Momoi Taro wants to form a "don" brother duo, but it's a music anime.

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"Next time, if I need any more arrangement work, I'll do it as soon as possible." After hesitating for a while, Lixi finally said this. As long as the lamp is needed, whether as a drummer or an arranger, she will do her best to do it, that's all.

"That would be for the best," Su Shi retorted. She didn't want to see her drummer have only ten days left to live.

After Riki announced the break, Takamatsu Akari immediately tugged at Riki's sleeve, her eyes full of expectation, asking her to help check the mistakes in her practice. Riki was naturally very happy to do so, and she and Akari sat down in the practice room to practice alone.

At the same time, Su Shi took Xiao Mu's hand and said softly, "Xiao Mu, can you come with me to the front field?"

Xiao Mu nodded slightly to Su Shi. The two sat down in the front of the RiNG restaurant, and Su Shi ordered Darjeeling tea and mango juice. After the drinks were served, Su Shi picked up a sugar cube and added it to the tea, the porcelain spoon making a soft sound as it tapped against the side of the cup.

"It must be a hassle to get leave from Tsukimori, right?" She looked up with a smile. "I had to fake illness to get leave. What about Mutsu?"

"I told the teacher," Ruoye Mu replied, lowering her eyes and sipping mango juice from the glass in both hands. She secretly pondered Su Shi's meaning, since Su Shi's behavior towards her had been too obvious before, which made it hard for Ruoye Mu not to have a stereotype.

“But Xiao Mu has changed a lot recently. She's now a member of the same band. Is it wrong for me to ask about her situation?” Su Shi seemed to see through Ruo Ye Mu's unease and spoke gently. (Two fingers rubbed together.)

"Hmm..." Ruoye Mu nodded with some doubt, and then briefly told Su Shi about Metath.

"I see... dual personality?" Su Shi smiled somewhat reluctantly. So Xiao Mu's inner world was this complex? She had put so much pressure on her before. Thinking of this, Su Shi's guilt deepened.

“Probably not.” Ruoye Mu hesitated for a moment. She closed her eyes and recalled, then said softly, “It seems to have existed since I was little. Multiple personalities… but they are just fragments. Only me and Mortis are complete.”

After hearing Ruoye Mutsu's story, Su Shi fell silent again. What could she do for Mutsu? Finding it difficult to answer, she could only change the subject, saying, "Well... but, if Mutsu takes leave like this, won't the school contact her parents?"

"They... probably won't care much about me." Ruoye Mu lowered her head. Su Shi shook her head slightly and changed the subject to more everyday topics.

After what seemed like an eternity, the practice room door was suddenly flung open. Lixi, arms crossed, leaned against the doorframe, her heels tapping impatiently on the floor: "Break time's over. Go back to practice."

"Yes, yes." Su Shi first stood up with a cold expression, then smiled gently at Xiao Mu and said, "Xiao Mu, let's go back and practice."

"Mm." Wakaba Mutsu nodded slightly and stood up. The three of them returned to the practice room together. They began practicing once again.

A powerful burst of music began—

Perhaps because they had gotten plenty of rest, the rhythm of the Dragon Flame Group's performance was clearly in sync this time. It's a testament to the hard work they put in during this period of training.

"Good, let's practice again tomorrow. It's good that you can maintain this level." Even the strict Li Xi agreed with this practice: "The live performance the day after tomorrow should be no problem. That's all for today's practice."

"Um... I'll do my best." Takamatsu Akari's voice was soft but firm.

"Deng..." Li Xi cleared his throat, trying to soften his harsh voice. He said, "Deng's current level is already quite good, considering that he has only been learning guitar for about a month."

"Hmm..." Deng responded softly, her head slowly drooping. Stray hairs obscured her expression, revealing only her slightly reddened ear tips.

Li Xi didn't know why her words of comfort only made Deng more disappointed, and she was a little at a loss. Su Shi spoke up to defuse the situation, saying, "Well then, Xiao Mu and I will go first. Li Xi, you tidy up the practice room and then take Xiao Deng home."

"Ah... have a safe journey." Li Xi's voice sounded slightly awkward as she softly said to Deng, "Deng, go outside and wait a moment. I'll come right after I've cleaned up the practice room."

"Hmm..." Deng nodded again, slung her guitar bag over her shoulder, and left the room. Seeing that Li Xi was completely unaware, Su Shi sighed again, then gently said to Ruo Ye Mu, "Mu, can you walk with me for a bit?"

Regional Dialogue:

咖啡 厅

Hailing: Speaking of which, didn't Miaomu learn from Taro? How was the result?

Meow Dream: Very good... Even so, the General is really too strict. Even though I think I did a great job, the General always says no, no, or something like that.

Hai Ling: Well, after all, it's that Taro.

Meow Dream: After all, it's that Taro...

Episode 22 of "Dong": Family

Su Shi turned to Ruo Ye Mu and asked softly, "Mu, can you walk with me for a while?"

"Hmm..." Ruoye Mu responded softly, nodding slightly in agreement. The two then left the practice room together, leaving Lixi alone. Lixi gave them a speechless look, silently watching them walk away. They briefly said goodbye to Deng, then walked out of RiNG's door.

The two walked side by side in the moonlight, remaining silent the entire way, only their footsteps moving softly in the night. This quiet enveloped them, as if carrying unspoken thoughts.

"Xiao Xiang... how have you been lately?" Su Shi had been thinking about how to start the conversation for a long time, but in the end, she decided to just say it directly. For people like Xiao Mu and Momoi Taro, it would be more effective to just say it directly, otherwise it would just invite ridicule like before.

However, Su Shi was still paying attention to Xiao Mu's expression. She caught a fleeting hint of tension in Xiao Mu's expression—a subtle expression that Su Shi had never noticed before, or rather, even if it had appeared, she had ignored it.

But now is not the time to reminisce about the past, Su Shi quickly said in a reassuring tone, "Xiao Mu, don't misunderstand, I just... after that time, I completely lost contact with Xiao Xiang. I just want to know how she is doing now."

“After all…” A hint of sadness flashed across Su Shi’s face, then she forced a smile, “Xiao Xiang is my friend, right?”

“Hmm…” Ruoye Mu nodded gently, her voice low: “Xiang, things haven’t been going too well lately with forming a band…”

"Xiao Xiang has formed a new band?!" Upon hearing this, Su Shi was as if struck by lightning, and exclaimed in surprise.

Immediately realizing that her outburst might upset Xiao Mu, she quickly composed herself, forced a smile, and asked in a slightly strained voice:

"Why... why didn't you want to be in my group before? Was there some special reason?"

Although Su Shi concealed her feelings quite well, Ruo Ye Mu cared about her too much. How could Ruo Ye Mu, who had paid such close attention to Su Shi before, not notice her feigned composure? Inevitably, Ruo Ye Mu felt a pang of disappointment.

It seems I've said the wrong thing again.

She still couldn't be like Momoi Taro, who could tell the truth without any problem. After a brief moment of distraction, Wakaba Mutsumi was shocked to find that she had lost control of her body.

"Metis—what are you doing?" Ruoye Mu was a little panicked, not quite understanding why Metis had taken control of her body at this moment.

But Metis didn't answer Xiao Mu's question. She simply rested her head on her hands and said in a relaxed tone, "I don't know. I don't understand Xiangzi's thoughts at all. She has been saying some very hurtful things to Xiao Mu."

Su Shi was initially taken aback by Ruoye Mu's sudden change, but quickly recovered and said to her in a gentle voice, "Um...you must be little Motis? Nice to meet you?"

“No, I met Su Shi before.” She turned to look at Su Shi and said calmly, “Su Shi hasn’t forgotten, right?”

Su Shi's smile faded slightly, and she nodded gently, saying, "Yes, I remember. It was Little Motis who spoke loudly to me that day, wasn't it? I'm really sorry... I didn't consider Xiao Mu's feelings back then."

Su Shi apologized to Xiao Mu once again... but she knew that what she had done couldn't be resolved with just an apology. However, her inner voice reached Metis through words.

Motis's tone softened slightly as a result. She awkwardly turned her face away, avoiding Su Shi's gaze, and said nonchalantly, "I'm fine, but Xiao Mu... she really cares about Su Shi. She couldn't answer the kind of question Su Shi just asked..."

Anyway, that's all for now. See you next time.

Sensing the strong resistance emanating from within her body, Motis pouted and hastily said goodbye, "Well, see you next time." Before she could finish speaking, Ruoye Mu's consciousness suppressed her again, returning control of her body to her.

"Su Shi, you wanted to say more than just that, didn't you?" Having returned to her own body, Ruoye Mu regained her usual composure. Deep down, she carefully recalled Su Shi's expression and made this judgment.

Upon hearing what Wakaba Mutsu said, Su Shi took a deep breath and said softly, "Our live performance is almost here, isn't it?"

Ruoye Mu nodded without saying anything. She looked at Su Shi, took a ticket from her bag, handed it to Ruoye Mu, and said softly, "Ask her if she'd like to come to our live performance."

"Xiang... are you going to invite her?" Ruoye Mu's eyes widened slightly, she hesitated because she didn't expect Su Shi to say something like that.

Su Shi put away her mask, looked seriously into Ruo Ye Mu's eyes, and said, "Xiao Xiang is our friend, right? Is it really okay not to invite her to our band's first live performance? Or does Xiao Mu have some concerns?"

Ruo Ye Mu stood still, and Su Shi also stood beside Xiao Mu, looking at her intently. Ruo Ye Mu thought for a while before saying hesitantly, "Xiang... now, it looks like it's fixed, but it's not completely fixed."

"I'm a little worried... Xiang. It's broken again." Ruoye Mu hesitated before pouring out her heart. This was how she felt about Xiangzi. It seemed that Xiangzi was always avoiding something.

"What Xiao Mu is saying is really hard to understand."

Hearing Ruoye Mu say this, Su Shi was stunned for a moment. Although she wanted to understand what Xiao Mu meant immediately, it was indeed a bit difficult. She could only say somewhat reluctantly, "Anyway, the tickets are yours. Whether or not to give them to Xiao Xiang is up to Xiao Mu to decide."

Su Shi's expression returned to its usual gentleness: "I don't think Xiao Mu's decision is wrong."

"Then we'll part ways here, Xiao Mu, see you tomorrow," Su Shi waved goodbye to Xiao Mu. Xiao Mu nodded slightly, watching Su Shi leave, and then walked towards her home.

When Ruo Yemu returned to her home, she opened the door as usual, intending to return to her room from the dimly lit living room. However, she was surprised to find that the lights in her living room were still on.

She clearly remembered that her parents had been busy for a long time today and hadn't had a chance to come home... Ruoye Mu walked in with a little trepidation. A mature woman with long green hair was sitting on the sofa drinking coffee.

Clearly, the woman had also noticed Wakaba Mutsumi spying on her. She waved and greeted him, "Mutsumi, over here! Come over here!"

Ruo Yemu felt a little uneasy, but still maintained a calm expression as he put down his guitar bag, walked over to the woman, and sat down.

This person is Minami Mori, the mother of Mutsumi Wakaba. She is a currently popular actress.

"Xiao Mu is really late tonight," Minami said with a smile. Looking at Xiao Mu's appearance and then at the bag in the corner, she asked with a smile, "Is it because of the band that you're late?"

"Hmm." Ruoye Mu didn't say much, just gave a soft reply.

"Is it one of Xiangzi's bands?" Minami asked Wakaba Mutsu with her usual kind smile. Wakaba Mutsu shook her head slightly and replied, "No."

"Oh, I never expected Mu to be interested in another band." Minami put on an exaggeratedly surprised expression: "When the teacher from Tsukimori called me, I thought they had made a mistake. Which band is it? Do you need Mom to go and support you?"

When Wakaba Mutsu heard Mori Minami say this, his body trembled slightly, and his eyelids closed gently. Then he opened them, revealing a hint of fierceness: "This has nothing to do with Minami, right?"

Seeing the sudden change in Wakaba Mutsumi, Minami wasn't surprised. She just let out an exaggerated laugh and said, "Oh ho ho. After all, Mutsumi is my daughter too. It's not a problem for a mother to show some concern, is it?"

Looking at Wakaba Mutsumi… no, she should be called Metis, with her unyielding expression, Minami reluctantly raised both hands in a French military salute: “Yes, yes, I won’t interfere with your band, but at least tell my dear little Minami the name of your band, that’s alright, isn’t it?”

"Next time, Minami will disguise herself and come see your live performance," the woman winked at Motis in a deliberately cute way. Motis frowned and reluctantly revealed the band's name:

"The band's name... Donglong Flame Group. But, Minami is not allowed to cause trouble for the band!"

"I understand~" Minami leaned back comfortably on the sofa, took another sip of her drink, and placed the cup on the table: "It's getting late, Mu should get some rest too."

Without waiting for Xiao Mu's reply, Minami got up from the sofa, stretched, and walked towards her bedroom, completely ignoring Motis behind her.

Motis pouted, crossed her arms, and muttered discontentedly, "Minami is being too nosy today. Fine, let's go back, Motis."

She walked back to where Xiao Mu had put down her guitar bag, picked it up again, put it on her back, and smiled like a child: "Never mind her, Xiao Mu is going to practice in the basement today, right? Practice a little longer and then go rest."

After saying that, she skipped and hopped towards the basement.

On the other side, after dropping Takamatsu Lantern off at her home, Riki returned to her own home, feeling slightly tired but satisfied. Overall, she was quite satisfied with today's practice, but she felt there were still some shortcomings in her performance. Therefore, she planned to practice her air drum at home to make up for them.

"I'm home." Lixi called out to the house as usual, and unsurprisingly, she immediately heard her sister's response: "Welcome back, little Lixi, come and eat."

Li Xi frowned slightly, an instinctive discomfort she felt towards her sister's gentle demeanor, but she didn't dwell on it this time and went to the living room where her sister was. Her sister had prepared some simple home-cooked dishes and was patiently waiting for Li Xi's arrival with her usual gentle smile.

However, her sister's appearance only intensified Shiina Tatsuki's inner conflict. Although Taro had said that she didn't need to compare herself to anyone anymore, the shadows cast over so many years couldn't be easily suppressed with just a few words.

Once Riki sat down at the table, Maki smiled, rested her chin on her hands, and looked at Riki with obvious curiosity, asking, "Little Riki, can you tell me about Mr. Momoi today?"

"Huh?" Upon hearing this, Li Xi's mouth opened slightly, her face instantly filled with confusion and incomprehension, and her brows furrowed slightly: "Why are you suddenly asking this... no, why are you asking me?" There was a hint of defensiveness in her tone.

"Huh?" Maki seemed a little confused by her sister's reaction. She tilted her head slightly and looked back at Riki with the same puzzled expression, then tried to recall the event. "That's what Mr. Momoi said when he came that day... He said he and Riki were 'bound' to each other." Her tone was innocent, as if she were simply stating an interesting fact.

“Ah, about that guy…” Lixi’s expression returned to its previous calm, even with a touch of indifference. She picked up the iced barley tea in front of her and took a sip, trying to use the cold liquid to suppress the inexplicable irritation in her heart. “He often talks like that, don’t take it too seriously.”

“I see,” Maki nodded, still with a gentle smile on her face, and added in a relaxed tone, “I thought he was Riki’s boyfriend.”

"puff--!"

Maki's words caused her to spit out her barley tea without warning, choking and coughing violently, her cheeks quickly turning red. Without thinking, Riki frantically grabbed a rag and hurriedly wiped up the water splashed on the table.

"Sister, you're overthinking it!" Li Xi suddenly stood up from her seat, the movement so forceful that the chair legs scraped against the floor with a slight, ear-piercing sound. She declared almost immediately, "I'm full!"

“Huh? But…” Maki was not deterred by her sister’s intense reaction. Instead, she smiled knowingly and continued gently, “Mr. Momoi is a nice person, isn’t he? Besides, our little Riki is at the age where she will experience these things.”