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

As Touma Yoko spoke, her voice gradually softened, clearly showing some regret.

At that moment, Yuan Qianye closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

He had no choice. He had reminded his friends before, and even asked Saeko to tell her father, who was abroad, to be careful.

Yoko Touma naturally mentioned it as well, and after learning that her next concert destination was Las Vegas, USA, she advised her not to go, and that it would be better if the concert could be canceled.

But there's nothing I can do; the itinerary is already arranged, and the tickets are all sold, so there's no way to cancel.

Many fans are eagerly anticipating Yoko Touma's comeback after a long hiatus.

She also wanted to respond to this enthusiasm, and finally figured out Yuan Qianye's concerns and weighed the pros and cons.

Considering the life-saving grace that Yuan Qianye had previously shown her, she repeatedly assured him that she would take precautions. She did indeed take this to heart and instructed her assistants to do so, but now…

Well, there's nothing more to say.

She was an adult and would take responsibility for her choices. At that time, she never imagined it would become so serious that it would lead to quarantine.

However, the two consecutive correct reminders also indirectly elevated Minamoto Chiya's already high status in Touma Yoko's heart to the top, second only to her own precious daughter.

"I understand. Aunt Yaozi, please take good care of yourself over there."

"Don't worry, although I'm in quarantine, there won't be any problems with food and accommodation."

Yuan Qianye thought about it and agreed. Rich people enjoy privileges all over the world, so he didn't need to worry about that.

So he got to the point: "What kind of help do you need?"

"It's my daughter. If possible, I'd like to trouble you to spend one night with her on Christmas Eve. My original plan was to go back to China to spend the holiday with her as soon as the concert ended, but I can't go back now."

I could have asked the nanny who works at my house to help, but she knew I was going back for Christmas and asked me for leave in advance to go see my grandson. She took the Shinkansen directly to Kyoto after finishing work this afternoon, so I couldn't ask her to come back because of this.

I have quite a few friends, but I always feel that Kazusa wouldn't like spending the holidays with unfamiliar adults... After thinking it over, you're the only one who's suitable.

Of course, it's such an important day as Christmas Eve, I can understand if you don't have time.

But if that's the case, Kazusa, who used to be with me on Christmas Eve, will probably be all alone in the empty house, quietly crying. It's quite pitiful to think about.

On such an important holiday, I had no family or friends by my side…

Yuan Qianye stopped her, saying, "I understand. I will go on Christmas Eve."

Touma Yoko unlocked a new adjective in his mind: drama queen.

As expected, the moment Chiyoko Minamoto agreed, Yoko Touma's tone instantly brightened: "Thank you so much! Don't worry, you won't have made a wasted trip..."

Gen Chiya didn't care about expressing gratitude; he was more worried about Touma Yoko's current situation than about Touma Kazusa's.

He added a few more words of advice, and this time Touma Yoko listened to them all.

Having had her situation predicted twice in a row by Yuan Qianye in a certain sense, she now regards him as her great savior and dares not disobey him in the slightest.

Finally, Touma Yoko specifically asked Minamoto Chiya not to reveal her situation, so as not to worry her daughter Kazusa.

Parents' hearts are always full of love and concern, and this is quite similar to the reactions of my own father and Runzi's mother when the accident happened.

Yuan Qianye agreed.

On Christmas Eve, around four o'clock in the afternoon, he arrived at the gate of the Touma residence and rang the doorbell.

I pressed the button three times in a row and waited for a long time, but no one responded.

Yoko Touma had anticipated this.

Yuan Qianye took out his phone.

Sometimes my daughter doesn't hear the doorbell because she's practicing in the piano room. You can just enter the code to open the door then; the code is 552288.

…………

072: I'll see how things go (6000)(1)

Based on the message that Touma Yoko had predicted this situation and sent him in advance, Gen Chiya entered the password into the smart lock.

The courtyard gate opened, and he walked straight in.

The Touma family's total land area is slightly larger than the Sawamura family's, but slightly smaller than the Yukinoshita family's, while the Busujima family's is the largest.

However, it's a residence converted from a kendo dojo passed down from their ancestors, so it's normal for it to be a bit big.

The Dongma family's courtyard is surrounded by a meticulously manicured lawn and evergreen trees, creating a tranquil and secluded atmosphere.

Two stone-paved paths leading from the courtyard gate to the house gate are dotted with classic copper lamps.

Unlike the last time I came to bother you, this time, as dusk falls and the sky darkens, the copper lamps automatically light up, illuminating the path beneath your feet with a soft glow, adding a touch of the romantic atmosphere of the Taisho era.

Gen Chiya looked up at the mansion again.

In terms of architectural style, it leans towards European classical style, with off-white stone on the exterior walls, paired with dark brown wooden window frames and carved decorations, which makes it look grand yet warm.

Looking at it from the front, none of the windows had any light source on.

It seems that what Aunt Yaozi said is true; her precious daughter should be practicing the piano right now.

Thinking this, Yuan Qianye entered the password into the front door, opened it, and went inside.

"Excuse me—"

Upon entering the house, his instinctive greeting as an outsider echoed through the dark and quiet environment, like a stone thrown into a bottomless crack, eliciting no response whatsoever.

Chiya Minamoto is now increasingly able to understand why Yoko Touma is so eager for her help.

The larger the room, the more pronounced the loneliness becomes when a person is alone in it.

He suddenly realized that his cramped little home wasn't so bad after all. The noise and fussing that Rikka used to make when Toka was cleaning up his room, which used to bother him, now had a rather positive meaning.

It's good that it's lively, it's good that it's lively.

After changing into slippers, Yuan Qianye walked into the living room with her phone's light on. She touched the light switch, and the living room immediately brightened up, somewhat dispelling the uncomfortable feeling of coldness and loneliness.

Yuan Qianye placed the things he was carrying on the coffee table and looked around.

Apart from the cushions on the sofa scattered haphazardly on the floor, there was nothing unusual about it.

He didn't rush to act, but first took a video of the situation in the living room.

Just before clicking send, he calculated the time on Touma Yoko's end.

Around 2 a.m.

Yes, that's perfect.

send.

Even though she had asked Minamoto Chiya for help, she was still a little worried, so Touma Yoko, who was far away in Las Vegas, was still not resting.

So after I sent the video, she immediately showed it as read, and she typed a reply a short while later.

[I called Kazusa during the day and told her that I had a lot of work piling up here and couldn't go back, so I probably wouldn't be able to be with her not only on Christmas Eve, but also Christmas and New Year's. After I told her this, she immediately stopped talking. Knowing her personality, she was definitely sulking.]

Yuan Qianye typed a reply.

Did you tell her I would come?

Just as I was about to speak, she hung up the phone.

Yuan Qianye remained silent for a moment.

[...So she didn't know? Wouldn't this be considered trespassing? What if she calls the police and gets me arrested?]

[Haha, no way! I texted her later saying I found someone to spend Christmas Eve with her, but I didn't say it was you, just to surprise her.]

Oh, you mean the box of sweets and the cream cake that you specifically asked me to bring, right?

【That's not it. Although Kazusa won't admit it, she's just like me, her mother—she's attracted to good-looking people. You know what I mean?】

Yuan Qianye, an elderly man's face on the subway.

What kind of talk is this? I became so outstanding through my own efforts, but you only care about my appearance?

In today's superficial and restless society... even world-class classical pianists are not immune to this trend.

Yoko Touma sent several more messages in quick succession.

Kazusa is either in her room or in the piano room right now; you can go directly to her.

There should be some ingredients in the fridge. You can cook something like last time. If you don't feel like cooking, just have Kazusa order takeout.

Feel free to contact me anytime if you need anything. I don't have much to do here; I sleep until noon during the day and I'm so bored right now, but I'm not sleepy at all.

I'm not sleepy, but I'm bored...

Yuan Qianye understood.

"Is that so? In that case, Aunt Youzi, you should get some rest. I'll take care of the rest and won't bother you anymore."

【? 】

Putting his phone back in his pocket, Yuan Qianye didn't forget the important reason he had come today.

Following Touma Yoko's instructions, he first headed towards the practice room.

Pushing open the thick door, you are greeted by dry and stuffy heating, a stark contrast to the icy temperature in the living room.

Even for someone who's sensitive to cold, the temperature is way too high. Won't you get dizzy from difficulty breathing if you stay in this kind of environment for a long time...?

Yuan Qianye frowned as he walked in, and the next moment, he saw an unexpected situation.

In the dim light, he saw Touma Kazusa lying barefoot and curled up on the floor next to the expensive piano.

Without thinking twice, he hurriedly went over and knelt down beside her.

"Touma-kun, what's wrong?"

Touma Kazusa was still conscious, but her whole body was trembling. When she was helped to sit up, she opened her eyes and saw that the person who came was Minamoto Chiya, whom she had met once before. Her guard relaxed a little.

But the persistent pain in her abdomen made it impossible for her to speak.

At this moment, Yuan Qianye had already noticed the pained expression on her face and the way she clutched her abdomen with both hands.

In addition, there was an empty Häagen-Dazs box next to it, a large tub with a net content of 1.5 liters...