Xiangzi turned his head to the side, his eyes scrutinizing her, then gave a soft snort: "What's wrong, Xi? Are you feeling sorry for her?"

Banami gently shook her head and said earnestly, "She is a kind-hearted girl, just like... Miss Toyokawa."

When he said the last few words, he paused slightly. He had originally intended to call out "Xiao Xiang," but then changed it to "Miss Feng Chuan."

Xiangzi was stunned, and a strange warmth welled up in his heart, dispelling much of his previous anger.

"Actually, I've wanted to say this for a long time: Xi, you're really bad at charming girls."

Seeing that she was feeling a little awkward, Banai made an unnatural "uh" sound, unsure of how to respond. But then Xiangzi continued, "However, I just like you the way you are."

Xiangzi felt like a greedy dragon, and Banami Yu was her most precious treasure. She only wanted to protect it and not let anyone covet it.

But this divorce dispute ultimately made others see his good qualities, which led to this pink-haired girl clinging to him.

Just as her thoughts were churning and she was feeling a little regretful, the locker room door clicked open. The moment Aine stepped out, Shoko's eyes widened slightly, clearly not expecting such a sight.

It was still that same British maid outfit, but Aine had given it a completely new look.

She used scissors to cut the heavy skirt into irregular curves along a diagonal, the length just enough to reveal her slender ankles, adding a touch of liveliness as she walked; she also slightly trimmed the originally stiff cuffs to fit her wrists, and paired them with the white stockings on her legs that outlined the plump curves of her thighs, instantly transforming the originally dull maid outfit into a charming and cute little maid.

Just as Xiangzi was about to say something, Aine had already walked briskly to Hanami's side. Without hesitation, she took Hanami's arm, her cheeks flushed slightly, and her eyes held a hint of nervousness. However, she still mustered her courage and softly called out in a deliberately coquettish tone, "Master Hanami, how do I look in this maid outfit? Isn't it cute?"

She was clearly provoked by the kiss earlier, which gave her the courage to retaliate in this way.

Seeing that the word "master" made her stomach hurt, Banai said with a wry smile, "Uh, it's pretty good."

"Hmph!" Xiangzi snorted heavily. The joy he felt when he saw Banami wearing a suit was instantly ruined by Aine's actions.

She glared fiercely at Ai Yin, then turned and strode out without another glance, her high heels clicking loudly on the floor, her anger palpable.

Aine paused, released her grip on Banami's hand, and watched Shoko's angry departure. She murmured in surprise, "Strange, Miss Shoko didn't come after me? I thought she would have lashed out on the spot."

She was prepared to argue with Xiangzi, but to her surprise, he simply left.

As Banami watched Shoko's departing figure, she thought to herself, "Could it be that Shoko really took my words to heart? She clearly still thinks she has let him down."

Seeing his "ex-wife" like this, Banami felt a little touched and said, "Don't think too badly of Sho. She's actually a good girl, just like you, Chihaya-san."

Aine gave Banami a slightly strange look, then let go of her hand and walked away with her flat shoes clicking on the floor.

Seeing the slightly puzzled look on his face, Yaiba wondered: Did he say something wrong? Why does Chihaya-san seem angry?

However, what none of the three expected was that at that moment, Nagasaki Motoyo was walking quickly into the mall entrance. She was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses for disguise, and her eyes were scanning back and forth in the crowd anxiously, as if she was looking for someone.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Mindset Transformation

When the three of them came out of the suit store, the sun was already high in the sky, close to noon.

Xiangzi led Banami and Aine straight into a high-end restaurant specializing in aged steaks.

The restaurant is softly lit, with elegant wooden decor and a rich aroma of meat and red wine filling the air. Every detail exudes a sophisticated style.

Since they were nominally attendants, Banami and Aine stood behind Shoko and watched her sit down alone at the dining table.

The waiter brought over the menu, which Xiangzi casually flipped through. He ordered an expensive steak and red wine in a flat tone, without ever glancing back at the two of them.

Perhaps it was because she had exhausted herself arguing with Xiangzi earlier, or perhaps it was because the aroma of the aged steak was too tempting, but Ai Yin's stomach suddenly started rumbling, which was particularly noticeable in the quiet restaurant.

With his back to the two men, Xiangzi couldn't help but chuckle.

Her cheeks flushed red, and she lowered her head in embarrassment, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Banami quietly took out a beautifully wrapped fruit candy from her pocket, handed it to Aine, and whispered in her ear, "Sorry, there's no convenience store nearby. Use this to tide you over."

Ai Yin happily accepted the candy, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. The sweet taste instantly dispelled most of her hunger and embarrassment.

She looked up and gave Hanami a bright smile: "Hana-kun, you don't need to apologize! I'd rather stand and starve with you than sit and eat delicious food alone!"

Banai felt a little embarrassed. This girl was becoming increasingly open about her feelings, so direct that he was somewhat at a loss.

At this moment, the waiter brought out a sizzling steak, its golden skin glistening with oil, and its aroma growing stronger.

Xiangzi picked up the knife and fork but didn't move. Instead, he looked up at Banami and said in an unquestionable command, "Sit down and feed me."

Banami paused for a moment, then subconsciously looked at Aine beside her. Seeing her puffed-up face, she felt a pang of unease.

But when he met Xiangzi's defiant eyes, he finally sat down in silence, picked up his fork, cut off a small piece of steak, and held it to Xiangzi's lips.

Xiangzi opened his mouth triumphantly and took a delicious bite of the steak. While chewing, he deliberately looked up at Aiyin, his eyes revealing his undisguised smugness.

For whom do I clench my fist in anger? To protect the country, safeguard peace, and eliminate evil.

Aine clenched her fists tightly.

What annoyed Aine even more was that after Xiangzi finished eating, he picked up his fork, cut a piece of steak, and handed it to Banami.

Banai instinctively wanted to refuse, but Xiangzi's eyes instantly turned resentful, and she said softly, "Are you going to refuse me again?"

The familiar tone softened Banami's heart, and she could only grit her teeth and open her mouth to eat it.

He was caught between the two girls, feeling torn and helpless.

Fortunately, just as he swallowed the steak, the phone in his pocket rang.

He grasped at this as if it were a lifeline, and quickly got up, saying, "I'm going to answer a phone call."

After saying that, without waiting for their response, he quickly walked to a quiet corner of the restaurant.

Suddenly, only Ai-yin and Xiang-zi remained at the dining table, staring at each other, the atmosphere momentarily tense.

Aine took a deep breath, breaking the silence, and said in a stiff tone, "Miss Toyokawa, since Hanami-kun isn't here, would you like me, her attendant, to feed you?"

These were words spoken in anger, tinged with a hint of defiance; Aine hadn't expected Xiangzi to agree. But to her surprise, Xiangzi nodded slightly, a knowing smile playing on his lips: "Alright."

Aine was stunned, then angrily pulled out a chair and sat down. She picked up the fork that Banami had just used, haphazardly cut a piece of steak, and rudely handed it to Xiangzi.

Xiangzi, however, didn't care at all. He opened his mouth and ate it triumphantly, his eyes seeming to say: I just love your look of disliking me but being unable to do anything about it.

"No matter how hard you try, in Xi's heart, you are ultimately just a substitute for me, understand?" Xiangzi wiped the corner of his mouth and immediately put on a smug face.

To Xiangzi's surprise, Aiyin was not hurt by her words. Instead, she looked at her seriously with clear and firm eyes: "But Miss Xiangzi, I think loving someone is not about keeping them by your side, but about hoping that they can become better and live a happier life."

After all, she had become accustomed to being a substitute for others, so Xiangzi's self-righteous attack was completely ineffective.

Xiangzi stared blankly at Aine. The purity and earnestness in the girl's eyes inexplicably reminded her of her past self—the one whose heart and eyes were filled with Hanami, and who only hoped that he could be happy.

She paused for a few seconds, then said softly, "Give me another piece."

Ai Yin was slightly surprised, but she did as instructed. Watching Xiangzi eat the steak, Ai Yin was about to speak when she heard Xiangzi calmly say, "If we hadn't met in this way, perhaps we could have become very good friends."

“But I think being a love rival isn’t so bad!” Ai Yin’s tone was a bit stubborn and straightforward.

Xiangzi was amused by her straightforward manner and raised an eyebrow, teasing, "You? You must have padded yourself with something under that maid outfit you're wearing, right?"

"Ah! How could you say that! That's too much!" Aine blushed instantly, glaring at Xiangzi in annoyance, and covered her chest with her hand. While altering the maid outfit... for a moment, unintentionally... she couldn't help herself...

Despite being fierce rivals in love, the tense atmosphere between the two subtly eased somewhat.

Neither of them noticed that Nagasaki Motoyo was standing there in the shadows by the restaurant entrance, lost in thought.

She finally found the two of them in the steakhouse, and then she saw Ai Yin sitting opposite Xiangzi, feeding her steak by hand. The two were very close, chatting and laughing from time to time, looking intimate and natural.

Recalling the scene of Shoko kissing Aine that she had seen outside the Toyokawa family's house, Suze felt as if her heart was being gripped tightly by an icy hand, the pain almost making it hard to breathe.

This time, she could no longer deceive herself; those self-deceiving excuses crumbled before her eyes.

Countless questions and confusions churned in her mind. She even had the urge to rush up to the two of them and demand to know their relationship. But her steps felt as heavy as lead, and she suddenly realized that she simply didn't have the courage.

She couldn't even bear to look at the two of them being so "intimate" any longer, and could only turn around in a sorry state and stumble away from the restaurant.

As he ran, the questions in his mind became clearer and clearer: Why? Wasn't Xiaoxiang heartbroken because of his divorce from Banami? Why did he turn around and get together with Aine?

Their interaction was natural and tacit, not at all like they had just met.

Su Shi, who was naturally suspicious, quickly thought of an absurd yet irresistible possibility: Could it be that the divorce was something Xiangzi had planned all along? Did she deliberately divorce Banami in order to be with Aine?

Su Shi even felt that Xiangzi had deliberately revealed the news of the divorce to her and deliberately acted heartbroken in front of her just to make her feel that she had a chance.

Then Su Shi will try to break up with Aine, so that Xiangzi and Aine can be together naturally!

It was such an absurd guess, but thinking about the even more absurd scene just now, her mind was increasingly occupied by this obsessive idea, and she gradually convinced herself of it.

Her eyes gradually lost their light, which meant that... she was actually the victim?

No... no, it should be said that she, and that poor boy whom she used to hate and despise, were both victims, right?

Chapter Twenty-Nine couldn't possibly be just filler content from the author, could it?

The night was as dark as ink, and the neon lights shone through the hazy glass windows of the bar, casting long and short shadows of the glasses.

Nagasaki Motoyo lay alone on the bar, several empty bottles scattered haphazardly in front of her. Amber-colored whiskey residue slid down the glass, soaking her cuffs and leaving dark marks.

Her cheeks were flushed with the effects of alcohol, her eyes were hazy as if veiled in mist, and she was muttering to herself intermittently, her voice so soft it was almost swallowed by the bar's music: "SAKI-chan...SAKI-chan...what's so good about her...I clearly...clearly like you so much..."

As she spoke, her voice became thick with nasal tones, her eyes red like ripe cherries, tears welling in her eyes, threatening to spill at any moment: "Waaah... Anon-chan... Anon-chan... What's so good about her... The person who loves you the most is me... It should be me..."

The alcohol took full effect, washing over her consciousness. Her words became increasingly incoherent, until finally only incoherent sobs remained, mingling with the noisy music, barely audible, filled with suppressed sorrow.

"You two!"

Su Shi suddenly raised her head, her eyes unfocused, and raised her hand haphazardly, as if trying to grasp something intangible. But when her hand fell, it swept squarely across a bottle of beer next to her.

"Splash—"

The icy liquid splashed out with a "whoosh," landing right on a burly man who had just passed by, instantly soaking through his black shirt, the dark stains spreading rapidly.

"Hey, are you crazy?!"

Startled by the roar, Su Shi raised her tear-streaked face blankly, sniffled, and asked in a tearful voice, "Do you have medicine?"

The man was about to lash out, but when he saw Su Shi's reddened eyes, wet eyelashes, and her lovely face with tears streaming down her face, his eyes lit up instantly, and his anger subsided, replaced by a hint of ill intent in his gaze.

Just as he was about to say something, a deep, steady male voice suddenly came from the side:

"I'm sorry, my girlfriend is drunk and has caused you trouble. Here's some money as an apology; please take it and buy yourself a new outfit. Don't spoil the fun."

Before he could finish speaking, two brand-new 10,000-yuan bills were handed to the man.

The man turned around, his eyes wide, and instinctively shouted, "No, it's you again?"

As for Banami, after getting a clearer look at the other person, she also found it hard to keep her composure. Wasn't this the man that Aine bumped into last time?

"Is she your girlfriend too?" the big man asked suspiciously.

"I'm rather fickle," Banami said, scratching her cheek.

The big man was straightforward; after taking the 20,000 yen, he gave him a thumbs-up and left.

Looking at the drunken Nagasaki Motoyo, Banami sighed and sat down opposite her.

"Ah, here comes the poor soul... a poor soul just like me..."

Su Shi squinted at him, her tone full of drunken sentimentality, as if she were talking to him, or as if she were talking to herself.

Banai was a little confused, not understanding why she would call him that, but he was too lazy to argue with a drunk woman and just assumed she was talking nonsense.

"Where do you live? Give me your address, and I'll take you home." Banami's voice was calm.

"Hehe..." Su Shi chuckled softly, raising her hand and pointing her fingertips vaguely at Banami, her eyes still unfocused. "I rented you... not so you could take me home..."

"Do you know what you're doing right now?" Banami looked at the other person calmly.

"Of course I know..." Su Shi hiccuped, but her tone was somewhat certain. "It's a rented boyfriend service... otherwise why would you be here? Surely... drinking with someone isn't one of your services, is it?"

Just as Nagasaki Motoyo said, the reason why Hanami came here was because he received a call from the rental company saying that the same Miss Nagasaki had requested him again.

Although he had become Xiangzi's servant, Banami still needed to earn money, but that wasn't the most important thing. The most important thing was that the place the other party mentioned was still a bar.

Since she was a friend of both Aine and Shoko, Banami eventually came over to take a look and saw a silly woman drowning her sorrows in alcohol.

No, haven't I seen this scene somewhere recently?

“Drinking is certainly possible.” Banami’s voice pulled Suze back from her dazed thoughts. He paused, then deliberately added, “However, there’s an extra charge. As I said before, I charge per hour…”

But the next moment, Su Shi suddenly pulled out a wad of banknotes from her wallet and slammed them heavily on the table. The pink 10,000-yuan bills were scattered everywhere, and a rough count revealed that there were as many as thirty or forty of them. She truly deserved to be the richest woman after Xiangzi.

With a dazed look in her eyes, she said, "I want someone to drink with me, is that enough?"

After a moment of silence, Banai took all of Su Shi's things.

Su Shi's lips curled into a slight sneer, but she didn't stop him. He really was a greedy man, but it didn't matter. Right now, she just wanted someone to drink with her, and this Banai Miyu was the most suitable one.

But the next moment, Banami put the money on the table back into her wallet, leaving only six 10,000 yen bills.

"These two are the ones I just gave to that man. They're included in the service fee. As for accompanying him for drinks, I charge 40,000 yen per session."

After saying that, he put the wallet back into Su Shi's handbag, then zipped it up and put it back on her.

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