Chapter 136: Choices

A week passed quickly.

During that time, Kazumi returned home once and burst into tears upon confirming that her brother had indeed come back. Seeing his usually composed sister cry so hard, Lei Yin felt both moved and guilty.

Meanwhile, Chang’an and Lei Li stayed in Japan for a few days before heading back to the United States.

As for Naoko, her condition remained stable, and she was recovering quickly. Everything seemed to be progressing in a positive direction.

However, on the day of Naoko’s discharge from the hospital, Lei Yin found himself confronting the Hasegawa family while Naoko, at a loss for words, stood silently by.

“This is unacceptable. Naoko cannot continue living with you. It’s improper,” Hasegawa Masao declared firmly.

“Naoko is my woman. What’s wrong with her living with me?” Lei Yin retorted decisively.

“Starting today, Naoko must move back home. I am her father, and I have the right to make this decision,” Masao continued.

“Naoko is an adult, well past the age of needing parental supervision. Besides, her body is still recovering, and she needs my care,” Lei Yin countered, unyielding.

“You don’t need to worry about that. She’s my daughter, and we’ll take care of her.”

“Let’s be honest here. You just don’t want me to see Naoko anymore. Father-in-law, it’s the modern age. So what if the woman is a few years older than the man?” Lei Yin said with a shrug.

Masao was so furious at being called “father-in-law” that he practically jumped out of his chair. “Let me warn you, I am not your father-in-law! I will never allow my daughter to marry you!”

“There’s no need to be so formal, Father-in-law. After all, we’re already family. Right, Mother-in-law?” Lei Yin deliberately turned to Hasegawa Kyouko, addressing her directly.

Caught off guard, Kyouko didn’t know how to respond to this so-called “son-in-law.”

“I’ll say it again: I will never let Naoko marry someone like you!” Masao shouted, his anger boiling over.

“Father-in-law, please calm down. Getting angry isn’t good for your health,” Lei Yin said with feigned concern.

“You…!”

“Claiming Naoko as your woman—aren’t you just a high school dropout? What gives you the right to make such bold statements? Do you seriously think you can provide Naoko with a comfortable life?” Hasegawa Kenji, who had long disliked Lei Yin, sneered coldly.

“To be honest, that’s not difficult at all. Brother Kenji, I may not have much money, but I can pull out a few billion yen at any time,” Lei Yin replied nonchalantly.

Thinking Lei Yin was mocking him, Kenji became even angrier.

As the argument grew more heated, Hasegawa Kento couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.

Unlike his younger brother Kenji, who had recently returned from studying abroad, Kento had been helping their father manage the family business for years. His extensive experience in business had honed his sharp instincts for reading people.

From the moment he first met the young man named Gennai Masashi, coupled with the way those men around him treated him with such deference, Kento knew this man was far from the simple figure Kenji imagined.

Over the past week, Kento had someone re-investigate Masashi’s background. Sure enough, the findings revealed discrepancies from the earlier report his father had obtained.

It was true that Masashi had a regular office worker for a mother and a stepfather who was a police officer. Other than frequently skipping school, he appeared to be an ordinary high school student.

However, a deeper investigation uncovered surprising details. The house where his family lived had been purchased entirely with money he provided. That money came from stock investments. Even more astonishing, he had also purchased a villa in Shinagawa and a luxury car, all funded by his stock market earnings.

Upon examining his stock investment records, they could only be described as miraculous.

He never failed—always buying at the stock’s lowest point and selling at its peak.

Hasegawa Kento didn’t believe in the existence of true prophets, so there was only one plausible explanation: Masashi must be working with the mysterious player who manipulated the rise and fall of these stocks.

As for the identities of the armed men who accompanied him previously, no matter how much Kento investigated, he couldn’t uncover any information.

Faced with this enigmatic “high school student,” Kento had no desire to provoke him.

Clearing his throat loudly, Kento suddenly suggested, “How about this? Let’s compromise. Like before, let Naoko continue living with Aiko in that apartment. What do you think, Father?”

Hasegawa Masao considered his eldest son’s proposal for a moment. It seemed like a reasonable solution.

Naoko’s recent illness was largely caused by the pressure he’d put on her. Truthfully, what he least wanted was for his daughter to continue living with that man. If word got out, it would be utterly humiliating.

“No, I don’t agree!” Hasegawa Kenji objected loudly.

“Kenji, it’s up to Father to decide. Don’t say another word,” Kento said sternly, a rare display of authority as the elder brother, aiming to prevent his younger brother from escalating the situation further.

Seeing his older brother’s angry expression, Kenji immediately fell silent.

After a while, Masao finally nodded and said, “Fine. Naoko will continue living with Aiko. Does that satisfy you?” He shot Lei Yin a glare as he spoke.

“Wise decision, Father-in-law,” Lei Yin replied with a grin.

“You insolent fool!” Masao shouted before storming out of the room.

Knowing his father was likely heading to handle Naoko’s discharge paperwork, Kento promptly followed him out.

“Now that it’s settled, I’ll take you home,” Lei Yin turned to Naoko and said.

“Mm.” Relieved that the argument had ended, Naoko finally felt at ease.

In the car, Naoko leaned against Lei Yin’s shoulder and said, “Lei, please don’t argue with my father and brothers anymore, okay?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll restrain myself from now on. Stop worrying, alright?” Lei Yin kissed her gently on the forehead.

“Lei…” Naoko looked at him gratefully.

She knew his combative attitude toward her father stemmed from lingering anger over being forced into an arranged meeting with Hachiyama Kawashiro, which had led to her heart condition.

“Alright, let’s head home,” Lei Yin said. He fastened her seatbelt and started the car.

Meanwhile, in the BMW ahead of them, Hasegawa Kenji remarked curiously, “Where did that guy get such a nice car?”

Kento remained silent, focusing on driving.

Unbeknownst to Kenji, Masashi had already fully paid off the car. Perhaps Naoko had found herself a decent boyfriend after all. At this thought, Kento smiled slightly.

※※※

By the time they returned to Naoko’s apartment and then Lei Yin’s home, it was already past 9 PM.

In the living room, Lei Yin saw Rumiko sitting on the couch watching television.

“You’re back, Masashi. Have you eaten?” Rumiko stood up and asked.

“I’ve already eaten. Where’s Uncle Maeda?”

“He’ll be home later.”

Sitting on the couch, Lei Yin asked, “What about Rumi? Is she in her room?”

“Yes, she’s been working hard on her studies lately,” Rumiko replied with a warm smile.

Lei Yin nodded and casually grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the table, taking a bite.

Looking at her son, who was becoming more mature in both appearance and demeanor, Rumiko felt a deep sense of comfort and pride.

Masashi had truly grown up.

“Masashi, what are your plans for the future?” After a while, Rumiko asked.

“In what regard?” Lei Yin turned to look at her.

“Do you plan to continue studying, or are you going to start working?” Rumiko clarified.

It seemed inevitable to face this question.

A few days earlier, Naoko had asked him the same thing. At the time, he hadn’t given it much thought, but now being asked again, Lei Yin wasn’t sure how to respond.

To be honest, he didn’t have a clear plan.

He had already handed over the reins of the Black Dragon to Lei Li and Chang’an. Unless a life-or-death crisis like before arose, he didn’t intend to get involved.

The idea of working for Japanese employers was even more unappealing. Given his current wealth, it wasn’t necessary anyway.

But being idle every day wasn’t ideal either—it would make him feel like a spoiled wastrel. He couldn’t spend all his time clinging to Naoko, indulging in intimacy. Besides, Naoko had become a moderately famous columnist for women’s magazines and spent most of her days writing. Compared to her, he seemed a little too carefree.

“What about you, Mom? What do you think?” Lei Yin asked in return.

“I hope you’ll continue your studies. I know you’ve earned a lot of money, but I believe it’s still better to study more. Even though you missed this year’s university entrance exams, if you attend prep classes for a year, I’m confident you can pass,” Rumiko said with a hopeful tone.

“Mom, can I think it over?” Lei Yin said after a moment of contemplation.

“Of course. Take your time.”

Back in his room, Lei Yin lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze.

After a long while, he finally sat up, took a coin out of his wallet, and flicked it with his thumb. The coin flipped through the air before he caught it and checked the result.

He tossed it a second time, caught it, and checked again.

On the third toss, he glanced at the result and smiled wryly.

Turning to the desk, he picked up his phone and scrolled through the contacts. Finding the number he was looking for, he stared at it for a while before finally pressing the call button.

The call quickly connected, and a gentle, elegant female voice came through. “Is this Mr. Gennai?”

“This is Gennai Masashi. Ms. Mion, I have a favor to ask…”

After finishing the call, Lei Yin went straight to Rumiko and sat down beside her.

Seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, he nodded. “Mom, I’ll follow your advice. I’ll continue my studies.”

“I’ll take leave tomorrow to help you find the best prep school. Or maybe I can hire a private tutor to teach you,” Rumiko said, brimming with excitement.

Seeing her so happy, Lei Yin felt this decision might not be such a bad one.

“That won’t be necessary, Mom. A friend of mine has a father who’s on the board at Teikyo University. I just contacted him and asked for his help. He agreed that as long as I pass Teikyo’s entrance exam, I can enroll as a transfer student,” Lei Yin said with a smile.

“R-Really?” Rumiko looked at him in disbelief.

“It’s true. I’ll take the entrance exam in a few days.”

“That’s wonderful, absolutely wonderful!” Rumiko was so overjoyed she was trembling.

What would Naoko’s reaction be when she found out? Lei Yin wondered to himself.