When you were a child, how did your parents react if you lost something? If it wasn't important, maybe they'd scold you for being careless and remind you to be more careful next time. But if it was something crucial—like house keys or a bank card—you'd probably get a spanking or a double scolding from both parents.
Of course, every family is different. This was just Yan Huan's impression.
In any case, no one would turn the car around and return to the shopping center just because of a lost keychain—let alone do so without a single word of reproach to help the child find the missing item.
Yet, that was exactly what Ye Lan did.
After hearing Ye Shiyu's request, she had the driver turn around and take them back to the shopping center where they had eaten earlier.
The moment the car stopped, Ye Shiyu got out, even forgetting the coat she had taken off earlier because of the heater.
Yan Huan glanced at the coat, silently picked it up, and followed her out.After getting out of the car, Ye Lan exchanged a few words with the driver. It seemed the driver wanted to help search, but Ye Lan insisted they leave first.
After some back-and-forth, the car eventually drove away.
Though the shopping mall at eight or nine in the early spring evening was still brightly lit, an inevitable chill lingered in the air.
Wrapped in her coat and wearing high heels, Ye Lan gave Yan Huan, who was walking ahead, a helpless smile and said,
"Let's go. Could you help Shiyu look for it? She'll probably retrace today's route while trying to remember."
Retracing today's route... Yan Huan blinked and glanced at Ye Shiyu, who was walking far ahead.
She stood at the edge of the shopping mall, staring at the darkened aquarium in the distance, now blending into the night, lost in thought.
"Shiyu-jie."
Hearing Yan Huan's voice, she turned expressionlessly and saw Yan Huan holding out a coat. "It's getting cold. Put this on."
Her gaze fell on Yan Huan's hand, which was gripping the coat right where the name tag was attached.
"Thank you."
After a slight pause, she took the coat but didn't put it on.
Yan Huan didn't press further, simply standing beside her and analyzing earnestly, "Shiyu-jie, do you remember when you last opened your bag? Was it at the aquarium or the mall?"
"I haven't opened it since buying the keychain earlier today."
"Huh?"
Yan Huan raised an eyebrow, looking at Ye Shiyu, whose tone was firm after some thought.
"Could the bag have a hole?"
Ye Shiyu inspected her handbag and shook her head. "No."
Then that's strange—some kind of supernatural event?
Yan Huan had indeed seen her put the keychain with the name tag into the bag this morning. Or maybe she had opened it herself at some point and forgotten? "The aquarium's already closed. I'll retrace the path to the mall."
Ye Shiyu's expression turned colder as she took the coat and walked away without another word.
Yan Huan and Ye Lan had no choice but to follow, retracing their steps from their midday visit to the mall.
"Dear visitors, the shopping mall will close in twenty minutes. Except for the cinema area, all other visitors are requested to leave promptly."
"At that time, please use the 7A elevator located near the seventh-floor cinema to reach the first floor or underground parking. All other elevators will be shut down."
The announcement echoed through the seven-story mall as the lights gradually dimmed, and the sounds of shop shutters closing filled the air.
Descending the escalator from the second floor, Yan Huan spotted Ye Lan sitting on a bench on the first floor, having taken off her high heels to massage her ankles.
Her long skirt spread out like petals, and exhaustion lingered in her eyes.
Noticing Yan Huan, she looked up with a smile and asked,
"Well, Xiao Huan, any luck?"
Yan Huan shook her head. "We've searched everywhere, even checked the lost and found. The staff haven't seen it either. We split up to look but still couldn't find it."
"Hmm, that's really odd..."
Ye Lan pouted, moving her high heels aside and patting the seat next to her. "You must be tired. Sit and rest for a bit. Sorry for the trouble, Xiao Huan—dragging you around to help us look for something when you were just here to have fun."
"Not at all. Besides, we already had our fun earlier... Auntie."Yan Huan walked over and sat down beside Ye Lan, watching as she hugged her knees and massaged her calves and feet.
Her ankles were flushed red—after all, she had been walking in high heels all day. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had to come looking for her by now. She sat there, resting.
Yan Huan let out a sigh, watching as the shopping mall around them gradually quieted down, his eyes flickering slightly.
Beside him, Ye Lan gazed at his profile, resting her chin in her hand, and suddenly asked, "Xiao Huan, don't you think this is a bit too much?"
"Too much?"
Yan Huan snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Ye Lan, whose smile remained unchanged. "Running back just to search for a tiny keychain for an hour—doesn't that sound a little silly?"
"It's fine."
Yan Huan blinked and said, "I thought Auntie would send a bunch of subordinates over, have the aquarium reopened if it was closed, and then mobilize a whole crowd to help Shiyu-jie look for it."
Ye Lan covered her mouth, finding it utterly amusing.
"That's way too exaggerated!"
"Exaggerated? That's how it's always written in those novels."
Yan Huan smiled faintly, then put on a cold, domineering CEO expression. He pointed a finger and commanded, "If you can't find her thing, I'll have you all buried with her!"
"Ahahaha!"
Ye Lan burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as her feet dangled playfully in the air. "Very stylish! You really should go into acting, Xiao Huan~"
Yan Huan simply smiled at her. Then, she reached out and lightly rapped his head, chiding him.
"But it's just a keychain. How could we waste so much manpower on it?"
Yan Huan rubbed his head, dodging Ye Lan's feather-light punches.
"Hence why it's just a novel trope. But Auntie, you're not that different from those CEOs in novels who make millions an hour. Spending time looking for a cheap keychain—isn't that the same in essence?"
Ye Lan's smile deepened. She reached out to ruffle his hair but didn't mess it up. "Shiyu rarely loses things. If no one moved it, she wouldn't normally overlook it. Though it seems troublesome, this kind of thing hasn't happened often. And you've probably noticed—aside from dolls, her favorite things are jellyfish."
"Yeah, but we checked the surveillance footage earlier. No strangers approached her bag along the way."
"Right, that's why it's so strange this time... Maybe she really did drop it in the aquarium? Still, I couldn't possibly trouble others over this."
Ye Lan patted his head, smiling warmly. "The thing she lost is important—it's something she cherished, something with her name on it. I know that once she's attached her name to something, buying a replacement isn't the same. But that's only for her and me."
"To others, it's just a cheap keychain."
"I'm willing to come back and help her look because I'm her mother. What's special to her is special to me, and that kind of special can't be measured by money. Besides, it's not like I had anything else planned tonight."
"How could I demand others to rush over on a weekend night for something like this, just because it's special to me? So, I actually feel bad for dragging you out so late, Xiao Huan."
Yan Huan didn't mind much. Going home later meant avoiding Ye Shiyu's surprise hypnosis attacks, anyway.
But the air around them seemed to grow warmer—perhaps because of Ye Lan's smile just then.
"No wonder Uncle Liu offered to come down and help earlier, but Auntie refused.""Yes, originally she only needed to drop us off at home before clocking out. Since it's time to rest, she should just rest properly. So let's take a taxi home later~"
It was the weekend, so the driver was technically working overtime—though she only needed to drive Ye Lan here in the morning and pick her up in the evening. She didn't have to be on standby all day to earn a full day's overtime pay. For some reason, hearing Ye Lan say this made Yan Huan's eyes sting a little.
Perhaps it was because, in his past life, he had died from overwork. Hearing a boss who wouldn't assign tasks after normal working hours gave him an inexplicable sense of regret—like they should have met sooner.
"Auntie, if the opportunity arises, I'd love to work under you someday."
Overcome with emotion, Yan Huan suddenly spoke with utmost sincerity.
If you'll have me, I'd gladly serve under you as my leader?
"Ahahaha~"
Ye Lan was once again amused by Yan Huan's earnest expression. She affectionately ruffled his hair and said, "Well, given how capable you are, it shouldn't be hard. But don't regret it later~ Because aside from being lenient about working hours, I can be quite... hehe, in other aspects."
"..."
Seeing the faintly sinister smile that suddenly crept onto Ye Lan's face, Yan Huan wondered if he'd spoken too soon.
But he was only a first-year high schooler—far from the age where he needed to make career choices. It was fine to daydream about future paths, like a child declaring, "Grandma, Grandpa, I want to be an astronaut when I grow up!"
Just as Ye Lan was playfully tousling Yan Huan's hair, Ye Shiyu descended the escalator with an impassive expression, her face visibly darkened.
The outcome was obvious—she still hadn't found it.
Noticing this, Yan Huan stood up and offered,
"Shiyu-jie, should I go up and look again?"
Ye Shiyu glanced at him, then shifted her gaze slightly toward Ye Lan, who was massaging her feet.
Her mother had been walking in heels all day, and he had already followed her on multiple searches.
Besides, it was just a keychain. Even if she really liked it, losing it or giving it away wouldn't... At this thought, her brows furrowed slightly. She didn't understand why such an idea had suddenly popped into her head.
The thought was fleeting, barely a whisper in her mind—yet it was strange, because she had always treasured every single one of her belongings.
In the past, Ye Shiyu had given up searching for lost items out of consideration for her mother, not wanting to trouble her. But never once had she felt her attachment to those cherished things wane. On the contrary, losing them only made her regret it more... And because of that intrusive thought just now, she now felt a surge of nausea, her expression turning icy with suppressed fury.
The phone in her hand suddenly lit up—this time, with an eerie, deep purple glow.
Yan Huan raised an eyebrow.
Was she... angry?
Just over a lost keychain? But why was the Modifier glowing too? Who could you possibly hypnotize over something like this?
Seeing her grim expression, Ye Lan slipped her heels back on, fastened the straps, and stood up. "The mall's closing in twenty minutes. How about Huan and I help you look one last time?"
Hearing her mother's gentle voice, the coldness on Ye Shiyu's face softened slightly. Then, she shook her head.
"Forget it, Mom. Let's just go home.""Then Mom will buy you another one tomorrow."
"No need, let's go."
Ye Shiyu shook her head and prepared to leave, while Ye Lan helplessly glanced at Yan Huan beside her, muttering in confusion,
"Your sister's temper is worse than usual today. Even when she couldn't find something before, she wouldn't get this angry."
Yan Huan, however, kept staring at her retreating figure, lost in thought.
Ending an otherwise pleasant day on such a note was rather unfortunate. Even the atmosphere in the taxi grew heavier in silence.
Back home, Ye Lan and Ye Shiyu went upstairs to rest, while Chen Yi stayed in the laundry room on the first floor, preparing to wash the clothes the driver had brought back earlier.
Noticing this, Yan Huan grew a little curious.
Ye Shiyu had already labeled them with name tags—how would they be washed? After observing for a while, he realized Chen Yi would first remove those tags.
Seeing his interest, Chen Yi explained,
"These name tags are just temporary. She'll sew the names on herself later with needle and thread. Shiyu is very skilled at needlework—back then, the young lady hired a master tailor to teach her."
As she sorted Ye Shiyu's clothes, preparing to wash them separately, Chen Yi added, "Even the outfits on the dolls in Shiyu's room were all made by her. Oh, Xiao Huan, you haven't seen them yet, have you? Tomorrow, ask Shiyu to show you."
"Sure, if there's a chance."
Yan Huan smiled and gave a perfunctory reply, though he doubted Ye Shiyu would agree.
Earlier, she had refused to wear the shawl again just because he had touched it, and among the clothes handed to Chen Yi for washing, the one she hated others touching wasn't there.
At least, that was how she treated outsiders like him. But with Chen Yi and Ye Lan, it was completely different.
Chen Yi could wash her clothes, and the shawl Ye Lan had been wearing earlier also belonged to Ye Shiyu. Lost in these thoughts, Yan Huan prepared to return to his room.
"Xiao Huan, there's milk in the kitchen. Don't forget to take some upstairs."
"Got it, thanks, Chen Yi."
With the milk in hand, Yan Huan went up to his room on the second floor.
Turning on the light, he found a black cat sitting primly on the sofa.
"Meow~"
"Miao Jiang."
"You're back. How was today?"
After setting the milk down, Yan Huan collapsed onto the sofa with exhaustion, causing it to shake—though Miao Jiang, being quite plump, remained unfazed.
"Same as usual, I guess."
Turning his head, he saw Miao Jiang had jumped onto him, peering at him questioningly. "Did something happen?"
"Well, how should I put it—"
Just as he was about to say something, Yan Huan's expression suddenly changed.
He quickly went to the door and locked it.
Click.
Only after doing so did he relax slightly, returning to flop back onto the sofa.
Sipping his milk, he looked at the tilting head of the black cat before him and asked,
"Miao Jiang, what's the connection between dolls and jellyfish?"
"Is this a riddle?"
"It's about Ye Shiyu. Those are the two things she, the Modifier's host, loves most. One is dolls, and the other is jellyfish. Is there some link between them?"
Miao Jiang tilted its head further. "Is there?"
"Are you asking me or am I asking you?"
"But human preferences are complicated, aren't they? The things they like don't necessarily have to be connected."Yan Huan downed the milk in one gulp and sighed, "She's not normal—her love for dolls and jellyfish clearly exceeds ordinary affection. There must be some reason behind it. Plus, today felt weird too, like there was something supernatural going on."
Ye Shiyu's item had suddenly gone missing. Ye Lan had mentioned that she was usually very careful with her belongings and rarely lost things. Even after retracing her steps multiple times, Ye Shiyu couldn't recall opening her bag.
Yet, the jellyfish keychain had inexplicably vanished.
Though it might still be lying somewhere in the aquarium, something just didn't feel right.
That day, Ye Shiyu's beloved dolls and jellyfish.
The mysteriously missing jellyfish keychain and her inexplicable irritation.
The two pairs seemed as unrelated as basketball and chickens.
At first glance, they had nothing in common, but if you tried to connect them, you could vaguely make out the silhouette of someone in overalls. That was the feeling, at least.
Just then, Yan Huan suddenly thought of something. He picked up his phone and snapped a photo of Miao Jiang beside him.
"Click."
The adorable Miao Jiang appeared on camera. Yan Huan opened Plane and sent the photo to Vice President Sakuramiya, whose profile picture was a white cat.
He attached a "This is today's friendship fee" sticker, then typed, "Vice President Sakuramiya, do you have a moment? There's something I'd like to ask you."
The vice president adored cats and was quite knowledgeable about them, so asking her usually yielded useful insights.
After a few minutes, the status changed to "typing," and then Yan Huan's screen went black—an incoming call.
He put on his Bluetooth earpiece and answered with a smile. "Cute, isn't she? The cat."
"Yes, very cute. Is she from the president's household?" The woman's voice on the other end was smooth and melodious, like silk.
"No, she's a stray I picked up recently. I've been taking care of her. I call her Miao Jiang." Beside him, Miao Jiang let out a big yawn.
"I see..."
Sakuramiya Hitomi didn't comment on Yan Huan's naming skills and instead guessed his real question. "Does the president want advice on raising cats?"
"Ah, not exactly..." Yan Huan chuckled but still asked, "I wanted to ask—why do you like cats, Sakuramiya?"
"..."
Silence.
"Vice President Sakuramiya?"
"Because they're cute."
Just as Yan Huan was about to press further, Hitomi answered abruptly, catching him off guard.
"Hmm..."
Cats were cute, sure—but were jellyfish cute? Well, maybe, but it didn't feel like the right answer. The illusory silhouette in overalls faded from view, as if telling Yan Huan that this wasn't the connection between basketball and chickens.
"Is there anything else?"
"President, are you asking what qualities I admire in cats, beyond their appearance?"
Exactly—could it be related to some trait jellyfish shared? "Yeah, what qualities do you like about cats?"
"Well... because they're independent yet know when to be affectionate. Strong yet fragile, like children—individuals who still rely on their parents. Other than being cute, that's the only reason."
Vice President Sakuramiya sighed and explained,"But, President, everyone has their own reasons for liking something.
"Perhaps it's because that thing possesses qualities they yearn for or lack, or maybe it resembles them in some way, or makes them feel safe and at ease... and so on.
"So, there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's eyes. Rather than saying people like the thing itself, it's more accurate to say they like the reflection of themselves within that object."
Listening to Vice President Sakuramiya's pleasant voice, Yan Huan suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
Qualities they lack... His mind involuntarily recalled Ye Shiyu's breathtaking profile as she watched the jellyfish earlier that day.
She had been staring blankly at the fluorescent jellyfish in the tank, watching them propel themselves through the water with rhythmic pulses.
Movement—that vibrant, lively movement.
Her dark eyes reflected the glowing jellyfish in the tank, shimmering like teardrops... Ah, seems like I've revealed too much.
"Thank you so much, Sakuramiya."
Yan Huan abruptly sat up and spoke into the Bluetooth earpiece.
Though it was just a guess, it at least gave him some direction.
Of course, that was something to act on tomorrow.
Hearing Yan Huan's gratitude, the voice on the other end of the call fell silent.
Then, Sakuramiya Hitomi ventured another guess,
"President, I get the feeling that what you really wanted to ask wasn't why I like cats, was it?"
"I've remembered it now, Sakuramiya."
Yan Huan mimicked her habit of responding instantly.
"Huh?"
"I've remembered why you like cats." Sakuramiya Hitomi sighed helplessly,
"Well, never mind. It probably has something to do with your family matters anyway. I shouldn't comment. Get some rest, President. I'm glad I could help."
"You too. Goodnight."
"Mhm."
The call ended. Removing his Bluetooth earpiece, he glanced at the door.
Hmm, no knock.
Seems like it's a peaceful night after all?
That shouldn't be the case. Yan Huan had expected her to come vent her frustration about losing something on him tonight.
But she didn't?
No complaints here—who wants to be hypnotized anyway?
Yan Huan shook his head, stood up, stretched, and prepared to wash up and sleep.
Meanwhile, outside on the stairs, Ye Shiyu—now in pajamas—was coming upstairs with her phone and a glass of milk.
Reaching the second floor, she glanced in the direction of Yan Huan's room.
"..."
She hesitated briefly, but after a moment of silence, she turned and headed to the third floor.
She had other things to attend to tonight.