People in Mygo are emotional firefighters.

The moment he opened the door, he changed into indoor shoes and went straight into the kitchen.

He was really worried about letting Su Shi come back to a cold kitchen after seeing how absent-minded and even a little stiff she seemed in the rehearsal room today. Although it was Su Shi's turn to be in charge of dinner today, he felt it was better for him to take care of her himself.

As the chopped vegetables were put into the pan, and the kitchen was filled with the soft sizzling sound of oil, the sound of the door opening came from the entryway.

"Click".

The door was gently pushed open.

Nagasaki Motoyo walked in. The first thing she saw was the familiar back of the man wearing her apron in the kitchen, and she could hear him humming a tuneless tune as he moved around. The aroma of food warmly enveloped her.

This scene perfectly overlapped with the image of "home" that she had sketched countless times in her heart.

She was so used to this scene that she almost thought it would last forever.

But this familiar happiness, at this moment, is like a dull knife, slowly cutting into her heart—because she knows that if her unspoken greed to keep both Xiangzi and Zhenyu at the same time is exposed, this warm and illusory scene before her will be completely shattered.

She stood outside the kitchen, and for a second, she simply watched his back, letting the bitterness spread silently in her chest.

Just then, Ishikawa Mayu seemed to sense something, subconsciously turned down the fire, and turned around.

His gaze met that of Su Shi, who stood in the entryway. He saw a fleeting, unusual expression on her face, but before he could make it out...

"You're back? You look tired, so I made dinner first." His tone was natural, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. "Go wash your hands first, it'll be ready to eat soon."

He paused, carefully observing her expression, and softened his voice: "Is the practice too strenuous? Or... are you worried about something else?"

His care was as considerate as ever, but at this moment it was like a key, suddenly unlocking the door in Su Shi's heart that had been suppressing surging emotions.

She looked at him standing under the light, wearing an apron, so real, so warm, yet it was as if there was an insurmountable glass between them.

This is not what she wanted.

What she wanted was not this kind of tenderness stemming from "responsibility".

What she wanted was...

Nagasaki Motoyo didn't answer, but silently approached. Just before Ishikawa Mayu was about to turn back to continue his work, she reached out her arm and gently, yet with an irresistible, almost greedy force, wrapped it around his waist from behind, pressing her cheek tightly against his warm and broad back, as if drawing warmth from his only source.

She held him tightly, her slender arms trembling slightly, her voice muffled, with a barely perceptible sob and a heavy nasal tone, as it sounded behind him:

"...If only life could be like this forever..."

Ishikawa Mayu was startled by her sudden, completely dependent embrace, his body stiffening for a moment. He could clearly feel her soft body heat and an uncontrollable slight tremor from behind. This vulnerable posture, devoid of all pretense, was completely different from the gentle, elegant, and poised Nagasaki Motoyo he always was. It was like a soft thorn, gently piercing the softest part of his heart.

He stopped what he was doing, and then, with utmost gentleness, covered her hands that were clasped around his waist, his fingertips caressing her slightly cool skin in a soothing manner.

"Su Shi, let go for a moment, okay?" His voice was deep and gentle, like an evening breeze brushing against the strings of a zither. "If you hold me like this, I can't turn around and take a proper look at you."

The grip on her back loosened slightly, tinged with reluctance. Taking advantage of this, Zhenyu carefully turned around to face her.

In the instant he turned around, he deftly turned off the stove, silencing the kitchen completely, leaving only the intertwined, somewhat disordered breathing sounds.

He lowered his head and gazed at Su Shi's slightly reddened eyes. Her long, moist eyelashes trembled gently, and her appearance as she struggled to hold back her tears was pitiful to behold.

A powerful protective instinct and an indescribable heartache instantly overwhelmed him. He stretched out his arms, no longer just embracing her gently, but with a tender strength, pulling her deeply and tightly into his embrace, burying her face completely in the crook of his neck. One hand steadily encircled her slender waist and back, while the other lovingly and repeatedly combed and stroked her silky long hair, the movements as gentle as if handling a rare treasure.

"Okay, it's alright..." he coaxed softly, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe, his voice carrying a tenderness he himself was unaware of. "Tell me, what's wrong? You've been acting really strange since practice started today, and I'm worried about you."

His embrace was so warm and firm, carrying an intoxicating sense of security. Su Shi buried her face deep in the crook of his neck, greedily inhaling the faint scent emanating from him, a blend of the crispness of soapberry and the warmth of food—a scent she knew and cherished dearly, the scent of "home."

She could feel his strong heartbeat beneath his chest, gradually merging with her own erratic heartbeat. This closeness brought her immense peace, yet also immense sorrow—how she wished this moment could last forever.

His question was gentle yet persistent. How should she answer? Should she confess her unfulfilled desire to keep both him and Xiangzi together? Should she admit that his invitation to Xiangzi, in her eyes, was a final verdict on her wishful thinking?

She couldn't bring herself to say it.

Any honest explanation would shatter this fragile and precious moment of tenderness.

So she gently shook her head in his arms, nuzzling his neck, her voice thick with a pitiful nasal tone, pouring all her unspeakable complex emotions into a vague, dependent murmur:

"...It's nothing...it's just...I suddenly feel...so tired..."

She hugged him tighter, her fingertips unconsciously gripping the fabric of his shirt.

"Shinba-kun...don't move...just like this...hold me a little longer..."

That soft, tearful "Please" touched Zhenyu's heart like a feather. He didn't press further, but tightened his arms, holding her closer to him, responding to her silent plea with his warmth and silent protection.

"Okay, I won't move." He promised softly, his chin gently resting on the top of her head, feeling the soft touch and faint fragrance of her hair. "I'll stay here and not go anywhere."

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Chapter 169 Su Shi: You Can't Be Any Greedier

The kitchen was so quiet that only their heartbeats and breaths could be heard. The warmth of his embrace, the gentle touch of his fingertips through her hair, the promise-laden touch on her head... all of this was like a warm and fine net, tightly enveloping Nagasaki Motoyo, making her indulge in it, and allowing her heart, which had been torn to pieces by the cold reality, to temporarily find a haven where she could breathe and pretend.

She greedily absorbed this warmth, as if trying to imprint it deep into her soul. After a long time, until the sky outside the window had completely darkened and the city lights had replaced the sunset to illuminate the glass, she moved almost imperceptibly, letting out a soft, nasal hum in his arms.

Ishikawa Mayu sensed her movement, loosened his grip slightly, looked down at her, and asked in a very soft voice, "Are you feeling better?"

“…Hmm.” Su Shi’s voice was muffled, hoarse from crying. She slowly raised her head, her eyes and the tip of her nose still red, but the frightening vulnerability and emptiness in her eyes seemed to have dissipated somewhat, replaced by a familiar, soft glow, even though something deeper seemed to be lurking beneath that light.

She stepped back slightly, turning her face away as if a little embarrassed. She quickly wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand, her voice returning to its usual gentleness, though still carrying a slight nasal tone: "Sorry... did this sudden action... scare you?"

"No." Zhenyu shook his head, his gaze still filled with concern. "I was just worried about you." He paused, then asked, "Really... just tired?"

Su Shi lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath them. She didn't answer immediately, but turned around and walked to the now-cold stove. Looking at the unfinished dish in the pot, she said softly, "The food... is getting cold."

She picked up the spatula, expertly restarted the stove, and with her back to him, her voice was calm as if nothing had happened: "I'm fine, Masahiro. It's probably because of the band lately, plus the upcoming performance, I'm a little nervous."

The explanation was reasonable, but looking at her straight yet still slender back, Zhenyu felt that something was amiss. However, her unwillingness to talk and her already calm demeanor made it impossible for him to press her further.

"Okay." He finally just responded with a sound of agreement, walked to her side, took the spatula from her hand, and said, "I'll do it. You go and rest."

This time, Su Shi didn't insist. She obediently let go of his hand, walked to the dining table, sat down, placed her hands on the table, and quietly watched his busy figure in the kitchen with a complicated look in her eyes.

Soon, the simple meal was reheated and served. Perhaps because of the long delay, or perhaps because Zhenyu's restlessness affected her performance, the taste of the dishes was ultimately not as good as her usual carefully prepared ones.

Looking at the plain-looking dishes on the table, Ishikawa Mayu said somewhat apologetically, "Sorry, I don't think I did a very good job today... the taste might be a little..."

Nagasaki Motoyo picked up her chopsticks, took a small bite of food, and chewed it carefully. She looked up and met Mayu's slightly apologetic gaze, gently shook her head, and her face still held that gentle, flawless smile.

"No, it's delicious." Her voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable certainty. "Anything that Shinba-kun makes is delicious to me."

She lowered her head and ate in small bites, her movements still elegant, but much slower than usual, as if each bite required careful savoring, or as if her thoughts had already drifted to a distant place. She stopped speaking, simply eating quietly, occasionally glancing at Zhenyu, and when he looked at her, she would return a faint, reassuring smile.

She acted too "normally," even more gentle and considerate than usual, as if the fragile, trembling girl in his arms just moments before was merely a fleeting illusion. But it was precisely this deliberate "normality" that made the doubts and worries in Zhenyu's heart ripple like a pebble thrown into a still lake, the ripples lingering for a long time.

After dinner, Zhenyu finished cleaning up the kitchen and came out to see Su Shi sitting on the sofa with her knees drawn up to her chest, quietly gazing at the dazzling night view outside the window. Her profile looked somewhat thin and lonely in the dim light.

He hesitated for a moment, then spoke, his voice unusually clear in the quiet living room: "Su Shi, shall I... go out?"

The "going out" in that sentence clearly didn't refer to going back to her own home upstairs. Su Shi's body tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment, and the arms she was hugging her knees tightened slightly. She opened her mouth, and a request for "don't go" almost slipped out, wanting him to stay and spend more time with her, even if it was just to stay quietly in the same space like this, so that she could continue to draw that reassuring sense of presence from him.

"I can't... be willful anymore."

"We've already... asked for too much."

The words that were on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back, turning into a bitter swallow in her throat. In the end, she simply rested her chin lightly on her knees, nodded almost imperceptibly, and uttered a soft, almost inaudible syllable: "...Mmm."

Her compliance and silence, however, felt like a tiny needle, gently pricking Zhenyu. He walked to the entryway, changed his shoes, and as he grasped the doorknob, he couldn't help but turn back to look at the figure on the sofa.

“Su Shi,” he paused, his tone serious, “if… you have any further questions, or just… want to talk to someone, feel free to send me a LINE message or call me anytime.”

He looked at her figure, which was still turned away from him, and added, "It doesn't matter how late it is."

The figure on the sofa seemed to move slightly, but did not turn around, only letting out a soft "hmm" again.

Ishikawa Mayu glanced deeply at her retreating figure, but ultimately suppressed the inexplicable concern and worry in his heart, turned the doorknob, and walked out.

With a soft click, the door closed, cutting off the light in the entryway and plunging the living room back into silence, with only the neon lights outside the window silently swirling around.

Su Shi stood quietly in the center of the living room, listening to the footsteps outside the door gradually fade away and finally disappear into the faint hum of the elevator.

She was all alone in the huge apartment.

The space that had just been filled with Zhenyu's body heat and aura now felt exceptionally empty and cold.

Su Shi slowly got up and walked to the balcony. She pushed open the glass door, and the cool night air instantly enveloped her.

She leaned against the balcony railing, gazing down at the floor below. The forty-five-story height made everything seem small and distant. Cars on the street appeared as slow-moving specks of light, and pedestrians as mere blurry shadows.

Not long after, Zhenyu's motorcycle drove out from downstairs. The small black dot with a faint red taillight gradually disappeared from her sight.

Chapter 170 The First Ticket Sent Out

The roar of the motorcycle engine was particularly clear in the night, and finally went out in front of a brightly lit convenience store.

Ishikawa Mayu stepped off the car and paused briefly in the night breeze, as if to compose herself. Only then did she see that familiar figure through the bright glass window.

He pushed open the door, and the wind chimes tinkled.

Welcome!

Toyokawa Shoko looked up, her face bearing the standard business smile. However, when her gaze fell upon that figure, her smile froze instantly, then vanished like a burst bubble, replaced by a reproachful expression tinged with embarrassment and a hint of barely perceptible panic.

"You...!" Her voice was low, tinged with exasperation, "You said those things this morning... and then you actually came over tonight... Did you do that on purpose?"

Ishikawa Mayu paused for a moment, then remembered the old story she had casually mentioned on the rooftop that morning. Normally, he would probably have gone along with her, responding with a hint of teasing, watching her cute, sullen yet helpless expression.

But at this moment, with Su Shi's forced calm yet undeniably lonely figure lingering in his mind, he simply couldn't muster the desire to tease her.

So he just smiled and shook his head gently, took out a carefully kept family ticket from his pocket, and handed it to Xiangzi, his voice gentler than usual.

"I got the tickets. I was thinking of giving them to you as soon as possible."

Xiangzi paused slightly, her gaze falling on the thin ticket in front of her, then looking up at the genuine seriousness on Zhenyu's face. A small, warm surprise quietly exploded in her heart, making her subconsciously take the ticket.

“…Idiot.” She lowered her head, her ears slightly burning, her voice tinged with reproach but much softer. “You could have given it to me at school tomorrow, why did you have to come to my workplace…and disturb my work?”

Before she finished speaking, her gaze inadvertently swept over the shelf, where a middle-aged woman who was picking out rice balls was looking in their direction with an understanding yet kind "auntie smile" on her face, clearly having taken in the whole scene just now.

Xiangzi's cheeks instantly turned bright red. Embarrassed, he almost instinctively raised his hand and lightly punched Zhenyu's shoulder, trying to hide his panic.

His expected nimble dodges and playful banter did not materialize.

Ishikawa Mayu simply stood there, neither dodging nor avoiding, taking the blow squarely. His shoulder even swayed slightly from the force of her touch. The faint smile remained on his face, but it seemed to be hidden behind an invisible film, failing to truly dispel the subtle melancholy in his eyes.

"...It's all your fault!" Xiangzi was even more at a loss because of his unusual silence and obedience, and his voice carried a hint of panic that he himself did not realize.

Zhenyu seemed to snap out of his daze, giving a soft "hmm" in acknowledgment, accepting her unreasonable accusation. He paused, then explained calmly:

"There's another ticket I'm going to give to someone else. But since I promised to save the first one for you, of course I'll give it to you as soon as possible."

However, his next words made Xiangzi's heart skip a beat again, even though it had just calmed down a little.

He raised his eyes and looked at her calmly. His eyes, which always carried a hint of aloofness or mockery, were now unusually focused.

"Also..." He paused slightly, as if choosing his words carefully, his voice lower than before, "...I was thinking of coming to see you."

These words, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, created ripples in Xiangzi's heart.

"You, you stop... saying this again..." She tried to make her voice sound as forceful as usual, but she stopped abruptly the moment she met his eyes.

His eyes were very serious.

There was no hint of mockery, no sly glint when he teased her, only a calm, even slightly weary, gentle warmth.

He didn't seem to be joking.

Moreover... his usually ramrod straight back seemed to show a hint of slackness at this moment, and a faint, lingering sense of fatigue lingered between his brows.

Seeing Xiangzi's stunned expression, Zhenyu still subconsciously asked with concern, "How are you? Are you tired?"

Xiangzi didn't answer immediately; instead, he frowned slightly. His light gray eyes, which always held a stubborn or sharp edge, now clearly reflected a hint of heartache.

Before Mayu was able to support himself through music, she was more often like a concerned "little housekeeper," nagging him about various money-saving "survival rules" and worrying that he would go hungry or cold. At this moment, the lingering weariness between Mayu's brows instantly pulled her back to the time when the two of them leaned on each other and supported each other in the cracks of life.

"...Hey," her voice unconsciously softened, and her light gray eyes, which always held a stubbornness or sharpness, now clearly reflected a hint of heartache, "Are you...very tired?"

Taken aback by her sudden, sharp question, Ishikawa Mayu subconsciously raised her hand to touch her face, muttering softly, "...Is it that obvious?"

He tugged at the corners of his mouth, trying to put on a more relaxed smile, but it seemed somewhat powerless.

"It's probably because... the band is preparing for a performance, and there's a lot going on."

Xiangzi looked at him quietly, without immediately refuting him. She knew this man too well; he was adept at keeping things to himself, especially things he thought would trouble others. This forced composure was exactly the same as when he used to hide his financial difficulties from her so as not to worry her.

"You really don't need to worry too much about me." Zhenyu leaned forward slightly, getting closer to Xiangzi. Although her voice wasn't loud, it still reached Xiangzi's ears clearly, carrying a gentle promise.

"At that time, you just need to sit in the audience and listen attentively."