Chapter 48: Unknowingly, the Ye Lan Cult Gains Another Believer

Restricted Fantasy Invasion

"Beep!"

"Ah, we finally made it in."

After waiting in line for a long time, Yan Huan and Sakuramiya Hitomi finally passed through the ticket gates and entered the massive exhibition center.

If nothing else, the moment they walked in, the sheer wealth and extravagance of the Jinshi Group washed over them.

Light filtered through the glass ceiling between the marble pillars, illuminating the lion sculptures engraved on the walls surrounding the venue. It instantly added a touch of golden splendor to this cultural event.

And this was only the first hall.

Within the interconnected halls of the Jinshi Exhibition Center, over a dozen different themed venues were scattered about.

Official game launch conferences, fashion shows of various styles, guest autograph areas, a doujinshi exhibition, an adult doujinshi convention, an entertainment zone, and a snack street.

Finally, there was the "Main Hall" located in the very center of the exhibition center.

As the only venue with a stage, all officially hosted events took place there, including the upcoming guest meet-and-greet.

Bai Yi would also be taking the stage there.

Yan Huan glanced at the map guide handed out by the staff at the entrance, planning to discuss with Sakuramiya Hitomi which section they should visit first.

However, Sakuramiya Hitomi, having stepped indoors, closed her parasol. Holding it in her hand, she pointed in a certain direction and said to Yan Huan,

"President, I need to make a trip to the restroom."

"Alright, I will wait for you here."

Sakuramiya Hitomi nodded with a smile and turned to leave.

Stepping into the empty restroom, Sakuramiya Hitomi hummed a tune and pressed a button hidden in her parasol before beginning to wash her hands.

"Ding-ding~"

It did not take long before a woman wearing a qipao and sunglasses walked in from outside the restroom.

It was Sakuramiya Hitomi''s personal bodyguard, Nara.

Looking at Sakuramiya Hitomi''s relaxed expression inside the restroom, she let out a silent sigh and turned off the alarm on her mobile phone,

"My Eldest Miss Sakuramiya, I have told you before, even though I am always following by your side, do not press that button unless it is an emergency."

But Sakuramiya Hitomi acted as if she had not heard a word. She merely smiled at Nara while using the hand dryer to blow away the water droplets on her hands,

"Hehe~"

Nara blinked, not understanding what Sakuramiya Hitomi meant.

But soon enough, Sakuramiya Hitomi pulled out her mobile phone, opened her photo album, and began showing something to Nara.

"..."

Nara raised an eyebrow and looked at her phone screen.

On it, Yan Huan was holding his phone with Sakuramiya Hitomi leaning in close beside him. Both of them had smiles on their faces as they looked at the camera lens.

It was a rare group photo of the President and Vice President of the Far Moon Academy Student Council.

But Nara simply shifted her gaze away and looked at Sakuramiya Hitomi, who was standing tall and proud, holding up the phone with a bright and sunny smile on her face,

"And?"

Hearing Nara''s response, Sakuramiya Hitomi''s smiling expression instantly changed, and she puffed out her cheeks.

She swiped her finger across the screen much faster, causing the displayed photos to cycle through one by one,

"Hey, what do you mean ''and''?! Look, it is not just this one. We took a lot of them! There are also plenty of photos using special effects and stickers!"

"..."

Nara parted her lips slightly as the series of photos reflected like flowing light in her eyes.

Only at this moment did she finally seem to understand why Sakuramiya Hitomi had called her over.

"...Eldest Miss Sakuramiya, do not tell me you called me over specifically just to show off your photos with Yan Huan?"

Hearing this, Sakuramiya Hitomi paused slightly, then stubbornly retorted with a hint of embarrassment,

"These are the fruits of my labor! The fruits of my labor, alright?! And it is not just a simple photo session. The President rejected other people''s requests for photos specifically to take these with me!"

"..."

"He even said something incredibly cool like ''I cannot leave behind someone who cannot take photos.'' Do you understand, Nara?!"

"...Yes, yes, yes. You win, Eldest Miss."

"Have I won again?!"

Nara let out a sigh. She did not say a single word, but her expression was filled with the lament of someone thinking, ''Money is hard to earn, and this job is pure torture.''

That expression made Sakuramiya Hitomi even more annoyed. Her cheeks puffed out larger and larger like balloons, and her face grew increasingly red.

But as she turned the screen back and caught a glimpse of her photo with Yan Huan, her face was immediately overtaken by a warm smile once again,

"Hmph, I do not care. When we get back, I am going to print all these photos out and hang them on the wall!"

"Right, it would be best if you also hung a banner saying ''Deepest Condolences,'' placed a spirit tablet underneath, and inscribed it with ''Love is Immortal''..."

"Nara!!"

Sakuramiya Hitomi, thoroughly exasperated, thrust out a fist to teach her a lesson, but it was once again easily blocked by Nara with a single hand.

Whenever it concerned that Yan Huan, the Eldest Miss Sakuramiya''s intelligence would flicker in and out of existence.

Yes, when it was out of existence, it was just like right now—she acted silly, always saying weird things and doing strange actions.

As for when it was present, that was when she was secretly stalking Yan Huan in private, or confronting potential love rivals like Ye Shiyu.

Hmm, how truly cute. Her face was written all over with the scent of first love.

Easily defending against Sakuramiya Hitomi''s feminine fists, Nara sighed and spoke to her,

"Ah, looking closely, Eldest Miss, you and Yan Huan are truly a perfect match. A talented man and a beautiful woman, a match made in heaven."

Even though it was delivered with a deadpan reading, Nara spoke the words with such perfect cadence and flawless rhythm.

If it were anyone else, they might have been completely fooled by Nara. But Sakuramiya Hitomi was too familiar with her, so hearing these words only made her disbelieve them.

Failing to successfully show off her photos, she softly scoffed and looked down at the pictures in her hand with self-satisfaction,

"Well, whatever. You simply lack appreciation... How are the preparations for the layout of the entertainment zone coming along?"

"Mhm, everything has been fully arranged. Divination, two-player games, claw machines... and finally, the most important haunted house, right?"

"That is good."

With that said, Sakuramiya Hitomi''s restless heart finally settled down.

Deep inside, she once again revealed the sinister expression of ''just as planned,'' and naturally, she could not stop her imagination from running wild.

''As long as we go through this entire series of events, the flames of love will definitely be successfully ignited. The President will be mine!''

"As long as these events succeed, the day Yan Huan confesses to me will not be far off. He will be mine..."

''This way, it will not violate the persona I have carefully maintained all along. We can get together without the President finding any flaws. As long as I keep up the disguise...''

"It absolutely will not violate the persona you have carefully maintained all along. You can make Yan Huan feel that getting together is entirely natural, and then keep up the disguise forever so he never discovers your true face."

Lost in her thoughts, Sakuramiya Hitomi stroked her chin, then blankly raised her head to look at Nara, who was emotionlessly reading her mind out loud.

She had accurately guessed Sakuramiya Hitomi''s thoughts down to the letter.

"Eh?"

"...You are truly easy to read, Eldest Miss. Your thoughts are written all over your face."

Nara sighed, but immediately after, she revealed a naturally charming smile,

"However, I am afraid it is only in front of me that you can be so free of pretense, right, Eldest Miss Sakuramiya?"

Sakuramiya Hitomi pursed her lips, looking at Nara with a snort,

"That is only because we are accomplices. We both know each other''s most shameful secrets. So, we have to huddle together for warmth, right?"

"...Well, regardless of the reason, since you trust me so much, I suppose I will give you a little tip as your older sister."

"Older sister? You?"

Sakuramiya Hitomi was just about to show a disdainful expression, but Nara raised her index finger and wagged it a few times,

"Eldest Miss, do you not pride yourself on understanding Yan Huan very well?"

"Of course. I know exactly what the President is doing and at what time every single day. As for everything else..."

"Setting aside the question of whether you can truly hide your real self for a lifetime, let me just ask you one thing, Eldest Miss..."

Nara raised her eyes to look at Sakuramiya Hitomi. Like an arrow drawn on a bowstring, she aimed straight for her heart,

"Yan Huan is busy every day with his studies, the Student Council, and his part-time jobs. Where would he find the extra time to engage in romance with you, Eldest Miss?"

"..."

"Furthermore, no matter how open-minded your parents might be, allowing you to date freely, they would probably still find endless faults with everything about your future husband... especially regarding his family background and power. Am I right?"

"..."

With just two sentences, Nara tossed the bloody reality right in front of Sakuramiya Hitomi.

These issues were likely far more terrifying than her decision to hide her true self from Yan Huan for the rest of her life, were they not?

''That is right, the President still has to work his part-time jobs, and Mom and Dad would also...''

"I..."

Sakuramiya Hitomi gasped, seemingly unable to refute these cruel realities that weighed down on her like massive mountains.

But in the very next second, Sakuramiya Hitomi suddenly thought of something.

''Wait a minute...''

''The President is not completely lacking in background either!''

She remembered that on Friday, Ye Shiyu and her mother, Ye Lan, had visited Yan Huan''s rented apartment. At the time, Sakuramiya Hitomi had almost lost her emotional composure over the incident.

As a result, on Saturday, besides having Nara arrange the "anti-Yan Huan traps" in the entertainment zone for today, she had personally investigated more information regarding the Ye family mother and daughter.

It was not difficult to discover that Ye Lan was currently a direct-line senior executive at the highly renowned Ye International. Her power was not to be underestimated.

With Ye Lan backing the President, not only would it free him from constantly being busy with part-time work, but it would also fill the void in his family background!

At this thought, Sakuramiya Hitomi''s eyes lit up slightly.

It was as if the photo of Ye Lan from yesterday''s dossier had suddenly grown an angelic halo and wings at this very moment, directing a loving and maternal smile toward Sakuramiya Hitomi,

"Young maiden, pray devoutly to your god (Ye Lan), and she will bless your romance~"

At this moment, Sakuramiya Hitomi was practically itching to convert and become a believer of the "Ye Lan Cult," regardless of whether such a thing actually existed.

Under the loving gaze of the imaginary Ye Lan, Sakuramiya Hitomi''s brain worked faster and faster.

Everyone in her family doted on her deeply; otherwise, they would never have agreed to let her come study in Linmen all by herself.

Moreover, she herself knew that the President was incredibly outstanding. He was not just some pretty boy relying on his looks to survive.

''As long as I work hard and explain all the President''s good qualities to my parents, everything Nara mentioned will not be an obstacle at all!''

''Hiss, thinking about it carefully...''

''Does this not mean I have claimed all the advantages of timing, location, and harmony?!''

''Does this not prove that the President and I are a match made by destiny?!''

''Does this not mean that I have already...''

''Won for sure!!''

Bathed in holy light under Ye Lan''s loving gaze, Vice President Sakuramiya Hitomi felt as if she had achieved transcendence.

But in the very next second, behind that loving deity, an emotionless, cold-faced girl suddenly appeared.

She had horns growing from her head, a pair of bat wings on her back, and a heart-shaped demon tail.

Although she was completely expressionless, she made Sakuramiya Hitomi feel intensely disgusted and repulsed.

It was Ye Shiyu.

''Wait a minute...''

''Following this line of thought, does this not mean that my exceptionally high success rate in matching with the President is all thanks to that older sister named Ye Shiyu?''

''Stay calm...''

''Stay calm, Sakuramiya Hitomi.''

''The President already said that the girl named Ye Shiyu is just his older sister.''

''That is nothing to worry about. Who does not have siblings at home? This is all perfectly nor-''

In that split second, the feeling Sakuramiya Hitomi had experienced on Tuesday inside the Principal''s Office suddenly resurfaced in her mind—the inexplicable urge to believe that Spencer and the President were truly just running a normal Study Group.

''The way Ye Shiyu looked at the President... was that the kind of look an older sister should give her younger brother?''

''And why would I even think this way...?''

''It is all that Spencer''s fault!!''

Standing before her, Nara watched Sakuramiya Hitomi plunge into deep thought. The girl''s face shifted rapidly between excitement and cold hostility, making it impossible to figure out what she was thinking.

But whatever. She was just a bodyguard. She had only offered a reminder to the Eldest Miss Sakuramiya out of personal affection.

As for what to do specifically, that was not something she needed to consider.

When it came to matters of romance, the ones who truly needed to exert effort were the two people involved in the relationship. Outsiders could not help.

She smiled slightly and glanced outside the restroom, then gently patted Sakuramiya Hitomi, whose face looked quite awful, snapping her out of her deep thoughts,

"Alright, I will go to the entertainment zone and wait for you two. Do not keep your President waiting too long, Eldest Miss Sakuramiya."

"Achoo!!"

At the Jinshi Exhibition Center, within the adult doujinshi section. Inside the spacious area enclosed by curtains, a beautiful blonde girl suddenly sneezed inexplicably.

She sniffled, a thoroughly bewildered expression appearing on her face,

"No way, is Santa Claus really that vindictive? Why does he keep cursing me?"

It was the brilliant and wise Golden-Haired Lion, Aria Spencer.

She looked around at the various booths with long lines forming in front of them. The signs indicating the doujinshi and games being sold all bore titles that Spencer could not understand at all.

She also had no idea what that specific symbol meant.

Learning to read was already difficult enough. She could not fathom why they had to come up with such complicated codes and abbreviations.

Could it be because they were afraid others would understand it?

In reality, this was an age-rating label, meaning that anyone under eighteen was prohibited from entering.

Linmen''s rating system was highly refined, ensuring that people with all sorts of different desires could always find works that satisfied them.

But naturally, this also had its drawbacks. For example, certain age-restricted products always managed to find their way into the hands of demographics they shouldn''t be sold to, through bizarre and creative methods.

No matter how strict the censorship was, there was always a loophole to be found.

Take right now, for example. There was absolutely no concept of checking IDs here. As long as you did not blatantly look like an elementary school student, you could lift the curtain and walk right in without being stopped.

Her companion, An Le, had been incredibly excited ever since they arrived, claiming she was going off to buy something she desperately wanted.

Spencer, completely clueless about all of this, just sat by the entrance to wait for her to come out.

"Wow, Jiao Tan''s new work this time is absolutely incredible!"

"I know, right? The feeling of taking absolutely everything away from an Aggrieved Party who had it all and lived a perfectly happy life..."

Spencer, who had been sitting off to the side with nothing to do, suddenly lifted her head as if she had heard something interesting.

Her blonde hair seemed to glow, becoming slightly brighter. Turning her head to look, she saw two otaku wearing face masks, each clutching a black bag in their arms, chatting enthusiastically.

"Especially the part about the corruption..."

"Right, right?! That part was amazing! Even though they still held feelings for their lover in their heart, they were forced to succumb to their basic instincts. That expression, transitioning from enduring it, to slowly breaking down, and finally giving up entirely to absolute corruption..."

As they were deep in their conversation, they suddenly felt an intensely chilling sensation wash over them.

It felt exactly as though something they dearly treasured was about to be ripped away from them.

Such a visceral illusion abruptly sprouted from deep within their hearts.

Startled, both of them turned their heads and saw an exceptionally beautiful blonde girl staring at them with her arms crossed,

"Hey, what are you two talking about? I am very interested~"

"I..."

Despite her overwhelming beauty, she filled both of their hearts with pure disgust and terror.

One of them still thought about saying something, but the person behind him shook his head, grabbed his companion, and hurriedly fled the scene.

"Tch, cowards."

Spencer let out a yawn, curling her lips in disdain as she watched the two of them scurrying away in a panic while clutching the black bags to their chests.

"Umm... Spencer, I am back."

"Huh?"

Spencer, who had her arms crossed and chin raised in the posture of a formidable powerhouse, turned her head. She saw An Le, who was wearing a face mask, holding seven or eight black bags in her hands,

"Although... it took some effort asking internet friends to help buy them, I finally managed to purchase all the new releases I was interested in..."

Even though she was wearing a face mask, Spencer could still faintly glimpse a flush that could not be concealed, seemingly matching her excited words perfectly.

On her shoulder, the ethereal Little Finger rolled its eyes,

"The games you play and the manga you read get wilder and wilder, yet the moment it comes to reality, you go completely blind. What use is that?"

An Le glanced at the Little Finger on her shoulder, finally snapping back to reality from the thrill of buying the new releases.

Embarrassed, she lowered her head a bit more and gripped the black bags in her arms even tighter.

"So, what exactly is inside these black bags? All of you look incredibly excited after buying them."

"Ah... Ah, this?"

An Le looked at Spencer''s thoroughly confused face and tried to explain, but she just could not bring herself to say it.

How on earth was she supposed to explain to an outsider about these bizarre and quirky works...

Moreover, she had even commissioned someone else to buy them for her secretly. It was far too shameful to speak of!

Seeing An Le humming and hawing, Spencer, who still had her arms crossed, grew increasingly impatient,

"Forget it, I will just go look for myself!"

"W-Wait a minute, Spencer!"

But how could the timid and cowardly An Le possibly stop the strong-willed and reckless Spencer?

And so, she could only watch helplessly as Spencer confidently strutted toward one of the booths with her arms crossed.

A sign resting above it read,

"Pure Ballet~"

"Jiao Tan''s Latest Looting Masterpiece, Hot on Sale!"

Meanwhile, Spencer just swaggered right to the very front of the line of dozens of people, showing absolutely zero intention of queuing up.

Are you kidding? This entire convention was hosted by her family! Why would she need to wait in line here?

''It is over...''

''I am doomed!!''

An Le covered her mouth, but it was already too late to stop Spencer.

She watched as Spencer marched straight up to the booth and boldly declared to a muscular man wearing a face mask inside,

"Give me a copy."

"..."

The masked man who was currently bagging the books—who was also the manga artist himself—paused for a moment. But staring at the girl in front of him, who was cutting the line with such a completely natural and self-righteous attitude, his brain short-circuited temporarily.

The person waiting in line behind her furrowed his brows and was just about to tap her on the shoulder when Spencer turned around.

The moment he saw her face, an overwhelming sense of terror and chilling dread mixed with pure disgust assaulted him, causing him to actually take a step back,

"Huh?"

A second later, he finally mustered up the courage to speak.

"We are waiting in line here, you know?"

"Yeah!"

"How can you just cut the line like that?!"

Spencer did not say a word. She simply and silently pulled out her bulging wallet.

Then, she grabbed a thick stack of high-denomination bills and slapped it into the hand of the man behind her. She raised her chin proudly, having successfully looted the prime spot in the queue,

"The spot is mine now."

"I..."

The man behind her was originally going to firmly reject her. After all, he knew very well that he was not the kind of man to bow down to money.

He was a man with a backbone!

However...

She had simply given far too much!!

The man behind her was instantly silenced, and the other people queuing up behind him also realized that this newcomer was not someone to mess with, so they all kept their mouths shut.

Only then did Spencer turn back around with deep satisfaction, looking at the masked manga artist in the booth as she said,

"Give me a copy of your... whatever this manga is called."

"..."

The man inside was incredibly muscular, yet unexpectedly, he suffered from severe social anxiety.

He frowned, deeply displeased by Spencer''s behavior, yet it took him a long while before he finally managed to speak,

"Did you wait in line?"

Spencer blinked in surprise, then honestly shook her head,

"I did not wait in line."

"..."

Hearing this, not only was the manga artist sitting inside the booth stunned, but even the man standing behind her, awkwardly holding a stack of cash, was left utterly flabbergasted.

''Seriously, are you not being a bit too honest here?!''

"...You cannot buy anything if you do not wait in line."

The manga artist was stun-locked for several seconds before he finally remembered to reply.

Spencer parted her lips. She looked up at the R16 sign hanging above, stroking her chin as she fell deep into thought.

''Oh...''

''So that is what this symbol means!''

She blinked, looking back at the manga artist in the booth, and continued,

"Then I have waited in line now. Sell it to me."

"..."

"..."

Both the front and the back of the line were instantly plunged into an eerie silence.

In the very next second, An Le, whose face was completely flushed red, finally overcame her crippling embarrassment and rushed over, grabbing onto Spencer,

"I am sorry!! I am sorry, everyone! So sorry, so sorry, so sorry!! Spencer! Let... let''s just go!"

"Huh?! But I have not bought it yet!"

"I am begging you! Spencer..."

An Le looked like she was on the verge of crying, her face as red as a ripe apple.

Mainly because this was simply far too humiliating!

If this kept up, she was absolutely, without a doubt, going to lose every last shred of dignity she had left...

Although Spencer was still extremely reluctant, seeing An Le''s desperate expression that looked ready to burst into tears at any moment, she clicked her tongue in annoyance and allowed herself to be dragged away bit by bit.

After all, if she truly did not want to leave, even ten An Les would not be able to pull her away.

"Oh, right..."

Just as they were about to leave, Spencer suddenly turned back to look at the man who had originally been waiting in line behind her.

She snatched the cash straight back out of his hands and shoved it into her pocket,

"Business is business. Since I did not get to buy it, the money I gave you earlier does not count anymore."

"..."

An Le''s face was so red it was practically smoking. Apologizing profusely to the people around them, she dragged Spencer away from the spot.

"Hey, stop pulling me."

"Wu~ I am sorry, let''s just hurry up and go. We can go play somewhere else, alright, Spencer...?"

Pushed out of the adult doujinshi convention by An Le, Spencer crossed her arms, a rather displeased expression on her face.

"Hah? What else is there that is actually fun to do..."

"Spencer, I will accompany you wherever you want to go. Just as long as we do not stay here anymore... wu..."

"...You were the one who said that."

Looking at the thoroughly humiliated An Le, who looked like she wanted to bury her head into her own chest, Spencer gave a wicked grin and pulled out the map guide the staff had handed her when they first entered.

Then, she tapped her pale finger against a specific spot on the map and shoved it right in front of An Le''s face with a crisp "Smack!",

"Then I want to go here!"

"Th-This is..."

An Le raised her eyes and looked at the spot Spencer was pointing to,

"Entertainment Zone: Vicious Vine Murder Ghost School~"

It was...

It was the Haunted House!!