Chapter 31: Protecting Employees is the Boss’s Duty

Chapter 31: Protecting Employees is the Boss’s Duty

As the day grew late, outside Far Moon Academy.

A handsome boy with a backpack suddenly found a black cat that others couldn’t see appearing beside him.

Meow-chan blinked her bright green eyes, occasionally glancing back at a certain person who was silently following not too far behind.

That person wasn’t translucent; they wore a fisherman hat, sunglasses, and a mask. Ever since Yan Huan left school, they had been trailing behind at a distance.

“Meow~”

Meow-chan meowed softly, raised her head, and aimed for Yan Huan’s shoulder.

She prepared for a moment, then leaped lightly onto his shoulder.

Like liquid, her body skillfully shifted from his right shoulder to his left, and then she poked her fluffy cat head forward to look at Yan Huan.

Soft and smooth fur glided along Yan Huan’s neck, and finally, her curled tail traced over his Adam’s apple.

Yan Huan blinked and then heard Meow-chan say,

“Bai Yi seems to still be following you.”

“I know. If she wants to be a stalker, let her follow.”

Yan Huan was talking to Meow-chan in his mind while recalling what had just happened in the classroom, piecing his thoughts together.

“I understand how her modifier works; I’ve seen similar ones before, so I know a bit about the various effects…

“I think the points she can manipulate with her modifier are actually more than Ye Shiyu’s. Plus, the effect after gender conversion isn’t so powerful. If this modifier doesn’t have any added functions, that is.”

Indifference primarily targets herself. Essentially, she just needs Yan Huan to pretend not to notice her, with no hard controls or coercive effects. It’s one of the easiest modifiers to operate.

“But I don’t know much about her. Her personality, habits, and why she harbors such resentment toward me.”

Meow-chan glanced back at the sneaky Bai Yi and asked,

“So, were you planning to use the same tactic with her as with Ye Shiyu? Leveraging her conscience?”

Yan Huan shook his head.

“I just wanted to test what kind of person she is, so I acted a bit tragic.

“Letting someone see the consequences of their mistakes can lead to various reactions: some will feel regret, some will be indifferent, and others might even feel excited.”

As he spoke, Yan Huan arrived at the bus stop.

He glanced at his phone and murmured,

“Different social tactics are needed for different people. I think the same applies to dealing with the hosts of these modifiers.”

Meow-chan tilted her head and nodded, seeming to agree.

“Mm, I understand.”

In reality, she completely didn’t get it!

But it sounded impressive!

After all, following Yan Huan’s lead couldn’t be wrong!

“You understand what? I haven’t figured out anything. She’s been standing behind me silently, using Indifference and wearing a mask; I haven’t noticed a thing.”

“Meow!”

Meow-chan reached out and patted his face, glancing sideways as she noticed him opening a browser, displaying a search engine interface.

“But she is something of a public figure, so there should be some information about her online.”

So he intended to leverage the internet to search for Bai Yi’s information.

Before he even searched, Yan Huan noticed relevant searches popping up below the search box.

“Bai Yi movie”

“Why is Bai Yi’s acting so bad?”

“Bai Yi godly picture”

“Is Bai Yi male or female?”

Yan Huan clicked on the search, and it redirected him to Bai Yi’s entry.

What immediately caught his eye was a side profile picture of her in a JK uniform, with stylish bangs framing her face.

Her eyes seemed to lock onto yours from across the screen, resembling that moment in class when the boy who liked her accidentally met her gaze, causing both to freeze for a second.

In the next moment, they should have shyly averted their eyes, but instead, the photo captured this heartbeat in time.

“Bai Yi: Linyi Gate’s girl actor, emerging idol, singer.”

“Her pristine beauty: Discovered at age 11 through auditions at the Yatsusaka Entertainment Company, she became a child star. Two years later she transformed, and her debut on the variety show “Youth” was nothing short of stunning, earning her the title of ‘the most youthful idol’ among netizens both domestically and abroad.”

Yatsusaka Entertainment Company

That brought to mind some not-so-great memories.

Yan Huan continued scrolling down.

“Acting Career: Her debut film, the romantic drama ‘After the Dusk of Love’, tells the story of the female lead A-Meng (played by Bai Yi) meeting, getting to know, and falling in love with an alternate universe version of herself, A-Ning (also played by Bai Yi).”

“Plot Summary: In a world where their paths gradually intertwine at dusk, introverted girl A-Meng, from a broken family, meets rebellious A-Ning, from a happy home in a parallel world, gradually developing emotional ties.”

“Box Office Performance: Released in regions outside of Dragon Kingdom, it received poor market reactions and reviews, with Bai Yi’s performance as A-Ning being labeled by some media as ‘disaster-level acting’. However, the film did receive award nominations at the Rainbow Film Festival one year later.”

Rainbow Film Festival awards.

Ah, that sounded like a certain film festival.

How to describe it?

Let’s put it this way; last year, the gold award went to a period drama from Cherry Country.

It told the story of a Black samurai who sought revenge against the enemy leader for his sworn master.

When the film’s antagonist questioned why he was so obsessed, he coughed up blood and shouted,

“Even if we are both men, don’t underestimate my love for my master!!”

Something like that was bound to win awards.

As he continued scrolling, most of it was about the variety shows and activities she participated in.

Until the last entry, which briefly mentioned one or two songs she had written and performed.

“When Youth is Urgent,” “Star Not Moon.”

A few popular style songs.

After reading everything, Yan Huan realized the only two places where he might intersect with her were Yatsusaka Entertainment Company and Far Moon Academy.

Far Moon Academy was likely smaller since she hardly came to school.

But Yatsusaka Entertainment Company…

Earlier, Yan Huan mentioned that to escape the South District, he had tried various methods, and becoming a child star was one of them.

He hadn’t intended to pursue that line of work; after all, he didn’t think he was good at acting and wasn’t the type to enjoy being in the spotlight.

But Yatsusaka’s scout came to the South District and talked with him, saying he could audition first, offering monthly wages that were quite substantial.

Yan Huan had thought about earning some pocket money and tuition during the summer.

But unexpectedly, his qualifications were excellent, and his progression there exceeded all his expectations.

He didn’t even have to audition; Yatsusaka insisted on signing him, presenting an attitude that they could offer anything as long as he was willing to come.

Everything seemed fine, right?

If you disregarded the boss’s eager eyes that looked like he wanted to eat him alive.

Yes, the boss of Yatsusaka was a ruthless old man who only liked little boys.

Probably the kind who expected boys under Yatsusaka to quit first if demons were to possess them.

In such circumstances, could Yan Huan not run away?

Stay and wait to be taken advantage of?

So, this strait-laced boy, covered in signs of resistance, flatly rejected all of Yatsusaka’s offers and fled.

“Ding ding ding”

“Jinghe Far Moon Station, arrived.”

The bus’s arrival announcement pulled Yan Huan’s thoughts back to reality, and he lifted his gaze, still feeling a bit puzzled.

Could it be…

Was it because of something from Yatsusaka?

But how could anything there offend her?

Could it be that at just 11 years old, she had already embarked on a path of dubious CP shipping?

Yan Huan pondered this in confusion as he took out his earphone case and put on his headphones.

He opened the music app and searched for “Bai Yi.”

Hmm, just in time for her to have copyright.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please board in an orderly fashion~”

“Meow~”

Meow-chan was quicker than her cute meow, leaping gently onto the bus.

Yan Huan first selected a song called “Star Not Moon” by Bai Yi before stepping onto the bus.

There weren’t many people on the bus, so he found a seat at the back by the window.

“Lonely night, stars here and there”

“Full of curiosity, blinking eyes~”

“Galaxies splashed, moon in sight”

“Each shines brightly, no need to compare?”

Hmm.

It’s pretty nice; her voice is clean too. I wonder if she’s self-taught in vocals.

The melodious voice of Bai Yi accompanied by the sound of a guitar filled the air, making Yan Huan glance at his phone screen again,

“Lyrics: Bai Yi, Music: Bai Yi, Arrangement: Bai Yi.”

Just then, a fully masked person walked in near the bus door.

She glanced in Yan Huan’s direction and quietly took a seat at the very back, the last row.

Stare~

Yan Huan ignored her entirely, leaning against the window, listening to music, and gazing at the passing silhouettes, lost in thought.

A plump black cat sat down gracefully in his lap, turning to look at him.

“Meow~”

With a slight smile, he quietly took off one of his headphones and placed it in her upright ear.

She couldn’t hear the song well, which only made Meow-chan squirm restlessly.

She immediately shook her head and scratched her ear with her back paw, voicing her protest,

“Meow!”

“Ding ding.”

“Ding ding.”

Until his phone rang, Bai Yi’s almost-sleepy muddled consciousness finally stirred slightly.

It was a long way from Jinghe District to South District. Having left home in fear yesterday and been outside all day today, she felt a bit tired when she turned her head.

Looking forward, she saw that the boy still leaned against the window, listening to music, which made her feel a little less tense.

She glanced at her phone to find several messages waiting for her.

“Yin Guo Jie:”

“Little Yi, the police just called me.”

“Your mom is searching all over for you.”

Seeing this message, Bai Yi’s awareness immediately sharpened.

She quickly sat up, frowning as she typed,

“Don’t bother; Yin Guo Jie, just say you don’t know where I went.”

The name on the other end changed to “typing…”

“Though you don’t need to worry about me spilling your secrets, you can’t keep going like this. You have to resolve your issues with your mom.

“Where are you now?”

I’m…

I’m tracking that guy.

Just when Bai Yi was about to casually brush off the conversation, the vehicle slowed to a stop, and Yan Huan, ahead, stood up with his backpack.

Arrived at the station!

Bai Yi quickly locked her phone and silently followed Yan Huan off the bus.

Nearby the bus station was an intersection, quite a bustling place in the South District.

The sun had already set, and the night belonged to neon lights, noise, and the aroma of street food.

This atmosphere seemed to envelope the boy, leading him into a tavern named “Children’s Ballad.”

In contrast, Bai Yi, with her face thoroughly concealed, seemed utterly out of place.

The passing pedestrians occasionally cast their glances, making Bai Yi feel very uneasy, causing her to lower her head and hurry past.

A delicate pocket watch had somehow found its way into her grasp.

Is he working in that tavern?

As Bai Yi eyed the tavern, which already had many seated customers, her phone buzzed again,

“Ding ding.”

Glancing down, she saw it was a call from plane.

“Yin Guo Jie.”

Bai Yi had no doubts and answered the call, bringing it to her ear,

“Yin Guo Jie, you—”

“Bai Yi, where exactly are you now?!”

It was Zuo Jiangqin’s voice.

Bai Yi froze, struggling to believe it.

“Mom?”

“You know I’m your mom? Running out at night without coming back? Do you know how worried I’ve been?!”

Hearing her mother’s slightly trembling voice, Bai Yi bit her lip, feeling simply reluctant.

But at this moment, her mother’s words stabbed at her heart, causing her pain to intensify.

This pain resisted reconciliation, forcing her to fight back.

Even if the result of that rebellion would always be erupting conflict.

After a brief silence, she gritted her teeth and finally said,

“I’ll return on my own later. You don’t need to come find me.”

“What do you mean you don’t need to come find me? If I hadn’t searched for you, I wouldn’t even know you were still in contact with that Li Yinuo!”

As expected, Zuo Jiangqin was enraged by Bai Yi’s resistance.

“I told you not to associate with those dubious people! You’ve been led astray by that tattooed girl! With all the opportunities laid before you, you choose to gallivant! Just wait till I deal with you properly. Where are you?!”

Upon hearing this, Bai Yi’s internal pent-up anger flared up too.

She covered her phone and shouted into the receiver,

“Everything is my fault; everything is someone else’s fault! Do you have any mistakes at all?!”

“Where did I go wrong? Tell me! I raised you, took care of your meals and clothes every day! What are you still unsatisfied with?!”

“You—”

Bai Yi’s face turned crimson. She held the phone, wanting to say something when she finally noticed many people were staring at her on the roadside.

A wave of embarrassment flooded her cheeks. With tears in her eyes, she hurriedly walked down a nearby alley.

But this brief silence drew Zuo Jiangqin’s fury to a boiling point.

From yesterday evening till tonight, she searched for a full day, believing this was all due to Bai Yi’s immaturity.

“Look at you! You not only neglect your studies but also poorly participate in activities! You’re half-hearted in everything! Do I not feel anxious watching this? I’m seriously thinking of providing for you! What will you achieve with this attitude?”

“I need you to do this? You never even bothered to ask for my opinion! Whether it’s joining activities or attending Far Moon, it’s all your decision! Since you’ve decided everything for me, then you go do it; what do you need me for?”

“Who do you think I’m doing this for? It’s all for your benefit! You think these resources are something to overlook? Do you even know how many favors your uncle owes because of you? Do you think the entertainment industry is easy to navigate?!”

At that moment, inside a tattoo parlor’s upstairs room, surrounded by police, a colorful-haired tattooed woman sighed.

Originally, they had told Zuo Jiangqin to persuade the child to return first, no matter what.

But as she heard the chaotic sounds from Bai Yi at that moment, her anger flared at Bai Yi’s ignorance.

Especially after Bai Yi’s defiance, her temper only grew hotter.

“You’ve got me and your Uncle Jiang helping you, but what about that Yan Huan from your school? He has no parents and has to work to earn a living! If you don’t want to enter the entertainment industry and are dissatisfied with our arrangements, fine! Then prove yourself somewhere else!

“You’ve always been a mess in your studies! You love to write songs; how many people care for your stuff? Good songs require issuance and exposure; let alone your mediocre songs! Clearly, you’re bad at everything but still want to nitpick! Tell me, how does that make sense?!”

On the call, despite having her mouth covered, Bai Yi felt choked, listening to her mother deny every aspect of her choices.

Especially when her mother scrutinized her songs.

Of course, anger surged within her, pouring forth words she wanted to voice, yet for some reason, tears flooded out uncontrollably.

“Zuo Jiangqin, I really hate you the most.”

In the next second, she abruptly smashed her phone against the wall.

“Bang!”

The unprotected phone shattered on impact, the glass screen shattering into a chaotic web of cracks before it fell to the ground.

From within, Zuo Jiangqin’s voice continued to crackle through,

“. Do you hear me…”

Then, the screen went dark, and silence ensued.

Leaning against the wall, Bai Yi bowed her head, and tears collected behind her tinted glasses, falling onto her mask.

Her body gradually slumped, eventually sliding to the ground.

Hugging her knees, she finally couldn’t hold back and began to cry,

“Wuwuwuwuwuwu.”

She truly didn’t know how to proceed or what to do to satisfy her mother.

She knew she hadn’t studied hard enough; she understood the path of a star wasn’t simple, that not everything would go her way.

But was all this really contradictory to her desires?

She just didn’t want to be compared to Yan Huan anymore. She was tired of hearing her mother constantly say others were excellent, insisting she should learn from them.

She just wanted to do what she liked, wanted her mother to seriously listen to the songs she wrote and say, “Not bad.”

But all along, she received nothing.

She only got—

Negation.

“Wuwuwuwu… Wuwuwu.”

“Click.”

Just as Bai Yi cried on that unfamiliar path, a door on a nearby alley suddenly swung open.

Bai Yi quickly looked up, through the dual cover of tears and sunglasses, barely making out a figure in bartender attire carrying a trash bag.

The person seemed slightly surprised to find someone crying here.

Then, a familiar voice rang out,

“Miss, this is a place to dispose of trash; you can’t sit here.”

“…”

No, Lin Bei is heartbroken here, and you’re telling Lin Bei whether or not she can sit?

Bai Yi blinked in disbelief.

As her gaze adjusted, she could finally see the smiling face of the boy she recognized.

It was Yan Huan?!

This… is the back door of the tavern where he works!

At that moment, he had walked over to Bai Yi, tossing the garbage into the bin beside her.

Bai Yi belatedly realized, wanting to stand and leave, but she heard him speak,

“Want to come inside and rest for a bit?”

“…”

Bai Yi hiccupped softly, imperceptibly shaking her head.

She raised a hand to wipe at the inside of her sunglasses, then awkwardly pointed to her broken phone next to her and said softly,

“My phone is broken… I can’t pay.”

“It’s fine; you won’t be charged for sitting a while.”

Yan Huan smiled slightly and picked up the shattered phone from the ground.

Then he handed it back to her,

“There’s still space in the tavern; if it gets crowded later, you can leave.”

Bai Yi lifted her gaze to glance at him, momentarily unsure of how to choose.

However, Yan Huan simply placed the phone in her hand firmly, then led the way,

“Follow me.”

“…Mm.”

Reluctantly, Bai Yi had no choice but to follow.

Entering through the tavern’s back door, they arrived on the inside where one or two tables were set up. Usually, there wouldn’t be any customers, except for Tong Yingying, the drunkard, who might sneak drinks here.

Yan Huan let Bai Yi rest there while adding,

“This is the South District, Miss. It’s best to be cautious in the small streets; don’t wander around alone, understood?”

He handed her a cup of warm water and even thoughtfully included a straw.

“Those who roam the South District won’t care if you cover your face or not; for them, it’s as exciting as a blind box.”

“Mm-mm.”

Looking at the warm water before her, Bai Yi didn’t drink but turned to glance at him.

The closer she got, the more she felt that the leaders at the studio must have indeed noticed him a lot.

Hah, he’s doing so well in his studies and is also the Student Council President.

As she thought more, her heart felt heavier.

Her mother’s words were just like a scalpel, slicing everything inside her apart.

Even her one true passion, singing, was denied. She really didn’t know…

“Ding ding.”

The little bell rang in the tavern, but Bai Yi didn’t know what it meant; she only heard Yan Huan say,

“Just sit here for a while; you can leave anytime, but remember to be safe when you go.”

She lowered her head, silence enveloping her, when she suddenly, in a hushed tone, asked,

“Um… you really look quite handsome, hasn’t any scout approached you about becoming a celebrity?”

“Mm, there have been some.”

“…Then why didn’t you go?”

Yan Huan blinked, just about to say something when another ring sounded.

He turned to peek a glance before looking back at the girl who was lowering her head, instinctively curled into herself.

She looked like she had truly been hit hard.

The closer you are to someone, the deeper the pain they can inflict on you.

Actually, Yan Huan had heard the conversation she had with her mother earlier.

He wondered why Bai Yi hadn’t chased after him.

But there was no way he could approach her, so he simply continued working and observing the situation.

Who knew, just as he was about to discard the trash, he ran into this drama.

He seemed to have a rough idea of why Bai Yi disliked him.

Could you blame her entirely?

Yan Huan didn’t know.

However, from the perspective of dealing with modifiers, it seemed necessary to pay a bit more attention to her at this moment.

He contemplated for a moment before smiling and saying,

“Though being appreciated does feel quite nice, I always believed that isn’t the path I wish to take, which is why I haven’t pursued it.”

“Ding ding.”

“But that’s because you have choices, right?”

“Ding ding.”

“Is working here counted as having a choice?”

“Ding ding.”

“…”

Bai Yi halted her sobbing at his self-deprecation.

She lowered her eyes and had just thought of something to say when a beautiful red-haired woman appeared beside Yan Huan, her eyes seeming to fluctuate between “I’ll kill you” and “I’ll let you kill me.”

She held a button-pushing gadget that seemed to summon employees to work, a “magical capitalist prop.”

Oh.

After noticing Bai Yi, who was weeping behind her mask, her gaze shifted decidedly to “I’ll kill you.”

Tong Yingying assessed Bai Yi, and once Yan Huan led Bai Yi inside, she felt a headache coming on.

It was always troublesome to quit smoking and drinking.

You might think you are doing a good deed saving someone, but little did you know, this could easily attract trouble from bad women.

Look, as soon as he came in, he got tangled up in conversation with her nonstop.

Then, if coupled with plane’s persistent approach and throwing some money his way…

Wouldn’t he become a puppet of that bad woman soon enough?

Plus he’s only in his first year of high school with no love experience, looking exactly like the type girls adore. Those bad women always loved boys like him.

Little Huan, the South District is a murky pond; you can’t navigate it.

It’s the boss’s duty to protect pure employees!

Yan Huan blinked and looked at Tong Yingying beside him,

“T-Tong Jie?”

He was about to say something when Tong Jie settled herself in front of Bai Yi, waved at Yan Huan, and instructed,

“You go work; the customers are waiting.”

Then she turned back to the tear-stained Bai Yi and said,

“Leave this to me.”