At the entrance of Yuènyuè Academy, the tall and cool-headed Yè Shīyǔ turned around, opened the backseat door of the sedan, and extended her hand toward Yán Huān, inviting him.
"Co on, let's go ho, Xiaohuān."
Yán Huān glanced at the open car door. To him, it looked like the gaping maw of an abyss, shrouded in thick shadows, waiting hungrily to swallow him whole.
"..."
With perfect facial control, he kept a natural smile on his face, but a few beads of cold sweat betrayed his unease.
Instead of getting in right away, he said, "Okay, just a sec, Sister Shīyu."
Yè Shīyǔ tilted her head slightly, watching as Yán Huān put his things into the trunk before turning back toward the school.
A short while later, he returned, holding a plump black cat in his arms. He walked up to Yè Shīyǔ and said, "Alright, let's go, Sister Shīyu."
"..."
Yè Shīyǔ glanced at the cat in his arms. The black cat, with its striking green eyes, instinctively avoided her gaze—almost as if it were terrified of her.
At that mont, she finally rembered.
Back when she was hypnotizing Xiaohuān, this black cat had shown up. Annoyed by its presence, she had nearly kicked it out of the way.
Then another mory surfaced—she had seen this little black cat before when she visited Xiaohuān’s place. It always wore a yellow scarf…
It was a stray cat Xiaohuān had adopted. Its na was Miāojiàng.
But she had never really paid attention to the cat, so she had completely forgotten about it.
"...Why is it at school?"
Still holding the cat, Yán Huān looked up at her with a slight smile and explained, "The South District is pretty chaotic, and Miāojiàng loves to run around outside. So I usually keep it in my backpack and bring it to school. There's a forest park nearby, so it can run around freely, and I can check on it at lunchti."
Yè Shīyǔ didn’t question him further. She looked at the black cat, which was now burying its head into Yán Huān’s chest, completely avoiding her gaze. Then she asked, "Is it coming ho with us?"
"Yeah, I an, we’ll be gone the whole weekend. Leaving it alone would be too cruel, don’t you think? Don't worry, Sister Shīyu, Miāojiàng is very well-behaved and won’t cause any trouble at ho."
Lies~
The truth was, Miāojiàng was essential to the plan for dealing with Yè Shīyǔ’s "modifier." No matter what, he had to bring the cat along.
Still, despite his preparation, facing Yè Shīyǔ’s overwhelming presence now made Yán Huān a bit nervous.
Going to the Yè family ho was practically walking into a trap.
One wrong move, and he'd trigger a bad-ending CG.
His only hope of survival rested on you, Miāojiàng!!
"ow~"
Sensing Yán Huān’s dependence, Miāojiàng let out a muffled ow, still hiding its face in his arms to avoid facing Yè Shīyǔ.
Yè Shīyǔ observed the cat for a mont before finally nodding in agreent.
Although… having a cat around might be a bit of a nuisance.
But as long as Xiaohuān was coming ho, that was all that mattered.
"Alright, get in, Xiaohuān."
"Thank you, Sister Shīyǔ."
She stepped aside, allowing Yán Huān to board the car with Miāojiàng in his arms.
Then, she turned back to glance at the quiet campus one last ti before getting into the car and shutting the door.
"Bang~"
The sound of the car door closing sealed them in a confined space, and Yè Shīyǔ's oppressive aura instantly intensified.
The electric car started silently, pulling away from Yuènyuè Academy.
Inside the vehicle, Yè Shīyǔ sat up straight, hands resting on her phone on her lap.
Her gaze wandered toward the handso young man beside her, lingering on his neck and chest...
"Miāojiàng, you’ve t Sister Shīyǔbefore, so why are you so scared of her all of a sudden?"
"ow~"
Yán Huān’s voice snapped Yè Shīyǔ out of her thoughts. He looked at her, his expression full of curiosity, as if he genuinely didn’t understand why Miāojiàng was afraid of her.
Of course. Back then, Xiaohuān had been hypnotized and had no mory of what she had done to the cat.
"Maybe it's just not used to being in the car."
Yè Shīyǔ glanced at the frightened black cat and offered a casual excuse.
Good thing cats couldn’t talk. That way, she could make up any reason she wanted.
Bull****! You nearly killed
last ti with that hypnotic crap!
Miāojiàng silently cursed her in its mind.
At the sa ti, it whispered to Yán Huān in his head,
"Yán Huān, I still think this is dangerous, ow. She’s definitely going to try sothing tonight."
The cat looked up at him, its green eyes full of concern.
"It’s Friday. She still has two sessions left—forty whole minutes of hypnosis. That’s more than enough ti to ss you up, ow."
Yán Huān stroked Miāojiàng’s soft fur, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
"...This is a risky move, Miāojiàng. But the problem is, I can’t act differently, or it’ll just fuel her ‘modifier’ even more..."
"The only one who can stop Yè Shīyǔ right now is Aunt Yè."
"In Yè Shīyǔ’s mind, Aunt Yè holds a unique position—she's the only person she cares about yet doesn’t see as ‘hers.’"
After explaining the situation to Miāojiàng in his head, Yán Huān looked down at it seriously.
"The key to the plan is this—you have to get on Aunt Yè’s good side. Make her like you."
"ow?"
"From what we saw when she visited my apartnt before, Aunt Yè seems to like cats. So, Miāojiàng, it's ti to use your charm..."
"ow..."
Lying in Yán Huān’s arms, Miāojiàng’s expression went blank. But after a mont, it sighed and muttered,
"Even if the plan goes perfectly, we’re still staying over tonight, right? What if Yè Shīyǔ attacks in the middle of the night?"
"..."
Hearing that, Yán Huān leaned back against the leather seat, took a deep breath, and reluctantly reassured himself,
"It’s fine. Don’t forget—I can lock the door."
—
"We’re here, Xiaohuān..."
The sleek black electric car pulled into the villa district of Jīnghé, stopping in front of Yè Lán’s luxurious mansion.
"DUN DUN!!"
The mont he opened the car door, a dramatic BGM blared in his head.
As the intense drumbeats quickened, his heartbeat followed suit.
The grand entrance of the Yè family mansion appeared to be shrouded in a golden mist, transforming into what looked like the entrance to a boss fight.
"..."
Yán Huān rubbed his eyes, and just like that, the BGM and special effects of the "boss room" vanished into thin air.
Guess it was just an illusion.
The next mont, the mansion’s front door opened, and Aunt Chén stepped out, carrying a bag of trash.
"Xiaohuān, you’re here! I made a special dinner for you and Shīyǔ tonight… Oh? Who’s this little one?"
"It’s my cat, Miāojiàng, Aunt Chén."
"ow~"
"Oh my, how adorable! But we don’t have a litter box at ho. I’ll go buy one now."
Yán Huān smiled and said, "No need, Miāojiàng can handle it on its own."
"Really?"
"Really, Aunt Chén."
Since this wasn’t his first ti here, he wasn’t completely unfamiliar with the place. Though not entirely at ease, he was at least comfortable enough to chat as he walked inside the familiar, spacious living room.
On the sofa, Yè Lán sat in a silk loungewear set, leisurely peeling an apple.
"Aunt Yè, I’m here."
"Welco, Shīyǔ, Xiaohuān. Co have so apple slices…"
After placing the last slice into the fruit bowl and tossing the core, Yè Lán wiped her hands and finally noticed the black cat that Yán Huān had set down in the living room, wandering about.
"Oh! Miāojiàng is here too!"
"ow~"
Miāojiàng didn’t forget its mission. Without hesitation, it raised its tail and snuggled up to Yè Lán, making her beam with delight as she scooped it into her arms.
"Wow, this little cat is amazing! It doesn’t shed at all? When I held my coworker’s British Shorthair, my clothes were covered in fur. I even had to bring a lint roller!"
"ow!"
Miāojiàng lifted its chin proudly, as if declaring,
"That’s the divine difference!"
Yán Huān didn’t stray from the living room—after all, he needed to stay within a 15-ter radius of Miāojiàng. Otherwise, he'd be dealing with a real-life supernatural event: "The Mysterious Case of the Vanishing Cat."
"Xiaohuān, we didn’t touch your room. You can rest there over the weekend as usual."
"Alright, Aunt Yè. Oh, and after I wash my clothes tonight, should I…"
"Ah, I’ll have Aunt Chén put a blue laundry basket in the washing room. Just toss them in there later."
"Got it."
The living room radiated warmth, a picture of dostic harmony. Yè Shīyǔ, nibbling on an apple, glanced at Yán Huān and let a faint smile curl her lips.
Yes, this was how it should be.
Let Xiaohuān stay ho forever...
With that thought in mind, she set down the fork engraved with her na, stood up, and announced, "I’m going upstairs to change."
"Alright, don’t forget to co down for dinner later."
Normally, Yè Shīyǔ would lock herself in her room after coming ho and wouldn’t co out unless she was called for sothing important.
But today, she acted differently. Instead of nodding and leaving, she simply said,
"I’ll co back down after I change."
She needed to prepare things for later tonight. And more importantly—she needed to keep an eye on Xiaohuān.
Yè Lán, still playfully squishing Miāojiàng’s face, gave Yè Shīyǔ a curious glance.
As Yè Shīyǔ walked past Yán Huān, a faint floral scent lingered in the air. Her cold gaze paused briefly on his smiling profile before she continued toward the spiral staircase, ascending to the third floor and stopping in front of her room.
"Click..."
The door opened, revealing an impeccably organized space filled with dolls and a work desk cluttered with various tools.
On one side of the desk sat an open briefcase.
Under the glow of her desk lamp, the contents beca faintly visible—several stamps, bottles of liquid…
Expressionless, Yè Shīyǔ stared at the case for a mont before reaching for a nearby cara and placing it inside.
"Click~"
The case shut with a quiet snap.
During dinner, Yán Huān, who had been working out recently, downed several bowls of rice, leaving Aunt Chén and Yè Lán stunned.
To avoid falling victim to hypnosis, Yán Huān made sure to stick close to Yè Lán at all tis after the al.
They settled in the living room for a movie—a story about a little cat that got lost at an airport and, using its wit and the help of various animal friends, managed to board another plane and reunite with its owner.
A family-friendly film, mostly just an excuse to showcase a bunch of fluffy, adorable animals.
Aunt Chén was really into it, munching on sunflower seeds while marveling at how "foreign animals can talk" in movies.
Yè Shīyǔ, however, wasn’t interested. She didn’t care for movies. She only occasionally glanced at her phone—or at Yán Huān.
Yè Lán, still cuddling Miāojiàng, was thoroughly enjoying the film.
Miāojiàng, on the other hand, was suffering.
Being constantly squished and petted left the poor cat looking utterly miserable.
When the movie ended, the night deepened, and Yè Lán yawned sleepily.
She invited Miāojiàng to sleep in her room, but upon hearing that, Yán Huān almost volunteered to sleep in Aunt Yè’s room himself.
At Yè Mansion, wherever Aunt Yè was—that was the safe zone.
But given Yè Shīyǔ’s current state, Yán Huān knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep without Miāojiàng keeping watch.
He needed his guard cat.
So when Miāojiàng quickly scampered back to Yán Huān’s side, Yè Lán smiled and didn’t press the issue, simply saying she’d play with it again in the morning.
Unlike Yè Shīyǔ, Yè Lán didn’t have an overwhelming sense of possession.
She was an angel!
"Aunt Chén, it’s pretty late. I’ll put my laundry in the basket tomorrow morning instead."
"No problem, I’ll wash and hang them for you when I see them."
Carrying Miāojiàng, Yán Huān headed upstairs. As Aunt Chén closed her room door behind him, the massive mansion fell into silence.
"Tap... Tap... Tap..."
Behind him, the soft sound of slippers approaching made the hairs on his neck stand on end.
Yè Shīyǔ.
Alone together once more.
Yán Huān was genuinely afraid that if he turned around, he’d be t with a smartphone straight to the face.
Knowing full well that he was walking into danger yet having no choice but to act normal was ntally exhausting.
Taking a deep breath, clutching the cat tighter, Yán Huān turned around and smiled at Yè Shīyǔ.
"Sister Shīyǔ, I’m going to my room to shower and sleep."
"...Okay."
"Goodnight, Sister Shīyǔ."
With that, Yán Huān turned to make his escape, not daring to linger any longer.
But just as he turned away, Yè Shīyǔ’s voice softly echoed behind him—
"Xiaohuān..."
"......"
"You Gotta Be Kidding !!"
The grand gates of the Yè family mansion seed to be shrouded in a golden mist, transforming into the ominous entrance of a BOSS room.
"..."
Yán Huān rubbed his eyes, and in an instant, the BGM and special effects of the "BOSS room" vanished.
Just a hallucination.
The next second, the front door of the manor opened, and Aunt Chén stepped out, carrying a bag of trash.
"Xiaohuān, you're here! I made a special dinner for you and Shīyǔ tonight... Oh? And who's this little one?"
"My cat, Miāojiàng, Aunt Chén."
"ow~"
"Oh my, how cute! But I don't think we have a litter box in the house. Should I go buy one?"
Yán Huān smiled and said, "No need, Miāojiàng doesn’t need one. It takes care of that itself."
"Really?"
"Really, Aunt Chén."
Since this wasn’t his first ti here, although he wasn’t completely at ease, he wasn’t as restrained as before either.
With casual small talk, he walked into the familiar, spacious living room.
Inside, Yè Lán was seated on the sofa, dressed in a silk loungewear set, peeling an apple.
"Aunt Yè, I’m here."
"Welco, Shīyǔ, Xiaohuān. Co have so apple..."
She placed the last apple slice into the fruit bowl, discarded the core, and wiped her hands.
That’s when she noticed the black cat Yán Huān had set down, now circling around the living room.
"Oh! Miāojiàng ca too!"
"ow~"
Miāojiàng hadn’t forgotten its mission. Without hesitation, it proudly raised its tail and snuggled up to Yè Lán, making her chuckle as she scooped it into her arms.
"Ah, this little thing is amazing! It doesn’t shed at all? I held my coworker’s British Shorthair once, and my clothes were covered in fur—I even had to bring a lint roller!"
"ow!"
Miāojiàng lifted its head proudly, as if declaring, "This is the divine difference."
Yán Huān stayed in the living room.
After all, he and Miāojiàng needed to stay within a fifteen-ter radius of each other. Otherwise, he might suddenly find himself experiencing a paranormal event called "Where Did the Magical Cat Go?"
"Xiaohuān, your room hasn’t been touched. You can rest there over the weekend."
"Alright, Aunt Yè. Oh, by the way, after I wash my dirty clothes tonight, should I—"
"Ah, I’ll have Aunt Chén put a special blue laundry basket in the washroom for you. Just toss them in there later."
"Got it."
The living room atmosphere was warm and cozy.
Sitting nearby, Yè Shīyǔ nibbled on an apple, the corners of her lips curving into a faint smile.
Yes… Xiaohuān should stay here forever.
With that thought in mind, she set down the fork engraved with her na and stood up.
"I’m going upstairs to change."
"Mm-hmm, go ahead. Just rember to co down for dinner later."
Normally, the mont Yè Shīyǔ arrived ho, she would lock herself in her room and only co out if necessary.
But tonight was different.
Instead of nodding and leaving, she simply said, "I’ll co back down after I change."
She wasn’t just getting changed—she needed to prepare for tonight. And she wanted to keep an eye on Xiaohuān.
Yè Lán, still rubbing Miāojiàng’s cheeks, glanced at her daughter in mild surprise.
Yè Shīyǔ walked past Yán Huān, her cool gaze lingering on his smiling profile for a mont before she ascended the spiral staircase to the third floor.
"Click..."
The door to her room opened, revealing a ticulously arranged collection of dolls and a workstation cluttered with various tools.
On one side of the desk, an open briefcase sat in the dim light.
When she turned on the lamp, faint reflections of stamps, vials, and mysterious liquids glead inside the case.
Her face remained expressionless as she picked up a cara from the desk and placed it inside.
"Click~"
The case snapped shut.
—
During dinner, Yán Huān, having been training recently, devoured multiple bowls of rice, leaving Aunt Chén and Yè Lán stunned.
Afterward, in order to avoid hypnotic harassnt, he stuck as close to Yè Lán as possible, even after the al.
They watched a movie in the living room—a family-friendly story about a kitten lost at an airport that, through cleverness and the help of other animals, found its way ho.
Aunt Chén was really into it, munching on sunflower seeds while exclaiming how "foreign animals can talk!"
Yè Shīyǔ, however, had little interest in movies. She occasionally glanced at her phone and, now and then, at Yán Huān.
anwhile, Miāojiàng suffered in Yè Lán’s arms, squirming as she kneaded and squeezed it with enthusiasm. Its face was filled with silent agony.
When the movie ended, the night deepened.
Yawning, Yè Lán prepared to go to bed, even inviting Miāojiàng to sleep in her room.
Hearing that, Yán Huān desperately wished he could go sleep in Aunt Yè’s room too.
Anywhere Yè Lán was—that was the safe zone of this house.
But given Yè Shīyǔ’s current state, he really couldn’t afford to sleep without Miāojiàng guarding him.
Otherwise, he’d be done for.
So, watching the cat dart back to his side, Yè Lán simply smiled and let it be, saying she’d play with it again in the morning.
Unlike Yè Shīyǔ, she didn’t have an overwhelming possessiveness.
A true angel!
"Aunt Chén, it’s late, so I’ll put my dirty clothes in the basket tomorrow morning."
"No problem, I’ll wash them when I see them."
Carrying Miāojiàng upstairs, Yán Huān heard Aunt Chén’s door close behind him.
The vast mansion fell silent.
"Tap... Tap... Tap..."
Behind him, the soft shuffle of slippers approached, making the hairs on his neck stand on end.
Now that they were alone, Yán Huān was genuinely afraid that if he turned around, he’d be t with either a phone screen or her face.
To turn or not to turn—that was the question.
Taking a deep breath, he forced a smile and turned around.
Thankfully, what greeted him was still her cool, beautiful face.
Studying him, Yè Shīyǔ asked, "Where do you want to go tomorrow?"
Whew.
Just small talk.
Eager to escape, Yán Huān quickly replied, "I’ll go wherever you want, Sister Shīyǔ."
Surprisingly, Yè Shīyǔ froze for a mont.
Then, as if sothing clicked in her mind, her pale face suddenly flushed with a delicate pink.
But in the dimly lit hallway, the change wasn’t obvious.
Only her eyes betrayed her—they flickered away.
Pressing her lips together, she nodded slightly.
"Alright... Goodnight, Xiaohuān."
"Goodnight, Sister Shīyǔ."
Whew!
A peaceful night!
As long as he could get into his room and lock the door, he’d survive the night.
Tomorrow, Miāojiàng would execute the plan, and Yè Shīyǔ would suffer a crushing defeat!
Clenching his fist in determination, Yán Huān stepped into his room.
"Click~"
He locked the door.
And locked it again.
Just in case.
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