Chapter 7: A Golden-Haired Lion |
Since the window was left open last night, the curtains fluttered slightly in the morning breeze, awakening the young man on the bed.
Opening his eyes blearily to stare at the unfamiliar ceiling, Yan Huan felt heavily weighed down, his entire body tingling with numbness.
This sensation evoked his unpleasant memories from the night before, prompting him to rub his temples in resignation.
"Awoo!"
From the warm bedding, a hot little black furball struggled out. It shook its body at the edge of the bed, then dug its claws into the sheets, lowering its front and raising its rear as it opened its feline mouth wide for a deep stretch.
Yan Huan propped himself up slightly and grabbed his fully charged mobile phone from the bedside table, discovering it was already past nine o''clock.
After checking the time, he sighed, lay back down, and buried his head deeply into the pillow.
Last night, he had fallen asleep pondering how to deal with Ye Shiyu''s Modifier, which ultimately resulted in a nightmare.
He dreamed he was standing at the edge of a cliff, his body moving uncontrollably, step by step, toward the precipice...
There was no need to guess; facing Ye Shiyu''s Modifier head-on last night was the exact reason he could not get a peaceful night''s sleep.
If he truly stayed here long-term, he would not only have to face Bai Yi''s Indifference at school, but he would also be subjected to Ye Shiyu''s Hypnosis upon returning home...
Honestly, he felt like his life was completely doomed.
''No way, I need to escape.''
Yan Huan thought to himself, his head buried in the pillow and feeling as heavy as iron.
The good news was that, driven by a sense of crisis yesterday, he had tactfully maneuvered out of immediately agreeing to move in. The bad news was that he still had to survive here for the weekend.
Otherwise, if he left abruptly and inexplicably, Ye Lan might merely be confused, but Ye Shiyu would likely notice something amiss and suspect that Yan Huan knew about the Hypnosis incident from last night...
Therefore, he could only endure it for now.
"Sigh..."
A muffled sigh escaped from Yan Huan into the pillow.
Normally, he woke up early even on weekends and went for his morning exercise. Today, that was definitely out of the question, so he had to treat it as a day off...
"Meow~"
Myau-chan meowed and snuggled up against him, prompting Yan Huan to reach out and rub its head. Thinking of something, he asked,
"Myau-chan, you don''t need to eat anything either, right?"
"I don''t need to, meow."
"What a pity. You won''t be able to enjoy delicious cat treats and canned food."
''You''re obviously just disappointed because you can''t feed me cat treats and canned food, aren''t you?''
Myau-chan had seen through everything, immediately reading aloud in a flat, emotionless tone,
"However, if you absolutely insist on feeding me, I suppose I could eat a little bit."
"Alright then, what a greedy little cat."
"..."
Yan Huan sat up, ignoring Myau-chan, who was growling and trying to pounce and bite him, and got out of bed to wash up in the bathroom.
By the time he finished everything and headed downstairs, Ye Lan and Chen Yi were already waiting in the living room, illuminated by the bright morning sun.
"Little Huan, you''re awake? Did you sleep well last night?"
Ye Lan was sitting at the dining table in a white, gauze-like loungewear dress. The brilliant morning light painted a hazy silhouette of her slender figure through the translucent fabric.
With her back to the streaming rays of light, her legs were crossed, a slipper dangling precariously from her toes and bobbing up and down.
Yan Huan masked his nightmare from the previous night with a flawless smile. "I slept very well, there wasn''t anything I wasn''t used to."
If not for the restrictions regarding the Modifier, he would immediately report Ye Shiyu for her wicked behavior of haphazardly hypnotizing people, a crime unforgivable.
"That''s good. Hurry up and eat breakfast. Your Older Sister is still asleep. She''s a little lazybones who usually loves to sleep in."
Ye Lan''s voice remained gentle. Even though they were mother and daughter, the contrast between them felt like night and day.
One was an angel, and the other was a devil.
Chen Yi brought out a breakfast filled with Dragon Country specialties—various pastries, soy milk, and a plate of boiled eggs.
Ye Lan took only a single egg, and unsurprisingly, a glass of Banana Milk sat by her hand.
Noticing that Yan Huan was still wearing the white dress shirt from yesterday''s school uniform, Ye Lan peeled her eggshell and chuckled.
"I completely forgot to buy a few clothes for our Little Huan on the way back yesterday. We''ll go out and buy some today. I heard there''s a huge Aquarium nearby next to a famous commercial center. We''ll head out in a bit!"
"Alright, Auntie Ye."
Ye Lan looked at the young man sitting before her with a beaming smile. Seeing the slight dampness at his temples, she knew he had just finished washing up.
His hair was still a bit messy, clearly unstyled.
Although a face like Yan Huan''s looked good no matter what and would never be off-putting, if he paid more attention to his grooming, he could probably charm girls to death.
''He''s a boy after all, so he naturally isn''t as meticulous about these things as girls are. I''ll just have to teach him step by step later...''
"Here, have an egg."
With that thought, Ye Lan handed Yan Huan an egg, deliberately leaving a bit of shell at the bottom so it would be easier to hold.
"Thank you, Auntie."
He took the egg, and just as he had eaten half of it—his cheeks still puffed out—Ye Lan peeled another one and handed it over.
Yan Huan blinked and looked up at her. His expression amused Ye Lan so much that she covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, hastily adding,
"Be a good boy, eat slowly. You can have this one when you''re done."
Ye Lan set the peeled egg down for now, picked up a tissue from the side, and reached toward Yan Huan''s face, seemingly intending to wipe something for him.
Right at that moment, the faint sound of footsteps came from the staircase behind them. Without even turning around, Yan Huan knew exactly who was coming down, as if his Spider-Sense were tingling.
Consequently, Yan Huan quickly reached out and snatched the tissue from Ye Lan''s hand before she could get closer. "Thank you, Auntie, I''ll do it myself."
With that said, he took the tissue and wiped his mouth.
Ye Lan blinked, then burst into a soft laugh.
She pulled out another piece of paper. This time, since Yan Huan was holding the half-eaten egg in his left hand and wiping his mouth with his right, she gently dabbed at his damp temples herself.
"You didn''t even dry your face properly. Are you trying to be a Little Messy Cat?"
It seemed that Yan ''Failure of a Man'' Huan''s Spider-Sense was completely ineffective against Ye Lan.
''Come on, anyone would assume the tissue was for wiping my mouth. Who could have predicted there was a second phase to her attack?!''
Yan Huan''s eyes widened. Unfortunately, Ye Shiyu, now changed into a long black dress, had already materialized right behind him.
Her emotionless gaze felt like an invisible blade, causing cold sweat to nearly drip down Yan Huan''s back.
''Oh great Hypnosis master, please stop staring at me, I beg you.''
"Good morning, Sister Shiyu."
Pushing past his internal speechlessness, he greeted Ye Shiyu. Ye Lan also hurriedly waved her over for breakfast.
"You''re awake! Go grab some bowls and chopsticks from the kitchen and have breakfast."
"Mhm."
Ye Shiyu nodded and silently went to the kitchen to fetch her bowl and chopsticks—a black porcelain set that belonged exclusively to her.
Only after she arrived did Ye Lan finally stop her feeding frenzy on Yan Huan, shifting her attention to feeding Ye Shiyu instead.
This made Yan Huan feel as though he and Ye Shiyu were two fledglings chirping for food in a bird''s nest. Well... except one of these fledglings could use Hypnosis on the other.
However, faintly but surely, Yan Huan sensed Ye Shiyu''s peripheral vision constantly drifting in his direction.
It didn''t feel like she was looking at an enemy, nor did it feel like she was looking at a person...
''I''ve learned my lesson, please spare me.''
Yan Huan buried his head and focused on eating, letting the meal pass in complete silence.
There was a long period of rest after breakfast. Ye Lan explained the itinerary to Ye Shiyu, and since she didn''t refuse, they both went to get ready.
Women always required more preparation time before going out than men did. From the most crucial facial makeup to their hairstyle, clothing, and shoes, absolutely everything had to be carefully considered.
For Yan Huan, brushing his teeth and washing his face in the morning meant he was fully ready to go. If he actually showered, washed his hair, and styled his clothes, it meant he was either attending a formal event or going on a date.
While they were both upstairs, Yan Huan killed some time chatting in his groups, then used his mobile phone to text his boss for a leave of absence, which he had forgotten to do last night due to the minor Hypnosis interlude.
"Sister Tong, let me take another two days off. Something came up this weekend, I''m not in the South Ward."
"I''ll mark you as absent without leave and dock four hundred from your pay."
"So heartless. Weren''t we the absolute best of friends?"
He sent an "Otter Looking Up" emoji.
"Heh, what do you think?"
Just as Yan Huan was flipping the bird at the ruthlessly cold chat window on his screen, Ye Lan''s voice echoed from the staircase.
"Little Huan, get ready to head out~"
"Coming, Auntie."
Yan Huan stood up from the sofa and looked over. Ye Lan was walking down the stairs, adorned in a white, pleated chiffon maxi dress.
She wore light makeup, her hair styled into a princess braid, complemented by crystal-inlaid hair accessories and earrings...
If the Ye Lan wearing a qipao yesterday was a classic oriental beauty, then today, she was a European royal princess.
The reason she dressed this way was clearly because Ye Shiyu, trailing right behind her, was wearing a matching black chiffon dress and carrying a tiny handbag.
These were Mother-Daughter Outfits, representing their Bond.
Unlike the loungewear Ye Shiyu wore yesterday, this dress featured intricate patterns on the chest and had a slightly longer hemline.
Her long black hair was pinned up high. Since her ears weren''t pierced, she lacked earrings and similar ornaments, but a girl like her never needed accessories to enhance her beauty anyway.
Blessed with the prime of youth, merely standing there was enough to make anyone''s gaze linger.
Even though this cold-hearted girl had ambushed him last night, Yan Huan couldn''t deny this undeniable truth.
''They really look like a pair of sisters.''
Yan Huan had originally planned to compliment them like this, but considering it might be a remark that would step on Ye Shiyu''s tail, he immediately scrapped the idea.
If these intense interactions in front of Ye Lan caused Ye Shiyu to get Overheated, leading her to storm over tonight and use her Hypnosis to make him jump off a building, he would truly be Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place.
Jumping meant instant death. Not jumping meant she would discover her Modifier was useless, which would trigger the Modifier to hyper-evolve, rendering his resistance void... ultimately resulting in his death anyway.
Yan Huan decided to hold his tongue.
Therefore, today''s Yan Huan was a Yan Huan with Low Emotional Intelligence.
"Alrighty, Auntie."
He replied in a dense, clueless manner. Unexpectedly, merely seeing his face was enough to amuse Ye Lan. She pinched his shoulder playfully and teased,
"If we buy anything later, Little Huan will have to help carry it for both of us~"
Stare—
Ye Shiyu''s dehumanizing gaze shot over once again. Yan Huan, feeling like a dead man walking, gave up all resistance.
"No problem..."
"What a good boy, Little Huan."
"..."
Sitting in the car, Yan Huan realized that Ye Lan loved talking to him as if she were coaxing a small child—a fact he deduced when the front-seat-bound Ye Lan fed him Banana Milk for the second time. With the driver navigating upfront, Ye Lan sat in the passenger seat, leaving Yan Huan stuck in the back with that God of Plague, Ye Shiyu.
Sipping on his Banana Milk, he unconsciously compared the tone Ye Lan used with him to the one she used with Ye Shiyu.
Upon comparison, he noticed that perhaps due to their mother-daughter dynamic, she was noticeably less doting when speaking to Ye Shiyu.
This perceived differential treatment stirred another ominous feeling in Yan Huan''s heart, prompting him to sneak a glance at Ye Shiyu beside him, who was also sipping on Banana Milk.
At this moment, she was as quiet as a Collectible Doll. Yet, Yan Huan had clearly witnessed her vibrant side last night—she could even pout adorably, just like Auntie Ye...
Lost in these random thoughts, they quickly arrived at their destination.
The Aquarium Ye Lan had mentioned covered a massive area, suggesting they could easily spend hours inside.
Furthermore, since it was a weekend and approaching noon, the place was packed. Numerous student groups were organized for Team Building, cramming the plaza in front of the Aquarium with people.
Looking at the gathered crowd outside, Ye Lan remained silent, but a troubled expression crossed her face when she noticed the glaring midday sun.
"The sun is too strong. Come on, you two darlings need to apply some sunscreen before heading out."
She pulled sunscreen from her bag, squeezed a dab onto her palm, then turned around with an outstretched hand, smiling brightly at the two in the back.
"Shiyu first?"
Ye Shiyu shrank back in resistance, shaking her head incessantly.
But Ye Lan had already leaned in, her fair hands immediately cupping her daughter''s face and gently rubbing the lotion in.
"Ugh~"
The icy-cool sensation startled Ye Shiyu. She squeezed her eyes shut, furrowing her brow and pursing her lips in sheer discomfort, while her head wobbled gently along with Ye Lan''s hands, as if dough being kneaded.
By the time the application was complete, a lingering trace of bitter grievance remained on her face.
"Next up, Little..."
Witnessing this, Yan Huan reached out and snatched the sunscreen from Ye Lan''s hands with the determination of a martyr, declaring,
"I''ll do it myself, Auntie! I am an absolute expert at applying sunscreen!"
"Oh, really?"
"One hundred percent."
Yan Huan squeezed out the lotion, Acting in Earnest as he dotted it on four spots of his face before giving it a rigorous rub. Finally, he threw his hands wide with a "Ta-da!" to present his work to Ye Lan.
"All done."
"Pfft... You still have some clumped at your hairline."
"..."
He genuinely was good at applying sunscreen; that wasn''t a lie.
In his previous life, whenever he watched anime, there was always a mandatory Swimsuit Episode where, inexplicably, someone needed help applying sunscreen. That was where he had gained all his experience.
Judging by the current results, What is Learned on Paper is Ultimately Shallow.
If he had known better, he would have paid more attention to the actual technique instead of just staring at the expansive stretches of Delicate Skin.
With his mental self-reflection complete and the sunscreen fully applied, they stepped out of the car at the entrance of the Aquarium.
Ye Lan followed behind them with a sun umbrella. Since she had already asked someone to buy tickets in advance, they only needed to queue up for ticket inspection.
"Auntie Ye, the queue is over here."
Yan Huan quickly located the ticket inspection area.
Ye Shiyu was standing beside Ye Lan, holding the sun umbrella. Just as she was about to guide her over, the mobile phone inside Ye Lan''s bag suddenly rang.
Ye Lan pulled out her phone, glanced at the caller ID, and gave Yan Huan a helpless look.
"Little Huan, hold on a second. Auntie has to take this call regarding a matter, which might take some time. Can you and your Older Sister wait here for a bit?"
"No problem."
Yan Huan blinked and turned around, watching her offer an apologetic smile before pointing behind her.
Seemingly aware that Ye Lan couldn''t discuss work matters amidst the crowd, Ye Shiyu sensibly handed the sun umbrella back to her mother and watched her walk off toward a quieter spot in the distance to take the call.
Amidst the bustling crowd, the incredibly handsome boy and the beautiful girl standing motionless—yet keeping a distinct distance from each other—were particularly conspicuous.
While Ye Shiyu stood rooted to the spot, Yan Huan casually strolled over and suggested:
"Sister Shiyu, should we wait somewhere else? It''s pretty sunny here, and we''re blocking the middle of the path."
"...Alright."
Ye Shiyu nodded, scanned the surroundings, and pointed at the Souvenir Shop next to the ticket counter.
The shop was quite large, displaying numerous cultural products, Aquarium merchandise, and even selling beverages.
She muttered, "Over there."
"OK."
Yan Huan took the lead, with Ye Shiyu silently tailing behind him until they reached the entrance of the store.
Upon arriving at the door, Yan Huan observed the surroundings, while Ye Shiyu resumed playing the role of a doll, staring motionlessly at the queueing crowd before her.
She was exceptionally beautiful, but her completely deadpan gaze made the passing pedestrians incredibly uncomfortable, causing them to avert their eyes and eventually steer clear of her altogether.
Within moments, it was as if an invisible force field had formed around her, repelling every tourist away. Only Yan Huan remained standing beside her, though he didn''t feel entirely comfortable either.
"Sister Shiyu, do you want anything to drink?"
To break the awkward silence, Yan Huan shot a longing glance toward the beverage counter next to them, feeling somewhat tempted.
However, Ye Shiyu turned her head and scanned the spacious Souvenir Shop. Seemingly spotting something of interest, she said,
"...I want to look inside."
''So are you getting a drink or not?!''
Speechless, Yan Huan could only reply, "Then you go take a look around, Sister Shiyu. I''ll buy the drinks."
"Mhm."
She turned and walked into the Souvenir Shop.
Watching her retreating back, Yan Huan headed to the adjacent drink stand. He glanced up at the menu and muttered,
"Two Lemoney Blue Extracts and one Big Banana Sweetie... what on earth are these names?"
"Got it! We''ll make those right away for you~"
"Welcome!"
Inside the store, soothing music played softly. Many people were browsing the souvenirs lining the shelves, and the clerks flashed professional smiles to welcome every customer.
Ye Shiyu stood before a shelf, her gaze sweeping over the merchandise one by one.
Whale models, dolphin plushies, shark dolls...
Yes, these were the absolute stars of the Aquarium. Whenever most people thought of the ocean, these creatures came to mind, making them incredibly popular bestsellers!
Yet Ye Shiyu merely spared them a glance before looking away.
''Not interested?''
''What about... the sea turtle Gobang set or the manta ray puzzle?''
These were a bit more niche, but they were still extremely adorable themed items that many people adored!
Ye Shiyu silently averted her gaze again and continued walking.
The shelves near the store''s entrance always displayed the most commercially appealing items. Since none of them managed to catch Ye Shiyu''s eye, the clerk at the entrance withdrew her attention.
''Looks like she''s just a tourist window-shopping to pass the time.''
This was the label Ye Shiyu received in the minds of others.
"Welcome!"
Listening to the clerk welcoming another batch of tourists at the entrance, Ye Shiyu silently scrutinized the surrounding goods until, in a secluded corner, she finally spotted the item that had piqued her interest earlier.
It was an azure jellyfish keychain. Multiple keys could be hung beneath its tentacles. The craftsmanship was exquisite, possessing a crystal-like texture as it hung solitarily at the very edge of the shelf.
Without hesitation, like an explorer unearthing a priceless treasure, Ye Shiyu''s eyes lit up slightly, her entire focus utterly captured by that jellyfish.
Immediately, she reached out eagerly, wanting to take it down and buy it.
But right at that moment, standing beside her and reaching out at the exact same split-second, another fair hand also clamped onto the jellyfish keychain.
With each grabbing one side, the jellyfish, which was just about to leave the shelf, froze in mid-air.
Having already grasped the keychain, Ye Shiyu froze briefly, then turned her head, finally noticing the other tourist she had completely missed due to her intense focus.
Standing there was a girl of the same age, who appeared equally taken aback for a moment.
The first thing that caught the eye was a thick, slightly curly mane of natural blonde hair, followed closely by a striking face mere inches away.
Her facial features were more pronounced and sculpted than Ye Shiyu''s, and her pupils were a radiant, crystal-clear blue, indicating an entirely different ethnicity.
Thus, compared to Ye Shiyu''s refined, delicate beauty, the blonde girl before her boasted a more dashing and aggressive appearance.
She was roughly the same height as Ye Shiyu, wearing a breezy, black athletic T-shirt and a black baseball cap adorned with a distinct signature.
Her curves were much more pronounced, and her muscles were firm and toned, evidencing regular exercise.
Upon realizing that someone else was also gripping the keychain, she raised her eyebrows slightly. As her pink lips parted, a particularly prominent canine tooth peeked out.
Looking remarkably like a fierce little golden-haired lion, the girl spoke up, her voice pitched noticeably higher than an average person''s.
"Hm?"
"..."
Ye Shiyu remained entirely unfazed, maintaining her firm grip on the keychain.
The blonde girl did the same, showing absolutely no intention of letting go.
Their identical stubbornness invisibly infused the air with the smell of gunpowder. After a moment of silence, the blonde girl let out a soft "Tch."
She glanced at the keychain''s price tag, tilted her chin up at Ye Shiyu, and declared,
"I really like this one, so it''s mine now. You can pick out anything else for the same price, and I''ll foot the bill. Do we have a deal?"
The temptation of scoring a free souvenir would usually defuse any conflict over an item, but unfortunately, this seemingly generous proposal was completely ineffective against Ye Shiyu.
Ye Shiyu stared at her motionlessly, seemingly entirely oblivious to the displeasure in the other girl''s words. When she finally spoke, her tone didn''t resemble someone bickering over an object at all...
Of course, it didn''t sound like she was speaking to a human being, either.
She whispered softly,
"No."
"Hah?"
Hearing this, the blonde girl''s expression instantly darkened. She let out a cold laugh and retorted,
"Interesting... And what if I absolutely insist on having this today?"
The grip of her hand steadily intensified, causing Ye Shiyu''s fingers holding the keychain to gradually turn white, showcasing her immense physical strength.
Ye Shiyu remained utterly expressionless. As if sensing the fluctuation in her emotions, the mobile phone held in her hand suddenly and eerily lit up on its own...
Yet her tone remained exactly the same.
"I said, no."
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