Chapter 531

"Hahaha~ Hahaha~"

After the Japanese translator, Kyogami Miyuko, scolded the girls who had come to ask for Li Ye's contact information, they didn't feel embarrassed or angry at all; instead, they burst into laughter as they walked away.

They kept looking back at Li Ye, whispering and discussing among themselves, much like a group of patrons discussing whether a courtesan they couldn't get their hands on had fair skin or a good temper.

Fu Yiruo, Watching Wen Leyu, and Pei Wenhui were all quite angry, but Li Ye just waved his hand dismissively, smiling it off.

In his previous life, Li Ye had been influenced by a female classmate and had taken a liking to Haruki Murakami for a few days, flipping through his book *Norwegian Wood*.

Li Ye had been quite shocked at the time, because according to the plot of that book, by the years 1986 and 1987, relationships in Japan had already reached a point where two people only needed to catch each other's eye to be intimate after just a few days of knowing each other.

Later, after Li Ye carefully studied Japan in the 1980s, he realized that with the rapid economic development, certain aspects of life had evolved just as rapidly.

Therefore, Li Ye didn't find the bold behavior of the girls in the coffee shop strange at all, nor did he feel embarrassed.

However, when they arrived at the venue for *Typhoon Club* and were subjected to more "teasing harassment" from other girls, Li Ye did feel awkward.

Because the two groups from the mainland delegation had also come to see this film and happened to run into Li Ye.

Old Xiong from the Chang'an Film Studio, struggling to hold back his laughter, asked, "Brother Li Ye, why were those girls giggling at you? Did you... get into some kind of trouble?"

It was no wonder Old Xiong was holding back laughter; according to mainland customs, Li Ye must have made a fool of himself or done something shameful to be laughed at by so many people.

Li Ye glanced at Old Xiong and said with a wooden face, "Because I'm tall, they could spot me in the crowd at a glance and gave me a friendly smile."

Old Xiong frowned, not quite believing him. "That's not right! I'm tall too! And don't try to fool me; those weren't friendly smiles."

【Damn it, you're comparing yourself to me? Not only am I tall, but I'm also handsome and young.】

Li Ye simply stopped talking.

Anyway, since the delegation looked like "foreign guests," those girls would at most comment on him from afar; they wouldn't rashly rush over to ask for his "WeChat."

But the less he explained, the more it piqued the curiosity of the gossips.

The delegation members immediately turned to ask the host's translator, Hayashi Matsuko, and that Hayashi Matsuko was a busybody who couldn't keep her mouth shut, translating the whole thing for them.

She first looked at Li Ye, especially at his watch, and then said with a giggle, "Those girls said that this Mr. Li is very handsome, very rich, and very charming... he's the most suitable 'destined boyfriend'."

"'Destined boyfriend'? What's that? Do boyfriends come in 'destined' and 'non-destined' types?"

Hayashi Matsuko paused, not continuing the explanation, just pursing her lips and smiling silently.

But a group of gossips and old men led by Chu Yunling kept pestering Hayashi Matsuko, desperate to eat this melon.

"What's so hard to say? Since we're here for mutual exchange, we should understand the specific conditions of both societies and deepen the foundation of our friendship..."

Young Hayashi Matsuko was cornered by the curious crowd, her face flushed red with embarrassment.

Kyogami Miyuko couldn't stand it anymore and said helplessly, "Don't make things difficult for her. I'll tell you.

I don't know if it started last year or the year before, but Japanese women started claiming they could have four boyfriends, and only one of them is the 'destined boyfriend'..."

As Kyogami Miyuko explained, everyone in the delegation widened their eyes in disbelief.

Li Ye shook his head slightly.

【So, the 'three wallets' theory has already appeared in Japan now?】

In Japan's bubble economy era, love also became a bubble. Around 1986, four types of boyfriends appeared around excellent girls.

The first type is the "errand boy"—if a girl doesn't want to take the subway, someone must pick her up by car. This boyfriend must have patience, a good attitude, and at least a car.

The second type is the "payer"—when a girl goes out to eat, she shouldn't pay; someone must pay for her. This boyfriend must not be stingy and must show enough gentlemanly demeanor.

The third type is the "gift boy"—on holidays, he must give the girl gifts. The value of the gift is directly proportional to his competitiveness.

But none of these three are the official boyfriend; only a handsome and rich boy is the "destined boyfriend."

And although Li Ye's outfit today was average, the watch his mother gave him was quite something.

Not to mention the big talk of millions, a man who can wear a watch worth over two hundred thousand is either a young master or a scumbag—naturally, he's the most suitable target for a "destined boyfriend"!

"This is simply outrageous, simply absurd!"

"It's moral decay! How can such a developed country have such degenerate morals?"

"If this is true, it's truly shocking."

Kyogami Miyuko only explained the gist and didn't go into as much detail as Li Ye knew, yet it already caused the old comrades in the delegation to curse loudly.

And Old Xiong, who was on the best terms with Li Ye, asked in disbelief, "No way? Aren't Japanese and Korean women supposed to be as gentle as sheep? How can they be like this?"

In the 1980s and even up to the 1990s, the image of Japanese and Korean women in the minds of most mainlanders was gentle, kind, hardworking, and submissive. That's why Old Xiong and the others reacted so strongly.

"Heh~"

Li Ye couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

You think sheep only know how to be ridden by you? When they charge at you with their horns, you'll know how fierce and tough they really are.

Kyogami Miyuko didn't expect Old Xiong and the others to react so intensely; only then did she realize why Hayashi Matsuko hadn't explained it earlier.

So she had to correct herself: "This is just one way of saying it; it doesn't represent all Japanese women. Many of us don't support this kind of thinking..."

"Right, it must be fake. Japanese culture also inherits Confucianism; how could it be so rebellious?"

"Regardless of whether it's true or false, we must understand this during our stay here and warn our side when we go back, firmly preventing this kind of trend from flowing into the mainland while we're opening up..."

Old Xiong also laughed, "Everyone is overthinking it. The two societies are different; our women back home wouldn't accept this kind of thinking themselves."

"Exactly, exactly. Our mainland women are still very good. I think even in Japan, this kind of person is a tiny minority."

Perhaps among everyone present, only Li Ye believed just how penetrating this "three wallets" ideology really was.

In the mainland right now, if a woman dared to be closely involved with three or four men, she'd be branded a "loose woman" by tomorrow, and might even face criminal charges.

But decades later... Wow, little sister, you're so charming! You actually have so many suitors.

Unfortunately, the fine men of the future will face an upgraded 5.0 version, being demanded to be "four-in-one"—handsome, rich, and also required to run errands, pay the bill, and give gifts.

Just then, the highly social Chu Yunling suddenly thought of something and said, "Do you think Japanese women might just want to find a man who is handsome, rich, and treats them well,

but since they can never find one, they... helplessly split their expectations of one person into four?"

The crowd paused, and someone said, "What are you talking about, Chu? How can there be perfection? Finding a partner is about kindness; this kind of greedy thinking is wrong..."

But Chu Yunling suddenly pointed at Li Ye: "Isn't Li Ye one? Look, he dotes on his little fiancée to the bone. Look, look~"

Old Xiong and the others looked at Li Ye, and the more they looked, the more they felt it made sense, and the more they felt angry.

You kid are actually a "four-in-one"; why doesn't heaven strike you down with lightning?

Li Ye glanced at Chu Yunling, his eyes turning sharp.

Because although Chu Yunling seemed to be saying Li Ye was "perfect," it carried an underlying implication—that Watching Wen Leyu was greedy.

"Actually, the logic behind what Sister Chu analyzed was already stated by our ancestors."

Li Ye said indifferently, "Our Chinese nation has an idiom called 'a match made in heaven' (golden jade union), which means a man who is handsome, rich, and dotes on his wife will find a woman who is beautiful, talented, and dotes on her husband."

"So, those women who helplessly split their expectations among four men aren't failing to find the man they hope for; it's that they aren't worthy!"

A "four-in-one" man certainly exists, but he's also looking for a "four-in-one" woman, isn't he?

Although Li Ye's words were a bit extreme, generally speaking, if a girl wants to find a man who is handsome, rich, and has a good temper, she must have at least one or two assets of her own.

A pretty face, talent, wealth, or gentleness... she must have at least one or two.

You can't have a bad temper and average conditions while demanding a "four-in-one" boyfriend; that's just too hard, too hard.

"Hahahaha, Brother Li Ye is truly talented. With just one 'match made in heaven,' you've explained away all those twists and turns. Hahahaha~, isn't your little fiancée both beautiful and talented? You two are a match made in heaven!"

"Sigh, I was wondering, since both inherit Confucianism, why is Japan so strange? It turns out it still can't escape our ancestors' explanations!"

Old Xiong's loud laughter instantly brought the atmosphere back to normal.

Li Ye felt his hand being held by Watching Wen Leyu again, even tighter than yesterday, and her little hand was warm, making his heart feel hot.

【We two are both "four-in-one"~】