Click!
With a light tap on her screen, Spencer captured the scene in the equipment room.
The image showed Ying Gong Tong’s disheveled black hair, a hint of disorder from their earlier embrace. She appeared exhausted, clutching her head in distress, crouched on the floor.
In front of her stood Yan Huan, one hand covering his head, partially obscuring his face. The lingering effects of the sharp headache gave his gaze an unfocused quality.
The photo radiated an ambiguous atmosphere that defied explanation.
Still nursing his headache, Yan Huan glanced at the golden-haired girl before him, memories of their brief encounter over the weekend rushing back. He recalled the strange, supernaturally affected keychain and how, yet again, Ying Gong Tong and he had been targeted today.
This girl was undoubtedly the Modifier host!
“Hey!”
Realizing this, Yan Huan called out, trying to stop her from taking further photos.
Spencer, however, glanced at her screen, lingering on the handsome boy’s slightly disheveled expression. The grin on her face grew even more mischievous, her sharp little canine tooth peeking out like a devil’s fang.
Ignoring Yan Huan’s shout, she tucked her phone away, tossing the basketball she carried into the room as if fulfilling her obligation to return it.
“Ah, sorry for interrupting your fun~. I’ll be on my way.”
And with that, she turned and ran off.
Yan Huan took a step to pursue her but stopped abruptly, glancing back at Ying Gong Tong. She was clutching her head and looked very unwell.
He hesitated, then returned to her side. Not knowing the full extent of the Modifier’s effects, he worried about potential aftereffects, especially since his own resistance had still left him with a splitting headache.
“Ying Gong, are you alright?”
Unbeknownst to Yan Huan, his headache had been caused by his resistance to the Modifier’s memory-altering effects. Ying Gong Tong, without such resistance, felt no such pain.
In reality, Ying Gong Tong had been silently observing the golden-haired girl who had shattered her barrier. A cautious person by nature, the sudden destruction of her ability sounded alarm bells in her mind.
Though unsure of what had happened, she resolved to avoid using her abilities in front of others unless she was absolutely certain it wouldn’t expose her.
Feigning normalcy, she replied naturally,
“I... I’m fine... What just happened? Weren’t we just here to return the equipment? How did this suddenly...”
Noticing that Ying Gong Tong appeared to have also lost her memory, Yan Huan became even more certain that the golden-haired girl was behind it all.
Shaking his head, he said,
“I’m not sure what happened either. All I remember is that we were locked in here. It must’ve been that girl’s doing... I’m going after her.”
“Wait, President...”
Ying Gong Tong instinctively tried to stop him.
If that girl could shatter her barrier, could she also possess other abnormal abilities?
What if, not knowing anything, the President fell victim to her malicious intent...
No, no, no! That mustn’t happen!
Panicking at the thought, Ying Gong Tong quickly tried to reason with him,
“We should go find the security guards first, President. That girl’s wearing a school tracksuit—she’s definitely a student here. She won’t get far.”
“No, Ying Gong, you go notify security and explain the situation. She took a photo of the two of us. I don’t care about myself, but if you get dragged into this, it could become a big issue for you.”
Yan Huan refused, looking directly at her as he reminded her,
“If we wait until we’ve found security, she could easily transfer or delete the photo and deny having taken it in the first place.”
Ying Gong Tong stiffened at his words.
He was right. Her reputation wasn’t just her own; her politically prominent family back home valued it immensely. Even though she had traveled abroad alone to study, her family name remained unchanged.
If that photo were leaked online and reached her family, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Having spent six months around her and even visiting her home at Haishang Linmen, Yan Huan understood this much about Ying Gong Tong.
Besides, Yan Huan’s true concern was the Modifier situation, and he didn’t want to involve an innocent person like Ying Gong Tong.
Both skilled in hiding their true emotions, they were individually focused on the supernatural implications of the Modifier while also trying to shield the other from its influence.
Thus, they spoke simultaneously:
“I’ll catch up to her quickly; you go notify security.”
“I’ll go with you, President.”
Yan Huan shook his head firmly, saying,
“I can handle it alone. You’re not feeling well, Ying Gong—you won’t be able to keep up with her.”
With that, he turned and left.
“I...”
Ying Gong Tong reached out, as though to stop him, a sense of unease gripping her heart. Her instincts warned her that letting the President face that girl alone would lead to something terrible.
She bit her lip and tried to stand, but her weak constitution made her dizzy after crouching for so long.
Moreover, she still needed to use the restroom.
Holding her head in frustration, she left the equipment room, determined to call him back. But when she looked around, Yan Huan was already gone, having chased after the girl.
“Meow-chan!”
“Meow?”
Outside the gymnasium, Yan Huan called out as he sprinted.
From the bushes nearby, a black cat bounded out at his summons, joining him at a run while giving him a puzzled look.
“What’s up, meow?”
“I found the third Modifier host! She’s a student at our school—the same one who made Ye Shiyu drop her keychain over the weekend. She just attacked me and someone else using the Modifier! Meow-chan, tell me where she is!”
Recognizing the scent from the weekend, Meow-chan twitched her nose and quickly led the way.
“This way!”
Following Meow-chan, Yan Huan soon arrived at the teaching building.
Class had ended about half an hour earlier, so most students had either left the school or moved to the activity building for club meetings, leaving the teaching building eerily quiet.
Meow-chan guided him to a particular room, then stopped and turned toward him.
“She’s in here, meow!”
“This room...”
Yan Huan hesitated as he read the sign on the door:
“Girls’ Locker Room.”
Thankfully, the room was likely empty.
Peeking through the ajar door, he noticed the lock had been broken—likely where the girl had kicked it open, leaving visible marks on the door.
She had entered the locker room the same way she’d forced her way into the equipment room.
“Meow-chan, I’ll go in. Stay hidden.”
“Meow~”
Without hesitation, Yan Huan stepped inside.
First, because he needed to ensure the photo of Ying Gong Tong and himself was deleted to prevent any reputational fallout.
Second, he needed to gather information about the Modifier’s effects and the host’s desires while his resistance was still active. Avoidance wasn’t an option; letting the host develop unchecked would mean future disasters on the worldline.
The locker room was spacious, lined with rows of lockers forming narrow corridors.
The silence was deafening, broken only by the faint creak of the damaged door. Yan Huan cautiously advanced, searching for signs of life.
Suddenly, the sound of something hitting the floor caught his attention.
Turning, he saw a water bottle rolling across the floor.
Before he could approach, a pale arm shot out from a side corridor and slammed against a locker, blocking his path.
Startled, Yan Huan looked up to see the golden-haired girl smirking at him, her sharp canine tooth glinting.
“You’ve got guts, chasing me into the girls’ locker room,” she said playfully.
She was now dressed in a fitted white T-shirt and black athletic shorts, her striking figure on full display.
Standing barefoot, her gaze was filled with teasing intent, and her posture suggested she intended to corner him.
Though shorter than Yan Huan, her aggressive attitude made her seem larger than life.
Yan Huan, unbothered, looked down at her and coldly asked,
“Where’s your phone?”
“What phone?”
“The one you used to take the picture just now.”
Spencer tilted her head, a few strands of her golden hair falling across her face as her blue eyes gleamed with mischief.
Her smile was intoxicating—like lemonade spiked with tequila, leaving the air around them heavy with a tipsy tension.
Inside the locker room, Spencer’s golden hair seemed to reflect sunlight despite being indoors, momentarily dazzling.
“Yeah, I took it. So what?”
An imperceptible wave emanated from her, enveloping Yan Huan without his immediate awareness.
Suddenly, the girl in front of him seemed taller, her mischievous grin more loathsome, and even her voice grated on his nerves.
“Is that photo important to you?”
“That photo is...”
Though he detested the girl’s malicious behavior, Yan Huan felt an inexplicable urge to speak the truth.
His defenses and mental games seemed to dissolve, alerting him to a potential issue.
Her Modifier could influence consciousness!
Without his resistance, Yan Huan could easily imagine what would’ve poured out of his unguarded mind:
“That photo isn’t important to me, but it’s important to Ying Gong...”
“No matter what, you need to delete it...”
“For Ying Gong, I’d do anything to make her delete it...”
The contradiction in his psyche was unnerving.
On one hand, he harbored intense disdain for the girl. On the other, a strange weakness made him feel incapable of opposing her.
Simultaneously, an unexplainable affection for Ying Gong Tong arose—a feeling far beyond friendship, one that made him feel as if he could sacrifice anything for her.
This bizarre mental state brought a startling realization to Yan Huan:
Could her Modifier be...
Though he hadn’t finished his thought aloud, Spencer’s face remained as devilish as ever. She took a step back and pulled out her phone, revealing the photo she had just taken.
“Look at you—acting all gentle with your girlfriend on the weekend, and then by Monday, getting cozy with another girl in the equipment room... And I knew you looked familiar. You’re Yan Huan, the famous President of Yuanyue Academy, right?
“What would happen if this photo were leaked? The girl in the picture, Vice President... oh, Ying Gong Tong, wasn’t it? What would happen to her reputation? Ah, I’d hate to see that happen...”
Spencer tilted her head, her grin growing wider as she made the expected threat. Holding her phone aloft, she jeered,
“President Yan, you wouldn’t want this photo circulating, would you?”
Inwardly, Yan Huan was stunned.
Warning! Dangerous beast alert!
Before him stood a golden-haired girl whose confident demeanor and provocative figure increasingly evoked a strange sense of déjà vu.
In the stories he’d read, Yan Huan often came across this line:
“Most people imagine themselves as the bystander, a few as the victim... but the god? Always the heroine.”
Yan Huan now had the urge to pen a book titled:
“Why Yan Huan Is the God of This Story.”
He had pieced together her Modifier’s effect: it influenced thoughts and emotions.
Still, there had to be additional abilities involved—how else had she created that sealed room?
For now, he couldn’t afford to reveal his resistance to the Modifier. If she realized it hadn’t worked on him, she might shift tactics.
Fortunately, Spencer was unaware of his platonic relationship with Ying Gong Tong.
Calming himself, Yan Huan decided to play along.
With perfect control over his expressions, he allowed his face to reflect a mixture of anger, coldness, and worry for Ying Gong Tong.
Seeing his complex expression, Spencer’s excitement grew.
That’s right, President. Only when you show such emotions can I savor the thrill of taking what belongs to others...
She licked her lips, waiting eagerly for his response.
After a brief pause, Yan Huan sighed, his cold expression softening into resignation. He glanced at Spencer and asked,
“...What do I need to do for you to delete that photo of Ying Gong?”
Spencer’s grin widened to its peak before quickly faltering into confusion.
What should she make him do?
Her mind flashed back to the weekend, recalling the warm, patient smile he’d shown Ye Shiyu. It was that smile she wanted to steal...
But was a smile enough?
No. She instinctively felt it wasn’t. Beneath that smile lay something more precious, though she couldn’t quite grasp what it was. Frustrated by her inability to articulate her desire, Spencer eventually threw up her hands.
“Hmm... I can’t think of anything right now. I’ll let you know when I do.”
With a shrug, she turned to leave.
But Yan Huan wasn’t about to let her go. He grabbed her wrist, his grip firm.
Spencer’s face darkened immediately, veins bulging on her hand as she glared at him like an enraged lioness.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
For a moment, Yan Huan felt as if he was holding an actual lion. The girl’s strength was no joke.
Quick to adapt, Yan Huan released her wrist just as she was about to pull away, stepping forward instead.
Bang!
He mimicked her earlier move, slamming his palm against the locker behind her, blocking her escape.
Spencer froze, stunned by the reversal.
Did he just... turn the tables on me?
Forced to look up due to their height difference, Spencer found herself face-to-face with Yan Huan’s cold, unyielding gaze.
“You’re not leaving until you tell me your name and class,” he said, his tone icy.
“And what if I insist on leaving?” Spencer shot back, her defiant smirk returning.
Yan Huan had already begun to piece together her desires. Her excitement spiked whenever Ying Gong Tong’s name was mentioned—an unmistakable reaction he decided to exploit.
His voice lowered as he said,
“The girl you saw with me on the weekend isn’t my girlfriend; she’s my sister. I only like Ying Gong.
“Delete that photo of her, and I’ll agree to one condition. But if you refuse and Ying Gong gets hurt, I promise you won’t get away with it.”
As expected, Spencer’s anger melted into elation. The more Yan Huan emphasized his affection for Ying Gong Tong, the stronger her thrill and desire to conquer became.
“Fine,” she said, her tone softening. “But what if you go back on your word after I delete it?”
Yan Huan feigned hesitation before replying,
“Take a photo of me instead. Here, in the girls’ locker room. If I fulfill your condition, you delete the photo of Ying Gong.”
Pretending to weigh his reputation against his “love” for Ying Gong Tong, Yan Huan made it clear he was willing to sacrifice himself to protect her.
“Just don’t let Ying Gong find out...” he added.
Spencer was ecstatic, her grin irrepressible.
“Deal. By the way, my name’s Aria Spencer. Year 1, Class C—I just transferred.”
Raising her phone, she snapped a picture of Yan Huan. Then, with a dramatic flourish, she deleted the earlier photo of Ying Gong Tong in front of him.
“Check the recently deleted folder too.”
“Fine, fine, President Yan...”
“What about cloud backups?”
“No backups. Speaking of which, you really like Ying Gong, don’t you?”
Yan Huan ignored her question, meticulously verifying that every copy of the photo was gone. Once satisfied, he exhaled in relief.
Spencer, thrilled by his apparent devotion, waved him off with a satisfied smirk, slipping on her socks and shoes as she did.
Yan Huan didn’t bother acknowledging her, turning and walking away.
Inwardly, he noted: This girl isn’t very sharp.
Outside the locker room, Ying Gong Tong was waiting with the security guards. Seeing Yan Huan, she hurried over and asked,
“How did it go, President?”
“I found her and made her delete the photo,” he replied.
“She deleted it?” Ying Gong Tong sounded skeptical.
The girl who had shattered her barrier had given up the photo so easily? It didn’t add up.
Before she could ask further, Aria Spencer emerged from the locker room. Spotting them, her grin widened, especially when she saw Ying Gong Tong.
That smile sent a chill down Ying Gong Tong’s spine.
“Don’t worry,” Aria said with mock innocence. “I’ve deleted the photo, as the President asked. My apologies, Vice President Ying Gong.”
Her emphasis on “Vice President” was laced with derision.
Unfazed, Ying Gong Tong turned to the security guards and said coldly,
“She’s the one who kicked down the equipment room door.”
“Miss, you’ll need to come with us. We’ll have to call your parents,” one guard said, stepping forward.
Spencer froze, momentarily stunned before glaring at Yan Huan for help.
“President Yan?”
But Yan Huan simply yawned lazily and turned away, leaving the guards to escort her off.
“Hey! I’ll pay for the damage! Why call my parents?!” Spencer protested as she was led away.
“Come on, are you even listening?!”