"Later, we'll first find where Xiao Huan and Ye Shiyu are. Once we spot them, Spencer, you'll send a ssage on Plane to lure Xiao Huan away."
At this mont, in another ride-hailing car heading toward the North Sea District, An Le was earnestly instructing Spencer, terrified that her usual carefree deanor would cause a mistake at such a critical juncture.
For so reason, the mont they began this kind of operation, Spencer no longer felt dizzy, and her mind wasn't sluggish at all.
"Don't worry, I know what to do!"
She revealed a confident expression and then gave An Le a thumbs up.
"And I've even thought it all through. I'm going to pick a spot where I can see Ye Shiyu, but Ye Shiyu can't see us!
"When the ti cos, right in the middle of Ye Shiyu and Yan Huan's date, right in front of her, I'll use what you taught , An Le, to ruthlessly snatch Yan Huan back!"
Seeing the inexplicably excited Spencer before her, our 'Grand Tutor' An Le was montarily at a loss for words.
'Why does it feel like Spencer possesses an innate talent and proficiency for this?'
'I'm still mulling over the specific plan, yet Spencer's little brain just whirs for a second and already outlines such a vivid, terrifyingly bold scenario.'
'Is this what they an by the student surpassing the master?'
'The problem is...'
'Because if Xiao Huan is gone for too long, Ye Shiyu will definitely beco suspicious. That's why I need to provide off-site assistance to attract Ye Shiyu's attention.'
'So, when that happens, I'll be standing right there with Ye Shiyu!'
'Doesn't that an Spencer will be sneaking food with Xiao Huan, using the very things I taught her, in a place where they can see
but I can't see them?'
"..."
An Le blinked, yet completely relaxed her worries.
At that mont, the ride-hailing car happened to pull over by the side of the road.
They had arrived at their destination.
When An Le turned her head to look, the driver in the front seat was wearing an expression that scread, 'I don't understand, but I am profoundly shocked.' He didn't dare speak, terrified of startling the two young girls behind him who were spouting such astonishing words.
"Um..."
An Le felt a bit embarrassed and hurriedly got out of the car.
Up ahead, Spencer was already standing with her hands on her hips, sweeping a disdainful glance over the shopping mall before them.
The golden hair on her head was as dazzling as the sun, and a pair of illusory ox horns further cented her status as the "Bull Demon King".
"Where is Ye Shiyu? I'm going to end her date with Yan Huan!"
"Well, it was hard to get a cab around the school, so we're probably a bit late. At this ti... hmm, it's possible they've already started eating."
An Le said, glancing at the ti on her phone.
"Oh, what do we do then?"
Upon hearing this, Spencer instantly reverted to her previous cute, foolish appearance, looking at An Le with innocent eyes.
"..."
'Sure enough, the power just now didn't belong to Spencer, but was the great power of the Modifier.'
'The mont it has nothing to do with plundering, her true form is completely exposed.'
"Um, even if they're eating, they have to co out eventually. Let's wander around nearby and grab sothing to eat while we wait for them."
"Okay, okay!"
Having finalized their battle plan, they entered the luxurious comrcial district.
But as she turned her head to inspect the surrounding shops, it was completely different from the kind of shopping center An Le had imagined.
She had thought this was just an ordinary shopping center that would sell so milk tea or snacks.
Instead, everywhere she looked were luxury boutiques, with guides in suits standing at the entrances maintaining constant polite smiles. This made her feel increasingly uneasy.
"Ah, crap, I miscalculated..."
Looking at her surroundings, An Le suddenly felt like she had been played by capitalism.
Because if this place was like this, her original plan had a massive flaw.
According to the plan, Spencer was supposed to secretly sneak away to eat, and she absolutely could not show her face in front of Ye Shiyu.
Otherwise, given Ye Shiyu's level of danger, she was guaranteed to get suspicious. Therefore, An Le had to "pretend it was a coincidence" and appear there herself to attract her attention.
'But how could soone with my family background coincidentally wander into a place like this?!'
'Wouldn't it be glaringly obvious that I deliberately followed them?'
'Will this provoke Ye Shiyu's hostility, or even replicate the previous battle situation from Tokyo?'
"Hey, An Le, look, that dress is so pretty. Let's go take a look."
"Ah—"
Right at that mont, Spencer seed to spot a stunning dress and imdiately grabbed An Le, dragging her over.
"Thank you, it was an honor to serve you both today. We hope to see you again next ti!"
anwhile, on the other side, Ye Shiyu and Yan Huan finished their al and walked out the door of the high-end seafood restaurant.
"How was it? Was the food okay, Xiao Huan?"
"Ah, it was delicious... I just feel the portions were too small. I'm only about sixty percent full."
Hearing this, the corners of Ye Shiyu's mouth curled up slightly as she explained,
"Many high-end restaurants have this habit. They claim that only by being half-full can you leave room to truly savor the delicious aftertaste."
"Fortunately, they provide enough bread here."
Yan Huan tossed the last piece of bread into his mouth and smiled helplessly.
If you weren't full after finishing the main course, you could ask the head chef for more bread. Although the quality was good, it only served the purpose of filling the stomach.
"..."
Watching Yan Huan eat the bread, the curve of Ye Shiyu's lips beca even more pronounced.
She smiled an exceptionally high number of tis today.
Yan Huan hoped it was more than yesterday, but less than tomorrow.
They hadn't eaten for long. When they ca out, the lingering glow of the setting sun—the evening clouds—still hung on the horizon.
Coupled with the lights that had already flickered on in the comrcial district below, it created a limit-pushing aesthetic sense between day and night.
The ocean on the horizon still sparkled, looking like the shores of paradise, making one irresistibly want to draw closer.
The damp sea breeze, accompanied by the crashing waves, was particularly alluring, stirring an impulse within Yan Huan to take a closer look.
"Do you want to go for a walk by the seaside?"
Thus, he asked.
"Okay."
Ye Shiyu nodded in agreent, but their location was separated from the beach by a fence.
Who knew where the entrance was? Yan Huan was too lazy to take a detour, so he simply vaulted over it directly.
Turning back to look at Ye Shiyu, he saw her standing in place, touching the railing in front of her before reaching her hand out to Yan Huan.
"Xiao Huan, you... you have to help
down."
Today, she seed exceptionally fragile and delicate an unusual number of tis.
It was hard to imagine that Master Ye, who could previously go toe-to-toe with an overpowered combatant like Spencer, actually needed soone to support her just to cross a railing today.
'The world truly changes, and the affairs of life are so unpredictable.'
Philosopher Yan Huan thought to himself.
But he saw through it without pointing it out. He simply reached out honestly, supported her cold little hand, and pulled her over the fence, leading her toward the beach.
"Crunch..."
"Hiss... why aren't there any seashells washed ashore in this place?"
Walking on the beach, Yan Huan looked at the bare sand around him and couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Ye Shiyu trailed behind him and said softly,
"Could it be because this is an artificial beach, and soone regularly lays down new sand?"
"Are you serious..."
Refusing to believe it, Yan Huan walked closer to the sea. Even when the sand under his feet turned a dark, soaked color, he didn't spot a single seashell or anything similar.
Behind him, Ye Shiyu silently followed his every step.
Yan Huan searched for seashells, while Ye Shiyu followed his gaze.
"It just doesn't feel right if you don't look for these things to play with at the seaside."
Ultimately, Yan Huan could only announce in disappointnt that this place simply didn't have such things.
"Crash—"
But in the next second, Yan Huan turned his head and saw a frothy white wave, almost knee-high, rushing toward the shore.
"Hey, hey, hey, a wave is coming!"
Yan Huan turned to dodge, hurriedly calling out to warn Ye Shiyu in the process.
But because Ye Shiyu had been wholly focused on watching him, she completely failed to notice the incoming wave.
"Splash!"
The wave hit gently, not carrying much force, but it thoroughly soaked everything below her calves.
Yan Huan turned his head, only to see her blink and stand expressionlessly in the yet-to-recede tide, staring at him blankly.
"..."
The sight of her getting splashed by the wave without making a sound or running away, just staring at him in a daze, made Yan Huan burst into laughter.
He walked back and couldn't help but tease her as he looked at her current state.
"Sister Shiyu, seeing you like this actually makes
a little worried. Do you even know to run ho when it rains?"
"...Xiao Huan, didn't we agree that you'd call
Shiyu today?"
However, at this mont, Ye Shiyu tilted her head. Paying no mind to the dripping wet stockings on her feet, she prioritized correcting Yan Huan's title for her.
"..."
This question montarily stunned Yan Huan. He couldn't help but raise his eyes to look at Ye Shiyu, who was still staring at him with an expressionless face.
In that instant, he felt an inexplicable, strange urge.
"Sorry, my bad. I'm just a bit used to calling you that..."
Yan Huan averted his gaze once more, then reached out and grabbed Ye Shiyu's icy-cold hand, leading her back to the shore.
Ye Shiyu didn't resist. She followed him as lightly as a leaf, leaving a trail of wet footprints on the beach.
Only then did she think to explain why she hadn't dodged the wave just now.
"I spaced out just now and didn't see the wave."
"I know, I know. Co on, let's get back to the shore first... I wonder if there's any place selling socks around here."
"...Actually, this is fine."
"You'll catch a cold if you stay soaking wet, won't you?"
"..."
Inexplicably, upon hearing Yan Huan's concern, Ye Shiyu suddenly lost the desire to put up a brave front.
Because today, she seed even more delicate than before.
"Here, sit down."
Reaching a tourist bench, they sat down. As soon as Ye Shiyu crossed her legs and took off her shoes, droplets of water trickled down from the soaked socks at her toes, dripping right into her black leather shoes.
Now it was great; everything was completely drenched.
But Ye Shiyu simply grabbed her stockings with an expressionless face and completely peeled them off.
Seeing large swathes of pale, dazzling skin exposed beneath the hem of her skirt, Yan Huan imdiately averted his gaze. He simply stood up, smiled faintly, and said,
"I'll go check nearby to see if anyone is selling shoes or sothing similar. Let's change you into a dry pair before we go."
"Mhm... wait a second, Xiao Huan."
Ye Shiyu was about to nod, but suddenly rembered sothing. She pulled a card out of her bag and handed it to Yan Huan.
"This is my own card. The PIN is Mama's birthday... Oh, zero-zero-six-zero-two-seven." Taking the card, Yan Huan raised his eyebrows in surprise.
'Ye Shiyu's own card actually uses Ye Lan's birthday instead of her own...'
"Shiyu, what size shoe are you?"
"Thirty-eight."
"Alright, wait here for a mont. I'll be right back."
"Mhm."
Ye Shiyu crumpled her discarded stockings into a ball and stuffed them into her shoes, then sat on the bench, hugging her legs to her chest.
Although her response remained expressionless, paired with her current posture, it surprisingly gave Yan Huan a feeling that she was extrely docile.
Yan Huan turned his head away with great difficulty, pivoting around to figure out where there might be a store selling shoes and socks.
'Everything sold in this place looks extrely expensive. If I have to buy sothing...'
Yan Huan walked a bit further away. Just as he went upstairs, planning to visit a won's shoe store in the opposite building...
...a pair of hands suddenly shot out from behind a nearby pillar, reaching toward him.
"!!"
Yan Huan reacted instantly, throwing up his hand to firmly grab the incoming wrist.
In an instant, however, a massive, bull-like strength surged from those hands.
'Holy crap?!'
"Thud!"
Yan Huan was forcibly spun around by that trendous strength, yanked into an embrace, spun in a full circle, and slamd against the wall.
Yan Huan blinked. When he got a clear look at the young girl's appearance in front of him, he was instantly dumbfounded.
He saw a blonde girl blinking her clear, sky-blue eyes, staring intently right back at him.
Her outfit at this mont was vastly different from before. It was as if she were a completely different person.
Her wavy, golden blonde hair was tied back with a gold ribbon, and she wore a white, French-style lace off-the-shoulder dress with puff sleeves.
Though it was a very basic design, it was a world of difference from her previous, totally boyish sportswear.
A faint, wafting fragrance hit his face, reminding Yan Huan:
'Standing right in front of you is a beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes!'
"Thump... Thump... Thump..."
Yan Huan stared in astonishnt at Aruiya, dressed in a skirt that made her look exactly like a little princess, and inexplicably, his heartbeat began to accelerate.
In his heart, the flutter he had just felt for Ye Shiyu was gradually being overshadowed by her radiant beauty.
Facing Yan Huan's dazed gaze, her face beca slightly flushed, yet she inevitably gave a cute pout.
Although she didn't speak, her aning was crystal clear:
"I'm a little angry right now!"
'Hiss...'
"A-Aruiya?"
'She saw Ye Shiyu and
leaving the school gates together, so she followed us all the way here?!'
"Shh!"
Just as Yan Huan opened his mouth, Aruiya quickly pressed her index finger to his lips, gesturing for him to stay quiet.
Only then did Yan Huan snap out of his shock and realize where they currently were.
They were positioned behind a pillar halfway up the staircase between the first and second floors. Because of the artistic, open-air design, aside from the pillar Yan Huan was leaning against, there was absolutely no other cover nearby.
And from this angle, Aruiya could easily see Ye Shiyu sitting on the bench down below!
As long as Yan Huan and Spencer didn't make too much noise, Ye Shiyu absolutely wouldn't look up in this direction.
'Hiss...'
Realizing the sheer brilliance of this vantage point, Yan Huan hurriedly looked back at Aruiya.
He saw that her golden hair was blindingly bright at this mont. She had clearly activated it!
'Oh crap!'
'Could it be...'
'Could it be that she plans to... right now, right here, right in front of Ye Shiyu?!'
"Hehe..."
Just as Yan Huan expected, Aruiya imdiately flashed an evil grin.
With his scalp tingling numbly, Yan Huan didn't dare lower his guard.
Now that Ye Shiyu had finally turned over a new leaf, if this little secret ca to light, it would be a total disaster!
'If I take too long and don't get back...'
"Aruiya, listen to ..."
"It doesn't matter! An Le is over by Ye Shiyu. She won't notice us for a while!"
"An Le?"
Yan Huan blinked, but the Aruiya before him only smiled wickedly.
Then, she unexpectedly stood on her tiptoes and took the initiative to kiss him, abruptly cutting off his words.
"Mmph!"
"Mhm... Xiao Huan..."
Down below, ti ticked by second by second.
Sitting on the bench, Ye Shiyu tilted her head and murmured softly.
'Is it because of... being in a romantic relationship?'
'Xiao Huan clearly hasn't been gone for long, yet it feels like he's been away forever.'
Thinking this, Ye Shiyu still decided to take out her phone to text Yan Huan on Plane and ask if he had found anything. If he hadn't, they would just forget it...
In the shadows, watching Ye Shiyu prepare to pull out her phone to contact Yan Huan, An Le pursed her lips and finally stepped out, strolling past Ye Shiyu as if she were just walking by.
"Hm?"
Her appearance instantly captured Ye Shiyu's attention, and her gaze rapidly locked onto her.
'Here she cos!'
Being stared down by Ye Shiyu felt exactly like being targeted by a ferocious beast. First, her body went slightly numb, followed by large patches of goosebumps erupting across her skin, and finally, a bone-deep, icy chill soaked right through her entire body.
"An Le?"
An Le's body trembled slightly, but having previous experience clashing with Ye Shiyu, she naturally wasn't intimidated by her.
Hearing her na, An Le raised her vigilance to the maximum and turned her head to look at Ye Shiyu.
"Ye Shiyu, what are you doing here?"
"..."
Ye Shiyu looked at An Le and expressionlessly tilted her head.
It seed...
...she was pondering the exact sa question?
'As expected, my appearing in a place like this is a glaring loophole.'
'How on earth should I explain this? A reason for coming here...'
"You..."
"An Le, I..."
As a result, after a few seconds of silence, the two of them surprisingly spoke at the exact sa ti.
"..."
An Le blinked, her words pausing slightly.
And Ye Shiyu was never one to yield gracefully. Seeing that An Le had stopped talking, she simply spoke first.
She patted the empty seat next to her and said to An Le,
"Care to sit?"
"...I'll pass. If you have sothing to say, just say it directly."
"Mhm."
Even after being rejected, Ye Shiyu didn't get angry.
She just hesitated for a few seconds before continuing,
"You and Xiao Huan grew up together in the South Ward?"
"What about it?"
"Were you two very close when you were kids? What did you usually do?"
"..."
Hearing Ye Shiyu's questions, An Le's expression grew exceedingly strange.
But she hadn't forgotten the role she was currently playing:
On the surface, she was still openly hostile toward Ye Shiyu.
"...I don't have any obligation to tell you any of this, right, Ye Shiyu?"
After a second of silence, An Le decided to play it safe, intending to probe Ye Shiyu's true motives.
'Could it be that she wants to use my past relationship with Xiao Huan to hint that he belongs exclusively to her now?'
'Or rather, she actually doesn't want
to know that she and Xiao Huan are here, so as to avoid ruining their date?'
An Le thought to herself.
"Fair enough..."
Hearing this, Ye Shiyu nodded and turned her head away, saying no more.
She maintained her expressionless face, looking exactly like one of her dolls waiting for Yan Huan to return before it could be activated.
Her acting like this made An Le even more confused.
Therefore, stepping outside of her planned script, she asked,
"Why are you asking about this?"
"..."
Ye Shiyu turned her head back to look at An Le. She pondered for several seconds before lowering her eyes slightly and saying,
"Because, suddenly... I really want to know about Xiao Huan's past."
"About... his past?"
"Mhm."
Hugging her legs tightly, Ye Shiyu spoke with an expressionless face,
"Because I suddenly realized just now... Xiao Huan previously asked about my life before I ca to Linn, and he also asked about Mama's...
"But I seem to have... never cared about how Xiao Huan lived or how he grew up here in Linn.
"Even though Mama has ntioned many tis that he had a very hard life since he was little, I... I never actually understood what that ant for him, or for his life..."
As she spoke, Ye Shiyu slowly raised her eyes and looked at An Le,
"You grew up with Xiao Huan since you were young, so that's why I wanted to ask...
"We had an unpleasant falling out before. If you don't want to talk about it, then forget it.
"However... I don't want to keep fighting with you anymore.
"I simply want to understand Xiao Huan better. That's all."
An Le stared blankly at the expressionless Ye Shiyu in front of her. Her lips trembled slightly, and surprisingly, she found herself utterly speechless for a long ti.
"..."
Her first instinct was, of course...
Shock.
'Is this a lie?'
'Is it a trick?'
'Or...'
'No, it has to be true, right?'
'That Ye Shiyu actually... truly turned over a new leaf?'
At that mont, looking at Ye Shiyu right in front of her, for so reason, An Le suddenly believed it.
But the instant she accepted this truth, a massive wave of guilty conscience and panic suddenly surged into her heart...
To the point that fine beads of sweat popped out on her forehead.
Because...
She had just sched up sothing absolutely terrible!
'Oh no!!'
'Can...'
'Can I take it back?!'
'But, so much ti has passed already. I'm afraid Spencer's side has already...'
'Spencer, n-nooo!!'
"..."
An Le gasped in shock. eting Ye Shiyu's gaze, she felt so deeply ashad that she desperately avoided eye contact, wishing the ground would just swallow her up.
"?"
And Ye Shiyu, watching An Le avert her eyes, tilted her head in confusion.
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