Wait, why wasn't he at school?
Oh, right, today was the weekend.
While she was still lost in her thoughts
Yukima Azuma slowly walked over.
"A cat? Where did you come from?" Yukima Azuma looked at the unfamiliar cat that had appeared in his house, feeling a bit puzzled.
He had just finished his morning training and, while downstairs, had heard some strange "nyan nyan" sounds.
Shiratamaru and Hogyokumaru were still eating downstairs.
Feeling curious, Yukima Azuma had come upstairs to check.
Upon entering Yukino's room, he discovered this unfamiliar cat.
Reaching out to touch it, Yukima Azuma noticed that this cat didn't seem very afraid of people.
So he simply picked it up.
Its fur was incredibly softso unbelievably smooth that the sensation of touching it was unreal.
Unable to resist, Yukima Azuma stroked it a few more times.
The feeling of petting it was truly an indulgence.
Even Hogyokumaru, despite having the bloodline of a magical creature, didn't have fur that felt this good to the touch.
As for Yukino
AWAWAWAWWAWAWAHHHHH!
( )
Inside, Yukino was screaming at the top of her lungs.
Just a moment ago, she had been panicking, not knowing how to face him in her cat form.
And now, she had been directly scooped up into Yukima Azuma's arms.
Being held was one thing.
But where exactly was this guy petting?!
This weird feeling
Somehow it felt kind of nice?
Yukino snapped out of it, shaking her head vigorously.
No, this can't happen. If she started enjoying this, wouldn't she be losing her dignity as a human?!
And just at that moment
Yukima Azuma casually scratched under Yukino's chin.
"Little one, where did you come from?"
"Could it be a cat Yukino adopted? Strange, if that were the case, she should have told me."
Yukima Azuma seemed to be speaking both to Yuki-Nyan in his arms and to himself.
As for Yukino
At that moment, an uncontrollable purring sound of pleasure rumbled from her throat.
Just after letting out two purrs
Yukino immediately used her small paws to push Yukima Azuma's hand away.
This is badhis cat-petting skills are way too advanced.
She couldn't resist at allher instincts were completely taking over!
Being pushed away by the little Yuki-Nyan in his arms,
Yukima Azuma raised an eyebrow.
"So, you turn out to be a proud little cat, huh?"
"But give up nowno cat can resist my technique! Hehehe"
( )
Saying that, Yukima Azuma began using an even more advanced cat-petting technique.
Yukino: (®®)!!!
.
.
Five minutes later.
Unable to resist the relentless petting, Yukino unconsciously rubbed herself against Yukima Azuma's hand.
/— -
If she were in human form
Then this scene would probably not be suitable for children.
But since she was a cat, everything was still within acceptable limits.
As for whether Yukino's mental state was still normal at this point
Only she knew the answer.
At that moment, Yukima Azuma's phone rang.
He had to pause, holding Yukino with one arm while using the other to grab his phone.
Finally, he stopped. Yukino regained a sliver of sanity.
No, she had to escape!
If this continued any longer, the bigger danger wasn't actually becoming a catit was dying of embarrassment!
She began to squirm uneasily.
Trying to struggle free from Yukima Azuma's arms.
But unfortunately, it was a futile effort.
A cat's strength largely depended on its sharp claws.
But since Yukino had just gotten used to her feline body, she had no control over her claws yet.
At most, all she could do was extend them slightly from her paw pads when trying to exert force.
But she couldn't bear to hurt Yukima Azuma.
So, while struggling, she didn't dare to use too much strength.
Afraid that if her claws fully extended, she might accidentally scratch him.
With just a light press of one finger on her small head, Yukima Azuma effortlessly ended Yuki-Nyan's rebellion.
Yukima Azuma glanced at his phone.
The incoming call was from an unfamiliar number he hadn't saved.
Casually, he pressed the answer button, switched to speaker mode, and tossed the phone onto the bed.
"Yukima Azuma, this is Mrs. Yukinoshita."
Mrs. Yukinoshita's voice came through the speaker.
Hearing this voice, both Yukima Azuma and Yukino froze.
Yukima Azuma, who had been about to resume petting the cat, stopped in his tracks.
Yukino, too, obediently stopped squirming and perked her ears to listen to the voice coming from the phone.
"Oh, Mrs. Yukinoshita, is there something you need?"
Yukima Azuma replied casually, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes.
Then, before Mrs. Yukinoshita could answer
Yukima Azuma suddenly spoke:
"Let me guessdid you just see Laplace's logo in your house?"
"Did you suddenly feel the overwhelming difference and finally see reality for what it is?"
"And so now, you're calling, hoping to ask Laplace for a favor?"
On the other end of the line
A vein popped on Mrs. Yukinoshita's forehead.
<( _)>
She was on the verge of breaking down!
If Yukima Azuma had just lashed out at her harshly
She wouldn't have cared in the slightest. In fact, she might have even mocked him for being childish.
But these wordsthese words stung even worse than insults.
Lies wouldn't hurt peopletruth was the sharpest knife.
Grinding her teeth in fury, Mrs. Yukinoshita spat out each word through clenched teeth:
"Y.E.S, that's right, you guessed correctly."
At this point, she had no choice but to adjust her attitude.
Being stubborn to the end would only lead to a worse outcome.
Yukima Azuma, on the other hand, was slightly surprised.
He hadn't expected Mrs. Yukinoshita to admit it so bluntly.
But immediately after
His expression darkened.
"You went to see Yukino again, didn't you?"
"What did you say to her?"
"Is Yukino with you right now?"
Three consecutive questions.
Yukino, still nestled in Yukima Azuma's arms, suddenly felt her cat heart skip a beat.
Chapter 205: So You Are Yuki-Nyan!
Because Mrs. Yukinoshita wanted to find a way to cling to Laplace.
The first person she sought out was definitely not Yukima Azuma, but Yukino.
Understanding this, Yukima Azuma immediately fired off three consecutive questions.
"You went to see Yukino again, didn't you?"
"What did you say to Yukino?"
"Is Yukino with you right now?"
The urgency in his voice was not fake.
On the other end of the line, Mrs. Yukinoshita fell silent for a moment upon hearing this.
Did he think she was a kidnapper or something?
Letting out a helpless sigh,
Mrs. Yukinoshita spoke somewhat wearily:
"She's not with me. She already took the contract home, so go find her yourself."
"Once the contract is signed, I won't force Yukino anymore. Isn't that a great deal?"
Upon hearing this, Yuki-Nyan immediately broke free from Yukima Azuma's arms.
She jumped onto the bed, intending to cut off the call with her cat claws.
Her mother was using her as a bargaining chip against him again!
Unbelievable!
Yukima Azuma reacted swiftly.
The moment Yuki-Nyan leaped away, he reached out and caught her.
As a result, before Yuki-Nyan could land on the bed,
While she was still suspended in midair, Yukima Azuma had already pulled her back into his embrace.
"Nyan!"
( /,,'',, )
Yuki-Nyan let out a dissatisfied cry.
Yukima Azuma patted Yuki-Nyan on the head.
Even though he didn't know what was up with this cat, he decided to soothe it for now.
His gaze swept across the room.
Very quickly, Yukima Azuma found the briefcase that Yukino always carried with her.
He took it out and flipped through it.
The contract from Mrs. Yukinoshita was found immediately.
Yuki-Nyan couldn't speak, so she could only use her claws to scratch at Yukima Azuma.
She didn't want him to be troubled because of her.
Glancing over the contents of the contract,
Yukima Azuma couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Oh, Mrs. Yukinoshita's idea was quite interesting.
Brand collaboration.
A very weighty marketing strategy for the future.
Commonly applied in industries like fashion or food.
The most notable examples of brand collaboration that Yukima Azuma knew of
Were probably sneakers and bubble tea. (Note: I don't know anything about business.)
He set the contract aside.
Picked up the phone.
"I just looked over the contents; the idea isn't bad."
"But does the Yukinoshita family even have any products that align with the IPs Laplace Corporation owns?"
"Are you expecting Laplace Corporation to create a custom IP just for the Yukinoshita family?"
"Moreover, even if that were the case, this partnership wouldn't help you sell the house."
Hearing this, Mrs. Yukinoshita froze for a moment.
Not because of the content of his words,
But because of his attitude.
Was this kid actually considering agreeing to this deal?
Even though they had only met twice,
Mrs. Yukinoshita had a fair grasp of Yukima Azuma's personality.
Initially, she proposed the deal without expecting much.
She had even braced herself to be mocked by Yukima Azuma.
But now, his attitude seemed to lean toward agreement.
Recalling their previous meeting,
Mrs. Yukinoshita asked suspiciously:
"You're not seriously thinking about marrying Yukino, are you?"
This conversation had really jumped too far.
The corner of Yukima Azuma's mouth twitched slightly.
Meanwhile, Yuki-Nyan covered her cat face with her plump little cat paws.
"( _ <,, )
What in the world was her mother saying!
"What are you planning? Even if I do get married, I won't be a live-in son-in-law, so just give up on that idea."
"I'm just reminding you, if you're serious, you should have a proper attitude. If you're not, then make it clear sooner rather than later."
"Since when was this your place to say?"
"You brat, I'm Yukino's mother!"
"A good mother who specializes in forcing her daughter into arranged marriages?"
"Tch... the Yukinoshita family does e-commerce."
Running out of arguments, Mrs. Yukinoshita reluctantly backed off and changed the subject.
Yukima Azuma suddenly had a realization.
So that was it.
It made sensee-commerce would be one of the major trends in the near future.
If Mrs. Yukinoshita could bring the Yukinoshita family back to prominence,
There was no reason she wouldn't seek an alternative path after seeing the real estate industry decline.
Clinging to a sinking industry and dragging the entire Yukinoshita family down with it
Finding a new direction was inevitable.
E-commerce was indeed a promising avenue.
"The Yukinoshita family should establish a fashion subsidiary."
"As for the collaboration contract, we can discuss it later."
Yukima Azuma pointed Mrs. Yukinoshita toward a brighter path.
Among the best-selling products in e-commerce, aside from snacks and cosmetics,
Clothing was at the top.
Using a few IPs from Laplace Corporation for collaboration,
Creating a trending product would be incredibly simple.
Moreover, by next year, when Laplace Corporation's short video platform launched,
Making a product go viral would be even easier.
This was truly a feasible project.
As for why he had to collaborate with the Yukinoshita family for this
By next year, Laplace Corporation would have money, but there would be countless things to handle.
At that point, they wouldn't be able to manage everything alone.
Besides, if Laplace Corporation tried to monopolize every opportunity,
It would only invite jealousy from others.
Sharing some profit-making projects externally would also benefit Laplace Corporation.
And, to be fair, Mrs. Yukinoshita wasn't wrong.
After all, she was still Yukino's mother.
Even if, emotionally speaking, she wasn't exactly worthy of that title,
Yukima Azuma didn't want to completely sever ties with her.
If things really soured, the person caught in the middle would undoubtedly be Yukino.
On the other end of the call,
Mrs. Yukinoshita listened to Yukima Azuma's suggestion, which was more like an order.
She thought for a moment.
After confirming its feasibility,
She didn't hesitate and immediately agreed.
Then, both sides ended the call.
The collaboration contract would have to wait until the Yukinoshita family's fashion company was up and running before they could negotiate further.
After hanging up, Yukima Azuma looked down at the cat in his arms.
Being a cat was so much easierno need to deal with these troublesome matters.
Just as he was thinking that, he suddenly felt something was off.
The cat in his arms seemed to be... deep in thought?
/ — -
Its expressions were so vivid...
It didn't seem like a cat at all, but rather, more like a human.
Realizing this
A series of clues flashed through Yukima Azuma's mind.
Did Yukino really go out today?
Her usual high heels were still by the door.
Moreover, the documents and briefcase she would normally take with her were still in the room.
Yukino had mysteriously disappeared.
And a cat had suddenly appeared.
It was absurd, but Yukima Azuma had already witnessed plenty of supernatural events.
And if he took a closer sniff
This cat carried a faint scent of snow blossoms, exactly like Yukino.
A thought gradually formed in Yukima Azuma's mind.
At that moment, Yukino
Was still lost in her own thoughts.
How could she not understand the boy's intentions?
His impression of the Yukinoshita family was certainly not great.
Yet now, he was agreeing to a collaboration and even actively helping the Yukinoshita family...
Even though this was a mutually beneficial arrangement,
The more important reason was definitely that he didn't want her to feel conflicted.
Yukino had always knownYukima Azuma treated her very well.
But at this very moment
She could truly feel his sincerity.
Yukino didn't know how she should repay him for being so kind to her.
If he always kept this sincerity
Then even if he grew to like another girl...
As long as his heart remained unchanged
Yukino suddenly recalled her sister's distorted philosophy.
"Yukino."
Yukima Azuma's sudden voice startled her.
She instinctively lifted her small head and looked toward him.
