Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

Xiaoxiang...her...her family is so rich?!

This realization was like a bolt from the blue, instantly overturning Aiyin's vague understanding of "Xiaoxiang"'s family situation.

Although she knew that Xiaoxiang's family should be well-off, she didn't expect... it would be this level of "well-off"!

Just as Aiyin was still immersed in the shock of "Xiaoxiang is a super young lady", a familiar voice came from behind:

"Anno-chan...what's wrong? Standing in a daze at the school gate?"

It's Takamatsu Tomori.

She had just changed her shoes and walked out of the teaching building carrying her schoolbag, which was always filled with various stones.

Seeing Aine looking at the school gate with a shocked expression, he asked in confusion.

Chihaya Aine turned her head and saw that it was Deng, and the expression on her face became more complicated.

In fact, two days ago, because she always tried to mention Xiaoxiang in front of Deng, wanting to help ease their relationship, she was severely scolded by Lixi, who said that she "completely disregarded Deng's feelings" and "just made trouble."

After that, Aiyin felt aggrieved for a long time, and she made up her mind not to interfere in the affairs between Deng and Xiaoxiang for the time being.

But...Deng himself, during this period of time, would ask her indirectly about "Xiaoxiang's" recent situation from time to time.

For example, "What is Xiaoxiang busy with recently?"

This made Aine feel very embarrassed.

Deng's attitude was strange. It didn't seem like she had completely let it go, nor did it seem like she wanted to take the initiative to repair the relationship. The awkwardness between the two of them was really a headache.

But from Deng's cautious inquiries and the occasional look of concern, Ain could still feel that Deng actually cared very much about Xiaoxiang in his heart.

As for what Deng’s true inner thoughts are...?

Takamatsu Tomo really cares about Toyokawa Shoko.

Or should I say, I care very much.

The girl who once led her out of loneliness and gave her dreams left an impression in her heart that no one can replace.

However, she also knew very well that since the day CRYCHIC disbanded, they had been on two completely different parallel paths.

Xiangzi will go further and further, reaching heights that she cannot reach.

And she, Gao Songdeng, also found a new path of her own, made new partners, and had things that she needed to work hard for and protect.

She no longer needs to rely on Xiangzi's light as before.

She just needed to stand behind, watch the figure from afar, silently bless her, and then try hard to chase, not letting herself be left too far behind...that was enough.

This is also the reason why she couldn't help but ask Aine about Xiangzi's recent situation.

It was a kind of...distant attention and non-intrusive tenderness.

Chihaya Aine looked at Deng's clear yet slightly confused eyes, and after struggling for a while, she finally decided to tell her what she had just seen.

After all...this might also be considered one of "Xiaoxiang's recent situation"?

"That...lamp..."

Aiyin organized her words and said, "I just saw... Xiaoxiang... being picked up by a super luxurious car!"

She paused:

"I seem to have seen that logo and family name somewhere before... Deng, do you know Toyokawa Group?"

"Toyokawa... Group?"

Gao Songdeng tilted her head, her eyes filled with confusion. She had never had any idea about these business matters.

Seeing that Takamatsu Deng was confused about the name "Toyokawa Group", Chihaya Aine suddenly remembered a brainwashing corporate promotional advertisement for Toyokawa Group shot by Mori Minami that she had seen on TV before.

Aine cleared her throat and then imitated Minami Mori in the commercials, striking an exaggerated pose.

She first made a "T" with her right hand, then a "G" with her left hand, and finally put her hands together, with her index finger and thumb forming a "W" shape.

She also imitated the expression perfectly, with a sweet and slightly artificial business smile, and sang in a rhythmic and highly recognizable tone:

"T~~ G~~ W~~ Group~~!"

When she sang the last "Group", she imitated the "W" gesture and flapped it upwards twice playfully like butterfly wings.

A hint of complexity and worry flashed in Gao Songdeng's eyes.

For some reason, she always felt that something bad was about to happen.

...

other side

The Maybach drove smoothly away from Yugaoka Girls' Academy, and the car fell into a subtle silence.

The street scene outside the window quickly receded, like a silent movie with the fast-forward button pressed.

Jiujo Renji leaned back in the soft leather seat, gazing calmly ahead without a trace of uneasiness.

He could feel the scrutinizing, complex gaze of the old man beside him, falling on him as if it were real.

In the end, it was Toyokawa Sadaharu who broke the silence first.

His aged yet resonant voice echoed in the well-insulated carriage, with a hint of deliberately constructed gentleness:

"Xiangzi... has been doing very well recently."

He paused, as if considering his words, or as if waiting for his granddaughter's response.

"That band... Ave Mujica, right? I'm following them too. Um..."

The old man seemed to want to say something else, such as praising the band's unique musical style or amazing stage performance, but he found that these business compliments, when used on his "reborn" granddaughter, seemed a little... pale and powerless.

What he wanted to express was much more than that.

So, the words got stuck in the middle, which seemed a bit abrupt.

Upon hearing this, Jiujo Liansi's lips curled up in an almost imperceptible arc.

He turned his head and met Toyokawa Sadaharu's deep eyes. His tone was neither salty nor cold, but with a hint of irony:

"To be able to have this situation today, I'm sure... it's all thanks to your unwavering support behind the scenes, Grandpa. I can't be so successful."

He deliberately emphasized the words "give full support" and "smooth sailing", and the meaning is self-evident.

Then, he changed the subject:

"So, you've bothered to come pick me up personally this time. Perhaps... there's something important that needs your attention?"

The "thanks" in the first half, which was obviously sarcastic, was like a soft but hard nail, which choked Toyokawa Sadaharu.

The word "help" sounded a bit harsh coming from the girl's mouth at this moment.

Because Toyokawa Sadaharu's original real idea was not "help" at all, but outright "surveillance" and "control".

More than half of the senior executives at Wingwing Agency were his spies; in his original conception, the band Ave Mujica was just a "play house" toy that he could take back at any time, allowing his granddaughter to "play around" temporarily.

He originally thought that after Xiangzi struggled for a while and hit a wall, she would naturally understand the cruelty of reality and then obediently return to the path he had paved for her.

However, the development of things was completely beyond his expectations.

The "Shoko Toyokawa" in front of him had actually removed all the chess pieces he had placed in Wingwing one by one in a very short period of time, and with a method that he had not fully understood, she had firmly controlled the entire firm in her own hands.

Ave Mujica, a band he originally had little hope for, rose rapidly under her leadership at an almost bizarre speed, and its influence even began to exceed his expectations.

This scheming, this method, this decisiveness... are completely different from the little granddaughter he remembered, who was a little rebellious but still innocent and willful in nature.

This forced him to re-examine the "Shoko Toyokawa" in front of him, and he even began to doubt what earth-shaking changes had taken place in her in just a few months.

Although he felt a little embarrassed by his granddaughter's sarcastic remarks, Toyokawa Sadaharu was, after all, a seasoned veteran of the business world. His expression remained unchanged. He simply said,

"We'll discuss the details when we get home. Some things are inconvenient to say in the car."

He looked through the rearview mirror at the driver in the driver's seat, who was wearing white gloves and looking straight ahead, and said nothing more.

Kujo Renji also understood what he meant, so he stopped asking questions and turned his gaze back to the window.

The car drove smoothly through the bustling streets and finally slowly drove into a heavily guarded, tree-lined luxurious mansion area.

——Old Furukawa Residence

This is also the second time that Kujo Renji has come to this place.

The last time was almost half a year ago.

And now...

Time passed by unknowingly, and so much time has passed.

The car stopped in front of the main house, and a neatly dressed servant immediately came forward and opened the door.

"Welcome home, Master and Miss."

The servants bowed slightly, their voices respectful and in unison.

Renji Kujo took off his round-toed leather shoes that belonged to the Uuga Girls' Academy, put on soft and comfortable indoor slippers, followed Sadaharu Toyokawa, and walked into this mansion that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

In the living room, exquisite black tea and snacks had already been prepared.

Toyokawa Sadaharu sat down in the main seat and motioned Kujo Renji to sit opposite him.

"Xiaoxiang, try this."

Toyokawa Sadaharu pointed at the precious bone china tea set on the coffee table, his tone deliberately gentle:

"I remember you used to like this black tea very much, so today I specially asked someone to prepare your favorite flavor for you."

Hearing this, Kujo Renji just nodded lightly, his eyes lingering on the cup of steaming black tea for a moment, but he did not pick it up to drink immediately.

"before..."

In my mind, there is a hint of self-mockery in the voice of Toyokawa Shoko.

"Grandpa never prepared these things specifically for me. He just told me what to do and what not to do."

In fact, although Xiangzi was unwilling to admit it on the surface, she knew better than anyone else why Sadaharu Toyokawa had such a 180-degree change in attitude towards the current "Toyokawa Xiangzi", a granddaughter with whom he had never had a real "in-depth communication".

There is no doubt that the current "Toyokawa Shoko" has shown a world of difference in abilities, means, scheming, and even undisguised ambitions from her previous self who was willful, fragile, and only knew how to escape.

Although it cannot be simply said that decades of family affection cannot compare to the "sudden enlightenment" of just a few months, for an old man like Toyokawa Sadaharu who values ​​family interests and inheritance more than anything else, the "Toyokawa Shoko" who is now possessed by the soul of Kujo Renji is undoubtedly more in line with his image of an excellent, qualified, and even trustworthy heir to the family's future.

Because of this, he showed unprecedented attention and... "care" towards "her" now.

Kujo Renji ignored Xiangzi's "little emotions" in his mind. He looked directly at Toyokawa Sadaharu and said straight to the point:

"Grandpa, if you have anything to say, just say it directly. I think there should be no need for too much unnecessary pleasantries and probing between us."

Logically speaking, with the Toyokawa family currently experiencing turbulent undercurrents and various factions poised to make a move, he and Toyokawa Sadaharu should be natural allies in the face of external threats. To tilt the balance of power in their favor, open and honest communication, laying out all the facts clearly, was the most basic and crucial prerequisite.

There is no need to be mysterious or to play tricks when talking to your own people.

However, Toyokawa Sadaharu did not seem to think so.

In other words, he has his own logic for defining "his own people" and how to get along with "his own people".

He didn't directly answer Jiujo Renji's question, nor did he explain the real reason why he had called him back today. He simply picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then, in a tone that brooked no argument, issued the "arrangement":

"Xiao Xiang, starting tomorrow, you don't have to go to Yuqiu School anymore. I will arrange the best tutor for you to teach you at home."

He paused, looked at Jiujo Liansi calmly, and continued:

"Also, you can put your band... Ave Mujica's affairs on hold for now. I'll let Nakamura handle the aftermath so it won't affect the agency's operations."

These words may sound like a gesture of concern for his granddaughter's academic performance and energy, but the underlying tough and uncompromising attitude is clear. This is not a negotiation at all, but a unilateral "notification" and "arrangement."

Jiujo Liansi's eyes couldn't help but narrow slightly.

An invisible, tense atmosphere of confrontation permeated the air.

And Toyokawa Sadaharu seemed to have sensed the faint resistance emanating from his granddaughter, and a sense of helplessness arose in his heart.

Once upon a time, whether it was Xiangzi's willful running away from home to live with her incompetent father; or her resolute dropping out of the prestigious Yuezhisen School and transferring to the Yugaoka Girls' College that he looked down upon...

Although he was dissatisfied, he had never interfered with her decision in such a tough manner as he did today.

That's because he knew very well that no matter how "excessive" or "rebellious" Toyokawa Shoko had been in the past, she was still under his control. Her studies, her band, her part-time job, even her daily residence... everything was under his surveillance network.

In his eyes, the former Shoko Toyokawa was, after all, just an immature child who needed guidance and discipline.

He had enough patience and confidence to wait for her to hit a wall, wake up, and then return to the smooth road he had planned for her.

But now... no.