As a Researcher in Star Rail, I Joined the Chat Group

The girls were sensible enough not to dwell on it any further.

Hoshino Ai: "Even the gods are willing to lend their power to Lord Chen Mu. Wuwu, I can only say, as expected of Lord Chen Mu!"

Hoshino Ai: "Lord Chen Mu did seem to mention this thing before... but is it really okay for us to accept something so precious?"

Gotoh Hitori: "Y-yeah, after all, it's an item that possesses the power of a god. Wouldn't this count as a divine artifact?"

Chen Mu: "It's fine. I created this a long time ago, and I rarely use it anymore. It's just gathering dust, so I might as well give it to you. Honestly, even if I give it to all four of you, I still have plenty left."

The Chat Group fell silent for a moment.

It wasn't until Kochou Kanae spoke up.

Kochou Kanae: "Since that's the case, then we will accept it."

As soon as those words were spoken.

Following Kochou Kanae's lead, the others began to accept the Red Envelopes from Chen Mu one after another.

Bocchi the Rock! World.

Gotoh Hitori's heart was filled with nervousness.

She hesitated, wondering if she could really accept something so valuable.

But would it be rude to refuse Lord Chen Mu's kindness?

Thinking this, Gotoh Hitori finally dared to nervously accept the Red Envelope, following Kochou Kanae's lead.

However.

Upon seeing the item inside the Red Envelope, Gotoh Hitori was stunned for a moment.

Immediately after, Her face flushed completely red.

Hoshino Ai: "Eh eh eh, why is there a ring in the Red Envelope?!!"

Hoshino Ai: "Is this a proposal? A proposal? If it's Lord Chen Mu, then I suppose it wouldn't be impossible~"

Tokisaki Kurumi: "Ara~ So it is. Mr. Chen Mu is truly bold, isn't he? To give girls rings, and to give four of them at once, no less?"

Kochou Kanae: "Um... if it's after Muzan Kibutsuji has been eliminated..."

Gotoh Hitori: "Abba abba abbabba..."

Chen Mu: "A ring?"

Hearing the four of them, Chen Mu was momentarily stunned.

After a moment of silence, he answered quietly.

Chen Mu: "...The items I gave you didn't actually have a fixed form at first. But once they encounter their owner, they automatically transform into the accessory that best suits the owner's heart, so that it can be carried around."

Gotoh Hitori: "???"

Hoshino Ai: "???"

Kochou Kanae: "???"

Hearing this.

The girls were stunned once again.

No fixed form at first, and it automatically turns into the accessory the owner wants most...

Doesn't that mean?

The rings were something they wanted themselves?

Thinking of this.

The faces of the four girls slowly turned red, and a sense of shyness welled up in their hearts to varying degrees.

Chen Mu: "Ahem, well, I still have some research to finish, so I'll be logging off first."

Chen Mu gave a dry cough.

Realizing that the girls were filled with embarrassment at this moment, he spoke very tactfully.

His face was full of smiles, and he found the situation quite amusing.

I really didn't expect it.

They all turned out to be rings.

I wonder if it's just a simple preference for rings or some other reason.

Chapter 53 Kochou Kanae: Who Should I Believe?

Demon Slayer World.

Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters.

When Kochou Kanae learned that the ring had actually manifested based on her own thoughts, her face flushed with a deep crimson.

After all, she was harboring secret intentions.

How was this any different from having her secrets exposed?

Fortunately, fortunately, everyone else had rings too; she wasn't a special case.

Only then did Kochou Kanae let out a sigh of relief.

With this thought in mind, Kochou Kanae called Kochou Shinobu to her room.

"Sister, did you call me here for something?"

Kochou Shinobu arrived quickly and asked with a puzzled look.

"Shinobu, you're here."

Seeing Kochou Shinobu, Kochou Kanae quickly calmed her emotions and smiled, saying, "Chen Mu has already sent over your Nichirin Blade, so I wanted to give it to you right away."

"Really?!!"

Upon hearing this, a look of surprise and delight appeared on Kochou Shinobu's face.

She took the Nichirin Blade from Kochou Kanae's hands, unable to put it down.

Over the past few days, having seen her sister's Nichirin Blade, she already knew what kind of divine artifact a Nichirin Blade produced by Chen Mu truly was.

"Did Mr. Chen Mu come by just now?" Kochou Shinobu asked curiously.

Kochou Kanae: "No, Chen Mu sent this to me."

Kochou Shinobu nodded. Having witnessed Chen Mu's miraculous abilities, she wasn't surprised. She then immediately asked, "So, Sister, how is your relationship with Chen Mu progressing?"

"Shinobu, Shinobu! Why are you asking about this all of a sudden?" Kochou Kanae was caught off guard, her face turning bright red.

"Because Mr. Chen Mu is truly wonderful, and doesn't Sister like Mr. Chen Mu too? You've clearly been in contact with him the whole time, right?" Kochou Shinobu said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"This..." Kochou Kanae was a bit dazed, at a loss for how to answer.

"Sigh, forget it. Just looking at you, Sister, I can tell there hasn't been any progress." Kochou Shinobu let out a sigh, speaking as if she were frustrated by her sister's lack of ambition.

Her sister was clearly so beautiful, so why was she so lacking in confidence?

It was obvious to her that Chen Mu was excellent, and her sister liked him too.

Kochou Shinobu shook her head and spoke up again: "But there is one thing I must warn you about, Sister."

"Huh?" Kochou Kanae looked a little confused.

"That girl named Tokisaki Kurumi, she should be like you, right? She knows Chen Mu?" Kochou Shinobu asked.

"Yes, that's right. So what about it?" Kochou Kanae asked, puzzled.

Kochou Shinobu was speechless, but she still earnestly coached her sister: "...Since you like Chen Mu, you have to be careful of Tokisaki Kurumi! Think about it, Chen Mu is so outstanding; it's only natural that others would like him, right? Take Tokisaki Kurumi for example—though I hate to admit it, that woman is every bit as beautiful as you are."

"Eh? Surely not!" Kochou Kanae said, shocked.

Tokisaki Kurumi? That was impossible.

If it were Hoshino Ai, Kochou Kanae might have believed it a little, since they often joked around in the group chat, but Tokisaki Kurumi? There was absolutely no sign of that.

"What do you mean 'surely not'? In any case, just be careful, Sister."

Kochou Shinobu said, sounding annoyed.

As she spoke, she picked up her Nichirin Blade, ready to head out.

She couldn't wait to test out this sword.

Just as she stepped outside.

Kochou Shinobu happened to run into Tokisaki Kurumi, who was coming to find Kochou Kanae.

The two exchanged polite smiles before brushing past each other.

"Kanae."

After entering the room, Tokisaki Kurumi called out.

Kochou Kanae looked at Tokisaki Kurumi, her eyes dazed, still immersed in the words Kochou Shinobu had just spoken.

Tokisaki Kurumi was lost in thought at the moment and didn't notice Kochou Kanae's odd behavior, instead asking: "Kanae, was that your sister Shinobu just now?"

"Yes, that's right, that is my sister Shinobu," Kochou Kanae nodded and replied.

Tokisaki Kurumi said: "I remember that when Mr. Chen Mu came to the Demon Slayer World before, he let your sister see the cruel future that was originally meant to be?"

"Mm." Kochou Kanae nodded again.

"Hehe."

Having received her answer, Tokisaki Kurumi suddenly chuckled and said with a meaningful tone, "Kanae, I think you might want to be careful about your sister. She might be trying to get close to Chen Mu through you."

"Eh? Eh? Eh?" Kochou Kanae was stunned once more.

"Just think about it. Since she knows the cruel future that was originally in store, wouldn't Chen Mu be the person who saved everything and changed it all for her? What's so strange about her falling for him? But since she isn't a member of the Chat Group, the only way for her to learn about and get in touch with Chen Mu is through you," Tokisaki Kurumi said as if it were only natural.

A hero saving a damsel in distress might be a cliché, but it is incredibly effective.

Especially when it is someone as outstanding in every aspect as Chen Mu performing the rescue.

To Kochou Shinobu, Chen Mu is the one who rewrote the tragedies of her and her sister, the one who saved them both.

Even if she developed feelings for him because of that, it would be perfectly normal.

"Alright, I'm just giving you a heads-up; no need to take it to heart. I came to find you because I wanted to talk about Muzan Kibutsuji."

Tokisaki Kurumi didn't dwell on it and continued.

As she spoke, she laid out her plan to use the Blue Spider Lily to lure Muzan Kibutsuji out and make the demons walk right into their trap. The demons were currently unaware of the existence of Kochou Kanae and Tokisaki Kurumi, and given Muzan Kibutsuji's obsession with the Blue Spider Lily, the plan had a very high chance of success.

However.

At this moment, Kochou Kanae wasn't listening to Tokisaki Kurumi at all; she was merely nodding in mechanical agreement.

She only had one thought in her mind right now.

Eh? Eh? Eh?!!

Why is Shinobu saying that, and why is Kurumi saying it too?

Who exactly should I believe?

Kochou Kanae felt like crying without tears.