"Clack, clack, clack..."
The hum of the sewing machine filled the room, but Ye Shiyu’s gaze drifted into nothingness.
The rhythmic, pleasant sound grated on her nerves. Suddenly, she pressed her hand against the machine’s switch, halting it mid-stitch.
“...”
Her phone had been playing music, the screen still lit—she had forgotten to turn it off.
Ye Shiyu bit her lip, took a deep breath, and stood up, grabbing the empty glass on the table. She needed water.
Whenever she was upset or tense, drinking water beca her unconscious habit.
By now, her mother and he were probably still chatting downstairs.
It didn’t matter. Let them talk.
Tonight... she would make sure to have a "conversation" with him herself.
Clutching her phone and the glass, Ye Shiyu pushed open her door and headed downstairs, her expression blank.
On the second floor, she noticed that Yan Huan’s door was wide open, revealing an unlit, empty room.
From the living room below, faint sobbing reached her ears.
Her brows furrowed as she descended. There, in the living room, Ye Lan sat on the couch, her knees supporting an open photo album. She cried quietly into her hands.
Aunt Chen sat beside her, gently patting her back and handing her tissues. The coffee table was already piled with crumpled tissue balls.
Ye Shiyu glanced around. Yan Huan was nowhere to be seen.
She didn’t say a word—sothing clicked in her mind.
He had left.
Why?
Although the answer wasn’t imdiately clear, relief and joy surged through her heart.
Aunt Chen noticed Ye Shiyu and called out,
“Shiyu... Little Huan left. He made so double-skin milk for you—it’s on the table. Have a taste.”
“...”
Ye Lan lifted her tear-streaked face, the sorrow etched on it plain to see. Her mother’s misery stabbed at Ye Shiyu in a way she couldn’t ignore.
Ye Shiyu glanced at the dessert on the table before asking flatly,
“He left. Why?”
“I... I don’t know!” Ye Lan whimpered through her tears.
“It was so sudden... Everything was going so well before this...”
Her voice quivered as she looked at Ye Shiyu, her expression seeking solace. Feeling exposed, Ye Shiyu instinctively avoided her mother’s gaze, as if afraid her hidden relief and joy would be discovered.
But Ye Lan, overwheld with grief, didn’t notice her daughter’s inner conflict. Bowing her head again, she continued crying.
“I ca all the way to Linn to bring him ho... I promised Yulu I’d take care of him... What am I supposed to do now?”
Her mother’s emotions were always extre when it ca to the people she cherished. She would give them the world if she could.
Why couldn’t she let him leave as simply as that?
Yet, as Ye Shiyu stood there, unmoved by her mother’s despair, a struggle arose within her.
To be honest, she wanted Yan Huan to never return, to sever all ties with her mother forever.
Just seeing him converse with her mother or watching her mother smile at him irritated her to no end.
But...
She disliked her mother’s sorrow even more than her own irritation.
Ye Shiyu gritted her teeth, her expression stiff as she asked,
“When did he leave?”
Aunt Chen, still consoling Ye Lan, replied,
“Five or six minutes ago. Your mom wanted to drive him, but it’s so late, and driving at night can be unsafe, so he declined. He said he’d take the bus back to the South District. The bus stop’s a fair distance away.”
Ye Shiyu turned to her mother, who looked up at her with red, teary eyes.
“I’ll go convince him to co back,” Ye Shiyu said.
Ye Lan’s face lit up in surprise, her hand covering her mouth. She was taken aback by her daughter’s reaction.
Her Shiyu truly was a kind child, even if she didn’t show it often.
“Shiyu... I’ll go with you,” Ye Lan offered.
“There’s no need, Mom. Let
go alone. It’s easier for peers to talk to each other.”
Ye Shiyu set down her glass and headed for the door.
As her pale fingers gripped her phone, its screen facing inward, a deep purple glow emanated—an ominous light reserved for her version of “peer communication.”
If using hypnosis would make her mother happy, then so be it.
As for her irritation?
She could always, like in the movie, use the app to make him into soone like that...
When the ti ca, her mother wouldn’t even feel sad to see him leave. She could just...
Thinking this, Ye Shiyu put on her shoes and stepped outside.
It was nearly 8 p.m., and Yan Huan had taken his luggage with him when he left.
The bus stop was outside the community, and to catch him before he boarded, Ye Shiyu quickened her pace.
Inside the high-end community, streetlights were placed close together, ensuring no shadows lingered at night.
But beyond the community gates, the sparse landscape lights cast isolated pools of brightness along the road.
Between those islands of light lay stretches of darkness—like an ocean of shadows.
Ye Shiyu repeated the process of “island-hopping” as she moved forward until she spotted the bus stop by the main road.
The stop was desolate. Buses to the South District ca every fifteen minutes.
One of the stoplights was broken, leaving half the shelter in darkness and the other half dimly lit.
Her keen eyes quickly picked out the familiar figure.
Under the faint light of the shelter stood a handso boy with a backpack, wearing Bluetooth earphones. He was clad in the school uniform jacket he had worn on Friday, with a beige shirt underneath.
He hadn’t left yet and stood looking at his phone, waiting for the bus.
Ye Shiyu watched him from a distance before stepping into the shadows, quickening her pace.
She called out,
“Yan Huan.”
Startled, Yan Huan turned toward the voice, pulling his attention from the video he’d been watching.
Seeing Ye Shiyu standing just outside the illuminated bus shelter, he blinked in surprise.
“You, Sister Shiyu? What brings you here?”
Noticing her thin dress, he frowned.
“The night is cold, and you’re not dressed warmly enough...”
“Why are you leaving?”
Her directness cut him off mid-sentence.
As she approached, stepping into the light, she repeated her question.
“Well...” Yan Huan chuckled awkwardly.
“I guess I’m just not used to living here. I’ve grown accustod to the South District—it’s simpler there.”
Ye Shiyu halted, her eyes scanning his face for any signs of insincerity.
But his smile remained sunny, unbroken, and gave nothing away.
Breaking eye contact, she said,
“Co back. My mother is heartbroken; she cares about you.”
Yan Huan blinked, then motioned toward the bench in the shelter.
“...Why don’t we sit for a while, Sister Shiyu?”
She hesitated but remained still. Yan Huan sat first, tucking his earphones into their case.
Watching his actions, Ye Shiyu eventually followed and sat at the far edge of the bench, leaving ample distance between them.
The light barely illuminated her delicate features, casting her in an ethereal glow.
Yan Huan stared at the quiet road ahead and smiled faintly before suddenly asking,
“Sister Shiyu, do you hate ?”
Her pupils contracted slightly, and her grip on her phone tightened. She didn’t answer.
Turning to face her, Yan Huan’s gaze was sincere but tinged with awkwardness as he clasped his hands together.
“Don’t worry; I’ve never told Aunt Ye. She’s never thought that, either.”
“...You misunderstood,” she replied from her shadowed seat.
“Maybe. It’s possible I just imagined it,” Yan Huan said, his tone calm.
“Still... I grew up without parents. It’s hard to say I never wished for a warm family.
“When Aunt Ye found , I was truly happy. I was thrilled at the thought of having soone like her in my life—soone kind and caring, like a mother...”
His heartfelt words made Ye Shiyu take a deep breath.
“But, Sister Shiyu, I know you lost your father at a young age and grew up relying on Aunt Ye. Maybe that’s why I can empathize with you.
“If my mother brought another child ho, no matter who they were, I think... seeing her care for them so much, I’d feel jealous, even sad.”
Ye Shiyu stared at him, stunned.
His smile didn’t waver, even as he spoke of his pain.
“I understand how painful it is to lose sothing so precious. My parents were taken by disaster and fate, forces I couldn’t fight.
“But because I understand that pain... I can’t bear to beco the source of yours.”
Her hand trembled, nearly dropping her phone as her heart pounded erratically.
"Thump... thump... thump..."
Before she could respond, Yan Huan rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a gift bag.
“Oh, right. This is for you, Sister Shiyu,” he said, handing it to her.
Inside was her jellyfish keychain, alongside a resin jellyfish sculpture and a plush jellyfish toy.
“I found this at the aquarium. I thought you’d want it back,” he said with a smile.
For once, Ye Shiyu had no words.
"Clack, clack, clack..."
The rhythmic hum of Ye Shiyu's sewing machine filled the room, but her thoughts wandered far away.
The pleasant sound began to irritate her. She suddenly pressed the switch, silencing the machine.
“...”
Her phone lay nearby, still playing music on its lit screen—she hadn’t even bothered to turn it off.
Her thoughts were scattered tonight.
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her empty glass and headed downstairs to refill it.
Whenever she felt tense or restless, she drank water compulsively.
By now, her mother and he were probably still talking downstairs.
It didn’t matter. Let them talk.
After all, tonight...
She’d make sure to have her own "conversation" with him.
Clutching her phone and glass, Ye Shiyu descended the stairs.
On the second floor, she noticed sothing strange: Yan Huan’s door was wide open, the room inside dark and empty.
From the living room below ca the faint sound of sobbing.
Frowning, she quickened her pace and found her mother on the couch, face buried in her hands, crying softly.
The photo album rested on her lap, and Aunt Chen sat beside her, gently patting her back while handing her tissues.
The coffee table was scattered with crumpled tissue balls.
Ye Shiyu glanced around—Yan Huan was nowhere in sight.
She didn’t speak; her gaze lingered on the empty space.
He left?
Why?
The question lingered, but her heart unexpectedly swelled with relief and joy.
Aunt Chen noticed Ye Shiyu and called out,
“Shiyu... Little Huan left. He made so double-skin milk for you—it’s on the table. Have a taste.”
“...”
Ye Lan lifted her tear-streaked face, her sorrow plain for Ye Shiyu to see.
Ye Shiyu hated seeing her mother like this. She glanced briefly at the dessert before asking flatly,
“He left. Why?”
“I... I don’t know!” Ye Lan whimpered through her tears.
“It was so sudden... Everything was fine before this...”
Ye Lan’s trembling voice cracked as she looked at her daughter. Her tearful, hopeful gaze made Ye Shiyu instinctively avert her eyes, afraid her hidden relief would be discovered.
But Ye Lan, lost in grief, didn’t notice her daughter’s emotions. Bowing her head, she sobbed again.
“I ca all this way to bring him ho... I promised Yulu I’d take care of him... What do I do now?”
Her mother had always been so easily moved by the people she cared about, willing to give them the world.
Why couldn’t she let him leave?
Yet, as Ye Shiyu watched her mother’s despair, guilt gnawed at her.
To be honest, she wished Yan Huan would never return, severing ties with her mother completely.
But the sight of him speaking with her mother, making her smile, irritated her.
Still, seeing her mother in tears hurt more than her own annoyance.
Clenching her teeth, Ye Shiyu asked,
“When did he leave?”
Aunt Chen, still consoling Ye Lan, replied,
“About five or six minutes ago. Your mom wanted to drive him, but he thought it was too dangerous at night, so he decided to take the bus back to the South District. The bus stop’s a bit far from here.”
Ye Shiyu turned to her mother, whose tear-streaked face reflected faint hope.
“I’ll bring him back,” Ye Shiyu said.
Ye Lan blinked in surprise, covering her mouth as she processed her daughter’s unexpected response.
Her Shiyu truly was kind, even if she rarely showed it.
“Shiyu... I’ll go with you,” Ye Lan said.
“No need, Mom. Let
handle it. It’s easier for peers to talk to each other.”
Setting her glass down, Ye Shiyu headed for the door.
Her pale fingers gripped her phone tightly, the screen glowing ominously with a deep purple light—a power ant for "persuasive conversations."
If using hypnosis would make her mother happy, so be it.
As for her irritation?
She could deal with that later, using the app to turn him into soone who wouldn’t even matter anymore.
Pulling on her shoes, Ye Shiyu stepped into the cool night.
It was nearing 8 p.m., and the bus stop outside the community wasn’t far, but she quickened her pace to catch him before he left.
Inside the gated community, streetlights stood close together, creating a well-lit path.
Outside, however, the lighting was sparse, creating isolated pools of light along the road.
Between these “islands” of brightness, darkness reigned, casting shadows like an ocean.
Ye Shiyu crossed from one lit patch to another until she saw the bus stop ahead.
The shelter stood empty except for a lone figure.
Under the dim light stood Yan Huan, earphones in, his school uniform jacket draped over his beige shirt.
He stood there waiting for the bus, head lowered, staring at his phone.
Ye Shiyu quickened her pace, stepping into the shadows as she approached.
“Yan Huan,” she called out.
Startled, Yan Huan turned, his attention pulled from his phone.
Seeing Ye Shiyu standing outside the light, he blinked in surprise.
“Sister Shiyu? What are you doing here?”
Noticing her thin dress, he frowned.
“It’s cold out. You’re not dressed warmly enough—”
“Why are you leaving?” she interrupted.
She stepped closer, her tone sharp and direct.
“Well... I’m just not used to living here. I’m more comfortable in the South District,” Yan Huan replied with a faint smile.
Her gaze scrutinized his expression, but his smile remained unbroken, warm as ever.
“Co back,” she said.
“Mom is heartbroken. She cares about you.”
Yan Huan hesitated, then motioned toward the bench.
“...Why don’t we sit for a while, Sister Shiyu?”
After a brief pause, she sat at the edge of the bench, leaving plenty of space between them.
For a while, neither spoke.
Finally, Yan Huan broke the silence.
“Sister Shiyu, do you hate ?”
Her pupils contracted, and her grip on her phone tightened.
Without waiting for a response, Yan Huan added,
“Don’t worry, I’ve never ntioned it to Aunt Ye. She doesn’t think that way about you either.”
“...You misunderstood,” she replied softly.
“Maybe. It’s possible I just imagined it,” Yan Huan said gently.
“But... when Aunt Ye found , I was truly happy. I thought, maybe, I could finally have a warm family... soone who cared about , like a mother.”
His words, so honest, left her breathless.
“If I were in your position, I’d probably feel jealous, too. Maybe even hurt.”
Ye Shiyu froze, unable to reply.
The sincerity in his smile only deepened her turmoil.
“Because I understand that pain... I can’t bear to be the source of yours.”
Her hands trembled, her phone slipping slightly.
She looked at him, her breath hitching as her heart pounded.
"Thump... thump... thump..."
Unable to say a word, she simply stared as Yan Huan smiled, oblivious to the storm raging within her.
Ye Shiyu buried her head in the crook of her arm, her black hair cascading like a fragrant waterfall under the warm glow of her bedroom light.
“Mm...”
A muffled voice escaped her lips.
"How could I have done that?"
Wrapped in the gentle light, she remained motionless. Her soft voice echoed in the room, tinged with sha.
“You’re so despicable, Ye Shiyu...”
The bus swayed as it drove through the night toward the South District. Inside, the cabin lights were off, cloaking the space in heavy darkness.
Yan Huan sat alone by the window, his face expressionless, his body blending into the shadows.
Suddenly, a pair of bright green cat eyes glowed in the dark, moving toward him. ow-chan’s body, perfectly camouflaged in the darkness, lted into the silence of the space.
"So that’s how it is..."
Its voice echoed in Yan Huan’s mind.
“No wonder you’ve been acting so differently with Ye Lan since this morning. You showed your most considerate, thoughtful side, knowing it would provoke Ye Shiyu’s possessiveness. Then, when she was on the verge of exploding, you left, leaving her anger unresolved and turning it into regret...”
Outside the window, the city lights flickered, reflecting off the glass and casting fragnted shadows onto Yan Huan’s face. From the outside, his features seed inscrutable, obscured by the interplay of light and shadow.
Listening to ow-chan’s assessnt, Yan Huan sighed and replied,
“Ye Shiyu has a conscience and a sense of morality—at least for now, while the Modifier hasn’t consud her. What I did was just an act: playing the perfect, kind brother to appeal to her morality and suppress her desire to use the Modifier.”
In the dark, ow-chan sensed the heaviness in his tone and responded empathetically.
“You shouldn’t feel guilty for deceiving her. She almost used the Modifier on you just now. Besides, much of what you said and did wasn’t fake—you just exaggerated it a little.”
“You’re right,” Yan Huan admitted with a bitter smile.
“But I didn’t expect her to chase after . She really does love Aunt Ye. She’s willing to suppress her own feelings just to bring
back and make her mother happy. And here I am... Aunt Ye was so sincere, yet I left without even giving her a good reason.”
“ow~”
ow-chan leapt onto Yan Huan’s lap, its warm, chubby body pressing comfortingly against him.
Yan Huan chuckled softly, unable to resist rubbing ow-chan’s fluffy head.
Leaning against the window, he gazed at his reflection.
Amid the swirling neon lights and fragnted reflections, his face was shrouded in shadow.
A soft, self-deprecating sigh echoed in his mind.
“You’re so despicable, Yan Huan...”
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