novelraw Page 134
Page 134
"No need, Aunt Maki." Shirakawa Natsumi smiled and put the cardboard box on the ground. "There's not much stuff. Mukai and I will be done in a bit."
"Okay." Hojo Maki nodded. "I'll go get a glass of water."
After she finished speaking, she turned and went into the house, leaving a faint fragrance that wafted into Shirakawa Natsu’s nostrils.
Shirakawa Natsumi was stunned for a moment before she came to her senses and quickly looked away: "I was too young to know how good Auntie is."
He put down the cardboard box he was holding and ran to the jeep to help with the luggage.
Today was the first time he had seen Hojo Maki in casual clothes, not in her uniform, and it was wonderful.
Of course, the naked trench coat incident that night doesn't count.
With little luggage, he and Yu Mukai quickly put all their belongings into the living room.
Hojo Maki brought over two glasses of water and pointed to the innermost room, saying, "Mukai will stay in this room for the next few days."
"Okay, thank you very much, Minister Maki. I'm sorry to have troubled you." Mukai Yu quickly bowed ninety degrees, then looked down and saw a pair of black-stockinged legs, before turning his head away slightly.
“Just call me Maki-nee in private,” Hojo Maki said with a smile, a stark contrast to her usual stern demeanor at work.
After taking off her police uniform, she seemed to have completely shed some kind of burden, and her speech became much more amiable.
Shirakawa Natsu had been secretly watching. She had never thought that Aunt Maki was so feminine before. Could it be that she had a special bonus after being called "Auntie"?
“Okay, Maki… Sister.” Yu Mukai was clearly very reserved.
Seeing that the atmosphere between the two was shifting from a work-to-office relationship to that of acquaintances, Shirakawa Natsu quickly stepped forward and said, "Aunt Mahi, I arranged the route yesterday. Here, let me show you."
Hojo Maki's attention was immediately drawn to him, and she paused for a moment, then asked, "Xia, did you stay up all night?"
"I'll go get my luggage first." Seeing that the two were chatting and he couldn't join in, Yu Mukai started getting his luggage by himself.
"Okay." Shirakawa Natsu waved to Jing Yu, then took out her phone, opened the document on it and handed it over: "I didn't stay up all night, I just slept a little late. Today is the 14th, and the most suitable time is three days later, which is the afternoon of the 17th."
"The day after tomorrow?" Hojo Maki frowned slightly.
"Isn't this a good time?" Shirakawa Natsu noticed the change in her expression and quickly asked.
"I hope to arrive in Yan Country on the 16th."
Shirakawa Natsumi calculated in her mind that if she arrived on the 16th, she would have to catch the best flight on the 16th. If there was a flight available the next day, she wouldn't have any other ideas about the 15th. Her own secret plan was absolutely impossible to realize.
"The hotels and flights I've looked at all fit perfectly on the 17th." Shirakawa Natsumi looked a little reluctant. "Of course, if Aunt Maki has something important to do, the 16th is also fine, but we might need to replan, and the time will be tighter."
Hojo Maki struggled for a moment before nodding, "It's not anything particularly important, so let's do it on the 17th. It would be too much trouble to redo it."
She had just reviewed the itinerary, from which hotel to stay in, to which tram to take in Kannai to meet her, to where to go for the next few days, which tram to take, and all the precautions, everything was written down clearly.
She could hardly imagine how long it would take for someone from the East to prepare such detailed plans for another country's routes.
Hojo Maki's gaze towards Shirakawa Natsu softened slightly.
"Then let's buy tickets for the 9 a.m. flight on the 17th." Shirakawa Natsu handed over her phone, showing the ticketing interface.
We should quickly get Aunt Mafei to buy the tickets and set the date, lest things get complicated.
“Okay.” Hojo Maki took the phone, entered her ID number, and purchased a plane ticket for 9 a.m. on the 17th.
Shirakawa Natsu glanced at the numbers, narrowed her eyes, and thought, "No wonder she wants to go to Yan Country on the 16th."
Hojo Maki noticed his gaze and smiled, "Yes, I was planning to celebrate my birthday with my daughter, but it's not anything particularly important."
"It's alright, let's do it for Maki." Shirakawa Natsumi said with a smile.
"Hmph, no need to go to so much trouble, I'm not a little girl anymore." Hojo Maki shook her head with a smile.
Suddenly, a heavy thud was heard coming from inside the room.
Hojo Maki frowned and looked in the direction of the sound. It was the room that Mukai Yu had just entered. She immediately got up from the sofa.
Shirakawa Natsu followed behind and walked over.
The two arrived at the room door and saw Xiang Jingyu standing there, awkwardly holding a wall clock. When he saw them coming, he scratched his head and said apologetically, "I'm really sorry, I must have been too rough. I'll fix it right away."
“It’s alright.” Hojo Maki shook her head: “The wall clock hasn’t been leaning against anything for a long time, it just hasn’t been repaired. Just leave it on the ground.”
"That won't do." Yu Mukai quickly stood up, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Where are the tools? We must solve any problems immediately."
Hojo Maki was taken aback, then got up and took out a toolbox from the corner.
The iron toolbox had clearly not been used for a long time; it was covered in dust.
"Leave it to me." Mukai Yu didn't mind the dust at all. He opened his toolbox, skillfully took out a hammer and nails, and began to hammer.
Before long, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but he didn't care at all. He was serious and focused on the hammer in his hand.
Shirakawa Natsu glanced at Hojo Maki out of the corner of her eye and was taken aback; something seemed off about her gaze.
Is Chapter 168 a Date?
The strong, muscular man was repairing furniture, sweat dripping down his skin, but he remained completely focused on the tools in front of him.
A plump married woman stood beside him, her eyes fixed on him.
This damn familiar scene... Shirakawa Natsumi pouted, as if she had triggered some strange mechanism again.
But this absolutely cannot continue.
Shirakawa Natsu secretly took out her phone and sent a pre-edited message to a number.
Yu Mukai hung the clock up and wiped the fine sweat from his forehead: "It's fixed."
Hojo Maki was taken aback for a moment before she came to her senses and smiled, "Thank you for your hard work."
“When I came in, I saw that some other places were also loose.” Yu Mukai picked up the hammer and shook it in his hand: “I’ll take care of it all.”
Hojo Maki shook her head: "Too much trouble."
"Sister Mafei, please let me stay for half a month. Please allow me to do what I can." Mukai Yu said, bowing deeply to her.
Having reached this point, Hojo Maki had no reason to stop her and nodded.
Shirakawa Natsu stood aside, watching Mukai Yu skillfully repair various items in the room.
The house had been without a male owner for a long time, and many parts had fallen into disrepair. However, these were the parts that did not affect daily life and were preserved.
Yutaka Mukai was clearly enjoying himself, with a smile on his face the whole time.
Hojo Maki, the beautiful married woman, stood to the side, her eyes glancing occasionally at Mukai Yu's position, her expression complex, her eyes filled with a sense of reminiscence.
"No way." Shirakawa Natsumi doesn't have mind-reading abilities, but for a married woman to make such a lonely and nostalgic expression, she's most likely thinking of her husband.
It's not hard to guess; this room is an old-fashioned dwelling, and the old furniture and equipment are bound to break down frequently.
It's impossible for Hojo Maki's husband to hire someone to come over for such a small matter; he would definitely do it himself.
Of course, it's impossible for Yutaka Mukai to look like Maki Hojo's husband.
However, young and handsome boys all have similar expressions when they are focused on doing something.
Having lived alone for a long time, Hojo Maki inevitably developed a strange sense of dependence upon seeing this scene.
Shirakawa Natsu felt a sense of foreboding. Women are emotional creatures, especially women who have been lonely for a long time.
Once she connects her husband with the young man in front of her, the beautiful memories she has will unconsciously be projected onto the person in reality.
Shirakawa Natsu noticed that Hojo Maki's gaze lingered on Mukai Yu for longer and longer periods.
"The Joker is myself; I am the one who shouldn't be here."
"This is fine too." Yu Mukai stood up, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and smiled broadly. Sunlight streamed through the window and shone on his face, making him seem to glow.
Shirakawa Natsumi had to objectively say that Mukai Yu was very handsome at that moment.
Not to mention married woman Hojo Maki, women of that age have absolutely no resistance to this kind of boy.
When Shirakawa Natsu glanced at her, she saw Hojo Maki turn her head slightly away, her face showing a fleeting hint of interest, which she quickly concealed.
He had no doubt that Aunt Ma Fei's black pantyhose could open up on their own with just a little stimulation from his hand.
"Ring ring ring!" The sudden ringing of the cell phone made Hojo Maki tremble. She quickly stood up straight, snapping out of her daze.
The voice came from the direction of Mukai Yu. He quickly took out his phone and saw that it was an unfamiliar number. He answered the phone: "Hello, this is Mukai Yu. May I ask who you are?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before a voice came through.
Shirakawa Natsu couldn't hear the voice on the other end of the phone from where she was standing, and Mukai Yu's expression changed instantly.
He stood there, frozen, opening his mouth as if to say something, but unable to utter a word.
His unusual expression immediately caught the attention of Hojo Maki. She frowned slightly and looked at Iyu with her beautiful eyes.
After a long pause, Xiang Jingyu finally spoke, "Okay... okay, I understand."
He waited a while after he finished speaking before hanging up the phone.
Hojo Maki glanced at him unintentionally, and Mukai Yu gave an awkward smile: "Sorry, I have something to do and need to go out for a while."
As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily drifted downwards, avoiding Hojo Maki's eyes, yet stealing glances from the corner of his eye.
The whole thing seemed particularly complicated.
Shirakawa Natsumi smiled, then suddenly seemed to realize something and said, "Mukai-kun, excuse me, was it Ryoko Shima who called?"
"Uh-huh!" Yu Mukai shuddered and looked at Natsumi Shirakawa awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, Mukai-kun." Shirakawa Natsu quickly apologized to him: "Miss Ryoko Aishima asked me for your phone number. She said it was about a class reunion and she needed to contact you. She's your classmate, so I gave her your number. Sorry, I forgot to tell you."
Shirakawa Natsu looked completely unaware of his relationship with Arishima Ryoko, or that he admired Hojo Maki.
Upon hearing that Shirakawa Natsumi said it was a class reunion, Mukai Yu's expression visibly relaxed, and he chuckled twice: "You called me in a hurry, but didn't say what it was about. I'll go take a look."
"Yes, here are the keys." Hojo Maki suddenly walked up and handed him a bunch of keys.
Yu Mukai took the keys, a fleeting moment of relief flashing in his eyes, and quickly said, "Thank you, Maki-nee."
Hojo Maki smiled, nodded, and waved to him.
Yu Mukai left through the entrance hall.
Shirakawa Natsu looked at his back and pouted. He was still too inexperienced. With his performance just now, how could he possibly fool Hojo Maki?
With Aunt Mafei's years of experience as a detective, she probably already guessed most of the story just from his expression.
When Shirakawa Natsu glanced at Hojo Maki, she was disappointed. It seemed that her intelligence had returned to its previous state, and her face was expressionless.
The two sat on the sofa and discussed their trip to Yan for a while.
Hojo Maki sat up, rubbing her shoulders, which seemed to be a little sore.
"Aunt Maki," Shirakawa Natsumi said with a smile, "would you like me to massage your shoulders? I know some simple massage techniques."
Looking at the voluptuous Hojo Maki, if he could use the blonde massage technique to gain some favor, it would make things easier for him later.
Hojo Maki shook her head directly: "It's okay, let's continue, I'm used to it."
"Hmph." Shirakawa Natsu chuckled dryly and continued explaining the itinerary. This Aunt Maki really wasn't giving him any chance at all.
Meanwhile, as agreed, Yu Mukai arrived at the foot of an apartment building.
Ryoko Arishima stood under the tree, looking delighted, and waved to him.
"Sorry... I'm late." Yu Mukai didn't dare to look at Ryoko Arishima, and lowered his head slightly. Ryoko Arishima looked very beautiful today.
She wore a white spaghetti strap dress, revealing her slender, fair arms, adorned with a black belt at the waist, and high-heeled sandals that showed off her five crystal-clear toes.
Her porcelain doll-like face was lightly made up, but her lipstick was rather bright, the same color scheme as Hojo Maki's from a few days ago.
Unlike her usual innocent image, Ryoko Arishima today exudes a blend of innocence and sexiness.
"Thank you." Ryoko Arishima looked at him. "I thought you weren't coming."
"I...you said you had something important to tell me." Yuu Mukai scratched his head. "What is it? I have to..."
Before he could finish speaking, Ryoko Arishima grabbed his hand and said with a smile, "Come with me, there's a place I really want to go."
"Huh?" Mukai Yu looked puzzled as she took his hand and started running.
When the girl held his hand, Yu Mukai tried to break free, but his gentle nature prevented him from doing so.
And just like that, I was led into a taxi.
The two stopped in front of a water park.
In this kind of weather, water activities are the most popular activity, and the park is already packed with people even before we enter.