Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?

"You will not have the chance to meet."

Kazama's voice sounded resolute, leaving no room for negotiation, yet it also carried a strange hint of regret. Perhaps neither Xiangzi nor Su Shi noticed, but Chu Hua precisely caught the touch of melancholy at the end of his sentence.

Why did his tone become so sorrowful when he mentioned the secret he kept deep in his heart?

Mitsumi Hatsuka didn't quite understand, but she wanted to continue investigating.

"If what happened before was just repaying a favor, then what you think I did to make things difficult for you—wasn't it all because you weren't tactful or thoughtful enough? I just came up with a more practical and feasible solution and implemented it before you did?"

Xiangzi remained slumped on the ground, but Kazama had no intention of helping her up from the dirty ground.

"You really only have 'ave mujica' left, but what about the corresponding do-or-die spirit?"

This was the first time Toyokawa Shoko had felt such ruthless indifference in the eyes of this person her age.

"If you consider me your competitor, then you should know that I will not show mercy to anyone, nor will I let any flaw you overlook slip by."

Or perhaps it's simply a denial of her abilities.

"You were already a step behind me during the recruitment phase. I thought you would come up with some irresistible solutions for each individual member to counter me—but you didn't at all. To put it another way, Xiangzi, have you thought about how to operate Ave Mujica in the long term? Have you considered how to deal with crises or unexpected events that might occur to the team? Or do you think this is just a game where a rich girl runs away from home and throws a tantrum, something to pass the time temporarily?"

In countless days and nights, Ruo Yexiao had developed a longing for Xiangzi because of the aunts' memories of her.

He wanted to know what kind of person could make Mu and the other aunts so unforgettable; he wanted to follow in her footsteps, even to become someone like her.

However, this unrealistic fantasy was completely shattered after meeting Toyokawa Shoko in person.

Then, words that sounded like a verdict rang in my ears.

"From this perspective, you are simply incapable of taking responsibility for other people's lives, let alone becoming anyone's god."

Indeed, it's better for the white moonlight to die.

With those words, utterly disappointed, Kazama left without looking back.

Xiangzi, who remained frozen in place, hung his head dejectedly, while two girls who had witnessed the entire conflict from a distance stood motionless.

"..."

Chu Hua frowned, sensing the discord in Kazama's words.

"Hey... Su Shi. I've been thinking about this for a while now—the formation and end of CRYCHIC, the relationship between you guys, and my personal matters. We haven't been talking about these details with anyone, right?"

She turned her head blankly and met Su Shi's evasive gaze, which seemed unable to bear seeing Xiangzi's current state.

"...Why does Xiaojun know all of this?"

Not even close.

Chu Hua felt that she was on the path to uncovering the truth.

It was just a tiny bit off.

Chapter 72 Good Friday of Metis

Upon closer reflection, Kazama Akatsuki seems to know far too much.

The details of CRYCHIC's formation and disintegration, the subtle relationship between Su Shili, Tama, and the band after their breakup, and the extremely unhealthy, even distorted, relationship between Xiangzi and Mutsu.

This includes Miku's own unspeakable true identity.

These are all things that no outsider could possibly know the inside story of, yet this guy not only acted as if he knew everyone inside and out, but also seemed to know more about everything than they did themselves.

Mikasa leaned against the wall at the corner of the dark alley, staring intently at the surface of her leather shoes, lost in thought. Nagasaki Motoyo, completely clueless about deduction, could only watch silently beside her, glancing worriedly at the spot where Akatsuki and Shoko had been standing.

"Chu Hua... Xiangzi has also left."

While Sanjiao Chuhua was lost in thought, and after Xiao silently turned and left, Xiangzi stubbornly stood up and dragged his injured foot away from the scene.

"Fortunately, she left in the completely opposite direction from us, otherwise our situation would probably have been exposed... but then we wouldn't have been able to help her."

Even now, Nagasaki Motoyo still cherishes old feelings. After all, even though the girl has fallen so low that she can only sit on the ground in a sorry state, she is still the gift that the gods sent to her back then.

In fact, Chu Hua was no different.

Although the person who had been filling her mind these days had gradually become another boy, Chu Hua was not such a heartless person. She would still empathize with Xiangzi's joys and sorrows as an important childhood friend.

"Hmm... I understand how you feel. But if we expose ourselves to Xiao Xiang now, it will be difficult to explain why we happened to be here."

Chu Hua nodded, then gave Su Shi a friendly smile that also contained a hint of apology.

"Not everyone can accept the aspects of our personalities that are... well, not so easily accepted, like Xiaojun can. So although I feel very sorry for Xiaoxiang, in order to avoid as much trouble as possible and to avoid further investigation, I have no choice but to let Xiaoxiang leave alone."

Okay, to put it simply, no one would be as indifferent or oblivious as Kazama to the true nature of their gravity-based unfolding.

Sanjiao Chuhua sincerely hoped that Xiangzi would take good care of herself after returning home, because she and Su Shi had more important things to do right now.

"Alright, Su Shi. Now it's our turn to find out the truth."

The blonde girl no longer leaned against the wall of the dark alley, emerging from the shadows. Sunlight shone on her, making her already dazzling blonde hair even more radiant.

"The truth...? But just now, Xiaojun didn't say anything, did she?"

"Ah, it is precisely because he held back that we have found the right entry point."

Chu Hua neatly put her black baseball cap back on, and before her vision was obscured by sunglasses, her jewel-like eyes shone with unprecedented focus and curiosity.

"Su Shi, aren't you curious about what Xiao Jun has been hiding from us all this time?"

"I……"

This is the only point that Nagasaki Motoyo, constrained by her own limitations, cannot deny.

“If we’re still partners, then today’s plan remains unchanged. We need to go to Xiao Mu’s house to find out what’s going on—are you still coming?”

"Of course."

"Let's go then."

When it comes to the secret that Kazama is hiding, Hatsuka, who usually seems easygoing, friendly and gentle, becomes very energetic, and her focused and dedicated demeanor makes her seem calm and reliable.

If they hadn't been arguing about the same thing, perhaps I could have gotten along well with Chu Hua, and even become good friends.

As Nagasaki Motoyo followed the blonde girl out of the dark alley, she watched Hatsuka's retreating figure, and this inexplicable thought inevitably arose in her mind.

But wait... she just raised a very thought-provoking question.

Su Shi, who was also a beat slow to react, finally realized what was going on.

What Kazama knew was the formation and disbandment of CRYCHIC, the lingering connections and ambiguous relationships among the former members, and the personal matters that Hatsuka casually mentioned.

What personal privacy would she specifically bring up and compare to CRYCHIC?

This made Su Shi somewhat concerned, and her slightly suspicious gaze lingered on the girl's retreating figure.

However, Chu Hua did not give her much time to think, and less than ten minutes later the two returned to Ruoye's door.

"Alright, Xiaojun and Xiaoxiang just left in opposite directions, so now only Xiaomu—or rather, Metis—should be home alone. We can try to find her or either of them to ask about that photo... Su Shi? Are you listening?"

When they arrived at Ruoye's house, Chu Hua waved, bringing Su Shi, who was lost in thought, back to reality.

"Ah... um. Sorry, I was a little distracted on the way here."

She quickly tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear, concealing her worries with an elegant and dignified demeanor.

"So our next step is to extract information from Mutsu, or rather, Metis-chan. Hehe, it really does feel like we're playing a detective game."

"That's right, are you ready?"

"If Chu Hua is ready, then I am certainly ready as well."

"This momentum is quite good."

Amidst laughter and conversation, Chu Hua pressed the doorbell.

The crisp sound of the doorbell echoed throughout the house, only to be met with a wary "Who is it?" near the speaker.

It was obvious from the suspicious tone that it was Metis.

"Is that Xiao? Is Xiao back? I was going to say that you really didn't need to chase after Xiangzi just now; you could have just let her run away in such a sorry state—"

"Sorry, if it's Xiaojun, he probably won't be back for a while."

It was Chu Hua who interrupted Metis's self-complaining with a smile, her tone suddenly becoming somewhat unquestionable.

"Uh... Chu Hua?"

Metis was clearly not expected to see her at his doorstep, and his tone suddenly became somewhat flustered.

"Hehe, I'm also very worried about how you're doing right now, Metis."

When Su Shi's clear, bell-like laughter rang out, Miss Metis's alarm bells rang even louder—

"Su...Su Shi?! How could you be with Chu Hua—"

"Why did the two of us girls, who should have been instigated by you to be enemies, end up coming to your door together, right?"

Su Shi's smile remained unchanged, but the slightly narrowed corners of her eyes seemed to harbor a hint of dangerous languor.

Metis will learn a lesson today—that what goes around comes around.

Chapter Seventy-Three: The Severe Torture of the Bad Daughter

"Well………"

Inside the Wakaba family home, Miss Metis straightened her back and looked at the two girls sitting in front of her, feeling as guilty and uneasy as a naughty student whose parents had been called in.

Mikami Hatsuka and Nagasaki Motoyo—the two girls she constantly talked about and could be called "mother candidates"—were watching her with smiles.

"Don't be nervous, Metis. We just came here with a few questions. Just relax."

First, Chu Hua, seemingly harmless, smiled radiantly.

"What's wrong, Metis? Is there something you want to tell us?"

Then, the seemingly gentle and refined Nagasaki Motoyo smiled and patiently guided her.

"Or is it that you've actually been up to something malicious and are worried about being exposed?"

"Uh—no, that's not true! No, no!!"

Miss Metis shook her head frantically, though she was now so guilty that her heart was pounding.

"Hmm... okay, maybe... probably, I did something not so good..."

Like a naughty child whose prank has been exposed in front of her mother, she lowered her head and changed the subject.

Metis knew, of course, that Su Shi was referring to her attempt to pit Su Shi against Chu Hua so that she could reap the benefits.

"It's okay, I didn't really take it to heart. After all, neither Su Shi nor I were affected by it."

Chu Hua probably sensed Metis's embarrassment, so she eased Metis's anxiety with an angelic, gentle smile, which successfully brought a glimmer of light to Metis's eyes—

Indeed, compared to Su Shi, Chu Hua might be more deserving of the title of "Mom Candidate"...!

"But if Metis feels guilty about this, he can do us a favor."

However, Chu Hua then made an unquestionable request with a smile.

"Help...what kind of help?"

Metis felt a strange sense of unease. After all, these two guys had come to his doorstep at the same time asking for his help, so it certainly wasn't going to be an easy task.

Chu Hua and Su Shi exchanged a glance, their smiles becoming even more warm and gentle.

"It's just a small matter—since Metis is Mutsu's other personality, she must know a lot about family matters, just like Mutsu."

Chu Hua's voice still sounded pleasant and refreshing, and Su Shi, taking advantage of her initial politeness, pulled out the most important photograph from her bag—

And so it was passed down the table to Metis.

"I wonder if Metis-chan has seen these two before?"

"Well……"

As the photograph came into view, Metis frowned and began to squint as he carefully examined the two figures in the photo who appeared to be a mother and son.

"I feel like I've seen this woman somewhere before... Ah, she looks just like Su Shi! Is she Su Shi's older sister or mother?"

"I'm sorry, I'm an only child, and my mother isn't as refined and elegant as a lady from a prominent family."