Night, the Yanagi Family ancestral home.
Satoru Gojo was boredly playing on his computer in his room.
After the Yanagi Family banquet ended, he returned to his room. Worried that Yanagi Manhime might stir up trouble during the night, he had originally wanted to follow Utahime back to her room, but she had blushed and refused him.
With no other choice, he had returned to his room, idling away on a computer that had no games to play.
"So boring. I wonder what Genji usually plays?" After playing for a while, Satoru Gojo, feeling increasingly bored, threw himself onto the tatami mat and rolled back and forth several times.
"Right, let's see what Genji and the others are doing."
Thinking this, Satoru Gojo pulled out his phone and opened the Tokyo Jujutsu High group chat.
'Satoru Gojo: Anyone there? Hey~.'
'Satoru Gojo: So bored, anyone want to keep me company?'
'Satoru Gojo: [Crying Cat GIF]'
'Satoru Gojo: Is there really no one? Are you all really abandoning Mr. Gojo like this? What are you all doing so late at night?'
'Satoru Gojo: Shoko? Genji? You two didn't elope, did you?'
'Satoru Gojo: Geto Suguru? If you've been kidnapped by that Kyoto Jujutsu High girl, give me a hint.'
'...'
'Masamichi Yaga: Shut up.'
'Satoru Gojo: Okay.'
'Satoru Gojo: [Well-behaved GIF]'
Putting down his phone, Satoru Gojo sighed helplessly.
"Everyone's busy. Being busy is good."
An outsider might mistake him for an empty-nester.
Just as Satoru Gojo had nowhere to express his loneliness, he suddenly felt a wave of sleepiness wash over him.
"I haven't done anything today, why am I so sleepy?"
5 minutes earlier, the Yanagi Family conference room.
"Family Head, are we really going to proceed as planned? Utahime bringing that Satoru Gojo back is clearly to have him back her up. That Satoru Gojo has no manners, no sense of the big picture."
"Utahime's marriage is our opportunity for the Yanagi Family to reach the next level. Besides, the Zenin side has agreed that the first two heirs who inherit the'Separate Forbidden Area' will remain in the Yanagi Family. This deal is entirely beneficial to us; of course, we must proceed."
Yanagi Manhime paused, about to continue, when she was suddenly interrupted by Yanagi Chiyo, who was sitting closest to the door.
"Mother, I would still like to ask you to reconsider this matter."
Yanagi Chiyo kept her head low, pleading with her mother:
"Utahime is still young. If she's married off to the Zenin Family just like that..."
"Enough, Chiyo. It's been so long. You are still so weak! When will you be able to view problems from the perspective of the family?"
"But..."
"No 'buts'!" Yanagi Manhime suddenly shouted.
"Any member of the Yanagi Family, even you and I, are tools for the development of the Yanagi Family. We must all give everything for the Yanagi Family's growth, to say nothing of a tool that is already showing signs of losing control."
Yanagi Manhime said with a hint of viciousness:
"For a tool that is about to lose control, the best way to handle it is to squeeze out its remaining value and then discard it!"
Although Yanagi Chiyo was mentally prepared, hearing her mother's words with her own ears still felt absurd.
"You don't need to stay here anymore. Go back to your room and think it over. You can come out when you've figured it out." Immediately, Yanagi Manhime signaled the servants to forcibly take Yanagi Chiyo away.
Although Yanagi Chiyo wanted to struggle, she was not a Jujutsu Sorcerer, and her struggle appeared quite powerless.
"Clearly my own flesh and blood, yet one after another, you are all so incapable of taking on major responsibilities. You should be glad that you have a talent for maintaining the family business, Chiyo."
After saying this last sentence to her daughter, Yanagi Manhime silently watched her daughter being forcibly taken away, saying nothing more.
"Following the original plan to directly control Utahime and hand her over to the Zenin Family is impossible. We need someone to stall Satoru Gojo."
Yanagi Manhime thought for a moment, then said to a thin man beside her:
"Yan Taki, use your Cursed Technique to forcibly make Satoru Gojo fall into a deep sleep. During this time, we will hand Utahime over to the Zenin. Start now."
Yanagi Manhime said, looking at the housekeeper, Ms. Kyouko, who was standing to the side.
"Kyouko, take Utahime to my room now. Tell her I want to have a talk with her."
"Understood, Family Head." Kyouko lowered her head respectfully, making it impossible for anyone to see her eyes.
Utahime's room.
"What on earth did Mom say to that guy Gojo? Everyone is acting so strange."
Utahime recalled today's banquet. Her mother kept looking at her with a gaze that made one feel very sad, and Satoru Gojo, surprisingly, hadn't really provoked her for once.
Not only that, throughout the banquet, at least half of the family elders kept stealing glances at her.
"Knock, knock."
Just as Utahime was letting her imagination run wild, the door was suddenly knocked upon.
"Who is it?"
"Eldest Miss, it's me." Kyouko's voice came from outside.
"Ms. Kyouko, hold on a moment."
Hearing this, Utahime immediately stood up and walked over to open the door.
"What's wrong?"
"The Family Head wants to have a talk with you."
"Oh, I'll come right away."
Utahime straightened her clothes and stepped out.
The moment she passed Kyouko, Kyouko suddenly grabbed Utahime and lowered her voice to the absolute minimum.
"Miss, while everyone hasn't reacted yet, run! The faster you leave the Yanagi Family, the better!"
"What's wrong? Did something..."
Utahime's words were anxiously interrupted by Kyouko.
"Don't ask, go find Mr. Gojo, any..."
Before Kyouko could finish her sentence, a blade tip pierced through her body.
"Miss... run!"
"Auntie Kyouko!" Utahime watched helplessly as Kyouko fell to the ground, then looked angrily at the figure holding the blade behind Kyouko: it was her grandmother, Yanagi Manhime.
"Honestly, I thought you were a reliable person, but it turns out you are just as short-sighted." Yanagi Manhime said, her eyes devoid of any emotion.
"Alright, Utahime, come with me."
"I won't! What is going on here!" Utahime looked at Kyouko, who had watched her grow up and felt more like a grandmother to her than Yanagi Manhime, lying on the ground, and demanded furiously.
"She betrayed the Yanagi Family, that's all. You will now also contribute your strength to the Yanagi Family."
Saying this, she forcibly pulled Utahime and dragged her toward the reception room.
"Sorry, Mr. Zenin, for the wait."
Utahime was forcibly brought into the reception room, where an old man of about 60 was already present.
"Grandmother, what on earth are you doing? And who is he?"
"He is your husband, Utahime. From today on, you are Mr. Zenin Tsugi's wife."
"What the hell? This is too absurd! I don't want to marry this old man!"
"This is your responsibility as a member of the Yanagi Family!"
After finishing, Yanagi Manhime ignored the struggling and screaming Utahime and turned to look at Zenin Tsugi.
"Excuse the lack of decorum. It seems she needs Mr. Zenin to properly discipline her. We won't interfere with that aspect; I hope you remember our agreement."
"Easy enough. My previous dozen or so wives were no different, and in the end, they all obeyed obediently. As for the issues of heirs and resources, don't worry, I keep my word."
Saying this, Zenin Tsugi looked lecherously at Utahime, his gaze sweeping over her body, as if he wanted to strip her bare right now.
"Then I will take Miss Utahime with me."
"Please do."
After a brief conversation, Zenin Tsugi reached out toward Utahime. Utahime struggled continuously, but it was to no avail; she had no choice but to close her eyes in despair.
But after a long while, Utahime didn't feel anyone touching her, so she couldn't help but slowly open her eyes.
She saw a white-haired man sitting arrogantly beside Zenin Tsugi, one hand resting on his shoulder, the other gripping Zenin Tsugi's wrist tightly, saying coldly:
"Old man, try moving one more time."
"Gojo!"
Utahime had never expected that one day she would feel happy to see Satoru Gojo.
"Yo, Utahime, are you crying?" Satoru Gojo turned his head, revealing his usual arrogant smile.