Chapter 31: Protecting Employees is the Boss''s Duty

Restricted Fantasy Invasion

The evening was drawing in outside the Far Moon Academy campus.

Beside the handsome young man carrying his school bag, a black cat—invisible to everyone else—suddenly appeared.

Myau-chan blinked his emerald eyes, occasionally glancing back at a certain someone tailing them from a short distance away.

That person was not translucent. Wearing a bucket hat, sunglasses, and a face mask to conceal her identity, she had been following Yan Huan at a steady distance ever since he left the school.

"Meow."

Myau-chan let out a soft cry, lifting his head to take aim at Yan Huan''s shoulder.

He padded his paws in place to build momentum, then leaped up with a slight push, landing gracefully on the young man''s shoulder.

With a liquid-like fluidity, the cat sauntered nimbly from the right shoulder to the left, then stretched his furry little head forward to look at Yan Huan.

His soft, sleek fur brushed against Yan Huan''s neck, and finally, his curved tail swept lightly across his Adam''s apple.

"Bai Yi still seems to be following you, meow."

''I know. If she wants to play the stalker, let her follow.''

As Yan Huan conversed with Myau-chan in his mind, he recalled the events that had just unfolded in the classroom, slowly mapping out a train of thought.

''I have a decent grasp of her Modifier''s effects. I''ve read plenty of similar comics in the past, so I generally know the various ways such powers can be played with...''

''I feel that when her Modifier is activated, there is actually more room for manipulation compared to Ye Shiyu''s. Plus, after a gender swap, the impact wouldn''t be as overwhelming... assuming this Modifier doesn''t have any hidden supplementary functions.''

The primary target of the Indifference modifier was herself. Essentially, all Yan Huan needed to do was pretend he could not see her. It lacked any hard crowd-control or compulsive effects, making it arguably the easiest to handle among all the Modifiers.

''However, I don''t know much about her as a person. Her personality, her habits, or why she holds such a deep grudge against me.''

Myau-chan glanced back at the stealthy Bai Yi trailing behind and asked.

"So, were you planning to use the same tactic as you did with Ye Shiyu earlier? Preying on her conscience?"

Yan Huan shook his head.

''I just wanted to test the waters and see what kind of person she is, so I played the pity card a little.''

''When you force someone to directly witness the consequences of their mistakes, some feel remorse, some simply do not care, and others get even more excited by it.''

While they mentally conversed, Yan Huan arrived at the bus stop.

He glanced at his mobile phone and muttered softly.

"In social situations, different people require different approaches. I believe the same logic applies to dealing with the hosts of these Modifiers."

Myau-chan tilted his head and nodded, looking as though he deeply agreed.

"Mhm, I understand."

In reality, he understood absolutely nothing!

But it sounded incredibly impressive!

Either way, trusting Yan Huan was the right move!

"You understand nothing. Even I haven''t figured it out yet," Yan Huan murmured. "She just stood in the back without saying a single word. With Indifference active and a face mask on, I basically learned nothing."

"Meow!"

Myau-chan reached out a paw and patted his cheek, only to notice from the corner of his eye that Yan Huan had opened a browser, bringing up a search engine interface.

"However, she is somewhat of a public figure. There should be some information about her online."

So he was planning to harness the power of the internet to search for information on Bai Yi.

Before he even typed anything, Yan Huan saw a list of related searches pop up beneath the search bar.

"Bai Yi movies"

"Why is Bai Yi''s acting so bad"

"Bai Yi stunning photos"

"Is Bai Yi a boy or a girl"

Yan Huan tapped search, navigating straight to Bai Yi''s wiki page.

The first thing that caught his eye was a profile picture of her wearing a schoolgirl uniform, her wispy bangs curving softly over her forehead.

A pair of eyes locked onto the viewer through the screen. It felt just like accidentally locking eyes with the girl you had the biggest crush on back in class during your youth, leaving both of you momentarily stunned.

Naturally, one would shyly look away a second later, but the photograph froze that very instant, turning it into pure heart-fluttering charm.

"Bai Yi: Linmen teen actress, new-generation idol, and singer."

"Pure and beautiful appearance: Discovered at age eleven through an audition by Linmen''s Yasaka Entertainment Company, she debuted as a child star. Transitioning two years later, her stunning appearance on the variety show ''Youthful People'' immediately captivated audiences. She has since been hailed by domestic and international netizens as ''the idol with the most youthful aura''."

Yasaka Entertainment Company...

''That brings back some rather unpleasant memories...''

Yan Huan continued scrolling down.

"Acting Career: Her debut in the artistic romance movie ''Love After Dusk'' tells the story of the female protagonist Ah Meng (played by Bai Yi) meeting, getting to know, and falling in love with Ah Ning (played by Bai Yi) from a parallel world."

"Synopsis: Ah Meng, an introverted girl who grew up in an unhappy family, and Ah Ning, a rebellious girl from a happy family in a parallel world, gradually develop feelings for each other after dusk as their worldlines begin to intertwine."

"Box Office: Released in the East Continent outside of the Dragon Country, both market reception and critical reviews were poor. Bai Yi''s portrayal of Ah Ning was specifically labeled by some media outlets as ''disaster-level acting.'' However, the film received an award nomination a year later at the Rainbow Film Festival in the West Continent."

''A Rainbow Film Festival award...''

''Ah, I remember what kind of film award that is.''

''How should I describe it?''

''Let''s put it this way: last year''s gold-winning entry was an ancient historical drama from the Sakura Country.''

''It followed the story of a black samurai who set out to assassinate an enemy leader to avenge the lord he served.''

''When the movie''s villain demanded to know why he was so obsessed, he spat blood and roared:''

"Even if we are both men, do not underestimate my love for my lord!!"

''It was the kind of award that would be moved to tears by exactly that sort of content.''

Scrolling further down the page revealed numerous entries about the variety shows and events she had participated in.

Only the very last section offered a brief sentence or two mentioning the songs she had written and sung.

"Youth in Crisis", "Stars Are Not the Moon"...

A handful of pop-style tracks.

After reading through everything, Yan Huan realized there were only two potential points of intersection he could ever have had with her.

One was Yasaka Entertainment Company, and the other was Far Moon Academy.

The Far Moon Academy connection seemed unlikely, considering she barely ever attended school.

But Yasaka Entertainment Company...

As previously mentioned, Yan Huan had tried many different avenues to climb his way out of the South Ward, and becoming a child star was one of those paths.

He never actually intended to work in that industry. After all, he did not consider himself a good actor, nor was he the type who enjoyed showing his face in public.

However, a talent scout from Yasaka had ventured into the South Ward to speak with him, promising a paid trial period with a surprisingly generous monthly salary.

Yan Huan had only gone along with the idea to earn some living expenses and tuition money over the summer break.

Yet, he hadn''t anticipated that his natural aptitude would be so exceptional. Once he arrived, things progressed far smoother than he could have ever imagined.

They didn''t even require a trial. Yasaka insisted on signing him no matter what, adopting an attitude of "if you agree to join, we will give you any offer you want."

It all sounded pretty good, right?

That is, if one ignored the boss''s fervent gaze—a gaze that looked eager enough to devour him whole.

Yes, the boss of Yasaka was an absolute, undisputed pervert. He was heavily comparable to the head of a certain major idol talent agency in Yan Huan''s previous life.

Upon discovering that the old man was eyeing him with impure intentions, how could Yan Huan not run away?

If he didn''t run, was he supposed to just sit there and wait to be defiled?

Consequently, the staunchly straight boy radiated sheer resistance, decisively and forcefully rejected all of Yasaka''s offers, and immediately fled for the hills.

"Beep-beep-beep."

"Arriving at Kyogo Far Moon Station."

The sound of the bus pulling into the stop snapped Yan Huan''s thoughts back to reality. He raised his eyes, a glimmer of confusion still lingering in them.

''Could it be...''

''Is it really because of what happened at Yasaka?''

''But how could my business there possibly offend her?''

''Don''t tell me that at the tender age of eleven, she had already embarked on the path of shipping cursed romantic pairings?''

Perplexed by the thought, Yan Huan took out his earphone case and popped them into his ears.

Opening his music app, he typed in "Bai Yi."

''Mhm, they actually have the streaming rights.''

"Passengers, please board in an orderly fashion."

"Meow."

Perched on his shoulder, Myau-chan moved even faster than his adorable meow, hopping lightly onto the bus.

Yan Huan first tapped on one of Bai Yi''s songs called "Stars Are Not the Moon" before stepping aboard.

The bus was mostly empty, so he found a window seat near the back and sat down.

"In the lonely night, a scattering of stars..."

"Full of quiet joy, they playfully blink..."

"The Milky Way cascades, the moon claims the sky..."

"Each shines brightly, so why compare?"

''Hmm...''

''It actually sounds quite nice. Her voice is very clean. I wonder if she took vocal lessons.''

Bai Yi''s pleasant singing, accompanied by the strumming of a guitar, drifted through his earphones. Leaning against the windowpane, Yan Huan took another look at his phone screen.

"Lyrics: Bai Yi. Composer: Bai Yi. Arranger: Bai Yi."

Right at that moment, a fully disguised figure in a face mask stepped through the bus doors.

She glanced in Yan Huan''s direction before silently taking a seat even further back, settling into the very last row.

Stare...

Yan Huan ignored her entirely. He simply leaned against the window, listening to the music and watching the passing silhouettes outside, lost in his own thoughts.

The chubby black cat in his lap sat properly with tucked paws, turning to look back at him.

"Meow."

With a faint smile, he quietly took out one of his earphones and placed it inside the cat''s perked ear.

Myau-chan couldn''t hear the song, but the device tickled him incessantly.

He hurriedly shook his head and scratched at his ear with a hind paw, voicing his protest in the process.

"Meow!"

"Buzz-buzz."

"Buzz-buzz."

It wasn''t until the phone in her hand vibrated that Bai Yi''s murky, sleep-deprived consciousness finally cleared up a bit.

Taking the bus all the way from the Kyogo Ward to the South Ward was quite a long journey. Having run away from home in a state of terror yesterday and spent the entire day wandering outside today, she felt drowsy the moment she rested her head.

Looking forward and seeing the young man still leaning against the window listening to his music, she relaxed a fraction.

Glancing at her phone, she saw a few new messages had arrived.

"Sister Yinuo:"

"Little Yi, the police just called me."

"Your mother is turning the world upside down looking for you."

Seeing these texts, Bai Yi''s mind sobered up in an instant.

She hurriedly sat up straight, frowning as she typed a reply.

"Ignore her, Sister Yinuo. Just tell them you don''t know where I went."

The name at the top of the chat changed to "typing...".

"You don''t have to worry about me selling you out... but you can''t keep going on like this forever, right? You have to resolve the issues with your mom."

"Where are you right now?"

I am...

I''m stalking that guy.

Just as Bai Yi was about to type out a casual excuse, the bus slowly pulled to a halt, and Yan Huan hoisted his school bag and stood up in front of her.

He had arrived at his stop!

Bai Yi quickly locked her phone screen and stealthily followed him off the bus.

There was a busy intersection right near the bus station—one of the more bustling spots in the South Ward.

The sun had already set. The nightlife in the South Ward belonged to neon lights, lively noise, and the vibrant atmosphere of street-side living.

This lively ambiance seemed to envelop the young man, escorting him right into a tavern named "Ballad".

In stark contrast, Bai Yi, with her face heavily concealed, looked entirely out of place.

Occasional passersby kept shooting her curious glances, making her lower her head in deep discomfort as she scurried past.

Between her fingers, a delicate pocket watch had materialized, tightly gripped in her hand.

''Does he work part-time at that tavern?''

While Bai Yi lingered by the entrance, sizing up the tavern that was already seating quite a few patrons, the mobile phone in her hand buzzed again.

"Buzz-buzz."

Looking down, she saw an incoming call screen on the Plane app.

"Sister Yinuo."

Unsuspecting, Bai Yi answered the call immediately and brought the phone to her ear.

"Sister Yinuo, you—" "Bai Yi, where exactly are you right now?!"

It was Zuo Jiangqin''s voice.

Bai Yi''s body stiffened slightly. She whispered in disbelief.

"Mom?"

"So you still remember I''m your mother? Running off in the dead of night and not coming back all evening, do you have any idea how worried I''ve been?!"

Hearing her mother''s slightly trembling voice, Bai Yi bit her lip, a pang of sympathy aching in her chest.

Yet, at that very moment, the wounds inflicted by her mother''s harsh words still throbbed with a dull pain.

That pain refused to accept reconciliation. It compelled her to rebel...

Even though rebelling had only ever led to explosive conflicts.

After a brief silence, she finally gritted her teeth and spoke.

"I will come back on my own later. You don''t need to look for me..."

"What do you mean I don''t need to look for you! If I hadn''t come looking, I never would have known you were still in contact with this Li Yinuo!"

Sure enough, Zuo Jiangqin was instantly enraged by Bai Yi''s defiance.

"I told you to stop associating with these shady characters. You were corrupted by that tattooed delinquent!! Refusing to walk the proper path and constantly dreaming of fooling around, just wait and see how I deal with you... Where are you?!"

Hearing those words, the pent-up anger within Bai Yi similarly flared up.

Cupping her hand around the phone, she shouted back into the receiver.

"Everything is always my fault! Everything is always someone else''s fault! Are you never wrong?!"

"Tell me, where did I go wrong? I gave birth to you, raised you, and take care of your food and clothes every single day! What more could you possibly be dissatisfied with?"

"You—"

Bai Yi''s face flushed crimson. Gripping the phone tightly, she was about to snap back when she noticed that many people on the street were already staring at her.

A flush of embarrassment crept over her cheeks. Her eyes glistening with tears, she hurriedly clutched the phone and veered off into a nearby alley.

However, that brief span of silence stoked a genuine fire in Zuo Jiangqin on the other end of the line.

From last night to this evening, she had spent an entire day searching, and she blamed it all entirely on Bai Yi''s sheer immaturity.

"Just look at yourself! You don''t pay attention in class, you don''t take your events seriously, you''re half-hearted in everything you do. Shouldn''t I be anxious watching you? You act like this, and yet when I scold you a little, you throw a tantrum. Am I supposed to place you on a pedestal and worship you?!"

"Did I ever ask you to do any of that? You never even bothered to ask for my opinion! Participating in all those events, attending Far Moon Academy—you decided everything! Since you made all the decisions, why don''t you go do it yourself? What do you need me for?!"

"Who do you think I''m doing this for? It''s for your own good! The resources you sneer at are things others beg for but can''t get! Do you have any idea how many favors your uncle owes just to help you? Did you think the entertainment industry was an easy path to walk?"

At this moment, on the other end of the line inside a room on the second floor of a tattoo parlor, a group of police officers and a brightly dyed, lip-pierced, heavily tattooed woman surrounded by them all sighed simultaneously.

They had repeatedly advised Zuo Jiangqin that, no matter what, she needed to coax the child into coming home first before lecturing her.

But the moment Zuo Jiangqin heard the chaotic background noise from the call, the mere thought of Bai Yi''s rebellious behavior inflamed her anger.

Especially after being talked back to by Bai Yi, her fury only continued to spiral out of control.

"You have your Uncle Jiang and me bustling about to handle everything for you. Look at that Yan Huan from your school—does he have any of that? He has no father or mother, and he still has to work part-time just to earn his living expenses! If you don''t want to be in the entertainment industry and you''re unhappy with our arrangements, fine! Then show some actual achievements in literally any other field!"

"Your academics have been a total mess since you were little! You love writing songs so much, but how many people actually buy your music? Good songs require distribution and exposure, not to mention those amateur tunes of yours! You can''t even do a single thing right, yet you have the nerve to complain about this and argue about that. What right do you have to complain, huh? Answer me!"

On this end of the phone, having her nose and mouth covered by the face mask already made breathing difficult. Listening to her mother ruthlessly invalidate everything she had chosen only made her feel like she was suffocating even more.

Especially when she finally heard her mother pass judgment on her songs.

Naturally, she felt furious. She had a thousand things she wanted to scream back, but for some reason, her tears had already become completely uncontainable.

"Zuo Jiangqin, I really hate you the most..."

The next second, she suddenly hurled the mobile phone in her hand as hard as she could.

Smash!

Unprotected by a phone case, the device smashed against the wall in an instant. The glass screen shattered into massive spiderweb cracks before it slammed violently onto the ground.

From the broken device, Zuo Jiangqin''s voice trickled out intermittently.

"...you''d better... do you hear me..."

Then, the screen went completely black, and the voice was severed entirely.

Bai Yi leaned back against the wall with her head bowed. On the inner side of her sunglasses, droplets of moisture gathered, spilled over, and dripped onto her face mask.

Her body gradually grew weak, slowly sliding down the wall until she was huddled on the ground.

Hugging her knees to her chest, she finally broke down and cried.

"Waaah... hic... waaaah..."

She truly did not know what to do. What did she have to do to finally satisfy her mother?

She knew she genuinely hadn''t worked hard enough on her studies. She knew the path of a star wasn''t easy to tread, and that it was impossible for everything to go her way...

But were those things really contradictory to what she was asking for?

All she wanted was to stop being compared to Yan Huan. She didn''t want to listen to her mother constantly praising someone else''s excellence and commanding her to learn from them.

She just wanted to do something she enjoyed. She wanted her mother to sincerely listen to the songs she wrote and simply say, "That''s not bad."

Yet, from the very beginning, she had never received anything she longed for.

From start to finish, all she ever received...

Was invalidation.

"Sob... waaaah... sniff..."

Click.

Right while Bai Yi was sobbing in the anonymous alleyway, a nearby side door suddenly clicked open.

Bai Yi hastily looked up. Through the double veil of her tears and sunglasses, she could only vaguely make out the silhouette of someone holding a garbage bag, dressed in a bartender''s uniform.

The person also seemed briefly startled, apparently not expecting to find someone crying there.

Then, a familiar voice rang out.

"Miss, this is the garbage disposal area. You really shouldn''t sit here."

"..."

''Seriously? I''m out here crying my eyes out, and you''re telling me whether or not this is a proper place to sit?''

Dumbfounded, Bai Yi lifted her head higher.

With that slight adjustment in angle, she peered through a clear, tear-free spot on her sunglass lenses and beheld the smiling face of the young man.

''It''s Yan Huan?!''

''This... this must be the back door to the tavern where he works!''

By now, he had already walked over to her side and tossed the garbage into the bin right next to her.

Belatedly realizing she needed to get up and leave, Bai Yi suddenly heard him speak again.

"Would you like to come inside and rest for a bit?"

"..."

Sniffling, Bai Yi gave a nearly imperceptible shake of her head.

She raised her fingers to wipe the inside of her sunglasses. Then, pointing awkwardly at her shattered phone nearby, she whispered softly,

"My phone broke... I can''t pay for anything."

"It''s fine, grabbing a seat for a while is free of charge."

Yan Huan smiled gently and picked up her shattered, lifeless phone from the ground for her.

He held it out in front of her.

"We still have plenty of empty seats inside. If it gets too crowded later, you can always leave then."

Bai Yi raised her eyes to examine him, unsure for a moment of what to choose.

But Yan Huan simply pressed the phone firmly into her hands, turned around, and led the way.

"Follow me."

"...Mhm."

Having no other choice, Bai Yi followed.

Entering through the back door brought them into the inner area of the tavern. There were only one or two tables here. Patrons rarely frequented this section; usually, only that closet-alcoholic Tong Yingying came back here to secretly drink.

Yan Huan let Bai Yi sit there to rest, casually remarking along the way,

"This is the South Ward, miss. You need to be careful with these tiny alleyways. Don''t wander into them all alone, understand?"

He poured a glass of warm water from a nearby dispenser, thoughtfully adding a straw before handing it over to her.

"The thugs in the South Ward won''t care if your face is covered or not. To them, messing with someone like you is just as thrilling as opening a mystery box."

"Mhm."

Staring at the warm water in front of her, Bai Yi didn''t take a sip. Instead, she turned to look at the boy beside her.

The closer she was to him, the more Bai Yi realized why those television station executives had favored him with a single glance back then.

''Hah, his grades are so good, and he even managed to become the Student Council President...''

As her thoughts spiraled, Bai Yi felt an overwhelming wave of sadness washing over her.

Her mother''s words really were like a surgical scalpel, ruthlessly dissecting her very soul.

Even her singing, the one single thing she genuinely loved, had been dismissed. She truly didn''t know...

Ding, ding.

The chime of a service bell echoed from the front of the shop. Bai Yi had no idea what it meant, but she heard Yan Huan speak.

"Just sit here for a bit. You can leave whenever you want. Just remember to be careful on your way back."

Her head drooped. After a brief silence, she suddenly asked in a hoarse voice,

"Umm... you''re really good-looking. Have you never had a talent scout ask you to become a star?"

"Well, there have been a few..."

"...Then why didn''t you do it?"

Yan Huan blinked. Just as he was about to answer, the service bell rang from the front again.

He looked over his shoulder, then turned his attention back to the girl who sat with her head hung low, her entire body curled up subconsciously.

It seemed like she really had been crushed by whatever had just happened.

The closer someone is to you and the more they know you, the deeper the wounds they can inflict.

Actually, Yan Huan had overheard her entire phone conversation with her mother earlier.

When he saw that she hadn''t followed him into the tavern, he had wondered where she had wandered off to.

However, he couldn''t actively go searching for her without breaking character, so he had just started his shift to observe the situation.

Who would have thought that he''d end up catching a front-row seat to all that drama just by taking out the trash?

He figured he finally had a general idea of why Bai Yi hated him so much.

But could he really lay all the blame on her?

Yan Huan didn''t know either.

Nevertheless, from the perspective of resolving the Modifier, it was absolutely necessary to show her a little extra care at this moment.

Taking a brief moment to think, he flashed her a gentle smile and answered.

"While it does feel good to be appreciated by others, I''ve always felt that it just isn''t what I want to do. So, I never went."

Ding, ding.

"...But that''s only because you had a choice, isn''t it?"

Ding, ding.

"Does working part-time here really look like I had much of a choice?"

Ding, ding.

"..."

Yan Huan''s helpless self-deprecation was enough to make Bai Yi stop crying.

With her eyes cast downward, she was just about to say something else when a beautiful, red-haired woman materialized beside Yan Huan. The woman''s glare was hovering perilously between "I will murder you" and "just kill me now."

Dangling from her hand was a service bell—seemingly a "magical capitalist artifact" designed specifically to summon employees back to the grind.

''Oh...''

Upon spotting the crying, mask-wearing Bai Yi, the woman''s glare skewed significantly toward "I will murder you."

Tong Yingying scrutinized Bai Yi. In truth, ever since Yan Huan led the girl in through the back, she''d had a gut feeling that something was amiss. Now, her suspicions were confirmed.

''Quitting smoking and drinking is already annoying enough!''

''You think you''re just showing a little kindness and saving a damsel in distress, but little do you know, this is exactly how you end up entangled with a bad woman.''

''See? The moment you bring her in, she clings to you and chatters away endlessly.''

''Next thing you know, she''ll ask for your Plane contact, pester you relentlessly, toss some money your way...''

''Won''t you just become a bad woman''s lapdog?!''

''Besides, you''re only a first-year university student! You don''t have any romantic experience, and your looks are a magnet for girls. Those bad women love boys like you the most.''

''Xiao Huan, the waters of the South Ward are incredibly deep. You won''t be able to handle it.''

''Protecting the purity of my employees is a boss''s duty, after all.''

Yan Huan blinked, glancing at the woman beside him.

"Sister... Sister Tong?"

Before he could say another word, Sister Tong sat down right in front of Bai Yi. Waving Yan Huan off, she instructed,

"Get back to work. The customers are getting impatient."

Without missing a beat, she turned to face the teary-eyed Bai Yi, pulled out her cigarette case, and stated flatly,

"Leave everything here to me."