Tong Yingying:
"Fell asleep last night, what’s up?"
Seated in a sleek, luxurious black car with the air conditioning on, Yan Huan stared at the Plane ssage from Tong Yingying, considering the possibility that she might possess the fourth Modifier.
It was a reasonable explanation, yet sothing about it felt off.
The ssage had been sent at 8:28 AM.
Given Tong Yingying’s erratic day-night schedule, she would have had to stay up all night to send a ssage that early. And now she claid she had fallen asleep the previous night and missed his ssages?
What was she doing last night?
“Such a normal schedule—how rare.”
Tong Yingying:
“Kids these days, making a fuss over nothing.”
Typical, her tone hadn’t changed at all. Yan Huan sent her a “speechless” emoji and decided not to respond further.
As for Bai Yi...
He reopened her chat window, reviewing the earlier exchange.
Bai Yi:
"Are you Yan Huan?"
Accompanied by a cat emoji.
Yan Huan:
“Yes~”
Her reply was a chibi girl nodding cutely, followed by:
“My mom asked
to add your contact info. She said if you’re coming to Sunday’s event, I have so internal tickets.”
She sent a QR code.
"Just scan this when you arrive; you can skip the lines~"
Yan Huan:
“Thanks so much!”
Bai Yi:
“No problem.”
Yan Huan:
“Good luck at the event. I’ll be there to support you!”
Bai Yi:
“Got it, thanks~”
And that was it.
Sitting beside him, Ye Shiyu typed away on her phone, seemingly ssaging Ye Lan. anwhile, ow-chan quietly appeared on Yan Huan’s shoulder, wrapped in its signature yellow scarf. Peeking at his screen, it asked in confusion,
“Weren’t you going to play the role of her music fan? Isn’t your response way too bland, ow?”
Yan Huan ignored ow-chan, wary of Ye Shiyu nearby.
He had his reasons for replying to Bai Yi that way.
“ow-chan, fans co in many forms. Sotis distance creates admiration. Maintaining the right distance makes a better fan.”
He had been enthusiastic in person, so keeping his online interaction restrained felt more balanced.
“ow?”
ow-chan didn’t get it, and Yan Huan didn’t bother explaining further, locking his phone instead.
Beside him, Ye Shiyu continued typing:
"Mom, Xiaohuan is in the car now. I’d like to invite him to dinner tonight."
Her plan was simple: once Yan Huan returned ho, she would subtly express her welco, letting her mother take the lead in inviting him to stay. Everything would fall into place naturally.
Her breathing quickened as rationality scread at her from within, trying to restrain the wild horse of desire.
Rationality:
"Ye Shiyu, you’re so disgusting. Do you know what could happen if Xiaohuan stays at ho?"
Desire:
"What’s the problem? Xiaohuan won’t lose anything. He’d have Mom and Aunt Chen taking care of him, no longer needing to work. He’d be well-rested and less fatigued. As his sister, it’s only right to care for the younger brother you adore, isn’t it?"
Rationality:
"Adore? You’re lusting after him, you pervert! Didn’t you promise not to use hypnosis on him anymore?"
Desire:
"Co on, what’s the point of a tool like this if you don’t use it? It was made to fulfill your wishes, wasn’t it?"
Rationality:
"That’s nonsense! This kind of thinking is fundantally wrong! Ye Shiyu, calm down. You know hypnotizing Xiaohuan isn’t right, don’t you?"
Desire:
"Also, think about it. If you don’t act, that Vice President Ying Gong Tong will snatch him away before long."
Rationality:
"......"
Desire:
"His sleepy face, his smiles at you, his care for you... All of it will disappear when he falls for soone else."
Rationality:
"......"
Desire:
"In the end, you’re just one of many he’s kind to. You’re not special. Once he finds soone he truly loves, you’ll be nothing."
Rationality:
"......"
Desire:
"Face it. That Ying Gong Tong—just look at her attitude earlier. If she’s this bold now, imagine what will happen if she gets closer to him!"
Rationality:
"......"
Desire:
"You should just use hypnosis to take him for yourself, like those dolls you collect. Make him yours completely. He doesn’t need to think for himself. He’ll only think what you want him to. Isn’t that perfect?"
Rationality:
"Actually, that makes sense."
At the thought of Ying Gong Tong, Ye Shiyu’s already fragile rationality shattered completely.
She had initially planned to suggest dinner outside, giving Yan Huan an easy excuse to leave afterward.
But under the influence of her desires, the ssage she typed changed to:
“I’ll tell Aunt Chen to set dinner at ho tonight. What do you think?”
If dinner was at ho, Xiaohuan wouldn’t be able to leave afterward.
As the thought consud her, another realization struck: she had already used hypnosis once this week, leaving only one 15-minute session available.
And the weekend was still ahead.
Frustrated, she stared at her phone, thinking, If only the usage ti and limit were higher...
Her growing desires manifested as a dark aura, prompting a sharp “ow” from ow-chan.
Hearing it, Yan Huan turned toward Ye Shiyu.
Under his gaze, the ominous aura dissipated instantly.
She looked back at him with a blank, slightly dazed expression, as if silently asking, What’s wrong, Xiaohuan?
Yan Huan glanced at ow-chan, his eyes conveying,
“Doesn’t she seem suspicious to you?”
ow-chan replied with its gaze:
“You’re not imagining it, ow.”
Yan Huan smiled faintly and decided to address her directly.
“Shiyu-jie, are we going to Jinghe District for dinner tonight?”
Ye Shiyu was about to nod when the driver in front, dressed in a sharp suit, turned slightly and spoke while on a call via Bluetooth,
“Yes, both Shiyu and Yan Huan are in the car...”
After a mont, she ended the call and addressed them,
“Madam Ye is in the South District today. She wanted to check on Yan Huan’s living situation there, so she’s arranged for dinner in the South District instead.”
“Oh, that’s perfect,” Yan Huan replied. “Though I can’t say there’s much worth eating in the South District.”
Ye Shiyu opened her mouth, but no words ca out.
Mom?
Realizing her mother’s plans, Ye Shiyu had no excuse to object.
The car, initially heading toward Ye Lan’s luxurious Jinghe ho, turned and made its way to the South District.
On the way, Yan Huan chatted intermittently with Ye Shiyu. Despite her best efforts, her replies were short and awkward, leaving conversations to fizzle out quickly.
Eventually, they both turned to their phones.
In the Student Council’s group chat, the topic of the upcoming ga expo heated up:
Yaqiao Mu:
“I’ll introduce you to so industry friends at the expo!”
You Anlina:
“Sounds great! I’ve never been to one before. Can I cosplay?”
Yaqiao Mu:
“Of course! Lots of cosplayers there. But there are only two days left—can you get a costu in ti?”
You Anlina:
“Hehe, I’m borrowing so from the ani club.”
As the chat continued, Yan Huan chuckled inwardly, imagining their antics.
Yan Huan chuckled at You Anlina’s antics and sent a cat emoji captioned, “Stop fighting, all of you!”
He then added:
“Ying Gong, I have an extra ticket. Let’s all go together.”
You Anlina:
“President?! Where did you get that ticket?”
Yaqiao Mu:
“Yeah! Those were almost impossible to get. This ga expo is insanely popular—the scalper prices are ridiculous!”
Yan Huan thought for a mont before offering a brief explanation:
“A friend gave it to . Since it’s an extra, now all five of us can go together.”
You Anlina:
“Hehe, aweso! I can cosplay and have fun there~”
Ashley:
“Where should we et?”
Yan Huan considered it and replied:
“Near the subway station. Yaqiao Mu and I will take the subway, and I assu Ashley will too?”
Ashley:
“Sure thing.”
The chat seed to wrap up harmoniously. You Anlina was overjoyed, Yaqiao Mu breathed a sigh of relief, and Ashley didn’t care much about the ticket situation in the first place.
anwhile, in the Student Council office, Ying Gong Tong abruptly straightened in her chair.
She blinked, quickly opening her laptop and searching for the ticket prices for the Linn Ga Expo. Scalpers had driven the bundled ticket prices to over 2,000 yuan, and even those were sold out.
She recalled how Yaqiao Mu had handed a ticket to the President on Wednesday in the office. Her barrier logs confird that event.
Back then, the President hadn’t possessed this new ticket.
That ant he had received it soti in the past two days.
Could Ye Shiyu’s sister have given it to him?
No, that didn’t make sense. If Ye Shiyu were attending, she’d be riding with him, not taking the subway.
So, who else could it have been?
Ying Gong Tong prided herself on knowing the President’s schedule inside and out—when he left ho, arrived at school, entered classrooms, visited the office, or went to work.
When did he et soone capable of giving him such a ticket?
Her eyes narrowed as she opened surveillance records, scrolling through the footage ticulously.
Then, her movents froze.
Wednesday evening, outside the pub where Yan Huan worked, an unusual scene unfolded: nurous police cars had descended on the South District, parking in front of the pub.
Yan Huan had escorted a girl out of the pub and handed her over to the police and a middle-aged woman.
As the girl left, she glanced back at Yan Huan repeatedly.
Ying Gong Tong zood in on the footage. The high-quality caras she used made even nightti details crystal clear.
She recognized the teary-eyed, pretty girl imdiately.
Her fingers tapped the desk as she frowned.
To confirm her suspicions, she opened her desk drawer and retrieved the ticket You Anlina had given her.
Scanning the list of invited VIPs printed on the back, her gaze landed on a na in the "VIP Seating" section.
“Bai Yi…”
She murmured the na.
The pieces fell into place.
It was highly likely that this "friend" who had given the President the ticket was Bai Yi.
Her fingers moved decisively, creating two new folders on her desktop:
"Aria Spencer""Bai Yi"
She dragged them into another folder labeled:
"Key Monitoring Targets."
In a luxurious private room of a South District hotel, Yan Huan entered to see Ye Lan standing up from her seat at the head of the table.
Wearing a sharp won’s suit, she exuded an air of professionalism and elegance. Yet her expression softened as she saw him, adopting the sa gentle deanor from their eting a week ago—more expressive than her daughter Ye Shiyu ever managed.
“Xiaohuan, it’s been so long! Have you lost weight again?”
“Ye Aunty, we just saw each other last week. How could that be a long ti?” Yan Huan said with a helpless smile, gesturing to himself.
“And I haven’t lost weight—if anything, I might have gained so. It’s probably just the difference in clothes. Last week’s uniform was baggier.”
Ye Lan scrutinized him, smiling warmly. Seeing him as cheerful as ever, she sighed in relief and returned to her seat.
The spacious private room held only the three of them.
“I was planning to visit your place tonight, but it seems your sister beat
to it by inviting you ho for dinner,” Ye Lan teased.
Yan Huan glanced at Ye Shiyu. He knew she had taken the initiative to invite him. After all, he’d noticed her phone light up earlier.
Ye Shiyu tucked her hair behind her ear, her expression flustered as she avoided his gaze.
Yan Huan, on the other hand, sat down casually, smiled at her, and then addressed Ye Lan.
“Whether it’s you or Shiyu-jie inviting , I’d definitely co.”
“My, such a sweet talker,” Ye Lan said, covering her mouth with a laugh.
“But really, Ye Aunty, you don’t need to visit my place. I haven’t been keeping it tidy—it’s a ss.”
“That’s unacceptable! Even boys need to maintain hygiene. What if you want to invite friends over?”
“Honestly, I don’t have many friends in the South District…” Yan Huan began but paused as a mory surfaced.
He recalled a small figure following him, gripping the back of his shirt timidly.
It was usually in the afternoon. She’d stretch out her little hand, holding onto his shirt as though afraid of getting lost.
Whenever he turned to look at her, she’d blush furiously and pull her hand back quickly.
Then, in her soft, sweet voice, she’d say:
“Xiaohuan, do you want to co to my house? Mom bought so popsicles—they’re super sweet. I saved so for us to eat together.”
The vivid mory made him pause, his words stuck in his throat.
“Xiaohuan?” Ye Lan called out, puzzled by his silence.
“Sorry, Ye Aunty,” Yan Huan said, snapping back to reality.
“What were you thinking about?”
“Just… an old friend from the orphanage. We used to play together a lot.”
Ye Shiyu’s gaze sharpened slightly as she looked at him.
Ye Lan, anwhile, rested her chin in her hand and asked,
“A childhood sweetheart? Do you still keep in touch?”
Yan Huan shook his head with a rueful smile.
“She moved away from Linn a long ti ago. I doubt I’ll ever see her again.”
Ye Shiyu relaxed subtly, while Ye Lan sighed in disappointnt.
“That’s such a pity…”
“It really is,” Yan Huan replied softly.
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