Chapter 9: Beep Beep, Ye Shiyu Level 1 Alert!

Restricted Fantasy Invasion

"Darlings, I made you wait so long, I apologize. It was a matter concerning work, and since it was a call from the Dragon Country, I had no choice but to answer it."

After another ten minutes of waiting, Ye Lan finally finished her call and hurried to the ticket gate with an apologetic smile.

"It is alright, Auntie. Older Sister and I browsed the gift shop for a while and bought a few things along the way."

Seeing her approach, Yan Huan stood up and handed her another freshly bought large sweet banana drink.

"Oh, banana flavor! How wonderful. Thank you, little Huan."

Ye Lan accepted the drink with a warm smile. Discovering that it was without ice and only lightly sweetened, the smile on her face deepened.

Behind him, Ye Shiyu, who was also sipping on a large sweet banana drink, let her beautiful eyes linger on Yan Huan''s back. She glanced at the identical beverage in her own hand, seeming to understand something.

Following that, she took another look at Yan Huan''s smiling profile and the extra drink he held in his hand.

"..."

Her sipping slowed down slightly. Stepping up beside her mother, she silently took the Sun Umbrella from her hand.

They could finally have their tickets checked and enter.

"Dear visitors, welcome to the Hai Shang Lin Men Aquarium tourist attraction. Through professional marine ecosystem simulation, this facility showcases a rich variety of marine life to all our guests."

"Our facility houses and conserves over a thousand species and tens of thousands of individual marine creatures. We also engage in long-term cultural, economic, and academic exchanges with all sectors of society..."

Accompanied by the female voice introducing the venue, Yan Huan and the others slowly walked into the massive exhibition hall.

The exhibition hall extended downward, and the first thing that appeared before their eyes was an enormous Underwater Tunnel.

The seawater, separated by glass, was partially illuminated by distant lights that dyed the water azure and cast shimmering, rippling patterns onto the pedestrians inside the tunnel.

In the water above, massive schools of fish swam past, resembling shadowy clouds of various sizes drifting across a blue sky.

Sipping his drink, Yan Huan looked down at the path, stepping over the patches of light and shadow like a child playing hopscotch, entirely engrossed in a game of "must not step on them".

"How beautiful,"

Ye Lan remarked with a chuckle, stowing her Sun Umbrella and touching her cheek.

"Speaking of which, I remember a Movie I invested in was filmed right here."

Yan Huan turned his head, his face revealing his surprise. "A Movie? Does Ye International also handle entertainment-related content? I thought the business was entirely focused on..."

"Semiconductors and new energy?"

Yan Huan nodded. After all, Ye International was quite famous in Hai Shang Lin Men, known far and wide as the Dragon Country''s Semiconductor Giant and New Energy Leader.

In his past life, establishing a monopoly in either of those fields would have been extraordinary, yet the Ye family dominated both. Yan Huan was willing to crown them the absolute pinnacle of elite families in this parallel world.

The chips inside the high-end equipment bought by that tech otaku, Yabashi Ki, were all manufactured by Ye International. Whenever new products were released, he had to stay up late, use a VPN, calculate the time difference, and scramble to buy them on Dragon Country websites...

Nine out of ten electric cars speeding down the streets of Hai Shang Lin Men were powered by their batteries, and essential infrastructure like charging stations relied entirely on them for construction...

When he mentioned wanting to acknowledge her as a godmother yesterday, he was not joking. The beaming, beautiful woman standing before him was a genuine CEO. Whether she was domineering or not was another matter entirely.

Just clinging tightly to her coattails and crying out, "Mama, I do not want to work hard anymore," would lead to a life so wonderful that Yan Huan did not even dare to imagine it.

"It is like this: the company does not have any intention of entering the entertainment industry at the moment. That is why I specifically said that ''I'' invested in it,"

Ye Lan explained with a smile.

"I have personally invested in several interesting Media Companies. One of those companies came to Hai Shang Lin Men to shoot an art-house film called ''Love After Dusk'', and it even won a minor international award."

"That impressive?"

"Pfft, that had nothing to do with me. I simply provided the funding. Besides, the young girl who played the female lead back then was quite pretty. Her name was Bai..."

"Bai Yi?"

Before Ye Lan could finish her sentence, Yan Huan had already spoken the name instinctively.

Ye Shiyu, who was walking behind her mother, cast a glance at Yan Huan. Meanwhile, the interruption sparked Ye Lan''s memory of the name.

"Yes, I believe it was Bai Yi... Is she very famous in Hai Shang Lin Men?"

"Well, she is fairly well-known. It is just that her surname is quite rare, and she is a first-year student at our academy, so I am somewhat acquainted with her."

Especially after she entered her Indifference state during the exam yesterday and scribbled all over Zhou Bin''s face.

Ye Lan turned in surprise to look at Ye Shiyu beside her.

"Wow, Shiyu, you are going to be schoolmates with a celebrity."

However, Ye Shiyu merely nodded, showing a distinct lack of interest. Her response looked completely perfunctory.

Her eyes had long since been captivated by the marine life surrounding them.

Covering her mouth, Ye Lan chuckled softly and refrained from disturbing her daughter''s quiet enjoyment. She simply followed closely behind her, while Yan Huan also began taking in the beautiful aquatic scenery.

"Click!"

Yan Huan pulled out his Mobile Phone, snapped a picture of a shark gliding by outside the glass, and sent it to the Student Council management group chat.

Far Moon Academy Student Council Management Group (5)

Yan Huan: "Fish, such a big fish, a tiger-striped shark."

He attached an emoji of a cat shaking its head.

A moment later, someone finally popped up in the chat.

Sakuramiya Hitomi: "That should be a whitetip reef shark, not some tiger-striped shark. Tiger catsharks do not grow that large, President."

Yurianna: "The President went to the Aquarium to play! Why the sudden urge to go there?"

Yabashi Ki: "@Yurianna. The Aquarium is a Dating Hotspot! I bet he definitely went there with a girl."

Yabashi Ki: "[Smirk]"

Yurianna: "[Smirk]"

Ashley: "[Smirk]"

Ashley was the Disciplinary Committee Head of the Far Moon Academy Student Council. With her joining in, all five members of the management team were present.

Yan Huan: "[Smile]"

Yan Huan chose to break the formation.

Sakuramiya Hitomi: "[Smile]"

Vice President Sakuramiya was a copycat, completely oblivious to the hidden subtext of sending a simple smile emoji.

Yabashi Ki: "Vice President Sakuramiya, do not follow the President and ruin our combo!"

Yabashi Ki: "@Yan Huan. Confess immediately, did I guess correctly?!"

Yan Huan: "I am out with the Auntie who came to the academy to see me yesterday. She is an old friend of my parents."

Yabashi Ki: "Huh? Seriously?"

Sakuramiya Hitomi: "[Smile]"

Yan Huan gave a simple reply and locked his phone screen.

That guy Yabashi Ki had played so many dating sims that he could summarize every romantic trope in existence.

But it made sense. Unless they were accompanying someone, most guys wouldn''t go out of their way to visit a place like this on a weekend, right?

At that thought, he cast a sideways glance at Ye Shiyu standing near him.

She had already walked halfway through the Underwater Tunnel. In the middle of the spacious tunnel, which was wide enough to fit two lanes of traffic, numerous Aquarium Tanks were placed. They housed a variety of smaller marine creatures for visitors to admire.

There were Small Fish that required different water temperatures, but the vast majority were jellyfish of all shapes and sizes.

The tall and stunningly beautiful Ye Shiyu stood quietly before those Aquarium Tanks, her gaze intently focused on the jellyfish inside.

The tunnel itself was not particularly bright. The faint illumination provided by the tanks left the surroundings in shadows, which made the silhouettes of the glowing jellyfish stand out all the more clearly.

They looked like fluorescent lights illuminating the night sky, transforming into breathing stars that pulsed and danced with vigor...

That dancing starlight drifted down and settled into Ye Shiyu''s pitch-black eyes, creating a Living Galaxy.

This endless river of stars flowed continuously, and along with the girl''s striking profile, it struck Yan Huan''s line of sight across the tunnel, capturing his complete attention.

''She really loves jellyfish.''

Yan Huan thought to himself, yet he did not approach to interrupt her intense focus. Instead, he turned, intending to search for Ye Lan.

As soon as he turned his head, he saw Ye Lan holding up her Mobile Phone, pointing the camera right at him and speaking softly.

"Little Huan, Cheese."

"Aunt Ye?"

Yan Huan blinked in slight surprise, but Ye Lan had already lowered the phone with a smile, clicking her tongue in amazement as she admired the newly taken photo.

"Little Huan, with a shot like this, you could easily star in a Movie."

"Huh?"

Dumbfounded, Yan Huan walked over to Ye Lan''s side and looked at the photo displayed on her screen.

He had no idea what model of phone Ye Lan was using, but even under those lighting conditions, the focus didn''t seem too dark, and the image was incredibly crisp.

The rippling light from overhead fell perfectly across his profile, illuminating his features and making the subject of the composition remarkably distinct.

It perfectly captured the cinematic essence of an unimaginably handsome black-haired youth searching the crowd for a specific someone.

Yan Huan stared at the phone, then glanced at the beaming Ye Lan, and asked blankly,

"You definitely used a beauty Filter, right, Aunt Ye?"

Ye Lan immediately pouted in displeasure and lightly tapped him on the head.

"I just added a tiny Filter, alright? Do you not even know what you look like, you silly boy?"

Of course, he was merely joking.

Yan Huan didn''t have a habit of taking selfies, so he wasn''t particularly knowledgeable about such things.

It was just that a person who rarely took selfies or had their picture taken would inevitably find their own reflection in a camera lens somewhat unfamiliar.

Even if they looked in the mirror every day, they would likely still feel there were discrepancies between their reflection and the photograph.

"Just look, how handsome. It would be even better if you smiled. You look absolutely wonderful when you smile, little Huan... The next time I invest in a Movie, I must absolutely invite you to star in it."

Ye Lan saved the photo with immense satisfaction as she spoke.

Speaking of filming a Movie, before middle school, Yan Huan had actually come very close to joining an Entertainment Company in Hai Shang Lin Men to become a Child Star.

Back then, to crawl his way out of the Orphanage in the South Ward, he had tried everything, especially considering the orphanage''s surroundings were thick with the smell of smoke and drugs, and the nearby university seemed to host an STD Battle Royale on a daily basis...

Truly, shedding too many words on the matter would only lead to tears.

How did that song go again?

A Child Without a Mother is Like a Blade of Grass...

The past was unbearable to look back on. Watching Ye Lan stroke her chin as she contemplated photography angles, Yan Huan suddenly had an idea and said to her,

"Auntie, how about I take a picture of you and Older Sister Shiyu?"

"Oh? Great idea... Shiyu, come over here for a photo!" Hearing her voice, Ye Shiyu finally tore her gaze away from the jellyfish in the tank and turned her head to look over.

"Coming."

Ye Lan patted the spot beside her, gesturing for her daughter to approach, and then prepared to hand the phone to Yan Huan.

Halfway through handing it over, she abruptly pulled it back.

Yan Huan watched in confusion as she closed the default camera app, opened the photo function of a Photo Editing App, casually tweaked a few settings, and finally handed it to him.

"We must use the beauty filter."

"..."

Truthfully, Yan Huan felt it was entirely unnecessary, but he humored Ye Lan''s wishes anyway.

He instructed Ye Lan and Ye Shiyu to stand facing the light while he crouched down in front of the glass. This low angle would visually accentuate the women''s height.

Noticing that someone was taking a photo, the pedestrians behind them politely paused for a moment, creating the perfect window of opportunity.

"Click."

The photo was taken.

In the frame, Ye Shiyu stood straight with a very faint expression, while Ye Lan warmly hugged her arm. Given Yan Huan''s photography skills, this could already be considered a masterpiece.

Yan Huan smiled faintly, stood up, and delivered his verdict on this transcendent work of art.

"Perfect."

Ye Lan walked over, took back the phone, and scrutinized it.

"Mhm, not bad at all..."

Just as Yan Huan rose to his feet and prepared to lead them forward, Ye Lan gently grabbed his arm and pulled him over to stand right next to Ye Shiyu.

"Come, little Huan, you stand together with Shiyu. I will take a picture of the two of you."

"Huh?"

Yan Huan''s expression shifted slightly as he looked over at Ye Shiyu.

She looked back at him, though her standing posture for the photograph remained completely unchanged.

Did this mean... she was fine with taking a picture?

Seeing her reaction, he blinked and had no choice but to agree.

"Alright, Auntie."

Yan Huan stepped up to Ye Shiyu''s side. In response, her original posture of keeping her hands by her sides casually shifted, crossing her hands elegantly in front of her.

A faint floral scent wafted over, swaying gently along with her black hair.

Yan Huan was slightly taller, with Ye Shiyu only a few centimeters shorter than him. As a handsome boy and a beautiful girl, they were incredibly pleasing to the eye standing together.

Yan Huan put on a smile. Ye Lan''s eyes lit up as she raised the phone, bending slightly at the waist without an ounce of CEO demeanor, directing them on how to move within the frame.

"A bit to the left... that is too much, back to the right. The light is making you both look like ghosts..."

Ye Shiyu kept her head lowered. Finding a spot that satisfied her mother seemed immensely difficult, so her small black leather shoes shuffled inch by inch, slowly drawing closer to Yan Huan.

"Smile, do not pull a long face. Shiyu looks much prettier when she smiles. Yes, look, just like that."

Ye Shiyu pursed her lips, and the corners of her mouth trembled as they curled upward in an almost imperceptible curve.

Hearing Ye Lan''s praise, Yan Huan''s eyes instinctively flicked over to check her expression.

But perhaps because Yan Huan did this, the smile she had worked so hard to construct collapsed instantly, reverting back to absolute stoicism.

"..."

''My fault.''

Regardless, the photo was finally being taken.

The very first picture of the two siblings.

"Alright, get ready... Cheese!"

"So beautiful. Just look at the two of you, you could end up on the cover of a Fashion Magazine."

As the sun set in the west, inside a Private Dining Room of a Western Restaurant in the luxurious Shopping Center next to the Aquarium, Ye Lan offered this evaluation while picking at a small salad and studying the sibling photo taken that morning.

The picture was immortalized on her phone: a handsome youth wearing a radiant, sunny smile, looking at the camera with his hand raised in a peace sign.

Next to him stood a demure black-haired girl, her hands elegantly folded before her lower abdomen. She looked stunningly beautiful, though her expression was slightly lacking in warmth.

But it was already perfect enough.

Sitting across the table, holding a knife and fork with several shopping bags resting beside him, Yan Huan raised his head and chuckled helplessly.

This was already the third time since noon that Ye Lan had fawned over this photograph—from their lunch at the Aquarium, to the afternoon spent buying clothes at the luxury boutiques next door, and now, right through dinner...

It seemed Ye Lan genuinely adored the picture.

Ye Shiyu dined with graceful etiquette, showing neither joy nor sorrow, seemingly unresponsive to whatever her mother said.

However, after spending the whole day together, Yan Huan knew that she had been silently listening to Ye Lan the entire time. She simply rarely let her inner thoughts show on the outside.

Only when looking at jellyfish or attaching name tags to her newly purchased clothing did her icy expression melt away ever so slightly.

In the afternoon, Ye Lan had picked out several well-fitting garments for both of them, buying Yan Huan a few Shirts suitable for spring, Long-sleeved Jackets, and a set of Formal Attire.

It wasn''t as if they would be entirely useless. Except for a few crucial dates, Far Moon Academy permitted students to wear casual clothes, provided they wore their academy Badge.

Yet holding any single one of those pieces of clothing made Yan Huan realize that the wages deducted from him for taking a leave of absence were practically a drop in the bucket.

Regardless, after dinner was finished, the sky had grown completely dark. With the time approaching seven or eight o''clock, Ye Lan notified her driver to prepare to take them back.

It was still early spring. Despite the glaring sun in the morning, the Temperature Difference between day and night was actually quite drastic.

Ye Shiyu had already draped one of the newly bought coats from her shopping bag over her shoulders, and Ye Lan had borrowed one from her pile to wrap up in as well. Only Yan Huan felt perfectly fine.

This caused Ye Lan to sigh in admiration as she squeezed his shoulder. "Are you not cold, little Huan?"

"I am alright, Auntie. I am probably just used to the weather here."

"That is wonderful. You feel Warm and Cozy even through your clothes. Shiyu and I are both terribly afraid of the cold."

Hearing the phrase "Warm and Cozy," Ye Shiyu''s eyes fluttered under her draped coat, seemingly recalling what had transpired during her Hypnosis the previous night.

Truthfully, while waiting for the car to return to the Western-style Mansion, Yan Huan remembered that incident as well.

''If this God of Plague sneaks in again tonight to use Hypnosis on me, what should I do?''

''Last night she was merely testing the waters, but what about today?''

''Is she going to execute her plan to make Ye Lan detest me?''

''No way. Should I lock my door when we get back tonight?''

''The kind where no matter how much she knocks, I just pretend to be asleep and refuse to open it.''

As he pondered over these scattered thoughts, the black electric car that had dropped them off that morning pulled up directly in front of them.

The young woman in a suit stepped out of the driver''s seat, opened the trunk, and moved to take the shopping bags from Yan Huan''s hands.

He offered a polite smile and said,

"I can handle it, thank you."

The woman caught a glimpse of Yan Huan''s profile, her cheeks dusting with a slight blush. She nodded and promptly returned to the driver''s seat.

"Thank you for your trouble, Little Liu."

"Not at all, President Ye."

The female driver buckled her seatbelt, turned on the navigation, and after a brief glance at Ye Lan and her daughter bundled in their coats, flipped on the Warm Air heating system.

The electric car started up smoothly. Leaning against the window, Yan Huan unlocked his phone and began scrolling through his plane group chats.

The Big Sisters in the Mahjong Group were badgering him to play Mahjong again...

He felt slightly tempted.

''No way, Yan Huan. At the end of last semester, you subjected yourself to a rigorous self-reflection.''

''I cannot keep going over to their place to play Mahjong every single week!''

Just as Yan Huan engaged in an intense Inner Struggle within his mind, tapping out a reply in the "Yuanyue Mahjong First Match" group chat to answer the Big Sisters who were tagging him...

Beside him, Ye Shiyu looked down at her handbag. Thinking of something unknown, the corners of her lips curled up slightly.

She pulled open the Zipper of the bag, preparing to take out whatever was inside to play with for a moment.

"..."

However, after rummaging around inside the bag, she still couldn''t find the item.

''I haven''t opened my bag a single time today, have I?''

''Or could it be... did I remember wrong?''

''How is that possible?''

Her pupils constricted bit by bit. She pulled out her phone, turned on the Flashlight, and began furiously searching under the glare of the beam.

The sudden burst of light caught Yan Huan''s attention. He turned his head just in time to see Ye Shiyu finishing her second frantic search through the small handbag.

Just as his confusion prompted him to open his mouth to ask what was wrong, Ye Shiyu suddenly raised her head. With an expression as cold as ice, she spoke to Ye Lan in the front seat,

"Mama, my item... the jellyfish keychain I bought this morning is gone."

Yan Huan blinked, not yet fully realizing what was happening.

The entire car, however, suddenly decelerated, slowly drifting to a halt by the side of the road.

''Huh?''

Yan Huan grabbed the handhold as the vehicle came to a steady stop. In the front, Ye Lan and the female driver simultaneously spun their heads around with wide, frightened eyes, staring at Ye Shiyu, whose aura was rapidly turning freezing cold.

They exchanged a terrified look. Witnessing their colliding gazes, Yan Huan felt as though a deafening siren was blaring right next to his own ears.

Clearly, this was not the first time they had experienced such an event.

It was a massive danger signal known as the Ye Shiyu Level 1 Alert.

Amidst the rapidly chilling atmosphere in the heated car, Ye Shiyu pursed her lips and spoke softly,

"I want to go back and look for it, is that okay?"