Chapter 43: Converting to the Cult of Ye Lan

Restricted Fantasy Invasion

Linmen, Luoqiao District, inside An Le''s home.

Having changed into her pajamas, An Le returned to her room and looked at the neatly folded clothes on her bed.

They were newly bought as well, but not the piece that cost over a thousand. Instead, it was a cheaper alternative An Le had bought after leaving the store.

Naturally, in terms of both style and fabric, it was far inferior to the dress Little Finger had set its sights on earlier.

But An Le was still completely satisfied.

Looking at the newly bought clothes on the bed, she unfolded them to take a good look.

Then, with a warm smile, she decided to wash them tomorrow before wearing them.

Folding the clothes once more, she turned to look at the white snake on the bed, which looked entirely devoid of the will to live, and softly called out,

"Little Finger?"

Hearing this, Little Finger cast a weak, listless glance at An Le.

Then, it drooped its serpentine head and let out a tremendously long sigh.

It said nothing, yet it seemed to have said everything.

An Le climbed onto the bed and reached out a finger to poke its head.

Normally, Little Finger would definitely bristle with anger at this point, but right now, it seemed to have lost its soul.

It remained motionless, letting An Le fiddle with it.

An Le thought it might be sick, so she asked with deep concern,

"Little Finger, can you get sick too? You look really uncomfortable..."

"..."

Upon hearing these words, Little Finger finally raised its head and stared at An Le, its eyes screaming,

"Are you serious right now?"

An Le''s worried gaze remained unchanged; it seemed she genuinely believed what she was saying.

And our Little Finger was completely pushed to its breaking point by Comrade An Le''s pure, innocent eyes.

"Boohoohoo! Why is my life so miserable?! Why?! Why did I have to choose you as my host?! Sob, sob, sob!"

"Eh? Eh?"

An Le pursed her lips, seemingly finally understanding why Little Finger was unhappy.

She glanced at Little Finger, which had begun banging its head against the mattress, and asked cautiously,

"But... Little Finger, didn''t you say you wanted to fulfill my desires? Why... did doing exactly that make you unhappy?"

"Bullshit! You obviously really wanted that pretty dress! Was that not your desire? You went completely against your own wishes!"

An Le blinked and whispered softly,

"That was indeed my desire, but not wanting that store clerk lady to suffer a loss because of me was also my desire. That doesn''t really count as breaking our agreement, right?"

Little Finger opened its mouth wide, completely dumbfounded by An Le''s logic.

And An Le continued,

"Besides, doing it that way just didn''t feel right. Let''s wait until I save up a bit more money, and I''ll ask Mama for a little extra. Then we can go back and buy that dress."

Little Finger gasped several times in quick succession, almost failing to catch its breath and dying right there on the bed.

"...You''re invincible."

''Why is it like this, Divine Lord?!''

''I searched out two hosts in a row. One of them didn''t even spare me a single glance before sending me flying with a punch, and the other one is an absolute piece of work.''

''Other people get a cheat code and instantly turn into absolute tyrants doing whatever they please, but you''re still sitting here playing Little Miss Goody Two-Shoes, huh?''

''How is this any different from waiting for red lights while playing a racing game?!''

''If you keep acting like a law-abiding citizen and slowly raising your desires like this, when will I ever evolve into my Complete Form?''

''Why does a brilliant genius like me have to suffer such a miserable fate?''

''Why in the world is it like this?!''

"Don''t worry, Little Finger. The new clothes look really nice too~

"Today I got my hair done, bought new clothes, and... new underwear. I can say I''m fully prepared.

"My biggest, absolute greatest desire is to properly reunite with Xiao Huan. Since I started preparing so early this time, I will definitely succeed!"

An Le could never bear to see others looking disappointed, and that applied to Little Finger as well.

She did not treat it as an artifact spirit or anything of the sort, but rather as a genuine friend.

So at this moment, whether to hype herself up or to comfort Little Finger, she spoke with a flushed face and clenched fists.

However, upon hearing this, Little Finger simply rolled its eyes dramatically.

''Oh, thank the heavens.''

''That Yan Huan is one hundred percent being targeted by the other Fingers.''

''He himself is the absolute ultimate nourishment for desires.''

''With a cowardly and kind-hearted host like you who hasn''t even built a proper foundation, can you guarantee a win against incredibly powerful Modifiers like Index Finger and Thumb Modifier?!''

''Be practical and at least understand the concept of a Modifier first!''

''Even a scumbag like Park Seo-moon can bully you as she pleases, and you had to rely on that Spencer girl to come to the rescue in the end.''

''Tell me, how do you explain that?''

''Seriously, the lifelong stellar reputation of the brilliant and peerless Little Finger has been completely ruined by you...''

''I''ve lost all my face!''

At that thought, Little Finger spasmed and went limp on the bed, looking like it was on the verge of passing out.

An Le thought it was getting ready to sleep, so she leaned in and asked quietly,

"Are you going to sleep, Little Finger?"

"..."

"Then you sleep first. I want to play on the computer for a little while..."

"..."

This time, Little Finger didn''t even twitch.

It seemed to have genuinely died.

An Le got out of bed, walked over to her computer, and opened the web browser.

She planned to browse a galgame forum to see if there were any fun new releases.

She didn''t find any games, but she did come across an interesting thread:

"I heard White Horse Studio is releasing their new game ''Dragon of Rope Bondage'' at the Linmen Game Exhibition this Sunday. Is there any absolute legend going to the venue who can help buy a copy for me?"

White Horse Studio was an indie developer specializing in niche, restricted-rating otome games, and An Le was a devoted fan of theirs.

So, she clicked on the thread and scrolled through the replies:

"Where would anyone get tickets? The scalpers have driven the prices sky-high. Over a thousand for a single ticket—do you know how many games you could buy with that?"

"Sigh, I''ll just wait until it''s online and buy the digital version."

''The Linmen Game Exhibition...''

''Will White Horse Studio be there too?''

An Le blinked and searched for it in the browser, bringing up the official website for the game exhibition:

"The Linmen GL Game Exhibition, sponsored by the Jinshi Group, is a large-scale annual ACG expo.

"This year marks the largest scale in its history, with the highest number of invited developers and doujin circles to date!

"Featuring one main pavilion and twelve secondary pavilions, it will present the most comprehensive and lively cultural festival to all sectors of society in Linmen..."

''Wow, it looks so exciting, but...''

''The tickets are so expensive!!''

Staring at the four-digit price tag, An Le''s initial excitement was instantly extinguished.

Disappointed, An Le tried to close the browser, but her mouse accidentally clicked on the name "Jinshi Group" on the interface.

In an instant, the page redirected to the official website of the Jinshi Group.

There, against a luxurious golden background, a lion''s head icon with a majestic golden mane was baring its fangs and brandishing its claws.

That was the emblem of the Jinshi Group, the very origin of the corporate behemoth''s name.

The shimmering golden icon caught An Le''s eye for a moment; she had obviously heard of this world-renowned enterprise.

She simply stared at the image on the page, watching as the lion in the icon raised its head and roared,

"Roar!"

The roaring motion caused the icon to slowly warp and distort, eventually overlapping perfectly with a majestic lion mural carved into a marble wall inside a luxurious penthouse apartment in Kyogo Ward.

The lion on the wall gazed silently at the massive room before it, its eyes resting on the blonde girl lying on a sofa by the floor-to-ceiling windows at the far end of the penthouse.

The lighting in the room was dim, yet her blonde hair remained vividly bright and exceptionally beautiful.

She was dressed in a sports T-shirt and shorts, her long, pale legs propped straight up against the wall.

Meanwhile, she lay flat on the sofa cushions, her head hanging off the edge and facing the ceiling.

Her mouth was wide open, as if she were preparing for something.

The next second, she tossed a jellybean into the air.

Her wide-open mouth acted like a net, perfectly shifting forward to catch the falling candy with pinpoint precision.

"Nom~"

Having caught her prize, the girl named Aria Spencer chewed on the sweet candy, a profound look of boredom washing over her face.

"So boring..."

Her voice echoed alone through the massive luxury penthouse, met with absolute silence.

Swallowing the jellybean, Spencer sat up straight and pulled out her mobile phone.

She scrolled through a video streaming site to find cartoons, intending to cast them onto the screen.

But because nothing caught her fancy, the more she searched, the more irritable she became.

She had already finished watching Peppa Dog, and all the other cartoons felt entirely uninteresting.

Spencer was not in a good mood today.

Her clear, sky-blue eyes shifted toward the massive 115-inch screen, where a golden lion''s head was staring right back at her.

It was her mother''s AI butler, which had relayed a message to Spencer earlier that day:

"Miss, the Chairwoman has received the feedback regarding your recent performance at school.

"She is highly displeased."

Recalling those words, Spencer narrowed her eyes, grabbed a bag of potato chips from the table, ripped it open, and started snacking.

"The Chairwoman requests that you listen carefully in class from now on, complete your school assignments on time, and attend the Study Group as required by the email from the Student Council.

"If there is anything you require my assistance with, please contact me at any time. I will also provide real-time updates on your situation to the Chairwoman."

Spencer clicked her tongue in annoyance. She took a bite of a chip and pressed a button on the smart remote.

On the television, the voice of the Golden Lion Butler sounded out once more:

"Is there anything you require, Miss?"

"When is she coming back?" "I am not privy to the Chairwoman''s itinerary. However, based on the answer provided during your previous inquiry, I estimate the Chairwoman will return to Linmen within the next two months and stay for two to three days."

"..."

Spencer gazed at the night skyline of Linmen outside the window, wearing a "just as I expected" expression.

Then, she ruffled her long blonde hair and said irritably,

"I''m bored out of my mind this weekend. Find me something fun to do."

"I recommend visiting places like the library or the gym over the weekend, Miss. People often say that reading cultivates one''s character, and I believe..."

''Ah, this stupid AI...''

Veins popped on Spencer''s forehead. She crossed her arms, turned her head sharply, and shouted,

"I want to go out and play! A fun place!! Tell me what''s fun to do in Linmen this weekend! Otherwise, I''m going out to smoke, drink, and find a boyfriend!!"

"...Understood. Please wait a moment, Miss."

The Golden Lion Butler paused for a moment before seemingly finding the appropriate information.

"I recommend attending the Linmen GL Game Exhibition this Sunday, Miss. It is a grand cultural event sponsored by our company."

"The Linmen GL Game Exhibition?"

Spencer blinked, sat up straight, and rubbed her chin as she looked at the television screen.

Then, seemingly finally piqued by the suggestion, the boredom on her face dissipated slightly.

"Oho~"

''When exactly is Mother going to ask Xiao Huan to stay?''

Inside a luxury hotel suite in the South Ward, Ye Shiyu picked at her food using the chopsticks she had brought from her own school bag, pondering this very question.

She lifted her gaze to look at Yan Huan and Ye Lan conversing across the table, her mind racing.

''Should I be the one to bring it up first?''

"Auntie Ye, were you already in the South Ward today?"

"Yes, I was discussing a few things with the relevant departments in Linmen and came down to inspect the South Ward. We are planning to provide Linmen with a series of supporting facilities, like charging stations. The situation in the South Ward is quite typical... How should I put it? The current environment leaves much to be desired."

"The South Ward can indeed be a bit troublesome."

''This is my chance!''

Ye Shiyu, who had been eating quietly, set down her chopsticks. She suddenly looked up at Yan Huan and took the initiative to suggest,

"Xiao Huan is still working part-time in the South Ward. Since the environment here is so worrisome, it''d be better for him to come live at our house... That way, things won''t be so hard on him."

Yan Huan froze slightly, raising his eyes to look at Ye Shiyu across the table.

He was somewhat surprised that she would proactively invite him back to her house to live.

She even mentioned the hardship of his part-time jobs. It seemed that what Yinggong had told her that afternoon had been extremely effective.

Yet, for some reason, looking at Ye Shiyu speaking like this, a faint sense of foreboding still crept into Yan Huan''s heart.

''So, should I really go back?''

The benefits of moving back were incredibly obvious. Yan Huan didn''t even need to reiterate Ye Lan''s status and position; if he went, his life would truly take off.

Part-time jobs, the impoverished South Ward, a decade of living as an orphan—he would be saying goodbye to all of it.

But he was genuinely considering whether moving back would be beneficial to resolving Ye Shiyu''s Modifier...

"Meow~"

Under the table, the ethereal form of Myau-chan was standing next to the paper bag placed beside his chair.

It poked its furry little head inside, seemingly pawing at something.

Then, as if discovering something, it looked up at Yan Huan and meowed again,

"Meow!"

''Did you find something, Myau-chan?''

Yan Huan stared at the clothes it was pawing for a long time but didn''t notice anything unusual, so he had to ask it in his mind.

''Yan Huan, look inside the collar. Look closely, in a very hidden spot.''

Yan Huan didn''t do so immediately. Instead, he turned to look at Ye Lan beside him, noticing a contemplative expression on her face.

He pretended to accidentally knock his spoon off the table.

Clatter.

"Sorry about that..."

Yan Huan smiled slightly, then bent down to pick up the spoon. In reality, he leaned right up against the bag, taking a close look at the spot Myau-chan was pawing.

Upon such careful inspection, he finally noticed something amiss.

Inside his school uniform, tucked away in an extremely concealed location, someone had used a minuscule, dense stitching technique to embroider three incredibly hard-to-find characters.

If Myau-chan hadn''t warned him, an ordinary person would never have realized that three impossibly tiny words were stitched inside their clothing!

''Heh heh, care to guess what those three characters were?''

"Ye Shiyu."

Looking at that incredibly tiny name appearing on his clothes, Yan Huan gulped. The pressure instantly shot through the roof.

''And it''s not just this uniform, meow. It looks like the other clothes have it too, all in different places.''

"..."

Hiss...

And to think he was actually hesitating over whether to move back, believing that Ye Shiyu''s situation had actually improved...

This wasn''t a damn improvement at all—this was terminal madness!

It was because he had already become ''hers'' that he hadn''t realized her twisted habits hadn''t changed one bit!

Thank goodness for Myau-chan. Otherwise, if he moved back tonight, he''d probably unlock a Battle Defeat CG this very evening.

''Myau-chan, I love you.''

''Meow?''

Gripping the spoon, Yan Huan sat back up straight, the smile on his face growing even brighter. In reality, his brain was already spinning furiously, trying to come up with excuses.

Excuses that would save him from having to return to the Kyogo Ward mansion.

A life of luxury was certainly valuable, but for the sake of his own life and resolving the Modifier...

''Auntie Ye, I am truly sorry, but it seems I''ll have to reject you again.''

However, after a brief moment of contemplation, Ye Lan let out a sigh, shook her head, and spoke.

"Shiyu, I told you that spending more time with Xiao Huan would make you more cheerful. But... Mom has thought about this many times since before I arrived, and I eventually realized that I was far too impulsive previously..."

"Eh?"

Both Ye Shiyu and Yan Huan froze at the same time.

Ye Lan, wearing an apologetic smile, looked at Yan Huan. Resting her chin on her hands, she said,

"Xiao Huan has lived in Linmen for over a decade and is a young man on the verge of independence, yet I kept treating him like a little child.

"We hadn''t even met before, yet I half-forced him into abandoning the life he was used to, all just to satisfy my own expectations. It was truly inappropriate of me."

As she spoke, Ye Lan turned her gaze back to Ye Shiyu.

"Over this past week, I had someone look deeper into Xiao Huan''s life. I know now that he is already a very mature adult who can take good care of himself.

"So, this is what Mom intends to do: from now on, I will provide Xiao Huan with more financial assistance to make his life easier, rather than forcefully insisting he must live with us...

"What do you think, Shiyu?"

''Auntie Ye!!''

Yan Huan looked at the smiling Ye Lan beside him. To his eyes, it was as if she had suddenly grown angel wings and a halo, with a dazzling, divine light radiating from behind her—utterly holy and breathtakingly beautiful.

That rich, maternal gentleness cascaded down upon him, making Yan Huan wish he could piously close his eyes, bathe in her holy light, and convert to her religion on the spot.

Not only had she saved him from having to return tonight to suffer Ye Shiyu''s grand Hypnosis, but she was also offering unconditional financial support...

''Auntie Ye, you are my god!''

''Xiao Huan, recite your prayers to the merciful goddess (Auntie Ye)~''

"Auntie Ye, I don''t want to work hard anymore."

"Hehe, how cute~"

Unlike Yan Huan, who had thoroughly converted to the Cult of Ye Lan, Ye Shiyu was plunged into complete shock.

''Mom?!''

Ye Shiyu''s eyes widened. She paused for a moment before finally squeezing out a few words,

"But..."

"We just won''t be living together on a daily basis; it''s not like our relationship is going to fade. Shiyu, you and Xiao Huan go to school together every day, and I can occasionally invite him over as a guest on the weekends. Isn''t it better this way?"

Ye Shiyu looked at her mother, then at Yan Huan, who was nodding incessantly beside her, and said again,

"But... the environment in the South Ward is very chaotic. I''ve even heard about gang violence happening here before. I''m worried..."

Seeing a look of concern cross Ye Lan''s face at those words, Yan Huan hurriedly explained,

"It''s fine, Older Sister Shiyu. I''ve lived here for over ten years; I can take good care of myself. And speaking of which, thanks to Auntie Ye, the South Ward is definitely going to improve from now on."

"Thanks to me? Why is that?"

Yan Huan smiled slightly and said,

"Since the Linmen government is cooperating with Auntie Ye to advance the installation of related infrastructure, they will absolutely have to improve the public security in the South Ward.

"After all, that is real, hard cash being spent. If the equipment gets smashed by thugs every other day, Auntie Ye won''t be the one taking the loss, right?"

Ye Lan covered her mouth and chuckled lightly. Clearly, she hadn''t considered that angle in the moment.

"That does make sense. I don''t know if the South Ward will actually get better, but we definitely won''t be losing money, that''s for sure. At the very worst, you can always rent a place somewhere else, Xiao Huan. You don''t necessarily have to live in the South Ward."

As she spoke, she retrieved a white card from her bag and handed it to Yan Huan.

"This is a credit card Auntie prepared for you. The password is six ones. From now on, just use this for all your expenses; Auntie will reimburse everything for you~"

Looking at the white card being handed to him, Yan Huan blinked.

He looked up again at Ye Lan, who stood before him with a loving smile, imaginary angel wings sprouting from her back, and subconsciously opened his mouth,

"Thank—"

"Shh, no need to say thank you to Auntie. Just accept it, Xiao Huan."

"You got it, Auntie."

The display of "kind mother and filial son" playing out on that side of the table completely stripped Ye Shiyu of any opportunity to maneuver and bring Xiao Huan home tonight.

Ye Lan''s entire sequence of actions had been completely unexpected for both Yan Huan and Ye Shiyu.

However...

Gripping her phone, Ye Shiyu watched the smiling faces of Ye Lan and Yan Huan, and her racing heart gradually settled down.

Her mother had talked about Xiao Huan for so long, and Xiao Huan clearly longed for the warmth of a family just as much.

Perhaps, this moment right now was just perfect.

If they went back, it was entirely possible she might ruin this beautiful atmosphere by doing something out of line...

Regardless, they would still see each other often at school, and she could invite Xiao Huan home on the weekends.

There was no rush.

Ultimately, her rationality could not be entirely consumed by her desires, and it forced its way back to the surface.

Clutching her phone, she let out a long breath and silently agreed to her mother''s arrangement.

Meanwhile, between her fingers, the phone screen lit up on its own again without being touched, shifting into the shape of a dark, murky purple vortex...

But at this moment, the screen began to violently flicker with fragments of static snow, as if it had poor signal.

A second later, the screen unwillingly went black, melting away into the perfectly harmonious atmosphere of the room.