The table was laden with an array of delicious dishes prepared by Chen Yi. Just the wafting aroma was enough to make one's mouth water.
Yan Huan glanced over the spread before turning to see Ye Lan, now changed into a casual cotton short-sleeved shirt with her hair down, seated at the head of the table. She rested her chin on her hands, smiling warmly at him. "Hungry, little glutton? We'll start as soon as Chen Yi brings the utensils and Shiyu arrives."
Her curved, smiling eyes and affectionate tone made Yan Huan feel a rare flutter of shyness. Avoiding her gaze, he stood to help Chen Yi with the utensils.
"I'll go help Chen Yi bring them over."
"No need, Xiao Huan. Sit down—I've already got them."
Before he could move, Chen Yi emerged from the kitchen with the utensils, placing them in front of Ye Lan, Yan Huan, and the seat beside him.
Only three bowls and three pairs of chopsticks? Just as Yan Huan wondered if Chen Yi wouldn't be joining them, she returned to the kitchen and came back with a single black porcelain bowl and stainless steel chopsticks, setting them across from Yan Huan.
Puzzled, Yan Huan looked closer and noticed delicate white characters inscribed on the black bowl:
"Ye Shiyu."
The same name was engraved at the tip of each stainless steel chopstick.
Yan Huan glanced questioningly at Ye Lan, who only responded with a helpless smile. It was Chen Yi, chuckling beside him, who explained, "Shiyu specially commissioned this set from the porcelain capital back in Dragon Country. She had some made for us too, but she's the only one who likes black. Her mom and I think black isn't very appealing, so we use regular bowls.""Were those stainless steel chopsticks specially made too?" "Oh, no, those were just store-bought chopsticks. It's just that Shiyu has this habit—she really likes writing her name on all her belongings. Goodness, she writes on every single thing! Every time we come back from shopping, she spends ages doing this."
Chen Yi served rice and poured drinks for everyone while saying, "And she never throws anything away unless it's completely unusable. If she accidentally loses something, she'll keep looking until she finds it again."
What a strange habit?
Yan Huan blinked, thinking to himself.
Ye Lan's expression grew increasingly helpless, yet she didn't criticize her daughter's stubborn habit. Instead, she optimistically remarked,
"She's gotten much better since starting high school. If it's not something particularly valuable, she'll give up if she can't find it. This just shows how much your sister Shiyu treasures everything she has. I think it's a good quality."
"If I had a habit like Shiyu-jie's, my middle school teacher wouldn't have scolded me for being scatterbrained before," Yan Huan chimed in, prompting Ye Lan to cover her mouth with a light laugh.
Meanwhile, faint footsteps sounded from the nearby staircase. Ye Lan turned to look—Ye Shiyu had come downstairs. She waved and smiled, "Shiyu, come eat."
"Mm."
Ye Shiyu nodded, her face still expressionless—neither warm nor cold—as she took a seat across from Yan Huan and lightly grasped her glass.
And just as she expected, the next moment, Ye Lan raised her glass with a smile and said to Yan Huan, "Then let's start dinner. Here, welcome to our home, Xiao Huan. Cheers!"
"Thank you, Auntie."
"Good boy, no need to thank me."
Ye Shiyu also raised her glass, clinking it lightly with Ye Lan's and Chen Yi's, and finally with Yan Huan's.
But she only took a small sip before extending her tongue to lightly lick her lips.
This served as the signal for dinner to begin.
Ye Shiyu held the black bowl in her left hand, her fair, pink-tipped fingers slowly tracing the name engraved on it as she watched her mother heap food onto Yan Huan's and her own plates.
The Ye household had no rule against talking during meals, and dinner conversations were usually simple. Chen Yi often chimed in with trivial matters, like how the vegetables at the supermarket weren't fresh.
It wasn't until Ye Lan mentioned it that Yan Huan learned Scale Gate was located at sea, with virtually no farmland, so all vegetables had to be imported.
Ye Shiyu ate elegantly, chewing slowly and never speaking a word.
Ye Lan, meanwhile, focused more on asking Yan Huan about his well-being and inquiring further about school—things she hadn't asked in the car—subtly steering the conversation toward topics of interest to teenagers. "Do you take the school bus to and from school?"
"Yes, Auntie. There are routes for every district, including Jinghe District, though it seems a bit far from here. The students living in the neighborhoods nearby probably... well, don't really need to take the school bus."
"That makes sense. Picking up and dropping off Shiyu would save time on commuting. But I'm usually too busy to do it myself, so I have to arrange a separate car for her."
Whether it was his imagination or not, Yan Huan faintly sensed that Ye Lan was building up to something she hadn't yet voiced.
Then, as if suddenly struck by inspiration, Ye Lan set down her chopsticks, her eyes lighting up as she made a suggestion to Yan Huan:
"Right, Xiao Huan—how about you stay at our house?"
"Huh?""You're classmates at the same school and around the same age, so you could commute with Shiyu daily. With a car at your disposal, you wouldn't need to rush for buses morning and night. Chen Yi can handle breakfast and dinner at home, and even prepare desserts for you to take to school. How does that sound, Xiao Huan?"
Yan Huan paused mid-bite, blinking at Ye Lan's hopeful gaze. Suddenly, he understood why she'd told the principal she was his "mother" during their school meeting.
Ye Lan hadn't come just to reminisce or mourn his deceased mother—she was here to adopt him.
Did Ye Lan have ulterior motives? No, absolutely none.
If pressed, there was only what she'd mentioned: hoping he could look after her eccentric older daughter Ye Shiyu. That was all.
Besides, she was the Scale Gate branch director of Ye International, while Yan Huan was merely a high school student—Student Council president and honor student notwithstanding. She had no reason for hidden agendas.
Her motivation was singular and pure: she saw Yan Huan as family, the child of her departed best friend whom she wanted to care for.
Realistically speaking, everything about Ye Lan screamed wealth. Any rational person would be kneeling to call her "mom" and become the "Scale Gate version of Gao Qiqiang" by now.
But Gul'dan—what was the price?
An uneasy premonition made Yan Huan's heartbeat accelerate uncontrollably. His throat tightened as he glanced at Ye Shiyu, who was leisurely eating dinner across from him.
His smile wavered with hesitation. "Auntie, isn't this... rather sudden?"
"Is it no good, Xiao Huan? Or do you find me too difficult to live with?"
Sensing his retreat, the radiance in Ye Lan's eyes dimmed to the shimmer she'd shown when first seeing him today. Her smiling lips immediately pursed, corners drooping like weighted scales.
Don't make that face, Auntie Ye! Yan Huan resisted looking at her to avoid being swayed, opting for reason instead.
"How could I think that when you're so kind, Auntie? I just feel it's inappropriate... You see, I'm a boy, and—"
Before he could finish, Ye Lan interjected, "You're practically family, Xiao Huan! There's nothing to worry about. Chen Yi lives on the first floor, Shiyu and I are on the third, and you'd have the entire second floor to yourself. Every bedroom has an ensuite bathroom, the soundproofing is excellent, and we always knock before entering—your privacy would be completely respected."
Oh wonderful, flexing the power of money now?
Not that she was wrong. Turning his head, the sprawling garden villa offered zero constraints—the living room alone could host a basketball game, let alone the second floor, third floor, and rooftop terrace.
Left with no choice, he addressed the core issue, lifting his gaze to meet Ye Shiyu's gradually slowing chopsticks.
"Besides, we should consider Shiyu-jie's feelings about this. There might be things Auntie finds unimportant, but—"
Ye Lan eagerly turned to her daughter before he could finish. "Shiyu, what do you think?"
Ye Shiyu cradled her rice bowl, a small clump of grains pinched between her chopsticks.
At the question, she slowly brought the rice to her lips—but didn't chew. Instead, she turned to lock eyes with her mother.Just as she caught sight of her mother's slightly pursed lips and felt the weight of that expectant gaze, she nodded softly and said, "I have no objections."
Her voice was pleasant—quiet in volume yet each word enunciated with perfect clarity.
"Wonderful! Don't let Shiyu's quietness fool you; she's actually an extremely gentle and kind-hearted girl. Don't worry, Xiao Huan, both my sister and I welcome you warmly."
Gentle and kind-hearted? Yan Huan couldn't help but glance in surprise at Ye Shiyu, who had resumed picking at her food. The girl lifted her eyes to meet his gaze, never once looking away.
That direct eye contact eased some of the unease in Yan Huan's heart. Though lost in thought, he still hadn't given a definitive answer.
After some deliberation, Yan Huan decided to employ the skill he'd only acquired that day—adjusting his facial expression. "I know both sister and Auntie are very kind people. But Auntie, could you give me a little more time to think it over?"
Ye Lan pressed her lips together, noticing the touched expression on the boy's face—though hesitation still dominated.
Right. She'd made this same mistake just this afternoon. Why was she repeating it now? Perhaps she was just... a little too eager.
With that realization, Ye Lan softened her tone and suggested gently, "Then how about this, Xiao Huan? Since it's already Friday night and quite dark out, and your place in the South District is so far away, why don't you stay here for the weekend? Tomorrow and the day after, I'll take you and my sister around the neighborhood. How does that sound?"
As long as she didn't force the issue or pressure Yan Huan into moving in immediately, her goal would still be achieved.
At the very least, he needed to completely dispel that ominous feeling in his chest first, didn't he?
He looked at Ye Lan—still hesitant, of course—but in the end, her gentleness seemed to overpower his reservations. A smile surfaced as he nodded and said, "Alright, Auntie."
Ye Lan exhaled in relief before turning to Ye Shiyu with the same question. "And you, Shiyu?"
"Mmm, no objections here."
The same reaction as before. The same response.
"Perfect! Then it's settled. Chen Yi, could you please prepare the room on the second floor later?"
Ye Lan clapped her hands together just as the meal was drawing to a close.
Chen Yi, who had been listening quietly without interrupting throughout the entire meal, finally stood up. As she efficiently gathered the dishes, she said to Yan Huan, "No problem. I'll take Xiao Huan up later."
Ye Lan, already immersed in the joy of "pre-adopting" Yan Huan, turned to remind Ye Shiyu, "Shiyu, don't forget to exchange contact information. If you run into any problems at your new school, you can always ask your younger brother for help. He grew up at Scale Gate and is the Student Council president—don't hesitate to lean on him since you're new here." Ye Shiyu wiped her lips with a napkin and stood up. After a glance at Yan Huan, she said, "Alright. I don't have my phone on me now—I'll add him later after I get it."
"Mmm... I'll have Chen Yi bring you some milk later."
"Okay."
A response came from the stairwell as Ye Shiyu turned and went upstairs, soon disappearing from view.
Yan Huan made to stand as well. "Then I'll go see if I can help Chen Yi with anything, Auntie."
"No need. Stay and keep me company a little longer, alright, Xiao Huan?"But the Ye Lan before him shook her head. She cupped her chin and stared straight at Yan Huan, gazing at his face.
She loved looking at Yan Huan, at his eyes, as if trying to see everything about him through them, or perhaps searching his face for traces of someone from the past.
Under her watery gaze, Yan Huan had no choice but to slowly sit back down. "Alright."
Ye Lan simply looked at him like that. After a moment of silence, she gave him a warm smile. "Xiao Huan, you've worked so hard all these years."
Her voice was so tender that Yan Huan couldn't help but blink.
The gradually slowing heartbeat in his chest seemed to lose its strength, unable to push out the words he wanted to say, leaving his mouth hanging open.
Just as he finally mustered something to say, Ye Lan stretched and stood up. "Alright, Auntie is a bit tired and will go upstairs to rest now. Chen Yi will take you to your room later. Get some rest early~"
"...You too, Auntie Ye."
Watching her retreating figure, Yan Huan responded a second late.
Ye Lan went back to her third-floor bedroom to rest. According to Chen Yi, she had been busy since early morning, and meeting Yan Huan at Yuanyue Academy was her last stop.
After waiting for Chen Yi to finish cleaning the kitchen, Yan Huan followed her to prepare his room—which basically just meant putting on bedsheets, fetching blankets, pillows, and pillowcases. It wasn't much trouble.
The room prepared for him on the second floor was incredibly spacious. It was hard to imagine that this single bedroom was even larger than the one-bedroom apartment he rented in the southern district.
Not only did it have an ensuite bathroom, but there was also a separate area with a sofa, desk, and bookshelf. At the end of this area was the bedroom leading to a private balcony. After closing the door behind him, Yan Huan stood alone in the tidied-up room, raising an eyebrow as he set down his backpack and took off his school uniform jacket. "This is... way too extravagant, isn't it?"
He pinched the leather sofa in the room, then walked to the bedroom door, glancing at the balcony outside where the curtains hadn't been drawn, revealing the night view beyond.
And he, this reincarnated youth from Tianchao, was about to ask his boss for leave in this luxurious room for work the next couple of days.
Hmm, he decided. He'd omit one period when texting the request to sound more assertive.
After staring at the dark night for a long while, Yan Huan finally drew the curtains, turned on the bright bedside lamp, and lay down on the soft bed.
"Meow~"
Just then, another pleasant meow came from the bedroom.
Yan Huan propped himself up slightly and turned to look at the edge of the bed, where a plump black cat emerged from underneath.
If not for the lamp, it would have blended perfectly into the deep red wooden floor.
The black cat turned its head, revealing a pair of emerald eyes—it was Miao Jiang.
"Miao Jiang, you're here."
"Meow!"
Yan Huan lay back down, and Miao Jiang jumped onto the bed, first rubbing against him before standing directly on his stomach and sending a voice into his mind.
"I thought you'd be so scared by the Modifier that you wouldn't dare interact with any women for a while. Who knew that not even a day later, not only did you not run away, but you even approached on your own?"
"...Anyone with half a brain could figure this out, right?"Looking at the black cat standing on his abdomen, Yan Huan couldn't resist reaching out to pinch its warm ears and stroking its furry back.
"You not only failed to tell me who besides Bai Yi has Modifiers, but you also didn't explain what effects the other Modifiers have. This means you don't know either, right?"
"...That's correct. My understanding of these invasive forces is limited to knowing of their existence and common traits, but the specifics—"
"Then that settles it?"
Yan Huan spread his hands, his gaze calm. "The current goal is to resolve the Modifiers. The first step in resolving them is to find them and their hosts, then understand their nature—only then can we think of ways to deal with them."
Assuming Ye Lan and Ye Shiyu might possess Modifiers, even if he didn't come to Ye Lan's place for dinner today, further refused her adoption request, or even went so far as to cut off contact entirely, Ye Shiyu would still attend Yue Academy.
What's coming will come. Unless he distances himself from all women, or takes even more extreme measures—dropping out of school, severing all connections accumulated over the past decade, disfiguring his face, and then hiding somewhere.
Shouting "I'm not human anymore!"—such a mutually destructive solution might work, but... "I want to resolve the Modifiers, and the purpose of resolving them is to restore the World Line to normal, allowing my life to continue smoothly. I can't put the cart before the horse or give up eating for fear of choking. To take a step back, although Ye Shiyu's personality seems strange, she might not necessarily be a Modifier host..."
As he spoke, Yan Huan's eyes gradually grew distant. He rested his left arm on his forehead and murmured softly, as if recalling something, "Besides, Auntie Ye is a very gentle person."
Miao Jiang simply watched Yan Huan, feeling the continuous strokes of his right hand. Instead of responding, she straightened slightly and suddenly began pressing her soft pink paw pads rhythmically against Yan Huan's firm chest muscles.
One forward, one back, one forward, one back... "Purrr~"
Yan Huan blinked in surprise and looked down at the purring Miao Jiang. "What are you doing?"
Miao Jiang continued her actions while giving him a look that seemed to say, "I'm a cat—what else would I be doing besides kneading?"
Yan Huan took a deep breath and was about to grab the chubby cat by the scruff of its neck when a knock suddenly came from the door.
Knock knock knock~
Yan Huan and Miao Jiang exchanged glances before he sat up and asked, "Who is it?"
"..."
No response.
But Yan Huan seemed to already have an answer. He gently set Miao Jiang down and whispered, "Hide where no one can see you."
"Meow~"
She nodded, wriggled under the bed, and then seemed to vanish completely.
Meanwhile, Yan Huan straightened his white shirt, slipped on his slippers, and walked to the door. "Coming."
Click.
Pushing the door open slightly, the hallway outside was dimly lit by a single lamp. Since Ye Lan had already returned to her bedroom, the main lights in the living room were off, leaving the second floor in relative darkness.
And there, in that darkness, stood a tall, black-haired girl at the doorway.
It was Ye Shiyu.
She was dressed entirely in black from head to toe, her skin the only thing pale against the shadows.Her exquisite features seemed like a masterpiece crafted by genetics.
Seeing the silent girl outside the door, Yan Huan was momentarily stunned before breaking into a smile and opening the door wider.
The bright light from the room spilled out, stopping right before her slippers, forming a stark boundary between light and shadow.
"Shiyu-jie, what's up?"
Yan Huan's voice prompted Ye Shiyu to move. She raised her phone and said softly,
"Mom asked us to exchange contact info."
So she was here to add a friend.
As expected, she might not necessarily be the owner of the Modifier—she was probably just the quiet type.
Yan Huan sighed in relief and pulled out his phone as well.
"Ah, right, I almost forgot. Hold on a sec, Shiyu-jie. Should I scan you, or you scan me?"
"You scan me."
"Got it."
Ye Shiyu took out her phone. Under the room's light, Yan Huan clearly saw her name still written on the back of her phone case.
Without overthinking it, Yan Huan opened the scan interface on plane, while she unlocked her phone and handed it to him.
"."
The phone's camera aligned with the screen, but what she showed him wasn't a friend-adding QR code at all. Instead, it was a swirling vortex glowing with an eerie purple hue, like some app interface.
The vortex spun faster and faster, accelerating relentlessly—wait, what is this?
Yan Huan froze for a second before realization struck, his pupils contracting sharply.
No way, this is—! In the next instant, as the vortex spun, Ye Shiyu's eyes seemed to darken ten thousandfold, merging with the hallway's shadows as they dragged Yan Huan's consciousness into an abyss. "Beep!"
A prompt tone, signaling some kind of activation, came from the app in her hand. At the same time, Yan Huan heard an ethereal voice emanating from her:
[App activated.]
[Effect: Individual Hypnosis.]
[Duration: 15 minutes.]
[Timer starts now.]