I have a life simulator.

At such close range, Emi Jiangpu's eyes showed not a single tear.

The dehydration was unimaginable, especially considering that the person had just lost a loved one.

"He always avoids talking about life and death, but then he tells me that I should feel sad when faced with life and death."

Jiangpu Huimei squatted down and whispered:

"It's always been like this. I don't understand those things. I should know, everyone seems to know, but I still don't understand. All along, I've learned a lot in order to understand those things, but no matter how hard I try, I still don't understand... why people want to live."

The mother felt sorry for her daughter because her father was a gambler who owed a lot of debt and would only beat her when he came home. As a result, she and her daughter never had a stable family environment, let alone any family education.

Emi Jiangpu always wears a smile in front of others and never takes off her mask. Through this behavior, she hides her difference from others by using a mask to conceal herself.

However, in front of her mother, Emi would occasionally become talkative, and sometimes even ask questions with great excitement.

This is the mournful cry of Emi Emi as she rubs against the world; she is stuck like a broken gear, struggling to turn.

Discovering this saddened the mother.

She felt this was a sad thing.

However, she still loves her daughter.

and so--

"Today, my classmates and I bullied a younger girl."

One day, Emi Emi put down her schoolbag and, like a good child recounting her daily school life to her mother, rushed into her mother's arms, who was wearing an apron.

She tilted her head back and smiled, saying:

"I don't know why, but I'm so happy, especially when I see the other person apologizing to us despite the pain."

"That's hilarious."

Jiangpu Huimei stroked the obvious bruise on her mother's arm:

"Mother."

"Ok?"

"Am I doing the right thing?"

"If Hye-mi is happy, then it's right."

The mother bent down, holding her daughter, and patted her head.

"No problem, if there really is such a thing as retribution in this world."

"Your father should die first, then me, and finally you."

-------------------------------------

[The next day: In the afternoon, you gave "Hotaru" to Karuizawa Kei. In fact, "Hotaru" was a cat you had kept in England half a year ago. At that time, you were alone in a foreign country, and Mr. Izaki was afraid that you would be lonely, so he brought this white cat back to you from outside.]

You certainly love "Hotaru" very much. In the six months you've spent together, you've become quite familiar with this kitten. In fact, you could say "Hotaru" kept you company through a very difficult time. Perhaps that's why you chose to give it to Karuizawa Kei. You hope that "Hotaru" can provide the same comfort it brought you in the past, keeping Karuizawa Kei company during your absence, or rather, letting it take your place.

"I think this is the cat that Ryo and I raised together."

Karuizawa Megumi lifted Hotaru's little paws, covering her face with her cat head, making her expression unclear. Her hands and Hotaru's little paws danced cutely in front of Kitagawa Ryo's eyes:

"Isn't it?"

When you come to your senses, you see Karuizawa Megumi making this slightly childlike gesture; her face suddenly peeks out from beside the cat's head.

"Meow meow meow?"

You chuckled, and Karuizawa Kei pouted, looking somewhat displeased. She then used "Hotaru's" paw to rub against your face.

In this safe and comfortable atmosphere, you didn't even mention Emi Kamiya. You watched as Karuizawa Megumi, who seemed to have moved beyond the shadow of her past bullying, was playfully jumping and frolicking with "Hotaru," like a lively little bird.

The two of you played together from afternoon until evening, and neither of you mentioned any extra people or things. Perhaps at first you were just forcing yourselves to forget other things and focus on the present, but later you seemed to have really forgotten everything and only had each other in your eyes.

Around 7 p.m., the two of you walked into a DIY cake shop.

Because pets aren't allowed in the kitchen, you and Karuizawa Megumi left Hotaru at the front desk. Hotaru could only watch resentfully as her owners abandoned her without hesitation, while she lay on the sofa at the front desk, being petted on the head by one of the passing children, as if she had suddenly become the shop's mascot.

[Since you've already stepped into the kitchen with Karuizawa Kei, you naturally won't see all of this. Although DIY means Do It Yourself, the shop won't just stand by and watch customers who might have no cooking experience mess around. So, a staff member immediately asks if you need any basic assistance, since making a cake is something that looks difficult and is indeed not easy to do.]

Actually, you had planned a year ago to make a cake for Karuizawa Kei yourself someday. It didn't have to be for her birthday; the surprise was the most important thing. So, at that time, you had already created many failed attempts at home by yourself. Although Mr. Izaki ate them all with tears in his eyes, you still have some confidence in making cakes.

Karuizawa Kei had virtually no experience in this area, so you and she divided the work, with Karuizawa Kei assisting you. The shop had a fairly abundant supply of ingredients; you glanced at the refrigerator and cupboards and decided to make a mousse cake.

You've been practicing this trick for half a year, separating the yolks and whites from four eggs. Thinking back to how clumsy you were when you threw the eggshells into a bowl and the yolks into the trash can, you seem exceptionally skilled now. Karuizawa Kei, who was standing next to you, seemed to be misled by your proficient movements and actually tried to crack an egg herself. As a result, she ended up with her hands covered in sticky egg white and had to run to wash her hands in a sorry state.

Prepare appropriate amounts of cake flour, cornstarch, sugar, milk, corn oil, and black sesame paste and set them aside. Start by making the cake body. Add sugar to the egg yolks and beat until smooth. Then, pour in the milk, black sesame paste, etc., mix, and finally sift in the cake flour and cornstarch.

After handing the bowl to Karuizawa Kei to mix, you begin working on the egg whites. Whisk repeatedly until foamy, then add a few drops of lemon juice and half the sugar. Continue whisking until a fine, white foam forms, then add the remaining half of the sugar and mix well. Finally, pour the egg white mixture into Karuizawa Kei's egg yolk mixture.

It has to be said that this stirring action is similar in a way to the action of shaking reagent bottles in the laboratory that boys used to fantasize about. It has a magical stress-relieving function. While stirring, Karuizawa Kei cast her gaze at you, who was licking your fingers to control the sweetness. Suddenly, she created a wonderful atmosphere in her mind that the two of them were cooking together.

"Liang, I'm done!"

Thinking this, Karuizawa Kei, wearing gloves, placed a large basin in front of you. She was wearing a pink apron and was bending over to examine you as you studied the oven, giving off a strangely strong girlfriend vibe.

However, you didn't notice this while you were calculating the time. You took the ingredients and preheated the oven to 135 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes. To prevent the bottom of the baking pan from getting too hot, you placed another baking pan under the pan where the cake base was placed.

While waiting for it to bake, you can also start working on the mousse layer of the cake.

After mixing cream and cheese, adding a little sugar and chocolate sauce, and stirring well, you should have added a little rum, but considering that you are still a minor, you skipped this step and poured in milk directly.

While asking Karuizawa Megumi to bring you the mousse mold, you remixed the whipped cream that had been whipped to soft peaks. After taking the baked cake out of the oven, you peeled off the parchment paper, let it cool, and then refrigerated it.

After waiting a short while, pour the mousse mixture into the mousse mold, place it on top of the cake base, and freeze for half an hour.

When did Liang learn this?

While waiting, Karuizawa Kei took off her apron and gloves and leaned against you, asking with some curiosity.

"About a year ago, but I guess it was barely edible."

"No way, the way you cooled it just now was very skillful. Judging from the preparation process, the taste won't be bad either."

Karuizawa Kei quickly extended her right index finger and placed it on your lips:

"If it really doesn't taste good, I... I'll still try my best to finish it."

"It's not that bad, I've trained before."

You figured it was about time, so you got up, grabbed a hundred grams of whipping cream, whipped it to stiff peaks, put it in a piping bag, and refrigerated it for later use.

"What pattern does Hui want?"

You closed the refrigerator door and turned back to ask.

"Or perhaps you could write a line of blessings or something?"

"However, the space isn't particularly large; it's probably only big enough to write a few words."

"Whoa whoa……"

Karuizawa Kei hadn't expected such a service; she touched her lips, hesitating as she pondered:

"Wouldn't a heart shape feel too cliché? Stars? Paper cranes?"

She spoke while simultaneously denying it, her muttering manner making you chuckle as you stood with your hands on your hips, waiting for Karuizawa Megumi's reply.

“Draw a rose.”

Finally, Karuizawa Kei spoke up, seemingly after seeing the cover of a book on the bookshelf next to her, which led to her decision.

"as you wish."

Take out the completed mousse cake, gently lift the mousse mold, and then skillfully pipe a rose with buttercream in that small area.

Cake doesn't have to be eaten on a birthday. You presented this mousse cake to Karuizawa Megumi.

The good news is that the mousse cake you made together tastes pretty good, even quite delicious. Although Karuizawa Kei said she would finish it even if it didn't taste good, you two probably still wanted it to be sweet.

"Is it tasty?"

"Ah, um? Um."

Karuizawa Kei put another small piece of cake into her mouth, and the cool and sweet pleasure instantly spread between her lips and teeth, making the girl close her eyes and unconsciously raise the corners of her mouth. She was stunned for a moment before reacting to your teasing question.

It has to be said that eating food you've made yourself is indeed a small but real and lovely kind of happiness.

Seeing Karuizawa Megumi's smiling face and slightly puffed cheeks, you casually picked up a piece of food in front of you and offered it to the girl's mouth.

This act of feeding surprised Karuizawa Kei. She lowered her eyes and acted somewhat shyly, but in the end, she stuck out her tongue and took a bite of the cake.

Seeing Karuizawa Megumi licking her lips as if she still wanted more, you didn't pay much attention and simply continued feeding her.

In the end, Karuizawa Megumi ate two-thirds of the mousse cake by herself.

After finishing her meal, Karuizawa Kei enthusiastically pulled out a book from the bookshelf next to her that looked thin and had a colorful cover.

"The Little Prince?"

You leaned closer and took a look:

"Have you read this book before, Hui? I highly recommend it!"

Karuizawa Kei also snorted and retorted:

"I've definitely seen it."

Her slender, pale fingers traced the pages, quickly flipping to Chapter Nine in the table of contents:

"The Little Prince also has a rose."

Karuizawa Kei seemed to have just noticed this, as she read the passage from the book:

"The Little Prince was leaving the planet. He was very sad when he left, thinking he would never come back. When he watered the flower for the last time and was about to cover it with a glass dome, he even shed tears."

'Goodbye,' he said.

The flowers did not answer.

'Goodbye,' he said again.

She said, "How could I have been so foolish? Please forgive me. I want you to be happy. I want to tell you, I love you. You never knew that. It's all my fault. But it doesn't matter anymore. Well, all I can do is wish you happiness. I don't need that glass dome anymore."

Karuizawa Kei paused slightly here, seemingly feeling a lump in her throat, and you leaned on her shoulder to read on:

"But what if the wind comes..."

'It's alright. I'm a flower, after all.'

What if there are insects and wild animals?

'A caterpillar turning into a butterfly is beautiful too. As for wild animals, I'm not afraid of them, because I have claws too, and I'll protect myself.'

She showed the little prince the four little thorns on her stem, her expression so innocent and adorable.

Don't look so gloomy, it makes me feel bad. Since you've decided to leave, then leave quickly.

The flower didn't want the Little Prince to see her tears; what a proud flower she was!

Karuizawa leaned on your shoulder, gently closing "The Little Prince," and placed her hand in your palm:

"I'll be alright in the future."

She whispered in your ear.

"I, I will definitely be better in the future."

Karuizawa Megumi's lips still carried the aroma of the mousse cake from earlier. She almost kissed him, but in the end, she didn't. She just pursed her lips and pleaded:

"So, so Liang, don't go, okay?"

[Story CG unlocked: The Little Prince and the Rose]

The Little Prince and the Rose: "I think I understand now. I think I've been tamed by a flower."

[Would you like to watch this cutscene? (This may be helpful for your subsequent gameplay)]

Chapter Sixteen: A Casual Chat with Hiyori Shiina

"Has Hiyori read 'The Little Prince'?"

Kitagawa Ryo clicked on Shiina Hiyori's profile picture on the social media app. Her profile picture was a white cat, or more precisely, a "firefly".

As one of Kitagawa Ryo's few friends in the UK, Shiina Hiyori also knew that he owned a white cat. She would regularly like Kitagawa Ryo's cat-themed posts every week. Later, she seemed to particularly like one of the cat pictures and used it as her profile picture.

It's around 5 a.m. Tokyo time, which is about 10 p.m. in London. Based on Kitagawa Ryo's understanding of Shiina Hiyori's daily routine, she should have just taken a shower and is leaning against the headboard, flipping through a book and planning to fall asleep in half an hour.