Chapter 36: Ye Shiyu Has a Communication Disorder

Restricted Fantasy Invasion

Thursday, noon.

Setting aside the anxious atmosphere in the Student Council on the top floor of the First-Year Section, the current mood in Class 2-A of the upper-grade department was exceptionally harmonious.

"Ye Shiyu, what elective did you choose for Thursday afternoon? I didn''t see you go to class on Tuesday,"

the girl named Gongzi asked as she opened her bento box, looking over at Ye Shiyu who was sitting at her desk.

Today, Ye Shiyu wore a hair accessory, paired with a white early-spring knit sweater, a beige midi skirt, and white ankle socks.

She looked as fresh and beautiful as the clearing sky after a spring snow.

Ye Shiyu looked at Gongzi and replied simply,

"Handicraft class."

"Oh, Gongzi, I think the handicraft teacher told them to go buy materials on Tuesday, which is why there was no class."

"I see. Ye Shiyu, do you want to eat lunch with us? It seems we all like bringing bento boxes to school."

"Yeah, yeah! Let us see what you''re having!"

Expressionless, Ye Shiyu opened her lunchbox, glanced at them, thought for a moment, and then nodded. She took her lunchbox and moved over to sit with them.

Ever since Yan Huan visited on Monday, the girls in the class had become very friendly toward her.

They would strike up conversations with her, intentionally or otherwise, and even if they did not chat, they would still greet her with a smile.

She wondered if Gongzi had told everyone about her older sister and younger brother relationship with Yan Huan.

However, she did not dislike them talking about it.

Gongzi cheerfully opened her bento box, revealing a beautifully arranged lunch with a perfect mix of meat and vegetables. Aijia covered her mouth and exclaimed,

"Wow, Gongzi, your cooking skills are getting better and better! That looks so appetizing."

"Hehe, I learned a few new tricks online recently."

Ye Shiyu also opened her lunchbox. For a moment, it seemed as if golden light burst out from within, revealing a piping hot meal.

Abalone, lobster meat, and several exquisitely presented dishes from the Dragon Country.

Gongzi and Aijia were momentarily blinded by the luxurious spread. Even more outrageously, they noticed that Ye Shiyu''s lunchbox actually had a built-in heating function.

Examining the lunchbox, which had the name "Ye Shiyu" engraved on it, Gongzi and Aijia were somewhat astounded.

"Ye Shiyu, your homemade meals are way too luxurious..."

"..."

Ye Shiyu blinked and looked at Gongzi and Aijia. She seemed completely unsure of how to reply, which ended up making the other two laugh.

They were increasingly realizing that Ye Shiyu was very bad at communicating with others, but she wasn''t actually difficult to get along with.

"Then let''s dig in!"

"Time to eat!"

"..."

While the two of them pressed their hands together in some sort of ritual, Ye Shiyu directly picked up her chopsticks and started eating.

As they ate, the atmosphere between the girls gradually warmed up.

"Hey, by the way, Gongzi, do you make bento boxes for your boyfriend?"

"Sometimes."

Gongzi took a bite of rice and said with a bit of distress,

"Owen eats way too much. One bento box is nowhere near enough for him. Making too much is a hassle to carry around, so it''s better to just let him eat at the cafeteria."

Hearing this, Aijia grinned at Ye Shiyu and explained,

"Gongzi''s boyfriend is Owen, the president of our school''s Track and Field Club. He''s super impressive and incredibly buff!"

Ye Shiyu had little reaction and just continued eating.

"Plus, Gongzi is the famous matchmaker of our class. If there''s someone you like, Ye Shiyu, you can ask her to help set you up. Her success rate is super high."

Upon hearing this, Ye Shiyu paused her eating for a moment.

She turned her head to look at the fashionably dressed Gongzi, her steady gaze actually making Gongzi feel a bit self-conscious.

Gongzi reached out with her feminine fists to lightly rap Aijia on the head, scolding affectionately,

"Super high success rate, my foot! Every time I try to set you up, it never works out!"

Aijia covered her head and hurriedly defended herself,

"My fault, my fault! It''s because I always chicken out at the last minute. Mostly because, right at the end, I realize I don''t actually like the guy that much. It''s never quite how I imagined."

"Hmph, you don''t even know what type you like, yet you want to date. At this rate, even if you did start a relationship, you''d definitely end up breaking up. You really are..."

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Aijia quickly diverted the fire, flashing a wide smile at Ye Shiyu.

"Oh right, Ye Shiyu, do you have a type of guy you like?"

"..."

Ye Shiyu stared blankly at Aijia, who continued openly,

"Come on, tell Gongzi! It''d be such a shame not to date in college! Our school already has more girls than boys, so the outstanding guys are in very high demand."

Gongzi also looked at Ye Shiyu with great curiosity, cupping her chin as she volunteered,

"For example, I prefer athletic, powerful guys. It''s even better if they have muscles."

"Me, me, me! I like handsome ones!"

"Tch, what kind of preference is that?"

The type of guy she liked...

Ye Shiyu''s eyes lost focus, and her chewing gradually slowed.

In that instant, Yan Huan''s image actually surfaced in her mind.

However, she wasn''t entirely sure if this was the romantic love they were talking about, or simply the desire to defile him...

Desire.

Ye Shiyu began to think about it seriously.

"I like..."

Yet after a moment, she suddenly stopped, unsure of what to say.

Seeing this, Gongzi hurriedly tried to gently guide her.

"Hmm, do you like guys older than you, or..."

"Younger."

She stated this with absolute certainty.

"And do you want someone who can take care of you, or someone who is more clingy..."

''I don''t need anyone to take care of me. I want to take care of him, just like taking care of my dolls.''

''Similarly, he should belong to me like a doll, staying by my side every day.''

''But it seems...''

''Yan Huan has always been the one taking care of me.''

"I... don''t know either."

Therefore, Ye Shiyu answered like this.

"Then, someone introverted, or someone more sunny and cheerful?"

"Definitely someone sunny!"

Aijia interjected, only to receive a glare from Gongzi, causing her to pout helplessly.

Ye Shiyu thought for a moment, then nodded and said,

"Someone sunny... who can smile at me often. I really like it when he smiles at me."

''Like Yan Huan.''

Aijia looked at Gongzi with an I told you so expression.

But the more she asked, the harder it became for Gongzi to maintain her smile, and sweat began to bead on her forehead.

''Why does it feel like you already have a specific answer in mind while answering these questions, Ye Shiyu?''

''The more I ask, the clearer the corresponding image becomes...''

''Doesn''t it feel like someone is already preselected?''

''Don''t tell me...''

''The person you like is President Yan?!''

''Then what exactly is going on with that older sister and younger brother relationship between you two?''

''It couldn''t be some forbidden sibling romance, could it?''

''That''s way too...''

Beside her, Aijia seemed completely oblivious to the hidden implications in Ye Shiyu''s words. She stroked her chin and summarized,

"So the type you like is a younger, sweet puppy-dog type of guy."

"..."

Ye Shiyu looked at her, completely failing to understand what she meant.

Aijia read her confusion, raised a finger, and explained,

"It means a younger-brother type of sunny, cute guy. Oh my, guys like that are always so energetic..."

''Stop talking, Aijia!''

''If you keep going, the answer is going to be glaringly obvious!''

Gongzi covered her face, screaming internally.

Meanwhile, Ye Shiyu thought it over for a second and nodded in deep agreement.

''Stop echoing each other and deepening this realization!!''

Gongzi raised her head, forced a smile, and said to Ye Shiyu,

"S-So that''s how it is..."

"Hehe, then you need to visit the First-Year Section more often, Ye Shiyu! And you really have to polish your communication skills..."

"Communication... skills?"

"For example, right now, we say a bunch of sentences to you, and you barely manage to reply with one. If it''s like this, guys will find it exhausting to talk to you, and they might just give up and retreat."

Aijia looked at Ye Shiyu and patiently explained,

"Romance is born from heart-to-heart communication, and the heart can''t express its thoughts on its own. That''s why you absolutely have to speak up and say sweet things...

"If you can''t communicate normally and exchange thoughts, even if you successfully get together, you''ll definitely end up fighting all the time."

''So troublesome...''

''Using hypnosis is much simpler.''

Ye Shiyu thought for a second, and this idea popped into her head.

But she quickly shook her head, emphasizing to herself:

''Didn''t we already agree to absolutely never use the Modifier on him again?!''

''Ye Shiyu, oh Ye Shiyu, how can you be so willing to degenerate...''

"If there''s someone you like, taking a little initiative after carefully observing them is also a great choice!

"Hehe, sweet puppy-dogs are born to be conquered by big sisters, and then ruthlessly bullied. Thinking about it, a little puppy-dog showing a cute expression after being bullied is pretty nice too!"

''Ruthlessly bullied?''

Ye Shiyu''s breathing quickened significantly, completely entirely captivated by the idea.

Gongzi looked at the highly enthusiastic Aijia in front of her. She covered her face and said, somewhat speechless,

"You''ve never even been in a relationship. How come you sound like such an expert when handing out advice?"

"Eh?" Aijia scratched her head in embarrassment.

"Theoretical experience is still experience! I''ve watched plenty of romance dramas, I know everything!"

"And then you turn into a complete clown the moment it comes to actual practice, right?"

Gongzi then looked over at Ye Shiyu beside her, who had stopped eating and instead seemed lost in some deep contemplation.

''Mastermind Shiyu, you aren''t really going to listen to this brilliant strategist Aijia''s dating advice, are you?''

''And use it on President Yan of all people?''

Gongzi opened her mouth but found it hard to say anything, so she helplessly averted her gaze to look out the window.

Out on the sports field visible through the window, the members of the Track and Field Club were actively training, seemingly preparing for an upcoming event.

Leading the pack was a tall, muscular blond boy.

It was none other than Gongzi''s boyfriend, Owen.

She revealed an affectionate, doting smile, cupping her chin as she watched him train.

''Ah...''

''The Club War is coming up soon.''

In the afternoon, inside the handicraft classroom of the elective Teaching Building, a handsome youth let out a yawn.

Ever since he was ambushed by that strange Modifier at noon, Yan Huan had been pondering who the host of that Modifier was, and what their motive for attacking him could be.

Spencer was the most likely suspect; her identity fit, and her motives aligned.

She had a Modifier, and he had just provoked her. She had even left in a huff.

''But if that''s the case, isn''t her NTR Modifier far too powerful? Does it really have this many functions?''

''What about the others?''

''Sakuramiya Hitomi and Yurianna were also on that floor at the time, but they have absolutely no motive to do something like this to me.''

''Subjecting me to such a massive shock of intense pleasure... no matter how you look at it, the host of that Modifier must have used it out of pure hatred for me...''

''It couldn''t just be a slip of the hand, accidentally using the wrong Modifier, right?''

''Girls in school who hate me...''

''Are there any others besides Bai Yi and Spencer?''

''If it''s someone else, then her Modifier''s attack range must be incredibly wide, its lethality highly potent, and it can even pierce through my Resistance...''

''Thinking about it like this, why does it sound a bit like an ADC?''

"Everyone, take out the materials you''ve prepared, pair up, and sit at the workbenches. I will then assign today''s task..."

The teacher''s words interrupted Yan Huan''s thoughts, and many girls around him who knew each other had already started pairing up.

Looking around, there were basically no boys. Yan Huan had only chosen this class because he hadn''t managed to snag the one he actually wanted.

At the time, his only two options were either Handicraft Class or Cheerleading.

Compared to cheerleading, which required a public group performance at the end of the term, he felt that the handicraft class suited him much better.

Besides, he got to take this class with Ye Shiyu, didn''t he?

Yan Huan searched for Ye Shiyu and quickly spotted her near the back of the classroom.

However, he realized that she was also looking at him.

"Older Sister Shiyu."

With a smile, Yan Huan carried his bag and walked briskly toward her.

Coming to a stop in front of Ye Shiyu, he invited,

"Older Sister Shiyu, do you want to pair up with me?"

Ye Shiyu nodded in agreement.

"Great! Let''s sit here. I don''t know much about crafts; I only chose this because I couldn''t get the class I wanted. Having you to help will make things a lot easier."

"Mhm."

Ye Shiyu sat down at a workbench equipped with a sewing machine, and Yan Huan took the seat beside her.

She silently turned her head to observe Yan Huan, and the more she looked, the cuter she found him.

Yan Huan, however, seemed oblivious to her gaze. He simply examined the bag she had brought to class, which was stuffed with a ton of materials.

"Older Sister Shiyu, are these materials required for the class too? How come I didn''t see this on the notice earlier?"

"..."

Ye Shiyu wanted to say something, but then she recalled what Aijia had said earlier.

She wasn''t very good with words. If she tried to explain verbally, would he find it bothersome?

Thus, after a moment of silence, she took out her mobile phone. Her fingers danced nimbly and swiftly across the screen.

Receiving no response for a long while, Yan Huan looked up in confusion, his gaze following her actions.

"Older Sister Shiyu?"

And facing him was her phone screen, raised up once again.

''No way?!''

''We are in the middle of class, Sister!''

Seeing this painfully familiar action, Yan Huan was almost scared out of his seat.

Having been caught off-guard with instant hypnosis twice in a row, it was safe to say he had developed a stress response.

"..."

However, upon closer inspection, he found that the phone screen was not displaying the familiar Hypnosis App, but rather a notepad.

On it, she had typed a line of text:

"This is my material kit. It includes the materials the teacher requires, as well as other materials for making clothes."

Yan Huan retracted his gaze and looked at Ye Shiyu. She was holding up the phone with both hands, only the top half of her face visible above it, blinking her dark eyes at him.

''Kind of cute.''

Even though Yan Huan didn''t want to admit it, it was an undeniable fact.

''Are you Komi-san?''

''Do you have a communication disorder too?''

"So that''s how it is..."

Yan Huan nodded, though he couldn''t help but smile helplessly.

"But why did you type it out to tell me?"

Ye Shiyu pulled her phone back, her fingers flying across the nine-key keyboard at lightning speed, typing out a sentence in just a few seconds.

She raised the phone again, pointing it at Yan Huan.

"Because this way, I can quickly convey what I want to say. It makes it a bit easier to communicate with Xiao Huan."

"Hmm..."

Yan Huan thought for a moment, then smiled and said,

"While talking like this might indeed be a bit more efficient, Older Sister Shiyu, you didn''t have this habit before, right?"

This time, Ye Shiyu didn''t type; she simply shook her head.

"So, you should just stick to your old habits. I didn''t feel there were any barriers when communicating with you before. Asking you to go through the trouble of changing your communication style isn''t what I want either..."

''Mostly because, with Ye Shiyu raising her phone this frequently, who knows which time it will be the notepad, and which time it will be the Hypnosis App?''

"..."

However, still holding her phone up, Ye Shiyu opened her mouth upon hearing his words.

Then, her eyes gradually drifted away from Yan Huan''s smile, hiding herself behind the phone screen.

Yan Huan could only see her purse her lips. Her pale face nodded almost imperceptibly, and a quiet, lovely voice slipped from her throat,

"Mhm."

Her earlobes, peeking through her black hair, turned rosy once again, looking as deliciously sweet as sakura mochi.

Yan Huan withdrew his gaze and looked toward the teacher at the podium.

"Older Sister Shiyu, it looks like we need to make a little cloth bag today."

"Mhm... It''s very simple..."

"Is it? Then you can teach me, Older Sister Shiyu."

"Okay."

Ye Shiyu turned her head away and tucked a strand of ink-black hair behind her ear.

But upon brief contact, even she could feel that her earlobe was burning hot.

Her eyes trembled. As if terrified that Yan Huan would notice, she quickly let the tucked hair fall back down.

Yan Huan took out his own material bag, only to realize he seemed to have forgotten to bring his scissors.

He hadn''t bought crafting scissors specifically for this class, planning instead to make do with the regular scissors he used every day.

He had probably taken them out at home to open a delivery package and forgotten to put them back.

"Older Sister Shiyu, I don''t think I brought my scissors. Can I borrow yours?"

Incidentally, this was also a subtle test.

Ye Shiyu blinked, generously took out the scissors with her name written on the handle from her bag, and handed them to Yan Huan.

"Okay."

''Hm?''

''It seems her possessiveness isn''t as intense anymore...''

''Does this mean my progress is actually quite promising?''

"Thanks, Older Sister Shiyu."

Yan Huan accepted the scissors she handed over, took out a spool of thread, and began preparing his materials.

Ye Shiyu just kept watching the boy beside her, until a second later, a girl nearby reached out, awkwardly wanting to tap her on the shoulder.

However, before the girl could even touch her, Ye Shiyu''s head snapped around, her eyes flashing with a terrifying, dark gleam.

''Eek!''

"..."

Ye Shiyu absolutely despised physical contact with others. She possessed an almost horrifying intuition, allowing her to snap her head around instantly before anyone could even make contact.

The girl was startled by Ye Shiyu''s terrifying glare and didn''t dare speak. Still, she gathered her courage and pointed at the scissors in Yan Huan''s hand.

Her meaning was obvious: We want to borrow the scissors too.

"..."

Ye Shiyu remained entirely motionless, simply staring at the girl with a chilling, eerie gaze.

That glare completely shattered whatever courage the girl had left. She quickly offered an awkward smile, turned away, and went to borrow scissors from someone else instead.

There was absolutely no dialogue exchanged. Meanwhile, Yan Huan, who had just taken out all his materials, finally looked up and said to Ye Shiyu,

"Older Sister Shiyu, I''m ready. Do you think these are enough?"

Expressionless, Ye Shiyu turned her head back. Her chilling gaze slowly retracted, melting back into a harmless, blank stare.

She glanced at the materials, nodded, and opened her mouth to say,

"Mhm... these are exactly it..."

"Shall we start making it, then?"

"Mhm... I''ll do it..."

"That''s way too much trouble for you. Let''s make it together."

"...Okay, Xiao Huan."