She said she had come to exchange contact details

The table was laden with the delicious dishes Aunt Chen had brought out. Just a whiff of their drifting fragrance was enough to make his mouth water.

He glanced over the food on the plates, then turned his head and noticed Ye Lan at the head of the table beside him. She had gone upstairs and changed into a short cotton lounge shirt, letting her long hair down, and was now watching him with her chin in her hand and a smile in her eyes.

"Hungry, you little glutton? Once Aunt Chen brings the bowls and chopsticks and Shiyu gets here, we can eat."

Her smiling, crescent eyes and affectionate nickname stirred a sense of shyness Yan Huan had not felt in a long time. He avoided Ye Lan's gaze and started to rise to help Aunt Chen bring the tableware.

"I'll go help Aunt Chen bring them over."

"No need, Xiao Huan. Stay seated. I've already got everything."

Before she finished speaking, Aunt Chen had emerged from the kitchen with the bowls and chopsticks, placing them in front of Ye Lan, Yan Huan, and the seat beside him.

Only three bowls and three pairs of chopsticks?

Just as Yan Huan assumed Aunt Chen would not be eating with them, she returned to the kitchen and came back with a separate jet-black porcelain bowl and stainless steel chopsticks, setting them opposite him.

Yan Huan looked over in a daze, only then noticing the small, elegant white lettering engraved on the black porcelain bowl that was different from everyone else's.

"Ye Shiyu"

The same name was written in small letters at the end of each stainless steel chopstick.

Yan Huan looked questioningly at Ye Lan, but she only answered with a helpless smile. It was Aunt Chen, who sat down beside him with a chuckle, who explained.

"Shiyu made a special trip to the porcelain capital in the Dragon Nation to have a set of porcelain fired, and had some made for us to bring back too. But she's the only one who likes using black. Her mother and I don't think black looks very nice, so we use ordinary bowls."

"Were the stainless steel chopsticks specially made too?"

"Oh, no, those were just bought. Shiyu has this habit, though. She really likes writing her name on her things. Goodness, she has to put it on absolutely everything. Every time she comes back from shopping, she spends ages doing it."

Aunt Chen served everyone else rice and poured their drinks as she continued.

"And once something belongs to her, she can't bear to throw it away. She won't get rid of it until it's completely unusable. If she accidentally loses something, she'll keep looking until she finds it."

What kind of strange habit was that?

Yan Huan blinked as the thought crossed his mind.

Ye Lan looked increasingly helpless, but she did not criticize her daughter's habit, which could well be called stubborn. Instead, she said optimistically,

"She's been much better since starting university. If it isn't something especially precious and she really can't find it, she'll give up. It shows that your big sister Shiyu treasures everything she has. I think that's a good quality."

"If I had a habit like hers, my high school teachers wouldn't have called me so forgetful."

Yan Huan chimed in, making Ye Lan cover her mouth and chuckle.

Almost inaudible footsteps came from the stairs beside them. Ye Lan turned to see Ye Shiyu coming down and waved with a smile.

"Shiyu, come and eat."

"Mm."

Ye Shiyu nodded, her face still showing little expression, neither warm nor cold. She simply sat opposite Yan Huan and lightly took hold of her glass.

The next second, just as she had expected, Ye Lan raised her glass with a smile and said to Yan Huan,

"Let's start dinner, then. Here's to welcoming Xiao Huan into our home. Cheers."

"Thank you, Auntie."

"Good boy. No need to thank Auntie."

Ye Shiyu raised her glass too, gently clinking it against Ye Lan's, Aunt Chen's, and finally Yan Huan's.

But she only took a tiny sip, then stuck out her little tongue to lick her lips.

That served as the signal to begin dinner.

Holding the black bowl in her left hand, Ye Shiyu slowly stroked the name engraved on it with her pale, pink-tinged fingertips, watching her mother pile food into both her bowl and Yan Huan's.

Ye Lan's household had no rule against talking at meals. Conversation over family dinner was usually simple, and Aunt Chen often joined in with trivial matters, such as the vegetables at the supermarket not being fresh.

Only after Ye Lan reminded her did she realize that Linmen was out at sea and had practically no farmland, so its vegetables were all shipped in from abroad.

Ye Shiyu ate elegantly throughout, chewing slowly and saying nothing.

Ye Lan, meanwhile, focused more on fussing over Yan Huan, asking further questions about school that she had not asked in the car, deliberately or otherwise steering the conversation toward subjects that interested people his age.

"Do you take school buses to and from school?"

"Yes, Auntie. There are routes in every district, including Jinghe District, but I think the stop is pretty far from here. The students living in the neighborhoods around here probably... well, don't really need school buses."

"That's true. Having someone drive Shiyu to and from school is faster too, and saves commuting time. It's just that I'm usually so busy I hardly have any time, so I can only arrange a separate car to pick her up."

Perhaps it was his imagination, but Yan Huan vaguely felt that Ye Lan had been laying the groundwork for something she had yet to say.

As she spoke, Ye Lan put down her chopsticks as though something had suddenly occurred to her. Her eyes lit up as she suggested to Yan Huan,

"Oh, Huan, why don't you come and live here with me?"

"Huh?"

"You go to the same school and you're about the same age. You could travel to and from school with Shiyu, and with a car taking you, you wouldn't have to rush for the bus every morning and evening. Aunt Chen could make breakfast and dinner at home, and prepare desserts for you to take to school. How about it, Xiao Huan?"

Yan Huan paused in the middle of eating. He blinked at Ye Lan's expectant eyes and suddenly understood why she had told the principal at school that she was his "mother."

Ye Lan had not come looking for Yan Huan merely to catch up and remember his late mother. She had come to adopt him.

Did Ye Lan have some other, improper motive?

No, none at all.

If he had to name one, it was exactly what she had said: she hoped he could take better care of Ye Shiyu, his eccentric big sister. That was all.

Besides, she was the head of Ye International's operations in Linmen, while Yan Huan was just a university student. Student council president or outstanding student, it made no difference. She had no reason to harbor any other motive.

There was one reason, and one reason alone, for what she was doing: she saw Yan Huan, the child of her deceased best friend, as family and wanted to take care of him.

And realistically speaking, everything he had seen so far showed that Ye Lan was wealthy. Anyone with half a brain should have dropped to his knees and called her Mom, becoming the "Linmen branch of Gao Qiqiang."

But, Gul'dan, what was the price?

The uneasy premonition within him made Yan Huan's heartbeat quicken involuntarily. His throat shifted slightly as he looked at Ye Shiyu, who was eating dinner at an unhurried pace across from him.

His smile held hesitation as he asked,

"Auntie, isn't this a little sudden?"

"Can't you, Xiao Huan? Or do you think Auntie is too hard to get along with?"

Sensing the retreat in Yan Huan's words, the sparkle in Ye Lan's eyes gradually took on the watery sheen he had seen when she first met him that day.

Her smiling lips immediately puckered, the corners drooping as though weighed down.

Don't make that face, Aunt Ye!

Yan Huan resisted looking at Ye Lan to avoid being swayed by her expression, choosing instead to appeal to her feelings and reason.

"...You're so nice, Auntie. How could I think that? I just don't think it's appropriate. Look, Auntie, I'm a guy, after all, and..."

Before he could finish explaining, Ye Lan cut in.

"You're not an outsider, Xiao Huan, and there's really nothing to worry about. Aunt Chen lives on the first floor, and your big sister and I live on the third. You could have the second floor. Every room has its own bathroom, and the soundproofing is very good. We'll always knock before coming in. We won't intrude on your privacy."

All right, all right. Using your superpower of money, are you?

But she did have a point. One glance around this incredibly spacious garden villa showed there was nothing cramped about it. The living room alone could host a basketball game, never mind the second and third floors and the rooftop terrace.

With no other choice, he could only take the issue to its crux. He looked up at Ye Shiyu, whose eating had gradually slowed, and said,

"Besides, we should consider what Sister Shiyu thinks about this too. There might be things you don't mind, Auntie, but..."

Before he finished, Ye Lan turned eagerly toward Ye Shiyu.

"Shiyu, what do you think?"

Ye Shiyu held her bowl, a small clump of rice still caught in her chopsticks.

At the question, she slowly placed the rice in her mouth without chewing, then turned to meet her mother's eyes.

She happened to catch sight of her mother's slightly pouting lips and felt that expectant gaze. She nodded and said softly,

"I don't mind."

Her voice was lovely. Though quiet, every word was perfectly clear.

"Wonderful! Shiyu might not talk much, but she's actually a very gentle, kindhearted girl. Don't worry, Xiao Huan. Your big sister and I both welcome you."

Gentle and kindhearted?

Surprised, Yan Huan glanced at Ye Shiyu, who had resumed helping herself to food. She looked up to meet his eyes as well, never averting her gaze.

That direct eye contact eased some of Yan Huan's unease. He pondered it, but still did not immediately agree.

After turning it over in his mind, Yan Huan could only begin using the ability he had acquired that day to adjust his expression.

"I know you and Shiyu are both good people, Auntie. But could you give me a little time to think?"

Ye Lan pressed her lips together. She could see that the boy was touched, but, of course, there was more hesitation than anything else.

Right. She had only just made this same mistake that afternoon. Why was she doing it again now...

Perhaps she was simply being a little too hasty.

At that thought, Ye Lan softened her tone and gently suggested,

"Then, Xiao Huan, it's Friday anyway, and it's already dark. The South District where you live is a long way from here, too. Why don't you stay here for now and spend the weekend? Tomorrow and the day after, I'll take you and your big sister out to have some fun nearby. How does that sound?"

As long as nothing was set in stone and there was no insistence that Yan Huan move in or anything, his goal had effectively been achieved.

At the very least, he should completely dispel that ominous feeling inside him first, shouldn't he?

He looked at Ye Lan, still hesitant, of course. In the end, however, the hesitation on his face seemed to give way beneath her gentleness. He smiled and nodded.

"All right, Auntie."

Ye Lan breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to Ye Shiyu and asked her as well,

"What about you, Shiyu?"

"Mm. I don't mind."

The same reaction as before, and the same answer.

"Wonderful! It's settled, then. Aunt Chen, sorry for the trouble, but could you tidy up a room on the second floor later?"

Ye Lan clapped her hands. By then, dinner was more or less finished.

Aunt Chen, who had only listened without joining in throughout, finally stood up. As she briskly cleared the bowls and chopsticks, she said to Yan Huan,

"Sure thing. I'll take Xiao Huan up later."

Ye Lan was already immersed in the joy of "preadopting" Yan Huan, but she did not forget to turn to Ye Shiyu and say,

"Shiyu, don't forget to exchange contact details. If you have any questions at an unfamiliar school, you can ask your little brother. He grew up in Linmen, and he's the student council president. You've only just arrived and need someone to look after you, so don't be shy."

Ye Shiyu wiped her lips with a tissue and stood. She glanced at Yan Huan and said,

"All right. I didn't bring my phone. I'll add him after I get it."

"Mm-hmm. I'll have Aunt Chen bring you some milk later."

"All right."

The reply came from the stairwell. Ye Shiyu had turned and gone upstairs, soon disappearing from sight.

Yan Huan prepared to rise too. "Then I'll go see if I can help Aunt Chen, Auntie."

"No need. Stay here and keep me company a little longer. Would you, Huan?"

But Ye Lan shook her head, resting her chin in her hand as she gazed straight at Yan Huan, at his face.

She liked looking at Yan Huan, looking into his eyes, as though she wanted to see everything about him there, or perhaps find a trace of her old friend in his face.

Feeling her gaze wash over him like water, Yan Huan could only slowly sit back down.

"Sure."

Ye Lan simply watched him like that. After a moment of silence, she gave him a warm smile.

"Xiao Huan, you've really had a hard time all these years."

The tenderness in Ye Lan's voice made Yan Huan blink.

The gradually slowing heartbeat in his chest seemed to lose its strength, unable to push out the words he wanted to say, leaving him opening his mouth in vain.

Just as he finally managed to find something to say, Ye Lan stretched and stood up.

"All right, Auntie is a little tired, so I'll go upstairs and rest. Aunt Chen will take you to your room later. Get some rest early, okay?"

"...You too, Aunt Ye."

Watching her retreating figure, Yan Huan answered a second late.

Ye Lan returned to her bedroom on the third floor to rest. According to Aunt Chen, she had been busy since very early that day, and going to Totsuki Academy to see Yan Huan had been her last stop.

Once Aunt Chen finished cleaning the kitchen, Yan Huan followed her to prepare his room. In reality, that only meant putting on a bedsheet and fetching a quilt, pillows, and pillowcases. It was not much trouble.

The room they prepared on the second floor was astonishingly spacious. It was hard to imagine that this one bedroom was even bigger than the one-bedroom apartment he rented in the South District.

Not only did it have its own bathroom, but it even had a separate area with a sofa, table, and bookcase. Only at the far end of that area was the bedroom, which opened onto a private balcony.

After closing the door behind him, Yan Huan stood alone looking at the room they had prepared. He raised his eyebrows, put down his schoolbag, and took off his uniform jacket.

"Isn't this... a little excessive?"

He squeezed the leather sofa in the room, then walked to the bedroom doorway and glanced at the balcony visible beyond the undrawn curtains, where the nighttime scenery outside was on display.

And he, a boy reincarnated from China, would soon be asking his boss for time off from his part-time job tomorrow and the day after, all from inside this luxurious room.

Mm, it was decided. He would use one fewer period when asking for leave, to sound a little tougher.

After gazing into the darkness of the night for a long while, Yan Huan finally drew the curtains, switched on the bright bedside lamp, and lay down on the soft bed.

"Meow~"

Just then, another pleasant meow sounded inside the bedroom.

Yan Huan propped himself up a little and turned toward the edge of the bed, discovering a plump black cat crawling out from underneath it.

Had he not switched on the lamp, the cat would almost have blended completely into the dark red wooden floor.

The black cat turned its head, revealing a pair of green eyes. It was Meow-chan.

"Meow-chan, you're here."

"Meow!"

Yan Huan lay back down, while Meow-chan jumped up, rubbed against his side, then stood directly on his stomach and sent a voice into his mind.

"I thought the business with the modifiers would frighten you into avoiding all contact with women for a while. Yet not even a day has passed, and not only have you not run away, you've actually approached them yourself?"

"...Anyone could figure this out if they thought about it, couldn't they?"

Looking at the black cat standing on his lower abdomen, Yan Huan could not resist reaching out to pinch its warm ears and stroke its furry back.

"You didn't tell me who has modifiers besides Bai Yi, or what effects the other modifiers have. That means you don't know either, right?"

"...Correct. My understanding of these invading powers is limited to knowing that they exist and what they have in common. As for the specifics..."

"Then that settles it, doesn't it?"

Yan Huan spread his hands, his gaze calm.

"The objective right now is to deal with the modifiers. The first step is finding them and their hosts, then understanding their nature. Only then can we think of ways to deal with them."

Assuming Ye Lan and Ye Shiyu might have modifiers, even if he had not come to Ye Lan's for dinner today, gone further and refused her request to adopt him, or even taken the more drastic step of cutting off contact altogether, Ye Shiyu would still be attending Totsuki Academy.

What was coming would come, unless he stayed away from all women-or went even further: first drop out of school, cut off every connection he had built over the past ten years, disfigure his face, then find somewhere to hide.

Shouting, "I'm giving up my humanity!" and taking everything down with him like that might work, but...

"...I need to deal with the modifier, and the point of dealing with it is to restore the world line to normal so my life can carry on peacefully. I can't put the cart before the horse, or stop eating for fear of choking. Besides, although Ye Shiyu's personality seems strange, that doesn't necessarily mean she really is the modifier's host."

As he spoke, Yan Huan's eyes gradually lost focus again. He rested his left forearm on his forehead and, thinking of something unknown, said softly,

"Besides, Aunt Ye is a very gentle person."

Meow-chan watched Yan Huan like that, feeling the constant strokes of his right hand. Rather than answering, it raised itself a little and suddenly began gently pressing its two soft pink paw pads against Yan Huan's firm chest muscles.

One forward, one back, one forward, one back.

"Purrr~"

Yan Huan froze slightly, then lowered his head to look at Meow-chan, whose throat was rumbling, and asked,

"What are you doing?"

Meow-chan kept at it while looking at him as though he were an idiot, as if to say,

"I'm a cat. What else would I be doing besides kneading?"

Yan Huan drew a breath and was just about to grab the fat cat by the scruff when a sudden knock came from outside his room.

"Knock, knock, knock~"

Yan Huan and Meow-chan exchanged a glance, then he sat up and asked,

"Who is it?"

"..."

There was no response.

But Yan Huan seemed to have an answer already. He gently set Meow-chan down and whispered to it,

"Hide. Don't let anyone see you."

"Meow~"

It nodded, wriggled under the bed, and then seemed to vanish completely.

Yan Huan straightened the white shirt he was wearing, slipped on his slippers, and walked toward the door.

"Coming."

"Click."

He opened the door a crack. A light was on in the hallway outside, but since Ye Lan had already returned to her bedroom to rest, the main light in the living room was off, leaving the second floor rather dim.

And there in the dimness, the tall, slender black-haired girl stood outside his door.

It was Ye Shiyu.

She was dressed in black from head to toe, with only her skin a snowy white.

Her exquisitely beautiful face was like a masterpiece of genetics.

At the sight of the silent girl outside his door, Yan Huan looked momentarily startled. Then he put on a smile and opened the door a little wider.

The bright light from his room spilled out, stopping just in front of her slippers and forming a clear boundary between light and darkness.

"Sister Shiyu, what's up?"

Yan Huan's voice prompted Ye Shiyu to move. She raised her phone and said softly to him,

"Mom told us to exchange contact details."

So she was here to add him as a friend.

Sure enough, she wasn't necessarily the modifier's owner. She was probably just a little quiet.

Yan Huan let out a sigh of relief and took his phone out of his pocket too.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot. Give me a second, Sister Shiyu. Should I scan yours, or will you scan mine?"

"You scan mine."

"Okay."

Ye Shiyu took out her phone. In the light from his room, Yan Huan could clearly see that her name was still written on the back of her phone case.

Without thinking much of it, Yan Huan opened Plane's scanning screen, while she unlocked her phone and held it out to him.

"..."

His phone's camera faced her screen. But what she was showing him wasn't a QR code for adding friends at all. It was a constantly spinning vortex shimmering with a sinister purple glow, seemingly the interface of some app.

The vortex kept spinning, gradually growing faster and faster.

Huh? What was this?

Yan Huan froze for a second, but quickly realized something, his pupils abruptly contracting.

Shit, this was fucking...

In the very next second, as the vortex spun, Ye Shiyu's eyes seemed to darken ten thousandfold along with the darkness in the hallway, dragging at Yan Huan's consciousness like an abyss.

"Beep!"

The app in her hand gave a notification tone signaling something. At the same time, Yan Huan also heard an illusory voice coming from her.

[App activated]

[Effect: individual hypnosis]

[Duration: 15 minutes]

[Timer starting.]