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"You're disgusting." Asuka Chika showed a look of disgust, while simultaneously distancing herself from Tsunekawa Shinhoku.

"Is it really that bad?" Hengchuan Xinbei scratched his head awkwardly. He hadn't expected Asahi Chinatsu to react this way. "Even I have a side that longs for romance, it's just that I don't usually show it."

The air fell silent. Shinhoku Tsunekawa looked at Chika Asahi, and Chika Asahi looked back at Shinhoku Tsunekawa.

"You're disgusting."

A few seconds later, Asuka Chika repeated what she had just said.

"I'm sorry, I'm guilty." Hengchuan Xinbei Chaoming Qianna bowed deeply, as if she were truly apologizing for her sins.

"Does anyone else know about this?" As she stood up, Asahi China looked at Hengchuan Xinbei.

The "thing" here naturally refers to Hengchuan Xinbei's waiting for love. After all, she doesn't think the other person would casually tell others about something so shameful.

If he really just casually told others, then it's unlikely that this was the first time she'd heard about it.

"Let me think. Besides me, you're probably the only one who knows about this, Tomorrow-kun," Hengchuan Xinbei said after thinking for a moment.

"Really?" Asuka Chika was a little surprised to hear this answer. She had figured out that the other party hadn't told anyone else about this, but why hadn't anyone told her?

Could it be that even Hanamichi Taku and Sanomiya Ando didn't know about this? That's truly astonishing. It turns out that even with their close relationship, the three of them could have secrets among themselves.

Wait a minute, if nobody else knows about this, why would Hengchuan Xinbei tell me? Does he plan to silence me after telling me this? That would be really bad.

"Then why did you tell me?" Asuka Chika asked. Of course, it was impossible for Hengchuan Xinbei to be silenced, but she really wanted to know the answer to this question.

“Is it because you’re very angry?” Hengchuan Xinbei said. “You just said that the girl named Tengze was your childhood friend, and she committed suicide because of me, and you hate me because of her suicide.”

"In that case, I'd like to try to improve our relationship. If telling you this secret can make us friends, then I don't mind telling you."

"Friends?" Upon hearing the word "friends," Asuka Chika was taken aback at first, then her face instantly darkened. "Do you think it's still possible for the two of us to be friends?"

Asahi China doesn't believe she will become friends with Hengchuan Xinbei, a belief she's held since middle school, because her best friend died because of him.

For someone like her who already had very few friends, this was a devastating blow, a reality she simply couldn't accept.

She still remembers how lonely she was back then. Before meeting Ando Sanomiya, she did everything alone.

The appearance of Zuo Gong Ando can be said to have pulled her out of the abyss of loneliness, while the person who caused her to fall into the abyss was Hengchuan Xinbei.

Therefore, Asuka Chika will never become friends with Tsunekawa Shinhoku, at least that's what she thinks.

"Why not?" However, Shinhoku Tsunekawa's thoughts were completely opposite to Chika Asahi's. "Becoming friends is something that can be accomplished simply by apologizing to each other, right?"

Apologize to each other?

Indeed, the two had clashed many times before, often making the atmosphere awkward even at family gatherings, and neither Sanomiya Ando nor Natsunagi Sakura were good at easing tensions.

Therefore, the two of them have now caused the century-old family relationship between the Hengchuan family and the Zuogong family to become precarious. If they do not improve their relationship, the two families may sever all ties.

This is not impossible, after all, not everyone wants the two families to be on good terms.

The families that have been suppressed by them for generations will definitely take this opportunity to infiltrate their ranks. It's hard to say how things will develop then.

“I’m fine apologizing to you,” Asuka Chika said, having calmed herself down. “But how are you going to apologize to Tengze? If Tengze can’t forgive you, I absolutely will not forgive you either.”

All of Asahi China's pain stemmed from Tengze's death. As the culprit who caused Tengze's death, Hengchuan Xinbei was someone she could never get along with.

Unless Tengze chooses to forgive Hengchuan Xinbei, there is absolutely no way she can become friends with him.

"Is there really no way things can turn around?" Hengchuan Xinbei put on a very regretful expression, then looked at Asahi Chinatsu, his mind racing.

"You just said that Tengze is materialistic because she wants to save her dying mother, right?" Hengchuan Xinbei asked, having thought of a way to get Asahi Chinatsu to forgive him.

"Of course, if it weren't for the money, she definitely wouldn't choose to date someone like you who plays with women's feelings," Asuka Chika said without any mercy.

"If that's the case, then she must love her family very much, right?"

"Again? Are you planning to threaten me with her family?"

"No, no, no, of course not. I'm not that kind of scum. Besides, even if I did that, it wouldn't make any sense, would it?"

After a pause, Hengchuan Xinbei continued.

"Her family must be in a very bad situation now because they borrowed money to treat her mother's illness, right?"

Hengchuan Xinbei still remembers the amount of the breakup fee he gave to the other party.

That amount is more than enough to cover the surgery costs, but paying off that enormous debt is an impossible goal.

It is very likely that Tengze committed suicide for this reason.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" Asuka China frowned, wondering what Hengchuan Xinbei was up to.

"I plan to help her family pay off their debts and then give them some money so they can live out the rest of their lives in peace," Hengchuan Xinbei said. His expression remained completely calm as he stated this, as if he were stating something perfectly normal.

"Why?" Asuka Chika was very surprised to hear this. She didn't understand why Tsunekawa Shinhoku would do this. "You have no obligation to do this, do you?"

That's right, Hengchuan Xinbei has no obligation to help Tengze's family. Otherwise, with her current abilities, she would definitely lend a helping hand to her family.

Even if they were to lend a helping hand, at most they could help them pay off their debts and give them some money to live out their remaining years in peace; that would be absolutely impossible.

In today's society, there's no such thing as a free lunch; everything requires motive and obligation.

Chapter 205 Promise

"Why do you say I have no obligation?" Looking at the puzzled Asahi China, Tsunekawa Shinhoku explained, "I'm the one who killed their daughter. In that case, isn't it my duty to help them resolve their current crisis?"

Upon hearing this, Asuka China was immediately taken aback.

Indeed, the main reason for Tengze's suicide was Hengchuan Xinbei. However, at the time, everyone thought it was Tengze's own choice, and although it might be related to Hengchuan Xinbei, he did nothing wrong.

But now, Hengchuan Xinbei has actually taken all the blame upon himself, which makes people somewhat confused about his actions.

“Since Tengze loves her family so much, all I need to do is lend a helping hand to her family, and she will definitely forgive me. Don’t you think I’m right?” Hengchuan Xinbei smiled slightly, and at this moment, Asahi China finally understood the other party’s purpose.

He said all that because he wanted Tengze to forgive him, so that he could become friends with her.

Because Tengze was already dead, Asahi China thought that the other party could never forgive Hengchuan Xinbei, but she didn't expect him to have this trick up his sleeve.

Thinking about it carefully, Tengze loves his family so much, he must also really want to see them live a happy and stable life, right? If Hengchuan Xinbei did that, she might really choose to forgive him.

"Is this necessary?" Asuka Chika asked, her aura much weaker than before, seemingly shaken and unsure of what to do.

"Why is it unnecessary?" Hengchuan Xinbei retorted. "Even if it's not for Tengze's family, it's for both of our families."

Since Asuka Chika has become Ando Sakiya's fiancée, she is already the designated noblewoman of the Sakiya family. Once high school ends and the two hold their wedding, she will change her surname to Sakiya.

Therefore, there is nothing wrong with Hengchuan Xinbei's statement "our two families", and Asahi Chinatsu is also very clear about the meaning of her words.

After observing for a while, she understood just how important the Hengchuan family was to the Zuogong family. Because Zuogong Ando was weak, the current generation of the Hengchuan family would definitely be more powerful than the Zuogong family.

If the Sōgō family were to lose the help of the Tsunekawa family at this time, the Sōgō family would not only lose a close friend, but would also create a powerful enemy for themselves, which would be a devastating blow to them.

Hengchuan Xinbei could have used his relationship with Asuka Chika to sever all ties between the two families, but he didn't, because the Zuogong family was an indispensable and solid backing for the Hengchuan family.

He believed he should prioritize the bigger picture over personal feelings, so from the beginning, he was thinking about how to ease the tension between himself and Asuka Chika.

However, Asahi China thought completely differently. She felt that Tsunekawa Shinhoku had killed her best friend, so their relationship would never improve.

One prioritizes personal feelings over the bigger picture, while the other prioritizes the bigger picture over personal feelings; the difference in their character is immediately apparent.

However, there's nothing that can be done about it. After all, Asuka Chika never received an aristocratic education from a young age, so it's normal for her to be influenced by her personal feelings.

But Hengchuan Xinbei wants her to change this, because in this generation, the Zuo Gong family is very likely to be ruled by a woman named Asu Chinatsu.

If she continues to prioritize personal feelings even after becoming a noblewoman of the Zuo Gong family, it will be a devastating blow to the entire family.

As the head of the family, Sanomiya Ando is weak-willed and would never make a choice that goes against Asu China's wishes, so the fate of the Sanomiya family in the future is obvious.

"I understand." Asuka Chika nodded.

Hengchuan Xinbei's explanation made her instantly understand the other party's intentions.

He wanted to become her friend, to solidify the relationship between the two families, and at the same time, he taught her that as a noblewoman, she must never be swayed by personal feelings.

“In that case, I’ll trust you for now,” Asuka Chika said. “However, you must keep your promise and help Tengze’s family. If you don’t, I will never forgive you.”

After saying that, Asuka Chika took the initiative to extend her hand. After all, everything started because of her, so she was the one who should apologize more than Hengchuan Xinbei.

"Wouldn't it have been better if we had done this earlier? It's always been so difficult for Atuo to smooth things over for us. You didn't see the embarrassed look on his face. I felt bad for him."

Hengchuan Xinbei extended his hand and shook hands with Asahi Chinatsu, while also taking the opportunity to tease Hanomiya Taku.

Indeed, during this period when their relationship was strained, Yu Gongtaku acted as a peacemaker. Without him, the situation would probably have been even worse.

"It's rare that he didn't give up on the two of us." Asahi China nodded in agreement with what Hengchuan Xinbei said.

"It's alright. No matter what happens, Atuo will never abandon me and Andeng," Hengchuan Xinbei said, his confident demeanor leaving no room for doubt about the truth of his words.

And that is indeed the case. As long as Hengchuan Xinbei and Zuo Gong Ando don't do anything too outrageous or betray him and hurt him, Yu Gong Tuo will never give up on the two of them.

Rather than saying they would never give up, it's more accurate to say they would lend a helping hand without hesitation when needed. This is the brotherhood between the three of them, which has been like this since junior high school, and now this bond has become even stronger.

If it weren't for his good relationship with Sanomiya Ando, ​​Tsunekawa Shinhoku probably wouldn't have thought about cultivating a good relationship with Asahi Chika. He might even have used this to give his family a greater advantage.

But reality doesn't allow for "what ifs." Asahi China is Ando Sakiya's fiancée, and that alone makes it impossible for Tsunekawa Shinhoku to maintain a good relationship with her. Otherwise, if their relationship continues to be strained, it will affect both of their families.

"So what do we do now? We're friends now, right?" Hengchuan Xinbei smiled, but as soon as he finished speaking, Asahi Chinatsu distanced herself from him again.

"Don't try to get close to me," Asuka Chika said. "I won't acknowledge us as friends until you keep your promise. As for what I'm doing now, it's definitely trying to find a way to meet up with the others. Are you planning to stay here forever?"

"Hahaha..." Hearing these words, Hengchuan Xinbei scratched his head awkwardly. He just wanted to make a joke to lighten the mood, but who would have thought that Asahi China would take it so seriously, leaving him speechless for a moment.

Chapter 206 Dispersion and Reorganization

"Oh no, this is really bad! Why did I get separated from everyone?!" Inside the cave, Xia Naqi Ying held her head in distress. She squatted on the ground, not knowing what to do.

Just a short while ago, she was walking side by side with Hengchuan Xinbei, but at a corner, everyone suddenly disappeared, and she was trapped in this cave, completely lost.

That wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that the walkie-talkie she was carrying had no signal, which meant she couldn't contact anyone and was completely isolated and helpless.

Fear of the unknown gradually made her uneasy. At this moment, she desperately wanted to find the missing person, and it would be even better if it were Hengchuan Xinbei.

However, no matter how she called out, she received no response in the empty cave. Since all the food and water were with the boys, she had no supplies and soon became exhausted.

"Um? Is anyone there?" Suddenly, her call was answered. A familiar voice rang out from afar, but it wasn't Hengchuan Xinbei's voice; it was a girl's voice.

Natsumi Sakura couldn't immediately recall who the voice belonged to, but instinct made her move closer and closer to it.

Finally, a light appeared in the shadows, and Moriyama Omi's figure slowly emerged, fully revealing herself to Natsunagi Sakura.

"Moriyama-san?" Natsunagi Sakura was a little surprised by Moriyama Omi's appearance, but her expression quickly changed from surprise to joy, because she had finally found her lost companion.

Even if the person she found wasn't Hengchuan Xinbei, as long as someone could accompany her, it would be a good thing for her, since no one wants to be alone in this dark environment.

"Um... why is Natsunagi here?" Moriyama Omi had been searching for Hagiya Taku, but now she had found Natsunagi Sakura instead, which was hard for her to accept, but she quickly calmed down.