It was seven in the morning. Tsukiyuki Rio softened her footsteps, stealthily crept to Gao Sijin’s door, and pushed it open with as little sound as possible. She tiptoed to his bedside. The moment Rio entered the room, a refreshing, heart-soothing fragrance filled the entire space.
“Gao-kun, are you asleep?”
Rio asked in a hushed voice.
Lying in bed, Gao Sijin’s breathing was steady and peaceful. His chest rose and fell with a normal rhythm, giving him a trace of serene calm.
It seemed he was asleep.
Standing by Gao Sijin’s bedside, gazing at her beloved’s sweet sleeping face, Rio couldn’t help but become a little entranced. A soft, tender smile involuntarily curved her lips.
How happy this was, right now.
From his sleeping posture, she could tell Gao Sijin was sleeping in a particularly relaxed state. In the past, during those days before his memories were altered, every time she finished taking over his body to share pleasure with him, she would find him curled up into a tight ball in the morning, like he was trying to warm himself, utterly devoid of any sense of security.
Now, however, Gao-kun slept so gently, like a newly born baby.
On his fair, translucent face, his slender, dark brows were slowly relaxed. Gao-kun’s features were very delicate. In his own original self-perception, he had always thought he was a plain-looking background character whom girls disliked. In reality, the reason he wasn’t popular was mostly because his personality was far too shy. During university, more than one girl had a secret crush on him, yet he never dated even a single girl throughout that era, wallowing in self-pity on one hand while refusing to proactively pursue anyone on the other.
If one just glanced at Gao-kun at first sight, perhaps they wouldn’t find him stunning, but his looks were the type that grew more appealing the longer one looked. Especially when paired with his gentle, sensitive personality, it made him utterly irresistible. In the very end, Gao-kun still confessed to her. They spent a wonderful day together in the Cherry Blossom Garden—an honor that made Rio feel intoxicated.
Even with his first love, Gao Sijin had never taken the initiative to confess, instead passively accepting the love of his middle school first girlfriend.
“Truly adorable…”
Rio couldn’t control her own body. She gently lifted the blanket covering Gao Sijin and slipped into his bed to share warmth together. Just this was enough—lying on the same bed with Gao-kun like this, feeling his presence.
The Gao-kun she once failed to hold onto tightly, this time she absolutely must clutch him firmly in her palm and never let go.
Her long, beautiful legs were faintly visible beneath the semi-transparent skirt gauze. Her smooth, delicate calves involuntarily coiled around Gao Sijin’s waist, but this wasn’t enough. She wanted to hold him even tighter. So Rio’s arms also exerted force together, hugging Gao Sijin’s neck tightly as the soft flesh of her chest pressed against his back.
Because the movements were far too bold, Gao Sijin was still woken up.
“Is that you, Rio?”
“Morning, Gao-kun.”
“What are you doing?”
“As you can see, I’m assaulting you.”
“Oh.” Gao Sijin responded faintly. Immediately after, he turned over at once, flipping their positions to pin Rio beneath him in a single motion, not forgetting to add a mischievous grin. “That’s not an assault. That’s walking right into the trap. The girl just got way too close.”
“Is Gao-kun going to do bad things to me?” Rio shrank her body back in feigned panic as she asked. “Surely you don’t intend for this young lady to pay with her body?”
“Rio, wait just a moment first. Let me brush my teeth before I kiss your little mouth. I really can’t deal with you—sneak attacking me every morning and night. We might as well not sleep in separate rooms.”
“If we didn’t sleep in separate rooms, I’d probably end up pregnant with Gao-kun’s baby before graduating university. Although I’m really looking forward to becoming a Mother, I still have to wait a bit longer, right? At least until after university graduation.”
“Yeah, we must restrain ourselves during the danger period, no question. That’s no problem on my end, but I’m just afraid you, Rio…” Gao Sijin said while sneaking a glance.
“What Gao-kun just said basically labels me a Pervert Girl by default!” Rio chided him coquettishly.
“Sorry.”
Walking into the washroom, Gao Sijin spent around ten minutes on the full routine of brushing his teeth and washing his face. Afterward, he returned to Rio’s side, embraced her, and kissed her.
This was the fixed routine every morning. To make Rio happy, morning kisses were mandatory. This behavior was practically identical to a pair of idiotic lovebirds. Most of the time, compared to Gao Sijin, Rio was the one on the offensive. Perhaps because she had read Gao Sijin like a book, Rio could always accurately grasp his preferences. He liked Yandere types, and he was also a uniform fetishist.
Black stockings, white stockings, JK uniforms, maid outfits, Lolita fashion, cosplay—she had practically everything. At this very moment, what Rio wore was a semi-transparent nightgown printed with rose patterns, coquettish yet carrying a trace of cuteness. In summary, Yu Qingxue could only walk the sexy route, whereas Tsukiyuki Rio could be either a mature lady or a little Loli.
The lovers tightly embraced on the bed, savoring the seven-o’clock morning hour.
This was Yu Qingxue’s apartment.
Actually, in Gao Sijin’s initial speculation, the moment Tsukiyuki Rio moved into Yu Qingxue’s home, a delightfully dramatic Shuraba scenario would inevitably erupt. When that happened, Gao Sijin—as the center of the storm—would surely suffer some turbulence. Truthfully, Gao Sijin had already mentally prepared himself for it long ago and had begun planning how to make the two women transition from love rivals into friends. But who knew that after Rio moved into the apartment, no large-scale conflict with Yu Qingxue erupted at all. The two could even sit on the sofa chatting together, their harmony so smooth that Gao Sijin found it baffling.
“Gao-kun, even though it’s morning, could I ask you to cherish me like you did the night before last…” Clinging to Gao Sijin’s body, Rio’s pretty face flushed crimson. “Just ten minutes…”
“Ten minutes? Rio, you’re underestimating me way too much. When you’re with me, shouldn’t it be at least forty minutes? Let’s save this sort of thing for tonight. Besides, if we make too much noise and Qingxue hears it, that’ll be way too awkward.”
“Alright then…”
Rio gently bit her lip.
Altering Gao Sijin’s memories so that he seized the initiative also had its downsides—she could no longer just follow her own whims. Still, she could endure this. As long as Gao-kun gradually sank deeper into this false birdcage, even if she occasionally couldn’t get what she wanted, it was worth it.
The two separated their bodies from the fiery embrace and discovered Yu Qingxue leaning against the doorway.
“Hello there, you two. So hot and passionate so early in the morning. How about including me next time? The three of us can play together.”
“Senior is joking again. Gao-kun is my personal property. No matter how much I respect you, Senior, I could never transfer Gao-kun over to you.”
“I knew it. Junior always just looks after her own fill and refuses to let me share even a sip of the soup. I’ve been so starving, you know.”
“Clearly, the University of Tokyo has so many outstanding boys and even frequently holds mixers. Does Senior seriously not have the slightest bit of interest?”
“None whatsoever. My love has never easily drifted with the currents. Don’t look at me like I have a Bad Woman’s face—I’m actually surprisingly devoted. Even if I can’t get him and it just increases my suffering, that’s still better than randomly finding some guy to settle for.” Yu Qingxue paused. “Hurry up and come eat. Breakfast is already ready.”
“Okay.”
The three of them came together to the first-floor dining room of the apartment. Ever since Rio moved in as well, this apartment seemed far more vibrant than before. As usual, Gao Sijin gulped down a large glass of ice-cold barley tea, utterly content.
Today was April twenty-ninth. Following this, with holidays like Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, and Children’s Day linked together, they could have ten consecutive days off. As an aside, they wouldn’t even need to make up for the adjusted holidays afterward. Gao Sijin had even specifically flaunted this matter on QQ to his online friends, asking about their emotional journey after the May Day adjusted holidays. Naturally, the result was becoming a target of public criticism and being thoroughly cursed out.
“Gao-kun, stop playing on your phone and hurry up and eat.”
“Mm, right away.”
“By the way, Gao-kun, do you have any plans for the holiday?”
“Rio, do you want to return to my home country with me? I’d like to bring you to meet the parents. With such an outstanding girlfriend like you, my family will definitely be overjoyed.”
“Gao-kun wants to go back this holiday?” Rio gently nibbled her lip. “How about we just stay instead? Actually, for this holiday, I had planned to take Gao-kun and Qingxue to my villa in Karuizawa for a vacation. But if Gao-kun truly wishes to bring me to his hometown, that’s also fine, you know…”
“Forget it then. Since Rio already has plans, let’s all go vacation in Karuizawa together.”
Actually, by coincidence, Gao Sijin had just seen on WeChat that his Cousin also didn’t want him to return to the country. From a cost-effectiveness perspective, a round-trip flight back home cost several thousand. After mulling it over carefully, summer and spring holidays were far more cost-effective, allowing him to return home and rest for over two months.
So after weighing the options, it was best not to return to the country for now. After all, there were many economic considerations to take into account. He couldn’t really be so thick-skinned as to treat Rio’s wealth as his own just because they had become lovers.
“Then after breakfast, we’ll set off for Karuizawa, Gao-kun.”
“Alright, I’ll follow your lead, Rio.”
“Qingxue has no problem either, right?”
“Of course no problem. The three of us going together—we’ll definitely have a ton of fun.”
Yu Qingxue also smiled.
The villa in Karuizawa…
Every time Tsukiyuki Rio returned from the Karuizawa villa, she would have several more futuristic tools with her. That place was the connection point where Rio linked up with other world lines, and furthermore, it was a place the Time Smuggler frequently visited. Rio’s previous trip to Karuizawa had been to visit the Hououin family.
It seemed the time was ripe. Tsukiyuki Rio was finally going to use the future to combat the future—to make a move against Feng Na.
After finishing breakfast, the morning news played live on the television screen. In the early hours of today, Masaki Toshihisa, Boss of the Shokaku Society, had died bizarrely in prison. An autopsy revealed the cause of death to be poisoning.
What a pitiful man.
Practically like an old dog discarded after losing its value.
Yu Qingxue discreetly glanced at Tsukiyuki Rio, silently wondering if she herself might one day die the same way Masaki Toshihisa had in the future.
“Senior, the meal was very much to my taste. Thank you again for today.”
“To receive praise from Junior Rio, I feel extremely honored. If you’re truly grateful, then lend me your boyfriend to play with for two days.”
“Honestly, Senior just loves joking. It’s impossible to lend Gao-kun to you, Senior.”
“I knew it.”
“Alright, after we tidy up a bit, we should prepare to set off.”
