Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

Page 102

The name stirred a knot in Kujo Renji's heart. Toyokawa Hidehiko, a key member of the Toyokawa Group, the actual controller of Xinghui Entertainment, and also a member of... another force within the Toyokawa family.

Kujo Renji recalls a fragment of Toyokawa Hidehiko from Toyokawa Shoko's memory.

In fact, she didn't have many memories of him, but the attitude of this "cousin" could be seen from a series of events that Ave Mujica had suffered before.

"I see..."

Kujo Renji seemed to be lost in thought.

Everything that had happened in the past few months suddenly made sense.

The assignments Wakaba Mutsu received, the leak of Ave Mujica's member identities, and even the subtle leading questions in media interviews - these were not accidental, but the result of Minami Mori's manipulation behind the scenes.

If Mori Minami is indeed closely connected to Toyokawa Hidehiko's line, then everything would make sense - her control over Wakaba Mutsu is an extension of her control over Toyokawa Shoko;

Her behavior towards Ave mujica is actually an extension of her behavior towards Toyokawa Shoko.

Because of Toyokawa Hidehiko's reasons, Mori Minami feels that Ave mujica cannot continue, so she will try her best to bring more...benefits to her daughter before it disbands?

This also explains why Wakaba Mu's mood swings have been so drastic recently.

Minami Mori must have taken advantage of the connection between mother and daughter and said something to Wakaba Mutsu, triggering the fear and anxiety deep in her heart.

Kujo Renji took a deep breath.

The context of the incident gradually became clear...

The car was driving smoothly on the road, and Mortis's head rubbed against Kujo Renji's shoulder from time to time with the slight bumps of the vehicle.

Her long hair spread out like an emerald waterfall, and a few strands of hair playfully fell on Jiujo Renji's chest.

The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows on the car window. The golden dots danced on her fair face, making her delicate features look even more three-dimensional.

She looked defenseless as she slept, her slightly parted lips a healthy pink, her small teeth faintly visible.

The wings of her nose twitched slightly with her breathing, casting tiny shadows on her skin, which was almost transparent in the sunlight. Her drooping eyelashes were like two small fans, casting a faint shadow under her eyelids.

When the wind blows, you can even smell the faint fragrance coming from her hair, like the scent of a forest after rain.

As the car passed over the speed bump, Mortis unconsciously rubbed his neck and made a vague nasal sound.

She curled up like a lazy cat, and her right hand unconsciously grabbed the corner of Jiujo Rensi's clothes, as if she was afraid that he would suddenly disappear.

"asshole!"

Toyokawa Shoko's voice was clear and angry.

Obviously, Kujo Renji's "forced blocking" made Xiaoxiang immediately aware of something unusual.

Consciousness was like being hit by a stick on the back of the head, and it went black in an instant.

No matter how you think about it, this unusual experience cannot be separated from Kujo Renji!

"You despicable, unreasonable... deceiver!"

Toyokawa Shoko's voice echoed angrily in the space of consciousness

"What a traitor! What a shameless person!"

Kujo Renji almost laughed at these "heavyweight" swear words.

Miss Toyokawa obviously had not learned any real swear words. Her words sounded more like critical words taken from classical literature, which made them seem a bit cute.

"Miss Xiangzi, could you please calm down first?"

He responded calmly in his heart, with a hint of helplessness in his tone.

"Calm down? Then first explain why Xiaomu called you teacher!"

Toyokawa Shoko asked back angrily, with obvious grievance and dissatisfaction in her voice.

Kujo Renji could imagine her at that moment—cheeks slightly puffed, brow furrowed, amber eyes wide open, like an annoyed kitten. Though angry, she remained rational. The self-possession and pride unique to a young lady allowed her to maintain a certain reserve even in her anger.

"How much have you been hiding from me?"

Toyokawa Shoko continued to question, and the anger in her tone gradually turned into disappointment.

"I thought we already..."

She didn't finish her words, but Kujo Renji understood what she meant.

Toyokawa Shoko was not angry because he had a relationship with Wakaba Mutsu that she was unaware of, but because she thought she had built enough trust in him and that they had become "allies" to some extent, but he still chose to keep things from her and carry out various plans behind her back.

This feeling of betrayal was what really hurt her.

Kujo Renji sighed softly and turned his gaze from the window back to Mortis who was leaning on his shoulder.

He knew he had to give Shoko Toyokawa an explanation, but he had to be careful not to reveal too much while still being convincing enough.

"I have to protect certain information, Ms. Xiangzi."

He spoke slowly, his voice calm and sincere, "It's not because I don't trust you, but because in some cases, the less you know, the safer you are. Especially when it comes to Ruoye Mu's special situation."

"What's the special situation?" Shoko Toyokawa asked immediately.

"Mu's psychological state is more complicated than you think."

Kujo Renji chose his words carefully:

"She has certain...specific psychological issues stemming from childhood trauma. And I have to interact with her in a certain way to help her move past those issues."

Toyokawa Shoko was silent for a moment, as if thinking about the rationality of this explanation.

"So she calls you 'teacher' because...?"

"She needs a guide, someone who can understand the darkness in her."

Kujo Renji explained, carefully revealing only part of the truth:

"I became that person, helping her face her fears and pain. This is a sensitive and private process, not one that would be appropriate for a third party, not even you, to be involved in."

Kujo Renji paused, then continued in a softer tone, "Remember, I told you that Mu is a crucial part of the plan... I will save her. Her abilities are vital to us, but to allow her to reach her full potential, we must first heal the wounds within her."

Shoko Toyokawa fell silent again, and Renji Kujo could almost feel her pacing and thinking in her consciousness space.

"You promise?"

Toyokawa Shoko finally asked, her tone still doubtful but noticeably softened.

"I promise you that."

Kujo Renji replied solemnly, "Everything I do for Mu is ultimately to make her stronger and more complete. Just like my promise to Ave mujica."

This answer seemed to touch the heart of Shoko Toyokawa.

She sighed, the anger in her voice mostly gone.

"Next time something like this happens, at least give me a warning..."

She grumbled softly, like a child who finally got the explanation but was still a little dissatisfied.

“It feels really bad to be blocked all of a sudden.”

Kujo Renji chuckled and said, "I promise you, Miss Xiangzi."

Mortis, who was leaning on his shoulder, moved slightly and wrinkled his nose, but soon returned to his peaceful sleeping face.

.......

The mansion stands in the center of Tokyo's high-end residential area. Its simple and modern appearance cannot conceal the luxurious atmosphere inside.

Kujo Renji stood in front of the door, Mortis beside him had a tense expression, and his long light green hair fluttered gently in the breeze.

The girl bit her lower lip, conflicting emotions flickering in her golden eyes.

She took a deep breath and nodded, but still unconsciously moved closer to Kujo Renji, as if to draw some sense of security from him.

Before they could ring the doorbell, the door opened automatically, and a housekeeper in a simple black dress bowed respectfully:

"Ms. Toyokawa, Ms. Wakaba, Madam has been waiting in the reception room for a long time."

"excuse me."

Kujo Renji responded politely, then followed the housekeeper through the spacious entrance hall.

The interior of the Wakaba family's house is even more magnificent than its exterior.

The high ceilings, the combination of original wood floors and white walls, and the exquisite artworks and furniture dotted throughout, all reveal the owner's extremely high demands on quality of life.

The walls along the way were covered with photos and medals - promotional photos of various dramas in which Minami Mori had participated, Wakaba Takafumi's style in various variety shows, and many photos of Minami Mori with celebrities from all walks of life.

It is worth noting that mirrors are cleverly placed in almost every corner, some are obvious full-length mirrors, some are decorative mirror walls, and even some of the furniture is coated with mirror material.

The reception room is located at the deepest part of the first floor, and bright natural light fills the entire space through huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

Mori Minami was already sitting on a high-backed sofa, holding a cup of tea, waiting for them with a smile on her face.

"Xiao Xiang! I'm so glad to see you!"

Minami Mori opened her arms and made a hugging gesture.

Minami Mori takes good care of herself and looks much younger than her actual age.

"Ms. Minami, it's been a long time since we last met." Kujo Renji smiled and shook her hand, his gesture elegant and natural.

Minami Mori's gaze shifted to "Wakaba Mutsu" behind Renji Kujo, and her smile became even gentler:

"Xiao Mu, Mommy misses you so much. Is school going well lately?"

Mortis practically hid behind Kujo Renji, looking at Mori Minami with a look of disgust and resistance. She didn't respond, but simply lowered her head slightly, her golden eyes flashing with restrained anger.

Surprisingly, Mori Minami ignored her daughter's obvious resistance, the smile on her face unchanged, as if Mortis's reaction was exactly what she expected - or, in other words, not worth her attention at all.

"Xiao Mu is still the same."

Mori Minami chuckled and said to Kujo Renji, with a deliberate tolerance in her tone:

"Please sit down. I have prepared some refreshments."

The three of them took their seats on the spacious sofa, Mortis deliberately choosing the seat farthest away from Mori Minami, making sure that Kujo Renji always acted as a barrier of sorts between her and her mother.

The housekeeper served exquisite refreshments and then quietly left, leaving the three of them to have a seemingly ordinary but undercurrent of communication in this reception room full of details.

"Ms. Minami likes mirrors very much." Kujo Renji commented casually.

Mori Minami came back with an exquisite tea tray, her smile still flawless.

"Ah, you noticed that?" She chuckled and placed the tea tray on the mirrored coffee table. "Xiao Mu and I are both very beautiful. It would be a pity if we didn't look in the mirror more often."

She poured the tea gracefully, her movements flowing like water, and began to speak:

"Try it now, how does it feel?"

Jiujo Renji took the teacup, took a sip, nodded and said:

"very nice."

"I brought it back from my last trip to France. A lot of people liked it."

Minami Mori sat on the single sofa opposite, looking elegant and relaxed:

"How's school going lately? I heard Xiaoxiang's band is very popular."

Kujo Renji smiled and responded: "Not bad, everyone is very serious."

Minami Mori's gaze lingered on Renji Kujo's face for a moment, and the smile on her lips seemed to deepen:

"Really? I feel like it has something to do with Xiaoxiang's recent changes?"

"People always have to grow up."

At this point in the conversation, the atmosphere had quietly changed.