Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?

Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?

Author: Loose Lyon

Summary:

"Aunt Xiangzi, didn't you pass away?"

Ruo Yexiao, Mu's adopted son, a famous second-generation star, and the most watched chosen idol of the new era—he travels back to his mother's high school days and meets Toyokawa Shoko, who had long since passed away in his memory.

In my memory, the great Aunt Xiangzi met with an accident not long after the disbandment of the C group. Like a whale falling and all things coming back to life, her passing inspired everyone. Carrying Xiangzi's last wish, the group walked side by side to the top of the music scene.

...Wait, what is Aunt Xiangzi doing? What is a hen card?

I will save my mother from her regrets!

You guys have to be in a band for life! If Mother Hen Card tries to steal Aunt Xiangzi away from my mom and all the other aunties, I'll just steal Mother Hen Card away too!

But as Xiao got to know them better, he discovered that these "aunties" seemed a little different from the ones he remembered...

"Su Shi, you can't do that kind of thing!"

"Lixi, you're the aunt I pushed, this isn't right..."

If Ye Xiao discovers that he seems to have unknowingly become the core of a terrifying gravitational field.

"Don't be afraid, Akatsuki!" At the crucial moment, Banai saw Anzu descend from the sky. "Your system is in my hands! How can my plan to raise a handsome boy be interfered with by others?"

"—System! Give Xiao some points!"

P.S.: Advertisements may affect reading.

Volume One

Chapter 1 Oh my god, Aunt Xiangzi, how are you still alive?!

[Is the son of once-shining celebrity heir, Mutsumi Wakaba, about to become a rising star in the music scene?!] [A multi-talented songwriter for a new era! Even members of the veteran band mygo are full of praise! Will this rising talent and his band take the pop world by storm?!]

"Mu... why did you bring the newspaper containing this kind of report to show the person involved?"

With a hint of helplessness, Ruoye Xiao pushed aside the newspaper that her mother, Ruoye Mu, had handed her.

He is Ruoye Xiao, the only son of Ruoye Mu, a second-generation celebrity in the entertainment industry.

Of course, this was his most well-known title at the beginning. Now he is a new musician who has released several solo singles and is about to debut with a band with like-minded friends. He is also a fresh blood in the music scene that is highly recommended by the members of the still active band mygo.

People say that today's music stars can't have both songwriting skills, singing ability, and good looks, but this up-and-coming newcomer has completely shattered the public's expectations of musicians.

His debut single, which he wrote, composed, and sang himself, debuted in the top ten of the Japanese music chart Oricon in its first week, and his subsequent solo EP also successfully debuted in the top five of the album chart.

In terms of singing ability, his vocal technique and emotional expression are beyond doubt. He has even received recognition from music critics who are over fifty years old. He can sing both lyrical rhythm and blues and rock songs with ease.

In terms of stage presence, Ruo Yexiao is also a promising new star who has received high praise from all sides. He has appeared as a guest performer and opening act at the live tour of the band Mygo, impressing most of the discerning die-hard fans with his unprecedented interpretive power and professionalism.

These past achievements are precisely why the entire industry is eagerly anticipating his official debut as the lead singer of a band tomorrow.

"I was worried that Xiao would be nervous, so I wanted to bring you here to cheer you up."

The woman with long, light green hair remained expressionless, seemingly completely unaware of whether her approach was effective or not.

"...So this is also a way to cheer people on?"

Ruoye Xiao, the only son of Ruoye Mu, who was about to debut the next day, looked uneasy as he glanced at the spot where his mother, Mu, had stopped leading him.

Mu led him into the hall of a small Japanese-style house. In the living room was a memorial altar for someone, and in the center, surrounded by white flowers, was a black and white photograph of a girl.

This place seems to be where this girl once lived, and it is also her current memorial hall.

The funeral hall for a girl named Toyokawa Shoko.

"Come here, Xiao. Let's offer incense to your Aunt Xiangzi."

Mu gave a soft greeting, and Xiao obediently placed the newspaper on the table next to her mother in the living room and stood directly opposite the solemn black mourning hall as she had instructed.

"Xiaoming is about to debut. I hope Xiangzi can bless you from heaven so that your career will go smoothly."

Mu solemnly picked up the incense stick placed in front of the portrait and bowed three times with exceptional piety.

Ye Xiao didn't believe in this, but he knew in his heart that it was his mother's way of showing concern for his future, so he obediently accepted the incense after his mother finished the worship.

Toyokawa Shoko, the only daughter of the Toyokawa family who died unexpectedly during her middle school years, would be Wakaba Akira's aunt if she were still alive today.

His mother, Ruoye Mu, had mentioned Aunt Xiangzi to him quite often. After all, they seemed to be very close childhood sweethearts when they were young. The reason he was adopted by Mu was because she took a liking to his amber eyes, which were somewhat similar to Xiangzi's, at first glance.

The aroma of incense filled his nostrils, making him feel slightly dizzy.

"Xiangzi... if you could see this scene, I believe you would be proud of Axiao too..."

As Xiao bowed her head to offer incense, she glanced to the side and caught a glimpse of her mother, Ruoye Mu, looking somewhat forlorn.

Aunt Aiyin and Aunt Sushi both said that my mother was particularly quiet and reserved when she was young. She almost couldn't get over the time when Aunt Xiangzi passed away. It wasn't until she adopted him that she gradually became more cheerful and lively.

If Aunt Xiangzi hadn't had that accident...

The intoxicating scent of incense gave Ruoye Xiao, who was bowing slightly with his eyes closed, a slight headache. He avoided the gaze of the smiling girl in the black and white photograph and raised the incense sticks to offer prayers.

"Xiao, whether you succeed in becoming famous or not..."

When she bowed for the third time, the pain not only did not subside but became even more intense and powerful, and even her mother, Wakaba Mutsu's, soft sigh gradually drifted away.

"...?"

Looking up, Ruo Yexiao could only see the distorted smoke from the incense stick in her hand gradually becoming blurry.

"...As long as you get home safely, that's all that matters..."

The distorted incense flames vanished as darkness suddenly enveloped the scene, and the mother's calls were completely swallowed by the silence.

"Mu...?"

Everything within sight had been completely forgotten after a brief period of blurriness, but the headache remained intense—this was the only sense that Ruo Yexiao retained at this moment.

The surroundings were as blurry as if he had fallen into some four-dimensional space, with only the throbbing temples and splitting headache reminding him that he was still alive.

When I opened my eyes again, I was greeted by an unfamiliar floor.

"Mu...?"

Ruo Yexiao, still bowing, was about to rub her eyes when she realized that the three incense sticks in her hand were still burning.

The wisps of smoke calmed Ruo Yexiao's uneasy heart a little.

Looking up, beyond the hazy smoke of incense, I saw a large pile of bedding, clothes, and miscellaneous items, resembling a... grave mound?

The "mound" bulged high, and something seemed to be gurgling back and forth underneath.

Where is this?

He was a little stunned.

The next second, a face he never expected suddenly popped out from under the sheet.

A face that looked like it had just woken up from a hazy dream, with a hint of confusion, met Ruo Yexiao's gaze.

—At this moment, the girl, who had been startled awake from her sleep, was wide awake and saw the unknown thugs who had broken into her home bowing and offering incense to her for no reason. Her expression gradually turned into fear, ferocity and distortion.

But the expression on the "domestic thug's" face showed even greater fear than the girl's.

Because Ye Xiao had seen this face before.

— Right there in that black and white photo.

The familiar portrait from his memory, which he visited every year to pay his respects to, gradually matched the face of the girl in front of him.

"Aunt Xiangzi?!"

Startled, Ruo Yexiao cried out and was so frightened that he could no longer maintain his bowing posture. The usually calm and skeptical man staggered back several steps and fell to the ground with a thud, even dropping the burning incense stick in fright.

The next moment, horrifying words uncontrollably spilled from his mouth—

"How did you manage to live?!"

Chapter Two: This Entry is a Ghost!

Toyokawa Shoko rubbed her eyes and poked her head out from under the covers.

She vaguely saw a figure that shouldn't be in her bedroom. She was about to go back to sleep, but the unexpected visitor immediately startled her awake.

What comes into view is a face that has nothing to do with "delicate" – after all, if a man has a slender yet full face, a clean and sharp jawline, spirited and bright eyes and a three-dimensional and strong bone structure, then the most fitting adjective for him is definitely "handsome".

He had short, slightly wavy, light brown hair with bangs that, while not too thick, covered part of his forehead, perfectly complementing his classic East Asian features. If one had to compare, his appearance and demeanor bore a resemblance to Satoshi Tsumabuki from around the turn of the millennium; in a few more years, he could easily be cast as the male lead in a Kamen Rider series. Besides, his striking amber eyes would definitely stand out in a crowd.

However, at this moment, the few sticks of incense in his hand that seemed to be used to mourn the dead were more eye-catching.

A suspicious man suddenly appeared in the bedroom, holding incense sticks that looked like they could set the whole room ablaze.

Before Xiangzi could even cry out in terror, the boy suddenly looked as if he had seen a ghost and collapsed to the ground—

"Holy crap, Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?!"

The bedroom was so quiet that even the dust seemed to be frozen in mid-air.

"...Wasn't it you, you pervert, who suddenly barged into my house? And you called me 'Auntie' the moment you walked in—how rude of you!!!"

Rather than screaming in fear, Toyokawa Shoko's current courage to curse actually stems from her exasperation.

Being suddenly attacked in the bedroom by a thug is quite terrifying, but if the thug sees her with a look of utter disbelief and says things that make it seem like she's been resurrected from the dead, then she'll be furious.

With 80% anger and 20% a forced bravado, Xiangzi fiercely displayed his most ruthless side, also to prevent himself from appearing too easy to bully in front of this uninvited "thug".

"...If you don't leave now, I'm calling the police!"

She fiercely defended her territory, but in reality, she was too scared to even crawl out of bed and confront the boy directly. Even her hands, which were gripping the sheets, were trembling slightly.

"...Could it be that..."

However, after a brief moment of fear, the uninvited guest suddenly became calm for some reason and took a step back, which made Xiangzi pause in his action of picking up his phone to dial the police.

She wanted to know what this guy was up to.

Then, the boy brazenly picked up the incense stick that had fallen to the ground and bowed to her with a devout and respectful expression.

"Aunt Xiangzi, I've heard many of your glorious deeds. It's enough that you're watching over me from heaven. There's no need for you to appear in this way; it's quite frightening. Amitabha..."

"Are you out of your mind?!"

Toyokawa Shoko was a little confused and a little scared. She was confused because she was unsure whether to call the police or contact the hospital to take the mentally ill man away. She was scared because no matter whose house it was, if a man suddenly barged in and started talking to himself, holding incense sticks and bowing to her like he was worshipping a dead person, it would make anyone's hair stand on end and shiver down their spine.

"...I'm warning you, this is trespassing! You have one minute to leave this house, or I'm calling the police!"

However, after a brief moment of confusion, Toyokawa Shoko calmed down and made the decision that best protected her safety.

She gripped her phone tightly in her hand, the emergency number already dialed on the screen ready to be called. As soon as Xiangzi pressed the call button, the boy's crime would immediately become an objective fact.

"...It wasn't just my imagination after all."

She thought her threat and warning were sufficient, but the boy in front of her continued muttering to himself, showing no intention of leaving.

After staring at her intently for a long time, his brows suddenly relaxed, revealing a look of confusion on his face.

In a flash of inspiration, he came to a conclusion.

"I get it, this must be some kind of pre-debut surprise prank, right?"

Ruo Yexiao seemed to have seen similar situations on variety shows. When artists about to debut are preparing their debut arrangements, staff members will prepare such "surprises" in advance so that the artists can use this material on the eve of their debut to gain a certain amount of buzz and exposure after officially entering the entertainment industry.

"………ha?"

Of course, Xiangzi didn't understand his logic at all.

"Was this all arranged by Mu? The actress she found actually looks a lot like my Aunt Xiangzi, she almost gave me a fright... But if I saw through it, then the prank failed. Where did you put the camera? Isn't it my turn to wave to the camera next?"

Shocked, Xiangzi watched as the boy began rummaging through the bedroom, searching for the camera he mentioned. Finally, still in shock, he dialed the police.

"Hello...is this the police? It seems like a mentally unstable pervert broke into my house...the address is the Toyokawa family home on xxx street...and he seems to be targeting my friend too, please dispatch officers as soon as possible..."

"Clothes, clothes, and more clothes, underwear... I won't bother looking through the panties, your props team did a pretty good job of making them look realistic... Where's my camera?"

After searching through the closet for a long time without success, Xiao realized something was wrong and finally looked up.

"Wait...you just said this is the Toyokawa family residence?"

But after Mutsumi bought the old house where the Toyokawa father and daughter used to live, shouldn't it be registered under the Wakaba family's name?