Restricted Fantasy I Chapter 52: She Has Collected All the Infinity Stones

"Thud!"

In the hallway, Ying Gong Tong's eyes followed Spencer as she stumbled around like a headless chicken, getting increasingly lost in the maze. A sneer tugged at the corner of Ying Gong's lips.

Monts ago, Ying Gong had briefly panicked when she saw Spencer's blatant disregard for her modified boundaries. But that alarm quickly subsided.

Spencer, after realizing brute force was useless, found herself completely stymied by the barrier. Her frantic running and smashing didn’t solve anything, and only then did she think to pull out her phone.

Predictably, the phone had no signal.

Now, Spencer was huddled in a corner of the hallway, looking utterly defeated, her mind seemingly fried by the tornt of the barrier.

"Argh! Where the hell is the exit?!" she scread, completely disoriented.

Ying Gong glanced at the ti. Perfect—Spencer was separated from the President, and she herself was safely hidden in the shadows.

"Clap!"

With a light slap on the wall, Ying Gong dissolved the barrier entirely.

"Buzz~"

The signal to her headphones and the hallway's surveillance system instantly returned. The NPCs, who had been trapped in an abandoned classroom, now peeked out in confusion.

"Miss Ying Gong!"

"Miss Ying Gong!"

"The doors suddenly shut earlier, and it went so quiet outside! We couldn't even reach Nara!"

The NPCs, painted with various ghostly makeup, leaned out excitedly, calling for her. Their enthusiasm almost made Ying Gong lose her composure.

"Shh!"

She quickly raised a finger to her lips and gestured toward the infirmary, signaling them not to let the President overhear.

The NPCs imdiately caught on and fell silent, switching to whispers through their Bluetooth earpieces.

"Miss! Are you okay?!" Nara's anxious voice ca through, her volu so loud it made Ying Gong tilt her head slightly in irritation.

"I'm fine. Just now..."

"Just now, the surveillance system for the second floor of the haunted house suddenly went down, and all the door chanisms activated. Our staff couldn’t open them..."

"Ah, must've been a malfunction. What about the President? Has he reached the exit yet?"

As ntioned before, the route bypassing the infirmary's secret passage required going up to the third floor to reach the exit on the first floor's other side. Familiar with the layout, Ying Gong began ascending the stairs, inquiring about the President as she went.

"I was just about to tell you, Miss. That blonde woman—wasn't there a girl with her earlier?"

"A girl?"

Ying Gong paused mid-step, a bad feeling creeping over her.

Yes, Spencer did have a girl trailing behind her when they first arrived.

That girl, timid and unremarkable, had imdiately faded from Ying Gong’s interest after a single glance.

Ying Gong only rembered her now because the girl had been calm and reasonable during a prior conflict, even speaking up to de-escalate the situation.

"Yes, Miss. When the President entered the infirmary, that girl also went inside. They both entered the secret passage leading to the exit. There’s no surveillance in the passageway, and..."

"And?"

"And it’s been quite a while now. They haven’t co out yet. Who knows what they’re doing in there..."

Ying Gong froze, clutching her phone, her expression stiffening.

Then, with a sudden burst of urgency, she flung aside her parasol, grabbed her skirt, and dashed toward the third floor.

Damn it! She had been so focused on containing Spencer that she completely overlooked the other girl.

She had been outmaneuvered!

It was like winning a team fight only to glance at the minimap and see the enemy team attacking their base crystal.

"What’s going on? Why didn’t you warn

that girl entered the infirmary, Nara?"

"Everyone’s attention was on that blonde woman. Besides, the girl seed so inconspicuous. But I checked the surveillance—her interaction with the President seed normal. Even if they’re in the secret passage, it’s unlikely anything would happen, right?"

Ying Gong, physically unfit, was already gasping for breath after climbing just a few steps. Leaning against the wall, she took a mont to catch her breath, trying to reassure herself.

"Hah... It’s fine... nothing should happen..."

But as soon as this thought crossed her mind, doubt crept in.

What if this thought was also the result of Spencer's manipulative abilities?

The realization hit her like a bucket of cold water.

Grinding her teeth, Ying Gong mustered her strength and sprinted to the passage’s entrance.

When she pushed open the door, it revealed a chute-like passage, resembling a garbage disposal system connected to the teaching building.

The President and the girl still hadn’t erged.

How long had they been in there?!

“Ha… Ha…”

Peering into the darkness, Ying Gong shouted, "President!!"

What on earth were the President and that girl doing in there?!

...

...

"Ring, ring~"

A short while earlier, in the dim passageway, the sudden ring of a phone startled An Le, drawing her attention like a resounding bell.

Flustered, she tried to look up, but the sight of Yan Huan’s face so close made her shrink back, averting her eyes.

"Xiao... Xiao Huan, wait... wait a second..."

Her frazzled mind instinctively reverted to childhood play, blurting out a term of endearnt before realizing what she had said.

Yan Huan froze montarily in the darkness, his gaze falling on her flushed profile. Her face, soft and delicate, seed almost edible, like it would drip with sweetness at a single bite.

But he held himself back, feigning a dazed state under the modifier’s influence.

"Xiao Huan... the phone..."

Yan Huan idly twirled a lock of her black hair, glanced at the caller ID, then turned back to her.

"Doesn’t matter, An Le," he murmured.

“Don’t… don’t call

that, Xiao Huan... ugh... I’ll...”

As An Le instinctively retreated, her voice grew softer, her words shrinking into unintelligible murmurs.

“I’ll... I’ll lose control...”

"Really? I’m also happy to see you, Xiao Huan."

Hearing this, Yan Huan’s smile softened, and he reached out to ruffle her hair. "Then why did you go to the sa school as

but never co to find ? When I ran for Student Council President, the announcent was broadcasted to the whole school. You couldn’t not know I was here, right?"

"Ugh~"

Under Yan Huan’s hand, An Le instinctively narrowed her eyes like a contented cat, leaning into his touch. But soon, her face flushed, and she lowered her head.

"Xiao... Xiao Huan, I’m not a kid anymore. Don’t treat

like you did back then..."

Yan Huan froze for a mont, his expression growing complicated.

He withdrew his hand and smiled faintly. "You’re right. You’re not the sa as before..."

Hearing this, An Le subconsciously glanced up, trying to read his expression. But he had already turned away, looking toward the other end of the passage.

"Alright, let’s head out."

"O-Okay."

Yan Huan took a mont to call Bai Yi’s mother.

"Ring... ring..."

"Hello? Xiao Huan, did Yi Yi tell you where to find us?"

In the cramped and quiet passage, Bai Yi’s mother’s voice was clearly audible to An Le.

"No, Auntie."

"Ugh, that girl... Okay, Xiao Huan, co to the main hall around 11:30. I’ll send soone to pick you up."

"Got it. Thanks, Auntie."

"Oh, no problem."

After hanging up, Yan Huan looked ahead into the passage, where a chute-like structure erged from the darkness.

"Looks like this is the way out, An Le."

"Mm..."

Yan Huan sat down, and An Le followed, lightly clutching his clothes.

Sliding forward slightly, Yan Huan braced his legs against the sides of the chute and glanced back at her.

"Alright, let’s..."

"President!!"

A sudden shout echoed from the far end of the passage—it was Ying Gong Tong’s voice.

Yan Huan paused in surprise, while An Le, holding onto his clothes, tensed up as if she were a guilty mistress caught red-handed.

"Ugh!"

Instinctively, she tried to hide behind Yan Huan. But since he was already sitting on the slide, her movent caused them both to lose balance.

"!?"

In the next mont, their combined weight overwheld the slide’s friction, and they tumbled down together.

Soft and warm, An Le’s body pressed against Yan Huan’s back, making his eyes widen slightly as they hurtled toward the light at the exit.

At the chute’s entrance, Ying Gong Tong had been about to call out again when the sound of frantic shuffling and rustling clothes reached her ears.

The next second, Yan Huan and An Le, slightly disheveled, erged from the chute and landed before her.

"Ugh... Xiao Huan..."

Xiao Huan?

Ying Gong Tong blinked, processing the intimate nickna.

Wait, why does it seem like everyone except

calls the President that?!

Fine, fine—Ye Shiyu and Spencer want to fight over him, and now you’re joining in too?

Alright then. Let’s fight!

Ying Gong’s face displayed a polite smile, but internally, her blades were already drawn.

"Ying Gong?"

Yan Huan glanced at her, noting her calm and composed deanor. Behind him, An Le clutched a black bag tightly, her now-unmasked face revealing her fair, innocent features.

Her face flushed red, slightly moist with nervousness, as she continued gripping Yan Huan’s shirt. Noticing Ying Gong, she quickly greeted her.

"Vice President Ying Gong..."

Though it was just a polite greeting, their closeness made Ying Gong Tong think she detected a whiff of provocation.

Yan Huan quickly stood up, breaking free from An Le’s grasp, and moved to Ying Gong Tong’s side.

"President, who is this?"

"Ah, Ying Gong, let

introduce you. She’s a fellow student from our school, a first..."

"C-Class... I’m from Class C. My na is An Le. Nice to et you, Vice President Ying Gong."

An Le timidly straightened up, bowing slightly as she introduced herself.

She then bit her lip and hesitated before apologizing, "About what happened with Spencer earlier, I want to apologize on her behalf. I’m sorry for causing trouble."

"..."

Ying Gong’s polite smile faltered slightly as she studied An Le’s skittish deanor.

This girl didn’t seem as aggressive as Ye Shiyu or Spencer.

In fact...

She seed scared of her?

"It’s fine. That was Spencer’s mistake. It has nothing to do with you, so you don’t need to apologize. But just now, you called the President..."

An Le’s face turned crimson at this, and she waved her hands in a flustered attempt to explain.

"I-I didn’t an..."

Her small movents imdiately caught Little Finger’s attention. Just as it was about to mock her, An Le nervously squeezed her shirt and spoke up.

"Xiao Huan and I... we grew up together, so..."

Childhood friends?

Another contender?!

Ying Gong Tong nearly lost her composure as her eyes darted to Yan Huan. Even Little Finger regarded An Le with newfound respect.

Hmph, this girl might be shy, but she seems to be stepping up her ga today.

An Le’s courage stemd from overhearing Yan Huan earlier: "Ying Gong Tong isn’t my girlfriend yet."

Even in the presence of the radiant Ying Gong, who seed perfectly matched with Yan Huan, An Le didn’t want to give up.

Her voice quivered with nervousness, yet even she was surprised she managed to say what she did.

"Thump, thump, thump..."

Yan Huan chuckled lightly, turning to Ying Gong Tong. "This is An Le. We grew up together in the South District. She took good care of

back then. I thought she’d moved back to the Dragon Empire permanently."

Ying Gong blinked, maintaining her polite smile while feigning curiosity.

"I see. But as far as I know, aside from Spencer, there haven’t been any other transfer students this year. Did An Le join through the normal admissions process? The President never ntioned her."

Hearing this, An Le’s face paled.

She realized her timidity had stopped her from seeking out Yan Huan earlier. Would he think she didn’t want to see him?

The thought left her lips trembling as she raised her head to explain.

But the mont their eyes t, Ying Gong Tong had already gauged her.

This girl...

She’s weak.

Ying Gong ntally ranked her potential rivals:

T0: Spencer – A reckless powerhouse, dangerous and unpredictable.

T1: Ye Shiyu – Persistent but not eloquent, limited by her inexperience despite her proximity to the President.

T2: An Le – A pushover and likely harboring one-sided feelings. Still, her connection to Spencer might complicate things.

With this, Ying Gong adjusted her approach.

"...I’m sorry, An Le. I shouldn’t have asked such a question. I didn’t an to offend you. Since you’re the President’s childhood friend, you’re always welco to visit the Student Council. I’m Ying Gong Tong; it’s nice to et you."

Extending a hand, she flashed her most disarming smile.

Blushing, An Le hesitated before reaching out and shaking it. "Ah, thank you, Vice President Ying Gong..."

Yan Huan glanced at Ying Gong, sighing inwardly.

Polite as ever, Ying Gong was always kind to well-mannered classmates.

But An Le wasn’t just a childhood friend. She and Spencer were both Modifier users.

Ying Gong, you seem to have a knack for drawing Modifier users into your orbit...

Ying Gong Tong's smile faded slightly as she stroked her chin thoughtfully.

"It seems the President accidentally triggered the haunted house’s chanisms, which separated us. Spencer probably triggered sothing too and is now trapped sowhere inside, still wandering around."

chanisms?

Did I get it wrong? Could it really have been the haunted house’s setup rather than the Modifier triggering everything?

Yan Huan felt uncertain about both theories. After all, the haunted house had thrown so much information at him earlier, and he was still reeling from the shock of his childhood friend’s unexpected boldness.

Turning toward Yan Huan and An Le—especially An Le—Ying Gong smiled and said, "Let’s not worry about her for now. An Le, why don’t you join us for the rest of the day? The entire Student Council is here. It’s the perfect chance for us to introduce you."

"Eh?"

Clever.

Ying Gong Tong was becoming increasingly aware of the growing number of people interested in the President.

And not just ordinary people—Spencer, with her supernatural powers, was also in the mix.

Under these circumstances, Ying Gong felt compelled to oppose Ye Shiyu and Spencer in order to protect (or monopolize) the President.

If this continued, she feared she might end up in a "lone warrior against the world" situation.

Thus, she resolved to differentiate allies from enemies.

Does An Le have designs on the President?

Yes, undoubtedly.

But she’s timid, weak, and clearly holds Ying Gong in reverence. There’s potential for alliance here.

Observing An Le’s interactions with Spencer, Ying Gong mused that An Le might even serve as a useful tool to land a critical blow against that blonde fool in the future.

Co on, An Le—beco the blade I wield against Spencer.

anwhile, An Le’s face flushed faintly as she gazed at the polite and smiling Ying Gong. Guilt and a sense of inferiority surged within her.

As expected, Vice President Ying Gong is like a goddess—kind, gentle, and perfect for Xiao Huan.

The idea tempted her. Being with Xiao Huan, integrating into his social circle, and gradually understanding his current life—it all seed possible.

But then she rembered...

That day, when she was being bullied, it was Spencer who ca back to help her.

When she missed out on a newly released ga due to a lack of tickets, it was Spencer who gave her a ticket worth over a thousand yuan.

To abandon soone who had helped her for the sake of soone she liked...

Does that make

worthy of liking Xiao Huan?

And without

to guide her, Spencer would definitely get lost in there.

I only reconnected with Xiao Huan because of her help. How could I...

Her initial enthusiasm began to waver.

Casting a glance at the smiling Yan Huan, she hesitated for a mont, then took a step back.

"Xiao Huan... I-I think I’ll go back and look for Spencer. You two go on and have fun..."

Yan Huan blinked, montarily speechless.

Ying Gong Tong, however, maintained her gentle smile.

If anything, the closer their relationship, the more leverage Ying Gong had to exploit it.

An Le turned to leave, but suddenly bowed deeply to both Yan Huan and Ying Gong Tong.

"I’m sorry, I’m so sorry... Ugh..."

"Wait, An Le!"

Yan Huan’s voice stopped her in her tracks. Straightening up, she turned back with her face flushed.

"X-Xiao Huan, w-what is it?"

Seeing her reaction, Yan Huan’s expression grew briefly complicated.

But that emotion was quickly masked by his flawless composure. Raising his phone, he said, "Let’s add each other on Plane, An Le."

An Le’s eyes lit up as she looked at him.

After a mont of stunned silence, her face broke into a radiant smile.

She nodded eagerly. "Mm!"

...

...

Inside the haunted house, Spencer sat in a desolate classroom, utterly lost and unable to tell which floor she was on.

Her once furious expression had crumbled into one of frustration and helplessness.

After a mont of silence, she ruffled her golden hair, her voice trembling with a hint of tears.

"This is so annoying! I didn’t even get to buy my manga, I lost An Le, and I haven’t seen Yan Huan or Ying Gong Tong anywhere... I..."

She was about to say more when a crisp sound broke the silence of the classroom.

"Clack... Clack..."

"Who’s there?!"

Spencer jumped to her feet, her nerves taut as she scanned the room, only to find an eerie stillness.

Swallowing hard, she nervously backed away while keeping a wary eye on her surroundings.

Then, without warning, a black paper bag seed to float toward her, landing softly on the desk before her. Spencer’s face paled.

She didn’t scream but imdiately adopted a defensive stance.

"What... what is this?"

At first, she thought it might be part of the haunted house’s antics. But as she stared at the bag, a sense of familiarity crept in.

Wait a minute—didn’t An Le have a bag like this earlier?

No, co to think of it, everyone who bought a manga from that booth carried one of these...

Curious, Spencer cautiously approached the bag, like a cat inspecting a new toy, and gave it a tentative poke.

A comic book slipped out of the bag, its title now visible:

"Pure Ballet"

Author: Jiao Tan