Chapter 115: Suit

“Lei, how did you come here?”

“I heard your voice on the phone, and it sounded a bit different from usual, so I came to check. What happened?”

“Lei…” Looking at the concern in his eyes, Naoko leaned her head tightly against his chest.

Lei Yin didn’t ask further. He simply wrapped his left arm around her waist and gently stroked her hair with his right hand.

Feeling his tenderness, Naoko was so happy she almost fainted.

“Naoko…” Fukuhara Matsumi, who had walked out, saw Naoko being held by a man and barely managed to hold back the words in her mouth.

Lei Yin slightly lifted his head to glance and then whispered in Naoko’s ear, “Your classmates are here.”

Hearing his words, Naoko quickly turned to look behind her, and indeed saw Fukuhara Matsumi and Mari curiously staring at them. Her face immediately turned red, and she unconsciously let go of Lei Yin.

Feeling like a third wheel, Mari couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“Lei, can I introduce my good friends to you?” Naoko looked at him with a pleading expression.

“Of course.”

Naoko, a little shy but sweetly, linked her arm with his and walked towards Mari and the others.

“Masashi, this is Fukuhara Matsumi, and the one beside her is Kawai Mari. They are both my close friends from university. Matsumi, Mari, this is the person I mentioned earlier, Gennai Masashi.”

Fukuhara Matsumi and Mari had no time to notice Naoko’s shy expression. They were both looking at the man before them with astonished eyes.

With Mari’s sharp, critical gaze, she couldn’t figure out the man’s age at all.

The man was dressed in a well-fitted, comfortable light gray suit, and unlike other men in suits, he wasn’t wearing a tie. But strangely, this outfit didn’t feel out of place.

His features appeared youthful. Although not the type of handsome that catches the eye instantly, he had an elusive and unique charm.

From a distance, the man looked like an 18-year-old youth, but up close, he seemed like a mature man in his 30s. The age gap was so striking that it left both women a little unsettled.

“Hello,” he said with no unnecessary words, extending his right hand to them.

Neither warm nor cold, as Mari shook his hand, she suddenly thought of a phrase when she felt the temperature of his hand.

“May I ask what Mr. Gennai does for a living?” Fukuhara Matsumi asked, growing more curious about the man.

“Sometimes I invest in securities, so I guess I’m a freelancer.”

“I see. Can I ask how long you’ve been dating Naoko? I didn’t know she already had a boyfriend.” Fukuhara Matsumi continued to ask.

“It’s probably been over a month.” Lei Yin turned to look at the beautiful woman beside him.

“Since that day, adding tonight, it’s been one month and six days,” Naoko sweetly smiled.

“You remember that clearly.”

“Of course.”

Watching the two speak softly, Fukuhara Matsumi felt a sense of envy rise in her heart.

In contrast to Matsumi’s enthusiastic attitude, Mari remained much colder.

She was a woman who valued rationality over emotion. She firmly believed that a mature relationship required a solid and stable financial foundation to sustain it. A man without a proper career, obsessed with the instability of stock trading, could not bring Naoko happiness. So, she had no good feelings for this man, Gennai.

“Mr. Gennai, if you don’t mind, please come inside and sit for a while,” Fukuhara Matsumi invited.

Lei Yin glanced at Naoko and smiled, “Then I’ll bother you.”

Hearing that he would accompany her inside, Naoko excitedly hugged his arm tightly.

A beautiful woman always attracts attention wherever she goes. When Naoko walked back into the hall, more and more eyes began to notice that this stunning beauty, who had never been seen with anyone before, was now nestled close to a strange man, looking like a bird resting on its perch, in a very affectionate manner.

Surprise, envy, jealousy—various emotions were stirred.

“Naoko, can you introduce us to this gentleman?”

A few men could no longer hold back and walked over to see what was going on.

Sensing the unfriendly vibe from these men, if it were usual, Mari might have already mocked them and chased them away. However, since she didn’t have any favorable feelings toward this man, Gennai, she simply sat quietly without saying a word.

After a brief introduction, one of the men asked, “May I ask what Mr. Gennai does for a living?”

Lei Yin gave the same answer he had earlier when speaking with Fukuhara Matsumi.

Upon hearing his response, another man spoke up, “As I know, the stock market in Japan has been volatile in recent years, and many small investors have been affected. I wonder if Mr. Gennai has had similar concerns?” He emphasized the term “small investors.” The others, understanding his implication, smiled knowingly.

“Impact? Doesn’t seem too bad, I’m managing fine,” Lei Yin replied casually. “Naoko, could you get me a drink? I’m a bit thirsty.”

Suddenly, he turned to Naoko and spoke.

“Sure, wait a moment,” she replied sweetly, nodding, and then stood up to walk toward the food and drinks.

Seeing how Naoko was so obedient to this man, the men couldn’t help but feel envious. They had never seen the campus beauty treat any man this way.

Just as one of the men was about to speak again to challenge him, a deep, magnetic male voice interrupted, “Excuse me, are you Mr. Gennai Masashi?”

The men turned around and were surprised to see it was Tsumura Kyoko’s boyfriend, Maeyama Gentaro, the heir to Maeyama Trading Company.

Though there were several successful men in the room, none had reached beyond the level of manager or supervisor. In the business world, connections were everything. They certainly didn’t dare to offend the renowned heir of Maeyama Trading. Without hesitation, they quickly stepped aside, clearing a wide path for Maeyama Gentaro to approach.

“Excuse me, are you Mr. Gennai Masashi?” Maeyama Gentaro asked again as he walked up to Lei Yin.

“I am Gennai Masashi. Is there something I can help you with?” Lei Yin didn’t recognize the young man in front of him.

To everyone’s surprise, Maeyama Gentaro suddenly bowed respectfully and said, “I am Maeyama Gentaro from Maeyama Trading Company. It’s an honor to meet you here, Mr. Gennai. Chairman Sakurai has instructed us to be sure to show you the utmost respect.”

Though his words were somewhat vague, Lei Yin’s mind immediately recalled the elegant figure of Sakurai. It seemed that Maeyama Trading was one of the Japanese companies acquired by the Tokyo branch of Black Dragon.

“You are too kind. If possible, please convey my regards to Ms. Sakurai.”

“I will certainly pass on your message, Mr. Gennai.” Maeyama Gentaro bowed once more.

“We’re all guests here, so no need for such formalities. Please, enjoy yourself.”

“Thank you, Mr. Gennai. If you need anything, please feel free to ask.”

“Alright,” Lei Yin nodded.

After Maeyama Gentaro bowed again, he returned to his original spot.

Once he left, everyone in the room stared at the “Mr. Gennai” who was leisurely leaning against the sofa, as if they had seen a ghost.

“Excuse me, I believe you were about to say something earlier. Could you repeat it?” Lei Yin asked the man who had been about to speak.

“Uh, I really didn’t expect Mr. Gennai to know the heir of Maeyama Trading. If there was any disrespect earlier, please don’t take it to heart, Mr. Gennai,” the man said quickly, flashing a smile.

“You’re too kind,” Lei Yin replied indifferently.

“I… I have something to do, Mr. Gennai. Please excuse me,” the man who had previously discussed the “small investors” theory said awkwardly, before hastily walking away.

Mari coldly watched as these men continued to make excuses to leave. She had witnessed this kind of scene before, though the last time, she had been the one to create it. This time, it was because of this strange man.

“Masashi, what’s going on with them?” Naoko, who had returned with a glass of red wine, looked at the men walking away with quick steps, puzzled.

“I don’t know. They just said they suddenly had something to do and left,” Lei Yin replied nonchalantly.

“Here’s your wine, and I also brought some snacks.” Naoko didn’t ask further, sitting back beside him and placing the wine and snacks on the table.

“Thank you.” He took a sip from his glass.

“Why are you being so polite?” Naoko said softly, her face turning slightly red.

Fukuhara Matsumi and Mari exchanged a glance from the side.

“Gentaro, who is that man?” After her boyfriend returned, Tsumura Kyoko asked with a strange expression.

“Kyoko, don’t speak carelessly. That man is someone we cannot afford to offend. I don’t care what issues you have with your classmates, but I need to remind you—don’t make things difficult for me, or else…” Maeyama Gentaro trailed off, raising his glass to drink.

“You…” Tsumura Kyoko’s face turned pale with anger. She snorted coldly and walked toward the restroom.

Why did it always feel like that woman got to have all the good things? As she passed by, she shot an intense glare at Naoko, who was chatting with Lei Yin.

By around 9 PM, the dinner gathering was mostly winding down. Some people had already begun to leave, including Naoko and the others.

“We’re leaving now. Be careful when you drive.” After getting into the car, Naoko opened the window to speak to her two friends.

“It’s such a pity I work in Yokohama, or we could meet up more often,” Fukuhara Matsumi said, sounding a bit regretful.

“It’s okay. We can just talk on the phone more often in the future,” Naoko comforted her.

“I understand. You two drive safely.”

“Mm, see you next time, Matsumi. Mari, you too.” Naoko waved.

Mari also waved goodbye.

Seeing that the farewells were wrapping up, Lei Yin started the car and slowly drove off.

As the car got farther and farther away, Fukuhara Matsumi said, “It looks like Naoko has found a good man.”

“I hope so,” Mari replied, before falling silent.

※※※

“Do I look like a kid tonight? I hope I didn’t embarrass you,” Lei Yin suddenly said while driving.

Naoko knew he didn’t usually like wearing suits, and tonight, he had dressed up specifically for her.

“Lei, thank you.” Naoko said softly.

“Why are you being so polite with me?” Lei Yin smiled, returning her earlier words.

Naoko stared at him, mesmerized by the way he drove.

Since she had been with him, every day had been so happy and fulfilling. But how long could these happy days last?

The day after tomorrow was her hospital check-up. She had no idea what the results would be. Thinking about it, her mood dropped significantly.

“What’s wrong?” Sensing something, Lei Yin suddenly turned his head to glance at her.

“It’s nothing. Maybe I’m just a little tired,” Naoko said with a forced smile.

“Rest early when we get back. If you need anything, call me.”

“I will.”