"Xiaohuan, shall we play house together?"
Yan Huan turned to look at the petite, adorable little girl with black hair standing behind him.
Her baby-faced cheeks still carried a hint of chubbiness, and her big, watery eyes sparkled as if tears could fall at any moment.
"Xiaohuan, you can play the dad, and I'll be the mom."
At this moment, the greenery in the South District rustled with the summer breeze, casting dappled light onto the sandbox in the park.
Standing on the slide above the sandbox, Yan Huan looked at An Le in front of him with a hint of helplessness. Yet, seeing the anticipation in her eyes, he eventually nodded.
"Alright, but just for a little while, okay?"
"Yay!"
An Le pumped her small fists in celebration, then grinned innocently at Yan Huan and said with childlike sincerity,
"Xiaohuan hubby, you've been working so hard. Do you want something tasty to eat?"
"..."
Hearing this, Yan Huan propped his chin on his hand, feeling a strange sense of delight rise within him.
Initially, he'd only agreed to play along to humor his overly naive childhood friend. However, looking at An Le's silly grin, he couldn’t help but reply,
"It's not that hard. But what do we have to eat? You already spent all your allowance on chocolate for me before. I told you not to waste money like that..."
An Le blinked at Yan Huan, her eyes wide and brimming with emotion.
"..."
She said nothing, but her silence carried a sense of grievance.
An Le was just like this.
Even when she felt wronged or upset, she never spoke up.
At most, she would fall silent, but Yan Huan could always tell how she was feeling.
Seeing her watery eyes looking so pitiful, Yan Huan sighed and relented,
"Alright, alright. Next time, we’ll buy it together and share. Don’t feel bad, An Le."
"That’s not it..."
An Le lowered her head slightly, twisting her fingers around the hem of her shirt. She hesitated for a moment before pouting and mumbling in a soft voice,
"You're the dad, I’m the mom. I call you Xiaohuan hubby... so you should call me An Le wifey too... but you never do..."
Hearing this, Yan Huan blinked and turned to look at An Le, who was sitting beside him on the slide.
He opened his mouth, then burst into laughter at her words.
He couldn’t resist reaching out to tousle An Le’s hair. Even though her hair became a little disheveled, she didn’t resist at all. Instead, she turned to him in confusion.
Finally, Yan Huan smiled helplessly and said,
"An Le... wifey?"
Honestly, it was pretty embarrassing.
But considering their innocent playtime, especially with no one else around, it didn’t seem so bad.
To the soul that had traveled from another world, these seemingly shameful words felt sweetly nostalgic in this context.
An Le’s eyes lit up at Yan Huan’s response, and her lips curved into a satisfied, sweet smile. Even her legs, which were dangling off the slide, began to swing happily.
"Mm!"
"Are you really that happy?"
Seeing her goofy grin, Yan Huan couldn’t help but wonder.
But he didn’t interrupt her. Instead, he turned his head away.
"Ah..."
Just as he turned, he suddenly felt something soft press against his left cheek. The girl beside him had gently kissed him.
Yan Huan froze, stunned. He instinctively touched his cheek, feeling the lingering warmth.
Then he turned back to look at An Le.
Her face was slightly flushed, but her smile remained unchanged. The summer sunlight was so bright that it made her seem like she was glowing.
"Xiaohuan hubby, you’re the best...
I love Xiaohuan hubby the most!"
...
...
Years later, the memory of being kissed by his childhood friend seemed to strike Yan Huan right in the forehead.
Though buried deep in his mind, the happiness of that moment vividly resurfaced. He felt as if he could relive the joy as though it had just happened.
Not only that, but it seemed as though all the happiness he’d ever experienced was flooding back at this very moment.
Renting his first public housing unit after leaving the orphanage, the huge salary Sister Tong had given him, getting accepted into Linmen's top school, successfully running for Student Council President alongside Yaqiao Mu...
One by one, the past memories resurfaced.
The joy associated with those memories came rushing back like a tidal wave, leaving Yan Huan momentarily dazed.
To put it bluntly: it was like he was experiencing a life-flashing-before-your-eyes moment of ecstasy.
Just like before, he’d been hit by a zero-frame attack with no room to dodge, completely caught in the Modifier’s effect.
Yan Huan finally realized something: these Modifier users had no sense of fairness—they all loved sneak attacking the Student Council President.
"Meow!"
"Yan Huan!"
It wasn’t until he felt a soft paw pad repeatedly slapping his tingly cheeks that Yan Huan snapped out of the euphoric daze.
"Are you okay, meow? Are you hurt?"
"I’m fine..."
"Her Modifier’s effect hasn’t worn off yet. The damage to your resistance has increased by 2% compared to last time. Her Modifier has evolved..."
Modifier...
That’s right, the Modifier!
Yan Huan’s pleasure-fogged mind regained some clarity as he recalled what had just happened.
He had reunited with his long-lost childhood friend, An Le, only to discover that she was the fourth Modifier host!
His pupils contracted as he looked at An Le, who was sitting ahead of him in the tunnel.
She seemed a bit panicked, but in the next moment, her face, illuminated by the dim light, looked radiant to him.
Her already adorable features seemed enhanced by some advanced beautification filter, erasing every imperfection and any unfamiliarity caused by their long separation.
Her hesitant blinking now conveyed a galaxy of affection, while her initial shyness transformed into a goddess-like compassion that moved him to tears just by being in her presence.
In an instant, An Le appeared impossibly beautiful in Yan Huan’s eyes, and merely being near her made him feel euphoric.
Even more terrifying, his mind began associating all his past joys with the girl in front of him.
The government worker who handed him his public housing keys? That was now a bespectacled, professional-looking An Le.
The chain-smoking Sister Tong who gave him his massive paycheck? She was replaced by a soft, sweet-smiling An Le.
Even Ye Lan, who had handed him his platinum credit card, now had An Le’s face!
Suddenly, it felt like every happiness in the world originated from this girl in front of him.
Hiss...
Aunt Ye... Am I about to betray the Church of Ye Lan?!
Just looking at her, the overwhelming sensation of being in blissful ecstasy began surging through Yan Huan again.
Quickly, he averted his gaze, doing his best to avoid looking at the radiant An Le. At the same time, he silently recited a calming mantra in his mind, trying to formulate a strategy.
“W-What have I done to Xiaohuan?!”
In the darkness, An Le, finally realizing what had happened, stared at Yan Huan, whose flushed face and labored breathing betrayed his discomfort. Only then did she realize she had instinctively activated her Modifier.
“L-Little Finger, what should I—huh?! What happened to you?!”
An Le turned her head, attempting to mentally communicate with the Modifier avatar that had granted her powers to figure out why her ability had activated.
What met her gaze, however, was Little Finger, now noticeably chubbier and rounder than before. It let out a hiccup, gave An Le an exasperated glance, and said,
“You—always either never use it or go completely overboard the moment you do... Sigh, An Le, don’t you think you’re being a little extreme?”
“Quit talking in circles, Little Finger... Waaa, just tell me what to do already!”
Seeing Yan Huan exhibiting the exact same state as that shop assistant from before, An Le was on the verge of tears. Back then, she’d panicked when Xiaohuan noticed the things she had bought, but she never expected her ability would automatically activate. She had thought it was Little Finger’s doing, but its exasperated look made it clear that wasn’t the case.
Little Finger pouted, let out another hiccup, and muttered as if experiencing indigestion,
“What else can you do? It’s not a bad thing, so just leave it be.”
“How is this not bad? Xiaohuan... Xiaohuan looks like he’s suffering...”
I think it’s not Xiaohuan suffering—it’s
little
Xiaohuan who’s struggling to hold up.
The now-pudgy Little Finger glanced at Yan Huan lying on the ground, then turned to look at An Le,
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle the memory adjustments for Superconductor Mode. I’ll make sure he forgets about any of the games he saw earlier.”
“Really?”
“Would I lie to you?! Of course, really!”
Little Finger flicked its tail to pat An Le on the shoulder, scolding her,
“Besides, you’re such an idiot for forgetting that you chose the ability to bring pleasure to others. No matter what, all you’re doing is making someone happy...”
In the darkness, Little Finger’s plump body began shrinking, its form growing sleeker. Though it wasn’t as slim and delicate as before, it now appeared larger and more robust.
“Hic~”
Little Finger flicked its tongue, letting out one final long hiccup. Its scarlet serpent eyes met An Le’s gaze as it asked,
“An Le, think about it—can making someone happy really be wrong? People only ever resent having too little joy, never too much.”
An Le hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly,
“Well... I guess you’re right...”
“See? Look at your Xiaohuan. He really, really likes you right now~ Are you sure you’re not going to do something about it?”
“Huh?”
An Le turned to look at Yan Huan before her. In the darkness, she could vaguely make out the handsome features of the boy—his furrowed brows, his heavy breaths, even the sound of his heartbeat.
She couldn’t clearly see his expression, but just imagining the shop assistant’s face from that time and substituting it with Xiaohuan’s...
“...”
An Le suddenly felt her mouth go dry. She wanted to drink some water.
Scattered around Yan Huan were the games An Le had been eagerly anticipating. Yet now, with Yan Huan lying there, she didn’t even want to glance at them.
Gal games? Xiaohuan was far more appealing than any of those.
“Xiaohuan...”
An Le wasn’t as clueless as Ye Shiyu. From the games she had purchased, it was clear she had significant experience.
Whether her "driving skills" matched her experience, however, was another matter.
In this moment, her voice carried an unprecedented...
Excitement?
But as Yan Huan, still silently reciting his mantra, heard her sudden question, he nearly faltered.
Right now, just hearing her voice was enough to make his heart race—it was like music from the heavens.
He felt as if he were falling in love.
In the darkness, Yan Huan gritted his teeth, struggling to sit up,
“An Le...”
He had barely begun speaking when the shattered resistance caused by An Le’s Modifier revealed further vulnerabilities.
It seemed he could no longer suppress his urge to express his affection for her or to praise her.
Thus, the words he had initially planned to say suddenly took a sharp turn.
Instead, what came out was:
“An Le... you smell so good...”
“Eh?!”
Hearing this, An Le’s face instantly turned bright red. She quickly grabbed her sleeve, sniffing herself,
“There’s... there’s no weird smell... And if anything, Xiaohuan,
you
smell even better... Ah!”
Realizing her words were too embarrassing, An Le immediately lowered her head.
Wait, did I just...
Am I putting a hat on Vice President Ying Gong?!
The thought sobered An Le somewhat, dampening her earlier excitement.
Xiaohuan had been so close to Ying Gong Tong earlier—could they really be in that kind of relationship?
Unlike Spencer, An Le didn’t feel any urge to fight for something if Xiaohuan had a close relationship with Ying Gong Tong.
She would only feel heartbroken.
But as Little Finger had said, nothing was set in stone yet. This was her chance to ask Xiaohuan for the truth!
"Xiaohuan..."
An Le took a nervous step back and hesitantly asked,
"Are you... and Vice President Ying Gong, already boyfriend and girlfriend?"
Under the influence of Superconductor Mode, Yan Huan was on the verge of becoming her devoted follower.
No! No way! Absolutely not!
Or perhaps, given the extreme effects of the Modifier, even if he truly had a girlfriend at that moment, he would feel as if nothing in his past mattered. Only An Le mattered. Only An Le could bring him joy...
Such thoughts immediately put Yan Huan on high alert.
Could An Le’s Modifier be related to pleasure?
He silently stepped away from her, even as his pleasure-seeking body protested the decision.
Once he put some distance between them, the overwhelming sensations that had clung to him like a parasite seemed to diminish slightly.
Was the effect of An Le’s Modifier related to proximity?
Yan Huan couldn’t see the white mist-like aura linking them, but he could feel his mind clearing up a bit.
Even so, as he looked at An Le, his emotions were conflicted.
The joyful memories of their childhood friendship came flooding back. In his mind, An Le had always remained unchanged.
But now, with the Modifier in play, she carried an unfamiliar tinge.
This made it difficult for Yan Huan to face her.
A long-lost childhood friend?
Or a Modifier host that he needed to deal with?
At this moment, Yan Huan had no idea how to navigate his relationship with An Le.
But there was no choice. To address the Modifier, he had to treat An Le as its host.
Moreover, a potential solution to their predicament had already formed in his mind—because he knew An Le well, including her weaknesses.
After a brief silence, his gaze darkened for a moment, and he activated his Perfect Expression Management ability once again.
"..."
His handsome face, briefly showing signs of emotional cracks due to his broken resistance, returned to its usual flawless calm, as if covered by an unbreakable mask.
Feigning an entranced state, he suddenly leaned closer to An Le, gently lifting a strand of her long black hair as if it were a precious treasure.
An Le’s eyes widened in surprise, her face flushed, and her whole body trembled as she stared at Yan Huan.
He leaned in slightly toward her cheek and said softly,
"I'm not with Ying Gong...
An Le wifey..."
Playing house?!
"Eh?!"
Much like how Yan Huan had been struck by his Modifier-induced blissful memories, An Le’s own memories were abruptly triggered by his words, causing her whole body to tingle.
She, too, remembered.
When she was younger, her poor health prevented her from playing energetic games like running and jumping with Yan Huan.
So for a time, they had played house together.
But that was before she started elementary school—when she was too young to understand embarrassment and would say anything without a second thought.
When she told her mom about it, her mom had laughed for ages.
After starting school and learning a lot more, An Le became acutely aware of how mortifying her actions had been.
Sensitive and shy by nature, the memory became deeply etched in her mind, to the point of becoming a personal "off switch."
Back then, whenever Yan Huan imitated their house-playing days and called her "An Le wifey," she would freeze up and be unable to function.
Now was no different. An Le trembled, quickly covered her burning red face, and backed away frantically while pleading,
"Wait... Xiaohuan... don’t—don’t call me that... w-wait until we’re married at least..."
"..."
This tactic, which could incapacitate An Le for half a day when they were kids, seemed even more effective now.
As Yan Huan thought his plan had succeeded and that he could finally observe the effects of An Le’s Modifier more carefully...
"Ring, ring, ring~"
The sudden sound of his phone ringing interrupted him.
"?!"
His phone... had a signal?
Yan Huan’s expression, hidden under the guise of Perfect Expression Management, was filled with disbelief. The last time he was trapped with Ying Gong, there had been no signal at all.
What was going on?
Maintaining the appearance of being under An Le’s Modifier-induced bliss, he didn’t dare turn around. But he recognized the ringtone—it was from a Plane call.
An Le was equally startled. Her flushed face shot up in panic, and she saw the screen light up with the image of a middle-aged woman.
Accompanying the photo was the user’s name:
"Bai Yi’s Mom."