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

She really fell asleep... The last time I did this, I was the one who fell asleep last, and I was even carried into the room in my sleep.

"But you're so big, how can I carry you?" Xiangzi poked Yanming's cheek and asked in a low voice that wouldn't wake him.

"When he's awake, he looks like a little old man, but when he's asleep, he looks like a baby, with all the skin on his face wrinkled up... He used to have a pretty handsome face, but after you ruined it like this, all I feel is anger."

I was so angry, so I secretly gave her a kiss.

Anyway, it's just the two of them here, and no one will know.

【…】

[Start recording——]

"...Chirp."

"?"

Wait a moment?

Xiangzi, refusing to believe it, slurred loudly with his tongue: "???"

What the hell is going on?!

How can it be so hard?!

Realizing he couldn't pry open that stubborn man's mouth, Xiangzi could only gently push his arm away and flee in panic.

Then, he took a blanket from the room and covered Yanming with it.

I turned off the lights... and then crawled inside myself.

"Anyway, no one will know." In the darkness, she continued to mutter to herself, justifying her actions. "Hmph... I just thought you'd have nightmares alone, otherwise who would want to sleep on the sofa with you..."

Chapter 158 Planting Strawberries

……

Yanming opened his eyes. It was already bright outside, and the sun high in the sky indicated that it was getting late.

I actually fell asleep on the sofa yesterday... I guess I'm getting old.

"...?" Yanming tried to get up, but his body felt as if it was being pressed down by a very heavy object. He couldn't move not only his waist, but also his hands and feet.

Inside the blanket from his room, there was an unknown creature with many limbs, lying on him in a very contorted position, engaging in quantum entanglement with him.

Judging from its appearance, it is probably more than a meter long. It would be impossible for a creature of this size to sneak into a house silently.

So, the new machine baby patted its belly...

Yanming laboriously pulled out one hand and lifted the blanket covering him, exposing the unidentified creature inside to his view.

Great, no hidden item was obtained.

Just as he had expected, it was merely a wild Toyokawa Shoko.

This species of octopus is usually docile, but when provoked, its skin quickly turns red and then becomes even more docile.

There's one major problem: even the top predators in the food chain have to give way.

"They're so tightly wrapped..." If it were Xiao Mu here, she'd probably be squeezed dry by those octopus tentacles.

She's being overly clingy.

However, it doesn't seem like a good idea to wake her up on a rare Sunday.

"...Usually so noisy, but suddenly so quiet, if you look closely..." Since he couldn't break free without waking her, Yanming simply lay back down peacefully. "If you look closely... tsk, isn't she still just a little kid?"

After saying this, Yanming noticed that Xiangzi's eye twitched slightly. Even though it was a very small movement, it was quite noticeable in the space where only the two of them were.

Good guy

Pretending to be asleep

How dare she pull this trick on him? This is no ordinary octopus; we must strike hard and make her realize who's in charge.

“Hmm…but if we look at this child from a girl’s perspective…” Yanming slowed down his speech so that Xiangzi could hear him more clearly.

"Gulp..." The sound of swallowing saliva.

My body also stiffened a bit due to tension.

Pretending to be asleep, and doing it so convincingly, is truly pathetic.

Yanming said calmly, "Without breasts or a butt, I would find it uncomfortable to hold. I feel it's not as good as... a mature and intellectual older sister."

Xiangzi: “…”

My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, has completely died.

He went limp, as if he had lost all his strength.

"...?" Yanming looked at the octopus in his arms that had become limp.

Did I mess it up? Was my statement really that damaging?

Noticing this, Yanming quickly tried to salvage the situation: "However, older sisters have their advantages, and little devils have their... uh, cuteness, so it's really nothing."

"You just can't think of anything else to praise me for!!" Xiangzi opened her eyes angrily and bit his neck with her unbrushed teeth.

"hiss--"

Oh my god, we've been found out.

Fortunately, Xiangzi didn't actually bite down hard; at least Yanming's neck hasn't felt any intense pain yet.

...But where does this tingling sensation come from?

"Toyokawa Kosho, what are you doing?"

"Slurp—" Xiangzi swallowed a mouthful of saliva that almost dripped onto Yanming, "Mind your own business!"

After saying that, Xiangzi hugged his neck and kissed him again, still feeling that inexplicable tingling sensation.

Since it didn't hurt, Yanming let her be and casually basked in the sunlight streaming in from the window, acting like a lazy, salty fish lying flat.

...Until half an hour later, he saw the shocking marks on his neck reflected in Xiangzi's pupils.

"You..." Yanming was speechless.

This guy is doing something inhuman!

"So, you won't be able to leave the house all day, will you?" Xiangzi said smugly, hands on his hips. "This is the punishment that Master Xiangzi gives to an impudent person: you're punished to stay home and keep me company all day!"

"Just for something like this? Couldn't you have just told me directly?!" Yanming was speechless.

Sometimes it's quite helpless to live alone, and you might just find yourself lying there with a hickey on your head for no apparent reason.

"Hmph..." Xiangzi turned his head away. "Aren't some people the same? They can clearly see that I'm pretending to be asleep, but they still deliberately say those things to amuse me."

Yanming couldn't refute it, because the facts seemed to be exactly as she said. In the end, she would have to suffer the consequences of her own actions.

If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn't have teased her.

Yanming sighed and stretched his muscles, which were numb from the sun: "Get up. How much longer are you going to stay on me?"

"Oh." Xiangzi obediently jumped off Yanming's lap.

Despite the playful banter, we still have to listen to Yanming.

After brushing their teeth and washing their face, the two stood on the balcony, feeling refreshed and facing the sun, leaning back with all their might.

Praise the sun.

"So warm."

"It should be called 'hot,' right? It's summer now." Yanming poured a glass of cold water onto his neck, trying to erase the marks, but it had little effect.

"Master Xiangzi's curse can't be removed using mortal methods. You have to complete the task honestly for the curse to be lifted automatically." Xiangzi said seriously, while curiously touching the red mark. "It shouldn't... hurt, right?"

She acted so innocently, even though it was the bitter fruit of her own actions.

What could Yanming possibly say?

Obeyed.

Yanming glanced at her sideways and said, "It hurts so much, it's killing me."

"sorry!"

"Let's plan what to do today. Even if you stay home all day, you're not allowed to just surf the internet and do nothing else." Yanming ruffled her neatly styled hair again. "Look at you, your eyesight is almost deteriorating from playing on your phone so much."

"Huh? My eyesight is very poor..."

"Look, you're talking back again. You never listen to me."

"..."

Ugh! Communicating with them is so difficult!

Xiangzi then gave a polite smile and said, "You're right."

obedience.

……

Yanming stood on the balcony, pondering his plans for the day.

Besides playing along with Xiangzi's antics, he also needs to create a guitar tutorial specifically for Aiyin by today.

That girl is very smart and quick-witted, so ordinary teaching methods may not be very effective.

Compared to hands-on instruction, she might learn faster by figuring it out on her own. Yanming is also self-taught in guitar, so there's no reason why Aiyin can't do the same.

As for the rest... we'll have to wait until Lixi recovers.

Chapter 159 The Secret in the Closet

"Yanming, come quick—"

"They're here." Yanming snapped out of his thoughts, turned, and walked into the house. "What's wrong?"

"Hey, let's do a big clean-up!" Xiangzi pulled out a black and white dress from somewhere and put it on.

"...Where did you get this maid outfit? And it's not even for cosplay."

Xiangzi thought for a moment: "It seems that I bought it online before when I was in Tsuki no Mori for the maid cafe at the school festival, but in the end I didn't get to use it because the design was different from others."

Yanming was somewhat surprised: "Your Moon Forest even has a school festival?"

"Originally, there weren't any, but thanks to the efforts of the senior students at Morfonication, many school rules that students were unhappy with have been revised." When talking about the band he single-handedly supported, Xiangzi's eyes lit up genuinely.

It was because of this band that she initially had the idea of ​​forming her own band.

"I thought I'd be able to meet Mashiro-senpai after I went to high school... I guess life is unpredictable." Shoko felt sorry about it, but there was nothing she could do.

Not everyone can choose their own path, but many are also chosen by their own paths.

"Ugh, never mind all that, Yanming, we're going to clean every corner of the house today!" Xiangzi shook off his worries, raised the broom in his hand, and said loudly.

Yanming brushed the dust off her hair: "You really have energy. Well then, let's do as you say."

"Would you like to try on a maid outfit?"

"Unless you kill me." Yanming is a real man.

"Ugh—"

It's obvious she really wants to see it.

……

"I'll take care of the attic. You can start by cleaning the most visible areas of the living room. Is that alright?" Yanming put on an apron and mask and meticulously assigned tasks.

He used to live alone in this house, and the attic space was rarely used, so it was where the most dust accumulated.

But now that Xiangzi is here, perhaps we can tidy up this part of the space and make use of it... Or maybe we can put a piano in there when Xiaoxiang isn't here, and give her a surprise?

"Xiangzi, please respond."

"Yes, sir! Your humble servant obeys! Yes, sir!"

"Okay, you're full of energy, let's go." Yanming waved his hand and set off with the energetic Xiangzi.

only……