I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

As soon as they entered the dark alley, A-Qian saw Tu-Fang, who was already waiting there.

"Mr. Hijikata!" Unable to contain her emotions, Sen rushed into Hijikata's arms.

"Chikata!" Hijikata hugged Chikata tightly as she rushed into his arms.

“Mr. Hijikata…I’ve missed you so much…” Chihiro rubbed her forehead against Hijikata’s chest. “Why haven’t you come to see me for so long?”

"Sorry, I've been a bit busy lately." Hijikata rubbed his cheek against Chi's hair.

The two exchanged a lot of sweet nothings, and then Hijikata, with an expression that seemed to say, "Ah, I almost forgot," reached into his robes.

"Qian, this is for you."

"Mr. Hijikata, what is this?" Chihiro blinked at the delicate cherry blossom that Hijikata had taken out, puzzled.

"This is a cherry blossom that happened to fall on my shoulder yesterday when I went for a spring outing in Kanagawa," Hijikata said with a gentle smile, without blushing or skipping a beat.

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This chapter has 7500 words, which is quite a lot, so please vote with monthly tickets! QAQ

Chapter 153 Kinoshita Mai: "Tachibana-kun, are you free tonight?"

"Qian, it's the peak season for cherry blossoms."

"However, I have been very busy lately and have been unable to find the time to go cherry blossom viewing with you."

"I have always felt quite guilty about this."

"Qian, I'm sorry..."

After speaking, Hijikata gently bit his lower lip with his teeth, his mouth drooping slightly, and his cheeks filled with self-reproach and shame.

"Mr. Hijikata, please don't say that!" Seeing Hijikata's appearance, Chihiro quickly said with heartache, "I'm content as long as I can talk to you and be with you forever!"

Whether or not I enjoy the cherry blossoms, it doesn't matter to me at all!

"Chikata... thank you..." Hijikata smiled with emotion, lowered his head and gently kissed Chikata's forehead, "Although I'm currently too busy with other things to find time to go cherry blossom viewing with you."

"But I promise you: before all the cherry blossoms fall this year, I will definitely take you to see that sea of ​​vibrant cherry blossoms!"

"So—I've decided to bring this cherry blossom that happened to fall on my shoulder today, and that I have a special connection with it."

With extremely gentle movements, Hijikata placed the cherry blossom in his hand into Achi's small palm.

"I'll consider this cherry blossom, which I feel a special connection with, as a warm-up."

The gentleness in Hijikata's smile deepened.

"Let's look at this little cherry blossom together first."

"After that, I'll take you to see a thousand, ten thousand, and many more beautiful cherry blossoms!"

“Mr. Hijikata…!” Chi raised her head, her eyes sparkling with countless little stars as she gazed intently at Hijikata’s handsome face. Then, with the care of holding something fragile, she gently held the cherry blossom that Hijikata had just handed to her in her hands.

"How is it? Isn't this cherry blossom beautiful?"

"Mmm!" Qian, whose face was already filled with emotion, nodded vigorously. "It's so beautiful... Mr. Hijikata, thank you! I'm so happy tonight!"

"Yes, seeing your smiling face makes me happy too." Hijikata hugged Chika even tighter.

After the man and woman, tightly embracing each other, whispered sweet nothings for a while, Hijikata suddenly said:

"Qian, can you do me a favor?"

Without hesitation, A-Chi looked at Hijikata with a firm gaze: "Mr. Hijikata, please speak!"

"Our Shieikan restaurant has recently welcomed two new diners: Nagakura Shinpachi and Harada Sanosuke, who both distinguished themselves in the previous 'Banshu Dissho Incident'."

"Ah Qian, I hope that when you work in the teahouse in the future, you can try your best to subtly promote this matter to all the customers who visit your teahouse."

"Is that all?" Qian blinked in confusion.

"Okay, that's settled." Hijikata affectionately patted Sen's hair. "I'm sorry... I had to trouble you to help me."

"No!" Qian shook her head vigorously. "I'm happy to be of help to you, Mr. Hijikata!"

When A-Qian reunited with Hijikata, her mind had already lost its ability to think due to being moved and in love.

She agreed to Hijikata's request almost without hesitation or asking why he wanted her to do this.

"Ah Qian, thank you."

After saying "thank you" to A-Chi in a slightly cheesy tone, Hijikata loosened his arms and slowly released A-Chi from his embrace.

"Alright, it's about time. Qian, you should go back now."

"If you come back to the store too late again like last time, your boss will scold you again."

"I'd like to spend a little more time with you, Mr. Hijikata..." Chi pursed her lips.

"Silly girl." Hijikata chuckled and reached out to pinch A-Chi's cheek. "We'll have plenty of opportunities to be intimate in the future. Be good, listen to me, and hurry back to the shop."

"Hmm..." Qian reluctantly pecked her head a few times, then, holding the cherry blossom that Hijikata had given her, she returned along the same route and quickly left the dark alley.

As soon as A-Qian's figure disappeared from his sight, Tu Fang Bian immediately grabbed the clothes on his chest and lowered his head to sniff them hard.

After confirming that he didn't smell of any woman on himself, he calmly straightened his clothes, turned around, and left in another direction.

Hijikata drove through several towns and villages without stopping, and finally... went straight into an izakaya (Japanese pub).

"Welcome... Ah! Mr. Hijikata!" The female owner of this izakaya, a woman in her thirties who was busy behind the counter, showed the same expression as Chikata earlier when she saw Hijikata: her face was full of surprise.

"Azalea, long time no see." Hijikata leaned back against the counter and glanced around the shop. "Are there any customers in the shop right now?"

"Yes," Azao said with a wry smile, "Business hasn't been very good these past few days."

After briefly glossing over the topic of no customers in the shop, Aza cleared her throat, put her hands on her hips, and gave Hijikata a reproachful look.

"Hmph, you finally decided to come see me?"

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." Hijikata clasped his hands together and bowed his head to apologize to Aza, his expression earnest. "I've been so busy lately."

"Hmph..." Azao made a shy "humph" sound through her nose, "Really... all day long, I don't know what you're busy with."

"I need to help manage many things at the Shieikan," Hijikata said casually.

Azao pouted: "You have no relation to those people at the Examination Hall, so why bother working so hard for their affairs?"

"Hahaha." Hijikata laughed loudly a few times, "Who said I have no connection with Shieikan?"

"Although I am not related to Asheng and Souji by blood, my feelings for them have long surpassed ordinary brotherly affection."

"To me, the two of them are like an older brother and a younger brother."

"As for my master and Uncle Yuan, they are both elders I rely on greatly."

At this point, Hijikata adopted a half-joking tone:

"For everyone at Shieikan, I'm prepared to become a 'demon from hell'."

"'Hell Demon'... Hahaha, Mr. Hijikata, you can say some really interesting things sometimes. Here, have a drink." Azazu handed a cup of freshly warmed sake to Hijikata. "So—what brings this gentleman, who is willing to become a 'Hell Demon' for everyone at Shieikan, to our shop so suddenly?"

Hijikata's lips curled into a charming smile. He grabbed the cup of wine that Azalea had given him and drank it all in one gulp. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a delicate cherry blossom.

"Azao, this is for you."

"Huh? Why did you suddenly give me a cherry blossom?"

"This is a cherry blossom that fell on my shoulder by chance when I went for a spring outing in Kanagawa yesterday."

……

It was as if a movie recording had been rewound, and the scenes that had unfolded in the dark alley where Hijikata and Sen had just met were being replayed one after another...

……

"I've been so busy lately that I haven't been able to find the time to go cherry blossom viewing with you."

……

"Mr. Hijikata, please don't say that!"

……

"I've decided to bring this cherry blossom, which happened to fall on my shoulder and with whom I have a special connection, over today."

……

"After that, I'll take you to see a thousand, ten thousand, and many more beautiful cherry blossoms!"

……

Holding the cherry blossom given to her by Hijikata, Aza was as shy as an innocent young girl as she rushed into Hijikata's arms across the counter.

"Really..." Ah Zao, her cheeks flushed, pouted and gazed affectionately at the cherry blossom in her palm, "always teasing this old woman..."

"So, are you willing to let me keep teasing you like this?" Hijikata used a slightly domineering posture and movements to pull Azai into his arms with one hand.

“…” Ah Zao, who remained silent, gently pecked her head.

After embracing Aza, Tu Fang whispered sweet nothings to her for a while, then suddenly, as if casually, said to Aza:

"Azao, I need your help with something."

"Our Shieikan restaurant has recently welcomed two new diners: Nagakura Shinpachi and Harada Sanosuke, who both distinguished themselves in the previous 'Banshu Dissho Incident'."

"Azao, I hope you can help me spread the word about this to all the customers who patronize your izakaya as discreetly as possible."

……

About five minutes later, Hijikata strode out of Cherry's izakaya with an air of superiority.

As soon as he left, Tu Fangbian sniffed his clothes to make sure he didn't smell any woman's fragrance on him, and strode towards the Japanese embankment.

Nihon-zuke—hearing this place name would likely bring a knowing smile to the faces of most men from Edo.

This place is home to Yoshiwara, Edo's largest and also Japan's number one red-light district.

Because of the extremely rigid class structure and the lack of mobility between classes, Japanese society during the Edo period was quite oppressive.

In order to relieve social pressure and prevent the overly energetic samurai from causing any trouble, the Edo Shogunate, as soon as it was established, made it a decree that allowed the existence of brothels, and Yoshiwara, the largest red-light district in Edo, was born.