My daily life is getting weird because I am caught between being in a band and being an idol.

He could only lower his head and speak softly.

"The store manager is really... Every word you say should be condemned, yet... Yet you always seem so gentle."

Chaoyang chuckled softly, half-jokingly.

"It's probably because you're no longer in your right mind and have been bewitched by me."

Qin Yin pursed her lips, a complex expression flashing across her face.

"Then you'd better keep seducing me... otherwise, when I sober up, I can't guarantee what I might do."

After a while, the two remained silent, Qin Yin's mind filled with countless thoughts.

She then wore a pitiful expression, her eyes glistening with tears, and her voice trembling slightly.

"Mingming, this is a crucial time for me, and the store manager did something like this... How are you going to take responsibility for this? ... Please continue to look after me in the future."

The piano music was controlled with ease, just like an actor on a film set. Just a moment ago, tears were about to fall, but in an instant, the tears turned into a smile and a bow to the rising sun.

"...I'm even thinking of introducing you to act alongside Qian Sheng."

Qin Yin reverted to her mischievous and adorable little devil persona and said.

"Hehehe, I'm not going to be someone else's follower."

"No matter what, she is your senior, and there is a lot you can learn from her."

In various aspects...

After casually reminding him, Chaoyang checked the time and asked.

Are you going back to school next?

Qin Yin, looking very cute, hugged Chaoyang's waist and said.

"Hmph! Since I spent time with Xiao Guang yesterday, it's my turn today. Since I've already taken the day off, I'm going to have a proper date."

"Actually, yesterday was mainly for practicing cooking with her."

"You're kidding me."

Chapter 173 If Fathers Switched, I'll Show You What Cruelty Is!

When Chaoyang returned to the apartment with Qinyin, he saw a middle-aged man standing at the bottom of the steps at the apartment entrance from afar.

The man was tall and slender, dressed in a neat white shirt and wearing black-rimmed glasses. The lenses reflected the sunlight, making it difficult to see his eyes.

His expression seemed calm, but the tightly pursed corners of his mouth subtly revealed a hint of authority.

He put his hands behind his back, lowered his head slightly, as if he was resting with his eyes closed, or as if he was waiting for someone.

As the sun and the sound of the zither drew near, the man seemed to sense the movement and slowly opened his eyes.

When his gaze swept over the two of them, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes, then he looked down at his watch and frowned.

Chaoyang didn't even notice as she passed by him, playing the zither.

Just then, the man spoke to the zither.

"Students, you can't not be in class at this time."

Qin Yin's smile froze instantly, but she reacted quickly and immediately put on a forced smile.

"Haha, Uncle, it's a little embarrassing to say, but I actually got into trouble at school and was temporarily suspended. My brother picked me up and took me home... right, Onii-chan~"

As she spoke, she took Chaoyang's arm, her tone very natural.

This guy is definitely the kind of person who loves to act like a teacher. If I get entangled with the producer, it might cause trouble, since I'm still a minor.

Qin Yin's inner thoughts reached Chao Yang's ears, and he immediately understood. He lightly punched Qin Yin on the head and pretended to be angry.

"It's all because of you, my good-for-nothing sister, that I got misunderstood... Haha, sorry for making you laugh. Hurry back, you still need to call Mom and Dad and ask them to come to the school."

The producer was able to cooperate immediately... It seems the producer and I get along exceptionally well!

Upon hearing this, the man's expression softened considerably, revealing a relieved smile.

"Is that so?... In that case, we should find out the reason. Perhaps there's another reason, and it might not be the child's fault..."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"By the way, excuse me, I'm the father of the resident in apartment 203. Her name is Jing Qinrencai. I'm worried about some things and would like to meet with her. Actually, I came here yesterday, but I didn't see her... Do you know this child?"

When Chaoyang heard the name Jingqin Rencai, his heart skipped a beat. He knew Rencai's family situation, of course, but to be on the safe side, he spoke first.

"Um... just in case, could I see your identification? I do know Ms. Jingqin, but I'd still like to confirm."

Upon hearing Chaoyang's request, the man did not show any displeasure. Instead, he smiled, took out his wallet, and handed over the card inside.

Chaoyang glanced at it and saw that the name on the card was indeed "Jingqin" and the address was Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture. It was basically confirmed that he was Nina's father.

“Miss Jingqin lives next door to me, so you could call her a friend. But recently… I’ve been staying elsewhere and only got back today, so I don’t know anything about her situation. How about this, you leave me your phone number, and if I see her, I’ll pass on the message.”

After hearing this, Jingqin's father's expression visibly relaxed, and he nodded with a smile.

"Thank you so much for your help."

"You're welcome. Don't worry, I'll let you know as soon as I have any news."

After saying that, Chaoyang continued to lead Qinyin into the apartment.

As they approached their home, Qin Yin finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke in a low voice with a hint of accusation.

"Manager, you can contact Nina anytime, right...? Why lie and say you'll contact her later? Her father seems so kind... and it's only natural for him to worry about his daughter who's so far away. We've waited all day, this is really going too far, manager!"

Her tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction, even a touch of indignation on behalf of Renna's father. Perhaps because she was reminded of her own father who had run away, Kotone was particularly sensitive to scenes of parents showing concern for their children.

Hearing her words, Chaoyang gave a helpless bitter smile, stopped, and turned around to explain.

"Actually, I also have a good impression of Nina's father; you can tell he genuinely cares about his daughter. However, it's obvious that Nina is avoiding him... In this situation, if we rush them to meet without first finding out her thoughts, the consequences could be dire."

Actually, when Asahi was at the door, he had already sensed Nina's thoughts through his ability and knew that she was hiding in his house. Although he could have brought her father in directly, Nina probably wouldn't forgive him for doing so, regardless of the truth. Moreover, hastily arranging a meeting under these circumstances might only make things worse.

Although he felt sorry for Nina's father, Asahi knew that for now he could only tell a white lie and decide what to do next after communicating with Nina later.

"Click."

As the sun rose, he unlocked his front door and called out to the house as he walked in.

"Nina, are you at my house?"

Before there was any reaction from inside the house, Qin Yin, who was standing behind him, suddenly changed her expression, widened her eyes, put her hands on her hips, and questioned him with a dissatisfied look.

"Why is Nina-chan at the shop manager's house?! Explain yourself!"

Upon hearing Qin Yin's "questioning," Chao Yang broke out in a cold sweat. Just as he was about to explain, he heard footsteps coming from the depths of the room. Then, Jing Qinren slowly walked out of the room, her brows furrowed, her gaze sweeping back and forth between Chao Yang and Qin Yin, her expression growing increasingly grim.

"Mr. Hiraishi, you've brought another woman home... and each time it's a different one!"

Nina's tone was full of sarcasm, and her voice rose a few decibels, clearly indicating she was genuinely angry, "And you..."

She pointed at the piano, her tone becoming even sharper, "She's clearly an idol, how can she be so shameless? She can be brought home by any man so easily!"

"What did you say!?"

Kotone was furious at Nina's words and immediately retorted, "I don't want to be talked to like that by someone who lives in a man's house! Besides, your father is downstairs right now, and you're hiding here, too ashamed to see him, and you dare to lecture me? You unfilial daughter!!!"

Rencai's expression changed instantly, as if a sore spot had been hit, and her voice turned cold.

"If you don't know anything, don't interrupt! You should use this time to practice your singing! What kind of rubbish did you sing at your previous concert?"

"Aha!"

Qin Yin's eyes widened, and she took a step forward, glaring back defiantly, "Say that again!?"

As the tension between the two escalated, Asahi tried to intervene, but it was too late; Kotone and Nina were already wrestling like children!

"She dares to be so arrogant living in a man's house!"

Qinyin grabbed Rencai's face and pulled hard.

"Singing like that and still daring to be so self-righteous!"

Nina was equally assertive, reaching out to pinch Kotone's face. The two of them pulled each other's cute cheeks, creating an indescribably comical scene.

"Ouch! Ouch! Let go!"

"Let go first!"

Chapter 174 If Fathers Switched, I'll Show You What Cruelty Is!

Inside the sunny room.

Sitting on the floor in front of the low table, Nina covered her cheeks with her hands and muttered something.

"it hurts......"

Sitting opposite her, Qin Yin immediately shouted back, not to be outdone.

"Ugh... I should be the one crying out in pain! You definitely used way more force than me! ... Ugh, I was talking too loudly, and the muscles in my face are starting to hurt again!"

Chaoyang lay on the bed with his hands behind his head, listening to the two girls on either side of the low table complaining to each other. Looking at their red and swollen cheeks from pulling each other, he couldn't help but laugh.

At first I was thinking of stopping it, but...

This "fight" was not a fierce battle between women at all; it was more like a childish squabble between children.

Since that was the case, Chaoyang simply stopped caring and continued lying there leisurely, quietly waiting for this "Lakshir ceremony."

Chaoyang couldn't help but laugh and tease.

"Is it finally over? Pfft... You two look like hamsters with their cheeks stuffed full of food, it's hilarious."

Hearing Asahi's mockery, Kotone and Nina instantly bristled and roared in unison.

"Who do you think caused this?!"

Chaoyang raised an eyebrow and replied with a relaxed expression.

"Of course it's your own fault. Why did you have to take action?"

He paused, then looked at Rencai with a mocking smile on his lips.

"And, Rencai, isn't it okay for you to speak so loudly? Aren't you afraid your father will hear you and know you're here?"

Upon hearing the word "father," Renna's expression froze, and her imposing demeanor instantly weakened.

She quickly and guiltily looked back towards the entrance, as if to check if there was any movement outside.

Seeing this, Qin Yin immediately seized the opportunity to retaliate, smiling smugly.

"Ha, you were so arrogant just now, now you know you're scared, huh?"

Rencai blushed slightly, glared at Qinyin, but didn't dare to argue loudly, and could only mutter under her breath.

"I...I'm not afraid of him...it's just...I just think it would be troublesome to meet him..."

Qin Yin frowned in dissatisfaction and muttered something.

"So what does this have to do with you being at the store manager's house! Why don't you go home? Staying at the store manager's house like this, people will think he's keeping you as a mistress!"

Upon hearing this, Renna immediately glared at Kotone and retorted.

"...Do you think I wanted this? The air conditioner broke down, I contacted the real estate agency, and they said it was working fine when they handed it over to me. The landlord also said I'd have to pay for the repairs myself. After inquiring, they said it would cost 30,000 yen... Anyway, Mr. Hiraishi's room isn't occupied, so leaving it empty is a waste. I was just thinking of getting through the summer. Besides..."

She paused, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes, "They even changed the locks on my room to force me to meet them."

Chaoyang listened from the side, secretly complaining to himself.

What's going on here? Nina's parents really went to great lengths just to see her. Changing the locks alone costs twenty or thirty thousand yen.

He sighed, feeling that the matter was somewhat tricky, but he still offered his advice.

"Go see them. Running away won't solve anything."

"It's not about running away!"

Renna retorted quickly, but there was a hint of guilt in her voice, "It's just... it's just that I don't want to have a conflict with my family... They've never cared about me before, but now that I've made up my mind... they're causing trouble... It hurts!"

Before she could finish speaking, Chaoyang raised his hand and gently punched her on the top of the head.

"Honestly, let's get down to business. Don't relapse into your old habits and get angry while we're talking. Besides, what you said just now was a bit much. You shouldn't have said that to your family, right? Did they really abandon you? I don't know what promises you made when you left home, but wasn't it precisely because your family believed in you, that you were capable of taking care of yourself, that they let you go? And what happened? You suddenly wanted to be independent, sent your savings back, and even dropped out of preparatory school. I guess you didn't keep any of the promises you made before you left home. Considering that, it would be strange if they didn't come looking for you."

Rencai lowered her head, her fingers tracing patterns on her knees, like a schoolchild who had made a mistake but was too stubborn to admit it.

Chaoyang sighed, his tone softening slightly.

"If you really think you're right, why don't you go out and face your father now? Or do you know you're in the wrong and can't express your true opinion? The only thing you can complain about is that your father didn't stand on your side back then, right?"