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Less than twenty minutes later, Hengchuan's rescue team arrived. All of them were carrying professional equipment to prevent themselves from getting lost during the rescue.

There were about ten people, each holding a rope as they entered the cave. The ropes were very long, each at least three thousand meters long, so they were also very large, even larger than an adult. They were transported there by vehicle.

"Young masters, please don't worry. We will rescue the rest of the people as soon as possible." The leader assured Yu Gongtuo and his companion. Although they were not his young masters, they had become quite familiar with each other because they often spent time with Hengchuan Xinbei.

Now that he knew they were his young master's companions, he naturally dared not be negligent. Moreover, both of them had visible signs of panic on their faces, and if he didn't find a way to stabilize their emotions, the situation might get even worse.

"I understand. Just do what you can, and don't get yourself into trouble." Yu Gongtuo nodded, indicating that he didn't need to worry about him and Zuo Gong An Teng.

After receiving an affirmative answer, the other person turned around, grabbed a rope, and rushed into the cave.

Of the original dozen or so people, only two remain guarding outside the cave. Once they discover the remaining trapped people inside, they will immediately pull the rope to inform everyone.

And so time passed little by little, and Hanomiya Taku and Sōmiya Andō's patience was gradually worn down.

The sun gradually moved from the south to the west. In the sweltering summer heat, even the evening temperature was extremely hot. The two of them were exposed to the sun, but the temperature did not make them feel hot, because they had something more to worry about.

Chapter 209 What a coincidence?

"A-Tuo, why haven't they come out yet?" Seeing that the rescue team had been inside for so long without any movement, Zuo Gong An Teng couldn't help but ask. He urgently needed Yu Gong Tuo to say a few words to reassure him.

“They should be out soon, because some people’s ropes are starting to go down, which means most of the cave has been explored,” Yu Gongtuo said. “Don’t worry, everyone will be fine, I assure you.”

At this moment, Hanomiya Taku and Sōmiya Andō were like a frightened young couple. The girl anxiously asked the boy if her companion would be alright, and the answer she received was a reassuring no.

Of course, in the real world, Ando Sakura is a boy, but compared to Taku Hagami, he is more like a girl, which is why such a comparison was made.

"Waaaaah..."

After an unknown amount of time, as the sun was about to set completely, Yu Gongtaku and Zuo Gong Ando suddenly heard a crying sound coming from inside the cave. The voice was familiar to them; it belonged to Natsunagi Sakura, whom they had been separated from for a long time.

“I thought I would never see you again.” When the rescue team brought her out, the two saw that she was lying helplessly on Hengchuan Xinbei, being dragged along the ground, which made Hengchuan Xinbei’s movements extremely slow.

Behind them were Asahi Chinatsu and Moriyama Omi, who were equally disheveled. However, compared to the latter, Asahi Chinatsu had several bandages wrapped around her body, indicating that she was injured.

Upon seeing this, Zuo Gong Andeng rushed forward, looking at her with concern and asking if she was alright. He truly embodied the word "caring" to the extreme, and in the end, he even buried his face in her arms and cried.

Finally, there's Takumi Hagiya and Omi Moriyama. They're the only couple among the three who can both remain rational, so when they meet, they don't have the exaggerated reactions that the other two couples do.

"What, are you going to throw yourself into my arms and cry too?" The two stared at each other for a while, and then Yu Gongtuo said in a teasing tone.

"What do you think? I was almost driven crazy by Natsumi just now." Moriyama Omi replied in a joking tone as well. Natsumi Sakura was very noisy in the cave, which annoyed her.

However, all these anxieties vanished the moment he saw Hagiya Taku, as if they had never existed.

“I can probably understand how you feel,” Yu Gongtaku said, then opened his arms as if to hug him.

Upon seeing this, Moriyama Omi smiled first, then stepped forward without hesitation and threw herself into Hagiya Taku's arms, feeling his body temperature.

Even she felt helpless when she was first separated from her loved ones. It wasn't until she met Natsunagi Sakura that Moriyama Omi realized she had to take on the responsibility of comforting her when she saw someone even more helpless than herself.

In this way, she could not show even the slightest bit of helplessness, so she pretended to be calm. In fact, she was also very scared, afraid that she would never be able to leave this cave again, afraid that she would never be able to see Yu Gongtuo again.

It wasn't until she saw Hagiya Taku again and realized she was out of danger that Moriyama Omi was able to reveal her insecurities, because someone she could confide in had appeared.

......

As night fell, the six returned to the villa. Everyone took turns taking a shower, as they had wasted too much energy and strength in the cave that day. So, before 10 p.m., everyone went back to their rooms to prepare for sleep.

In Yumiya Taku's room, he and Moriyama Omi lay on the bed. The air conditioner hummed, and the cold air spread to every corner of the room, except for the blankets where the two of them were, which maintained a comfortable temperature.

"Taku." Suddenly, Moriyama Omi, who had been silent, called out the name of Hanomiya Taku.

"What's wrong?" Yu Gongtaku, who had been lying flat, turned over to face Moriyama Omi and asked her what had happened.

"To be honest, were you scared when you were alone in the cave today? Like, were you afraid you'd never get out again?" Moriyama Omi asked, eager to know the answer, because Hagiya Taku always managed to stay clear-headed.

Therefore, she really wanted to know if the other person would also feel scared and panicked when faced with such a predicament?

"You're asking me this kind of question?" Yu Gongtuo was taken aback when he heard this, and then replied, "I was definitely scared, but what I was scared of was never being able to get out."

"So what are you afraid of?" Yu Gongtaku stopped halfway through his sentence, which made Moriyama Omi very curious about what he would say next.

"I'm afraid I'll never see you again," Yu Gongtaku said with a smile, which made Moriyama Omi, who was looking forward to seeing him, blush and bury her head in the blanket.

"What are you saying?" came Moriyama Omi's shy voice from inside the blanket. Yumiya Taku felt her constantly pounding his chest with her fists, but the force of the pounding was very small. It was more like she was massaging him than hitting him.

"I'm serious. If I never see you again, I feel like my life has no meaning."

"Honestly, can't you say something that makes me angry?" Moriyama Omi pouted, her tone sounding somewhat dissatisfied, but mostly shy, which was probably a result of her embarrassment.

“I want to eat you up,” Yu Gongtaku opened his mouth and gently bit Moriyama Omi’s cheek, leaving two shallow teeth marks. “Will this make you angry?”

"What do you think?" Moriyama Omi didn't mind Hagiya Taku's biting her at all, and even looked at him with a deep affection and asked him in return.

"Hahaha..." Yu Gongtaku chuckled, then he recalled the scene of his first meeting with Moriyama Omi a year ago, "We probably met for the first time around this time a year ago, right?"

“Yes.” Moriyama Omi nodded. Although she had gradually shed her yandere persona, she still remembered the scene and date of her first meeting with Hanomiya Taku very clearly. “It was this date, not a day off.”

"Really? Is it really such a coincidence?" Yu Gongtaku was a little surprised. His memory wasn't very good, or rather, he hadn't paid attention to this kind of thing at all, so he had no idea until Moriyama Omi told him.

"Yes, I won't forget." Moriyama Omi nodded. If she was a very insecure person, she would be very confident when it came to remembering important dates.

Then, the two looked at each other without saying a word, as if they could easily understand each other's thoughts.

As the camera zooms out, the room reveals a completely different scene.

Chapter 210 The Fastest Things to Pass in the World

If there is anything in the world that passes the fastest, it must be time.

It has been a full six months since they returned from Okinawa, and Yu Gongtaku and his friends' time has suddenly jumped from summer vacation to the winter vacation of the following year.

It was a very surprising turn of events, as if they had just been trapped in a pitch-black cave and now found themselves in a warm, snow-covered palace.

This is the Tsunekawa family, one of the wealthiest families in Tokyo. Less than 20 kilometers east of here, you will enter the territory of the Sakiya family, and nearly 5 kilometers of that 20 kilometers belong entirely to the Tsunekawa family.

Five kilometers is an astonishing number, but it pales in comparison to the Kamijou family's garden, which is essentially a small city with almost every facility in place. It took decades to complete such a vast area.

Now, a hundred years later, at the end of December, during Christmas, Taku Hagiya plans to return to Kyoto after attending Christmas, as he hasn't seen Ayako Kamijou and Kino Kamijou for quite some time.

Kamijo Hino had met him once before. Near the end of summer vacation, Kamijo Hino went to Tokyo on business from Kyoto and visited Hanomiya Taku's house one day.

Fortunately, she didn't arrive when Yu Gongtaku and his group went on their seven-day trip to Okinawa, otherwise it would have been embarrassing if she had missed them.

In previous years, Taku Hagiya either spent Christmas alone or with Shinhoku Tsunekawa and Ando Sōmiya. Only last year did he spend Christmas with Omi Moriyama.

This year, with the same familiar atmosphere and the same six familiar people, Yu Gongtuo and his friends plan to spend Christmas at Hengchuan Xinbei's house.

In fact, most of the time, Hengchuan Xinbei would invite Yu Gongtuo and Zuo Gong Ando to his home for holidays.

Zuo Gong An To did not refuse. As long as Heng Chuan Xin Bei called him, he would definitely come. As for Yu Gong Tuo, he would sometimes come and sometimes refuse. Since last Christmas, he had not come to Heng Chuan Xin Bei's house.

Now that he's been away for a year, he's quite curious whether anything noteworthy has happened at the Tsunekawa family home, which is known as the third largest architectural complex in Tokyo.

However, the reality greatly disappointed Yu Gongtaku. The Hengchuan family was exactly the same as when he last visited, with no changes whatsoever.

Perhaps it was because he was used to life at the Kamijou family's house that Takumi Hagiya was able to maintain such a blank expression in this situation.

In fact, all six people present kept their expressions blank, but he didn't say a word, so he seemed to be the most aloof one.

It is worth mentioning that after returning from Okinawa during the summer vacation, the relationship between Shinhoku Tsunekawa and Chinatsu Asahi improved significantly.

Yu Gongtaku didn't know what had happened between the two of them, but they were bickering all the time now, not the kind of bickering where their relationship was so bad that they were at odds, but rather the kind of playful banter between friends.

This surprised Yu Gongtaku, because not long ago, the two of them were completely at odds. How could their relationship have become so good now?

Even if you ask Sanomiya Ando and Natsunagi Sakura, they have no idea what happened between the two.

Whenever Yu Gongtaku asked Hengchuan Xinbei, he would always keep him in suspense first, and then cleverly change the subject, never telling Yu Gongtaku the truth.

Over time, Yu Gongtaku stopped paying attention to the matter. Although he was very curious, he simply had no way of knowing the answer to the question.

Should we ask Asuka Chika? No, no, no, given her personality, she'd probably just tell Hagami Taku to get lost. If that happens, things could get really bad if his relationship with Asuka Chika sours.

Therefore, it's better to keep this question to yourself. After all, it's a good thing for a person not to know some things.

......

As night fell, the Hengchuan family received many guests, all of whom were prominent figures in Tokyo. People without status, background, and prestige were simply not qualified to attend this banquet.

This banquet has two main protagonists: the fathers of Hengchuan Xinbei and Zuo Gong Ando, ​​who are the current heads of the Hengchuan and Zuo Gong families, respectively.

The appearance of the two reminded Hagiya Taku of Kamijou Seiichiro, his uncle who had passed away more than half a year ago. He used to dominate the banquet in a similar way, but such scenes would never happen again.

However, it was Christmas Day, and Yu Gongtuo certainly wouldn't stay depressed forever, so he quickly cheered himself up and stopped thinking about those things.

"Wow, you've grown so much!" Looking at Hengchuan Xinbei, the head of the Zuogong family said with some surprise, "I thought you were still as small as you were back then, but I didn't expect you to be so tall now."

"Uncle Zuo Gong, you flatter me. Ando has grown up in the past few years, hasn't he? Compared to him, I'm the one who looks young." Hengchuan Xinbei responded very modestly, which made the Zuo Gong family head smile from ear to ear.

"And Xiao Tuo too, I never expected that in just over a year, you would go from being an unknown nobody to your current status, even higher than mine."

After greeting Hengchuan Xinbei, the head of the Zuo family turned his gaze to Yu Gongtuo.

Because Hanegami Taku used to frequently visit the Tsunekawa and Sōmiya families, and always sat next to Tsunekawa Shinhoku and Sōmiya Andō, he had become quite familiar with their fathers. Moreover, he now held the title of head of the Kamijō family.

The Kamijou family is a behemoth that even the combined forces of the Tsunekawa and Sōmiya families cannot contend with. Therefore, the head of the Sōmiya family certainly cannot ignore Yūmiya Taku. If the other party is displeased, it will be a catastrophe for him and his entire family.

Previously, he had not paid any attention to Yu Gongtuo, only thinking that he was a good friend of Zuo Gongtuo. But he never expected that the nobody he once looked down on would now become a person at the top of the social hierarchy.

You really can't underestimate anyone. That's why the current head of the Zuo Gong family wouldn't even look down on a beggar on the street. After all, how do you know if someone who can only survive by begging now might grow into someone who can threaten you in the future?

There have been many such examples throughout history, so almost every family receives this kind of education, and they know very well how to deal with people of lower social status than themselves.

It's worth mentioning that Zuo Gong Ando's older sister also came to the Tsunekawa family today, but she hasn't shown up since the start of the banquet, and we don't know what she's been up to.

Hanamichi Taku has never met Sanomiya Ando's older sister, so he is very curious about what she looks like.

Chapter 211 Soaking in a Hot Spring

The banquet began, and the two heads of the family, as the main characters, went around drinking with the guests, chatting and laughing as if they were really friends.

But Yu Gongtaku could tell at a glance that they were just being polite. After all, from a social point of view, they were competitors, and they only attended the banquet out of face.

As for Yu Gongtaku, they didn't eat at the banquet venue, but in a room outside the venue. This was the place where Hengchuan Xinbei and his group usually ate. They specially arranged for this room because they didn't want to deal with people who liked to get close to them.

It's quiet here, and they like the atmosphere, so they all act very naturally. Even when Asuka Chika is eating here, she talks more.

Snow was falling heavily outside the window. It was the coldest time of year in Tokyo. Although the room was heated, just looking at the snow falling outside made me shiver involuntarily.

"How about we go for a soak in a hot spring after dinner?" Hengchuan Xinbei suggested, picking up a piece of steak from the plate in front of him. "Many places in Tokyo have recently opened hot springs, which is a good way to relax. Those guys outside are so noisy."

Even Hengchuan Xinbei, despite his usual nonchalant attitude, disliked dealing with the nobles outside.

Because when dealing with them, neither side tells the truth; either they inadvertently provide the other with incorrect information, or they exchange meaningless pleasantries.

If it weren't for their status, Hengchuan Xinbei wouldn't even bother with them.