After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

"It's a perfect offer, but I refuse."

The hand that had been pried open by Toyokawa Yuu froze instantly, then lost its strength.

As Minami looked at the boy in front of her, a complex mix of emotions—admiration, jealousy, and regret—rippled through her golden eyes at the same time, eventually turning into confusion and astonishment.

She couldn't understand why Toyokawa Yuu, who had already lost Toyokawa Sadaharu's support and was practically at her wit's end, could still so stubbornly refuse her proposal.

Minami Mori believed that the conditions she offered were already generous enough.

"Why? You should know that agreeing now is the most appropriate choice. Without the support of Grandpa Dingzhi, you're struggling financially. Xiaoxiang and Qinggao probably won't be able to spare any funds for you to support Xiaomu anytime soon."

Minami pulled her wrist away from Toyokawa Yuu's grasp, moved her wrist joints which were a little sore from the boy's twisting, and asked seriously.

"Just like you said, Grandpa Dingzhi can certainly see through everything I've done, but because of Xiaoxiang, he won't go too far right now. That's why he's using me and Xiaomu to force you and Xiaoxiang to comply."

In her view, the boy in front of her, who could easily sort out his own thoughts and even those of Toyokawa Sadaharu, should not be so out of touch with reality.

"But if you, Yu-kun, continue to be so out of touch with reality, he might just cut off the Toyokawa Group's support for Ave Mujica... You should know how the other sponsors will treat this band if the Toyokawa Group, which is leading the effort, withdraws its investment."

"Of course I know, as for why..."

Toyokawa Yuu sat on the sofa, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, as if pondering and hesitating about something.

But soon, as the long breath escaped from his chest, the boy raised his eyelids, his eyes now only showing a hardness as solid as marble.

"There's no reason why. Xiao Mu is a member of Ave Mujica. As the band's manager, even if we face all sorts of difficulties, I will protect my members."

It's fake; he's just lying.

The moment she received Yuu Toyokawa's reply, this judgment came to Minami Mori's mind.

He joined Ave Mujica solely because of Shoko Toyokawa, and had no reason to have such a strong attachment to the band.

Similarly, Yuu Toyokawa, who had only known her daughter for a few days, had absolutely no reason to persist to this extent for Mutsumi Wakaba.

The reasons given by Yuu Toyokawa were definitely not the real reasons that supported his decision deep down.

However, looking into Toyokawa Yuu's eyes, Mori Minami opened her mouth, but in the end, she didn't say the words she wanted to ask.

Even though she didn't know Toyokawa Yuu's character very well, she understood that when a boy showed that kind of look in his eyes, it was too late to say anything.

Either let him achieve his goal, or let him crash and burn.

Leaning back on the soft sofa as if deflated, Mori Minami wearily pinched her brow. This long-established actress hadn't experienced this feeling of helplessness in a long time.

"What a pity, Yu-kun. I actually have a very high opinion of you. I felt that our previous encounters and collaborations were not enough."

After a long silence, Minami Nami finally spoke.

"But now, it's a real shame that we, who have done sordid things together, are going our separate ways, all because of your youthful impetuosity... For the next period of time, we will be enemies, even though we were never friends to begin with."

"There's no need for such nonsense. I have my own principles, and I will not hand Xiao Mu and Metis over to you."

Yuu Toyokawa remained unmoved by Minami Mori's sentiments.

In his view, this was just another performance by the well-established actress, and he was not going to change his mind because of her few words.

"Yes, there's no need to say more, but you should still accept this."

Minami Mori took an envelope out of her trench coat and handed it to Yuu Toyokawa, who was sitting one seat away from her.

The exquisite cover features the stage name "Mori Nami" in a rather fancy font, resembling some kind of recommendation letter.

"I'll be waiting for the day when you've suffered a crushing defeat, and then bow down to me with this letter of recommendation and trust."

Chapter 95 I Won't Abandon You (7k5)

Walking among the densely packed clothes racks, Metis's golden eyes reflected the dazzling array of garments before him.

Although most of them weren't as dazzling as Ave Mujica's stage costumes, the sheer variety of styles and designs still left Metis somewhat perplexed about where to begin.

As the daughter of award-winning actress Minami Mori, Mutsuka Wakaba is certainly not some country bumpkin who has never even been to a clothing store.

Even when she was still very young and could be called a child star, Senmina Nami was quite enthusiastic about dressing her up like a doll.

But ultimately, those were all experiences belonging to Wakaba Mutsu, not to Metis.

Moreover, even Wakaba Mutsumi at that time was taken sightseeing by Mori Minami, who chose the clothes for her to dress up, leaving her with no freedom of choice.

And now...

Looking at the dazzling array of clothes before him, Metis's eyes lit up, but he couldn't help but feel troubled.

If she didn't know what Wakaba Mutsu would like, it was because the girl, who had always been as obedient as a doll, had almost never shown her desires or hobbies.

So, her current dilemma stems from the fact that she suddenly realized she didn't seem to really understand the friend she had just made last night.

Whether at the company or in that not-so-spacious little room, even when she skipped class with Wakaba Mutsu yesterday, Toyokawa Yuu always wore that suit that easily made people feel serious just by looking at it.

Let alone changing the style, Metis had never seen him do anything like taking off his coat, removing his tie, or showing his inner lining.

It always feels like Mr. Youyu is always working, and he never really rests, even when he's at home.

Who sleeps on the sofa at home without taking off their suit tie? Doesn't it feel stuffy?

Or perhaps... Mr. Yuu actually prefers that kind of work style?

Looking at the women's business suits and matching skirts on the plastic mannequin, Metis held up a finger in front of her eyes, looked herself up and down, and then frowned in distress.

It seems... this size is a bit too big for me.

Moreover, for the next period of time, it seems that Xiao Mu doesn't have to go to school or the band, and it's a bit too strange for her to wear a suit at home.

With a disgruntled puff of his cheek, Metis realized that being left to choose without anyone's supervision wasn't as relaxing as he'd imagined.

We still need to find some references...

Metis picked up a dress from the hanger that was somewhat similar in style and color to the one she was wearing. Her golden pupils were slightly unfocused, as if she wasn't entirely paying attention to the dress in front of her.

Within the mental space, Metis, dressed in Ave Mujica's performance costume and wearing a small red hat on her head, appears with a new dress in her hand.

"Xiao Mu, what do you think of this dress? Do you think Mr. Youyu will like it?"

Standing in front of Ruoye Mu, Metis blocked her view, which was fixed on the wall of televisions, and hung the new clothes in his hands in front of her.

"I do not know."

Faced with Metis's enthusiastic question, Ruoye Mu simply shook her head indifferently.

She and Metis share memories.

Metis didn't know what Toyokawa Yuu liked, and of course she wouldn't know either. But if she had to say, Ruoye Mu felt that among the people Toyokawa Yuu had met, there were two people who seemed to have received special treatment from him.

One is Xiang, and no matter how unreasonable her demands are, Youyu seems to try her best to accommodate them.

If it weren't for the fact that she was being taken out today, Youyu might have actually chosen to take her to school.

I don't know why, even though I know very well that some of my emotions are inappropriate and very inexplicable.

However, when she saw that Yuu rejected Sho's request and chose to take her out, Ruoye Mu still felt a little happy.

There was a feeling that I was being given special attention.

And unlike his mother's emphasis on him since childhood, which was driven by some utilitarian purpose, Ruo Ye Mu couldn't see why Toyokawa Yuu was protecting him so much.

Even if he really did stand idly by, Toyokawa Shoko probably couldn't blame him, since these things were theoretically her family's business.

However, Xiangping's simple style of dressing probably wouldn't be liked by Youyu... after all, they always argue.

"Perhaps... a more positive attitude would be better."

After a moment of silence, Ruoye Mu offered his advice.

Compared to Toyokawa Shoko, who always argues but still tries to take sides, Wakaba Mutsu knows someone else who is particularly important to him.

Unlike Toyokawa Shoko, who always gave each other the cold shoulder, Toyokawa Yuu never showed the slightest negative emotion in front of her.

If Ye Mu could picture a certain girl in his mind, she would be a friend he had just made, as warm and friendly as a pink sun.

Although she was wearing Yuukoka's school uniform when they met, Wakaba Mutsu still felt that she should have worn something more cheerful.

In some ways, Metis seems quite similar to Ai Yin; both possess social skills that I lack...

Thinking of this, Ruoye Mu's golden eyes dimmed somewhat.

"Try to be more positive... But that kind of advice is too broad, isn't it?"

Metis pouted in dissatisfaction at the suggestion given by Wakaba Mutsu.

She felt that she was very sunny, but she didn't see that Toyokawa Yuu was very satisfied with her.

Even if he agreed to be friends with me last night, it was probably largely out of consideration for Xiao Mu.

Otherwise, there would be no need to leave yourself on the sofa.

However, even if he felt that Yuu Toyokawa didn't truly consider him a friend, it didn't mean that Metis would find Yuu Toyokawa annoying.

The fact that he was willing to take in him and Xiao Mu, and even protect Xiao Mu from that old hag taking her to the hospital, was enough for Metis to be grateful to him.

Her behavior last night was simply because she hadn't known him much, unlike Xiao Mu, with whom she had a deeper understanding. After all, she had only just met him last night.

Thinking of this, Metis couldn't help but clench his fists to encourage himself.

It's okay. At least Mr. Youyu has agreed to be my friend. As long as we spend more time together, he will definitely become my true friend.

But...how about spending more time together...?

Although he had more time to control his body in the past two days than in the past few years combined, Metis was still clear that under normal circumstances, Ruoye Mu would not let him out.

I watched as he quietly shifted his position on the sofa, continuing to stare intently at the wall of screens.

What's so interesting about Mr. Youyu negotiating with that old hag? We can't even hear them from this far away.

Having realized that Ruoye Mutsu seemed somewhat uninterested in choosing clothes, Metis snorted and ran to the mirror next to her with the clothes in hand.

The girl's fair fingertips gently tapped the smooth mirror surface as she looked at the prisoner inside, who was looking down and holding his phone in both hands.

Like a knock on a door, a crisp sound echoed in the mental space. Yu Mu, who was looking down at her phone, slowly raised her head and looked at another version of herself in the mirror.

"Yu Mu, Yu Mu, can you help me with some suggestions? You must know what style Mr. You Yu likes, right?"

Ignoring the strange look from Wakaba Mutsu on the sofa behind him, Metis continued to stick his clothes to the mirror.

In her view, although Yumu was always disobedient, which led to her being locked up by Xiaomu, she was still a personality created based on Toyokawa Yuu no matter what.

She'll probably like what Yuu Toyokawa likes too.

Conversely, Yuu Toyokawa shouldn't dislike the styles she prefers.

Since Xiao Mu wasn't interested, I'll play with Yu Mu by myself.

Anyway, Mr. Youyu asked me to pick out the clothes, and didn't call her.

Looking in the mirror at the smiling girl who was holding a dress and seemed rather solicitous, she saw herself.

Yumu tilted her head, her gaze passing between the frame of the glasses and Metis's body, and saw the figures of Toyokawa Yuu and Mori Minami displayed on the wall screen.

After a brief moment of thought, Yu Mu nodded silently.

"Okay, bring it in."

When he heard that Yu Mu had agreed to his request, Mo Tishi beamed with joy.

They completely forgot just how dangerous it was to rashly come into contact with this personality that Wakaba Mutsumi had locked inside the mirror.

Not to mention that when she was first born, she was almost pushed into the dark abyss shrouded in those abandoned personalities.

Just before Yuu Toyokawa left the house, Yuu nearly smashed the mirror that was closed behind her.

After realizing that she couldn't reach her hand directly into the mirror like Wakaba Mutsu did, Wakaba Mutsu turned to look at another version of herself sitting on the sofa.

The simple syllables were deliberately drawn out, carrying a kind of willful pleading and cajoling.

"Xiao Mu..."

Seeing that Yu Mu had gradually calmed down without involving the phone, she turned to look at Toyokawa Yuu on the TV screen, who was sitting on the same sofa as Mori Minami, just one seat away.

After hesitating for a moment, Ruoye Mutsu finally nodded slightly.

Metis's hand, which was already pressed against the mirror, gradually began to blend into the cool mirror.

.................................................. ................

Tsuki no Mori Girls' Academy.

It was already class time. Nagasaki Sase sat in her seat, her fair fingertips unconsciously rubbing together. This was a habitual action she would do when she was absent-minded or intentionally lying.

His azure gaze was somewhat unfocused, neither looking at the blackboard at the front of the classroom nor at the textbook in front of him, but instead occasionally glancing at a seat to his side.