The next day.
A car stopped outside the main gate of the Morizono family estate.
Kikuhito Morizono got out of the car and stood outside the gate, looking at the yard behind it with a blank expression.
The entire yard looked like something had gnawed on it. Some trees were almost bald, and a thick layer of broken leaves covered the ground, making it look messy and unbearable. A group of servants lowered their heads, cleaning silently.
Obviously, before he left home yesterday, the bushes, tree crowns, and lawns were all neatly trimmed...
What on earth happened?
How could his home become like this?
"Kikuhito, you're back?"
Yurie Morizono was strolling in the yard with Chi Feichi, holding Rebecca, who was wrapped up like a mummy, in her arms. Seeing Kikuhito Morizono standing at the door, she quickly walked forward with a smile to welcome him, "What are you dazing at the door for? Why don't you come in?"
Kikuhito Morizono had a bit of a headache. She was still asking why he didn't come in? He almost couldn't recognize his own home, okay!
"Last night... was there a pest disaster? Also, Rebecca is..."
"No, no, it was Rebecca, Feichi, and a group of crows that fought yesterday. That's what made the yard so noisy," Yurie Morizono chuckled, turning to look at Chi Feichi who had caught up, "By the way, Feichi is the pet Chi Feichi brought!"
Chi Feichi held Feichi and nodded to Kikuhito Morizono.
Feichi was wrapped in layers of gauze. Chi Feichi wasn't reassured to let Feichi shrink inside his sleeve by himself. If he accidentally slipped out and fell on the ground, even if the wound didn't split, it wouldn't be good for recovery.
"Hello, I heard my parents and my sister mention you before..." Kikuhito Morizono greeted politely, his line of sight involuntarily stopping on Feichi.
He could recognize it was a snake, but a snake wrapped tightly in gauze all over its body, revealing only half a gray-black head, was a first for him...
It looked very miserable indeed!
But a snake, a cat, and a group of crows, how could they damage his home's huge yard like this?
"Alright, don't stand outside the gate, come in quickly!" Yurie Morizono greeted.
Kikuhito Morizono turned to instruct the driver to bring the car in. After entering the door, he still couldn't ignore the messy yard, "Sister, it would be fine normally, but I am going to get married tomorrow, and now the home looks like this..."
"It's okay, we still have time to trim and clean today," Yurie Morizono said unconcernedly, "The tree crowns can be trimmed again, and we can also do some creative designs."
Kikuhito Morizono frowned, "But Kaede will arrive today."
"We can ask her to help design together," Yurie Morizono laughed, "After all, marriage is a matter for two people, and this will be her home in the future too!"
Kikuhito Morizono was helpless, "Really, the home has become like this, how can you still laugh?"
Yurie Morizono lowered her head, using her hand to stroke Rebecca's head, "Of course, Rebecca has been very good from last night until now, very worry-free to take care of. Since mother passed away, it's the first time I've seen it behave so well. I guess it was just stifled before, right, Rebecca?"
"Meow~" Rebecca cawed lazily once.
Kikuhito Morizono: "..."
Yes, it's unprecedentedly good, but with wounds all over its body, could it be anything but good?
However, looking at the relaxed Yurie Morizono, the calm Chi Feichi, and the group of servants calmly cleaning the yard...
It seemed these weren't big matters after all?
...
On the second floor, tea and snacks were served on the table as the three people chatted.
Perhaps because the two families had an old relationship, and the Morizono siblings were talkative people, the atmosphere was harmonious.
Just as they were talking about Kikuhito Morizono's childhood embarrassments, Chi Feichi felt his phone vibrate once and took it out to look.
It was a text message from Ai Haibara.
[Bamboo rats contain components that help with hair growth, I want two more...]
Chi Feichi replied: [No problem, any amount is okay, when?]
Although Ai Haibara didn't tell him about the Organization's matters, she didn't hide her attainments in biology and chemistry in front of him, which already considered him trustworthy.
Soon a new text message came: [Is it okay now? Are you at home?]
[Not at home, I'll go to Dr. Agasa's house to pick you up]
[Okay, then I'll wait for you]
Putting away his phone, Chi Feichi raised his eyes and saw Yurie Morizono staring straight at him.
"Is there a girl asking you out?" Yurie Morizono's eyes flashed with the flames of gossip, "Today is a rest day, eh!"
This...
Ai Haibara did count as a girl.
Chi Feichi nodded, "Later I want to go out for a while."
"Is it your girlfriend?" Yurie Morizono teased, "This morning when I asked you, you said you didn't have a girlfriend. Now you're exposed, right?"
"No, I really don't have a girlfriend." Chi Feichi put away his phone and looked at Kikuhito Morizono.
The Morizono family had given him a very good impression. He didn't mind building a bridge between them to dissolve the misunderstanding.
But now Akio Shigematsu hasn't returned yet, and he doesn't know how long he will be gone, so it's better to call Kikuhito Morizono along...
Kikuhito Morizono saw Chi Feichi looking at him and probed, "Want me to drive you?"
Chi Feichi nodded, "To trouble you."
"Feichi, you won't be like Kikuhito before, with a lot of girls around but never able to settle down, right?" Yurie Morizono smiled and teased, "Kikuhito is getting married, don't take him out to mess around, oh!"
"Alright, sister," Kikuhito Morizono took out the car key, "I'll come back after dropping him off. Don't worry, I won't mess around."
"Really..." Yurie Morizono put on a worried look of 'family misfortune', but still took over the responsibility of taking care of Feichi.
...
Kikuhito Morizono drove towards Beika Town, no crows followed behind the car anymore.
Feimo had led the large troop back to the nest to recuperate. They agreed to come over later. When leaving in the morning, it even let Chi Feichi draw a tube of blood.
"Are you really looking for a girl?" Kikuhito Morizono inherited the cheerful character of the family, and not long after leaving home found a topic, saying casually, "If you are really finding a girl to play with, I'll just drop you off. After all, I am a person getting married..."
"I am finding a girl," Chi Feichi said, "But not what you think."
"I figured. Looking at your character, you wouldn't be like I was before. But you are also 20 years old," Kikuhito Morizono sighed with emotion, "Another two years, and Uncle Shinnosuke should let you start contacting the Zhenchi Group's affairs, then urge you to get married. If you still don't find a girl you like, maybe you will be like him, finding a well-matched girl to barely live a lifetime with... Ah, I am not intentionally badmouthing your parents, I was just lost before, but now I seem to have met the right person..."
Chi Feichi turned his head and looked at Kikuhito Morizono once, just seeing expectation for the future in Kikuhito Morizono's eyes.
He probably understood why Akio Shigematsu didn't tell Kikuhito Morizono the truth.
Getting along with him, he saw that Kikuhito Morizono was actually just a big child who had put away his playfulness and was trying hard to learn maturity. At this time, saying a sentence like 'Don't expect, it's all your own wishful thinking', was indeed a bit cruel.
Kikuhito Morizono talked about his marriage arrangement endlessly. Seeing Chi Feichi silent, he laughed again, "Don't be too unfamiliar with me. When you were born, I even went to see you. When I was in elementary school, my father and Uncle Shinnosuke contacted each other quite a lot. You should also call me cousin!"
Chi Feichi looked out the car window. This family might all have hidden talkative attributes...
"However, you and Uncle Shinnosuke are getting more and more alike. Thinking he will come back, I have a headache. At that time, he will definitely talk about company matters again..." Kikuhito Morizono paused, then laughed again, "But that he can come back to attend my wedding is also my honor."
Chi Feichi still looked out the car window, his voice devoid of emotion, "Your company seems to have encountered trouble recently. There are rumors outside that your company bribes high officials."
The smile on Kikuhito Morizono's face stiffened a bit, and he used a casual tone to say, "Nothing, all those people outside are just randomly spreading rumors."
Chi Feichi was not surprised. These things Kikuhito Morizono definitely wouldn't easily say to outsiders. He said softly, "Either don't do it, or if you want to do it, you have to properly clean up the loose ends."
First step, establish agreement.
Now Kikuhito Morizono should have already aroused killing intent. By showing the attitude of 'cleaning up loose ends', he can make Kikuhito Morizono think he is a person who can understand him and will stand on his side.
Kikuhito Morizono continued to look at the road ahead while driving, the smile gone from his face. He was silent for a while, then sighed with emotion, "You and Uncle Shinnosuke are really alike. The tone just now, I almost thought he was sitting beside me..."
Chi Feichi withdrew his gaze from the window, didn't take the topic about his father, and said on his own, "Compared to these, what you should consider most is after this news leaks out, how to minimize your own loss."
Second step, guidance.
Actually, Kikuhito Morizono is just afraid that the company bribery matter will be exposed by Akio Shigematsu, and afraid of being extorted by Akio Shigematsu for a lifetime.
He dares not mention this kind of thing to outsiders; even family members are kept in the dark. Kikuhito Morizono himself has no idea, his measures are messed up, and he's driven into a dead end.
At this time, if a person he thinks 'understands him and would make the same choice' offers a thought that can withstand scrutiny, saying things are not that bad, he will naturally be calmer and, at the same time, will want to know more of that person's thoughts.
Kikuhito Morizono forced a smile, concealing the tension in his heart, "Hey hey, Feichi, are you determined that I have done bribery that kind of thing, ah?"
"There is no airtight wall in the world. Having heard much and seen much, I still have a little intuition," Chi Feichi said, "Actually, many people have decisions in their hearts, they just don't want to provoke trouble for themselves, or are waiting to watch the excitement. There are even the Morizono family's hostile enterprises deliberately fanning the flames. And I, choose to directly talk with you, that's all."
Use his own affirmation to break Kikuhito Morizono's fluke mind, suggest again 'I am on your side, discovered it but didn't say anything to outsiders, but chose to say it to you', and at the same time point out the real enemy to Kikuhito Morizono...
Kikuhito Morizono fell silent, expression as usual, only his eyes flickered from time to time, showing entanglement and struggle.
Chi Feichi also didn't continue to speak. Now just wait for Kikuhito Morizono to take the initiative to talk with him.
If there is no movement and it's dull for a while, he can also add some fire...
The two people didn't speak, and the atmosphere in the car also became a bit depressive.
Until the car drove into Beika Town, Kikuhito Morizono breathed a long sigh of relief and confirmed in a low voice, "Feichi, the Zhenchi Group is much stronger than my home. You are at the same time the heir of the Field Group. There is no need to plot for anything from the Morizono family, and even less need to harm me. I can trust you... right?"