Chapter 55: She Said: Sorry

Chapter 55: She Said: Sorry

“Yo, Little Huan, come on in, come on in!”

Zuo Jiangqin had her face plastered with makeup, making her complexion look a shade different from her neck, which was particularly noticeable in the backlight.

“Excuse me, Auntie.”

“It’s fine, not a bother. I specially got the tickets for you.”

Zuo Jiangqin smiled and pulled Yan Huan into the room.

Yan Huan stole a glance at the smile on her face and the way she held his hand, feeling a twinge of confusion in his heart.

Is she being too enthusiastic?

Zuo Jiangqin even went so far as to bring a chair for him to sit down. Yan Huan thanked her and turned to look at Bai Yi’s profile in front of the makeup mirror.

“Yi Yi.”

At Zuo Jiangqin’s call, the girl in front of the mirror finally turned her head.

To Yan Huan’s surprise, her face was devoid of any remnants of tears.

It looked like she had adjusted her expression to smile, though a hint of fatigue caused by her mother could still be seen in her eyes.

Her black hair cascaded down, and she wore a headpiece that resembled angel wings on her right ear.

Under the headpiece were glimmering crystals that complemented her makeup, creating a pure and beautiful appearance.

She was dressed in a dazzling platinum and white idol-style dress that sparkled under the lights.

Indeed, as the media had remarked, Bai Yi possessed astonishing beauty.

“President Yan.”

She brushed her hair aside and took a deep breath.

Suppressed the weariness and sadness from her eyes, she summoned the spirit of an idol and greeted Yan Huan.

Yan Huan looked at Bai Yi, who was forcing herself to appear calm and smiling, while the sound of the clock ticked in his ears,

“Tick-tock, tick-tock.”

Yan Huan kept his face neutral and simply smiled.

“Just call me Yan Huan.”

Zuo Jiangqin also sat down nearby, nodding along.

“Oh, come on! Young people shouldn’t be so formal. Sit, sit.”

Yan Huan glanced at Zuo Jiangqin, smiled softly but didn’t reply.

Zuo Jiangqin discreetly scrutinized Yan Huan’s appearance and then abruptly asked,

“Well, Little Huan, Auntie has something to ask you.”

“Auntie, go ahead.”

“Last week, wasn’t it Ye International that came to your and Yi Yi’s school to set up a scholarship? That’s not a rumor, right?”

Yan Huan nodded and replied,

“It’s true, Auntie. I heard that Ye International’s scholarship covers not just tuition but also various fees, and they even offered internships to students during the holidays.”

Zuo Jiangqin smiled at his words, though she didn’t really understand or care much about the details of the scholarship.

She glanced at Yan Huan, gathered her thoughts, and then asked,

“Oh, I see. So I wanted to ask, what’s your relationship with Ye Lian from Ye International? I heard from your school principal’s secretary that she specifically came to the school to look for you last week?”

At her words, Yan Huan seemed to suddenly understand why the other party had been so enthusiastic towards him.

His expression didn’t change, but Bai Yi suddenly called out,

“Mom!”

Zuo Jiangqin shot Bai Yi a glare and then turned back to Yan Huan with a smile,

“See, Yi Yi’s uncle, the one Auntie remarried, used to be Ye’s president’s junior. He recently returned to Linyi Gate to work, so Auntie is just a bit curious.”

“It’s alright, Auntie. Last week Auntie Ye did come to school to find me. I spent the weekend at her place.”

“Oh, I see.”

Although Yan Huan’s words were vague, Zuo Jiangqin clearly sensed that his relationship with Ye Lian was not ordinary.

Yan Huan also guessed that Zuo Jiangqin’s inquiry about his relationship with Ye Lian was related to her remarriage.

“I heard that Ye Lian is still single, and her ex-husband treated her and her child poorly. If there’s a chance, Auntie can see if there’s a suitable match for her.”

Yan Huan looked at Zuo Jiangqin, not saying a word, just maintaining his smile.

“Mom!”

But behind him, Bai Yi seemed unable to endure it and snapped quietly.

Zuo Jiangqin frowned and glanced back at Bai Yi, then turned back to Yan Huan with a smile as she stood up,

“It’s fine, Little Huan. Stay in touch with Auntie and Yi Yi, okay? You kids can chat without me butting in. I’ll step out to see how preparations are going. Yi Yi, remember to check the time.”

Zuo Jiangqin waved goodbye to Yan Huan, looking more and more taken with his handsome demeanor.

Before leaving, she patted Yan Huan’s shoulder lightly and then left the room with satisfaction.

“Click~”

As the door closed, only the two of them remained in the room, accompanied by the persistent tick-tock of the clock.

“Tick-tock, tick-tock.”

Yan Huan turned to the smiling Bai Yi, who pointed at the door with an apologetic smile,

“My mom has a bit of a… you know, thing, President Yan.”

“Just call me Yan Huan.”

“Ah, Yan, Yan Huan.”

Yan Huan nodded, feeling relieved, and said to Bai Yi,

“I’m not good at dealing with elders, but for the sake of an idol, I had to come here, even though it’s my first time in backstage, it feels quite new.”

“Idol and all that.”

Bai Yi’s face flushed slightly at Yan Huan’s words, but then her nose subtly scrunched up in delight, making her look so pleased.

Yan Huan looked at Bai Yi, and then suddenly asked,

“So Yi Yi, are you singing today?”

“…”

At this, Bai Yi opened her mouth, and the joy on her face gradually faded back into her eyes.

She bit her lip and offered Yan Huan a forced smile,

“Well… not today.”

Yan Huan blinked, simply asking,

“Is it because the stage doesn’t allow it? After all, it’s an exhibition focused on games and anime culture.”

“Not exactly. Golden Lion Group doesn’t really restrict the performance content for guests; as long as it’s reported in advance, it’s fine. It’s just that… how do I say this? Artists have many paths they can take, but many times we have to stick to just one.”

Bai Yi’s smile faded, as she continued,

“My mother chose one for me, and perhaps it’s the one others like as well?”

She flicked her hair back, and when looking at Yan Huan, that faded smile was once again purposefully brightened to shine.

“Most of the time, fans don’t care what kind of person you actually are; they just want to see the idol they wish to see.

“As long as you look beautiful and fit their ideal persona, that might just be enough?”

Looking at her beautiful smile, Yan Huan felt even more convinced that she had specifically highlighted it for him.

Why?

The next moment, Bai Yi turned around, picked up a USB drive, and handed it to Yan Huan.

“As for singing, maybe I’ll have a chance to do that in the future as a hobby.

“On the music platform, those fans keep asking about things unrelated to the songs themselves: when will there be a new movie, why did I act a certain way in the variety show.”

As she spoke, she looked up at Yan Huan with a smile and said softly,

“So far, you’re the first one who called me a fan, looking forward to my new songs.

“To not disappoint your expectation, I recorded my new song and its accompaniment on this USB drive, along with lossless versions of my previous songs.

“I guess you could say it’s my first album, even if it only has a few songs.”

Answering that previous “why,” then.

That’s because Bai Yi cherished Yan Huan, one of the few fans she had.

So even after just having quarreled with her mother and quietly cried, she was able to quickly adjust her expression.

So even when her mother made a scene in front of Yan Huan, she had to swallow the embarrassment and anger bubbling within.

But as she handed over the USB drive, Yan Huan, concealed under the guise of perfect expression management, paused slightly.

Everything was so reasonable.

But only he and Meow-chan knew:

He wasn’t actually Bai Yi’s fan, not even a fan at all.

All this was just a lie, a scheme he crafted to deal with the Modifier.

“…”

Yan Huan lifted his gaze to the smiling Bai Yi, looking at the USB drive in her hands.

After a moment of silence, he reached out and took it.

His expression, flawless due to perfect expression management, showed an elated look as he addressed Bai Yi,

“W-Wow, this is so precious! I will take good care of it!”

“No need to treat it like that.”

Bai Yi waved her hands, looking at Yan Huan. She bit her lip, her gaze suddenly dropping down to her skirt, unable to meet Yan Huan’s eyes any longer.

Her fingers twisted together in hesitation, and she suddenly spoke to Yan Huan,

“Well, Yan Huan…”

“What is it?”

“Actually… I want to apologize to you. I’m sorry.”

Yan Huan blinked slightly in surprise, with Bai Yi’s reflection in his eyes, but on his face, he merely questioned with confusion,

“Apologize?”

“Just…”

Bai Yi raised her gaze to look at Yan Huan, her words seemingly laced with a dullness of rust,

“I’ve been very jealous of you all along.”

“Jealous of me? Why?”

“You participated in the training for the eight-slope company and passed it on your first try, right? Not to mention, you perform excellently in school and have great popularity.”

Bai Yi lowered her head again, with a shallow smile still adorning her face, which was undeniably beautiful.

“To be honest, you’re not only good-looking, but also smart and hardworking, kind and genuine. My mom has always compared me to you, hoping I can learn from you.

“But which child would ever want their mother to praise someone else every day instead of themselves? So after a while, I became very jealous of you, and I really disliked you.

“But all of this had nothing to do with you; you did nothing wrong. I was just too narrow-minded, so I wanted to apologize to you.

“I’m sorry, Yan Huan.”

Yan Huan blinked but then asked,

“Oh, I see. But why apologize? There’s a saying: ‘Gentlemen discuss actions, not thoughts.’ Even if you, Bai Yi, think this way, you did nothing. There’s no need to apologize, right?”

“I…”

I’m not

I did do things.

The paint on your desk, the small stones I threw at you, secretly following you—

All of those things were me, but you just don’t know.

But these acts, enabled by the Modifier, how could Bai Yi ever say that? Otherwise, it would expose the existence of her Indifference, right?

So when her words reached the climax, she choked.

In the end, she could only awkwardly say,

“Well, anyway, I’m apologizing to you.”

Yan Huan actually knew why she was apologizing, since he understood the actions Bai Yi had taken using the Modifier.

He felt surprised; after all, if he had the Modifier, he wouldn’t have just left it at an apology, but would have treated others to beef instead.

However, Bai Yi did do that.

He looked at Bai Yi in front of him, as if he were only now truly getting to know her, and helplessly smiled,

“Okay.”

“When I first realized that I was jealous of someone who turned out to be my fan, I felt a little smug. But then I thought more carefully, the real me isn’t enough to be your idol, Yan Huan, right?”

Upon hearing Yan Huan’s words, Bai Yi’s face finally revealed a look of relief.

She smiled at the boy in front of her, extending her hand towards him,

“So, from now on, don’t think of me as an idol. Just see me as a regular classmate, or perhaps as… a friend?”

“…”

After a brief silence, Yan Huan smiled gently, neither affirming nor denying but extending his hand to shake hers.

Having done that, Bai Yi finally felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Her smile, forcefully put on for Yan Huan, could no longer hide the fatigue and pain within her. They urged Bai Yi to exhale deeply.

Noticing this, Yan Huan asked,

“Are you tired, Bai Yi?”

“Ah, a little? After all, I’m going on stage soon. We’ve rehearsed many times, so it shouldn’t be a problem. It’s just answering a few simple questions from the host and interacting with some supporters down below.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all. But I don’t know why, I just feel somewhat nervous. Every time I go on stage recently, I’ve felt this nervousness, especially with the gazes from the leaders, the audience, and my mother.”

As she said the last sentence, the smile on Bai Yi’s face faded completely.

However, because she had to look at Yan Huan, her face once again forced out a smile,

“I wish I could find a place where no one would find me and hide forever.”

“…”

As she spoke, Bai Yi’s expression brightened again.

“I’ve poured out a lot of grievances to you; I’m sorry! By the way, how about listening to my new song now?!”

“Ah?”

Yan Huan raised the USB drive in his hand toward Bai Yi. At first, she was puzzled, but then belatedly realized she hadn’t brought a computer to play the USB on, right?!

“Sorry, sorry, I forgot this was a USB drive! No worries, I have a backup on my plane; I’ll send it to you.”

With that, she quickly grabbed her phone and transferred a file to Yan Huan while looking at him expectantly.

Yan Huan raised an eyebrow, seeing her sending a file named “A.”

After that, he pulled out two Bluetooth earphones, put them on, and pressed play.

“…”

As the music started, after a few seconds, Yan Huan’s gaze rose to meet Bai Yi’s expectant smile.

“…”

After a few quiet minutes in the lounge, once the nearly four-minute song finished, Yan Huan finally removed the earphones.

Bai Yi bit her lip, feeling increasingly nervous.

Just as she was about to ask Yan Huan how he felt about the new song, Yan Huan slowly stored the Bluetooth earphones back in their case and suddenly asked,

“So Bai Yi, how long will those interactions be roughly during the rehearsal?”

Eh?

Why…

Why isn’t he asking how the new song was?

Is it because it wasn’t good?

Looking at Yan Huan in front of her, Bai Yi seemed to be breathing heavily, as if suddenly catching a sense of tinnitus.

Then alongside those sounds came Zuo Jiangqin’s everyday denials,

“Your mediocre song? Just give up!”

“Why not just listen to my arrangements?”

“Persona! Maintain your persona!”

Those denial voices seemingly sharp as blades echoed in her ears; what started as a noisy clamor gradually turned quiet, rhythmical.

Transforming into the sound of clock ticking like droplets of water,

“Tick-tock, tick-tock.”

Bai Yi’s eyes dimmed somewhat, her mind went blank, and even answering Yan Huan felt like it was out of her control,

“About… seven and a half minutes.”

“I see.”

Yan Huan nodded. Just as he was about to say something, the door suddenly swung open, revealing Ji Lin’s figure from outside.

“Yi Yi, are you ready? It’s time to head backstage for the show.”

“Almost done.”

Bai Yi snapped out of it, her mind clearing from the endless ticking of the clock, but her face had turned pale.

She took a deep breath, stood up, and looked at Yan Huan,

“Then, Yan Huan, I’ll go work first?”

“You don’t look so good.”

Bai Yi quickly shook her head, saying,

“No, it’s just a little cold because of the air conditioning. I’m heading out now.”

“…Okay.”

Yan Huan watched Bai Yi’s retreating figure leave the room. Once the door shut, his expression gradually turned blank.

He took out his phone and opened the newly added An Le’s plane.

After hesitating for a moment, he opened An Le’s Moments.

The sparse updates showed up, with her personality signature reading,

“One person’s rambling thoughts.”

Yan Huan scrolled down the screen slowly,

“Little Huan is also in school! He’s become so handsome and excellent. I feel a bit ashamed. After all these years, I still can’t seem to do anything right. Has Little Huan forgotten me? Or, even if he remembers, would he be too shy to say he knows me?”

“I got into Far Moon Academy! Mom and Dad are so happy, but I heard the students there are wealthy and exceptional. People like me will probably have a harder time making friends. Hehe~”

“Today I saw a pregnant woman get her money stolen; I didn’t know what I was thinking at the time. When the robber passed by, I wouldn’t let him go no matter what, nearly getting stabbed! Thankfully, others came to help hold him down. Thinking back, I’m so scared; if I had died, I would’ve let down my mom and dad. And I still want to see Little Huan.”

“I was falsely accused of stealing in the Dragon Kingdom. I really didn’t steal anything! None of my classmates spoke up for me. I felt a bit sad.”

“This year for my birthday, my parents have to work, so I’m spending it alone. To save money, I’m not getting a cake!~”

“…”

Looking at the updates on his phone, Yan Huan’s eyes drooped, saying nothing.

But on his shoulder, a black cat suddenly materialized and meowed at him,

“When An Le added you on plane, she probably forgot she wrote quite a bit about you in her Moments, meow~”

Yan Huan gazed at the last picture, where she spent her birthday alone without a cake, taken in her cramped housing in the Dragon Kingdom.

In the shot, she wore a paper crown only worn on birthdays, with a silly yet satisfied smile on her face.

But looking at that smile, Yan Huan suddenly locked his phone.

He took a deep breath, tilted his head back against the chair’s backrest, and mumbled,

“She was always this careless.”

“Meow~”

“Meow-chan, actually, all this time, I’ve been the one wanting to see only what I wish to see, right?”

“Meow?”

“Ever since I was targeted by the Modifier, it seems I’ve treated them—those Modifier hosts—as the Modifier itself.”

Yan Huan looked down at the USB drive Bai Yi had given him, which even had handwritten tape stuck on it with the words,

“Gift for Yan Huan~”

“Bai Yi.”

Yan Huan’s hand gradually tightened around the USB. He continued,

“So I treated them like enemies that could destroy my life.

“So when An Le became a host for that Modifier, I finally felt lost in a way I never had before.

“But, Meow-chan, my view of them was very likely just one-sided.

“Before the Modifier chose them as hosts, they were themselves, just people living in this world, just like me.”

Yan Huan looked at Meow-chan beside him, smiling as he said,

“Bai Yi was nearly forced into a corner by her mother, and An Le felt lonely after being separated from me. Even Ye Shiyu, just now Bai Yi’s mom mentioned she had a father who treated her very poorly.”

“To them, the Modifier could be a tool of seduction and destruction, but stepping back from the Modifier’s influence, whether they are truly that villainous can only be determined through my own experience.”

Meow-chan blinked, looking at Yan Huan,

“What about Spencer?”

“…”

Yan Huan blinked too, pausing for a moment before he said,

“Spencer is the exception.”

“Meow?”

Meow-chan’s long black tail brushed across Yan Huan’s neck, and the next second, Yan Huan finally exhaled deeply.

He opened his phone, accessed the plane chat window, and actively sent a message to An Le.

A cat emoji with a smiley face went through first,

“Did you find Spencer?”

There was a pause before she quickly replied,

“We found her, Little Huan! We’re planning to go to the Main Venue to watch a bit of the performance and then leave. Spencer seems to be a little unwell.”

A little unwell?

That robust Spencer is feeling unwell too?

“That’s good. The Student Council will probably team-build until the evening. Be careful on your way back, and I’ll see you back at school tomorrow.”

After that, Yan Huan typed again,

“And after this, your Moments won’t just be one person’s rambling anymore.”

“!!”

Only then did An Le realize Yan Huan had seen all the embarrassing Moments she had posted over the years.

There was a moment of silence on the other end. Given her personality, she was probably too embarrassed to show up right now.

Looking over those Moments posts, deleting them wasn’t an option, nor was keeping them.

So cute, An Le.

Closing his phone, Yan Huan clutched the USB drive, rubbed his shoulders, and stood up.

“Meow~”

The Meow-chan on his shoulder mewed softly, looking at him with curiosity,

“What should we do now? Head out and meet Sakura Kyoko and Ya Qiao Mu?”

“No.”

“Meow?”

Yan Huan smiled slightly. His handsome face seemed to shed the prior confusion and fatigue, and his eyes shone with the familiar confidence as he looked at Meow-chan,

“We’re going to deal with the Modifier now, but maybe we can do even more than just that?”

Meow-chan didn’t understand but chose to trust Yan Huan still.

At that moment, the handsome young man’s hand rested on the door handle of the lounge.

“Let’s do this, considering she apologized to me.”

The next second, the door creaked open effortlessly, revealing the bustling hallway outside, now particularly lively due to the upcoming event.

“Step aside, step aside!”

“Where is the group leader for Team B?!”

“Lighting designer, come here now!”

“Media teacher, you’re in charge of sound. There shouldn’t be too much work, just you will be sufficient, right?”

“Everyone! Keep an eye on the time!! Follow the rehearsal order!!”

Yan Huan shut the door behind him, leaving the chaos behind as he and Meow-chan entered the hallway, where only one sound echoed—

The sound of clocks ticking rhythmically, like droplets of water.

“Tick-tock, tick-tock.”

“Tick-tock, tick-tock.”