Thursday, noon.
The tense atmosphere on the top floor of the Year 1 section of the Student Council was a stark contrast to the friendly and relaxed mood in Year 2, Class A.
"Ye, what elective did you choose for Thursday afternoons? I didn’t see you attend class on Tuesday," asked a girl named Gongzi, who was opening her bento box as she glanced at Ye Shiyu seated at her desk.
Today, Ye Shiyu wore a hair accessory, pairing a white knitted sweater with a beige skirt and short white socks. She looked as fresh and pure as snow melting in early spring—stunningly beautiful.
Ye Shiyu looked at Gongzi and replied succinctly,
"...Handicrafts."
"Oh, Gongzi, I think the teacher for Handicrafts told them to buy materials on Tuesday, so they didn’t have class," chimed in Aijia, Gongzi’s close friend.
"Is that so... Ye, why don’t you join us for lunch? It seems like we all bring bentos to school anyway," Gongzi suggested with a smile.
"Yeah! Let’s see what kind of food you brought!"
Expressionless, Ye Shiyu glanced at them as she opened her lunchbox. After a brief moment of thought, she nodded and carried her bento over to their table.
Ever since Yan Huan visited on Monday, the girls in class had grown much friendlier toward Ye Shiyu. They often initiated conversations, greeted her warmly, and even smiled at her when passing by.
Perhaps Gongzi had spread the word about her sibling-like relationship with Yan Huan.
But Ye Shiyu didn’t dislike this newfound camaraderie.
Gongzi cheerfully opened her bento box, revealing a well-balanced and appetizing meal that made Aijia exclaim,
"Wow, Gongzi, your cooking skills are improving! That looks so delicious."
"Hehe, I learned a few tricks online recently."
When Ye Shiyu opened her lunchbox, it was as if golden light burst forth, revealing steaming dishes. Abalone, lobster meat, and an array of exquisite Dragon Empire cuisine filled the box.
Both Gongzi and Aijia were momentarily dazzled by the sight. Even more astonishing, they noticed that Ye Shiyu’s lunchbox had a built-in heating function, complete with her name engraved on it.
"Ye, the food from your house is way too fancy..." Gongzi remarked in awe.
“......”
Ye Shiyu blinked at them, unsure how to respond. Her silence made Gongzi and Aijia burst into laughter—they were beginning to understand that while Ye Shiyu wasn’t great at communicating, she wasn’t difficult to get along with.
"Alright then, let’s dig in!"
"Let’s eat!"
“......”
As Gongzi and Aijia pressed their hands together in a mock ritual, Ye Shiyu simply picked up her chopsticks and started eating.
The atmosphere warmed as they chatted over lunch.
"Hey, Gongzi, do you cook for your boyfriend too?"
"Sometimes," Gongzi replied after taking a bite, a hint of frustration in her tone.
"Owen eats a lot—one bento box isn’t enough for him. But making too much is inconvenient to carry, so I just tell him to eat in the cafeteria."
Aijia turned to Ye Shiyu with a grin and explained,
"Gongzi’s boyfriend is Owen, the head of our school’s track and field club. He’s super strong and athletic!"
Ye Shiyu showed no reaction, continuing to eat.
"And Gongzi’s also famous in our class for being a matchmaker! If you like someone, Ye, you can ask her to set you up. She’s got an amazing success rate!"
Hearing this, Ye Shiyu paused mid-bite and turned her gaze to Gongzi, who was stylishly dressed. Gongzi seemed a little flustered under the scrutiny.
Gongzi lightly bonked Aijia on the head with a playful fist.
"Success rate? You always chicken out at the last minute!"
Rubbing her head, Aijia quickly defended herself,
"My bad, my bad! I always change my mind right before confessing. I feel like I don’t like the guy as much as I thought. He’s just not how I imagined."
"Hmph. If you don’t even know your own preferences, any relationship you start will end in a breakup. Mark my words," Gongzi lectured.
Embarrassed, Aijia changed the subject, grinning at Ye Shiyu.
"So, Ye, do you have a type of guy you like?"
“......”
Ye Shiyu stared blankly at Aijia, who encouraged her warmly,
"Tell us! It’d be such a shame to go through high school without dating. Our school already has more girls than boys—good guys are in high demand!"
Gongzi joined in, resting her chin on her hands.
"Like me, I like sporty guys with a strong physique. If they have muscles, even better!"
"I, I like handsome guys!" Aijia interjected.
"Pfft, that’s not a type!"
A type of guy she liked?
Ye Shiyu’s gaze became unfocused, her chewing slowed. Yan Huan’s image inexplicably appeared in her mind.
But was it the "romantic" like they were talking about? Or was it simply a desire to dominate him, to... defile him?
Ye Shiyu thought carefully.
"I like..."
She stopped mid-sentence, unsure how to continue.
Gongzi leaned forward encouragingly.
"Older than you, or younger?"
"Younger." Ye Shiyu’s response was firm.
"Someone who takes care of you, or someone who clings to you?"
I don’t need to be taken care of. I want to take care of him, like I do with my dolls.
Similarly, he should belong to me, like a doll, always by my side.
But... hasn’t Yan Huan always been the one taking care of me?
"I don’t know..." she replied finally.
"Shy or outgoing?"
"Outgoing!" Aijia blurted, earning a glare from Gongzi.
After a moment of thought, Ye Shiyu nodded.
"Outgoing... Someone who smiles at me a lot. I really like it when he smiles at me..."
Like Yan Huan.
Aijia gave Gongzi a triumphant look as if to say, "Told you so!"
But Gongzi’s smile became increasingly strained, and sweat began to form on her brow.
The more questions she asked, the clearer the picture became.
Don’t tell me... you like Yan Huan?!
If so, what’s the deal with your "sibling" relationship? Could it be... something scandalous?
Aijia, oblivious to the subtext, concluded enthusiastically,
"So, Ye, you like younger guys who are sunny and cute!"
“......”
Ye Shiyu tilted her head, puzzled.
Aijia clarified with a grin.
"You know, cheerful and adorable little brothers! They’re so lively!"
Stop! Aijia!
Gongzi inwardly screamed as Ye Shiyu nodded in agreement.
"You’re... you’re going along with it?!" Gongzi forced a strained smile.
"Well, Ye, you should visit the Year 1 section more often. And work on your communication skills."
"Communication skills?"
"Yeah," Aijia explained patiently.
"Right now, we have to say a lot just to get a short reply from you. Guys might find it too tiring to talk to you and give up."
Love is about connecting hearts, and hearts can’t express themselves without words. If you can’t communicate, even if you get together, you’ll fight all the time afterward.
So troublesome... Hypnosis would be much easier.
Ye Shiyu hesitated, then quickly shook her head.
No! I promised I wouldn’t use the Modifier on him again!
"Ye, if you like someone, be a bit proactive after getting to know them. Little brothers are meant to be tamed by their big sisters—they look so cute when they’re teased!"
Teased?
Ye Shiyu’s breathing quickened, and her face flushed slightly.
Gongzi sighed, glancing at Aijia, who was grinning mischievously.
"You’ve never been in a relationship, so where does all this advice come from?"
"Hey, experience is experience! I’ve watched plenty of romance dramas—I know everything!"
"Until it’s time to act, and you’re a clown," Gongzi retorted, turning to Ye Shiyu, who was lost in thought.
Ye Shiyu, don’t tell me you’re really considering following Aijia’s ridiculous advice...
Using that technique on President Yan Huan?
Gongzi opened her mouth but couldn’t bring herself to say anything. Instead, she looked away helplessly, turning her gaze toward the sports field outside.
On the field, the track and field club members were training diligently, seemingly preparing for an upcoming event. Leading the pack was a tall, muscular blonde boy—Gongzi’s boyfriend, Owen.
Her lips curled into a proud, affectionate smile as she rested her chin on her hand, watching him train.
Ah…
The club competition is just around the corner.
Afternoon, elective building, Handicrafts class.
A handsome young man yawned, leaning slightly against the workstation.
Since being ambushed by that peculiar Modifier at noon, Yan Huan had been preoccupied with figuring out the host’s identity and their motive.
Spencer seemed the most likely suspect. She fit the profile, had a plausible motive, and had just stormed off angrily after their earlier confrontation.
But if it was her, her Modifier would be ridiculously overpowered. Could one Modifier really have so many capabilities?
What about the others?
Ying Gong Tong and You Anlina had been on the same floor at the time, but neither had any reason to attack him. This kind of overwhelming sensory assault was clearly driven by someone with ill intent.
Could they have used the wrong Modifier by accident?
If not Spencer or Bai Yi, was there someone else in school who disliked him? If it were someone else, their Modifier would have a broad attack range, strong destructive power, and the ability to penetrate resistance…
Come to think of it, doesn’t that sound like an ADC?
"Take out the materials you prepared, pair up, and sit at the workstations. I’ll give instructions for today’s project," the teacher announced, snapping Yan Huan out of his thoughts.
Around him, the girls had already begun pairing up. Yan Huan scanned the room, noting the scarcity of boys. He had chosen this class only because he couldn’t get into his first choice.
The alternative had been cheerleading, which would require a group performance at the end of the term. Compared to that, Handicrafts seemed far less embarrassing—and it came with the added bonus of taking the class with Ye Shiyu.
Spotting her in the back of the classroom, Yan Huan noticed she was already looking at him.
"Shiyu," he called out with a smile as he carried his bag over to her.
When he reached her, he asked,
"Want to pair up with me?"
Ye Shiyu nodded slightly, agreeing without hesitation.
"Great! Let’s sit here. I’m terrible at this stuff—I only chose it because I missed out on other classes. With your help, this should be much easier."
"Mm..."
Ye Shiyu settled at the workstation with the sewing machine while Yan Huan sat beside her. She quietly turned her gaze toward him, finding him increasingly endearing.
Unaware of her attention, Yan Huan peeked into her bag, noticing the abundance of materials.
"Shiyu, are all these materials required for class? I don’t think I saw anything like this in the notice."
“......”
Ye Shiyu wanted to explain but hesitated, recalling Aijia’s earlier advice. Would speaking up make her seem troublesome?
After a moment’s pause, she pulled out her phone and began typing quickly.
"Shiyu?" Yan Huan looked at her curiously, wondering why she hadn’t responded.
When she raised her phone, Yan Huan’s nerves spiked. Not again?!
Memories of her hypnotic antics flooded back. But as he glanced at the screen, he realized it was just the Notes app.
The text read:
"This is my materials kit. It includes what the teacher required, plus extras for making clothes."
Yan Huan relaxed, his gaze shifting to Ye Shiyu’s partially hidden face behind the phone, her dark eyes blinking at him.
She’s… kind of cute.
He didn’t want to admit it, but he couldn’t deny it.
"Got it," he said with a smile. "But why type it out instead of just saying it?"
Ye Shiyu lowered the phone and typed another quick message. Then she raised it again:
"Typing lets me say what I want clearly. This makes it easier to talk to you."
"Hmm..." Yan Huan thought for a moment before smiling.
"Typing might be more efficient, but this isn’t like you, is it?"
Ye Shiyu shook her head.
"Then don’t force yourself to change. I’ve never had trouble talking with you before, and I wouldn’t want you to feel like you need to change for me."
Mainly because each time she raises that phone, I’m terrified it’s the hypnosis app.
"......"
Ye Shiyu opened her mouth slightly but said nothing. She averted her eyes, hiding behind her phone screen. Yan Huan could see her lips press together briefly before she whispered in a soft, pleasant voice,
"Mm..."
Her earlobes, nestled amidst her dark hair, flushed a delicate pink, reminiscent of sweet cherry mochi.
Yan Huan looked away, focusing on the teacher.
"Looks like we’re making small fabric pouches today, Shiyu."
"Mm… It’s simple."
"Really? Then teach me."
"Okay."
Ye Shiyu turned to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, but when her fingers brushed her earlobe, she felt the heat and quickly let her hair fall back to cover it.
Yan Huan began unpacking his materials but realized he had forgotten to bring scissors. He had meant to use his regular ones but must have left them at home after cutting packages.
"Shiyu, I forgot my scissors. Can I borrow yours?"
This was partly a test.
Ye Shiyu blinked and readily handed over her scissors, her name inscribed on the handle.
"Sure."
Hmm? Her possessiveness seems to have lessened. That’s progress, right?
"Thanks, Shiyu." Yan Huan accepted the scissors, pulling out thread and materials to get started.
Ye Shiyu watched him silently, but before long, a girl nearby tried to tap her on the shoulder.
Before the girl’s hand could make contact, Ye Shiyu turned her head sharply, her dark eyes flashing with a chilling intensity.
The girl flinched, startled by Ye Shiyu’s piercing gaze. She hesitated but finally mustered the courage to point at Yan Huan’s scissors, clearly asking to borrow them.
“......”
Ye Shiyu remained motionless, her cold stare unrelenting. The girl quickly backed off with a nervous laugh, deciding to borrow scissors from someone else instead.
Unaware of this, Yan Huan looked up from his materials.
"Shiyu, do you think this is enough to work with?"
Ye Shiyu turned back to him, her intimidating aura fading into her usual dazed expression. She glanced at the materials and nodded.
"Yes, this is fine."
"Shall we start, then?"
"Mm… I’ll do it..."
"That’s too much trouble for you. Let’s work on it together."
"...Okay, Xiao Huan."