On the tray in Madam Rurie's hands, there really were two bowls of steaming hot noodles.
"Noodles, huh… alright, I am a bit hungry. Thanks, Auntie," Hikari reached out to take the tray, preparing to head downstairs to the dining room.
But Madam Rurie stopped him.
"Wait, let's not go downstairs to eat. If we turn on the lights, it might make all sorts of noise and disturb Nakoto and Ren."
"Okay, then where should we eat?", Hikari asked.
"Doesn't your room have a table? How about we just eat in your room?", Munakata Rurie asked with a smile.
Hikari turned to look and saw that there really was a walnut desk in the room.
He immediately nodded, "Alright."
He set the late-night snack on the table, took the chopsticks Madam Rurie handed him, and started eating the noodles together with her.
Slurp!
Hikari picked up a mouthful of noodles and took a big, satisfying bite.
"I didn't expect Madam Rurie's cooking to be this good. These noodles are really delicious," After savoring it, Hikari praised Munakata Rurie.
Hearing his words, Munakata Rurie covered her mouth and laughed, "Of course. Auntie's noodles are really tasty. Even Ren's noodles aren't as good as mine~"
She clearly enjoyed the praise, her eyes curving into happy crescents as she smiled.
Seeing her cheerful expression, Hikari smiled and continued eating.
"Slow down, don't rush. Be careful not to burn your mouth," Seeing how fast he was eating, Munakata Rurie said with concern.
"Mm, I'll be careful. Auntie, you should eat carefully too," Hikari nodded politely.
Hearing that, Munakata Rurie laughed, "Haha! I made these noodles myself, how could I not know? And when it comes to eating, Auntie is actually very skilled~"
For some reason, Hikari felt that her tone sounded a bit off.
He turned his head to look and saw Munakata Rurie narrowing her eyes, smiling at him with a soft chuckle.
The smile looked warm and kind, yet there was something subtly different about it.
There was a faint hint of charm, longing, confidence… a mix of complicated feelings.
"Why did Hikari-kun stop talking? Don't you believe Auntie? Auntie really is very good at eating," Munakata Rurie said with a charming smile when she saw him staring at her silently.
Hearing that, Hikari smiled, "No, no, how could I not believe you? I saw tonight's banquet, lobster, abalone, even the everyday dishes were incredibly expensive."
"So when you say you're good at eating, how could I not believe it?"
Hearing that, Munakata Rurie suddenly smiled charmingly, "Oh my, that's not what I meant by 'good at eating'."
Hikari raised his eyebrows slightly, looking at her beautiful face, delicate and alluring like a fox.
At that moment, Munakata Rurie's eyes, clear and watery, were fixed on him.
Those emerald, amber-like eyes seemed to hold an entire lake within them, flickering with all sorts of heart-racing lights.
The slight smile curling at her red, full lips made one feel an irresistible urge to taste them.
"Madam Rurie, I'm done eating. Thank you for the meal," Hikari finished the last bite of noodles, took a sip of the sweet and savory seafood broth, and pressed his hands together in thanks.
"No need! No need!", Seeing his polite manner, Munakata Rurie waved her hand with a smile.
After seeing him finish, she also sped up and quickly finished her own bowl.
Once everything was eaten clean, she began gathering the bowls and chopsticks.
Seeing her cleaning up, Hikari immediately stood up, intending to help open the door for her.
But when he stood, Munakata Rurie suddenly stood as well.
"Hikari-kun, wait a moment," She called out to stop him.
"Madam Rurie, what is it?", he asked, turning back in confusion.
"Hikari-kun, are you going to sleep?", she asked.
"Mm, it's getting late. About time to sleep," He nodded.
"Could you… sleep a bit later?", A charming smile suddenly appeared on her beautiful face as she spoke.
"What is it? Do you still have something to say?", Hikari asked.
"Mm!", She nodded, taking small steps as she walked over to him.
"Hikari-kun, don't stand. Sit down first," She gently took his hand and led him to the edge of the bed, making him sit.
Then she sat down beside him.
Because of the closeness, a rich fragrance unique to a mature woman kept drifting into his nose.
It was a scent tinged with something like hormones, the kind that stirred the imagination.
Seeing her suddenly come so close, Hikari turned his head and looked at her in confusion, "Madam Rurie, what exactly do you want to say?"
She smiled slightly, "Do you remember what Auntie said earlier, about giving you a reward?"
"There's no need—"
"No, there is," She shook her head, interrupting him firmly.
She continued, "You remember what I said, right? Since you helped me keep Tani Ichiro's matter a secret, I have to give you a proper reward."
"And it's not just that. You even helped me deal with all the troublesome aftermath. If it weren't for you, I really wouldn't know how I could've handled it alone…"
Seeing how serious she looked, Hikari waved his hand, "It's fine, it was just small things. Really, there's no need, Auntie—"
But she suddenly grabbed his hand, shaking her head as she said firmly, "No, there is!"
"And after something like this, to make sure you'll keep the secret even more firmly, I have to reward you, so that you and I are on the same side."
"It's not that I don't trust you, but something this serious happened. If I don't properly repay you, I won't be able to eat or sleep. I'll feel uneasy all the time."
Her charming face now carried an unusually resolute expression.
"Sigh!", Hikari let out a breath, "Then Auntie, how do you plan to reward me?"
"I plan to… reward you like this," Her lips parted slightly, a blush rising to her cheeks.
Right in front of him, she slowly knelt down.
Seeing her determined look, Hikari sighed, knowing he couldn't stop her.
He could only reach out and gently tuck back the strand of hair that had slipped beside her ear.
"Hiss!"
Sitting there, Hikari couldn't help but suck in a breath.
Because Madam Rurie truly had real ability. Just opening her mouth was enough to astonish people.
After all, she was the noble lady managing a grand mansion like the Munakata residence. The moment she began, she decided to discuss a business deal worth several hundred million with Hikari.
Of course, Hikari wasn't incapable of handling it either. He had his own capital.
Since Madam Rurie wanted to negotiate, he discussed this import-export trade project worth several hundred million with her.
As soon as she began, she indeed surprised him a little.
Because her negotiation skills and eloquence were truly impressive. She was extremely articulate, to the point that he almost felt like surrendering.
But Madam Rurie didn't get to be pleased for long before she grew even more shocked at him.
At first, seeing how young he was, she thought he hadn't done business many times, let alone handled import-export deals worth hundreds of millions.
Facing such an inexperienced rookie, she believed she could easily take him down.
But what left her in disbelief was that even after using all her methods, her silver tongue working nonstop until her mouth felt sore, Hikari still refused to loosen his stance.
He just responded with vague hums, circling around her, sometimes giving a little concession to move the negotiation forward, then suddenly stopping and pulling it back again.
Faced with this result, Madam Rurie couldn't believe it.
So she continued to persist, clashing with him in a fierce verbal battle.
However, his "mouth" was even tougher than hers. The several hundred million in funds never loosened from his grip.
After several rounds of negotiation, Madam Rurie grew exhausted, her mouth dry, her jaw feeling like it was about to dislocate.
Finally, she helplessly raised her head, her charming eyes carrying a hint of pleading as she looked at him.
'Hikari-kun, as thanks, I've really done my best. If you still won't agree, I really can't continue this deal…'
Although she didn't make a sound, only a few muffled noises escaping, the look in her eyes said everything.
"Alright, let's stop here."
Seeing that she had already stepped back, Hikari didn't press further.
Once he relented, he directly handed over the agreed several hundred million in funds for her to handle the import-export trade.
And as the funds came through, joy appeared on her face.
Seeing the large amount credited, she got so excited she choked on her own saliva, almost unable to breathe.
Noticing her nearly rolling her eyes, Hikari quickly supported her head and asked with concern, "Are you okay, Madam Rurie?"
She swallowed a few times with difficulty before shaking her head, "I-I'm fine!"
"I…", After the deal was done, she seemed to have more to say, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she coughed again.
"I'll go to the bathroom first!", she said, then hurried into the washroom.
That negotiation had put immense pressure on her.
She never expected someone so young to have such strong negotiation skills.
Not only was he measured in advance and retreat, his patience was remarkable. No matter how she spoke sweetly or exaggerated things, he never took the bait, remaining completely steady.
And his financial backing was astonishingly abundant. Even though she had already obtained quite a bit of funding, she suspected he still had plenty left.
'Hiss… What a surprising man.'
It really made her want to drain him dry and see just how deep he went.
After brushing her teeth and rinsing her mouth, she lightly cleaned the sweat and residue on her chest, face, and collarbone, then brushed and rinsed again before returning to the room.
"Madam Rurie, are you okay?"
Seeing her return wearing a halter slip nightdress, Hikari asked with concern.
"Ah, I'm fine! What could be wrong? After all, it's all to thank you, Hikari-kun~"
She smiled slightly, her expression irresistibly charming.
Even though she was at home, her outfit was rather revealing.
Her curvy, full, graceful figure was covered only by a thin, gauze-like pink slip dress.
Because it was so light, her fair, delicate skin could be faintly seen beneath it, even the veins subtly visible.
With Hikari's sharp eyesight, looking at her now was almost like looking at the emperor's new clothes.
She seemed to notice his gaze, but didn't mind at all.
"Auntie is really thirsty, let me drink some water first."
As she spoke, she picked up a glass of warm water from the desk and drank it down in one go.
A few drops that accidentally slipped from the corner of her mouth ran down her long, swan-like neck. Some lingered on her delicate collarbone, while others playfully slipped into the deep, pale hollow below.
She was only drinking water, yet the way she moved and carried herself made it feel incredibly alluring.
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