"Ah, President Yan isn't the one teaching? How disappointing."
"Be content, it's still better than having Yabashi Ki or Ashley teach, right?"
"Why not Yurianna?"
"Yurianna and her baby-level knowledge? I'm afraid she wouldn't even get halfway through before I couldn't resist going up there to teach it myself."
"...Stop dreaming. I heard President Yan and the others all went to the Principal's Office for a eting about the School Trip. They won't be back for a while."
On Wednesday afternoon, the first-year joint physiological health lecture officially began.
Upon seeing that the person walking onto the stage was not Yan Huan but a beautiful young woman, the girls couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
The boys, of course, were quite happy. So even had the mind to make jokes.
When the topic shifted to male physiological structure and health precautions, a few class clowns covered their faces in mock shyness.
"Oh my, how embarrassing! Girls, get out!"
"..."
The girls' mouths twitched stiffly. They ignored the banter and simply continued watching the lecture.
Later, when the lecture moved on to female physiological structure and nstruation, the voices of those sa class clowns rang out again.
"Oh my, how embarrassing! Girls, get out!"
Hearing this, the faces of the girls sitting next to them darkened, wishing they could bring a hamr down on those troublemakers.
It wasn't until the class had been going on for quite a while that Yan Huan led the rest of the Student Council mbers—except for Sakuramiya Hitomi—into the room.
Yabashi Ki, Ashley, and Yurianna made their way up the steps to return to their respective classes. Yan Huan had originally intended to return to Class A as well, but he suddenly noticed Spencer sitting all alone in the very last row on the other side...
He paused his steps and temporarily stayed behind, crossing his arms and leaning against the back wall of the lecture hall.
The Student Council mbers returning to their seats attracted the attention of quite a few students. They quickly realized that the council had returned.
Seeing that neither Yan Huan nor Sakuramiya Hitomi were among those walking down to their seats, they all turned their heads to look back.
In the massive lecture hall, the majority of the students simultaneously cast their gazes to the back, landing squarely on Yan Huan, who stood leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
"..."
eting everyone's stares and the phones covertly raised to snap photos, Yan Huan smiled faintly and gave a gentle wave.
Only then did the crowd's attention slowly return to the lecture on the stage.
Lowering his hand, Yan Huan didn't imdiately head over to Spencer. Instead, his mind drifted to various random thoughts.
Ever since the clash with An Le on Monday, Sakuramiya Hitomi had temporarily called in sick and gone ho.
Yan Huan had ssaged her on Plane to ask about it, but she insisted she was fine. She maintained a bizarre, tacit understanding with An Le, refusing to reveal even the slightest hint of anything being wrong.
It seed Myau-chan's words weren't unreasonable; as long as he pretended not to know about the Modifiers, they would all try their best to maintain their daily lives.
The problem was, they were leaving for the School Trip to Sakura Country on Saturday.
At that ti, not only would the four "Heavenly Kings" all be in the Study Group at the sa ti, but he had also been forced to agree to An Le's request.
He truly felt the ominous sensation of an approaching storm.
"..."
Yan Huan sighed, then moved his feet toward Spencer.
This idiot had been so entirely focused on whatever she was doing that she hadn't looked back once. She hadn't even noticed when everyone else turned around, so naturally, she had no idea Yan Huan was back.
Curious about what exactly she was up to, Yan Huan decided to go over and find out.
As he got closer and focused his gaze, he was surprised to find her earnestly listening to Miyake Fufu's lecture.
One mont, she looked deeply shocked by what she was hearing; the next, she lowered her head to scribble and draw in her notebook...
Watching this scene made Yan Huan raise an eyebrow. He reached out and tapped her right shoulder.
She turned her head in confusion to look to her right, only to find no one there.
A second later, she turned her head back around and saw Yan Huan suddenly sitting in the chair to her left, looking at her with an amused smile.
"!!"
This startled her, and she hurriedly hugged her notebook to her chest and recoiled a bit.
But after carefully confirming it was Yan Huan, she let out a sigh of relief, though her face quickly flushed pink.
While moving the notebook further away from him, she smiled happily,
"Yan Huan, you made it!"
"...Yeah, I just went to the Principal's Office for a eting. Basically, they just had us audit the specific arrangents made by the partners for the School Trip to see if there were any issues."
"Mhm, so that's how it is..."
Seeing Spencer's half-understanding expression, Yan Huan didn't elaborate further and changed the subject instead.
He glanced at the notebook in Spencer's hands and couldn't help but ask,
"What are you doing there, scribbling and drawing?"
"Huh?"
Spencer glanced at her notebook and mumbled an explanation,
"Um... Auntie Sakuramiya suggested I take so notes while studying... so it'll be easier to reinforce my mory later..."
'She actually knows how to take notes?'
"Working so hard?"
"Hehehe~"
Yan Huan looked in surprise at Spencer, who was acting shy from the praise, and smiled helplessly.
"But you don't need to take notes on absolutely everything. You just need to listen for this class..."
"Is this class not important?"
Spencer revealed a look of disbelief, appearing worried that all her hard work had been a futile effort.
Hearing this, Yan Huan glanced into her pure, clear eyes, thought for a mont, and then said seriously,
"No, this class is actually quite important for you."
"Huh?"
Yan Huan maintained an enigmatic expression and didn't answer, instead swiftly snatching the notebook from her hands.
"W-Wait a minute, Yan Huan!"
Seeing Yan Huan take her notebook, Spencer imdiately panicked and tried to stop him.
Her reaction only made Yan Huan even more curious about what exactly she had written inside.
So, pretending he couldn't stop in ti, he quickly flipped it open to see the contents.
Looking down, the first thing he saw was a drawing of two stick figures.
One stick figure had a straight vertical line extending downward from the crotch area, while the other had a circle drawn on each side of the torso.
The word "Male" was written on the left, and "Female" on the right.
Next to the "Female" stick figure on the right, there was also an ornate, "T"-shaped symbol representing a certain set of organs.
Then, in the next drawing, the two stick figures were vividly depicted close together, surrounded by heart-shaped bubbles.
Finally, a tiny stick figure with open arms leaped out of the female stick figure's belly, giving off the aura of a grand "hero's entrance."
"..."
Looking at the incredibly abstract yet unmistakably clear drawings, Yan Huan was thoroughly shaken.
The most crucial part was that Yan Huan could actually identify the specific knowledge points corresponding to each picture.
'This is way too damn ridiculous.'
Seeing Yan Huan's wide-eyed expression, Spencer felt embarrassed and snatched the notebook back, murmuring quietly,
"I write rather slowly, and my handwriting is crooked and illegible. I wouldn't even be able to recognize it myself later. Drawing it this way actually helps
rember better."
Seeing her deanor, Yan Huan couldn't help but smile and give her a thumbs-up.
"Well, at least you didn't draw two little pigs and a bird. And I can actually understand it, so it's quite good."
"Hehe."
Hearing Yan Huan's praise, she gained renewed motivation and turned her attention back to the PowerPoint presentation on the stage.
Yan Huan knew the lecture's contents by heart, so he didn't bother watching. Instead, he studied her focused side profile.
He paused for several seconds before asking,
"Are you not going back to sit with your classmates in Class C because of An Le?"
Hearing this, Spencer paused, then shook her head and whispered,
"No, she didn't co to school today."
'An Le didn't co to school today?'
"Though after An Le left the club, there really isn't anyone else in class I can talk to..."
After saying that, Spencer hesitated to speak for a long ti before turning to look at Yan Huan.
"Um, Yan Huan... actually, there's sothing I've been intentionally hiding from you. I never told you..."
"What is it?"
Spencer clenched her fists and continued,
"Actually, in the past, I promised to help An Le build a good relationship with you... at first, I sincerely wanted to help her.
"But later, I broke my promise... No, not just broke my promise, I also... Anyway, that's why An Le cut ties with ."
'So Spencer had promised An Le sothing like that?'
Only now did Yan Huan finally understand why An Le had so suddenly and thoroughly turned against Spencer.
It could be said that half the reason Spencer was able to stay at Far Moon Academy was because of An Le.
He rembered that the main reason he had originally pointed Spencer toward founding the Doujinshi Society was because of An Le's involvent.
And when they didn't have enough people to form the club, An Le was not only the first to join the Doujinshi Society, but she was also the one who helped Spencer recruit the other three mbers.
As for the massive amount of subsequent paperwork, Yan Huan had coordinated entirely with An Le, because Spencer was completely incapable of handling it.
From start to finish, An Le had stood firmly behind Spencer, quietly and unassumingly helping her handle all sorts of matters...
'Also, when exactly did Spencer make this promise to An Le?'
Yan Huan thought back for a long ti but couldn't recall a single trace of Spencer trying to help An Le. After all, he had always assud Spencer just wanted to steal him away from Sakuramiya Hitomi.
Having finished, Spencer pursed her lips and said with deep worry,
"It's all my fault. The current An Le just makes
feel... weird. I'm even a little scared of her..."
"..."
"I don't know what to do anymore, but I'm... really worried about her."
"...I understand. I'll go have a talk with her later."
"Okay..."
Spencer worriedly looked back at the whiteboard, leaving Yan Huan alone with his growing headache.
But the problem was, he was currently like a clay idol fording a river—unable to even save himself.
Especially since he had been forced to agree to An Le's promise.
'It seems Spencer's betrayal truly dealt An Le a massive blow, so much so that it completely changed her?'
'No, that's not right...'
Yan Huan stroked his chin, suddenly rembering sothing, and murmured in his mind,
'Wait a second. She's been hunting down the other hosts...'
"That's correct, ow."
Hearing him mutter to himself, Myau-chan couldn't help but appear, asking him,
"Did you discover a clue to help resolve An Le's Modifier, ow?"
"I'm not sure, but..."
Yan Huan sat up straight and looked at Myau-chan, saying,
"Do you rember what An Le said inside the barrier? She said, 'I am in danger, and she is helping '?"
Hearing this, Myau-chan couldn't help but feel speechless.
"But what she's doing to you is no different from what those other hosts are doing, ow. She fras it nicely as helping you, but in reality, isn't she just like Ye Shiyu, wanting to eliminate all the other hosts who covet you?"
"No, Myau-chan..."
Yan Huan had originally thought that way too. After all, that night at the hotel, her sudden move had almost cost him his innocence.
But at this mont, his mind suddenly recalled the scent of Ye Shiyu's hair fluttering in the wind, and the shrinking, reflective gaze Bai Yi had directed at him...
That was the very first ti he had sensed a slight positive change in the normally stagnant pool of dead water that was Ye Shiyu.
And both of those girls had been targeted by An Le.
Thinking of this, Yan Huan looked at Myau-chan and suddenly realized sothing.
'Wait a minute. An Le also has a Modifier avatar on her!'
"Myau-chan, I'm now truly afraid that An Le genuinely believes she is helping ..."
"ow?"
Myau-chan tilted its head, its face full of confusion.
Seeing it didn't understand, Yan Huan had no choice but to use an analogy.
"Suppose you still approached
to resolve the Modifiers, and everything you told
remained exactly the sa, with the biggest difference being that you were a deceitful, bad cat."
"ow?"
Yan Huan looked at it and continued to explain,
"You lied to , saying that the Modifier you gave
was different from the others, that it wouldn't grow based on desire, and could only grow by collecting fragnts.
"So naturally, wouldn't I focus entirely on collecting fragnts and completely ignore my own desires, which would steadily grow as the Modifier upgraded?
"Because of your words, my attitude toward the other Modifiers would be the exact opposite! I'd worry about their desires rising, so I would constantly step in to stop them...
"But the reality would be that my Modifier was also influenced by desire, you just made
think I was special."
Myau-chan also realized sothing and owed,
"Are you saying that the Modifier avatar tricked An Le into thinking she is special, ow?"
"It's a possibility, I don't know for sure..."
Listening to Yan Huan's answer, Myau-chan felt helpless again.
"But is she really so foolish that she would trust that Modifier without questioning the truth of its words at all, ow?"
Hearing this, Yan Huan couldn't help but glance at Spencer beside him and murmured,
"An Le probably really would... Don't forget, after Spencer betrayed her, that Modifier avatar was the only thing she had left by her side."
"..."
Myau-chan blinked, looked at Spencer beside them, and said with a guilty conscience,
"It really is hard to know whether sothing is a blessing or a misfortune, ow. That kiss Spencer gave you in public has brought you so much trouble..."
"Phew... It seems that Modifier has completely figured out her personality. It knows she also has desires, so it gave her an excuse to vent them: saving
from peril, and taking my first ti as repaynt for doing so?"
Yan Huan cracked his knuckles, finding the situation extrely thorny.
"This way, not only could her Modifier continue to devour desire and evolve, but it could also take out the other Modifiers at the sa ti..."
Looking at Yan Huan, Myau-chan suddenly spoke up to remind him,
"Yan Huan, no matter what happens, I highly advise against driving the tiger to swallow the wolf, ow."
Yan Huan glanced at Myau-chan and smiled faintly.
"I never planned to do that. Because no matter what the hosts want to do, I can't let them use the Modifiers to achieve their goals. That was our established thodology from the very start."
"That's good, ow... Then what do you plan to do?"
Yan Huan's eyes were clear as he said calmly,
"First, I need to find a way to make An Le realize that the Modifier avatar is lying to her.
"However, that Modifier avatar is just like you, Myau-chan. It's hidden inside her body and remains completely invisible. They can also communicate telepathically, so I have absolutely no idea what they're saying to each other...
"I'll have to think it over and figure out exactly how to proceed."
Hearing Yan Huan out, Myau-chan obediently nodded its head.
"ow~"
But a second later, it suddenly rembered sothing and said to Yan Huan,
"Speaking of which, Yan Huan, did you ever suspect that I was lying to you in the beginning, ow?"
Yan Huan looked into its clear, erald eyes and sighed, saying,
"I did... but I eventually dispelled those suspicions."
"Why, ow?"
"First, because actions speak louder than words. Those hosts were literally marching right up to my face; I was terrified myself..."
Saying this, Yan Huan smiled again.
"Second, because you're honestly far too useless, Myau-chan. You made it completely impossible for
to be suspicious of you."
"ow?!"
Those words thoroughly infuriated Myau-chan. Round head plus Spinosaurus form, activate!!
And then...
Yan Huan gave it a single pat, and it spinelessly hopped right up onto his shoulder.
Its anger had vanished completely.
"Lele, your mother isn't feeling well. She's been throwing up at ho."
"What's wrong with Mama? I'll co ho right now!"
"..."
"I'm taking your mother to the hospital first, but she should be fine. Just stay ho for a bit; I'll let you know how she is later."
"Okay." An Le stayed in her bedroom, her eyes staring blankly out the window.
She had chosen to leave school and co ho this afternoon right after receiving those sudden ssages from her father.
Because Kyogo Ward was quite a distance from Luoqiao District, An Bang had taken An Le's mother to the hospital first. By the ti An Le arrived in Luoqiao District, she was told her mother was largely fine.
An Le hadn't been in a good state of mind these past few days anyway, so she simply stayed ho to rest.
At this mont, she gazed out the window, the glass's reflection revealing her slightly pale face.
In her mind, the mocking words from Sakuramiya Hitomi's clone were still vividly clear.
More importantly, Sakuramiya's words had awakened An Le to a crucial truth...
It was highly probable that Little Finger was lying.
At the very least, it hadn't told her that there was a price to pay for using its power.
Following that logic, how many of the other things it said were also lies?
The claim that the other girls were absorbing Xiao Huan's emotional energy? The claim that Little Finger wasn't absorbing it, but was instead capable of helping Xiao Huan?
She could no longer tell what was true.
She just didn't understand why Little Finger would deceive her...
Spencer had already done this to her, so why did Little Finger have to do it too?
"..."
The mont she thought of this, the utterly alone An Le couldn't help but cover her pale face with her hands, bowing her head and gasping for breath.
The feeling of being betrayed and deceived by soone close felt like a steel awl plunging right into her heart, suffocating her.
There was no one else left by her side.
She gasped with her head down for a long ti, the gasps gradually morphing into quiet sobs.
Because a deep sense of despair had already begun to sprout within her heart.
'Oh, my ancestors, please... calm down! That wretched Sakuramiya was just spouting nonsense. How could you believe her?! You have
and my superpowers, what is there that you can't do?'
Sensing An Le's urge to give up on everything, Little Finger felt such intense pain that it manifested imdiately and began its talk therapy.
Hearing Little Finger's voice, An Le looked up at it, teardrops clinging to the corners of her eyes.
anwhile, Little Finger continued to softly plead and comfort her.
'Think about your father and mother. Your mother was feeling unwell and went to the hospital today, which is why you didn't even go to school, right? They care about you so much, they love you so much, don't they?
'And don't forget, you haven't even tasted Yan Huan's first ti yet! You've craved it for so long, are you really just going to let it go? Right?'
Hearing this, An Le remained completely silent.
Even though her heart was a tangled ss of emotions, she couldn't help but think of her parents and Xiao Huan.
That's right, she still had her parents and Xiao Huan.
But...
She was truly in so much pain...
Earlier, when fighting Vice President Sakuramiya with her superpowers, another one of her tentacles had been severed.
Even though it had grown back later, that bone-deep agony had felt as though it were drilling straight into her soul...
Moreover, using it was not without a price.
At this thought, An Le couldn't help but glance at her previously bruised arm. The skin there was now a void-like, ghostly pale white...
An Le could feel that, the more she used her power, the more that emptiness expanded like a black hole...
Sooner or later, she would be completely devoured by that emptiness.
"..."
Thinking of this, An Le subconsciously felt fear, sparking the desire to stop using her superpowers, or even to abandon them altogether.
'Crack, crack, crack!'
'Ouch! Hey, how about this? Let's go straight to Yan Huan's house right now, and when he gets back, we'll devour him completely! Let's look on the bright side, don't be so desperate, okay?! My dear ancestor, I'm begging you... Hiss!'
Hearing this, An Le suddenly froze and hurriedly looked at Little Finger.
'Wait...'
'I'm clearly not in despair anymore, I just want to abandon this superpower. So why is Little Finger still telling
to look on the bright side, and why does it look like it's in so much pain?'
An Le pursed her lips, suddenly recalling the thod Little Finger had told her to drive away the other Modifiers:
Make their hosts feel despair.
'I felt despair just now, and Little Finger was in agony while trying to persuade .'
'Now I want to abandon it, and it's still having the exact sa reaction, completely unaware that I'm no longer in despair.'
'That ans...'
'The true, specific thod to kill Little Finger's kind is to "choose to willingly abandon them"?'
Not only did An Le instantly draw this conclusion from Little Finger's reaction, but she also astutely noticed sothing else.
Previously, Little Finger could read the general gist of her thoughts. But right now, in its pain, it hadn't realized that she knew it was lying.
'Does that an the desire to give everything up overwhelms all the other emotions it senses?'
'So, as long as I hold onto this thought, even just a little bit, Little Finger won't be able to read my mind?'
"..."
Having grasped this trump card, An Le decided to test it out and verify her hypothesis.
Next, while actively harboring thoughts of abandoning her superpower in her mind, she kept a straight face. Instead of exposing Little Finger, she simply said,
'Little Finger, I truly feel terrible right now... I... want to be alone for a bit, okay?'
'What? I think it would be better if you talked with ... Hiss!'
Little Finger had barely spoken before An Le intensified her thoughts of giving up, causing Little Finger so much pain that it started rolling all over the floor.
'Okay, okay! I'll... I'll disappear for a while, just calm down by yourself... Don't let your thoughts run wild. If it really cos down to it, have your parents take you to see a psychologist, okay?'
'Mhm...'
Little Finger seed to assu An Le was depressed. Since it couldn't realize An Le had grasped its fatal weakness, it simply thought her internal emotion was pure despair.
As she watched Little Finger vanish, the seemingly feigned gloomy look on An Le's face did not lessen in the slightest.
Because based on Little Finger's reaction just now, it was basically solid evidence...
It truly had been deceiving her this entire ti.
Saying it didn't absorb emotional energy from Xiao Huan...
Liar.
But if Little Finger was no good, what about the superpowers possessed by the other hosts?
An Le had chosen to believe Little Finger earlier precisely because she had seen that the other hosts truly possessed superpowers and had already started using them on Xiao Huan.
Furthermore, Little Finger had accurately detailed the effects and weaknesses of the superpowers wielded by the other Finger-class Modifiers.
Therefore, its lies were highly likely mixed with many truths.
An Le knew very well that there were two types of lies in this world that were the hardest to expose.
One was nine sentences of truth paired with one sentence of a lie. The other was telling nine sentences of truth but omitting the single most important tenth sentence of truth.
Little Finger likely belonged to the forr category, and that so-called "one sentence of a lie" was:
That it didn't absorb emotional energy from Xiao Huan, but could instead help him and benefit him, right?
So, whether it was the power within her or the ones within the other hosts, they were all dangers to Xiao Huan and absolutely had to be resolved.
She could abandon Little Finger, but what about the rest of them?
Over the past week, An Le had learned the identities of the other four hosts and had crossed blows with all of them.
Obviously, none of them seed like the type to give up on their own; they all possessed a fierce will to resist.
Perhaps only by using forceful thods would it be possible to make them abandon their powers.
But if she continued to use Little Finger's superpowers, she herself would...
Thinking of this, An Le couldn't help but touch her own arm.
The area that lacked sensation had expanded once again after her tentacle was severed for the second ti.
If she kept using it, what kind of price would she have to pay?
An Le didn't know either.
"..."
Looking at her arm, the window glass before her reflected her sowhat bewildered face.
Stuck to the lower part of the window glass was a small calendar card. The date for this Saturday perfectly overlapped with the reflection of her chest in the glass.
A small checkmark appeared next to the date. Counting ten full days forward, every single day had that sa small red checkmark.
And right above Saturday, hovering over the reflection of An Le's heart, elegant handwriting read:
"School Trip to Sakura Country!"
"..."
She stared blankly at the calendar card on the window pane, and the corners of her mouth finally curled up just a little.
But the very next second after she made that expression, her mobile phone rang.
"Ding ding~"
An Le paused slightly, hurriedly picking up her phone.
On Plane, she saw a ssage from her father, An Bang:
"Lele, we left in such a hurry earlier that we forgot our keys. I've brought your mother back now. We're downstairs, co open the door."
Seeing this ssage, An Le imdiately got up in worry and ran to the living room.
"Click~"
She opened the door and peered into the stairwell, just in ti to see her father supporting her mother as they walked up.
Looking her mother up and down as she clutched her stomach, An Le anxiously asked,
"Dad, what's wrong with Mama?"
Seeing An Le, An Bang, whose breathing was slightly ragged from climbing the stairs, gasped for air and smiled at her.
"Your mother doesn't have any major issues..."
But as soon as he said that, An Le's mother glared at him from behind.
Feeling his wife's glare, An Bang slapped his forehead, suddenly rembering sothing, and said,
"Oh, well, not exactly..."
"Huh? What on earth happened?"
"Let's... Let's go inside first. We have sothing to tell you."
"Okay..."
An Le stepped back. She bent down to get slippers for her parents and poured them both glasses of water.
Only after the two had taken a seat on the sofa did An Le worryedly sit down across from the coffee table and look at her parents.
An Bang took a sip of water, turned his head to glance at his wife, and then said rather awkwardly,
"Lele, this year, your old man's been doing pretty well. Our family has built up a little bit of savings, so we don't have to be quite as tight on money as we were when you first started at Far Moon Academy..."
"Ah... That... That's wonderful."
An Le nodded subconsciously, but couldn't understand why her father was suddenly bringing this up.
"And besides, your mother and I are still young, and our bodies are still strong..."
"Does that an... Mama is fine?"
Seeing An Bang hesitating to speak, An Le's mother let out a long breath, looked directly at An Le, and said,
"Lele, your father took
to the hospital today. The doctor said I'm pregnant."
"..."
Hearing this, An Le blinked. She imdiately turned her head to glance at her father, suddenly rembering when they had sneaked off to a hotel behind her back a while ago.
An Le's parents had a very loving relationship and frequently sneaked out to enjoy so private ti together. An Le was well aware of this.
She just hadn't expected...
Seeing how incredibly awkward the atmosphere had beco, An Bang had no choice but to admit,
"It's like this, Lele. We want to keep the baby. But this is a family matter after all, and you're all grown up now, so your mother said we had to co back and discuss it with you to see what your thoughts are."
"..."
An Le opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to speak.
But out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly noticed her mother's hands resting over her lower abdon, and her father's fingers clutching slightly in anticipation...
Her tongue, poised to form words, suddenly felt as if it had cramped up. She couldn't say anything at all.
An Le only felt her heartbeat accelerating, along with her breathing...
"Lele?"
Seeing their daughter stay silent for so long, An Le's mother finally spoke up in worry.
That voice seed to drag An Le's soul back to reality. Her eyes instantly snapped into focus, and she stamred,
"It was just a bit sudden, so..."
Hearing this, An Le's parents exchanged a glance. Father An Bang forced a smile and said,
"Lele, if you don't want a younger brother or sister, then..."
"No, I... I don't mind. It's really up to Mama and Dad."
"Really?"
Sensing the sudden joy coloring her father's tone, An Le pursed her lips, and then, a beautiful smile blossod on her face.
"Mhm. I'm really happy for you both."
"Great..."
An Bang smiled and exchanged a joyful glance with his wife. Then, as if suddenly rembering sothing, he pulled a bank card from his pocket and looked at his daughter.
"Oh right, Lele, aren't you going to Sakura Country soon? Here's a card I prepared for you. It has plenty of money on it. You can buy whatever you'd like while you're there..."
"Oh, right! I completely forgot to pack my luggage."
An Le nodded, hurriedly taking the card from her father, then stood up and walked toward her bedroom.
Just as An Le grasped the doorknob and was about to enter her room, she suddenly paused her steps and looked back.
On the sofa, her father was holding her mother's hands, both of their faces graced with gentle smiles.
Catching An Le's gaze, they hastily let go slightly and asked with concern,
"What is it, Lele?"
An Le snapped out of her daze and said,
"Nothing. I'm just so glad you're okay, Mama."
"Haha, your mother and I are so young! We're in great health."
"Mhm."
An Le nodded, then hurriedly stepped into her room and shut the door behind her.
She leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath. Then, as if terrified of having a mont of idle ti, she quickly dragged her suitcase down and began packing her clothes.
She tossed clothing from the wardrobe into the suitcase without any regard for season—spring, sumr, autumn, and winter all mixed together—until it was nearly overflowing. Only then did she stop, panting heavily.
"..."
In the empty room, An Le lowered her head and stared at the clothes in her suitcase, lost in her own thoughts.
"Ding~"
At that mont, the phone in her pocket suddenly pinged.
Like a drowning person clutching a last desperate hope to escape the stagnant pool of silence and free ti, she hastily pulled out her phone and woke the screen.
It was Plane!
'Anyone is fine. Even if it's the teacher asking
why I suddenly went ho...'
'Just give
so ssages...'
Xiao Huan: [Cat Peeking Emoji]
Xiao Huan: "An Le, you didn't co to school this afternoon. Did sothing happen?"
Seeing the ssages from Yan Huan, An Le's eyes widened. With trembling fingers, she reached out to type a response.
She couldn't even grip the phone securely, dropping it straight onto the floor where it rolled over. Yet she imdiately snatched it back up and continued sending her ssage.
An Le: "Xiao Huan, do you still rember what you promised
for the School Trip?"
Xiao Huan -> Typing...
Several seconds passed before a ssage ca through.
Xiao Huan: "I won't forget. The last night of the School Trip, right?"
Seeing the ssage on her phone, An Le finally acted like a prisoner pardoned from execution. She lowered her head, hugged the phone tight to her chest, and began to sob quietly.
She didn't even care that Yan Huan had specified "the last night of the School Trip."
anwhile, at Far Moon Academy.
Back at school, a slightly sweating Yan Huan stared at the chat box with An Le on his phone, waiting for her reply.
An Le -> Typing...
But it wasn't until a long while later that she finally sent a ssage back.
An Le: "Thank you, Xiao Huan."
Yan Huan: "An Le, did sothing happen?"
An Le: "No. I was just thinking about what clothes I should bring to Sakura Country."
Yan Huan: "Really?"
An Le: "Really, Xiao Huan. I want to dress up and look pretty. Dad gave
a lot of money."
Xiao Huan -> Typing...
Yan Huan: "The weather over there is supposed to be pretty nice. And when I went to the Principal's Office for a eting earlier, I heard we'll also be going to the seaside."
An Le: "I love the sea the most, Xiao Huan."
Yan Huan: "I know."
An Le -> Typing...
A long ti passed, but no more ssages ca from her end.
Just as Yan Huan assud she was busy with sothing else and planned to wrap up the online chat, thinking he'd deal with her Modifier when they t in person...
An Le sent another ssage.
An Le: "Mhm, Xiao Huan is the best. That's why everyone likes Xiao Huan so much. Xiao Huan, do you have soone you like yet?"
Yan Huan's body stiffened upon reading this. His survival instincts kicking into maximum overdrive, he imdiately sent back a ssage:
Yan Huan: "Not yet."
However, right after he sent it, An Le fired off another ssage.
An Le: "That's good. It's best not to like anyone right now anyway. It would be very dangerous."
An Le: "Once we co back from Sakura Country, it won't be too late for you to be with the person you like, Xiao Huan."
An Le: "[Silly Grin Emoji]"
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