Restricted Fantasy Invasion

Chapter 21

Spencer was dragged away by the security guards, cursing under her breath. Yan Huan didn't look in that direction, only feeling that after she left, the average IQ of the air around here went up. So, while preparing to head back to the gym with Sakuramiya Hitomi to grab their things, he mulled over the matter of the modifier.

Just like the memory correction generated after being hypnotized, the memory in his mind of being locked up with Sakuramiya Hitomi in the equipment room had become so "reasonable" that unless you had resistance, you wouldn't notice anything off.

It seemed the same was true for Vice President Sakuramiya.

The evening sun in the sky seemed to cherish the girl even more, quietly adjusting its angle so that Sakuramiya Hitomi was bathed in the shadow cast by the towering teaching building beside her.

Meanwhile, Yan Huan stood in the glow of the sunset, his face tinged with color.

Walking side by side with Yan Huan, Sakuramiya Hitomi looked as usual, lifting the black hair at her temples and suddenly asking,

"Did that girl say anything to the President just now?"

Yan Huan's thoughts were interrupted. He turned to look at her,

"Why do you ask?"

"That girl just now took pictures of us for no reason, and her personality is honestly annoying. I just feel like she probably won't delete the photos that easily."

"No, I scared her a bit and she obediently deleted them. But I don't think I've ever seen her at school before-she doesn't ring any bells."

Yan Huan smiled faintly, not intending to drag Sakuramiya Hitomi into the modifier business, so he lied.

Huh?

He was threatened with photos by that blonde girl, and now he was lying in front of Sakuramiya as if nothing happened.

Why did this déjà vu keep getting stronger?!

Yan Huan blinked, suddenly thinking this.

"She's probably a transfer student."

Seeing Yan Huan's calm expression, Sakuramiya Hitomi answered perfunctorily, but her heart was filled with even more doubt.

If there was nothing weird about that girl, then how did she manage to kick through her barrier?

Did the barrier bug out?

And she even blew out the sparks (so Sakuramiya thought) that were almost struck up between her and the President!

Looks like she really needed to study her own ability more, and absolutely couldn't mess up like she did today again.

Fortunately, the memory correction effect it described wasn't exaggerated-after being locked up for half an hour, the President hadn't noticed anything at all.

The two of them had the exact same thought pop up in their minds at the same time.

At the storage locker in the gym, Yan Huan took out his backpack and clothes, while Sakuramiya Hitomi only had a cloth bag with her clothes inside.

"The changing room's already closed, right? Are you heading back to the office to change, President?"

Sakuramiya Hitomi walked over with the bag in her arms, while Yan Huan glanced at the time on his phone, thought for a moment, and said,

"No need, I'll just head home early. At this time, I can still catch the school bus."

"Alright, President."

Sakuramiya Hitomi tilted her head, a little puzzled.

Normally on Mondays, the President would go to the mahjong club to play, then take the bus home later in the evening. Why today...

She really did know all of Yan Huan's habits, but couldn't say so out loud.

But it was fine-if he didn't go to the mahjong club, the President wouldn't have to hang out with that group of bad women.

Even though there were automatic mahjong tables, every time they played with the President, they still insisted on shuffling by hand, claiming, "There are only two machines, and since the President isn't an official club member, she can't use them."

Was that really "can't use them"?

They'd shuffle the tiles for half an eternity-someone who didn't know better would think they were washing their hands!

Having observed a session, Vice President Sakuramiya had a lot of opinions about the mahjong club, and felt such harmful clubs should be resolutely shut down.

"Well, I'll take my leave, President. I'm heading back to the office."

"Alright, see you tomorrow, Sakuramiya."

"See you tomorrow, President."

After saying goodbye to Sakuramiya Hitomi, Yan Huan clutched his phone and sprinted toward the school gate.

He needed to stop by Sister Tong's bar today.

Originally, it wasn't his shift today, but since he hadn't shown up the whole weekend, losing that 400 really stung.

So, he planned to make up for the missed shifts by working Monday and Tuesday.

Seven nights in a row-such was the resolve of Yan Huan, who was out to save the world.

Yan Huan jogged to catch the school bus for the southern district. The air conditioning was on inside, and the students who'd finished class were laughing and chatting, but there were actually far fewer people than in the morning.

After one elective class in the afternoon, Yuanyue Academy let out, and some students stayed at school to participate in club activities.

But most were picked up by their parents, either to go to cram school or to attend all sorts of interest classes.

At the moment, he didn't see Yaqiao Mu on the bus-he was one of the army of students heading to afternoon tutoring.

Linmen followed the Newman-style education system, and getting into college was basically by application.

There were standardized exams, but they didn't play a decisive role like the gaokao in his previous life.

Outstanding grades in hobbies and interests, relevant academic experience, and letters of recommendation from highly respected figures were all crucial when applying to higher education.

It looked like they were free from the sea of gaokao prep, but in reality, the competition was just as fierce-dragging in the parents too, a chaotic battle of gods and devils from afar.

The southern district's school bus had the most passengers of any route in the afternoon. Why?

Because most students from the southern district couldn't afford expensive cram schools or interest classes, so they could only go home.

Even if they could go, their families had to tighten the belt several notches just to make it work.

Hmm, Yan Huan had it even worse than those going home to rest-he, the transmigrator fighting the modifier, still had to go back and work for his living expenses.

He suddenly remembered a meme from his previous life-the one with the clown and the clown girl.

After a whole day of fighting Batman, the clown still had to buy groceries and cook dinner himself. After all, not everyone could be as rich as Bruce Wayne.jpg

Aunt Ye, oh Aunt Ye, if Ye Shiyu hadn't come knocking at my door in the middle of the night, I really wouldn't want to leave you!

Yan Huan shook his head and put on his Bluetooth headset, ready to listen to music.

On the empty seat next to him, a fluffy black cat had somehow appeared, sitting there with perfect composure.

It was Meow-chan.

Oh well, at least Yan Huan had a little cat now.

It seemed to have shown up to hear about what happened with the modifier earlier, but Yan Huan just scooped up the chubby Meow-chan.

"Meow~"

Looking at Meow-chan's big, staring eyes in his arms, he decided to act first and explain later,

"Meow-chan, let me pet you."

"Meow?"

In the southern district, just a few streets from the house Yan Huan rented, a storefront had just opened for business.

Hanging at the entrance of a tastefully decorated European-style bar was the bar's name:

"Nursery Rhyme"

At the door, a beautiful woman with red hair tied back was moving tables and chairs outside.

She wore a black denim jacket over a white shirt tucked into long jeans, giving her a casual, dashing vibe.

After moving a couple of tables, she leaned back against one to take a break.

A flip-top lighter spun deftly between the fingers of her left hand. She tilted her head back, her red bangs falling over one eye.

On her delicate face-she looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight-the other exposed eye had a "life's okay, dying's fine too" kind of deadpan look.

She rubbed the metal earring on her earlobe, subconsciously wanting to call that guy over to help, but suddenly remembered he didn't work on Mondays.

Not seeing him all weekend had left her a bit muddled.

The other staff wouldn't show up until later-only that kid ever came this early and could help her move the tables and chairs.

"Mm."

But maybe it was just as well he wasn't here.

With her deadpan eyes, she lowered her head, her red lips holding a slim lady's cigarette.

"Chak～"

The lighter's flint wheel scraped, making a crisp sound and sparking a small flame.

Just as she was about to light her cigarette, a hand suddenly reached over and pulled it from her mouth.

In the woman's eyes-eyes that looked like they'd been battered by life-a spark flashed as she raised an eyebrow in surprise.

She turned her head and saw a handsome boy in sportswear twirling the cigarette between his fingers and smiling at her,

"Sister Tong, are you swearing on nothing again? Didn't you tell me you quit? Sneaking a smoke now that I'm not around?"

The woman before him was Yan Huan's boss, Tong Yingtong. Usually, Yan Huan just called her Sister Tong.

She was a "grown-up" who'd already become boring.

"Pfft, you actually believe what adults say?"

Caught in the act, Tong Yingtong was totally unfazed, her tone tinged with disdain.

She snapped the lighter shut and looked at the boy she hadn't seen all weekend.

Tong Yingtong crossed her long legs and asked him,

"Why'd you come to me after class on a Monday instead of resting? And what's with that outfit-cosplaying an athlete?"

"I just got out of class, didn't have time to change before coming over."

"What's the rush?"

"I wanted to see you, Sister Tong."

"Heh, I think you just want the wages you lost over the weekend."

Yan Huan blinked and smiled,

"I really did come to see you, truer than pearls. You can trust me, Sister Tong."

Tong Yingtong didn't expose Yan Huan's act. She stood up and walked toward the unlit interior of the bar, saying,

"Go to the changing room and get changed first, then help me set up the tables and chairs."

That was her way of telling him to get to work.

Yan Huan looked at the cigarette that had just been in Tong Yingtong's mouth, then realized something and followed her into the bar,

"No way, Sister Tong, it's not even five o'clock yet."

Watching her listlessly walk behind the bar and skillfully take out glasses and ice cubes.

Without even looking over, Tong Yingtong stretched out her fair fingers and arranged the bottles on the rack behind her, as if she were waiting for her hand to brush over the bottle she'd choose.

Then, her fingers paused on the cap of a bottle that had already been opened.

It was a bottle of fruit-candy-flavored whisky, Allen Ten Years.

"I'm in a bad mood today. And I just woke up too, so it's perfect for clearing my head."

As she poured the drink, she rarely bothered to explain herself to Yan Huan.

"As if that'll clear your head."

Yan Huan tossed the cigarette that had been in Tong Yingtong's mouth into the trash, leaned on the bar, and asked,

"But why are you in a bad mood? Tell me about it?" "And why should I tell you?"

"So I can cheer myself up."

"...Two hundred off your pay."

Tong Yingtong didn't even look at him, just delivered this cold verdict, nearly wiping the smile off Yan Huan's face.

"My bad, Sister Tong."

"Idiot, don't you know you haven't even been paid this month yet? Trying to show off in front of me, huh?"

She was just joking.

Yan Huan had been working here for nearly a year and knew Tong Yingtong well. Besides her few bad habits, she was basically easygoing and paid generously.

Their bickering was a regular thing.

"But Sister Tong, in my experience, it's best to talk about what's making you unhappy."

"Heh, in my experience, telling someone your sad stories just helps them get their knife ready for you later."

After pouring her drink, she picked up the glass, gently swirled it, watching the round ice cube inside spin and dance like a crystal ball in the whisky.

Tong Yingtong cursed,

"Go on, go on, grown-up business-wait, never mind, don't butt in."

She took a sip of whisky, then let out a long, heavy breath, waved her hand at Yan Huan dismissively, and ordered,

"Hurry up and get changed for work. You skipped three shifts last weekend and left me, your boss, running around. This week, heh, I'm going to squeeze every last bit out of you."

"Sister Tong, even a lackey's life is still a life."

Yan Huan pitifully raised the white flag.

At the same time, he silently flipped Tong Yingtong off in his mind, using the nickname he'd secretly given her when they first met.

That nickname was: "Southern District Yu Qian."

What did that mean?

Smoking, drinking, perms-she was a master of all of them.

Even though her lifestyle had improved a bit lately-she barely smoked or got her hair permed anymore-she just couldn't quit the booze.

Yan Huan even suspected that Tong Yingtong opened this bar just so she could drink openly.

Seeing his boss already enjoying her wine, Yan Huan stopped paying her any mind and went inside the bar to change.

White shirt, black trousers, brown vest.

Just as Yan Huan was changing in the dressing room, a man's and a woman's voice came from outside the door,

"Sister Tong, good afternoon."

"Sister Tong, isn't it a bit early to be drinking already today!"

"Yeah, just in a bad mood, nothing a drink won't fix."

Yan Huan walked out after changing and saw a couple sitting at the bar, chatting with Tong Yingtong, who was spinning her glass.

They were both students at Southern District Community College-the guy's name was Tian Li, the girl was Guan Rong.

They both worked here part-time and were a couple.

The girl had a beautiful singing voice and was the bar's resident singer.

The guy could mix drinks, and the customers liked his cocktails, but Tong Yingtong rarely drank what he made.

She usually did it herself-self-reliance.

Tong Yingtong could mix all sorts of drinks herself; if she wasn't so lazy, she wouldn't need to pay anyone else.

"Xiaohuan, it's Monday. Aren't you taking a break?"

"No break, Sister Guan, making up shifts."

"Wow, didn't see you for a weekend and you got even more handsome. Tsk tsk tsk."

"Seriously?"

Must be the charm fragments doing their work.

In that short time, Tong Yingtong had already finished her small glass of whisky and poured herself another.

Watching her go through the base spirits he needed, Tian Li could only fume silently-after all, she was the boss.

After a brief chat, it was time to get to work.

Yan Huan quickly set up all the stools and such, and after Tian Li and Guan Rong changed, one tidied up the bar while the other did a quick cleaning.

Only Tong Yingtong, holding her glass and bottle, sat alone in the corner, acting like a hands-off boss.

Yan Huan passed through the back room several times and could see Tong Yingtong drinking harder than usual, typing something on her phone with one hand.

At first, Yan Huan could still spare some attention for Tong Yingtong-after all, it was odd for her to start drinking so early today.

But as night fell and business was good with lots of customers, after two orders of caramel pudding he got busy.

In the kitchen, he whisked the egg mixture so hard it was almost smoking-he was nothing if not skilled.

Tiring as it was, there were benefits.

At least, the pudding he made for Sakuramiya Hitomi and Ye Shiyu back then was especially delicious, wasn't it?

Nights in the Southern District were anything but peaceful-the city's dazzling neon lights, car horns, and restaurant smoke made it both lively and chaotic.

If you walked alone through the alleys between apartment buildings at this hour-man or woman-you'd pretty much trigger some hidden event.

Luckily, Linmen didn't allow guns, so you wouldn't get poked in the back by something hard while walking.

Then, while your wallet and phone got snatched, you'd still have to answer questions like "Do you like uncle's big gun?"

"Once, I wandered forward in confusion..."

Guan Rong strummed her guitar and sang, painting a peaceful scene in the quiet bar.

But in the corner, Tong Yingtong had vanished at some point.

Only in the hallway connecting the bar to the bathroom, she was hunched over, face pale, supporting herself on the wall as she headed for the bathroom.

She'd had a bit too much to drink.

She opened the door to the single, enclosed bathroom.

Her face was flushed-who knew if it was the alcohol or the glow from her phone's screen.

Her stomach churned, and she couldn't help but collapse in front of the toilet, as if she was about to throw up.

Because of this, the phone she'd been holding slipped from her hand, revealing the chat window and messages on the screen,

Li Xiumei (Mom):

"..."

"I don't care, I already made the arrangements. Hurry up and come back to meet him. He's quite a catch, you know. You're lucky he's willing to go on a blind date with you, and you're still being picky."

"Not coming. If you want a blind date, you go."

"Jeez, you're almost thirty and still so unreliable. Look at you. If you don't get married soon, I swear I'll just die at home. Get back here now!"

"He's so much older than me, what's the point of a blind date? Forget it! If you want a blind date, you go!"

"A little age gap isn't a problem. Older men have better conditions and are more considerate."

"Why do I care about his conditions? Am I broke? I'd rather find someone ten years younger, call me 'big sister,' strong and good in bed-why do I need him to be considerate? Get lost, I said I'm not going!"

"Is that any way to talk to your mom?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"..."

The phone screen auto-locked after a while of inactivity, plunging the rest of the messages into darkness.

Leaving Tong Yingtong still covering her mouth, dry heaving in discomfort.

There were actually hundreds more messages below, and not just from her mom-plenty of others were trying to persuade her too.

Tong Yingtong wished she could just block them all and never see them again.

"Gurgle gurgle-"

As she retched, a snake-shaped tattoo ghosted out from under her clothes, writhing as her emotions shifted.

Then, the snake tattoo crawled along her arm and actually slid out from her fingers, landing on the floor.

It was a tiny, pure white, cobra-like creature.

Flicking its tongue, it sized up the woman before it, seeming to show a hint of satisfaction.

[Out of all the candidates, you're the only one who can actually handle my power.]

[Woman, do you want to become the protagonist of this world? Do you want to satisfy your filthy desires? Do you want to possess everything you've ever wanted?]

In her ear, an illusory voice echoed, making Tong Yingtong pause for a moment.

[Become my host, and let me share with you the power of my manipulation sensitivity.]

[Pleasure, pain, or any sensation at all-anything!]

[As long as you use me, I can fulfill all your wishes.]

[No need for fear or doubt, I'll help you.]

Tong Yingtong lifted her head and looked at the phantom form that had risen beside her, something snake-like yet not quite a snake.

Was it possible that the voice in her mind was coming from this thing?

The illusory white creature before her flicked its tongue, and it seemed as if some kind of current flowed over its body at every moment.

Tong Yingtong parted her lips, and then murmured,

"I must be drunk, seeing hallucinations and all, haha. If I'm drunk, then even the thing I fear most-snakes-"

The white snake in front of her watched as Tong Yingtong's fist clenched tighter and tighter, and suddenly had an extremely bad feeling.

[Hiss!]

Instinctively, it turned to flee, but Tong Yingtong, already on the verge of rage, stood up and, face dark, stomped down hard on it,

"You can all just die!!"

"Bang!"

With that terrifying stomp, the phantom white snake really did vanish into thin air, just like a hallucination.

(End of this chapter)