They are in the music show, but I am a stranger to them

As he expected, the first person to "charge" him was Tatsuki Shiina, who had the most direct temper in the band and was the one who was most dissatisfied with his departure.

However, just when Shiina Riki was about to point at Chen Qi and scold him, Takamatsu Deng, who was still resting his head on Chen Qi's thigh, seemed to be because Liki's voice was too loud, and after a small murmur, Liki immediately lowered his voice.

Only after Chen Qi's tireless caressing had restored Deng's peaceful sleeping face did Li Xi turn his dissatisfied gaze towards Chen Qi again and asked in a low voice:

"So, first things first…what is your relationship with this guy?"

Aine: "Hey, hey, hey, what do you mean by 'this guy'? Riki, aren't you being a little too rude?"

However, after receiving Chen Qi's comfort, Aiyin, whose emotions had stabilized, could no longer suppress her emotions when she saw Lixi, who had tortured her before and was now torturing her brother Qi, and she frowned and said to Lixi in dissatisfaction:

"It's always 'this guy' and 'that guy'. Brother Qi and I both have names. Even if Li Xi has a problem with me, Brother Qi has never done anything to let you down!"

Li Xi: "Huh? What do you know? When that guy and I were in the same band, you and he hadn't even met yet. New members shouldn't interrupt when the seniors are talking."

However, even though Chen Qi has been found, Li Xi's prejudice against Aiyin has not been completely eliminated.

Even though Li Xi already knew that Ai Yin thought differently from him, and that she was not a genius on the level of Xiangzi or Chen Qi, and most likely she was able to perform so well in the band just because she was close to him, his mentality became a little calmer, but it did not mean that Li Xi had no opinion about Ai Yin.

Especially after seeing Aiyin and Chen Qi being so close, Lixi became more and more suspicious. Did Chen Qi plan that the Lantern Festival would reorganize the band for him, so he specially trained Aiyin, just to find someone to fill the vacancies between him and Xiangzi after the band was reorganized in the future?

Who wants his help? Will the band stop functioning without him? Without him and Xiangzi, will the band be unable to compose new songs or write new lyrics?

All kinds of contradictory thoughts kept churning in Shiina Lixi's mind, but in the end, all the thousands of words turned into just one question in Lixi's mouth, and he asked Chen Qi:

"So, what's going on between you and Chihaya Aine? What's your relationship?"

"Relationship? Obviously, it's the relationship between the tenant and the landlord's daughter."

However, in the face of Li Xi's question, which even Su Shihemu had to hold his breath and pay special attention to, Chen Qi answered without the slightest psychological burden. He even shifted his gaze from Gao Songdeng's sleeping face and replied with a smile:

“Of course, you probably won’t believe me if I say that. Just think of Aine as the little girl next door who has gotten along well with me over the past six months and who likes to act coquettishly towards me.”

"The girl next door?" X3

However, Chen Qi's answer made Su Shi, Li Xi and Mu, who had already prepared themselves mentally for the words "Ain is my girlfriend", slightly stunned in surprise.

Putting aside the fact that Chen Qi and Ain have only known each other for half a year, even the intimate behavior between the two that everyone witnessed before can be said to have exceeded the scope of siblings. Therefore, everyone subconsciously believes that the name "Brother Qi" is just a nickname from Ain.

But now, the word "brother" actually worked? For a moment, the girls couldn't help but cast their inquiring eyes on Aine who was watching from the side.

"——What's wrong? Is this weird?"

When Aiyin heard Chen Qi's expected answer, a trace of loneliness and helplessness flashed in her eyes. She... still couldn't convey her feelings to Brother Qi.

However, facing the somewhat surprised looks from Su Shi, Li Xi and Mu, which seemed to say "You haven't taken Qi yet?", he showed his little fangs in dissatisfaction and replied in a bit of exasperation:

"Don't you know that I usually call Chen Qi 'Brother Qi'? If we weren't brother and sister, how could I call him that?"

"No... I thought it was just because Aqi was a little older, so..."

However, unlike Su Shi's slightly surprised muttering, when she heard the news, the heavy stone in her heart that had been hanging in the balance since she knew Ai Yin and Chen Qi lived together was finally put down quietly, and even the smile on her face became a little softer.

Fortunately, it seemed that she was thinking too much. She said that with Aqi's self-esteem, he would not do such a thing as changing from a tenant to a landlord. It turned out that they were just brother and sister.

However, even so, we can't let our guard down. To Aki, Aine might be her neighbor's sister, but to Aine...

Su Shi pretended to glance casually at Aine's face, which looked unhappy and a little annoyed, and felt that he had roughly guessed the truth.

Afterwards, Su Shi also withdrew his gaze without leaving a trace, and took over the topic raised by Li Xi with his usual gentle smile, and asked Chen Qi softly:

"So, Aqi, have you been living here for the past six months?"

"Yes, I have been here since I left home." Chen Qi answered this trivial question without thinking.

Moreover, Chen Qi also explained his living conditions in Ain's house in order to eliminate the internal conflicts in MYGO and let the old members eliminate their prejudice against Ain. He said softly:

"Ain still takes good care of me. My rent here is not high, and Ain's parents also take good care of me, so everyone doesn't have to worry about my life here."

Su Shi: “That’s great.”

After getting the answer he wanted, Su Shi's heart was completely clear. He turned to Ai Yin who was standing beside him and showed a gentle smile. With a tone that was slightly happy and full of apology, he said:

“Aine-chan, we misunderstood you before. Thank you and your parents for taking care of Aki for us and your uncle and aunt in the past six months.”

"Ah... um... this, this is nothing..."

Huh? This is so strange. Why does Nagasaki's words just now make me feel like she is the one who takes care of Qi-ge on weekdays, and I just took over her care of Qi-ge for half a year?

Ai Yin, feeling rather awkward, rubbed her hair subconsciously, but a look of doubt flashed across her face.

But Aiyin didn't know that her guess was actually correct. Su Shi's seemingly unintentional question had already revealed Chen Qi's attitude towards Aiyin, and even Aiyin's parents, from his words.

It seems that my guess was correct. In the past six months, the relationship between Aine and Aqi has indeed progressed smoothly. Even Aine's parents seem to be very satisfied with Aqi.

After all, ordinary landlords would not give tenants very low rent for no reason. Especially when she and He Mu cleaned Chen Qi's room together last time, she knew from many information that Chen Qi's life was tight, and based on this, Chen Qi had not changed his rental place in the past six months.

Obviously, Aiyin's parents treated Chen Qi extremely well. It was to the point that if Chen Qi left, he wouldn't be able to find a comparable employer.

Su Shike didn't believe at all that they didn't consider their daughter.

But even so, Su Shi did not say anything to Chen Qi like "Since you're back, Aqi, go home with Deng." She knew that if she did so, she and Aine would break up completely.

Especially since Aqi might not necessarily go home with Deng, there was no need for him to take the risk.

After all, Su Shi now knows where Chen Qi lives, and she has plenty of ways to prevent Aiyin and Chen Qi from making any further progress without affecting Chen Qi.

All of this is to prevent the tragedy of Crychic from happening again... If they want Ah Qi to let down his guard and trust them again in returning to the band, Su Shi must control the boundaries between everyone in the band and Chen Qi, so that what happened to Xiangzi will not happen again.

"——Qi, can I ask you something too?"

However, just after Su Shi and Li Xi each asked a question, Mu, who had been silent, quietly chose to speak.

Although Mu's voice was soft, it attracted the attention of everyone present as always. Soon, under Chen Qi's encouraging eyes, Mu hesitated for a while before he made up his mind and asked Chen Qi:

"Inari. I want to know what you think of Aine."

"Aine, to you, is she the second Xiang? Or the second Deng?"

Aine: “…Huh?”

However, as soon as Mu finished speaking, the whole room fell into deathly silence for a moment.

Su Shi and Li Xi both looked at Mu, who had a calm expression, with extremely shocked eyes, surprised that she actually asked such an important question.

Even Chen Qi himself was shocked by Mu's question. Even though he was already used to Mu's shocking words, he still almost lost his composure by Mu's question.

And Lian Mu herself, when she asked this question, noticed Chen Qi's slightly dazed expression, she began to regret it. Why did she ask this question?

She knew very well that Aiyin must have played a significant role in Qi's heart over the past six months... and by asking this question, she had almost planted an indelible knot in Aiyin's heart.

This means that Aiyin may be treated as a "substitute", which is a situation that no one is willing to accept.

But... why can't I control myself? Why do I compare Aine to Deng and Xiang?

What's wrong with me? My chest feels tight... Why do I still feel so uncomfortable even after asking this question?

The one who reacted the most was undoubtedly Chihaya Aine who was standing by. Aine could naturally catch what Mu wanted to express at once, and she immediately cast her blank eyes towards Chen Qi, whom she trusted the most, but she did not ask a question for a long time.

What does it mean… the second lamp? The second Xiang? As for the lamp, Aine could understand it, but who was that “Xiang”?

When Aine was thinking like this, suddenly, her mind emerged with the girl with blue hair and delicate face whom she and Deng met this morning when they just walked to school together.

"The person that Xiang...Mu is talking about, is her name Toyokawa Xiangzi?"

Sushi: "Hmm? Aine-chan, do you know Xiaoxiang too?"

Yes, it was indeed that girl. After getting Su Shi's affirmation, Aiyin couldn't help biting her lower lip. She had seen Xiangzi before, although she didn't tell Deng about it at that time, but Aiyin was deeply impressed by Xiangzi's excellent appearance, elegant manners... everything.

She was a girl who looked as decent as an aristocrat even in a civilian school uniform. Her every move exuded elegance from the inside out, to the point that Aine even suspected that she was a young lady born into a noble family.

And now, such a girl is actually a member of Brother Qi’s former band, and from Mu’s words... her relationship with Brother Qi seems to be very close?

Otherwise, Mu would not have asked such a question as “the second Xiang”.

The reason why a substitute can only be a substitute is that the original item has already occupied an irreplaceable role in a person's mind.

But... this is impossible, I can't be a substitute... Brother Qi... won't see me like this.

Even though she was extremely confident in Chen Qi, Aiyin still looked at Chen Qi uneasily. Her eyes trembled slightly, hoping that her "light" could righteously deny Mu's absurd words.

Under Aiyin's nervous gaze, Chen Qi quickly broke free from his silence, and this time, Chen Qi's usually gentle expression finally showed a slight change.

"...Mu, in your heart, am I the kind of person who would treat others as Xiangzi or a substitute for the lamp for comfort?"

For the first time, Chen Qi's tone revealed a hint of pain and a little bit of lingering sadness, as if he was a little frustrated by Mu's misunderstanding of him. Although he recovered quickly, Chen Qi's subtle emotional changes were still keenly captured by everyone.

“…I’m sorry, Qi.”

After a brief silence, Mu glanced away dimly. She also felt Su Shi's slightly dissatisfied gaze on the side. She knew that she had said the wrong thing again.

It's not just that I said the wrong thing, more importantly, I hurt Qi.

Obviously, I am the one who least wants him to get hurt again...but why would I ask such a question?

However, soon, Chen Qi, who noticed Mu's mood change, quickly adjusted his mentality and turned to Mu, whose eyes were dim, and replied with his usual tolerance and gentleness:

"Don't apologize, Mu, I understand why you asked that, and I can answer you very clearly - of course not."

"For me, Xiangzi is Xiangzi, Deng is Deng, and Ain is Ain. Everyone is irreplaceable. There has never been a person whose birth was meant to replace the value of another person."

"We are all very sad that Xiangzi has left Crychic. Xiangzi's departure means that our band has lost a soul figure. I cannot deny this."

"But, as I said, although Shoko is excellent, there are many qualities that Aine possesses that Shoko could never have."

"For example, if the person you had a conflict with before was not Aine, but Xiangzi, do you think you would have chased Xiangzi's house to apologize to her? And would she have done the same as Aine, inviting you in and talking with me in this room after having a conflict with you?"

"..."X3

However, Chen Qi's words left Su Shi, Li Xi and Mu speechless, and soon, the three of them quickly glanced at Ai Yin, who had a calm expression, and recalled Xiangzi's determination and ruthlessness when he quit the team, and soon they all agreed with Chen Qi's statement.

Chen Qi was right. Although Xiangzi was almost as tolerant as Chen Qi at the beginning, and even seemed not to have conflicts with anyone, her drive and determination to never regret once she made up her mind was actually different from Aine's.

Xiangzi is such a person who dares to love and hate, and once he is about to part ways with someone, he will not allow himself to show weakness.

But Ain, after being wronged, she might cry and make a fuss, but as long as there is a glimmer of room for maneuver, Ain may forgive you.

Even after untying her knot, Aiyin might spare no effort and encourage those who once misunderstood her without holding any grudges.

This is Aine’s charm, and it is also what makes her completely different from Shoko.

Of course, Aiyin does not have as strong musical talent as Xiangzi, but the role that Aiyin can play in a band is probably something that Xiangzi, who can't carry the whole band alone, can never compare to.

"To me, Aine and Shoko are different. Aine has her own merits. She is irreplaceable in my heart, and she is also completely different."

"This is also true for Mu. In my heart, Mu is also unique."

As he spoke, Chen Qi also reached out his hand and took the initiative to rub Mu's little head. Looking at Mu's slightly startled and surprised expression, Chen Qi also maintained his composure and said softly to Mu:

"So, Mu, please don't ask such questions next time, okay? If I don't understand what you mean, I'm afraid your question just now will easily cause you to break off relations with others."

Mu: "...I will listen to Qi and won't ask again."

Under Chen Qi's rubbing, Mu's originally uneasy expression gradually dissipated, and he responded to Chen Qi with a faint smile.

That’s great, it looks like Qi isn’t angry with me.

If it was Xiang, then what I said just now... I'm afraid it would really be like what Qi said, and I would end up breaking up with Xiang, right? Saying that Xiang was someone else's substitute... Xiang would definitely not accept it.

Fortunately, it was Qi... Qi can forgive me. Next time, I will never make Qi sad again...

Having made up his mind once again, Mu silently closed his mouth and stopped talking. Aiyin, who was standing beside him, also breathed a sigh of relief because of Chen Qi's words just now, and smiled again.

Sure enough, just as she thought, Brother Qi would never treat her as a substitute for anyone.

Brother Qi even said that she was the only one of her kind, a completely different existence in his heart. So does that mean... my position in Brother Qi's heart is actually quite high? Maybe even higher than that of Xiangzi?

No, probably just about the same? But that Xiangzi... maybe I really need to pay more attention to her. What kind of story did she have with Brother Qi?

"——One more thing."

Just when Aiyin was wondering whether she should take the initiative to find Xiangzi and ask him for justice when she arrived at school tomorrow, Lixi spoke again. This time, Lixi's tone was much calmer and his words were no longer so sharp.

Obviously, Chen Qi's answer just now has solved most of Li Xi's doubts. She more or less forgave Chen Qi's behavior, and understood that their band and Chihaya Aine were not the result of Chen Qi's behind-the-scenes manipulation.

Everything was just the inevitable result of coincidence, a coincidence that was a little too outrageous...but Li Xi had to believe that it was all just a coincidence.

However, there was still one thing that was bothering Li Xi, which had not been resolved yet. So this time, she wanted to find Chen Qi to get a result.

"You, why did you disappear for half a year? Why did you leave the light? You even made it impossible for us to find you."

"Also, why didn't you stop Xiangzi from leaving? What do you know? Did Xiangzi's departure have anything to do with you?"

However, the moment Li Xi asked the two questions that had troubled her for a long time, she keenly noticed that Chen Qi's pupils trembled slightly, and even the hand that was gently stroking Gao Songdeng's hair paused at this moment.

Yes, even Mu's tricky question didn't shake Chen Qi's heart that much. But Qi was indeed shaken, to an unprecedented level.

"…I'm sorry, Lixi, I can't give you a clear answer to these two questions."