Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

Chapter 320 Seven Envelopes

Seven envelopes. All opened.

On the desktop, three documents are on the left—Weber, Amy, and Dojima. Technology and Security.

The four on the right are Frank, Kagawa, SIS Mitsubishi, and Itakura. Finance and Architecture.

The light outside the window had unknowingly shifted from the warm gold of the afternoon to the dark orange of dusk. The shadow of the maple tree on the shoji paper stretched long, extending from the left end of the window frame to the right.

The whole afternoon.

Shuichi stayed by her side. He was there every time one of the seven letters was opened, asking the questions and providing supplementary information. He could help with some things, and some were beyond his capabilities—but in any case, he was always there.

One time, he got up to refill her tea. Satsuki's cup of genmaicha went cold and was reheated, then cooled down again, repeating this process three times. Each time Shuichi refilled her tea, Satsuki didn't even need to lift her head; by the time she remembered to drink, the cup beside her was always warm.

The maid knocked on the door twice to ask if we wanted dinner.

The first time was at 5:30. Xiu waved towards the door, his voice low: "Later. She's not finished yet."

The second time was at 6:15. Xiu Yi stood up, walked to the door, and opened it a crack. He whispered a few instructions to the servant waiting in the porch. The servant bowed and left. The door closed again.

When Shuichi returned, Satsuki had just finished writing the last line of annotations.

She put the paper cutter back in the drawer and placed the pencil on the pencil rest. Leaning back in her chair, she rubbed her wrist, which was slightly sore from holding a pen for too long. Several documents that needed to be delivered to Endo were stacked together and secured with paperclips. The rest were put back into their respective envelopes, sealed face down on the table.

The maple trees were no longer visible outside the window. The dark orange light of day was fading, and the study was beginning to darken.

Xiu walked to the wall and turned on the brass floor lamp. The lampshade was frosted glass, casting a soft, slightly warm yellow light.

The soft light cast a warm glow on Satsuki's profile. She stood up from her chair and stretched in a very unladylike manner.

Are you hungry?

Satsuki turned to look at her father and nodded frankly.

"Mmm. I'm so hungry."

Xiu smiled. "Let's go. Let's eat."

The two walked out of the study side by side. The wall lamps in the hallway were already lit, their warm yellow light flowing along the grain of the cedar wood planks. A delicate aroma of dashi wafted through the air—the sweetness of miso and bonito flakes.

"I had the kitchen prepare some saury this afternoon." Shuichi walked beside Satsuki, his tone casual. "This year's early autumn saury was delivered directly from Nemuro. The fat layer is much thicker than last year."

"Netomuro?" Satsuki became interested. "That's definitely good."

"Hmm. Salt-baked. But they made sure to use less salt."

Satsuki paused slightly in her steps.

"...You still remember?"

"Of course I remember." Shuichi's tone was light, unlike that of a busy tycoon. "Last time you complained that there was too much salt and grumbled about it the whole time. How could I not remember?"

"I didn't grumble about the whole meal..." Satsuki turned her head and muttered a defense in a low voice, "I only mentioned it briefly."

"Once? You said it three times." Shuichi held up three fingers. "'Too much salt,' 'Who put in the salt,' 'Could you be lighter next time?' Three times in total. I remember every single word."

“…………”

Satsuki turned her head away, and the tips of her ears seemed to be slightly red.

Dinner was served in the Japanese-style room.

A dark blue tablecloth covered the low table. White rice, miso soup with sashimi, pickled radish, simmered dishes, and cold spinach salad were laid out on the table according to the etiquette of a formal meal. Grilled saury sat in the center of a long plate, its silvery-white skin charred with fine lines, and the rendered fat still bubbling slightly.

There are also two bamboo steamers.

Next to the steamer was a dish of shredded ginger and a small pot of black vinegar. Water droplets still clung to the bamboo lid—it had just been taken out of the steamer, and the steam had stained the bamboo lid a darker color.

Satsuki paused for a moment when she saw the two steamers.

She turned to look at Shuichi.

Shuichi sat down opposite her and took the chopsticks from the butler.

"It's too hot," he said.

However, the steamer was placed closer to Satsuki.

She lifted the lid of the steamer. The thin skin of the xiaolongbao puffed up from the steam, and the orange-red crab roe filling could be vaguely seen under the translucent dough.

Satsuki picked up one, dipped it lightly in the ginger and vinegar dish, put it in her mouth, and took a small bite.

The moment her teeth pierced the thin skin, scalding hot broth surged up—the sweetness of crab roe enveloped the rich flavor of the melted pork skin jelly. She quickly pursed her lips, trying to catch any spillage. The slight sourness of ginger and vinegar lingered on her tongue, perfectly cutting through the thick layer of grease.

"Mmm—delicious." Satsuki gave a serious evaluation, "It's amazing that the skin didn't break after being steamed again. The kitchen did a good job controlling the heat this time."

Shuichi also picked up a dumpling. He carefully dipped it in the vinegar dish—but dipped it too deep, soaking half of the dumpling in. Satsuki watched his actions, and the corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily.

"Father... just a light dab is fine, are you going to soak it in a vinegar bath?"

"Huh? Is this not right?" Xiu Yi glanced innocently at the wet steamed buns in the vinegar dish.

"Just a little bit is enough, otherwise you won't be able to taste the crab roe."

Shuichi put the vinegar-soaked xiaolongbao into his mouth and chewed it twice. His eyebrows rose slightly.

"Hmm...it's really good. I'll use less next time." He put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth. "This Director Chen has good taste."

"That's not Director Chen's taste," Gao Yue corrected while continuing to eat the steamed buns in the steamer. "It's the taste of the people of Shenhai. It's a century-old shop. The crab roe is made with hairy crabs from Taihu Lake, which is on a completely different level from ordinary crab roe."

"Oh—from Taihu Lake." Xiu nodded, looking like he was earnestly learning. Then he reached for a second chopstick—this time, his action of dipping it in vinegar was noticeably more restrained.

The father and daughter shared the steamed food in perfect harmony. Of the eight steamed buns in the first steamer, Satsuki ate five and Shuichi ate three.

When the second basket was opened, it wasn't as hot as the first one, but the crab roe flavor was still strong.

The last one. She picked it up, then paused.

Then it was placed on the plate in front of Shuichi.

Xiuyi looked at the lonely little steamed bun.

"Sixteen in total, you ate nine, I ate six. And you're giving me the last one?"

"Yes. The last one is for Father." Satsuki picked up a piece of white saury meat, her tone matter-of-fact. "You should be content; this is a limited edition."

"Yes, yes, yes. Then I'll be honored by your kindness, Miss." Xiu Yi smiled, dipped the xiaolongbao in a little vinegar, and put it in his mouth.

The saury was indeed under-salted. The silvery-white skin was grilled until slightly crispy, and the fat layer underneath released oil under the high temperature, spreading a rich, sweet flavor in the mouth. Satsuki carefully removed the fish meat along the spine, ate it with a mouthful of white rice, and ate it attentively.

"How is it?" Xiu asked. "Is the amount of salt okay this time?"

Satsuki chewed twice.

"Yes." She nodded. "This time it's just right."

A satisfied smile spread across Shuichi's face. That satisfaction didn't come from the food itself—for him, it was more about "remembering his daughter's taste and doing it right."

After the dishes were cleared away, the butler brought out tea for the after-dinner meal.

Satsuki took the teacup.

Black tea. The tea in the cup was a deep amber color, with a slight reddish tinge. She leaned closer and smelled it.

So fragrant...

Is it the can that Chen Zhiyuan gave me at the airport?

"Oh," Satsuki exclaimed in surprise, "Did Father have the kitchen prepare it?"

"Yes. I had it prepared just now." Shuichi picked up his hojicha cup. "Didn't you say he sent a can of good tea? Perfect for a change of pace after dinner."

Satsuki took a sip. The tea was warm and full-bodied as it went down her throat.

The aftertaste has a hint of honey-like sweetness, less astringent than Ceylon and more delicate than Darjeeling.

"It's delicious." She put down the glass, gently circling her finger along the rim. "This Director Chen has good taste in gifts."

"Then next time you see him, please thank him for me," Xiu said with a smile.

"He's an interesting person." Satsuki's tone was relaxed, but a serious look flashed between her brows.

She held her teacup and remained silent for a few seconds.

The stone lanterns in the courtyard outside the window had been lit by the servants sometime earlier. The faint candlelight leaked out from the hexagonal lattice window, casting a small, warm yellow glow on the moss-covered stone surface.

The chirping of autumn insects came from some corner. One long chirp followed by three short chirps.

"Father."

Shuichi put down his teacup and looked at her.

"I'll be very busy starting tomorrow."

Shuichi's expression remained unchanged, as if he had anticipated those words.

"Mm," he said flatly. "I know."

They didn't ask "What are you busy with?" nor "What do you need me to do?"

He would provide information without reservation when Satsuki needed it. He would never ask questions unless Satsuki asked first.

He only needed to know one thing—his daughter was moving on.

He will safeguard everything that follows.

Satsuki finished the last sip of black tea in her cup. A single tea leaf lay at the bottom of the cup, resting on the porcelain surface.

She placed the empty glass on the table and stood up.

"Goodnight, Father." She walked towards the sliding door of the Japanese-style room, glancing back at Xiu Yi. "Get some rest. Don't stay up late working on reports anymore. I'll get angry if you don't listen."

Shuichi was amused by the words "disobedient" and "angry".

"Okay, okay, I won't stay up late. You should go to bed early too."

Satsuki turned around, gripped the groove in the door frame with her fingers, and pulled the door open.

Then she paused.

There was no turning back.

"Crab roe xiaolongbao, I'll take you with me next time I go to Shenhai." Her voice was very soft, with a slight rise at the end.

"There are so many delicious things to eat over there. Pan-fried dumplings, scallion oil noodles, pork rib rice cakes... I'll take you to try them one by one."

The door opened and then closed.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away along the corridor.

Shuichi remained seated. The bowls and plates in front of him had been cleared away, leaving only a roasted tea cup and the warm yellow light.

He looked at the gap left after the sliding door closed—a sliver of light from the corridor lamp shone through the gap, drawing a very thin, bright line on the tatami mat.

Let me show you how to try them one by one.

Shuichi smiled and shook his head. He then drank the roasted tea in one gulp.

The tea had cooled down, and the bitterness spread across the back of my tongue.

But the curve of his lips just wouldn't go down.