Chapter 211 [Now I'm in the lead again]
Okay, getting gifts from others was easy enough, but the last one, and the most difficult...
Ya Ya, where is her gift?
If Chen Xiao gave the girl to someone else instead of Ya Ya, he would curse himself for being heartless. His deceased parents had left her with him to take care of, and she was the girl he depended on for survival. Not to mention the several ambiguous and incredibly passionate times they had shared a bed at home, and that blood-curdling "dry cleaning," his relationship with this girl was already inseparable.
However, giving Ya Ya a gift requires more thought. Ya Ya's concept of the world is basically still a blank slate. She has little idea about the things that girls like, whether it's pretty clothes or jewelry.
Thinking about this, Chen Xiao couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt—all along, he felt like he'd been treating Ya Ya like a pet. His intention was to protect Ya Ya's innocence, after all, girls with such pure hearts were so rare these days. To deliberately protect Ya Ya, Chen Xiao had subconsciously resisted taking her out, and even at home, he only allowed her to read, restricting her from using the internet to learn about the world. This approach was perhaps an overreaction, but Chen Xiao couldn't be blamed—for an eighteen or nineteen-year-old boy, being able to take care of himself was already quite an achievement; expecting him to take care of others would likely result in a complete mess.
Moreover, for someone like Ya Ya, the most needed care is from someone like a mother to a newborn baby, who can instill basic survival skills in this "pure" child like an infant. But Chen Xiao is not a suitable candidate to be a mother.
So, after Ya Ya's name on the list, there was still no space. Chen Xiao hesitated to write, and finally after a while, he sighed and put down his pen—it seemed that he would have to buy Ya Ya's gift himself.
Hmm, it would be best to pick out a few giant plush toys so she can hug them to sleep at night. That way, this little girl won't keep sneaking into my bed to hug me all night. After all, I'm still young and virile, and I've had a hard time controlling myself before. She's not exactly a child, but she's not too old either; what if I can't control myself…
Ahem, Amitabha. Chen Xiao silently recited the phrase "emptiness is form" a few times in his heart, then steadied himself.
Chen Xiao glanced at Ito Kyo, who was smiling strangely, and sighed: "There's one gift I still want to pick out myself."
Ito Kyo, who was able to become the public relations ambassador for the Tatsumi family, naturally understood immediately and lowered his voice to laugh, "It must be for a special girl."
Chen Xiao hummed in agreement, wanting to say that Ya Ya was his younger sister. But… the words caught in his throat, and he suddenly realized this was another mess. If he simply used the word "younger sister" to mask his relationship with Ya Ya, even the heavens would be furious and send him a bolt of lightning. After all, what kind of brother would "dry-wash" his younger sister? And what kind of older brother and sister would still sleep in the same bed?
Ito Kyo noticed Chen Xiao's unease and smiled slightly: "Don't worry, Chen Xiao. I'll take care of it."
This guy really doesn't just talk the talk. After resting briefly at the hotel, Ito Kyo somehow found two young female disciples from the Shangchen family to accompany Zhang Xiaotao. Then, somehow, those two Japanese girls managed to persuade her. They talked about common topics for girls, like beauty treatments, and then deliberately whispered in a secretive voice for a while. Finally, they actually managed to pull Zhang Xiaotao out.
Chen Xiao later learned that she had been taken to the hotel's beauty center for an aromatherapy spa.
"It seems Chen Xiaojun must have many outstanding girls around him." Ito Kyo didn't dare to joke about Chen Xiaojun, but instead appeared very sincere: "It's normal for an outstanding man like Chen Xiaojun to have several female confidantes around him. However, he himself will have to work a little harder."
Chen Xiao wanted to explain, but then thought that explaining would only make things worse, so he simply shut his mouth and didn't bother to explain anymore.
Before leaving home, Chen Xiao changed his clothes, no longer wearing his Tang suit. After all, everyone around him was wearing kimonos. He had chosen the Tang suit to distinguish himself. Now that he was in Tokyo, this modern metropolis, fewer people wore kimonos. Wearing a Tang suit on the street would only draw too much attention, and Chen Xiao didn't want to become the center of attention.
After changing into clean casual clothes, Chen Xiao insisted on leaving none of the menacing and serious-looking attendants of the Shangchen family behind, and even refused Ito Kyo's company.
He had a hotel card in his wallet, so even if he didn't speak Japanese, he didn't have to worry about getting lost. Besides, in Tokyo, an international city, a few simple English conversations would be enough for shopping.
When Chen Xiao returned to the hotel lobby in casual clothes, he was wearing sunglasses. His attire was unremarkable. He swaggered out of the hotel lobby, and no one recognized him as the mysterious young man who had been fawned over and welcomed into the hotel earlier.
Standing at the hotel's waiting area, hotel staff naturally helped him flag down a taxi. After getting in, Chen Xiao thought for a moment and then, in broken Japanese, announced a place name: Akihabara.
Akihabara is Tokyo's largest and most bustling electronics and electronics shopping district. Before leaving, Chen Xiao had thought for a long time. Ya Ya rarely went out alone, and watching TV all the time was quite boring. Perhaps buying her a game console or something similar and teaching her to play video games would be a good way to pass the time. Of course… H-games had already been automatically removed from Chen Xiao's list. Akihabara is considered a hub of Japanese exotic culture. Chen Xiao took a taxi to this famous electronics district in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Looking around, he saw a bustling crowd of people. What struck him as particularly strange was that it seemed to be home to the largest number of people in Tokyo dressed in bizarre costumes and outfits, including heavily made-up girls—wait, not girls? Chen Xiao looked closely at several figures walking by in pink suits before realizing they were actually men!
Could it be... the legendary... crossdresser?
Chen Xiao felt a chill run down his spine, but the men in disguise were enthusiastically handing out flyers to the pedestrians. As Chen Xiao walked by, he was also given one.
He glanced down at the flyer; he couldn't understand the Japanese, but the illustration was striking: a man dressed in extremely flamboyant attire, wearing various women's dresses, including elephant-trunk stockings, sailor uniforms, princess dresses, and so on...
Chen Xiao couldn't help but sigh. Looking at the pedestrians around him, they seemed completely unsurprised by the scene. He guessed that this was a common sight in places like Akihabara.
By the way, besides being a famous electronics district, Akihabara is also a renowned mecca for Japanese otaku. Whether you're into lolis, mature women, queens, cross-dressing, or anything else, you can find every otaku fantasy here.
Chen Xiao glanced around and saw no trash cans, so he casually folded the flyer and stuffed it into his pocket. Walking forward, he saw shops of various sizes on both sides, mostly selling game, anime, and audio-visual products. Posters for various games and anime were plastered everywhere, and many businesses even hired actors to perform cosplay at their entrances to attract customers.
Chen Xiao watched the scene with great interest. He couldn't help but stop and watch a cosplay show for a full five minutes before finally breaking away from the crowd. But as soon as he squeezed out, someone bumped into him from behind.
In a crowded place, bumping into each other is inevitable. But Chen Xiao clearly felt that the force of the collision was great. However, with Chen Xiao's skills, how could he be pushed aside? Instead, the person who bumped into him was bounced away. At the same time, Chen Xiao heard a quick "Sorry" in Japanese and saw a figure hurriedly brush past him, running and squeezing into the crowd.
Chen Xiao suddenly felt a pang of anxiety and subconsciously touched his pocket, only to discover that his wallet was missing from his shirt pocket!
Chen Xiao was first taken aback, then shocked!
With his skills, how could someone steal his wallet so close to him?! And he didn't even notice? That thief is quite skilled!!
He realized what was happening, let out a low shout, and struggled to chase after the crowd.
The guy in front was wearing a gray trench coat and a hat. The style of the trench coat was unisex, and the hat covered his hair, so it was impossible to tell whether he was male or female from behind.
This guy was incredibly slippery, weaving through the crowd like an eel, always managing to find gaps in the crowd. His speed was astounding! Fortunately, Chen Xiao was no weakling either. He kept his eyes glued to the guy and had enough stamina to keep up. He chased after him relentlessly, using his strength to forcefully push through the crowd in front of him, barely managing to keep up.
He was furious that such a petty thief had managed to steal from him! He also secretly resented himself for being so careless; a superhuman like himself hadn't even noticed someone had taken his wallet! Fueled by anger, he was determined to catch up with the thief.
After chasing for several hundred meters, the guy kept getting further and further away from the crowd. If Chen Xiao hadn't used his strength to push through the crowd, he would have almost lost him several times.
He was furious. What was worse, he was on the street, unable to teleport or use his powers to leap across—otherwise, jumping over ten meters in broad daylight would attract a crowd and cause him trouble. Besides, with information so readily available these days, what if someone took a picture with their phone and posted it online? That would be a huge problem!
After chasing for several dozen meters, Chen Xiao gradually sensed something was wrong! The guy ahead, while running, had actually looked back at him twice. The other person was wearing large sunglasses, making it impossible to see their face from a distance. However, the other person clearly wasn't running at full speed; it seemed like they were deliberately toying with him. Twice, just when Chen Xiao was about to lose track, the other person seemed to intentionally slow down?!
Um?
Chen Xiao's mind suddenly lit up, and he abruptly stopped in his tracks!
How could an ordinary thief possibly steal my wallet?! And if an ordinary thief were caught stealing something, would they not run away as fast as they could, but instead have the leisure to deliberately slow down and play a chase game with me?
Moreover, watching this guy's agile movements as he weaves through the crowd—if all thieves in Tokyo had this kind of skill, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department would probably be in for a headache.
Thinking of this, Chen Xiao stood still, then suddenly turned his head and looked around.
The surrounding crowd surged and thronged, all because of the chase that had just taken place. This attracted many curious glances from passersby as they looked at Chen Xiao.
Chen Xiao looked around carefully but didn't find anything suspicious, so he frowned inwardly.
Just then, the thief in front stopped, turned around at a distance, and seemed to grin at him. He raised a hand in the crowd, making a shooting gesture towards Chen Xiao, then beckoned with his finger, signaling Chen Xiao to give chase.