Chapter 762

Outside, heavy snowflakes flew; inside, the room was warm as spring, but the atmosphere was strange.

Uesugi Muneyuki's movements stiffened noticeably for a moment; he lowered his head to glance at the kotatsu, then glanced at Mai Xuejie beside him, temporarily unable to determine who did it.

Meanwhile, Miyawaki Sakura was staring at him with her large, speaking eyes, looking innocent, while Tei Reiji was tasting wine, appearing focused on something else, and Mai Xuejie had noticed Uesugi Muneyuki's condition.

She somewhat understood something, feeling both annoyed and amused.

Junior Student ah, you're currently in sage time! The one not letting him rest is me, and the one letting him rest is also me!

Mine, mine, all mine!

Seeing that nothing seemed to have happened, Tei Reiji grew a bit bolder; that foot slowly rubbed upward along his calf, the smooth, delicate sensation of the stockings allowing her to feel his leg's temperature through the thin socks.

She looked toward Uesugi Muneyuki, hoping to see a hint of reaction on his face.

But Uesugi Muneyuki had regained his calm expression, even whispering something to Bai Chuan Mai.

Tei Reiji unwilling, her foot movements became even more wanton.

Then her foot was stepped on by another foot.

Bai Chuan Mai's foot.

The jade foot wrapped in black matte 40D velvet stockings pressed down neither lightly nor heavily on her flesh-colored foot back, stopping all her movements. Bai Chuan Mai turned her head, looking at Tei Reiji, her smile still perfect, but her eyes held a kind of "Don't think I don't know what you're doing" warning—don't grab it, you can't snatch it!

"Tei Anchor." Mai Xuejie said lightly: "How's this wine?"

Tei Reiji, stepped on and unable to move, could only barely maintain her smile: "Still……not bad."

"Then drink more." Bai Chuan Mai said, withdrawing her foot.

But in the moment of withdrawing, her foot rubbed against Uesugi Muneyuki's calf—this was a more skilled, more intimate touch than Tei Reiji's, carrying a declaration of "I am the master here."

Miyawaki Sakura witnessed all of this.

She was so nervous her palms sweated, yet her heart surged with an indescribable emotion—envy, longing, and a touch of resentment. Why is it always an accident when it's my turn?

Then she felt someone kick her; Xiao Yinghua knew who it was, bit her lower lip, and quietly extended her own foot.

Beneath her lavender skirt hem, those small feet wrapped in white stockings slowly moved forward.

She dared not move further, frozen there, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Uesugi Muneyuki finally reacted.

He set down his wine cup, lowered his head to glance under the kotatsu, then glanced at Mai Xuejie sitting beside him, and couldn't help but laugh. "So," he spoke, his voice carrying a hint of hoarseness: "You three planning to have a stocking party here tonight?" Mai Xuejie leaned on his shoulder, laughing lightly: "How so? Not allowed? Fulfilling the Junior Student's needs is the Senior Student's duty!"

Tei Reiji bit her lip, thinking: Although I and Uesugi-san are merely Pleasure House Reception relations……but……I don't intend to yield!

"If Uesugi wants it, it's not impossible either!"

Miyawaki Sakura's face instantly fell, but her white-stockinged toe did not retract; she thought I must fight to the end!

Oh~ you zhan you zhan wild~ trump card releases crab~ battle is our gold-digging start~ drinking must be Hennessy~!

Uesugi Muneyuki's gaze swept over the three faces; those eyes usually calm in analyzing evidence now burned with a completely different light. He took a deep breath, then suddenly stood up.

"Let's go."

The three women all froze.

"Where to?"

Uesugi Muneyuki picked up his outer garment and draped it on, turned back to glance at them, the corner of his mouth slightly raised:

"KTV. This inn has a decent karaoke private room."

Bai Chuan Mai froze for a moment, then immediately laughed till her branches trembled.

This works too!

Tei Reiji's expression froze—she had prepared so much, just to go sing K?

Miyawaki Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a bit disappointed.

"What are you freezing for?" Uesugi Muneyuki had already reached the door: "Not wanting to have a party? Let's go."

Tei Reiji and Miyawaki Sakura exchanged a glance, both gritting their teeth to decide to follow.

Can't lose!

The KTV private room of Shimanami Onsen Sekizenkan is hidden on the basement level of the main building.

Called KTV, it's actually a multi-functional hall specially renovated by the inn to receive group guests.

Soundproof panels are posted on the walls, vintage audio equipment stands in the corner, the song selection screen is still touch-sensitive, and the song library is unexpectedly new.

Low tables and cushions are arranged on the tatami mats, the heating is on full blast, completely a different world from the icy snowscape outside.

The four-person mini concert thus began.

At first there was still a subtle atmosphere—Tei Reiji sat in the corner holding her wine cup, her gaze occasionally drifting toward Uesugi Muneyuki; Miyawaki Sakura nervously gripped the microphone, singing a song with stumbles; Bai Chuan Mai leaned on the sofa, smiling with narrowed eyes as she watched these two, like watching an interesting program. But after three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually heated up.

Tei Reiji realized her little thoughts couldn't be played out in this environment, so she let go, grabbing Miyawaki Sakura to duet SMAP's "The One and Only Flower in the World," this song being SMAP's flagship work, even in some sense saving Kimura Takuya's career. Don't look at Kimura Takuya being called Japan's heavenly king—he was indeed in the 90s, but when the millennium came, Kimura Daishin suddenly announced he would flash-marry Kudo Shizuka, causing a large portion of his boyfriend fans and mom fans to feel betrayed anger, and Johnny & Associates was even more furious that Kimura Daishin didn't consult the agency, for a time Kimura Daishin hung in the balance, endorsements halted, performances canceled, TV dramas downgraded, once pushed to the brink of having almost no announcements.

And at that time, "hero" had to be aired because it was already filmed, unexpectedly becoming a massive hit, winning that year's viewership championship, even being the only daytime drama in Japanese TV history with every episode averaging over 30% viewership.

The agency then had no choice but to let him continue activities; afterward, in 02, "The One and Only Flower in the World" exploded in popularity when performed on a program.

Without "hero" and that flower, Kimura Daishin might truly have faded into obscurity.

And the reason Kimura Daishin was so steadfast is that, while dating Kudo Shizuka, he accidentally got her pregnant.

If changed to 99% of Johnny's people, they would definitely have made her abort, or simply not acknowledged it and let the agency handle it, but Kimura is that 1%, he decided to risk total obscurity and career ruin by hard-clashing with the agency and TV station to protect Kudo Shizuka and the unborn child, publicly announcing the relationship, that is, taking responsibility for his actions.

Kimura Pure Guys!

Xiao Yinghua then sang "Love Luck Cookie," reminiscing about the good times of 48 past.

Bai Chuan Mai also sang a few songs; her voice unexpectedly good, when she sang "The Meaning of Goodbye," the entire private room fell silent.

Lastly was Uesugi Muneyuki, who isn't good at singing, but flipping through he actually discovered "Love Struggles, Then You Win."

Very good, just decided it's you!

"A moment of lost ambition inevitably brings lament~ a moment of downfall inevitably brings timidity~

Which passage loses hope~ daily drunk and hazy~

Soulless with a body, like a straw man~

Life can be compared to waves on the sea, sometimes rising, sometimes falling

Good luck, bad luck—we still have to work to get by

Three parts fate, seven parts effort

Those who strive will win

Tone-deaf with an accent, and completely unable to understand what Uesugi Muneyuki was singing, causing the three women to laugh hysterically

"Uesugi, your singing level," Tei Reiji laughed until he couldn't straighten his waist: "It's completely the opposite of your detective skills!"

"Each to their own specialty." Uesugi Muneyuki showed no change in expression as he put down the microphone, raised his wine cup, and pondered whether to sing another《Joy Is Enough》. As they sang on, the four of them got carried away, all little thoughts and dramatic tensions temporarily forgotten, Miyawaki Sakura pulled Tei Reiji into dancing the Love Luck Cookie dance, Shirakawa Mai clapped and kept rhythm beside them, Uesugi Muneyuki leaned on the sofa, watching the three women make a ruckus, the corner of his mouth unconsciously curling into a smile

By the time it ended, it was nearly 2 a. m.

The four walked back to the main building on the soft snow, Miyawaki Sakura and Tei Reiji with arms around each other's shoulders, still humming《Lonely Brothers》, Shirakawa Mai and Uesugi Muneyuki walking behind

"Are you happy?" Shirakawa Mai asked softly, a pair of bright, large eyes blinking

Uesugi Muneyuki looked at the backs of the two women ahead, nodded: "It's been a long time since I've felt this relaxed."

"That's good." Shirakawa Mai smiled, said nothing more: "Fulfilling the junior's needs is the senior's duty, after all!"

Anyway, I'm stuffed!

Each returned to their room, the night passed in silence

Early morning the next day

Uesugi Muneyuki was awakened by a scream

That sound was sharp and piercing, breaking the silence of Sekizenkan's snowy morning, echoing in the old wooden structure

He flung his eyes open, nearly instinctively springing from the bed. He put on his outer garment, pulled open the door, and in the hallway someone was already running about. "What's going on?!" was Tei Reiji's voice, she poked her head out from the neighboring room, her face still showing the dazed look of just waking up

"I don't know, the sound came from over there" Miyawaki Sakura also ran out, her hair still a bit messy, but her eyes were already fully alert. Shirakawa Mai came running from the other end of the hallway, she had risen earlier, already fully dressed, her face solemn

The four exchanged glances, said nothing, and ran together toward the direction the scream came from

At the end of the hallway, another hot spring area was already surrounded by a crowd

The inn's proprietor leaned against the wall, face ashen, trembling all over, her fingers trembling and feebly pointing at an open door. Several staff members gathered around her, also wearing expressions of unresolved terror

"Dead! A dead person!!!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Dead, dead person ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

At this moment, Uesugi Muneyuki had just reached the other end of the hallway, he faintly heard the cry "Dead person!", froze for a moment, while Miyawaki Sakura and Tei Reiji behind him instinctively looked at him

The muscles on Uesugi Muneyuki's face twitched several times

Blizzard Mountain Villa? Road cut off? Suddenly discovered a corpse? I just happened to come out to film and stay overnight?

Is this some kind of?

No, man!

How come even filming a TV drama can land me in a criminal case?