Restricted Fantasy Invasion

Chapter 29

Inside the girls' restroom on the first floor of the teaching building, a forceful shove slammed An Le's body against the wall.

The alarm outside the campus was blaring, yet it seemed unable to penetrate this private space, allowing an indefinable darkness to take root.

"Mmph"

The pain in her back made An Le let out a soft whimper, and she instinctively clutched her chest.

She was struggling to breathe again, but this time there was no chance to undo her buttons.

The tension from being bullied was twisted by her own cowardice into a sharp ringing in her ears, making the once-quiet bathroom feel unbearably noisy.

"Bzz"

But at this moment, An Le couldn't pay attention to her increasingly anxious heart or the buzzing in her ears; she simply hurriedly looked up at Pu Shuwen.

The reason was simple: Pu Shuwen was holding the white letter An Le hadn't managed to give away.

She glanced at the words on the envelope and let out a cold laugh,

"Yo, Xiaohuan. Who's this for, huh? So intimate?"

"Give it... give it back."

Seeing Pu Shuwen about to tear open the letter, An Le struggled, trying to snatch it back.

Pu Shuwen's face instantly darkened at this, and she stepped back, raising the letter high,

"Hold her down first. I want to see what this cow wrote to the President!"

Just as An Le tried to step forward, two girls beside her pinned her arms, pressing her back against the wall.

"Bzz"

The ringing in her ears grew sharper and more agitated.

"An Le, you're being naughty. You actually knew to ask Yaqiao to deliver a letter to the President? Tell me, were you eavesdropping on us?"

"Who would've thought? You always keep such a low profile, but in private you're so repressed, huh."

An Le tried to fight back, but she was no match for the two girls restraining her.

Under her scattered black hair, her misty eyes looked helplessly at Pu Shuwen as she tore open the letter An Le had written, revealing the folded letter inside.

"Mmph let... let me go. That's mine-"

Pu Shuwen ignored An Le completely and simply unfolded the letter, reading its contents.

After reading two or three lines, Pu Shuwen looked up in disbelief, sneering to the girls beside her,

"Hey, take a look at this. She's totally fantasizing-says the President cared about her when they were kids, even went to her house and lived with her. What a joke."

"Huh? Is this a childhood-friends romance? You've got quite the imagination, little An Le."

"If this cow was a kid, was she a little calf?"

Pu Shuwen pinched the letter and stepped closer to An Le, saying,

"If the President actually knew you, would a whole semester go by without him saying a word to you? Living in your fantasies-aren't you ashamed?"

Until now, An Le's struggles had been weak-she simply didn't have the strength. But when Pu Shuwen accused her of lying, she suddenly lifted her head and retorted forcefully,

"I'm not! I just, just-"

Actually, when she first entered school and saw Yan Huan, she could have reconnected with him. But why had An Le never dared approach him even now?

They were in the same grade, the same building-was it really that hard to walk a few steps and see him in person?

The truth was, An Le knew the reason, but she didn't dare admit it to herself.

Pu Shuwen sneered, reaching out to grab An Le's chin,

"Just what? Don't think I don't know what you're thinking, you cow. Disgusting, aren't you? Do you even deserve it? Huh? A rat from the sewer, can't even bring a decent piece of clothing from home. Looking like a ghost every day, and you still have the nerve to like someone? If I were the President, I'd be sick to my stomach."

Just to further prove An Le's worthlessness, Pu Shuwen crudely used the letter to lift An Le's bangs, revealing the face she had tried to hide.

At first, Pu Shuwen was startled, then her expression instantly turned cold.

She hurriedly let An Le's bangs fall back into place, then gripped the envelope tightly in both hands,

"Like writing letters? I'll let you write! I'm telling you, if we ever catch you writing to the President again, you'll regret it."

With that, she gave a hard yank and tore apart the letter An Le had agonized over all night.

"Bzz"

An Le's eyes, hidden beneath her bangs, shrank bit by bit. Only now did the sharp ringing in her ears seem to subside a little.

But then, the restless noise immediately flooded her mind,

"You useless thing!!"

It was the voice of that little snake-Little Finger.

"Damn it, even after being bullied like this you're so nervous your mind's in a knot, you can't even hear my voice!!"

On her skin, an illusory snake tattoo writhed up and down in agitation, proof of its anger,

"Kill them all! Kill them all!! Right now!!"

But An Le just stared blankly as the letter fragments fell to the floor, as if it wasn't just the undelivered letter that was breaking, but her heart as well.

From that shattered heart, the real reason she hadn't dared approach Yan Huan for half a year slowly emerged.

She was just-

Afraid.

Afraid of what?

After all these years, Xiaohuan had become so popular-he must have made countless new friends in his world.

And she herself had stayed in the same place all these years.

So insecure, timid, and weak.

She was already in high school, yet still hung up on things from elementary school, treating someone she hadn't seen in years as her only anchor-wasn't that ridiculous?

She didn't know how to dress up, was plain and awkward,

She liked unpopular reptiles instead of those fluffy, cute animals, and played games she couldn't let others know about.

What if she went to see the now-popular him, and he looked at her in confusion-what would she do?

"Um, classmate, who are you again? I don't really remember you."

An Le was just afraid-afraid he had already forgotten her.

Rather than face that highly probable reality, it was easier to pretend he might still remember her.

As long as she thought, "We haven't reconnected because I never went to find him," she could avoid the terror of "he already forgot me."

That was how An Le lied to herself.

But the human heart is fickle.

She didn't even know why, but when she heard Spencer swear up and down that Yan Huan and Sakuramiya Hitomi were officially together, she felt so heartbroken.

She didn't know what Spencer had mouthed at the time, but as a seasoned driver, An Le instantly assumed they'd already slept together.

That heartbreak drove her to impulsively write a letter, planning to ask Yaqiao to deliver it to Xiaohuan.

But now, Pu Shuwen's words had thrown her back into her icy self-doubt.

She stared at the letter fragments scattered all over the floor, her vision blurring before she even realized it.

Only when she felt warmth on her cheeks did she finally realize-

She was crying.

"Hey, she's actually crying?"

"Seriously? She can't even handle a few words?"

In her mind, Little Finger's voice was on the verge of collapse.

It felt like the girls weren't bullying An Le, but bullying it instead,

"You useless thing!! Stand up straight!! What's with the weak knees? Why are you crying?! Fight back!!"

Little Finger was completely overheating by now, wishing it could turn into a Gundam pilot and use the modifier's power to teach these idiots a lesson.

But it couldn't-only the host's will could activate the modifier's power.

And right now, An Le was clearly not a qualified Gundam.

"Swoosh"

Just as the atmosphere in the bathroom was at its most tense, the sound of a toilet flushing suddenly came from one of the stalls.

Pu Shuwen was slightly startled, not expecting anyone else to be in the restroom.

She turned her head and saw the stall door open, and out walked a golden-haired beauty with a blank expression.

"."

This person-

Oh, the new transfer student in class?

What was her name...

Spencer's?

For some reason, just seeing Spencer made a wave of disgust rise in Pu Shuwen's heart.

That disgust was almost on par with what she felt for An Le.

Spencer glanced over, her gaze lingering on An Le, who was surrounded by the girls and quietly sobbing.

"."

"What are you looking at?"

Pu Shuwen frowned and spoke up.

Spencer withdrew her gaze and silently turned to the sinks.

Maybe she was afraid of Pu Shuwen, or maybe she just didn't want to get involved.

"Splash, splash, splash."

The sound of running water came from the faucet as Spencer squeezed out some soap and began washing her hands.

Pu Shuwen withdrew her gaze with a cold face, turning her attention back to An Le, who was silently crying in front of her.

Just as she was about to say something, the loud noise of the hand dryer sounded again behind her.

"Buzzzzz!"

Pu Shuwen's frown deepened, so she decided to wait until Spencer left before continuing.

But just then, behind her, Spencer's voice suddenly drifted over, calm and indifferent,

"Bitch, were you talking to me just now?"

"."

Pu Shuwen turned around in disbelief, only to find that at some point Spencer had already approached, standing right in front of her with an overwhelming presence. She wore a smile, revealing her signature fang, but it was as if a terrifying, dense black mist was emanating from her.

"You-"

Startled by Spencer's intimidating aura, Pu Shuwen's previously tough tone softened, but she still stubbornly retorted,

"I suggest you mind your own business. This is between us."

"Oh~"

Spencer nodded, but seemed to completely ignore her words, folding her arms and saying,

"I heard everything you all said just now. Honestly, I think you lot should take a good look at yourselves in the mirror. She's not worthy of writing to that Yan Huan, and neither are you. Each of you is ugly as hell and barks like a dog. If you were tied up at my front door, I'd still think you were too noisy. So, let's all stop talking crap, OK?"

An Le, who had been silently crying, stared blankly up, as if she'd been caught in the blast radius of some unknown area-of-effect attack.

Pu Shuwen, meanwhile, was left breathless by Spencer's words, instinctively wanting to fight back with her own personal attack.

But at a glance, she saw Spencer standing tall, her beautiful golden hair and striking, heroic features shining even in a bathroom.

Damn it-

Can't compete in looks!

Then in family background-

Pu Shuwen glanced at the luxury pendant and custom sportswear Spencer was wearing.

She'd never even seen this style before, and if not for the brand logo-

"Your mom-"

Completely losing her composure, Pu Shuwen, furious, raised her hand and swung it at Spencer's face.

Losing your cool?

Spencer smirked playfully, raising her left hand to easily catch Pu Shuwen's incoming slap.

"Wanna fight? Sure, fighting's my favorite."

Pu Shuwen's eyes widened as she looked at her wrist, now gripped tightly and throbbing with pain.

In that moment, it felt as if a bear was holding her hand.

And in the next second, Spencer lifted her right hand high.

That raised right hand cast a palm-shaped shadow over Pu Shuwen's pale face, which only reached Spencer's chest.

"Wait a second-"

Realizing things were going badly, Pu Shuwen instinctively pleaded for mercy.

"Whoosh!"

But in the next instant, Spencer's right hand, carrying a fierce wind, slammed down hard on her face.

"Bang!"

With a loud crack, Pu Shuwen's left cheek was instantly deformed, her body spinning twice as she toppled backward, finally collapsing face-down to the floor.

".Shu...Shuwen, are you okay?"

But Pu Shuwen didn't move at all, looking for all the world like she was sleeping soundly on the bathroom floor.

An Le didn't even dare to cry anymore, staring at Spencer as if seeing some urban legend that could stop children from crying at night.

The two girls propping An Le up beside her also went completely blank.

In fact, An Le even felt that the two girls beside her had gone softer than her own body, as if they could barely stand.

This was the first time they'd seen someone get slapped so hard they spun twice and fell to the ground.

Spencer looked at her own palm in surprise, stretching her fingers.

Then, the smile on her face grew even more excited.

She glanced at An Le's left and right, scaring the two girls into shaking their heads repeatedly.

"Wait, I...I didn't-"

But Spencer didn't listen at all, kicking one of the girls in the waist, sending her crumpling to the floor clutching her stomach and howling.

The other girl tried to run, but Spencer grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back, slamming her to the ground.

Compared to the other two, it didn't actually hurt that much, but she didn't dare get up, afraid of getting beaten again.

"."

After all this, Spencer finally let out a soft snort.

She glanced at An Le, then shook her head and turned to leave the bathroom.

It felt like her strength had grown again. Ever since she threatened the President that day, her Plunder Energy had increased a lot.

Well, even if she didn't understand the principle, it felt pretty good.

"Um-"

Just as Spencer was about to leave the bathroom, An Le's voice, timid as a small animal, suddenly sounded behind her.

Spencer paused and turned to look at her.

"What?"

"Thank you...thank you for helping me."

Spencer blinked, looking bored as she replied,

"Not really. If that bitch hadn't run her mouth, I probably wouldn't have bothered with you."

"But...when you came out just now, Spencer, it seemed like you kept looking at me, so I thought..."

"Ugh, aren't you annoying."

Spencer seemed irritated by An Le's words, folding her arms and turning her head away with a soft snort, her golden hair flipping like a lion's tail.

Embarrassed by her words, An Le lowered her head, not knowing what to say.

Seeing her pitiful look, Spencer sighed, but also didn't know what to say.

"."

"."

An Le was just too nervous and shy. Even though she knew what to say, she was too embarrassed to speak.

As for Spencer?

You could say she was thinking hard.

In the end, it was An Le who carefully spoke up,

"Um...if they try to cause you trouble, I'll testify for you, Spencer."

"Heh, don't worry, they wouldn't dare mess with me."

Spencer didn't seem to care at all, but after An Le said that, she seemed to remember something to say.

"Instead of worrying about me, you'd better worry about yourself. You're not always going to be this lucky and have me around."

After all, people like you, who have nothing, are the most pitiful.

An Le pursed her lips, lowered her head, and fiddled with the hem of her skirt as she nodded.

Watching Spencer turn to head back to the classroom, An Le quietly followed beside her.

Sirens rang out on campus. An Le and Spencer glanced over, but neither could figure out what had happened.

But unlike Spencer, who looked away in boredom, An Le caught a glimpse of a boy in front of the police car.

Just seeing that boy's figure made An Le shrink back as if burned.

Xiaohuan-

At that moment, An Le suddenly remembered Spencer mentioning Yan Huan yesterday, and linked it to what she'd just said in the bathroom.

Nervously, An Le glanced at Spencer and suddenly asked in a low voice,

"Um...Spencer, you seem really interested in President Yan. Do you like him too?"

Spencer stroked her chin, thought about it seriously, then shook her head and said,

"No, I don't really feel anything."

She just enjoyed the thrill of snatching him away from others.

As for An Le-

Spencer thought people like her, who had nothing, were the most pitiful.

"I see."

Hearing Spencer's answer, An Le let out a sigh of relief.

Then, summoning her courage, An Le moved a little closer to her.

Yesterday, it seemed like no one in class really talked to Spencer. That feeling of being isolated was something An Le could relate to.

And even though Spencer looked fierce and easy to dislike, she was actually a very kind person.

That made An Le want to become friends with her.

"Um, Spencer, anyway... thanks for what you did before. I haven't even introduced myself yet-I'm An Le."

"I know, I heard your name when those guys were yelling at you."

Spencer yawned, responding half-heartedly.

But just then, her phone suddenly chimed in her pocket.

She pulled out her phone for a quick glance, then her eyes widened as she unlocked the screen to check the details.

It looked like an email, sent from the student council.

"Notice: Aria Spencer is to be forcibly assigned to a study group."

Below was a string of explanations, seemingly outlining the reason for the email and what they expected her to do.

However, after scrolling up and down several times, Spencer only saw two words in the entire long email-

"Prison time!"

Spencer sucked in a sharp breath, then let out an incredulous, angry laugh as she scrolled further.

Finally, at the very bottom, she saw the ending,

In summary, Aria Spencer is expected to report to the student council office for study group registration before the end of this Friday.

"Any late or missed reports to the student council will be recorded and reported to the principal's office. All resulting consequences, including notifying your parents, will be borne by Aria Spencer herself. Please be advised."

"Yuanyue Academy Student Council President: Yan Huan"

An Le also saw the general content of the email, but before she could say anything, she noticed Spencer suddenly clench her phone, the veins bulging on the back of her hand,

"...Didn't you ask me before if I liked Yan Huan? Right now, not only do I not have any feelings for him, I'm actually starting to dislike him."

"Eh, huh?"

An Le blinked, feeling a little happy without meaning to, but quickly started to dislike herself for it.

She quickly waved her hand and smiled, explaining to Spencer,

"Xiaohuan is just doing his job, that's all. It's the school's fault-he can't help it as student council president, so..."

Spencer was about to explode with a blank face, but seeing An Le in front of her, head down and looking like a little animal with nothing at all, she suddenly lost all her fight.

In the end, she just snorted, irritably heading back toward the classroom,

"Simping never ends well, you know?"

(End of chapter)