Xiangzi clearly didn't fully believe it, but she didn't press further, casually tossing the bell onto the bedside table. Her gaze swept over the bedside table drawer, she reached out and pulled it open, rummaging through the condoms inside. Then she frowned, her eyes filled with anger as she looked at Banami: "What's going on? There's one less condom than yesterday?"

She paused, then added, "Weren't you always worried that Old Deng would tamper with the product and tell you not to buy this brand?"

"This...this is of course part of the desensitization training!" A bead of cold sweat appeared on Banami's forehead as he awkwardly looked away. He couldn't very well tell Shoko that this was what Su Shi had used when she came that afternoon.

He had specifically reminded Su Shi that there might be something wrong with the condoms, but Su Shi just chuckled, hooked her arm around his neck, and said in a slightly seductive tone, "That's exactly the kind of condoms I want."

He asked in confusion, "What's the difference between this and not wearing it?" Su Shi lowered her head, gently licked his cheek, and said with warm breath, "Isn't this to give Xiangzi a sense of participation?"

It really provoked him.

Xiangzi clearly didn't believe his nonsense, crossed his arms, and glared at him angrily.

"I'll be more careful next time and won't let them mess around in our room." Knowing he couldn't hide it any longer, Ba Nai quickly apologized. He knew Xiangzi's temper too well; any further arguing would only make her angrier.

It's all those girls' fault, saying things like "it'll feel better in Xiangzi's room."

Xiangzi stared at him for a few seconds, then finally sighed heavily, a look of regret on his face: "I understand now, I've let the wolf into the house. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been able to get along with anyone else."

Banami, who had initially felt somewhat guilty, became displeased upon hearing this and sat up straight, retorting, "What do you mean by 'because of you'? It's as if I can only have a harem because of you."

"Isn't that right?" Xiangzi sneered, a hint of smugness in his eyes. "Hana Miyu, do you really think you're some kind of masterful playboy? All these girls you're having ambiguous relationships with now, aren't they all connected to Mygo or Ave Mujica?"

She held up her fingers and started counting: "Take Xiao Mu for example. If it weren't for the fact that we were childhood sweethearts and grew up together, do you think you would have had a chance to get to know her? You know how introverted Xiao Mu is. Outsiders simply can't enter her inner world."

"And then there's Nagasaki Motoyo. If it weren't for the fact that I escaped from Kulai Xiku and she kept looking for me, would you have had the chance to get close to her? Or even make her fall for you? The only reason she paid attention to you in the first place was because of your relationship with me."

"Let's talk about Hatsune Miku. She's admired me since she was little, and we're even related by blood. If it weren't for the fact that we participated in the fan creation together, do you think she would have accepted you so easily?"

"And Xiaodeng, Lixi, and the others, didn't they all meet you because of me? If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be able to build this harem!" Xiangzi said in one breath, tilting his chin up, his eyes full of smugness that seemed to say, "You should just admit it."

Undeniably, Xiangzi's words did make some sense. Looking back, Banami realized that when she first met these girls, she had indeed benefited from Xiangzi's influence to some extent.

But men have pride.

If you say that Banami became the head of the Toyokawa family by living off a woman, he will just smile and nod and say that you are right.

But if you say he was able to have a harem because of Xiangzi, he'll really fly into a rage.

"Hmph, according to you, doesn't that mean I've turned your entire harem into my own?" Banami raised an eyebrow and said in a deliberately provocative tone.

"You!" Xiangzi was instantly enraged, his cheeks flushed slightly, revealing two small tiger teeth. "By saying that, aren't you admitting that you only got to date them because of my connections?"

"I never admitted it!" Banai retorted, her temper flaring. "Even if I have nothing to do with you, Hatsune and Suze will still be attracted to me in the end! I am their true white moonlight, much more reliable than your unpredictable black moonlight!"

"Huh?!" Xiangzi was so angry she almost jumped up, reaching out to pinch his arm. "You still dare to talk such big words even now! Banai Miyu, you're just being hypocritical after taking advantage of me! If it weren't for me, you'd still be a miserable bachelor!"

Banami grabbed her hand, looking at her with a determined gaze, "How about we give it a try?"

"Try what?" Xiangzi was taken aback by his gaze and asked instinctively.

"Let's see if I could attract them if we hadn't ended up together," Banami said, a playful smile playing on her lips.

"Toyokawa Shoko, I want a divorce."

The air seemed to freeze. Xiangzi stared blankly at Banami, seemingly not understanding what he had just said.

A few seconds later, she frowned, about to lash out, when suddenly she saw a system notification.

[System Prompt: Secondary Creation - Launch]

[Topic: Fall in love after divorce]

Chapter Five: The Unfortunate Couple.JPG

At the divorce processing window of a municipal office in a certain ward of Tokyo, the air was so heavy it seemed to have frozen.

The metal tables and chairs reflected the cold white light, casting stiff shadows of the two people.

Toyokawa Shoko sat upright, her hands folded on the table. Her delicate face was expressionless, except for a hint of coldness hidden deep in her eyes as she stared directly at the boy opposite her.

"Do you have something to say?" Her voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable resolve.

Banami Yu leaned back in her chair, her posture languid. Upon hearing this, she merely raised her eyelids, her tone as calm as if she were discussing a trivial matter: "If you have nothing more to say, please proceed quickly."

He pointed to the printed divorce application in front of them, their names already filled in clearly in the "Applicant" section.

The female staff member sitting behind the window was about thirty years old, wearing a standard blue shirt. She couldn't help but take a few more glances at the overly young couple in front of her.

The age field on the application form reads "19". Nineteen years old is the age when life is just beginning, but these two are already on the verge of divorce.

She herself was almost thirty and had never experienced love. Looking at this young couple, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness, while at the same time she was incredibly curious—what kind of conflict could make two nineteen-year-olds decide to divorce?

"You two should reconsider," she said, suppressing her curiosity and offering routine advice. "Once you sign your names, the divorce will be officially effective, and it will be difficult to get back together then."

Ignoring the staff's advice, Xiangzi reached for the pen on the table.

With the pen tip hovering above the "Applicant's Signature" column, she paused.

Her fingertips trembled slightly, and a thought suddenly flashed through her mind: she subconsciously wanted to sign her name, "Hanami Shoko." This surname, which she had only used for a few years, felt even more intimate than her family name, which she had used for more than a decade.

Unable to hold back any longer, she put down her pen and looked at Banami one last time, her voice filled with suppressed questioning. She had asked this question countless times before: "I just don't understand. It's just that you're changing your surname to Toyokawa and becoming our family's son-in-law. What's wrong with that?"

Many people want to do it, but they don't have the opportunity!

Banami raised an eyebrow, her eyes still languid: "You know I'm a lazy person. If I went to your house, not only would I have to listen to that old man Toyokawa's arrangements in everything, but my life would also be planned by him. I can't stand that. You are the eldest daughter of the Toyokawa family, and you are used to being arranged for, so it doesn't matter to you, but I want to be free."

He paused, his tone becoming even more subdued: "Besides, we got married only to avoid taxes and get the government's wedding allowance, not for love, right?"

Xiangzi's heart clenched suddenly, and those memories she had deliberately buried surged forth in an instant.

Three years ago, she was held accountable by her grandfather for her father's embezzlement of family funds. She argued with her grandfather about her father's matter and secretly ran away from the Toyokawa family.

Penniless and friendless, she wandered aimlessly through the streets of Tokyo when she met Hanami, who had also just arrived from the countryside to make a living. He helped her find temporary accommodation and bought her hot rice balls, and the two gradually became acquainted.

Later, they simply moved in together. There was no sweet talk like lovers; they were more like supportive partners. They each worked several jobs, working themselves to the bone every day, collapsing into bed exhausted. But no matter how busy they were, they were always the first to lend a helping hand whenever the other faced difficulties. That budding romance, born during those tough times, spread quietly and subtly.

“I was saying,” Hanami mumbled, munching on a piece of bread one late night while working overtime, “that the city government recently introduced a new regulation that newlyweds can receive a 100,000 yen allowance, and it’s tax-free after marriage. Um…”

"Okay!" Before he could finish speaking, Xiangzi agreed without hesitation.

Looking back now, the two of them were probably just caught up in the heat of the moment. There was no proposal, no wedding, not even a decent ring; they just got married in a daze.

"Um, I don't have the money to buy a ring right now." On the day they got their marriage certificate, Banami scratched her head, her face full of embarrassment.

Xiangzi smiled and took out a piece of paper from his pocket. He skillfully folded two simple paper rings, handed one to Banami, and put the other on his own hand: "It's okay, I don't have money to buy a dowry anyway, so this will do for now."

"When I have money in the future, I will definitely make it up to you!" Banami solemnly accepted the paper ring, put it on her ring finger, and her eyes were full of a serious promise.

Xiangzi smiled, her eyes crinkling, sunlight streaming through the city hall window and warming her face: "Okay, I'll be waiting, Xi."

But looking back, the two were already sitting in front of the divorce processing window, and their promises had long since vanished.

Banami knew Xiangzi all too well, so well that he knew the grievances and tears welling up beneath her seemingly calm expression. He sighed softly, his tone still indifferent, but changed the subject: "However, these are just excuses. My real reason for divorcing you is not this."

"Huh?!" Xiangzi was stunned. The emotions he had been building up were instantly interrupted, and he looked at him blankly.

Banami showed a hint of disgust on her face: "Because you... grind your teeth in your sleep. I really can't stand it anymore. You grind your teeth every night. Do you know how I got these dark circles? I haven't had a good night's sleep in years!"

"What did you say?!" Xiangzi's face instantly turned red, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her pent-up emotions exploding at once. "Huh?! You think you're so great? You still fart in your sleep! I've told you so many times, but you never take it seriously! And you don't like doing housework, your room is a mess like a pigsty! You have so many lewd photos saved on your phone, do you think I don't know?"

"How dare you say that to me?" Banami retorted immediately. "Every time you come back from work, you smell like a stinky mess, and the smell of your socks is enough to make anyone faint! And your cooking is absolutely terrible, I have to pretend it's delicious and finish it all!"

Xiangzi was so angry that she was trembling all over. She was covered in sweat and stench because she had to go to work on the construction site!

The originally dull service window instantly transformed into a scene of argument between the two. They exposed each other's shortcomings, and the trivial matters of their lives became weapons to attack one another.

The female staff member next to her was so frightened that she almost dropped her pen on the table.

Looking at the young couple arguing heatedly in front of her, she thought to herself: Maybe it would be nice if I stayed single forever.

"I've never seen a young lady with such a huge appetite as you!" Banami suddenly raised her voice, dropping a bombshell, "Every weekend you try to drain me dry, it's so hard to keep up, you know!"

With a "whoosh," those words seemed to strike Xiangzi's sore spot precisely. Her face instantly turned crimson, almost bleeding, filled with shame and anger. She slammed her hand on the table: "Divorce! I'm divorcing you right now! You bastard, Banami Yu!"

This time, she didn't hesitate at all. She picked up her pen and quickly signed "Toyokawa Shoko" on the divorce application. The handwriting was sharp and carried obvious anger.

The moment she signed her name, Xiangzi snapped out of her rage. Looking at her signature on the application, her heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, the pain making it hard to breathe.

Immediately afterward, she saw Banami pick up a pen and, without the slightest hesitation or even glancing at her, sign her name in the signature field as "Banami Yu." The sound of the pen nib gliding across the paper felt like a knife, slashing deeply into her heart.

At that moment, Xiangzi felt something inside him plummet into an icy abyss, chilling him to the bone.

She stood up dazedly, not glancing at Hana again, and turned to walk towards the city hall entrance. Her steps were unsteady, like a puppet without a soul.

Just as she was about to walk out the door, a cold voice came from behind her: "How about we have one last farewell dinner?"

Xiangzi stopped in his tracks, without turning around, his voice cold and angry: "You can't afford to hire me now."

“That’s right, after all, she’s already back in the Toyokawa family as the eldest daughter.” Hachimi’s tone was slightly teasing. “Compared to Hachimi Shoko, the name Toyokawa Shoko is more dignified.”

Xiangzi clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms, causing a sharp pain. She said coldly, "It's better than some people breaking their promises!"

After saying that, she didn't linger and resolutely walked out of the city hall, her back view as resolute as when she left the Toyokawa family three years ago.

But as soon as she stepped out of the city hall, her grandfather's voice suddenly rang in her mind—

"Xiangzi, I can let your useless father return to the Fengchuan family and no longer pursue his responsibilities. But the condition is that you go home and succeed him as the head of the family."

"Moreover, I must divorce that scoundrel. That kind of commoner from the grassroots is not worthy of our Toyokawa family at all."

"Hmph, fine, since you're so pleading, I'll give him a chance. As long as he's willing to become a son-in-law of the Toyokawa family and marry into our family, I'll reluctantly let him go home with you."

Xiangzi suddenly stopped and pulled a small crumpled piece of paper from her pocket. Unfolding it, she found a slightly creased paper ring, the one she had folded herself for Banami three years ago, which she had later taken back.

She impulsively wanted to throw the paper ring away, but her finger felt glued to the ground and wouldn't move. A tear fell unexpectedly, wetting the thin paper ring and leaving a faint stain.

“Liar…” Her voice was soft, filled with deep grievance and sobs, and dissipated in the Tokyo breeze.

Finally, Xiangzi wiped away her tears, took out her phone, and posted a status update on her WeChat Moments: "Starting today, I'm single!"

Not long after, several likes appeared in the comments section of the post. The people who liked it were Nagasaki Motoyo, Misumi Hatsune, Wakaba Mutsumi, and Takamatsu Akari.

****

Inside the city hall, Hanami remained seated, and a female staff member handed her the completed divorce certificate.

He didn't get up immediately. Instead, he took out a cigarette from his pocket, but didn't light it. He just put it in his mouth and stared blankly out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

At the service window next door, a young couple was registering their marriage. The man looked a little embarrassed, scratching his head as he said to the woman, "I'm sorry, Huizi, I can't afford a ring right now, but I'll definitely buy you the best one when I earn money in the future."

The girl smiled and shook her head, her eyes gentle: "It's okay, as long as I can be with Murata-kun, I'm happy. Whether there's a ring or not doesn't matter."

"I will definitely make it up to you later!" the boy solemnly promised.

Hearing this, Banami's body stiffened slightly. He took out a small black box from his pocket, stood up, walked to the young couple, and handed the box to them: "I don't want this anymore, you can keep it as a wedding gift."

The boy paused for a moment, then opened the box with a puzzled look. Inside lay two silver rings, simple in design yet exquisitely crafted. "This...this is too valuable, we can't accept it!" The boy quickly tried to return the box to him.

"Take it," Banami said calmly, a hint of melancholy in her voice. "It's best not to make promises about the future lightly. If you can't keep them, she'll hold a grudge for the rest of her life."

Having said that, he didn't linger and turned to leave the city hall.

The sunlight shone on him, but it couldn't dispel the loneliness emanating from him.

Chapter Six: The Flames of Desire +1 +1

The afterglow of the setting sun shines through the windows of the old apartment building, casting long shadows in the mottled stairwell.

Nagasaki Motoyo walked upstairs with slightly hurried steps, the sound of her high heels clicking on the concrete floor particularly clear in the quiet stairwell.

Her fingertips were slightly cold, but her heart was beating faster than usual, and even her breathing was slightly rapid.

The apartment building in front of her was quite old; the walls were peeling, and moss even grew in the corners. Su Shi had fantasized countless times about stepping onto this place.

She knew that this was the place where Xiangzi had lived after she resolutely left Kulaixiku, met the boy named Banaijian, and then lived and married him.

This place holds the most ordinary yet authentic years of Xiangzi's life, a realm she could only observe from afar and could never reach.

Su Shi's eyes were somewhat unfocused, and her fingertips curled unconsciously. The earth-shattering shock she felt when she first learned of Xiangzi's marriage still lingered in her heart.

She couldn't understand how the proud and warm-hearted Toyokawa Shoko could willingly live such a mundane life with an ordinary grassroots boy, and even give up her own surname.

Just as she reached the familiar door and raised her hand to knock, her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out, and a text message popped up on the screen: "Soyorin, what do you want to eat tonight? Sukiyaki or beef stew with potatoes?"

Looking at this seemingly ordinary yet caring message, Su Shi felt a strange sense of impatience rise in her heart.

Her fingers flew across the screen, replying with just two words: "Whatever."

Putting her phone away, Su Shi looked up at the door again. The door was a simple white, with a slightly worn cartoon sticker on it—a style Xiangzi liked. This was where Saki-chan lived; Saki-chan was right behind the door.

"Ah, SAKI-chan..." she murmured softly, her voice filled with undisguised longing.

But things are different now. Su Shi couldn't help but smile slightly, a hint of excitement flashing in her eyes—Xiangzi had announced on his WeChat Moments that he was single.

The marriage that had bound Xiangzi was finally over.

Now, Saki-chan belongs to her alone again (in my opinion).

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