Chapter 9: Didi, Ye Shiyu Level 1 Alarm!

Chapter 9: Didi, Ye Shiyu Level 1 Alarm!

“Sorry for keeping you waiting, my dear. Work matters, you know, another unavoidable call from back home.”

After waiting for over ten minutes, Ye Lan finally rushed to the ticket gate with an apologetic smile.

“No problem, Auntie. My sister and I were just browsing the gift shop and picked up a few things.”

Seeing this, Yan Huan stood up and handed her another cup of the freshly bought banana smoothie.

“It’s banana-flavored, delicious! Thanks, Little Huan~”

Ye Lan beamed as she accepted the drink, noticing it’s still lightly sugared and without ice, which made her smile even brighter.

Behind her, Ye Shiyu, also sipping a banana smoothie, glanced at Yan Huan’s back and then at her own drink, as if realizing something.

Moments later, she stole another glance at Yan Huan’s smiling profile and the extra drink he was holding.

“…”

Slowing her sipping rhythm a bit, she followed her mother and silently took the sun umbrella from her hand.

They could now enter for the ticket check.

“Dear visitors, welcome to the Sea Linyi Gate Ocean Mansion. Our venue simulates a professional marine ecosystem, showcasing a rich variety of marine life.”

“We have preserved over a thousand species of marine organisms, totaling tens of thousands, and consistently engage in cultural, economic, and academic exchanges with various sectors.”

With the introduction from the female voice, Yan Huan and the others slowly walked into the vast exhibition hall.

The hall stretched downward, and a gigantic underwater tunnel came into view.

The glass-separated seawater dimly shone under distant lights, tinting the water a deep blue and casting shimmering patterns on the visitors passing through the tunnel.

Above in the water, large schools of fish floated past like varying-sized shadow clouds suspended in the blue sky.

Sipping his drink, Yan Huan looked down at the path, jumping over light reflections and shadows like a child playing hopscotch in a game of “don’t step on them.”

“It’s so beautiful.”

Ye Lan remarked as she put away the sun umbrella, touching her cheek and smiling.

“Speaking of which, I remember shooting a movie here before.”

Yan Huan turned in surprise, “A movie? Does Ye International also work in entertainment? I thought their business was…”

“Semiconductors and new energy, right?”

Yan Huan nodded, recalling that Ye International was quite renowned in Linyi, known as the “semiconductor giant” and “new energy leader” of Dragon Kingdom.

Each of those mentioned would sound exaggerated in his past life, yet Ye International held both titles—truly a rich family from another world.

The high-end chips inside the advanced devices that Ya Qiao Mu bought were all made by Ye, and he had to pull all-nighters and time his purchases on the Dragon Kingdom site for new products.

Furthermore, the trolley cars racing down Linyi street were mostly powered by their batteries, and charging stations and other infrastructure depended on them.

His previous claim to “swear brotherly loyalty” was no joke; this pleasant and smiling lady was indeed a true president, the “boss” talk was a different matter.

Just cling to her thigh and say, “Mom, I don’t want to work hard anymore,” and what a life that would be! Yan Huan could hardly imagine.

“Well, the company doesn’t currently plan to enter the entertainment industry, so I meant ‘I’ invested,” Ye Lan explained with a smile.

“I personally invested in some interesting media companies, one of which came to Linyi to shoot an art film called ‘After the Dusk of Love,’ which even won a small award internationally.”

“That’s amazing?”

“Pfft, but it has nothing to do with me, I just put in the money. Plus, the actress who played the lead was quite pretty, called Bai…”

“Bai Yi?”

Ye Lan hadn’t finished her sentence when Yan Huan unconsciously finished the name.

Ye Shiyu, following Ye Lan, cast a glance at Yan Huan, and Ye Lan suddenly remembered his familiarity with the name.

“Right, I think it was Bai Yi. Is she famous in Linyi?”

“Well, she’s fairly popular. It’s just that her surname is rare, and she’s in our school as a first-year, so I know her.”

Especially since she had drawn on Zhou Bin’s face in a state of indifference during the exam yesterday.

Ye Lan turned in surprise to Ye Shiyu, “Wow, Shiyu, you could be schoolmates with a star!”

Ye Shiyu merely nodded with disinterest, looking rather perfunctory.

Her eyes were already captivated by the marine life around them.

Ye Lan chuckled quietly to herself, not wanting to disturb her daughter’s refined grace, and followed behind her as Yan Huan admired the marine beauty around.

“Click!”

Yan Huan took a picture of a shark passing by outside, then sent it in the Student Council management group.

Far Moon Student Council Management Group (5)

Yan Huan: “Whoa, big fish! Tiger shark.”

Sent in a cat meme.

After a while, someone finally responded.

Sakura Kyoko: “That should be a whitefin shark, not a tiger shark. Tiger cat sharks don’t get this big, they do grow though.”

You Anli Na: “President went to the ocean mansion for fun! What made him think to go there suddenly?”

Ya Qiao Mu: “Ocean mansion, a date spot! I bet he’s with some girl!”

Ya Qiao Mu: “[Wink]”

You Anli Na: “[Wink]”

Ai Xili: “[Wink]”

Ai Xili, the Supervisor of the Far Moon Student Council, alongside the other four management members, chimed in.

Yan Huan: “[Smile]”

Yan Huan decided to disrupt the formation.

Sakura Kyoko: “[Smile]”

Sakura’s Vice President is sharp but oblivious to the underlying implication of her smile.

Ya Qiao Mu: “Vice President Sakura, don’t break formation with the President!”

Ya Qiao Mu: “@Yan Huan. Come clean, did I guess it right?!”

Yan Huan: “I’m out here with the aunt who was looking for me at school yesterday, a friend of my parents.”

Ya Qiao Mu: “Seriously? No way.”

Sakura Kyoko: “[Smile]”

Yan Huan kept his reply brief and locked his phone.

That guy Ya Qiao Mu has been playing too many galgames, he could summarize every trick.

But he wasn’t wrong; if he wasn’t with someone, most guys wouldn’t take the time to visit a place like this on a weekend, right?

Thinking this, he glanced at Ye Shiyu standing beside him.

She had reached the middle of the marine tunnel, where multiple aquariums were arranged in the spacious tunnel designed for two lanes, showcasing many smaller ocean creatures for visitors to see.

Though there were a few fish needing different water temperatures, most were various types of jellyfish.

Tall and graceful Ye Shiyu stood in front of those aquariums, her gaze focused on the jellyfish inside.

The tunnel wasn’t brightly lit; some lights were provided beside the aquariums but still dim, making the glowing jellyfish stand out vividly.

Like stars lighting up the night sky, they danced and leaped, bringing vivid life to the dark.

Hypnotic starlight fell, settling in Ye Shiyu’s dark eyes, forming a lively constellation.

The endless starlight, paired with the side profile of the girl, found its way into Yan Huan’s sight.

She really loved jellyfish.

Yan Huan thought this but didn’t intrude on her concentration, instead opting to search for Ye Lan’s figure.

Just as he turned around, he saw Ye Lan holding her phone up towards him, softly saying,

“Little Huan, say cheese.”

“Aunt Ye?”

Yan Huan paused slightly, but Ye Lan smiled and lowered the phone a bit, marveling at the captured photo.

“Little Huan, this scene looks like it could be in a movie~”

“Ah?”

Yan Huan walked over to Ye Lan’s side, looking at the opened photo.

He didn’t know what model of phone Ye Lan used; it was remarkably clear, the focus not revealing much darkness at all.

The sunlight glimmered just right onto his profile, illuminating his face and clarifying the main subject of the picture.

A strikingly handsome black-haired young man searching the crowd for someone, the narrative of the story was drawn out remarkably.

Yan Huan looked at the phone and then at the smiling Ye Lan, asking blankly,

“Did you use beautification, Aunt Ye?”

Ye Lan immediately pouted, lightly tapping his head with her hand.

“I just added a filter, okay? Silly boy, don’t you know how you look?”

This was clearly just a joke.

Yan Huan wasn’t the type to take selfies either, so he didn’t know much about it.

But someone who hadn’t taken selfies for a long time and lacked the habit of taking photos would feel somewhat strange when seeing themselves in the lens.

Even if he looked in the mirror daily, he might feel a difference compared to what was in the picture.

“Look at you, so handsome! You’d look even better smiling. Next time I shoot a movie, I will definitely invite you to act.”

Ye Lan satisfactorily saved the photo and said.

Speaking of movies, Yan Huan had almost gone to Linyi’s acting company to become a child star before middle school.

He had tried everything to climb out from the orphanage in the South District, especially when that orphanage was surrounded by the smell of smoke and scandals, and the nearby high school hosted rampant sexual disease escapades.

Truly, the more one said, the more tears flowed.

What was that song like again?

“An orphan without a mother is like a blade of grass~”

Looking back on the past, Yan Huan saw Ye Lan contemplating the photo angle while touching her chin and suddenly thought of something.

“Aunt, can I take a picture of you and Sister Shiyu?”

“Eh? Sure! Shiyu, come over for a photo!”

At the sound, Ye Shiyu finally tore her gaze away from the jellyfish in the tank and turned to look.

“Coming.”

Ye Lan patted her side for her to approach, then prepared to hand the phone to Yan Huan.

Just halfway, she suddenly pulled it back.

Yan Huan looked puzzled as she turned off the camera and opened a beautifying photo app, casually adjusting a few things before handing it back to Yan Huan.

“Gotta use beautification.”

“…”

Honestly, Yan Huan felt it wasn’t needed, but he still obliged Ye Lan’s request.

So he had Ye Lan and Ye Shiyu stand in front of the light, while he knelt down by the glass, elevating the view of the women’s heights.

Passersby noticed someone was taking pictures and politely paused for a moment when the time was just right.

“Click.”

Done.

In the photo, Ye Shiyu stood straight-faced, while Ye Lan had her arms around her—Yan Huan’s skill had already produced a work to be proud of.

He smiled slightly, got up, and decided to rate this outstanding piece.

“Perfect.”

Ye Lan walked over to pick up the phone and admired it.

“Hmm, not bad.”

Just as Yan Huan stood up, ready to take them forward, Ye Lan gently pulled him back, bringing him to stand next to Ye Shiyu.

“Come on, Little Huan, you and Shiyu stand together, I’ll take a picture of you both.”

“Ah?”

Yan Huan’s expression changed slightly as he looked towards Ye Shiyu.

She looked back at him, her pose for the photo remaining unchanged.

Was that—can we take a picture?

Seeing this, he blinked and had to reply,

“Okay, Auntie.”

Yan Huan moved next to Ye Shiyu, and her arms that were originally at her sides accidentally shifted, crossing before her.

A faint floral fragrance wafted as her black hair swayed.

Yan Huan was a little taller, while Ye Shiyu was a few centimeters shorter; as a handsome boy and beautiful girl, they looked particularly eye-catching together.

Yan Huan smiled while Ye Lan, with a sparkle in her eyes, lowered the phone, slightly bending down without a hint of presidential demeanor, directing them on how to position themselves.

“Move slightly left. Too much! Now slightly right; the lighting’s making you look like a ghost.”

Ye Shiyu lowered her head and appeared to struggle to find a spot to please her mother, the black little shoes shuffling closer to Yan Huan.

“Smile, don’t make that long face, Shiyu! You look better smiling. Yes, see, that’s perfect.”

Ye Shiyu pressed her lips together, her mouth trembling slightly as she forced a tiny upward curve.

Hearing Ye Lan’s praise, Yan Huan’s eyes unconsciously landed on her expression.

But perhaps because Yan Huan did that, her painstakingly formed smile suddenly crumbled back to her usual stoic face.

“…”

My bad.

Regardless, it was time for the photo.

The first picture of the siblings.

“All set, prepare, say cheese!”

“So beautiful! Look at you two siblings, you could be on the cover of a fashion magazine.”

As the sun began to set, in the luxury restaurant’s private dining area of a lavish shopping center beside the Ocean Mansion, Ye Lan scanned the candid sibling photo they took in the morning and remarked.

The image captured in the phone showed a young handsome boy smiling brightly at the camera, his hand raised in a “peace” sign.

Beside him, the black-haired girl stood elegantly with her hands placed gracefully on her little belly; her expression might lack a little, but she was beautiful nevertheless.

Yet it was still perfect.

Before them, Yan Huan, with his fork and knife in hand alongside several shopping bags, looked up with a helpless smile.

Ye Lan had already brought up the photo for the third time since lunch, from eating in the ocean mansion to shopping next door in the luxury store, and now here.

It seemed that Ye Lan really adored this picture.

Ye Shiyu, eating gracefully without much display of emotion, seemed unresponsive to her mother’s words.

But through a day of interaction, Yan Huan knew she had been quietly listening to Ye Lan; she simply didn’t express her thoughts much.

Only when looking at jellyfish or labeling recently bought clothes did her expression soften.

In the afternoon, Ye Lan picked out a few well-fitting clothes for them both, buying Yan Huan some spring shirts, a long-sleeve jacket, and a formal suit.

Not entirely without its applications, at Far Moon Academy, aside from crucial days, students were allowed to wear casual clothes, as long as they wore the academy badge.

Yet, no matter which piece of clothing he received, Yan Huan felt like his deducted wages from taking a leave were worth merely a strand of hair.

Better not to mention it; after they finished dinner, the sky had completely darkened, and it was around seven or eight. Ye Lan notified the driver to prepare to take them home.

Spring was just beginning; despite the sun being high in the morning, the temperature difference at night was still considerable.

Ye Shiyu had already thrown on her new coat, while Ye Lan borrowed one from her; only Yan Huan seemed fine.

This made Ye Lan sigh and squeeze his shoulder, “Isn’t it cold, Little Huan?”

“It’s okay, Auntie, I guess I’ve just gotten used to it here.”

“So nice, even touching through fabric feels warm; I and Shiyu are freezing.”

At hearing the words “warm,” Ye Shiyu’s eyes flickered as if recalling what happened during the hypnosis last night.

To be fair, while they were in the car returning to the ocean mansion, Yan Huan thought of it too.

What if that plague came sneaking back for hypnosis tonight?

Last night she was just trying things out; would tonight be different?

Was she to carry out her claim of “making Ye Lan dislike herself”?

No way, perhaps it would be best to lock the door tonight?

No matter how much she knocked, he would pretend to be asleep and not open it.

Caught up in these random thoughts, the black trolley car that had delivered them in the morning pulled up in front of them.

The young woman in a suit behind the wheel got out and opened the trunk to take the shopping bags from Yan Huan’s hands.

He smiled slightly and said,

“I’ll handle it, thank you.”

The woman caught a glimpse of Yan Huan’s profile, her face slightly flushed, then nodded and turned to get back into the car.

“Thanks for your trouble, Little Liu.”

“Not at all, President.”

The female driver fastened her seatbelt, opened the navigation system, glanced at the Ye mother-daughter duo with their coats on, then turned on the heater.

The trolley car started smoothly, and Yan Huan leaned against the window, checking his phone and scrolling through the game group chat.

The big sister from the mahjong group asked him to come play.

He felt a tad tempted.

No, Yan Huan, during the end of the last semester, you reflected on this!

You cannot visit them to play mahjong every week anymore!

While Yan Huan wrestled with his thoughts, typing a response to the big sisters who had tagged him in the “Far Moon Mahjong First” group chat.

Beside him, Ye Shiyu stared down at her handbag, seemingly lost in thought, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly.

She then opened the zipper of her bag, preparing to take something out to play with.

“…”

However, after rummaging through the bag, she still couldn’t find the item.

She clearly hadn’t opened her bag once today, right?

Or did she remember incorrectly?

How could that be?

Her pupils slightly dilated, and she took out her phone, turning the flashlight on to search once more.

The suddenly activated light caught Yan Huan’s attention as he turned to see Ye Shiyu searching around in her not-so-large handbag for the second time.

Just as he was about to question her due to his curiosity, Ye Shiyu suddenly looked up with a frosty expression, addressing Ye Lan at the front.

“Mom, my thing—the jellyfish keychain I bought this morning—is missing!”

Yan Huan blinked, still processing what had happened.

The car decelerated abruptly and gradually pulled over to the side of the road.

Huh?

Yan Huan grabbed the car handle as the vehicle slowly came to a stop, and both Ye Lan and the female driver turned their wide-eyed gazes toward the increasingly chilly Ye Shiyu.

Exchanging glances, as their eyes met, Yan Huan could seem to hear a violent alarm ringing in his ears.

Clearly, this wasn’t their first encounter with something like this.

It was a dangerous signal known as “Ye Shiyu Level 1 Alarm.”

In the somewhat unwelcoming atmosphere of the warm car, Ye Shiyu pursed her lips and quietly said,

“Can I go back to look for it?”