Chapter 311: You can drink lemon tea now

"Let's run a few tests."

"Use some magical means to expose your groom's inner thoughts."

"I believe, after hearing those private thoughts, you'll clarify your own feelings."

"You might even make entirely new decisions."

Ren Amamiya's words were already clear enough.

This was an invitation for her to act in a play, solely to see Gao Shan Toshihiko's true face.

Matsumoto Sayuri could almost picture how vile that hidden side of him must be.

If it had been before, she would never have agreed.

But now it's different.

She had already stripped away every filter from the person she once adored in childhood, and at this moment, Matsumoto Sayuri was calmer than ever.

"Alright."

At this moment, the scale in Matsumoto Sayuri's heart had tilted, and she couldn't help but want to see Gao Shan Toshihiko's reaction.

"How should I cooperate?"

"Just carry on with normal activities. I'll handle everything from here."

Ren Amamiya didn't require Matsumoto Sayuri's active cooperation—only that she follow his arrangements.

"Sakuraba, could you take care of that over there?"

"Of course."

Sakuraba Ai bowed slightly, understanding Ren's meaning, and stepped back a pace.

"Then I'll go prepare."

"Mm, and please let the makeup artist outside come in."

"Understood."

Sakuraba Ai exited the resting room, and the makeup artist waiting outside re-entered to give the bride her final touch-ups.

"K兰, Sonoko, adjust your emotions."

Ren Amamiya's voice carried a peculiar magic; the two girls' unstable emotions quickly stabilized, their complex feelings settling into calmness in an instant.

Just as their emotions were controlled, the room's door opened.

"Sayuri, I brought back the lemon tea."

"As you asked—warm."

The person who entered was a mature woman with long hair, wearing a dress and a light blue jacket over it, dressed rather coolly.

Takenaka Kazumi didn't find it strange that so many students in uniforms had appeared in the room.

She had already heard that Sayuri had invited some former students to the wedding; clearly, these children were them.

"Thank you, Kazumi."

Matsumoto Sayuri's emotions were unsettled; drinking something might help stabilize them.

"By the way, Kazumi, the matter I asked you to investigate—"

"Are the results you got accurate?"

Takenaka Kazumi paused slightly, then, seeing Sayuri's utterly serious and solemn expression, realized something had changed.

Her own expression grew more serious.

"It's accurate."

"I investigated the area around the accident site and found several witnesses."

"No, Kazumi—I mean, are you certain it was my father who hit that woman with his car?"

"I…"

Takenaka Kazumi paused, then understood what Sayuri was really asking.

She recalled her investigation results: all witness accounts were nearly identical, stating that Sayuri's father had been chasing a criminal when the accident occurred.

But none of the witnesses had said the accident was caused by Sayuri's father.

Takenaka Kazumi's face paled; she realized she had botched the task.

"No one explicitly said anything like that."

"They all said your father had an accident while chasing a criminal—but no one said he was the one who hit her."

Instantly, Matsumoto Sayuri understood: this was her own misunderstanding.

She had always believed that Toshihiko's mother's death was directly caused by her father.

Out of fear that her father would learn she knew about the events twenty years ago, she had never asked him directly.

Unexpectedly, because of this, she had simply assumed her father was responsible for the entire tragedy.

Now Matsumoto Sayuri understood: her past turmoil had been wrong.

Perhaps some things should have been spoken directly to her father, rather than having Kazumi investigate the past.

She had ended up with an incomplete answer.

"Sayuri, this… this is my fault."

Takenaka Kazumi hadn't expected she'd make such a flawed investigation.

Matsumoto Sayuri shook her head slightly.

"Kazumi, this isn't your fault."

"Your investigation was flawless; the lack of accurate answers lies with the witnesses not being clear."

Matsumoto Sayuri took a deep breath; right now, she felt her blood pressure was rising.

Perhaps this whole thing was just her own one-sided assumption.

The emotion Satomi Matsumoto regretted most was not sitting down to have a proper talk with her father.

If she had learned about the incident back then from her father's own mouth, the situation likely would not have deviated so greatly.

Even with her love-struck mindset, she understood one truth.

Her father driving a car and hitting a woman is different from her father driving a car to pursue a criminal, and that criminal causing an accident that hit a woman.

One bears primary responsibility; the other doesn't even quite reach secondary responsibility.

Since it was not her father's primary responsibility, why did Toshio... Gao Shan Toshio make my father his target for revenge?

Could it really be because targeting me and my father was easier?

Satomi Matsumoto couldn't help but clench her fists tight.

If the situation were truly like this, then what did her choice to sacrifice herself to end this feud amount to?

The anger rising in her heart made her mood at this moment extremely stable.

"Young Lady Matsumoto, you need to calm down."

The voice suddenly heard at her ear interrupted the anger rising in her heart.

The anger was extinguished as if by a basin of water; no matter how great the anger, her nerves showed not the slightest sign of being provoked at this moment.

Satomi Matsumoto released her tightly clenched fists.

The warmth on her face vanished completely; at this moment, she became extremely calm, even to the point of being absurdly calm.

"Young Lady Matsumoto, you should drink some lemon tea to calm down."

"Ah, to avoid lipstick marks, remember to use a straw."

Satomi Matsumoto nodded slightly, subconsciously opened the can of lemon tea, placed the straw inside, and then she heard.

"Sonoko, you can drink some lemon tea too."

Satomi Matsumoto was slightly stunned, then her mind immediately cleared up.

Sonoko Suzuki was stunned for two seconds and also reacted immediately.

She smiled, walked over, and took a can of lemon tea out of the plastic bag.