Ding ding ding~
The ringing phone in Yan Huan’s hand drew the attention of both him and Tong Yingying, who was still pinning him against the wall. The pain radiating from his muscles, coupled with the intense pressure of the situation, made his smile stiffen awkwardly.
"Shiyu-jie?"
Tong Yingying glanced at the glowing phone screen but paused as she noticed Yan Huan’s gaze fixed firmly on her.
Or rather, her lips.
“...”
She suddenly became acutely aware of how close she was to him—close enough to feel his breath against her lashes.
Thump thump…
Her heart skipped momentarily before she forced it back to a steady rhythm. Her lashes fluttered slightly, and after a moment of silence, she spoke, her tone sharp,
“Why are you staring at my lips?”
Yan Huan blinked and raised his gaze, meeting hers.
The truth was simple: her lips, up close, looked exquisite—like the strawberry shortcakes displayed behind the glass counters of high-end bakeries, irresistibly tempting.
But how could he say that aloud?
Instead, his smile grew wider as he pinched his nose and teased,
“Smells like smoke, Tong-jie.”
“...You know I can dock your pay, right?”
Her face darkened as she released him and stepped back.
“Kidding, kidding! You barely had a puff—can’t smell a thing yet.”
Yan Huan rubbed his shoulder and glanced at the still-ringing phone. With a press of a button, he declined the call and sent a quick apology message:
“Sorry, Shiyu-jie. Something came up; I’ll call you back later.”
Almost immediately, a reply came through:
“No worries. I understand about the club thing. Let’s discuss it more at school tomorrow.”
Tomorrow… study group.
Yan Huan sighed. It wasn’t ideal to have multiple Modifier hosts gathered in one place, especially since he still didn’t fully understand how their interactions worked.
The potential risks were evident. Spencer had stolen Ye Shiyu’s keychain, which meant that a host’s Modifier could affect another host. Bai Yi seemed the least dangerous—her Modifier was relatively harmless, and her temperament was agreeable.
The real headaches were Ye Shiyu and Spencer: one growing increasingly unstable, the other practically a ticking time bomb.
As he pondered, another message popped up from Ye Shiyu:
“By the way, Xiao Huan, I made you a piece of clothing. I’ll bring it tomorrow for you to try. It’s a thank-you gift.
[Image Attached]”
The photo showed a half-finished garment on her desk. At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary shirt. But Yan Huan’s eyes drifted to the corner of the image, where a jellyfish plushie rested on her bedside table.
It was the gift he had given her—a mere tool for his plan to neutralize her Modifier, now treated as something precious.
“...”
After a pause, he replied,
“Thanks, Shiyu-jie.”
Cat emoji: Thanks!
The response came quickly:
“No problem. I’ll go finish the sewing. Good night.”
“Good night, Shiyu-jie.”
On the other end of the line, Ye Shiyu lay on her bed, her cheeks tinged with pink as she stared at his last message. She rolled over, burying her face in her arms, lost in thought.
Back in the alley, Yan Huan put his phone away and turned his attention to Tong Yingying, who was staring at him with an unreadable expression.
Their eyes met.
Tong Yingying smirked, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, my! A big sister sewing clothes for you? Quite the charmer, aren’t we?”
“Not bad, right?” Yan Huan quipped, maintaining his usual nonchalance.
Tong Yingying’s smile grew sharper. “Heh.”
She seemed ready to say more, but Yan Huan preempted her with a serious look.
“Speaking of late nights, Tong-jie, what are you doing here? Don’t you know how dangerous alleys can be?”
His sudden shift to the offensive caught her off guard. Raising an eyebrow, she shot back,
“Don’t pull that with me. Did you overhear anything just now?”
“What? Hear what? Did you say something?” Yan Huan’s wide-eyed innocence was almost too perfect.
Tong Yingying’s gaze narrowed.
“Then why’d you run?”
“Why’d you chase me?”
“You wouldn’t have run if I didn’t chase you.”
“And you wouldn’t have chased me if I didn’t run.”
“...”
Tong Yingying fell silent, though her hand slipped into her coat and emerged with a long, heavy stun baton.
Yan Huan immediately raised his hands in surrender.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry, Tong-jie!”
“One zap and you’d behave,” she muttered, putting the baton away.
“But seriously,” Yan Huan said, rubbing the back of his neck, “I was on the phone and didn’t catch much of anything. Was it something important?”
Tong Yingying’s sharp eyes softened slightly as she rubbed her temple. After a brief pause, she replied,
“Adult matters. Kids shouldn’t stick their noses in. If you didn’t hear, good. If you did, forget it—it’s for your own good, understand?”
“Got it. Loud and clear.”
Satisfied, Tong Yingying crossed her arms and shifted her focus.
“So, why are
you
out here so late? No shift tonight? Shouldn’t you be home studying?”
“I came to work out. And for the record, Mondays are my day off, okay?”
“Workout, huh?” She gave him a once-over, then asked slyly,
“Trying to impress a girl?”
“Seriously, Tong-jie, what’s with you?” Yan Huan shook his head, exasperated. Flexing his arms in mock demonstration, he said,
“Can’t I just want to be stronger for myself? Or do I look like the type to spend all my time flirting?”
Her mind flashed to the image of him staring at her lips earlier. For some reason, her lips felt oddly sensitive now. She licked them lightly before replying, her tone teasing,
“...Sure, you’re not. Want a trophy?”
“You’re stingy. You know, a little praise can go a long way toward motivating employees.”
“Forget the flattery. I’d rather just hand out bonuses.”
“You’ve got a point, Tong-jie.”
Tong Yingying smirked and pulled a card from her wallet, handing it to Yan Huan.
“It’s for the gym. Covers fees, water, personal trainers—whatever.”
Yan Huan hesitated. “Tong-jie… are you secretly a rich second-gen? How many businesses do you own in the South District?”
“Two.”
“You said one last time.”
“Uh-huh. Ask again later, and maybe the number will change.”
Yawning, she shoved the card into his hand.
“Take it. Just stick to your workouts, and don’t poke your nose where it doesn’t belong, got it?”
Ah, so it’s hush money.
The realization dawned on Yan Huan. While he hadn’t caught every detail of her earlier conversation, he’d heard enough to know it was shady.
Tong Yingying’s mysterious background suddenly made sense. She wasn’t an eccentric business owner; she was likely involved in something far darker.
“By the way,” she asked casually, breaking his thoughts. “Didn’t you mention some school trip during the spring semester?”
Yan Huan blinked and replied,
“Ah, you’re talking about the Class Retreat, right?”
“Probably. You rich kids have so many fancy events, who can keep track of the names?” Tong Yingying said, her tone dripping with nonchalance.
“It’s not for a while yet, Tong-jie. First, there’s the Club Competition, then midterms. The retreat happens afterward as a post-exam relaxation trip.”
“How long will it be?”
“Usually about two weeks, and it’s often overseas.”
Tong Yingying sighed and waved dismissively. “Fine. You’ll be showing up less, so I’ll need to hire another hand for the pub. Those two slackers there can’t handle it alone. Anyway, off you go. Keep up the workouts. I’m heading home to rest.”
“Got it, Tong-jie.”
She waved casually as she walked away, her figure disappearing into the kaleidoscope of neon lights. But after a few steps, she stopped and turned back toward Yan Huan.
“Oh, one more thing…”
Why does she sound like my dad? Yan Huan thought.
“What is it?”
“I misspoke earlier. That card I gave you doesn’t cover everything.”
“Uh… what’s not covered?”
“Female personal trainers.”
“...”
Yan Huan’s expression went blank, prompting Tong Yingying’s lethargic demeanor to crack as she broke into a mischievous grin.
“Just kidding, dumbass. Alright, see you at work sometime.”
With that, she waved one last time and melted into the colorful cityscape, leaving Yan Huan staring at the pure white card in his hand.
As Yan Huan re-entered the gym, the owner greeted him at the door with an overly friendly smile. The resemblance to Principal Hermes’s ingratiating expression was uncanny, minus the wrinkles.
“...Do you need something?” Yan Huan asked warily.
“Oh, no, no, just saying hi… actually, yes! We’ve got a VIP section here. Hardly anyone uses it at night. Want me to show you, young man?”
“VIP section?”
“Yep, this way.”
The owner reached behind the counter, pulling out a brochure detailing membership tiers. Starting at a four-figure recharge, members could access the exclusive VIP area, complete with premium services, including…
Yan Huan’s eyes landed on the bold text: Female Personal Trainers.
Before he could comment, the owner quickly covered those words with both hands, chuckling nervously.
“Ah, my bad! Forgot to mention—we don’t actually have female trainers right now, haha…”
“...”
Tuesday Morning, South District School Bus
“D*mn it! Another miss?! What kind of rigged drop rate is this? Two updates, three banners, and I’m still getting scammed! Are you even human?!”
Yan Huan winced, covering his ears as he glanced at the enraged Yaqiao Mu sitting beside him. The boy’s bloodshot eyes looked ready to drill a hole through his phone screen.
“Even whales get shafted?” Yan Huan asked dryly.
“Yes! And the more you spend, the worse it gets! This game is a scam, President!”
Yan Huan sighed at the sight of his fuming friend. He was about to suggest, “Then stop spending,” but froze when Yaqiao Mu angrily tapped the payment button, dropping another 648 yuan in one go.
Yan Huan pinched the bridge of his nose, swallowing his advice. Instead, he muttered something countless others had surely told Yaqiao Mu before:
“Yaqiao, you’re beyond saving.”
“You don’t understand, President! This character is different! I
have
to pull her!”
“Oh? What’s so special? You’ve already pulled tsunderes, goths, meta DPS characters, and countless lolis. What’s new here?”
“She’s on fire,” Yaqiao Mu whispered with reverence.
“...”
Considering Yaqiao Mu’s financial situation, such extravagant spending should’ve been impossible. But thanks to his programming talent, he had a steady income from freelancing gigs, including assignments Yan Huan had helped him land.
And every penny went straight into gacha pulls.
Yan Huan shook his head. At least it was his own money being burned. If he was happy, who was Yan Huan to judge?
Yuanyue Academy
The school bus pulled up to the campus. Yan Huan stepped off with Yaqiao Mu, who was finally in a good mood after a successful pull.
Across the street, scaffolding was being dismantled from the newly constructed building, revealing its opulent design.
Instead of heading to their classroom, the two made their way to the library. Today marked the official start of the study group, with a morning meeting scheduled in the library’s soundproof discussion room.
Yuanyue’s library, located opposite the new building, was massive. The incessant clanging and hammering outside could still be heard faintly as they rode the elevator to the top floor.
“This noise is ridiculous,” Yan Huan muttered.
“Yeah, but hey, it keeps the normies away. No more crowded study rooms or discussion spaces, hehe…” Yaqiao Mu grinned.
“...”
The elevator doors opened, revealing Discussion Room L501, reserved for the study group. Yan Huan scanned his student card to unlock the door.
Inside, sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the compact room. At the table sat a girl with long, wavy blonde hair.
Aria Spencer.
She sat with her back to the door, humming softly and swaying slightly, engrossed in whatever she was reading. Beside her lay an empty black bag.
Hearing the door open, Spencer turned her head, irritation flashing across her face—until she saw Yan Huan. Her annoyed expression melted into a mischievous grin.
“Well, well, President Yan. You’re here~”
Yan Huan caught a glimpse of what she was reading.
The sunlight cast harsh lines across the pages, emphasizing thick, black censor bars.
One glance was enough for him to immediately avert his gaze, his expression twisting into one of utter disgust.
Who the hell gave her that kind of book?!