Chapter 12

After the plane's taxiing ended, a couple of minutes passed before Li Xu undid his seatbelt, stood up, and extended his hand to Deng Lijun in front of him.

Deng Lijun, who also stood up, did not say much. After taking his hand, she quickly linked her arm with his, and they walked together toward the exit.

Not far from the bottom of the airstairs, a black extended Rolls-Royce was parked, with a man in his fifties, dressed in a suit, standing beside it. Behind him were another car and two people who looked like bodyguards.

"Welcome home, Young Master Liangshi." After Li Xu came down, the man immediately bowed 90 degrees.

"Ah, Uncle Hattori, thank you for coming to pick me up." Li Xu also bowed, then rolled his eyes inwardly.

The RB people are the most frustrating in this regard; they have too many formalities, always bowing as if they have no bones in their waists. But on the other hand, this does indeed deceive people, making them feel respected, even if the other party might be cursing inwardly.

"This must be Miss Deng Lijun." Hattori then looked at Deng Lijun and bowed, very properly.

"Hello, Mr... Mr. Hattori." Deng Lijun hurriedly bent to return the bow and spoke in Japanese.

"There's no need to be so formal, Lijun. Uncle Hattori has served the Kujō family for over forty years, like a family member." Li Xu patted her hand and switched to Japanese.

"Ah, I am just an ordinary butler." Hattori smiled and bowed slightly, opening the car door for Li Xu.

"Is Mother doing well recently?" Li Xu asked as he sat in the back seat.

"Madam is doing well, as always." Hattori's tone was cheerful as he prepared to drive.

"Well, I need to prepare myself mentally." Li Xu sighed.

"There's sake in the mini-fridge; you can have some, Young Master Liangshi." Hattori's tone was still leisurely.

Deng Lijun blinked, looking at Li Xu. Although she was a bit confused, she could sense that Li Xu's attitude seemed off when he mentioned his mother.

"Um... I'll pass." Li Xu gently patted her hand, signaling her not to worry, then looked outside. "It's a good thing we landed at Narita Airport. If Uncle Hattori drove even slower, I could have at least an hour to adjust myself."

Narita Airport was planned by the RB government in the 1960s to address the increasing congestion at Haneda Airport. Due to the expansion of Tokyo after World War II, the airport was eventually built in the suburbs of Chiba Prefecture. Without traffic, it takes about 50 minutes to reach the city center.

"Regardless, Mrs. Mieko will certainly be very happy that Young Master Liangshi has returned from America. Minor issues won't be a concern." Hattori added.

"True, but I can't give Mother any room for criticism." Li Xu sighed.

Deng Lijun, sitting beside him, became even more puzzled, but Li Xu did not explain. Instead, he pointed out the window: "Look, there are still many holdouts outside the airport. I bet even after ten years, they won't move. They are really something."

Narita Airport was planned in the 1960s but only officially opened in 1978 due to local farmers' opposition to its construction. The RB government was very forceful, conducting several forced land acquisitions, which led to a bloody conflict resulting in the deaths of three police officers. As a result, the airport only began operations in 1978.

Even then, in March, radical activists drove into the airport with explosives, causing significant damage, and the official opening was delayed until May.

Negotiations continued with bumps and bruises until 1995, when most farmers agreed to relocate. A few, however, remained, and a decade later, they became a model of democracy in the eyes of some people in a certain country. One wonders if the farmers, who suffered various injuries over decades of conflict, would have the urge to kill them.

Using these topics to divert Deng Lijun's attention, the car drove into Tokyo. In 1980, Tokyo had not changed much compared to decades later—perhaps. Li Xu had never been to Tokyo in his previous life and only saw pictures and videos online, but Tokyo was indeed a top-tier metropolis internationally.

The black Rolls-Royce stopped in front of a mansion in Mita, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, which covered nearly one acre. The traditional Japanese-style gate bore a sign with two characters: Kujō.

For the upper echelons of RB society, what the Kujō family in Toshima-ku, Tokyo, represented was self-evident, but for Li Xu, his first reaction upon hearing the surname was: "Mahjong?"

Although he joked in his previous life that RB surnames were derived from the local environment, like "Yamashita" and "Inoue," which sounded lowbrow, using mahjong to name a family was too absurd. Especially with names like "Ichi," "Ni," and "San."

Then his jaw dropped. A three-thousand-year-old noble family? What the hell? Five regent families? Duke? What the hell? His grandmother was the Empress of the Taishō era, and he was related to Emperor Hirohito, even within the fifth degree of kinship... Holy crap! His reaction to learning about his mother's family was the same as seeing his grandfather's family tree.

Well, at least I'm mixed, and not from the Konoe family. The former patriotic youth Li Xu could only console himself this way.

Not being a full RB and the Kujō family's involvement in Shintoism, with no war criminals after World War II, slightly eased his tension.

If it were the Konoe family, he might have ended his life and reincarnated again. After all, he had already been reborn; why not try again?

"Thank you, Uncle Hattori, we're going in." Li Xu, getting out of the car, held Deng Lijun's arm and said to the old butler.

"Please rest assured, Young Master Liangshi. Madam has been in a good mood recently, so there won't be any problems." Hattori chuckled and drove forward.

"Edward, what are you talking about?" Deng Lijun quickly asked in a low voice.

"Well, it's complicated to explain. I'll tell you later." Li Xu rarely smiled bitterly.

Then, the two traditional Japanese-style doors—wooden, dark, with slightly flatter eaves than Chinese ones, and stone lanterns outside—opened. A small door in the middle opened, and a line of maids in kimonos filed out, forming two rows on either side.

Deng Lijun involuntarily squeezed Li Xu's arm. When she was stranded in RB due to the fake passport incident, she had never been to his home and only met him in hotels. Seeing such a grand scene and considering her previous speculations, it was understandable that she felt nervous.

Li Xu, however, walked forward without hesitation, explaining as he went: "This is an old house in Toshima-ku. The main gate is only opened when the head of the family or an important person arrives. Otherwise, only the small door is used."

"Welcome home, Young Master Liangshi." The leading middle-aged maid bowed, and the others followed suit.

"Thank you." Li Xu nodded, becoming somewhat cold, as if treating them like insignificant servants, though they were indeed servants.

He couldn't blame himself for this. In the RB household, apart from his mother, the old butler Hattori Shōhei was the only person he could converse with comfortably. The others treated him as the Kujō family's possession, always saying things like "Young Master can't do this" or "Young Master's actions don't conform to the rules," making it seem like he was living in a feudal era.

Especially in the old houses in Toshima-ku and Kyoto Imperial Garden, the servants took it upon themselves to maintain the family's reputation. Ordinary servants might not dare to speak out, but those with some status did so frequently.

They wouldn't dare to physically harm him, but their nagging could be deadly. He didn't know how they were trained.

"Where is Mother?" Li Xu asked, bending to enter the door. He was very tall, about 6 feet (185 cm), which made him stand out in RB. This often caused him to have to bend his head when entering such doors, leading to many conflicts.

"Madam is in the study. Ms. Tanaka and Lord Michi are there." The middle-aged maid answered.

"Oh?" Li Xu stopped, sighed, and looked at Deng Lijun. "It seems we need to adjust the plan. Mother probably has something to discuss. I'll go see her, and you can rest in my room."

"Okay." Deng Lijun nodded, not saying much.

Li Xu then turned to the middle-aged maid: "Aoi, take Lijun to my room and be respectful."

"Yes, Young Master." Aoi bowed and inclined her body to Deng Lijun. "Ms. Deng, please follow me."

Deng Lijun clearly felt reluctant, as the pressure here was significant. She gave Li Xu a deep look and followed the middle-aged maid named Aoi.

Li Xu shrugged, turned, and walked down the right corridor, nodding to the various servants who showed respect. Outside the corridor, the courtyard was lush with various plants, shrubs, and trees, with stone paths weaving through them, creating a beautiful and serene atmosphere.

After several turns, he arrived at a room. A woman in her early forties was just coming out and was surprised to see Li Xu.

"Hello, Ms. Tanaka, it's been a long time." Li Xu smiled and bowed politely.

"Hello, Young Master Liangshi," Ms. Tanaka immediately returned the bow. "Have you just returned from America?"

"Yes," Li Xu nodded and pointed to the door. "I'll go see Mother first—how is she?"

"Mrs. Mieko has been doing well. You just got home and are already coming to see her; she will be even happier." Ms. Tanaka answered, but then looked embarrassed. "However... Mr. Michi is inside. Please wait a moment."

"Ah... I understand, thank you." Li Xu was taken aback but quickly nodded.

After the secretary left, Li Xu stood still for a few minutes, making sure no one was coming, then pressed his ear to the door and gently turned the doorknob.

Then, a familiar female voice reached his ears: "You can go commit seppuku, and I'll have Hattori be your second."