What kind of person was Sakura Ryou in Yan Huan’s eyes?
A graceful, gentle, and kind girl.
Yan Huan once thought that if his reborn youth at school was a story, then Sakura Ryou would undoubtedly be the female lead.
After all, in his days of struggling for the future, with no parents and little social life, he had barely formed any deep connections with other women.
The closest ones were just three members of the Student Council.
Among them, Sakura Ryou was the girl he had the most affection for and the one he enjoyed spending time with the most.
She possessed an exquisitely beautiful appearance, the reserved shyness of an ideal young lady, and an enviable blend of talent and resilience...
Even now, he could still remember the sight of Sakura Ryou gently cradling a cute little cat, soothing it with a soft voice.
She was the girl he liked most after two lifetimes.
She was someone who had feelings for him as well...
So why had things turned out like this?
In Yan Huan’s mind, the image of Sakura Ryou holding a cat and smiling tenderly began to crack under the twisting force of the Modifier.
"Crack, crack, crack!!"
The next second, the image shattered completely, revealing the heavy reality before him.
Reality was this—
Sakura Ryou, shrouded in an ominous shadow, had her head lowered as she used the Modifier to alter his perception of common sense.
She bit her pale lips, her voice trembling as she asked him:
“But... President, this kind of behavior is normal, isn’t it...?”
Yan Huan’s pupils shrank slightly. He even forgot to put on his perfected mask of expression management.
He could only stare at the girl in front of him, his throat tightening, unable to make a sound.
The most despairing thing was that, in this moment, trapped within the Modifier’s influence, he didn’t even have the right to question her.
“...Yeah.”
So, he had to force down his revulsion and give an answer that went completely against his true feelings.
“That’s great, President.”
Sakura Ryou clutched the hem of her skirt, sighing in relief at his response.
Previously, it had been mentioned that once her barrier dissipated, people’s memories would undergo rationalized correction.
However, the kind of common sense modification used within the barrier was an incredibly deep-rooted cognitive alteration. This meant that the memory correction afterward would be even stronger.
In other words, even outside the barrier, traces of the altered common sense would remain.
If someone was subjected to the same modification repeatedly over time, eventually, it would become permanently etched into their mind.
That was why, just now, Sakura Ryou had clung to the idea of using the barrier to rewrite Yan Huan’s perception as if it were a lifeline.
She called this effect:
Common Sense Inertia.
If she could just use it on the President a few more times...
Then everything would be fine.
At this moment, Sakura Ryou was almost grateful—grateful that a wretched person like herself had been granted such an ability.
Yan Huan understood. Rationally speaking, he should be analyzing the exact effects of Sakura’s Modifier.
But for some reason, his mind felt as heavy as an old, rusted machine.
His gaze was locked onto the shattered image of Sakura Ryou before him, unable to look away.
Even his body began to feel weighed down.
“Yan Huan, wake up, meow! The Modifier’s resistance is directly tied to your willpower! If you keep spiraling like this, her Modifier
will
affect you!”
On his shoulder, Meow-chan’s panicked voice rang out.
Yan Huan tried to muster his will and put on his perfected expression management mask, but only then did he realize—his face was already so stiff it didn’t feel like his own anymore.
Cold sweat soaked his back and chest, making his breathing ragged.
Last night, he had spent half the night questioning his own emotions, only getting three hours of sleep—but he hadn’t broken down.
This morning, when Spencer exposed Sakura Ryou’s voyeuristic tendencies, he had tried to accept it—he hadn’t broken down.
He had only wanted an explanation from her...
But instead of an explanation, she had used the Modifier on him.
The realization that Sakura Ryou was also a Modifier user was the first time Yan Huan truly felt suffocated.
The Modifier had already taken over nearly every aspect of his life. But at the very least, he had two untouched sanctuaries—
One was Tong Yingying’s pub.
The other was the Student Council.
The Student Council had his friends. The person he liked.
Every time he came here, he felt relaxed, like he had a purpose—like he was fighting against the Modifier
for
something.
But now...
Yan Huan tried several times, but his face no longer felt like his own.
Without any expression left, how could he possibly wear the perfected mask of expression management?
His consciousness was being corroded by the Modifier.
“Meow-chan, I...”
Just as the oppressive darkness around him deepened, making it difficult for him to even form words—
"BOOM!!"
The door was suddenly kicked open!
A sharp, indignant female voice followed,
“Yan Huan!! You be the judge! Tell me—how come I, a student of this school,
can’t
be here?!”
“Unrelated personnel, please don’t interfere with our medical treatment. Step aside.”
“Hah?”
The suffocating darkness that nearly swallowed Yan Huan was shattered. He took a deep breath, clutching his chest as he gasped for air.
Sitting across from him, Sakura Ryou was momentarily stunned before quickly looking toward the door.
As expected, the one who had broken the barrier
again
was none other than Spencer, her golden hair glowing under the light.
Spencer pouted, glaring at Nara and the medical team carrying emergency kits behind her.
Then, she turned toward the room.
Yan Huan, exhausted, looked at her, while Sakura Ryou’s eyes turned red with frustration.
Again—Spencer.
If she hadn’t broken the barrier and shown Yan Huan the evidence of her surveillance, Sakura Ryou would
never
have altered his perception.
She had once set it as an unbreakable rule—no matter what, she would
never
use this ability on him.
But now, just to stop him from hating her...
“Spencer...”
Sakura Ryou’s face was still deathly pale. She gritted her teeth, glaring at Spencer with a venomous gaze.
But Spencer wasn’t fazed in the slightest and shot back with annoyance,
“Hah? What’s your problem, Sakura Ryou?”
Their eyes clashed, sparks flying in the air.
Meanwhile, now freed from the barrier, Yan Huan clenched his jaw and slowly put on his perfected expression management mask again.
For the first time, he was wearing it
because
of Sakura Ryou.
“...Sakura, who are these people?”
“Ah, President, they are...”
“We are a professional medical team employed by the Ryou family. Here is our identification. Given Miss Ryou’s current health condition, we will be escorting her to a medical facility for further examination.”
A woman in a white coat and face mask stepped forward, showing her credentials.
“Unrelated individuals should leave. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Sakura Ryou clutched her chest, looking at Yan Huan.
“Wait, just take me away. This is the Yuanyue Student Council office—he’s
not
an unrelated person.”
She tried to stand but realized her legs had gone weak.
But Yan Huan merely glanced at her before walking toward his desk, picking up the "Club Competition" documents.
Then, grabbing his bag, he headed for the door, saying,
“It’s fine. I have things to do anyway. I’ll finish up the rest of my work at home.”
Hearing that, Sakura Ryou’s pupils shrank.
The way he said it—it was exactly how he used to talk to her when he avoided coming to the Student Council office back when she had just joined.
Was it just her imagination, or...?
“President...”
Sakura Ryou reached out toward him, but the medical staff had already surrounded her, checking her condition.
Nara leaned against the doorframe, watching as Yan Huan left without looking back.
She frowned slightly.
She had tried to buy her lady some time alone, but now...
Why did things seem even worse?
Maybe the
Game Over
hadn’t even been triggered yet, and he was already heading straight for defeat.
“...I’m fine, okay.”
“Go back to class.”
Yan Huan waved his hand dismissively, grabbing his stack of documents and heading off in another direction.
Spencer turned to leave but then noticed he wasn’t walking toward the classrooms—he was heading toward the school gate.
So, she turned back and called out again to his retreating figure,
“Are you
really
okay?”
“......”
Yan Huan didn’t respond. He just waved his hand again, stuffed the documents into his bag, and pulled his trench coat tighter around himself.
"Rumble—"
It was Tuesday, and Linmen’s weather was awful—dark clouds loomed, the sun nowhere to be seen.
It was obvious.
It was going to rain soon.
"Drizzle, drizzle—"
By the afternoon, the rain finally poured down without restraint, blanketing the bustling ocean-side city in a misty downpour.
“It’s raining... Ugh, so annoying. I don’t feel like opening today. Let’s take a day off.”
South District, Nursery Rhyme Pub.
The doors and windows were tightly shut. Inside, Tong Yingying, dressed in a casual short-sleeved T-shirt, lazily watched the rain intensify outside.
Feeling the urge to slack off, she picked up her phone and sent a message to the employee group chat: “Closed for the day.” Then she @-tagged everyone.
Once that was done, she yawned, walked over to the fully stocked liquor shelves behind the bar, and started playing a little
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe
to choose today’s “royal consort.”
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Just then, someone knocked on the locked door.
“......”
Tong Yingying blinked in surprise and turned toward the entrance, where she saw a handsome young man standing outside, completely drenched from head to toe.
“Yan Huan?”
She quickly walked over and unlocked the door.
“I
just
sent a message about taking the day off, and here you are.”
“Sorry, I didn’t bring my phone today, Tong-jie.”
“You dumbass. No phone
and
no umbrella? You look like a drowned rat.”
As she took in the sight of the soaked young man smiling at her, a thought crossed her mind. She glanced at the time and frowned.
“Wait a second, it’s Tuesday. Shouldn’t you be in school? Why are you here so early?”
Yan Huan shrugged, exhaled a breath of warm air, and smiled helplessly.
“Tong-jie, can I come in first? It’s freezing outside, and I’m completely drenched...”
Tong Yingying glanced at his miserable state—his damp bangs half-covering his eyes, his thin clothes soaked through with rain.
He looked like a pitiful stray puppy begging for shelter.
She sighed and stepped aside.
“Fine, get in here.”
“Much appreciated, Tong-jie!”
“...You make it sound like I’m some cruel boss.”
She locked the door behind him to keep the cold air out, then turned back to face him, arms crossed.
“So? What’s with you today? Why are you here so early?”
“I took the morning off. Didn’t go to school. Took the subway back at noon, went to the gym, trained until now. Then, on the way back, it started raining, and since I didn’t have an umbrella... I came here to take shelter.”
She had originally planned to ask if he wasn’t feeling well, but it didn’t seem necessary now.
“Bathroom’s free. You can grab a change of clothes from the locker room.”
“Okay.”
Tong Yingying rested her chin in her hand, watching Yan Huan take some clothes and head toward the shower.
As she casually grabbed a bottle of liquor from the shelf, a thought lingered in her mind.
Something definitely happened to him today.
Pouring herself a drink, she listened to the sound of water running upstairs, blending with the heavy rain outside, creating a strangely relaxing atmosphere.
Before long, Yan Huan came back downstairs, changed into dry clothes, his hair towel-dried.
“Thanks, Tong-jie.”
“No problem. Sit.”
“Alright.”
Yan Huan pulled out a chair and sat across from her.
Tong Yingying studied his expression as she poured another glass of alcohol right in front of him.
“......”
No reaction?
Instead, he simply rested his chin on his hand, staring blankly at the rain outside, his eyes unfocused.
“......”
"Click—"
She flicked open a lighter, lighting a cigarette right in front of him.
“......”
Still no reaction?
Holding the cigarette between her lips, Tong Yingying gazed at Yan Huan’s flawless side profile and suddenly asked,
“What happened today?”
“Huh?”
Yan Huan snapped out of his daze and turned toward her.
After a brief silence, he shook his head.
“...Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
Tong Yingying swirled her drink, then gestured toward the cigarette in her hand.
“Normally, you’d be all over me by now, stopping me from drinking and smoking. Yet here you are, just watching? No way it’s
nothing
. And whatever it is, it’s not small.”
“......”
Yan Huan blinked slightly—still no expression.
Instead of answering, he suddenly grabbed Tong Yingying’s glass and downed half the drink in one go.
"Clack!"
The next second, before he could even react, Tong Yingying’s hand shot out like lightning, gripping his wrist.
She was
fast
. Faster than Yan Huan expected.
Startled, he froze for a moment.
Then, a force pulled his wrist—and with it, the glass—toward her, bringing his face inches away from hers.
Tong Yingying’s mature, unreadable expression loomed close, her sharp eyes locking onto his.
After a long moment, she asked,
“Who bullied you? Tell me, and I’ll handle it.”
“......”
Yan Huan blinked at her, stunned, then mumbled,
“...Jeez, Tong-jie, why do you look like you’re about to go stab someone?”
Tong Yingying gave him a once-over, then scoffed and let go of his wrist.
“Tch. You just look so damn pitiful. If no one bullied you, then what’s bothering you?”
She started counting possibilities on her fingers.
“School trouble?”
“...No.”
“Money problems?”
“...Nope.”
As she thought it over, her eyes suddenly lit up. She raised a finger, her
genius moment
practically flashing above her head.
“Oh, I
got
it... This is about
a girl
, isn’t it?”
“......”
The moment she said it, Yan Huan froze.
Seeing his reaction, Tong Yingying knew she’d hit the mark.
For some reason, the thought annoyed her slightly.
But when she looked up at him again, she noticed something else—his cheeks had turned an unusual shade of red.
He frowned at the empty glass, then looked at her, his voice slightly sluggish.
“Tong-jie... What proof level is this drink? Why do I feel so lightheaded...?”
“Huh? Vodka. Around forty percent.”
“Hiss...”
So, his tolerance in this life must be pretty weak.
Yan Huan groggily rubbed his temples, looking slightly miserable.
Tong Yingying, watching him suffer, found herself strangely... relieved.
She knew he was popular at school. Maybe it was good for him to experience a little heartbreak—let him understand that teenage love was never as stable or reliable as it seemed.
More importantly, if no other girl had hurt him, would he be sitting here now, looking so utterly broken?
Tong Yingying stole a glance at his face.
He sat there, cradling the empty glass with both hands, head bowed, eyes dark and unfocused.
That expression—lost, fragile, so easy to
ruin
It was...
exciting.
She swallowed, forcing herself to look away.
Instead, she turned her attention back to the heavy rain and casually asked,
“So? Wanna tell me what happened?”
Yan Huan hesitated for a moment, then suddenly asked,
“Tong-jie... What would you do if someone close to you turned out to be completely different from who you thought they were?”
“Not who you thought...? What do you mean?”
His head ached from the alcohol.
Rubbing his temples, he muttered,
“Like... someone you really liked turns out to be a complete weirdo with a
very
disturbing obsession with you.”
“......”
Tong Yingying froze.
She nervously glanced at the distraught boy before her.
Sh
t. Did he find out about my... hobbies?*