"Wait a minute, what about you? Who are you here to visit, and what is your relationship with him?"
Behind Yan Huan, Spencer was hugging herself, as if she were afraid of the cold.
Ever since entering the hospital, she had been following closely behind Yan Huan, looking around the entire way with the vigilance of a cat that had wandered into unfamiliar territory.
When the nurse's voice suddenly rang out, it actually made her shudder. Her body trembled slightly as she hurriedly leaned closer to Yan Huan.
Yan Huan glanced back at her, wondering why she was suddenly acting so reserved.
Was this really Spencer's style?
Shouldn't she have marched in carelessly, making a racket and complaining non-stop?
Seeing her hiding quietly by his side right now, anyone who didn't know better would think some sheltered Eldest Miss from a noble family had stepped out of her manor for the first time.
Therefore, Yan Huan had no choice but to speak up on her behalf,
"I am from the Far Moon Academy Student Council. I am here to visit a few hospitalized classmates."
Originally, he had indeed planned to come and visit both Ye Shiyu and An Le at the same time, but he figured they wouldn't be in the same ward, making it easy to invent an excuse.
Who could have expected that not only was Bai Yi also here, but all three of them were in the exact same ward.
Intuition told Yan Huan that saying this was the best strategy.
The mediocre strategy would be saying he was here to see Ye Shiyu.
The worst strategy would be saying he was here to visit Bai Yi or An Le.
From the arrangement of the beds in the room, it was easy to tell: An Le, Bai Yi, and Ye Shiyu, arranged from the mildest symptoms to the most severe for the three Modifier Hosts.
He truly wanted to summon Aunt Ye to deliver another heavy blow and ruthlessly teach Ye Shiyu a lesson again, but after all, ever since that incident, Ye Shiyu had only been in the 'preparation phase' and hadn't actually done anything.
Yan Huan was distressed that Ye Shiyu hadn't left any leverage for him to exploit, yet he was also worried that if the East Window Incident actually occurred and her secret plot came to light, it would trigger another Battle Defeat CG for him.
Ye Shiyu, you really are something else...
"Alright, just register your names here."
"No problem, thank you."
Yan Huan filled out some information before turning his head and walking into the room.
Lying on her bed, Ye Shiyu watched expressionlessly as Yan Huan entered the room. Then, her deep eyes brightened ever so slightly, seeming to be happy about his arrival.
But immediately after, when Ye Shiyu saw Spencer following closely behind him, a dark shadow veiled her eyes.
Her expression didn't change at all, but the feeling she gave Yan Huan instantly shifted.
Displeased.jpg
"..."
Yan Huan was starting to admire himself inwardly.
Good heavens, he could actually see a tiny hint of emotion breaking through Ye Shiyu's seemingly eternally unchangeable expression now!
Perfect score in Ye-language!
"Xiao Huan, you're here!"
"Yes, Aunt Ye, I also brought some fruit."
Yan Huan took out the three fruit baskets he had brought up, pulling one out first and handing it to Ye Lan.
Wait a minute, why did Yan Huan just happen to prepare three fruit baskets when he clearly didn't know Bai Yi was here?
Actually, he had only prepared two: one for An Le and one for Ye Shiyu.
But wasn't Spencer also there?
She hadn't known about this custom, but when she saw Yan Huan buying them outside the hospital, she followed suit and bought one as well.
However, after coming inside, she had been hugging herself as if she were cold, so Yan Huan had ended up carrying it for her.
So in essence, a scoundrel like Yan Huan had just shamelessly borrowed the gift Spencer had originally prepared.
Ye Lan smiled faintly, taking the fruit basket and turning to hand it to Ye Shiyu.
However, Ye Shiyu did not take it immediately. Instead, she raised her eyes to look at the other two fruit baskets still in Yan Huan's hands.
The implication was obvious, much like the famous question asked by Lin Daiyu:
"Is this solely for me, or do the other girls have one too?"
But if Lin Daiyu saw that Jia Baoyu had prepared gifts for the others, she would simply refuse her own and leave it at that.
Ye Shiyu was different.
Not only would she accept hers, but she would also seize the portions meant for the others and claim them all for herself.
However, as the saying goes, no one knows a daughter better than her mother. The moment this thought popped into Ye Shiyu's head, Ye Lan instantly saw through it. Her gentle expression immediately shifted into second gear, transforming into that of a strict mother.
"..."
Feeling her mother's authoritative, warning gaze, Ye Shiyu averted her eyes, withdrawing her covetous stare from the other two fruit baskets in Yan Huan's hands.
At the same time, she reached out to take the fruit basket and said softly,
"...Thank you, Xiao Huan."
"That's more like it. Xiao Huan came all this way just to see you."
Seeing this, Ye Lan instantly dropped her slight frown, replacing it with a warm smile.
Then, she finally noticed Spencer standing behind Yan Huan and called out,
"Little Spencer, why did you come along with Xiao Huan?"
The moment Spencer's name was mentioned, both Ye Shiyu and Bai Yi's expressions soured simultaneously.
If their mutual dislike for each other was at fifty, their hatred for Spencer was at least a hundred.
They both fell into the category of "hating each other, but hating Spencer even more."
"..."
But after Ye Lan's question, there was absolutely no reaction from Spencer.
Yan Huan quickly glanced over his shoulder, only to find that she was still cautiously surveying the hospital furnishings around them, completely disengaged from the conversation in the room.
What is going on with this girl today...
Yan Huan was a bit confused, but as he followed her gaze and took in the surrounding Western-style hospital architecture, the surging smell of disinfectant filled his nose. It inevitably reminded him of the medical records he had previously seen from Ye Linna.
‘Is this girl terrified of coming to the hospital?’
‘No wonder she insisted on inviting me along when she said she was going to the hospital to visit An Le.’
"Spencer?"
Hearing Yan Huan call her, Spencer finally snapped back to reality.
Her expression shifted slightly as she immediately turned her head, wanting to put on her usual spoiled and arrogant facade.
But since the anxiety and tension in her heart hadn't completely dissipated, her tough act came out hollow, and even her voice trembled slightly,
"Wh-What is it?"
"Aunt Ye is calling you."
"Huh?"
Spencer remained standing behind Yan Huan, only cautiously poking her head out to appraise Ye Lan by Ye Shiyu's bed.
Ye Lan smiled warmly and waved at her.
In Spencer's eyes, she saw this gentle auntie waving at her.
‘I really like this auntie.’
Thinking this, Spencer's face reddened slightly. She seemed a bit shy, and even her voice grew much softer,
"...Hello, Auntie."
Watching Spencer hide behind Yan Huan and prettily poke her head out, Ye Lan covered her mouth with a laugh and said,
"I remember that you aren't a member of Xiao Huan's Student Council, little Spencer. Coming here with Xiao Huan today, it seems the two of you have a very good relationship."
As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a bugle sounding the charge, instantly staining the atmosphere in the hospital ward with the scent of blood.
Ye Shiyu remained expressionless, but the gaze she fixed upon Spencer looked increasingly inhuman.
Bai Yi curled her lips disdainfully. To think she had previously believed that the CEO of Ye International had a keen eye for talent.
Now, it seemed she was blind to the greatness right in front of her.
‘Auntie, can't you see that the one most compatible with Yan Huan in this entire room is me?’
‘He's my music fan, you know!!’
Only An Le paused slightly, feeling that something was off, but unable to pinpoint exactly what.
Yan Huan himself felt incredibly wronged hearing this.
Alright, he had to admit that in the race to the bottom among the Modifier Hosts, his opinion of Spencer had improved just a tiny bit.
But that could only be called not finding her repulsive. How could that possibly count as having a good relationship?
Oh, right, he had also just commandeered the fruit basket she bought for An Le to save his own hide.
Never mind then.
Thus, Yan Huan skipped over the topic of defining his relationship with Spencer and explained instead,
"...She is An Le's friend. She came to the hospital to visit her, so we came together."
"I see."
Ye Lan looked at Spencer and noticed her expression becoming visibly guilty the moment Yan Huan mentioned she was An Le's friend.
‘Did this child do something behind this An Le's back to wrong her?’
Ye Lan thought to herself, though she didn't expose it aloud.
In reality, she was spot on.
First, there was the matter of her secretly kissing Yan Huan earlier.
Although under Yan Huan's correction, she finally no longer believed that this act was some life-altering vow of eternal love. However, the more he educated her, the more she realized that this wasn't something you just did with anyone.
‘How am I supposed to explain this to An Le?’
‘Yan Huan and I just have a lip-based friendship...’
‘Oh, wait, we probably don't even have a friendship. We're just passing acquaintances who happened to touch lips?’
Second, there was the promise she had made to help An Le pursue Yan Huan.
After being ruthlessly lectured by Yan Huan, her perspective on seizing people from others had changed slightly. She was finally helping An Le pursue him rather than just obtain him.
She had clearly promised to help An Le, but after the Club War, she would be leaving Far Moon Academy.
She couldn't possibly manage to serve Yan Huan up on a silver platter for An Le in just one short week, could she?
She wasn't some master of romance. Quite the opposite, she was a blank slate. It would be a miracle if she actually had any ideas.
Combining these two factors, Spencer felt increasingly unsure of how to face An Le, leading to her guilty conscience.
"Ah, yes, I... I came to see An Le."
Spencer quickly offered this explanation and hurried over to An Le's side.
Just then, the nurse at the door walked in again and asked,
"All patients in this ward need to go see the attending physician for an examination one by one. Who's going first?"
Seeing this, Ye Lan stood up, looked at Ye Shiyu, and said,
"Let's go first and let Xiao Huan visit his other classmates here."
"..."
Ye Shiyu seemed somewhat reluctant, but watching her mother's inquisitive gaze slowly shift back toward sternness, her defiance instantly wilted, and she immediately behaved.
Turning around and getting out of bed, she shot Yan Huan a glance before silently following her mother out.
Honestly, anywhere else, Yan Huan would never get to see Ye Shiyu cowering like this.
He became increasingly certain of one absolute truth:
"The path to salvation lies with Ye Lan."
Meanwhile, inside the room, Zuo Jiangqin had been silently staring at the expressions exchanged between Ye Lan and Yan Huan.
Observing the genuine tenderness and maternal affection on Ye Lan's face earlier, she rolled her eyes thoughtfully.
But in the next second, her train of thought was interrupted by Yan Huan calling out to her,
"Auntie Zuo."
"Ah, yes, Xiao Huan."
Upon speaking, the Yan Huan she had previously used unknowingly shifted into the same Xiao Huan that Ye Lan used.
After saying this, she even put on a pretense of asking,
"It's alright for Auntie to call you that, isn't it?"
"...No problem at all, Auntie." "Oh my, you didn't have to bring a fruit basket for Bai Yi just for visiting. Here, let Auntie help you hold that."
Zuo Jiangqin stood up with immense enthusiasm, acting as if she were deeply concerned for Yan Huan's well-being. It was so overly affectionate that Bai Yi couldn't stand it and spoke up to remind her,
"Mom!"
Zuo Jiangqin rolled her eyes at her but didn't say anything more. Yan Huan naturally took over the conversation,
"Auntie, I'm here to see how Bai Yi's health is holding up."
"Ah, I... I'm doing okay now, it was just a little... cough, cough."
Hearing this, Bai Yi let out a slightly nervous cough as she replied.
In front of someone of the opposite sex that they liked or cared about, people would always put on an act to some extent.
Just like how boys on a basketball court would be fired up with seemingly endless energy when girls were watching.
Or just like yesterday, when Tong Yingying had puffed herself up at her own expense, pretending to be a refined lady with a bird stomach. As a result, she gobbled down her entire bowl of fried noodles, decided it wasn't enough, and ended up eating half of Yan Huan's portion too.
With that kind of behavior, if she took a few bites of salad and claimed she was eighty percent full, did anyone really think Yan Huan would believe her?
It was the exact same situation now.
With almost no need for a script or a director, Bai Yi threw herself into the role of a frail, sickly maiden, hoping to garner the attention of the person she favored.
Yan Huan shot a glance at the high-quality idol who possessed time-stopping abilities and instantly recognized that she was faking it.
He glanced at Zuo Jiangqin off to the side, pondered for a moment, and ultimately equipped his Mask of Perfect Poise. Expressing his concern for Bai Yi, he said,
"Take care of your health. The new song you prepared for me earlier was wonderful."
"R-Really?!"
The moment this was brought up, Bai Yi's eyes instantly lit up. All traces of her sickly demeanor vanished completely.
Yan Huan didn't expose her, merely confirming,
"Really. I was even going to ask if you could sing this song live when the Club War ends, just like last time at the Linmen anime convention."
"I could—oh wait, actually, I don't think I can... Because I signed a contract with the Jinshi Group, any new songs have to wait for them to officially release it first..."
The starlight in Bai Yi's eyes shimmered as she nodded one moment and shook her head the next,
"However, I can perform a cover of another song on stage! As long as it's not a live broadcast performance like the Opening Ceremony, just an in-person live performance should be fine..."
"No problem. But Bai Yi, what about your health?"
Bai Yi always got easily excited when talking about singing. It was only when Yan Huan brought it up that she coughed awkwardly and put on a pretense again,
"I'll... I'll recover very soon, cough, cough..."
Beside them, Zuo Jiangqin was utterly ignorant about singing and held zero interest in it. She simply watched the interaction between her daughter and Yan Huan in silence, the calculation in her eyes becoming increasingly obvious.
"The patient ahead has already gone in for their check-up. The next patient can go line up at the door now."
At this moment, the nurse knocked and entered again. Zuo Jiangqin snapped back to reality, quickly standing up and saying,
"Alright, we're heading there right now."
"??"
Bai Yi hadn't chatted enough with Yan Huan yet and had no idea what kind of stunt her mother was pulling now.
But no matter how reluctant she was, she refused to throw a tantrum in front of Yan Huan because it would be far too humiliating.
So, she could only force a smile and say to Yan Huan,
"Then, Yan Huan, I'll go ahead and—"
"Yeah, no problem."
Zuo Jiangqin stepped out of the hospital ward first, and Bai Yi also got out of bed, slipped on her shoes, and followed her out.
In the corridor outside, Zuo Jiangqin had already walked quite a distance and was waiting in front of the elevator.
The examination area wasn't on the inpatient floor, so they needed to take the elevator.
Bai Yi secretly glared at her mother but didn't voice her complaints, silently waiting for the elevator.
Unexpectedly, it was Zuo Jiangqin who spoke up first,
"That Yan Huan really looks just like the rumors say. He's Ye Lan's adopted son, huh?"
Hearing this, Bai Yi curled her lips and replied dismissively,
"Who knows? I've never asked."
The elevator arrived just then, and Bai Yi stepped inside first.
Meanwhile, Zuo Jiangqin walked in with an eager expression, chattering non-stop,
"It has to be true. Just look at how Ye Lan treated him earlier, and Ye Shiyu's attitude toward him. She practically treats him like her own flesh and blood."
"Uh-huh, so what?"
Bai Yi pressed the floor button and boredly took out her mobile phone, scrolling through social media.
Seeing Bai Yi's indifferent, careless attitude immediately riled Zuo Jiangqin up,
"I've told you before, don't look at your phone when someone is talking to you. It's incredibly rude."
Bai Yi rolled her eyes impatiently but kept her gaze fixed on her screen, letting out a lukewarm scoff,
"Oh."
"..."
Zuo Jiangqin was furious, but the schemes brewing in her mind suppressed her temper. Taking a deep breath, she barely managed to calm herself down.
She adjusted her expression and pretended to ask casually,
"You and that Yan Huan... you two seem to have a pretty good relationship?"
At the mention of this, Bai Yi's thumb paused in its scrolling.
She glanced at her mother, fell silent for a moment, and then said,
"Yeah, he's a music fan of mine, and he likes me."
"Likes you?!"
Zuo Jiangqin's eyes instantly burst with an excited gleam as she let out an incredulous gasp.
Hearing her mother's astonished tone, Bai Yi silently locked her phone screen, tilted her head up slightly, and began humming a tune.
But a second later, after carefully looking her daughter up and down, Zuo Jiangqin's excitement slowly faded, replaced by a half-believing, half-doubting expression,
"...Is that true? Is Yan Huan blind? Why would he like you?"
"..."
Bai Yi's head-tilting and humming froze instantly, and the beautiful melody was abruptly cut short.
The more she doubted it, the more certain Zuo Jiangqin became as she stroked her chin,
"Your looks are definitely a strong point, but Yan Huan is extraordinarily handsome himself. Plus, the girls I've seen around him don't lose out to you in the slightest. I doubt he'd be so easily drawn in by your appearance."
"..."
"Furthermore, you're incredibly lazy at home. Your temper is awful, and you're miles away from being gentle. You're simply not the virtuous and submissive type that boys like, so it's even more impossible for him to like you for your personality!"
"..."
"Grades? Academics? Talent? Let's not even go there. Ever since elementary school, doing homework with you would keep me up half the night, and your memory... your memory is atrocious. I knew back then that you were destined to be completely incompatible with studying."
"..."
The more Zuo Jiangqin spoke, the redder Bai Yi's face became.
Being degraded until she seemed utterly worthless, she finally couldn't hold back anymore. Thoroughly overheated and her defense broken, she retorted sharply,
"Who says I have no talent?! I have a great singing voice! Yan Huan fell in love with me because of my singing. He's been my music fan for a very, very long time! Back at the anime convention, he was the one who changed the program to sing with me!"
"...Just because of singing? That kind of—"
Zuo Jiangqin seemed to want to make some disparaging remarks about singing, but seeing her daughter's flushed face, coupled with the fact that her career had indeed been doing quite well lately, she held her tongue.
"Ding-dong."
The elevator doors opened as they arrived at the examination floor.
As Zuo Jiangqin walked out, she asked quietly,
"The question is, how do you know Yan Huan likes you? There has to be a reason, right?"
Hearing this, Bai Yi smiled disdainfully and raised a single index finger,
"Let me tell you one little thing."
"Uh-huh, go ahead."
"From when I got sick and was hospitalized yesterday until now, I never told Yan Huan that I was ill. However, he knew I was here today and even specifically prepared a fruit basket for me! What does that mean?"
Hearing this, Zuo Jiangqin paused slightly,
"What does it mean?"
Bai Yi smiled confidently and declared with absolute certainty,
"It means he's been secretly keeping an eye on me the whole time!"
"Hiss..."
Zuo Jiangqin gasped in shock. For a moment, she was actually rendered speechless, intimidated by her daughter's boundlessly confident expression.
"And it's not just that. The evidence that he likes me is overwhelmingly abundant. I couldn't even list it all."
As they spoke, they arrived at the door of the attending physician's clinic.
The door to the clinic was shut tight, with an electronic sign glowing red that read, 'Busy, Do Not Enter.'
Ye Shiyu was likely inside getting checked.
Down the other side of the corridor, Zuo Jiangqin could vaguely see the silhouette of Ye Lan answering a phone call.
Ye Lan hadn't gone inside, seemingly preoccupied with work matters.
"..."
Watching Ye Lan's figure, Zuo Jiangqin's eyes grew even more eager. She quickly leaned closer to Bai Yi and asked,
"What about you? What do you think of that boy Yan Huan?"
"Wh-What do I think..."
Hearing this, Bai Yi, who had just unlocked her mobile phone again, subconsciously blushed.
But looking at her mother, she scoffed coldly and said,
"Ugh, it's none of your business. Stop asking."
"You child, how is it none of my business?!"
Zuo Jiangqin's expression grew anxious as she hurriedly added,
"Look, that Yan Huan is exceptionally handsome, incredibly smart, and he's the adopted son of Ye Lan from Ye International. Do you have any idea how much gold is in that status?!"
"What are you talking about?"
"He is the ultimate golden bachelor!"
Zuo Jiangqin's eyes were gleaming with desire. She grabbed Bai Yi's shoulders and said excitedly,
"If you can end up with him, you'll be set for life! You'll become a wealthy society madam!"
"What wealthy society madam? I have my own two hands and feet. I can support myself with my singing. Why would I need someone else to provide for me?"
"How much money can you really make singing? It's exhausting, hard work, and there's no guarantee you'll ever break into their upper-class circle. But if you end up with Yan Huan, you could rub shoulders with the people around Ye Lan. You'd make unimaginable amounts of money—why would you even need to sing?!"
"..."
Hearing this, Bai Yi momentarily froze before her expression instantly turned ice-cold.
She slapped Zuo Jiangqin's hands away and said in disgust,
"Stop coming up with these ridiculous schemes. Do you think I'm like you, spending all day having these delusions of grandeur?"
"Is that any way to speak to me? You—"
"Is the next patient here?"
At that moment, the clinic door opened, and the nurse stepped out to call the next patient for their check-up.
Bai Yi immediately stood up and walked into the examination room without even sparing Zuo Jiangqin another glance.
Once inside, she instantly shut the door behind her, refusing to let her mother in.
"...Honestly, the older girls get, the more rebellious they become. She doesn't listen at all."
Seeing this, Zuo Jiangqin curled her lips and muttered quietly to herself,
"If you could just get together with Yan Huan, wouldn't the two of us be able to enjoy a life of luxury? Do you have any idea how much money the Ye family has? It would all belong to you in the future, and yet you're complaining? Honestly..."
"Creak."
While Zuo Jiangqin was busy muttering to herself, she completely failed to notice that right behind her, the clinic actually had a back door.
The back door had quietly opened at some point, and Ye Shiyu was already standing there, utterly expressionless...
She didn't speak a word. She merely stood there, gripping the edge of the door, silently staring at Zuo Jiangqin.
The look in her eyes... didn't quite seem like she was looking at a living human being.
"..."