Restricted Fantasy I Chapter 274: Little Shiyu Looks for Mama

Friday. Far Moon Academy. Noon. Sunny.

On the Comrcial Street, Yan Huan took a bite of his croissant, his eyes glued to his phone screen. His gaze flickered occasionally, seemingly swimming with a thousand different thoughts.

'My howork is completely done. The Student Council has started dividing up the tasks for the Culture Festival, and the paperwork has been submitted to the Student Affairs Office...'

He lowered his phone, ntally arranging his completed and pending tasks one by one.

Once he had more or less handled the school-related matters, he closed all his emails and opened his mo app.

His finger swiped to delete the tasks completed yesterday: "Spencer's eting with Teacher Miyake" and "Fulfilling duties with An Le"...

He hesitated for a few seconds before adding a new mo:

"Bai Yi, High Table Dinner."

Although his only goal at noon yesterday had been to secretly observe Sakuramiya to gather more information, he had inadvertently made a bit of contact with Bai Yi.

She seed very interested in the High Table Dinner; Yan Huan made a ntal note of that.

The problem was that the ball at the High Table Dinner only featured a single dance. That ant he could only choose one partner of the opposite sex to invite.

As far as Yan Huan was concerned, it would be better not to dance at all. At least that would be safer.

'I should probably think of a counterasure later in case Bai Yi invites ,' he thought.

And then...

Yan Huan's gaze slowly drifted back to today's schedule.

On the screen, a 12:30 PM reminder reading "Ye Shiyu, Brocade making, Club Instruction Building Fifth Floor, Sewing Club" had already turned red, urging Yan Huan to get moving imdiately.

"Seriously, there's not a single mont of rest," he sighed.

Seeing the ti, Yan Huan let out a long breath. He stuffed the rest of his croissant into his mouth in two or three bites, polished off his coffee, and stood up, heading toward the Club Instruction Building.

"Chirp, chirp..."

Birds hopped back and forth in the dappled shadows of the tree branches. At the base of the Club Instruction Building, Yan Huan bumped into Mao Li Hina, who was also rushing over.

"President Yan, you're here!"

"What a coincidence. Did you run all the way from the Cafeteria?"

"Mhm-hmm!"

Yan Huan waited for the energetic girl to catch up before walking into the Club Instruction Building alongside her.

"Senior Student Ye seems to be waiting for us in the Classroom already. I wonder if we've kept her waiting long."

"Did she tell you that?"

"Yeah, she ssaged

while I was eating. I was afraid of making her wait, so I just inhaled a few bites and hurried over."

Mao Li Hina sheepishly rubbed the back of her head as she explained.

Hearing this, Yan Huan raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked,

"Has Sister Shiyu been chatting with you lately?"

"Yep!"

At the ntion of this, Mao Li Hina's eyes practically sparkled.

She pressed a hand to her chest, looking like soone who had just confird a long-held theory, and told Yan Huan,

"Soone like Senior Student Ye, who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, is actually super passionate online!

"Ah, co to think of it, she always seems so aloof in person. Do you think it's just a front because she secretly struggles with Social Anxiety?

"If that's the case, then besides you, President Yan, I must be one of the few close friends Senior Student Ye has!"

Mao Li Hina cupped her cheeks, speaking with such gleeful relief that the corners of Yan Huan's mouth twitched stiffly.

'This kid is completely imrsed in her own world. It's probably best not to burst her bubble,' he thought.

However...

Just as she ntioned, Yan Huan really was quite surprised. He probed further,

"So, what do you and Sister Shiyu usually talk about? Sewing?"

"Ah, well... my skills in that area are kind of lacking. I wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with Senior Student Ye about that at all. As for our topics..."

Mao Li Hina fidgeted with her hair self-consciously and said,

"It's actually kind of embarrassing to admit, but mostly it's just

venting to Senior Student Ye about my family troubles. She's always been there to comfort and guide ...

"Maybe it's because our family situations are so similar, so we have a lot of common ground to cover."

'Family, huh...'

'That ans she most likely cos from a single-parent household raised by her mother, just like Ye Shiyu.'

"Though, I do feel like the things Senior Student Ye says can sotis be a little... strange," Mao Li Hina added.

"Strange?"

Yan Huan cast a glance at the Side Profile of the naive and innocent girl beside him. He watched as she pulled out her phone and parroted back the exact words Ye Shiyu had sent her earlier.

After hearing everything, Yan Huan wore an expression that scread 'I am not surprised in the slightest.'

Those were exactly the sort of things Ye Shiyu would say.

"So, what are your thoughts on it?" he asked.

"I... I don't really know. Maybe Senior Student Ye is right, but... it just feels weird sohow. Anyway, I'm still super conflicted about it right now."

Hearing this, Yan Huan arched an eyebrow, thoroughly unsurprised.

At that mont, they arrived right at the entrance of the Sewing Club, abruptly pausing their conversation.

But before raising his hand to open the door, Yan Huan paused slightly and told Mao Li Hina,

"Finding the correct answer might be a very difficult thing to do, but figuring out which answer is definitely wrong shouldn't be that hard. You can do it."

"Eh?"

Mao Li Hina froze in place, staring at Yan Huan in mild bewildernt.

Yan Huan did not elaborate further. Instead, he turned his head toward the door.

Even knowing there was a ninety-nine percent chance it was just Ye Shiyu inside, he still politely reached out and knocked to announce his arrival.

"Excuse ."

After pulling the door open, the relatively spacious Activity Room of the Sewing Club revealed itself to Yan Huan.

The open window in the Classroom directly faced the door, allowing bright sunlight from outside to illuminate the unlit room.

Inside that quiet room stood a tall girl with long black hair. With her back to Yan Huan and frad against the light, she was standing in front of a draped piece of silk.

The faint light illuminated her ink-black tresses. When Yan Huan pushed the door open, her pale hands, which had been gently stroking the fabric, paused slightly.

Soon after, she turned her head around.

When her usually cold, Expressionless face fell upon the young man at the door, her features softened like the clearing of the first snow, revealing a very faint, yet incredibly beautiful smile,

"Xiao Huan..."

"Whoosh—"

A gentle breeze from the open window fluttered the gauze curtains, carrying her soft words and a wisp of her delicate fragrance straight toward Yan Huan.

It was only in monts like this that Yan Huan genuinely felt that a girl like Ye Shiyu possessed her own unique, stunning beauty...

If she wasn't so utterly terrifying, then she would actually be... quite pleasant.

Harboring thoughts that could easily get his head chopped off, Yan Huan slipped on his Mask of flawless Expression Managent and returned a handso smile.

"Shi—"

However, before he could even finish the na, an equally excited little head popped out from beside him.

"Senior Student Ye, I'm here!"

The imnsely romantic atmosphere between the two of them instantly shattered. The expectant smile on Ye Shiyu's face stiffened slightly.

Imdiately after, that smile faded away little by little, gradually reverting to her usual aloof and completely detached deanor.

"Mn."

She gave a curt nod and responded flatly.

Yan Huan was unable to help but laugh internally, but he pretended not to notice as he walked in. Rolling up his sleeves, he approached Ye Shiyu's side and said,

"Let's officially get started, then. Let's see what the two of us can do to assist Sister Shiyu... Hopefully, we won't be too much of a burden."

Feeling his warm body heat drawing near, Ye Shiyu's eyes flickered. She opened her mouth, struggling to piece together so comforting words.

"How could you be... Rather, I'm very happy that you ca to help ..."

Having said that, she seed to realize her words carried a deeply suggestive undertone, which made her feel a little shy.

And yet...

She eagerly anticipated seeing Xiao Huan's reaction to hearing such words.

So, pursing her lips, she chose to raise her head and look forward, wanting to observe Yan Huan's expression.

However, what t her eyes was Mao Li Hina, who was practically radiating stars from her eyes, looking incredibly moved.

"Uwah! I... I will definitely do my best, Senior Student Ye!"

"..."

Ye Shiyu almost choked on her own breath.

But catching sight of Yan Huan out of the corner of her eye—who had sohow slipped to the opposite side of the table—she took a deep breath and adjusted her expression.

'Xiao Huan wants

to get along well with her...'

'I shouldn't let Xiao Huan be disappointed again.'

With that in mind, she forced the corners of her mouth up into a stiff, minuscule smile and spoke,

"Alright, then let's... begin."

In reality, Yan Huan was doing this entirely on purpose.

As ntioned before, the core essence of dealing with Ye Shiyu was the push and pull.

He couldn't elevate her mood too quickly, or she would get overly excited and hypnotize him...

He also couldn't let her mood plunge into the abyss, or she would get angry and hypnotize him...

It was basically a modern-day Rule Horror Story.

So, it had to be exactly like this—a constant tug-of-war of highs and lows.

Just when her emotions were about to take off due to Yan Huan's proximity, he would drag Mao Li Hina in to act as a coolant.

And just when she couldn't hold back anymore because of the chattering and clumsy Mao Li Hina, Yan Huan would pop right back in, lifting her spirits back up.

Consequently, over this short period of ti, the changes in Ye Shiyu's facial expressions were absolutely spectacular...

It was to the point where Yan Huan desperately wanted to pull out his phone and record it.

"Brocade actually has many different schools and styles. This ti, I plan on doing Su embroidery double-sided stitching... The most basic technique is called the rolling stitch..."

"I see. Sister Shiyu, could you demonstrate it for ?"

"Mn." In truth, having her demonstrate had its own perks.

At this mont, Yan Huan couldn't help but glance at the softly speaking Ye Shiyu beside him.

She was leaning near him so peacefully, her dark eyes intensely focused on the tip of the needle piercing the embroidery surface. Her slender fingers deftly wove the needle and thread back and forth, leaving gleaming, luminous trails upon the silk.

This was Yan Huan's very first ti seeing Ye Shiyu embroider.

Although he had heard rumors about her being exceptionally skilled in various fields, hearing about it and witnessing it firsthand were two completely different things.

Sitting quietly on the stool, her eyes cast downward in calm focus, the long black hair near her temples swayed gently with every graceful movent of her silver needle.

Amidst that subtle swaying, one of her delicate ears could no longer stay hidden and peeked out through her locks.

"Like this... First, you stitch one needle forward, and then you loop back behind the previous small stitch..."

Yan Huan subconsciously stared at that small ear with its plump Earlobe. He watched as her black hair gently rubbed against the curve of her ear, producing an imperceptibly soft rustle...

'Do girls feel anything when their long hair brushes over their ears?'

Yan Huan suddenly found himself pondering such utterly useless questions.

"And then... then..."

But as he continued to watch, Yan Huan suddenly noticed that her fair, delicate Earlobe was slowly being tainted with a peach-blossom pink.

Even her flat, emotionless instructional tone couldn't help but lose its rhythm, becoming intermittent and breathy.

Noticing this, Yan Huan subconsciously stole a glance at Ye Shiyu's Side Profile.

He saw her pursing her lips, a faint blush blooming across her pale cheeks.

Though her eyes remained downcast, fixated on the woven fabric beneath her hands, her eyelashes were trembling sensitively.

Clearly, out of the corner of her eye, she had caught Yan Huan intently staring at her ear.

"..."

Realizing he had been caught, Yan Huan felt a sudden wave of awkwardness.

He hurriedly averted his gaze, pretending absolutely nothing had happened as he directed his attention back to "Ye Shiyu's Su Embroidery Mini-Class."

But upon taking a proper look, he discovered that Ye Shiyu's intricate needlework had flawlessly outlined the shape of a flower petal.

"It's beautiful,"

Watching her peerless craftsmanship, Yan Huan couldn't help but marvel out loud.

"!!"

But the mont she heard his words, Ye Shiyu's shoulders gave a faint jolt.

Her grip on the needle weakened for a fraction of a second. She blinked rapidly, then softly reached up with her left hand, pretending to tuck a stray lock of black hair as her fingers brushed against her ear and cheek...

She thought Yan Huan was complinting her looks.

Therefore, even though her facial expression remained remarkably stoic, her flustered body language completely exposed the fluttery ss she felt inside.

After touching her ear, however, the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl upward ever so slightly...

She seed genuinely thrilled.

"..."

Having spent so much ti dealing with Ye Shiyu, Yan Huan was acutely attuned to her every reaction. Even a smile as subtle as a wisp of smoke couldn't escape his notice.

As such, he was slow to catch on at first, but finally realized that Ye Shiyu had completely misunderstood him.

She had taken his praise of her embroidery skills as praise for her physical beauty.

'This feels dangerously close to touching a tiger's tail...'

'It's probably best if I don't correct her.'

Thinking this, Yan Huan turned his head, pasted on a pleasant smile, and abruptly forced a change of subject,

"Mao Li, why don't you take a turn learning? I'm going to grab a sip of water."

"Ah, got it, President Yan!"

Receiving her cue, Mao Li Hina skipped over enthusiastically and plopped down next to Ye Shiyu.

anwhile, Yan Huan shot a smiling glance at Ye Shiyu as he stood up, hastily fleeing to find water to soothe his suddenly parched throat.

"..."

Fortunately, thanks to Yan Huan's prior desensitization training, Ye Shiyu finally no longer got angry or ruffled when Mao Li Hina interrupted.

Perhaps it was also partly due to the fact that she and Mao Li Hina were already quite "chummy" with one another.

Case in point: As Ye Shiyu instructed her, she cast a glance at the junior student and asked,

"How are things with your Mama?"

"Eh?"

Hearing the question, Mao Li Hina pursed her lips, forcing a strained smile,

"How should I put it? It's still bothering

a bit lately."

"...Could you be more specific?"

Seeing the girl's sorrow, Ye Shiyu didn't quite know how to comfort her. After a second of deep thought, she simply reached out and gently supported Mao Li Hina's hand as she guided the needle, saving her so effort.

"Well, specifically... I just feel like ever since Mom started dating, she's been coming ho a lot later... Being alone in the house, I can't help but feel a little lonely.

"Even the ssages she sends

on Plane have decreased. It just feels like my mom's entire focus has completely shifted away from ..."

While listening, even though Ye Shiyu didn't know how to console her, her thoughts drifted to her own mother, who had been incredibly busy with work lately.

She too ca ho late every single day, leaving her with absolutely no ti to pay attention to her daughter.

On that particular day, she had even been forced to take a taxi ho from the airport all by herself...

"..."

Mao Li Hina self-consciously lifted her needle. She took a deep breath, looking terribly awkward as she continued,

"Still, I feel like I'm the one at fault here. I'm already this old, yet I'm still whining about these things in my heart. It just makes

feel like such a... mama's girl or sothing."

Saying that, she shot an envious look at Ye Shiyu beside her, sighing longingly,

"If only I could be as calm and mature as you, Senior Student Ye. Then maybe I wouldn't be so bothered by all this... Moving forward, I'll definitely keep learning from you!"

"..."

Faced with her glowing admiration, Ye Shiyu blinked, then nodded.

"Mn."

That night, 11:30 PM, the Ye Residence, Kyogo Ward.

"Yes, hand that matter over to Little Wang. Make absolutely sure it's finalized by next Friday."

"Click."

The front door of the Ye Residence clicked open, revealing Ye Lan standing outside in a sharp white won's suit, gripping a small genuine leather handbag.

Because her right hand was occupied with the bag, she had to tilt her head and wedge her phone against her shoulder just so she could lift a leg and slip off her high heels.

"Mn, okay, I understand. Hand over a copy of the materials to

tomorrow. I'll review them before passing them back to the dostic branch..."

Having accomplished all that, she strode into the living room and hung up the phone.

"Miss, you're back?"

Chen Yi erged from the brightly lit kitchen, greeting Ye Lan.

Ye Lan nodded. Casting a glance at the dark, silent upstairs floor, she couldn't help but ask in a hushed tone,

"Is Shiyu asleep?"

"Yes, it's been quiet up there for a while."

"I see... Alright then, you get so rest soon, Chen Yi. I'm going to quickly wash up and hit the bed too. I have to be up early for the Company tomorrow morning."

"Ah, will do."

After returning a gentle smile, Ye Lan carried her handbag and phone upstairs.

On the third floor, as she passed by Ye Shiyu's tightly shut door, she lingered, studying it for several monts before withdrawing her gaze and walking to her own bedroom.

The bedroom was pitch-black. Tossing her leather bag onto the bed first, she turned around and flicked on the lights.

However, the very second the room flooded with light, the silhouette of Ye Shiyu, standing dead center in the room clad in her Pajamas and clutching a pillow, was abruptly revealed...

"Oh my god, you—"

Ye Lan was frightened half to death. She clutched her chest and stumbled a few steps backward before finally realizing that the person standing before her was her own daughter.

Panting for breath, she stared blankly at Ye Shiyu, who was staring back at her with an entirely Expressionless face, head tilted slightly to the side.

"Shiyu, you... you scared the living daylights out of ..."

"Sorry, Mama."

"What... What are you doing sneaking into my room this late instead of sleeping?"

At that, Ye Shiyu pursed her lips, looking a tiny bit embarrassed.

After a very long silence, she lifted the pillow in her arms. Tilting her head slightly, yet still maintaining an absolute Expressionless face, she said,

"I want to sleep with Mama tonight..."

"Eh?"

Ye Lan blinked. Gazing at the tall girl standing before her—who was god-knows-how-much taller than herself—she parted her lips in sheer astonishnt, unable to utter a single word for a very long ti.