Chapter 40: Starting Up in Shock |
Friday noon, at the entrance of the Far Moon Academy Student Council Office.
The slightly open door acted like a distinct boundary, dividing the inside and outside of the Student Council Office into two worlds as incompatible as water and fire.
Standing outside, Ye Shiyu slightly tilted her head in confusion after hearing Sakuramiya Hitomi''s words from inside. The blank look on her face gradually transformed into a tangible, freezing chill.
She looked at the smiling Sakuramiya Hitomi and asked,
"Xiao Huan is my younger brother... I came to see him. Why do I need you to pass on a message?"
Speaking so many words at once was a clear indicator to anyone who knew Ye Shiyu that a tempest of rage was currently roaring within her.
However, Sakuramiya Hitomi seemed completely oblivious to this. She simply covered her mouth, maintaining a proper and polite smile, and said,
"Because this is the Student Council Office. Could you please take another look at the sign on the door?"
Since the door was only open a crack, Ye Shiyu could see the sign hanging on it just by taking a step back.
"Unauthorized Personnel Strictly Prohibited."
Ye Shiyu parted her lips to speak, but Sakuramiya Hitomi merely smiled and explained,
"This is the activity area for the Student Council executives. There are many important documents inside, and outsiders have never been allowed in without permission. I am not trying to make things difficult for you, Senior Female Student."
In reality, rules were rigid, but people were flexible.
People often came into the office to discuss matters. For instance, Spencer joining the Study Group was originally negotiated inside this very room.
Therefore, this was undeniably a silent, deliberate obstruction from Sakuramiya Hitomi.
Ye Shiyu was not stupid either. She was not some dense, thick-nerved girl, and she keenly detected the hidden scent of gunpowder in the other party''s words.
She held a bag in one hand, while the screen of the mobile phone in her other hand lit up at some unknown point. A chilling aura of malice seeped out from it.
"I am Xiao Huan''s older sister. I have something to discuss with him... It has nothing to do with Student Council matters. Please let me in."
Sakuramiya Hitomi did not reply directly. Instead, she said,
"It seems the President did not rest well yesterday. He finally managed to fall asleep just now. If you do not want me to pass on a message, Senior Female Student, does that mean you want me to wake the President up right now?"
Ye Shiyu paused slightly, lifting her gaze to look at Yan Huan lying on the sofa.
Because the gap in the door was so narrow, she could only vaguely make out a portion of his features.
His sleeping face was peaceful, but faint dark circles were unavoidably visible beneath his eyes. He looked incredibly exhausted.
''Was it because of his part-time job?''
"...No need. I can go in and wait for Xiao Huan... wait for him to wake up."
Sakuramiya Hitomi smiled again, putting on a strictly businesslike expression.
"I am very sorry, Senior Female Student. I just said it: the Student Council does not allow outsiders to enter without permission. If there is something the matter, you can tell me, and I will convey it to him when he wakes up."
Great, a perfect logical loop!
To go in, she had to wake Xiao Huan up and get his permission first.
Ye Shiyu did not want to wake the sleeping Xiao Huan, especially since he looked so poorly rested.
But if she did not wake him up, this annoying Vice President in front of her would not let her inside.
Communication...
So troublesome.
It would be much more convenient to just use Hypnosis.
With this thought in mind, the way Ye Shiyu looked at Sakuramiya Hitomi shifted, her gaze no longer resembling how one would look at a human being.
"And if... I insist on going in, what are you going to do?"
The purple vortex lighting up on the phone screen between her fingers already resembled the gaping maw of an abyss, ready to devour the thing she hated.
However, Ye Shiyu was completely unaware that the slightly open Student Council Office door in front of her was also like purgatory inside.
Simply because she was standing outside the room, she could not sense the danger lurking within that Jiejie.
Ultimately, Sakuramiya Hitomi''s refusal to let her enter might not be entirely out of dislike; rather, it was a battle between rationality and desire.
If she allowed the other girl into the Jiejie, she would probably be unable to resist using it to do something to her, right?
"By the way, Senior Female Student Ye, the President mentioned on Monday that you are his older sister..."
Right at this moment, Sakuramiya Hitomi''s eyes flashed as she looked at Ye Shiyu, suddenly asking,
"On a personal note, may I ask what exactly this so-called ''older sister and younger brother'' relationship... means?"
"What does that have to do with you?"
Ye Shiyu found the Sakuramiya Hitomi before her increasingly loathsome, especially when she caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye of a blanket draped over Yan Huan, one that clearly did not match his size.
The blanket was adorned with pink cherry blossoms; a single glance was enough to tell it belonged to a woman.
For some reason, Ye Shiyu accurately guessed that the blanket belonged to the Vice President standing right in front of her.
Sakuramiya Hitomi covered her mouth and chuckled softly, replying with impeccable manners,
"It is fine if you do not answer. I was just a little curious..."
Despite her words, her appraising gaze silently swept over the other girl''s clothes.
"Every piece of clothing on you, Senior Female Student, costs over five figures. Moreover, you suddenly transferred here this semester, and the school immediately set up a scholarship in the name of ''Ye International''..."
"Your family background is so wealthy. I am just curious: if the President is truly your younger brother, then why is he so financially strapped, working himself to such an exhausted and spiritless state?"
By the end of her sentence, Sakuramiya Hitomi''s expression had gone completely blank. It was impossible to tell whether her words were driven by curiosity or were an outright interrogation.
However, Ye Shiyu, tightly gripping her mobile phone, felt her pupils contract at the question. It felt as if her heart had been pierced by a sharp sword.
What was the reason...
Didn''t she know it perfectly well?
Her mama clearly intended to adopt Xiao Huan, but she had secretly sabotaged it, constantly trying to drive him away.
As a result, Xiao Huan had acutely sensed her dark thoughts. Being sensible, he did not expose her in front of her mama and instead chose to leave on his own.
Even though she no longer harbored any dislike toward Xiao Huan and could easily persuade him to move back, why hadn''t she done so?
Because she knew that once Xiao Huan returned to live with them, she would absolutely be unable to resist defiling him.
Even now at school, with him in the junior division and her in the senior division...
Whenever they occasionally met, those dirty thoughts would inevitably surface in Ye Shiyu''s mind.
If she were to spend day and night with Xiao Huan, she dared not imagine what her despicable self might end up doing.
It was because of her that he had left and returned to the South Ward. It was because of her that he wasn''t coming back now. And it was because of her own inner darkness that she harbored such filthy desires.
She was so truly despicable...
From start to finish, Ye Shiyu was well aware of her own unworthiness. Now, having it pointed out by the other girl in a single sentence, she naturally had nothing to say.
"..."
Ye Shiyu raised her beautiful eyes, looking at Sakuramiya Hitomi, who was waiting for her answer.
Her lips parted slightly, but the words she wanted to speak seemed to shrink back into her stomach in shame, refusing to come out no matter how hard she searched for them.
In her mind, however, a phrase she had seen while browsing an adult website inevitably surfaced:
''Hypnosis was perhaps born simply to satisfy my filthy desires, wasn''t it?''
The growing guilt in her heart, provoked by the other girl''s few words, came to a halt in this instant, replaced and filled by a terrifying desire.
That''s right, she had the Hypnosis App.
As long as she had this, she wouldn''t need to explain anything right now. She wouldn''t have to face her own wretchedness and despicability!
Thinking this, Ye Shiyu''s grip on her mobile phone tightened, and an invisible black aura began to spread.
"Your name is Sakuramiya Hitomi, right?"
Sakuramiya Hitomi narrowed her eyes. From her peripheral vision, she had clearly noticed the other girl''s tightening grip on the phone.
''Why is she gripping her phone so tightly?''
Hitomi''s subconscious warned her that the girl before her had suddenly become dangerous.
It was very similar to when she faced Spencer, although in terms of the pure revulsion welling up from within, Spencer still took the crown.
Sakuramiya Hitomi''s pale hand gripping the doorknob tightened as well, ready to slam the door shut at a moment''s notice and completely envelop herself within her Jiejie.
"That is correct, Senior Female Student Ye Shiyu."
On the surface, however, her expression remained unchanged as she smiled gracefully.
Ye Shiyu lifted her frosty eyes. It seemed as though she was about to instantly strike in the next split second, using the Hypnosis App on Sakuramiya Hitomi.
But at that critical moment, inside the room, Myau-chan, who had been vigilantly watching the situation, suddenly bristled and let out a low growl.
"Meow!"
The sleeping Yan Huan snapped his eyes open. He gently pressed a hand against the bristling Myau-chan in his arms, then sat up from the sofa with a blank expression.
Sitting up in shock like a dying man, as the dark wind blew rain into the cold window!
Beneath his long eyelashes, indifferent eyes swept toward the doorway.
Because the gap opened by Sakuramiya Hitomi was small, he too could only vaguely discern who was standing outside.
It was Ye Shiyu.
But even without Myau-chan''s warning, he could probably guess that Ye Shiyu was preparing to use her Modifier.
And she was about to use it on the innocent Sakuramiya Hitomi, who had no involvement with her Modifier!
In a mere instant, Yan Huan made a decision.
He rubbed his drooping bangs, making it look as though he were rubbing his eyes.
As his hair was tousled into a messy state, his expression naturally shifted into a sleepy, lethargic look.
Then, he spoke softly in a groggy voice,
"Older Sister Shiyu?"
Though his voice was not loud, it swept across the smoke-filled battlefield ahead like a violent gale.
Sakuramiya Hitomi, who had been covering her mouth and waiting for the other party to make a move, paused slightly and turned her head.
Ye Shiyu, whose entire body had been enveloped by the dense black aura of desire, was instantly purified. The mobile phone she was about to raise suddenly felt as though it weighed a ton, making it impossible to raise any higher.
The two girls looked into the room simultaneously, spotting Yan Huan, who still looked half-asleep with a slightly dazed expression.
''The freshly awakened President...'' / ''The freshly awakened Xiao Huan...''
''So cute!''
This thought popped up simultaneously in the minds of Sakuramiya Hitomi and Ye Shiyu.
''Was he woken up by our talking?''
''It is all this fake older sister''s fault...'' / ''It is all this annoying Vice President''s fault...''
''If it wasn''t for her interrupting / blocking the way, we could have had some nice alone time!''
As a result, the two girls standing at the door secretly loathed each other even more.
Sakuramiya Hitomi offered a faint smile. She looked like the complete opposite of the expressionless Ye Shiyu behind her, yet their inner thoughts were entirely aligned.
Myau-chan jumped down from Yan Huan''s lap and warned telepathically,
"Ye Shiyu was just about to use her Modifier, meow!"
''I know...''
Yan Huan sighed inwardly. He then sat up properly, the blanket still draped over his body.
He looked at Sakuramiya Hitomi and spoke,
"Sakuramiya, could you let Older Sister Shiyu come in? She must have something to discuss with me."
Ye Shiyu shot a glare at Sakuramiya Hitomi, wearing an expression that clearly read, "You see? Xiao Huan would definitely let me in." However, Sakuramiya Hitomi paid it no mind, playing the airtight card of "refusing her entry was purely following standard rules and regulations."
"Since you have given your permission, President, of course it is fine."
With that, she stepped sideways to clear the doorway, opening the path to enter.
Ye Shiyu walked in carrying the bag. Seeing the lingering drowsiness on Yan Huan''s face, she spoke with a hint of apology,
"I''m sorry... for waking you up."
Yan Huan smiled slightly and said nonchalantly,
"It is fine, I only intended to take a short nap anyway. Did you come to return my school uniform, Older Sister Shiyu?"
His gaze dropped to the paper bag in Ye Shiyu''s hand, as though he already knew why she was here.
Though he had no idea why she waited until Friday, with the week nearly over, to return it.
''School uniform?''
Sakuramiya Hitomi, having quietly stepped back into the office, revealed a thoughtful expression.
''The President stayed at her house last week, and he hasn''t even retrieved his clothes yet?''
''But the question remains the same: what exactly is the relationship between Yan Huan and Ye Shiyu?''
''A so-called older sister and younger brother?''
''They are definitely not biologically related. In that case, the term becomes quite intriguing...''
"Mhm, Chen Yi washed it a while ago."
Ye Shiyu nodded, then took the initiative to sit on Yan Huan''s side of the sofa, making Sakuramiya Hitomi frown slightly at the sight.
"Ah, thank you, Older Sister Shiyu. But for something like this, you could have just sent me a message on Plane and dropped it off at my classroom. There was no need to go through the trouble of coming all the way here."
''Mainly because if I took my eyes off her for a second, she might actually use her Modifier on Sakuramiya...''
''Just because Sakuramiya wouldn''t let her in due to regulations?''
Hearing this, Ye Shiyu did not respond. She merely stared fixedly at Sakuramiya Hitomi''s blanket still draped over his thighs.
Then, she gently reached out, pushed the blanket aside, and placed the paper bag on Yan Huan''s lap.
"There are some new clothes prepared for you inside... Mama picked out a few more online after you left, and I brought them along too."
Yan Huan blinked, while the smile on Sakuramiya Hitomi''s face, who was sitting on the opposite sofa, began to falter slightly.
''Casually pushing my blanket aside like it''s nothing, huh?''
''Fine, fine, fine...''
Following Ye Shiyu''s words, the atmosphere in the entire office suddenly fell completely silent again.
It was because Ye Shiyu had only come for this simple task, yet after completing it, she sat motionless without the slightest intention of leaving.
Meanwhile, Sakuramiya Hitomi continued to play the role of the perfect Vice President, simply observing their interactions closely.
Ultimately, Yan Huan, having accepted the bag, sighed inwardly. Just as he was about to take the initiative to start a conversation, Ye Shiyu suddenly summoned her courage and spoke first,
"Xiao Huan... is your part-time job very exhausting?"
Sakuramiya Hitomi''s gaze shifted, landing on Ye Shiyu''s side profile.
Yan Huan did not answer immediately. Instead, he caught a glimpse of Myau-chan sitting nearby from the corner of his eye.
"Vice President Sakuramiya seems very curious about your older sister and younger brother relationship with Ye Shiyu, meow..."
Myau-chan''s voice echoed in his mind,
"She asked Ye Shiyu why, since her family is so wealthy, you, her supposed younger brother, still need to work."
''So that''s how it is...''
''You''ve been a huge help, Myau-chan.''
Yan Huan felt a little surprised that Vice President Sakuramiya had suddenly inquired about his private matters.
Turning to look at Ye Shiyu, he indeed read a trace of guilt on her face.
''She''s probably thinking about how my departure from Ye Lan''s house was entirely because of her...''
''What is strange is that guilt triggered by me can suppress Ye Shiyu''s urge to use the Modifier.''
''But when Sakuramiya Hitomi inadvertently poked at this same point, it ironically stimulated her desire to use the Modifier.''
''Is this guilt-trip mechanism exclusive to me or something?''
"It is okay. Linmen''s part-time employment laws cap work at twenty-eight hours a week, which is fairly humane. It is not particularly tiring, and the boss is quite generous to me."
Yan Huan pointed to his eyes and took the initiative to explain,
"Last night, I was busy with my own affairs and stayed up too late, which is why I didn''t get enough rest."
"I see..."
Ye Shiyu parted her lips, but the invitation, "Do you want to come back and live with us?" remained impossibly hard to say.
Emotionally speaking, no matter how one looked at it, she should definitely extend the offer.
He had even said it himself that he longed for the warmth of a family.
Her desires were also waving banners and shouting, urging her to quickly bring this fresh, delectable younger brother home.
That way, at night, they could do this and that...
Yet, her rationality acted like reins holding back these two runaway horses, carefully weighing the consequences.
"I..."
"Ring, ring, ring~"
Just as Ye Shiyu was struggling internally, her mobile phone suddenly rang.
She took it out, and Yan Huan immediately spotted the caller ID "Driver" on the phone screen.
Answering the call, Ye Shiyu nodded, murmured in agreement a couple of times, and then hung up.
''Did the family driver arrive to pick her up?''
"..."
"Older Sister Shiyu, are you heading back now?"
Ye Shiyu nodded, simply looking at Yan Huan.
"Then I will walk you out. I still have to wait here until the school bus departs anyway."
"Mama said she wants to take us out for dinner tonight."
"Huh?"
''Wait, wasn''t it the driver who just called?''
''It seems, perhaps, maybe, possibly... Yan Huan hadn''t heard the driver relaying any message from Ye Lan?''
Yan Huan blinked. Over on the other side, Sakuramiya Hitomi''s action of drinking her coffee also paused slightly as she looked over.
Those gazes, which felt as if they had already caught her in a lie, made Ye Shiyu a bit uncomfortable. She averted her eyes slightly and pursed her lips into a slight pout.
Yet she remained stubborn,
"Mama... said so."
Yan Huan was amused by her stubborn display, though from the corner of his eye, he noticed the screen of the mobile phone she was squeezing had inexplicably lit up.
"..."
''Forget it. It''s just a dinner anyway. If worse comes to worst, I''ll just ask Sister Tong for time off.''
"Alright, if Aunt Ye is inviting me, I will definitely go."
"Mhm."
Ye Shiyu nodded and stood up. She glanced at Sakuramiya Hitomi beside her, who was maintaining the posture of sipping coffee but hadn''t actually swallowed a single drop.
Without saying a word, she turned and left, walking out of the Student Council Office.
For some reason, Ye Shiyu felt uncomfortable staying in this office, as if she couldn''t catch her breath.
"Let''s go then, Xiao Huan. The car will be here soon."
The moment she stepped out of the office, that oppressive feeling vanished instantly.
Yan Huan looked helplessly at Sakuramiya Hitomi in front of him. He turned around, meticulously folded the blanket Sakuramiya Hitomi had lent him, and stood up to put it back.
"Let me do it, President."
"It is fine, I was about to leave anyway. I''ll head out for the afternoon then. If anything comes up, just contact me on Plane."
"Understood, President."
Sakuramiya Hitomi agreed, though her thoughtful gaze wavered back and forth between Yan Huan and Ye Shiyu outside the door.
''I can''t shake the feeling that President Yan''s attitude towards this Ye Shiyu is genuinely strange.''
''She does not seem like someone he likes.''
''Nor does she seem like a real older sister.''
''How strange...''
Yan Huan packed his school bag, picked up the bag Ye Shiyu had just bought, and prepared to leave. Suddenly, he paused his steps,
"By the way, Sakuramiya..."
"Ah?"
Sakuramiya, who was still lost in thought, hurriedly snapped back to reality and looked at Yan Huan,
"President?"
Only to see him smile slightly and say sincerely to Sakuramiya Hitomi,
"Thank you for the blanket and the coffee. I slept very well this noon. And then..."
"I will see you this weekend."
Last night, Sakuramiya Hitomi had mentioned going to the Linmen gaming convention over the weekend.
"Ah, okay, President."
"Click."
The door closed as Yan Huan left the office.
Sakuramiya Hitomi was left standing there alone, her eyes wide open.
"..."
In the quiet, a few seconds passed.
Although Sakuramiya Hitomi remained motionless, a cherry-red blush slowly crept across her pale face until it consumed her entirely...
"..."
Belatedly, she touched her own cheeks, only to find them feeling hot and tingling.
Then, no longer able to hold back, she covered her face with both hands, leaving only her bright pink earlobes exposed.
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