Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?

But she showed some leniency towards herself... no, she even went against Toyokawa Shoko's wishes for his sake, which was quite unusual.

Moreover, she should have no memory of Xiao at all, and it would be impossible for her to know him. Xiao also clearly knows the importance of Xiangzi in his mother Mu's heart.

Even so, she still disagreed with Xiangzi.

Is this a mother's love that transcends time? Even in another timeline where the two have no connection whatsoever, would Mutsu still develop feelings for him?

Thinking of this, Xiao felt a little sore and made a heart shape with her hands in front of her chest, right in front of the glaring Xiangzi.

"I love you, Mu."

Are you crazy?!

This move, of course, drew a sharp and uncompromising criticism from Xiangzi, and Mu, blushing, turned her head and hid even more tightly behind Xiangzi.

Okay, he really doesn't have a sex fetish.

Although this gesture could easily lead to misunderstandings, Xiao simply wanted to express her deep love and gratitude for her mother.

However, Toyokawa Shoko certainly didn't think that way. She glared at the guy in front of her who had recently barged into her house and was now abruptly expressing his love for her childhood friend, her back teeth practically grinding to powder.

Oh no, are the cucumbers I planted in my own field going to be picked by someone?

Mu rarely sides with outsiders, let alone when facing a stranger of the opposite sex. But she actually spoke up for him just now... What kind of computer component did this guy give her?

Wait, there's another possibility...maybe these two have met before?

Toyokawa Shoko's thoughts drifted further and further away, and her expression grew increasingly grim. Clearly, she couldn't accept the possibility that her childhood friend, who had always revolved around her, had interacted with someone else without her knowledge—

At the same time, Wakaba Mutsumi's inner thoughts were far more complex than she had imagined.

Chapter Seventeen: Your circle is terrifying.

When Toyokawa Shoko first mentioned to Wakaba Mutsu that her house had been broken into by an uninvited pervert, Mutsu didn't have any particular emotions other than worry and relief.

She believed that Xiangzi would handle the matter well, and naturally she didn't have any special feelings for this thief whom Xiangzi often mentioned.

But when Mu stood in front of this person and stared at his face, he had the illusion that they had met before.

Yes, although Xiangzi had warned her beforehand, "Mu, be careful not to get involved with this person," when she actually met him face to face, she couldn't connect his face with that lewd auntie.

Compared to some currently popular male idols of the same age, she has a more handsome face and, for some reason, amber eyes that resemble Xiangzi but seem to be gentler and more sunny.

Not to mention that he had been gazing at her with loving eyes the whole time, and this affection always had a feeling that made Wakaba Mutsu feel somewhat familiar.

Mu couldn't quite explain why it felt familiar.

Just dealing with that kind of gaze felt a bit strenuous. Mu lowered her head and hid behind Xiangzi, but she didn't actually dislike that bold and direct look from the bottom of her heart.

There was only one thing she was certain of.

This person is definitely not as bad as Xiangzi thinks.

This is a conclusion that is not supported by any evidence and has not been established through any convincing logic.

But she could catch the clear, tender look in the boy's eyes when he grinned at her.

"I feel like there's something off about this guy, unless you two know each other before... Mu, say something! Mu!!"

Unlike Mu, who seemed to have made up her mind, Xiangzi's face turned ashen as he looked at her unusually pale expression.

Why would Mutsumi show that kind of expression to someone other than her...? Could it be that she's been too busy with her own things lately and has neglected Mutsumi's feelings, and has already sought emotional support from someone else...?

The grief and indignation that struck him like a bolt from the blue transformed into strength, and Xiangzi's gaze toward Xiaoshi, who was all smiles, became much sharper.

Putting everything else aside, what this guy just said... was undoubtedly a confession to Mu!

"I don't care what your relationship was before, I will absolutely not let Mu be bewitched by you, my auntie!"

It sounded more like a "I will never let you take Mutsu away from me" declaration, like a kitten hissing – and Xiao naturally didn't take her threat to heart.

Instead, he tilted his head, his smile widening.

"Is it because you are irreplaceable childhood sweethearts, like half of each other?"

"This...this has nothing to do with you!"

Xiao's actions of not answering the question directly but instead revealing Xiangzi's thoughts fueled her anger even more—it seemed that she had been attacking all along, but this guy had managed to neutralize them all.

"Well, you're right."

Xiangzi was clearly flustered. Although Mu, who was standing next to him, still didn't smile, the curve of his eyes softened, and he even unusually confirmed the boy's guess.

Although Xiangzi treated him with great suspicion, the boy in front of her kept saying things she liked to hear, so Ruo Yemu had no reason not to feel a little bit closer to him.

"That's great! So, as expected, for you, Xiangzi, Mu is the most important person, right?"

"You were just about to call me 'Auntie,' weren't you? You definitely were just about to call me 'Auntie,' weren't you? Even if that's the case, why are you so excited about it!"

Seeing Xiao's increasingly wide smile, seemingly ignoring her warning at all, Toyokawa Shoko felt only a sense of powerless exhaustion, like punching cotton.

"I'm just happy to see that you two get along so well."

And after she kept punching him, this guy turned cotton into cotton candy and stuffed it into her mouth and ate it.

"You can't hit someone who's smiling," and only now does Toyokawa Shoko truly understand the helplessness behind this saying.

While Xiangzi was inwardly groaning, Xiao cheerfully walked between the two girls and calmly took each of their hands in hers—

Then they overlapped.

Even if you don't form a band for life, you must remain best friends for life!

"...!"

Xiangzi, realizing what was happening immediately, jerked away from Xiao, who was still laughing happily, as if he had been electrocuted.

"I'd say you're being a bit nosy! And I haven't forgiven you for barging into my house yet!"

"Even if I were a real thief, what would be the point of stealing from a house that's in such a dilapidated state..."

"What did you say?"

"It's nothing. I'm very happy right now, so no matter how much you scold me, Miss Xiangzi, I can forgive everything."

Xiao planned to stick to his strategy of not hitting a smiling face—well, ultimately it was because he was a little too happy to see his mother so soon.

Upon hearing this, Toyokawa Shoko truly felt a sense of fear.

Being perverted isn't scary, being lewd isn't scary either. What's scary is that some people, after being called lewd and perverted, can still nod and agree without batting an eye, saying, "You're absolutely right!" and even hoping you'll say more.

If this is what fighting is all about, then Toyokawa Shoko has realized how terrifying this circle is.

"Let's go, Mu. This guy definitely has something wrong with his head."

Oh no, it seems my impression of Toyokawa Shoko has already plummeted to rock bottom.

Xiao didn't care what Aunt Xiangzi thought, since her impression of her was limited to the black-and-white photo enshrined on the altar and the glorious deeds passed down by the aunts.

But Mu is different. (The remaining text appears to be gibberish and unrelated.)

If they had never been mother and son, what kind of person would Mu think of him now that he's grown up and standing in front of her?

Regardless of whether she remembers her or not, Xiao wants to leave a good impression on Mu when she sees her again.

"Wait—I didn't mean anything by it, I just really liked the music you used to play."

Just before Xiangzi pulled Mu and was about to turn and leave, Xiao blurted out a sentence that would make them stop in their tracks.

"...If this is why you're clinging to us, then you'll probably only be disappointed in what comes next."

As clever as Xiangzi was, she probably guessed why the boy was so enthusiastic towards them—he seemed to be another listener stuck in the CRYCHIC era, unable to move forward and embrace the future.

Since the band members are so attached to this beautiful past and unwilling to let go, it's perfectly normal for listeners and fans to feel a sense of loss.

“We can’t go back. Whether it’s me or the rest of the C team, we all have more important things to do.”

"Is this really good?"

Xiao's expression remained unchanged, and her beautiful amber eyes did not flinch in the slightest.

"Sorry, you seem to be meddling a bit. This is ultimately a matter between our band members, and even if I stop playing those childish games with them, it's none of my business—"

"Xiangzi, I'm not asking you."

Just as Xiangzi was about to state her position, Xiao interrupted her.

The boy's gaze was intense, but it didn't linger on Xiangzi at all. Instead, it passed right through her and stared intently at Mu, who was being protected by Xiangzi.

Is this really a good idea, Mu?

"........."

The girl, whose face was as translucent as her light-colored long hair, remained silent, but this time, because her secret had been exposed, she couldn't meet the boy's gaze.

First bounty!

It was quite an achievement to get the first recommendation, so thank you so much, editor! I'm also shamelessly offering a reward for this book for the first time!

每天50月票或2000打赏或500推荐票或500收藏加更一更2k字(? o_o)?

The new book is just starting out and not many people are reading it yet, so I'd really appreciate everyone's support!

Chapter 18 Teacher Da Xiang, please stop breathing on me.

Few people would ask what Wakaba Mutsu was thinking.

What are your thoughts on this? How are you feeling right now? What do you think would make you happier?

No one had ever said these words to her before, not even Toyokawa Shoko.

Perhaps it was because Xiangzi didn't need to ask to know what Mu was thinking; she only needed to make a decision and carry it out, and Mu only needed to follow behind her with his head down.

She thought this kind of life would last forever, until the boy who suddenly appeared stared at her with eyes that looked just like Xiangzi's and said something that was completely unfamiliar to Mu.

"Is this really good?"

"...?"

For a moment, Mu didn't quite understand what he was saying.

Perhaps it's because no one has ever asked her what she's thinking, and she hasn't considered her own stance and opinions.

"I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to know what Muku thought about leaving the group."

Xiao noticed the confusion in her eyes, so she repeated it again.

"Muku thinks the same way I do, right, Muku?"

Xiangzi threw out this obvious question, without even turning his head to look at Mu behind him.

"Uh, um..."

Mu simply lowered her head and nodded, seemingly unable to completely let down her guard against this person she had just met—even though she found herself unable to dislike the boy.

"I apologize, it's only our first meeting but I've said a lot of abrupt things today—it's understandable that you two are wary of me, but there are some hidden reasons behind it, which I cannot tell you the truth for the time being."

Xiao touched his nose; he could tell his mother was a little confused.

Although she wasn't particularly wary of herself, she still maintained the appropriate distance from strangers.

Of course, he couldn't possibly tell these two people, "Actually, I'm the son of Wakaba Mutsumi from the future." It felt like Shoko would really call the mental hospital this time and take him away.

Having no other choice, he could only resort to this mysterious approach to lower their guard and subtly probe about what happened back then.

If you really have to blame someone, it's all Mom's fault. As someone from the future, she should have been completely familiar with the established history, like someone with a third eye—but Ruo Ye Mu is extremely sparing with words about these things and rarely mentions the past to Xiao.

But that's just the kind of person she is.

If you don't ask her directly, she'll keep her feelings to herself and think nothing's wrong. If you don't express your feelings to her frankly, she'll respond negatively or even avoid emotional moments.

Fortunately, Xiao was raised by Ruoye Mu, so he knows how to nurture his mother's emotions.

"Okay, although you are a really strange person..."

Xiangzi looked the frankly smiling young man up and down, and she didn't sense any hostility from him.