Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?

Su Shi twitched the corners of her mouth, but still patiently answered Metis's innocent and naive question.

"What we want your attention to is the boy being held in the arms of this woman who looks just like me, Metis-chan."

She reached out and pointed to the boy in the picture who was being embraced by the woman in the picture and had a childlike smile on his face.

"This boy's surname is Wakaba."

"Hmm... His surname is Wakaba? Really? Let me take a closer look... Ah!"

Metis's already slightly narrowed eyes narrowed even more. She pondered the boy's appearance in the photo for a long while, and finally gasped as if she had just realized something.

"Why does he look so much like Akatsuki! Could he be Xiaomu and Akatsuki's illegitimate child?!"

"It's not right to extrapolate based on age either."

Her nonsensical association drew merciless criticism from Su Shi herself.

"Yes, that's true... Xiao and Xiao Mu can't have children either, absolutely not..."

Metis reluctantly retracted her conjecture, wondering why she could never quite place Xiao and Xiao Mu in the realm of romantic love.

There's a feeling that if these two really fell in love, it would give the impression that they'd made a decision that went against their ancestors' wishes—and this impression was most obvious to Metis.

"But this child... I've never seen him before. Xiao Mu probably hasn't either, right?"

She pointed to the boy in the photo whose smile was youthful yet exceptionally sincere.

Mutsu is the only child in the Wakaba family.

Metis's tone was nothing short of stating the facts; as another personality of Wakaba Mutsu, she was naturally well aware of the Wakaba family's affairs.

"If Chu Hua and Su Shi are wondering if he might be an illegitimate child of the Ruo Ye family, then this is my answer."

The girl with long green hair waved her hand, then casually lay down on the sofa and closed her eyes to rest, like a carefree child.

"Takafumi wouldn't dare to cheat on Minami with someone else. That's the only thing I'm sure of, hmm."

"Well, since you've put it that way, Metis..."

Su Shi rolled her eyes as if she understood, while Chu Hua fell into a brief silence, her expression undergoing a subtle change.

"...Indeed, we weren't surprised by this result. We were probably just overthinking it."

But soon the blonde girl smiled again, as if the emotional turmoil had never happened.

"Speaking of which, Metis sauce."

Not receiving a satisfactory answer, Chu Hua casually brushed the matter aside and moved on to a new topic.

"I've always been curious why Xiaojun always treats Xiaomu specially... Do you think there's any possibility—"

At this point, Chu Hua's smile suddenly became even brighter.

"Actually, these two are mutually in love?"

"puff--"

"Huh? Eh?!"

Her surprising words caused Su Shi and Metis beside her to turn pale with shock.

"What—Chu Hua?!"

"No way! They probably just... just see each other as very important people!"

Su Shi looked incredulous, and Metis was equally shocked.

"Xiao is the most important person to Xiao Mu besides me and Xiangzi, and Xiao Mu is also someone Xiao values ​​very much... That's all there is to their relationship!"

Although Metis, as Mutsu's other personality, tried to clear Mutsu and Akatsuki's name, her explanation only made Chu Hua smile nonchalantly once again.

"Hey, I don't think these two things are contradictory. After all, I only fall for very important people, you know?"

Chu Hua smiled and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Su Shi, who was sitting next to her and was very puzzled, then noticed the scheme brewing in Chu Hua's bright eyes.

"Perhaps, Metis-chan doesn't really know that much about the relationship between Mutsu and Akatsuki, right? After all, you're not Mutsu herself, are you?"

"Who...who said that! Hmm..."

Metis continued to refute, but anyone could sense the lack of confidence in her words.

As expected, a naive kid can't outsmart a seasoned sly fox.

Having failed to elicit a direct answer, he began subtly probing the true extent of Mutsu and Akatsuki's close relationship, perhaps subtly setting a trap for Metis and creating a psychological game? Hatsuka, you rascal…

Su Shi was still shaken; this was the first time she had ever felt so fortunate that Chu Hua was still her companion.

I absolutely, absolutely cannot become a rival for his affections.

Chapter Seventy-Four: A Secret Move by Chu Hua Jiang

"I...of course I know! I'm her other personality! What Mu knows, I know too...more or less!"

The girl with long green hair patted the sofa armrest in a flustered manner, trying to use this exaggerated body language to cover up her inner turmoil.

"But precisely because you, Metis, are Mumu's other personality, you can't see the emotions Mumu herself doesn't even realize, right?"

Chu Hua appeared much calmer and more composed; she simply used logically clear statements to elaborate on her points.

"No way! I know everything about Xiao Mu!"

Of course, this is a lie.

"Of course I know! I know everything about Xiao Mu! She and Xiao are... they have a bond that goes beyond ordinary friendship, but is definitely not romantic! Their relationship is a very pure one!"

Well, the reason Metis suddenly acted so illogically was simply because she knew that Chu Hua's words were not without merit.

As Mutsu's other personality, their feelings and memories can naturally be shared when both sides are willing. However, if one side deliberately blocks the source of information, or if they are unaware of the change in their state of mind, even the other self may find it difficult to detect that something is wrong.

Metis can keep Mu from knowing what's been happening lately, and the same goes for Mu; blocking the other's knowledge is as simple and easy as turning off a TV.

Metis had never met the boy in the photo, but what if Mu knew about it but never told her?

Mutsu and Akatsuki's relationship is already close enough, but what if there is actually a deeper connection between them that they deliberately keep from Metis?

What if she doesn't actually understand Mu or Xiao at all?

"........."

Metis did not continue to refute, as Chu Hua's words had successfully planted a seed of doubt in her heart.

It seems that even two personalities in the same body do not truly know each other inside and out.

Su Shi also keenly noticed the change in Metis's hesitant expression. When she turned to look at Chu Hua's expression, the other party seemed to have expected her to look at him and smiled and winked.

See? Maybe we can let Metis continue to run away until Xiao Mu herself comes out and explains who the person in the photo is—her eyes conveyed a reassuring feeling.

"Well……"

Su Shi was momentarily stunned by the sudden wink, but she quickly regained her composure.

Is this guy not only shattering Metis's self-perception, but also using this opportunity to rebuild their friendship?

That woman, Mitsumi Hatsuka, is terrifying.

However, there's no smoke without fire, and Chu Hua didn't suddenly bring up the relationship between Xiao Mu and Kazama without any reason.

Whether you call it curiosity or a bit of jealousy and resentment, it doesn't matter.

She had already come to regard Kazama as someone more important and reliable than family, and the boy reciprocated her feelings just as she had hoped.

But why is it that in his heart she can never surpass the existence of Wakaba Mutsu?

Whenever Mu is mentioned, Xiao's eyes soften, as if he's talking about the most unique, important, and irreplaceable person in the world.

But he never explained why to Chu Hua, which became a question that Chu Hua couldn't understand but kept to herself.

Yes, the reason why Misaka Chuka brought Su Shi to the Wakaba family this time was partly to find out the truth behind that photo, but the real purpose was to find out the true nature of the relationship between Akatsuki and Mutsu.

Su Shi was also very curious as to why Xiao Wei treated Mu differently, while Mu, who was always shy and had a mild personality, would let his guard down only with him.

If these two had no prior acquaintance, it only proves that fate and bonds are truly wondrous things, enabling them to suddenly establish a relationship comparable to family—no, perhaps even stronger than family—in such a short time.

"And yeah."

Chu Hua pressed on while the iron was hot, her tone still light and cheerful, even carrying a touch of girlish gossip and playfulness.

"Mortis-chan is so vehemently denying the possibility of feelings between Xiaojun and Xiaomu, could it be because... you're afraid of something? Afraid that if there really is something between those two that goes beyond ordinary friendship, you've never noticed it."

He thought he knew Xiao Mu quite well, but it turned out he was nothing special.

Therefore, the likely outcome is that it will be "completely unnecessary for Mutual."

Without a doubt, this was Metis's greatest fear.

"certainly not!"

Metis sprang up from the sofa like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"How could I not know?! I... I just..."

"Just what?"

Chu Hua blinked innocently, her clear purple eyes seemingly able to see into the deepest corners of people's hearts.

"Metis-chan, you're avoiding the question. Is it because this question makes you uncomfortable? Or... do you actually have a vague feeling about something deep down, but you just don't want to admit it?"

"I didn't! I didn't run away!"

Metis's voice trembled slightly, and she shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off Chu Hua's words and gaze that were like a spider web.

Chu Hua noticed the panic in Metis's eyes and his desire for outside help. She knew the time was right.

Su Shi held her teacup, her gaze shifting between Chu Hua and Metis, before finally using a cloyingly sweet voice to reduce the heat—

"Metis-chan, if you're unsure, can we just ask Mutsu herself?"

Finally, Su Shi and Chu Hua completed their inside-outside collaboration and, with a smile, revealed their long-planned ultimate goal for this trip.

That is to let Metis withdraw willingly for the time being, and let Mulai, who is most likely to know the truth, answer the questions himself.

Whether it's the true identity of the little boy named Wakaba in the photo, or the ambiguous relationship between Mutsu and Akatsuki, they can get more reliable answers from the real "Wakaba Mutsu".

"By answering just a few questions, we won't upset Xiao Mu's mental state. Besides, Metis can get answers from Xiao Mu to confirm whether you really know her as well as you think—it's a win-win situation, isn't it?"

Chu Hua has been consistently producing results; she hasn't stopped at all.

"This……"

Su Shi Chu Hua's combination of soft and hard tactics successfully put the aggressive Metis in a dilemma, rendering her, who was originally quite eloquent, completely speechless.

Bringing Xiaomu out now shouldn't affect her path to survival, right...?

Little did they know that Metis, who had this idea, was the one who truly stepped into Chu Hua's trap.

Chapter 75 Metis, let your grandmother deal with you!

Would it be better to temporarily hand over control of the body to Mutsu...?

Influenced by Chu Hua's advice (and perhaps a bit of manipulation), Metis himself was torn between his own desires and his conscience.

Yes, she never asked what Mu's feelings were for Xiao, nor did she know who the boy in the suddenly appearing photo really was.

Does she really know Xiao Mu that well?

Moreover, Mu has indeed been somewhat disgruntled lately because Metis has been reluctant to give her control over her body. Would it be better to take this opportunity to let Mu get some fresh air and lower her guard against me?

After much deliberation, Metis finally fell into the trap that Chuhua had set for her, albeit with trepidation and reluctance.

"You all need to remember this... Just ask Xiaomu a few questions, and she'll be back soon!"

As she finished speaking, she jerked back, as if fleeing some impending judgment—

The next moment, Metis, who had been crouching on the sofa with his head in his hands, suddenly fell silent.

Instead, a familiar yet slightly calm tone was heard.

"...Um, why did I suddenly...?"

Ruo Yemu frowned slightly, and the cunning and stubbornness that Metis usually had in his eyes when he opened them again had been lost.