After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 78

Looking at Yuu Toyokawa with her amber eyes, Shoko Toyokawa's gaze was indescribably complex.

"It seems you don't know these things. When that old woman contacted me this afternoon, she didn't say anything nice. You should care about Xiao Mu, whether it's her thoughts or her family... Go and find out for yourself, it's much more convincing than me telling you."

"...I understand, thank you for reminding me."

With a complicated expression, Toyokawa Shoko did not continue to argue with Toyokawa Yuu this time.

However, the look in her eyes as she gazed at her fiancé gradually became more questioning.

I have a feeling that ever since Yuu Toyokawa disappeared for an afternoon, she has started to change in some ways without me even realizing it.

At least, he started to care about Mu's feelings.

You know, just this morning, he was still acting like he was willing to do anything to generate buzz for Ave Mujica, even if it meant using Mujica's planned trip to see a psychologist as publicity.

"Speaking of which, what's the story behind your psychological trauma?"

After a brief silence in the office, Toyokawa Shoko spoke again, bringing up the topic she had wanted to ask about at noon that day, but the other party had hung up on her.

"That's not true. Even if you don't believe me, you should believe in your importance to Toyokawa Sadaharu. That old man won't let someone with psychological trauma become your husband. Although that might make me easier for you to control, it would also leave some hidden dangers. He won't take that risk."

Taking out his phone, Yuu Toyokawa restarted it while casually brushing off Shoko Toyokawa's questions.

There's no need for Toyokawa Shoko to know about this.

Moreover, more important than these personal issues is for Yuu Toyokawa to get back to work.

Now that I'm back in the office and back to work, there's no reason for me to continue cutting off contact and isolating myself from the world.

Really... that didn't happen?

Looking at Toyokawa Yuu sitting opposite her, Toyokawa Shoko's eyes were somewhat gloomy.

If her phone hadn't been hung up on at noon today, she might have believed Toyokawa Yuu's story.

She was more inclined to believe Toyokawa Yuu than Chihaya Aine.

However, recalling the phone call that was hung up on today, even though Toyokawa Yuu acted as if it was just a matter of wanting to skip class with Wakaba Mutsu and had nothing to do with her, Toyokawa Shoko still felt something was amiss.

Yuyu, what are you hiding from me?

However, before Toyokawa Shoko could ask any more questions, Toyokawa Yuu's phone, which had just been turned on, rang with a piercing ringtone.

Toyokawa Sadaharu

Yuu Toyokawa's eyes widened slightly as she looked at the name that appeared on her phone screen.

It's one thing for Mori Minami to be contacted, since they've colluded and clashed several times before, so it's not surprising that she would contact him.

But he never expected that old man Toyokawa Sadaharu would contact him.

Shoko Toyokawa, who had been keeping her eyes on Yuu Toyokawa, naturally also saw the contact information displayed on his phone.

Looking at Toyokawa Yuu, she seemed somewhat taken aback.

Clearly, Toyokawa Sadaharu's call was also beyond her expectations.

Yuu Toyokawa gestured for Toyokawa to be quiet, and Toyokawa Yuu answered the phone.

“Grandpa Dingzhi, I am Youyu.”

Although he always refers to the other person as "old thing" behind their back, Toyokawa Yuu wouldn't be so rude if he contacted them directly.

[Youyu, how's the job of sabotaging Xiangzi's band going?]

Without even a simple greeting, Toyokawa Sadaharu's voice, which sounded like either a consultation or an interrogation, came from the other end.

Even Toyokawa Shoko's gaze turned somewhat unpleasant.

When she first met Yuu Toyokawa, she learned from her that Sadaharu Toyokawa had assigned her the task of destroying Ave Mujica.

But she didn't expect that her maternal grandfather would be so eager, and that the first thing he said to Toyokawa Yuu was this.

"...Everything went smoothly. Last night, Ruoye Mu lost control on stage. Without the support of this other half, Xiangzi naturally had no heart to form a band."

After a moment of silence, Toyokawa Yuu chose to brush off the question with a rather pointless truth.

But this explanation didn't seem to satisfy the elderly person on the other end of the phone.

[So, disappearing for an afternoon with Wakaba Mutsumi was also part of the plan?]

"Yes, making Wakaba Mutsu and Shoko lose contact would make Shoko feel uneasy and undermine the trust within the band."

[So, having that guy Qinggao work at that shopping mall called Starlight Plaza, and bringing him back into the Toyokawa family's sights under Xiangzi's name, is also part of your plan.]

Faced with Toyokawa Sadaharu's questioning, Toyokawa Yuu clenched her fingers slightly and fell into a brief silence.

He hadn't expected Toyokawa Sadaharu to be so well-informed; it seemed like today was only Toyokawa Sadaharu's first day at work.

It seems that the old man is keeping a close eye on both himself and Toyokawa Shoko, and he hasn't even let Toyokawa Kiyoko off the hook.

It seems I misjudged you by entrusting you with the task of bringing Xiangzi back. You are unaware of the darkness within the Toyokawa family and the consequences of your actions.

However, the old man on the other end of the phone seemed unwilling to give Toyokawa Yuu time to organize her thoughts.

[You need to relearn how to be a good husband to Xiangzi... Youyu, come back here.]

Chapter 85 It Was Just a Transaction (5k5)

[Yuyu, come back to me...]

Toyokawa Sadaharu's voice, which sounded somewhat distorted after being filtered through the phone's speaker, echoed in the office. His composed and mature voice made the air feel heavy.

Shoko Toyokawa nervously clenched her fingers. She actually held a considerable degree of awe for her maternal grandfather, who was in charge of the vast family.

This feeling became even more profound after getting to know Yuu Toyokawa.

The fact that Toyokawa Yuu was assigned to the management company as the band's manager as soon as he founded Ave Mujica is enough to show that his maternal grandfather has never let up on his attention to him.

However, in her memory, her maternal grandfather, Toyokawa Sadaharu, was always a kind and tolerant man who was very indulgent towards her.

Although he always managed everything and often criticized his father for his incompetence even before his mother passed away, he had never shown such a strong and coercive side in front of her.

This was the first time Toyokawa Shoko had ever heard such a cold and direct order from Toyokawa Sadaharu.

With some nervousness, Toyokawa Shoko shifted her gaze to Toyokawa Yuu's face. She noticed that although his expression was equally heavy, there was a sense of relief on his face, as if he had finally arrived.

"Please excuse me, I have work to finish."

Faced with Toyokawa Sadaharu's order, Toyokawa Yuu's gaze darkened, but her voice held little flattery or compromise.

From the day he decided to cooperate with Toyokawa Shoko, he knew this phone call would come sooner or later.

After all, he never intended to destroy Ave Mujica; on the contrary, the better the band did, the more advantageous it would be for him.

However, this would fundamentally contradict the orders that Toyokawa Sadaharu had given after releasing him.

This is no longer a matter of incompetence; it's outright hypocrisy, so it's only natural that they would be held accountable.

Yuu Toyokawa hadn't expected that Sadaharu Toyokawa's call would come so much faster than she had anticipated.

In this light, transferring some power to Wakaba Mutsumi today was actually a very correct choice.

[I said, the task of bringing Xiangzi back to the Toyokawa family is canceled. Give him back immediately. Don't make me repeat myself.]

“It’s not a task you assigned me, but my job as Ave Mujica’s agent.”

Faced with Toyokawa Sadaharu's questioning, Toyokawa Yuu remained neither humble nor arrogant.

Even though he and Toyokawa Shoko are always bickering, and just now, the two even had an argument about Wakaba Mutsumi.

However, if Toyokawa Yuu were to choose between Toyokawa Shoko and Toyokawa Sadaharu, he would not hesitate and would immediately side with Shoko.

This is not something that needs careful consideration. There is no comparison between an old man who will die mysteriously in two years and a future head of the Toyokawa family who can remain in power for ten years.

But to the head of the Toyokawa family on the other end of the phone, it sounded like a junior who had only been out of the cage for a few days and had already grown wings.

The voice, which could barely be considered stern at first, gradually turned cold, and an imposing aura emanated from the phone's communication signal.

The band's affairs are completely irrelevant. Your mission is to assist Xiangzi in managing the Toyokawa family. I'm letting you out so you can help Xiangzi settle down, not play those childish games with her.

"This is not child's play!"

Before Yuu Toyokawa could reply, Shoko Toyokawa's rebuttal could not help but ring out in the office.

The young lady is playing house... She never wanted her actions in creating Ave Mujica to be judged in this way.

This means that not only one's own efforts, but also the efforts of others will be completely negated.

Despite her busy schedule, Chu Hua juggles activities for two teams simultaneously; Mu tries to suppress her aversion to the spotlight; You Yu defies her grandfather's orders and chooses to run Ave Mujica with her; and there are others...

Everyone clearly possesses the talent to match their achievements and has put in enough effort, so why is it always summed up as "a rich girl playing house"?

【Xiangzi?】

Upon hearing Toyokawa Shoko's rebuttal, Toyokawa Sadaharu on the other end of the phone seemed somewhat surprised.

Clearly, he hadn't expected that Toyokawa Shoko would be right next to him when he contacted Toyokawa Yuu.

In that case, wouldn't my granddaughter have overheard my conversation with Toyokawa Yuu?

The old man's expression immediately turned somewhat unpleasant as he entered the Toyokawa family mansion. He was well aware of Toyokawa Shoko's personality, which was just as stubborn as her mother, Toyokawa Mizuho.

Just like back then, when Toyokawa Mizuho took a liking to Toyokawa Kiyoshi, no matter how much she objected, she couldn't stop the son-in-law, whom she didn't think much of, from coming to her door.

Now that she knows about his plan to sabotage Ave Mujica's scheme, she'll probably be even more determined to keep the band going.

"Grandfather, please take back what you just said. Whether it's Yuyu, Mu, or everyone in the band, they have all put in a lot of effort. Please don't use words like 'young lady playing house' to belittle their abilities."

Toyokawa Shoko's expression was somewhat stiff, and even her tone was not as respectful as she usually was when speaking to her elders.

It was this attitude that caused Toyokawa Sadaharu to fall into a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

To be honest, he didn't want to clash with Toyokawa Shoko.

Shoko is not only the rightful heir of the Toyokawa family, but also his granddaughter whom he has doted on since childhood, making her a completely different case from Toyokawa Yuu.

He could reprimand or even scold Yuu Toyokawa without any hesitation, but he couldn't bring himself to do the same to Shoko Toyokawa.

Even when he expelled Toyokawa Kiyotaka from the family and planned to adopt Shoko as his daughter, he didn't use a commanding tone, and his attitude wasn't even particularly harsh.

Otherwise, Toyokawa Shoko would never have had the chance to move out of the Toyokawa family mansion.

But now, everything that should and shouldn't have been said has been heard by Toyokawa Shoko, and it's probably not something that can be resolved with a few words of smoothing things over.

Some words, though seemingly insignificant when thought about, become incredibly powerful when spoken aloud.

[Xiangzi, you're a good boy, capable and determined, but you've grown up now, and there are some things you can't do on a whim anymore.]

Forcibly controlling his emotions, Toyokawa Sadaharu's voice became much more amiable compared to when he was talking to Toyokawa Yuu earlier.

I don't deny your ability, but you're a reasonable person. You should understand that without the name "Toyokawa," your band would never have developed so smoothly.

[You're not young anymore, and you should understand that while enjoying the benefits of the family, you also need to shoulder its responsibilities. Yuu understands this very well... I'm getting old, and you'll inherit the Toyokawa family one day. I hope that when I pass away, you'll be able to stand on your own, rather than being rushed into it. Otherwise, you'll repeat Qinggao's mistakes.]

Toyokawa Sadaharu explained at length, but Toyokawa Shoko's expression did not improve.

She knew that although her grandfather had tried his best to make his voice gentle, there was still a hint of warning and threat in his words.

The implication is that without the Toyokawa family, Ave Mujica would never have amounted to anything.

No matter what he does, he can't shake off the label that belongs to the Toyokawa family.

If he hadn't been present when he contacted Youyu, his attitude probably wouldn't have been so gentle.

Moreover... that attitude of "letting go" and "mission"—what exactly did they take Youyu for?

"Gentlemen, we've gone off-topic. The main issue in this contact is about me, isn't it?"

Seeing that Toyokawa Shoko's shoulders were already trembling slightly, Toyokawa Yuu interjected into the conversation between the grandmother and granddaughter at the right moment.

The gap between these two people is not just a generation gap, but also a difference in values.

At the same time, due to their respective statuses, Xiangzi would not speak as freely as he did when arguing with Xiangzi.

At times like these, no matter how much you talk, it's difficult to reach any conclusion.

[Youyu, don't interrupt. You have no right to speak yet. I'll discuss your incompetence with you in detail when you get back.]

“Youyu will not go back. She keeps talking about Fengchuan. Is she really that great? She always negates other people’s efforts and even their value with just one sentence. She treats Father like this, and she treats Youyu like this too. I really don’t understand what they did wrong in your eyes.”

Toyokawa Sadaharu's bossy attitude seemed to have completely ignited some emotions that Toyokawa Shoko had been suppressing.

From as far back as I can remember, before my mother passed away, my grandfather always had this attitude.

Even though her father worked very hard, she had never heard of him making any mistakes at work before the incident that was enough to expel him from the Toyokawa family.

Even the grandfather himself admitted that the root cause of his father's failure was attributed to "luck".