My daily life is getting weird because I am caught between being in a band and being an idol.

After Chaoyang put his hand down, Xiangzi started tidying up his bag and began to speak.

"At least personally, I cannot trust someone to take over the work I am responsible for at this stage. If I handle it myself, even if it doesn't go smoothly, I can just blame myself."

Chaoyang could only helplessly face Xiangzi.

"If things go smoothly because of this, then it's fine... but I'm afraid... never mind, you probably won't listen to me now."

Chaoyang doesn't actually like repeating the same thing over and over again; he'll only annoy those who want to hear it.

Moreover, Xiangzi is an extremely self-centered person.

"I'm getting hungry after talking for so long, we should go out to eat... There's a really cheap all-you-can-eat yakiniku place in Takadanobaba, it's only a little over a thousand yen with a student ID, let's go there tonight."

Xiangzi thought for a moment and nodded, finding the price to be within his budget.

. .

Chaoyang and Xiangzi sat on the Yamanote Line train, the carriage packed with commuters heading home. In the slightly swaying carriage, the two were lucky enough to sit side-by-side by the window, each staring at their phones. Throughout the journey, Xiangzi remained silent, her slightly lowered eyes and indifferent expression making her appear lost in thought. She didn't speak, nor did she even glance at Chaoyang.

Chaoyang glanced at her sideways, his mind filled with doubt. Logically speaking, Xiangzi had always been aloof and kept her distance from things outside of work, so her sudden agreement to have dinner with him was really hard to fathom.

Has her affection for me finally blossomed?

Thinking of this, Chaoyang couldn't help but chuckle to himself and shake his head, ruling out that possibility. Given Xiangzi's calm and rational nature, she would never ask him to dinner because of emotional issues. If she wasn't looking for a relationship, then could she be using this as an excuse to ask for a raise? However, she was usually so focused on her work, like a machine, and didn't seem to care much about money. She even insisted on splitting the bill when treating someone to a meal, so it was clearly not about money.

The train arrived at the station, and the two disembarked with the flow of people.

As soon as I stepped out of the station, my eyes fell on the high-rise shopping mall next to the square in front of the station.

The two walked side by side into the mall and stepped onto the elevator leading to the twelfth floor.

The music in the elevator was monotonous and familiar. Chaoyang silently considered how to handle the atmosphere while subtly observing Xiangzi beside her. Her expression remained calm, revealing not a trace of extra emotion.

The elevator doors opened on the twelfth floor, and Chaoyang led them into a self-service barbecue restaurant known for its affordable prices. Upon seeing them, a waiter immediately greeted them with a smile, "Hello, how many of you?"

"Eight people."

Chaoyang gave a simple answer.

"Please wait a moment, I will show you the way shortly."

The waiter bowed slightly in politeness, then nodded to the two of them before going to the front desk to register them and arrange seating.

A few minutes later, the waiter led Chaoyang and Xiangzi to a booth by the window. Inside the small restaurant, noisy sounds rose and fell, and the air was filled with the aroma of barbecue and a faint smell of smoke.

Chaoyang glanced around and saw that most of the people sitting at the tables were young people, probably university students from nearby Waseda University who came here to eat after their club activities.

Xiangzi looked around and noticed a group of noisy college students chatting and laughing enthusiastically, their voices blending together like a cacophony of noise. She frowned, seemingly uncomfortable with the overly lively atmosphere, then gently closed her eyes and muttered a complaint.

"It's noisy."

If possible, she would prefer to meet at a quiet coffee shop.

Just then, the waiter came over again, smiling and asking.

"Hello, would you like to choose a dining time of 60 minutes, 90 minutes, or 120 minutes?"

Chaoyang smiled slightly, glanced at Xiangzi, and immediately replied.

"60 minutes will be enough."

Considering Xiangzi's financial situation, he immediately asked the waiter.

"By the way, she has a student ID. If we pay separately, can she get a discount?"

The waiter nodded and responded with a smile.

"Of course, please show me your student ID, miss."

Xiangzi reluctantly took out his wallet, handed his student ID to the waiter, and Chaoyang took the opportunity to leave his booth and head towards the food pick-up area.

Imagining Xiangzi queuing up to pick up food at the buffet made him chuckle, so he took it upon himself to do it.

At the food pick-up area, Chaoyang didn't pile the plate full of meat. Instead, considering Xiangzi's preferences and suitable combinations, he selected some meat and vegetables, balancing them without being excessive. He went back and forth three times to ensure the plate had a sufficiently varied selection of dishes.

Finally, Chaoyang placed a cup of black tea and a cup of cola on the table with both hands, and then officially began grilling the meat.

"...You're not trying to find out about Tomori from me, are you?"

When Xiangzi heard Chaoyang suddenly mention Tomori's name, he was slightly taken aback, and then his expression turned cold.

Her usual polite smile vanished slightly in an instant, and her eyes became a little serious, but she did not respond directly.

"Well, if there's any misunderstanding, then just consider it me talking to myself."

After Chaoyang finished speaking, he looked up and gave a joking smile, then continued to focus on placing the pieces of meat on the scorching hot grill. The fat sizzled and crackled, and the aroma slowly wafted across the table.

"Actually, I also introduced her to a friend, your senior, Hina, who is the quirky girl we signed."

As Chaoyang watched the meat slices slowly change color, he casually continued, "She recently joined the Astronomy Club and got along quite well with Tomori. Actually, I was thinking that if possible, I'd like to help Tomori rebuild the band. Your former bandmate, that girl named Lixi, seems to really like Tomori. It seems like at least she's okay."

"If you want to do it, then do it. You don't need to tell me or care about my opinion."

Chaoyang was slightly taken aback when he heard Xiangzi's indifferent response.

However, he discovered that Xiangzi's affection for him had increased.

. .

Name: Toyokawa Shoko.

Charisma: 93.

Monthly revenue growth: 40.

Favorability: 40/100.

Evaluation: A former heiress to a wealthy family, now fallen on hard times. She lives in a dilapidated apartment with her decadent father (now independent). To win her over, both material and emotional support are required. However, she possesses extremely high pride and refuses to accept favors from others even in her current state. She was formerly the keyboardist for the band CRYCHIC.

. .

Yes, she was indeed trying to subtly inquire about Tomori's situation.

As Chaoyang watched the meat slices gradually change color on the grill, a smug smile crept into her heart. This knowing smile stemmed not only from recognizing the hint of arrogance hidden beneath Xiangzi's cold exterior, but also from the fact that her favorability towards her had finally begun to recover somewhat. It was a long-awaited development.

With the agency's recent stable and positive business performance, the popularity and income of several artists have gradually increased, and their careers seem to be gradually getting back on track. Everything looks smooth and wonderful. The live performance is also entering its countdown phase. Everything looks smooth and wonderful.

Just as he was secretly gloating, Xiangzi's phone vibrated on the table. The name on the caller ID caught her eye, and her expression instantly turned icy. Almost without hesitation, she picked up the phone and coldly answered the call, her lips slightly parted as she uttered a concise sentence.

"Dinner is in progress, please do not disturb."

The words had barely left her lips when her fingers were already poised to hang up. However, the other person seemed to say something quickly, causing her to pause. As the voice came through, Xiangzi's brow furrowed involuntarily, and an uneasy look gradually appeared in her eyes.

After the call ended, she didn't say much, but quickly took out two thousand-yuan bills from her wallet and placed them on the table.

"Sorry, I have to go now, it's urgent."

Before Chaoyang could react, Xiangzi had already said goodbye quickly and hurriedly left his seat, barely glancing at Chaoyang again.

Chapter 122: The white horse sank into the river, we swore an oath; the raging waves swallowed the city, yet we did not regret it.

When Chaoyang saw Xiangzi rush out, he knew something must have happened, so he couldn't stay and eat in peace.

Just as I was about to walk out, I passed the cashier and threw down a 5,000 yen note.

"Keep the change, please!"

Although I was very unwilling, I deliberately didn't eat much at noon and was very hungry.

But for now, we can only endure it.

but. .

Just as I took my first step, ready to rush out of the restaurant, I was stopped by a waiter.

Anxiety immediately welled up in my heart.

"Excuse me, sir! There's too much food left over, and we need to pay a fine. Please wait a moment while we count the items. Alternatively, you can choose to continue your meal."

The waiter smiled and was polite, but his tone was firm and uncompromising.

It was because of this one stop.

Chaoyang watched helplessly as Xiangzi disappeared in front of the elevator door, then looked back at the untouched ingredients on the table, feeling a surge of annoyance.

Even if you threw out a ten-thousand-yuan bill and walked away, you still wouldn't be able to catch up with Xiangzi. Cut your losses and call later to ask what happened.

However, he knew the waiter was just following the rules, so he didn't take his anger out on him and could only suppress it. Seeing that he could no longer catch up with Xiangzi, he reluctantly sat back down at the table, looking at the table full of ingredients, feeling a sense of helpless resignation.

They started grilling the meat quickly and somewhat roughly, placing the ingredients from the plate onto the grill one by one.

They devoured the food in large mouthfuls.

. .

The Toyokawa family residence.

In the luxurious entertainment room of the Toyokawa family mansion, Shoko, who had just arrived, supported her father, whose face was bruised and swollen, her expression dark and angry. Her gaze was fixed on her uncle, who was standing leisurely on the steps, holding a snooker cue in one hand, his posture relaxed, but his eyes revealed a chilling indifference.

"...How come I didn't know that the Toyokawa family had fallen into the underworld? That they had become thugs who rely on violence?"

His voice was filled with suppressed anger.

Her uncle glanced at her, smiled faintly, and swept his eyes over her and her father with disdain.

"Ridiculous! It was clearly your father who rushed up to attack us. Letting him suffer a little is already merciful."

Since Xiangzi's mother's death, the family's power has fallen into other hands. Originally, the power was held by Xiangzi's mother's lineage, but Xiangzi was too young, so the burden fell on Xiangzi's father, an outsider. However, his overly reckless investment behavior, coupled with overestimating his own abilities, led him to easily fall into traps set by others, causing the Fengchuan Zaibatsu to suffer considerable losses. Although it was not crippling, it led all family members and directors to unanimously believe that the family was unlikely to achieve great things.

If that were all, Xiangzi and his father, even without absolute power, would still be wealthy men. Unfortunately, in his desire to regain his daughter's inheritance and recoup the company's losses, he gambled his personal assets on the Euro-Swiss franc exchange. Initially, things went quite smoothly; if he had timed his bets correctly, he could have earned at least a hundred million. While this wouldn't cover the initial losses, no one demanded compensation. But greed knows no bounds, and he chose to continue betting on the Euro-Swiss franc.

The outcome of gambling is never unexpected. Ultimately, due to a black swan event, the Swiss franc collapsed, and Xiangzi's father lost everything. In the end, the account margin was insufficient, leading to forced liquidation.

Not only did they vomit everything they had already ingested, but they also incurred a debt of 10 billion yen. The key issue is that because it was a personal act, they cannot even use the Toyokawa Group's accounts to cover it.

People were initially afraid you would make a comeback, but now that you've fallen into a well, they're naturally kicking you while you're down.

The other members of the Toyokawa family not only forced Xiangzi's father to return the shares that Xiangzi's mother had fought for for him to pay off part of the debt, but also made her take Xiangzi away from the Toyokawa family.

Privately, he even threatened that if he didn't comply, he would turn around and sell him to a bad debt collection agency after he had already transferred the money to his relatives.

At that point, those criminal organizations won't be as gentle as our own people; they'll naturally use any means necessary.

"..."

Xiangzi was extremely resentful at this moment. Why did his father have to come here and humiliate him? Even if he wanted to fight back, it was far from enough.

"No, don't disturb Xiangzi!"

He beat his father unconscious, and even then he was still muttering to himself.

The uncle, however, didn't seem to care. He smiled knowingly and snapped his fingers at the butler beside him. The butler understood and took out a thick stack of ten-thousand-yuan banknotes—at least a million yuan—from the room, casually placing them on the table in front of Xiangzi.

"Hehe, Xiangzi, you should know that the Toyokawa family will not let our children suffer. Your uncle has found you a marriage partner from a prominent family, a perfect match for you, Miss Toyokawa. You can take this money and enjoy yourself for a while. After the engagement, I will even help you transfer back to Tsuki no Mori. But your foolish father stubbornly refuses. It's rare to be able to let you return to the life of a young lady, but he wants to ruin your future."

Xiangzi sneered, his eyes filled with disdain.

"Even if I lose everything, I will take it all back myself. I don't need you to meddle!"

The reason for this is that they are afraid Xiangzi might make a comeback in the future, so they need to quickly restrict her future.

The uncle raised an eyebrow, slowly took out a piece of paper from his pocket, gently unfolded it, and handed it to Xiangzi.

"Since that's the case, then return the 100 million that your father owes the Toyokawa family. 100 million is just a drop in the ocean compared to the debt he caused. I'm only asking you to repay this part because I'm being soft-hearted."

Xiangzi clenched his fists, almost forcing the words out through clenched teeth.

"Utterly shameless... Are you really family?"

The uncle snorted coldly, a hint of disgust on his face.

"How dare you speak to your elders like that? I really feel sorry for my good-for-nothing sister, who gave birth to such a disrespectful child like you."

Xiangzi took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart.

"I'll figure out how to get that money myself. As for that ridiculous idea of ​​a marriage alliance, give up on it!"

The uncle took back the paper and said coldly.

"Children of the Toyokawa family should dedicate themselves to the family and never forget their place. Born into a wealthy family, never forget that your destiny has never belonged to yourself. As a child, you were used as a prop by your father and mother to show off. Performing for visiting guests and arranging marriages here are nothing more than this. Your life has long been controlled!"

Xiangzi calmed his anger and his expression gradually returned to calm.

She has realized that her uncle is only trying to force her to make a mistake through insults and provocation.

"What a boring, illogical argument. I have no interest in listening to your nonsense about family sacrifice. I'm only here today to take my father back."

She said no more, knowing that arguing with her uncle at this point would be pointless and would only put her in a more disadvantageous position. At this moment, the outcome of a verbal contest was meaningless to her.