In the master bedroom, the computer desk that was originally placed in front of the floor-to-ceiling window had been moved next to the bed.
Jiang Jian Yue sat cross-legged on the bed, while Yuki Asahi sat on the computer chair—since they hadn’t bought a dining table yet, they could only make do like this.
They began their belated dinner.
The meal was simple: spinach and pork soup, and stir-fried squid.
Because there was no celery in the stir-fried squid, Jiang Jian Yue always felt something was off, and the taste had a faint sweetness to it.
To be honest, except for sweet and sour pork ribs, Jiang Jian Yue didn’t like tasting sweetness in her food—but strangely enough, she didn’t really hate this slightly sweet stir-fried squid.
Paired with refreshing beer, Jiang Jian Yue couldn’t help but let out an “ah~” sound every time she took a sip.
“Moon, you shouldn’t drink too many cold things! Can’t you just buy room temperature beer?”
The beer placed beside Yuki Asahi’s bowl hadn’t been opened yet, with condensed water droplets sliding down its surface and leaving a ring of moisture on the table.
Room temperature beer… Is that even drinkable for humans?
Jiang Jian Yue looked at his unopened beer can and spoke softly:
“Beer… isn’t a building.”
“But it’s just as expensive.”
A hint of confusion flashed in Yuki Asahi’s eyes.
After realizing what she meant, he shivered slightly.
Still, hearing the familiar cold joke again, the complicated emotions in his heart eased a little.
Just as he was about to ask his question, Jiang Jian Yue’s phone rang.
The girl glanced casually at the lit-up phone screen and saw “Father” written in Chinese, then hung up without hesitation.
If he didn’t contact her through Morita Aoya, that meant it was about personal matters—nothing worth discussing.
Yuki Asahi lowered his face, using his chopsticks to push the rice around in his bowl, trying to keep his tone steady.
“Moon, are you leaving me?”
No matter the answer, Yuki Asahi had mentally prepared himself.
He wouldn’t cry about it.
“Hmm?”
Jiang Jian Yue tilted her head.
Silly child, what nonsense are you talking about?
“Now that Moon has returned to the apartment… there’s no need to co-rent with me anymore.”
Yuki Asahi stated the cruel reality, which was also how he saw things.
Don’t even mention the apartment!
Just thinking about the state of the apartment now gave Jiang Jian Yue corporate PTSD.
If not for her facial muscles restraining her, she would have shown a “Trenton Syndrome” expression!
She gulped down the rest of the beer and shook her head gently.
“Onee onee, that would make me no different from a regular missy.”
“Who said I went back to the apartment? I just found a job! Budget, planning, this and that… fuck!”
“Hey, Yuki, do you know? The Environmental Ministry came knocking today, asking ‘GSAC’ to be more eco-friendly and use the same environmentally friendly toilets as the Osaka Expo!”
“Even whether the Expo can be held next year is in question. Otherwise, why don’t we just take over as well? If we blow up all the old buildings now, there might still be a chance to save things.”
“And that damned mascot… dog shit! Doesn’t hold a candle to Hu Ye.”
Jiang Jian Yue rambled on about whatever came to mind, like an old man chatting after a few drinks, changing topics every few seconds.
Yuki Asahi was completely dumbfounded by this sudden burst of “corporate ranting” from Jiang Jian Yue.
He looked at the girl’s flushed cheeks, her usually icy blood-red eyes now glazed with a layer of moisture and tinged with irritation.
“Moon?”
Yuki Asahi called out tentatively, his voice carrying both worry and a hint of amusement.
“Are you… drunk?”
“No!”
Jiang Jian Yue immediately refuted, her voice rising—but due to the drunkenness and fatigue, it sounded soft and had none of its usual authority.
She shook the now-empty beer can and reached for Yuki Asahi’s unopened one.
Yuki Asahi reacted quickly, pressing down on her hand, his touch slightly cool.
“No, Moon, you really can’t drink anymore.”
He looked at her face, already made worse by her period and now flushed unhealthily by alcohol, his brows furrowing.
“And your body isn’t feeling well.”
Jiang Jian Yue’s hand was wrapped in his warm palm.
She struggled a bit but couldn’t break free.
She raised her misty eyes to glare at him, then muttered complaints in broken words.
“So…”
Yuki Asahi’s heart beat a little faster.
He carefully guided the topic, his voice softer.
“Moon, you don’t plan to move back, do you?”
He voiced his deepest worry, his gaze fixed tightly on the girl’s face.
Jiang Jian Yue was silent for a few seconds, as if digesting his question—or maybe wrestling with herself.
She turned her head slightly, her gaze landing on the mattress packaging boxes piled in the empty corner of the living room—boxes they had picked out together.
Then her eyes swept over the brand-new computer desk—the one she had specifically requested.
“Here.”
She finally spoke, her voice very soft, with an awkward, muffled tone, not directly looking at Yuki Asahi.
“Quiet…”
Her fingers unconsciously curled, as if searching for a more concrete reason.
The washing machine… still not bought.
She added another sentence, as if that small washing machine had become an extremely important objective reason not to go back.
Yuki Asahi’s heart felt like it was gently bumped by something, a warm, sour sensation spreading instantly—he understood.
Here was her “home” for now.
As for the apartment, it had become something she strongly rejected.
Having never experienced corporate life, Yuki Asahi couldn’t understand the reason for her aversion, but he could feel it.
“Yeah.”
Yuki Asahi responded, his voice carrying obvious relief and a gentle smile.
He didn’t pursue further, nor did he need her to say anything more direct.
This drunken and awkward “confirmation” was already precious enough.
Her expression was less angry and more a kind of protest.
“So annoying.”
She muttered, giving up on fighting for the beer but not withdrawing her hand, letting him hold it.
The warmth from his fingertips seemed to relax her tense nerves a little.
Jiang Jian Yue lowered her eyes, her voice soft and a bit fragile.
“The apartment… so noisy. Full of people. Full of documents… buzzing… annoying…”
She continued to complain in broken words.
“So…”
Yuki Asahi’s heart beat a little faster. He carefully guided the topic, his voice softer.
“Moon, you don’t plan to move back, do you?”
He voiced his deepest worry, his gaze fixed tightly on the girl’s face.
Jiang Jian Yue was silent for a few seconds, as if digesting his question—or maybe wrestling with herself.
She turned her head slightly, her gaze landing on the mattress packaging boxes piled in the empty corner of the living room—boxes they had picked out together.
Then her eyes swept over the brand-new computer desk—the one she had specifically requested.
“Here.”
She finally spoke, her voice very soft, with an awkward, muffled tone, not directly looking at Yuki Asahi.
“Quiet…”
Her fingers unconsciously curled, as if searching for a more concrete reason.
The washing machine… still not bought.
She added another sentence, as if that small washing machine had become an extremely important objective reason not to go back.
Yuki Asahi’s heart felt like it was gently bumped by something, a warm, sour sensation spreading instantly—he understood.
Here was her “home” for now.
As for the apartment, it had become something she strongly rejected.
Having never experienced corporate life, Yuki Asahi couldn’t understand the reason for her aversion, but he could feel it.
“Yeah.”
Yuki Asahi responded, his voice carrying obvious relief and a gentle smile.
He didn’t pursue further, nor did he need her to say anything more direct.
This drunken and awkward “confirmation” was already precious enough.
He gently pinched her slightly cool fingers.
“I got it. Then… this is Moon’s home. We’ll buy the washing machine together.”
“Hmph hem…”
Jiang Jian Yue seemed dissatisfied with his overly direct understanding, making an ambiguous nasal sound before finally pulling her hand back forcefully.
But the layer of frost on her face, brought by irritation and alcohol, melted a little without her noticing.
Dinner ended in a subtle atmosphere.
Jiang Jian Yue stood up unsteadily, perhaps feeling embarrassed about eating for free, or because they had long agreed she’d do more housework.
She reached out to clear the table.
“I’ll… wash…”
“I’ll do it.”
Yuki Asahi gently held her wrist, stopping her from touching the greasy plates.
He looked into her slightly dazed eyes.
“You’re already like this, so just stay put and rest.”
Blocked by him, Jiang Jian Yue frowned in annoyance, trying to shake off his hand.
“Nagging. I can—”
“No.”
Yuki Asahi was firm.
Perhaps the alcohol had weakened her resistance, or maybe her physical discomfort made her not want to move—this time, Jiang Jian Yue didn’t insist, half-heartedly returning to the bed.
At that moment, Jiang Jian Yue’s phone vibrated again.
The screen lit up, displaying the caller: “Morita Aoya”.
Jiang Jian Yue stared at the name.
The drunken, relaxed look in her eyes instantly cooled, replaced by a flash of clear annoyance and wariness.
Father had just hung up, and now Morita was calling?
A lobbyist?
She hesitated for two seconds, her fingertips tinged with impatience, but finally swiped to answer, her tone icy.
“Speak.”
On the other end, Morita Aoya’s voice was as respectful as ever.
“Missy, sorry to bother you so late.”
His opening was cautious.
“Get to the point.”
Jiang Jian Yue cut him off, leaning back against the bedhead, gaze on the ceiling, ready to hang up at any moment.
Morita Aoya clearly sensed her impatience and paused, not mentioning anything about the family head or work assignments.
Instead, he spoke in a low tone.
“Missy, the day after tomorrow is December 25th.”
December 25th.
Christmas.
But also… Jiang Jian Yue’s birthday.
And… her biological mother’s memorial day.
“By tradition, you need to return to the Setagaya old residence. Madam needs your offering.”
The old residence.
The place that held Jiang Jian Yue’s childhood, as well as the deepest sadness.
There, the memorial tablet of her mother, whom she had never met, was enshrined.
Once upon a time, her birthdays were always surrounded by a faint air of mourning among those around her—she never knew if it was real or not.
Jiang Jian Yue never cared much for her own birthday.
After all, for countless birthdays, the only gift she gave herself was an all-nighter at an internet café.
No family reached out, and she never told her friends online about her birthday.
Morita Aoya waited a few seconds, but when there was no fierce rebuttal or abrupt hang-up, he relaxed a little, his tone growing softer.
“I’ll arrange the car. The day after tomorrow… after midnight, that is, tomorrow, at ten in the morning, I’ll pick you up wherever is convenient for you. Or… do you want me to come directly to where you’re staying now?”
He asked tentatively, clearly already knowing her whereabouts.
“…Got it.”
***
Yuki Asahi washed and dried the dishes, and the kitchen returned to its original neatness—though, honestly, there wasn’t much to mess up in the first place!
He wiped his hands and walked to the master bedroom doorway.
Jiang Jian Yue was leaning against the bedhead, her phone screen now dark.
She stared at the ceiling, a faint mist shrouding her blood-red eyes.
“Moon?”
Yuki Asahi called softly, not wanting to disturb her.
Jiang Jian Yue slowly turned her head, focusing on him.
“The computer desk…”
Yuki Asahi pointed at the desk beside the bed.
“Should I move it back to the window?”
He remembered she liked it by the window.
Jiang Jian Yue nodded silently.
Yuki Asahi quickly moved the desk to the window.
After everything was back in place, the room seemed to return to how it was when they first arranged it together.
He stood up straight, looking at the thin girl on the bed. Hesitating a moment, he finally sat down at the bedside.
Jiang Jian Yue’s gaze followed him all the way.
Once he was settled, she spoke.
“The day after tomorrow is Christmas. Come with me. To Setagaya. Old residence.”
Yuki Asahi was slightly taken aback.
Setagaya old residence?
He didn’t hesitate or ask for details. He simply nodded.
“Okay.”
That simple, unwavering response made Jiang Jian Yue’s tense nerves relax just a little.
She exhaled lightly and leaned deeper into the bedhead.
The atmosphere grew a bit quiet, and Yuki Asahi didn’t want the heavy mood to spread.
He noticed that Jiang Jian Yue seemed to have pulled herself a little away from work-related irritation and tried to change the subject.
He brought up what she was dealing with now—and what the entire Tokyo Metropolis was buzzing about.
“By the way, Moon! GSAC… that’s the ‘Global Superpowered Arena Challenge,’ right? The promotion is insane!”
He pulled out his phone, quickly scrolling through the screen.
“Look, social platforms are filled with discussions. The topic’s trending everywhere! There are posters and trailers all over the streets, too.”
He tapped open a short video—the GSAC concept promo.
“When I was on the train, this ad was playing in the carriage. The giant billboards at Ikebukuro Station have all been replaced with GSAC!”
Yuki Asahi turned his phone so Jiang Jian Yue could clearly see the scrolling comments and dazzling visuals.
“I want to join the competition, too.”
Of course you have to join!
Not only join—but win the championship!
But Jiang Jian Yue wasn’t worried about Yuki Asahi’s abilities, especially since there would be live broadcasts.
Though the emotional amplification would be weaker through the medium, the event had already succeeded in drawing the world’s attention to Japan.
There would also be offline spectators—though there were discussions about safety concerns and the possibility of holding it without a live audience.
Safety concerns, of course, referred to those Saint bastards.
Recently, those Saint bastards had been relatively quiet, which only made the Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu even more uneasy.
Some intelligence indicated that the Saints were planning an even bigger attack…
But so far, no members of the Saints had been captured.
Only during the Osaka operation had two Saints members appeared, but obviously, the dead don’t talk.
The Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu had used false information tactics to root out traitors within the organization.
But the Saints had countered with their strongest strategy: complete indifference.
Those ability users contacted by the Saints were temporarily put under surveillance, but the organization hadn’t mobilized these new recruits much recently.
The investigation had hit a dead end.
Meanwhile, the Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu had received warnings from the Curtain Cluster.
***
“What did you say?”
The Deputy Director frowned.
“Australia?”
“Yes.”
Shuying nodded.
“Our contacts in Australia have confirmed the location of the lost Shock Core.”
“The Light Extinguishers transported the Shock Core and Ayaka—who betrayed GPRI and defected to them long ago—to Sydney using a DRG ship.”
Shuying spoke quietly.
“DRG?”
The Deputy Director instantly felt a headache coming on.
Why is the Dawn Resources Group involved everywhere?
The problem was, they couldn’t risk moving against DRG at all now.
All matters related to the Global Superpowered Arena Challenge had been handed over to the Cabinet.
They were considering establishing a new department to handle the event’s progress and government coordination.
With a level of importance equal to—or even greater than—the already chaotic Osaka Expo, it was beyond what the Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu and their underlings could handle.
All the underlings at Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu could do was act as professional cleaners, while the Cabinet had much more to consider.
Oh so Yue means moon…so I guess the necklace was a sign of ownership huh