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

do not forget

The lamp only agreed after receiving his help.

Oblivionis also partly contributed to his decision to join the group as a masked figure.

Needless to say, Lena is another case. Matcha parfait might keep a cat for a while, but don't really treat her like a cat. What truly attracts Lena is not just food.

Chapter 47 Picking a Big Cat Teacher as a ***

Don't be angry! Don't be angry! I was wrong!

Don't always have that cold face, it's really scary...

[Right, right, let's take a look at Lantern Girl's strategy missions first.]

【What did you hosts do while I was away?】

[Name: Takamatsu Tomo]

[Current Intimacy Level: ? ? ? (??)]

Current task: Help Gao Songdeng rebuild the band.

[Task completion rate increased]

[Current completion rate: 30% → 50%]

[New hint: Taking an alternative approach is also a viable method, but some fragments are still missing.]

[Phase rewards are being distributed]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained: Yutenji Meow Dream *1]

[Distributing in progress...]

Please check your account after a certain period of time.

【……ha?】

What... what kind of thing did I draw?

Why does it sound so much like a pet's name?

And it seems like I've heard that name somewhere before...

【Isn't this that pretty-faced internet celebrity?!】

"Isn't that that annoying internet celebrity?!"

The system and Yanming spoke at the same time.

They all remembered.

喵梦

Good morning, Meow Meow Meow.

Youtian Temple Meow Dream (Ruomai).

That's that woman's real name!

"Dude, you can even smoke live animals?"

【I...I can't get there either!】

Clearly, the system also doesn't know how to distribute a living person as a reward.

Isn't this illegal?!

It hasn't been to jail yet!

【Ah ba ah ba ah ba…】

"No, even if you could really get her here for me, what would I do with a pretty but useless internet celebrity? Send her to work as a customer service representative to make money for me?"

Perhaps, it can be used as...

"If you dare say those three words, I'll kill you," Yanming coldly interrupted it.

【Oh dear...●﹏●】

"Yanming? Who are you talking to?" Yanming's pink apron had become a shared possession between the two of them. At this moment, Xiangzi took it off and placed it on a hook as he walked towards the living room.

Yanming: "..."

【ah……】

No, what are you feeling guilty about? What does it have to do with you?

[Well... I don't know why, Host, but I suddenly have this déjà vu feeling of being caught cheating by the other woman while being a mistress, and I feel incredibly guilty for some reason.]

"...It's nothing, I was just talking to myself."

If Yanming were still a fifteen-year-old boy this year, he would probably use "imaginary friends" as an excuse, but he is now a mature eighteen-year-old middle-aged man.

Xiangzi smiled and sat down next to Yanming: "So, Yanming-kun can talk to himself too?"

"Sometimes." This wasn't a lie. Before he met the system and Xiao Xiang, Yanming did enjoy talking to himself and often fantasized about people and things he had lost.

“Hmm… Back when I was still a young lady, my friends were always around me. I could never have imagined talking to myself back then.” Xiangzi moved closer to Yanming until their shoulders and elbows were completely touching. “But after leaving home with my stinky dad, I slowly, somehow, developed this habit. It’s like there’s a completely different me by my side, struggling together for tomorrow.”

oblivionis is not entirely something Xiangzi imagined.

Talking to oneself is a precursor to personality disorder. When people are extremely helpless and lonely, they often like to imagine a stronger and more idealized version of themselves and use that model to think about and solve current problems.

Oblivionis, or rather, a darker version of Xiangzi whose personality leans more towards "chaos," was born from this.

Cut the band, say goodbye to friendship, become cruel.

This is what Hei Xiangzi believes is the best way to solve the problem.

So even though it would hurt others and herself, she still did it without hesitation, only to be pulled back by Yanming at the last step.

"Yanming-kun, do you think my personality... is a bit too weak? After all, you always say that I keep everything bottled up inside, but I can't make up my mind to solve them with action, and in the end, I probably still have to rely on others." Xiangzi turned his head and rested his head on Yanming's shoulder apologetically.

Over the past few days, the two have gradually gotten used to their overly intimate behavior in the eyes of others, and they don't even feel that there is anything wrong with it, as if it is the natural thing to do.

Yanming lowered his body as much as possible so that Xiangzi could lean against him more comfortably, and then he asked:

"In Xiao Xiang's view, whether you are weak or not depends more on what others think of you, or on what you think of yourself?"

"Of course, my own thoughts are more important. What other people think has nothing to do with me, right? Anyway, most people in the world will only ever think about themselves."

Yanming reached out and gently patted the back of Xiangzi's hand, which was resting on his lap, signaling her to calm down.

"So, in Xiaoxiang's view, his current personality is too weak and he is unable to handle the things he encounters, right?"

Xiangzi was silent for a while, then rubbed his head against Yanming's half-naked collarbone as if he were being coquettish: "I have no choice. I want to make some changes, but I don't know where to start. I can only ask you for help."

The implication is that she genuinely feels she needs to correct her behavior and thinking, and become more assertive.

But Yanming wouldn't let that happen.

Will you take my advice?

Xiangzi said affirmatively, "Yes, even if Yanming-kun's suggestion contradicts my own, it must have its own logic, so I'd like to hear it."

You really trust me that much...

Yanming wrapped his arms around Xiangzi's back, then put his arm around her waist, and said in a low voice, "I don't really want Xiao Xiang to become something else. In my eyes, the current Xiao Xiang already has the most suitable personality."

Strong girls are likable, but weak girls also attract pity.

Because when faced with difficulties, they change their initially gentle nature, forcing themselves to become strong and indifferent.

Shouldn't the child's parents be the ones who failed in their duty?

Xiao Xiang's words... the people who were negligent in the past were her parents.

But now, if this kind of thing were to happen to her again, Yanming felt that he should bear the primary responsibility.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk to me.” Yanming said, finally managing to hold down Xiangzi’s restless little hands. “I can figure it out little by little on my own, and then solve the problem before you cry again.”

"If I can just stay weak like this forever, will it even matter?"

"If Xiao Xiang wants to prove that he has the determination to become stronger... then come and mention it to me again after you have truly surpassed me in a certain field."

“At that time, I will support your actions.”

"But now, it still doesn't work, does it..."

"After all, Xiao Xiang is still just a child."

After saying that, Yanming smiled and placed his palm on Xiangzi's head.

Chapter Forty-Eight: The Little Cat and the Big Meow

A fifteen-year-old girl, isn't she still a child?

I'll at least let myself take care of her for a few more years.

"No, don't treat me like a child..." Xiangzi put his hands on his head, seemingly resisting Yanming's actions, but upon closer inspection, he was actually secretly pressing his larger hand underneath.

Yanming tried to pull his hand back, but found that the resistance was greater than he had imagined, so he gave up.

"Yanming".

"Ah."

Have you ever said such nice-sounding words to other people?

"This is not just polite talk."

Rather, without sufficient determination, who would make such a guarantee to an independent entity other than themselves?

People are selfish.

But it is precisely because of his understanding and acceptance of this selfishness that Yanming has the idea of ​​wanting to care about Toyokawa Shoko and Takamatsu Akari, who are in similar situations to him.

For him, helping these girls was also a way to make up for his past regrets. His motivation was not truly pure, but rather mixed with his own selfish desires.

People are selfish.

He is also a selfish person.

“That’s not the point,” Xiangzi shook her head; that wasn’t what she was concerned about. “Have you said anything like that to ‘others’ as well?”

"Oh..." Is that what you're asking?

Yanming understood.

The girl is probably jealous.

Just like those little kids who would cry and throw a tantrum as soon as their parents left the house.

I don't have any profound thoughts, I'm just worried that once my dearest person has a baby somewhere I can't see, they'll never come back.

It's a ridiculous and naive worry, but who hasn't thought about it when they were a child?

“Aside from those door-to-door salespeople, Xiao Xiang, you are the second person to step into my living room.”

"……Eh?"

"I don't quite understand many of the thoughts of young girls like you, so I might seem a bit slow to understand you most of the time. But that's not because I'm deliberately ignoring your feelings... it's just because I didn't understand."

Yanming continued calmly, "Especially for a girl like our teacher Daxiang, who is so awkward and has a lot of things on her mind that she doesn't want to tell me... then I find it even harder to understand."

"But I could understand that last sentence, because I've had similar thoughts before."

"As I've already said, I'm a rather slow and clumsy person. I can't perceive a girl's subtle thoughts, and even if I do, I don't know how to reassure you."

"Your lifetime is too long; I can't keep such a promise."

Yanming raised his other hand, which was not being held by Xiangzi, and placed it in front of her.

"Two years?"

Yanming extended his first finger.

"Four years?"

Next is the second one.

"Six years?"