"So, Spencer, you need four people to form a club right now?"
In the forest park, An Le looked at Spencer, who had just leaped down from a tree, and asked.
Earlier, before An Le could even look around for something to cushion Spencer’s landing, the girl had already figured out her own way.
She had found a tree close enough to the academy’s wall, then jumped from the top of the wall—covering a staggering three to four meters in a single bound—landing right onto the tree.
From there, she slowly climbed down, finally making it inside the school.
"Is this chick some kind of monster in human form?"
The little white snake flicked its tongue in amazement.
Sitting cross-legged in front of An Le, Spencer folded her arms and nodded.
"Yeah, that’s what Yan Huan told me. If I want to avoid getting expelled, I
have
to win the Club Competition. Since I beat up that guy who was helping Piao Shuwen, they’re definitely not letting me join their club. My only option is to start my own."
Hearing this, An Le pressed her lips together, guilt washing over her.
Spencer had only fought Hua Zhaofeng because of her. Now, just as expected, she couldn’t join the Track Club anymore.
If they failed to form a club in time…
While An Le wallowed in guilt, the little white snake flicked its tongue again, this time with a puzzled look.
"Wait a second. Why would Yan Huan tell
her
how to get out of trouble? Since when are they that close?"
An Le shot the snake a reproachful glance.
"Maybe it's just part of his duty as Student Council President… Or maybe… he knew about Piao Shuwen bullying me, so he—"
"Hehe, just admit it. You think Yan Huan helped Spencer
because of you
, don’t you?"
"......"
An Le’s face turned bright red. She didn’t respond, nor did she nod in agreement.
But that wasn’t the important part right now.
What mattered was helping Spencer avoid expulsion.
Everything else…
Well, Spencer
did
promise to help her!
With that thought, An Le’s mind started working rapidly.
She pressed her lips together, then looked at Spencer seriously.
"Alright, I’ll join your club."
"Ohh! That makes two of us! Now we just need two more people!"
"Finding the last two members shouldn’t be too difficult… This morning, during club recruitment, I noticed a few students who still hadn’t joined a club. They’re… well, they’re probably like me—people who aren’t exactly
popular
in class…"
As she said this, An Le carefully glanced at Spencer before hesitantly asking,
"Um… If you don’t mind, I—"
"I don’t mind. I don’t care about that stuff. As long as they want to join, it’s fine."
Spencer waved her hand dismissively, completely unconcerned.
An Le smiled softly.
Yep, that’s just like Spencer.
But then, her expression turned serious again.
"I still remember their names. I’ll check the school email directory for their addresses and set up a meeting."
"Good idea!"
"The next step is deciding our club’s theme… and whether we actually have a chance of winning the competition."
"Right, right!"
Spencer watched An Le analyze the situation as if she were her own personal strategist.
No need to understand—just look impressed and nod along.
An Le hesitated, then asked carefully,
"Spencer, do you actually know
how
the Club Competition works?"
"Nope!"
An Le didn’t even look surprised. She simply started explaining with the patience of a saint.
"Yuanyue Academy has a lot of events that are different from other schools. Sometimes it’s the schedule, sometimes it’s the content.
"For example, most schools hold Student Council elections at the end of the academic year. But here, we do it at the
beginning
.
"The Club Competition is the same. Other schools use it for recruitment, but
our
school treats it as a major competitive event. The winners even get a wish granted."
Spencer nodded, looking impressed—while also mumbling under her breath,
"Ooh, what should I wish for? Maybe I’ll just—"
"Spencer, you’re already thinking about the reward, and your club
doesn’t even exist yet
?"
An Le sighed, exasperated.
"If you win, your wish
has
to be used to stop your expulsion. That’s why Yan Huan told you to compete."
"Oh. That makes sense."
She only just now connected the dots?!
An Le looked at Spencer in concern, wondering if there was even a point in explaining further.
After some thought, she decided
not
to overwhelm Spencer with too much information. She’d probably forget most of it anyway.
Instead, An Le stood up, pulled out her phone, and began typing.
"Alright… I’ll contact those students now. Let’s see… Nino from Year 2, Class B… Tatsuya Sakawa from Year 1, Class D… and Jiang Yun from Year 2, Class C…"
As she searched for their names in the Yuanyue campus email system, she casually asked,
"So, Spencer… What
exactly
is our club going to do?"
"Oh, don’t worry about that. I already have an idea!"
Spencer grinned confidently.
An Le looked up, curious.
Spencer took a deep breath and declared—
"
We’re making a Doujin Club!!
"
"......"
An Le’s fingers froze over the keyboard.
She and the little white snake turned to look at Spencer, eyes wide in horror.
Then, her face turned beet red as she shouted,
"N-No way!! We are
not
using
that
as our club theme!! Nobody will join!!"
"Hah? Why not?"
Spencer looked genuinely confused, as if
An Le
were the weird one.
"People love that kind of content! Didn’t you see how many people lined up to buy it at the game convention? Even
you—
"
"That’s
fiction
! Spencer, have you lost all sense of reality?!"
An Le’s voice cracked as she tried to explain.
She
could not
handle Spencer’s complete and utter lack of shame.
"All those stories are
made up
! They’re just comics! Especially
that one
you were reading—
Pure Ballet
—"
At this point, An Le was so mortified that she just covered her face with both hands, squeezing her eyes shut.
"Listen!! None of it is real!! The female lead’s reactions, the male lead’s size, the ridiculous endurance—
it’s all fake
! Don’t take it seriously!!"
Spencer blinked, stunned.
Then, she puffed up in defiance.
"You’re lying! It’s totally real!"
"It’s
not
real!! It’s like Santa Claus—it doesn’t exist in reality!"
"……Wait."
Spencer’s jaw dropped.
"You’re telling me… Santa Claus isn’t real?"
She looked more devastated than when An Le debunked
Pure Ballet
!
An Le stared at her.
She opened her mouth… then closed it.
The little white snake, on the other hand, just shook its head in pity.
"Man… I’d love to meet Spencer’s parents. If they can, they should really try for another kid. This one’s a lost cause."
"......"
An Le bit her lip, feeling guilty about pitying Spencer like that.
Spencer, meanwhile, crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced.
"Whatever. Forget Santa.
Pure Ballet
is real!"
"
What part of it is real?!
"
Spencer’s expression suddenly shifted.
Her cheeks turned a faint pink, and her gaze darted away awkwardly.
"The… um…
size
thing… That’s real… I know that much…"
The little white snake deadpanned.
"What the hell is she using as a reference?!"
"......"
An Le wanted to quit life.
Holding up her phone like a white flag, she groaned,
"Fine! Just—just drop it, Spencer!!"
"Heh. Thought you could fool me, huh?"
"Ugh…"
An Le wanted to
die
—but
not
like this.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to refocus.
"Anyway, there’s no way Yan Huan would approve
that
as a club theme. So…"
She sighed.
"Pick something else, Spencer."
Memories from moments ago faded like a receding tide, only to be pulled back by his resistance, lingering in his mind.
As a result, the new, corrected memories felt oddly out of place.
Yan Huan blinked, feeling the altered recollections settle, and subconsciously touched his shoulder—right where Ye Shiyu had bitten him.
Even through the fabric, he could feel a faintly warm, slightly raised mark.
The moment he felt the slight dampness lingering there, he quickly withdrew his hand and muttered to Meow-chan in his mind,
"Every Modifier seems to have memory correction abilities, but the effects are all a little different..."
Meow-chan silently materialized on his shoulder, glancing back at Ye Shiyu as she walked out of the alley with a blank expression.
"That’s right, meow… Like when An Le touched you just now—if you didn’t have resistance, your brain would automatically interpret that pleasure as affection for her. Even the soreness from muscle training could be ignored…"
"Yeah. The correction makes the unreasonable seem reasonable… If there’s no third party unaffected by a Modifier, there’s no way to break the cycle. Used on an ordinary person, this would be terrifying…"
Meow-chan didn’t respond further—because Ye Shiyu had already caught up.
In an instant, Yan Huan donned his perfect "expression management" mask. He turned toward Ye Shiyu, glanced at his phone, and smiled.
"It’s already this late… Shiyu-jie, the Student Council still has some business at noon. I got too caught up shopping with you and lost track of time. I need to head back to the office. What about you?"
Ever since the hypnosis ended, Ye Shiyu had become like a completely different person.
Before, even if her expressions were a bit extreme, at least she had
expressions
.
Now, with her blank face, she looked just like a flawlessly crafted living doll.
Hearing his words, she nodded.
"I… I’ll walk you back, Xiao Huan. I need to rest in class anyway."
"Alright."
Yan Huan’s face remained as calm as ever, as if nothing had happened earlier.
Ye Shiyu’s heartbeat quickened slightly, her breath growing uneven.
Just like a criminal nonchalantly returning to the crime scene, completely unnoticed.
Yet, alongside that thrilling thought, waves of overwhelming guilt surged through her.
"......"
The distance from the shopping district to the academy’s inner grounds and then to the teaching building was significant.
But walking alongside Yan Huan, time felt fleeting to Ye Shiyu.
Like a single blink, and they had already reached the first-year classrooms.
"Shiyu-jie, I’ll be heading up now. See you in elective class later."
"Mm… See you later…"
Yan Huan flashed a faint smile, turned, and ascended the stairs.
Ye Shiyu stood in place, expressionless, waving goodbye until his figure completely disappeared.
Only then did she lower her hand, lips parting slightly in an empty daze.
"......"
After a moment of hesitation, she turned toward the second-year wing.
But with each step, her pace slowed.
She pressed a pale hand to her collarbone, fingers ghosting over the spot beneath her uniform’s fabric.
As if something hidden there demanded her attention.
"Haa…"
A soft blush crept onto her face as she clutched the spot, her legs momentarily weak.
She reached out, steadying herself against the wall.
Dark hair spilled over her shoulders as she lowered her gaze, replaying the sensation of Yan Huan’s breath against her skin.
"Just a little more… If I had just pushed a little further, the mark would have…"
She pressed her lips together, her deep eyes swirling with dissatisfaction.
And from within them, a vortex—like a gaping purple abyss—whispered the truth to her.
"
The hypnosis duration… was too short…
"
Straightening herself against the cold wall, Ye Shiyu exhaled slowly before heading toward the second-year classrooms.
In her hand, her phone screen glowed even brighter—almost as if it were feeding off something.
Click.
Yan Huan pushed open the door to the Student Council office.
Inside, the only person present was Ying Gong Tong, sweeping the floor with quiet diligence.
She moved carefully, tending to every corner like she was caring for her own home.
Hearing the door open, she paused, turning toward him.
When she saw him, her momentary surprise softened into a graceful smile.
Tucking a stray pink strand behind her ear, she greeted him,
"You’re back, President."
For a brief moment, an odd thought popped into Yan Huan’s mind—
Like a wife greeting her husband home.
Despite himself, he found the idea amusing.
The exhaustion from dealing with Ye Shiyu’s Modifier faded slightly.
Looking at Ying Gong Tong, he couldn’t help but feel that she looked especially beautiful today.
"Something wrong, President? Do I have something on me?"
Even as a composed young lady, Ying Gong Tong seemed a little self-conscious under his stare.
She glanced down at her outfit, looking genuinely puzzled.
Snapping out of his daze, Yan Huan smiled and shook his head as he walked inside.
"No, it’s just nice to be back in the office."
Ying Gong Tong chuckled, setting her broom aside.
"That makes it sound like someone outside was giving you a hard time."
Yan Huan rolled his shoulder as he made his way toward the "President’s Seat," sidestepping her comment.
"Where’s Bai Yi? She was supposed to report for the study group today, but I got caught up in something and was late."
"Oh, I already handled that for you. She probably just came by to check in. When she didn’t see you, we chatted for a bit before she left."
"I see…"
Yan Huan glanced at Ying Gong Tong’s back as she stood by the tea station.
This time, he didn’t feel the usual tension that came with another Modifier user being around.
For one, Bai Yi’s Modifier lacked the aggressive nature of others.
And two, from the way she sounded on the phone, she was too happy to be thinking about using it.
Honestly, Bai Yi had a pretty normal personality.
If not for her mother, Zuo Jiangqin, she might have abandoned the Modifier by now.
So if there was any real danger from Bai Yi’s Modifier…
The root of the issue would be Zuo Jiangqin.
"Here, President. Your tea."
His thoughts were interrupted as Ying Gong Tong set down a steaming cup in front of him.
He turned to her, meeting her warm smile.
"Thanks, Ying Gong."
"No need to thank me, President."
Yan Huan took a sip of the tea, but his mind was still tangled in the mess of Modifiers.
Even so, work still needed to be done.
He reached for the pile of paperwork, but to his surprise, some of it had already been neatly completed.
His brows lifted as he saw the elegant red handwriting on the documents.
Glancing at Ying Gong Tong, he saw her setting down another cup of tea for herself.
"Just some small tasks," she said with a smile. "I had free time, so I figured I’d help. That way, you won’t be too overwhelmed."
Yan Huan sipped his tea, silent.
Somehow, the warmth from the cup spread through him, easing the weight on his shoulders.
A thought pushed its way to the surface—something he wanted to tell her.
But before he could, Ying Gong Tong glanced up, catching his gaze.
For a brief second, she hesitated.
Then, she looked away.
And after another second…
She looked back.
With a smile, she spoke,
"President, there’s something I might need to apologize for."
"Apologize? For what?"
"Regarding Spencer this morning—I didn’t think things through."
Ying Gong Tong’s usual calm demeanor shifted into something more solemn as she held her warm tea.
"I looked into it privately, and Piao Shuwen really does seem to have a history of bullying classmates. I overlooked that earlier, thinking Spencer was just being unreasonable."
She sighed.
"Spencer was wrong to get violent, but she’s already been punished. Meanwhile, Piao Shuwen—who bullied An Le—hasn’t been punished at all. That’s hardly fair."
Looking Yan Huan in the eye, she said firmly,
"I’ve already submitted a report to the school. It won’t help Spencer’s situation much, but at least it might bring justice for An Le."
Yan Huan was stunned.
Before he could even start investigating, Ying Gong Tong had already done so much for him.
And for the first time, he looked at her not just as the Vice President—
But as someone who had become an irreplaceable part of the Student Council.