Chen ge would definitely keep Chisato Nishikigi by his side; she didn't even need to ask.
He had originally planned to take her directly back to the store, but remembering that Utaha Kasumigaoka was still discussing the contract with editor Sonoko Machida, he took Chisato Nishikigi to find them.
Returning to the family restaurant, Chen ge saw that the two were still sitting opposite each other, but it seemed they had finished their discussion and were now eating.
His arrival with Chisato Nishikigi successfully attracted their attention.
Their gazes passed through the glass window, landing on him and following him as he entered the store.
The cutlery in their hands stopped moving.
Chen ge naturally noticed their gazes. He didn't care about Sonoko Machida, but he had to pay attention to Utaha Kasumigaoka.
She was frowning, her eyes sharp, looking a little unhappy.
It was only then that Chen ge realized that his sudden departure and return with a very beautiful young girl was indeed a bit out of place.
But since he had already brought her, there was no turning back.
Chen ge feigned composure, arriving one after another with Chisato Nishikigi, and casually asked, "Kasumigaoka, have you and Editor Machida finished talking?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka ignored him, instead looking at Chisato Nishikigi, her expression unreadable as she scrutinized her.
"We've finished talking," Sonoko Machida replied, though she was looking at Utaha Kasumigaoka and Chisato Nishikigi, a faint smile on her face, as if watching a good show.
"Hello, I'm Chisato Nishikigi." Facing Utaha Kasumigaoka's scrutiny, Chisato Nishikigi didn't care, smiling and waving as she introduced herself.
"Hello there, I'm Sonoko Machida, an editor," Sonoko Machida responded with a smile.
"Chisato Nishikigi? What's your relationship with Shi-kun?" Utaha Kasumigaoka asked, raising an eyebrow.
Shi-kun... Chen ge twitched the corner of his mouth; the address had changed.
This was the title they used when they first met, so had their relationship regressed?
"Relationship? Chen ge, what's my relationship with you?" Chisato Nishikigi asked Chen ge with a grin.
She had changed her address for Chen ge on the way here, and Chen ge had told her to call him that.
After all, 'big brother' sounded a bit old, and they looked about the same age now.
"Distant cousin?" Chen ge said hesitantly.
"Why are you asking me?" Utaha Kasumigaoka retorted.
"Cough cough."
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"Eh? Cousin?" Chisato Nishikigi seemed a little reluctant.
"Then what else can be done?"
"Alright, whatever Chen ge decides." Chisato Nishikigi pouted unhappily.
"That's how it is, Kasumigaoka, she's my cousin."
"..." Utaha Kasumigaoka looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"Wh-what's wrong?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka's eyebrow twitched, then she took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling: "Are you treating me like an idiot?"
"How could that be?"
"Then why are you acting foolish? I see, you're the idiot, aren't you?"
"Uh..."
Oh, wow~
Chen ge only then realized that he seemed to have been a bit foolish just now.
Never mind, it wasn't a big deal, and Utaha Kasumigaoka's reaction made him happy.
"Hahaha, Shi-kun, you're so interesting!" Sonoko Machida burst out laughing, not at all ladylike.
Chen ge: "..."
"Hmph!" Utaha Kasumigaoka glared at Chen ge, then looked at Chisato Nishikigi.
"What exactly is your relationship with him?"
"What's wrong? Are you Chen ge's girlfriend?" Chisato Nishikigi asked curiously in return.
"No," Utaha Kasumigaoka denied expressionlessly.
"Is that so? Then I'm relieved." Chisato Nishikigi smiled.
"Relieved?"
"Chen ge is my savior, I want to be with him!"
Chisato Nishikigi suddenly hugged Chen ge's arm tightly, then looked provocatively at Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Since you're not Chen ge's girlfriend, then I have no qualms."
"Savior? Marrying him to repay the kindness? Heh~ What kind of old-fashioned plot is that?" Utaha Kasumigaoka sneered.
"That's different," Chisato Nishikigi smiled and shook her head in rebuttal: "I've been waiting for Chen ge for ten whole years."
Chen ge had rescued her from despair, cured her heart disease, and given her a new life. Her ten years of searching, ten years of longing, had made this feeling far from ordinary.
Moreover, having left DA, Chisato Nishikigi had returned to a normal girl's life, and Chen ge had become her Prince Charming.
No girl wouldn't be moved by Prince Charming.
"Ten years?" Utaha Kasumigaoka couldn't help but look at Chen ge: "Childhood sweethearts? Didn't you just arrive here? Didn't you just meet her when you played the hero saving the damsel?"
"Uh... I can't explain the specific situation clearly, but we shouldn't be childhood sweethearts."
Although Chisato Nishikigi was hugging his arm, he couldn't feel any warmth from the soft touch.
This should be a love triangle, right?
Although it was a small one, it was already making him nervous.
Sigh, after all, he had lived a shut-in's life before and hadn't experienced such a scene, so it was easy to panic.
"Can't explain? You don't want to tell me?" Utaha Kasumigaoka lowered her eyes.
"No! Believe me! I really can't say." Chen ge immediately pulled his hand out of Chisato Nishikigi's embrace, grabbed Utaha Kasumigaoka's shoulders, and looked her in the eyes, his expression serious.
Utaha Kasumigaoka only met Chen ge's gaze for three seconds before she couldn't stand his eyes anymore. She awkwardly turned her head away: "I get it, I believe you, isn't that enough?"
"That's great." Chen ge breathed a sigh of relief.
"You let go of me first..." Utaha Kasumigaoka reminded him in a low voice.
"Oh, sorry." Chen ge quickly released her.
"Since you don't want it, I'll take it." Chisato Nishikigi didn't mind Chen ge's previous actions at all and immediately hugged him again.
"Chisato..." Chen ge looked at her helplessly.
"Can't I?" Chisato Nishikigi blinked her eyes pitifully.
"Never mind..."
"Hmph hmph~" Chisato Nishikigi smugly glanced at Utaha Kasumigaoka.
But Utaha Kasumigaoka no longer cared about her actions. She didn't even look at her, asking Chen ge: "Chen ge, do you want to eat something before going back?"
The address had changed back.
"I am a little hungry." Chen ge nodded.
"Then I want some too!" Chisato Nishikigi said.
"How thick-skinned." Utaha Kasumigaoka pouted.
"What? I'm Chen ge's cousin, is there a problem?"
"...Now she's a cousin again?"
"Just a cousin, not a biological sister," Chisato Nishikigi retorted carelessly.
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "..."
"Alright, stop arguing. What do you want to eat?" Chen ge interjected to stop them.
"I'll have the same as Chen ge."
"Okay."
After Chen ge called the waiter and ordered two rice bowls, he realized that seating seemed to be a problem.
He didn't know where to sit. Should he sit with Utaha Kasumigaoka and them, or sit alone with Chisato Nishikigi?
Should he be tough and sit by himself?
But there were three beautiful women here; only an idiot would sit alone.
Sonoko Machida noticed his predicament. She moved inwards and waved to him: "Shi-kun, do you want to sit with me?"
"Uh..." Chen ge looked hesitantly at Utaha Kasumigaoka.
"Why are you looking at me? I'm not like some people who throw tantrums."
Utaha Kasumigaoka moved inwards.
"You really underestimate me." Chisato Nishikigi smiled and sat next to her.
So Chen ge sat next to Sonoko Machida.
The scene suddenly quieted down. After a while, Sonoko Machida suddenly started laughing.
"Hahaha! You guys... are so interesting, so youthful."
"Editor Machida, please don't joke around," Chen ge said unhappily.
"Oh my~ As expected of a handsome young man, so popular." Sonoko Machida patted Chen ge's shoulder.
"...That's not true."
"Shi-kun, you're not going to be a scumbag, are you?"
As soon as Sonoko Machida said this, Chen ge clearly felt that Utaha Kasumigaoka's state was not right.
Chisato Nishikigi, on the other hand, had no reaction.
"Editor Machida, don't talk nonsense, I'm not that kind of person," Chen ge denied righteously.
"Really? You're so good-looking, you'd probably fool anyone. Wouldn't it be a shame not to be a scumbag?"
"...Who tells people to be a scumbag?" Chen ge's head was filled with black lines.
"Because I feel that if you become a scumbag, it might improve Kasumigaoka-sensei's writing ability."
"..."
"What does that have to do with me?" Utaha Kasumigaoka spoke up.
"Because..." Sonoko Machida winked at Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Kasumigaoka-sensei doesn't have much romantic experience, but you write romance novels."
"C-can't I?" Utaha Kasumigaoka's cheeks were slightly red, a little shy.
"Although romance novels are suitable for people without romantic experience to write, it's a bit too sci-fi. It's better to be more realistic and more painful; it will definitely get more attention."
"...I'm so sorry I haven't had a relationship!" Utaha Kasumigaoka shouted in embarrassment and anger.
"Haha, did you hear that, Shi-kun? Kasumigaoka-sensei hasn't been in love~ She's easy to get."
"Chen ge, I haven't been in love either!" Chisato Nishikigi raised her hand to speak, looking very proud.
"..." Chen ge was speechless.