On the outskirts of the city, a detached villa stood, looking especially luxurious on Tokyo's prime, expensive land.
Elegant music drifted through the air. Most of the party guests were doctors and politicians, mostly young people, chatting and laughing in small groups.
To fulfill his duty as a host, he was, quite frankly, extravagant. Top-tier ingredients like king crab and A5 Wagyu beef were laid out in abundance, and high-end red wine costing hundreds of thousands of yen was everywhere.
Beyond that, the host had carefully chosen an expensive diamond-chip necklace, intending to gift it to the woman he was smitten with, who shared his birthday.
"That's such a coincidence. You two actually share the same birthday?"
"Doesn't it feel like heaven is helping me out?" The man looked completely confident of his chances.
"Don't be so narcissistic," Li Shijia said, curling her lip. "Though, it is quite a coincidence. I'll send her a birthday red envelope. As for you? Here, this is for you."
She pulled a rectangular box from her dainty bag and slowly handed it to the man.
Alex took it and weighed it in his hand. He was too familiar with the weight; he didn't even need to open it.
"A razor."
"Oh my, you've become such a genius on your birthday," Li Shijia said with a smile. "The best partner for a male friend, a golden assistant—it has to be a razor."
"I have enough razors at home to open a supermarket." The man was speechless. His beard wasn't grass that grew back in batches; why did she give him a razor every year?
"I'm not trying to be mean, but Miss Nozawa doesn't seem very interested in you. I've seen her standing over there alone for a long time." Li Shijia knew he had put a lot of effort in and was acting as his advisor. Seeing him getting the cold shoulder, she couldn't help but remark on it.
"Sigh, don't mention it."
He had also noticed that Miss Nozawa seemed distracted. Even though it was her birthday and everyone was dancing, she was the only one standing there holding a wine glass, watching silently with a troubled expression.
Whenever someone went over to chat, they were only met with a "Thank you, no need."
He was feeling truly anxious. If he couldn't seize such a good opportunity tonight, he would regret it deeply.
He gulped down some red wine, and seeing the red rim of the glass, he remembered the roses he had sent to Miss Nozawa.
Could it be because of that lead singer?
Miss Nozawa must have been affected yesterday, which was why she was so unhappy.
The moment he thought of that girl from the Kuroki family, he felt a shiver down his spine.
Being threatened by her was already frustrating enough, but finding out that her status actually loomed over his own made it even worse. Besides, she was just a teenager; how could she do something like using her title to threaten people? What would she be like when she grew up?
Moreover, he had inquired privately and found out that she and Miss Nozawa were only living together as boarders. The last time, she had acted like someone stepped on her tail and scolded him relentlessly. He couldn't figure out why, no matter how hard he thought about it.
"What's wrong?" Li Shijia asked.
Alex forced a smile that looked worse than crying. "Last time, I sent Miss Nozawa a bouquet of roses, and I got chewed out by that band's lead singer."
"Kusanagi?" Li Shijia was a little surprised now. "Kusanagi is the prettiest and most aloof one. Did you mistake her for someone else?"
Alex insisted firmly: "It was her. Not only did she scold me, but she also threatened me for no reason. If I continued to pursue Miss Nozawa, Rainbow Media will stop cooperating with my company—losing the contract! And a huge one at that!"
"Really?" Li Shijia looked incredulous. "Why would she do that? How did you offend her?"
"Please, other than seeing her once at their band performance, I've never even met her."
He continued, depressed: "I don't understand. I sent flowers to Miss Nozawa, so why is she angry? And this girl is really something else; she actually found me through internal channels. I was terrified at the time."
Li Shijia frowned, half-doubting.
The Alex family had been deeply rooted in Tokyo for many years. They were an established enterprise with a complex social network, firmly belonging to the upper class. For someone to easily find him through internal connections, the person must belong to an even more powerful force.
Now that she thought about it, Nozawa was boarding in the most prosperous part of Tokyo and performing at the top national high school. If what Alex said was true, Kusanagi's background was likely unimaginably powerful.
As for why the child Kusanagi was targeting Alex, a thought seemed to flicker in her mind.
"How can a grown man be so petty, quibbling with such a young girl?" Li Shijia sipped her wine. "There must be some misunderstanding. Instead of agonizing over it here, why don't you think about how to talk to Nozawa?"
"You're right." He calmed down. His only goal for tonight was to win Miss Nozawa's heart.
I didn't pay attention to anyone else, just stood there with my arms crossed, lost in thought.
I hadn't drunk much, but my head felt heavy. There were some things I couldn't quite figure out.
There had been too many trivial matters lately—academics, interpersonal relationships, and the willfulness of an underage girl—all of which increased my stress significantly.
I couldn't firmly reject the advances from male seniors; when one lacks resources, these become relationships one has to grasp.
The girl with the volatile temper who suppressed her feelings and refused to communicate was the root cause of my troubles. There was always a strange, unfamiliar feeling that dissipated in an indescribable atmosphere. My heart was too entangled with her, and I couldn't control it.
Today was a happy day, truly happy. She gave me a unique song; it was the best gift I had received in my 23 years. I thought the barrier between us had disappeared, but she acted out of character, becoming obedient and understanding.
Perhaps it was my imagination, but her smile was soft and clear, without a single flaw.
I can't put my finger on it. This contrast made me uneasy, like someone who detested lettuce but ate it while saying, "I love lettuce, lettuce is delicious."
Thinking about it too much made my temples throb.
I rubbed my eyes and took a sip of red wine to relax.
A charming woman in a flowing red dress walked over, holding a glass of exquisite red wine, and stood next to me, taking a sip.
"Why aren't you with your boyfriend?" I glanced at her.
"Dating doesn't mean being together every single moment; a sense of mystery is also important," she said, blinking charmingly.
"Oh, master of romance, please enlighten me."
"The person to enlighten you is here." She nonchalantly clinked her glass against mine. "Birthday girl, feeling a bit off today?"
I had been found out. I pursed my lips, my mouth filled with the mellow taste of alcohol. At the same time, I wondered how to bring up a different topic.
"It's one thing that you didn't accept my red envelope, but you're also sitting here drinking alone."
I was met with a look that was half-scolding, half-angry, and I helplessly arched my brows. This silly girl must have learned from Alex that it was my birthday, regretted not preparing a gift, and sent a red envelope with a large amount via WeChat, so there was no way I could accept it.
"Hurry up and accept the red envelope, woman!"
"No way." I put my phone away to prevent her from snatching it.
"Stubborn, you won't even take money."
I turned and set down my wine glass. "We are friends. Friendship is about reciprocity; there's no reason for you to always be giving to me."
Li Shijia glanced at me and also set down her drink. I sighed and met her gaze.
"I'm already very grateful to you for introducing me to that senior for my internship, Shijia."
"Do you not like Alex?"
"..." I had to say softly, "He is your friend; I couldn't refuse."
"It seems that guy is truly just wishing on his own. He's still expecting you to give him a gift." Li Shijia kicked her high heel in a less-than-elegant manner.
Of course, I had prepared something, but it was just a regular red envelope. If you don't like someone, you shouldn't give them hope.
"I guessed as much. He's impulsive, always likes to pursue people with great fanfare, breaks up after he gets them, and pines for those he can't get until the next better target appears. Men—this inexplicable hunting; it's best to ignore him."
I was surprised by her sudden accusatory tone. She gulped down a mouthful of wine.
Her lipstick had smudged at the corner of her mouth, leaving a mark on the rim of the glass. Noticing my gaze, she dismissively wiped away the red stain and said nonchalantly, "By the way, why didn't that child Kusanagi come with you?"
"She has school tomorrow; it's not convenient for her to come," I paused. "She probably wouldn't be interested in an adult party anyway."
"She's so clingy to you; I thought she would definitely come with you," Li Shijia said in a light tone.
Is Kusanagi clingy to me? I always feel like Li Shijia implies something more.
"Hey, look over there," she suddenly pointed to a black-haired woman in the crowd. "The newly hired research group professor at the institute. She graduated with a doctorate overseas and is only 32."
I looked in the direction she was pointing. A woman with proper makeup, her red lips perfectly outlined, exuded a powerful aura. From behind, she had a slim figure, and her long black hair was neat and clean.
I had heard a little about this woman. A parachute hire, she was said to have worked in medical device R&D in Italy and only returned to Japan in recent years. She was considered a famous figure in the R&D industry.
For Alex to be able to invite someone like this to a birthday celebration, his connections must be truly strong.
"She's over there making toasts, right? I guess she'll come to find you in a while," Li Shijia narrowed her eyes.
"Find me?" I was stunned.
"There are three students in our department selected for internships at the prestigious Oie families, and this famous female professor is a graduate of Jikei Medical University."
I knew she was impressive, but I didn't expect her to be this impressive. I have always admired the strong, and being a woman myself made me feel an extra layer of respect for her.
However, why did she say she would come to find me?
"There are three students in total; why would she definitely come to find me first?"
Li Shijia took a long detour before smiling and pinching my cheek. "This female professor, it's said that her sexual orientation is women, oh."
"Wh-what?" I never expected it to be for this reason.
Likes the same sex?
"It's said she has dated many girlfriends, which is an open secret in the circle. Japanese people are quite reserved, so if people of the same sex are too intimate, it already speaks volumes."
Why did she suddenly bring this up? I mulled over her words for a moment; the more I heard, the stranger it felt, and I subconsciously frowned.
"Whether one likes men or women, I think it's a personal preference; it's not necessarily true."
"Then you can test it," Li Shijia pouted. "Look, she's coming over."
She was faster than a cat; she pulled up her skirt and ran off in a flash.
I was overwhelmed by all the information she had dumped on me and hadn't fully digested it yet. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the black-haired woman, just as she had predicted, nodding to the people around her and walking gracefully toward me.
The black-haired woman in high heels stood beside me. She was a few centimeters taller than me, giving me a sense of overwhelming pressure.
Are Japanese people this tall?
She was almost over 175cm, and she was wearing high heels. Her profile looked very feminine; she wore diamond earrings and had very light makeup on.
"Hello, Miss Nozawa." The woman turned her head. What she extended wasn't a hand, but a wine glass. She wasn't speaking Japanese, but articulate, standard Chinese.
"Hello, Professor." I clinked glasses with her, replacing the handshake ritual.
Her Chinese pronunciation was particularly standard; it sounded no different from a native speaker. I took a sip of wine. Did she speak Chinese specifically because she knew I was Chinese?
The black-haired woman heard me call her Professor and shook her head. "Mori Reiko, just call me Mori Reiko. The title 'Professor' always makes me feel like I'm 40; so old."
This remark instantly closed the distance; it was a display of great approachability.
I lowered my head and smiled. "You look like you're only 20; you look even younger among professors."
Mori Reiko looked at me. "I know the department selected a very outstanding girl. You're only in your first year of graduate school and you're already taking advanced courses. I thought you were a bookworm type of girl, but I didn't expect you to be so good with words."
"You're too kind, Professor. I won't let my internship work interfere with your course."
The woman's tone rose. "Worried about the assessment?"
Is this a test for me?
"I haven't studied your course systematically yet, but professional course teachers always worry that students will be distracted and not work hard in class. I generally separate these parts, setting aside free time to study to make up for missed classes during the internship."
"Wouldn't that be very tiring?" She raised an eyebrow, with a hint of inquiry.
"Studying medicine is perhaps just tiring; that way, patients can be relaxed." I considered my words and answered this way.
"You could also temporarily give up this course; the medical equipment course is not the core content."
"Every course has its necessity and professionalism. By saying that, are you trying to test a student's true thoughts?"
It's rare to see a professor like Mori Reiko say her own course isn't important. Actually, she wants to hear my opinion, right? For surgery, learning knowledge in other directions is indeed overwhelming.
The woman clearly didn't expect me to be so straightforward; the interest in her eyes deepened.
"What do you think?"
I thought for a moment and decided to give an example.
"Take a syringe, for example. Everyone knows the principle is a simple piston movement and injection principle. Ensuring the airtightness of the syringe, when pushing the liquid inside the tube, ensuring no air leaks, allows the liquid to be successfully injected."
"But due to the limited level of materials in the past and limited understanding of physics, it took a long time to invent the syringe principle. The slow invention of the syringe is also related to the low level of other knowledge." I paused. "Therefore, Professor, your course is very necessary. It's important derivative content."
"That makes a lot of sense, little one."
"...Huh?" I didn't react in time. Little one? Ah, is she reminding me that I just called her Professor again, making her seem old?
Looking at her expression, it certainly was.
I was a bit embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Professor... ah no, Mori Reiko."
"Yamashita was certainly right." Mori Reiko curled her lips into a gratified smile, shaking her head as she laughed.
When she smiled, there were fine lines at the corners of her eyes; it wasn't ugly, but rather had the charm of a mature woman.
So Yamashita knew her. It seems professors also discuss their students in private.
I waited for her next sentence, but the woman started playing coy, drinking her red wine and saying nothing more.