Restricted Fantasy Invasion

Chapter 5
Aunt Chen served a dazzling array of delicious food on the table, and just smelling the ethereal fragrance made people subconsciously salivate.

He glanced over the dishes on the table, then turned his head and only then noticed that, at the main seat to the side, Ye Lan had gone upstairs to change into a set of cotton loungewear, her long hair let down, and was now resting her chin in her hand, watching him with a smile in her eyes.

"Hungry, little greedy cat? We'll start eating once Aunt Chen brings out the bowls and chopsticks, and Shiyu arrives."

That curved, smiling gaze and the affectionate nickname made Yan Huan feel a rare touch of shyness; he avoided Ye Lan's eyes and prepared to get up to help Aunt Chen with the bowls and chopsticks.

"Then I'll go help Aunt Chen bring them over."

"No need, Xiaohuan, you sit down, I've already brought them out."

Before the words had even faded, Aunt Chen had already come from the kitchen carrying bowls and chopsticks, setting them down in turn at Ye Lan's, Yan Huan's, and the seat beside him.

Only three bowls, three pairs of chopsticks?

Just as Yan Huan thought Aunt Chen wasn't going to eat with them, she turned back to the kitchen, then brought out a pair of pure black porcelain bowl and stainless steel chopsticks, placing them opposite Yan Huan.

Yan Huan stared in surprise, and only then noticed that on the black porcelain bowl, different from the others, was engraved a delicate line of white script,

"Ye Shiyu"

At the ends of each of those stainless steel chopsticks, the same name was written.

Yan Huan looked at Ye Lan in confusion, but all he got in return was her helpless smile, while Aunt Chen, still smiling as she sat beside Yan Huan, explained for him,

"This is a set of porcelain Shiyu especially had made in Porcelain Capital back in Longguo, and she brought some back for us too. But only she likes using black; her mom and I both think black doesn't look that good, so we use regular bowls."

Are those stainless steel chopsticks custom-made too?

"Oh, those aren't, they're just regular chopsticks we bought. It's just that Shiyu has this habit-she really likes writing her name on her things. Oh, she has to write it on everything! Every time we come back from shopping, she spends ages doing it."

As Aunt Chen served rice and poured drinks for everyone, she continued,

"And as long as it's hers, she can't bear to throw it away. Unless it's completely unusable, she won't let it go. If she accidentally loses something, she'll keep looking for it until she finds it."

What a strange habit.

Yan Huan blinked, thinking so to himself.

Ye Lan's expression grew even more helpless, but she didn't criticize her daughter's stubborn habit; instead, she optimistically said,

"She's gotten much better since starting high school. If it's not something really precious, she'll give up looking for it if she can't find it. That just shows your sister Shiyu really cherishes everything she has-I think that's a good quality."

"If I had a habit like Sister's, I wouldn't have been called scatterbrained by my middle school teachers before."

Yan Huan chimed in, making Ye Lan cover her mouth and laugh softly.

Meanwhile, faint footsteps came from the stairs beside them. Ye Lan turned to look, and Ye Shiyu was already coming down. She waved and said with a smile,

"Shiyu, come eat."

"Mm."

Ye Shiyu nodded, her face still expressionless-not warm, not cold-just sitting across from Yan Huan and gently holding her glass.

And in the next second, just as she expected, Ye Lan smiled and raised her glass, saying to Yan Huan,

"Let's start dinner, then. Come, welcome Xiaohuan to our home-cheers."

"Thank you, Auntie."

"Good boy, don't thank Auntie."

Ye Shiyu also raised her glass, clinking softly with Ye Lan, Aunt Chen, and finally with Yan Huan.

But she only took a tiny sip, then stuck out her little tongue to lick her lips.

That was the signal that dinner had begun.

Ye Shiyu held the black bowl in her left hand, her fair, pink-tinged fingers slowly rubbing the engraved name, as she watched her mother pile food onto both Yan Huan's and her own plate.

The Ye family didn't have a rule of "no talking at the table," and family dinner conversations were usually simple. Aunt Chen often chimed in with trivial matters, like how the vegetables at the supermarket weren't fresh.

It was only after Ye Lan reminded her that she learned Linmen was out at sea, with almost no farmland, so all the vegetables were imported.

Ye Shiyu kept eating slowly and elegantly, never saying a word.

As for Ye Lan, she focused more on caring for Yan Huan, asking him about things she hadn't gotten to on the car ride-mostly about school-and subtly steering the conversation toward topics that interested kids their age.

"Do you always take the school bus to and from school?"

"Yes, Auntie. There's a route for every district, even for Jinghe District, but I think it's pretty far from here. The students living in these nearby communities probably... well, don't really need to take the campus bus."

"That makes sense. If I'm picking Shiyu up from school, it's faster and saves on commuting time. It's just that I'm usually busy on weekdays and don't have much time, so I have to arrange a car just for Shiyu."

Yan Huan couldn't help but feel that Ye Lan seemed to be setting up for something she hadn't said yet.

As she spoke, Ye Lan suddenly seemed to remember something, put down her chopsticks, and her eyes lit up as she suggested to Yan Huan,

"Right, Xiaohuan, why don't you come live at Auntie's house?"

"Huh?"

"You two go to the same school and are about the same age, so you can go to and from school with Shiyu. There's a car to pick you up, so you won't have to rush to catch the bus. Aunt Chen can make breakfast and dinner, and prepare snacks for you to take to school-how about it, Xiaohuan?"

Yan Huan paused in the middle of eating, blinking as he looked into Ye Lan's hopeful eyes. Suddenly, he realized why she'd told the principal she was his "mom" at school.

Ye Lan hadn't come just to reminisce about his late mother-she was here to adopt Yan Huan.

Did Ye Lan have any ulterior motives?

No, absolutely none.

If you had to say she had one, it would only be what she'd already said: hoping he could look after Shiyu, his odd-tempered older sister. That was it.

Besides, she was the head of Ye International in Linmen, and Yan Huan was just a high school student-no matter how good a student council president or top student he was, she had no reason for any other motive.

She was doing this for one reason only: because she saw Yan Huan, the child of her late best friend, as family and wanted to take care of him.

And realistically, from everything he'd seen so far, Ye Lan was clearly quite wealthy-anyone with half a brain would kneel and call her "Mom" and become "Gao Qiqiang, Linmen's branch boss."

But, Gul'dan, what's the price?

That faint sense of unease in his heart made Yan Huan's pulse quicken, and he found himself glancing at Ye Shiyu, who was still eating her dinner at an unhurried pace.

His smile was tinged with hesitation as he asked,

"Auntie, isn't this a bit sudden?"

"Is it not okay, Xiaohuan? Or do you find Auntie hard to get along with?"

Sensing the hesitation in Yan Huan's words, the light in Ye Lan's eyes slowly deepened, bringing back that same dazzling look she'd had when she first saw Yan Huan today.

Her smiling mouth immediately pouted, her lips drooping as if weighed down.

Don't make that face, Auntie Ye!

Yan Huan forced himself not to look at Ye Lan, so as not to be swayed by her expression, and chose to reason with her sincerely,

"...Auntie, you're so nice, how could I think that? I just feel it's not appropriate... You see, Auntie, I am a boy, after all, and-"

Before he could finish, Ye Lan jumped in,

"Xiaohuan, you're not an outsider, and there's nothing to worry about! Aunt Chen lives on the first floor, I share the third floor with your sister, and you can have the second floor. Every room has its own bathroom, the soundproofing is great, and we always knock before entering-your privacy won't be disturbed."

Okay, okay, is this what they call "money power"?

But it was true-one look at this super spacious garden villa and there wasn't a hint of constraint; you could play basketball in the living room, not to mention the second, third floors and the rooftop terrace.

He had no choice but to press the issue further. He looked up at Ye Shiyu, who was now eating more slowly, and said,

"And you also have to consider Sister Shiyu's feelings. There might be things Auntie thinks don't matter, but-"

Before he could finish, Ye Lan eagerly turned to Ye Shiyu,

"Shiyu, what do you think?"

Ye Shiyu was holding her bowl, a small clump of rice still between her chopsticks.

At the sound, she slowly put the rice in her mouth without chewing, and turned to meet her mother's gaze.

She happened to catch her mother's slightly pouting lips and the look of hope in her eyes. She nodded and said softly,

"I don't mind."

Her voice was lovely-quiet, but every word was clear.

"That's great! Don't be fooled by how little Shiyu talks-she's actually a very gentle and kind child. Don't worry, Xiaohuan, your sister and I both welcome you."

Gentle and kind?

Yan Huan glanced in surprise at Ye Shiyu, who had started picking up food again. She also met his gaze, never once looking away.

That direct eye contact eased some of the uneasiness in Yan Huan's heart. He was thoughtful, but still didn't agree right away.

After thinking it over, Yan Huan decided to use the ability he'd just acquired today, adjusting his expression,

"I know my sister and Auntie are both really good people. It's just, Auntie, could you give me a little time to think about it?"

Ye Lan pressed her lips together, seeing the emotion on the boy's face-though mostly, it was still hesitation.

Right, she'd made this mistake just this afternoon, so why was she rushing again now...?

Maybe she was just a bit too anxious.

Thinking this, Ye Lan softened her tone and gently suggested,

"Then Xiaohuan, since it's Friday and it's already dark, and your place in the southern district is so far away, why not just stay here for the weekend? Tomorrow and the day after, I'll take you and your sister out for some fun nearby-how about it?"

As long as she didn't press for a decision, his goal was basically achieved.

At least he could get rid of that ominous feeling in his heart before making up his mind, right?

He looked at Ye Lan-still hesitant, but in the end, her warmth seemed to wear down his doubts. He smiled and nodded,

"Okay, Auntie."

Ye Lan let out a sigh of relief, turned to Ye Shiyu, and asked the same question,

"How about you, Shiyu?"

"Mm, I don't mind."

The same reaction as before, the same answer.

"Great! It's settled, then. Aunt Chen, could you please tidy up the second-floor room in a bit?"

Ye Lan clapped her hands, and by now the meal was almost finished.

Aunt Chen, who had quietly listened the whole time without joining in, finally stood up. As she diligently cleared the dishes, she said to Yan Huan,

"Alright, I'll take Xiaohuan there in a bit."

At this moment, Ye Lan was already immersed in the joy of "pre-adopting" Yan Huan, but she still remembered to turn to Ye Shiyu and say,

"Shiyu, don't forget to exchange contact information. If you have any problems at the new school, you can always ask your brother. He grew up in Linmen and is also the student council president. If you need help as a newcomer, don't hesitate to ask."

Ye Shiyu stood up, wiping her lips with a napkin. She glanced at Yan Huan and said, "Alright, I didn't bring my phone. I'll get it later and add him then."

"Mm-hmm. I'll have Aunt Chen bring you some milk upstairs in a bit."

"Okay."

A response came from the stairwell-it was Ye Shiyu turning upstairs, disappearing quickly from view.

Yan Huan also prepared to get up. "Then I'll go see if I can help Aunt Chen with anything, Auntie."

"No need. Stay here and keep Auntie company for a while longer, okay, Xiaohuan?"

But Ye Lan shook her head, cupping her chin in her hands and looking straight at Yan Huan, gazing at his face.

She loved looking at Yan Huan, gazing into his eyes, as if she wanted to see everything about him, or perhaps searching for the shadow of an old friend in his features.

Feeling her gaze as gentle as water, Yan Huan could only slowly sit down again,

"Alright."

Ye Lan just continued to look at him. After a moment of silence, she gave a warm smile,

"Xiaohuan, it's really been hard on you all these years."

Ye Lan's voice was soft and lingering, making Yan Huan blink involuntarily.

The gradually slowing heartbeat in his chest seemed to lose its strength, unable to push the words out of his mouth, leaving him to open and close his mouth in vain.

Just as he finally managed to think of something to say, Ye Lan stretched lazily and stood up,

"Alright then, Auntie is a bit tired, so I'll go upstairs and rest. In a bit, Aunt Chen will take you to your room. Get some rest early~"

".You too, Aunt Ye."

Watching her departing figure, Yan Huan responded after a brief pause.

Ye Lan went back to her bedroom on the third floor to rest. According to Aunt Chen, she had been busy since early morning, and visiting Yan Huan at Yuanyue Academy was her last stop for the day.

After waiting for Aunt Chen to finish tidying up the kitchen, Yan Huan followed her to prepare the room. In reality, it was just making the bed and getting the bedding, pillows, and pillowcases-not much trouble at all.

The room prepared on the second floor was truly spacious. It was hard to imagine that this bedroom was actually bigger than the one-bedroom apartment he rented in the southern district.

Not only did it have a private bathroom, but there was even a separate area for a sofa, table, and bookshelf. At the end of that area was the bedroom itself, which connected to a private balcony.

After closing the door behind him, Yan Huan looked around the newly prepared room alone, raised his eyebrows, put down his backpack, and took off his school uniform jacket.

"This is... way too much, isn't it?"

He pinched the genuine leather sofa in the room, then walked to the bedroom doorway and glanced at the balcony outside, which was exposed to the night view because the curtains weren't drawn.

And he, this transmigrated youth from China, would soon have to ask his boss for time off from his part-time job while staying in this luxurious house.

Hmm, he decided that when asking for leave, he'd leave out a period to sound more assertive.

After gazing at the darkness outside for a long time, Yan Huan finally drew the curtains, turned on the bright bedside lamp, and lay down on the soft bed.

"Meow~"

At that moment, a pleasant cat's meow came from inside the bedroom again.

Lying on the bed, Yan Huan propped himself up a bit and turned to look at the edge of the bed, where he saw a chubby black cat crawling out from under the bed.

If he hadn't turned on the lamp, it would have almost blended completely with the dark red wooden floor.

The black cat turned its head, revealing a pair of emerald-green eyes-it was Meow-chan.

"Meow-chan, you're here."

"Meow!"

Yan Huan lay back down on the bed, and Meow-chan jumped up, first rubbing against his side and then standing directly on his stomach, sending a voice into his mind,

"I thought you'd be so scared by the modifier that you wouldn't dare approach any women for a while. But to my surprise, not even a day has passed, and not only did you not run away, you actually took the initiative to get closer?"

".Anyone with a brain could figure that out, right?"

Looking at the black cat standing on his abdomen, Yan Huan couldn't help but pinch its warm cat ears and stroke its fluffy back,

"You didn't tell me who besides Bai Yi has a modifier, nor did you tell me what effects the other modifiers have. That means you don't know either, right?"

".That's right. My understanding of these invasive powers is limited to knowing their existence and commonalities, but as for the specifics-"

"Well, that's that then."

Yan Huan spread his hands, his gaze calm,

"The goal now is to solve the modifier problem, and the first step is to find the modifiers and their hosts, then understand their nature. Only then can I figure out how to deal with them."

Assuming both Ye Lan and Ye Shiyu might have modifiers, even if he hadn't come to Ye Lan's for dinner today, further refused her adoption request, or even cut off contact entirely, Ye Shiyu would still have to attend Yuanyue Academy.

What must come will come, unless he stays away from all women, or goes even further-drops out of school, severs all connections built up over the past ten years, ruins his own face, and then finds a place to hide.

Shouting "I'm not human anymore," such a mutually destructive solution might work, but...

".I want to solve the modifier problem, and the purpose is to restore the world-line to normal and let my life continue smoothly. I can't put the cart before the horse, nor cut off my nose to spite my face. Besides, Ye Shiyu's personality might seem odd, but she isn't necessarily a modifier host."

As he spoke, Yan Huan's eyes gradually became unfocused. He placed his left forearm on his forehead, not sure what he was thinking, and softly said,

"Besides, Aunt Ye is a very gentle person."

Meow-chan just looked at Yan Huan, feeling his right hand constantly stroking her, but didn't reply. Instead, she straightened up a little and suddenly began to knead Yan Huan's firm chest muscles with her two soft pink paw pads.

Forward, back, forward, back...

"Purr~"

Yan Huan was slightly stunned. He lowered his head to look at Meow-chan, who was purring in her throat, and asked,

"What are you doing?"

Meow-chan continued kneading while giving him a look as if he were an idiot, as if saying,

"I'm a cat. What else can I do besides kneading?"

Yan Huan took a deep breath and was about to grab the fat cat by the scruff of her neck when, suddenly, a knock came from outside the door.

"Knock knock knock~"

Yan Huan and Meow-chan exchanged a glance, then he sat up and asked,

"Who is it?"

"."

No response.

But Yan Huan seemed to already know the answer. He gently put Meow-chan down and whispered to her,

"Hide, don't let anyone see you."

"Meow~"

She nodded and wriggled under the bed, then seemed to vanish completely.

Yan Huan straightened his white shirt, slipped on his slippers, and walked toward the door,

"Coming."

"Click."

He opened the door a crack. The corridor outside was lit by a lamp, but since Ye Lan had already gone back to her bedroom, the main light in the living room was off, making the second floor rather dim.

And in that dimness, the tall, black-haired girl was standing at the door.

It was Ye Shiyu.

She was dressed in black from head to toe, except for her snow-white skin.

Her features were so exquisitely beautiful, she looked like a masterpiece of genetics.

Looking at the silent girl outside the door, Yan Huan was momentarily stunned, then put on a smile and opened the door a bit wider.

The bright light from inside the room spilled out, stopping just in front of her slippers, creating a distinct boundary between light and shadow.

"Shiyu-jie, what's up?"

Yan Huan's voice finally prompted Ye Shiyu to move. She picked up her phone and said softly to Yan Huan,

"Mom asked us to add each other as contacts."

So she came to add him as a friend.

Sure enough, the other person wasn't necessarily a modifier host-maybe she was just a bit quiet.

Yan Huan let out a sigh of relief and took out his own phone from his pocket,

"Ah, right, I almost forgot. Wait a moment, Shiyu-jie. Should I scan you or do you scan me?"

"You scan me."

"Okay."

Ye Shiyu took out her phone. In the light of the room, Yan Huan could clearly see that her name was still written on the back of her phone case.

Without thinking much, Yan Huan opened the scan function on plane, while she unlocked her phone and handed it to him.

"."

The phone camera aligned with the screen, but the screen she handed over wasn't showing a QR code for adding a friend at all-it was a swirling vortex glowing with an evil purple light, spinning faster and faster, as if it were the interface of some app.

The vortex spun and spun, getting faster and faster...

Huh, what's this?

Yan Huan froze for a second, but soon realized something. His pupils shrank sharply.

Not good, this is-

In the next second, as the vortex spun, Ye Shiyu's eyes seemed to darken a thousandfold along with the darkness outside the corridor, pulling Yan Huan's consciousness into an abyss,

"Beep!"

A notification sound came from the app in her hand, and at the same time, Yan Huan heard a phantom voice coming from her body,

[APP activated]

[Effect: Individual Hypnosis]

[Duration: 15 minutes]

[Timer, start.]

(End of this chapter)