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"May I ask your name…?" Mr. Deguci's voice was hesitant.
"He Xi Qian Yu. Mr. Di Kou can just call me Qianyu." He Xi Qian Yu smiled gently. "I'm an employee of Anteiku."
Deguci Asaki gazed at the calm-faced young man before him, as shock, fear, and lingering apprehension surged in his heart, ultimately transforming into gratitude.
He tightly embraced his tearful daughter, his voice choked almost to incoherence: "Tha… thank you… Qianyu Jun, this kindness… I, Deguci Asaki… will never forget it."
"You're too kind. It's just part of my job," He Xi Qian Yu gently shook his head, then reached out and ruffled Hinami's little head. "Besides, I like this child very much."
He Xi Qian Yu's gaze swept over the messy clinic and turned to Mr. Deguci: "Mr. Deguci, from what that guy just said, you cooperated with a Search Officer from the CCG?"
Deguci Asaki hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "Yes."
"They promised that as long as I assisted in the investigation of Gecko, they would… let me go afterward."
After being entangled by Gecko, for the safety of his wife and daughter, his family was forced to separate. When the Search Officer exposed his Ghoul identity, Deguci Asaki was already in despair.
However, the other party took the initiative to propose a deal—assist in the investigation of Gecko, and once he was eliminated, they would let bygones be bygones.
This was undoubtedly a life-saving straw clutched in desperation. As a former member of Bronze Tree, he knew Gecko's violent and cruel nature well.
Instead of hoping for mercy from that monster, it was better to gamble on the Search Officer's promise, even if that promise was likely just a lie.
"Was it two people? One with black hair, one with white hair?" He Xi Qian Yu pressed.
Deguci Asaki nodded again.
He Xi Qian Yu understood—if he hadn't appeared in time, Deguci Asaki would surely have died today.
Other Search Officers might have kept their word, but it was Mado Kureo, whose grief over his wife's death had driven him to a mad hatred of Ghouls.
In his eyes, Deguci Asaki was merely a disposable tool; once he lost his usefulness, only death awaited him, along with the fate of his Kagune being made into a Kouink.
He said to Deguci Asaki in a low voice: "It's not safe to stay here, Mr. Deguci. The Search Officer could return at any time. Take Hinami, and let's go back to Antique."
Deguci Asaki nodded vigorously, picked up his daughter, and followed closely behind He Xi Qian Yu.
"...There are two bugs...watching..." Slaughter's voice echoed in his mind without warning, "...A familiar...scent..."
He Xi Qian Yu nodded slightly.
Mado Kureo and Amon Koutarou were investigating Jason, so it would be surprising if he wasn't being watched by them now.
He Xi Qian Yu turned to look at Mr. Deguci: "Mr. Deguci, put on your mask."
Deguci Asaki was startled, then understood, quickly pulled out his mask, and put it on.
He Xi Qian Yu also put on his own mask.
...
"Teacher, they've gone far away…" Amon Koutarou withdrew his gaze and looked at Mado Kureo beside him.
"No need to chase, Amon, it's too dangerous." Mado Kureo shook his head, a meaningful arc tugging at the corner of his mouth, "Besides… we've already got the information we wanted…"
He slowly pulled a newspaper from his bag, its front page emblazoned with a glaring headline— "Vicious Ghoul Attack Incident in Aoba Alley."
"Finally… I found you…" Mado Kureo's face broke into an almost twisted smile, "But, before that…"
He put away the newspaper, his gaze shifting to the mottled, intermittent bloodstains on the ground, stretching into the distance.
"Jason…" he murmured to himself.
...
He Xi Qian Yu led the Di Kou father and daughter through the alleys of the Twenty Ward. Hinami clung tightly to her father's embrace, her small hand clutching his clothes.
When they finally turned the last corner and the familiar door of Anteiku Coffee Shop came into view, He Xi Qian Yu could clearly feel the tension in Deguci Asaki's body behind him suddenly release, and the breath he had been holding finally exhaled in a long sigh.
"Mr. Deguci," He Xi Qian Yu stopped at the door, turned to him, his voice under the mask carrying a gentle smile, "Please come in, Mrs. Di Kou has been waiting for you."
Deguci Asaki's Adam's apple bobbed, he took a deep breath, and gently took off his mask.
"Ding-a-ling—"
The crisp sound of a wind chime rang out as the coffee shop door was pushed open.
"Mommy!" Hinami instantly spotted the restless figure sitting by the window. With a tearful cry, she abruptly broke free from her father's embrace, charging towards Fueguchi Ryoko like a small cannonball.
"Hinami!" Fueguchi Ryoko trembled all over, startled by the cry.
She instinctively opened her arms, and the next second, that warm and familiar body crashed into her embrace with great force.
She instinctively tightened her arms, holding her daughter tightly, pressing her cheek against Hinami's soft hair, her suspended heart finally settling back into place.
"How was it?" Fueguchi Ryoko loosened her embrace slightly, cupped Hinami's small face with both hands, examining her carefully, her voice soft, "Did you have fun?" She asked instinctively, her gaze still filled with lingering worry.
Hinami looked up, her eyes red, but a brilliant smile bloomed on her face. She shook her head vigorously, then nodded just as hard, and said loudly: "Mommy, Big Brother Qianyu and I brought Daddy back!"
These words, filled with joy, were like a stone dropped into calm water.
Fueguchi Ryoko froze.
Brought Daddy… back?
The confusion in her eyes instantly magnified. In her understanding, He Xi Qian Yu had only taken Hinami out for a stroll and play, to alleviate the child's anxiety from missing her father.
Wait…
An incredible thought suddenly struck her. Holding Hinami, she abruptly looked up, her gaze passing over her daughter's shoulder, carrying an expression of unbelievable confirmation, directly towards He Xi Qian Yu, who was taking off his mask at the door.
He Xi Qian Yu met her startled and uncertain gaze, smiled a little awkwardly, then stepped aside, revealing the figure standing at the door.
Fueguchi Ryoko's gaze slowly shifted from He Xi Qian Yu's face to behind him—
The man wearing a familiar coat, his face tired but incredibly gentle, was none other than her husband, whom she had longed for day and night.
"Asa… Asaki…" All of Fueguchi Ryoko's words caught in her throat, her lips opening and closing silently.
Immense joy instantly overwhelmed her, and the tears in her eyes could no longer be held back, gushing down like a broken dam. She stared blankly at the figure at the door, afraid it was just a beautiful illusion that would vanish in a blink.
Deguci Asaki looked at his wife's incredulous expression, his heart a mix of bitterness and warmth. He strode forward, came before his wife and daughter, and opened his arms.
No words were needed; the family of three hugged each other tightly.
"Ryoko… I'm back…" Deguci Asaki's voice was low and hoarse, filled with longing and apology.
"Mm… It's good you're back… It's good you're back…" Fueguchi Ryoko sobbed uncontrollably.