Last night, the window had been left open. The morning breeze rustled the curtains, gently rousing the boy on the bed.
Bleary-eyed, he stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, his body heavy and tingling with numbness.
The sensation brought back unpleasant memories from the night before, making him rub his temples in resignation.
"Awoo~"
From the warm blankets, a round, warm black furball struggled free, shaking itself at the edge of the bed before stretching luxuriously, claws digging into the sheets as it arched its back and yawned wide.
Yan Huan propped himself up slightly, grabbing his fully charged phone from the nightstand—it was already past nine.
He sighed after checking the time and flopped back down, burying his face deep into the pillow.
Last night, he'd fallen asleep thinking about how to deal with Ye Shiyu's Modifier, only to be plagued by nightmares.
He dreamed of standing on the edge of a cliff, his body moving uncontrollably step by step toward the brink. The torment of knowing the danger yet being powerless to stop it felt like torture, culminating in the shattering impact of the fall.
No doubt about it—facing Ye Shiyu's Modifier last night had left him restless even in sleep.If I really stayed here long-term, not only would I have to face Bai Yi's No Concern at school, but I'd also be subjected to Ye Shiyu's hypnosis at home. It really feels like my life would be over.
No way, I've got to get out of here. Yan Huan buried her face in the pillow, her head heavy as lead, thinking exactly that.
The good thing was, driven by a sense of crisis yesterday, he had managed to avoid agreeing to stay outright. The bad thing was, he still had to spend the weekend here at the very least.
Otherwise, if he suddenly left without reason, Ye Lan might just be puzzled, but Ye Shiyu would likely notice something amiss and suspect Yan Huan knew about last night's hypnosis. So, he had no choice but to tough it out.
"Ah..."
A muffled sigh escaped from the pillow.
Even on weekends, he usually woke up early and went for a morning jog, but today that was out of the question. He decided to give himself a day off.
"Meow~"
Miao Jiang nuzzled up to him, prompting Yan Huan to reach out and rub its head. A thought occurred to him, and he asked, "Miao Jiang, you don't need to eat, right?"
"No need, meow."
"What a shame. You'll never get to taste delicious cat treats or canned food."
Isn't it more that you're the one who can't feed me treats and canned food, so you feel sorry for yourself?
Miao Jiang had already seen through everything but still recited dutifully,
"But if you really insist on feeding me, I could eat just a little."
"Fine, what a greedy little cat."
"..."
Yan Huan sat up, ignoring Miao Jiang's growls and attempts to pounce and bite him, and headed to the bathroom to wash up.
By the time he finished and went downstairs, the morning-lit living room below was already occupied by Ye Lan and Chen Yi.
"Xiao Huan, you're up? Did you sleep well last night?"
Ye Lan sat at the dining table in a white chiffon house dress, the bright morning light casting a hazy outline of her slender figure through the fabric.
Backlit by the streaming sunlight, she crossed her legs, her toes barely keeping her dangling slippers from falling.
Yan Huan masked the nightmare from last night with a flawless smile. "Slept great, no issues at all."
If not for the Modifier's restrictions, he would've already exposed Ye Shiyu for her reckless hypnosis—a crime unforgivable.
"That's good. Come have breakfast. Your sister's still asleep. She's a little lazybones, always loves sleeping in."
Ye Lan's voice remained gentle. Despite being mother and daughter, the two couldn't be more different.
One was an angel, the other a demon.
Chen Yi served a traditional Dragon Country breakfast—steamed buns, soy milk, and a plate of hard-boiled eggs.
Ye Lan only took one egg, unsurprisingly accompanied by a glass of banana-flavored milk.
Noticing Yan Huan was still wearing the white dress shirt from his school uniform, Ye Lan smiled as she peeled the egg.
"I completely forgot to buy you some clothes on the way back yesterday. Let's go shopping today, okay? I heard there's a big aquarium nearby, right next to a famous shopping center. We'll head out soon!"
"Sure thing, Auntie Ye."
Ye Lan gazed fondly at the boy as he sat down, noticing the slight dampness at his temples from just washing up.
His hair was still a bit messy, clearly not properly styled.
With a face like Yan Huan's, he'd look good no matter what, so it wasn't off-putting. But if he paid more attention to these things, he could probably make girls swoon over him.
Ah, boys will be boys—never as meticulous as girls in these matters. I'll have to teach him properly later.
"Here, have an egg."
With that thought, she handed him an egg, leaving a bit of shell at the bottom for easier handling.
"Thanks, Auntie."Taking the egg, Ye Lan, whose cheeks were still puffed up from eating half of it, peeled another one and handed it over.
Yan Huan blinked and looked up at her, his expression making Ye Lan cover her mouth with a light chuckle. She quickly said,
"Sweetie, eat slowly. Finish this one first before having the next, okay?"
Ye Lan set the peeled egg aside and picked up a tissue, about to reach toward Yan Huan's face as if to wipe something off.
Just then, faint footsteps sounded from the staircase behind them. Without turning around, Yan Huan seemed to have some sort of "spider-sense" telling him who was coming down.
So, he quickly reached out and grabbed the tissue Ye Lan was offering first. "Thanks, Auntie, I can do it myself."
With that, he took the tissue and wiped his mouth.
Ye Lan blinked, then burst into laughter.
She pulled out another tissue. This time, with Yan Huan holding the half-eaten egg in his left hand and still wiping his mouth with his right, she gently dabbed at his temples. "You didn't even wipe your face properly. Trying to be a little messy kitten?"
Apparently, Yan Huan—the failed Spider-Man—had no defense against Ye Lan's moves.
Seriously, anyone would assume the tissue was for wiping his mouth. Who knew there'd be a second round? Yan Huan widened his eyes in surprise. Unfortunately, Ye Shiyu, now dressed in a black gown, had already appeared behind them.
Her emotionless gaze felt like invisible blades, making Yan Huan break out in a cold sweat.
Hypnosis Queen, please stop staring at me. I beg you.
"Good morning, Shiyu-jie," he forced out, suppressing his inner exasperation as he greeted her. Ye Lan quickly waved her over to join breakfast.
"You're up! Go grab your bowl and chopsticks from the kitchen."
"Mm."
Ye Shiyu nodded silently and headed to the kitchen to fetch her utensils—the black porcelain set that was uniquely hers.
Once she arrived, Ye Lan finally stopped feeding Yan Huan and turned her attention to Ye Shiyu instead.
This made Yan Huan feel like he and Ye Shiyu were two hungry chicks in a nest—well, except one of them could hypnotize the other.
But faintly, Yan Huan noticed Ye Shiyu's sidelong glances lingering on him.
It wasn't the look of an enemy, nor the look of a person… I'm behaving, please spare me.
Yan Huan buried himself in his meal, and breakfast passed in silence.
After eating, there was a long break. Ye Lan discussed their plans for the day with Ye Shiyu, who didn't object, so they each went to get ready.
Women always take longer than men to prepare before going out—starting with the most important step, makeup, then moving on to hairstyle, outfit, and shoes. Everything had to be considered.
For Yan Huan, brushing his teeth and washing his face in the morning already counted as being ready. If he showered, washed his hair, and dressed up, it was either for an important event or a date.
While the women were still upstairs, Yan Huan idly scrolled through group chats and took the chance to text his boss to ask for leave—something he'd forgotten to do last night because of the hypnosis incident.
"Tong-jie, can I take two more days off? Got stuff to do this weekend, not in the south district."
"Count it as skipping work, deduct 400."
"So cold. Aren't we the best of friends?"
He sent a "otter looking up" meme.
"Hah, you tell me?"
Just as Yan Huan was flipping off his phone's merciless chatbox, Ye Lan's voice came from the staircase.
"Xiao Huan, time to go~"
"Coming, Auntie!"Yan Huan rose from the sofa and looked up to see Ye Lan descending the stairs in a white pleated chiffon gown.
A touch of light makeup adorned her face, her hair styled into a princess bun, adorned with crystal-embedded hair accessories and earrings. If yesterday's Ye Lan in a cheongsam was a classical Eastern beauty, today she resembled a European royal princess.
The reason for her attire was obvious—behind her stood Ye Shiyu, similarly dressed in a black chiffon dress, carrying a small handbag.
This was a mother-daughter ensemble, a bond made visible.
Unlike the casual homewear Ye Shiyu had worn the day before, this dress featured intricate embroidery at the chest and a longer hemline.
Her jet-black hair was elegantly pinned up. Since her ears weren't pierced, she wore no earrings or similar adornments—yet a girl like her needed no embellishments to shine.
Youth was her best accessory. Simply standing there, she effortlessly drew lingering gazes.
Even after last night's ambush by this cold-hearted girl, Yan Huan couldn't deny this truth.
They truly looked like sisters.
Yan Huan had initially planned to compliment them as such, but he held back, realizing it might inadvertently provoke Ye Shiyu.
If he kept up high-intensity interactions in front of Ye Lan, risking Ye Shiyu's temper flaring, she might just storm over at night to hypnotize him into jumping off a building—leaving him trapped between a rock and a hard place.
Jump, and he'd be done for. Refuse, and she'd discover the Modifier was useless, leading to its hyper-evolution, nullifying his resistance—ultimately sealing his fate anyway.
Yan Huan decided to play it safe. Thus, today's Yan Huan was a low-EQ Yan Huan.
"Got it, Auntie," he blurted out bluntly.
Unexpectedly, just the sight of his face made Ye Lan chuckle. She playfully pinched his shoulder and teased, "If we buy anything later, Xiao Huan, you'll have to carry it for us~"
Stare—
Ye Shiyu's indifferent gaze locked onto him again. Yan Huan, already resigned like a dead man, muttered, "No problem."
"Xiao Huan is so well-behaved."
"..."
In the car, Yan Huan noticed Ye Lan often spoke to him in a tone reserved for children—something he realized when she handed him banana milk for the second time from the front seat. With the driver up front and Ye Lan in the passenger seat, Yan Huan was stuck sharing the back with the harbinger of doom, Ye Shiyu.
Sipping his banana milk, he unconsciously compared Ye Lan's tone when speaking to him versus when she spoke to Ye Shiyu.
Only then did it strike him—perhaps because they were mother and daughter, her words to Ye Shiyu lacked the same doting warmth. This disparity stirred an uneasy feeling in Yan Huan, prompting him to sneak another glance at Ye Shiyu beside him, who was also drinking banana milk.
Now, she was as still as a doll, but last night, Yan Huan had witnessed her vivid expressions—how she could pout adorably, just like Auntie Ye Lan. Lost in these thoughts, they soon arrived at their destination.
The aquarium Ye Lan mentioned was massive, easily capable of occupying them for hours.
Since it was the weekend, crowds had swelled by noon, with many school groups gathering for outings. The plaza in front of the aquarium was packed.
Seeing the throngs outside, Ye Lan remained silent, but the blazing sun made her frown.
"The sun's too harsh. Here, my darlings, put on some sunscreen before we go out."She took out the sunscreen from her bag, dabbed a bit onto her palm, then turned and extended her hand with a smile toward the two behind her.
"Shiyu first?"
Ye Shiyu recoiled slightly, shaking her head repeatedly.
But Ye Lan had already leaned in, her fair hand suddenly pressing against Shiyu's face and gently rubbing.
"Mmm~"
The cool sensation tingled against Ye Shiyu's skin. She closed her eyes, slightly furrowing her brows in discomfort, lips pressed together, yet her head swayed faintly along with Ye Lan's hands kneading her face like dough.
By the time the sunscreen was fully applied, a faint trace of distress still lingered on her face.
"Next, little—"
Seeing this, Yan Huan steeled himself and reached out to take the sunscreen from Ye Lan's hand. "I'll do it myself, Auntie. I'm the best at applying sunscreen!"
"Really now?"
"Absolutely."
Yan Huan squeezed out some sunscreen and, with great ceremony, dotted four spots on his face before rubbing them in vigorously. Finally, he spread his hands out triumphantly to show Ye Lan.
"Done."
"Pfft—you missed the hairline."
"..."
He was indeed skilled at applying sunscreen—that wasn't a lie.
In his past life, whenever he watched anime, there was always that one beach episode where characters inexplicably needed sunscreen applied. That's where he'd picked up his technique.
Now, it seemed book learning wasn't enough.
If only he'd paid more attention to the method back then instead of just staring at the blindingly fair, delicate skin.
Having reflected internally and finished applying the sunscreen, they got out of the car at the aquarium entrance.
Ye Lan stepped out behind them with a parasol. Since tickets had been arranged in advance, all they needed was to queue for entry.
"Auntie Ye, the line's over here."
Yan Huan quickly spotted the ticket checkpoint.
Ye Shiyu stood beside Ye Lan, holding the parasol, about to lead her over when Ye Lan's phone suddenly rang from her bag.
Ye Lan pulled out her phone, glanced at the caller ID, and sighed apologetically at Yan Huan. "Xiao Huan, wait a moment. Auntie needs to take this call—it might take a while. You and your sister wait here, okay?"
"No problem."
Yan Huan blinked, then turned back to watch as she gave an apologetic smile and gestured behind her.
Seemingly aware that Ye Lan's work matters couldn't be discussed here, Ye Shiyu dutifully handed the parasol to her mother, watching as she walked toward a quieter spot to take the call.
Amid the bustling crowd, the strikingly handsome young man and beautiful young woman standing apart from each other stood out conspicuously.
Ye Shiyu remained rooted in place, unmoving, while Yan Huan naturally stepped forward and suggested, "Shiyu-jie, let's move somewhere else? It's too sunny here, and we're blocking the way."
"...Okay."
Ye Shiyu nodded, then scanned the surroundings before pointing at the souvenir shop next to the ticket booth.
The shop was quite large, filled with cultural and creative merchandise and aquarium-themed souvenirs, along with drinks.
She said, "Over there."
"OK."
Yan Huan took the lead, and Ye Shiyu followed silently behind him until they reached the shop entrance.
At the doorway, Yan Huan surveyed their surroundings while Ye Shiyu resumed her role as a motionless doll, staring blankly at the queue ahead.She was strikingly beautiful, but her unwavering gaze made passersby feel uneasy, causing them to avert their eyes and eventually steer clear of her altogether.
After a short while, it was as if an invisible force field had formed around her, repelling the crowd of tourists. Only Yan Huan remained by her side, though even he seemed slightly uncomfortable.
"Shiyu-jie, do you want something to drink?"
To break the awkward silence, Yan Huan glanced at the nearby drink stall, his interest piqued.
Meanwhile, Ye Shiyu scanned the spacious souvenir shop, her eyes lingering on something that caught her attention. "I want to go inside and look around," she said.
So, are you drinking or not? Yan Huan sighed inwardly but replied, "Alright, Shiyu-jie, you go ahead. I'll get the drinks."
"Mm."
She turned and walked into the souvenir shop.
Watching her retreating figure, Yan Huan headed to the drink stall. He skimmed the menu and ordered,
"Two Lemon Blue Elixirs and one Big Banana Sweetie—what kind of ridiculous names are these?"
"Got it! We'll have them ready for you in a jiffy~"
"Welcome!"
Soft music played in the shop as customers browsed the shelves of souvenirs. The staff greeted each visitor with practiced smiles.
Ye Shiyu stood before a display, her eyes methodically scanning the merchandise.
Whale figurines, dolphin plushies, shark dolls… Hmm, these were the aquarium's star attractions. For most people, thoughts of the ocean were inseparable from these creatures—no wonder they were bestsellers.
But Ye Shiyu only gave them a cursory glance before moving on.
Not interested? Then what about the sea turtle tic-tac-toe set or the manta ray puzzle? These were niche but equally adorable mascots with their own devoted fans!
Yet Ye Shiyu silently shifted her gaze again and walked forward.
The shelves near the entrance always carried the most popular items, but none had managed to hold her attention. The staff member by the door noticed and withdrew her expectant look.
Just another casual browser, it seemed.
That was the impression Ye Shiyu left in others' minds.
"Welcome!"
As the staff greeted another wave of customers, Ye Shiyu continued her quiet inspection of the shop's offerings—until, in a secluded corner, she finally spotted the item that had initially drawn her in.
It was an azure-blue jellyfish keychain, its delicate tentacles designed to hold multiple keys. Exquisitely crafted with a crystalline texture, it hung alone at the edge of the shelf.
Without hesitation, like an explorer uncovering a hidden treasure, her eyes brightened slightly, as if the jellyfish had ensnared her entire focus.
Immediately, she reached out, eager to claim it.
But at that exact moment, another pale hand stretched toward the same keychain.
Each grasped one side, freezing the jellyfish in place just as it was about to leave the shelf.
Startled, Ye Shiyu turned her head, finally noticing the other shopper she had overlooked in her concentration.
Standing there was a girl around her age, equally taken aback.
The first thing that caught Ye Shiyu's eye was the girl's thick, slightly curled, naturally golden hair—followed by the breathtaking beauty of her face, now mere inches away.Her features were more defined than Ye Shiyu's, with strikingly clear blue pupils that shimmered, clearly indicating a different ethnicity from Ye Shiyu.
Compared to Ye Shiyu's delicate beauty, the golden-haired woman before her had a more striking and assertive appearance.
She was about the same height as Ye Shiyu, dressed in a sporty black short-sleeved T-shirt, with a black baseball cap bearing some signature on her head.
Her figure was more curvaceous, her muscles firmer—clearly someone who exercised often.
When she noticed someone else grabbing the keychain, her brows lifted slightly, and as her pink lips parted, a particularly prominent canine tooth peeked out.
Like a little golden-haired lioness, the girl spoke, her tone noticeably higher-pitched than most. "Huh?"
"..."
Ye Shiyu remained unmoved, her grip on the keychain unwavering.
The golden-haired girl did the same, showing no intention of letting go.
This identical choice silently fueled the tension between them. After a brief silence, the golden-haired girl clicked her tongue lightly.
She glanced at the price tag on the keychain, then tilted her head and said to Ye Shiyu, "I really like this one, so it's mine. Pick something else at the same price, and I'll pay for it. Deal?"
The temptation of getting a free souvenir might have diffused the conflict—but unfortunately, the seemingly generous offer had no effect on Ye Shiyu.
Ye Shiyu stared at her without moving, as if oblivious to the irritation in the other's words. Her tone didn't sound like she was speaking to someone she was competing with—in fact, it didn't even sound like she was speaking to a person at all.
She said softly,
"No."
"Hah?"
The golden-haired girl's expression darkened instantly. She sneered and said,
"Interesting... What if I insist on taking it today?"
Her grip tightened gradually, turning Ye Shiyu's fingers white from the pressure—proof of her considerable strength.
Ye Shiyu remained expressionless. As if sensing the shift in the other's mood, the phone in her hand eerily lit up on its own—yet her tone remained unchanged.
"I said, no."