Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

She didn't start monitoring right away.

Firstly, she needed to calm down her complicated emotions.

Secondly, she also needed some time to think about how to use this eavesdropping device next.

Directly monitoring Chuhua's private life made her feel uncomfortable and guilty.

But for Ave Mujica, and to find out the truth about Chuhua's departure, she seemed to have no better choice.

This contradictory mood tormented her.

For the next two days, Xiangzi almost stayed in front of the computer, wearing headphones and listening intermittently to the sounds coming from the other end of the eavesdropping device.

Most of the time, it was just the usual noises: Chu Hua's footsteps, doors opening and closing, and... long periods of silence.

These voices outlined the profile of a lonely and depressed Chu Hua, making Xiangzi feel even more uncomfortable.

She began to doubt whether what she did was right or wrong.

Just when Xiangzi was about to give up this almost "voyeuristic" behavior, things took a turn for the better.

That was the afternoon of the third day after getting the bug.

The sunlight outside the window was a little dazzling, so Xiangzi pulled the heavy curtains, and the room seemed a little dim.

She had been listening for several hours, but apart from the sound of Chu Hua cooking instant noodles and turning pages of a book, there was almost no valuable information.

Sleepiness came like a tide, Xiangzi's eyelids became heavier and heavier, and his consciousness began to become a little blurry.

The subtle sound of electricity coming from the headphones seemed like a lullaby.

Just when she was drowsy and about to take off her headphones to lie down on the bed for a while, a sudden phone ring came clearly from the other end of the headphones!

Xiangzi shuddered and became mostly sober in an instant!

She immediately turned up the volume and held her breath.

I only heard a rustling sound coming from Chuhua's side, as if he had answered the phone.

"Hey?"

Chu Hua's voice came through the electric current, with a hint of barely perceptible fatigue and hoarseness.

Then, a slightly old, yet somewhat majestic male voice sounded from the other end of the phone.

She couldn't hear clearly what the other person said, but Xiangzi felt that the voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had heard it before.

"...Um."

Chu Hua's response was brief and his tone sounded a little depressed, as if he didn't want to say anything more to the other party.

"I told you I won't get close to her again, please rest assured."

After saying this, the voice on the other end of the phone suddenly became louder.

"Hatsune!"

The other party's voice clearly reached Toyokawa Shoko's ears.

And this time, Shoko Toyokawa finally remembered who the owner of the voice was.

Grandpa...?

The girl froze for a moment.

Why is Chuhua in contact with his grandfather?

Hatsune Miku...who is it again?

.....

PS: This chapter costs 5,500 yuan. I took a day off yesterday, sorry.

Chapter 133: Tie up my grandpa!

Chuhua.

Grandpa.

These two people who are almost impossible to have direct contact are now forcibly tied together in the most undesirable way through a fuzzy phone recording.

Something cold and sticky crawled up along the spine little by little, causing a layer of fine goose bumps to appear on Shoko Toyokawa's arms exposed to the air.

The darkness in the room seemed to come alive at this moment, transforming into countless invisible tentacles, trying to drag her deeper into the quagmire of uneasiness.

At this moment, a voice that was so familiar that it was annoying, but she had to rely on it at the moment, sounded in her mind with a sense of habitual and detached leisure.

"I'm putting forward a hypothesis, which may not be correct."

Kujo Renji's voice was like watching a wonderful suspense drama, and he gave a slow and leisurely mid-game commentary at the most critical points.

Xiangzi could almost imagine the man's expression of watching the fun and not minding the trouble deep in her consciousness.

But what she needs most right now is perhaps this kind of cold and almost harsh rationality that can forcibly pull her out of the whirlpool of emotions.

She did not respond immediately, but pursed her lips tightly, trying to digest the huge impact of the phone call and the untimely opening remarks of Kujo Renji.

"What is currently known..."

Jiujo Renji's voice was neither hurried nor slow:

"It's Mitsuka Hatsuka—let's call her that for now. She's acquainted with your awe-inspiring grandfather, Mr. Toyokawa Sadaharu. I think we can already conclude this from the phone call just now without any complicated logical deduction, right?"

Xiangzi took a deep breath, trying to make her voice less trembling. She responded in her heart:

"....Um."

That one word seemed to have exhausted all her accumulated strength.

"Very good, we have reached the first consensus. So next..."

Kujo Renji seemed quite satisfied with her response and continued his analysis:

"From what we've experienced before, or more accurately, since we 'worked together', it seems that even after you completely took control of the agency and Ave Mujica's operations were back on track, your grandfather still seemed to be fully aware of your movements and those of Ave Mujica."

He paused deliberately, as if giving Xiangzi room to think and refute.

"Logically speaking..."

Kujo Renji's voice rang out again, "Given Mr. Toyokawa Sadaharu's style, he would definitely not easily give up the opportunity to plant spies through other channels, or to put it more mildly, to 'care' about you."

"But judging from the final results, at least on the surface, your grandfather didn't seem to arrange any further obvious 'surveillance' measures after we were out of his control."

Miss Xiangzi seemed to have just recovered from the shock brought by the phone call. A doubt that she had always ignored, or rather, deliberately explained away with other reasons, now clearly emerged.

"its not right?"

Toyokawa Shoko was a little confused:

"Isn't it possible that Grandpa didn't 'monitor' us further because you caused so much trouble for the Fengchuan Group before, leaving him so overwhelmed that he had no time to care about my affairs?"

Yes, this was once an unspoken "consensus" between her and Kujo Renji.

It was Kujo Renji who held back Toyokawa Sadaharu, thus buying Ave Mujica valuable time for development.

"Uh..."

Kujo Renji's voice seemed to be stuck.

But this pause was fleeting, as Jiujo Liansi quickly adjusted himself and said:

"Even if I cause him trouble, he won't necessarily be completely unable to deal with us."

Hearing this, Xiangzi vaguely guessed what Kujo Renji wanted to say next. It was a possibility that she was extremely unwilling to face. Just thinking about it made her feel physically irritated and resistant.

"so..."

Her voice was a little dry:

"What do you think the real situation is?"

Kujo Renji seemed to chuckle, and that laughter was particularly clear and harsh in Xiangzi's mind.

He said slowly:

"My hypothesis is that Sankaku Hatsuka was, most likely, an 'undercover' planted by Toyokawa Sadaharu next to you from the very beginning. And her real name might not even be Sankaku Hatsuka, but... Sankaku Hatsune."

The girl subconsciously wanted to refute.

"But I've known Chuhua since I was a child."

"So, are you sure that the girl you knew as a child was definitely called Sanjiao Hatsuka? Is it possible that from the very beginning, she was called Sanjiao Hatsune, but she used another name in front of you? Or, Miss Xiangzi, have you ever considered that your acquaintance was itself a carefully planned arrangement?"

Xiangzi felt dizzy.

"...But I took the initiative to find Chuhua and invite her to join Ave mujica."

"That's exactly where the biggest doubts arise. Think about it carefully. How could it be such a coincidence that when you needed a lead singer the most, someone so famous, so talented, and a 'familiar' you've known since childhood would appear, just in time to perfectly fit your band's needs?"

His voice paused:

"Let's take a step back and let's not talk about your 'old relationship'. How did Sanjiao Chuhua, a girl with almost no background in the music industry, quickly accumulate such enormous fame and influence in such a short period of time?"

"Behind that, it's the invisible hand of the Toyokawa family pushing it forward, Miss Xiangzi."

He concluded in an almost lamenting tone, "Your grandfather took great pains to ensure you could walk peacefully on the path he had paved for you."

Is it really?

She recalled every moment she spent with Chuhua.

Chuhua is always so gentle and considerate, always offering support and encouragement when she needs it most. She also seems to fully agree with Ave Mujica's philosophy and has put in tremendous effort for the band.

But...

What if all this was an act? What if that tenderness and acceptance were just to gain her trust, to better carry out the "mission"?

Xiangzi didn't dare to think about it any further. The possibility of being betrayed by the person she trusted most was like a blunt knife, repeatedly cutting into her heart, bringing waves of unbearable pain.

"call..."

She let out a long breath, trying to expel the pent-up energy in her chest that was almost crushing her.

"Anyway..."

She forced herself to calm down, her voice still hoarse:

"At least now, we've figured out who's behind Hatsune's sudden departure."

Yes, no matter what Chu Hua's true identity is, no matter whether she approaches me for other purposes, one thing is certain.

——It was her grandfather, Toyokawa Sadaharu, who used some means to force her to leave Ave Mujica.

"I'm going to find grandpa."

Xiangzi spoke word by word, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth:

"I want to confront him face to face and find out what's going on!"

Hearing this, Jiujo Liansi was silent for a moment and suggested:

"Before you go, think about what leverage you have. And what do you hope to gain from this confrontation? Do you want Miku to return? Or do you want your grandfather to admit his 'mistakes'? Or do you simply want to vent your emotions, only to be met with even stronger blows from your grandfather?"

His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Xiangzi's head, instantly calming him down.

Yes, she was going to confront him, but then what?

"It seems you haven't made up your mind yet."

Jiujo Renji's voice was filled with understanding:

"But it's okay. You'll have plenty of time to think along the way. But, Ms. Xiangzi, remember what I said before—if you want to achieve your goals, sometimes you have to sacrifice some of your principles. Especially when facing an old fox like Toyokawa Sadaharu, any trace of weakness or naiveté could lead to your complete defeat."

Xiangzi was silent.

She knew that what Kujo Renji said was right.

This confrontation with my grandfather could not be a fair contest from the very beginning.

She must be fully prepared, even prepared to do whatever it takes.

The girl was silent for a long time, and finally said hesitantly:

"What do you think about me being tied up by grandpa now?"

"?"