I endured the humiliation and humiliation while being besieged by the ghost story elder sister.

"Oh my~ Weren't you guys playing with your friends over there?"

The plump auntie, who had been chatting with Arisa, suddenly brightened up when she saw Nozomi and the others walking towards them.

They acted as if they wanted to sit here and chat with them for a long time, which made me feel a little ashamed.

however.

"Um, ma'am, we need to start eating lunch now, and we also have some things to discuss, so could you please..."

"Ah? Oh, I see. Well then, I won't bother you any longer~"

It must be said that the auntie, being a businesswoman, had some discernment; she quickly laughed it off and left, returning to her friend's table.

"Hey Mom, have you finally learned to make some friends around your own age?"

Arisa couldn't help but tease her.

"Isn't it the same for both of you? You also gained a lot of female fans over there. If they weren't so shy, they would have already rushed up to ask you how you managed to win over Himo."

"..."

After only a dozen minutes apart, the mother and daughter started hurting each other, leaving Ximiao speechless.

Soon, they were all seated. Hiyo picked up the menu and looked at what she wanted to eat for lunch, while Arisa continued the conversation she hadn't finished earlier.

Meanwhile, Honoka and Hachiko continued talking about her and Nozomi, trying to tell them that she hadn't used any underhanded tactics to prove her innocence.

However, this was a story that Asumi could use to pass the time.

From her daughter's words, she also began to look at Ximiao in a new light. She hadn't expected him to be so brave, showing no fear or anything like that when he saw the demon.

Hiyo was unaware that, because of Arisa, she was constantly gaining favor with her mother-in-law.

Speaking of awkwardness, the things he was forced to do with Aunt Ami before were unforgettable for Himo, and the soft touch of her hands seemed to still linger on his body.

Thinking of this, for some reason he raised his head and glanced in the direction of Aunt Ashi.

Then he realized that her beautiful, wine-red eyes were also staring at him.

This startled Himo so much that she immediately lowered her head like an ostrich, trying her best to focus her attention on the menu.

Although he was very concerned about why Aunt Ashi was looking at him, his flat little belly was already protesting. If he didn't eat something soon, he might get dizzy from hunger.

Just as he had decided what he wanted to eat and was about to call the waitress to help him place the order,

"Ahem, first of all, thank you all for coming to today's town gathering..."

A microphone appeared out of nowhere and was connected to the surrounding speakers. The plump aunt who had been chatting with Aunt Ashi just moments before now stood before everyone as if she were a completely different person.

The microphone she was holding successfully carried her already honest voice to every corner of the coffee shop.

"No, isn't that the auntie from earlier?"

Arisa, Honoka, and the others, who also discovered this strange scene, stared in surprise at the sight not far away.

Could it be that this woman has some extraordinary background?

Unfortunately, they can't rush forward now, grab the old lady by the collar, and ask her what kind of person she is.

……

Meanwhile, after Arisa and the others left, the girl named Nishiyama Kyoko was still savoring the vivid stories Arisa had told her.

Since both parties were present, no one would question the authenticity of the story.

But who says a third party can't appear in a relationship?

She couldn't help but think this, seemingly very confident in her own charm. A dark-skinned, sexy girl like her—manipulating an innocent young boy like Himio would be a piece of cake!

Unfortunately, she doesn't know that she probably doesn't even qualify as a third party anymore.

"Hey~ Kyoko, do you think Nozomi and Arisa did 'that kind of thing'?"

"What?"

As if doubting her ears, Kyoko Nishiyama looked at the girl who had just asked her the question with disbelief.

"I mean, did Hiyo have sex with Arisa...?"

Before she could repeat her question, Kyoko Nishiyama quickly interrupted her. If she were allowed to continue, the topic might veer off course and become uncontrollable.

Xishan stared intently into the distance at Ximiao, who was chatting and laughing with others and seemed to be being teased. No one knew what she was thinking.

a long time.

The plump aunt on stage finally finished her boring speech, despite her best efforts to make the social gathering seem less dull.

However, because they couldn't drink to excess at noon, everyone present was still a little reserved.

Meanwhile, Ximiao had finished ordering her food and was now idly playing cards or gossiping, as if nothing had happened.

"By the way, Aunt Ashi, do you have any good suggestions regarding our family's shop?"

Suddenly realizing that Aunt Ami was more knowledgeable in these areas, Nozomi asked the beautiful woman with some anticipation.

"Suggestions? I do have some~ But you have to know, I'm not the kind of person who's always happy to help others. I'll always ask for something in return~"

She blinked, signaling to Himo to make a gesture, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Author's note: I'm experiencing some writer's block...

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"So, Aunt Ashi, what benefits do you want?"

Ximiao asked somewhat naively, thinking that Aunt Ami would definitely not make any excessive demands in front of so many people.

But to everyone's surprise, she didn't play by the rules and said directly.

"That depends on how much help you need from me, Nozomi. You should understand the direct proportionality between the two, right?"

"..."

Seeing that Nozomi didn't continue, Ami just chuckled and then turned her attention to the dessert in front of her.

As a demon, Ami knew that these things couldn't be rushed... It was like an investment; you just had to wait patiently for unexpected returns.

The others, however, were somewhat confused about the conversation between Ami and Mio, and didn't quite understand why Mio hadn't continued speaking.

Fortunately, the plump aunt from before somehow came back on stage and started playing bingo, which interrupted everyone's thoughts.

a long time.

After having eaten and drunk their fill, the group said goodbye to the organizer of the social event, a seemingly unassuming, plump woman, and then walked out of the coffee shop.

Sister Ba smacked her lips and muttered softly.

"I didn't expect the food at this cafe to be so good. I wish I had gotten up earlier and come here for breakfast."

"Huh? Hachiko-nee, you've never been to this coffee shop before?"

Seemingly having discovered something interesting, Xi Ling turned to look at the unusually tall woman beside her and asked this question.

"I was so busy before that I didn't have time to wander around, so this is really my first time eating at a cafe here."

Or rather, it was the first time she had ever heard of a coffee shop in this small town, and she couldn't help but feel a little curious.

She quickly said goodbye to Ximiao and her group and headed towards the shop. After all, she still had work to do today. Although she could temporarily close the shop, she couldn't keep doing it like that.

then.

After saying goodbye to Hachiko-nee, Nozomi and the others went to the beach. Since they weren't wearing swimsuits, they just strolled along the shore, leaving a series of shallow footprints in the sand.

Not far away, tourists had already arrived one after another, some resting under parasols, others playing in the shallow water.

The previously deserted beach has become unusually lively, and the appearance of Nozomi and her group has attracted the attention of tourists.

His light golden hair, in particular, was dazzling and eye-catching under the sunlight.

"Oh my~ It seems you're quite popular here, Mio~"

Arisa, who also noticed the gazes of the group of tourists, couldn't help but tease them.

"What? It's just because of my hair. If you don't like it, Arisa, I can always dye it black..."

Before Nozomi could finish speaking, Arisa and Honoka stopped her from saying what she was about to say.

"No!"×2

"Huh? Why?"

Unfortunately, neither of them seemed inclined to continue arguing with Himeko about this issue.

It wasn't until they returned to Himo's house and rinsed their sand-covered feet with a hose in the yard that they went into the entryway, took off their shoes, and stepped onto the wooden floor.

"Phew~ It's finally done. I didn't expect to stay at that coffee shop for so long. I gave away all my savings just to get a free meal."

As soon as she entered the living room, Arisa sat down on the soft cushion and leaned back, as if all the strength had been drained from her body.

Upon hearing what Arisa said, Nozomi, who was sitting next to her, retorted irritably.

"Who told you to insist on coming with me, and to bring Fanxia-neechan and Aunt Ashi along too..."

"Well~ I'm just worried that you'll be constantly bothered by those clueless girls, Mio. Don't be ungrateful~ By the way, what kind of benefit are you planning to give my mom?"

Arisa abruptly changed the subject, bringing up the earlier point about the disagreement between Nozomi and Aunt Ami.

Although she really wanted to help Himo in this regard, Arisa herself knew nothing about running a shop; all she knew was how to throw money into it.

When Arisa asked her this, a hint of embarrassment appeared on Nozomi's face, as if she had something she couldn't say.

This made Arisa, who witnessed this scene, even more curious about what benefits Nozomi would give her mother. However, the boy did not choose to answer her question. Instead, he walked out of the living room and went back to his room.

Seeing this, Arisa didn't press Nozomi for more information. Instead, she lay down on the tatami mat and sighed unconsciously.

Upon seeing Fanxia come over after getting a drink from the kitchen, she probably wanted to ask Fanxia for help.

"Hey, what kind of favor do you think Mio would give my mom?"

"Huh? How could you think I would know something like that? Anyway, now that Mio is back home, with her own Hachiko-nee, she doesn't need Honoka-nee, who provides her with food and lodging in Xijing anymore..."

Even Fanxia herself didn't notice the intense jealousy in her voice as she said this, and how resentful her eyes were.

Arisa, who hadn't expected Honoka to say that, realized the seriousness of the situation and suddenly sat up from the tatami mat, patting the spot next to the table to signal her to sit down.