Twenty minutes passed in quiet concentration. Xinyi's documents, which Guo Tianyu had been given, were now thoroughly reviewed and signed. The signatures were accompanied by recorded evidence of their agreement and handshake. When the time came, they would need to speak with both sets of parents to explain their choices. If necessary, the video of the signing could be shown to them as proof.
"Farewell for now, Guo Tianyu," Xinyi said, but the young man only muttered something inaudible before exiting the room with his maid in tow.
Once they were out of sight and hearing range, Furuya let out a loud sigh of relief and chuckled. "That went differently than I anticipated! I was bracing myself for a real showdown!"
He sprang up and hurried over to Yasushi, dragging him into an enthusiastic high-five that elicited a chuckle from Yasushi. "Well, that was the strategy we settled on," Yasushi said. "If things had deviated even slightly, we could have adjusted. A confrontation wasn't on my radar; that's why I didn't react when he grabbed my collar."
"And if a fight had been on your mind?" Furuya asked, leaning in close to Yasushi with an insistent gaze.
"If a fight had been on my mind," Yasushi responded, delivering a light punch to Furuya's stomach and gently pushing him away, "I would have punched him."
Furuya staggered back, wincing and clutching his stomach, letting out a pained groan. "Ow, that hurt. So what's next? I thought this would drag on longer, but it wrapped up surprisingly fast," he said, scanning the room with a puzzled look.
"We eat. It's been two hours already," Catherine remarked, indicating the time on her watch. Furuya's eyes widened in surprise at the revelation.
"Wait, what!? Two hours!? Already!?" he shouted, pulling out his phone and staring at it in disbelief. "I guess time flies when you're caught up in a tense situation with wealthy folks."
Yasushi pulled out his watch to check the time, confirming Catherine's observation. "So, are you treating us to some food?" he asked Xinyi with a playful grin.
She rolled her eyes at him, then lightly tapped his shoulder in a mock show of irritation. "Of course, you helped me out. It's the least I can do. Let's go; the staff at my place should have everything ready by now." With that, Xinyi led the way, eager to head to the dining area.
The walk to the dining room was brief, but Yasushi was struck by the size of the space. It rivaled, if not exceeded, the dining areas in both Jingliu's home in Mengyinhu and the one he shared with Jingliu and Yinhaie back in Ginsukimura.
"Wow, it's huge," Yasushi muttered, taking in the expansive room.
"Right? I thought the same thing," Furuya responded, nodding in agreement with Yasushi's assessment. "It's a lot bigger than I expected."
"The food is ready, so stop just staring at the room," Xinyi said with a hint of impatience before turning on her heel and walking ahead, leading the way. The others followed her into the dining area.
They took their seats and immediately began to dig into the meal laid out before them. Among them, Furuya stood out for his more casual approach to eating, while the others adopted a more refined manner of dining. Observing this, he turned to Yasushi and remarked, "So, you've gone all posh now, huh?"
Yasushi chuckled and shared a recent experience of his, explaining how he had undergone various trials that had influenced his current demeanor. By the time he finished recounting his story, Furuya sat there, stunned into silence. "Trials!?" he blurted out, then quickly shifted his gaze to Catherine, his girlfriend, who was also a maid for the Cheng family. "I won't have to go through that, will I?"
Catherine let out a sigh and gave him a gentle tap on the head. "No, you won't have to. Please, stop making such a fuss about everything. While the Cheng family does have their own set of protocols, they don't extend to their staff or their families."
Furuya slumped back onto his seat with a deep sigh of relief. "Phew, that's a relief to hear. I don't think I'd manage to handle what Yasushi went through," he said, shaking his head in bemusement.
Yasushi smirked at him, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Why not try exercising more? Maybe then you could lift a truck, just like I did."
Furuya shot him a withering look, recognizing that Yasushi was playfully throwing his own words back at him. He recalled telling a boy back during a farm event in Mengyinhu to work on his strength, and couldn't help but chuckle at his own earlier arrogance.
"Anyway," Xinyi interjected, drawing their attention, "since it's still a bit early, why don't I give you all a tour of Yuwu? It's Yasushi's first visit here, and Jingliu hasn't been around much either." She glanced at them expectantly. "That is, if you don't have other plans."
Yasushi looked around at Yinhaie, Yunxue, and Jingliu, all of whom nodded in agreement. "Looks like we're in for a tour then. Thanks in advance, Xinyi," he said with a smile.
With that settled, they resumed their lunch, taking their time to enjoy the meal and engage in more relaxed conversation before heading out to explore the town.
+-+
"Alright, let's start with—" Xinyi began enthusiastically as they all gathered outside after their lunch. Her words were abruptly cut off by a loud crash that echoed through the air. Instinctively, everyone turned toward the source of the noise. To their dismay, they saw that a car had crashed into a store, causing a wave of alarm among them.
Yinhaie, Yasushi, Yunxue, Catherine, and Douhui, Xinyi's family butler, all sprang into action, racing toward the scene of the accident. As Yasushi reached the wreckage, his eyes widened in shock. Behind the wheel was none other than Guo Tianyu, the very individual who had been the center of recent tensions. In the passenger seat lay the maid, unconscious and unmoving.
"Be careful," Yinhaie cautioned urgently as she dialed for an ambulance. "I'm calling for help, but avoid making any sudden movements around them. We don't yet know the extent of their injuries. One wrong move could worsen their condition if we unintentionally shift them incorrectly."
As Yasushi drew nearer to the wrecked vehicle, something else caught his eye — alcohol. He scanned the interior of the car and noticed several bottles scattered about, which caused him to furrow his brow in disapproval. "He was drunk," Yasushi announced firmly, his statement drawing astonished glances from those around him.
Following his declaration, the others began to take in the sight of the scattered bottles and the strong odor emanating from inside the car. The realization of what had transpired started to sink in. They could hear the distant wail of the approaching ambulance, and Yasushi continued, "It's reasonable to assume that he must have started drinking after our meeting. It seems he only recently tried to drive, or perhaps the maid was driving, and he forced his way into the driver's seat. This outcome was inevitable. After all, he's still about the same age as us."
"But of course," Yasushi added quickly, "this is just speculation, even if it aligns with the evidence. I don't want to come across as if I'm making definitive claims, though it does make sense given the circumstances."
As Yasushi finished speaking, the paramedics swiftly emerged from their vehicle, directing everyone to step back and give them space to work. Shortly after, the police arrived, beginning their investigation and taking statements from those present. Yasushi and the others shared their accounts of the events leading up to the crash, offering their perspectives on what might have caused the incident.
Yasushi approached Yinhaie with a worried expression. "Do you think we'll end up being blamed for this? Given the situation, it seems like we might be the first ones they point fingers at. But if he survives, I'm not sure what will happen next."
Yinhaie shook her head thoughtfully. "Typically, you wouldn't be held legally responsible for someone else's actions after they've left your home, even if they were agitated after a disagreement. The person who chooses to drink and drive is usually held accountable for their own actions and the consequences that follow."
She continued, "That said, there could be exceptions based on the specifics of the case. For instance, if you provided alcohol to someone who was already intoxicated or if you played a role in encouraging or enabling their reckless behavior, there might be some degree of legal responsibility considered."
"Each case is different," she added, "and the outcome could hinge on particular details and local regulations. It's always wise to seek advice from a legal expert if you're worried about potential liability."
Yinhaie gave Yasushi a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Yasushi. The Yang family has a great lawyer on call, so if we do get into legal trouble, we'll be able to sort it out. However, as I said, it's very highly unlikely we'll be blamed for this."
Douhui, adjusting his glasses, chimed in, "You also have footage from the meeting. So, don't worry. If Guo Tianyu tries to fabricate any claims, we'll have all the evidence we need to counter them."
Yasushi sighed deeply, feeling a sense of disillusionment. He hadn't anticipated that their day would end this way. He had expected Guo Tianyu to vent online and fabricate false accusations, not to get drunk, drive recklessly, and crash into a store.
The situation had taken a turn for the worse. Watching as the police and paramedics departed, Yasushi felt a pang of responsibility, despite knowing, as Yinhaie had pointed out, that Guo Tianyu's subsequent actions were entirely his own doing.
Furuya, who had been largely silent, his face still showing signs of shock, finally spoke up. "So, do we carry on with our plans? This whole incident feels like it's ruined the mood and messed everything up."
"Continue with the plans," Jingliu interjected firmly. "We shouldn't let this incident spoil our spirits. We're not responsible for what happened after, and it was entirely his own doing. Let's move on," she said decisively, turning and walking away.
Although the events of the day still felt unsettling, the rest of the group followed after Jingliu. Despite the uneasy feelings in their minds, they recognized the validity in Jingliu's words. To regain some sense of normalcy and keep their plans on track, they needed to set aside the incident and proceed with their day's plans.