They all have special skills

"Xiangzi, congratulations." Ruo Yemu racked his brains and could only say the simplest words of congratulations in a concise manner.

"Don't talk about this anymore..." Toyokawa Shoko's face turned even redder. She kept talking about this and that, and didn't want to continue talking about this topic. After all, she herself hadn't thought much about Shimizu River or their relationship, and she hadn't thought about what the next step between them should be.

"He is a very brave man, so even if you encounter difficulties in the future, Xiangzi, you can rely on him." Ruoye Mu seemed quite sure about this.

Toyokawa Shoko had a strange expression on her face. She said this… as if you knew him better than I did. “Are you familiar with Shimizu?”

“…” Ruoye Mu shook his head.

"You're so sure, but people's hearts are hidden deep, and we can't just look at the surface of things."

"..." Ruo Yemu looked at his friend who was telling him the truth, and after thinking for a while, he understood.

She asked cautiously, "Could it be that, Xiangzi, you don't know about that boy... Qingshuichuan?"

"His business..." Toyokawa Shoko frowned. "What business?"

So that's how it is...

Wakaba Mutsu didn't mince words and said, "Qingshuichuan was once in the newspapers and even interviewed by TV stations. During that period, he was quite famous."

"He was in the newspapers and on TV? What's going on?" Shoko Toyokawa had never heard of such a thing.

Looking at her friend's anxious expression, Ruo Yemu slowly moved her feet, leaned back without any expression, and began to tell her friend in detail what she knew.

On the bed beside them, Qingshui Ai had her back to them, her ears perked up, and she was secretly anxious.

It would be very bad if Shiyu's mother knew about the matter between her father and her mother at this point in time!

…………

Volume 1: Chapter 115: Xiangzi's Girlish Heart

After a day's work, Qingshuichuan walked home with Qingshui Akane in the night.

The two of them each held a cup of milk tea in their hands. The store was very busy today, and that was the manager's special gift of thanks to everyone for the unexpected treat.

Looking at his little daughter, who was squinting and moving her neck, Qingshuichuan asked, "...How do you feel? It must have been very hard."

Akane Shimizu thought for a moment, "Hmm..." "It's okay. I'm not tired, but a little bored. Also, it's a bit annoying not to get angry when encountering boring customers... But overall, it's acceptable."

"Remember, you only worked one day."

"Hmm..." Qing Shuiqian couldn't bear the teasing look from Qing Shuichuan and spread her hands: "I know, it's not the same as you, Dad. Mom's life changed suddenly. It's really hard for her to fall into this class."

"So you can understand her a little bit now?"

Only then did Akane Shimizu realize that there was something wrong with her father's words, and her eyes became alert: "Dad, have you noticed something?" For example, the purpose of her return this time.

Qingshuichuan chuckled and didn't answer: "Who knows."

Akane Shimizu was dissatisfied with his answer, but then she realized she had her own way to counter it, so she chuckled and said, "Dad, you should worry about yourself more than me. I'm curious how you're going to confess to Mom later."

She put on a relaxed smile, as if nothing had happened and she was enjoying the show, but she was still a little worried in her heart.

Given my mother's personality, that's why something like that happened, and then my father confessed that he was unfaithful... Well, due to the lack of specific cases, I have no idea how the situation will develop next.

But we will know soon.

After returning home, Qingshuichuan and Qingshui Akane were both shocked.

Shimizu Ai was lying on the tatami and drawing, while Toyokawa Shoko was bringing a few simple dishes from the stove to the small dining table.

Seeing the entrance door open, she turned around and said hello: "I calculated the time and thought you should be back soon. You must be very hungry after a tiring day. Come wash your hands and eat first."

It was not until Ai came running over to welcome them home that the two of them finally realized what was going on and did as they were told.

"I'm not very good at cooking, so I just used the ingredients in the refrigerator and put them together. The taste might not be very good."

Qingshuichuan took the bowl full of rice handed to him by Toyokawa Shoko and was deeply moved. He didn't care about these things at all. The thought was enough, and the taste was secondary!

"No, it's delicious!" Qingshuichuan was quite supportive, but he didn't notice that Qingshui Ai beside him sighed softly, and the look on her face when she looked at her father was indescribable.

"I'll clean up..."

"No need, I can wash it myself." After the meal, Shimizukawa didn't let Toyokawa Shoko get up, and he quickly cleaned up the table.

While he was washing the dishes, Qingshui Ai leaned over and whispered something in Qingshui Akane's ear.

Therefore, the look in Akane Shimizu's eyes when she looked at her father became indescribable.

According to what I thought at the beginning, there might be a glimmer of hope if I confessed the truth before my mother knew the details, but in this situation now... I can only wish for the best, right?

Before I came here, my mother didn't tell me what to do in such a situation, so... I can only sit back and let my father handle it himself?

But the little daughter is still the little daughter after all, and she still has the attributes of a little cotton-padded jacket.

Shoko Toyokawa didn't go home yesterday, so she has to go back today no matter what.

As expected, Shimizukawa had to send her off. When Toyokawa Shoko was changing her shoes at the entrance, Shimizu Akane leaned close to her father's ear and whispered, "Mom seems to have known about what happened between you and Shiwa Eriri's mother. Dad, do your best and wish you good luck."

Qingshui Chuan: "?"

The sound of the door opening was heard from the entrance, and Shoko Toyokawa had already walked out of the apartment.

Although Qingshuichuan was full of doubts, he didn't have the chance to ask any more questions, so he quickly put on his shoes and followed.

His daughter's nonsensical words made him feel uneasy, but fortunately, after they left the apartment and walked a few steps side by side, Toyokawa Shoko took the initiative to speak: "This afternoon, I met with Mu and talked, and it seems that there is no problem."

Seeing that she was normal, Qingshuichuan felt relieved, but he was also a little curious: "How did you explain to her about Qian?"

Toyokawa Shoko shook her head: "That's not important."

If this isn't important, then what is?

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko's slow pace, Qingshuichuan suddenly understood. At this moment, his warm-hearted personality and intelligence came online: "Are you feeling better now?"

“…” Shoko Toyokawa stopped in silence.

"Are you still feeling uncomfortable?" Qing Shuichuan asked nervously again this time, which made her reveal a murderous look as if she was looking at garbage.

"I'm so... sorry..." He broke out in a cold sweat and couldn't help but apologize.

"..." Toyokawa Shoko breathed a sigh of relief, stopped pursuing the matter, and continued walking forward: "This afternoon, I learned some very interesting things from Mu."

"Interesting thing?"

"Well, about you, I didn't expect you to be so... active in some way."

"Being active and stuff... that should be considered a compliment..." In fact, having said this, coupled with his little daughter's previous hint, Shimizukawa roughly guessed what Toyokawa Shoko had learned from her friend.

Indeed, after all, it just happened in the past few months, so it’s not really that far away. There must be some people who remember those events that happened.

Shimizukawa observed Toyokawa Shoko's expression and said, "I was planning to tell you directly tonight."

What were you doing earlier?

Qingshuichuan's words made Toyokawa Xiangzi dissatisfied. She wanted to complain, but seeing his serious expression, she thought for a moment and didn't say anything. She said instead: "That's perfect. Tell me now."

Ok?

Shimizukawa looked at Toyokawa Shoko with concern as she tried her best to control her expression and looked straight ahead, and he was thinking secretly in his heart.

This development doesn't seem as difficult to handle as I initially thought...

Qingshuichuan regrouped: "How much do you know?"

Toyokawa Shoko shook her head. "Not much. I heard Mu mention some, but she only had a rough idea. I later looked it up online and read some reports and news."

"That's it..."

"But you have a really good relationship with that female light novel writer. During the interview, you even promoted her book. There are so many comments under the related video messages praising your relationship. I remember she came to our store once before, and she was affectionate. Is it because we have such a close relationship that we can ask her for help? Do you trust her a lot? Are you dating?"

Shimizukawa, who had thought the situation was not so serious just now, was caught off guard by a series of death-defying questions from Toyokawa Shoko, and each question went straight to the core of the problem!

As expected of the former eldest daughter, she has such a strong ability to grasp the crux of the problem that I couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

Toyokawa Shoko didn't get an answer for a long time, so she turned her head to look at Kiyomizu River with a gloomy look.

This guy, the ease he had this morning is completely gone now. In the end, he can only bully me physically...

"It's true that we have a very good relationship, and I do trust her, but we're not dating yet..." Qingshuichuan sighed, agreed frankly, and told the truth.

He had originally planned to confess to Xiangzi tonight. Although the starting point of the topic had changed, the general plan had to proceed as usual. What followed next was his ability to perform on the spot.

We're not dating yet...but if we continue like this, it's only a matter of time, right?

Toyokawa Shoko's face was a little cold.

If that’s the case, what’s the relationship between them?

Qingshuichuan continued, "...As you said before, it's really unfair that I'm the only one who knows about your affairs. So from now on, I'll tell you everything about me, Xiangzi, that you want to know. It's probably going to take some time, so let's find a place to sit down and talk."

When Shoko Toyokawa heard the first half of Shimizukawa's words, her nameless anger subsided a little. She thought to herself that this guy was quite thoughtful and he still remembered what she had said casually before.

However, after hearing his last suggestion, she almost subconsciously took a step to the side, hugged her chest with both hands, and stared at him as if she was guarding against a thief. Her vigilance was extremely high, and her defensive awareness could not be more obvious!

It's not that she is overly self-aware, but this morning made her fully aware of Qingshuichuan's inhuman nature at certain times. He will turn a deaf ear to her cries for help and try harder.

What should she do then? Let him continue pushing? She might end up in an even worse situation!

Seeing her burning heart turn cold, Qingshuichuan felt that he had deliberately considered her from her perspective. He spread his hands and said, "If you think it's okay to just talk while walking, then I don't mind."

"Let's do it this way."

"..."

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko's relieved expression, Shimizukawa was speechless. What on earth did she think she was? An amorous person who couldn't control her rationality?

He really wanted to defend himself. It wasn't that he was a bad person, it was all Xiangzi's fault... A body like the succubus in the adult novel, it was simply uncontrollable! Not to mention that he was still in the most active adolescence of his life, at the age when even steel plates could be penetrated!

Why does it sound so much like a criminal's confession... Forget it...

----

To get from the Kiyomizu River to the old street-facing apartment where Shoko Toyokawa currently lives, one needs to take the tram for more than a dozen stops and then walk a few blocks.

The journey is not too far, about forty minutes.

The time spent during this period was subtle, but it was indeed enough for Shimizukawa to briefly explain his general situation, and although Toyokawa Shoko did not say it explicitly, the questions she asked were obviously of great concern to her. He also gave a general account of what happened between him, Kasumigaoka Utaha, and Sawamura Eriri.

Of course, it was still the same as before. He lightly revealed the secrets of the system he was carrying, which made some of his experiences even more legendary.

After coming out of the tram station, Shoko Toyokawa remained silent and walked forward on her own.

Judging from the news reported on Muhe.com, Qingshuichuan's experience seems quite incredible.

In the afternoon, Mu also showed her the thrilling scene that was filmed by the onlookers at the fire scene. With the development of mobile phone cameras today, various parameters and functions have become quite advanced. Even if they are a long distance away from the fire scene, the pictures can still be taken very clearly. She saw clearly that the person who risked his life to save the girl in the thick smoke and fire was Shimizukawa himself.

There had been many news reports about his former school closing down due to a major incident involving a shipwreck, but there had been almost no reports about him personally. However, his voluntary confession as one of the first-hand witnesses of the incident had allowed Toyokawa Shoko to clearly understand the whole story... She also learned why the blonde girl with twin pigtails whom she had met in the restaurant had been so affectionate towards him, just like the light novel writer.

After learning about the various things about Shimizu River, Shoko Toyokawa did not feel relieved and happy as she had thought at the beginning. On the contrary, she was in a very confused mood, with all kinds of feelings mixed together, and even she herself found it difficult to taste.

She originally thought that she could stand on the right side and maintain her upright position, but now it seems that this is not the case.

Whether it was the light novel writer or the girl who returned from the shipwreck with him, they had obviously come into contact with Shimizu earlier than she did, and had established a connection with him, and they had even experienced life and death together.

If they were in a movie, they would be considered the ultimate male and female protagonists.

If I really want to be honest, I was the one who came in out of nowhere...

What was this? Was this considered stealing someone's love? Was I just taking advantage of someone else's situation?

Toyokawa Shoko was silent all the way, which made Shimizukawa feel uneasy.

For a moment, he wanted to use mind reading to try to interpret the other person's current mood, but after experiencing last night and this morning together, something had subtly changed. He was somewhat reluctant to use this method on Xiangzi, so in the end he gave up.

Both of them remained silent, and before they knew it, they arrived at the gate of Xiangzi's house.

It’s not quite accurate to say it’s the main entrance.

It was a rusty iron ladder that extended all the way to the second floor next to a single-family house. It looked extremely dangerous and so rotten that it seemed like it might collapse if stepped on.

Qingshuichuan looked at the stairs in front of him and it would be a lie to say that he didn't feel sorry for Xiangzi. After all, she was now truly his woman.

But out of consideration for the other party's self-esteem, he did not show such emotion.

"...Thank you for sending me."

"It's ok."

"..."

Shimizukawa looked at her intently, and Toyokawa Shoko looked back calmly.

The summer night breeze blew gently, carrying a strand of Xiangzi's hair across his cheek.