Chapter 17

With a splash, Li Xu leaned against the wall of the bathtub, immersing his entire body in the hot water, leaving only his head above the surface.

Feeling the steamy water, his limbs and bones relaxed, and he couldn't help but groan with half-closed eyes.

Previously, he had told Deng Lijun that although the old house here seemed somewhat gloomy overall, there were some nice spots, such as having dinner in the wooden pavilion in the garden at night, or soaking in this bathroom.

The bathroom was about 100 square meters, with the bathtub taking up two-thirds of the space. Steam rose from the water, and the decor was simple, but all the wooden items were of high quality. The stone floor and marble bathtub were made of materials with similar colors, creating a consistent yet layered tone, a subtle luxury.

Li Xu didn't know and didn't want to know where the servants got the water or what fragrances they added. He only knew that soaking in this bathtub relieved his fatigue more effectively than anywhere else.

However, Deng Lijun wasn't here. After dinner and a bit of conversation, she said she wanted to find a guest room to rest and be alone.

Li Xu understood; after hearing so many shocking pieces of news, she needed time to adjust.

The door opened, and Yamaguchi Momoe, dressed in a kimono and carrying a wooden basin, entered with her head lowered and a gentle demeanor. She then bowed to Li Xu in the bathtub, "Young Master."

"Um." Li Xu nodded, exposing a bit of his body from the water.

Then, in the misty steam, the woman beside the bathtub gently untied the sash of her kimono, and the large garment fell to the ground piece by piece. Finally, she entered the bathtub naked, still holding the wooden basin.

Li Xu watched her come in, watched her pour water for him, scrub his back, and massage and wipe his body. Despite the faint sadness in her eyes, her skilled and careful movements and her focused and meticulous gaze conveyed one thing: obedience.

This was a Japanese woman. Even though the women's rights movement was booming internationally and Americans were trying to reform Japanese society, the inertia of history was still immense.

The more so, the more he could feel the legendary nature of this mother in this life.

However, even for Kujo Michiko, if she hadn't been born into a high-ranking family and if it weren't for the significant social changes, the room for maneuver, and the support from her American father, it would have been virtually impossible for her to rise from the bottom and achieve her current status.

When talking to Deng Lijun about Michiko, it seemed simple, but the actual struggles were enough to write a business war novel.

The Kujo family, one of the five regent families, was ennobled as a duke after the Meiji Restoration and was a descendant of the Fujiwara clan, a relative of the emperor. In the language of a few decades later, they had extremely high prestige. In reality, however, they had little real power and little influence in politics or economics.

However, they were quite influential in culture. The Shinto rituals of the imperial family were always handled by the Kujo family, and after the establishment of the Heian Shrine and the Meiji Shrine, the Kujo family members served as the chief priests.

The current head of the family, Kujo Michizane, was the chief priest of the Heian Shrine. When Li Xu first heard this, he thought it was the Yasukuni Shrine and wondered how he could set it on fire under the guise of a mischievous child.

Despite this, it allowed the Kujo family to avoid being purged after the war, maintaining a solid foundation and the ability to do many things, such as sending their daughter to Harvard University in the United States as required by the Americans.

Michiko was somewhat rebellious from a young age, and after broadening her horizons in the United States, she became even more uncontrollable. After graduating, she raised funds and was determined to make a name for herself in the business world.

It's unknown what reasons she used to convince her brother and head of the family, Kujo Michizane, but the family provided limited support.

However, this wasn't enough. Although post-war Japan offered many opportunities, it wasn't a place where a woman could take the lead, especially since the major zaibatsu were still intact.

Thus, her less capable second brother, Kujo Michiyasu, was pushed to the forefront, while Michiko operated behind the scenes. This solved the identity issue but also planted a hidden danger.

As a Harvard Business School graduate, Michiko understood the rules of the game in both Japan and the United States and had a keen eye. Despite missing the Korean War, she still managed to secure a significant share of the reconstruction pie.

However, when the 1960s arrived, and the Heian Corporation, which she had built, could take a step further, internal strife began to erupt uncontrollably.

In the Kujo family, both the main and branch families had many people who coveted this wealth, and many were short-sighted. They thought that if Michiko, a woman, could achieve this much, they could do it too. So, after colluding, they began to challenge her, insisting that Michiko should get married.

Since the nominal president was Kujo Michiyasu, once Michiko married, as long as her husband's family cooperated, taking over her shares would be easy.

After all, the daughters of high-ranking families in Japan were traditionally married within a small circle and had to obey their husband's family after marriage—at least that's how these people saw it.

Almost no one spoke up for Michiko, and even Kujo Michizane thought his sister should get married. As for her business partners, the Konoe and Mitsui families, they remained on the sidelines.

It was the nominal president, Kujo Michiyasu, who stood firmly by Michiko's side. Although he had no real ability, he had some insight. The Tokugawa family also extended some support to Michiko.

Despite this, the power disparity still seemed overwhelming, but Michiko was an anomaly among Japanese women. On the surface, she seemed to have no options, but when the showdown came, a pair of aces blew these people away.

She had secretly gone to the United States and married Edward Pierpont Lee, the second son of Andrew Charles Lee, the head of Hayes Holdings, whom she had met at a Harvard alumni gathering. Edward was responsible for Far East investments.

Hayes Holdings, even if not on the West Coast, was a behemoth, and its position in the California financial community was significant. The Kujo family's marriage to them could be considered a match of equals or even a step up.

However, in Japan, people were shocked. High-ranking daughters were supposed to marry within their circle, not to American "devils"!

Unfortunately, they couldn't do much. Before World War II, they might have forced the issue, but in this era when the United States frequently "rubbed" Japan, they had no power.

Moreover, Michiko also brought in capital from the Lee family, and Andrew Lee had significant influence in East Asia. With this two-pronged approach and the support of her American husband, Michiko not only drove away the schemers and intimidated her wavering partners but also reorganized the Heian Corporation into the Kujo Chamber of Commerce, which had nothing to do with the chamber of commerce, and firmly held it in her hands!

This was the general process Li Xu understood. Although many details were unclear, it was enough to make him admire his mother's skills and decisiveness.

In comparison, Yamaguchi Momoe's silent resistance was like a child's game. Although in her previous life, she was described with words like smart, strong, independent, and autonomous, she was still a traditional Japanese woman.

Taking a deep breath in the steamy water, Li Xu looked at Yamaguchi Momoe, who had just massaged his shoulders. When she first came to the Kujo family, she was quite negative.

To be fair, except for the first night when she was quite devoted to warming his bed, the rest of the time... it was only slightly better than dead pork.

However, after telling Yamaguchi Momoe about the plan to end the legend and giving sufficient compensation to Miyabi Yogo, and arranging a fake marriage between them, Yamaguchi Momoe became much more proactive.

Clearly, some netizens' guesses in her previous life were correct. Miyabi Yogo had indeed "raised" Yamaguchi Momoe, and she had deep feelings for him.

Although Miyabi Yogo was very humble and even a bit fawning when Li Xu made his request, which disappointed Yamaguchi Momoe, her eyes always held affection.

It was as if... even though her body wasn't with him, her heart was always with him.

Li Xu could only shrug. If anyone was to blame, it was his mother, not him.

Of course, he could let her go, but... where would his face be? His mother was watching. Thinking about it becoming a future teasing topic, he didn't want to deal with it.

Besides, he had indirectly suggested that she could leave if she didn't like it here, but every time, Yamaguchi Momoe would kneel down with a changed expression, begging not to be driven away.

"Please, Young Master, let me stay by your side. I am willing to serve you for the rest of my life." She was genuinely pleading, even when she was passively resisting.

Undoubtedly, his mother or the Kujo family had put immense pressure on her, so he decided to let it go. As for the issue of body and heart... was it even an issue?

Perhaps because Li Xu had been looking at her for too long, Yamaguchi Momoe in the water seemed to misunderstand his intentions and immediately stopped her actions, lowering her eyes, waiting for him to sit on the edge of the bathtub or pick her up.

"No, no, don't stop," Li Xu quickly said, realizing this.

"Sorry, Young Master..." Yamaguchi Momoe immediately apologized and resumed wiping his body, being extra careful, afraid of making any mistakes.

Actually, she was already quite good. At least she still had the idea of resistance. On her 17th birthday last year, his mother had teased him, asking if he wanted to add another maid this year. Li Xu had straightforwardly said he wanted to have a threesome with Yoshimura Momoe and Kurahara Kyoko.

This wish was easily fulfilled, and the two well-known Japanese actresses were very proactive and served him wholeheartedly, basically meeting all his demands.

Thinking about this, Li Xu couldn't help but sigh. Now, it seemed that Deng Lijun wouldn't be much better than Yamaguchi Momoe. When he mentioned this to her while helping her with the fake passport issue, he casually said he wanted to keep Deng Lijun for ten years, partly to see her reaction. As for the result... ha ha...