"..."
Just as Yan Huan was deep in thought over the na Bai Yi and her fluctuating affection levels, Sakuramiya Hitomi seamlessly followed up on the fatal conversational strike An Le had just launched against Ye Shiyu.
"That is all in the past. The president just recovered and was discharged from the hospital today, so let's not bring up matters that might trigger unpleasant mories, alright?"
Hearing this, An Le furrowed her brows slightly and looked at Sakuramiya Hitomi.
[Sakuramiya Hitomi: 23%]
The difference in the two girls' attitudes was evident from their affection levels toward Ye Shiyu.
This resulted in a stark contrast: although both of them had co today because of Ye Shiyu, the severity of their demands was completely opposite.
Sakuramiya Hitomi only wanted to resolve the current issue of Ye Shiyu living too close to Yan Huan, while An Le intended to dig up Ye Shiyu's dark history and completely ruin her.
Perhaps it could be called a tacit understanding, but Sakuramiya Hitomi's thoughts happened to align perfectly with Yan Huan's own plans.
"It is not a big deal. At the ti, we were just looking at so property listings and such..."
"Property listings?"
Wang Yulu paused, blinking in confusion.
"Yeah, I was still living in the South Ward back then. Commuting to work in the Kyogo Ward every morning was quite stressful."
Yan Huan glanced at Ye Shiyu beside him and continued to explain.
"Even though Ye International has an employee dormitory, it is originally ant for official employees through a lottery system. Using our connections to just move right in did not feel appropriate... so we thought about renting a place nearby instead."
Hearing Yan Huan and Sakuramiya Hitomi's stories line up so perfectly, An Le fell silent and stopped pressing her attack.
Generally speaking, as long as Yan Huan spoke up, she would no longer argue.
However, the conflict objectively existed, and sotis her silence did not an the problem was solved.
The longer Yan Huan spent ti with An Le, the more he understood this truth.
"Were you renting in the North Sea District? Was it a villa?"
Wang Yulu's question was entirely reasonable. At that mont, feeling Yan Huan's gaze, Ye Shiyu seed to grasp his intention.
She glanced at Yan Huan, then at the silent An Le and Tong Yingying sitting across from her.
After deliberating for a mont, she spoke softly.
"It is because An Le is also working at a manga studio contracted with the Jinshi Group this sumr, so commuting back and forth is quite stressful...
"And Sister... Tong is actually the physical education teacher at our school. She has also been living in the South Ward.
"Since everyone knows each other, it seed like a better idea to simply rent a place close by together."
As soon as these words were spoken, both An Le and Tong Yingying were montarily stunned.
They clearly had not expected her to say such a thing.
Wang Yulu, however, looked at Yan Huan with concern and whispered.
"You girls are far too carefree, trusting my Xiao Huan this much. No matter what, you are all girls and he is a boy. n and won should maintain proper boundaries; living together is just too..."
'So Yan Huan's mother is a very traditional parent?!'
"..."
Upon hearing Wang Yulu's words, Sakuramiya Hitomi, An Le, and Tong Yingying could not help but avert their gazes for a brief mont.
Clearly, that advice was coming entirely too late.
"Since Xiao Huan lives so close to , I have also found a suitable property so that An Le and Tong Yingying can move in too.
"This way, we can commute to and from work together. In our free ti, they can co over to visit whenever they want."
Hearing Ye Shiyu's words, Sakuramiya Hitomi raised an eyebrow, while An Le and Tong Yingying finally realized what Ye Shiyu was getting at, their faces showing undisguised astonishnt.
Ye Shiyu was incredibly smart. She could tell at a single glance that they had co charging in aggressively simply because they were uneasy about her living right across from Xiao Huan.
Now, she was directly proposing a solution: since you are all worried, just move in as well.
Perhaps she had not actually found a suitable property yet, but claiming she had was simply a way to assure them not to worry about the rent—she would cover it.
"..."
Sakuramiya Hitomi took a satisfied sip of her tea, while An Le and Tong Yingying had very different reactions.
[Sakuramiya Hitomi: 31%]
[An Le: -91%]
[Tong Yingying: 3%]
Judging from the shifts in affection levels, Ye Shiyu's words had definitely worked.
"That sounds wonderful. Living nearby is great. Auntie does not have much going on these days, so it will be much livelier if you all co over often."
Wang Yulu remained blissfully unaware of the twists and turns behind their words, whereas Ye Lan swept her gaze across the girls in the room, a look of profound headache crossing her face.
Unlike Wang Yulu, who simply viewed them as Yan Huan's "good friends," Ye Lan was fully aware of the ambiguous relationships between them.
Her only dilemma now was whether or not she should tell her best friend about it.
'Forget it, I cannot even manage Shiyu properly. It is better to let Yulu worry about this herself.'
'With her watching over him, things shouldn't get too out of hand...'
'Right?'
"Hiss..."
At that mont, the hissing sound of steam escaping from the pressure cooker drifted out from the kitchen. Wang Yulu's expression changed instantly, and she stood up to check.
"You guys keep chatting, I am going to check on the food."
"Auntie, let
help you."
Off to the side, An Le cast one last glance at Ye Shiyu. After a second of silence, she said nothing more and simply followed Wang Yulu into the kitchen.
Aruiya was still engrossed in her cartoons, completely oblivious to their entire discussion.
Sakuramiya Hitomi got up to find the restroom, and in an instant, the living room felt much emptier.
"..."
Yan Huan offered a faint smile and exchanged a glance with Ye Shiyu.
Sensing his smile, Ye Shiyu blinked softly.
However, they did not have ti to converse. In the very next second, Yan Huan turned his attention to Tong Yingying and extended an invitation.
"Co on, Sister Tong. Want to take a stroll up to the rooftop terrace?"
"...Sure."
Since Yan Huan invited her, she stood up and followed him out.
"Click..."
"Oh? I thought we were going to the rooftop terrace. Why are we here?"
The two of them had walked up the stairs but did not head to the rooftop terrace. Instead, they had stepped into Yan Huan's room.
Yan Huan gave a helpless smile, choosing not to answer that directly. Instead, he looked back and asked.
"Sister Tong, even if Ye Shiyu helps An Le rent a place nearby, you still will not move in, right?"
"..."
Hearing this, the expression on Tong Yingying's face grew a bit more distant.
She took a deep breath and, without any hesitation, sat down on Yan Huan's bed. Crossing her legs, she replied.
"Forget it. I am not used to living with other people, and An Le is probably the sa."
Earlier, when Ye Shiyu made that proposal, An Le's affection level had surged by nine points, whereas Tong Yingying's had only increased by a single point.
Clearly, the proposal held little to no appeal for her.
It made sense. As for the others, Sakuramiya Hitomi and Aruiya were affluent young ladies from wealthy families; it was absolutely impossible for them to co and stay in a rented place.
The idea might have been highly attractive to An Le, but Tong Yingying was not strapped for cash either. Why would she subject herself to an uncomfortable living arrangent?
Yan Huan sat down next to Tong Yingying and asked.
"That is exactly why I wanted to ask... Sister Tong, do you have any plans to open a branch of Ballad in the Kyogo Ward?"
"..."
Hearing his words, Tong Yingying could not help but shoot him a sidelong glance.
Parting her red lips slightly, her fingers crept a little closer to Yan Huan amidst the creases of the bedsheets.
"I do run so other shops in the Kyogo Ward, and they are not too far from where you work..."
"Are you really that rich?"
"Still pales in comparison to your family."
"Oh, co on. Before my mom ca back, I was practically surviving on the relief food you gave . I do not even know what my mom was thinking..."
"What, are you complaining?"
"...Not exactly."
Yan Huan shook his head and simply said.
"If my mom had not raised
in poverty, I probably never would have t you. Thinking about it that way, being raised poor for eighteen years was completely worth it."
"..."
Upon hearing this, a blush crept across Tong Yingying's face. Her hand, which had been resting a short distance away, suddenly reached out and pinched his waist.
"You are too glib-tongued."
"Hiss! Sister Tong, have rcy!"
"Give
a break, talking about surviving on my relief food... Just how long has it been since you last ca to work your part-ti job at my place? Collecting a salary for doing nothing, huh?"
"You cannot bla
for that..."
"Cut the nonsense. Kiss ."
"Huh?"
Yan Huan opened his mouth in surprise, completely unprepared for Tong Yingying to make such a sudden demand.
He turned his head and saw her eyes darting away nervously. Despite her bold words, she looked like she was waiting for him to take the initiative.
"..."
Gazing at her lips, which were bare of lipstick, Yan Huan froze for a brief second before leaning in and kissing her without the slightest hesitation.
"Smooch..."
"Mmph..."
The mont their lips t, Tong Yingying let out a soft whimper. She quickly closed her eyes and wrapped her arms tightly around Yan Huan's neck.
Between their passionate kisses, Tong Yingying subconsciously lted backwards, as helpless as a weakling.
"Hah..."
She gently pushed against Yan Huan's chest and covered her mouth, her face flushed crimson as she wordlessly called for a ti-out.
Compared to the almighty An Le, Tong Yingying was truly too fragile. Perhaps to mask the embarrassing reality that she had been utterly defeated by a single kiss from Yan Huan, Tong Yingying panted heavily as she scrambled to change the subject.
"...The issue with the shop is easy to resolve. I already have a ready-made one.
"I will let the past slide, since I know the matter with the Modifiers was incredibly serious...
"But now that the Modifiers are dealt with, if I move over here and you still do not show up for your part-ti job...
"You just wait. One day, right after you finish work and step outside, you are going to get chopped into minceat!"
By the end of her sentence, her face was still flushed, putting on a fierce-looking facade to deliver her warning.
"...Alright."
Hearing her threat, Yan Huan blinked innocently.
He touched his face, but inevitably, his thoughts drifted back to the host of that particular Modifier.
"By the way, Sister Tong, could I ask you a favor and have you look soone up for ?"
"Look soone up? Do you think I am the Genie from Aladdin?"
"...You are the only person with connections that I know, Sister Tong."
"...Who do you want to find? Male or female?"
"Uhh... female?"
"Heh. Go ask soone else. See if Sakuramiya Hitomi will look her up for you."
"No, no, no, Sister Tong, do not misunderstand! I do not even know her!"
Hearing this, Tong Yingying finally relaxed a bit and asked.
"...Then why are you trying to find her?"
"I just vaguely rember that she might be connected to the Modifiers. Also..."
Caught off guard by the question, Yan Huan froze for a mont, but he still spoke the lingering thought in his heart.
"I keep feeling like she... is very important to ?"
"Drop dead!"
The mont those words left his mouth, Tong Yingying kicked Yan Huan squarely in the chest from her spot on the bed.
"Tick... Tock..."
"Gurgle..."
Soti, sowhere in Linn.
The firmant was blanketed by an endless expanse of unclean pink mist. Yet even through it, one could see the phantom images of massive, squirming tentacles descending from the heavens.
Every building in Linn was entirely corrupted and dilapidated, overgrown with countless tentacles acting like ivy. It made the walls look as if they had co to life, pulsating and undulating in rhythm with a grotesque heartbeat.
"I can only escort you this far..."
Inside a building covered in flesh and gore, a black-haired girl wearing a cloak, holding a torch in one hand and a long blade in the other, ca to a halt.
As she spoke, she turned her head to look at the person standing behind her.
"..."
Behind her stood another girl, also draped in a cloak. Her hair was ssy and unkempt, yet it could not conceal her absolute, breathtaking beauty. She was tightly gripping a pocket watch.
It was Bai Yi.
"...Thank you, Ye Shiyu."
The black-haired girl in front of her, whose face was weathered and whose eyes flickered with profound exhaustion, was indeed Ye Shiyu.
Hearing Bai Yi's gratitude, Ye Shiyu gripped her blade tightly and shook her head.
"No need to thank . Hurry up and leave... If An Le finds out, you will not be able to escape even if you want to."
"Gulp..."
Hearing those words, Bai Yi swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
She could not help but raise her gaze to the awakened "sky" above the firmant. Sowhere up there, at the center of a mass of twisting tentacles, the faint sound of chanting echoed.
"..."
After just one glance, Bai Yi dared not look anymore. She simply stated,
"I will definitely save Yan Huan!"
"Xiao Huan..."
Hearing that na, the weathered face of Ye Shiyu grew visibly darker.
"Have you gone mad, too? He and my mama... they have been gone for so long now. What is the point of talking about saving them..."
"No, I—"
Bai Yi wanted to explain, but an ethereal white cat with golden eyes sitting on her shoulder suddenly spoke up.
"It's almost ti, ow, Bai Yi."
"Tick... Tock..."
Bai Yi glanced down at her pocket watch and saw that the ti displayed on its face had already reached 4:40.
She said no more, only nodding before bidding Ye Shiyu a final farewell.
Ye Shiyu did not say anything else, rely telling her to take care. Then, brandishing her blade, she turned and headed off in the opposite direction.
"Gurgle..."
"Xiao— Xiao Huan!!"
Above them in the sky, the sound of chanting beca increasingly distorted. Eventually, it seed to morph into horrifying, rapid shrieks, forcing Bai Yi to quickly clamp her hands over her ears.
At the sa ti, she lowered her head and began to turn the hour hand on the watch in her hands.
"Click-click-click..."
As the hour hand rotated, a tiny phantom image of a pendulum clock materialized above her hands.
"Tick... Tock..."
Beneath the clock face, the pendulum swayed slightly. Like a loom, it wove a golden river below, constructed entirely from individual golden threads.
Beside the river were very clear temporal markings.
Year, Month, Day...
However, there were no specific hours or minutes.
Alongside the golden threads were countless specks of starlight in various colors, branching off from the main river.
One of those specks seed to be the exact point where she currently stood.
"...I finally managed to hold out until the second day."
Waiting for the final mont to arrive, Bai Yi took a deep breath and murmured to herself.
Hearing this, the white cat on her shoulder glanced at her and said helplessly.
"I already told you, ow. The more established events you alter, the greater the resistance will be. That is why it has gotten increasingly dangerous every ti you entered these What-If tilines to transfer!"
In response, Bai Yi rely puffed out her cheeks and spoke with absolute optimism.
"...Hmph, well, I still made it through! It is just that I did not see Yan Huan in any of those consecutive What-If tilines. I don't know if I will when I jump into the real tiline tomorrow..."
"I am warning you, ow. You will be walking through a real, past tiline! If anyone realizes you have crossed over from another ti—especially if the past version of you or Yan Huan finds out—you can look forward to being completely annihilated!"
"I-I will just secretly take a peek at him first..."
Bai Yi pouted, angrily poking the white cat on her shoulder with her finger as she complained.
"That was our very first ti eting! Even though... he didn't know that after drawing on Zhou Bin's face, I originally intended to draw on his..."
"..."
The white cat stared at her with dead-fish eyes, refusing to entertain her comnt.
Bai Yi tapped her chin, completely lost in her fantasies.
"Ah, if only I had known earlier that Yan Huan was actually a music fan of mine...
"Back then, An Le had not yet reconnected with him, he still hated Spencer, and Ye Shiyu was nothing more than a giant pile of...
"Ohohoho, and if I camp out to catch Sakuramiya Hitomi's scandal being revealed, I don't see any possible way I could lose!"
Just thinking about it brought a blissful, dreamy expression to Bai Yi's face.
She waved her delicate feminine fists in the air, her starry eyes sparkling as she arrogantly pictured herself utterly thrashing her rivals and erging victorious.
"Hehe, if that happens, Yan Huan will definitely pursue
like crazy and confess his feelings. Yan Yeh, what do you think? Should I reluctantly accept, or should I reluctantly accept?"
"..."
"Yan Yeh?"
Off to the side, the white cat-like entity had already tucked its tail between its legs and silently slinked away to the corner.
"Yan Yeh!"
"It is almost ti, ow..."
"You little rascal!"
Bai Yi puffed out her cheeks, instantly transforming into a pouting pink pufferfish.
She reached out and scooped up the plump, chubby white cat, hugging it tightly in her arms.
"Tick... Tock..."
Right before her eyes, as the ti approached exactly 4:44, a door leading to the reality tiline suddenly swung open.
Within the portal, the faint image of Far Moon Academy during the Spring Sester Entrance Exam appeared.
"Well, why bring any of this up... Once tomorrow passes, I am afraid... he will not even rember , right?"
"..."
"Tell , Yan Yeh... can I save him?"
"..."
Yan Yeh did not answer her question directly. It rely swished its tail and said softly,
"He will rember you, ow."
Hearing this, an unimaginably beautiful smile blossod on Bai Yi's face.
She affectionately rubbed her cheek against the fluffy white cat in her arms. In the next split second, the white light before her flared violently, blindingly bright, and completely devoured her.
"Tick... Tock..."
"Click-click-click!!"
And this world, which had been devoured by the tentacles, acted just like a tape on rewind—spinning rapidly backward until it reached exactly 4:45 the previous day.
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