Chapter 25: If I Had Known Helping My Sister Fix a Computer Would Turn Out Like This

Chapter 25: If I Had Known Helping My Sister Fix a Computer Would Turn Out Like This

“Slurp…”

“Stare~”

In the corner of the Far Moon Academy cafeteria, Yan Huan was slurping on apple juice.

Across from him, You Anli Na was glaring at the paper juice box in his hand as it gradually deflated.

She was pouting and hugging herself, looking quite sulky.

“Stare~”

Ya Qiao Mu, munching on his vegetables, glanced at Yan Huan and then at You Anli Na, unable to hold back a question,

“What’s up with her today? Why does she look so strange?”

Sitting across, Ai Xili chuckled without looking up from her meal and said,

“What else could it be? She bombed the exam.”

“Stare~”

You Anli Na shot a vengeful glare at Ya Qiao Mu that made him slow down his chewing instinctively.

“It was just a beginning of term exam! It won’t even count towards our grades. The headmaster said to just focus.”

Unable to withstand the fiery gaze of You Anli Na, Ya Qiao Mu tried to reassure her out loud,

“Look, the last place got a score of 66! You scored six times higher than her! Isn’t that pretty impressive?”

“It’s not because I flunked!”

You Anli Na sniffed, slapped the table, almost exuding a vibe of “I will settle the score with everyone,” feeling utterly wronged,

“It’s clearly all your faults! What did everyone say in the group during winter break?!”

Her sharp gaze first landed on Yan Huan.

“President! You speak first!!”

Yan Huan remained calm, smiling as he replied,

“You know me, You Anli Na. I’ve been busy working outside. During winter break, I took on an extra job. You came to buy milk tea from me, right? When would I have time to study?”

You Anli Na pouted again and looked towards Sakura Kyoko.

Sakura Kyoko, elegantly dabbing her soft lips, replied to You Anli Na,

“You know me too. I just adopted a Maine Coon cat named Meiyue. You even came to my house to pet it. Its health is poor, and I’ve been taking care of it all holiday, so I didn’t study either.”

Sakura Kyoko, the sharp-witted one, had already been influenced by Yan Huan’s line of thought.

You Anli Na turned to Ya Qiao Mu, pursing her lips.

Without hesitation, accounting major Ya Qiao Mu raised his hand to chime in,

“You know me too, as a true gamer, I’ve been grinding resources and spending money in mobile games every day. You always call me to play, and I’ve never cracked open a book!”

Finally, You Anli Na’s eyes landed on the ever-serious Ai Xili.

But Ai Xili shot her a terrifying glare and deadpanned,

“Are you serious? I was the one who said in the group there’d be an exam and suggested you better study. Everyone said they were too busy to review, and you didn’t chime in, but you were secretly looking for them to hang out…”

“Wuwuwu ahhhh! I see it now! You’re all so skilled! I’m the only idiot! The only lazy one… wuwuwu…”

She burst into tears and tried to leap into Ai Xili’s arms, but Ai Xili held her arm out, sending her bouncing back into Sakura Kyoko’s embrace.

“Bang!”

Centered against her soft frame, it was like hitting a wall, leaving her with a headache.

“Ouch!”

Then, You Anli Na cried even louder,

“No! Wuwuwu, I don’t want to be the Student Council’s mascot! I want to be a study expert too! President, Sakura, Ya Qiao, help me please!!”

Sakura Kyoko gently patted her back, letting her wiggle in her arms.

Meanwhile, Ai Xili had veins popping on her forehead, forcing a smile while saying,

“Am I being left out when you ask for help? I’m feeling slightly off about that…”

Ya Qiao Mu thought for a moment and told You Anli Na,

“Just this morning, the president said we should restart the study group and force those lagging behind to join. We discussed it and decided to take charge. You Anli Na, do you want to join?”

Upon hearing this, Sakura Kyoko slightly froze, tightening her embrace around You Anli Na.

But she kept her expression natural and asked,

“Has the president already discussed this with Ya Qiao? Do you not need my help?”

What does that mean?

Does it mean she’ll have to study with that Spencer guy?

What should she do if sparks of romance fly then?

Is the study group turning into a matchmaking event?!

Sakura Kyoko had unconsciously excluded everyone else and increasingly felt the situation turn dire.

Yan Huan smiled a bit and explained,

“Ah, this matter could be a bit troublesome… Ya Qiao and I really need that corporate internship spot from summer, considering the Golden Lion Group is very well-known.”

The main issue was that Spencer’s Modifier was very special; he was unsure whether it would produce the same effect on Sakura Kyoko.

Who knows what kind of role the victim would play in her Modifier since there were various types.

For Sakura’s safety, and to make things easier for himself, Yan Huan decided not to involve her.

“It’s not like Sakura needs to deal with this, why bother with the extra…”

“No problem, okay~”

Sakura Kyoko smiled, leaving You Anli Na stunned and looking up at her.

As she felt an abrupt drop in temperature in Sakura Kyoko’s embrace,

“I just thought of a whole series of ways to help struggling students improve their grades. Maybe I can give it a shot.”

Sakura Kyoko’s pink lips parted slightly, harboring some terrifying intention of “killing that Spencer,” as she said,

“Every day write up two sets of exams for all subjects, ten pages of math practice problems, ten essays, ten reading comprehensions, sociology knowledge memorization and surprise checks, and then…”

Whether Spencer would suffer was up for debate, but at this moment, You Anli Na’s face grew increasingly pale, her expression one of sheer terror as she struggled in Sakura Kyoko’s embrace.

“No… please don’t!! I don’t want to become a study expert anymore! I’d rather be a mascot! Wuwuwu…”

She quickly escaped from Sakura Kyoko’s arms and leaped into Ai Xili’s ones this time with no resistance.

Ai Xili only sighed helplessly and pinched her ear, saying,

“Sakura’s just joking with you, how could she really expect you to do all that?”

“Hehe…”

Sakura Kyoko giggled, yet maintained a serious posture.

Yan Huan propped his cheek in his hand, looking at the pitiful You Anli Na and comforted her,

“You Anli Na, there’s no need to be overly concerned about one exam. It’s just a beginning of term test; it doesn’t determine anything. You’ve always treated yourself as the Student Council’s mascot.”

“President…”

You Anli Na gazed at Yan Huan with gratitude, only to be splashed with cold water by Ai Xili hugging her,

“I also think like this, besides you~”

“Ai Xili!”

As for Sakura Kyoko,

Yan Huan slowly began to tidy up the nearly finished plates of food and asked them,

“Alright, I think I’m done, I’m heading back to class to take a short nap. What about you guys?”

Ai Xili and Ya Qiao Mu planned to go to the commercial street outside for a bit of shopping, while Sakura Kyoko opted to return to the Student Council Office.

You Anli Na totally forgot her previous pain, having just agonized over her grades, yet now was ready to run off and play with the seniors in her third year.

After returning the plates to the recycling area, they separated at the cafeteria entrance, leaving only Yan Huan and Sakura Kyoko to walk toward the first floor teaching building.

Yawning lazily, Yan Huan felt a breeze brush past, causing his tousled bangs to fall slightly over his eyes.

Beside him, Sakura Kyoko walked gracefully, seemingly catching the gentle breeze touched with Yan Huan’s essence, causing the tips of her slightly pink hair to sway.

Although she was petite, standing next to Yan Huan, who was 1.84 meters tall, she didn’t appear fragile at all; it was all thanks to her unique aura.

With spring making its approach and youth flourishing, the two teenagers walked side by side.

Truly a match made in heaven.

“President.”

Just as Yan Huan closed his eyes and yawned again, Sakura Kyoko suddenly spoke up.

“What’s up, Sakura?”

“You didn’t respond about my joining the study group earlier, did you?”

Earlier due to You Anli Na’s interruption, it led to a break in the conversation between Yan Huan and Sakura Kyoko, and afterward, Yan Huan had taken the initiative to end lunch, never picking it up again.

Now she brought it back up.

Yan Huan blinked and smiled, feeling a touch helpless.

The thing was Spencer’s Modifier wasn’t a good deal and was too closely related to Sakura Kyoko.

Sakura had no resistance; if the Modifier twisted her awareness…

After interacting for half a year, they had become good friends, and he certainly couldn’t let her suffer, right?

“I could read between the lines of what you meant, it’s just…”

“President, you seem to be yawning a lot these past couple of days.”

Before he could finish, Sakura Kyoko jumped in again.

Yan Huan paused, turning to look at her, only to find she had already lifted her head to gaze back at him.

“President, you’re already very busy usually, balancing study and Student Council matters. After class, you even work. Now with the added study group responsibilities, you must be exhausted.”

Sakura Kyoko looked at Yan Huan, her eyes filled with earnestness,

“So, even if it’s just a bit, I can help ease your burden. After all, I’m the vice president too.”

After “after all,” her words lingered, as if a certain part was subtly changed in her heart.

“…”

Though Yan Huan’s fatigue wasn’t due to his body being unable to handle the workload—he had an endless supply of energy, perhaps due to his innate vitality—still…

Hearing Sakura Kyoko’s words felt pretty good.

He stopped yawning but could only smile and politely decline,

“I usually have no qualms asking you for help, Sakura, but this time let’s call it off. I’ll definitely ask for your help next time.”

“…”

Sakura Kyoko pursed her lips, but with the conversation reaching this point, she could only nod and drop the topic.

They continued walking on, and they had arrived at the entrance of the teaching building, which was almost time to part ways.

“President, good afternoon.”

“Good afternoon, Sakura.”

Yan Huan headed to Class A on the first floor, while Sakura Kyoko took the stairs up.

The lunch break in the teaching building was empty, and in their class, there was not a single soul around; the commercial street outside might’ve been livelier.

He planned to tidy up his books and then find a quiet spot to take a nap and study for a while, before heading off to play some Mahjong.

It was Tuesday; he was scheduled to attend the handicraft class with Ye Shiyu, as he picked that class to increase their chances of meeting and to check on her and the Modifier’s situation.

However, the teacher of the handicraft class sent an email that morning saying she volunteered to go downtown to buy materials and that she’d prepare a bus for those who didn’t go; they would meet again on Thursday.

Yan Huan had already purchased materials ahead of time, so he had saved himself the trouble for the afternoon.

Mahjong, here I come!

Feeling pleased with his arrangements, Yan Huan hummed a tune as he walked out of the classroom, only to run into a familiar floral scent.

No way?

At that moment, just as he reached the classroom door, he halted, but poking his head out, he still saw a cool, serene girl standing in the corridor.

She wore a white dress, with her black hair cascading like a waterfall. Her expression was still as she slightly moved when she spotted Yan Huan stepping out.

No need to say much; it was Ye Shiyu.

She held a cloth bag in her arms, which seemed to contain something.

“…”

However, Yan Huan found himself somewhat dumbfounded.

He felt as if he were a worker about to punch out for the weekend only to have a supervisor come and inform him there’s a meeting.

That was the gist of his feelings.

Thanks to his excellent expression management, Yan Huan was still that smiling youth.

“Sister Shiyu!”

He smiled and greeted Ye Shiyu, who approached him expressionlessly.

“…”

“What’s the sudden visit to the first-year section for, Sister Shiyu? Is there something you need?”

Ye Shiyu looked at Yan Huan standing in front of her and nodded.

“…”

Just when Yan Huan thought her smile was about to falter, she suddenly opened the cloth bag in her arms and pulled out a small black lunchbox.

No need to say much, her name was written on the lunchbox as well.

Ye Shiyu gently opened the lunchbox, revealing neatly arranged cookies inside.

Yan Huan blinked, momentarily stunned, before looking at Ye Shiyu and asking,

“Is this from Aunt Chen?”

“…”

Ye Shiyu tilted her head slightly, hesitating for a moment before finally speaking,

“…I made it.”

Yan Huan raised an eyebrow, just about to say something when Ye Shiyu spoke again,

“I have a small favor to ask you.”

The request came suddenly, as if propelled by some emotional force inside her.

She looked down, then pulled out her laptop from the bag, saying to Yan Huan,

“My computer has been running sluggishly since last night, and I don’t know why. Everything takes forever to open, and ads pop up randomly. I’m not too familiar with Linyi Gate, I don’t know where to fix it, and I’d rather not trouble my mom, so…”

“I see.”

Sluggish? Unable to open browsers, ads popping up?

Disk issues or what…

Thinking this through, Yan Huan asked,

“Sister Shiyu, did you bring your power supply?”

“Mm.”

Yan Huan glanced at the time and said to Ye Shiyu,

“I know a bit about computers; let me take a look for you first. If I can fix it, you won’t have to trouble with the repair shop.”

“Okay.”

“Then let’s go to our classroom. There’s hardly anyone there.”

“Mm.”

Yan Huan led Ye Shiyu into their empty class, made his way to his desk, placed the laptop down, plugged in the power, and turned it on.

Actually, it wasn’t turning on; the computer had just been in standby.

Ye Shiyu seemed to think the computer would heal itself, having been neglected overnight, and would return to normal after a fresh boot.

However, nothing worked. The next day when booted, it was just as sluggish.

As he sat down and slid his finger over the touchpad, Ye Shiyu sat next to him with her hands on her thighs, blinking her long lashes as she observed him work.

“Sister Shiyu, have you done anything on the computer recently?”

“… No.”

“Did you download anything?”

“… No.”

Alright, a question revealed no answers. Better to inspect it personally.

“Password, Sister Shiyu.”

“It’s my mom’s and my birthdays, 06270903.”

Yan Huan gave Ye Shiyu a glance, typed in the password, opened the interface, and revealed an image of a life-sized doll dressed in exquisite attire as the wallpaper.

As he dragged the mouse using the touchpad, from the get-go, Yan Huan felt it was unusually heavy.

It was like flickering images, extremely hard to operate.

Glancing at the desktop and right corner, he noticed Ye Shiyu hadn’t downloaded any suspicious software; there was no sight of quirky wallpapers, everything was quite clean.

“I don’t see any rogue software.”

“Mm.”

Ye Shiyu nodded.

“The disk space is also sufficient. C drive, D drive.”

“Mm.”

Ye Shiyu nodded again.

“…”

Yan Huan turned to look at Ye Shiyu, who was blankly staring back.

For every mumble he uttered and insight he shared, she would nod in agreement beside him.

It created a vibe like having a girl completely clueless about computers or games watching him work and nodding enthusiastically.

Quite secretly enjoyable.

But since this wasn’t the issue, then what was going on with this computer?

Yan Huan thought for a bit, opened the task manager, and accessed the performance pane to check the status of the CPU and disk.

Upon examination, he found the CPU usage had surged to 100%!

However, there were no applications running.

Only upon viewing the processes did he realize a system process was hogging the CPU.

For such a system process to excessively consume CPU resources for long periods was abnormal and would trigger pop-up ads.

Looks like she’s contracted a downloader virus, huh?

Yan Huan raised an eyebrow and told Ye Shiyu,

“It should be a virus, Sister Shiyu. Just download an antivirus program from the internet, and it’ll be fixed quickly. It’s no big deal.”

“Mhm.”

Yan Huan seemed quite proficient in this area…

Ye Shiyu thought silently, her gaze falling on the cookies she held.

This was her way of thanking him for the help with the computer repair.

But the previous feeling of guilt lingered, having not yet settled.

Yesterday, she had planned to ask him what he liked, but in the end, couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud.

Now, with just the two of them, and the atmosphere feeling good, it was a prime opportunity to inquire.

She opened her mouth and glanced up, her words sitting at the tip of her tongue.

“Yan…”

However, in that instant when she raised her gaze, she saw Yan Huan moving the mouse toward the browser icon.

And in the lower lock bar, that icon was already displayed, indicating the browser was already open.

She suddenly recalled having tried to open the browser this morning, wanting to visit that strange website again.

She managed to enter, yet it was so sluggish.

Just as she was about to head to school, Aunt Chen came to rush her, so she minimized the page, shut the laptop, and tossed it in her bag, hoping Yan Huan would look at it.

After a morning of class, she utterly forgot and had left the browser running.

Now, Yan Huan’s mouse was about to click on that browser?!

“Sister Shiyu, I’ll just download an antivirus software online; it’ll be quick to fix.”

Inside that browser…

There was stuff she absolutely couldn’t let him see!!

Beside her, Ye Shiyu’s face turned increasingly pale, her phone slipping from her hand without a sound, glowing ominously in purple.

Her lips trembled as she breathed out Yan Huan’s name transformed back into the manner of address used by her mother,

“Little Huan.”

“Ah? Sister Shiyu, wha—”

Hearing this form of address, Yan Huan spun around in astonishment.

However, what met his eyes was a hauntingly familiar deep purple whirlpool displayed on the screen of the phone.

【Effect: Individual Hypnosis】

【Duration: 15 minutes】

【Timing, start】

Yan Huan: “？？？”