Oh no! They all seem a bit off!

Chapter 187 Flying to Osaka to meet Himeyasuki
"Cheng-jun, where are you going?"

Just as Akizuki Makoto explained the situation to the homeroom teacher and received permission to leave early, Shiina Maki suddenly ran out from the class line and called out to him.

Upon hearing Shiina Maki's voice, Akizuki Makoto instinctively stopped in his tracks, a slight wavering in his heart.

Of course, this wavering wasn't about whether or not to go find Ji Yexue, but rather whether or not he should be honest with Shiina Maki.

"Cheng-kun, where are you going? Did you just go to find the teacher and leave early?"

After Shiina Maki came to Akizuki Makoto's side, she asked with concern, "Did something happen to Fuyuko? Is that why you have to leave early?"

"Ah, yes..."

Akizuki Makoto subconsciously nodded in agreement, trying to brush it off, but then suddenly stopped speaking.

Is it really okay to lie and hide the past like this?
If Shiina Maki knew the truth, wouldn't it break her heart?

"...I'm sorry, I'm going to find Xue. I'm worried about her and want to talk to her."

After a brief hesitation, Akizuki Makoto told Shiina Maki the truth; he didn't want to lie to her anymore.

Even if the lie told now is a white lie.

But a lie is a lie, and once it's exposed, it will hurt others.

"Yes, yes..."

Upon hearing Makoto Akizuki's words, Maki Shiina paused for a moment, then forced a smile and said, "Makoto-kun, go ahead. You don't need to apologize to me. You haven't done anything wrong to me."

She couldn't blame Qiu Yuecheng, after all, Qiu Yuecheng had made it very clear that he would not give up on Ji Yexue.

Therefore, since Akizuki Makoto is now going to find Ji Yexue, she has no reason to stop him and can only let him go.

but……

A despicable and selfish thought surfaced uncontrollably in her mind.

She hoped that Akizuki Makoto would fail, that he would return empty-handed, and that Ji Yexue would not see him.

"...Okay, I'm leaving."

Akizuki Makoto didn't say anything more. After saying goodbye to Shiina Maki, he hurriedly left the gymnasium and headed straight out of the school.

As Shiina Maki watched him leave, her forced smile crumbled, replaced by sadness and disappointment.

Even though he knew all along that Akizuki Makoto couldn't forget Ji Yexue and would go to find her sooner or later, he still felt really bad when that day actually came.

Shiina Maki desperately wanted to hold Akizuki Makoto's hand and beg him not to go, but to keep his eyes on her. She was willing to give everything and do anything for him.

But that won't work; it would bother Akizuki Makoto and might make him think she's a nuisance.

because……

The person that Akizuki Makoto truly loves is not her, but Ji Yexue; she isn't even a substitute.

……

……

After leaving the school, Akizuki Makoto hailed a taxi on the roadside and headed straight for Chiyoda Port Ward.

On the bus, he mustered his courage and contacted Mrs. Ji Ye, asking her to give him a chance to meet Ji Yexue, as he had something to say to her.

Unfortunately, even as the taxi entered Chiyoda Ward and got closer to Minato Ward, Mrs. Himeya did not reply to the message or show it as read.

Qiuyue sincerely thought that Mrs. Jiye must be busy, and after hesitating for a long time, she decided to make a phone call.

As his phone rang, his heart began to race with unease.

His last hope was Mrs. Ji Ye. If even Mrs. Ji Ye didn't answer the phone, he didn't dare to think of any other way he could see Ji Yexue.

Are we really going to have to wait for Ji Yexue at the door?

He wasn't afraid of spending time waiting, but he was worried that Ji Yexue would deliberately avoid him once she knew he was waiting at the door.

"...Hello? Is this Akizuki-kun?"

Just as Akizuki Makoto was lost in thought, the phone was suddenly connected, and Mrs. Himeya's gentle and soft voice came from the receiver.

"it's me!"

Qiu Yuecheng immediately perked up and hurriedly greeted her, "I'm sorry to bother you in your busy schedule, Auntie. Do you have a moment now?"

"I only have a few minutes. I was in the middle of a morning meeting when I heard your call, so I came out to answer it."

"Is that so... I'm very sorry to have bothered you. I'll get straight to the point. May I see Xue? I have something I'd like to say to her."

I want to see Xiaoxue.

Mrs. Himeya was somewhat surprised. She didn't rush to reply, but remained silent for a few seconds before speaking, "Akizuki-kun, why do you suddenly want to see Yuki?"

“I heard she dropped out of school, so I wanted to meet her and talk to her.”

After answering Mrs. Himeya's question truthfully, Akizuki continued, "I know that Yuki has been very busy lately, and it is understandable that she has taken a leave of absence from school, but I really want to see her. I have a lot to say to her."

“Akizuki-kun, I understand how you feel, but you also have to consider Xiaoxue’s feelings. She probably doesn’t want to see you.”

On the other end of the phone, Mrs. Ji sighed softly. Even if she wanted to help, she was powerless to do so.

after all……

Ji Yexue is not at home now, and she's not even in Tokyo anymore.

Even she is the same; she is not in Tokyo, but in Osaka.

Today is September 1st. For students like Akizuki Makoto, it's the start of the new school year. But for Mrs. Himeya and Himeya Yuki, it's a day to negotiate the distribution of benefits with the branch.

“Auntie, I know Xiaoxue doesn’t want to see me, and I know I hurt her, but…”

Halfway through his sentence, Akizuki Makoto suddenly stopped. He took a deep breath and said sincerely, "I really, really want to see Xue. No matter what, I want to see her. If she doesn't want to see me, I will wait for her at the door until she is willing to see me."

"Akizuki-kun, you..."

Mrs. Himeya on the other end of the phone seemed to laugh helplessly, and remained silent for a moment.

After a long pause, she finally spoke, "Then come to Osaka. If you arrive today, I'll give you a chance."

Since Qiuyue has already said so much, it wouldn't be right for her not to give her a chance.

Although she was worried that it might be inappropriate for the two of them to meet, Akizuki Makoto's sincere determination moved her.

Besides, her proud and arrogant daughter probably also wanted to see Qiu Yuecheng again. Even if Ji Yexue didn't say it, her mother could tell.

"O-Osaka...?"

Upon hearing the unexpected place name, Akizuki Makoto paused for a moment, then asked to confirm, "Auntie, you just mentioned Osaka? Yuki is in Osaka now?"

"Yeah, we're both here... I have to go now, I need to head back. Contact me when you get there."

After speaking, Mrs. Hime hung up the phone immediately, not giving Akizuki Makoto a chance to speak again. It seemed that she was really in a hurry and did not have time to chat.

Akizuki Makoto stared blankly at the screen indicating the end of the call. It took him a long time to come to his senses before he said in a low voice, "...Master, let's not go to the port area. Take me back to Bunkyo Ward instead."

"Ok!"

The driver didn't ask any further questions and simply turned around and drove back to Bunkyo Ward. "...Osaka?"

Akizuki Makoto muttered to himself as he opened his current flight schedule to check when the next flight to Osaka was.

The distance between Tokyo and Osaka is about 500 to 600 kilometers, and it only takes a little over an hour to fly from Haneda Airport.

If you take the Shinkansen, it only takes three or four hours.

After returning to his apartment in Bunkyo Ward, Makoto Akizuki first checked on Fuyuko's condition, then left a note on the bedside table, telling her that he was going to Osaka and might not be back until tomorrow.

Finally, he sent a message to Shiina Maki, explaining the situation and asking her to take care of Fuyuko after school.

After doing all this, he rushed to Haneda Airport and took the next available flight to Osaka.

……

: p.m.

The plane from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Osaka landed on time, and Makoto Akizuki followed the navigation and left the airport.

Arriving outside the airport and looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, he felt a sense of bewilderment and helplessness.

Will he really be able to meet Ji Yexue and talk to her successfully next?

He had gone to great lengths to finally meet Ji Yexue, and if they parted on bad terms after only a few words, he couldn't imagine what other opportunities they might have to meet again.

He had only managed to get this opportunity to talk by humbly begging Mrs. Himeya, but Mrs. Himeya would obviously only help him this once.

Next time, Mrs. Himeya won't be so gentle, after all, the person who asked her for help is a scumbag who hurt her precious daughter.

"Let's get in touch first..."

Akizuki closed his eyes, took a deep breath, suppressed his inner thoughts, and dialed Mrs. Himeya's number.

The call was answered in just five or six seconds, which suggests that Mrs. Ji Ye was not busy at the moment.

"Akizuki-kun, have you arrived?"

"Um, I'm at the airport now. Where do I go to see snow?"

"Come to Century Building. Xiaoxue is here right now. But you'll have to wait when you get there. We have a meeting and we don't know when it will end. I've already spoken to the receptionist. Just tell her your name and she'll take you up."

"Okay, I know."

After the agreement was reached, Mrs. Himeya hung up the phone, and Akizuki Makoto took a taxi to the Century Building.

Although he didn't know the way or where it was, the driver knew.

That place is surprisingly far away, located in the center of Osaka, and it takes forty or fifty minutes to get there by taxi.

During the journey, Akizuki Makoto pondered how to repair his relationship with Himeyasuki.

He didn't expect them to reconcile; he just wanted Ji Yexue to stop refusing to contact him.

"This is quite extravagant. Knowing Xue's personality, she'll probably have a huge fight with her..."

Akizuki Shiro thought with a headache, his inner turmoil making him want to escape and avoid facing the situation countless times.

The thought of arguing with Ji Yexue and being scolded by her made him feel terrible.

Moreover, he was completely in the wrong and had no room for rebuttal.

All he could do was beg Ji Yexue in a humble and shameless manner.

He was prepared to abandon his dignity; all that remained was to see how Ji Yexue would feel.

I just hope that during this time when we haven't met, Ji Yexue won't be so angry with him anymore.

……

Meanwhile, Akizuki Makoto arrived in a taxi.

On the top floor of the Century Building, Mrs. Ji put down her phone and said to her secretary who was waiting beside her, "Go and call Xiaoxue and have her come to the meeting."

"clear."

The secretary bowed her head in response, left the office, and went to the lounge next door.

Pushing open the door, what comes into view is a black-haired girl lying on the sofa, curled up, lightly asleep.

And this young girl was none other than Ji Yexue, the next head of the Ji Ye family.

"Young Miss, please wake up. It's time for the meeting."

"Um……"

At the secretary's gentle call, Ji Yexue frowned and slowly opened her eyes.

After a brief moment of confusion, her eyes cleared.

"Is it time already...?"

She murmured as she sat up from the sofa, her exquisitely beautiful face still showing a trace of weariness.

"I'm so sorry, Miss, for disturbing your precious rest time."

The secretary apologized in a low voice. Although it was her job, as the dedicated secretary serving Ji Ye and her daughter, she knew very well that Ji Yexue needed more rest.

Ji Yexue's sleep is very poor, partly because she is very busy every day and her sleep time is not fixed, and partly because she suffers from insomnia.

Even when she's exhausted, she'll toss and turn in bed for a long, long time before she can fall asleep.

They had seen doctors and tried medication, but that only made things worse.

Using medication would cause Ji Yexue's accumulated physical and mental fatigue to erupt, resulting in her sleeping for a very long time, basically for most of the day, which is very detrimental to her daily work schedule.

Moreover, after waking up, Ji Yexue would feel unusually tired, accompanied by dizziness.

She was not suited to using medication, so she stopped using it after using it once.

"It's okay, let's go."

Ji Yexue shook her head, put on the high heels placed under the sofa, and left the lounge with her secretary.

Now, her clothing and appearance are very different from before.

Wearing a custom-made black suit, paired with a skirt suit, black stockings, and high heels, her makeup also exuded a mature and intellectual vibe, making her look even more aloof and unapproachable.

The meeting was held in a conference room on the next floor, where six other people were seated besides her, her mother, and her mother.

These six people represent the Osaka and Kyoto branches of the Himeya family.

This meeting was initiated by these two branches, who wanted to separate a portion of their property and trade from the main family.

In the past, as a branch family, they would never have dared to unite and make such a demand on the main family, because of Himeya Ryushun's presence.

Ji Yelongjun is like the guardian spirit of the main branch; with him around, the branches dare not act recklessly.

But things are different now. Ji Ye Longjun has been dead for more than a month. In this month, many of the Ji Ye family's assets have been impacted, leaving them in a weakened state, besieged on all sides.

They had already negotiated several times, and this was the final negotiation.

(End of this chapter)