Restricted Fantasy Invasion

Chapter 27

The sounds outside the classroom gradually faded away, as if an invisible giant hand that had been gripping Ye Shiyu's heart was slowly letting go.

Her breathing slowly calmed, and she lifted her eyes once more to look at Yan Huan's vacant gaze before her, as if only now had rationality retaken the high ground in her mind, making her realize what had just happened.

She looked at her own wrist, which Yan Huan had just grabbed, and saw a red mark encircling the fair and delicate skin there, showing no sign of fading soon.

It seemed to be caused by the rush of blood beneath the skin, making it tingle and itch a little.

Ye Shiyu was the type whose body easily showed marks.

Especially since her skin was so fair and tender, like a pristine canvas that so easily revealed color.

This kind of gesture, symbolizing "someone else" encroaching on her territory, was originally what she hated most.

Physical contact from outsiders and others taking her things were equally unforgivable.

But ever since Yan Huan arrived, there seemed to be an exception.

Perhaps it was because of the kindness he showed that night, or perhaps his smile, that made Ye Shiyu consciously restrain her stinginess, wanting to give something back.

Clearly today she just wanted to ask for his help, and incidentally find out what he liked, but in the end-

She still used Hypnosis on him.

I'm sorry, Xiaohuan.

Next time, I definitely won't use Hypnosis on you again.

Ye Shiyu felt so guilty in her heart.

Although being called Sister by Yan Huan was wonderful, it would be even better if he was a little gentler when acting cute-

But next time, I definitely won't use Hypnosis on Xiaohuan again.

Ye Shiyu promised herself this, wise and pure as if she were half a sage.

Why only half?

Because when she asked Yan Huan to act cute just now, she didn't get the full enjoyment, so it only counts as half.

"Xiaohuan, after I count down three, two, one, you'll be released from Hypnosis. Three, two, one-"

In her heart, she expressed her wish to deactivate the APP, feeling a bit nervous as well.

Because last time she used Hypnosis, she left the room early, so she didn't know what it would be like to end Hypnosis face-to-face.

And as soon as she gave the command, that sensation of memories peeling away like a tide came over her again.

Whether it was Sakuramiya Hitomi or Ye Shiyu's modifier, they would both create this feeling: first, all memories of what just happened would leave the mind, then a new memory would be formed.

That memory was forged so well that without the modifier or a reminder from a third party, the subject would basically never realize anything had happened.

"."

Yan Huan's dazed eyes slowly closed, and when he opened them again, his gaze showed no sign of anything amiss.

"Sister Shiyu?"

"Let's keep fixing the computer."

Seeing that Yan Huan hadn't noticed anything strange, Ye Shiyu relaxed inside, returning to her doll-like appearance.

But her gaze, like a culprit surveying a crime scene, measured Yan Huan up and down.

Yan Huan turned back with a smile and continued helping her with the computer, but he was thinking in his mind.

When someone gets a similar modifier, their desire to use it actually grows step by step.

That all-at-once kind of thinking probably comes from reading too many doujinshi in one go.

Before evolving to the "I don't eat beef" stage, they always enter the "careful Superman" phase first.

Especially now, when Ye Shiyu's modifier only lasts fifteen minutes, which invisibly limits the things she can try.

But even so, this gradual pace was still much faster than Yan Huan had expected.

Clearly, just last Sunday night he had made a bold move, trying to stir up Ye Shiyu's guilt to suppress her desire to use the modifier.

Even Meow-chan said Ye Shiyu had lost a fragment then, so the operation should have worked.

Yet only a few days later, by Tuesday noon, trouble had already broken out again.

Although her reason for using the modifier this time was to avoid social death, so it was more of an accidental use.

But what about after that?

She still couldn't resist the temptation of the modifier's effects and gave herself a string of commands.

These commands weren't too excessive, but they showed that her desire to use the modifier was reigniting.

It's not that Yan Huan's earlier conscience-stirring had no effect-you could tell from Ye Shiyu's repeated hesitations and apologies.

The only problem was-

The dose still wasn't strong enough.

When dealing with a patient like Ye Shiyu, you have to up the medication.

Yan "Fake Psychiatrist" Huan thought so.

"Sister Shiyu, just install Zhoujiao Security Guard next. If you're not good with computers, this is pretty easy to use, and basically safe."

"Mm-hmm."

Ye Shiyu didn't understand either, so she just nodded and let him do whatever he wanted on her computer.

She didn't care at all that he was holding the mouse with her name on it, or that he was tapping away on her keyboard with his fingers.

For a moment, Yan Huan also forgot about Ye Shiyu's special habit.

After all, his mind was busy planning his next moves, and he had just been hypnotized, now having to act as the unaffected stepbrother...

These two things were occupying his brain's RAM like virus downloaders in Ye Shiyu's computer.

Besides, didn't that group outside just shout Bai Yi's name?

The idol who had the "Indifference" modifier.

"Tick-tock."

"Tick-tock."

In the afternoon teaching building, the illusory sound of a clock ticking like water droplets echoed from nowhere.

Yet the many students coming and going seemed not to hear it, passing by with calm expressions.

And among the crowd, a beautiful girl wearing sunglasses, an off-white long-sleeve top, and a black cotton-linen knee-length skirt stood with her arms folded at the school gate.

She was none other than the famous idol of Yuanyue Academy, Bai Yi.

Her beauty couldn't be hidden even by sunglasses-a sense of confidence, fashion, and vitality burst from her energetic body, telling everyone who saw her about the wonders of youth.

She was chewing a piece of strawberry-flavored bubble gum, occasionally blowing it up into a bubble and letting it pop like a balloon.

"Pop."

That was the sound it made.

She wore light makeup, and half her lips were coated with a high-quality pink gloss, sparkling with an appetizing, crystal shine.

Her lips were as sweet as that strawberry-flavored bubble gum.

"I really don't feel like going to class this afternoon... Maybe I'll sneak out for a bit, since I can use that anyway."

Thinking this, she took something like a pocket watch from her chest.

The pocket watch, though simple in style, was exquisitely crafted inside, rivaling priceless works of art.

And in the center of the dial, illusory words floated, adding a touch of fantasy.

[Nameless]

There were three hands on the dial, but they didn't correspond to real time at all.

Even though it was almost one in the afternoon, the hour hand-like it was made of ice-pointed to the top, at twelve o'clock, as if it hadn't moved in ages.

The minute hand was covered in rust, stuck at nine o'clock, and above the rusty minute hand floated a line of illusory text:

[Accumulated usage time: 30 minutes]

As for the second hand, it seemed not to exist at all; only from the base of the spinning hands could you tell there was an invisible hand moving on the dial.

When Bai Yi's consciousness touched the spinning second hand, illusory information surged forth:

[Welcome to the Nameless Pocket Watch]

[Pocket Watch Level: 1]

[Current Effect: Indifference]

[Ten minutes per day. After activation, you enter a state where no matter what you do, you won't be noticed. If you don't use the effect that day, the time can accumulate for next time, up to a maximum of sixty minutes.]

[During the effect, all your actions will have immediate consequences only for you; for everyone else, the consequences will occur the instant the effect ends.]

It sounds convoluted, but once you try it, you'll quickly understand what it means.

When entering Indifference, if Bai Yi touches someone, she immediately feels the sensation.

But what about other people?

If she touches them, they won't feel it immediately, but will be hit by it all at once when the effect ends.

No matter how many sensations, they'll all descend in an instant.

Actually, there's an effect for objects too, but the modifier seems to have forgotten to explain it...

Or maybe it just wants Bai Yi to do whatever she wants to people during the effect?

Back to the matter of objects.

The pocket watch will automatically correct unreasonable changes to objects.

For example, that marker used to prank Zhou Bin-after Bai Yi used it, it would automatically return to its original spot, with no fingerprints and no ink missing...

But the doodles on Zhou Bin's face would still be there.

Just from this description, you can tell how magical this power is.

So ever since last Friday, when this pocket watch mysteriously appeared in Bai Yi's bag, it had almost become her favorite toy she couldn't put down.

With this thing, she could do so many things she never even dared to imagine before.

For example, Zhou Bin was the number one victim, all because last semester he called his mother so many times to tattle on her.

Just this afternoon, she saw him covered in all sorts of strange theological items.

He must still be on edge right now, right?

Bai Yi let out a satisfied smile, then, shielded by Indifference, turned and walked out of the school.

She planned to skip class for the whole afternoon.

"Tick-tock. Tick-tock."

The world around her seemed to be sliced apart by the regular ticking of a clock, with Bai Yi on one side and the rest of the world on the other.

Then, the worlds overlapped, forming everything she saw.

After reaching the commercial street in the park just outside the school gates, she casually grabbed a stick of candied hawthorn from a dessert shop and started eating it with abandon. That manager of hers was always monitoring her diet, terrified she'd get fat or break out from eating high-calorie foods, desperate to stuff knowledge about salads and healthy meals into Bai Yi's head as if it were common sense.

Yet in private she ate meat and fish, even posted photos of hotpot on her social media, but left Bai Yi to drink green juice and eat salad by herself-is that it?

Thinking about this, Bai Yi started biting into the candied hawthorn more fiercely, as if she were gnawing on her manager's head.

"Hahaha, the president already said I'm not the mascot, okay?"

"Eh, President Yan actually says that kind of thing to you?"

"Of course. But you know, you have to be strong to forge iron! I think it's because I'm just too smart, that's why the president thinks so."

"Hahaha..."

President?

Yan Huan...

Still munching on her candied hawthorn, Bai Yi glanced toward the source of the voice from behind her sunglasses and spotted Yuan Lina chatting with a few senior girls at the entrance of a milk tea shop.

That annoying girl...

Bai Yi silently looked away, planning to leave before the ten-minute effect ended.

After all, if she kept using it, she'd have to dip into the time she'd saved up over the weekend and Monday.

Bai Yi was a bit of a hoarder mouse.

But out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but be drawn to a notice board by the school gate. On it was the student council logo, and above that, an introduction to the members.

"Yan Huan, student council president, won the favor of his classmates in the fall semester with absolutely outstanding grades and absolute charisma, and has received a total of"

Bai Yi paused slightly in her candied hawthorn eating, and just looking at Yan Huan's photo on the notice board, she couldn't help but show a look of annoyance.

"Tsk."

The candied hawthorn in her mouth gradually lost its flavor, but she couldn't bear to throw it away, so she took it with her as she left Yuanyue Academy during lunch break.

Evening, first floor of a high-end villa in Jinghe District.

Bai Yi scanned her fingerprint to enter the room. The sound of the range hood came from the kitchen-it must be her mother cooking.

She glanced toward the kitchen, changed her shoes at the door, and took off her bucket hat, sunglasses, and mask, tossing them all into a basket nearby.

"I'm home."

"How was school today?"

However, the voice that answered her came from the living room, not the kitchen.

Bai Yi paused for a moment, then smoothed out her soft black hair, a little mussed from the bucket hat.

She walked into the living room nonchalantly and said,

"What else could it be, just the usual, just an elective class."

Sitting on the sofa in the living room was a middle-aged woman in gray loungewear, sizing her up.

That was Bai Yi's mother, Zuo Jiangqin.

Hearing Bai Yi's words, Zuo Jiangqin frowned and exposed her lie,

"I had Xiao Ji pick you up from school this afternoon, but she said she didn't see you come out."

Xiao Ji, full name Ji Lin, Bai Yi's manager.

Bai Yi, about to head to her room, paused in her tracks. She frowned and looked at her mother sitting in the living room, retorting,

"Didn't I say I'd come home by myself this afternoon?"

"You didn't go to school at all, did you?"

"...So?"

Bai Yi took a deep breath. In the end, she didn't go back to her room, but came to the living room and said to Zuo Jiangqin,

"It was just an elective, who cares if I go or not?"

"Who cares? Take a good look at this."

Hearing Bai Yi's indifferent words, the woman became even more furious.

She took out her phone, opened her email, and showed Bai Yi a message,

"Your school's student council sent me an email this morning about your opening exam results. Out of a total possible score of 500, you only got 292! Out of 178 students in your grade, you ranked 152. Isn't that embarrassing? Huh? If your fans found out how bad your grades are, can you imagine what they'd say online?"

"Why do you care what they say? I have activities every day, I've barely attended any classes, how was I supposed to do well?"

"Barely attended any? Then why didn't you go when I had Xiao Ji take you this afternoon? Isn't it just because you're lazy and slacking off!"

"Mom, if you don't understand, don't pretend you do, okay? You can't even tell the difference between required and elective classes, so what are you lecturing me for?"

It was like talking to a brick wall. Bai Yi waved her hand in frustration and said,

"I'm tired. I'm going to rest."

Bai Yi was annoyed by the nagging, but as she was leaving, her mother's sharp voice stopped her movements.

"Stop right there! You never behave! Xiao Ji told me you're always reluctant to attend events, and you're lazy at school too. What are you even doing?"

"..."

Activities, activities-

Weren't all those stupid events arranged by you guys anyway?

Not allowed to write songs, saying exposure is too slow, have to grab the Yan fans' market, now making her eat nothing but grass every day...

Her mother too, always so eager to cash in, getting all excited whenever her manager mentioned a commercial job, but she was the one who ended up exhausted, running all over the place.

Yet, even with a thousand things she wanted to say, after taking a deep breath, Bai Yi still decided to avoid the confrontation.

Her pretty face fell, and not wanting to argue anymore, she turned to head back to her room.

"Wait, eat the salad on the table before you go!"

"..."

Bai Yi ignored her mother completely, her hand already on the door handle.

But behind her, her mother had already stopped looking at her. It seemed like they were both used to this whole routine by now.

Only today, perhaps because of that email about her grades, Zuo Jiangqin said with particular emotion,

"Look at that Yan Huan from your student council-such good grades, student council president, always gets first place in every exam. And don't forget, he was there when I took you to the child star audition back then."

Hearing her mother's words, Bai Yi pushed open the door, about to step into her room, but her feet stopped in place.

But her mother didn't notice at all that her little fist, hidden under her sleeve, was now clenched tight.

"He just smiled and got spotted by the station manager, who insisted on signing him. He just showed his face and the station begged him to join, but he wouldn't even go. We had to work so hard-writing songs, practicing instruments-just to get a spot."

Whenever this came up, Zuo Jiangqin would get all riled up,

"What right do you have not to work hard? Huh? He can afford to be lazy, but we can't. That's why you have to seize every opportunity.

"I helped you get into the entertainment industry and made you famous, so you should cherish it and be more active at events. I paid to get you into Yuanyue, so you have to study hard and improve your grades. That way, Xiao Ji can do a better job building your persona. Do you hear me, huh?"

Bai Yi's mother looked up, only to find Bai Yi was now staring coldly at her.

Looking at her with an expression she'd never seen before.

In the darkness, some kind of desire seemed to freeze the air.

Even though there was still soup cooking in the kitchen, the chill couldn't be dispelled.

Bai Yi just looked at her mother. After a moment of silence, she sneered and said,

"Since you like him so much, Mom, why don't you just make him your child?"

"You-"

"Bang!"

Before Zuo Jiangqin could say anything else, Bai Yi had already flung open her bedroom door and slammed it shut behind her.

"This kid-"

Zuo Jiangqin frowned, still looking like she hated iron for not becoming steel.

She sat on the sofa with her arms crossed for a long while, and there was no sound of guitar from Bai Yi's room like usual.

The atmosphere in the villa was so dead silent that Zuo Jiangqin finally, albeit reluctantly, admitted...

Maybe she really had been a bit too harsh.

But wasn't it just because Bai Yi was slacking off at work and lazy with her studies?

How could things go on like this?

Zuo Jiangqin felt her intentions were right, it was just her methods that were wrong.

She often brought up that kid "Yan Huan" in front of Bai Yi.

After all, back at the company's child star audition, that stunningly good-looking boy had really left a deep impression.

And now at Yuanyue, he was even more popular and his grades were through the roof...

Zuo Jiangqin just thought that giving Bai Yi a rival would motivate her, so she kept emphasizing it.

"Beep beep beep-"

At that moment, the timer in the kitchen suddenly went off.

Her soup was ready.

Zuo Jiangqin let out a sigh, walked into the kitchen, turned off the stove, then took a bowl and ladled out a serving of pork rib soup.

She walked back to the living room, picked up the salad from the table, and headed toward Bai Yi's room door,

"Knock knock knock"

"Come out and eat."

This was Zuo Jiangqin's signal for reconciliation.

But after a long while, there was still no response from inside the room.

Seeing this, the fire that Zuo Jiangqin had just managed to calm in her heart began to flare up again.

She put the soup and salad down on the table, then returned, ready to open Bai Yi's room door directly.

"I said it's time to eat, didn't you hear me."

However, when she pushed the door open again, the girl's bedroom-where a guitar, sheet music, computer, and game console were arranged-was empty.

"Yiyi?"

Zuo Jiangqin froze for a moment, calling out Bai Yi's nickname as if startled.

But the room was deathly silent; only the wind from outside the villa on the first floor blew in, making the open window's curtains dance in reply.

(End of this chapter)