Chapter 40
Tong Tingting:
"I fell asleep last night. What's up?" Sitting in a sleek, understated black mini electric car at the entrance, Yan Huan enjoyed the cool air conditioning as he stared at the message on his phone. He wondered whether Tong Tingting might possess the Fourth Modifier.
At first glance, it seemed like a reasonable explanation. But the more he thought about it, the more it felt off.
The message had been sent at 8:28 AM.
Given Tong Tingting’s completely flipped sleep schedule, there was no way she would message him that early unless she had stayed up all night.
But then, she claimed she had fallen asleep and didn’t see the message?
'What exactly was she doing last night?'
"Having such a normal routine is really rare."
"Kids are always surprised by rare things."
'Yep, she still talks the same as always.'
Yan Huan sent an unamused emoji in response but didn’t reply further.
As for Bai Yi—
He reopened Bai Yi’s chat and scrolled through their conversation from that morning.
"Are you Bai Yi?"
Followed by a cute cat emoji.
"Yes~"
Her reply was a chibi-style girl emoji, nodding adorably the whole time.
Then came her actual message:
"Mama asked me to add you as a contact. She said if you're going to the Sunday event, we have some internal tickets."
After that, she sent over a QR code.
"Just scan this when you get there, no need to line up~"
"Thank you so much!"
"No problem."
"Please do your best going forward too. I’ll be at the event."
"Okay, thanks for the support~"
That was the extent of their conversation.
Inside the mini car, Meow-chan—wearing a yellow pet scarf—quietly appeared on Yan Huan’s shoulder. Peering at the messages on his phone, it asked suspiciously,
"Didn’t you say you were going to pretend to be her fan? Is it really okay to send such bland messages, meow?"
It was clearly confused by Yan Huan’s lackluster greeting and failure to start a proper conversation.
Yan Huan didn’t respond. Ye Shiyu was sitting right next to him, also absorbed in her phone, seemingly messaging Ye Lan.
As for Bai Yi’s reply, Yan Huan had his reasons.
"Meow-chan, there are many types of fans. Distance creates beauty. The best kind of fan is one who keeps a respectful distance."
Since he had already shown enthusiasm in person, it was better to appear a little reserved online.
"Meow?"
Meow-chan clearly didn’t get it, and Yan Huan didn’t bother explaining. He simply turned off his phone.
Meanwhile, beside him, Ye Shiyu was tapping away at her screen, also messaging Ye Lan through Plane.
"Mama, Xiaohuan is in the car right now. I want to invite him to dinner tonight."
'If things go smoothly, once Xiaohuan comes home, I can greet him in private. Then Mama can invite him in—wouldn’t that naturally bring everything together?'
Her breathing began to quicken. Inside her mind, the voice of reason, like a frantic horse named Desire, suddenly screamed,
Reason: 'Ye Shiyu, you’re seriously filthy. Don’t you know what could happen if Xiaohuan stays over?'
Desire: 'What could happen? It’s not like he’ll lose a limb. With Mama and Aunt Chen taking care of him, he won’t need a part-time job, can rest properly, and won’t look so tired. As his older sister, it’s totally normal to care for the younger brother you like, right?'
Reason: 'You call that like? You're just lusting after his body, you pervert! Didn’t we agree never to use Hypnosis on him again?!'
Desire: 'Come on, it’s a waste not to use such a convenient tool. It was created to fulfill your wish, wasn’t it?'
Reason: 'Bullshit! That kind of twisted thinking isn’t how normal people behave! Ye Shiyu, calm down. You know it’s wrong to use Hypnosis on Xiaohuan, don’t you?'
Desire: 'And think about it—if you don’t act soon, that Vice President girl, Yinggong Tong, will snatch Xiaohuan away!'
Reason:
Desire: 'Xiaohuan’s sleeping face, his smile just for you, the way he takes care of you—ALL of that will disappear once he ends up with someone else!'
Reason:
Desire: 'In the end, he only treats you kindly because he’s nice to everyone. You’re not special at all. Once he falls for someone else, you’ll be nothing!'
Reason:
Desire: 'Did you hear how Yinggong Tong talked to you before they were even together? Is her mom running a mass giveaway or something?!'
Reason:
Desire: 'If you ask me, you should just use Hypnosis to make Xiaohuan completely yours—just like you did with those Dolls. He won’t need to think anymore. Whatever you think, he’ll think. Isn’t that perfect?'
Reason: 'Honestly… Desire makes a good point.'
Ye Shiyu’s rationality crumbled the moment she recalled Yinggong Tong. She had originally planned to suggest to Mama, 'Let’s eat out.'
That way, after dinner, Xiaohuan would still have the option to leave.
But her message was already twisted by Desire into something else:
"I’ll let Aunt Chen know. How about we just eat at home tonight?"
'After dinner, Xiaohuan won’t be going anywhere.'
'Traveling back to the southern district from Jinghe at night is a hassle. As long as he stays over, I—'
'Wait... didn’t Xiaohuan already use Hypnosis once when he helped fix my computer on Tuesday?'
'That means there’s only one more 15-minute use left this week?!'
'But the whole weekend’s still ahead!'
As she thought this, Ye Shiyu’s expression darkened while she stared at her phone.
'If only the number of uses and the duration could be extended...'
As that thought surfaced, the black mist named Desire began to rise once again. Meow-chan, still perched on Yan Huan’s shoulder, let out a soft *meow*.
Hearing the sound, Yan Huan turned to look at Ye Shiyu.
As soon as she sensed his gaze, the black mist surrounding her instantly vanished.
She turned to him as well, her blank expression oddly adorable—an innocent look that seemed to ask silently,
"What is it, Xiaohuan?"
"..."
Yan Huan glanced at Meow-chan, his eyes saying,
"Don’t you think she’s acting suspicious?"
"You don’t even need to think—me too, meow."
That’s exactly what Meow-chan’s expression conveyed.
Yan Huan smiled faintly and had no choice but to take the initiative.
"Shiyu-sis, are we going back to Jinghe District for dinner tonight?"
Just as Ye Shiyu was about to nod, the suited female driver up front tilted her head slightly and spoke up.
"Yes, both Shiyu and Yan Huan are in the car."
Someone had called, and the driver was answering through her Bluetooth earpiece.
"Ah, okay, got it, President Ye."
She lightly tapped her earpiece, then turned and said to the two in the back,
"President Ye is in the southern district today. She was planning to visit Yan Huan anyway. Since you're both in the car, she said to head there for dinner."
"Ah, that’s great, though I always feel like there’s not much to eat in the southern district," Yan Huan commented to Ye Shiyu.
Ye Shiyu opened her mouth to respond but couldn’t find the words.
"..."
'Mama?!'
That’s right—today was Friday, and Mama was finally free!
Before she had returned the clothes, Mama had kept saying she wanted to see where Xiaohuan was living in the southern district. She was really concerned about his living conditions.
And since Ye Lan had arranged everything, Ye Shiyu had no reason to refuse.
'There’s still hope—'
So, the mini electric car that had originally been heading to Ye Lan’s mansion in Jinghe District turned around and drove toward the southern district.
On the way, Yan Huan chatted with Ye Shiyu from time to time, but she wasn’t very good at conversation.
Even though Yan Huan tried to keep the dialogue going, it always died out after just a few exchanges.
Eventually, they both just started playing on their phones.
In the large student council management group chat, the conversation had already resumed.
"Everyone, I’ll introduce you to some friends from the circle at the game expo on Sunday!"
Yaqiao Mu even sent an otaku-style beauty emoji. Who knows which game character it was—it was one of those with bouncing boobs.
The first to reply was the secretary, You’an Lina.
(*) Note: "Otaku" refers to someone with obsessive interests, typically in anime and manga.
"Sure! It'll be my first time going to something like this! Can I wear cosplay?"
"No problem, there are tons of cosplayers there. But there are only two days left—You'an Lina, do you still have time to get your costume?"
"Hehe, I'm pretty close with the school’s anime club, so I’ll just borrow a few outfits from them. What about you guys? Want to cosplay together?"
She tagged everyone in the group chat.
Yinggong Tong replied, "I’ll pass. I don’t really know much about this stuff—I’ll just look around when we get there."
Yan Huan added, "I think I’ll skip it too. There’s no character I really feel like cosplaying."
Aishili chimed in, "Wait, none of you invited me?! And now you’re tagging me for cosplay?!"
You'an Lina sent a "cracked" emoji,
"I-I-I totally forgot! I bought two bundled tickets from a scalper. I was going to invite you originally because I thought Yinggong wouldn’t go. But then she actually agreed!"
(*) Note: "Scalper" refers to someone who resells tickets at inflated prices.
Yinggong usually stayed home on weekends to take care of her cat and wasn’t interested in events like this.
You'an Lina, that airhead, probably intended to go with Aishili from the start.
She casually invited Yinggong Tong, never expecting her to accept.
Then, giggling like a fool, she completely forgot about Aishili.
Yan Huan didn’t even have to think to understand exactly what was going on in her head.
Yaqiao Mu sent a black-and-white shocked loli emoji pack.
(*) Note: "Loli" refers to a stylized depiction of a young anime girl, often used in Japanese pop culture.
"I also got bundled tickets from a scalper and gave one to the President."
His phone was loaded with dozens of similar otaku-style emoji packs.
(*) Note: "Otaku" refers to someone obsessed with anime or manga culture.
Just then, Yinggong Tong sent a message.
"Aishili, you should go. I’m not that into it anyway. I just thought You'an Lina had an extra ticket, so..."
Aishili began backing out too.
"Vice President, it’s fine. You guys go ahead. I have stuff to do this weekend anyway."
"Take your vitamins, okay?! Seriously... Yinggong! Aishili! Waaah! You guys go, I’m not going anymore! Is this how you treat supplements?!" You'an Lina sent a voice message—sounding like a complete idiot!!
(*) Note: "Supplements" here is slang for emotional or mental energy boosts, often used jokingly.
Aishili: "Are you stupid or what?"
Yinggong Tong: "Knew it. Total dummy."
Amused, Yan Huan sent a "don’t fight anymore" kitty emoji.
"Yinggong, I have an extra ticket for you. Let’s just all go together."
"President?! Where’d you get the ticket?"
"Yeah! It was super hard for all of us to get tickets! This game expo is insanely popular—prices online have skyrocketed!"
Yan Huan paused for a moment, then explained,
"A friend gave it to me. They had an extra one anyway—now the five of us can go together."
"Hehe, awesome! We can cosplay and have fun there~"
"Where should we meet up?"
Seeing Aishili’s reply, Yan Huan thought for a second and said,
"Let’s meet near the subway station. Yaqiao Mu and I will take the subway, and I think Aishili will too?"
"Okay!"
As carefree as ever, You'an Lina was instantly satisfied. Yaqiao Mu also let out a sigh of relief. As for Aishili—she didn’t really care much about the ticket to begin with.
Only Yinggong Tong, still in the student council office, suddenly sat up straight behind her phone.
She blinked, quickly opened her laptop, and started searching for Linmen Game Expo ticket prices.
Scalpers had already driven the bundled ticket prices up to over two thousand yuan—and even those were sold out.
Thinking it through—Yaqiao Mu had given the President the ticket this past Wednesday, right inside the office. Her Room Barrier had recorded it perfectly.
(*) Note: "Room Barrier" refers to a supernatural ability that allows isolation or surveillance within a space.
At that time, the President accepted it, meaning he definitely didn’t have the ticket before.
So he must’ve gotten this new ticket within the past two days.
Was it from that older sister of Ye Shiyu?
No, that couldn’t be it.
The President was taking the subway. If Ye Shiyu were going, they’d definitely travel together.
So the ticket must’ve come from someone else?
But who?
She knew every detail of the President’s schedule like the back of her hand.
When he left home, when he arrived at school, entered the classroom, went to the student council office, headed to his part-time job—she knew it all.
When did he even meet a new friend who could give him a ticket like that?
Yinggong Tong stared at the computer, pulling up one surveillance recording after another, following Yan Huan’s movements.
Wait—a mysterious splash of paint on the desktop?
Who did that? How dare they?!
Yinggong Tong frowned, scrubbing through the surveillance footage, but found nothing useful.
All she saw was footage of police entering and quickly leaving the school. Later, You'an Lina said they were looking for a student named "Bai Yi."
A paranormal incident?
It eerily resembled the bizarre incident where the math teacher's face got drawn on last Friday.
Then suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit her.
On Monday, when she had used the Room Barrier to trap herself and the President, he had even suspected it was a paranormal phenomenon.
Even though he had now forgotten it due to the memory correction upon exiting the barrier, still...
'Could it be that the person behind this so-called paranormal incident... is someone like me?'
'In other words, I might not be the only one—there may be others with powers like mine!'
A chill ran down Yinggong Tong’s spine. She was suddenly glad she had stayed hidden and hadn’t used her power recklessly.
That Spencer, who had kicked her barrier apart with a single blow...
That mysterious figure who painted on the President’s desk and drew on Zhou Bin’s face...
Could all of them have powers too?
And what if they’ve set their sights on the clueless President?
At that terrifying thought, Yinggong Tong held her breath.
Even with her Room Barrier, all she ever did was monitor the President with omnidirectional surveillance and trap him with her to confirm their bond—nothing that extreme!
But who knows what others might do to him?
No. She had to protect him.
At that moment, Yinggong Tong fell into a kind of "Dark Forest Dilemma."
(*) Note: "Dark Forest Dilemma" refers to a concept from science fiction where all civilizations hide or destroy others to avoid being destroyed themselves.
Her fingers danced furiously across the keyboard as she pulled up more surveillance footage, her eyes tracking Yan Huan’s every move.
On Wednesday night, outside the bar where Yan Huan worked, her mouse suddenly froze mid-drag.
A large number of police cars had arrived in the southern district, parking right outside the pub.
Yan Huan walked out, escorting a girl, and handed her over to the police and a middle-aged woman.
As the girl left, she kept turning back to look at Yan Huan.
Yinggong Tong was momentarily stunned. Then she scrolled the mouse wheel to zoom in on the footage frame by frame.
She had only purchased high-end surveillance cameras—so even at night, the image was crystal clear.
She clearly saw who that pretty girl was—head bowed, eyes still glistening with tears.
Yinggong Tong narrowed her eyes and frowned.
Then, as if to confirm her suspicions, she opened a drawer and took out the ticket You'an Lina had given her.
Under the sunlight, her eyes scanned the list of invited guests printed on the back.
Finally, she stopped at a name listed under the "VIP Seats" section.
"Bai Yi."
Yinggong Tong softly murmured the name to herself.
Everything suddenly made sense.
Almost instinctively, she guessed that the "friend" who gave the President that ticket—was Bai Yi.
Yinggong Tong set the ticket down, sat in silence for a moment, then turned toward the folder filled with surveillance footage.
She tapped the keyboard and created two new folders.
One was labeled "Aruiya Spencer," the other "Bai Yi."
After that, she dragged both folders into a master folder.
That folder was named:
"High-Priority Threats."
"Xiaohuan! I haven’t seen you in forever! Did you lose weight again?!"
In a private room at a luxury hotel in the southern district, the moment Yan Huan walked in, Ye Lan stood up from the main seat.
She wore a sharp women’s business suit, looking elegant and commanding—but when she saw Yan Huan, her expression instantly softened into the same sad smile from a week ago.
Her facial expressions were even more vivid than her daughter Ye Shiyu’s.
"Aunt Ye, we just met last week, didn’t we? It hasn’t been that long."
Yan Huan gave a helpless smile, then spread his arms slightly and glanced down at himself as he added,
"Not only did I not lose any weight, I think I even gained a little. Probably just the clothes—last week's school uniform made me look slimmer."
Ye Lan looked Yan Huan up and down with a smile. Seeing that he still had the same sunny disposition, she let out a breath of relief and sat back down in the main seat.
In the spacious room, only the three of them were present.
"Originally, I was planning to check out the place you're staying tonight, but I didn’t expect your older sister would actually take the initiative to invite you home for dinner~"
Yan Huan knew it was Ye Shiyu who had invited him first, and he had planned to come anyway.
Mainly because he saw her phone light up.
Ye Shiyu sat down, a little embarrassed. She adjusted her black hair and didn’t dare meet Yan Huan’s eyes.
Yan Huan, on the other hand, sat down comfortably. He smiled at Ye Shiyu and said,
"Whether it’s Aunt or Shiyu-sis inviting me, I’d still come."
"Hehe, such a sweet talker."
Ye Lan chuckled behind her hand.
"But Aunt Ye really shouldn't visit where I live. I rarely clean—it’s a mess, like a dog’s den. Honestly, it’s kind of embarrassing."
"How could that be okay? Even boys need to keep things tidy. You can’t be so sloppy. Otherwise, Xiaohuan, what would you do if you had friends over?"
"Since I was little, I haven’t really had any friends in the southern district."
Yan Huan smiled and was just about to speak when a small figure popped into his mind—a girl who used to follow behind him with her head down.
In the afternoons, she would often reach out her tiny hand and grab the hem of his shirt, quietly clinging on as if to remind him she was there.
As if afraid of getting lost, she would obediently follow behind him the entire time.
And whenever he turned to look at her, she would immediately blush and withdraw her hand in a panic.
Then, in a soft, sticky voice, she would say,
"Xiaohuan, do you want to come over to my house and play? Mama bought popsicles. She said they’re super sweet. I didn’t eat mine—I left it in the freezer so we could eat it together."
.
At the memory, Yan Huan paused slightly, the words he was about to say catching in his throat.
"Xiaohuan?"
Ye Lan asked in confusion, pulling Yan Huan’s thoughts back to the present.
"Sorry, Aunt Ye."
"What were you thinking about?"
"Nothing, just remembered a friend I used to play with a lot back at the orphanage."
Ye Shiyu suddenly looked up, her gaze sharp and glinting as she stared at Yan Huan.
Ye Lan, meanwhile, covered her mouth and asked,
"Oh? A childhood sweetheart? Are you still in touch?"
Yan Huan gave a helpless smile and shook his head.
"She moved away from Linmen a long time ago. We might never see each other again."
Ye Shiyu lowered her head as if in relief, while Ye Lan rested her chin on her hand and sighed regretfully.
"That’s such a pity."
"Yeah, it really is."
[End of Chapter]
(*) Note for line 209: "Shiyu-sis" is a casual and affectionate way of referring to an older sister figure, combining her name with "sis."