: “Hold this for me, don’t get it dirty.”

Sachiko Tono bit her lip: "Be careful."

"Don't worry, I'm actually quite capable."

"If you can't beat them, remember to run!"

"I'll stop them and let you run first."

Sachiko Tono's full lips moved slightly, but she didn't speak. She simply touched her wet hair, glanced at him shyly, and looked like she was about to say something but couldn't.

[This is also a sense of security~! Sachiko Tono stock index rose 50, current stock price: 150]

Tazaki Tsukasa turned his gaze back to the three bald, burly men in front of him, who were clearly not good people.

The rain was still falling, and the atmosphere was heavy.

Carrying an umbrella but no knife on a rainy night—that's clearly not a good person. MMA skills finally have a chance to shine.

Wait a minute... there's nothing wrong with bringing an umbrella in the rain.

The bald, burly man glanced at him and complained, "Why are you two so late? You made us wait so long."

?

Why does your tone sound so aggrieved?

Tsukasa Tazaki was stunned.

"Take it."

"Clam?"

The bald, burly man stretched out his hand and shouted, "Take it quickly, don't delay our finishing up."

Tazaki Tsukasa looked at the umbrella handed to him, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out to take it.

"Young Master Dongye found that you left your umbrellas in the restaurant. He was worried that you would get wet in the rain, so he sent us to bring them back." After saying this, the bald, burly man waved to the other two. The three of them disappeared outside the alley in the blink of an eye, like corporate slaves rushing to clock out.

Sachiko Tono was dazed for a moment, then suddenly leaned on Tsukasa Tazaki's shoulder and burst out laughing.

"Haha... I was so scared just now. I thought that young master was planning to send someone to kidnap me."

"I think so too."

"It seems we all wronged the good people."

“There’s absolutely no wrongdoing on good people.” Tsukasa Tazaki shook his head: “That guy definitely has some kind of scheme.”

"I understand, I understand!" Sachiko Tono chuckled and took his arm. "It's raining so hard, why don't you come home with me and sit for a while until the rain stops?"

Tsukasa Tazaki said seriously, "Sit down for a while."

"Ugh, I feel so dizzy, I must have caught a cold."

Sachiko Tono buried her face in his chest, pouting, "Tazaki-kun, you're not going to neglect me, are you?"

Tazaki Tsukasa rolled her eyes at her, thinking, "I'm too embarrassed to call you out on such a little trick of yours."

After watching the two enter an apartment building, the bald man who had been waiting at the alley entrance finally took out his phone and sent a message.

In an Italian restaurant in Aoyama, Yuichi Higashino stood in front of a large glass window. Saito, a man in a suit, brought him a glass of wine. He took a symbolic sip, and while looking at his phone, asked, "How much is that woman's wealth?"

"She has about 2000 million in savings, and her stock and fund investments through me are worth 3000 million. In addition, she owns an apartment in Sangenjaya, which is valued at 4000 million. The convenience store storefront is rented, and she could only sell it for a small transfer fee. All things considered, her current assets are only a little over 1 million."

“Get her an investment project and bankrupt her within three months.” Higashino Yuichi gently swirled the tall wine glass in his hand, staring at the glass in front of him: “Be clean, don’t use the name of the Bank of Tokyo.”

In the soft darkness of night, the rain continued to fall silently. There was no one on the road, only the dim light of the streetlights illuminating the wet surface.