Page 568
Page 568
Moreover, the fact that he now has the opportunity to personally walk into and see the characters he has poured his heart and soul into is undoubtedly an irresistible temptation for him.
However, what truly concerned him, and even made him feel somewhat solemn, was the line about the mission rewards.
Having spent so much time with this system, Banami had long since figured out its nature.
Hedgehog Cat's cheat code is the most ingenious.
Putting aside the unknown rewards with those three question marks, the mere sight of that bottle of gene defect repair potion was enough to make his heart sink.
This thing touched a thorn that had been buried deep in his heart for a long time, one that he had never dared to think about deeply, yet which he had never been able to truly let go of.
The car quickly drove into the Toyokawa family's sprawling mansion, passed through the neatly manicured gardens, and came to a smooth stop in front of the main building.
The butler respectfully opened the car door for him, and Banami stepped out. His leather shoes made a crisp, steady sound on the polished marble floor. Usually, by this time, he would have already rushed upstairs to have sex with Xiaoxiang.
But today, he turned and walked straight to the other side, towards Toyokawa Sadaharu's study.
Based on his understanding of Old Deng, at this time, the other party would most likely be in the study, putting on a deep and reserved demeanor as a patriarch, either processing documents or staring blankly at some old object, continuing to maintain the persona of a sentimental widower boss.
Banami tiptoed and quietly approached along the corridor.
The solid wood door wasn't closed completely, leaving a small crack. He squinted slightly and peeked through the crack, and sure enough, he was right.
Toyokawa Sadaharu was sitting behind a large desk, gently holding an old photo frame in his hands. His fingertips slowly caressed the edge of the frame, and his eyes were incredibly tender, as if he were immersed in memories of his deceased wife.
He gently pushed open the door without making a sound, slipped behind the old man like a gust of wind, peeked into the photo frame, and almost burst out laughing.
He then deliberately dragged out his words, speaking sarcastically:
"Oh my, isn't this our invincible and affectionate Master Dingzhi? Why are you looking at this picture of my blonde girlfriend's mother so intently?"
Toyokawa Sadaharu shuddered in fright, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He whirled around and, upon seeing that it was the brazen young man, Hachiman, his face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot. He frantically hid the photo frame behind his back, as if he had been caught red-handed and was extremely embarrassed and angry.
"Are you a ghost? How come you walk without making a sound? Don't you know I have a heart condition?"
Banami crossed her arms and said with a teasing look, "I bet you can still catch fire in your old house, so your heart must be pounding. You could easily live another ten or eight years. When are you going to give Hatsune another little sister? I wouldn't mind having another sister-in-law."
If it weren't for the fact that Toyokawa Sadaharu had to maintain his image as a respectable person, he would have loved to kick this bastard right out the door.
His face darkened, he took a deep breath, sat back down in the large sofa chair, and said in a cold tone, "Why aren't you with Xiangzi? What are you doing here?"
Upon hearing Old Deng's question, the nonchalant smile on Banai's face gradually faded.
He straightened up, his eyes becoming serious and calm, his usual playful smile and unserious demeanor gone.
This sudden seriousness startled Toyokawa Sadaharu slightly.
In his view, the most reassuring state for this kid is when he's being unserious and irresponsible.
Banami looked directly into the old man's eyes, her voice calm yet heavy:
"I want to know what illnesses Xiangzi's mother, Miss Ruihui, and his grandmother, Madam Qingzi, suffered from and died of. Around when did they fall ill?"
Upon hearing this, Toyokawa Sadaharu's expression instantly changed.
The initial anger and impatience vanished, replaced by a deep solemnity.
He leaned forward slightly, his voice low, with a barely perceptible tremor:
"What...rumors have you heard?"
Banami gently shook her head, neither avoiding nor concealing anything:
"It's just a perfectly logical guess. Both Miss Mizuho and your late wife must have suffered from some kind of hereditary disease, which is why they both passed away at such a young age, right?"
He paused, his gaze darkening slightly:
When did they first develop symptoms?
Toyokawa Sadaharu's lips pressed into a stiff line, his knuckles turning slightly white. He remained silent for a long time, as if waging an extremely difficult struggle. Finally, he uttered an answer in a hoarse voice:
"It was around... when I graduated from high school."
As soon as he finished speaking, the old man seemed to have all his strength drained away. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he jumped up from his chair and stared at Banami with a look of panic in his eyes.
"Could it be... Xiangzi, she too..."
Banami gently shook her head, her tone steady, as if reassuring both the other person and herself:
"No. Xiangzi is perfectly healthy right now, there's nothing wrong with him at all."
He paused, his voice softening slightly, yet every word pierced the heart:
"But you can't guarantee that Xiangzi won't relapse in the future, right?"
Toyokawa Sadaharu swayed, slumped back into his chair, his shoulders drooping, and he instantly looked several years older.
He closed his eyes, his voice weary and weak:
"So I didn't tell the child about it. Xiangzi didn't think much of it either. I just hoped... that even if she really did get sick one day, at least until then, she would be happy every day, and wouldn't have to live in the shadows from childhood, and wouldn't be tormented by this invisible and intangible curse."
After a long while, the old man slowly raised his head, looking at Banami with a complex expression, his voice low and deep, as if it came from the abyss:
"This is the curse of being a son-in-law of the Toyokawa family. Whether it's me, Toyokawa Kiyoko, or you, Toyokawa Yu."
"None of us can escape it."
"I made it through, though I lived like a walking corpse. Toyokawa Kiyotaka was defeated and hasn't been able to get out of the shadows yet. And you, Hachimi?"
In the old man's eyes, there was worry, helplessness, resignation, and also a trace of expectation that even he himself was unwilling to admit.
Looking at the old man whose back was bent over by fate, Banami suddenly chuckled softly.
He slightly raised his chin, his tone light and cheerful:
"Me? I have a cheat code."
Toyokawa Sadaharu was taken aback, then seemed to understand something, the heaviness in his eyes dissipated slightly, revealing a hint of unbelievable relief.
He looked at the seemingly cynical young man before him and nodded slightly:
“Then I am very glad that I allowed you to enter the Toyokawa family in the first place.”
As a result, Banai showed no mercy and openly mocked him without any politeness:
"Old Deng, are you starting to write history now? Is this a question of whether you allow it or not? If I really run away abroad with Xiao Xiang, you'll have nowhere to cry."
Toyokawa Sadaharu's lips twitched violently. He took a deep breath and, in an extremely youthful and straightforward manner, tried to save face—
He slowly raised a middle finger at Hanami.
Banami: "..."
Oh dear, Old Deng, who's practically on his deathbed, has even learned to act cute. Disgusting.
****
After leaving the study, Banami walked silently up the stairs.
No matter how relaxed and confident I appeared in front of the old man, the tension in my heart remained taut.
Genetic defect.
Hereditary diseases.
Died young.
Every word was like a tiny needle, repeatedly pricking his heart.
What relieved him was that the gene defect repair drug was clearly intended for Xiangzi.
Therefore, this final task must be completed.
When he returned to the bedroom, only a warm yellow bedside lamp was on, casting a soft light that enveloped the entire room in a quiet and cozy atmosphere.
Xiangzi had already taken a bath and was wearing a loose, soft nightgown. Her long hair was loosely draped over her shoulders. She was sitting at her desk, her head slightly lowered, intently looking at the sheet music in front of her. The pen tip glided lightly across the paper, pausing occasionally and writing quickly at other times. Her expression was so serious that she didn't even hear Banami push the door open and come in.
Just as she promised.
As the price for exchanging lives with Banami and letting him shoulder all the storms of the Toyokawa Group, she will do everything in her power to push Ave Mujica to its peak and realize the dream they all share.
He thought that Xiao Xiang was really too charming.
Such a girl should not, and absolutely must not, die halfway through her life.
He won't allow it.
Banami tiptoed past from behind, gently encircling the girl's slender back with her arm, resting her chin on the top of her head, her voice so tender it could melt water:
"Xiao Xiang, I'm jealous."
Xiangzi paused slightly as he suddenly hugged her, but showed no surprise, as if she had known he would return. She chuckled softly, her voice gentle, carrying a hint of languor from just having taken a bath:
Why are you jealous?
"You actually like singing more than me. I can't even compare to your singing, I'm so jealous. I'm just that petty." Banami said sullenly, like a spoiled child.
Even though he knew the guy was faking it, Xiangzi was still amused and almost burst out laughing, his shoulders trembling slightly.
"Hmph, if that's how you put it, then I'll be much more generous."
"How so?" Banami blinked and asked curiously.
"You clearly smell like both that fox spirit Miaomeng and that little fox spirit Ruosui, but I wasn't angry. Aren't I very generous?"
Although he spoke casually, the next second, Xiangzi's fingers gently pinched his waist. The force wasn't strong, but it was enough to make him howl.
"Ouch—you, you be gentle! You know, Ruo Sui is my secretary now, so it's normal for me to smell her perfume on me!"
"Just take it as me believing you." Xiangzi snorted. "Hey, don't touch me like that, I was just concentrating."
Her tone carried a hint of annoyance, but she didn't actually push him away.
Seeing that Banai was pushing his luck, he started to become restless.
Xiangzi struggled symbolically for a moment, but soon gave in and let him hold him.
As for the fact that Hanami smells of other girls on her?
That at most... only adds a little bit of participation for them.
Just as the atmosphere was heating up and the two were about to immerse themselves in each other's tenderness, the bedroom door was suddenly pushed open with a "bang".
A blonde girl poked her head in, carrying a small soup pot, looking very excited.
"Um, I made some sweet soup, would you like some with me...?"
Before she could finish speaking, she saw the scene in the room.
Banami's face turned dark instantly.
It's so late, and you made sweet soup. Who are you planning to give it to?
Is it for me, or for Xiangzi?
Or... are either fine?
Hatsune realized she might have arrived at an inopportune time, her face stiffened, and she asked cautiously:
"Hey, did I come at...wrong time?"
“No.” Banami interrupted her decisively, “You’ve come at just the right time.”
"Eh?! Do...do we want to come together?" Hatsune's voice trembled slightly, a mixture of fear and excitement in it.
She was just an ordinary girl who liked both Hanami and Shoko.
Xiangzi's lips twitched involuntarily. She was truly blessed to have such an aunt.
***
However, to Hatsune's disappointment (?), when Banami called her to join them, it turned out to be about serious business.
With a smile, Banami said to the two girls, "That's how it is. Now, all the fan-created stories have become independent miniature worlds. Would you like to go in and see what happens next for 'us'?"
Although the three of them have experienced many derivative works since then, the first time is always the most profound.
Hatsune's eyes lit up: The first fan-made story was about her and Hanami returning to the island to become husband and wife, and... she was pregnant with Hanami's child.
Xiao Xiang was merely her defeated foe, her... her loser.
Thinking about this, Hatsune Miku suddenly became incredibly cool.
As expected of this golden retriever whose thoughts are written all over his face, both Banami and Xiangzi can tell what he's thinking at a glance.
You clearly like Xiangzi so much, so where did you get this idea of secretly wanting to persecute him?
Of course, they only dared to do it secretly.
svetikya