Chapter 91: When Are You Two Planning to Get Married?

Jochi Kyoko had always emphasized education and family values for good reason, as she was a university professor specializing in history.

If the topic were other academic subjects, Shengzai’s cultural level could at most match that of a university student.

But when it came to history and classical Chinese texts, Shengzai from the Tokyo Ghoul world was precisely the type of top student in such fields.

At first, Jochi Kyoko was quite surprised that Shengzai could converse with her and even offer his own insights, but she quickly came to accept it.

After all, Shengzai came from a family with deep roots; his erudition was easily attributed by Jochi Kyoko to his family’s heritage and the careful guidance of his elders.

Of course, this also had much to do with Shengzai himself being exceptionally talented.

Jochi Kyoko had just secretly tested Shengzai and discovered that even though he was only in his third year of junior high when trapped in SAO, he understood knowledge typically mastered only by high school students.

This meant that by his third year of junior high, Shengzai might already have been self-studying high school material.

It was one thing that he achieved notable success in his hobbies of kendo and history, but his performance in other academic subjects was unquestionably beyond the reach of his peers.

Such a boy was truly what one called a genius!

His family had ancient lineage and excellent upbringing; he himself possessed outstanding physical attributes and was flawless in talent.

No wonder her husband had once said their daughter, Jochi Asuna, might not be good enough for him.

Wasn’t that a complete mismatch? It wasn’t that she, as a mother, looked down on her own daughter—her daughter had nothing to compare with Shengzai except her looks.

Shengzai was humble, courteous, mature, and well-mannered. Their daughter, by contrast, only pretended to behave properly in front of them, but in truth was impulsive and occasionally rebellious.

Shengzai was learned and accomplished, excelling not only academically but also in other fields. Their daughter? Her grades weren’t terrible, but they were merely average—nowhere near the elite standard Jochi Kyoko demanded.

Simply put, looking at the flawless Shengzai before her and then thinking of her own daughter, Jochi Kyoko suddenly felt Jochi Asuna was nothing at all.

Shengzai, meanwhile, had no idea he had become the epitome of “someone else’s child”; he was still puzzled why Jochi Kyoko was so warm and easygoing.

He remembered that in the original plot, Asuna’s mother, Jochi Kyoko, was supposed to be a difficult character.

Cold, rigid, and stubborn—that was his previous impression of Jochi Kyoko, but now, looking at the woman before him, Shengzai found her quite kind and approachable…

“Shengzai, when are you and Asuna planning to get married?”

Shengzai: (￣￣)

The topic was too abrupt and the information too shocking; when Shengzai finally processed Jochi Kyoko’s words, he froze in place.

Beside him, Jochi Shōzō, watching his wife suddenly make such a startling remark, was equally stunned.

Wasn’t it just earlier that, when he praised Shengzai to his wife, she had told him he was being too hasty?

And now? You’re even more eager than I am!

“Um… Aunt Jochi, the marital relationship between me and Asuna was only within the game.”

“And… we’re still students, right? Even if we did plan to marry someday, isn’t that way too early…?”

Jochi Kyoko’s words genuinely shocked Shengzai—he couldn’t understand why, this time, the woman who had previously obstructed Asuna’s romance was not only so accommodating but had even offered to hand over her daughter.

“Hmm… that is indeed an issue. Then let’s hold an engagement ceremony after you graduate.”

“I’m certain that being with you will inspire Asuna to become even more outstanding.”

That was true—Jochi Kyoko did not oppose her daughter dating; she wasn’t that old-fashioned.

Her only concern was that Asuna’s friends were all unsuitable people who might hinder her daughter’s path to becoming a societal elite.

Clearly, Shengzai did not belong to that category at all.

On the contrary, in Jochi Kyoko’s eyes, Shengzai was precisely the ideal elite—even more impressive than she had imagined.

If Asuna befriended an elite like Shengzai, she would inevitably become outstanding through constant exposure.

Since it was already late, the enthusiastic Jochi couple had wanted Shengzai to stay overnight, but he had politely refused.

Watching Shengzai’s departing figure, Jochi Kyoko still wore a satisfied expression, prompting her confused husband to ask: “Why did you suddenly bring up marriage? I’m sure that boy was scared off by you.”

Jochi Shōzō was displeased with his wife’s abrupt behavior—they had agreed to coordinate, yet she had acted entirely on her own without even signaling him.

What if they scared off the big shot?

“How can you blame me? That boy is truly outstanding—if we don’t act fast, someone else might get there first!”

Though their interaction had been brief, she genuinely liked Shengzai—perhaps because he perfectly matched her “elite” ideal, or perhaps because, as the saying goes, a mother-in-law sees her son-in-law and grows fonder with every glance.

As for him being an orphan and his family not being wealthy—these meant nothing to Jochi Kyoko.

An orphan? He might even be willing to marry into our family—that would be even better! As for wealth, does the Jochi family lack money?

Even if we assume the worst, with Shengzai’s current talent, his future success is certain—he might even surpass the Jochi family’s status one day.

When Shengzai returned home, Asuna had woken up; seeing her mother walk in, she felt a twinge of anxiety.

She knew all too well how strict her mother was—she didn’t know whether her parents had pressured Shengzai earlier.

But this time, Asuna had made up her mind: she wouldn’t let her parents dictate her life anymore. Even for the sake of the person she loved, she would speak her mind boldly.

Yet just as Asuna had braced herself for a scolding, her mother’s first words left her utterly stunned.

“Asuna, Shengzai is truly a wonderful boy. Once you’ve recovered, you should spend more time with him.”

(End of Chapter)