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Chapter Twenty-Six: The Price of Becoming a God
Xiangzi slowly woke up, the faint fragrance of white veils lingering in the air, and the gentle voice of the bridal shop saleswoman in her ear: "Miss Fengchuan, you're awake. Your wedding dress is ready."
As the saleswoman spoke, she tried to step forward to help her adjust her skirt and veil, but Xiangzi gently stopped her with his hand, his tone urgent: "Wait a minute."
After saying that, she slowly stood up, supporting herself with the hem of her dress. Ignoring the salesperson's instructions behind her, she quickly walked out, lifting the fluffy hem of her wedding dress. At that moment, her mind was filled with thoughts of her fiancé waiting outside, and she felt that even glancing at herself in the mirror in her wedding dress was a waste of time.
"Hey, Ms. Toyokawa, please don't walk so fast, be careful not to trip!" The saleswoman hurriedly caught up, her voice full of concern.
As Banami waited in the bridal shop's rest area, she snapped out of her reverie and the next second she saw a striking figure—
Wearing a pure white wedding dress, Xiangzi, like a little bird eager to rush to her lover's side, ran towards him with a hint of haste and panic, as if she were about to elope.
There were many brides around, dressed in wedding gowns, with exquisite makeup and mature demeanor, exuding gentleness and elegance. In contrast, Xiangzi at this moment had a rare touch of naivety.
She wore a trailing wedding gown with an exquisite off-the-shoulder neckline embroidered with tiny pearls and silver threads, which shimmered softly under the lights. The sheer tulle around her shoulders and neck was as light as mist, subtly outlining her delicate collarbones, making her look both graceful and glamorous.
A light lace veil covered her head, with delicate lace patterns embroidered along the edges. It reached her waist and swayed gently with her movements.
The youthful innocence in her eyes blends perfectly with the splendor of her wedding dress, creating a look that is both lively and gentle, captivating and mesmerizing.
“Xiao... Xiao Xiang!” Banai’s eyes lit up instantly, his gaze fixed on Xiangzi, as if everything around him had become a background. He subconsciously raised his hand slightly, his tone full of joy and anticipation, quietly welcoming his fiancée.
Xiangzi couldn't wait any longer. Without stopping, he rushed straight into Banami's arms. The next second, the two embraced tightly, as if they wanted to blend each other into their very bones.
The couple looked like a perfect match, their eyes filled with love for each other, which made the female salesperson not far away unable to help but smile like an aunt.
But she didn't know that in the instant they embraced, Xiangzi's fingers had already clenched tightly, pinching the soft flesh of Banami's waist with no mercy.
"Ouch, Xiangzi, be gentle, be gentle..." Banai gasped in pain, but still couldn't help but gently touch Xiangzi's buttocks with her fingertips, her tone carrying a hint of ingratiating ambiguity.
"You rascal, I'm really impressed that you can still have lustful thoughts at a time like this." Xiangzi said with some annoyance, his tone full of reproach, but his cheeks were secretly blushing.
"Doesn't that prove how charming you are in my heart, Xiaoxiang?" Banai gasped again and quickly defended herself, her tone tinged with grievance.
Xiangzi snorted coldly, his tone full of disdain, yet unable to hide a trace of shyness: "That fanfic satisfied you to death. Not only did it get both Su Shi and me pregnant, but it also ended up in bed with you. You shameless bastard."
Just thinking about that outrageous fan-made sequel made Xiangzi's cheeks burn, and he couldn't help but mentally complain—
Shameless, utterly shameless.
“But Xiao Xiang, I’ve already restrained myself a lot for your sake.” Banai frowned, her tone becoming increasingly aggrieved.
"Huh?! You mean, playing with two pregnant women is considered restrained?" Xiangzi huffed angrily, his eyes filled with disbelief.
“Of course, to let you get used to it first, I didn’t let Hatsuka join this time.” Banami said matter-of-factly, as if she had really made a big concession.
As for the next time, that's hard to say.
"Hana Miyu, you bastard!" His fiancée, dressed in a wedding gown, instantly flew into a rage, tightening her grip on his waist even more.
Banai chuckled and said, "Oh my, Xiaoxiang, you look so beautiful when you're angry. You look even more charming when you're angry in your wedding dress."
Xiangzi was immediately at a loss for words – this jerk, he was clearly furious, but as soon as he started joking around, his emotions were completely shifted, and he couldn't even stay angry anymore.
"So I'm supposed to praise you for going easy on me?" Xiangzi said irritably.
"You're welcome, you're welcome. The most important thing in life is to be happy." Seeing that he was seizing the opportunity, Banai's tone became even more ingratiating.
Just as Xiangzi was at her wit's end and about to continue complaining, a slightly cold voice broke the intimacy between the two: "How long are you two going to hug? This is a public area."
It is the voice of Su Shi.
Xiangzi and Banami turned their heads at the same time and saw Su Shi standing not far away, wearing a light yellow bridesmaid dress. The dress was a simple A-line design, knee-length, not deliberately flamboyant, but just right to accentuate her full figure.
A thin satin ribbon of the same color was tied around her waist, gently forming a small bow. It neither overshadowed the bride nor detracted from her own delicate charm. The pale yellow color made her skin appear even whiter, and the coolness in her eyes faded, replaced by a gentle grace. This contrasted sharply with Xiangzi's gorgeous wedding dress, yet each had its own unique charm.
“Bi… no, Su Shi.” Xiangzi almost couldn’t pull himself out of the fan-made character. He was used to calling her “Bitch Bitch” in everyday life, and he almost blurted it out. He quickly corrected himself, his cheeks slightly flushed.
Su Shi's lips twitched slightly, but she didn't mind. She simply waved to Xiangzi gently and softened her tone, "Alright, Saki-chan, come here. I have something to tell you in private."
Xiangzi looked a little puzzled, but she still let go of Banami, lifted the hem of her wedding dress, and walked quickly to Su Shi's side, following her to a secluded rest area.
"Why are you so wary?" Su Shi asked, puzzled, a hint of helplessness in his eyes, as she watched her sit down and immediately assume a defensive posture.
“Although there’s no evidence, I think you’re trying to fool me.” Xiangzi frowned, his tone serious.
After all, she was terrified of being fooled by Su Shi in that absurd fan-made dream.
Su Shi's lips twitched again, and she secretly grumbled to herself.
Compared to the passively degenerate Xiangzi in the fan fiction world, the two people in reality seem to have reversed personalities.
Unlike in fan-made works, she was the one who first lived with Hanami, but in the end, she was a step too late and failed to become his first bride.
"Well, it's not entirely unrelated." Su Shi gently brushed a stray hair behind her ear and said softly, her tone softening.
Xiangzi looked even more puzzled and subconsciously asked, "What do you mean?"
"SAKI-chan, do you have anything to say about my bridesmaid dress?" Su Shi slightly lifted the hem of her dress, her gaze falling on Xiangzi.
"Uh, it suits you quite well?" Xiangzi asked doubtfully, still not understanding what she meant, only feeling that the pale yellow bridesmaid dress did indeed suit Su Shi very well.
"You mean, I'm suitable to be your bridesmaid?" Su Shi frowned slightly, her tone carrying a hint of assertiveness and dissatisfaction.
Xiangzi felt inexplicably guilty. Their relationship had been quietly changing since some time ago. Gradually, she sometimes felt a little timid when facing Su Shi, just like when Banai faced Su Shi's mother.
"No, that's not what I meant." Xiangzi quickly waved his hand, trying to explain, but his tone was somewhat flustered.
Then, Su Shi slowly said, "SAKI-chan, after you and Hanami returned to Tokyo from Kumamoto, do you remember what I told you?"
A sentence flashed through Xiangzi's mind: "Hana has sacrificed so much for you, what's wrong with him having a harem?"
Okay, that's just her own interpretation.
However, when Xiangzi looked at Su Shi's bridesmaid dress again, his eyes gradually changed, and he vaguely guessed her intention.
Su Shi seemed relieved, and her tone became more serious: "At least you're not really only thinking about yourself, otherwise I would have thought that your talk about wanting to become a god was just empty words."
Xiangzi was somewhat unconvinced, and with a slight pout, she said with a hint of complaint, "You always side with Banami when you speak."
Su Shi did not deny it, nodding slightly, her tone serious yet gentle: "It is precisely because I stand on Banami's side that I am willing to wear this bridesmaid dress and become your and Banami's bridesmaid."
You know what this means, right? It means that I approve of you, Saki-chan, becoming Hanami's first wife.
Although I know that he will give me the same wedding later, you also know that the meaning is different, right?
Not just me, but Saki, Hatsune, Yutenji Wakana, and everyone else all accepted this fact. You are Hanami's first wife; to be honest, you are Hanami's rightful wife.
"Uh... I... I didn't mean that either." Xiangzi felt a little embarrassed when Su Shi said it so bluntly, and her cheeks flushed slightly.
She genuinely never considered caring about status with others, but the fact remains that she rightfully became the first person to marry Hanami.
"Whether it's me or anyone else, we can all wear bridesmaid dresses to bless you, but Saki-chan, are you ready to fulfill your obligations as the wife of Hanami-kun?" Suze's tone became increasingly serious, her gaze fixed on Shoko, carrying a hint of reminder.
"The duties of a legal wife?" Xiangzi murmured, repeating these words. A vague thought was surging in his mind, but he dared not think about it too clearly, his eyes filled with confusion.
Su Shi took a deep breath, her tone softening slightly, but still serious: "I don't blame you for running away, after all, it's only natural. However, I am Xi Jun's 'mother,' his first relative in this world, so I have to remind you."
Now that you have become Banami's legal wife, his lovers in the harem will naturally become your family.
It was fine for you to be jealous in the past, but after you marry Hanami, some of your views need to change so that our lives can be peaceful and long-lasting.
For example, just now, taking out one's anger on Hanami because of the fan-made content was something I think was very wrong.
Su Shi's tone carried a hint of disappointment, as if she were saying, "My dear, I'm very disappointed in you." — She was Banami's "mother," and after Xiangzi married Banami, Xiangzi naturally became her "daughter" as well, which made sense when you thought about it.
Of course, "Mom" can sometimes also be... well, I won't say.
Su Shi continued seriously, "SAKI-chan, although this is just a small matter, in the future, if we want to live peacefully, you will have to make some changes, just like you in the fan creation world, putting down your unnecessary pride as a young lady for the sake of Hanami."
Hearing this, Xiangzi's heart trembled slightly. She knew that Su Shi's words were well-intentioned reminders.
It's a given that Hanami has a harem, and everyone helped them a lot in the first place so they could get together.
The only saving grace is that most of the people in Banami's harem were originally her friends or acquaintances with whom she had a connection, so getting along with them wasn't too awkward.
Su Shi's meaning was simple: she wanted Su Shi to show the composure and grace befitting the empress and stop acting like a little girl who never grew up, throwing tantrums and getting jealous all the time.
Xiangzi was silent for a moment, then lowered his eyes slightly and said with a hint of self-mockery, "Is this the price of becoming a god?"
"Isn't the price of making everyone happy to be sacrificing your own happiness a little?" Su Shi shook her head slightly, her tone serious. "That's what Banami did, and you, Saki-chan, can't be an exception either."
Or, if you'd like to give up this position, I wouldn't mind taking it.
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiangzi immediately stood up and looked down at Su Shi, and an atmosphere of confrontation instantly filled the air between them.
After a moment, Xiangzi slightly curled the corners of his mouth, his eyes filled with a stubbornness and determination, and said firmly, "You? You can't do it."
Banami's only wife can be Toyokawa Shoko, unique and irreplaceable!
Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Bride and Bridesmaids Fly Together
Banami changed into a tailor-made groom's suit, and his posture became even more upright and handsome.
The crisp, smooth fabric of his black suit accentuated his slender yet well-proportioned figure. A neat white bow tie at his collar made his features appear even more refined, a blend of youthful charm and mature masculinity that made him exceptionally eye-catching.
Perhaps it was because he looked too young and handsome that many of the brides-to-be around him, dressed in wedding gowns and about to get married, couldn't help but cast admiring glances at him, their eyes filled with curiosity and appreciation.
This, on the contrary, made the grooms who were accompanying the bride to choose a wedding dress turn pale, but they were helpless.
But Banami didn't care about any of this. His mind wasn't on the unfamiliar stares at all. He was thinking about what Su Shi and Xiao Xiang were talking about in the secluded rest area. However, he could guess the general idea. After all, Su Shi always played the role of "patriarch" and couldn't help but worry about Banami's affairs. There were even some things that she herself didn't want to do.
Su Shi: This family will fall apart without me.
Just as he was lost in thought, his phone vibrated slightly in his pocket. It was a text message from Xiangzi. The message was simple, telling him to go to the hotel next door to find her immediately, and even the room number was clearly noted at the end.
A thought struck Banai, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. She couldn't wait to tell the bridal shop saleswoman that she wanted to change back into her own clothes and go find Xiangzi right away.
Before he could even speak, the salesperson stepped forward with a smile and said respectfully, "Mr. Toyokawa, your wife bought this suit in advance and instructed me to tell you that you can wear it directly without having to change it off."
Upon hearing this, Banai noticed a hint of surprise in his eyes, nodded slightly, thanked the salesperson, and headed straight for the hotel Xiangzi had specified, his steps somewhat hurried.
Arriving at the hotel room door, he gently knocked, and Xiangzi's soft voice came from inside: "Come in."
As soon as Hanami gently pushed open the door and stepped into the room, she was stunned by the figure before her—
Xiangzi was still wearing that gorgeous wedding dress, standing quietly in front of the French windows. The afterglow of the sun outside the window shone on her, giving the pure white wedding dress a warm golden halo. Her veil was hanging down, and her eyes and brows showed a hint of shyness, but also a hint of determination. She was incredibly beautiful.
"Xiao Xiang, what's wrong with you...?" Banami stepped forward, her tone full of doubt and expectation.
"Of course, it's about fulfilling my duties as your wife." Xiangzi's cheeks flushed slightly, her eyes darting away, but she still mustered the courage to say those words.
Banai's eyes widened slightly, filled with surprise and delight.
He originally thought that to persuade the conservative Xiao Xiang to wear a wedding dress and do intimate things with him, he would have to wait until the actual wedding night. He never expected that day to come so soon.
It's obvious that this must be the result of Su Shi's "mother's" persuasion.
Banami thought to herself: I'm crying. I can never repay the kindness of Suze's mother!
loyalty!
But the next second, a pair of soft hands gently embraced his back, and a familiar scent lingered around his nose. Banami turned around in surprise, his voice filled with disbelief: "Mama Suze, you...!"
Su Shi leaned against his back, her cheek gently pressed against his shoulder, and said in a slightly teasing tone, "SAKI-chan said she has to fulfill her duties as a wife."
When Su Shi said this, her tone was somewhat ambiguous, as if she meant something else.
Banami turned to look at Xiangzi not far away, her eyes full of probing: "Could it be what I think?"
Xiangzi's cheeks flushed instantly, and she couldn't help but recall what Su Shi had just told her, causing her heart to race.
Just now in the rest area, Su Shi looked at her and said seriously, "Although it's a done deal that you and Banami are getting married, Saki-chan, I think it would be better if you got the approval of other people first."
In fact, Xiangzi had no objection to this. Although no one outwardly opposed her marriage to Banami, she didn't know what everyone truly thought. It was better to resolve this hidden danger sooner rather than later.
Immediately afterwards, Su Shi spoke eloquently, her tone carrying a certain confidence: "First of all, there are your closest trio of sisters; at least they are fine."
One of them is pregnant with Hanami's child, so she has the least right to object; while the other is a goddess who's obsessed with being a tragic heroine who falls for both a boy and a girl, and she desperately wants you two to get married, clinging to you every day.
Xiangzi recalled the aftermath of the previous fan-made world. Hatsune Miku and Hatsuka were incredibly successful in that world, so there was no reason to oppose her marriage to Hanami.
In this way, the triangular sister hurdle was successfully overcome.
She raised her head slightly, looked at Su Shi with a firm gaze, and asked, "Then Su Shi, what will it take for you to accept my position as Banami's wife?"
Then, she saw Su Shi slightly curl the corners of her mouth, revealing a smile that was exactly the same as before, with a hint of playfulness and cunning.
At that moment, Xiangzi understood—Su Shi's so-called "identity" meant that she should learn from the second creation dream and walk with her and Banai.
In order to gain Su Shi's approval and for the sake of true peace in this large family, she actually agreed.
This isn't a fantasy dream; it's real life.
svetikya