How can my simulation be a real love?

Upon hearing this, Mori Minami was taken aback at first, then narrowed her eyes with an undisguised smile, and teased him as if in a prank—

"...Hmph~ At this time, Naruto is still calling her 'Auntie'?"

Now we have no choice but to spend some gold coins.

Kazami Mei slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, then slowly raised her eyes with a serious expression.

"Mother-in-law, I'm going to marry Xiao Mu."

84

Chapter 84 The fiancée wanted to express her gratitude.

Mori Minami paused for a few seconds, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"That's true~ Anyway, I can't stop you now, let alone my daughter who's made up her mind."

The petite little wooden boy clearly hadn't expected his mother to tease him like that. A rare hint of panic appeared on his usually expressionless, delicate face, and his ears gradually turned rosy, appearing and disappearing in his long, translucent light green hair.

Perhaps no words can adequately capture the poetic beauty of this young woman at this moment.

If Ye Mu simply shrank back slightly, hiding quietly on Kazami Naru's shoulder, he wouldn't dare to look directly into Mori Minami's eyes.

Kazami Mei was both amused and exasperated by this.

"Since you don't want to make a big fuss about the 'engagement,' I won't bother with a special banquet or engagement party. However, I don't intend to hide it either."

Minami's meaningful gaze made Kazami Mei raise an eyebrow. The meaning behind her words was clear: she had decided to 'tie' him to the Wakaba family.

Even if they don't deliberately spread it around, people around Wakaba Mutsu and even Kazami Mei will know about it, causing others to subconsciously associate the two of them as a "couple".

The Toyokawa family would naturally be aware of the engagement of the Wakaba family's daughter.

"..."

Ruo Yemu frowned slightly, seemingly quite bothered by her mother's unauthorized decision.

She didn't care if others knew about her engagement, but she was worried that Toyokawa Shoko would find out about Ming's engagement. Because Shoko hadn't dared to express anything to Ming yet, and if she suddenly found out that Kazami Ming was already engaged...

With her extremely strong yet fragile sense of self-esteem, she would probably never dare to approach Kazami Naruto, this 'married man' again.

"Haha~ Don't worry, don't worry! I've already thought about this."

"Didn't I say long ago that I wouldn't make a big fuss? At most, other people only know that Mu's 'fiancé' is the artist 'Yuuka' who just won the gold medal at the FIRST exhibition, while only a few of us family members know Mingjun's real name."

As if she had foreseen the future, Minami immediately offered an explanation, causing Wakaba Mutsu's tense face to gradually relax.

In any case, Ruoye Mu has no intention of letting Xiaoxiang know about this yet.

Seeing that Wakaba Mutsumi had regained her doll-like elegance and the calm composure of a work of art, Mori Minami, with a slight smile playing on her lips, suddenly tapped the table with her index finger, then deliberately exclaimed in a tone of surprise—

"Speaking of which, I suddenly remembered something quite important."

“I heard that Naruto has been looking for a suitable ‘apartment’ recently, right? The place you lived in before was too small and it was inconvenient for all sorts of things... But since there aren’t many spacious apartments like this in Tokyo, you’ve wasted a lot of time looking for a suitable place, haven’t you?”

Kazami blinked in surprise, and immediately understood the implication in the other person's words.

Mother-in-law, are you really planning to give him a huge amount of gold coins?

At this point, Mori Minami, with a smile on her face, seemed to have guessed what Kazami Mei was thinking. So she slowly took out a key and gently placed it on the glass surface of the coffee table in front of Kazami Mei and Wakaba Mutsu.

Under their gazes, she first took a sip of black tea, then smiled casually and said, "I happen to have a nice detached villa here, located in the center of Ikebukuro, which seems to fit Naruto-kun's needs perfectly."

“Mother, then I won’t stand on ceremony.”

"...You little brat, it's not that simple."

The handsome young man in front of her, who always seemed calm and composed, suddenly forced a smile and readily accepted the key that Minami handed him without any hesitation, causing Minami's eyes to twitch slightly.

She stared stiffly at the black-haired boy's face, then immediately crossed her arms and continued—

"Even if Mingjun calls me 'Mom' affectionately, it won't work. You should use your cunning little brain to think about it carefully, right?"

"Then, Mother-in-law, do you have any other requests?"

Kazami Mei's rapid change of expression made Mori Minami burst into laughter in exasperation.

"Actually, it's not something that's too difficult for you."

"I was just thinking that the villa is so big—you definitely can't fit it all by yourself, right? Besides, it would be so lonely to live alone in such an empty place. So I was thinking of taking this opportunity to have Mutsu come and live with you, how about that?"

cohabitation?

"..."

Upon hearing such a request, Ruoye Mu was clearly taken aback.

She suppressed the growing tension in her heart and looked at Mori Minami not far away with a questioning gaze. Who knew that the other party just winked meaningfully in her direction. Little Wood, who was already familiar with her mother, naturally understood what the other party meant immediately.

As the saying goes, "Those who are near the water get the moon first."

Since Mori Minami couldn't get Kazami Mei to marry into the Wakaba family and make him wholeheartedly marry Wakaba Mutsu, she could only try to get Wakaba Mutsu to occupy the most powerful 'legal wife' position with a legitimate reason!

This way, other women will have reservations no matter what, and it can also keep Feng Jianming from messing around with other women.

"no problem."

Kazami Mei nodded in agreement without hesitation, because he had no reason to refuse.

It's quite a coincidence, and that's exactly what he thought too.

Even if Minami didn't make such a 'request', Kazami was prepared to offer to take Mutsu to live with them later. After all, from today onwards, the two were officially engaged, and no one had any reason to object to their 'cohabitation'.

This is a good opportunity to let Xiao Mu live a free and easy life.

Only after hearing Kazami Mei's assurance did a hint of satisfaction gradually appear on Minami's face.

"Then from today onwards, Muko is truly in your hands."

"Yes, please feel free to leave it to me."

As Minami's increasingly serious words reached his ears, Kazami Mei, who had been waiting for a long time, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although the so-called 'engagement' is actually more of a verbal agreement, and theoretically it is not a necessary step before marriage.

However, from the moment Mori Minami decided to entrust Wakaba Mutsu to him, the burden and shackles that had weighed on the little wooden boy for many years would completely vanish from that moment, and she would live a life entirely of her own choosing.

"..."

The blonde woman sitting next to Minami was staring intently at them, her direct gaze drawing his attention.

With some doubt in her heart, Kazami Mei frowned slightly, and then asked in a gentle and polite tone, "...Speaking of which, Mother-in-law, I've been wanting to ask since the beginning, who is this person next to you?"

"She's an acquaintance of mine who appreciates art. I think I've mentioned her to Mingjun before, right?"

"This time, she came specifically to see you."

find him?

Just as Kazami Mei raised his head in confusion, the blonde woman sitting in front of him, with a cool and aloof expression, quickly took out a business card from her pocket and handed it to him, speaking softly and gently in a refined manner—

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Yuuka."

“I am the head of the East Asia arts region for the ‘Fantasy Group’. You can call me ‘Blue’.”

Upon hearing the other party's self-introduction, Kazami Mei immediately raised her eyebrows, because the 'Fantasy Group' she mentioned was the group responsible for the world's top art stage, the 'Fantasy Exhibition'. The fact that the other party was the person in charge of the East Asian region was enough to show that this Miss Lan was a very high-level management personnel.

But the reason why the other party would suddenly come to you is a little intriguing.

"Nice to meet you, I am Kazami Mei."

The handshake with the blonde woman lasted only a symbolic two seconds before Kazami Mei slowly withdrew his right hand, silently pondering the current situation.

Why would such an important figure come all the way to see him?

After all, as 'Yuuka', Kazami Mei, even though she just won the gold medal at the FIRST exhibition and made her name in foreign media, is still just a newcomer who hasn't been in the industry for long. It's unlikely that she would be able to get a high-level executive like Miss Lan from the Fantasy Group to meet with her privately.

Perhaps sensing Kazami Naruto's concerns, the calm and gentle blonde woman continued speaking—

"Please don't worry about it. I'm meeting with you in a private capacity this time."

"Basic?"

Kazami Naruto keenly sensed the oddity in the other person's words. Before he could even speak, the blonde woman had already placed a bank card on the table and then began to speak in a rather formal tone—

"First of all, I am here on behalf of the official organizers of the FIRST exhibition. This is the prize money you received for winning the highest award at the exhibition."

Upon hearing this, Kazami Mei suddenly realized that winning the gold medal at the FIRST exhibition did indeed come with a prize of three million yen. However, his mind and attention were more focused on the 'bet', so he subconsciously ignored it.

"Next, let's talk about the private aspects."

“Actually, I also have a personal interest in collecting paintings and artworks. I would like to purchase your painting ‘Afternoon of Cucumber’ in this exhibition in my own name. In terms of funds, I can only offer my utmost sincerity... I can offer about this amount.”

As she spoke, the older woman held up one finger.

Seeing this, Feng Jianming blinked in surprise. The older sister named 'Lan' in front of him was indeed a senior manager of the Fantasy Group. The one finger she held up was not pointing to a number like 100,000 or even 1 million, but a solid 10 million yen!

A faint, strange glint flashed in Kazami Mei's eyes, before she spoke with a pointed undertone—

"...I don't remember my paintings being worth that much."

"I believe that the price of a painting is not solely determined by the artist's fame."

Miss Lan calmly and naturally offered her explanation, then silently awaited Kazami Naruto's reply.

Offering this amount of ten million yen truly represents the utmost sincerity she could muster.

However, Kazami Mei shook his head without hesitation and earnestly explained, "I am very grateful that Miss Ran likes this painting, but I have no intention of selling it."

Sitting next to her, Wakaba Mutsu raised her head in a slightly dazed manner. Suddenly, she felt a warm touch travel through her skin to her body. Turning her head, she saw Kazami Mei looking at her with a half-smile. Realizing what was going on, a watery glint flashed in her eyes.

The ownership of this painting no longer belongs to Kazami Mei.

"I see, I was rash."

The blonde woman readily gave up; she was certainly not the kind of person who wouldn't know what was good for her.

"The last thing is also a personal matter."

“I would like to establish a collaborative relationship with Mr. Kazami in my personal capacity, and I will act as your agent in the art world. You can entrust me with all matters concerning the exhibition of your paintings.”

"And all Mr. Kazami needs to do is... focus on completing the painting to the required standard, that's all."

Kazami Mei frowned, resting his index finger on his chin as he began to ponder.

After all, he doesn't actually have much time to deal with this kind of tedious work. He needs to prepare all kinds of information and applications before each exhibition. If he could have a professional person like Ms. Lan to act as his agent, it would be a good thing for him without any hesitation.

But there was one thing that puzzled Kazami Mei the most: why would someone as a high-ranking member of the Fantasy Group personally act as his manager, a newcomer?

"If I may ask, Miss Lan, what are your requirements for me?"

Faced with Kazami Naruto's sudden question, the other party chuckled as if he had been prepared all along.

"Let me think about my salary requirements... I just need the most basic level."

"However, I hope you can participate in the Fantasy Exhibition and win the Platinum Award within a year."

The so-called Platinum Award can be said to be the pinnacle award, second only to the highest award at the Fantasy Exhibition.

To date, fewer than a hundred Japanese artists have been able to obtain the next level, the 'Gold Award'.

Kazami Mei, a new artist who has been in the industry for less than two months, won the Platinum Award at the Fantasy Exhibition, which is considered the pinnacle of art exhibitions, within a year. This is probably a ridiculous joke to anyone.

But when this cool-looking blonde woman said it, there was not a hint of joking in her voice.

This was her 'requirement,' which was, in some ways, hellishly demanding.

However, it was different for Kazami Mei.

"I understand."

Since the other party had already gone this far, Kazami Mei naturally wouldn't ramble on and on.

He confidently smiled and then proactively extended his right hand to the blonde woman in front of him. She smiled meaningfully at him and then shook his hand firmly without hesitation. Her cool yet gentle words gradually came out.

"So--"

"Pleasant to work with."

……

Now, it's truly move-in ready.

When Kazami Mei used the key given to her by Mori Minami to open the door of this luxurious villa, a strange, inexplicable look appeared on her face.

Since everything you need is already there, starting from the entrance hall, it's hard not to suspect that this expensive mother-in-law had made preparations long ago.