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

Page 65

"Eh? You want this one too...?"

Xiangzi, with his sharp eyes, took out the miniskirt and matching top he had just tried on from the basket.

Yanming nodded: "It seems like you really like this one."

"..."

Xiangzi steeled his resolve and put the clothes back in the basket.

Now that things have come to this, there are some things I can no longer say.

……

Half an hour later, the three of them walked out of the store with a full haul, and even Miaomeng got two items as a bonus.

"Yanming, will Xiangqin be angry if you buy me clothes?"

Yanming didn't even turn his head: "Didn't you two already hook up behind my back?"

Although he didn't know the specifics, it wouldn't hurt to give Miaomeng a little something for this.

"You can't say that, Yanming. I promise you this: if Yanming ever decides to go to war with Xiang, I, Da Miao, will definitely not stab you in the back because of today's kindness."

"Then I thank you for sparing my life."

"Hey, don't be like that, we're all buddies."

Miao Meng waved her hand magnanimously, then seamlessly transitioned into her tour guide role, "Gentlemen, there's a dessert shop nearby that a huge online celebrity highly recommends checking out. How about you two do me the honor of coming?"

Xiangzi quietly pinched her arm to stop her from being too presumptuous, then asked, "What? Is Miss Youtian Temple treating us?"

Miao Meng pinched her throat and spoke respectfully in the tone of Chi Mian: "It is my honor, Miss Fengchuan, and Master Yanming."

Yanming searched for the dessert shop Miaomeng mentioned on his phone and casually said, "Don't speak in that weird voice, it sounds like an old lady."

"He's obviously handsome!"

Strangely enough, although Miaomeng is clearly the oldest of the three, her behavior is several times more lively than the other two.

Even so, the group did not develop any awkwardness or resentment towards each other, which was quite amazing.

……

"Hello, I'd like a fruit mille-feuille and a mango juice... And you two?"

Miaomeng had clearly been here before and seemed quite familiar with the process.

Yanming sat down opposite her and said to the waiter, "Just a glass of cool water will do."

Miao Meng asked, somewhat puzzled, "Hmm? Yanming, I don't think I've ever seen you eat dessert before, not even during rehearsals at Ring. Do you not like it?"

"It's not that I don't like it, it's just that there's someone who won't let me eat it, saying that eating too many sweets is bad for my health."

"Ha, that's just unnecessary worry. I've been eating this for almost twenty years and haven't had any problems. Besides, Yanming, you look healthier than me. It's my treat today, so it's okay to indulge a little once in a while!"

Shi Yanming was persuaded and nodded: "Then... give me a matcha parfait."

Miaomeng smiled and asked the waiter to add a menu, saying, "The parfait here is their signature dish. Oh, wouldn't it be great if Xiaole Nai were here too?"

"It's a pity that her family will be sending her to study for extra academic subjects during the summer vacation, so it's very likely that we won't be able to see her for a while."

Yanming also felt somewhat saddened by this.

Even the mighty Cat Emperor, a legendary figure in the guitar world, has to bow down to a few tiny mathematical symbols.

"Then let's eat Lena's share too! -- Waitress, please give me a matcha parfait as well."

If Yanming were to accidentally consume this much calorie intake and end up with a mouthful of 'Miao Linxi' (a type of gluten), he wouldn't be surprised.

Xiangzi finished making his selection: "One mango shaved ice, please."

Since someone was treating her to a meal, her mood improved considerably.

Soon, the food they ordered was served, and the three of them ate and chatted.

Of course, most of the time it was Miaomeng talking by herself, with Yanming and Xiangzi occasionally chiming in to motivate her to keep talking.

"Hmm—I wonder if I'll see any acquaintances today?"

Yanming thought it was unlikely; even encountering just one Miaomeng was a very small probability: "What are the chances of that? I don't know many people. What about you, Xiaoxiang?"

"I haven't been in touch with those friends I wasn't that close to before. I guess they've forgotten about me."

Xiangzi wasn't exactly a sociable person in the past, even though she was good at it. In reality, the only people who truly got close to her were the kids in Crychic.

Now there may be a need for more people.

"Hmph—poor shut-ins, I, Meow Dream, have a six-figure number of friends."

"That's just your follower count, right... huh?"

Yanming's gaze was drawn to a figure outside the glass door of the shop.

"Yanming, what are you looking at... Wow! Lucky you~"

Miao Meng took off her sunglasses and looked in the direction Yan Ming was looking. "Isn't that our Penguin lead singer? Wait a moment, I'll go and bring her over."

After saying that, Miaomeng got up and walked out of the store.

Xiangzi was somewhat surprised: "Xiaodeng? What's she doing here?"

"It's not surprising that my family would take me out to play on the first day of the holiday, since today is the weekend."

Having delivered lamps to homes several times, Yanming had some understanding of the families in the lamp capital.

The mother works the night shift, the father works the day shift, and the daughter also has to go to school. It's rare for the family to get together and go out to play except on weekends. Their previous band activities took up too much of the daughter's time. Now that they finally have some free time, it's normal for them to bring Xiaodeng out for a trip.

Sure enough, next to the lamp, there was a middle-aged couple holding hands. Miaomeng quickly struck up a conversation with them.

Although he couldn't hear anything, Yanming could guess without even trying that they were probably discussing with someone about borrowing his daughter.

"Yanming, did you see that? Miaomeng is pretending to be well-behaved."

Xiangzi found it very strange.

"Are you going to take a picture of it and show it to her later?"

Xiangzi's eyes lit up, and he pulled out his phone: "Great idea!"

Soon, Miaomeng, leading the little penguin behind her, found Yanming and the other two.

"I have fulfilled my mission... Wait, Xiangqin, why are you holding up your phone? What did you photograph?!"

While Miaomeng and Xiangzi were playing around, Yanming raised his hand to greet Deng: "Little Deng, sit down quickly."

"Mr. Yanming... What a coincidence."

"Would your aunt and uncle like something to eat? What about you, Xiaodeng?"

"My parents said they'd go look around somewhere else first and come back to pick me up later... Please just give me some juice, thank you, Mr. Yanming."

After not seeing her for a few days, Deng's voice was still as delicate as ever, completely different from when she sang.

"Have you kept in touch with the band members in the days that followed?"

"I don't have Miss Meow's contact information, and Rakuna-chan doesn't know how to use Line..."

As for Yanming...

After the live performance, Deng became hesitant to contact him.

"I meant Crychic, Xiaodeng, you misunderstood."

Yanming corrected him.

Chapter Ninety-Six: A World Where Only Lena Is Wounded.

Is it Crychic?

The lamp reminisces.

After that, Li Xi would often send me messages on Line to show her concern, and I would reply to each and every one of them.

Su Shi keeps sending messages every day, and they always talk about Crychic's past... Although it's just the same few things over and over again, Su Shi seems to never get tired of talking about them, as if she could talk about them with her for the rest of her life... She still can't forget Crychic, and neither can I.

Xiao Mu and Xiao Xiang, as well as Deng, have not been in contact with each other privately since. The only occasional interactions they have had are in a group chat where all five of them are present.

Deng herself didn't know why. She clearly had a lot to say to Xiangzi, but as soon as she opened the private chat window and saw that profile picture, she started to back down and couldn't send the message she had prepared.

Mr. Yanming and Xiaoxiang have a very special relationship, and Deng can sense this from many details.

Due to some emotion that Deng couldn't understand at the moment, Deng inexplicably had the idea of avoiding contacting one of the two of them alone, but she was troubled by not knowing how to talk to both of them at the same time.

If I were to arrange to meet them in person over something trivial... they might find it troublesome...

"I've been in contact with some people... and relationships have improved a lot, much better than before..."

"is it?"

This answer was within Yanming's expectations.

He knew that a broken relationship couldn't be restored to its original state as soon as it started again. These kids had a long way to go after severing ties with the "band," and finding the right balance was key.

Yanming then asked, "So, Xiaodeng, what about your own situation?"

"I've been able to try to keep going... although I'm still a bit confused and can't find my way, but I think... I won't stagnate or regress like before."

"That's good."

Yanming breathed a sigh of relief.

My efforts were not in vain; they actually helped the lamp, and that is the best outcome.

"By the way, Xiaodeng, which high school do you plan to attend?"

Yanming pushed the juice that the waiter had brought over in front of Deng and casually asked.

"Haqiu... girls' school..."

Yanming was taken aback.

What a coincidence?

At Haneoka Girls' School, Sho is also preparing to transfer from Tsukinomori to this prestigious high school that emphasizes college entrance rates, hoping to earn a generous scholarship through his academic abilities to incentivize students.

If Xiaodeng also goes to this school, doesn't that mean there's a chance they might even be in the same class?

"What's wrong, Mr. Yanming?"

"No, it's nothing, I'm fine."

Yanming decided not to tell Xiaoxiang about the surprise for the time being.

It's all good, everything's fine.

"Hmm? Yanming, what are you and Xiaodeng talking about?"

With only one suffering member missing, Lena, their band unexpectedly came together again by chance.

Yanming wouldn't believe there wasn't some kind of destiny involved.

Yanming smiled and said, "It's just a casual chat, nothing important."

"That's suspicious... Hey, tell me."

"No comment."

"How awful! Humph, I'm going to ask Xiaodeng to take off her stockings!"