Tokyo: From Lawless Madpolice to Minister
Chapter 146 - 142: Sister-in-law, your elder brother has had a son for you!

Chapter 146: Chapter 142: Sister-in-law, your elder brother has had a son for you!

"This isn’t urgent," Xiu Xin said gravely. "He despises me to the bone now, so you should take advantage of this and get more benefits from him. I won’t mention political resources, but even if it’s just more money to subsidize the household, it’d be good. You see, you have children to raise now, and I also need to support your sister-in-law. The expenses are huge."

People like Nipponjiro, with subpar intelligence and insufficient experience, are hard to come by. He came to us on his own, so naturally, we can’t let him off easily.

First, we’ll squeeze some benefits out of him, and when there’s nothing left to squeeze, we’ll crush him into juice.

"Can... can this really work? If I keep asking him for things without making any progress, won’t he become suspicious?" Aoyama Sosuke said.

After all, he was accustomed to proactively giving money to others, and had never developed the habit of asking others for money.

Xiu Xin was confident. He didn’t trust in his own wisdom, but in Nipponjiro’s lack thereof. "The more you show your greed, the more he will get angry, but he will also be more convinced that you are truly a person who would betray your own siblings for gain. Especially when he’s invested a certain amount, it won’t be easy for him to give up on this lead."

There’s a phrase called "sunk cost fallacy" – the more you invest, the harder it is to pull out. As long as you give him a glimmer of hope and keep him on the hook, he won’t give up until the last moment.

"Yo-shi, let’s do as you say then." Aoyama Sosuke found the idea reasonable and nodded in agreement.

"Let’s not talk about this mediocrity anymore." Xiu Xin waved his hand, smiling, "Let’s talk about your sister-in-law. After all, you’re husband and wife; do you have any special instructions for her?"

As siblings, if the elder brother could live happily, he was willing to undertake the responsibility of supporting his sister-in-law.

Aoyama Sosuke’s expression stiffened, and after a long silence, he sighed, "There’s nothing special. Just be good to her, I am the one who wronged her. She wouldn’t be happy with me. It’s better for her this way."

He was making excuses to convince himself – giving his wife to his brother was for her own good, not for his own selfish reasons.

"Brother, rest assured. From now on, your wife is my wife; I will definitely treat her as my own!" Xiu Xin promised earnestly.

Listening to his misuse of idioms, Aoyama Sosuke’s mouth twitched, and he waved his hand, preferring not to talk more.

"Also, brother, it’s best that we keep up the appearance of a strained relationship. This way, people won’t think of threatening me through you or you through me. Plus, we might even lure in a few more fools like Nipponjiro."

Aoyama Sosuke agreed to this strategy as it aligned with their ongoing sibling discord, an advantage in deceiving their enemies, and certainly something to maintain.

Xiu Xin did not stay long. After lunch, he was eager to leave, anxious to share the good news with his sister-in-law that her husband had fathered a son.

After arriving home, Xiu Xin saw Nakamura Shinichi off and took a deep breath before pressing the doorbell.

"How come you’re back so soon?" Upon opening the door, Aoyama Haruko was puzzled at first, then quickly became concerned for her husband, "Xiu Xin, is your brother doing well in Saitama Prefecture? He’s got no one to look after him."

"Sister-in-law, I..." Xiu Xin looked somewhat distressed, his lips moving, but he found himself at a loss for words.

Aoyama Haruko quickly seized his hand in alarm, "Xiu Xin, has something happened to your brother? Tell me, say something!"

"Let’s talk inside," Xiu Xin sighed.

Haruko hurriedly knelt to fetch his slippers.

As she knelt, her already curvaceous hips and thighs were even more enticing against the denim, and glimpses of her cleavage fluttered in and out of view from the neckline.

After changing shoes, Xiu Xin walked to the couch in silence and sat without a word, his hands covering his face.

"Xiu Xin, what on earth has happened? You’re going to worry me to death!" Aoyama Haruko sat beside him, nearly crying at the sight of him like this.

"Ah," Xiu Xin sighed, turning to look at his sister-in-law, "Sister-in-law, your husband has wronged you."

"What... what do you mean?" Haruko’s body tensed, her eyes darting frantically, as if she sensed what was coming, "What are you trying to say?"

"Sister-in-law, have you never wondered why your husband has rarely come home these past few years?" Xiu Xin looked at her with genuine sympathy, for Aoyama Sosuke’s actions had truly hurt her deeply.

Haruko’s eyes immediately reddened, her delicate body trembling slightly. She wasn’t foolish; Xiu Xin’s words made her guess the truth, but she still wanted to preserve her dignity, managing a forced smile, "It’s common for men to play roles in the political arena. After all, I’m not by his side, and if someone is there to take care of him, that’s good."

Her twitching face and shaking hands betrayed the storm within her heart.

"He has a son, one and a half years old," Xiu Xin dropped a bombshell on Haruko with just one sentence.

She collapsed, tears streaming down her face, her body slowly sinking onto the sofa as she sobbed uncontrollably. She was accustomed to enduring, so even when faced with such a shock, she wouldn’t cause a commotion, just cry incessantly.

"Why, why would he do this to me, we promised to be good to each other for life, why..."

"Sister-in-law." Xiu Xin gently drew her into his embrace, patting her back gently, "I definitely won’t acknowledge that woman. In my eyes, there’s only one sister-in-law. She will never be allowed into my home!"

"Xiu Xin, am I really that bad?" Haruko instinctively held him tight, looking up at him through tears, choking out her pitiful inquiry.

It was her husband’s infidelity that was at fault, yet her first instinct was to doubt herself.

Xiu Xin tenderly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, "In my eyes, sister-in-law is the most perfect woman. It’s my brother who doesn’t deserve you. He deserves to lose you. You’ve done nothing wrong, and you don’t need to reflect on anything."

He felt that if he was more forceful now, he could take advantage of Haruko when she was dazed and heartbroken. But that would be too simple.

Xiu Xin intended to let his sister-in-law fall out of love with his brother and gradually fall in love with him, offering herself willingly.

His affection for Haruko was pure.

"Xiu Xin, ah..." Haruko threw herself into his arms, sobbing again, nearly fainting.

Clearly, the blow was devastating to her.

After crying herself to exhaustion, she drifted into a deep sleep.

When Aoyama Haruko woke up, she opened her eyes to find herself already lying in the bedroom. Outside, the sky had darkened, and the room was dim and hazy, the curtains swirling in the breeze. It was as though the whole world was silent and she was the only one left alone. The thought of her husband’s betrayal once again prompted tears to fall slowly.

Her hand subconsciously caressed her flat belly.

Could it be that Sosuke had sought other women to bear him children because she had always been unable to conceive?

She was furious about Aoyama Sosuke’s betrayal but also chastised herself for failing to fulfill her duty as the Aoyama family’s eldest daughter-in-law by bearing offspring.

With things the way they were, what should she do in the future?

Aoyama Haruko felt lost, unsure of how to proceed.

Moments later, she walked barefoot out of her room. Upon opening the door, the aroma of cooking wafted to her; slowly descending the stairs, she saw Aoyama Xiu Xin, apron-clad, setting food on the dining table.

"Sister-in-law, you’re awake, just in time for dinner," Aoyama Xiu Xin lifted his head and greeted her with a radiant smile.

Aoyama Haruko replied with a smile instinctively but quickly subdued it, speaking indifferently, "Xiu Xin, I’ve decided to divorce your elder brother. Let’s not call me your sister-in-law anymore. I’ll move out as soon as possible...uh..."

As she spoke, looking at everything familiar in the house and at her brother-in-law, she couldn’t help breaking into quiet sobs again.

"Sister-in-law, what nonsense are you talking?" Aoyama Xiu Xin took off his apron and walked up the stairs to her, supporting her shoulders, "If you divorce, wouldn’t that just legitimize the vixen and her bastard child’s entrance into our house? You’ve done nothing wrong, why should you be the one to leave? Stay here in the house. As long as you’re here, our brother won’t even think about bringing that woman and child back!"

He couldn’t let his sister-in-law divorce.

If she divorced, how could they continue their cohabitation?

"But... what’s the point in dragging it out like this? If he doesn’t love me anymore, I might as well let your brother be," Aoyama Haruko said with a self-deprecating smile.

It’s better for one person to suffer than for two.

"Sister-in-law!" Aoyama Xiu Xin looked at her with frustration, "It’s precisely this temperament of yours that gives our brother the guts to mistreat you. He doesn’t care about your feelings, why should you consider his? Besides, do you plan to remarry after your divorce?"

"Of course not," replied Aoyama Haruko without hesitation, the marriage had hurt her enough.

If even Aoyama Sosuke could betray her,

How could she dare to trust another man?

Aoyama Xiu Xin added, "I knew you’d think that way, but would your family allow it?"

Aoyama Haruko hesitated, then slowly shook her head.

Her family would definitely not accept a woman in her twenties remaining unmarried, it would be a laughingstock.

"See? Instead of facing the pressure to marry again after the divorce, isn’t it better to stay and continue living here? You are the true mistress of this home. We can’t let our brother and that vixen have their easy victory. This is also a form of revenge," Xiu Xin started to ’brainwash’ her.

Aoyama Haruko still hesitated, as her nature was not one to seek revenge against others.

Aoyama Xiu Xin said, "Think about it, how many traces of your life are tied to this house? If you really make way for them, that woman will come in, sleep in your bed, use your kitchen, throw away the plants you’ve nurtured, and replace everything you’ve arranged. She’ll use the title of sister-in-law to order me around..."

"Stop it!" Aoyama Haruko got angry at that point, her breathing becoming rapid and her heavy conscience fluctuating as she tensed her little face and said, "Xiu Xin, you’re right. I’ve been too weak. I want to retaliate against them fiercely. I won’t divorce and let them live openly together for the rest of their lives!"

"Right, retaliate fiercely against them!" Aoyama Xiu Xin solemnly agreed, though inwardly he found it slightly amusing. Was this what she considered revenge?

How kind she was!

If it were Aoyama Xiu Xin in the same situation, he could chop the adulterous couple up alive and blend them with cement to make public toilets.

Aoyama Haruko pursed her lips, looked at Aoyama Xiu Xin before her, and said, "Thank you, Xiu Xin."

On reflection, she had spent more time with Aoyama Xiu Xin than with Aoyama Sosuke after they were married.

"We are family," Aoyama Xiu Xin said with a gentle smile, and stooped to pick her up.

"Ah!" Aoyama Haruko yelped, instinctively wrapping her arms around Aoyama Xiu Xin’s neck, her cheeks flushed as she kicked her legs in his embrace, "Xiu Xin, what are you doing? Put me down right now! We can’t do this!"

She thought Aoyama Xiu Xin wanted to sleep with her.

Then Aoyama Xiu Xin carried her to the dining chair and set her down, "Sister-in-law, what were you just saying?"

"Nothing... nothing," Aoyama Haruko mumbled in embarrassment, fumbling with her toes, her face flushed red, and she glared at him in annoyance, "Don’t ever hold me like that again!"

Damn it, how embarrassing! Wuuu~

Xiu Xin was just as bad as his elder brother!

But Aoyama Xiu Xin’s antics did manage to lighten the sorrow in her heart somewhat.

"Xiu Xin, I hope our brother’s relationship with you doesn’t worsen because of me, otherwise I’ll feel guilty," Aoyama Haruko raised her head and added.

In her view, Aoyama Sosuke had only wronged her, not Aoyama Xiu Xin. She didn’t want to be the catalyst for the deterioration of the brothers’ relationship.

Aoyama Xiu Xin served her food, and with apparent indifference said, "My relationship with him was never that good to begin with; at best, we can just maintain the status quo."

That was his and his good brother’s little secret.

Aoyama Haruko bit her red lips and said no more.

Together, they quietly ate their dinner.