Chapter 24

"Ahem... ahem... ahem..." Li Xu started coughing violently. The low table in front of him, as well as the floor beyond, were splattered with an indescribable liquid.

Then someone nearby said sarcastically, "Oh dear, it seems Mom was right."

As a result, he coughed even more severely. It took a great effort to control his convulsing body, and by then his face was already flushed red.

Clap, clap. Mizuko calmly clapped her hands, and two maids quickly entered from outside. They swiftly cleaned up the liquid on the floor, replaced Li Xu's cup, and then left.

Li Xu took a deep breath, glanced at his mother, and quickly averted his gaze. There was no other reason; the look of "I knew it" on Mother's face, along with her teasing and mocking eyes, was really infuriating, making him want to lash out.

"Mother, don't you think... saying such things suddenly... is really quite shocking?" Li Xu gritted his teeth and said, looking at the unfinished dishes in front of him.

"Why? Is it wrong for a mother to care about her child?" Mizuko sighed, as if she were very wronged.

"Of course not, but..." Li Xu took another deep breath, "How did you come to such a conclusion?"

"They are indeed all older than you." Mizuko's voice carried a hint of surprise, as if she found it strange that he couldn't see such an obvious thing.

"Besides, the Oedipus complex is a normal psychological tendency, a human nature. Sons tend to favor their mothers, while daughters are closer to their fathers. Only those with dirty minds would become restless when someone mentions this." Mizuko said with a serious face.

What the heck! You make such a good point, I can't even argue! Li Xu finally couldn't hold back and rolled his eyes.

"When did Mother start taking an interest in anthropology?" Li Xu asked weakly.

"Recently, I found time to finish Louis Dumont's 'Homo Hierarchicus.' Some of the views in it, when compared with Ruth Benedict's 'The Chrysanthemum and the Sword,' are quite interesting." Mizuko said leisurely.

Li Xu fell silent immediately. His mother had a large study room of over 30 square meters, filled with books of all kinds, almost like a small library.

More importantly, these books were not just for show. His mother collected them not to show off, but to read. She would reread good books. If she said she had read a book, she really had. At such times, it was best to keep a low profile and not try to challenge her, as that would only result in being thoroughly defeated.

"We were just talking about Nintendo a moment ago, how did we suddenly start talking about... well, this?" After a few minutes of silence, Li Xu asked again.

"Is there any connection between the two?" Mizuko seemed puzzled.

"Of course not!" Li Xu scratched his head and finally looked at his mother.

"If there's no connection, why can't we talk about it?" Mizuko shrugged slightly.

"Um..." Li Xu was taken aback. Yes, if there's no connection, why... Wait, if there's no connection, why did we jump to this?!

He glared at his mother in frustration, but Mizuko still looked innocent. He had no choice but to retreat.

There was no way he could stand up to her, and he couldn't resort to violence, so it was best not to bring it up again, lest she say something even more shocking.

"Alright, Mother, what exactly do you want to say by bringing this up?" Li Xu asked in a calm tone.

"Oh, this? I was just thinking that in a month, you'll be officially an adult. I need to decide what gift to give you." Mizuko said, looking troubled, "Last year, you asked for Momoe Yamaguchi, and the year after that, you asked for Yoko Takahashi and Kyoko Kojima. I can't narrow down your preferences."

Then she brightened up, as if she had an idea, and asked in a consultative tone, "What about Masako Natsume? I remember you once said she fits your aesthetic."

Li Xu just wanted to facepalm. Dear Mother, do you know that you sound like some feudal lord?

Of course, he wouldn't dare say that out loud, or he would surely die a miserable death here.

"Um..." Li Xu didn't know what to say.

Oedipus complex? More like a fetish for older women. I'm almost fifty, what's wrong with liking women in their mid-twenties to early thirties? Anyway, since it's like this, I have an idea. I might as well use this opportunity to try it out.

"Alright, then," Li Xu slapped the table, "Since Mother says I have, well, that, this time let's try something different."

"Oh?" Mizuko looked as if she was all ears.

"Mother, in a month, I'll be 18, officially an adult. Then I can have my own company, my own house, and live independently, so..." Li Xu said very seriously, "I need a personal housekeeper."

Before his mother could respond, he continued, "Last year, when I went on vacation to Osaka, I saw a very pretty girl, about 14 or 15 years old, in a supermarket in Sakai. I really like her, so..."

At this point, Li Xu smiled, "Can you find her and train her to be my housekeeper?"

"Oh, Ryoichi, you really give Mom a hard time." Mizuko squinted her eyes and sized up Li Xu, tapping her fingers on the low table, "A supermarket in Sakai, Osaka? That's not enough information to find her."

"Oh, I chatted with her a bit and know her name," Li Xu smiled, "I think it's Yoko Sawaguchi."

"Is that so? Perhaps we can try," Mizuko still squinted her eyes, making it hard to read her thoughts, "But if we do, what about this one?"

"Which one?" Li Xu was puzzled.

Mizuko didn't speak, but clapped her hands lightly. A maid immediately opened the door, and a woman with a bun, wearing a green kimono, entered, head bowed.

Though she was already in her thirties, the purity of her youth had begun to fade, but her gentle and refined demeanor still made her very pleasant to look at.

With her head bowed, showing her white neck, she had a certain charm, reminiscent of Xu Zhimo's line, "The most gentle is that one bow, just like the water lily trembling in the cool breeze."

"Mrs. Mizuko." The woman knelt on the ground and bowed to Mizuko.

A few seconds later, she straightened up and bowed to Li Xu again, "Young Master Ryoichi."

Since she entered, Li Xu had been frowning slightly. Now he looked at his mother, but Mizuko said nothing, just looked at him. He sighed, "Stand up, Ms. Takahashi."

"Hai." The woman bowed again and stood up, "Young Master Ryoichi, you can call me Yoko."

Li Xu didn't respond, but looked at his mother again. This time, Mizuko explained, "Last year, after you asked Yoko and Kyoko to serve you, Tei Yoshimitsu wanted to give Yoko to you. I accepted on your behalf."

Li Xu's lips twitched slightly, feeling a bit annoyed, but not because of Yoko. As mentioned before, whether it was the industrialization at the end of the 19th century or the Americanization in the 1950s, it didn't completely remove the feudal characteristics of Japan.

So, the son of a politician is still a politician, the son of a businessman is still a businessman, and the son of a worker is still a worker. Geishas can be given as gifts, subordinates must take the blame for their superiors, and those who can't handle the pressure should quietly die rather than trouble others.

Japan's entertainment industry is one of the most closed in the world, usually playing within its own circle, only slightly more open than Bollywood. For the elite, playing with a "geisha" is just a matter of a word, but with their status, they have plenty of respectable women to play with, so why lower their standards?

If the situation with Kujō Ryo was placed in the present, it wouldn't be too serious, at most just being looked down upon by his peers.

Even so, the pressure is not small. Only someone like Li Xu, a child of an American, or Tei Yoshimitsu, a rebellious son of a nouveau riche, wouldn't care.

In short, as long as public opinion is controlled, no matter how many dark secrets there are, they remain unknown. Even 30 years later in the web 2.0 era, information about Japan's entertainment industry from the internet is still a mix of truth and fiction, neither completely believable nor completely unbelievable.

So, even though Yoko Takahashi and Okada Taro have been married for seven or eight years, in reality... well, you know.

Similar situations are not common, but they are not isolated cases. Otherwise, how could Li Xu arrange for Momoe Yamaguchi and Yuuho Miura to have a fake marriage to continue the "legend"?

Tei Yoshimitsu gave Yoko Takahashi to him, and his mother had already accepted on his behalf, so he might as well accept her. Yoko herself didn't show any resistance, did she?

So, Li Xu's annoyance was directed at Tei Yoshimitsu.

This guy is the founder of the Seibu Group, a Liberal Democratic Party elder, and the illegitimate son of Tei Yasusaburō, a farmer. He is known for his harsh and ungrateful nature, believing in Xunzi's theory of innate evil, and his business philosophy is to use lackeys rather than talents.

In addition, he is very arrogant, self-centered, and a typical Japanese chauvinist, making him hard to get along with, especially when he considers you inferior.

Mother has never liked such people, yet now she has to deal with him—why did she accept on his behalf without even asking? And Tei Yoshimitsu's act of giving Yoko might also be a test, which is not a pleasant thought.

"Go, Yoko." Mizuko seemed to understand Li Xu's thoughts and said to Yoko Takahashi, who was standing there.

Yoko bowed and left the room.

"Don't worry so much, Ryoichi." Mother chuckled, "The Seibu Group is just a bigger grasshopper."

This statement was quite threatening. Well, Mother may be somewhat devious in front of him, but when it comes to serious matters, her queenly demeanor can't be hidden.

Then an even more threatening statement followed, "But you must know who our enemies are and who our friends are. That is the primary issue!"

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