After greeting Sonoko, Kenzo Ukishima turned his gaze to the side. He saw a boy crouching down, reaching out to tease a kitten, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

You should know that this is his pet cat, which is usually quite aloof.

However, at this moment, the kitten seemed to have changed its personality. It took the initiative to run up to the boy, its two paws tightly gripping his thigh, meowing and acting cute, and even turned its little belly over, looking like it was ready to be petted.

"And this is...?"

"I'm Sonoko's..."

"Boy friend!"

Sonoko eagerly answered, while simultaneously taking Hanyu Nan's arm, her face flushed with a shy blush.

Yuzuru raised an eyebrow. "We've been married for so long, why are you blushing like a teapot?" He reached out and tapped Sonoko's forehead, then looked at Kenzo Ukishima and smiled, "Hello, Mr. Ukishima. My name is Yuzuru, and I'm Sonoko's boyfriend. I'm here with Sonoko to visit you."

Kenzo Ukishima was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "So you're Sonoko's boyfriend. Not bad, not bad. The young man looks energetic and handsome."

He couldn't help but recall the rumors circulating about the Suzuki family, and guessed that the mysterious future son-in-law of the Suzuki Group must be the young man in front of him.

Unaware of what the other person was thinking, Yuzuru politely replied, "Thank you for the compliment, teacher."

Sonoko became even more embarrassed by what was said, burying her head deeply in Hanyu Nan's arm, looking exactly like a doting little wife.

Kenzo Ukishima looked at the two of them with loving eyes: "Sonoko is usually so carefree, I'll have to rely on you to take care of her from now on."

Yuzuru nodded and replied, "Don't worry, teacher, I will take good care of the garden."

At this moment, the kitten was still rubbing against Yuzuru's legs, refusing to leave.

Seeing this, Yu Sheng Nan bent down and gently patted its head.

This is a small black cat with black fur, but its two front paws are white, and one of its hind legs is bandaged, indicating that it is injured.

"The kitten is so cute, what's its name?"

While gently teasing the clingy kitten, Yuu Nan asked.

Kenzo Ukishima replied with a smile, "I didn't give it a special name, I usually just call it Kitty. It's not usually this affectionate, it seems it really likes you."

"Yes, Nan is usually very popular with small animals."

Sonoko said with a look of envy, how much she wished she could have that quality of being loved by small animals, instead of having everything she kept die.

The last time I kept a sea turtle as a pet turtle and it died.

She really tormented Ran and Ai.

After chatting for a while, Kenzo Ukishima led the two into the workshop. The workshop was filled with the unique aroma of clay and glaze, and various unfinished ceramic works and tools were placed around it, making it look somewhat messy.

Sonoko then handed over a carefully prepared gift and said sweetly, "This is something Uncle Jirokichi asked me to give to you. Please accept it. Also, Uncle Jirokichi asked me to give you his regards."

"Thank you, you're too kind."

Kenzo Ukishima took the gift box, and upon seeing the name on it, a look of surprise flashed across his face. "Oh my, this is... this is something I've always really liked. Thank you so much, and please convey my thanks to Mr. Jirokichi."

"Don't worry, I will definitely pass on the message." Sonoko nodded obediently in agreement.

After placing the gifts down, Kenzo Ukishima said apologetically, "I'm sorry, the workshop is a mess, I couldn't even serve you a cup of tea. I'm moving out of here, and I happen to be moving some things today."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but sigh, "I'm getting old, it's time for me to retire and return to my hometown."

"ah?"

Hearing this, Sonoko looked surprised, then waved her hand and said with a smile, "You're joking again, teacher. You're still a long way from retiring."

In Sonoko's memory, the last time she met him at Uncle Jirokichi's house, he was a highly praised and renowned ceramic artist. How could he be retiring so soon?

Yuzuru looked thoughtfully at Kenzo Ukishima's right hand, which trembled slightly even when placed on the table, and could understand his thoughts.

For an artist who relies on their hands to create art, once they get older and their hands become unsteady, retiring to their hometown early might indeed be the most sensible choice.

Otherwise, it would be easy to ruin one's reputation.

The three were chatting enthusiastically when the front door suddenly creaked open.

Two movers in blue overalls walked in and said, "Excuse me, it's already 2 p.m., we need to get ready to start moving."

"Oh, okay, thank you for your help."

Fushima quickly called out to the porters and then began to arrange the moving process. He then led Hanyu Nan and Sonoko into the workshop.

Knowing that her teacher was truly retiring and returning to his hometown, Sonoko followed behind, full of curiosity, and asked, "Teacher, what are your specific plans after you return home?"

Kenzo Ukishima smiled slightly and said with a relaxed expression, "I haven't decided yet. Maybe I'll just plant some flowers, raise some cats, and live a leisurely life."

"In any case, I hope your life will be smooth and fulfilling from now on," Yu Shengnan sincerely said from behind.

"Haha, thank you for your kind words, young man."

Kenzo Ukishima laughed heartily, then led the two to a storage room, took out a key to open the door, stepped aside, and gestured for them to come in, saying, "Please come in."

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you."

Yuanzi led the way inside.

The room was filled with shelves, each one overflowing with exquisite finished ceramic pieces: bottles, jars, pots, cups—all kinds of items were on display.

Kenzo Ukishima, watching Nanami Hanyu and Sonoko curiously looking around the room, smiled and introduced, "These are all products that have already been ordered..."

"Wow, amazing!" Sonoko bent down, staring at the row of ceramics in front of her, a strong sense of curiosity welling up inside her. "How much would all of these cost together?"

"Ahem, Sonoko, how can an artist's work be measured in money!" Yuzuru coughed lightly from the side.

In reality, all the ceramic works in the room combined were probably worth only a few months' worth of pocket money for his garden.

Especially after learning that the two were together, his mother-in-law, Tomoko Suzuki, significantly increased Sonoko's allowance.

However, this kind of truth certainly cannot be said directly.

After all, it's easy to accidentally hurt others.