Yan Huan seed sowhat surprised when the beautiful woman in front of him, whose features strongly resembled Sakuramiya Hitomi, greeted him warmly.
After all, his previous eting with Sakuramiya Hitomi's older brother had not been nearly as harmonious as this. Otherwise, her family wouldn't have left such a difficult and unapproachable impression on everyone in the Student Council.
He quickly snapped back to reality and responded with a smile,
"It is , Auntie."
"Mhm, I heard about you from Makoto before. I also heard that things were a bit unpleasant between you two. As his mother, I apologize on his behalf."
Jiang Nuannuan, who was being held by Yurianna as a shield, heard this and whispered to her,
"Is Makoto Vice President Sakuramiya's older brother?"
Yurianna nodded with lingering fear and replied in an equally hushed voice,
"Yeah, we t him before during Sakuramiya's birthday. He had a ridiculous amount of rules and kept making things difficult for us."
Jiang Nuannuan looked thoughtful and suddenly asked,
"So, Yurianna, the reason you guys never considered the possibility that the person the President likes is Vice President Sakuramiya is because of her family?"
"..."
Yurianna blinked, her face turning pale as she grabbed Jiang Nuannuan's shoulders and started shaking her.
"Hey, Nuannuan, you... y-y-you shouldn't ship such a cursed pairing! Shipping everything will only ruin you!"
"Eh, eh, eh??"
"Setting aside the fact that Sakuramiya stated from the very beginning that she would absolutely never date, and not even ntioning that her brother almost got into a physical fight with the President..."
The re thought of Yan Huan and Sakuramiya Hitomi potentially dating gave Yurianna a headache.
Because...
"To disregard the facts, if Sakuramiya liked the President, wouldn't they have gotten together a long ti ago?!"
Yurianna spoke with such conviction that Jiang Nuannuan was completely stunned.
"They spend ti in close proximity every single day, have a close relationship, and maintain frequent contact on Plane... Nourished by this perfect hotbed of romance with the right ti, right place, and right people, neither of them has shown the slightest reaction?!"
"I refuse to believe the President is so dense idiot when it cos to romance, and I don't believe Sakuramiya is a fool who would completely botch a winning hand. Therefore, there is only one truth!!"
Yurianna suddenly hugged Jiang Nuannuan tightly, staring at Yan Huan and Sakuramiya Hitomi in front of them as she enunciated every word,
"They have a completely pure, platonic relationship!!"
"..."
Jiang Nuannuan pursed her lips and didn't reply, simply looking at the petite Sakuramiya Hitomi with a bit of sympathy.
anwhile, on the frontlines.
Sakuramiya Lily looked Yan Huan up and down, then sowhat distressingly propped her chin up with her Folding Fan and said,
"You are so handso, yet you carry such an aura of lancholy and bitterness. Have you been under a lot of pressure lately, young man?"
"Huh?"
The smile on Yan Huan's face stiffened slightly. The deep emotions he had hidden beneath the surface had been pierced through by Sakuramiya Lily with a single sentence, inevitably making him wary.
Seeing this, Sakuramiya Hitomi's expression grew a little tense. She wanted to speak up and explain on Yan Huan's behalf, but Sakuramiya Lily rapped her on the forehead with the Folding Fan.
"Tap~"
"Ouch!"
Despite it being just a light tap, Sakuramiya Hitomi bent over like a blade of grass and clutched her head.
Sakuramiya Lily didn't even glance at her daughter, keeping her eyes fixed solely on Yan Huan.
Yan Huan silently activated his Perfect Expression Managent ability and explained with a smile,
"Because I'm an Outer Court Student, aside from handling Student Council affairs and my studies, I also have to work part-ti to make a living. So, there is indeed a bit of pressure."
"Mhm..."
Sakuramiya Lily tapped her palm with her Folding Fan, looking relieved.
"Is that so? I thought my Hitomi had caused trouble for you or sothing."
"..."
Yan Huan blinked and glanced at Sakuramiya Hitomi, who was standing beside Sakuramiya Lily like a Little Chick.
"Not at all, Auntie."
"Mhm..."
Hearing this, Sakuramiya Lily's fox-like eyes gradually beca pitiful and moving.
It was as if she had recalled so touching past event.
"Hitomi has never been an easy child since she was little. Now that she's grown up, she hasn't been by my side, and I've been truly worried that she might rely on her family's backing to do bad things to others..."
As she spoke, her tone was earnest, yet tinged with a faint choke of emotion.
It strongly evoked the classic sentint of a mother worrying about her child traveling a thousand miles away, causing Yan Huan to subconsciously feel sympathetic.
Truth be told, Yan Huan was actually quite susceptible to this kind of routine.
Just like before, whenever Ye Lan showed a pitiful expression in front of him, he couldn't bear to refuse her requests.
Yan Huan, a boy with a will of steel, really liked this feeling that sparked his protective instincts.
This was the true essence of a Flat-Chest Enthusiast!
Yan Huan pondered for a long ti without figuring out if he was actually a Flat-Chest Enthusiast, so he simply made up his own true essence just to debate with the heretics.
Yan Huan—the Flat-Chest Enthusiast—didn't have ti to overthink it. He rely avoided Sakuramiya Lily's gaze and said,
"...Actually, Sakuramiya is wonderful and there are no problems at all. If you don't believe , Auntie, you can ask the other mbers of the Student Council."
Yan Huan smiled slightly, turning his head to look at the others behind him who were pretending to be very busy.
He blinked at Yurianna, who was hiding behind Jiang Nuannuan, silently conveying a ssage,
'You guys are just going to leave
up front to take all the artillery fire by myself, huh? Hurry up and help
out!'
"..."
Since Yan Huan had already passed the buck to her, Yurianna had no choice but to step forward, no matter how reluctant she felt.
"Y-yes, Auntie. Sakuramiya is very eager to help others. She often assists the struggling students at our school..."
As she spoke, Yurianna suddenly rembered a good deed related to Sakuramiya. Her eyes lit up and she raised a finger,
"Like, there's a problem student in our school nad 'Spencer', and Sakuramiya managed to hit it off and mingle with her flawlessly!"
"..."
Perhaps they 'hit it off' in a physical sense, or rather, in the sense of her Modifier!
Yan Huan's face darkened, and Sakuramiya Hitomi also shifted her gaze away with a guilty conscience.
Yurianna blinked and, as if playing hot potato, looked at Ashley beside her. Sakuramiya Lily's smiling, fox-like eyes also shifted over to her.
She scratched the back of her head and could only say,
"H-how should I put it, Auntie... I'm a bit clumsy with words. Anyway, I think Vice President Sakuramiya is soone who has a great sense of boundaries..."
"She doesn't pry too much into people's privacy, but she actually cares a lot about everyone... In short, it's very comfortable being around her... Alright, Yabashi, your turn!"
She really didn't know what else to say. After all, praising an acquaintance in front of their parent always brought an incredibly awkward feeling.
This feeling was especially prominent for Yan Huan and Sakuramiya Hitomi, the two insiders.
Yan Huan was already covering his face, while Sakuramiya Hitomi turned her head away.
'Wow, the sun sure is bright today!'
"Umm... Vice President Sakuramiya is very gentle most of the ti... It's just, it always feels like she might be possessed by a ghost or sothing. She can be quite terrifying sotis..."
Sakuramiya Hitomi turned her head and instantly glared daggers at Yabashi Ki. Yabashi Ki didn't see it, but he still felt a bone-piercing chill. Confused, he imdiately rubbed his arms and looked around nervously.
"Pfft~"
Having listened to all of this, Sakuramiya Lily snapped her Folding Fan open, covering half of her face, and burst into a giggle.
"Are you serious? My daughter is actually this wonderful? It sounds like you are talking about a completely different person."
"..."
"It seems that in the long ti we haven't seen each other, you've grown up."
Sakuramiya Hitomi remained silent, stubbornly staring at the setting sun.
Sakuramiya Lily snapped her Folding Fan shut, looked at Yan Huan with a faint smile, and said,
"By the way, I personally prepared so small gifts for everyone, as a token of our first eting..."
Sakuramiya Lily turned around, preparing to fetch the items. Seeing this, Sakuramiya Hitomi hurriedly said,
"I'll go get them for you, Mama. They should be in the trunk, right?"
"Mhm."
Watching Sakuramiya Hitomi leave, Sakuramiya Lily turned her head back to Yan Huan. She was just about to speak when Sakuramiya Hitomi ca walking back, panting softly.
Sakuramiya Lily turned to look, only to see her empty-handed, and couldn't help but ask,
"Where are the things?"
"T-They're a bit heavy. I... I couldn't carry them."
"..."
Sakuramiya Lily maintained her smile, but raised her Folding Fan and delivered another tap to Sakuramiya Hitomi's forehead.
"Smack!"
"Ugh... Mama!"
"This is what you get for not exercising! This is what you get for not exercising! You're even weaker than when you stayed at ho!"
Seeing this, Yan Huan had no choice but to smile slightly and volunteer,
"I'll go get them, Auntie."
It was actually just a few paper cartons. They were a bit bulky, but the weight was perfectly manageable.
Yan Huan didn't open them to look; he simply brought them back, planning to distribute them among his companions later.
"Since everyone has received their gifts, if you don't mind, I need to borrow Hitomi for a little while. I have a eting with Director Ye of Ye International tonight, so..."
Sakuramiya Lily looked at Yan Huan and asked with a smile,
"Yan Huan, would you like to co with us?"
"..."
'She knows about my relationship with Aunt Ye.'
This was the first thought that popped into Yan Huan's mind upon hearing her question.
"No thank you, Auntie. You are discussing business; I shouldn't intrude."
"Hehe, alright. Then we will take our leave for now. I'll co back to the school to see you all during the Club War."
"Sounds good."
With that said, Sakuramiya Lily walked back to her car and opened the door.
Through the open rear door, Yan Huan suddenly noticed that there was no one sitting in the driver's seat.
It was an autonomous electric sedan.
Sakuramiya Lily got into the car, and Sakuramiya Hitomi turned back to glance at Yan Huan and the rest of her companions.
After a mont of silence, she offered a wave to Yan Huan and the others before climbing in as well.
"Click~"
"Bye-bye, Yan Huan, and you little ones."
The rear window rolled down, and Sakuramiya Lily bade farewell to Yan Huan and the others with a radiant smile.
Even as she waved goodbye, the black sedan started up without needing a command and glided toward the main road.
As the figures of Yan Huan and the others slowly faded from view, Sakuramiya Lily sighed and pressed the button to roll up the window,
"My, how ti flies and never returns... In just this short period, the children have grown up so much and beco so independent..."
The tinted privacy windows completely sealed the interior space of the cabin, reflecting Sakuramiya Lily's eyes as the smile slowly drained from them,
"So independent, in fact, that you even went behind our backs to hire a woman of unknown origins as your personal bodyguard."
"..."
Hearing this, Sakuramiya Hitomi's lingering hope finally died.
She let out a sigh and closed her eyes.
Earlier, when Nara was in trouble and cornered by Tong Yingying, Hitomi had brought other bodyguards to the rescue. In doing so, she had actually exposed Nara's existence to the main family. It was just that she still harbored a fluke ntality at the ti, thinking that it would be fine if it was only her brothers who ca.
Given how much her older brothers doted on her, she figured they wouldn't blow the matter out of proportion.
She never expected that the one to co would be her mother.
"How audacious. To think you'd dare to pull a bait-and-switch with the security detail your grandfather assigned you. You really know how to cause trouble for
and your father."
"I-I'm sorry... But Nara really helped
a lot. So... even if she can't stay anymore, please at least let her leave safely, okay?"
Hearing this, Sakuramiya Lily, who was looking out the window, turned her eyes to glance at Sakuramiya Hitomi.
After a second of silence, she sighed and said,
"You are simply insatiable. Because you were born premature, and because you are the only daughter your father and I have, both we and your brothers have spoiled you rotten.
"When your health was poor, we prepared a professional dical team to ensure your well-being. When you didn't want to stay at ho and play polite with those relatives, your father sent you to Linn.
"But you must always rember that soone else is bearing the cost for everything you enjoy. We don't ask you to repay it, but you should at least consider others, shouldn't you?"
Sakuramiya Hitomi pursed her lips, looked at her mother's face, and finally nodded, replying,
"Yes, Mama."
"...Don't look so crestfallen. Aside from the business with Ye International and your Club War, I also brought you so good news."
Sakuramiya Lily reached out, rubbed Sakuramiya Hitomi's head, and said,
"Your father and I have discussed it. If you want, you can stay and develop your future in Linn; you don't have to return. Your university, your marriage, and all such matters will be up to you to decide."
"R-really?!"
Seeing the excited expression and the spark in Sakuramiya Hitomi's eyes, Sakuramiya Lily's fox-like eyes arched slightly,
"However, your father and I will strictly monitor your career choices. Don't even think about pursuing anything unreliable...
"Like photography, or art. You never touched those things for the first dozen years of your life, yet suddenly gained a fervent interest in them recently. Don't even think about it."
Sakuramiya Hitomi looked at her mother speechlessly and curled her lips,
"W-what does any of that have to do with anything? Have you been provoked by watching so TV drama or reading so novel? Or did Papa trigger you?"
"Hmph."
Sakuramiya Lily retracted her gaze in annoyance but didn't elaborate further. Instead, she asked,
"Enough about that. Tell , what exactly is going on between you and that Yan Huan?"
"Eh? N-nothing is going on."
"Nothing? Just look at you, completely listless and wilted. Your health is already poor; with your spirit this depleted, you truly look like a ghost."
As soon as this was ntioned, whatever bright expression Sakuramiya Hitomi had left instantly vanished without a trace.
Great. Earlier, when she was granted freedom of marriage, she was happily imagining a future with the President without any familial obstacles.
But snapping back to reality, she suddenly realized:
What future? Right now, things between her and the President were practically on the verge of collapsing. The peeping incident had been a devastating blow to the head.
Perhaps Nara was right. Their previous relationship had been unhealthy. Worst case scenario, she'd start over from scratch; maybe the new feelings that blossod would be healthier.
But the problem was that hers was still growing! Could those other won stop sneaking ahead to pluck the peaches?!
Sakuramiya Hitomi was truly the type of contestant who, when outpaced in a restart, would desperately want to take the Starting Gun and shoot the frontrunners in the legs.
She couldn't stand seeing others run faster than her, yet she had no way of winning the race herself.
"..."
Feeling thoroughly depressed, and with her mother suddenly asking about it now, Sakuramiya Hitomi felt no need to hide anything. She recounted the disastrous exposure of her peeping to her mother.
After listening, Sakuramiya Lily stroked her chin and muttered,
"...You really take after
when I was young, child."
Upon hearing this, the previously wilted Sakuramiya Hitomi suddenly looked as if she had found a soulmate. She grabbed her mother's hands,
"Mama, could it be that you also..."
But Sakuramiya Lily cast a look of disdain at her daughter and said,
"Don't even think about it. I was never a pervert like you. My desire for control was just a bit strong, and I was worried your father might cheat when he was young. After all, he was quite handso back then, so there was a risk."
"..."
Sakuramiya Hitomi fell silent for a second, then quietly let go of her mother's hands, feeling a deep sense of loneliness, like an artist whose high art was misunderstood by the masses.
"But the problem now is that I've already turned over a new leaf! So, Mama, do you see... is there any way to nd this rift between the President and ?"
"nd?"
Sakuramiya Lily propped her cheek on her hand, looking at her endlessly conflicted daughter with an indulgent smile,
"Child, love is just like many of the unfair industries in this world; it operates on a cruel principle: winner takes all."
"Winner... takes all?"
"Do you think that just because it's first-co-first-served, and you diligently cultivate and nurture the relationship every day, the heavens will surely reward your hard work by gifting you your beloved?"
Sakuramiya Lily smiled disdainfully, gazing out the car window as she spoke,
"Not at all. It's entirely utilitarian. So, instead of honestly trying to nd things and playing defense on a slow simr, it's better to quickly find your own capital and use it to take the initiative."
"My own capital... take the initiative?"
Sakuramiya Lily looked at Sakuramiya Hitomi, who only seed to half-understand, and couldn't help but sigh,
"Fate truly makes a mockery of us. Back then, I was the one who ruthlessly forced myself upon your father, yet sohow I gave birth to a daughter as timid as a mouse and as cowardly as you..."
"Eh, eh, eh?! It... It was you who took the initiative, Mama? But didn't you say before that Papa chased you?"
Hearing this, the corners of Sakuramiya Lily's mouth curled up slowly. She turned her head and gave her daughter a wink,
"High-end hunting often leaves the prey believing they are the hunter. Well, we're out of ti for today; we're almost at Ye International. Ponder over it yourself for now. When I have so free ti, I'll teach you exactly what to do."
"..."
Sakuramiya Hitomi didn't speak again, simply turning her gaze out the car window as well.
Outside, the newly constructed Ye International building was incredibly eye-catching.
"Ms. Sakuramiya Lily, please co this way. The conference room is over here. Director Ye had so matters to attend to at the hospital and might arrive a little late. However, we have already prepared the relevant docunts, and you may review them at any ti."
Inside Ye International, a Dragon Country woman wearing a suit led Sakuramiya Lily and Sakuramiya Hitomi up to a certain floor.
At the sa ti, she took out her employee card, swiped to unlock a lounge, and said to Sakuramiya Hitomi,
"And I must ask this young lady to please wait in here. The docunts are comrcial secrets and can only be viewed by Ms. Sakuramiya Lily alone. I hope you understand."
"Understood."
Sakuramiya Lily nodded, then looked toward Sakuramiya Hitomi.
Sakuramiya Hitomi obediently walked toward the adjacent lounge. It appeared to be a highly private resting area for executives, not open for use by outsiders.
She knew this because, as soon as she walked in, she spotted a water tumbler on a nearby shelf.
Sticking on the tumbler was a sticky note bearing a na,
"Ye Shiyu"
Seeing that irritating na, Sakuramiya Hitomi couldn't help but narrow her eyes.
'That Ye Shiyu also has a superpower,'
Sakuramiya Hitomi suddenly thought.
'Ye Shiyu's personality is so detestable. And if it was only because of Ye Lan and Ye International, how could the President possibly be so attentive to her?'
'It's entirely illogical. This makes
suspect whether she used her superpower on the President.'
Thinking about it carefully, Sakuramiya Hitomi currently knew of two superpower holders.
One was Ye Shiyu, the other was Spencer—and one was more obnoxious than the other.
Yet now, both of them were growing increasingly intimate with the President...
'Is this fair?'
'There are definitely supernatural factors at play here. It's possible that they, like , possess so ability capable of influencing the President's mind.'
'And what about , now that I have a superpower?'
'What have I actually been doing all this ti?'
'Absolutely nothing.'
'That's because I care for the President and want to develop a normal relationship with him. I don't want to obtain sothing as precious as love through mind manipulation.'
'I placed the President on a pedestal, and the result? Lose, lose, lose.'
'Those two animals treat the President like a bicycle they can just ride around, and they still keep winning, winning, winning!'
'Is this fair?!'
'Do Good People Deserve to Have Guns Pointed at Them?'
'Are good people just ant to lose, lose, lose all the ti?'
'I really am just too kindhearted...'
Sakuramiya Hitomi gritted her teeth in anger and bit down on her middle finger.
She increasingly felt that her mother was right.
She needed to tightly grasp whatever she possessed.
Since she had a superpower, she should use it!
However, she truly didn't want to inflict Common Sense Modification on the President.
Mainly because doing so would leave massive loopholes.
She had previously tried to use that trick to deceive everyone, but it seed she had only ended up ruining things instead.
This left Sakuramiya Hitomi with a feeling of repulsion toward Common Sense Modification.
'Then, what else can this Jiejiè actually do?'
'It's practically useless.'
'It's said that I can establish the rules inside, that I'm the ultimate boss in there and can do whatever I want.'
'But in reality, the modifications I can make to others are extrely limited. Modifying common sense is either riddled with flaws or overwhelmingly weak, to the point where Spencer toys with it like it's nothing.'
'As for modifying the environnt itself, this isn't a battle ani. The most I can do is lock the President and myself inside, forcing a "we can't leave until we XX" scenario.'
'And even then, I ended up suffering painfully from holding my bladder, only for Spencer to swoop in and steal the prize.'
"..."
Thinking this, Sakuramiya Hitomi's expression grew even more gloomy.
'If only I wasn't bound by so many moral constraints and could act without hesitation.'
'Huh?'
'Wait a minute...'
'This Jiejiè can alter the rules of the world inside it and change its common sense.'
'Since I'm also inside the Jiejiè, doesn't that an...'
'...it can work on , too?'
As if discovering a blind spot, Sakuramiya Hitomi hurriedly pressed her hand against the wall and began to test her theory.
'Jiejiè, expand!'
An invisible ripple instantly spread outward from her body, entirely enveloping the room.
Outside the lounge window, the world suddenly grew dim, as if countless centipede shadows had devoured the sun, dragging the entire room into an Otherworld hidden in the abyss.
Yet, in this place, Sakuramiya Hitomi felt exceptionally comfortable.
It was because she was deeply aware that this space belonged to her and obeyed her every command.
In here, she was a natural-born queen.
"..."
She reached out her finger, looking closely into it for the first ti, sensing the structural composition of the entire Jiejiè.
To her astonishnt, Sakuramiya Hitomi discovered that as long as she was within the Jiejiè, she was practically a part of it.
In other words...
A simple idea faintly ford in Sakuramiya Hitomi's mind. Imdiately after, with just a shift in thought, a miraculous event occurred.
She watched helplessly as her body began to stretch upwards, her height gradually growing from her originally petite stature to beco tall and slender.
Right after, her barren, flat-as-a-board figure transford exactly as she envisioned, becoming increasingly full and alluring.
But after just a brief second, she beca so horrified that she retracted all her imagination.
And her body reverted back to its original form.
"I... I can do this too?!"
Once she realized what had just happened, Sakuramiya Hitomi's pupils shrank slightly, and she couldn't hold back and gasped in utter shock.
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