"President! Vice President! Over here!"
Outside the doujin exhibition area, Yaqiao Mu had somehow already removed his mask. Standing at the edge of the venue, he spotted the unmistakable pair of strikingly handsome and elegant figures in the crowd.
Even without heavy makeup or elaborate attire, their natural looks and charisma eclipsed everyone around them. They seemed like they had stepped straight out of a painting—Yan Huan and Ying Gong Tong, the very embodiment of Yuanyue Academy’s prestigious Student Council.
Still...
"What have you two been up to? You both look kind of drained," Yaqiao Mu said as he approached, finally close enough to notice subtle changes in their expressions.
Ying Gong Tong still had her signature smile, holding the parasol returned by the haunted house staff. Yet there was an almost imperceptible crack in her expression, a faint trace of darkness that made Yaqiao Mu instinctively shudder.
Her irritation stemmed from Spencer’s interference, which had thoroughly disrupted her plans and left her seething.
As for Yan Huan, his usual warm smile had faded noticeably, and his mood was equally sour.
His distress stemmed from An Le.
The once-adorable childhood friend had now become a Modifier user—a potential adversary.
He could easily deceive Ye Shiyu, Bai Yi, or even Spencer with calculated schemes to delay their Modifier progression. But An Le? Could he really manipulate and deceive her the same way?
Worse yet, what unsettled Yan Huan the most was the faint excitement An Le exhibited when using her Modifier on him.
It created a rift between the image of her in his memories and the person she was now, leaving him deeply conflicted.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Yan Huan rubbed his face and explained to Yaqiao Mu, "We went through the haunted house and ran into a student from our school named Spencer."
"The one who scored 66 points?"
"Your memory is impressive."
"Well, we’re setting up study groups soon, and she’s the only one who’s been forcibly added. Kind of hard to forget."
Ying Gong Tong made a mental note of this information and asked, "What about You Anlina and the others?"
"Oh, they’re over there. The two famous artists I mentioned earlier have nearly sold out their works and just came out."
"Already?"
Yan Huan glanced at the time. The event had been open for less than two hours, and they were already sold out?
"That couple is super famous in the community. Individually, though—it’s not widely known that they’re dating."
Yaqiao Mu led Yan Huan and Ying Gong Tong toward a snack stall near the doujin exhibition. There, dressed in a blue magical girl costume, sat Aixi Li, looking utterly drained as she nibbled on oden.
"President..."
She barely raised her head to greet Yan Huan, her spirit seemingly sucked out by the endless barrage of cameras.
"Whoa, Yaqiao, who’s this handsome guy? He’s way too good-looking!"
As Yan Huan glanced sympathetically at Aixi Li, a voice of astonishment interrupted his thoughts.
Turning toward the voice, Yan Huan and Ying Gong saw a woman in glasses and a Lolita dress, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Yan Huan.
Behind her stood the ever-energetic You Anlina—no, wait—Student Council Secretary You Anlina, who chimed in excitedly, "That’s our Student Council President from Yuanyue! See? I wasn’t exaggerating!"
"Wow, that face, that physique... Hey, handsome, would you be interested in modeling as the main character for my next project? There’s plenty of compensation~"
"Wait, you..."
Ying Gong Tong’s brow furrowed slightly, just as she was about to interject.
But the woman turned her shining gaze toward Ying Gong Tong and exclaimed, "Oh wow, you’re gorgeous too! How about being the female lead? You two are such a perfect match—handsome guy, beautiful girl—it’d make an amazing couple pairing!"
"Huh?"
Ying Gong Tong’s irritation wavered, and her face flushed slightly at the unexpected compliment.
Do we really look that good together?
Ah, what sharp insight.
As the saying goes, an outsider sees things more clearly. It’s not just me thinking this—others can see it too!
Even if Nara keeps trying to douse my enthusiasm...
Still, drawing me and the President into a doujin project feels a bit over the line.
I’ll let it slide since you have good taste, but I’ll keep my refusal polite.
Before Ying Gong Tong could respond, You Anlina wrapped an arm around her and cheerfully declared, "No way! There’s no chance of Ying Gong and the President being a couple! She said it herself when she first joined the school—no dating, absolutely no dating! Her strict family wouldn’t allow it. Right, Ying Gong?"
You Anlina, do you even know what staying in your lane means?
Ying Gong Tong kept her smile intact but couldn’t help glancing at Yan Huan.
He had been looking at her earlier but averted his gaze after hearing You Anlina’s words.
"..."
Ah, maybe You Anlina isn’t really suited for the Student Council. Perhaps she’d be better off repeating elementary school?
I should talk to the principal about dropping her from the council next week.
You Anlina, oblivious to the chill she suddenly felt, continued smiling cluelessly at Ying Gong Tong.
"Come on, Buffie, don’t tease them! President, Vice President, this is Buffie. Her pen name is Sweet Parfait, and she’s an illustrator in the mainstream art scene. She’s just messing with you!"
"Don’t slander me, Yaqiao! Hey there, I’m Sweet Parfait, but you can call me by my real name, Miyake Huhu."
"Nice to meet you, Ms. Miyake," Yan Huan said with a polite smile, his charisma practically radiating.
Miyake Huhu gave a resolute thumbs-up, her expression full of determination.
"Student, I
must
draw you!"
At that moment, a muscular man wearing a mask silently approached from behind her. His tall frame and tight T-shirt accentuated his chiseled physique.
He stopped behind Miyake, glanced at Yan Huan, then at his girlfriend, and quietly stepped forward to hold her hand.
"Who’s this?"
Yaqiao Mu introduced him, "Oh, this is Jiao Tan, a.k.a. Arakawa Kyoshi. He’s Buffie’s boyfriend and a niche illustrator specializing in plunder-themed works."
"...Hello."
His voice was soft as he greeted Yan Huan and Ying Gong Tong, then quickly looked away.
Yan Huan was momentarily taken aback.
Despite his meathead appearance, this guy spoke with surprising gentleness—definitely more of a herbivore type.
Playing into the contrast, huh?
"By the way, Jiao Tan is also a famous fitness influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers," Yaqiao added.
Miyake chuckled, rubbing her boyfriend’s face playfully. "Don’t look so surprised! Kyoshi used to draw pure romance, but the sales were terrible, and we almost starved. So he started drawing... spicier stuff, and suddenly it sold like crazy.
"Survival comes first, right? Nothing shameful about it. People online think he’s some wild beast, but in reality, he’s shy and easily jealous—adorable, right?"
Jiao Tan scratched his face awkwardly and muttered, "I’m not the person people think I am."
Miyake patted his shoulder reassuringly. "People only see what they want to see. As long as we and those close to us know the truth, that’s what matters."
Yan Huan glanced at Miyake, her words stirring something in him. He nodded with a faint smile.
"...That’s true."
Curious, Ying Gong Tong turned to Yan Huan and Yaqiao Mu. "President, Yaqiao, what’s plunder-themed?"
"...”
The two boys exchanged awkward glances, both unwilling to explain.
Yan Huan shot Yaqiao a look.
Yan Huan
: I explained last time. Your turn now.
Yaqiao
: Please, just end me already, President.
"Come on, tell me."
As Ying Gong’s inquisitive expression grew more persistent, Yan Huan suddenly thought of Tong Yingying raising a finger in his mind’s eye.
"I’ve got an idea!"
Turning to Ying Gong, he sincerely shook his head. "I don’t know either, Ying Gong."
"Really..."
Ying Gong looked at Yaqiao, who quickly followed Yan Huan’s lead.
"Me neither, Vice President!"
"You introduced them, and you don’t know?"
"...”
Yaqiao, out of options, froze like a deer in headlights.
Ying Gong sighed, realizing the likely nature of this so-called "plunder-themed" work. She shot a glare at Yaqiao.
The President’s always hanging out with this nerd—no wonder his standards are slipping!
Shifting the mood, Miyake clapped her hands and invited everyone, "The programs start later this afternoon, but why don’t you visit my booth in the meantime?"
You Anlina immediately raised her hand. "I want to go! Buffie showed me her work earlier, and it’s amazing!"
Yaqiao opted to line up for his idol Ai Shijo’s autograph nearby.
Aixi Li, exhausted, decided to tag along with Miyake, tempted by the promise of chairs to rest on.
Yan Huan checked the time—it was almost 11:30. Smiling, he said, "I’ll meet up with a friend who gave me tickets. I’ll head to the main area later."
Ying Gong Tong noticed Yan Huan preparing to leave and was about to suggest accompanying him to the main venue when You Anlina suddenly grabbed her in an excited hug.
"Hehe, Ying Gong, let’s design a best-friends image together! It’ll be amazing!"
Haha, You Anlina, how about you repeat middle school instead? That’d also be amazing!
After clinging to Ying Gong for a while, You Anlina ran off energetically toward Aixi Li, presumably to share some oden.
Ying Gong tried to refocus on Yan Huan, intending to suggest going with him, but saw him raise his phone to his ear.
"Auntie, yes, I’m on my way now."
Hanging up, Yan Huan turned to Yaqiao Mu, tugged at his backpack, and said to Ying Gong, "Ying Gong, Yaqiao and I will head over first. We’ll meet up when the event starts."
With that, he and Yaqiao began walking away.
"Presi—"
Ying Gong instinctively called out but quickly swallowed her words.
Chasing after him now would make it far too obvious, wouldn’t it?
"Do you like your President?"
"Like..."
Ying Gong blinked in surprise and turned to see Miyake Huhu, glasses glinting mischievously as she studied her.
Clearing her throat, Ying Gong took a step back and, feigning indifference, replied, "No, I don’t."
"Is that so? Hmm, I promised You Anlina I’d draw a group image of your Student Council. You and the President look so compatible—I was even thinking of secretly drawing you two as a pair. But if you’re not interested, I’ll just—"
Before Miyake could finish, Ying Gong grabbed her sleeve.
Looking up, Miyake saw Ying Gong’s face tinged with redness, her gaze darting nervously.
"Drawing one... isn’t completely out of the question."
"Don’t worry, I won’t tell that blabbermouth You Anlina," Miyake replied with a wink, seemingly having fully grasped her personality in mere moments.
Ying Gong didn’t reply, her mind drifting back to the call Yan Huan had just made.
An "auntie," combined with the mention of a "friend who gave him tickets"?
It must’ve been Bai Yi’s mother on the phone.
Tch.
Why does it feel like every time we go out, there’s always some "friend" or "auntie" lining up to monopolize the President’s time?
And worse, it’s as if they all have their sights set on him too...
Still, the Student Council was supposed to regroup when the event officially started. Surely, nothing major could happen in such a short time, right?
That was what Ying Gong told herself.
...
...
"Mr. Yan, correct?"
"That’s me."
At the entrance of the main venue, a young woman quickly spotted Yan Huan as he parted ways with Yaqiao Mu.
His striking appearance made him easy to pick out, drawing lingering gazes from people around him like threads they couldn’t quite sever.
Adjusting her glasses, the woman gestured for him to follow her.
"I’m Bai Yi’s manager, Ji Lin. I’ll take you backstage—Bai Yi and her mother are waiting there."
"Thanks."
As Yan Huan followed Ji Lin, the grand stage came into view. The enormous circular plaza in front of it was already packed with people, buzzing with excitement. The space, designed to replace the usual wide-open photo areas, was breathtaking.
Ji Lin led Yan Huan past the roped-off "outer area" and into the "inner area," where rows of chairs were set up close to the stage. They then circled around to the backstage entrance, bustling with staff hurrying about.
Passing by the media room, Yan Huan noticed professional audio equipment and a lone staff member sipping coffee inside.
Deeper into the hallway were the dressing rooms, each marked with the guest’s name and room number.
"Ji Lin, I need your signature on a form here, and the manager asked me to confirm the schedule with you," someone called out.
Ji Lin paused and glanced at Yan Huan apologetically.
"Yan, keep going straight ahead. Room 113 is Bai Yi and her mother’s. Their names are on the door. Don’t wander into other rooms, okay? I’ll catch up with you in a bit."
"Got it. Thanks."
As Ji Lin walked off, a black cat appeared silently on Yan Huan’s shoulder.
"Yan Huan, did you hear it, meow?"
He nodded lightly, his gaze sweeping over the hallway filled with rooms.
"Yeah, I heard it—the clock sound from earlier."
"Tick-tick... tock-tock..."
The faint, rhythmic ticking echoed through the hallway, like phantom droplets of water. It carried a subtle weight, filling the air with unease.
Modifier users never rest, do they?
Yan Huan sighed, rubbing his tired shoulders as he continued toward Room 113.
The room was at the far end of the hall, past an area where the guest rooms stopped bearing nameplates.
Before reaching the door, the sharp voice of a middle-aged woman drifted out.
"I told you, this outfit is too provocative! Change it now!"
A softer, more melodious voice—Bai Yi’s—responded.
"Mom! This is a cosplay event! Ji Lin already said it’s more in line with the theme. They even showed you the promotional posters and the organizers’ guidelines. Why won’t you listen?"
"I don’t care about some cosplay or guidelines! It’s inappropriate! You’re going to blend in with those internet influencers instead of standing out. After all the effort it took to get you here, are you throwing it all away? Otherwise, why would I insist on a private dressing room for you?"
"You don’t understand anything but still want to micromanage! That’s not what we meant!"
"Then what do you mean? Are you still upset about not being allowed to sing this morning?!"
"I’m not!"
Yan Huan paused in the quiet hallway, surprised by the escalating argument.
"You’re not?! Fine, then! You think you’re so capable now, huh? Running away from home before wasn’t enough for you? You’re going to throw a tantrum again?"
"..."
Bai Yi fell silent, but Yan Huan could hear her quiet sobs, her breath hitching as if she were struggling to hold back tears.
The ticking sound of the phantom clock continued, steady and oppressive.
"Tick-tick... tock-tock..."
Listening to the heated exchange, Yan Huan leaned against the wall, his expression unreadable as his gaze drifted forward.
"...Meow?"
After a long silence, the cat on his shoulder spoke up, puzzled.
Finally snapping out of his thoughts, Yan Huan raised his hand and knocked gently on the door.
"Knock, knock, knock~"
"Who is it?"
The woman’s voice, still tinged with irritation, called out from inside.
Outside, Yan Huan’s expression was neutral, but his voice carried a hint of cheerfulness.
"It’s me, Auntie."
"...Xiao Huan?"
There was a moment of silence before the voice softened considerably.
Footsteps approached, and the door opened, revealing a spacious room with a makeup station inside.
Standing in the doorway was Bai Yi’s mother, her demeanor now far more amiable.
Yan Huan’s face lit up with a warm, perfect smile as his gaze briefly flicked past her to the girl seated at the makeup mirror in the back of the room.
Then, he turned his attention back to the older woman.
"It’s me, Auntie. I’m here to see Bai Yi."