Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?

Riki's voice became somewhat cautious, as if she was worried that the dishes she had prepared would not meet the needs of Kazama, the patient.

"Lixi really is reliable in critical moments."

However, her appearance made Kazama both amused and exasperated, and the weakness on the boy's face disappeared as a result.

He picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of vegetable from his lunchbox, and popped it into his mouth. After chewing it with relish, a look of delight appeared on his face.

Mmm...delicious!

Only after he uttered this undisguised praise did Lixi's somewhat uneasy mood gradually ease.

"If the compensation for being hit by a car and ending up in the hospital is being able to eat Lixi's bento every day, then I'd be willing to go through it all again—"

"Hey, hey! Stop joking like that!"

Li Xi quickly stopped Xiao, who was starting to get a little cocky and smug, and sat down angrily directly opposite him on the hospital bed.

Although he could hear him say that, Li Xi still managed a faint, hurried smile on his lips.

"It seems Xiaojun is feeling much better, but she really should avoid saying such unlucky things."

The understanding Chu Hua smiled and picked up the conversation, as if she had never had any conflict or argument with Su Shi.

Of course, since the person she was talking to was Kazama, who had just woken up, her smile this time was completely genuine.

"If you're missing Mutsu, Taki and I just saw her in the hospital lobby."

Su Shi then got back to the main point and answered Xiao's questions.

"Ah, that guy didn't look too good, like he was in a hurry, so Su Shi and I just greeted him from a distance... but he didn't hear us at all and just kept his head down and left."

Lixi shrugged and added to Su Shi's statement with a dismissive tone.

Because they had fought side by side in CRYCHIC before, she and Su Shi knew very well what kind of person Mutsu was. So even though Mutsu ignored them, they didn't go up and force her to stay—they just assumed it was a missed opportunity and that Mutsu hadn't noticed them.

"...That's it."

However, after receiving this answer, Xiao's doubts did not disappear despite their explanation.

"What's wrong? Xiaojun seems to be thinking about something."

Chu Hua was like a confidante to Xiao; she could tell that he was still troubled just by the slightest furrow of his brow.

Since she had asked so directly and bluntly, Xiao shared her concerns with everyone present.

"Ah, it's nothing... I just thought I heard someone arguing peacefully while I was sleeping..."

"Huh? When we came to visit you, Mu was silent the whole time."

Li Xi raised an eyebrow and chuckled, seemingly completely unaware of the situation.

"Is that so, Su Shi?"

"Um... no matter how much we care, Xiaomu remains tight-lipped. So I'm actually quite worried about her..."

Su Shi was also trying to recall Mu's mental state over the past day or two, and her slightly worried appearance did not seem to be a lie.

"When I arrived just now, Xiao Mu left without saying a word."

Chu Hua honestly told the truth, but after trying to recall, she rolled her eyes and added some "not very important" details and guesses.

"When she left, I could see that she looked a little haggard... Maybe she had been staying by Xiao's side for the past two days, so she was a little sleep-deprived or mentally exhausted."

The implication is that if you go back and rest for a day or two, you should be fine.

"That's it..."

Mu has actually stayed by my side these past two days.

Xiao nodded thoughtfully, a satisfied smile appearing on her lips.

"Hehe...I see."

"Kazama, your smile is disgusting, you're drooling."

Of course, only Li Xi would frown and be so sharp-tongued as to be sarcastic; the smiles on the other two's faces were somewhat forced—especially Chu Hua's.

It was never her intention to make Kazama notice that Mutsumi had been taking care of him so closely; it's just that this guy always seems to find a way to think of Mutsumi's good points and then feel happy about it on his own.

I always feel that Mu's mere breathing increases Xiao's favorability towards her.

Chu Hua felt a little disappointed about this, but she knew that even more bitter emotions were brewing in her heart.

She could only force a more friendly and gentle smile so that this dark side wouldn't be exposed in front of Kazama.

"It's understandable that Mu would be a little disappointed, right? After all, Xiangzi was taken away by his family half a day after he was sent to the hospital with you that day—he hasn't come back to see you even once since."

Just as the four people in the room were finally calming down, Li Xi said something in a low voice that ruined the atmosphere.

Xiao blinked, and Chu Hua and Su Shi's expressions also changed. Clearly, this was something they had noticed long ago but didn't want Xiao to notice as well.

"Why are you looking at me like that... It's just the truth."

Lixi felt uncomfortable under the gazes of the three people, but she still forced herself to continue expressing her thoughts.

After all, Shiina Tatsuki is the kind of person who might be awkward about his own affairs, but would never be hypocritical when he sees others being wronged.

"Although I don't know what the inside story is, Kazama is Xiangzi's savior, right? Mutsu has been by his side the whole time. If she wasn't injured, why hasn't she come to visit him these past two days?"

Okay, Lixi said that he wasn't really complaining about anything, he was just venting on behalf of Kazama.

"...After all, Kazama shouldn't have ended up like this."

Her gaze shifted slightly from the boy's frail face, her eyes dimming.

"...It's okay, Lixi. This is my own choice."

Xiao smiled, knowing full well that Li Xi was standing up for him out of pity.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

He simply wouldn't argue with Toyokawa Shoko about anything anymore.

"If I still felt indebted to Xiangzi before, this incident should have made us even."

His tone was calm, but what he said was enough to leave the three people present with room for imagination.

What does "owe" mean?

Everyone was curious, but no one—not even Lixi—asked the question.

The reason is also very simple.

Kazama, a guy shrouded in mystery, will only reveal his secrets when he wants to.

Chapter 85 A Cat Steals Fish and Runs Away

Today's visit was longer than usual because Kazama had woken up. At least Riki was genuinely relieved because his condition had improved, and Chu Hua's smile became more frequent.

Only Su Shi tried to cheer up, but in the end, she could only manage one smile after another that couldn't be described as one of ease or composure.

After ignoring the inappropriate topic about Xiangzi, they chatted with Kazama for a while longer before packing their belongings and preparing to leave.

"Well then, Li Xi, Su Shi—to avoid being secretly photographed by someone who shouldn't be photographed, I won't be leaving with you."

As Su Shi and Li Xi got up to grab their bags and leave, Chu Hua, sitting by Kazama's bed, remained motionless.

She gave the two of them her usual smile, and as soon as she uttered that perfect explanation, Su Shi understood her little scheme.

This guy... he clearly wants to monopolize the time he spends with Akatsuki after the other two leave.

I don't know why I feel a little unhappy.

Mingming Su Shi only felt guilty towards the boy lying in the hospital bed; there shouldn't be any feelings beyond that.

But seeing him about to fall into the clutches of Mitsumi Hatsuka still made Nagasaki Motoyo feel inexplicably panicked and uneasy.

However… Su Shi could already understand what Chu Hua didn’t say aloud from her eyes.

"You have let him down, so don't expect the broken mirror to be mended."

Perhaps out of gentleness or perhaps out of consideration for appearances, Chu Hua didn't say those words aloud, but they were written all over her face.

that's true.

Perhaps Hatsuka is more deserving to be by Kazama's side now than I am.

So despite feeling a bit resentful and aggrieved, Su Shi suppressed her unintentional melancholy, took a deep look at Chu Hua who was still sitting next to the boy, and then turned and left with Li Xi.

It seems that she has no choice but to admit defeat in this round of "contest".

Nagasaki Motoyo is not an unambitious or introspective person; she knows very well that this is the consequence she deserves for doing wrong.

"Su Shi, did you apologize to Kazama properly just now?"

Even Li Xi turned around and questioned her like that, which showed that her previous behavior was indeed quite excessive.

"Hmm... although he doesn't seem to have formally accepted my apology yet."

Su Shi nodded. If it weren't for Chu Hua constantly disrupting her rhythm, she might have actually been able to win Xiao's forgiveness.

"Sigh... what you said back then was really too much. Luckily, Kazama didn't hear it, otherwise you would have had to apologize even more, Suze."

Li Xi let out a long breath and continued walking with Su Shi down the hospital corridor.

“I told you before that bringing Xiangzi back was a bit unrealistic—and using this opportunity to kick Kazama and the others out was really going too far. Have you reflected on this, Su Shi?”

"Hmm... I'd say that Xiaojun's two days of deep sleep were a kind of punishment for me as well."

Su Shi honestly put aside his pride and wore a self-deprecating smile, frankly and humbly.

She acknowledged the harm she had caused Kazama.

The two days that Kazama spent in the hospital were also the greatest punishment for her conscience.

"Even though Taki-chan thought I made a mistake, she didn't blame me any further."

Seeing how much she cared about her own affairs, Su Shi couldn't help but chuckle slightly.

"Because you, Suze, are more likely to judge your own mistakes than I am, right? Actually, it's not just me, I think Kazama knows that too..."

Despite having no basis whatsoever, Li Xi simply believed it.

"...I always felt that he understood us better than we understood ourselves."

"...Ah, I feel the same way."

Su Shi nodded.

That's why she felt so guilty about her actions.

Faced with someone who knew her inside and out and had no ill intentions whatsoever, she ruthlessly trampled on his unreserved kindness towards her—and even nonchalantly used him as a stepping stone for her restoration of C Group.

"That's really too much."

Su Shi's voice was very soft, but she definitely didn't mean to take this matter lightly.

Su Shi felt ashamed whenever she thought about how her headstrong behavior might have hurt him.

The malice she unintentionally displayed towards Kazama was not something that could be easily erased, so she never dared to hope for his forgiveness.

However, we can't just do nothing.

"So, Su Shi, what are your plans next? Apologizing with just words doesn't feel quite sincere... Of course, I don't mean to belittle you."

"I know, Taki-chan wouldn't have any bad intentions. But it's true, just like you said..."

After apologizing, one must also take concrete actions to make up for past mistakes.

Nagasaki Motoyo stopped quietly in place, no longer following Riki's steps.

Noticing this, Lixi stopped and turned around, meeting Su Shi's serene smile.

"...Actually, Su Shi, you just don't want those two to be alone together, right?"

Even someone as oblivious as Li Xi could sense the strange atmosphere between Su Shi and Chu Hua.

"Well, it's true... I always feel that Hatsuka is very enthusiastic towards Kazama, which makes me a little uneasy."

Li Xi hesitated for a moment before changing the subject, which surprised Su Shi, who blinked in astonishment.

Could it be that Xi...

"But I'm relieved that Su Shi wants to go back and take a look."