Chapter 6: Time to Act, Young Man

Chapter 6: Time to Act, Young Man

When did Ye Shiyu get this APP?

She remembered that it was the morning after moving to Linyi Gate. As she awoke from her slumber and checked the time on her phone, that purple APP just appeared on her home screen out of nowhere.

Is my phone malfunctioning? Or did it get a virus?

Ye Shiyu thought to herself, as she pressed and held the APP, only to discover there was no option to delete it at all.

Curiosity piqued, she decided to open the APP to see what was inside, but the moment she did, a flood of illusory messages surged into her mind, magically materializing words before her eyes,

【Welcome to the Modifier APP, Host Ye Shiyu】

【APP Level: 1—Level increases with frequency and number of uses; higher levels enhance the APP’s effects and duration.】

【APP Effect: Individual Hypnosis—Induces a brief hypnotic state in a single target. The subject will completely obey your commands during hypnosis, and will forget everything that happened once the effect ends.】

【Usage Method: Twice a week, 15 minutes each time. Simply visualize your desire to use the APP in your mind, then show the phone screen to the target you wish to hypnotize.】

【Notes】

【1. Do not disclose the APP’s existence.】

【2. The APP will appear on your frequently used phone, but it must be charged during use.】

【3. Any delayed commands issued during hypnosis will not be retained after the 15-minute period.】

【4. Although the APP will automatically correct any unreasonable memories of the hypnotized subject post-effect, ensuring no anomalies are detected, the host must remain wary of any third-party presence and avoid any mistakes that might expose the APP.】

Ye Shiyu’s pupils widened, her expression one of disbelief as she stared at that last line of illusory text, which was penned in pink cursive,

【Feel free to use it without reservation!】

Could it just be a stupid joke?

Her phone must definitely be infected. Back when she was in the country, Ye Shiyu had heard that Linyi Gate was rife with such cyber crimes.

At this moment, with Yan Huan’s arrival, she was feeling anxious yet exhilarated as she prepared to use it for the first time, disguising the process as “exchanging contact information.”

If it didn’t work out and the other party looked puzzled, she would simply say,

“Sorry, I clicked the wrong thing.”

Then she could just open Plane and be done with it.

However, as she glanced at the handsome boy standing before her, his eyes completely vacant, her heart began to race.

“Thump. Thump.”

That heartbeat sounded like a frantic war drum, symbolizing her disbelief.

“Could it be… real!”

Yan Huan, observing Ye Shiyu’s wide-eyed stare, realized she, like Bai Yi, was probably using the Modifier for the first time.

Due to resistance, although he felt a bit uncomfortable when he first saw the APP interface, he had mostly returned to normal now.

Just a slight tingling sensation remained, similar to the feeling of a muscle recovering after being poked, which wasn’t very pleasant.

Yan Huan found it slightly amusing; he had held onto a flicker of hope thanks to Aunt Ye, believing Ye Shiyu might not possess a Modifier, but here he was, transformed into Ah Wei on the very first night.

And sure enough, the contents of these Modifiers were all grim and explicit.

Alright, alright, so this is how we’re playing it, huh?

You opened it first!

He activated his perfect expression management, perfectly mimicking the dazed state of being hypnotized, his body becoming completely still.

Ye Shiyu took a deep breath and cautiously glanced at the dim corridor.

Confirming that no one had detected what was happening here, she gently placed her hand on Yan Huan’s chest, attempting to push him into a closed room to act further.

But the moment she touched him, it was like hitting a blazing wall; she couldn’t budge him at all, and his body temperature felt so hot that Ye Shiyu instinctively pulled her hand back.

Are all boys this warm?

Having gotten used to dealing with cold doll-like figures, she realized the vast difference between a living person and a doll.

What to do? If I can’t move him…

Oh right, he’s supposed to obey me!

Ye Shiyu recalled this and tentatively said to Yan Huan,

“Go into the room.”

“.”

Yan Huan instantly felt a faint jolt of tingling in his body, as if he were being urged to walk back into the room.

Outwardly, he maintained his dazed demeanor and walked back into the room, glancing at Ye Shiyu over his shoulder.

Ye Shiyu took another glance towards the staircase and then followed him into the room, turning around to firmly close the door behind her.

“Click.”

Feeling that it wasn’t secure enough, she gently twisted the lock.

“Phew.”

In the enclosed space, the young girl’s floral fragrance wafted in, prompting Yan Huan to seek out its source, finally landing on her long black hair.

When Ye Shiyu sighed in relief and turned around, Yan Huan hastily adopted a vacant expression again.

Now, in this seemingly isolated state, Ye Shiyu’s expression finally deviated from her earlier blankness, revealing noticeable fluctuations.

Her brow furrowed, her snow-white skin seemed to flush a bit more due to her increased heart rate, and her calm, water-like eyes began evaluating Yan Huan from head to toe.

It was as if someone had stepped out of a painting and come to life.

“So, what should I do with you now?”

She mused, stroking her chin as she paced in front of Yan Huan, seemingly having no idea what to do after hypnotizing him, muttering to herself,

“Hypnotize him to tell Mom to sever contact? No way, even if the APP can correct his memories, Mom will surely keep calling to check on him if something goes wrong.”

Yan Huan listened quietly like a doll, secretly absorbing every word.

“Maybe I should have him do some naughty things at home? Make Mom dislike him… Yeah, let’s do that. Plus, this guy definitely…”

Ye Shiyu lifted her head, as if she had made a decision in her heart, she suddenly turned to look at Yan Huan.

She approached him, enveloped in fragrant air, gazing at his face as she softly asked,

“What’s your purpose for coming here?”

“To have dinner at Aunt Ye’s house.”

Upon hearing Yan Huan’s emotionless response, Ye Shiyu, expectantly seeking answers, hesitated and then rephrased her question,

“Well then, what were you thinking when you came here?”

But her query remained vague, making it hard to tell if she would truly hypnotize Yan Huan or if he would even have an answer if she did.

She clearly wasn’t adept at interacting with others; it was palpable even from her fragmented speech.

Yan Huan’s vacant eyes twitched slightly as he replied,

“I’m a little scared.”

“Scared… of what?”

Ye Shiyu was taken aback, completely not understanding Yan Huan’s words, and then he continued,

“I’m afraid of interacting with people connected to my parents. In the past, they took everything from me right in front of my eyes—my home, everything about my mom and dad—as if I didn’t exist. Even though these people are relatives and friends of my mom and dad, I don’t know why… I’m scared it’s the same this time; I barely managed to escape from the orphanage.”

Ye Shiyu’s fingers tightened little by little as she watched Yan Huan, whose face trembled even in hypnosis, seemingly caught in some painful memory, she couldn’t help but exclaim,

“Enough, stop thinking about it!”

“Okay.”

Yan Huan’s expression gradually returned to normal, breaking free from that painful abyss, reshaping back into his dazed state.

Seeing this, Ye Shiyu finally sighed in relief, mumbling to herself,

“Mom wouldn’t do that.”

Though saying so, Yan Huan’s earnest words seemed to disrupt her thoughts, making her momentarily forget what she wanted to do as she turned her gaze back to him.

Right, first, I should add Plane so that the APP can help correct his memories after the hypnosis ends.

Honestly, today was just about testing whether it worked; as for anything else…

There’s always tomorrow.

“Unlock your phone and open Plane for me.”

Yan Huan noticed Ye Shiyu standing there in thought, but upon hearing her words, he pulled out his phone from his pocket.

He unlocked it with his fingerprint, revealing a wallpaper of a vast blue ocean.

Opening Plane, Ye Shiyu was taken aback by the multitude of chat boxes and notification dots.

What… so many chat boxes?!

What are these groups?

Student Council General Management Group? Math 1001 Group? Martial Arts Club Group? Track and Field Group? Fencing Group? Driver Group? Mahjong Group…

This was Ye Shiyu’s first experience with such a Plane. Usually, she only had a few chat boxes—one with her mom, another with Aunt Chen, and she hadn’t added any classmates’ groups back when she was in the country.

“Ding!”

At that moment, Yan Huan’s phone suddenly chimed.

“!”

Ye Shiyu jumped, quickly turning her head to see a message from someone labeled “Sakuraguchi Vice President,” whose profile picture was of a white cat.

“There’s something I need to discuss with the President. Is the President available now?”

What to do?!

Who the heck is this?

Ye Shiyu stared at the screen, then glanced back at the vacant-eyed Yan Huan.

Ah, never mind, once the hypnosis is over, I’ll let him reply himself.

She ignored it, ready to tap the “Add Friend” button in the upper right corner.

Seeing this move, Yan Huan couldn’t help but feel slightly exasperated.

Maybe you should let me help you reply?

Aren’t you the one who just hypnotized me? And now you want me to stand around pretending to be a doll?

However, this seemed to indicate that Ye Shiyu and Yan Huan were quite different from the refined characters she had witnessed in her past life; she was utterly unfamiliar with this realm, causing her first attempt to appear rather awkward.

Just as Ye Shiyu’s finger was about to touch “Add Friend,” the entire screen suddenly went black, and the interface was taken over by a voice call screen.

“Ding ding ding~”

“Voice Call: Sakuraguchi Vice President”

！！！

A call… came in?!

The abruptly enlarged white cat profile picture startled Ye Shiyu, and hearing the loud ringtone made her shiver, appearing particularly flustered.

A guilty conscience comes with doing something sneaky, and at this moment, Ye Shiyu felt just that.

She quickly reached out and pressed the reject button, cutting off the annoying ringing.

“Beep, beep.”

“Phew.”

The ringtone finally faded, and Ye Shiyu breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, to prevent the other party from trying to call again, she hesitated a moment and typed in the Sakuraguchi Vice President’s chat box,

“Sorry, I’m busy right now and can’t take the call.”

There was no immediate reply from the other side, so she thought she had gotten away with it and reached out to close the chat box in the upper left corner.

Just then, the other party’s Plane name changed to “The Other Party Is Typing.”

“Ding~”

A prompt sound came, and the other side sent a message containing only three simple words,

“Who are you?”

！！？？

Ye Shiyu was stunned, frozen in place as if struck by lightning for quite a while.

This is hilarious.

Seeing her look as if she’d been hit by a thunderbolt, Yan Huan almost couldn’t keep a straight face.

At that moment, amid Yan Huan’s sympathetic gaze buried deep in his dazed state, her delicate lips gradually puckered up, though the movement was slight, it truly was a pout, looking as if she had suffered some great injustice.

Huh?

At that moment, Yan Huan realized that Ye Shiyu could actually pull off the same expression as Ye Lan!

Sakuraguchi Vice President, you did a great job!

Ye Shiyu tremulously lifted her hand, wanting to scroll back through their previous messages, attempting to find any signs of how Yan Huan had chatted with this Sakuraguchi Vice President, but all she saw were a plethora of call records.

No wonder she called so directly!

The rest were all school-issued documents; the two had barely chatted at all!

How did the other party manage to tell at a glance that the person on this end wasn’t Yan Huan?

No… never mind, let him resolve it himself.

Ye Shiyu chose to deceive herself and retracted her earlier statement.

“?”

After she did that, the other party sent another question mark, which loomed over her like the Grim Reaper’s scythe, causing her to tremble in dread.

Feigning ignorance, she exited the chat window, opened his Plane QR code, scanned it to add him as a friend, and clicked to approve.

“Ding~”

Done.

“Phew.”

Ye Shiyu let out another sigh of relief, as if closing the door to hell that Yan Huan had opened on his phone.

After doing all this, Ye Shiyu noticed that ten minutes had passed, ah, an incredibly long ten minutes.

Today, let’s call it a day.

Looking at Yan Huan again, she placed the phone back into his pocket, but at the same time, a hint of hesitation flickered in her eyes.

The truth is, Mom had been inquiring about Yan Huan ever since a few days before they arrived at Linyi Gate, and naturally, she relayed that information to Ye Shiyu. Furthermore, Mom had told her since childhood that she had a very good friend.

Ye Lan had said so much, and now facing him face-to-face, it felt as though Ye Shiyu was beginning to understand this young man a little.

He might indeed be an outstanding person, and his situation pitiful, but

Ye Shiyu’s hesitation was gradually devoured by something else, as she picked up her phone again and said to Yan Huan,

“Sit tight here, don’t move. When you wake up, you should forget everything that happens now, and then…”

“Sure.”

Once Yan Huan settled down, Ye Shiyu turned to leave, unlocking the door, stepping outside.

“Click.”

Yan Huan glanced at the door, stretching out his tingling body, waiting for the effects of the Modifier to completely wear off.

A few minutes later, the tingling sensation began to ebb away like a receding tide, precisely fifteen minutes since the hypnosis began.

In an instant, a new memory surfaced in his mind.

In the memory, Ye Shiyu came over to knock, and after he opened the door, she took out her phone to add him as a friend, casually chatting for a bit before turning to leave.

For some unknown reason, he felt slightly drowsy upon returning to his room, so he decided to sit and rest for a while but nearly dozed off.

In that drowsy state, he heard messages from Sakuraguchi Vice President coming in on his phone, but due to his overwhelming sleepiness, he rejected the call, sending a text that he would never typically send.

Following Sakuraguchi Vice President’s puzzled inquiry, he belatedly retracted it, and now he was fully awake.

Yan Huan mulled over the added memory, feeling somewhat startled.

The key point wasn’t just that Ye Shiyu’s Modifier could add memories; it was that this newly added memory felt thoroughly genuine, like something he could indeed do.

The memory perfectly masked the events of the past fifteen minutes, and Yan Huan realized that, without his resistance, he would have been completely unaware of any anomalies.

Unless an uninfluenced third party pointed out the contradictions between memory and reality, it was possible for an individual with an artificially generated memory to raise suspicion.

These Modifiers are ruthless.

Yan Huan’s expression turned serious as he examined his completely restored hand while sorting through the details of what had just occurred.

It seemed that Ye Shiyu didn’t want him to remain, or perhaps, she didn’t just want him to stay, but further, she even didn’t want him to interact with Ye Lan.

Hmm, if the Modifier relates to desire, then Ye Shiyu using it to hypnotize him must also be to satisfy some of her desires.

Desire, desire, huh?

Yan Huan unconsciously recalled what Aunt Chen had mentioned earlier: Ye Shiyu writes her name on everything.

He raised an eyebrow, a faint answer forming in his mind, but just then, there was another knock on the door.

“Bang, bang, bang~”

No way, another visitor?

Yan Huan steadied himself against the sofa and paused for a moment before asking,

“Who is it?”

“Little Huan, it’s Aunt Chen. I’ve warmed up some milk for you.”

“Coming.”

At her words, Yan Huan relaxed his body entirely and got up to open the door.

Outside, Aunt Chen was