Chapter 1213: A chance encounter in Osaka

Early the next morning, after Xia Yu and Elena had finished breakfast at home, Xia Yu changed into some casual clothes. He was going to take Elena for a good look around the island.

As for work, other people had already carried out his orders.

Especially for some plans, preliminary preparations also needed a certain amount of time.

In fact, he will be relatively idle during the window period before the operation.

'Xia Yu, where are we going now?'

'This is my first time in the island country!'

Dressed in a long white dress and a European-style flower hat, she exudes an otherworldly and refined temperament, and is very noble and beautiful.

But this is a princess-like girl from a fairy tale, and yet at this moment she is smiling with love, holding Xia Yu's hand, and looking at him with her beautiful big eyes.

Xia Yu had already made plans for this trip in advance, but he wasn't going to tell Elena about it just yet.

He deliberately created an atmosphere and smiled mysteriously, 'Elena, let's get in the car first, I'll take you somewhere.'

'That place isn't in Tokyo, but you'll definitely like it.'

Elena's smile became more charming, and she nodded her head lightly, looking forward and saying expectantly, 'I'm already full of anticipation now!'

'Haha... let's go!'

After saying this, Xia Yu led Elena out the door and into the car, and the convoy then drove towards Tokyo International Airport.

He was going to take Elena to Osaka.

However, Osaka was about 550 kilometres from Tokyo, and it would take too long to drive there, and the car ride would get boring.

So he had to take the fastest mode of transport – the plane – and fly from Tokyo to Osaka. The short flight would get them there before noon.

Around 11am, Xia Yu and Elena emerged from the airport. Their subordinates had arranged for a car to be waiting, and after getting in, they went to the presidential suite at the Marco Polo Osaka Hotel to stay.

The Jiuding Hotel Group has expanded to Osaka, and the Marco Polo Osaka Hotel is a five-star hotel that officially opened for business in December last year.

Once it opened, it became one of the top hotels in Osaka, with very high customer traffic.

But Xia Yu didn't come here specifically to stay in a hotel.

After a short rest at noon, at 2:30 pm, Xia Yu took Elena to Osaka Castle, one of the three most famous cities in the island country!

Osaka Castle was built in the Azuchi-Momoyama period in Ikutama-no-Sato, Higashinari-gun, Settsu Province, and was rebuilt in the Edo period. It covers an area of about 710,000 square meters and is also known as Nishiki Castle or Kinjo.

Osaka Castle was the residence of Toyotomi Hideyoshi during the unification of Japan in the Azuchi–Momoyama period and the centre of the Toyotomi regime. Later, Tokugawa Ieyasu destroyed the Toyotomi family in the two Osaka campaigns and eliminated traces of the Toyotomi family, and then rebuilt it.

The current Osaka Castle is actually a brand new Osaka Castle built between 1620 and 1629 by Tokugawa Hidetada, and the citizens of Osaka call it Tokugawa Osaka Castle.

Today, Osaka Castle retains many historical relics, and this ancient city is also one of the best places to learn about the culture of the island nation.

However, Xia Yu's main purpose was not to introduce Elena to the culture of the island nation, his goal was the more than 8,000 cherry trees in Osaka Castle Park!

The island nation is known as the country of cherry blossoms, and foreign tourists generally come to the island nation to see the cherry blossoms.

However, the cherry blossoms mostly bloom in early spring.

It is already the second half of April, and the cherry blossoms have basically all fallen in most places in the island country. Although there are still quite a few cherry blossoms in full bloom in Tokyo, they are no longer spectacular.

Fortunately, the cherry blossoms in Osaka fall later, so Xia Yu brought Elena to Osaka to catch the last train.

'Xia Yu, this is so beautiful!'

After entering Osaka Castle Park, Elena said with a smile, looking at the sea of pink flowers.

'Xia Yu, which way should we go?'

Elena asked softly, her eyelashes fluttering.

Xia Yu spread his hands out, smiling helplessly, 'Elena, this is the first time I've been here too.'

'The route doesn't matter, what's important is that you're here with me.'

Elena was touched by Xia Yu's sudden and sentimental words, and her mouth curled up again as she took Xia Yu's hand and walked down a path to the right.

'Then let's go this way!'

...

There were a lot of people enjoying the cherry blossoms, and there were many pedestrians on the park road, stopping to admire the pink cherry blossoms along the roadside.

The trunks of the cherry blossom trees along the roadside were intertwined, turning the road into a dreamlike 'cherry blossom tunnel'. Strolling among them was like entering a fairy tale world.

Elena, dressed in a long white dress, seemed to have let go of all her burdens. She was like a fairy who had entered the mortal world, not hiding her emotions, and her silvery laughter could be heard all the way along the road.

In order not to disturb Xia Yu and Elena's mood, the bodyguards did not follow closely, but scattered around, keeping an eye on everything and everyone around them at all times to ensure Xia Yu and Elena's safety.

Just as Xia Yu was happily strolling with Elena, he suddenly heard someone call his name in an uncertain voice.

Not only did Xia Yu hear it, but so did Elena.

The two looked in the direction of the sound and were shocked to see two beautiful young girls.

One was a white girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, except she was wearing a pink cherry blossom kimono.

The other was a yellow-skinned girl wearing a white kimono. She was very sweet-looking, with two dimples on her rosy, glossy face, long eyelashes on her clear, amber-coloured eyes, and a tear-shaped mole below the corner of her left eye.

'Cindy?'

Although the blonde-haired, blue-eyed white girl was wearing a kimono, Xia Yu recognised her in an instant.

Seeing Xia Yu recognise her, Cindy Mellon smiled and said hello to him with a hint of joy, 'Xia Yu, it's been a long time. I never thought I'd run into you here, what a surprise!'

'Cindy, I'm lucky to see you again. How come you're here in Osaka, Japan?'

Xia Yu smiled and said.

He looked up and down Cindy Mellon, and the impression he had of her more than two years ago quickly came back vividly.

After not seeing each other for more than two years, Cindy Mellon still had that kind of elegant and lively temperament, and still gave Xia Yu a feeling of an elf on earth.

It seemed that more than two years had not taken anything away from her, nor had it added anything to her.

Cindy Mellon explained with a smile, 'I have already completed my university studies ahead of schedule and am currently training myself through global travel. I only arrived in the island country the day before yesterday.'

'Kumiko knew I was coming, so she specially invited me to her home, so I came to Osaka.'

'In my plan, the island country is my penultimate stop. After I finish my trip to the island country, I plan to go to Xiangjiang. You did invite me to come and see your hometown before, but I never thought I would run into you in Osaka.'

'By the way, let me introduce you to the beautiful girl next to me.'

'Kumiko Sumitomo, my college classmate.'

'Hello, Xia Yu, I'm Kumiko Sumitomo, Cindy's classmate. Nice to meet you!'

Kumiko Sumitomo lightly placed her hands on her abdomen, smiled sweetly, and greeted Xia Yu with a traditional bowing greeting of an island country woman. Her voice was very ethereal, as if it could wash a person's soul, making Xia Yu can't help but look sideways.