Chapter Fifty-Nine: A Day of Idling, The Background of Ju Zhenyi

After Amamiya Sayu left, Anhe withdrew his gaze and reached for the phone on the bedside table.

He glanced at the screen; it was eleven in the morning. Thirteen missed calls—all from Cow Wisdom.

“Well, now I don’t even need to come up with an excuse,” he chuckled softly, tapping the call-back button.

The call connected quickly, and before Anhe could speak, Ito Nobue’s voice came through first.

“Anhe, I think you owe me an explanation today.”

Her tone was remarkably calm, but Anhe could still discern the slightly heavy breathing behind her words.

He hesitated for a moment before replying honestly. “Ms. Ito, I caught a cold.”

There was a two-second pause from the other end, then Ito Nobue spoke again. “Is it serious?”

“It’s not too bad, but I’ll need to take the day off,” Anhe explained, and she agreed without hesitation.

They chatted a little longer. Suddenly, the door opened and Amamiya Sayu entered, carrying a cup of hot porridge.

“Alright, Ms. Ito, it’s really not that serious—I just need a day’s rest. I’ll talk to you later,” Anhe said, ending the call. Sitting cross-legged on the bed with the demeanor of a well-behaved child, he watched Amamiya Sayu.

“Was that the teacher who rides a motorcycle?” Sayu asked casually, settling by the bedside. She scooped up a spoonful of rice porridge, gently blew on it, and held it to Anhe’s lips.

“She was asking why I didn’t go to school today,” he replied, opening his mouth and swallowing the porridge.

It was just right—its subtle fragrance washed over him like a fresh spring, smooth and delicate on the tongue.

Before he could finish savoring, Sayu was already holding another spoonful to his lips, and so he continued.

Within minutes, the meal was gone, thanks to Sayu’s attentive feeding.

“Would you like a little more?” she suggested.

Anhe licked his lips, eyeing her vivid red mouth. “I’d like to taste that…”

Sayu paused, startled by his words. Noticing his gaze, a faint blush colored her cheeks, but she closed her eyes and leaned in.

Their lips brushed briefly, and then Sayu, carrying the bowl and utensils, left the bedroom.

Anhe stretched comfortably and rose from the bed. His head was still a little dizzy, but it wasn’t a big problem.

He washed up in the bedroom, then made his way to the living room.

The room was empty; the television played a dull show. Anhe glanced at it and walked into the kitchen.

As expected, Amamiya Sayu was busy at the stove, apron tied around her waist.

The pressure cooker hissed, filling the room with the rich aroma of stewing bones.

Seeing her hands empty of knives, Anhe spoke up. “Sayu-chan, what’s for lunch?”

Without turning her head, Sayu took two carrots from the fridge, placed them on the cutting board, and began chopping. “I’m planning to make you some bone broth,” she explained.

Her words warmed Anhe's heart. But remembering her state last night, he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you feeling alright?”

Her hands paused abruptly. After a brief silence, she murmured, almost inaudible, “My arms aren’t sore anymore, but the inside of my thighs still hurts a bit if anything rubs against them.”

“Uh…” Anhe was momentarily stunned, then realized what Sayu meant. He turned away, embarrassed, rubbing his nose, unable to admit he’d actually meant to ask about her cold.

Yet, the fact that she could speak so openly seemed to suggest she was no longer so averse to intimacy. This made Anhe quietly happy. He stepped forward, embraced her from behind, resting his head on her shoulder and whispered, “Sayu-chan, could you help me again tonight?”

“No way!” Sayu refused firmly, shrugging her shoulder to try and shake him off.

Seeing her resolute attitude, Anhe didn’t press the matter, returning instead to his original question.

“Has your cold gotten any better?”

Sayu recalled how Anhe had fed her medicine and porridge the night before. Her cheeks flushed, and she explained softly, “I was completely better when I woke up this morning. But then I found you were sick—it must have been me…”

Her voice faded towards the end. Anhe chimed in, “Probably from when we kissed?”

“Mmm…” Sayu nodded gently, her head lowered.

She looked so adorably shy that Anhe couldn’t help but plant a kiss on her cheek.

“Stop, I need to finish cooking,” Sayu shrank her neck, so Anhe refrained from going further and moved aside to help.

With their seamless cooperation, lunch was soon ready.

They carried the dishes to the table and sat side by side on the sofa, eating and watching television together.

Suddenly, a thought struck Anhe. He turned to Sayu and asked curiously, “Did you ask for leave today?”

“I know the teacher’s number—I’ve already explained everything,” Sayu replied softly, placing a piece of fish in Anhe’s bowl. “Eat more fish, it’s good for you.”

“You should eat more, too,” Anhe said, placing some vegetables in her bowl. Their meal was spent exchanging food for each other.

Afterward, Sayu resolutely refused Anhe’s offer to wash the dishes and began clearing the table herself.

Seeing this, Anhe decided to play the lazy lord for once, reclining on the sofa as he pondered his next move.

He wasn’t planning to continue at the café.

First, having decided to write a novel, working part-time would only eat away at his precious time.

Second, even though Sayu didn’t have to interact much with customers, seeing her run about all day in a maid outfit tugged at his heart.

As for the third reason…

He remembered the dangerous woman he’d encountered yesterday.

Ju Mami!

At first, he’d thought she was just a random passerby. But reflecting on it later, and with some information from Amamiya Saori, he’d begun to understand more about Ju Mami.

She was the fiancée of the president of the underground syndicate “Union of Intent.” After the president’s accidental death, she was temporarily in charge.

For a woman to manage Tokyo’s underworld—an organization dominant for decades—with such order and discipline, she was clearly not to be trifled with.

He recalled the narrator’s reference to a conspiracy when he first met Sato Haruki, and guessed it most likely involved Ju Mami.

It wasn’t mere conjecture.

Thinking back, that day had been the very first time he encountered Ju Mami.

He’d been playing the piano, and she was sitting in the corner, so he hadn’t paid much attention.

“Tsk, could she have taken a fancy to me?” Anhe wondered, touching his face anxiously.

He was undeniably handsome, and it wasn’t surprising that a lonely woman, widowed and restless, might be drawn to him.

Just as this thought surfaced, his phone in his pocket rang.

He checked the caller ID: Sato Haruki.