Dragon Clan: I'm too lazy to talk to you, you're not worthy to listen!

"If Erii wants to go, let her go. What are you worried about with me here?" Ye Jingchen flicked the dried, hardened blood off his fingernails.

“This…” Genji evaded the question, looking at Erii’s eyes, which were almost pleading.

Ye Jingchen grabbed Yuan Zhisheng by the shoulder and shoved him into the passenger seat of the car. "What's with all this fuss? If anything happens, just push it onto me. Anyway, there's nothing you can do about it. At worst, we'll just have a fight."

With that, he slammed the car door shut.

He opened the back door and waved to Erii, "Eri, come on over and get in the car. Let's go to the hot springs."

Erii excitedly ran to the car door, then glanced timidly at Genjiro in the passenger seat. Her notebook held a note: "This...is it really okay? Brother won't be angry..."

Ye Jingchen closed Erii's notebook and tossed it onto the back seat.

Erii hurriedly grabbed her notebook and jumped into the back seat of the car.

Seeing Erii get into the car, Ye Jingchen promptly got in and closed the door, saying, "You're just like your older brother, always so hesitant and fussy."

Erii blushed at Ye Jingchen's words, quickly pulling down the white silk veils on both sides of her hat to cover her face, closing her eyes, and placing her hands on her knees.

Ye Jingchen reached out and grabbed the seatbelt, pulling it out. "I'll fasten your seatbelt. Once it's fastened, we're off. Put your hand up."

"Hi!"

Upon hearing Erii speak, both Genjiro and Sakura Yabuki felt a tremor in their hearts!

She turned to look at Erii.

Genji knew that Erii could speak, but after the incident involving Erii's Word of Power, he never heard her speak again.

Sakura Yabuki had never heard Erii speak; she always thought Erii was mute.

Erii realized she had spoken, and frantically covered her mouth with both hands, looking at Genjiro and Yabuki Sakura with agitated emotions.

Her eyes welled up with tears, and her ruby-like eyes seemed to say that she didn't mean it!

After fastening Erii's seatbelt, Ye Jingchen patted her elbow, looked into her eyes, and gestured for her not to be nervous.

"You're not mute, isn't it good that you can talk? Your voice is so pleasant!"

"Don't be so alarmed, let's drive to the hot springs quickly."

Sakura Yabuki looked at Chisei Gen and asked for instructions.

Yuan Zhisheng turned his head, looked into Ye Jingchen's eyes in the rearview mirror, and nodded. "Let's drive!"

Tamamo-no-Mae Club...

The black Maybach stopped at the entrance.

The four of them got off the car together.

Ye Jingchen's lips twitched as he looked at the familiar signboard. "This is the best hot spring place in Tokyo that you were talking about?"

Genji nodded. "Yes. There is a natural hot spring under Tamamo-no-Mae. Many celebrities and politicians make reservations to soak in the hot spring after work, and the members of the Yagi family are no exception."

Yuan Zhisheng patiently explained.

"Do you know I haven't been gone from here for long?" Ye Jingchen pointed to the ground. "Shouldn't a hot spring place be one with mountains, rivers, strange rocks, lush bamboo forests, a bright moon, and cherry blossoms fluttering in the air?"

Yuan Zhisheng shrugged. "Ye Sang, you can go in and take a look. There are artificial mountains and bonsai inside. They are all the work of top feng shui masters, and they will definitely meet the conditions you mentioned."

With that, Genjiro led the way.

Ye Jingchen's lips twitched slightly. Following the direction of Yuan Zhisheng's finger, he went into the shower room to wash off the bloodstains, changed into a bathrobe, and walked to the entrance of the hot spring room.

Ye Jingchen pushed open the wooden door of the hot spring room, revealing a very large hot spring! It was circular and estimated to be 36 square meters.

Yuan Zhisheng wasn't exaggerating; there really is a fake mountain, potted cherry blossoms, and bamboo that look just like the real thing. It's all about technology and impressive craftsmanship.

"Ye Sang, why aren't you coming down yet?" Yuan Zhisheng, soaking in the hot spring, leaned against the edge of a rock and raised his small white porcelain cup to Ye Jingchen. "Would you like some Shaoxing wine?"

"I'm afraid there's some advanced technology and ruthless stuff going on in your hot springs," Ye Jingchen said, glancing at Yuan Zhisheng.

Erii, dressed in a white gauze bathrobe, was soaking in the hot spring, holding a little yellow duck in her hand, smiling and waving at Ye Jingchen.

Ye Jingchen couldn't bear to refuse Erii, so he gently sat down in the hot spring, his eyebrows immediately relaxing in comfort. "Hiss~ Soukichi! Gen-san, you really have to admit, this hot spring is something special!"

The bottom of the hot spring is covered with volcanic rock pebbles, which are hot and feel very comfortable against the skin, like sitting in a gentle volcano, ready to be spewed into the sky at any moment.

Ye Jingchen rested the back of his head against the edge of the hot spring, on a granite pillow, and quietly closed his eyes.

Suddenly, Ye Jingchen felt ripples on the surface of the hot spring water, waves that were approaching him.

He slightly opened his left eyelid and saw Erii pushing a floating wooden tray with a wine bottle and cup on the water, slowly approaching him.

Erii raised her wrist, wiping the small water droplets from her chin, and showed a small piece of paper: "Thank you, Ye-kun, for bringing me to the hot spring. Please have a drink!!! ^_^"

Erii put down the small piece of paper, poured Ye Jingchen a full cup of Shaoxing wine, and handed it to him with both hands. She looked at Ye Jingchen with lowered eyes and nervousness, her red eyes constantly darting away, afraid that Ye Jingchen would discover her emotions.

"Arigato!" Ye Jingchen took the wine glass, drank it all in one gulp, and put the glass back.

Ye Jingchen thought the Shaoxing wine had no flavor, but it was Erii's wine.

He muttered to himself, "If only I had vodka or some taffy. In this situation, taffy would be more suitable."

Seeing that Erii hadn't left, Ye Jingchen lowered his head, holding a rubber toy duck in his hands, and asked, "Erii, is there anything else?"

Erii picked up the little yellow duck in one hand, pointed at it with her finger, and smiled at Ye Jingchen, revealing her white teeth.

"What an adorable little yellow duck! She must be your good friend!" Ye Jingchen smiled.

Yuan Zhisheng took a sip of Shaoxing wine. "This little yellow duck is Erii's good friend. Erii probably wants to be your friend too! Erii, am I right?"

Erii nodded and smiled at Genjiro, then turned to look at Ye Jingchen with a worried expression, her heart pounding.

Erii didn't know how she should face Ye Jingchen if he rejected her, as this was the first time she had taken the initiative to make friends.

Ye Jingchen had also felt that hope for his friends in his eyes, back when he was in prison, serving a life sentence...

It was a prisoner's longing for friends.

Ye Jingchen sat up and solemnly said to Erii, "Eri, I accept your friend request! I'd like to be your good friend."

Erii was stunned for a moment, then trembled with excitement and clapped her hands!

Genjiro also clapped!

Ye Jingchen found the applause a bit strange. "Are you two siblings a little out of your minds? Have I joined a pyramid scheme?"

After complaining for a moment, Ye Jingchen looked into Erii's sincere eyes and felt relieved. He then joined the two siblings in clapping!

This is probably the joyful jubilation of fireflies swimming in the dark after finding their companions.

As they were leaving the hot spring, Erii, carrying a camera, ran over and pulled Ye Jingchen and Genjiro together for a photo.

Erii placed the little yellow duck on Ye Jingchen's head, and Ye Jingchen was very careful, afraid that the little yellow duck would fall off.

Click! The camera flashes by as the door opens, and the picture is in!

Erii stood in the middle, smiling happily. With her left hand she held Ye Jingchen, who was slightly nervous with the little yellow duck on his head, and with her right hand she held the smiling Genji.

If Genji saw this photo, she would definitely be very envious!

After leaving the hot spring, Erii, escorted by her clansmen, left the "Tamamo-no-Mae Club" and returned to the cold, lifeless ward of Genji Heavy Industries.

Yuan Zhisheng then delivered a top-quality Italian handmade tuxedo to Ye Jingchen, and after Ye Jingchen changed into it, he led him to the conference hall for a meeting.

Erii's Diary:

"On October 10.27th, Ye-kun, my brother, and I left Meiji Shrine to go to Tamamo-no-Mae for hot springs. Ye-kun became my good friend."