After dropping out of school, I chose to join a girls' band.

Sakura Sakura glared at Tsuki, her lips pursed in displeasure: "Hmph, I thought you were going to make a comeback."

Seeing this, Yue said with a hint of teasing, "Isn't your band doing pretty well? The lead singer is talented, the guitarist, bassist, and keyboardist are all top-notch, and even the drummer, Miss Meow Dream, is of average skill. Add to that Peach's amazing stage presence, and with your worldview, after practicing for a while, you could go and challenge Roselia. It's not impossible for you to snatch tickets from them."

Sakura Sakura rolled her eyes after hearing Yue's words, her tone tinged with helplessness: "You always encourage us to challenge strong enemies. If we go and confront Roselia now, won't we just get crushed to pieces?"

Yue asked curiously, tilting her head slightly, "What's wrong? Weren't you all preparing?"

Upon hearing this, Sakura Sakura instantly switched into "work mode," standing tall and speaking fluently like a TV anchor, her sentences sounding like a well-rehearsed speech: "Although each member of our band is very talented, Roselia is, after all, a veteran powerhouse. Whether it's technique or teamwork, we still have a long way to go. Not to mention their stage presence, which has been honed through countless performances. We still need time."

After listening, Yue couldn't help but smile, her tone calm but with a hint of teasing: "Tell the truth."

These three short words seemed to disarm Sakura Sakura, and her originally upright body instantly collapsed onto the sofa like a deflated balloon, looking utterly helpless.

--------------

Ave_Mujica's rehearsal room.

Xiangzi pushed open the door and entered.

"Xiangzi, you're here!" Chu Hua immediately stood up from her chair, greeted her with a smile, and handed her the water and handkerchief in her hand.

Chu Hua's movements appeared remarkably natural.

"Thank you." Xiangzi took the water bottle, took a sip, and then gently wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

Her gaze casually swept around the rehearsal room. Yutenji Nyanmu was holding her phone, making all sorts of exaggerated expressions at the camera, taking selfies with great enthusiasm. She seemed completely immersed in her own world, oblivious to Xiangzi's arrival.

Ruo Yemu, on the other hand, was completely different. She lowered her head and focused intently on strumming the guitar, her fingertips dancing on the strings, as if she were having a silent conversation with the instrument. Her expression was focused and calm, as if the whole world consisted only of her and the guitar (as a guitar shop owner might say?).

On the other side, Hailing was leaning back on the sofa with her eyes closed, seemingly catching up on sleep.

Peach, sitting next to Hailing, appeared exceptionally busy. She was intently writing in her notebook, her brow slightly furrowed, the pen moving swiftly across the paper.

Xiangzi frowned slightly, his expression showing a hint of dissatisfaction and worry, and his gaze returned to Yutenji Nyanmu, who was still taking selfies.

“Miss Yutenji,” her voice was calm and serious, “I hope you won’t have any problems during the rehearsal later.”

Miao Meng was startled by Xiangzi's voice, and almost dropped her phone.

She quickly steadied her phone, turned to look at Xiangzi, and gave him a slightly embarrassed smile: "Ah, Xiangzi, don't worry, I'll do my best!"

Xiangzi looked at her somewhat frivolous expression and couldn't help but sigh.

"I hope so," Xiangzi replied casually.

"Xiao Xiang, guess who I saw in Sakura-nee's office just now?" Chu Hua tried to find another topic to ease Xiangzi's mood.

“Whoever we see doesn’t really concern us, does it?” Xiangzi said.

"No, I just saw Xiaoyue in Sakura-nee's office... and I heard her talking about calming down and such." As Hatsuka spoke, Ms. Kurosawa Momoko, who was engrossed in her work, also quietly pricked up her ears to listen to the conversation.

------------

“Sigh…” Sakura Sakura sighed heavily, her head slumped against the back of the sofa, her eyes somewhat vacant: “Aside from regular rehearsals and performances, there’s no sense of team spirit in the band. We don’t talk much in the practice room.”

"Fortunately, everyone was quite dedicated, and at least there were no problems during the performance; in fact, the performance was quite good." At this point, Ms. Sakura Sakura's words finally showed some relief.

“Isn’t it good to handle things professionally? At least many of my collaborations with people in Sweat Pleats were just casual acquaintances, and we hardly ever talked outside of work.” As Yue spoke, she remembered an incident she had seen on the trending topics list a couple of days ago: “It’s better than being harmonious on stage while secretly using alternate accounts to slander our collaborators.”

Sakura Sakura's emotions calmed down slightly after hearing Tsukishiro's words: "While that's true, I still feel that the band members should have a deeper connection, trust each other, and even become friends. That would make the band atmosphere better. If things continue like this, I always feel that this band won't last long..."

Listening to Sakura Sakura's worries, Tsuki nodded gently. Although she didn't respond directly, her thoughts had already drifted to her band, Mygo.

During that period, the atmosphere in the band was indeed very tense. If it weren't for her and Li hope's efforts to maintain it, Mygo might have already ceased to exist.

Speaking of which... I've recently heard that Popipa and Afterglow seem to have encountered some problems. Is this a process that all girl bands have to go through?

Climax Stage: Chapter Twenty-Six - Will you be performing with the lights?

"Long time no see, Shiina-san."

Toyokawa Shoko greeted Shiina Tatsuki, who was standing in front of her.

Compared to Su Shi and Deng, Xiangzi's relationship with Li hope was actually not that strained.

Lixi's expression remained as cold and stern as ever, her eyes filled with obvious hostility. She frowned slightly, crossing her arms in front of her chest, as if building an invisible barrier.

"Tsk..." Li hope let out a soft, disdainful sound, then quickly turned his gaze to Yue, his eyes filled with questions and confusion, as if to say, "What exactly is going on? You'd better give me an explanation."

She never expected that when she woke up, she would see everyone from Ave_Mujica at Yue's house, and she would also see Toyokawa Shoko.

"Hahaha..." Yue chuckled, her heart already pounding with sweat: [I want to know what's going on too!]

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About two hours ago, Sakura Sakura went to the training room because Ave_Mujica had to start training, and Tsuki had to go home.

"Li hope...?" Yue gently pushed open her door, entering the house with extreme caution. Her eyes scanned every corner of the first floor, but she couldn't find Li Xi anywhere.

Receiving no response, she shuffled even more quietly up the stairs.

Standing at Lixi's door, he hesitated for a moment before gently pushing the door open.

The door slowly opened, and Yue's gaze gradually extended into the interior of the room.

What came into view was Lixi's sleeping figure. Lixi lay on her side on the bed, her cheek slightly pressed against the pillow, her long hair spread out smoothly like black silk, her breathing even and steady, her face carrying a rare sense of relaxation and peace.

Yue's heart stirred slightly, and she couldn't help but stop in her tracks, standing quietly at the doorway, looking at Lixi on the bed, who looked like a sleeping beauty.

She lowered her breathing, walked quietly to Lixi's bedside, leaned down, and her gaze involuntarily fell on Lixi's face.

Her lips were slightly pursed, and a faint blush graced her cheeks, making her appear so quiet and beautiful.

At this moment, Li hope had completely lost her usual calm and serious expression, instead revealing a gentle and unguarded childishness.

"Really... doesn't Lixi look much better like this? Why does she always frown?" She chuckled to herself, gently reaching out to touch Lixi's cheek, but her fingers paused in mid-air before she finally gave up the idea.

"Let her sleep a little longer," Yue thought to herself, then gently stepped back and closed the door again, her movements as light as could be.

Yue lazily sprawled on the sofa, listlessly picking up her phone to scroll through social media. The messages on the screen kept scrolling, but her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Perhaps due to the fatigue from her early morning run, Yue gradually felt a wave of drowsiness wash over her, and soon she unconsciously closed her eyes and drifted into a light sleep.

The soft touch of the sofa enveloped her, causing her to unconsciously curl up into a ball. Her phone slipped onto the carpet, but she was completely unaware.

The room was quiet, save for the soft ticking of the wall clock, which accompanied her even breathing.

However, not long after, a clear doorbell rang at the door.

"Ding-dong-"

Startled awake by the sudden sound, Yue rubbed her eyes and sat up from the sofa, half-asleep. Her loose hair was now disheveled and draped over her shoulders, and her face still showed a dazed expression from just waking up.

"Who is it?" Yue muttered softly, her mind filled with doubt.

Normally, when people come to Mygo, they just use their keys to open the door and never ring the doorbell.

She picked up her phone, which had slipped onto the carpet, pressed the screen, checked the time, and realized it was only eleven o'clock, not a particularly significant time of day.

"Could it be that Lixi ordered takeout?" Yue wondered to herself, while patting her face to try and clear her head.

The moment she opened the door, she saw Momoko Kurosawa's smiling face, and the Ave_Mujica group following behind them.

"Good afternoon, Xiaoyue~"

"Peach? What are you doing here?" Yue's tone still carried a hint of uncertainty and confusion.

Seeing Yue's surprised and somewhat flustered expression, Taozi's smile deepened. She gently shook the bag in her hand, which was filled with various snacks, drinks, and ingredients: "We were originally planning to find a place to have a get-together, but we just happened to be passing by your house, Yue, and wanted to ask if you would like to join us."

Yue blinked, still processing the sudden invitation.

"Huh? Why are you asking me about your dinner party?" she asked instinctively, looking somewhat confused.

Peach nodded slightly and explained, "Because everyone has made the same decision."

"Hey! Meow Meow, I clearly didn't agree!" Yutenji Meow Meow, standing to the side, muttered in dissatisfaction, clearly having some objections to this "decision".

"Ah... Meow-chan, but our vote ratio is five to one, so I subconsciously ignored your opinion." Momoko maintained her gentle smile, but her words carried an air of cunning that was hard to refute.

Yue glanced upstairs unconsciously, her lips slightly downturned, and a hint of apology on her face. She said softly, "I'm sorry, although I really want to go out and have fun with everyone... it's not convenient today."

Her voice held a hint of hesitation and unease, clearly indicating that this refusal wasn't out of indifference, but rather for other reasons. Peach, observing Yue's expression, felt a slight stirring within her. Though she maintained her gentle smile, a sense of understanding surfaced in her heart: "So, she really does have connections at home."

"It's alright, Yue." Taozi's voice was still gentle. She patted Yue's shoulder lightly, trying to ease the other's embarrassment and apology. "We just happened to be passing by. Since it's inconvenient, let's make an appointment next time."

"Who is Yue...?" Just as Momoko and the others were about to leave, Shiina Ritsuki came down from the second floor.

------------

Back in the present, Lixi is staring intently at Yue, as if silently questioning, "What's going on? Why are they here?"

Feeling Tatsuki's gaze, Yue felt a chill run down her spine. Just as she was trying to figure out how to explain this sudden situation, Hailin, who was sitting next to her, suddenly spoke up, her voice tinged with a hint of mockery: "I didn't expect that Shiina-kun has actually reached the point of living together?"

"Huh??? What are you saying?!" Li Xi reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly bristling with anger. Her face turned bright red, as if all the blood in her body had rushed to her face.

She immediately turned to Hailing and shouted, "We're not living together! It's just... it's just..."

"That's quite a strong reaction~" Hailing just looked at her with great interest with her pale green eyes, clearly finding Lixi's reaction very interesting.

"Alright, Hailing, stop teasing her." Yue quickly stepped forward to quell the silent storm.

She then explained the whole story to Lixi, detailing how Taozi and the others ended up there.

“I see.” Li hope looked at the six people from Ave Mujica. “You don’t mind bringing me along for the meal, do you?”

"Of course I don't mind~" Peach replied with a smile, her eyes almost slits. Yue noticed a hint of something unfathomable in her smile.

She vaguely sensed that there was a fox's tail swaying behind Peach, and the feeling that it was plotting something in the dark made Yue uneasy.

As expected, Peach's smile became even more cunning. She turned her head slightly and said with a half-smile, "Speaking of which... there doesn't seem to be a good place outside... how about Xiaoyue uses your courtyard?"

"Use my yard?" Yue was a little surprised. Although she didn't object to everyone gathering together, she felt that things were moving too fast. "That's fine... but I remember the grill hasn't been used in a long time."

Yue tried hard to recall, and the oven seemed to have really been covered in dust. She had never had a chance to use it since she bought it.

She had a vague feeling that if she let this group of people come to her house for a barbecue party, things might not be so simple.

"It's okay!" Peach smiled even more brightly, as if everything had been arranged. "I brought some tools. We can go check them out together in a bit and clean up the site. We'll definitely be able to use them."

"Eh..." Before Yue could react, she was already swept up in Momoko's plan. She could only nod and silently accept this seemingly irresistible proposal.

----------

Peach dragged Yue all the way to the backyard, and only stopped when they were sure no one was around. Yue rubbed her wrist, which was a little red from being pulled, and asked with a hint of helplessness and worry, "Peach... what exactly do you want?"

Instead of answering her directly, Peach revealed a strange smile, a smile that carried a hint of mockery, yet seemed to conceal a deeper emotion.