Chapter 9 Chapter 8 Beauty and Enemy

"What's the matter, Kumiko?" Mom peeked from the side, it was a postcard.The recipient was Umura, and it was probably included in the album after receiving it. That postcard announced the wedding date and the address of the new home, not an invitation.Not only did Kumiko feel that it was a bit strange to only announce the wedding date without inviting, but what caught her attention was the name of the sender.It says Tokiya Sadahiko and Natori Toko. "Fuyuko!" Kumiko yelled thoughtfully.She felt that there must be an article here. As a close friend of Amamura, Dokiya Sadahiko has visited Amamura's house several times, and Kumiko has already met.After Amamura disappeared, he also came to Amamura's house and expressed his concern for Kumiko from various aspects.But I have never seen Dongzi's face. Is there any mystery about Dongzi being the wife of the earthenware house?

Although the wife of the earthenware house knew her husband very well, Kumiko had never met her, and she didn't even know her name.Kumiko hadn't thought of visiting the pottery house's wife, and she didn't know why her husband didn't want him to meet her either.Of course, Yucun never went with her to visit the earthenware house couple.Kumiko felt that this postcard of marriage announcement was probably put in the album immediately by Amamura so that she would not see it, and planned to put it in a safer place or destroy it later.Maybe forget about it later. Amamura knew that Kumiko didn't know this Toko, and felt that it didn't matter even if Kumiko saw the name.Even so, Umura concealed Dongzi's name.The Natori Toko that Umura likes is the current pottery house Toko.

Yucun and Tuqiwu got married on the same day, which can be said to be an intentional arrangement between each other.In this way, even though the two have a close relationship, they cannot attend each other's wedding.After they got married, neither of them took their wives to visit each other. On the surface, it seemed that it was because of the inconvenience of being newly married, but in fact it was because they were secretly entangled with Dongzi's problem. Kumiko knew from the marriage notice that Tokiya Toko was originally Toko Natori, and then she suddenly realized.Yucun married himself as Dongzi's substitute, probably because he resembled Dongzi in some way.If Dongzi and himself are allowed to meet, they will discover this secret to each other.The date of the wedding ceremony was deliberately chosen on the same day, probably out of such considerations.The must-be-beautiful Toko's looks were always in his mind.In order not to make himself aware that he was a "surrogate" wife, he kept himself from getting close to Dongzi.

Kumiko has now realized that Tokiya Toko is Yucun's sweetheart.The person that Umura often stares behind him and pursues is Dongzi, the wife of Doki House. "Kumiko, what's the matter with you? Look at your scary eyes!" Kumiko was deep in thought, but did not answer her mother's words.Finally, before she decided to go to Niigata, she went to Tokiya Toko to find out about the situation. Tokiya Toko accepts Kumiko's visit.This was arranged by Kumiko in advance with electricity. The name Yucun is unforgettable for Dongzi.This is not only because he and her husband Tukiwu were her saviors when she was nearly killed in the Northern Alps, but also because Yucun once occupied her heart.

In Dongzi's view, Tuqiwu and Yucun are two types of people.Her husband, Tu Qiwu, is tough and self-willed, while Yucun is gentle and discreet in everything.Before the marriage, when the earthenware house violently attacked Dongzi, Yucun also used his unique eyes to express love frequently behind the earthenware house.When Dongzi thought that the earthenware house and Yucun would surround her and become rivals in love, Yucun retreated bravely and quickly got engaged to another woman.This incident once made Dongzi feel very melancholy, and every time I think of it, I still feel very regretful.

When Fuyuko heard that Kumiko was visiting on a date from the phone, she was surprised because she couldn't figure it out, but she was embarrassed to ask the reason, because it would be impolite, and Kumiko deliberately didn't explain clearly. Dongzi thought, Yucun is a friend of Tuqiwu. If Yucun's wife came to Tuqiwu, it would be nothing to say, but it would be a bit strange to just ask for a meeting with himself.Dongzi couldn't help but get scared, but there was no reason to refuse. "Oh, Mrs. Amamura!?" Earthenware House was stunned when it heard that Kumiko was coming to visit, "What's the matter?"

"That's not known yet." "Exactly, I'll see her too." "She said she wanted to see me!" "I said I saw you, but don't you feel embarrassed?" "But they said they would see me!" "strangeness!" "It's even more strange if I want to refuse." "Yes, she is Yucun's wife!" Earthenware House was once entrusted by Ryutaro Natori to have an affair with Umura, so he had contact with Umura and even visited his house.When Tukiya saw for the first time that Kumiko and his wife looked very similar, they were taken aback.Although the appearance is not exactly the same, they are very similar in general.Steady demeanor, sentimental eyes, are exactly like Dongzi.It even makes people feel that Kumiko is the prototype, and Fuyuko is like a copy.When Umura first introduced Kumiko to Tukiya, Tukiya almost felt jealous. He thought, no wonder Umura got married shortly after being engaged.

Dokiya remembered Amamura coming to tell him about his engagement to Kumiko.Tuqiwu originally thought that Yucun was going to take Dongzi away, but when he heard that Yucun was going to marry someone else, he was relieved that his powerful rival would withdraw from the battlefield.However, thinking about it now, Yucun did not retreat from the battlefield, but boasted that he had found someone more desirable than Dongzi. "Did she want to see me without saying?" "No." "Well, it seems that it just has something to do with you." "What's the matter?"

"Hey, how would I know?" He paused for a while and said again, "Okay, now that she's finished talking with you, you can greet me, and I'll come out to meet her too." The time they agreed on was two o'clock in the afternoon.Five minutes later, the doorbell of the earthenware house rang.It is a custom in social circles to arrive a little later when visiting someone's home, and Kumiko has followed this custom. The earthenware house is very different from Kumiko's house.This is a very luxurious Nordic style building.This bungalow was designed to be very commensurate with the identity of the second generation top executive of the Earthenware House Industry Company.It does not give people the feeling of domineering like the ancient buildings, but reflects the modern consciousness of the owner.This room pays great attention to lighting and effects, and has all modern equipment.The bright and majestic large glass windows, the sloping roof, and the spacious courtyard with well-planted flowers and trees give people a comfortable feeling at first sight.

After the bell rang, the people in the room opened the door without looking out of the window, probably because the host knew that the appointed guest was coming.Make an appointment to visit, and the host will look through the window first, which will make the guests feel that they are not respected enough. "Hi, I'm Kumiko Amamura." "Hello, welcome, I'm waiting for you!" Dongzi greeted him with a pretended smile. The two women met for the first time.Although it was an instant warning to each other, the eyes of both of them were very sharp.Behind the smiling faces of the two, they both felt that they were fighting.Naturally, Kumiko is attacking and Fuyuko is defending.Suspiciousness breeds dark ghosts, and Dongzi may feel a little guilty because she is a wife and still misses Amamura. When she led Kumiko to the living room, she felt uneasy and purple as if she was about to be stabbed in the back by Kumiko.

Fuyuko let Kumiko into the living room. "I'm Masao Amamura's wife, Kumiko." "I'm Tokiya Fuyuko." The two introduced themselves again.Dongzi gave up his seat. "This is the Fuyuko that Amamura always stares at!" Kumiko was thinking. "What a beauty!" Dongzi was also thinking.At this time the servant brought refreshments. "Please don't bother." "Where, it's rare for you to come here specially." The tea somewhat eased the tension between the two of them.Kumiko seemed to be deep in the enemy's territory, and her throat was smoking due to anxiety and tension. "Tea, please!" Dongzi asked the tea and picked up the teacup herself.This cup of tea buffers the spark of tension that is about to explode. "I really didn't expect that unfortunate thing to happen." Dongzi sipped his tea and started a conversation. "Yes!" Kumiko replied, looking at the teacup. "Mr. Amamura hasn't found it yet?" "Yes." Kumiko answered simply and slowly. Fuyuko took great pains to start a conversation, but Kumiko just didn't follow her topic.Dongzi wanted to find out why she came while chatting with Kumiko, but she didn't answer, which made Dongzi gradually anxious.What on earth is she here for?Fuyuko couldn't hear Kumiko's hearty words. "This...?" When Dongzi was burning with anxiety, Kumiko raised her face and finally spoke.A pair of eyes shone brightly under the sunlight coming in from the window, like a sharp sword stabbing Dongzi's face.Dongzi became nervous and instinctively cast a defensive gaze. "Ma'am, have you traveled around July 16?" Kumiko asked the question abruptly.Dongzi seems to have been hit by a shot aimed at the vital point suddenly.It seems that Kumiko is still waiting for an opportunity to deal a fatal blow to the opponent. "July 16th... well..." Suffering a sudden blow, Dongzi was speechless for a moment.The body sitting on the sofa shivered coldly.This is a very obvious reaction.This reaction was clearly seen by Kumiko's two camera-like eyes.Why does Dongzi have such a reaction?For Dongzi, when they met for the first time, they didn't even have a little greeting, and it was indeed a bit abrupt to ask such a question all of a sudden. In fact, Dongzi didn't need to panic like that. Even if she went on a trip in July, it wouldn't hurt at all.July 16th was just the day when Yucun was on a business trip, and since then there has been no news.Dongzi will not always keep abreast of the situation in Yucun.Having said that, it wouldn't be surprising if Kumiko infers from Touko's reaction that she has some relationship with Amamura. "Why are you asking this!?" Dongzi finally calmed down from the shock, but after she asked this question, she seemed more passive. She didn't have to ask so seriously. Kumiko thought: If she had nothing to do with Amamura's trip, why did she do this?Kumiko didn't know whether Fuyuko was blaming her for being impolite, or was she deliberately asking her a stern question because it was related to Amamura's trip?Just as he was about to chase after him, Dokiya came out of the house with a smile on his face. "Oh, it's you, welcome, welcome!" The appearance of the earthenware house made Kumiko lose the opportunity to test it; but Toko showed a relaxed expression that could be regarded as a relief, but this made Kumiko even more puzzled. After Kumiko left, she felt that things had become more complicated and there were more suspicious people after she came out of Dokiya's house.The questions she asked Dongzi were not prepared in advance, but came to her mind when she saw Dongzi.However, she didn't expect Dongzi to have such a strong reaction.She clearly saw the expression of the high society lady sitting comfortably and quietly on the sofa, her body trembling with coldness.Why is there such a reaction?This shows that she and Yucun, more precisely, have some relationship with Yucun's travels, right? Does the husband's friend's wife know about Umura's journey?No, it was unlikely, if it was her own friend, it would be fine, but even her husband's friend knew the journey so clearly, it was unlikely. Will it be because of such a big accident that I remembered that day? However, I just asked "Did you travel around July 16th?" and the plane crashed on the 18th.To be able to react that way after hearing such a sentence shows that I still think of Yucun's journey. What would happen if Dongzi had a relationship with Yucun?Kumiko felt that the scope involved was getting wider and wider in the self-questioning.Kumiko had already put Fuyuko's trip with Amamura together in consideration.If Dongzi was not at home during the trip to Yucun, then, judging from Dongzi's reaction today, even if Dongzi and Yucun met at the travel place, it cannot be said to be chasing rumors.If it was an appointment with Yucun in advance, it would naturally remind people of the relationship between men and women. Needless to say, Kumiko, if she found out that there was such an improper relationship between a man and a woman, the earthenware house would not be quiet. The relationship between the earthenware house and Yucun once had subtle fluctuations because of Dongzi.Amamura married the "surrogate wife" Kumiko, and was able to avoid the frontal and fierce conflicts in the love field.If, after Dongzi and Tuqiwu got married, Tuqiwu found out that Dongzi had a warm relationship with Yucun, he would be furious. If Yucun has that kind of relationship, then he has betrayed his wife and his friend.He obviously married Kumiko to reassure Tukiya, so that he could secretly have an affair with Fuyuko. Maybe the two had already had an improper relationship before marriage. Kumiko has always believed that the disappearance of Amamura is related to the relevant organizations or large companies that want to obtain his research results, without considering other personal factors. With this analysis, Dongzi became a key figure.She didn't answer Kumiko's words, maybe she couldn't.If Dongzi first made an appointment with Yucun to meet somewhere during Yucun's journey, of course she would not be at home at that time.If the earthenware house had known about the situation, he might have followed behind secretly. In this way, the earthenware house could not have been at home at that time. Thinking of this, Kumiko made up her mind to conduct a thorough investigation into the whereabouts of Tokiya Sadahiko and Tokoko after July 16th.Kumiko's eyes showed a strange eagerness to action.So far, she has been missing her husband and looking for his whereabouts. However, in the future, she may embark on a journey of exposing her husband's disgraceful affairs. That would be an unpleasant trip.For a newlywed wife who trusts her husband, that would be a very heart-wrenching affair, but even this trip cannot be done half-way when the husband's body is still unclaimed and decomposing somewhere. . Kumiko is about to embark on a journey, and whether her husband is dead or alive, she wants to find him herself. Kumiko's current job is to investigate the actions of Tokiya Sadahiko after July 16th.If his whereabouts were unknown during this period, it can also be considered that he had something to do with Yucun's disappearance. It is easier said than done to investigate!Kumiko didn't know how to proceed.You can't ask yourself about this matter, nor can you ask others directly.To Dongzi, he asked directly on the spur of the moment, and that was the reward of doing that.However, it is absolutely unacceptable to treat earthenware houses, and you must not act rashly. Kumiko suddenly remembered Koshinko.Can Kexing Trustee accept the investigation commission?Kumiko decided to try it anyway. I heard that Xingxin, a private investigative organization, had betrayed its client and secretly communicated with the person under investigation to make money from both parties.At the end of the day, it's an organization that uses money to keep it going, so maybe it's a detective as well as a spy. Kumiko thought, even if the investigation is likely to be known to the other party, it must be done.Because there is no other way but to entrust Xingxin. Kumiko found the most trustworthy agency, concealed her identity, and told them about the entrustment.Xingxin said that it is limited to two weeks.This is a personal action as the object of investigation, and it is an action within a short period of time, which seems to be much more difficult.Xingxin Institute is not sure whether the investigation can be clear, and they promised to do it no matter what. When Kumiko entrusted Xingshin, not only concealed her identity, but also stated that she would not let the other party know that someone was investigating his whereabouts.Kumiko was afraid that they would be unreliable, so she went out of her way to talk to them.At the same time, it was decided that he would come to listen to the letter when it was due. When two weeks were up, Kumiko came to Xingshin and found the person in charge. "Oh, this investigation is not less difficult!" The other party said, and handed the envelope containing the investigation report to Kumiko. "So, are you clear?" Kumiko wanted to listen first, and then read the report in detail. "You can see from the report that the person under investigation was traveling at the time!" "Travel! Where are you going?" Kumiko asked with rounded eyes. "It's a business trip. I went to Kyushu and Kansai for the company's business. There are details in the report. I didn't take out the proof of the business location. If you need it, you can send someone to track and investigate. But the cost is expensive!" "Please investigate." Kumiko didn't care about the expenses. When she heard that Dokiya was on a business trip when her husband was on a business trip, she wanted to find out whether it was related to her husband. Dongzi's problem has yet to be clarified.Now it seems that the Tuqiwu husband and wife have signs of activities around Yucun, which is probably not a coincidence.Kumiko must first find out the whereabouts of the earthenware house. The investigation report on the actions of Dokiya Sadahiko is as follows: This is a very simple report, and it can only make people understand that the earthenware house will not be in Tokyo from July 16 to 20.The names of the industrial and commercial people he met on business trips and the names of the hotels where he stayed were all absent. Of course, knowing this is also a reward for Kumiko.What's more, the power of attorney only indicated whether the earthenware house was in Tokyo from July 16th, and did not ask to find out the specific situation.Just to investigate this situation, it seems that Xingxin has spent a lot of work, which can be inferred from the investigation costs.This Xingxin Institute is an old investigation office, and it will never charge fees casually. Kumiko further asked for a "follow-up investigation" to conduct a moment-by-moment investigation of where the earthenware house was when the Noto plane crashed on July 18. "Shouldn't the investigation be like the police investigating whether the defendant was present at the time?" The other party smiled and agreed to do as required. This investigation seems to take more time, and the other party asked for a little more time than the first investigation. When the date came, Kumiko called Xingshin, and the other party said they hoped to wait another two or three days.It appears that the investigation has hit a rock. After a few days, the investigation report was finally written.The cost this time was three times more expensive than last time, and the actual travel expenses of the investigators had to be added. If her husband remained missing, she would have to live alone like this forever.Under such circumstances, taking this money out of what little savings she had was like drawing blood from her body for Kumiko.But this is unavoidable blood. The content of the second investigation report is as follows: This is the summary of the report.According to the report, by July 17 at about 3:00 pm, the movement of the earthenware house before going to Itami Airport was clear, but the situation suddenly became unclear after that.Most importantly, on July 18th, the footprints of the earthenware house are completely unclear. After three o'clock in the afternoon on the 17th, the earthenware house disappeared. On the afternoon of the 20th, he suddenly returned to Beijing from nowhere.That is to say, nothing is known of his whereabouts during the three days in between. "Where did the earthenware house go these three days?" Kumiko was puzzled.No one could answer her questions, and it was useless to check the investigation materials.Her mind was in a state of confusion, spinning around like ants on a hot pot.But you have to understand the situation anyway. In the end, she decided to bite the bullet and go directly to the earthenware house. Kumiko knew how to ask Tukiya directly, but he would not answer honestly.But she felt that, like asking Dongzi directly on impulse, although she couldn't get a real answer, she could get a real facial response.If he lied to his face, it would reveal his suspiciousness even more. However, no matter how many doubts there are, what can be done?Kumiko thought further. There was nothing to be done about it, and Kumiko was not a policeman.Even the police, there is no reason to inquire about or blame someone for a secret private life in the past. Kumiko racked her brains but couldn't think of a way out. "Ah, it would be great to have a husband studying together at this time!" Kumiko couldn't help muttering to herself.This investigation was originally caused by her husband's disappearance, so he would naturally not be by her side. Even so, she still wanted him to help her with the research, which showed that she still missed him deeply.