Mygo, you guys seem to be getting a bit heavy-hearted.

Xiangzi mentally estimated that if she were living here alone, she would probably be so stressed that she would start hallucinating within two months.

It's hard to imagine how Yanming could live alone in such a place.

Chapter Sixteen: Bearing Her Life

【Yeah, that's what I thought too when I first arrived.】

Since Yanming ignored it, the system simply switched the focus to Toyokawa Shoko for the time being, though neither of them knew it.

[This place is so deserted, it's like a haunted house! It's terrifying. I don't know how the host can live here all by himself.]

Despite the complete silence around him, Xiangzi felt as if something was speaking to him from the depths of his being. However, when he looked around, the room remained eerily quiet, even more so than before.

For a girl her age to say she's not afraid of ghosts and monsters is just putting on a brave face, and Xiangzi was no exception. The hair on his body and the two braids on the sides of his head suddenly stood up straight.

"Yanming, please come back soon... Your house seems to be haunted..." Xiangzi dared not wander around anymore, returned to the living room and silently huddled in the corner of the sofa, covering her head with the blanket that Yanming had given her.

*shaking*

"Oh, I'm not a ghost... Can you hear me, Miss Xiangzi?"

*shaking*

[Ugh... My host is angry with me, and Miss Xiangzi, you can't hear me. This is so boring—]

The system continued to monitor Toyokawa Shoko, who was almost paralyzed with fear, while Yanming, who was explaining things to Shoko's father, felt a long-lost sense of ease.

Being entangled with a system is not something everyone can tolerate. The most direct consequence is being watched 24/7, even while showering or using the toilet.

Only Yanming, who can withstand the all-around, all-weather scrutiny, is a man worthy of the system!

……

Ten minutes as agreed, Yanming turned the key, opened the door, changed his shoes, put down his umbrella, shook off the rainwater that had accidentally gotten on it, and then walked into the living room, saying:

"I'm back... Xiao Xiang, where are you?" Did you run away? It's raining so hard outside.

Xiangzi threw back the blanket, revealing only half his head behind the sofa, and whispered, "I'm here, Yanming... It seems like there's something unclean in your house..."

Unclean things... Oh, damn it.

Yanming understood in an instant

It was most likely that guy's doing.

It's not "that guy" at all!

"..."

【Ugh—he's ignoring me again!】

Yanming comforted him, "Don't worry, my house has an absolutely legitimate history and there are absolutely no hidden dangers. Even if it is haunted, it's just a silly ghost that's lost and can't hurt anyone."

I'm going to bite you! Seriously! I'm not kidding!

"Is that so..." Startled by the 'silly devil', Toyokawa Shoko suddenly became soft and cuddly, completely different from her usual self. Although the octopus tentacles on her body still cautiously reached out to the surroundings, the main body of her body had completely softened and was no longer aggressive at all.

Yanming nodded and said, "Don't be afraid. Now that I, the master, am back, I think that silly ghost will give me some face. Otherwise, I wouldn't let it stay here."

He kept calling him a fool, but whether he was actually a fool or not, Yanming knew better than anyone. He was just taking the opportunity to get revenge on the system for tricking him before.

There are no ghosts in the world; it is only people's hearts that are filled with ghosts.

Ke Yanming couldn't tolerate the "ghost" that was the strategy system, because he was narrow-minded.

【…】

【(?д?;) That's so mean!】

"Alright, I've taken care of things with your father... Don't make that face, okay? I really didn't hit him." Yanming said helplessly. Did he really look like the kind of person who would resort to violence to solve problems?

Although he rides motorcycles, plays rock music, and uses hair gel, he is actually a law-abiding, model young man.

However, Xiangzi wasn't worried about her father getting beaten. She looked Yanming over for a while and then asked, "Father... didn't say anything too offensive, did he?"

"Hmph—that's going too far?" Yanming snorted, his expression quite disdainful. "I knocked on the door for ages and he didn't dare to come and open it. I had to open it myself with the spare key."

When he pushed the door open, he could clearly see that the man's drunkenness was instantly sobered up.

The rest of the conversation was almost entirely Yanming talking, while the other party was completely submissive, only asking one question at the end. As a result, none of the conditions originally intended as bargaining chips were used, and the set goal was achieved.

"The results are quite simple. In short... you won't need to go home after school anymore. I'll pick you up on my motorcycle whenever I have time. Also, remember to tell me what you want to eat a day in advance so I can buy the groceries. Um... I'll list out some other details for you on my phone later. Xiao Xiang, you also need to adapt to the environment and my habits as soon as possible..."

Yanming continued talking non-stop, but Xiangzi only heard half of it before his mind went blank with a loud "bang!" and he could no longer hear anything. He could only stare wide-eyed at the young man's mouth, which was still opening and closing.

Cohabitation

Cohabitation

"Of course, I wouldn't mind directly acknowledging you as my sister, but as for what kind of relationship we should have, whether it's friends or something else, it depends on your own thoughts. I'm open to it."

Cohabitation

Cohabitation

“But you’ll have to go back to sleep tonight, so the neighbors won’t gossip… Xiao Xiang, what’s wrong?” Yanming waved his hand in front of Xiangzi’s face when she didn’t respond for a while.

Ahhhhh——

Toyokawa Shoko could never have imagined that in just ten minutes, or even less, her father would sell her off.

However, as long as she doesn't ask, Yanming won't tell her what he promised her father.

That drunkard was an undeniable bastard, but he was just a tiny bit short of being utter scum. And it was that tiny bit that made Yanming abandon his original idea and change to the more gentle approach he has now.

……

A final glimmer of clarity flashed in the man's cloudy eyes, like a drowning man grasping at a seaweed: "...I only have one thing to say. If your answer satisfies me, what do you want...even if you take my daughter away from me, I won't have any complaints."

"Ask away, but I must remind you, Xiao Xiang is not your possession, and I will not let you destroy the happiness and joy that child should have." Yanming sat opposite him, still looking at the drunkard with disdain, but after the man said those words, he subconsciously sat up straight.

Chapter Seventeen: Are you still Batman?

"Young man, are you willing to take on the responsibility for my daughter's entire life?"

Drunkard, no

Toyokawa Shoko's father asked solemnly.

"..."

Shouldering the burden of Toyokawa Shoko's life?

him?

To date, even his own life is a mess, not to mention the fact that he has very little time left to live.

Does he really have the ability to make this promise?

"*******************, and, no matter what, I'm still better than you." The sound of rain outside the window drowned out part of Yanming's words; only the two people present knew exactly what he said.

Yanming wasn't sure if his answer would satisfy the other party, because even he himself wasn't very satisfied.

"...Heh, young man, thank you for looking down on me, thank you...and please...keep your word." The man slumped back into the pile of bottles, turning into a puddle of mud once more. "Could you buy me two more beers for Xiao Xiang? I think I'm waking up again, hiccup—"

Before Yanming could say anything, he started snoring again and drifted off to sleep.

...That's not quite right either. This man is probably still lost in his own dream.

Only during that brief moment just now did he truly regain some clarity and ask Yanming that question.

"Irresponsible scumbag father." Yanming left those last words and turned away from the rented room without looking back.

He never wants to see this person again.

"Hululu——"

……

Xiangzi raised her hand and weakly interrupted Yanming's debriefing: "Um... Yanming, are we really going to live together? Is that what Father said?"

"...Huh?" Cohabitation? What's this girl thinking?

If this can be considered cohabitation, people will laugh their heads off if they tell others.

"I...I'm not ready for that yet. Although I don't dislike Yanming-kun, we can't officially start dating until I'm an adult, at least until then. We could probably live together then. But I don't want to rush into a relationship in high school without thinking things through, so...you're a good person!"

"..." He was truly impressed.

So, after all that talk, Xiao Xiang, you only listened to the first sentence?

I treated you like a little sister who needed my care, and you still gave me the "friend zone" card?

Girl, you seem to be getting a little too much like a shrimp.

【whee--】

Hehe, you*

Yanming's expression instantly fell, a fact captured by the system.

[No, not at all...]

[You treat me and Miss Xiangzi completely differently... and you even say you don't like her.]

How dare a strategy system that hasn't even touched the hands of other systems guess what others are thinking?

【I? 】

Can't I just not be interested? And who says you have to find someone like me for this kind of thing? It's not like they have to be heterosexual...

Keep being stubborn, you'll probably never find a companion before I die.

[Waaah... I'm a little sad because I got scolded, but I'm so happy that you finally paid attention to me, Host! Waaah!]

"?"

Damn! How could he just instinctively...?

Hey, could you talk to me just a little longer? I'll do anything.

"..."

[You big bad guy!]

Yanming explained to Xiangzi, "Your dad has entrusted me with taking care of all your daily life. After all, given his current condition... to put it bluntly, he's practically useless."

Toyokawa Shoko is only fifteen years old this year. Even though girls in this country are generally precocious, she is still too young in Yanming's eyes.

She felt she could break free from her parents and become independent, but Yanming couldn't just sit idly by and watch Xiangzi embark on this destined lonely and tiring path.

“Sigh… If I were really forty-eight this year, I wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble.” Yanming muttered under his breath, then continued, “Your father didn’t make any other requests of me, and taking care of you was my own decision. You can take it as sympathy if you want, in which case I won’t ask you for any material reward in the future. However, judging from your personality, you probably won’t accept this offer.”

"So I think, Xiao Xiang, you can treat this as a special investment, an investment in the individual 'Toyokawa Shoko'."

[Host is trying to fool the young lady again. Who would do something so obviously unprofitable unless they're looking for a future wife?]

[Couldn't you be a little more honest... Trying to be considerate of Miss Xiangzi's pride in such roundabout ways, if not understood, will really hurt your image in other people's eyes.]

I do not mind.

【well……】

"...Investment?" Xiangzi showed an expression of willingness to listen to details, and was no longer as resistant as before.

“Yes.” Yanming ignored the system’s words and continued to fabricate a whole set of lies he had prepared in advance. “Just like how schools help students from disadvantaged families apply for student loans, you can also understand my motives in that way.”

This statement was undoubtedly cold; Yanming had tried his best to portray what he said as a transaction based solely on self-interest.

[Saying it like that will definitely lead to misunderstandings, so let's leave ourselves some room for maneuver!]

It's not necessary.

"What do I need to do?"

"I need you to accept my financial support with a clear conscience. As for the rest... let's talk about it when you become a useful adult to me."

"..."

“Even now, I still don’t know enough about you, but intuition doesn’t lie.” Yanming held up a finger. “I’ve always been good at judging people. You have ambition and ideals, and you have enough motivation to take action. At the same time, you need help—I can see all of that.”

Xiangzi lowered his head and remained silent.

Besides living expenses, she did indeed have a huge debt, although it was her father's fault. As his daughter, she could choose to give up her inheritance rights and not take on this debt.