Hero of Hearts Novel Chapter 7072
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Chapter 7072
Takehiko saw Charlie and immediately greeted him happily.
He found Charlie pleasing to the eye, no matter how hard he tried to look at him,
And now that he knew Charlieβs wife had run away,
He felt even more comfortable looking at him,
Seeing him more and more as if he were the Ito familyβs son-in-law.
So he patted Charlie on the shoulder and said with a smile,
βLong time no see, Mr. Wade.β
Charlie smiled and said, βHow have you been, Mr. Ito?β
βVery good, very good!β
Takehiko said cheerfully, βThe new house is much more spacious and comfortable.β
βIβve been working on my yard lately, and I plan to transplant some of the precious tree species I have planted in Japan to Nanjing.β
βIf you have any favorite varieties, just let me know.β
βAnd Iβll definitely find the best one to bring over for you!β
Charlie thanked him, βThank you.β
βMr. Ito, but I might not have the energy to take care of the plants.β
Nanako chimed in, βDad, Charlie is usually very busy.β
βUnlike you, he doesnβt have time to tend to trees and flowers.β
Takehiko laughed and nodded, βThatβs true.β
βI donβt worry about any work matters anymore.β
βI just enjoy my retirement every day.β
βLately, Iβve taken to going to the market.β
βI walk around every dayβ¦β
βGoing to the market to buy some fresh ingredients and then walking back feels wonderful.β
Charlie asked him, βMr. Ito, are you adapting well to life in Aurous Hill?β
Takehiko smiled and said, βIβm adapting very well.β
βMy appearance when I go out is quite different from before.β
βIβve shaved my beard and dyed my hair black.β
βEvery day, I walk through the busiest places in Aurous Hill, and everyone treats me like an ordinary middle-aged man.β
βNo one recognizes my true identity,β
βSo I donβt have to worry about being seen as having recovered from my leg injury.β
βI feel very relaxed.β
Takehiko truly enjoys life in Aurous Hill.
Itβs a level of ease and comfort heβs never experienced in his life.
While the young people in this city are busy and work very hard every day,
The middle-aged and elderly people with a certain level of financial means live a truly leisurely life.
At this moment, Nanakoβs aunt,
Ito E
βOnii-chan, Mr. Wade, Nanako, dinner is ready, please enjoy.β
Takehiko smiled and said, βMr. Wade, Nanako brought back a lot of top-quality ingredients from Japan, including Kyotoβs most famous Uji matcha.β
βShe said she wanted to wait for you to come so we could enjoy it together.β
βSo Iβve been thinking about inviting you to my home for dinner.β
Charlie knew Nanakoβs feelings for him, and upon hearing Takehikoβs words,
He subconsciously looked at Nanako, his eyes filled with gratitude.
Nanako, both shy and excited, quickly said,
βCharlie, please move to the dining room!β
In the dining room, many dishes were already laid out on the table.
The Japanese value ritual, so the plating and decoration of each dish were very meticulous, making it a truly pleasing sight.
Charlie wasnβt particularly interested in Japanese cuisine.
It was relatively bland, and the seasonings were rather limited.
The countryβs culinary scene felt like a large chain restaurant, mostly consisting of combinations of soy sauce, wasabi, miso, and citrus vinegar.
However, since he was a guest, Charlie didnβt want to reveal this.
So, when Nanako enthusiastically introduced the various ingredients and cooking methods, Charlie readily complimented her.
At the dinner table, Takehiko kept wanting to gossip about Charlieβs wifeβs sudden departure,
But he refrained from mentioning it for fear of saying the wrong thing.
Finally, when they were almost finished eating, he managed to ask,
βMr. Wade, did those ninjas who came from Japan to help you recently provide any real assistance?β
βIf you think theyβre not up to par,β
βIβll contact them and send another batch from Japan.β
This question was quite sophisticated.
Instead of directly asking about the progress, he inquired whether the ninjas had provided any substantial assistance.
Although both questions concerned the same matter,
The motivations and perceptions were vastly different.
Asking directly would inevitably seem abrupt and gossipy,
This approach was much gentler and more natural.
If they had helped, it meant there was progress.
If they hadnβt, it meant the matter was still unresolved.
Charlie, being honest, didnβt suspect Takehikoβs subtle intentions and truthfully replied,
βThank you for your help, Mr. Ito.β
βThese ninjas are currently working under Inspector Duncanβs command,
But Iβm not entirely clear on the specific progress.β
Takehiko nodded, inwardly relieved.
Having been a boss for so many years, he understood his subordinatesβ basic logic very well.
If they proactively reported progress,
It meant they were performing well; if they didnβt, it was definitely a mess.
He thought this was fine.
Charlie couldnβt find Claire, and sooner or later, he would lose faith in her.
The next step after losing faith would be giving up,
And the next step after giving up would naturally be replacing her.
In high spirits, he showed no sign of his true feelings and said very earnestly,
βMr. Wade, if there is anything the Ito family can do for you, please donβt hesitate to ask.β
βThe Ito family will do its utmost!β
Charlie casually thanked him, but his expression betrayed his melancholy.
Takehiko was a smart man; he had already gotten the answer he wanted from Charlieβs expression,
So he didnβt mention it again for the rest of the meal.
Because his thoughts were all on Maria,
Charlie bid farewell to the Ito father and daughter as soon as he finished eating.
Leaving Shanheyue, he drove to Zijin Villa while sending a message to Maria:
βMiss Lin, is it convenient?β
βI have some new discoveries Iβd like to discuss with you in person.β
Maria quickly replied, βYoung Master Wade, you can come anytime.β
βIβm always at the villa on the mountaintop.β
Charlie replied: βOkay, see you later.β
As Charlie drove to Zijin Villa, Maria sent a WeChat message to Margaret:
βXiao Xiao is coming to see me, saying she has some new discoveries.β
Margaret replied: βIt probably has nothing to do with the stray cat army or Black Forest King, but most likely itβs related to me.β
Maria sent a tongue-out emoji: βI think so too.β
Margaret asked her, βDid you buy Zhen Xiao Xiao?β
Maria replied: βZhen Xiao Xiao is right beside me, but I didnβt buy her, I adopted her.β
After clicking send, she reached out and touched a few-month-old calico kitten lying next to her.
The kitten rolled over with a look of enjoyment,
Its four paws flailing around as if swimming in the air.
Margaret replied, βThen letβs talk again after Xiaoxiao leaves.β
βOkay.β
The Xiaoxiao that Maria and Margaret mentioned was Charlieβs nickname.
Charlie, however, was completely unaware of all this.
He arrived at Mariaβs mountaintop villa and immediately noticed something different from before:
The calico cat is beside Maria.
He asked in surprise, βMiss Lin, where did this kitten come from?β
Maria smiled sweetly at him and said,
βYoung master, this kitten is one I just adopted.β
βIt used to live with other stray cats on the mountain,β
βBut it was always bullied by them, so I brought it home to raise.β
Charlie thought the calico cat was quite beautiful,
Its eyes scan everywhere, seemingly very intelligent.
So he went up to it, stroked its head, and asked Maria,
βWhatβs this little guyβs name?β
Maria replied sweetly, βYoung master, I call it Xiaoxiao.β


