A warm feeling welled up inside him. Xiangzi's expression remained tense, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch slightly as he asked with a hint of teasing, "Are you worried about me?"
Looking at the undisguised expectation in her eyes, Banami knew that he should say something cruel to extinguish her hopes completely. But for him, proposing a divorce was the most ruthless thing he could do. He simply couldn't bear to cause any more harm to this innocent girl.
After a moment of hesitation, Banami slowly spoke: "Even if we can't be husband and wife, you will still be my best friend."
"Huh? Friends?" Xiangzi instantly bristled, sneered, and said in a sharp tone, "Yana Miyu, let me tell you, we are either husband and wife or enemies, definitely not some ambiguous middle ground!"
Hearing this, Banami frowned slightly, a hint of frustration on his face. He didn't argue further, turned around, and continued walking towards the rented room. Seeing this, Xiangzi immediately followed, but her steps were lighter than before.
Although she spoke toughly, Xiangzi couldn't help but feel a little smug when she realized that Banami was still secretly concerned about her, and her steps behind him became much lighter.
Before long, the two arrived at the apartment building where Banami rented a place. It was an old residential building with some mottled walls and a faint smell of cooking oil in the stairwell, a world apart from the environment where Xiangzi was now.
"You still live in such a poor place? It's even worse than where we used to live." Miss Toyokawa frowned, her tone filled with undisguised disdain.
“It doesn’t matter where I live since I’m all alone,” Banami said calmly. “Besides, as a man, I’m not worried about any safety issues.”
Xiangzi's heart skipped a beat. Did he mean that he used to live in a better place because he wanted to ensure her safety? And he specifically emphasized that he now lived alone... This realization inexplicably improved Xiangzi's mood considerably.
Banami took out the key, inserted it into the lock, and turned it gently. With a "click," the door opened. But when he saw the scene inside, he froze instantly, as if petrified, standing motionless at the doorway.
Inside, a girl with long pink hair was carefully placing a small potted plant in the corner of the balcony. Hearing the door open, she immediately turned around, and upon seeing the person at the door, her face instantly lit up with a radiant smile, her eyes shining like stars.
"Ah, Hanami-kun, you're off work!" Aine waved happily, pointing to the green plants on the balcony like she was showing off a treasure. "How about this potted plant? I think it makes the balcony less empty. I specially went to the flower market to buy it."
Banami's expression remained stiff; his lips moved, but no sound came out. Aine seemed to notice his unease, looked down at her clothes, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said shyly, "I'm so sorry, I got my clothes dirty last night, so I borrowed your white shirt... You don't mind, do you?"
At this moment, Aine was wearing a loose white shirt, the length of which was just enough to cover her thighs and reveal her slender calves.
Just then, Aine's gaze passed over Hanami and landed on the girl behind him, her face ashen and radiating a menacing aura. She tilted her head slightly and asked with some confusion, "Eh, who are you?"
Xiangzi looked at the familiar white shirt the girl was wearing. It was the one she had bought for Banami, intending it to be her "boyfriend shirt." But now, it was being worn by another girl, and she seemed to be living with Banami.
Her anger was instantly ignited.
"Is this your reason for divorcing me, Yana Miyu?" Her voice was cold and indifferent, like a demon from hell.
"Xiao Xiang, don't misunderstand!" Seeing that he had finally realized what was happening, Ba Nai panicked and hurriedly tried to explain, "She is..."
"Shut up!" Before he could finish speaking, Xiangzi's boundless rage erupted. She screamed, "Yana Miyu, you'd better die!"
Before he could finish speaking, Xiangzi raised his foot and kicked Banami hard in the shin. The intense pain made Banami groan and bend over. Xiangzi didn't look at him again, turned around and ran frantically downstairs, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face.
"Huh?" Aine stood there, still tilting her head, her smile completely gone. She looked at Banami, who was bent over covering her face, then at the empty doorway, and muttered to herself, "Did I... do something wrong?"
Chapter Nineteen: Su Shi: Bana Miyu, you bitch!
When I saw Xiaodeng slumped in a chair, sobbing uncontrollably...
At that moment, I thought to myself, if I could see Xiangzi again, I would definitely bring her back.
I will never forget this scene.
Now that Xiangzi is right in front of me, I have to consider whether this might be my only chance in this life.
I believe that despite the hardships, there were happy days in the past, and Xiangzi deserves much credit for that.
To rebuild the glory of our hardship is our inescapable duty.
BY Nagasaki Motoyo
Therefore, Nagasaki Motoyo arrived near the Toyokawa family home early in the morning and found a secluded corner to stand in.
These past two days, SAKI-chan hasn't answered her calls or replied to her LINE messages, making her extremely anxious, constantly worried that she'll lose this hard-won opportunity to get closer to her again.
As the sun rose higher, more pedestrians appeared on the street. Su Shi tightened her coat, her gaze fixed on the imposing gate of the Toyokawa family mansion, not daring to blink even for a moment.
Finally, the door slowly opened, and Xiangzi walked out. She was wearing an exquisitely tailored suit, her makeup was impeccable, and she exuded a noble and aloof aura, completely different from the Xiangzi who had been with her in the rented room.
Seeing Xiangzi like this, Su Shi's eyes glazed over, and her heart beat faster.
She is so beautiful.
But the next second, Aine's pitiful face uncontrollably appeared in her mind—Aine's rapid breathing and perfunctory tone when she called last night were still vivid in her mind.
Su Shi's expression instantly stiffened. She shook her head vigorously, trying to shake Ai Yin's image out of her mind.
In that brief moment of distraction, Xiangzi had already gotten into the Rolls-Royce Phantom waiting at the door, and the car quickly started and drove off.
"Oh no!" Su Shi exclaimed in a low voice. Without thinking twice, she immediately ran to the side of the road and waved to stop a taxi that happened to be passing by.
She hurriedly opened the car door and got in, urgently calling out to the driver, "Sir, please follow that black Rolls-Royce Phantom in front!"
The driver glanced in the direction she pointed and saw the expensive Rolls-Royce. He then turned to look at Su Shi with a strange and wary look in his eyes: "Miss, following someone is illegal. I can't help you."
“Tail…” Su Shi’s face flushed red instantly as she realized how inappropriate her words were. She clenched her fists, her mind racing, and in a moment of quick thinking, she said, “Master, you’ve misunderstood! The person in that car ahead is my girlfriend. She… she cheated on me. I just want to follow her to find evidence, otherwise I won’t be satisfied!”
Upon hearing the keywords "girlfriend" and "cheating," the driver's eyes lit up instantly, and he looked at Su Shi with a gossipy glint in his eyes.
He muttered to himself: "Young people these days, especially the rich, really go all out..."
Su Shi felt the driver's strange gaze and wished she could disappear into the ground. She could only lower her head awkwardly and pretend to straighten her clothes.
"Alright, miss, I'll help you this once since you look so pitiful!" The driver patted the steering wheel, immediately started the car, and carefully followed, adding, "Don't worry, I drive steadily, I guarantee we won't be spotted!"
Su Shi forced himself to nod, suppressing his embarrassment, his gaze fixed on the Rolls-Royce ahead.
The car drove for about ten minutes before finally stopping in front of a convenience store. Xiangzi got out of the Rolls-Royce and went straight into the store. Su Shi quickly paid the fare, got out of the car, and hid behind a tree by the roadside, peering inside.
When she saw that familiar figure behind the convenience store counter, her pupils instantly contracted—it was Banami Yu! She would recognize this man even if he were ashes!
A nameless anger suddenly rose in Su Shi's heart, but curiosity was even stronger. She took out a baseball cap from her bag, put it on, pulled the brim low, and pretended to be a passerby, quietly blending into the crowd of onlookers at the convenience store entrance.
Through the gaps in the crowd, she could clearly see Xiangzi making things difficult for Banami—one moment he was being sarcastic and the next he was throwing strange things on the counter, his tone incredibly harsh.
At first, Su Shi felt a surge of pleasure: Hmph, Banami Yuu, you've finally met your match! You deserve to be tormented like this by Saki-chan!
After watching for a while, she realized something was wrong. Xiangzi's harassment seemed fierce, but there was a hint of grievance and resentment hidden in his eyes. It didn't seem like simple revenge at all; it was more like a young couple having a tantrum.
Su Shi's heart sank: Saki-chan, you still can't forget this man after all...
Not long after, Xiangzi suddenly seemed to have an emotional breakdown, turning around and rushing out of the convenience store. Seeing this, Su Shi followed without thinking, calling out as she chased after him, "SAKI-chan, wait for me!"
But Xiangzi was running too fast, and with so many people on the street, her voice was quickly drowned out by the noise, and Xiangzi didn't hear her at all. Su Shi could only chase after her desperately, running until she was breathless and felt like her lungs were about to explode.
Finally, she found Xiangzi squatting on the ground crying next to a vending machine. But before she could go over, she saw that the man, Banami Yuu, had also caught up with them, and even squatted down to gently bandage Saki's finger!
"Hana Miyu, you bitch!" Suze, hiding behind a corner in the distance, clenched her fists tightly, roaring furiously in her heart. This man, how dare he be so gentle to Saki-chan!
Watching Xiangzi's alternating expressions of anger and vulnerability, she became even more certain: Saki-chan really can't forget him!
What terrified her even more was that after the bandaging was finished, Xiangzi actually left with Banami Yu! Judging from the direction they went, they were clearly heading back to that man's rented room!
Su Shi's heart leaped into her throat. She quietly followed behind the two, her heart filled with extreme anxiety: What if... what if they went back to the rented apartment and rekindled their old flame?
The image of Xiangzi completely naked flashed through her mind...
No, no, no, I don't want this!
She even frantically considered in her mind: should she take out that flute and play a tune outside to liven things up... no, to disturb their good time!
Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard Xiangzi's heart-wrenching roar from inside the rented room: "Yana Miyu, go to hell!"
Su Shi's heart skipped a beat, followed by a surge of anger: "Hana Miyu, you bastard! What did you do to my Saki-chan?!"
Not long after, she saw Xiangzi run out of the rented room crying, her eyes red and her face pale. Su Shi rushed out from behind the corner and chased after her, shouting, "SAKI-chan, wait for me!"
This time, Xiangzi finally stopped. She turned around and saw Su Shi, who was panting heavily. Her eyes held a strange and bewildered look, and she asked in a voice heavy with sobs, "What are you... doing here?"
Su Shi's body stiffened instantly, her mind went blank, and she subconsciously said, "I... I just happened to be passing by and saw you..."
After saying that, Su Shi cursed herself inwardly: Ugh, idiot! What am I even saying? Who would believe such a lame excuse!
But Xiangzi seemed to have no time to investigate. She simply wiped her tears haphazardly and turned to leave. Su Shi quickly chased after her, anxiously asking, "SAKI-chan, what happened? Did that bastard Banami Yu bully you?"
Xiangzi stopped abruptly, biting her lip, the sadness in her eyes gradually replaced by overwhelming anger. She suddenly raised her head and roared at Su Shi, "Bana Miyu, he's having an affair! That's why he divorced me!"
"There's actually such a thing..." Su Shi's eyes lit up instantly, and she almost blurted out the word "good thing," but luckily she reacted quickly and immediately changed her words, "...What a bastard's thing!"
She cheered wildly in her heart: "Yana Miyu, well done! Thank you so much! I wish you and that mistress eternal happiness!"
Great! Now Saki can finally give up on this man completely, right? She could almost see herself and Saki rebuilding their "bitter but bitter" relationship and living a happy life, beckoning to her.
Just as Su Shi was happily envisioning the future, Xiangzi clenched his fists and said fiercely, "I won't let him get away with this! I'll make him pay!"
Su Shi's smile froze instantly, and she almost twisted her back in fright. She stared blankly at Xiangzi's angry expression, her heart skipping a beat: Wait... things don't seem to be going as she thought?
Chapter Twenty: Why Does Your Girlfriend Cheate on You Every Day?
Inside the rented room, Aine carefully held a cotton swab and gently applied hydrogen peroxide to the wound on Hanami's calf. The pale liquid touched the swollen skin, eliciting a hissing sound of pain from Hanami.
She heard the boy's suppressed gasps in front of her, and Aine's eyes instantly reddened, large tears welling up. Her voice trembled with sobs as she said, "Hanami-kun, are you... are you alright? I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry, I didn't know things would turn out like this..."
She had already realized who the girl who had stormed out in anger was—Hana-kun's ex-wife, and also her former rival in love.
It's obvious that Miss Xiangzi completely misunderstood her relationship with Hanami-kun, which is why she got so angry.
That kick was both sudden and vicious; just looking at the wound made Aine feel heartbroken.
Banami gently shook her head, her tone as calm as if she were talking about a trivial matter: "It's okay, even if Xiaoxiang misunderstands, it's not a big deal."
Ai Yin's eyes widened slightly, and after a few seconds of stunned silence, she instantly understood the deeper meaning behind his words. She stopped what she was doing, looked up at him, and said, "But, Miss Xiangzi will really hate you!"
Seeing that Banai had fallen silent, his lowered eyes filled with complex emotions, he didn't say anything more. But Aine already understood completely—this taciturn boy in front of her was deliberately trying to make Miss Shoko completely despise and forget him through this misunderstanding.
He would rather bear the misunderstanding and pain himself than let Miss Xiangzi completely move on and start a new life.
Aiyin lowered her head again and continued to bandage his wound, but she could no longer hold back her tears, which fell drop by drop onto the back of her hand and onto the gauze used for bandaging.
Seeing her tears, Banami asked with a hint of confusion, "Why are you crying..."
"Because even you, Hanami, don't want to cry, so I have to cry for you." Aine sniffed and wiped the tears from her cheeks haphazardly with the back of her hand, her voice muffled.
Hanami paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, her voice gentle: "Thank you, Chihaya-san."
Upon hearing this address, the pink-haired girl immediately looked up at him, her eyes sparkling: "Just call me Aine..."
Her movement of looking up was somewhat abrupt, and the front of her white shirt opened slightly due to the large movement. The shirt was already large and hung loosely on her, naturally revealing a glimpse of her fair skin.
When Banami's gaze inadvertently swept over him, she froze instantly, subconsciously turning her head away, her ears turning slightly red, her expression somewhat embarrassed.
Ai Yin belatedly realized something was wrong, her cheeks flushed red instantly, she let out a soft "ah," and quickly gathered her hands around her shirt, tightly closing the open front.
"Just call me...Aine." She lowered her head, her voice barely audible, yet earnest. "I like it when my friends call me by my name."
"We're friends now?" Banami turned her head, looking a little silly.
Aine immediately looked up, her face breaking into a smile that was as bright and warm as a sunflower in summer: "Of course! Hanami-kun is already my best friend!"
Looking at that vibrant smile, Banami couldn't help but recall Xiangzi, who had just run away crying. Once, Xiangzi had also given him that same radiant smile—so similar, yet so distant.
By the time the wound was bandaged, it was already getting dark. Aine packed up her first-aid kit and prepared to leave. She was still wearing Hanami's white shirt—the clothes she'd soiled that morning weren't completely dry and were unwearable.
"Hanami-kun, I'll bring you this shirt after I wash it when I get back," Aine said softly, standing at the door.
Sitting in the chair, Banami gently shook her head, a hint of melancholy in her eyes: "This dress is for you."
Ai Yin was stunned. Looking into the boy's earnest eyes, she didn't refuse again and nodded gently. She looked up at the sky, which had turned to dusk, tightened her grip on her backpack, as if she had made an important decision, and turned to walk into the twilight.
****
The following morning, in a large classroom at a music university in Tokyo.
Nagasaki Motoyo dragged her tired body into the classroom, her eyes bloodshot.
Yesterday, Xiangzi clearly didn't want her to see his disheveled state, so he quickly parted ways with her after only a few words.
She tossed and turned all night, her mind filled with thoughts of Xiangzi, and couldn't fall asleep at all.
"Huh, Anon-chan, is that shirt you're wearing men's? Could it be...?"
"Huh? But Anon-chan, don't you like Nagasaki-kun?"
"Oh, that's not true at all! Nagasaki and I are just friends."
A familiar, cheerful girl's voice came from inside the classroom. Su Shi stopped in her tracks instantly and instinctively hid behind the wall by the classroom door, holding her breath.
Just... friends?
These three words were like a fine needle, gently pricking Su Shi's heart. She had clearly taken the initiative to break up with Ai Yin, but hearing Ai Yin so decisively define their relationship as "friends" made her feel inexplicably uncomfortable.
"Did you hear that? Anon-chan didn't deny that it's her boyfriend's shirt!" Another girl's voice was filled with excited gossip.
"Eh, is it that obvious?" Ai-yin's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible excitement, along with a touch of sweet shyness.
"Huh?!" Su Shi couldn't help but exclaim softly, her heart skipping a beat.
Ai-yin...was wearing her boyfriend's shirt?
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