Chapter 96 - It Pays To Tell The Truth (2/2)

Yanee didn't really have anything in mind to do and she didn't want to go back to the Cypress Gardens yet since she just started dating this potato. Being alone in the east wing with him made her very nervous. She wanted to have a working brain when she grilled him about the other things he still hadn't told her. It's better to ask her questions outside.

”Alright,” she said and they went to the place to pay and get their pass to the shrine gardens.

Even on a weekday, the place was lively with people although less than what it would have on the weekends. Kyoto was one of the favorite tourist hubs after all.

”Where do you want to go first?” he asked as they stepped inside the gardens.

The place was huge. The gardens took up half of the land property of the shrine that was more than three thousand square meters in size.

”Let's go there,” Yanee said as she pointed at the bridge ahead.

As she remembered, people could buy food there to feed the fish and turtles. If she's going to talk to the potato, she reckoned she'd rather keep her hands busy as well so she wouldn't be so nervous. They walked towards the bridge and sensing her intension, Tohru took money out of his wallet and got four packs of food.

”Four?” she asked in surprise.

Tohru grinned. ”Well, the food's mostly for fish and turtles. But you see? There are ducks and swans as well. They normally try to take all the food so you will run out fast.”

Ah. Yes.

Just as he said, as soon as the birds and fish saw people standing by the bridge, they started gathering below. It was as if they knew food would come soon and were anticipating it.

”These guys are smart,” she chuckled as she opened one pack and threw some food into the water.

The ducks, geese, swans, fish, and turtles immediately scrambled to get morsels. Tohru mimicked her and threw food on the water as well.

”So?” Yanee began as she continued feeding the animals. ”What are the other things you still haven't told me, boss?”

”Boss?” Tohru asked in alarm.

”I'll keep calling you that until you confessed everything,” Yanee retorted and he sighed.

He stepped closer to her as she continued feeling the animals. He leaned forward against the railing and propped her elbow to support his chin as he looked at her.

”Well…” he began and waited for Yanee to look at him before he continued. ”I already told you earlier with the authors how it started.”

Yanee felt the heat on her face again, remembering how he talked about falling in love with her at first sight with the authors. But, that was not the one she wanted to clarify. When she realized he was Marian Kang's younger brother, she already knew what his background was.

Arcus Iris International.

No wonder he was able to easily take over her old company, he was the son of Arcus Iris' chairman and CEO.

The image of the quiet but smiling old man back at the Cypress Gardens flashed in Yanee's mind and she sighed. She didn't know that Daddy was Arcus. If she knew, she'd have been very nervous.

Oh, wait— that's wrong. She knew Marian's background so it meant she was not nervous because he was AI's chairman but because he's Tohru's dad.

Urgh…

”Yanee, you're not going to hold being filthy rich against me, are you?” he asked suddenly, and of course, she shook her head.

”No. It's not like you asked for it,” she said. ”And I did your interview before so you don't have to worry about me thinking that you used connections to get to where you are.”

True enough, Tohru James had deliberately hidden his identity since his school days until he started work. It was why she couldn't find out anything about his family background before. He started off as a lowly editor who did miscellaneous work in the office too. No one, not even his coworkers knew his prince status until now although some had guessed.

All his efforts to get where he was right now was solely due to his own hard work. Yanee should know. She was basically like him. Even if she was not as rich as the James, she was still a princess living like a pauper. It was why she had trouble with her ex before. It was because he thought she was poor.

”Can you call me by my name now?” he asked and Yanee snapped out of her reverie again.

It seemed the potato was talking a lot; confessing things while she was spacing out— and she missed them. But it didn't matter anymore, as long as there wouldn't be any secret between them from now on.

”Tohru, let's go back?”