When did Ye Shiyu obtain this mysterious app?
She rembered it vividly—the second morning after moving to the Mariti Gate. Upon waking up, she’d unlocked her phone to check the ti and noticed the purple app suddenly sitting on her ho screen.
Was it a virus? A glitch?
Ye Shiyu tried long-pressing the icon to delete it, but there was no option to remove it.
Her curiosity got the better of her. She tapped the app, and the mont it opened, a surge of phantom-like information flooded her mind. Words floated before her eyes:
[Welco, Modulator App Host: Ye Shiyu.]
[Current App Level: 1 — The level will increase with usage frequency and total activations. As the level rises, the app’s effects, duration, and attributes will improve.]
[Effect: Individual Hypnosis — Induces a temporary hypnotic state in a single target. While hypnotized, the target will obey your commands. After the effect ends, the target will forget everything that occurred during the hypnosis period.]
[Usage: Twice per week, lasting 15 minutes per activation. To use, simply desire the app to activate, then show the phone screen to the intended target.]
[Important Notes:]
Do not reveal the existence of the app.
The app will appear on your most-used phone, but the device must have power during usage.
Commands with delayed actions will not persist after the 15-minute duration ends.
While the app will automatically adjust the target’s mories to avoid anomalies, be cautious of third-party observers. Avoid actions that could expose the app.
At the bottom, written in playful pink script, it cheerfully concluded:
[Feel free to use it without hesitation!]
Could this be a joke?
She’d dismissed it as a virus, recalling stories of cybercris rampant in the Mariti Gate. But now, spurred by Yan Huan’s presence, she decided to try it for the first ti. To avoid suspicion, she disguised the action under the pretense of exchanging contact information.
If it failed, she’d simply feign confusion and say, “Oops, wrong button,” then open Plane instead.
Yet, as she now stood before a completely dazed Yan Huan, his handso features slack and his eyes unfocused, her heart raced wildly.
Thump, thump, thump...
Her rapid heartbeat pounded like war drums.
“It... actually worked!”
anwhile, Yan Huan observed her through narrowed eyes, quickly realizing that, like Bai Yi, this was likely her first ti using the Modifier. Thanks to his resistance, the initial discomfort he felt from the app had mostly subsided, leaving only a lingering tingling sensation, as if recovering from numbness.
Internally, Yan Huan sighed. So much for his earlier optimism that Ye Shiyu might not have a Modifier. Day one, and here he was, her first victim.
And, predictably, this Modifier was as shalessly inappropriate as the others.
Fine. If this is how you want to play it, you started it.
Activating his Perfect Expression Control, Yan Huan flawlessly mimicked the vacant, hypnotized state, his body still as a statue.
Ye Shiyu took a deep breath and cautiously glanced toward the dimly lit hallway. Confirming no one was around, she gently pressed her hand against Yan Huan’s chest, attempting to push him into the room.
However, his firm body felt like a wall radiating heat, causing her to reflexively pull back her hand as if burned.
Do boys all have such high body temperatures?
Accustod to the coldness of her dolls, she was acutely aware of the stark difference between them and a living human.
What should I do? He’s too heavy to move...
Right—he’s under her control!
Testing her power, Ye Shiyu softly instructed,
“Go inside.”
“...”
Yan Huan felt a faint nudge urging his body forward. Maintaining his dazed expression, he obediently walked into the room, then turned back to look at her.
Ye Shiyu stole another glance at the staircase before stepping inside and closing the door behind her.
Click.
For extra security, she locked the door with a soft twist of the knob.
“Phew...”
The enclosed space filled with the faint floral scent emanating from her hair, a detail not lost on Yan Huan. He quickly averted his gaze, resuming his hypnotized stare as she turned back around.
In the privacy of the room, Ye Shiyu’s expression finally shifted from her usual blank deanor. Her brows furrowed slightly, and a faint flush crept into her porcelain-like complexion, adding a touch of vibrancy to her features. Her deep black eyes appraised Yan Huan from head to toe, as if examining a work of art.
“So, what should I do with you...”
Muttering to herself, Ye Shiyu began pacing, clearly unsure how to proceed.
“Should I hypnotize him tomorrow to tell Mom to stop contacting him? No, even if his mory gets adjusted, Mom would keep calling him... She’d realize sothing’s wrong...”
Yan Huan stood motionless, carefully committing her every word to mory.
“Maybe... I should make him do sothing bad in front of Mom? That way she’d dislike him...”
She raised her head, as though coming to a decision, then turned to face him. Her soft scent wafted closer as she approached.
“What’s your purpose for coming here?” she asked, her voice low and steady.
“To have dinner at Aunt Ye’s house.”
His flat tone offered no insight, leaving Ye Shiyu unsatisfied. Rephrasing her question, she asked,
“How do you feel about being here?”
Her question was vague, likely reflecting her inexperience. Yan Huan’s vacant eyes fluttered briefly before he replied,
“I... feel a little afraid.”
“Afraid? What do you an?”
Caught off guard, Ye Shiyu frowned in confusion as Yan Huan continued,
“I’m afraid of interacting with people connected to my parents. Before, they ca into my ho and took everything from —my house, my parents’ belongings... like I didn’t even exist.
“They were supposed to be my parents’ relatives and friends, but... why? I don’t understand. I’m scared this will happen again. I’ve worked so hard to leave the orphanage behind...”
Ye Shiyu’s fingers tightened around her phone as she watched him, his trembling expression betraying a deep-seated pain. Unable to bear it, she blurted out,
“Stop! Don’t think about it anymore!”
“Yes.”
Obediently, Yan Huan’s expression softened, his anguish fading into a blank daze.
Watching him, Ye Shiyu sighed with relief, muttering to herself,
“Mom would never do that...”
Even so, Yan Huan’s heartfelt words seed to linger in her mind, disrupting her thoughts. She looked at him again, trying to refocus.
Right—add him on Plane. The app should adjust his mories afterward.
“Unlock your phone, open Plane, and hand it to .”
Yan Huan wordlessly complied, revealing a serene ocean background as his wallpaper. Opening Plane, Ye Shiyu’s eyes widened at the sheer number of ssages and notifications.
What... so many chats?
There were groups for the Student Council, math club, fencing club, track and field team, martial arts club, and more.
“Ding!”
Before she could process the chaos, a new ssage appeared from soone labeled Vice President Sakura, whose profile picture was a white cat.
“There’s an issue to discuss. Are you free now, President?”
What do I do?!
Ye Shiyu glanced between the screen and the hypnotized Yan Huan. Deciding to ignore it, she clicked on the “Add Friend” button in the corner.
Yan Huan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Why not have
reply? Aren’t I supposed to be hypnotized?
Her clumsy attempt only highlighted her inexperience. Clearly, Ye Shiyu had no idea how to handle such a situation.
Just as her finger hovered over the “Add Friend” button, the screen suddenly went black, replaced by an incoming call.
“Incoming Call: Vice President Sakura”
!!!
The sudden, magnified image of the white cat avatar startled Ye Shiyu. The loud ringtone made her jump, leaving her utterly flustered.
Guilt breeds paranoia, and Ye Shiyu, in the middle of her questionable act, was no exception.
Panicked by the incoming call, she quickly jabbed the “Decline” button, silencing the obnoxious ringtone.
“Beep, beep...”
“Phew...”
The room fell quiet again as she let out a sigh of relief. To prevent another call, she hesitated briefly before typing into Vice President Sakura’s chat:
“Sorry, I’m busy right now and can’t take the call.”
For a mont, there was no reply. Thinking she was in the clear, Ye Shiyu reached to close the chat window.
Then, the dreaded indicator popped up: “Typing...”
A new ssage arrived with a soft chi:
“Who are you?”
!!??
Ye Shiyu froze in place, her body stiff as a board. It was as if ti itself had stopped.
anwhile, watching her stunned expression, Yan Huan, who was still "hypnotized," nearly lost his composure.
From the depths of his vacant gaze, a flicker of sympathy erged as he saw her lips begin to pout ever so slightly, resembling a child wrongfully scolded.
Wait... Ye Shiyu could make the sa pout as Ye Lan?
Vice President Sakura, good job!
Shaken, Ye Shiyu began scrolling through the chat history, searching for any clues about Yan Huan and Vice President Sakura’s interactions. All she found, however, were several call logs—no wonder the vice president called directly!
Aside from school-related docunts, there was little personal communication between the two.
But how had Sakura figured out the phone wasn’t in Yan Huan’s hands from just a single ssage?
Unable to find an answer, Ye Shiyu opted for denial. She withdrew her earlier ssage and ignored the follow-up “?” from Sakura, which lood in the chat like the grim reaper’s scythe.
She returned to the task at hand, opening Yan Huan’s Plane QR code and using her phone to scan it. The notification confirming their connection brought a sense of relief.
“Phew...”
Shutting off Yan Huan’s phone felt like slamming the gates to hell. Ye Shiyu checked her own phone—ten minutes had passed, a painfully long ten minutes.
Enough for today.
Glancing at Yan Huan, she slid his phone back into his pocket, but hesitation flickered in her eyes.
Mom had been gathering information about Yan Huan ever since they moved to the Mariti Gate. Ye Lan had spoken about her late best friend so many tis, but only now, face to face, did Ye Shiyu feel like she understood him even a little.
He seed genuinely talented yet deeply unfortunate... but still...
That montary doubt in her gaze was soon replaced by a growing desire. Picking up her phone, she instructed Yan Huan,
“Stay seated and don’t move. When you wake up, you’ll forget everything that happened. Understand?”
“Yes.”
Once Yan Huan complied, she turned away, unlocking the door and slipping out into the hallway.
Click.
As the door closed, Yan Huan let out a soft breath, feeling the lingering tingles fade from his body. Within a few minutes, the Modifier’s effect dissipated entirely.
At the exact fifteen-minute mark, a new mory appeared in his mind.
The fabricated recollection was seamless: Ye Shiyu had knocked on his door to exchange contact information. They chatted briefly before she left, and he, feeling unexpectedly tired, had sat down to rest and nearly dozed off. During this ti, he heard Vice President Sakura’s ssage but declined the call due to fatigue, typing an oddly uncharacteristic reply before realizing his mistake and deleting it.
As Yan Huan analyzed the mory, he couldn’t help but feel a chill.
The Modifier hadn’t just erased the events—it had replaced them with sothing completely believable. Without his built-in resistance, he would have been none the wiser.
Unless an unaffected third party pointed out the inconsistencies between mory and reality, there was no way the hypnotized individual could uncover the truth.
These Modifiers are brutal.
His expression grew serious as he examined his now fully responsive hands, piecing together the events that had just unfolded.
Clearly, Ye Shiyu wanted him gone. Not only that, but she seed intent on disrupting any relationship between him and Ye Lan.
If the Modifiers thrived on desire, then Ye Shiyu’s actions had to stem from so deeply rooted craving.
Desire...
Yan Huan recalled Aunt Chen’s earlier comnt about Ye Shiyu’s habit of writing her na on everything she owned. A theory began to form in his mind.
Before he could dwell further, a knock ca at the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
Not again...
Pausing for a mont, Yan Huan called out,
“Who is it?”
“It’s Aunt Chen, Little Huan. I brought you so warm milk.”
“Coming.”
Relieved, Yan Huan opened the door to find Aunt Chen smiling with a cup of milk in hand. Standing behind her, also holding a cup, was Ye Shiyu. She gazed at him impassively, her expression unreadable.
There’s a theory that criminals often return to the scene of the cri, Yan Huan thought dryly. Ye Shiyu was likely here to ensure the Modifier’s effects had fully taken hold.
“Here, drink this. It’ll help you sleep better,” Aunt Chen said warmly. “I added a little honey—let
know if it’s too sweet.”
“No problem, Aunt Chen.”
Feigning complete ignorance of the earlier incident, Yan Huan maintained a cheerful deanor, his face betraying nothing. Seeing his normal behavior, Ye Shiyu seed satisfied and turned silently to leave.
“Take the milk inside and rest up. There are fresh toiletries in the bathroom—let
know if you need anything,” Aunt Chen added before heading off.
“Thanks, Aunt Chen.”
Carrying the milk, Yan Huan returned to his room and placed the cup on the desk. Pulling out his phone, he opened the newly added chat with Ye Shiyu.
The chat was empty, as expected. After a mont of thought, he sent a polite ssage:
“Sister Shiyu, feel free to reach out if you have any questions about school.”
He added a subtle smiley emoji, a symbol with deeper connotations in his previous life.
After a brief pause, Ye Shiyu responded with a simple “OK” emoji.
The exchange was utterly mundane, as if the bizarre scene earlier had never occurred.
Leaning back on the sofa, Yan Huan sighed, sipping the milk. The surreal nature of the situation made him feel as though he’d stumbled into a drama straight out of a Japanese ani.
He suddenly rembered Vice President Sakura and opened their chat history. The last ssage—a lone question mark—still stood out.
Suppressing a laugh, Yan Huan selected a sweating-cat sticker from his extensive emoji library and sent it along with a quick “Sorry.”
Almost imdiately, Sakura replied:
“Was your phone in soone else’s hands just now?”
Clearly, she’d been worried. Yan Huan sent back a nodding-cat sticker and explained,
“Yeah, I was busy working. A friend helped
reply.”
The imdiate recognition of his unusual behavior made Yan Huan reflect. Do I use emojis so often that the lack of one is an instant red flag?
Curious, he typed:
“What was the urgent matter?”
After a noticeable delay, Sakura replied:
“Already resolved, President.”
Sending another nodding-cat sticker, Yan Huan wrote back,
“That’s good. Rest well, Sakura.”
“Understood.”
Draining the last of his milk, Yan Huan set his phone aside and leaned back into the sofa.
“ow~”
ow-chan appeared silently, tilting its head in concern as it observed him.
Sighing, Yan Huan patted the cushion beside him. The black cat hopped up, curling into his lap. Stroking its soft fur, he murmured,
“If I don’t make a move soon, I’m not going to survive this, ow-chan.”
“ow~”
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