I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

"Modeling... that's not a bad profession. Hmm... should I ask [Record Player]'s lover for a fashion design job sometime..."

Yin muttered to herself softly, while unconsciously manipulating the computer to bring up a communication... The latest message inside was a photo of Yin's parents against a backdrop of a snowy plain.

"...Those two old geezers dumped everything on me and then went on a world tour...That's really too much."

Thinking about this, Yin Shaojian gritted her teeth... Her dear parents ceased to exist the day when all the family matters were placed on her shoulders. Now, there are only two "old things" in the world who travel everywhere and keep sending her photos to show off.

but……

Yin glanced at the shamisen placed to the side, recalling the tune that Xiwang had played earlier... Although it was somewhat different from the tune her parents played, it had its own unique flavor.

"Ugh……"

Oh well, let them have some fun.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Eden: I'm drunk~ You have to take responsibility~ (5484)

[Perhaps it's because of those inexplicable thoughts in your heart, perhaps it's because the Yin you know is here, or perhaps it's because... that girl who seems somewhat familiar to you, like a cherry blossom, you stayed in the Far East for a longer time than you've ever stayed anywhere else before.]

As always, you stroll through the streets, choosing a suitable spot to stop and play, often attracting large crowds to stop and watch... However, most of the time, you prefer to linger in parks, where the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. In the slightly chilly wind, your songs drift down with the pale pink petals, carried away by the wind into the distance.

For some reason, a few whole cherry blossoms always seem to fall around you, carried by the wind to your side, landing either beside you or on your shoulder. Some pale white petals even fall on your head, making it seem as if you're about to be overwhelmed by the cherry blossom petals.

The delicate fragrance of flowers lingers around you, accompanying your lighthearted mood, sometimes giving the illusion that you've stepped out of a dream or a painting.

Such beautiful scenery was naturally photographed and recorded, and uploaded to the internet, which added to your popularity.

[Speaking of which, you even took a picture and sent it to Eden. Your appearance, covered in flower petals, gave Eden some design inspiration... At that moment, she also sighed, "If you were a girl, you would probably be mistaken for a legendary 'fairy' right now."]

Eden's teasing left you speechless. In retaliation, you told her that if she wanted, you could wear women's clothing... It's just a slightly unusual performance outfit, what's there to be shy about?

Eden affirmed your words and said that he could design a performance outfit for you if we meet again. Hmm... I feel like you've been tricked, but whatever.

[You spent some more time in the Far East, during which you met Li, who came to visit Yin... and unsurprisingly, you, the "record player," were dragged back to sing again.]

You seem quite happy, after all, you saw them again.

[It's just... I don't know if it's intentional on Gin's part, but ever since you showed some interest in the girl named Sakura that day, she's often had Sakura by her side, especially when you meet her. You can almost always see Sakura next to her, which makes you a little suspicious.]

Although Gin's reason was that he discovered Sakura's abilities, making her suitable as a personal bodyguard, and that she also had excellent confectionery skills and a decent cherry blossom brew, which Gin liked very much, he often kept Sakura by his side.

[But when Gin said that, you clearly noticed a subtle "I can't hold it in" look in Sakura's eyes. It was obvious that Gin wasn't telling the whole truth, but you didn't care. You were more interested in what kind of sweets she liked.]

[Back when we lived under the same roof, you learned a skill from your cooking classmate, just to cook small meals for everyone... Now, why not learn another one?]

To be honest, both Yin and Li are quite helpless. Although most of what they just said was true, it was obviously just Yin's way of dealing with you, but you took it seriously without hesitation and even tried to imitate it... I really don't know what to say to you.

[And your reasoning is quite valid—you can secretly send two portions to Silver later to test your skills, and once you've made them well enough, you can go back and make some for Eden.]

[Hmm... Learning to cook for your lover and then surprising them with a meal after you've mastered it is a fairly normal reason, but you actually used Yin and Li as taste testers, that's really bold of you, and it caused them to playfully tease you again.]

However, this gives you a reason to get closer to Sakura and even act alongside her... well, in the kitchen.

Sakura was momentarily stunned. She couldn't understand why she had suddenly gone from being a low-level thug in the organization to becoming the "head of the family's" personal bodyguard, and then turned around and became a pastry chef.

However, there was one thing she understood—all these changes were because of you, and the "patriarch's" care for her was also because of you.

At first, she will subconsciously show you some respect and fear, and maintain a clear distance in her interactions with you. After all, you are, in any case, a friend of the "head of the family," and your status and social class are different. Therefore, she should remain humble in your presence.

[However, as time goes on, Sakura will unconsciously let down her guard and will unknowingly close the distance to you, doing some... well... rather presumptuous things.]

She doesn't quite understand it either. She's been very careful, constantly reminding herself to be respectful and at least maintain some distance from you, but... for some reason, she always wants to get closer to you, and sometimes by the time she realizes it, she's already very close to you.

[It's strange, it's as if Sakura's heart and body don't resist being close to you, which is seriously inconsistent with her vigilance as a woman and a martial artist. More importantly, Sakura finds that she doesn't resist this feeling at all.]

Sakura felt like something was wrong with her...

[You didn't react much to this... Just like you said before, you don't really want to restrict yourself, and you don't overly restrain your expression of emotions. You found yourself to have a strange familiarity with Sakura, so you simply showed her a friendly attitude, and unconsciously, you even acted close to her, as if you were friends who had known each other for a long time, rather than just having just met.]

Of course, the most important issue is still learning how to make Sakura's sweets... After all, I promised to make them for Eden, and I can't break my promise.

Sakura's specialty is a type of sweet called "Sakura Dan," as well as some cherry blossom cakes. They have a soft and chewy texture and a delicate floral fragrance that lingers on the lips and teeth. The light sweetness flows smoothly down the throat, bringing the brain a unique and pleasant feeling of sugar.

[However, you learned to make these desserts very quickly, almost without any attempts, and you made them quite well. This surprised Sakura, because you learned really fast, not at all like someone learning for the first time. Moreover, she tasted the final product, and it was almost exactly the same as hers, except that it was a little sweeter, but there were no major problems.]

Moreover, the taste is slightly sweeter, which is likely due to your personal preference for sweetness and is a reasonable modification. It's not a big problem.

However, just as you were about to tell Eden the good news and give her a little surprise, you learned that Eden had terminated her contract with her agency.

--------

At this moment, the sun was gradually setting in the west, and the sunlight moved slowly from directly overhead, gradually lengthening the shadows of everyone.

At the seaside, a gentle sea breeze, carrying a hint of salt and dampness, blew in, dispelling the afternoon heat.

Xiwang and Eden walked side by side on the coastal road, listening to the happy sounds of people playing by the sea, watching the cars slowly passing by, and feeling the sea breeze gently brushing against their bodies.

The seaside... This is a place that Xi Wang likes, and also a place that Eden likes, because it was here that the distance between her and him narrowed for the second time in a very obvious way... The first time was because of music, which brought them together and made them aware of each other.

At this moment, facing such a beautiful view, neither of them showed any joy. Nor did they show any sadness or anger about what had happened earlier. They were simply calmly and quietly enjoying the time with each other by their side.

"...Xi Wang, aren't you curious about what happened when I terminated my contract with my agency?"

Once again, he saw a passerby exclaim and greet Xiwang. It was clear that another fan had recognized him. Eden asked with a bitter and helpless tone.

"No, because I know it must be because they didn't understand your insistence that the disagreement arose, right?"

Xi Wang first politely waved to the fans, then gestured to Eden beside her, declining their offer to take a photo with her. She then turned back, smiled at Eden beside her, and said softly.

"Ah... really, I always feel that knowing too much isn't always a good thing. You know so many things without me even having to say them, and it's so hard to even confide in someone..."

As Eden spoke, he looked away, turning his head towards the sea, refusing to look at Xiwang, seemingly somewhat angry.

"Even so, you can still tell me, okay? If you talk about your unhappy things, the unhappiness will be halved, right~"

Xi Wang quietly reached out and gently touched Eden's palm with her fingertips. Seeing that Eden had loosened her hands behind her back, Xi Wang smiled and moved her fingertips down from her wrist to meet Eden's palm and hold her hand.

"I'm not particularly unhappy..."

Eden clearly noticed his actions, a slight smile playing on his lips. He returned to the front, adjusted his pace slightly, and subconsciously moved a little closer to him. Then he sighed and said with a hint of helplessness.

"I just feel a bit discouraged... My agent and seniors all say that no one listens to classical music anymore, and there's no market for opera... Everyone doesn't like these things anymore, but I'm still persisting... They all say I'm a bit unreasonable."

"Although I could sing pop songs, I'd rather continue with my current path."

"Classical music, opera, poetry... these are unique sediments of past events, crystallizations of human civilization condensed through art. We can often glimpse a corner of history from them, which is brilliant, dazzling and beautiful... but it seems that no one likes these anymore."

Eden sighed helplessly, his golden eyes glancing unconsciously at Xi Wang beside him. Seeing that he was still listening quietly, he said with a hint of bitterness.

"Sometimes I even wonder if I should follow in your footsteps, Xiwang, and sing songs that everyone likes..."

"Hmm? Why?"

"It's simple... because Xiwang, you're a big celebrity now... fans greet you when you walk down the street..."

Eden's words carried a hint of jealousy, which quickly vanished without a trace.

"You stood on that dazzling stage before me..."

"It's online?"

"That counts, right?"

"So... is Eden a little envious?"

"A little bit, and I always feel that if things continue like this... you'll overshadow me."

Eden shrugged and said with a hint of melancholy.

"I really want to be with you..."

Finally, she lowered her voice again, speaking to herself in a faint whisper that only she could hear.

"No, Eden, you are even more dazzling than me."

"Please don't tease me."

"I was serious."

Xi Wang said softly.

"Eden, can you tell me what you think now?"

"Of course I want to continue, to let everyone know the beauty I've seen, but..."

Eden's gaze unconsciously fell on Xi Wang beside him, only to find that he was also looking at him. Inadvertently, the two locked eyes.

Clearly, Eden was hesitant... If she were alone, she would probably have stubbornly stuck to this matter because of her pride as a genius, full of youthful vigor and drive, defiantly trying to prove her choice to the world, and to the agency that had previously rejected her, that the beauty of classical music and opera had always existed, it was just that people hadn't felt it.

And she, Eden, will showcase this beauty to everyone, bringing with her the unique brilliance of art, and sharing it with all.

She has the confidence that she can rely on her perseverance and talent to step onto the most dazzling stage and become the most shining star in everyone's eyes.

But now... there is another person by her side. He is very similar to her, but they are on completely different paths. More importantly... he has already shone with his own brilliance, while Eden herself... is still dim in the darkness.

Perhaps... this is what they mean by "no comparison, no harm".

This made Eden hesitate and back down, wondering if she should follow Xiwang's example and play the songs that the world loves, so that she could step onto that dazzling stage and stand shoulder to shoulder with him more quickly.

However, Xiwang doesn't seem to think so.

"If you want to persevere, then persevere, Eden."

Xi Wang led Eden gently down the steps to the beach, where they strolled on the fine sand amidst the gentle sound of the waves.

"Although we walk different paths, we are always similar, aren't we? Besides... I'm not playing the songs that everyone likes, am I?"

Xi Wang's words carried a hint of playfulness.

"That's actually a song I like, it just so happens that I met someone who likes it too... To be honest, I should prefer the stories I hear from others, like the different beautiful landscapes we see, like the stars we see at night... They always give me different inspirations, allowing me to write different songs, and these songs just happen to be ones I like, and I just happened to meet other people who like these kinds of songs."

"So in essence, Eden and I are no different, are we? We're just sticking to what we believe in, and playing the music we love."

"So I also believe that as long as Eden continues to persevere, he will definitely be able to show everyone the most dazzling version of you. Yes, you will definitely become the most shining star."

Xi Wang smiled and gently squeezed Eden's hand.

"Don't worry, I'll be by your side. You promised, didn't you? I... will always be by your side from now on, okay?"

"...Yeah, that makes sense."

Eden paused for a moment, then burst out laughing.

She suddenly remembered the "wish" she had made in front of Xi Wang, so... why give it up now? Especially in front of him.

No...maybe I had already made up my mind, maybe I had already made up my mind in my heart. It's just that coming to his side, confiding in him, complaining to him, and acting hesitant in front of him...is nothing more than wanting to get some recognition and support from him.