"Uh… President, there’s a red mark under your collar?"
The smile on Yan Huan’s face stiffened slightly. He glanced down and caught a glimpse of the faint red mark peeking from the edge of his collar.
Sure enough, it was the result of Ye Shiyu’s bite.
Thankfully, she had bitten him through his clothes, leaving no obvious teeth marks—just two faint, curved imprints.
In his corrected memory, this mark was simply an accidental bruise, with a complete memory to explain exactly how he "bumped into something."
"......"
After quickly assessing the situation, Yan Huan took a second to think. There was only one logical move: follow the corrected memory.
He tugged at his collar slightly, revealing the upper part of the mark, and smiled at Ying Gong Tong.
"Must have bumped into something."
Hiss…
Why did this feel exactly like a cheating husband making excuses to a suspicious wife?
Yan Huan smiled helplessly.
But there was no romance in this situation—only the chilling memory of Ye Shiyu’s unsettling, almost terminally ill-like obsession.
"Bumped into something?"
Ying Gong Tong’s gaze flickered as she observed the mark, momentarily hesitating before looking back at it in disbelief.
That mark…
Was he seriously trying to pass that off as an accident?
She stole another glance at it.
No matter how she looked at it, the mark was glaringly suspicious.
Somewhere in the depths of her mind, a vivid, imaginary scene began to form—
A faceless woman, standing on her toes to reach the President’s shoulder.
Lips curling into a victorious smirk, she cast a taunting glance back at Ying Gong Tong before leaning in—
Buzz!
Why the hell am I imagining this?!
Ying Gong Tong snapped out of it, shaking off the mental image.
Forcing a smile, she responded, "I see…"
"Yeah… I’ve been working out lately, so I keep bumping into things," Yan Huan added, rubbing his temple.
Lying to Ying Gong Gong didn’t feel great, but it was a necessary precaution.
Getting her involved in the Modifier mess would only make things worse.
Keep things normal. That’s the best course of action.
With that thought, he pulled his collar back into place.
Feeling a bit drained, Yan Huan massaged his temples and glanced at the neatly handled documents on the desk, smiling slightly.
But in doing so, he unwittingly positioned himself under the sunlight streaming through the office’s large windows.
At that moment, Ying Gong Tong clearly saw something reflect off his collar—
A faint, dried stain.
"?!"
Just as she had started to calm down, her heart lurched again.
Had her imagination not been wrong?
If that red mark wasn’t from bumping into something, then…
For a split second, Ying Gong Tong’s vision blurred.
Was… Was President Yan actually that kind of person?
Her face paled.
But looking at his perfectly natural expression, she quickly dismissed the thought.
Stay calm…
Meanwhile, Yan Huan sensed that lingering any longer would only increase the risk of exposing a flaw.
So he stretched his shoulder, stood up, and smiled at Ying Gong Tong.
"Since there’s nothing urgent, I’ll go rest for a bit. I’ll finalize the Club Competition plans tonight and send them to the group chat."
"A-Ah… Alright."
Ying Gong Tong forced a smile, standing up as well.
"Take care, President."
"Mm, see you."
Yan Huan waved and exited the office.
Click.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Ying Gong Tong clenched her fists, her eyes turning red.
She quickly pulled out her laptop.
Moments ago, she had debated using her Barrier Modifier to rewrite the President’s understanding and get to the bottom of this.
But rationality won out—exposing her abilities was a last resort.
Especially now that Spencer had been openly displaying superhuman abilities.
The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.
Until the situation was fully under her control, staying in the shadows was the safest strategy.
And besides—
Was Spencer really the only other one with supernatural abilities?
Were there others?
A chilling glint flashed in Ying Gong Tong’s crimson-tinted eyes.
She opened her laptop and began reviewing the Student Council’s surveillance footage, meticulously tracing Yan Huan’s timeline.
After class, he had left the classroom and briefly glanced toward Class C’s entrance.
Looking for someone?
Right.
An Le.
His childhood friend, An Le, was in Class C.
Failing to find her there, he had gone downstairs—likely heading for lunch.
Ah.
In the hallway, he had run into An Le.
Ying Gong Tong’s expression darkened as she followed the footage, her fingers gliding over the mouse.
It was as if her eyes had transcended time, sinking their teeth into Yan Huan’s every move.
He took An Le to the shopping district for lunch.
They seemed to be having a great time.
The President even knocked her lightly on the head—like an older brother teasing a little sister.
"......"
Ying Gong Tong pouted, absentmindedly touching her own head.
But then—
She saw An Le reach out and grab Yan Huan’s wrist.
Both of them froze.
Her grip on the mouse tightened, her teeth clenched.
Was it An Le?!
That quiet, timid-looking girl?
She seemed so reserved—but deep down, she was just as shameless as her oversized chest, sneaking around and stealing?!
Unforgivable.
At that moment, Ying Gong Tong mentally added An Le to her "Enemies to Be Watched" list.
But just as she was fuming over An Le’s audacity, another figure appeared on the screen.
A tall, icy-looking girl.
Ye Shiyu.
Ying Gong Tong’s expression shifted.
An ominous feeling crept up her spine.
Think logically.
With An Le’s height—similar to her own—how the hell could Yan Huan have ended up with a neck mark unless he was lying down?
And not to mention…
Ying Gong Tong had already envisioned every possible position in her late-night fantasies.
Ye Shiyu, on the other hand—
That tall, elegant woman from the Dragon Empire…
She could definitely pull it off.
A strong suspicion took root.
She continued watching the footage.
Sure enough—
An Le left in the middle of lunch, leaving only Yan Huan and Ye Shiyu together.
The two wandered for a while, then—
Ying Gong Tong’s pupils shrank.
She clicked her mouse, freezing the footage on a single frame.
Yan Huan had turned his head toward a small television screen on the street.
Her brows furrowed.
She rewound and played the footage again.
Before looking at the screen, he had been smiling.
After looking at it, his expression completely changed—blank, emotionless.
But Ye Shiyu hadn’t said anything.
What the hell happened?
Ying Gong Tong zoomed in on the television.
It was playing a standard "Angry Piggies" commercial.
Completely ordinary.
To most people, it wouldn’t have seemed like anything was wrong.
But Ying Gong Tong wasn’t most people.
She had been monitoring Yan Huan for ages.
She knew his habits, his reactions—inside and out.
And she could feel that something had changed in that moment.
Before watching the screen, he had been leading Ye Shiyu through the shopping district.
After watching it, she had started guiding him.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the very edge of the district…
Ying Gong Tong’s eyes sharpened.
She tried switching camera feeds to follow them.
But—
"!!"
The footage jumped straight to Yan Huan’s workplace.
There were no more cameras in between.
That area… had no surveillance.
And yet, Ye Shiyu had led a blank-faced Yan Huan there.
There was no need to guess what had happened.
They weren’t playing "Angry Piggies."
Cold sweat formed on Ying Gong Tong’s forehead.
She clenched her thumb between her teeth.
She rewound the footage again, analyzing every detail.
And then—
A horrifying realization struck her.
Ye Shiyu…
She was the same as her.
The same as Spencer.
She had abilities.
And that meant—
Ye Shiyu hadn’t come to be Yan Huan’s "sister."
She had come to claim him.
Alright, alright…
Feeling the weight of the situation, Ying Gong Tong’s expression turned completely cold. She instinctively rubbed her middle finger.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the folder labeled "Key Surveillance Targets."
Her eyes flicked over Bai Yi’s folder—she had just added some documents from their conversation earlier.
That idol… she was after the President too, wasn’t she?
At this moment, Ying Gong Tong felt like she was besieged on all sides.
"......"
But instead of fear, a chilling smirk curved her lips.
She immediately opened Ye Shiyu’s folder.
Dragging in all the footage she had just compiled, she began furiously typing notes, analyzing every frame in meticulous detail.
"Just you wait, Ye Shiyu… You dare do this to the President? Once I deal with Spencer, you’re next."
In the darkness, Ying Gong Tong’s piercing gaze took in everything.
Tuesday Afternoon – A Luxurious Hall in Jinghe District, Linmen
"Achoo!"
Spencer sneezed, rubbing her nose. She muttered to herself,
"Don’t tell me Santa Claus is cursing me again?"
Then, she remembered what An Le had told her earlier—Santa Claus isn’t real.
Suspicious, Spencer side-eyed An Le, as if deeply pondering the mystery of Santa’s existence.
"Welcome! Please wait a moment while we prepare your VIP lounge. Here are today’s personal set menus—please take a look and let us know your choices."
A stunningly beautiful waitress handed a white menu to Spencer and An Le, smiling.
"And just a reminder—the final bill includes a 15% service charge."
Behind Spencer and An Le stood three somewhat nervous students.
From left to right:
Jiang Yun, a senior with a few acne spots on her face.
Tatsuya Sakawa, a chubby boy.
Nino, a skinny white student with braces.
An Le barely had time to open the menu before she immediately slammed it shut, her face going pale at the absurd prices.
Forcing a smile, she turned to Spencer and whispered,
"Uh… Spencer, maybe we should eat somewhere else?"
"Hah?"
Spencer shot her an annoyed glance, about to argue—
But seeing An Le’s strained expression, she hesitated.
Instead, she turned her gaze to the three students behind them.
They looked just as uneasy.
It was clear that, given their financial situations, none of them had ever dined in a place like this before.
"......"
Swallowing her initial words, Spencer thought for a moment.
Then, without hesitation, she snatched the menu from An Le’s hands.
"Alright, let’s go somewhere else. You guys pick."
"I-I’ll check nearby…"
An Le quickly pulled out her phone.
Meanwhile, Tatsuya Sakawa wiped the sweat off his forehead and raised his hand.
"I know a place… There’s a Burger Queen nearby. Good portions, decent prices…"
An Le looked to Spencer for approval.
Without a second thought, Spencer tossed the menu back to the waitress.
"Sounds good. Where is it?"
"Outside, a bit of a walk."
Spencer immediately started walking.
An Le, still feeling guilty, turned back to apologize to the waitress—
But the woman’s professional smile didn’t waver in the slightest.
She even waved goodbye.
Exiting the Golden Lion restaurant, the group walked along the streets of Jinghe District.
Not long after, they arrived at a bustling Burger Queen.
Once they were seated and had scanned the QR codes to place their orders, the students finally put down their phones.
All eyes turned toward Spencer, who was still staring at the menu, contemplating her burger choices.
"Hmm… What’s this one? Let’s try it…"
Jiang Yun, adjusting her glasses, took the initiative to speak.
"So, Spencer… you’re inviting us to join your club?"
Spencer glanced at her and nodded bluntly.
"Yeah. We still need two more people."
"Not need—anyone can join! But we need at least four to register!"
Knowing Spencer’s habit of speaking without a filter, An Le quickly took over the conversation, explaining,
"Because of my situation with Piao Shuwen, Spencer can’t join an existing club. So, on Y—on President Yan’s suggestion, we decided to start a new one."
Jiang Yun remained skeptical, casting a wary glance at Spencer.
As outsiders at Yuanyue, unpopular students like them had always kept their distance from the school’s wealthy elites.
And this morning, Spencer had seemed especially… violent.
"Hmm… This Shrimp Fish Burger looks amazing! You guys want one?"
Jiang Yun blinked.
She had been carefully analyzing Spencer—only for the girl to suddenly get distracted by a burger.
"......"
For a moment, Jiang Yun hesitated.
Somehow… Spencer felt different from the usual rich kids.
"Starting a club is difficult, but for Spencer, it shouldn’t be a problem. If you actually manage to create one, I’ll join."
After thinking it over, Jiang Yun gave her answer.
Spencer grinned, turning to the remaining two.
"Alright, that makes three. What about you guys?"
Tatsuya Sakawa and Nino exchanged glances, then instinctively looked away.
A second passed before Tatsuya wiped his sweat again and spoke.
"O-Okay. We have to join some club, and honestly… no other clubs wanted us anyway. If you’re willing to take us…"
"I-I’m in too…" Nino stammered.
Spencer beamed.
She shot up from her seat, arms crossed, and declared loudly—
"Awesome! The Doujin Club is officially formed!!"
"We’re totally winning the Club Competition! Who’s with me?!"
"......"
Silence.
Jiang Yun, Tatsuya, and Nino froze.
Jiang Yun’s face twisted in disbelief.
"Wait… Spencer, did you just say… winning the Club Competition?"
"Yeah. I started this club to win it."
"……"
Jiang Yun turned to An Le, who hesitated before explaining,
"Um… So… Spencer is on the verge of expulsion. She has to win the competition to stay enrolled."
Jiang Yun’s expression turned rigid.
She looked at the ridiculously confident Spencer—who seemed to think victory was a given—then at An Le, who was forcing a smile.
A long silence followed.
Tatsuya wiped his sweat again.
"I’ll… go grab the food."
"M-Me too."
Nino quickly followed.
Leaving just the three girls at the table.
Jiang Yun hesitated, then spoke seriously.
"Spencer… we can join your club, but if you’re expecting us to help win the competition… we can’t."
"What do you mean?"
Jiang Yun had braced for an angry reaction, but Spencer only looked genuinely confused.
She blinked at her, waiting for an explanation.
Jiang Yun sighed.
"Even if we try our best, there’s no way we can beat the Track Club."
"Huh? Are they that strong?"
Spencer’s blank look made An Le cover her face.
"She doesn’t even know how the competition works…"
Jiang Yun sighed and began explaining.
"The competition starts with an Opening Ceremony Performance.
"Then comes the Free Battle Phase—a three-day event.
"The Student Council divides the school into various club territories.
"Clubs can challenge each other, competing for points. Winners gain points, losers lose them.
"Every match’s event is chosen randomly from a pre-approved list.
"Some matches favor specific clubs, but the majority are physical challenges. That’s why athletic clubs always dominate the competition."
As she continued, An Le sighed as well.
"This year, the Track Club is the strongest it’s ever been. Their president, Owen, has won multiple championships…"
Spencer still looked utterly unfazed.
Jiang Yun, on the other hand, was serious.
"Our club lacks skill, numbers, and physical ability.
"If we enter the competition, we’ll be swarmed by other clubs trying to steal our points.
"Most likely, we’ll be eliminated on the first day."
She sighed.
"Spencer… if winning is the only way to stop your expulsion…
"You should start preparing to leave."
Silence fell over the table.
An Le’s face went pale.
Spencer, blinking, finally realized—
She was just as surrounded as the others.