Chapter 130. I Think Mother-in-law Is Also...
Faced with this kind of thing, Xander is not the same as those seasoned old hands whom these reporters often interview.
Most of them would feel it's better to avoid extra trouble, crack a joke when they bump into a leading question, and let it pass with everyone tacitly understanding each other.
Maybe in the future, Xander will become smoother, but right now he won't indulge this kind of person.
Call it reckless or call it youthful if you want.
If he feels unhappy, he talks back.
A bunch of guys who, the moment they see trending heat, rush in like vultures swarming over carrion—he's strong, backed by Anti-Entropy, so what's there to fear from these things.
After that reporter slunk away with his tail between his legs, the deterrent effect of "killing the chicken to warn the monkeys" made the scene instantly harmonious.
Everyone was all smiles, as if they'd forgotten the unpleasantness just now.
The overly enthusiastic players kept Xander on site for several hours.
It wasn't until almost noon, when his signing hand went sore, that he finally found a chance to slip away.
Back in the break room assigned to Gensokyo Company, he greeted Seele, Kaguya, and Yaya with fatigue, then flopped weakly onto the sofa and leaned shoulder to shoulder with Kaguya.
Seeing this, Kaguya immediately shifted aside, supported his body, and let him pillow his head on her lap.
Then she gently stroked his hair and spoke in a soft voice.
"Thank you for your hard work, husband~"
"Mm~"
With his face buried in those soft thighs carrying a faint fragrance, Xander's voice sounded a bit muffled.
Arms folded, and looking at the worn-out Xander, a trace of heartache surfaced in Yaya's eyes.
"Why did you come back so late?"
Without answering right away, Xander hugged Kaguya's waist, first took a deep breath against her lower abdomen, then turned over to look at Seele and Yaya across from him, and sighed.
"No helping it—players were too enthusiastic, and I still had to deal with those troublesome reporters."
"Reporters? Did they give you a hard time, brother?"
Hearing that, Seele frowned at once.
She'd heard Cocolia-mom complain about those annoying reporters many times, so she instinctively felt worried.
"No.
Aside from one blind fool I kicked out, everything afterward was fine."
He waved to tell Seele not to worry, and before his hand fell it was taken by Kaguya, who placed it in her palm and gently kneaded it.
"Chasing someone out won't cause any problems, right?"
Seeing Seele still a little worried, Xander let out a snort and casually replied.
"They wouldn't dare."
Bronya also found it a bit funny and patted Seele's little head.
"They're just some entertainment reporters.
Don't underestimate us, Seele~"
"Try guessing this.
Based on Pokémon's current commercial value, if we sued someone for defamation and damage to reputation, how much would the damages be?"
Hearing her brother's voice, Seele blinked and immediately understood.
When the cost of slander rises to something unbearable, how many people would still be willing to do such a thing as striking a stone with an egg?
"It's about time.
I'll go check the venue with Seele.
Kaguya, you..."
Bronya stood up with Seele, and Kaguya lifted her head to respond.
"Rest easy.
This concubine will see that husband gets a good rest~"
"Mm.
Then I'm leaving Xander to you."
"I'll leave my brother to Kaguya-sis~"
"Hey, don't treat me like a child who needs looking after!"
Bronya chuckled and ignored him.
Seele, playful and cute, stuck out her tongue at him.
Then, under his gaze, the two walked out of the break room side by side.
Once the door closed, Kaguya's gentle voice sounded.
"There's a bed on the inside.
Husband, would you like to rest for a while?"
Thinking it over, Xander nodded.
"Sure.
I'll sleep for a bit.
I still have to go to Sirin's in the afternoon."
He yawned, sat up, and walked to the inner side of the room.
It was about the size of a big hotel bed, and lying on it, the soft fabric felt comfortable enough.
He had just closed his eyes when he felt the mattress sink beside him.
Kaguya carefully lay on her side next to him, reached out, and gently drew his head into her chest.
Soft, warm sensation enveloped him.
He paused, then put his arms around Kaguya's supple body.
"Comfortable?"
"Mm."
"Then please rest well, husband.
This concubine will stay by your side."
Under her tender caress, the quiet whisper smoothed out his heart.
Drowsiness began to rise from the depths of his consciousness.
Noticing Xander's expression easing, Kaguya let out a soft laugh and continued to whisper in his ear.
"In the future, whenever you feel tired, this concubine's embrace will always open for you.
This is your place, and it belongs only to you..."
Xander could no longer hear the latter part very clearly.
His thoughts were wrapped by sleepiness, and soon he drifted into a deep slumber.
...
After sleeping his fill in Kaguya's arms, and after having lunch together with everyone, he took the train back.
Two hours of transfers later, he arrived punctually at the gate of Sirin's house.
It was a detached two-story home that looked quite warm and cozy, with a yard full of pure white flowers planted by the owners on purpose.
According to what Kiana said, their family originally lived in Italy, but because of certain matters related to the parents' work and the girls' schooling, they moved here.
He had messaged Sirin in advance.
Walking along the stone path in the yard, he stretched long, relaxed his body, then stood at the door and raised his hand to press the doorbell.
Ding-dong~
With the clear and pleasant chime, Xander soon heard hurried footsteps.
With the click of the turning lock, a gentle woman with long silver hair helped him open the door from inside.
Seeing the slightly dazed Xander, Cecilia's eyes lit up.
She enthusiastically stepped forward, grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the house.
"Please come in.
You must be the Xander whom Sirin and Kiana mention every single day, right?
Just as I thought, you're a very handsome boy.
May I call you Xander~?"
Her warm voice came with a light smile at her lips.
That strong sense of motherhood and mature charm made Xander not quite dare look into her eyes.
Somewhat constrained, he pulled his hand back and hurriedly said, "A… hello, sis."
The word "auntie" had not yet come out when he suddenly felt a chill up his back.
His survival instincts made him subconsciously change his address.
Hearing him say "sis," Cecilia smiled even happier.
After he changed his shoes, without letting him get a word in, she immediately pulled him into the living room.
Her mouth fired off questions like a string of firecrackers.
"Was it tiring coming from so far?
Are you thirsty?
Do you want me to slice some fruit..."
She asked for a long while before she noticed Xander's somewhat troubled expression.
Her face turned red and, a little shy, she apologized.
"Sorry about that.
Besides Mei, you're the very first friend to come looking for Sirin and Kiana.
I got a bit too excited."
Letting go of Xander's hand, Cecilia fidgeted as she apologized.
"No, no, it's nothing like that.
It's just that your enthusiasm, sis, made me feel a bit flattered."
Only then did he have time to really look at Cecilia standing before him.
A fitted long white lace dress highlighted her mature and graceful figure.
Smooth, delicate calves extended from the hem, and on her feet was a pair of sandals decorated with flowers.
She was clearly the mother of three children, yet her skin was still so smooth you could almost blow it open.
Her face, originally mature and full of maternal warmth, picked up a blush that added a girlish bashfulness.
I think Mother-in-law is also as charming as ever...
Ahem, that was of course just a joke.
Xander naturally had no special thoughts about her.
Seeing her, what popped into his head instead was, "Could this be what Kiana will look like when she grows up?"
He had to admit she was a real beauty.
What a pity—Kiana is his bro.
"Mom, didn't we agree that I would be the one to open the door?!"
At the upstairs landing, with the sound of hurried running, Sirin's little head poked out, cheeks puffed.
She had clearly agreed on this with mom, yet the moment she came out she saw her mother dragging Xander around and peppering him with questions.
If she'd known, she wouldn't have looked in the mirror before coming out.
She had already tidied up her clothes and hair so many times.
"But mom is curious too~"
Turning around and lifting her head, Cecilia looked at Sirin and showed a girlish side of her own, retorting in a sulky tone.
Thud!!!
Just then, a door of one of the bedrooms deeper on the first floor suddenly banged loudly, as if someone were ramming it with their body.
"Uh...?"
Xander had just turned his gaze over in confusion when Cecilia took a step to stand in front of him, blocking the view.
Looking at him with an unnatural expression, she said, "Oh my, looks like something fell over.
XiaoXander, hurry and go upstairs to play with Sirin and the others.
Don't worry, I'll take care of it."
Thud!
The door boomed again.
At this moment, Sirin also hurried down the stairs, grabbed his hand, and pulled him upward.
Her expression, like her mother's, was a bit unnatural.
"N-nothing's wrong!
Xander, you don't need to worry about it.
Hurry and come livestream with me.
Everyone's getting anxious waiting!"
"Ah? Oh..."
Cecilia took the chance to stride quickly to the door, opened it, and slipped inside.
With a dull sound, the door opened again.
Cecilia, smiling from ear to ear, waved toward Sirin and Xander, who had reached the stairway landing.
"Have fun, you two~"
With that, she closed the door again.
Xander fell silent.
He actually really wanted to ask, but he had a feeling this wasn't something worth digging into.
So he went along with mother and daughter and pushed the matter to the back of his mind.
As for Sirin, she breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Xander didn't ask.
If that idiot dad who shouts "A daughter having a boyfriend?
I don't approve at all!" were to come out, she would really die of embarrassment!
It was great that mom locked him in advance.
Relaxing at last, she finally noticed the fact that she was tightly holding Xander's hand.
Feeling the warmth from his palm, she yanked her hand back as if burned, jumped away, and with a red face couldn't get a single word out.
"You, I, th-th-this..."
Perplexed by Sirin's reaction, Xander asked, not understanding.
"What's wrong?"
"N-nothing!!"
Discovering that Xander hadn't minded the hand-holding just now in the slightest, the shyness in her heart was instantly replaced by a nameless flare of anger.
She turned her head away and snapped in dissatisfaction.
"?"
What in the world.
It can't be that she got shy just from holding hands, right?
Watching Sirin open the door and walk into the room, Xander could only mutter inwardly as he followed her inside.
The room's base tone was purple, close to the color of her hair, and everywhere were cute decorations brimming with girlishness.
Oddly, it had a magical-girl vibe.
He first admired the scenery around him.
When his gaze shifted to the bed piled high with plushies, Sirin finally shoved him to the other side of the room with a red face, where there was a separate little door.
Opening it, he saw a reasonably spacious, windowed space that held all of Sirin's streaming gear.
On the long desk were three monitors—one main screen, one for bullet comments, and one showing the real-time feed of her stream.
Beside them were all kinds of equipment: speakers, microphone, camera...
Next to the desk was a pink-looking gaming chair.
At the very back stood a large display cabinet for figures, filled with Sirin's various collections.
Seeing this, Xander's sharp eyes noticed, at the very corner of the figure cabinet, that familiar disc case.
In an instant, his look toward Sirin changed.
So you were hiding your strength.
You even have Kaleidoscope.
Because she had stepped away, the live room feed looked empty.
But on the screen showing the bullet comments, a flood of comments was scrolling by at high speed.
[Lol, Pufferfish says Old Thief Masato is here—do you buy it?]
[Just listen and move on.
Didn't she say before she'd pull Old Thief Masato for a solo stream?
Still hasn't delivered, has she?]
[If you can't do it, then don't brag.]
[Old Thief Masato was still showing up at St. Freya's Mini-Game Festival this morning.
If you're going to brag, at least pick your timing.]
[...]
The doubts on the bullet comments made Sirin puff up with anger.
She was about to march over, argue with reason, and slap these people's faces hard, but Xander directly stopped her.
Pointing at the only chair, he smiled and said, "Do you want us to squeeze into one chair together?
I wouldn't mind~"
"..."
Sirin couldn't force out the word "want" no matter how she tried, and in the end she could only stew in her own anger and stomp out of the little room in a huff.
"I'll go get you a stool.
Wait a sec."
"Mm."
Watching her hurry off, Xander looked at the screens, rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, then smiled, walked over, and sat in Sirin's seat.
Maybe because this had always been Sirin's spot, the moment he sat down he caught a faint, delicate fragrance.
And the instant his figure appeared in the live room, the scrolling bullet comments froze.
Smoothing his hair to the picture on the screen, Xander smiled and waved at the camera.
"Hello, everyone.
I'm today's substitute streamer, Masato.
Please take care of me~"
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