Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

She stood up: "Well...I'll take my leave now."

She paused, as if she wanted to say something, but finally swallowed her words back. She just looked at Kujo Renji deeply with her sparkling eyes, with a hint of admiration that was hard to conceal and...some more complicated feelings.

Kujo Renji did not stand up to see him off, but just waved his hand casually.

Yutenji Wakamai left the safe house, looking back every few steps. Even as the elevator door closed, she could still feel that gaze, as if still lingering on her.

Her cheeks were still burning hot, and her heart was still beating violently in her chest.

Everything that happened today seemed like a bizarre yet incredibly real dream to her.

She knew that from today on, something had completely changed.

And she willingly embarked on this road full of unknowns and dangers.

After seeing off Yutenji Wakamugi, Kujo Renji picked up the almost untouched glass of juice on the bar and took a sip.

"Tsk, the world is really going downhill, and people's hearts are no longer as they used to be!"

In my mind, Toyokawa Shoko's voice sounded with a strong sense of sarcasm.

Upon hearing this, Jiujo Liansi couldn't help but chuckle.

"Miss Xiangzi, what you said is a bit biased."

He spoke slowly, with a hint of joking in his tone:

"Isn't this a sign of 'loyalty'?"

"loyalty?!"

Seeing that Kujo Renji finally paid attention to her, Toyokawa Shoko was a little dissatisfied:

"She betrayed her friends and swore allegiance to a... a guy of unknown origin. What kind of loyalty is that?! She's clearly a traitor!"

In Toyokawa Shoko's simple value system, what Yutenji Wakami did today was undoubtedly a complete betrayal.

She betrayed the trust between friends and also betrayed the friendship she once had for "Toyokawa Shoko".

"Ms. Xiangzi, why do you think she would choose to be loyal to you?"

Kujo Renji sneered, "You know, from the very beginning, Yutenji Wakamugi repeatedly expressed the desire to 'unmask Ave Mujica.' This would be a blatant betrayal for Ave Mujica, and also a challenge to your authority."

He paused, then continued, "If I hadn't intervened, using some... well, little tricks to suppress her unrealistic fantasies and let her see a 'stronger' 'Toyokawa Shoko,' do you think she would be as... obedient as she is now?"

"Ms. Toyokawa, you'd better make one thing clear."

"From the very beginning, what Yutenji Wakamu desired and what she followed wasn't the unkind, yet somewhat weak 'Toyokawa Shoko'. What she longed for was strength, a strong person who could lead her to a higher stage."

"so..."

He spoke clearly, word by word:

"In a sense, Yutenji Wakami has been loyal to me from the very beginning. Or rather, she's loyal to the possibilities I can bring her."

Now it was Shoko Toyokawa's turn to be speechless.

What she could not deny was that Yutenji Wakami was indeed beyond her ability to control, and it was Kujo Renji who suppressed the restless girl at the beginning.

Although she knew intellectually that what Kujo Renji said was true, emotionally, Toyokawa Shoko still felt inexplicably...uncomfortable.

After all, Yutenji Wakamugi was once her teammate and a partner she recognized.

Now, this partner has sworn allegiance to another soul that has occupied her body. It feels like something precious has been taken away from her.

"Hmph, that's a very high-sounding statement." Toyokawa Shoko snorted somewhat gloomily.

"Even if what you said is right, her behavior of betraying her friends so easily is still uncomfortable."

Kujo Renji heard the slight grievance and...jealousy in her tone?

Have their attitudes towards Yutenji Wakami been reversed?

Kujo Renji vaguely still remembered Toyokawa Shoko's attitude when he first proposed to use a trap contract to completely tie down Yutenji Wakami.

Considering Miss Toyokawa's indignant look now...Kujo Renji suddenly felt a little weird in his heart.

"Okay, Miss Xiangzi."

Of course, the thoughts in his mind did not affect the performance of Kujo Renji's PUA. His tone slowed down:

"Human hearts are inherently complex, not black and white. Yutenji Wakami's choice was based on her own desires and judgment. What's important to us is that her 'loyalty' can now be used for our benefit."

This combination of soft and hard tactics immediately calmed down Shoko Toyokawa's anger.

Moreover, she had to admit that Kujo Renji did have abilities in handling interpersonal relationships, especially in controlling people's hearts, that she could never match.

"Sigh..." Shoko Toyokawa sighed softly, with a hint of helplessness and a hint of indescribable complex emotions in her tone.

"As much as I hate to admit it," she said quietly, "you really are...good at playing tricks on people."

Rather than being an accusation, this sentence is more like an expression of... admiration.

Upon hearing this, the smile on Kujo Renji's face deepened.

"Thank you for the compliment, Miss Xiangzi," he said cheerfully. "It's my honor to receive your recognition."

Toyokawa Shoko: "..."

...

After finishing the "secret meeting" with Kujo Renji, which was full of information and impact, Yutenji Wakamu returned home, still feeling like he was walking on clouds and a little unsteady.

Just as she was staring at the ceiling, trying to digest everything that had happened today, the screen of her phone lit up and a message from Line popped up.

It’s Chihaya Aine.

Anon (Chihaya Aine): "Nyanmu! Nyanmu! Are you there? Are you there?"

Anon (Chihaya Aine): "Um, did you manage to get any useful information from Xiao Xiang later?"

When he saw this message, Yutenji Wakamai's eyes flickered.

She subconsciously remembered her promise to Kujo Renji - never to tell anyone the content of today's conversation, or anything about the name "Kujo Renji".

Although Chihaya Aine was her "ally" who "analyzed the case" with her, the situation is different now.

She hesitated, her fingers hovering on the keyboard for a moment, and finally typed out a line of words.

Yutenji Wakamugi: "No."

Yutenji Wakamugi: "We just casually chatted about the band! You know, Xiaoxiang has been really focused on the band lately! He didn't mention anything special at all. I feel like our previous speculations were too absurd."

After sending this message, Yutenji Wakamu still felt a little uncomfortable.

After all, she and Aine-chan had just "shared" such an important secret, and now she had to hide something from her.

But this was the order of "Lian Si".

Moreover, she is now someone who has pledged her loyalty to "Lian Si".

So... I'm sorry, Aine-chan!

On the other side, in the classroom of Hanedaoka Girls' Academy, Chihaya Aine looked at the reply from Yutenji Wakami on the mobile phone screen, her brows slightly furrowed.

Why does this sentence feel so familiar?

A subtle, indescribable feeling rises from the bottom of my heart.

However, Chihaya Aine didn't think too deeply about it.

Maybe Miao Meng really didn’t ask anything.

After all, "Xiao Xiang" is so elusive now that not everyone can easily get anything out of him.

She sighed and was about to reply to Yutenji Wakami with "Oh, thank you for your hard work," but her phone suddenly vibrated again.

This time, the message that popped up made her heart skip a beat!

Toyokawa Shoko: "Aine, do you have time now?"

It’s a message from Xiaoxiang!!!

Chihaya Aine stood up from her seat almost as a reflex, and then hurriedly sat back down under the strange looks from her classmates.

Her cheeks turned red instantly.

Xiaoxiang took the initiative to find her? !

And this happened right after she and Miao Meng had "conspired" and reached that shocking conclusion? !

Could it be that Xiaoxiang...or rather "he"...already knew? !

In an instant, alarm bells rang in Chihaya Aine's mind!

She felt a layer of cold sweat quickly seeping out of her palms.

She took a deep breath, tried to calm her pounding heart, and replied carefully:

Anon (Chihaya Aine): "Ah! It's Xiaoxiang! I'm free, I'm free! What's up, Xiaoxiang?"

After sending the message, she stared at the screen nervously, waiting for the other party's reply.

Every second feels like a century.

Finally, new news popped up.

Toyokawa Shoko: "Yeah. The ramen shop I promised to treat you to last time is closed unexpectedly. I'm a little disappointed."

Toyokawa Shoko: "I checked, and they're open today. If you have time, why don't we go together? Just to make up for last time."

Toyokawa Shoko: "Of course, if you want to go to that 'Stubborn Daddy's' shop, I have no objection."

Ramen shop?

She remembered the last time she went to eat ramen with Xiaoxiang.

The unexpected closure of that internet-famous restaurant, and...the "Stubborn Dad Tonkotsu Ramen" that is full of "uncle atmosphere" but tastes surprisingly good.

And Xiaoxiang's words about "labels" at that time touched her deeply.

And finally, the kite with a broken string in the sunset.

That day was the day when her relationship with "Xiaoxiang" became closer.

This invitation...is it some kind of temptation?

She was a little nervous, but finally replied, "I'm always available!"

In any case, this may be a rare opportunity to find out the truth.

She has to go!

PS: I fell asleep while updating, I owe you 3,000, I will update you 10,000 tomorrow

Chapter 116: What does "Kujo Renji's Loyal Dog" mean?

For some reason, the weather has been exceptionally hot lately.

The heat still lingered, but compared to the sweltering heat during the day, the evening breeze finally brought a hint of barely perceptible coolness.

The street lights light up one after another, stretching the shadows of pedestrians to different lengths, revealing a sense of city-specific atmosphere that is hard to tell whether it is lonely or lively.

At the agreed time, Kujo Renji arrived at the door of the ramen restaurant called "Stubborn Daddy".

The door curtain was still the same dark blue that had been washed to a pale color, swaying gently in the evening breeze. The air was still filled with the strong, almost overbearing aroma of pork bone soup, mixed with the burnt aroma of minced garlic and grease.

His outfit today still continues the slightly neutral style from last time.

A soft beige thin knitted cardigan, a pure white T-shirt underneath, loose khaki overalls on the bottom, and a pair of comfortable canvas shoes on the feet.

This outfit not only diluted the ladylike refinement and gentleness of Toyokawa Shoko's usual appearance, but also added a bit of casualness and neatness.

He did not go into the store first, but stood at the door with his eyes slightly lowered, as if he was admiring the powerful brush calligraphy on the door curtain, or as if he was waiting for something.

The evening breeze blew the hair on his forehead, and the beautiful face belonging to Toyokawa Shoko seemed a little hazy under the dim light of the street lamp. Not long after, a slightly hurried figure turned out from the corner of the street.

Her long pink hair swayed gently as she ran. It was Chihaya Aine. She was still wearing the autumn uniform of Haneda, and she must have come directly after school.

Seeing Kujo Renji standing at the door of the ramen shop, Chihaya Aine's steps paused noticeably, and her expression stiffened for a moment, but she quickly covered it up with a slightly exaggerated smile and trotted forward.

"Xiaoxiang! Sorry, sorry! Did I keep you waiting again?"

The girl's voice was deliberately light, but her slightly rapid breathing and those grey eyes that tried to appear natural but couldn't help darting around revealed her inner unrest.