Chapter 75: Surrounded on All Sides

Chapter 75: Surrounded on All Sides

“Um, President, there’s a red mark under your collar?”

Hearing this, Yan Huan’s smile stiffened slightly as he glanced down at the hint of red peeking from the edge of his collar.

Sure enough, it was a trace left by Ye Shiyu after she had bitten him.

Fortunately, Ye Shiyu had bitten over his clothes, leaving no teeth marks, just two curved impressions above and below.

In the memory correction process, this was just a mark from accidentally bumping into something, with a clearly detailed memory of how it happened.

“…”

After observing the mark, Yan Huan pondered for a second, realizing he could only go along with the corrected memory content.

He tugged at his collar slightly to reveal the upper part of the markings and smiled at Sakura Kyoko, saying, “It must have been from bumping into something, right?”

Hiss.

Why does this feel like a scene where an unfaithful husband is being questioned by his suspicious wife?

Yan Huan forced a smile, feeling helpless, recalling how frightening Ye Shiyu had looked at that moment, like someone with a terminal illness.

“Bump into something?”

When Yan Huan pulled apart his collar, Sakura Kyoko’s scrutinizing gaze flinched for a moment but quickly returned, now incredulous.

That mark…

Could it really be from bumping into something?

Is this a joke?

Sakura Kyoko squinted closely, the mark appearing increasingly glaring in her view.

In her subconscious, her sixth sense was painting an illusory scene.

A woman with an unclear face, due to her height, could only lean against the President’s shoulder.

She parted her pink lips, looking back at a stunned Sakura Kyoko as if she were a victorious contender, before gently leaning in toward the President.

“Buzz!”

Why are you imagining such things?!

Sakura Kyoko shivered, just as she was about to retract her thoughts, she forced a smile, saying, “Oh, is that so?”

“Ah, I’ve been working out these days, so it’s common to bump into things.”

Yan Huan sighed inwardly, feeling a bit guilty about lying to Sakura.

But involving her in the modifier situation would be counterproductive.

Just maintain the daily routine.

With that in mind, Yan Huan adjusted his collar back up.

Tired, he rubbed his forehead and smiled faintly at the documents Sakura Kyoko had organized.

Little did he know that with this motion, his collar fell perfectly under the sunlight streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling window.

In that moment, Sakura Kyoko saw the red mark glimmering as it caught the light.

Was that some kind of dried water stain?

“?!”

Sakura Kyoko, having eased her nerves slightly, felt her heart race again.

Could her imagination be wrong?

If that red mark wasn’t a bump, then what could it be?

Sakura Kyoko’s head spun, and even the President’s face grew blurry in her vision.

Could it be…

The President is secretly such a chaotic person?

Sakura Kyoko’s face turned pale, but looking at Yan Huan’s completely natural expression, she shamelessly denied her thoughts.

Stay calm.

Yan Huan, fearing he might reveal more flaws in front of Sakura Kyoko, stood up and rubbed his shoulders, smiling at her, saying, “Since there’s nothing much going on here, I’ll head back for a nap. I’ll draft the arrangements for the Club Battle tonight and send them to the group so that everyone can take a look.”

“Ah? Really?”

Sakura Kyoko quickly stood up, forcing a smile as she spoke to Yan Huan, “Take care, President.”

“Mm, bye-bye.”

Yan Huan waved and exited the office.

“Click!”

“…”

As the door closed, Sakura Kyoko rubbed her eyes, blushing as she took out her computer from the drawer.

Just as Yan Huan had left, she was debating whether to use the barrier to modify the President’s memories and get to the bottom of this.

But reason told her not to expose her abilities in front of anyone unless absolutely necessary.

Especially now that it was clearly hinted at that Spencer possessed super abilities.

Success stands out, but the winds must blow!

Before she clarifies the situation to ensure victory, staying in the shadows is always safer than being in the light.

This is the Sakuraguchi family’s lifelong lesson.

So, expanding her thoughts, could it be just herself and that Spencer who have super abilities?

What about others?

Sakura Kyoko’s eyes quietly became tinged with crimson, and her mind was suddenly cleared.

She opened her computer and began tracing Yan Huan’s timeline through the cameras.

After class, the President went out of the classroom and first peeked at the door of Class C?

Who was he looking for?

Ah, An Le.

The President’s childhood friend, An Le, studies in Class C.

Not finding her, the President headed down to the courtyard, seemingly intending to eat lunch first.

Ah, he ran into An Le who was just going upstairs.

Sakura Kyoko, with a cold expression, dragged her mouse, jumping through each camera’s timeline.

Those lurking eyes seemed to leap across time, tightly following Yan Huan from behind.

He went to the shopping street and asked An Le out for lunch.

They seemed to be having a great chat, and the President even playfully tapped An Le on the head, treating her like a neighbor’s little sister.

“…”

Sakura Kyoko pouted and instinctively touched her own head.

However, the next moment, the camera captured An Le tightly grabbing Yan Huan’s wrist, leaving them both frozen in surprise.

Sakura Kyoko’s eyes reddened as she clenched her teeth, her fingers shaking as she tried to scroll past that glaring scene.

Could it be…

Did An Le do this?

Oh, An Le, you seemed so timid and innocent, and I thought you were a good person.

But unexpectedly, your personality is as chaotic as your chest, and now you’re sneaking around!?

Punishment!!

Just as Sakura Kyoko silently designated An Le as a “dangerous foe,” a tall girl suddenly appeared in the camera’s view.

As soon as the cool girl appeared, she instantly captured Sakura Kyoko’s attention.

Ye Shiyu?

Sakura Kyoko’s expression shifted, and an ominous premonition flickered in her mind.

Thinking back, given An Le’s similar height, how could the President have gotten that strawberry mark unless he was lying down?

She hadn’t fantasized about all the possible poses with the President at night for nothing; Sakura Kyoko was quite aware of that.

But Ye Shiyu was different!

That woman from the Dragon Kingdom didn’t look like she needed to eat anything; she is tall and well-proportioned, making such possibilities plausible.

Could it be…

Holding onto this thought, Sakura Kyoko scrutinized Ye Shiyu’s every move with great caution.

Sure enough, midway through lunch, An Le left, and it was just Ye Shiyu and the President left.

They wandered around for a while, and then—

Sakura Kyoko’s pupils constricted, her mouse clicked, and the video froze just as Yan Huan turned to look at a small TV by the street.

She furrowed her brow, dragging the footage back and forth.

Moments before watching the TV, the President had a habitual smile on his face.

But afterward, he suddenly stopped smiling?

It was as if he had seen something shocking.

And Ye Shiyu didn’t even say a word?!

What’s going on here?

Sakura Kyoko zoomed in on the surveillance, looking at that small TV playing a mundane “Angry Birds” advertisement, feeling increasingly suspicious.

While for an ordinary person, this scene might seem nothing unusual, but who is Sakura Kyoko?

She had been monitoring Yan Huan day and night, and she couldn’t possibly miss any abnormalities in his every action!

Indeed, it had started with the President guiding Ye Shiyu, who was new to their school.

But after watching that TV, it had transformed into Ye Shiyu leading an utterly dazed-looking Yan Huan through the crowd?

Minutes later, as the crowd thinned out, they reached the edge of the shopping street.

Sakura Kyoko focused with unyielding concentration, trying to switch cameras to see the subsequent scenes, but the camera numbers suddenly jumped to where Yan Huan was working.

“!!”

There were no more cameras on this side!!

But what could Ye Shiyu possibly want with the dazed President in such a sparsely populated area?

It couldn’t be that they were going there just to play “Angry Birds” or something equally foolish, right?

Cold sweat trickled down Sakura Kyoko’s forehead as she bit her left thumb nail, dragging the footage back to find more information.

She watched repeatedly as the President looked at the TV, and one possibility—

No, it was a fact that was laid bare before Sakura Kyoko!

This newly arrived sister named Ye Shiyu, along with herself and Spencer, belonged to the same category of people.

She also possesses super abilities.

The moment she considered this, a mixture of alarm and rage surged uncontrollably within her.

As an orphan, the President had been living a lonely life at the Linyi Gate for so long.

When he introduced you as his sister to the Student Council last week, he had that special smile on his face that he rarely showed to others.

The President must have felt fortunate, thinking he finally had someone to rely on after so long.

He must have truly regarded newcomers like you as family.

But, Ye Shiyu, is this how you treat the President?

Thinking of how the hopeful and reliant family the President cherished might now be sullied by Ye Shiyu’s power, Sakura Kyoko felt a wave of nausea.

And yet, you only wield the convenient title of “sister.”

While she had been careful with the President after acquiring her powers, refraining from doing anything overly excessive,

But you, as well as that dull Spencer, actually dare to behave so recklessly?!

No wonder the President didn’t reveal anything odd when he mentioned it earlier.

No wonder he acted as if he had no memory of it at all!

So it’s you, Ye Shiyu!!

Alright, alright.

Feeling the pressure, Sakura Kyoko’s expression turned icy, and she rubbed her middle finger reflexively.

Sakura Kyoko took a deep breath, opened the folder labeled “Key Targets to Watch.”

She glanced at the folder for “Bai Yi,” where she had just placed some documents obtained from their conversations.

That idol likely holds feelings toward the President as well…

At that moment, Sakura Kyoko felt like she had fallen into a situation where she was surrounded on all sides.

“…”

Yet she wasn’t the least bit afraid; instead, she revealed a cold smile filled with oppressive energy and then opened the folder for “Ye Shiyu.”

She edited all the footage from earlier and dragged it into that folder.

With a grim face, she typed on the keyboard, meticulously writing notes based on every frame.

“Wait for it, Ye Shiyu. How dare you treat the President like this? Just you wait. Once I get rid of Spencer, you’ll see how I’ll deal with you!”

In the shadows, Sakura Kyoko took it all in.

On a Tuesday afternoon, in a lavish hall in Jinghe District, Linyi Gate.

“Achoo!”

Spencer sneezed and rubbed her nose, thinking to herself,

“Could it be that Santa Claus is cursing me again?”

But then she recalled what An Le had just said: Santa Claus isn’t real.

So, Spencer skeptically glanced at An Le beside her, seemingly contemplating the existence of Santa Claus.

“Hello, please hold on a moment. We will prepare the VIP room for you shortly. Here are three personal set menus for today. Please take a look at what you would like to order,” the beautiful waitress said, handing a white menu to Spencer and An Le with a smile, “Also, the final price includes a 15% service charge.”

Behind Spencer and An Le stood three somewhat shy classmates: a senior with a few pimples on her face, Jiang Yun, a chubby boy named Tokuchuan Daza, and a slim white boy with braces named Nino.

When An Le opened the menu and saw the exaggerated price under the cheapest A set, her face instantly paled as she quickly closed the menu.

She forced a smile and looked at Spencer beside her, whispering, “Um, Spencer, how about we find another place to eat?”

“Huh?”

Spencer impatiently glanced at An Le and was about to say something when she noticed An Le’s forced expression and held back her words.

Instead, she turned to the three behind her, who seemed just as uncomfortable in this environment as An Le.

Given their backgrounds, they were unlikely to have dined in such places before.

“…”

The words she wanted to say got swallowed back down. After a moment of thought, she reached over and took the menu from An Le’s hands.

“Alright, then let’s change places. What do you guys want to eat? It’s up to you.”

“I’ll check what’s nearby in Jinghe District.”

An Le quickly took out her phone, while the chubby Tokuchuan Daza wiped the sweat from his forehead and raised his hand, saying, “I know there’s a Burger Queen nearby. The taste is pretty decent, and the portions are generous.”

An Le looked at Spencer, but she nonchalantly handed the menu back to the waiter, saying, “Sure, where is it?”

“Outside. We have to walk a bit.”

Spencer stepped forward without hesitation, while An Le turned back to apologize to the waiter.

However, the waiter’s smile remained unchanged, and she waved at An Le.

Once they exited the restaurant marked with a golden lion, Spencer and the group walked along the road in Jinghe District.

Before long, they arrived at a Burger Queen that was doing fairly well.

After sitting down and scanning a QR code to place their order, the classmates finally put their phones down and looked at Spencer, who was inspecting various burgers with her chin resting on her hand.

“Hmm, what’s that? Should we order this one?”

Jiang Yun adjusted her glasses and asked Spencer, who seemed out of place compared to them, “So, Spencer, does this mean you want to invite us to join your club?”

Spencer glanced at Jiang Yun, nodded, and honestly replied, “Yeah, still need two more people.”

“No, everyone can join! But we need at least four!”

An Le, realizing Spencer was speaking without thinking, took over the conversation, explaining to Jiang Yun and the others, “Because of my situation with Park Shuwen, Spencer has been unable to join a club, so at the suggestion of our dear Yan Huan, we’ve decided to create a new club.”

Jiang Yun, wary, looked at Spencer beside An Le but didn’t respond.

Students like them, who entered from outside and were not popular, always kept their distance from those princess-like girls at school, especially considering how violent Spencer seemed just that morning.

“Oh, this shrimp burger looks delicious! Do you guys want some?”

But as Jiang Yun bought time assessing the situation, Spencer suddenly brightened, laughing as she pointed her phone at it.

“…”

Seeing Spencer’s goofy expression, Jiang Yun opened her mouth in disbelief.

It felt like Spencer was different from the other spoiled girls.

“Creating a club is difficult, but it shouldn’t be hard for Spencer. If she really manages to get it going, I’d be willing to join.”

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Yun concluded.

Spencer beamed at Jiang Yun and cheerfully said, “Okay! Then we are three people now. How about you two? Do you want to join us?”

At Spencer’s gaze, Tokuchuan Daza and Nino instinctively averted their eyes.

After a second, Tokuchuan Daza wiped his forehead and said timidly, “Sure, since we have to join a club anyway, and no other clubs are willing to take us, if Spencer is okay with it…”

“I’d like to join too,” Nino added, raising his hand.

Looking at the three classmates who decided to join her club, Spencer wore an excited smile.

She stood up, clapping her hands enthusiastically, and announced, “Alright! The Comic Club is officially established!! Hehe, we’re already set to take first place in the Club Battle!! Are you guys confident?!”

“Club Battle?!”

The three in front of her froze at Spencer’s words, with Jiang Yun looking incredulously at her as she inquired, “Wait a minute, Spencer, did you say… first place in the Club Battle?”

“Yeah! I created this club to participate in the Club Battle and take first place.”

“This—”

Jiang Yun looked at An Le beside her, who merely bit her lip, explaining, “Well, Jiang Yun, it’s like this… Spencer is on the verge of getting expelled, and she must take first place in the Club Battle to survive, so…”

Jiang Yun’s expression stiffened as she glanced at the confident Spencer, who seemed convinced of victory, and then at An Le, who was barely maintaining a smile. For a moment, the words were stuck in her throat.

Tokuchuan Daza, even more sweating, turned away and said shakily, “I’ll go get the food when it’s ready.”

“I will too.”

Nino followed and left as well.

Thus, at the table, only the three girls, Spencer, An Le, and Jiang Yun remained.

Jiang Yun pressed her lips together, hesitating briefly before speaking to Spencer, “Spencer, if it’s just about joining the club, then we’re fine with that. But if your goal is to win the Club Battle, then we might not be able to help.”

“What do you mean?”

Spencer innocently blinked as she thought Jiang Yun was upset, but upon seeing Spencer’s genuinely confused face, she elaborated.

“I mean, even if we join and put all our effort into preparing for the Club Battle, our skills won’t cut it against the Track and Field Club.”

“Huh? Is the Track and Field Club really that formidable?”

Looking at Spencer’s oblivious expression, An Le covered her face and quietly said, “Spencer doesn’t even know the procedures of the Club Battle.”

Jiang Yun paused for a second, sighed, and began explaining to Spencer, “During the opening ceremony performance of the Club Battle, the actual battle begins afterward.”

“The entire battle is divided into two phases, the first being a continuous three-day ‘free battle.'”

“At that time, the Student Council will divide the entire campus into numerous territories belonging to each club. Clubs can freely challenge others for competitions to earn points.”

“The winning club will receive point rewards, while the losing club loses points; conversely, the challenged club loses points, and the defending club gains points.”

Jiang Yun held up two fingers and continued, “The contest topics generally come from a list compiled by the Student Council’s management team, which doesn’t participate in the activities. During the matches, the defending party decides the specific content through a draw, which can be redrawn once.”

“There are two types of projects: one is related to the themes of competing clubs A and B; the other is unrelated subjects from the ‘random competition pool.’”

“The odds of drawing the former is 40%, while the latter is 60%.”

Spencer stared, glancing between Jiang Yun and An Le, stroking her chin in understanding, “So it’s all about participating in as many competitions as possible to gather points?”

Jiang Yun nodded, saying, “The problem is, all the competition topics are set by the impartial Student Council management team.”

“The activities related to the clubs’ themes will not completely hinder other clubs’ competition—at most, it will slightly raise the odds for the clubs involved.”

“And the majority of the probabilities in the ‘random competition pool’ are physical activities, which is why athletic clubs tend to dominate the Club Battle.”

Listening carefully, An Le sighed, “This year, the Track and Field Club’s average level is at its best. The new freshmen that just joined are very capable, and their president, Owen, has already claimed many championships.”

Spencer’s face turned bewildered, and Jiang Yun stared at her seriously, saying, “All of us here are not good in terms of physical fitness, nor can we say we are skilled in any subjects. Plus, our group is small; if we join the battle, we’ll definitely be targeted by other clubs trying to seize points.”

“In such circumstances, we’re likely to be eliminated on the first day with our points wiped out. Let alone aiming for the top eight and entering the second round’s ‘finals.’”

Jiang Yun pressed her lips together, sounding somewhat regretful, “So, Spencer, if your only hope lies in taking first place in the Club Battle to avoid expulsion…”

“Then you should be prepared for the possibility of getting expelled from now on.”

Hearing this, An Le’s face paled, and Spencer blinked, evidently realizing the gravity of the situation.

At this moment, she too found herself in a state surrounded on all sides.