Chapter 90: Opposite Heaven and Earth

Chapter 90: Opposite Heaven and Earth

Monday night was chilly. Ever since my mother dealt me a serious blow on Saturday, I, Ye Shiyu, had been living each day haunted by the lingering dread of her punishment.

But thankfully, my mother had gone on a business trip this morning, saying she was off to inspect other islands at Linyi Gate and wouldn’t be back until the day after tomorrow.

Although there were still people watching me, even when my mother was gone, it was a little relief for me.

After my morning routine, I intended to go to bed early. Dressed in a white nightgown and sitting on the edge of the bed, I planned to turn off the bedside lamp.

Yet, as I reached out to touch the switch, my gaze inevitably fell upon the jellyfish plushie sitting at the head of my bed.

“…”

The Q-version jellyfish toy beamed a cute smile, a stark contrast to my expressionless face.

After a brief silence, I patted the jellyfish’s head before finally reaching for the switch.

“Click~”

The light went out, plunging the bedroom into darkness. I pulled back the covers and nestled into bed.

My tall frame curled up slightly, leaving only half my head visible with my eyes wide open.

I didn’t close my eyes; instead, I pulled out the newly bought smartphone.

On the home screen, that eerie purple APP appeared again, just as it had described, waiting for me to open it.

“…”

But after a moment of silence, I simply opened the messaging app.

The screen displayed a chat window with Yan Huan.

“Shiyu-jie, have you made a decision about the club?”

“Shiyu-jie, did something happen this weekend? It felt like you were avoiding me when we met today.”

“Did I do something wrong this weekend?”

Reading Yan Huan’s last message from today, I pursed my lips and buried my head into the pillow.

As I struggled a bit under the covers, I painfully grasped the blanket and pillow.

After a long moment, I finally lifted my eyes slightly to look at the messages in the chat.

Little Huan

You did nothing wrong.

I made the mistake.

I was foolishly enchanted, knowing full well that bringing Little Huan home would lead to such things.

Mom was right.

My feelings for Little Huan aren’t really affection; I just saw something beautiful and precious, and a possessive thought took root.

Not only did I make such a mistake at the time, but now, because I couldn’t confess, Little Huan started to doubt if he had done something wrong.

Thoughts like these filled me with even more guilt.

I locked my phone and placed it on the pillow, letting out a heavy sigh.

I had no complaints about my mother’s punishment, but I was worried. If I continued to ignore Little Huan, avoiding him…

Even if Mom didn’t tell him what I had done, he would probably sense something was off, right?

What should I do?

In the cascade of my dark hair, my pale, cool face was caught in a tangle of confusion.

“Buzz~”

Just as I lay there in turmoil, my locked phone suddenly vibrated and lit up.

I blinked, looking at the screen, and my eyes widened in surprise.

It was a message from Little Huan.

So late?!

I raised my hands to hold my phone and read Yan Huan’s message.

“Shiyu-jie, are you there? I have something I want to tell you.”

“…”

I didn’t reply, only biting my lip as I stared at the messages he sent.

One part of me felt anxious, fearing he might have guessed something.

The other part secretly hoped he would say something unexpected, something good.

Caught in such a tangle, I still adhered to my mother’s command and didn’t respond.

“Buzz~”

After waiting a long time, as I contemplated whether I had disappointed him, another message popped up from Yan Huan in the chat.

“Don’t we talk about it in the app? Let’s talk face to face.

“I’m downstairs in your room now, Shiyu-jie.”

I held my phone, blinking at those two new messages in disbelief, my eyes widening in shock.

Then, as I loosened my grip, my phone slipped from my hand, hitting my head before dropping to the floor.

“!!”

But I didn’t even have time to care about the pain as I quickly sat up and walked toward the balcony covered by curtains.

Afraid to step out, I slightly lifted the curtain, blinking as I peeked outside.

Through the balcony railing, I indeed faintly saw a familiar figure standing below, staring down at his phone.

“Eep!”

Seeing that boy, I blushed, letting out a cute, unintelligible sound from my mouth.

I quickly covered my chest, pulled the curtains closed, and hid back in my room.

W-What is it? So late,

Little Huan actually came to Jinghe District?!

What do I do?!

If I don’t respond, am I really going to leave Little Huan waiting down there?

This feels too…

After hesitating for a long time, I pressed my lips together, crawled back to the bed, picked up the phone, and opened Yan Huan’s chat.

I clicked on the text field, my fingers typing out a reply.

Inside, I thought: Even if Mom saw Little Huan come here at this hour, she definitely wouldn’t just let it be.

With such thoughts, I anxiously lifted my finger, but my mind went blank.

I had no idea what to say to him or how to explain my silence since Saturday.

“…”

While gripping my phone, I nervously peered through the curtain once more, glancing outside.

Just then, I caught sight of Yan Huan looking up, making eye contact with me.

“!!”

My cheeks instantly flushed, and I hurriedly turned away, focusing back on my phone.

“Buzz~”

“You’re still awake, right, Shiyu-jie? I can see you.”

“Eep!”

I blinked, finally nervous enough to raise my finger and type out a reply.

“Little Huan, what brings you here?”

“More importantly, why didn’t Shiyu-jie reply all day? Why were you avoiding me at school?”

Because,

If Mom finds out, you might start calling me “Shiyu-jie” as a “pervert” instead!

I bit my lip, looking at my phone once more, falling silent.

“Not going to reply again?”

“…”

Downstairs, Meow-chan glanced at the silent phone and then turned to Yan Huan.

“Seems like a rational Ye Shiyu is even more timid than I imagined. Keeping silent, huh?”

“Maybe Ye Lan’s hanger beat the cowardice out of her in a past life.”

“But this can’t go on. I came all this way at night; if I return empty-handed, that’s going to be troublesome.”

“What are you planning, Meow?”

Meow-chan blinked, watching as Yan Huan locked the phone screen and downed the egg white from his cup in one go.

Then, he rolled up his sleeves.

Meanwhile, in the room, leaning against the balcony door, I continued to bite my lip, pondering excuses for not replying to Yan Huan.

“Because I’m feeling unwell.”

That excuse was too flimsy.

“Because I argued with Mom.”

But arguing with Mom had nothing to do with Little Huan; I had no reason to avoid him.

“Because… that night you came to my house, I lost control and seem to have… attacked you. Mom found out and punished me severely.”

As soon as I typed that line, my face turned pale, and I hastily deleted it.

What if…

What if Little Huan found out I attacked him that night?

I might as well just jump out of here!!

But what should I do now?

Little Huan came here to demand an explanation.

It seemed he wouldn’t leave without clarifying things with me.

In that case, his insistence on seeing me shouldn’t be on Mom’s list of things, right?

But even if I saw Little Huan, explaining everything to him was still a problem!

At this moment, my brain felt like it was about to overload.

My hand grasping the phone trembled, and I almost cried.

“…”

While I lowered my head to look at the chat on my phone, I suddenly felt as if my vision dimmed considerably.

As if a shadow had veiled the moonlight, cloaking my body in darkness.

Huh?

I blinked in confusion and turned to look at the curtains but saw only the completely darkened fabric and—

The balcony door handle suddenly twisting down.

“Click, click, click.”

Rustle!!

I… didn’t lock the balcony door!!

“Wuwu!!”

I jumped in fright, spinning away, shutting my eyes instinctively as I kicked out a leg.

“Bang!”

The forceful movement made the phone that I was barely holding onto slip from my grasp, spinning away into the distance.

I didn’t kick it, but mid-flight, it was caught by a hot, large hand.

“…”

In disbelief, I opened my eyes and saw the balcony door swung wide open in the night breeze.

At the doorway stood a tall, handsome boy, single-handedly gripping onto my ankle.

He rolled up his sleeves and was slightly panting, with a little dust on his hand.

As if tainted, it marred my delicate, pale foot.

“Shiyu-jie, if there’s something to say, just say it. It’s better than staying quiet and hiding from me, okay?”

“Wuwu, Little Huan, I…”

My face instantly reddened. I truly didn’t expect Yan Huan to climb up to the third floor via the balcony!

Night.

An attack?!

That’s right, my guest room was just on the second floor, and there was also a balcony.

As long as one was fit, they could climb up from the first floor through each balcony.

Yan Huan had initially planned to let go of my ankle, but Meow-chan on his shoulder noticed something and warned him,

“Be careful, Meow! Ye Shiyu is about to grab her phone!!”

Did he really think he could let her grab it?!

Seeing this, Yan Huan’s face darkened slightly. He released my ankle while stepping forward, seemingly casually blocking me from reaching my phone.

“Now that I’m right in front of you, Shiyu-jie, why are you still saying nothing?”

“Uh… Little Huan, I…”

“Did I do something wrong this weekend in your eyes?”

“N-No, Little Huan.”

With every word Yan Huan uttered, I moved backward, until I found myself at the edge of the bed, having nowhere else to retreat.

“Bang~”

As he questioned, it seemed Yan Huan thought of something.

He halted in place, looking at me, Ye Shiyu, before softly asking,

“Or is it because I came this weekend, that’s why you’ve been upset, just like the first time when you invited me?”

“Eh?”

I was momentarily taken aback, lifting my gaze to meet Yan Huan’s eyes.

Suddenly, it clicked; Little Huan might be misunderstanding.

He thought I was feeling like when I originally wanted to chase him away.

Because I was afraid he would take away my mother’s affection seeing how she cared for him, I became jealous and pushed him away.

But at this moment, I was too startled by Yan Huan’s sudden intrusion.

I opened my mouth, but the delay was too long, making it seem to him like I conceded.

After a brief silence, Yan Huan lowered his brows and spoke,

“I understand. Tomorrow at school, I’ll return the credit card Aunt Ye gave me to you.

“Sorry for barging in so late without your consent.

“After this, I won’t trouble you anymore.”

Once he said that, I saw disappointment flicker in Yan Huan’s eyes as he turned to leave from the balcony.

Yet, under the bright moonlight outside, I could clearly read the look of longing in his gaze as he turned away.

He had once thought he found the familial warmth he had longed for, even though his sister was initially unwelcoming; he was putting in effort to be accepted.

Mom said that since giving Little Huan the credit card, he hadn’t spent a penny.

It seemed he feared that we would misunderstand he only wanted to get closer because of the riches of Ye International.

He had been cautious enough in school and at home.

He merely wanted a family and loved ones he never had.

I knew this all too well.

But still, I ended up doing that to him.

Watching Yan Huan’s retreating back, my heart felt like it was gripped by a demon.

It felt like my heart would stop any second, as if if I didn’t do something now, I would truly regret it for life.

“Little Huan!”

Just as Yan Huan was about to leave, he heard my call and froze, wanting to turn around.

But behind him, I seemed to have broken down, gritting my teeth and rushing over, as if trying to grab his hand and keep him from leaving.

Such an intense action went beyond Yan Huan’s imagination.

I didn’t realize that all of this was, in fact, already anticipated by him, so as long as I called out, he would turn back.

But neither did he expect that my words would trigger such an urgent reaction from me as I dashed to him.

And thus, in this unforeseen rush, I leapt into his arms, knocking him down hard.

“Bang!!”

“…”

That fragrant, flower-scented black hair tumbled down, long and straight, tangling over Yan Huan’s cheek.

Soft and cool.

Not at all like the blushing, breathless nervousness I was currently experiencing.

“I didn’t mean it like that! I didn’t feel that way about Little Huan over the weekend! Even if I initially did, I don’t anymore!”

In the soundproof darkness, the moonlight illuminated the multitude of variously dressed figurines in odd poses against the wall.

All of them were watching their owner by the window, using their loudest voice to say this to the boy beneath them.

Like a doll, I was panting, my expression blank, while I stared wide-eyed at Yan Huan’s slightly widened pupils.

“I never told Mom about that first thought! No matter how you think now, both Mom and I really welcome you. I’m not unhappy because of your arrival!”

As I said this, it began to feel as if I was worried Yan Huan wouldn’t believe me.

I bit my lip, wanting to substantiate my words.

But as I thought it over, only those unspeakable tidbits invaded my mind.

I revealed a sorrowful expression and had no choice but to whisper,

“P-Please don’t get the wrong idea, Little Huan.

“Please don’t misunderstand.”

Yan Huan’s eyes widened, staring at me, who tightly grasped his clothes, trapped in astonishment.

It was as if, at that moment, he truly recognized me for the first time.

Even the phantasm that was Meow-chan stood nearby, awestruck, its large watery eyes stunned in place.

Even the originally swaying black tail seemed to solidify, afraid to stir the air and give its presence away.

“…”

Yan Huan looked at me, Ye Shiyu, and after a moment of silence, a smile spread across his face.

He exhaled in relief, smiling at me, saying,

“Oh, so that’s it. I thought I had done something wrong, that’s why Shiyu-jie treated me this way.

“If that’s the case, that’s really great.”

At his words, I, who was still panting, finally raised my gaze.

In the dark, I looked at the warmest smile blooming on Yan Huan’s handsome face.

That was the warmest smile, one that lit up because of me.

But my phone clearly fell far away by accident, making it impossible for me to hypnotize him.

I clearly hadn’t used hypnosis.

I had only expressed my true feelings.

I had only felt relieved that I didn’t hate him, hence the grateful expression on my face?

I stared in disbelief at Yan Huan, who was smiling at me, my heart racing faster, gradually growing chaotic, overwhelming my thoughts.

“Thud thud thud.”

Only then did I realize how close I was to Yan Huan.

His warmth slowly engulfed me, making me feel increasingly flushed.

The beating of my heart dominated everything, causing my mind to whiten.

As Ye Lan said, I couldn’t tell what was real love and what was mere possession.

I only stared at Yan Huan, who seemed relieved, muttering absentmindedly,

“Yeah, that really is great.”

I felt joyful and elated just because he wouldn’t misunderstand me, such a simple thing.

I was caught up in the moment, my thoughts drifting bizarrely in possibilities.

In that instant, countless expectations and fantasies about the future bloomed within me, entirely occupying my mind.

【Defeated~】

【After successfully retaining Little Huan, you rapidly changed your ways under your mother’s teachings and reconciled with him.】

【Even if you understand nothing about love, you decided to learn together with Little Huan, to possess him with your goodness and intentions.】

【You resolved never to use hypnosis to tarnish Little Huan’s body again, realizing that keeping the hypnosis APP around was undoubtedly adding fuel to the flames of desire.】

【So you locked the phone in the safe, vowing never to use a smartphone again.】