After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 148

"Well... Yu Yu, Xiao Mu is just shy, but I'm very happy."

Faced with Toyokawa Yuu's thoughtfulness, Wakaba Mutsu lowered his head slightly and made a muffled sound.

But soon, those golden eyes lifted again, a look of excitement appearing in them.

Mortis hadn't planned to come out so soon, but now Yuu Toyokawa is going to help her comb her hair.

Since Ruoye Mu is too embarrassed, then she can do it for her.

The sound of the hairdryer gradually increased, drowning out other sounds in the room, until the passage of time slowly suppressed it.

After Mortis's hair was dried and even combed by Yuu Toyokawa, he jumped back onto Shoko Toyokawa's bed as before, wrapped himself in the quilt, and stared intently at Yuu Toyokawa as she searched for his belongings.

However, this woman, who possessed superb acting skills and was adept at discerning from subtle movements which actions were acting and which were genuine emotions hidden beneath. She quickly noticed something amiss.

Toyokawa Yuu's actions were less about selecting and more about searching.

His movements as he rummaged through the box were far too efficient, his purpose quite obvious. He even completely ignored the exquisite doll that Ruoye Mu had placed on the top shelf.

Unaware of Mortis's subtle change in expression, Toyokawa Yuu quickly found Toyokawa Kiyoko's notebook in the box.

He couldn't wait to open it, and after only reading the first page, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The contents of the records have changed, and there is a considerable amount of content, which in a sense indicates that the notebook is still valid.

However, after this brief moment of relaxation, Toyokawa Yuu's heart quickly became anxious again.

He was still unaware of how many unexpected events had occurred this time, leading to the current situation, which was so different from the past.

On August 3, 2020, Yuu came to see me and asked me many questions about Mori Minami. It seems that Mori Minami is planning to use this opportunity to forcibly send Wakaba Mutsu into the entertainment industry. Now that girl is hiding in Yuu's house, he has to start dealing with Mori Minami... I hope Shoko won't be angry if she finds out that Mutsu is living in Yuu's house.

On August 7, 2020, I watched the show called "Music Space" featuring Ave Mujica and Sumimi. I even asked a friend about it, and it seems something happened backstage during the show... Speaking of which, I haven't been home much lately. Where did the doll that Xiangzi cherished so much, left by Mizuho, ​​go?

[On August 15, 2020, Yu Yu seemed to have found a new partner. Ave Mujica released a new magazine and posted a teaser for a new concert... I asked Xiangzi about the Mizuho doll, and she said that it had been sitting at home unattended recently, so she asked Mori Minami to look after it for a few days... This kid still can't lie.]

On September 3, 2020, the concert didn't seem to go well. It appears that Mutsuka Wakaba was unable to attend, and the show's performance was subpar. Afterward, the band Ave Mujica's popularity declined significantly, and even advertisements and posters became less common.

On September 15, 2020, Yuu voluntarily returned to the Toyokawa family home. It's unclear what he discussed with Grandpa Teiji, but the doll Mizuho left behind reappeared on the cabinet the next day.

[October 3, 2020. Today, Xiangzi unusually stayed at home. I asked her curiously why she didn't go see Youyu since she had free time. She replied that Youyu was seeing off a friend and it wasn't appropriate for her to be there.]

On October 17, 2020, Xiangzi returned to the Toyokawa family home and asked Grandpa Teiji when the engagement ceremony would be held... These two kids have finally come to this point. I'm not worried about them having problems, but I always feel like they're both forcing something... Mizuho, ​​do you think it's really the right thing for me to do without any interference, letting these two kids fall in love freely and make their own way in the world?

On November 6, 2020, Xiangzi and Youyu got married. Although they weren't old enough, according to the tradition of their clan, holding a wedding ceremony was acceptable. During the ceremony, Ruoye Mutsu played a guitar song for Youyu. The boy named Hachiman Kairin seemed to be young and drinking for the first time, so he was probably drunk and caused a bit of a commotion with Xiangzi.

On March 7, 2021, it seemed that Wakaba Mutsumi was planning to enter the entertainment industry. Although the band Ave Mujica hadn't disbanded, it seemed that due to frequent absences, their contact was fading. Hachiman Kairin was arranged by Yuu to join Starlight Plaza, but her career seemed to be going too smoothly, and it always felt like someone was pushing her behind the scenes.

On July 9, 2021, Yawata Umi's performance was becoming increasingly impressive, but Yuu was coming to the company less and less. Was the person standing behind her... really still Yuu?

[On August 6, 2023, Yawata Kairin was acting very strangely. In just two years, she had completely taken control of that shopping mall, but where did she find out about Hatsune Miku? She even joined forces with other members of the Toyokawa family to begin attacking Old Master Sadaharu, and some scandals began to surface.]

On October 17, 2023, even Old Master Dingzhi couldn't hold on any longer and was forced to step down. The head of the family was passed to Xiangzi... She's not really capable of handling things on her own yet. I've been closely watched ever since I was kicked out. Youyu, I'm counting on you for everything now.

On October 19, 2023, Ave Mujica's original agency was reportedly transferred to Yawata Urin's name as "compensation." I'm not entirely sure how much she profited from it, but the band apparently had a get-together there today before disbanding. Apparently, the arguments could be heard through the door...

puff......

Yuu Toyokawa slammed his notebook shut. Although he hadn't finished reading it all, the information alone had already filled him with suspicion and uncertainty.

What does it mean that Hachiman Kairin found out Hatsune's identity, then used her power to unite with the branch family to oust Toyokawa Sadaharu and take control of the agency?

Could it be that Hachiman Kairin... betrayed me a long time ago?

Chapter 135 Toyokawa Shoko's Relics (8k)

Yuu Toyokawa closed her eyes and took two deep breaths, feeling that her mind was in a bit of a mess.

Although he had long anticipated that Hachiman Kairin might be rebellious, he hadn't expected her to be so...capable.

Looking at the information recorded in the notebook left by Toyokawa Kiyoko, if everything written there was true, Toyokawa Yuu couldn't find any other suitable adjective besides "capable"—a word that was extremely complimentary.

Yuu Toyokawa was aware of Kairin Hachiman's family background.

Rather, when he first became Ave Mujica's manager, he took advantage of his position to investigate the family backgrounds of the band members under the guise of caring about their situation, instead of relying solely on information he had gleaned from watching anime.

Although a family situation investigation conducted under the guise of an agent cannot uncover everything, it can still provide a fairly comprehensive understanding.

Although Hachiman Kairin's family was relatively wealthy, they were not a powerful or influential family. Not to mention families like the Toyokawa and Wakaba families, even the Nagasaki family of the same period ten years ago might not have been able to distinguish them from the powerful families.

Therefore, Toyokawa Yuu was not too surprised that she would leave Starlight Plaza to Hachiman Kairin.

If Toyokawa Shoko were to seize control of him, then transferring his assets to Yawata Kairin would be a perfectly reasonable choice.

As long as Hachiman Kairin still cherishes some old feelings, she won't forget the kindness shown to her by someone who helped her rise in life.

The fact that she still holds a grudge against the band that betrayed her the first time proves that Hachiman Kairin is a sentimental person, at least in this respect she is more reliable than Yutenji Wakanagi.

Although this idea had already wavered when I was betrayed last time, at least there is still a possibility of fighting for it, isn't there?

Even Metis, who didn't even blink when he turned me into a rain of clouds, has been made quite obedient and docile by me.

Therefore, Yuu Toyokawa still held some hope for Hachiman Kairin, at least not thinking that she would be as hopeless as Hatsune Miku.

I just didn't expect it...

The disappointment in his eyes grew deeper and deeper. Toyokawa Yuu closed the book somewhat dejectedly. He still had at least half of the diary to read, but he felt that he needed to slow down and process the information first.

"What's wrong, Youyu? You look down."

Quietly circling behind Toyokawa Yuu, he peeked his head out from behind the man's shoulder, his golden gaze sweeping over the notebook in Toyokawa Yuu's hand.

"...It's nothing, it's just that looking at these things reminded me of the past, and I feel a little melancholy."

Almost subconsciously, Yuu Toyokawa found a reason to evade the issue and temporarily composed herself, continuing to read the diary in her hand.

As for the rest of the content, it was rather unremarkable, consisting mostly of things that Yuu Toyokawa had gleaned indirectly from Kairin Hachiman or Mortis after her return.

It was nothing more than that he and Toyokawa Shoko managed to maintain the family's situation, which gradually improved, and that shortly after Toyokawa Sadaharu's death, Toyokawa Shoko sent Hatsune Miku out of the Toyokawa family.

In any case, Toyokawa Kiyoko has already been expelled from the family, and he has little way of finding out what happened within the family.

Even the exact time and cause of Toyokawa Seikaku's death could not be found in this notebook. The only thing she knew was that the last diary entry was written five years ago.

The only noteworthy point is that, according to Toyokawa Kiyoko's account, his relationship with Toyokawa Shoko seemed to be relatively harmonious. It seems that Toyokawa Sadaharu's early resignation forced the two of them to take on heavy responsibilities early on, which led to some shared hardships and friendship.

Tossing her notebook aside, Toyokawa Yuu leaned back dejectedly, throwing herself onto the soft bed and staring silently at the spotless ceiling.

Compared to this somewhat unacceptable fact, Toyokawa Yuu has an even more complex problem to consider.

Did you know for the past ten years that Hachiman Kairin and the Toyokawa family's branch family colluded and used Hatsune's identity to directly lead to Toyokawa Sadaharu's downfall?

If he didn't know, then wasn't he just dealing with a tiger for its skin, someone who had directly caused the death of the previous head of the Toyokawa family and could turn on him, the current head of the family, at any time?

If only I knew... why I had re-established contact with Yawata Kairin, and why I had gotten along with her fairly well even though she had already shown her fangs.

The information provided by overly closed and biased channels left Toyokawa Yuu's mind in a state of confusion.

Even using Hachiman Kairin could become quite dangerous now, so who can I rely on now, Wakaba Mutsumi or Mortis?

Looking aside at the beautiful woman with golden eyes who was looking at her with a hint of worry, Toyokawa Yuu felt a mix of emotions.

"Is it really necessary to be so anxious? We've all gone our separate ways for years..."

Confused by Toyokawa Yuu's sudden dejection, Mortis scrambled past him, reaching out his pale fingers from under the covers to pick up the diary that Toyokawa Yuu had tossed aside.

Based on his memory, Mortis flipped through the pages to roughly the thickness of the book when Toyokawa Yuu first closed it, and read through the contents of the previous and next chapters. The quick-witted Mortis soon understood the root cause of Toyokawa Yuu's transformation.

"Is Yuu worried that Hailing will target you like she did back when she ousted Grandpa Sadaharu from power by joining forces with the branch family...?"

Looking at the expression on Toyokawa Yuu's face, Mortis had already made a judgment.

After all, that incident happened too suddenly. Toyokawa Shoko, who was not yet truly capable of supporting a family, suddenly took over, forcing Toyokawa Yuu to take on a lot of work herself.

For a long time, I was busy with family affairs and had no time to pay attention to these matters.

After these events, Toyokawa Shoko never mentioned these unpleasant and sad things to him or their aftermath, and she didn't even let Wakaba Mutsu talk to him about them.

It was during that period that, in order to secure Xiangzi's position, Toyokawa Yuu offended many people and used many less-than-respectable methods to help Xiangzi maintain his status.

After everything settled down, Xiangzi was even afraid to let him out of her sight or leave the Toyokawa family home.

"...I don't know. Hailing said she would stand by my side, and I want to believe her...Is everything written here true?"

"Many of these views are just Uncle Qing's own conjectures. For example, Xiangzi and Hailing's relationship was not as bad as described above. They resumed contact after less than two years, and Xiangzi even went to see her for tea not long ago."

Seemingly just to ease Toyokawa Yuu's worries, Mortis lay down beside him and gently held the man's wrist, as if this would reassure Toyokawa Yuu a little.

"However, those things did happen. Hailing even made a deal with the branch family members, not allowing them to reveal that she was the one who leaked the information. If it weren't for..."

"If it's not what?"

Yuu Toyokawa turned around and grabbed Mortis's wrist, pressing him for answers.

Judging from Mortis's tone, he had been kept in the dark about this whole thing from beginning to end, and even Hachiman Kairin was surprised that he knew nothing about it.

However, if the confidentiality request was made by Yawata Kairin herself, she shouldn't feel that kind of emotion, but rather feel gratified.

The current situation is too complicated. Perhaps it is because the notes contain Toyokawa Kiyoko's subjective views, and the things recorded in them even contradict what I already knew.

He needs... information from another perspective.

"Why was this leaked, and why did Hailing do it?"

"The fact that Hatsune Miku's identity was leaked by Urin was told to me by Minami as a 'reward' for my willingness to obediently enter the entertainment industry. I don't know where Urin found out about those things. As for her reason for doing so... it was for you."

Mortis didn't shake off Yuu Toyokawa's hand, which he had unconsciously used so force that he felt a slight pain in his wrist. He looked intently at the man in front of him, whose eyes were full of inquiry.

"She has never been able to let go of you, and naturally she is unwilling to become someone who lives in a completely different world from you. No matter what she does, she wants to squeeze into the circle where she can get in touch with you as soon as possible, but how could Xiangzi let her have her way so easily?"

Upon hearing this reason, Toyokawa Yuu fell completely silent.

Although this is only Mortis's side of the story, the fact that even Wakaba Mutsu didn't come out to refute it shows that the people involved really think so.

But... what a joke, just for such an absurd reason?

Yuu Toyokawa was certainly aware of the unusual attitude of Kairin Hachiman towards him, but he didn't know how to trust her.

It's ridiculous that someone who betrayed you would develop those kinds of feelings for you, even if it's a joke.

“Youyu, I know you don’t want to believe it. You used to trust Hailing so much that you even left Starlight Plaza to her. That’s why neither we nor Xiangzi have told you this kind of thing all these years.”

Sitting up on the bed, Mortis guided the hand that Toyokawa Yuu was holding on his wrist to his chest. When the man realized that this position was somewhat inappropriate and tried to pull it away, he turned around and held it tightly with both hands.

"But believe me, Youyu, these things are not as simple as you see in Uncle Qinggao's diary, and Hailing's feelings for you are definitely not something beautiful and pure."

Looking into Toyokawa Yuu's eyes, Mortis's golden eyes were exceptionally serious and focused.

"You were so busy for those six months that you didn't even have time to get a good night's sleep, all thanks to her. All Hailing had in her heart was possessiveness. She didn't care what you thought at all... Even Xiangzi was a traitor, and later he actually reconciled with Hailing."

“Hailin is really untrustworthy. Youyu, it’s best not to associate with her anymore. When you went out with her today, Xiaomu and I were really worried about you. I really don’t want to think about what would happen if she did what she did back then... Xiaomu and I really wouldn’t know how to face Xiangzi in the future.”

To Mortis's serious and earnest words, Toyokawa Yuu did not answer immediately, but instead tightened her grip slightly, pulling her hand out from between the golden-eyed beauty's clasped fingers.

After a long silence, Toyokawa Yuu finally spoke, her gaze so intense that even Mortis instinctively wanted to look away.

"Metis, Xiao Mu, do you think we can protect everything Xiangzi left behind if we rely on ourselves now?"

"...If it's just about taking you away from Tokyo and ensuring you'll have a comfortable life from now on, I can do that with the power of the Wakaba family."

Instead of giving a direct answer, Mortis looked away and offered another explanation.

The answer contained within is self-evident.

It has to be said that this was a rather disheartening answer, but Yuu Toyokawa breathed a sigh of relief the moment she heard Mortis's reply.

He was genuinely worried that Mortis and Wakaba Mutsu, who had now defeated Mori Minami and completely controlled the Wakaba family, would agree to do it.

If that were the case, Toyokawa Yuu really couldn't guarantee that, even with her life, wealth, and even her position within the family secured, she would still have the courage to experience death again and return to ten years ago.

In that case, Xiangzi would truly be unable to speak to himself anymore.

Turn your attention to the doll that you had initially set aside.

Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight streaming in through the window, and her bright red skirt made it impossible to tell that this doll had been around for at least twelve years.

Toyokawa Yuu was well aware of the importance of this doll to Toyokawa Shoko.

It is not difficult to deduce from the contents of Toyokawa Kiyoko's notes that ten years ago, in order to gain some freedom for Wakaba Mutsu, she made a deal with Mori Minami using this heirloom from her mother, which she cherished dearly.

What a stupid girl! In the end, I'll have to cover for her. I don't want to suffer in silence like this. Xiangzi has to get this doll back himself.

Yuu Toyokawa reached out and ruffled Mortis's hair, a slight smile on her face, indicating that she shouldn't feel ashamed for not being able to meet such a demanding request.

"Could you help me contact Nagasaki Sase? I didn't see her downstairs just now. Since Hailing is no longer trustworthy, we need to find some other help."

"Okay, okay, I'll contact her. Youyu just doesn't trust my abilities."

With his cheeks puffed out in a huff, Mortis looked slightly angry.