In crossover anime, who isn't a childhood friend?

Silently... it's almost like being ignored and bullied...

They all moved forward... leaving Yukino alone behind...

From any perspective, this is a truly tragic situation...

Eriri's head drooped lower and lower.

"Eri, what's wrong?"

"Rikka, you don't need to worry about me. I just feel like I'm a terrible... extremely terrible person right now..."

"Aha?"

This inexplicable answer left Rikka completely bewildered.

Chiya could understand this, because she knew Eriri too well and was well aware of how close her relationship with Yukino was.

She probably feels guilty now, like she's silently done something "bad" and betrayed her friend...

This is something that Eriri finds hard to let go of, and it's also a difficult problem for him.

How to be honest with Yukino, and how their relationship will develop in the future...

However, this issue can be considered later. The most important thing now is to stop Eriri from thinking about it so much.

"Don't worry, Eriri. We're practically accomplices in a way, so you don't need to feel so much pressure. I'll also explain to Yukino that I was the one who pursued you, and you didn't do anything wrong."

Eriri slowly raised her head, her dark eyes brightening slightly: "That won't do, that would be lying... I was the one who did it first..."

"It's not a lie, because it was because your approach made me realize the feelings I had never known before, so I directly told you. The subsequent development was that you accepted these feelings in accordance with my wishes, so there's no doubt that I was the one who took the initiative."

"Thousand Nights..."

"Leave everything to me, you don't need to worry so much. I still prefer Eriri's smile."

"...!"

When Eriri met his gentle, smiling eyes, her face flushed red, and her body felt as light as if it could fly away.

At this moment, Rikka, who had been observing from the sidelines, slowly raised her hand: "Um...wouldn't it be better for me to be sensible and just leave?"

Actually, she didn't need to say anything; the meal was already over.

We've discussed and agreed on most of the key things.

There's still over a month until the official start of the school year, so Eriri, Rikka, and the others don't need to worry about running into Yukino and Utaha and giving themselves away because they can't hide their secrets.

This month or so was enough time for Chiya Minamoto to come up with a way that would be more acceptable to those around him, minimizing the impact on his now confirmed relationship with Eriri.

After leaving the restaurant, Chiyo took Rikka and Eriri to a nearby department store.

I explored all sorts of pretty little accessory shops, beautiful clothing stores, and the bustling arcade.

The shopping and dating routine that works well for the maid is also quite useful for these two little ones.

It wasn't until after 10 p.m. that Yuan Qianye escorted the two of them back to their apartment building.

"I'm not going up."

"what happened?"

"The company I signed a contract with has a temporary job that requires my presence, so I need to get there quickly."

"Working so late? How annoying."

Gen Chiya patted Rikka's head and said softly to Eriri, "We don't know the specifics of the work yet, nor how long it will take, so remember to get some rest and don't wait for me."

"Hmm." Eriri hesitated, poking her fingers together behind her back. She glanced at Rikka, who was smiling like an aunt, and after Rikka shrugged knowingly and walked into the apartment, she spoke softly, "...Then...take care of yourself, don't push yourself too hard."

"okay."

"Well... bye-bye."

Eriri reached out and waved gently, but the next moment, she was grabbed by Chiyo and pulled into his arms. He lowered his head and gave her a light kiss on the head, making a soft "pop" sound.

Eriri blushed instantly after realizing what had happened.

She turned around silently with her head down, and her mechanical steps improved when she walked to Rikka's side. After Rikka whispered something in her ear with a teasing expression, the two of them ran towards the elevator together, playfully bickering.

After watching them go upstairs, Yuan Qianye turned around, hailed a taxi, and gave the driver the address of Xueyuehua Co., Ltd.

That's right, he's going to find Yukinoshita Haruno, that mischievous executive director older sister.

It wasn't a lie that Rikka Eriri was going to work, since she did indeed sign a cooperation agreement with the Yukinoshita family's company.

Yang Nai had previously mentioned a collaboration with an external company, and suggested that once he had rested and returned from his trip, he should have time to meet with her and discuss it in person.

Now that he has rested quite "well," if he doesn't hurry up and find something to do, he'll really be overdoing it.

This time, there shouldn't be any problems, right?

From a bird's-eye view, Yang Nai is seen wearing an office lady uniform and working diligently at her desk.

Sitting imposingly in the back seat of the taxi, Yuan Qianye unbuttoned the collar of his shirt.

…………

Volume 2: Chapter 163: It's really going to explode! (6k)(13)

At 10:30 p.m., at the Sekigetsuka Co., Ltd. building.

The lights on most floors were off, except for the upper management area where the lights were still on.

In his spacious executive office, Yukinoshita Hidenori buried himself in mountains of documents and data reports.

Just then, the internal phone on the corner of the desk suddenly rang.

Yang Nai didn't even look up, holding the receiver between his shoulder and shoulder, his gaze still fixed on the market analysis report in his hand. His voice was the efficient and concise one that came with him when he was working: "Speak."

The company's receptionist's voice came through: "Executive Director Yukinoshita, Mr. Minamoto Chiya has come to visit and wishes to see you."

"..." Upon hearing this, Yang Nai paused slightly as he wrote annotations.

Why did this scoundrel come over so late without saying a word?

But it's not important...

She immediately put down her pen, a smile playing on her lips, her voice softening unconsciously: "I understand, just let him come up."

"Yes, Executive Director."

After hanging up the phone, Yang Nai did not return to work.

She stood up and stretched, then, as if remembering something, reached into a drawer on the side of her desk, took out a small, exquisite makeup mirror, and carefully examined her face.

Hmm... I've been very busy lately, working non-stop, but thankfully I haven't been staying up too late, so my dark circles aren't too bad... My facial skin is also in pretty good condition, without any obvious signs of fatigue...

I was in such a rush during dinner tonight that my lipstick seems to have worn off quite a bit, and my complexion looks a little pale... Hmm, I need to touch it up a bit...

She deftly took out her usual mauve lipstick from another drawer and carefully applied it evenly along her lip shape in front of the mirror.

When Yuan Qianye pushed the door open and came in, Yang Nai's little scheme to see her sweetheart had just ended. She pushed the drawer closed and came out from behind her desk.

"Why did you come here so suddenly without saying a word?" Yang Nai said with a hint of affectionate reproach, her eyes brimming with undisguised amusement.

"Sister, you said you've been very busy with work lately, working overtime until very late every day. I was a little worried about that, so after I finished my work here, I thought I'd come and see you... This is for you, sister. You've been working so hard lately."

Yuan Qianye placed the plastic bag he was carrying on the reception table, removed the snacks he had bought from the store that he had used to conceal his identity, and took out a small bouquet of flowers from underneath.

Yang Nai took it, brought it to her nose, and inhaled the fragrance with fascination.

Although she prided herself on being a rational and clear-headed modern woman who would not be easily moved by a bouquet of flowers or a few sweet words, nor would she be distracted by such "clichéd" romance—that was before she met Yuan Qianye.

To be honest, if he didn't inform her beforehand and instead appeared so suddenly and unexpectedly in front of her while she was working late into the night, she would definitely see it as a thoughtful and special gesture between them.

Moreover, she must admit that she finds it very helpful.

She had secretly criticized countless times the female protagonists in movies and TV shows who were hopelessly in love as foolish women, but unknowingly she had become one of them.

"Because it's at the company, I didn't dare buy any overly fancy bouquets," Yuan Qianye explained.

“I understand, this is already great, I like it very much, you're so thoughtful~” Yang Nai turned around, took the flowers out of the vase on the desk and threw them into the trash can, then unwrapped the flowers he gave her and put them inside: “But since you’re here, did you forget something else?”

"Of course I didn't forget the gift, but I didn't bring it with me today. I'll give it to you later."

"What is it?"

"To be honest, there aren't many local specialties that really stand out, but I still carefully selected a set of paintings made up of marine shells. I think you'll like it." He gestured to indicate the size: "It's about this big. The painting depicts a sunset and sailboats on the beach. Under the light, the reflections from the different shells create subtle layers of light and shadow, which has a local feel and a sense of craftsmanship."

"That sounds great, thank you, I'm looking forward to seeing the actual product."

"You are welcome."

As Yuan Qianye spoke, he moved closer to Yang Nai and reached out to put his hand on her slender waist.

"No, that won't do." Yang Nai pressed against his lips, which were also trying to come closer at the same time: "We agreed beforehand that we can't do it in the office, the chances of being discovered are too high."

Yuan Qianye tried to find a loophole: "Back then, when we discussed it, we meant the last step, right? Besides, it's not daytime now, it's so late..."

“It has nothing to do with time.” Yang Nai gently pushed his face away: “You should have seen it when you came over, right? Many of our company’s windows are still brightly lit. During this time, not only am I the executive director, but other leaders are also still on duty.”

"So what exactly happened to the company during this period? Why did we suddenly receive such a large amount of business?"

"That would be better." Yang Nai sat down at her desk and sighed softly. "On the contrary, business has been getting worse and worse lately."

You've probably noticed that Japan's overall economic climate is sluggish right now, directly impacting the real estate market. New home sales are slowing, and this has even affected businesses like ours that focus on interior design and finishing touches.

To be honest, Chiyo didn't really feel the truth of what Yono said.

Although he is far from being financially independent, as long as he doesn't excessively pursue a luxurious lifestyle, he certainly doesn't need to worry about money.

However, shaking his head at this moment would feel too cheeky, so he nodded in a pretentious manner, just as Yang Nai had said.

Meanwhile, Yang Nai continued to explain clearly and logically.

"The same goes for the Yukinoshita family's main company. In order to control costs, real estate developers are increasingly adopting standardized modular designs, which has compressed the space for customization and creative design. The profit margin is as thin as paper, and they can no longer take care of us as before. The impact is too great."

She rubbed her temples: "Of course, the most crucial thing is that current consumption trends are also changing. The younger generation of consumers are increasingly inclined to find design inspiration online, and even directly purchase design packages and one-stop soft furnishing solutions through some emerging Internet home decoration platforms."

Those platforms, with their traffic advantage and technical tools, may not be as deep in design as we are, but they excel in speed, price transparency, and variety. This has significantly diverted traffic from traditional companies like ours that rely on in-depth services and personalized design.

Therefore, after several meetings at the senior management level, it was decided that they could no longer expand their operations as before and accept any project.

We must shrink and consolidate the previously scattered business lines and focus our resources.

The goal is clear: abandon low-profit, highly homogenized competition and concentrate resources on two main types of customers—

One type is truly top-tier luxury residences, clubhouses, and private museums—projects that require extreme personalization and artistic taste.