Chapter 48 Ship Dinner
The night before the banquet, Mori Ōgai sent someone to pick her up and take her to the Port Mafia.
Four years later, she returned to Hong Kong for the first time, back to the room where she had lived back then.
The room was furnished just as it had been back then, and the green walls were still adorned with graffiti that Alice and Yumeno Kyusaku had completed together.
"I've specially taken the bedding and pillows out to air them, so you can sleep well."
Ozaki Koyo pushed the door open and saw Yokawa Rei sitting on the edge of the bed in her pajamas. Her gaze softened.
The 22-year-old childish imp was wearing a pink and tender little cake-shaped nightgown, her light golden curly hair falling obediently to her chest, and she was also holding a big teddy bear in her arms.
"Good evening, Sister Hongye."
She tilted her head, pressed the chocolate teddy bear close to her cheek, and smiled radiantly.
Ozaki Koyo raised her phone to take a picture as if she had planned it all along.
The viewfinder could only capture the sweet smile of the elfin girl.
"Why?"
Yao Chuanling sat up unsteadily and slumped onto the bed.
"It's rare for you to come all this way, and you'll be leaving soon. I'll have to rely on these photos to remember you."
The mature and composed older sister sat down on the edge of the bed, lowered her eyes, and explained softly.
She could even "sell" it to Chuuya, and Ozaki Koyo was sure he would buy it.
Yao Chuanling moved closer to her and hugged her neck warmly, clinging to her like a puppy.
“Our little Ling is still a child, so noisy.”
Ozaki Koyo seemed to complain helplessly, reaching out to protect her waist to prevent her from falling down as she moved around.
But to outsiders, this Mafia official was clearly quite happy about it.
This is probably what happens when an older sister spoils her younger sister too much.
Alice wants to join too!
A blonde girl in Lolita-style pajamas came running over and pounced on the two of them.
Yumeno Kyusaku followed closely behind: "Me too!"
He can now control his superpower at will, so he doesn't have to worry about getting injured at all.
"Sister, I've missed you so much."
The child mischievously squeezed into the middle, his bright eyes fixed on Yao Chuanling.
After the group incident, Yao Chuanling was worried about his mental health and often stayed with him, but after all, so much had happened during this time, and they hadn't seen each other for a month.
Yumeno Kyusaku became more dependent on her than before. If it weren't for Mori Ōgai stopping him, he would have moved into her house. For this reason, he was willing to endure sharing a room with Dazai Osamu.
"You two little rascals, please let me go first, okay?"
Yao Chuanling lay paralyzed on the bed, only her head and right hand were still movable.
When Ozaki Koyo saw Alice, she moved to the side, leaving the older children who hadn't had time to react to being pushed to the bottom.
Fortune changes like the wheel of fortune.
She was just teasing Sister Hongye, and now it's her turn to be tormented by two little kids.
Ozaki Koyo covered her face and chuckled softly, a hint of nostalgia flashing in her eyes.
Such a lively scene has finally reappeared in this building after a long absence.
Seeing her smirking to herself, the wicked elf pulled her into the water and stuffed Alice into her arms.
The two of them chatted, each holding a child, until the clock on the wall ticked to ten o'clock.
As Ozaki Koyo was talking, she didn't hear Yokawa Rei's voice, so she knew that Yokawa Rei had fallen asleep.
The elf has a healthy sleep schedule and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, goes to bed around 10 p.m. every night.
Ozaki Kouyou chuckled, picked her up and carried her to the middle of the bed, covered her with a blanket, and gently told Alice and Yumeno Kyusaku that it was time to go.
Goodnight, sister.
Little Yumeno Hisaku tiptoed and lay on the bed, brushing aside the stray hairs from the sleeping king's mouth.
He glanced back at Yaochuan Ling, then obediently followed Ozaki Koyo.
*
The next morning, Yao Chuanling sat on the bed with her hair all messed up.
Get out of bed, stand barefoot on the floor, brush your teeth, and wash your face.
When the cold water hit her cheek, Yao Chuanling's eyes widened. She thought that if Zhongyuan Zhongyao saw her without shoes, he would inevitably give her a lecture.
My hazy brain finally started working again.
She quickly put on her slippers and headed towards the restaurant.
Yao Chuanling knew the way well from her room to the dining room.
Hong Kong | Blackie hasn't changed much from before, except for some new faces.
Countless people secretly stared at her along the way.
"Ling, why are you up so early today?"
Chuuya Nakahara saw her as he passed by after finishing breakfast and asked in surprise.
It was 8:19, which wasn't her usual wake-up time.
According to Yao Chuanling's habit, he planned to wake her up at ten o'clock.
"Sister Hongye said there's a limited quantity of vanilla milk pudding this morning."
During our chat last night, Ozaki Koyo casually mentioned it. I don't remember much else about Yokawa Rei, but this is the one thing I remember clearly.
Thank goodness I was wearing shoes. The elf's premonition was indeed correct.
She thought with lingering fear.
pudding?
Chuuya Nakahara knew something was wrong.
The last one is already inside him.
The young man looked away guiltily: "The hazelnut ice cream over there tastes good. We can have the pudding later tonight."
The ice cream and pudding for breakfast were samples prepared for the dinner party; the rest were packed and shipped to the ship.
"Chuuya, something's wrong with you."
When it comes to food, Yao Chuanling is excessively perceptive; he can detect any suspicious activity at the slightest sign of trouble.
"If you don't confess honestly, I'll punish you by making you carry my plates."
She threatened him fiercely.
Wearing pajamas and sporting messy hair, the elf's gravity manipulation rendered all enemies in her path harmless, yet he was happy to let her cause trouble.
Just as the hand wearing black gloves was raised, a red-haired girl with twin ponytails suddenly darted out from the side.
The other person's gaze was intense as they handed the pudding cup in their hand to Yao Chuanling.
"Honey, I'll give you pudding. In exchange, can I call you 'honey'?"
She has eyes that match her hair color, and her whole being is as passionate as a blazing fire.
"Huh?!" Nakahara Chuuya clicked his tongue in exasperation. "Matsuhara, I don't remember you writing on your job application that you like women."
The person who suddenly appeared and disturbed them was Matsubara Akina, a newcomer under Nakahara Chuuya.
Although he's a newcomer, he's incredibly strong and a troublesome, unruly fellow.
"It doesn't say on it that I don't like women."
Matsubara Akina didn't care whether he was her boss or not, and retorted directly.
Such a beautiful person is destined to be her wife.
Yao Chuanling looked at the pudding in her palm: "Wife?"
This is the first time someone has called her that.
"Wife is a term of endearment for you."
Matsubara Akina noticed her confusion and quickly offered further explanation.
As a rising star in the Port Mafia, in addition to her strength, she is also a first-rate person at reading people.
Thank you!
Upon hearing that someone liked her, Yao Chuanling smiled brightly and made a heart shape with her hands.
The fairy is a child who grows up being nurtured by love; she needs love, loves love, and shares love.
Matsubara Akina exaggeratedly clutched her chest: "Oh dear, my heart is beating even faster."
How could someone smile so sweetly, just like her favorite red bean rice cake?
When she first went to Nakahara Chuuya's office to report, she found the hair tie that he treasured in a box. But her boss had long hair, so she just thought it was strange that he would treat an old hair tie so preciously.
It turns out that what was precious was not the hair tie, but its original owner.
"Honey, I'm going to work now. Here, this pudding is for you." She knew when to stop, and stuffed the pudding into Yao Chuanling's hand. "See you next time~"
Matsubara Akina thought to herself, if she didn't leave soon, her boss's gaze would kill her.
Those who understand the times are wise.
I'd heard gossip before that a cadre in the Central Plains had someone he liked, and it turns out it wasn't just a rumor.
"Chuya?"
Yaochuan Ling held the pudding cup in both hands and tilted her head to look at Nakahara Chuuya, whose expression was unfriendly.
Little Orange looks unhappy?
"You bastard, is it okay to call someone 'wife' like that? I've never called her that before."
He couldn't help but complain, blurting out what was on his mind.
Realizing this, the young man's face flushed like a rosy cloud, radiating warmth.
She blinked: "Chuuya, you're blushing again."
In his youth, he often blushed for reasons she didn't know, but now she rarely sees him do that anymore.
Yao Chuanling had always thought it was an illness, but after she had a check-up, she found that Chuuya's body was much healthier than that of ordinary people, so she simply assumed it was his special constitution.
"It's nothing." Chuuya Nakahara regained his composure. "Are you coming aboard with us at noon, or are you going to stay on land? It might be boring on the ship."
He, Sister Hongye, and Akutagawa were all assigned tasks by the leader and were afraid they wouldn't be able to spend time with her.
She retorted, "It's never boring when Chung is around."
When you're with Xiaojuzi, she always seems to have inexhaustible energy; it's amazing.
"That's good."
Chuuya Nakahara curled the corners of his mouth.
He discovered by chance that the elf could be quite clingy at times.
He didn't mind her clinging to him.
No matter how slowly time moves, it marches forward with unstoppable force. The "Saint Solia" sails on the sea, and Yao Chuanling has just finished styling her look when she looks up and it is already dark.
It is said that the previous leader of the Hong Kong Triads was extremely extravagant and spent two billion to build this ship. Now that it has been brought back to light, it can be said that the ship has been put to good use.
A knock sounded at just the right moment.
She replied helplessly, "Please come in."
He was the last person she wanted to see.
As expected, we did meet.
"Don't you welcome me, Spirit?"
The man with black hair and purple eyes looked completely innocent.
"That's right."
Yao Chuanling spoke with righteous indignation.
The awkward elf was seemingly secretly observing him, but in reality, she was openly observing him.
Being a leader is indeed not easy; even his hairline is receding.
"You've aged a lot."
Mori Ougai chuckled to himself.
Only she and Dazai Osamu in the whole world dare to speak to him like that, and it hasn't changed since.
He sighed pitifully, "There's nothing we can do. After all, Dazai-kun isn't here, and there's no one to take over the positions of the five executives."
Even if he had to do it all over again, he would still do the same thing, but he still regretted Dazai Osamu's defection.
That was his most favored successor.
"You dare bring that up again!"
The seated girl glared at him angrily.
He knew perfectly well that she still held a grudge about that incident.
This elf can be quite petty and hold grudges at times.
"I know you don't want to see me because of that."
Mori Ougai closed the door and walked behind Youchuan Ling. In front of him was a huge mirror, and he could see the girl in the mirror pouting in a huff.
“But, Spirit, the leader is part of the organization…”
He was speechless.
Yao Chuanling turned her head, and the pearl tassels in her hair swayed gently with the movement, brushing against her ear.
He was silenced by a spell, so of course he couldn't speak.
"I don't want to hear your leader's theories."
The cunning old fox used this leader's argument to lure Chuuya away.
She looked up, only to be struck by the emotion in those violet eyes.
Tolerance, indulgence, helplessness.
It's like the look in a gentle father's eyes when facing an unreasonable daughter.
hateful!
Why would you have this idea?
She didn't have a father.
Yao Chuanling awkwardly lifted the silencing spell.
"I apologize, only as far as Mori Ōgai is concerned."
This belated apology finally reached her ears, over her dry throat.
What she really wanted was just an apology.
The leader has the duties of a leader, and the elf already knew this, so she didn't dislike him as much as he had imagined.
She knew that the organization's slaves were actually loyal and compassionate. Those she treated sincerely were also those who treated her sincerely.
Ultimately, this matter did not end in a way that she was unhappy about.
She was only slightly influenced by Gokudera Hayato and Akutagawa Ryunosuke, and thus developed a bit of a tsundere personality.
"Then you are not allowed to lay a hand on Dazai and Kosuke."
Yao Chuanling took the opportunity to make demands.
Mori Ōgai gently stroked the top of her head.
"If I had such thoughts, they wouldn't have had it so easy."
The Port Mafia is a colossal beast; as soon as it lets out even the slightest hint, the "hyenas" who fawn over and flatter the Port Mafia will secretly take action.
The leader's gaze fell on her bare neck.
After consulting with Yokawa Rei, he, Momiji, and Chuuya argued about choosing clothes for the spirits, and in the end, Mori Ōgai's experience prevailed.
The style he chose really suited her; it was just missing one last accessory.
It should arrive soon.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the door and, sure enough, heard a knock.
"Looks like someone's looking for you. I'll be going now."
The hand that was hovering over the top of her head gently patted down, being very careful not to mess up her hair.
The leader was in a good mood and patted Nakahara Chuuya on the shoulder as he opened the door.
"Go, Chuuya-kun."
He gave his time to the two young men.
Chuuya Nakahara responded softly.
A young man with ochre hair, dressed in a black suit, walked in carrying a brocade box.
"Chuuya, come pick me up."
Yao Chuanling smiled, her emerald eyes sparkling.
Her light golden curls were styled into an updo, with a few strands gently framing her face, and the pearl hairpins at her temples seemed to be bathed in moonlight under the lamplight.
A delicate, bare neck is perfectly complemented by a pearl necklace.
At an auction, the Gem King bought the "Mermaid Blessing" bracelet for an astronomical price without batting an eye.
It was carefully preserved in a specially made box containing supernatural abilities, and it remains as radiant as ever after more than a hundred years.
Each pearl is large and round, and legend has it that it was blessed by a mermaid, and every owner of it has been happy and fulfilled.
Because of its auspicious connotations, Chuuya Nakahara immediately decided to take a picture and give it to her.
"Is it pretty? Is it pretty?"
Yao Chuanling stood up, lifted her skirt, and twirled around.
Wearing a knee-length strapless dress and stiletto heels, the elf, not yet having mastered the strength, made a clicking sound as she walked.
This is quite different from her usual style.
Chuuya Nakahara's eyes darkened, and four words inexplicably came to mind—"round and smooth".
"nice."
He said.
Half an hour before the banquet began, Chuuya Nakahara led her slowly down the street.
They were in a room on the sixth floor, while the home team was seated on the first floor.
This was Yokawa Rei's first time attending a modern human banquet, but she wasn't afraid. Back in Heian-kyo, her elders had taken her to many gatherings.
Amidst the clinking of glasses and the rustling of clothes, the atmosphere was vibrant and lively.
This has always been the case.
The black skirt billowed in the center of the dance floor, and the hand resting on her waist felt slightly warm.
Even through the gloves and clothes, Yaochuan Ling could sense that her dance partner seemed very nervous.
She whispered comfortingly, "It'll be over soon, don't be nervous."
He must have been embarrassed in front of everyone.
Chuuya Nakahara gave a perfunctory reply: "Okay, sure."
They were too close.
He was so close that he could see her individual eyelashes and the pink hue spreading at the corners of her eyes.
“I’ve seen that blond guy on the left before.”
She looked around for good food and casually mentioned it to someone she recognized.
Chuuya Nakahara glanced at her in the direction of her gaze.
"He's a member of the Black Organization, but I don't know him well and I don't like that organization."
Gravity caused her to frown slightly, somewhat worried that the person might have approached her on purpose.
The Black Organization has always had a bad reputation, and the members who could attend this dinner party must be mid- to high-ranking members. He didn't have a good impression of those people.
“Xiao Yin told me about it, but I don’t think he’s as simple as he seems.”
Humans are complex beings, and she still doesn't fully understand them.
"But he should be a good person."
He has a warm-toned soul, as warm as his blond hair.
Because of those words, Chuuya Nakahara later saved him by chance.
His reasoning was that he loved everything associated with the house.
As the pianist struck the last note, the Black Swan fairy released her grip and skipped happily toward the dessert table.
Leader Mori watched from a distance, then looked at the leaders of the other organizations beside him and gave them a fond smile.
"My child is quite noisy, please don't be offended."
He called over Nakahara Chuuya, while Yokawa Rei had already chosen her dessert and gone to the deck alone.
She likes places without ceilings, where she can see the sky at a glance.
Tonight, the moon is hazy, and the waves carry the whispers of the wind.
When Ryunosuke Akutagawa found her, she was nestled on the swing, lazily squinting, with a cushion tucked under her chin.
It's time for her to go to sleep.
The boy thought to himself.
"Sister Ling, it's windy tonight."
He opened his mouth, but in the end, he only offered a dry expression of concern.
He meant to say, "I can give you my coat."
He wanted to say, "I can carry you to your room to sleep."
In short, it's not safe here.
The deck was a mixed bag. Although there were few people there at the moment, who knew what might happen if she fell asleep?
"Ryunosuke? Come and sit down."
Upon seeing the newcomer, Yao Chuanling's expression softened. She moved aside, making room for him.
Hearing him say it was cold at night, my sleepy mind paused for a moment and realized that this must be Ryunosuke's unique way of being affectionate.
The caring older sister took his hand and offered him heat.
This child isn't in good health, so don't let him get cold.
Sure enough, my hands were cold.
Ryunosuke Akutagawa neither argued nor struggled; he simply sat quietly beside her.
The black jackals of the port mafia are rarely obedient, and this submissive appearance can be described as gentle.
Of all the people, I'm most worried about you.
Yao Chuanling turned to look at him.
From the moment she first met him, she knew this child wouldn't be someone to be trusted.
Stubborn, sharp, and overly strong.
He's stubborn and refuses to show the slightest weakness.
"I don't need anyone to worry about me."
He really did say that.
From slums to port mafia, the harsh and cruel environment forced him to forge ahead relentlessly.
However, looking at his pursed lips, Yao Chuanling secretly grumbled to herself.
There must also be a reason related to his personality; he's as hard as a rock.
Relying on the fact that Akutagawa Ryunosuke wouldn't lay a hand on her, Yokawa Rei vigorously rubbed his face.
"You brat, you need to take good care of yourself, avoid getting hurt and stop rushing forward recklessly."
She had said these things before, but as parting was imminent, she couldn't help but nag again.
Ryunosuke Akutagawa held her hand, stopping her from continuing her evil deeds.
"Don't always treat me like a younger brother."
There was a strange emotion in his tone: "I'm the same as Mr. Dazai and Mr. Chuuya."
In this respect, we are all the same.
Seven years ago, on a similar moonlit night, he encountered the most brilliant and radiant moon.
The stars shine, and destiny turns.
When did this thought begin?
Ryunosuke Akutagawa didn't know.
The fairy, who calls herself his older sister, takes him to training, to amusement parks, and shares desserts with him, and occasionally teases him.
He often felt that she didn't fit into the other world. She was too vibrant, and too tender.
Like the potted plant she gave him.
"you're right."
Yao Chuanling used his strength to cup his face and examine him closely.
She had to admit that the younger brother she had always thought of had grown up.
This face has long since shed its childishness and is much more mature than before.
"Yaochuan Ling".
Ryunosuke Akutagawa pronounced her full name slowly and earnestly, as if he were arguing over every word.
"I will wait for you to come back."
All his unspoken words were condensed into a single sentence.
The figure before me gradually disappeared with the moonlight, leaving only a still-warm pillow and an uneaten fruit tart.
Akutagawa Gin was standing on the second-floor balcony, taking in the situation on the deck.
"elder brother."
When she's working, Yin wears a mask, revealing only her cool, aloof eyes, just like her brother.
Akutagawa Gin leaped down and landed in front of him.
Why didn't you come over just now?
Yokawa Rei was relaxed and didn't notice, but Akutagawa Ryunosuke had already noticed her gaze.
She watched the whole thing from upstairs.
"Now that I'm here, brother can't sit with sister anymore, right?"
This swing can only hold two people at most. Since she's here, the final result will definitely be that Ryunosuke Akutagawa sits on the chair next to her.
"Yin, you clearly..."
The brother and sister understood each other; their eyes met, and they both knew exactly what was going on.
"I think my older sister likes me more."
She took a bite of the fruit tart.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
