Chapter 182 The Master'S Task
"Yes, witness," Mori Mari looked at Asakawa Aki, with a smile on her face, her fingers pressing on the exquisite ring box, slowly pushing it towards Li Xia.
Asakawa Aki's expression stiffened, her phoenix eyes furrowed, looking at the ring.
Li Xia was equally puzzled, also looking at the ring. He suddenly realized that this extravagantly designed ring was too big for a woman's finger.
A dreadful thought arose in his mind.
Mori Mari deliberately paused for a few seconds, seeing the expressions on their faces, a smile appeared at the corners of her mouth, she raised her head and looked at Li Xia.
"I have been thinking a lot these days, and you are the one I truly love, Li. Please marry me."
"Shatter!" The sound of glass shattering, Asakawa Aki's right hand flung the glass to the ground, shattering it into pieces, her face still showing a shocked expression.
"Sorry, I know this is very sudden," Mori Mari looked at the two dumbfounded individuals. "But love is always irrational."
Asakawa Aki looked at Li Xia, her eyes full of questions, as if saying, "What have you two been up to behind my back?"
Li Xia snapped back to reality, and he felt like crying. He couldn't believe that Mori Mari truly liked him.
One was a regular college student, while the other was the CEO of a publicly listed company, and also a lace trim.
That night, everything suddenly became normal, even their sexual orientation, which didn't make sense.
It was still that night when she awakened some strange attribute, was it because of that glass bottle, or did she use some hidden prop in her fragmented memories?
Li Xia glanced at Mori Mari and saw a mischievous look in her eyes.
"She's getting back at me for what happened that night," Li Xia immediately understood. She was confident that he wouldn't dare confront her in front of Asakawa Aki.
"I have to make a choice," Li Xia felt Asakawa Aki's gaze. He had to make his stance clear right away.
Asakawa Aki, who initially found everything absurd, was now starting to doubt.
"Phew..." Li Xia took a deep breath, then exhaled, easing his nervousness. He looked at Mori Mari, knowing that if she had any leverage over him, he would fall into her carefully woven web. Playing mind games with this business elite would leave him with nothing.
Li Xia's gaze regained determination from confusion. He reached out and closed the ring box before pushing it back, saying, "I'm sorry, Miss Jasmine, I cannot accept your marriage proposal."
After speaking, Li Xia stood up and walked towards Asakawa Aki. Without waiting for her reaction, he lowered his head and kissed her on the lips.
Asakawa Aki initially wanted to resist, but the thought of Mori Mari suddenly brought a sense of revenge to her heart.
Instead of pushing Li Xia away, she opened her mouth and extended her tongue.
Li Xia was stunned. He had only intended to symbolically express his stance through his actions, but now his cousin's tongue was resting on his own.
Normally, even when they were alone, Asakawa Aki resisted his intimate gestures, and their kisses were usually passive. This level of enthusiasm was a first.
Considering that Mori Mari was still present, Li Xia didn't kiss for too long. He withdrew his tongue, lifted his head, and looked at Mori Mari.
"I already have someone I love, and I will marry her."
By saying these words, Li Xia had already prepared himself to confront Mori Mari.
Asakawa Aki knew that his ex-girlfriend would be angry and embarrassed when she found out that he had moved on. However, with her conflicted personality, she would eventually forgive him after some persuasion. It's certainly better than being forever under Mori Mari's control.
Mori Mari squinted her eyes and looked at Li Xia. Things didn't go as she had expected.
This young man's decisive actions surprised her and made her admire Li Xia a bit.
Mori Mari put away the ring box and glanced at Asakawa Aki, the woman she had once loved.
When they kissed just now, she didn't feel uncomfortable. She simply felt a hint of envy for finding someone to truly love.
"What a pity," Mori Mari smiled and spread her hands. She couldn't get revenge on Li Xia, but at least she got to witness a good show.
She decided to let this couple go. Beautiful things are meant to be cherished, not destroyed. Mori Mari knew how to pick up and let go.
"Well, I can only wish you both happiness," she said.
Mori Mari didn't waste any time. With a carefree smile, she picked up her wine glass, finished the red wine inside, stood up, and left this place for the two of them.
Asakawa Aki's face turned crimson, and the thought of the sensation from just now made her want to find a hole to hide in.
"Ding." The familiar notification sound rang in her mind, and Asakawa Aki froze in place, her face instantly turning pale, a sense of unease rising in her heart.
The system's tasks wouldn't stop just because of her will.
"Confrontation Task: Date."
"Task description: Allowing children to interact with the opposite sex is a necessary process for their growth. Now, your child has been confessed to by a girl. As an open-minded adult, please help him with this date."
"Task instructions: The players will be divided into two teams, with opposing objectives. When settled, rewards will be given to the winning side."
"Task target: Mori Mari."
"Adult team: Kirigiri Shimizu (mother), Asakawa Aki (father)"
"Youth team: Chen Huijie (daughter), Mizusawa Ryo (son)"
"Auntie, what happened to you?" Li Xia noticed that Asakawa Aki suddenly looked very unpleasant and quickly asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Asakawa Aki looked at Li Xia, then glanced at Mori Mari. Her almond-shaped eyes suddenly turned red. She was originally a charming and mature beauty, but now she had a look of sadness on her face, which surprised the two of them.
"Aki?" Mori Mari was already planning to leave, but when she saw Aki's expression, she frowned and looked over.
At this moment, Asakawa Aki's phone suddenly vibrated. She wiped her eyes while taking out her phone, and when she saw the caller ID, she clearly hesitated for a moment.
"Sorry, I need to take this call," Asakawa Aki said, picking up her phone and covering her eyes as she walked outside.
Li Xia and Mori Mari watched her leave and exchanged a glance, both seeing the same question on each other's faces.
"Do you know who's calling?" Mori Mari asked with a smile.
"I have no idea," Li Xia shook his head. He was feeling a bit upset. Why would his aunt avoid them and go outside to take a call? It didn't make sense logically.
"Oh~" Mori Mari, being astute as ever, could tell that Li Xia was worried. Her expression became playful. She had initially planned to leave, but now she didn't want to go anymore. She sat back down, pouring herself a glass of red wine from her tall glass.
"Looks like Aki also has secrets that she doesn't want to tell you, and it's not about whether the call was from a man or a woman."
"Everyone has their own privacy," Li Xia said, but she always felt uneasy in her heart.
Mori Mari took a sip of red wine, her eyes curved into a crescent moon, and the previous discomfort disappeared.
Seeing Li Xia's anxious look, an inexplicable sense of joy rose in her heart.
Of course, Asakawa Aki wouldn't answer a call from a man. The caller ID showed Kirigiri Shimizu. The system had just sent an incomplete task, so she called to discuss it. It must be related to the system. Asakawa Aki couldn't let others know about the existence of the system, so she had to hide and answer the call.
"Sorry, I can't step away right now," Kirigiri Shimizu's voice remained cold. "I will have others assist you in completing this task."
"No, I won't go and complete this task," Asakawa Aki shook her head.
Although she didn't make any inappropriate moves towards Li Xia and didn't let him get close, she already considered him her boyfriend in her heart.
Helping my boyfriend go on a date with another girl, or with a girl he had a complicated relationship with in the past.
She, Asakawa Aki, absolutely refuses this double-edged bullheaded experience card, no matter who tries to persuade her, she said.
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, Kirigiri Shimizu didn't try to persuade her, but suddenly asked, "Do you know the consequences if the task is not completed?"
"Choose your battles," Asakawa Aki crossed her arms, her gaze determined.
Kirigiri Shimizu briefly explained to her the punishment Chen Huijie received, of course leaving out the part that the BUFF could be lifted through subsequent tasks.
"I'm not sure if the punishment she received is random, or if it's an inevitable consequence of the first failure," Kirigiri Shimizu said.
"What... what should I do?" Asakawa Aki slumped down, Kirigiri Shimizu said it was random, but her words were full of uncertainty.
If she really has one more of that thing, how would she get along with Li Xia in the future, and how would they spend their wedding night?
Asakawa Aki imagined the scene, her face going from fear to blush, with a hint of anticipation and eagerness.
"Slap!" Asakawa Aki immediately slapped herself: "Asakawa Aki, how could you have such a twisted thought."
Li Xia sat at the dining table, lightly tapping her fingers on the table, occasionally shifting her feet, appearing restless.
"'No... don't touch there!' said the wife. And the husband said 'Why do you treat me so!'. At this, the wife replied, 'Because those are just the master's' task..."
"Hey, stop it!" Li Xia was distracted by these strange noises again and turned to glare at Mori Mari.
"Don't you want to watch together?" Mori Mari smiled mischievously, pressing the pause button on her phone and waving it in front of Li Xia.
"A story about a kind and gentle wife being someone else's slave, and marrying oneself is just a task. It's quite an interesting story."
"You, you!" Li Xia gritted his teeth, about to explode, when suddenly he heard the sound of high heels stepping on the ground.
He quickly went back to his original position and turned his head to see his aunt walking in from outside.
Asakawa Aki sat down, her expression complex as she glanced at Li Xia and Mori Mari.
She hesitated and said, "Xia, I agree to be your girlfriend not because of familiarity or any other reason, but as a woman who wants to be with you."
"Um..." Li Xia was originally going to inquire about the phone call, but was suddenly confessed to by Aki, which made him blush a little.
He touched his cheek with his hand, momentarily unsure of what to say.
Mori Mari pursed her lips, feeling caught off guard by this sudden display of affection, making even this experienced female CEO feel uncomfortable.
"I love you, Xia," Aki said, then turned to look at Mori Mari, her expression becoming incredibly complex.
"Marie, you are my best friend," Aki turned to Mori Mari again. "You stood by me when I needed help the most."
The expressions of Li Xia and Mori Mari simultaneously became strange, not understanding the meaning behind Aki's words.
And the sense of immediacy is too strong, as if the next sentence will burst out "you are all my wings."
Asakawa Aki felt two pairs of eyes, and she also felt a little overwhelmed, but she had no choice but to continue speaking with a stiff upper lip:
"I believe Xia loves me, and you just don't understand him deeply, so you have developed an infatuation."
The corner of Li Xia's mouth twitched. The two of them had really had physical interaction, and had even used props.
"Let's make an appointment this weekend." Asakawa Aki's head lowered as she spoke, and she could feel her face burning. As she spoke, her voice became quieter and quieter.
"Um..." Li Xia spoke cautiously. "Auntie, how about I take you back to rest first? There's nothing else to do here."
Reality is not a manga or a novel, and neither of them believed that a normal person could say such things.
Either Aki was speaking in anger, or she was confused by anger. At this time, she should go home, have a hot drink, and rest well.
If the symptoms do not improve the next morning, she should go to the hospital for a mental check-up.
Mori Mari didn't cause any trouble, and she also began to care about Asakawa Aki's mental state.
"The time is set for this weekend," Asakawa Aki said, not wanting to stay here any longer. After speaking, she stood up and pulled Li Xia, saying, "Let's go."
Li Xia, being pulled by her, turned and exchanged a glance with Mori Mari, both seeing the same signal in each other's eyes.
Thinking back to the phone call Asakawa Aki had just received, a word appeared in her mind:
"It's just master's task."
* * *
Special Affairs Bureau, Mizusawa Ryo, sitting cross-legged on the hospital bed, picked up an orange and put it in her mouth.
Her abdomen was still wrapped in gauze, and the place where she had been injured by Kanshi Ran last time still needed some rest.
Suddenly, her mind was filled with system prompts and task instructions.
Her eyes suddenly sparkled with gold: "Finally, it's here!"
After the last battle with Kanshi Ran, she realized the powerful skills of the system. She was the only one among the four who hadn't acquired any skills, which made her very anxious.
She knew that Kirigiri Shimizu, due to being promoted to deputy director, couldn't leave the Special Affairs Bureau recently. This was her chance to complete the task and make a comeback.
Mizusawa Ryo lifted the covers and got out of bed, revealing an impressive figure as he took off his hospital gown and reached for clothes in the wardrobe.
The door was pushed open directly, and Kirigiri Shimizu stood in the doorway, followed by a group of female Special Affairs Bureau members.
"Hey, what are you trying to do?" Mizusawa Ryo's heart sank, sensing trouble, and he glanced at the window.
"Your injury has not fully healed, you need rest," Kirigiri Shimizu's voice was cold. "And the window in this room is made of special bulletproof glass."
"Kirigiri Shimizu!" Mizusawa Ryo pointed at her, roaring, "Are you not able to handle this?"
"Arrange for her to see a psychologist," Kirigiri Shimizu said to her subordinate. "The patient has delusions."
On the other side, Li Xia escorted Asakawa Aki home. All the way, he kept wanting to ask about the phone call, until he finally gathered the courage to ask as he dropped her off at the apartment door: "Auntie, whose call did you receive at the restaurant just now?"
"Hmm?" Asakawa Aki was taken aback and didn't hide anything, handing him the phone. "It's a call from Kirigiri Shimizu."
"Ah?" Li Xia also didn't expect that her aunt would be so open to directly give him the phone.
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