Chapter 66: The Wartime Alliance of Ye Shiyu and Sakura Kyoko

Chapter 66: The Wartime Alliance of Ye Shiyu and Sakura Kyoko

Tuesday morning.

A pale girl dressed in a black academic-style long skirt walked emotionlessly towards the library.

With her tall figure, she carried a small bag and held just a phone in her hand.

Her beauty drew the attention of both male and female passersby like a magnet.

But with just a single glance, they would immediately retract their gazes due to her distant, cold demeanor.

This was Ye Shiyu from Class A of the second year.

Students who had not joined any clubs were invited by Sakura Kyoko to gather on the top floor of the school library in Seminar Room L502 to meet with various club recruiters.

As she pulled out her student ID from her small bag and was about to swipe in, the elevator doors began to close.

Inside, a boy and a girl were engaged in conversation.

“Wuwu, it was that Spencer who did this to me! Look at this, it hurts like hell.”

“Don’t worry, Bookworm, if she joins the track club, I’ll take it as my loss!”

“Eh? But didn’t the school say that all students must join a club? What if that—”

“Come on, it’s Club Battle season. Clubs competing for ranks aren’t planning to recruit anyone right now.”

The duo was Park Shuwen and Hua Zhaofeng.

“Oh, I see. Thanks a lot for standing up for me.”

“Not at all, who asked me to be a just guy? I can’t stand by when I see injustice. Oh ho!”

Hua Zhaofeng was so entranced by Park Shuwen’s voice that he didn’t notice the stunning girl walking towards the elevator until he instinctively caught the door, which had just begun to close.

Seeing this, Ye Shiyu nodded slightly and whispered, “Thank you.”

“No, thank you.”

Hua Zhaofeng’s face turned a little red as he sensed a floral scent enveloping him with the arrival of the tall girl into the elevator.

But Park Shuwen couldn’t help but click her tongue at Hua Zhaofeng, feeling a bit displeased with Ye Shiyu.

Although she never voiced it, Park Shuwen was quite sensitive about her appearance and felt a twinge of jealousy towards more beautiful girls.

Especially after getting walloped by Spencer and ending up with a swollen left cheek.

“…”

Ye Shiyu seemed to pick up on Park Shuwen’s subtle hostility and glanced at her with a flat expression.

A chilling wave of dread washed over Park Shuwen, making her face pale as she hurriedly averted her gaze.

This feeling of fear was no less than having faced Spencer that day, and yet Park Shuwen had no idea why.

“Ding dong~”

The fifth floor arrived, and Ye Shiyu stepped out first, while Hua Zhaofeng’s gaze lingered on her figure.

It wasn’t until Park Shuwen pinched his arm that he snapped back to reality and said, “Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t let Spencer join the track team!”

Mentioning this calmed Park Shuwen, who had been feeling gloomy.

“Then I’ll leave it to you~”

“Absolutely!”

Holding her phone, Ye Shiyu quickly spotted Sakura Kyoko waiting by the door of L502.

“Vice President Sakuraguchi.”

“Vice President.”

The two students passed by Ye Shiyu, greeting the petite vice president at the door before entering the classroom.

On the corridor outside, Ye Shiyu and Sakura Kyoko exchanged glances.

The tension from last Friday’s incident in the Student Council Office seemed to flare up again, making Ye Shiyu clutch her phone tightly as shadows began to radiate from her.

“…Where’s Little Huan?”

Ye Shiyu glanced into L502 but didn’t see Yan Huan, her brows knitting together.

Upon hearing this, Sakura Kyoko chuckled lightly, covering her mouth.

“Oh my, if I hadn’t heard others say that you and the president are siblings, I would have thought the president was the older brother, and you were the baby sister who can’t take care of herself, always needing someone to look after you.”

“This is our business, what right do you have to comment as an outsider?”

“Unfortunately, today isn’t the time for family matters; right now, it’s a Student Council affair, Senior Ye.”

“So? No matter what, siblings are siblings, and outsiders are outsiders.”

“…”

Sakura Kyoko’s forehead twitched with anger as veins started to bulge, while Ye Shiyu’s grip on her phone tightened silently.

Just as their confrontation was reaching a boiling point at the door of L502, the door of the adjacent L501 suddenly swung open.

Both girls turned their attention toward it, and out walked an utterly defeated Ya Qiao Mu.

“Ah, Vice President Sakuraguchi, I’m going to die… Hey, isn’t that the president’s sister?”

Last Monday, all Student Council members had seen Ye Shiyu and Yan Huan having lunch at the cafeteria.

Ye Shiyu nodded and pulled out a box of pastries from her small bag, saying to Ya Qiao Mu, “Hello. I’m looking for Little Huan, bringing him some snacks and also handling some club-related matters.”

Ya Qiao Mu broke into a smile, envy clear on his face as he said, “Wow, the president has such a beautiful and gentle sister who even brings him pastries. He must be thrilled.”

Ye Shiyu was taken slightly aback, remembering Yan Huan’s radiant smile when she had gifted him cookies. Was it possible that he actually enjoyed her gifts?

“Is that… really the case?”

Thinking back to Yan Huan’s warm expression when he looked at the gifts she had sent him, Ye Shiyu’s face flushed slightly, clearly flattered by Ya Qiao Mu’s words.

“What’s your name?”

“Oh, I’m Ya Qiao Mu, the accountant for the Student Council. Nice to meet you, Senior.”

Ya Qiao Mu, you’re quite something; thank you for spilling Little Huan’s secrets.

“Ye Shiyu, Class A of the second year.”

“Hehe, can I try a piece when the president eats?”

“Of course, no problem.”

Meanwhile, Sakura Kyoko maintained her smile, but the veins on her forehead were becoming more pronounced.

She smiled at Ya Qiao Mu and said, “Hey, Ya Qiao-kun, we’re about to have a meeting with the president, so let’s wait for a more suitable time to eat, shall we?”

“Huh? But this is a gift made by his sister! Just a little taste can’t hurt, right?”

Ya Qiao Mu waved his hand with a smile, totally oblivious to the ominous look on Sakura Kyoko’s face.

To her, he had become just like You Anli Na.

Ya Qiao-kun, it seems like you’re just like You Anli Na; the Student Council isn’t in need of someone like you~

Perhaps it’s time for you to transfer, somewhere far away!

As Ya Qiao Mu’s fate quietly changed, Yan Huan walked out of L501, wearing a similar mask of pain.

As soon as he emerged, he spotted Ye Shiyu standing beside Sakura Kyoko.

“…Sister Shiyu.”

He hesitated for a moment before breaking into a smile.

“~”

Ye Shiyu blinked, still expressionless, yet her demeanor radiated warmth like a thawing winter.

“Little Huan, I brought you some pastries.”

“Ah, thank you, Sister Shiyu.”

Yan Huan walked over to receive the small box that Ye Shiyu offered, glancing at the others as he expressed his gratitude, “Thanks a lot; I didn’t eat much this morning.”

He opened the box, revealing neatly arranged cookies inside.

After tasting one, he held out another piece to Ye Shiyu.

She blinked, watching him with the cookie in his mouth, a faint blush creeping onto her face as she stretched out her hand to accept the cookie he offered.

But the next moment, Yan Huan turned to Sakura Kyoko with a smile and said, “Mmm, Sakura?”

“Oh? I don’t need any, President.”

“Just have a little; you’re not a breakfast person anyway, right? You complained about your stomach hurting before.”

“Eh? Thank you, President!”

Ye Shiyu’s slightly flushed face suddenly stiffened, and she turned to Sakura Kyoko, whose earlobes were reddening in disbelief, as shadows crept around her.

Little Huan knows so much about this Vice President Sakura?

And all her cookies were meant for Little Huan! At most, she would give a piece to that sweet-tongued Ya Qiao Mu.

Now, he’s sharing her cookies with this girl she despises?!

This was undoubtedly…

“Here, Ya Qiao.”

“Thank you, President! Thank you, Senior!”

Ye Shiyu took a gentle bite of a cookie while Sakura Kyoko shot a menacing glance her way.

Almost made Ye Shiyu blush.

Hypnosis.

The screen of her phone flashed with a ghostly purple hue, but the rising unease hadn’t even settled when a girl’s voice from L501 rang out, “What are you eating that’s so good? Give me a piece!”

Just as Ya Qiao Mu was about to grab a cookie, a fair hand shot in like lightning and snatched it away.

“Hey! Who do you think you are? The President hasn’t even agreed to let you eat!”

“Huh? It’s just a piece of cookie! What’s the big deal? It’s not a precious item that needs to be held with reverence! Wuwu!”

Outside the door, the girl who had just snatched the “precious cookie,” Ye Shiyu, froze alongside Sakura Kyoko.

They both looked towards the entrance.

What they saw was a golden-haired beauty dressed in a sporty T-shirt and a light windbreaker standing between the exasperated Ya Qiao Mu and the frowning Yan Huan.

She casually devoured the cookie, completely indifferent to the chaos she had caused.

The next moment, it seemed she felt two piercing gazes upon her.

With a slight pause, she glanced up, meeting the eyes of two girls waiting outside.

One was the object of Yan Huan’s affection, Sakura Kyoko.

The other was his close older sister, Ye Shiyu.

Spencer briefly halted munching on her cookie, but it wasn’t due to the pressure from the two girls’ combined glares.

Instead, she was only more thrilled.

“Hey.”

The golden lengths of hair atop her head shone brightly, resembling the mane of a lion, while forming into two antenna-like tufts.

An invisible wave radiated outward, causing Yan Huan, who had intended to stop her from taking the cookies, to freeze in place.

What’s the big deal about a few cookies?

No matter whether they were made by Sister Shiyu or some world-class chef, was there really a need to be possessive?

This thought quickly crossed the minds of everyone present.

Spencer snatched a few more cookies, grinning wickedly as she chewed with delight.

One of her hands casually rested on Yan Huan’s shoulder as she said nonchalantly, “Thanks for the treat! Whether it’s the cookie or just your personal tutoring session, Yan President.”

Ya Qiao Mu blinked, completely unaware of the subtle undertone, even going so far as to dismiss her cookie theft.

He merely muttered, “Wait, didn’t I just help you with math earlier?”

Ye Shiyu and Sakura Kyoko watched as Spencer placed her hand on Yan Huan’s shoulder, their minds churning with the same unsettling realization.

Oh, so she was just getting tutoring earlier.

That’s normal, right? Just a way to express gratitude by placing a hand on Little Huan’s shoulder.

What nonsense!!

Both girls were momentarily stunned, snapping out of this bizarre line of thought.

A wave of disgust welled up inside them, and both their expressions turned icy.

Sakura Kyoko maintained her composed smile, but her eyes had turned completely frigid.

Ye Shiyu’s reaction was far more intense and apparent.

Her phone lit up instantly, and a thick shadow of illusion began to rise around her.

“Roar!”

The spectral black cat, which always perched on Yan Huan’s shoulder, suddenly manifested, puffed up and growling at Ye Shiyu, who walked toward them.

Here it begins, the hunt is on!

Yan Huan’s pupils contracted; he could feel the never-before-felt terrifying pressure emanating from Ye Shiyu without needing Meow-chan’s warning.

Ye Shiyu’s hostility towards Spencer exceeded all expectations!

Of course, given Ye Shiyu’s tendency to write names on everything, encountering someone like Spencer, who took everything by force, was a recipe for disaster!

If left unchecked, she might actually use hypnosis in front of everyone!

What?

There are bystanders?

Does the current APP only work on a single target?

Hmph!

I don’t care!

All the Minotaurs in this world must perish!!

Modifier full-blown, activate!!

This was the most likely course of events that Yan Huan could imagine.

With that thought, he immediately engaged his perfect expression management ability.

His already displeased expression grew even colder, and with a casual shake, he flicked Spencer’s hand off his shoulder.

Her balance shifted, and the moment she opened her mouth to protest, she caught sight of Yan Huan frowning at her.

“Who allowed you to eat? Are we close enough for this?”

“Hah?”

Spencer crossed her arms nonchalantly, looking at Yan Huan with a dismissive scoff, muttering, “It’s just a few cookies. If it’s too much, I can just pay you for them, right?”

Just as Ye Shiyu made her way over to confront Spencer, Sakura Kyoko caught a glimmer in her eye and unexpectedly pulled Ye Shiyu back.

This pull caused Sakura Kyoko to shift a distance backward.

“…”

Ye Shiyu turned to her with an expressionless face, puzzled.

But Sakura Kyoko had no intention of sparking a battle; she simply glanced at Ye Shiyu.

Then, with a slight smile, she turned to Spencer and said, “She hasn’t eaten much, and her brain is a bit slow—how pitiful. Just let her have a little, okay?”

“Hah?!”

Yan Huan finally realized that Spencer was very sensitive about being called stupid.

She turned red at the slightest mention; it was evident.

With Yan Huan openly insulting Spencer and Sakura Kyoko subtly mocking her, the situation left the poised Ye Shiyu feeling utterly lost.

That golden-haired girl…

She was the one who had inexplicably tried to snatch the keychain outside the Ocean Mansion before.

For some reason, Ye Shiyu felt an instinctive extreme aversion toward her.

But this Sakura Kyoko…

Ye Shiyu halted her steps, turning back to share a brief look with Sakura Kyoko before they mutually averted their gazes.

A temporary alliance~

Although Sakura Kyoko had already devised a cunning plan to completely eliminate Spencer, she still had her super ability, which had just influenced Ye Shiyu’s thoughts.

Considering that they could team up to tackle their primary issue, it wasn’t entirely unthinkable.

Thus, their shared glance seemed to convey:

“First, should we take down Spencer together?”

“Deal.”

Unbeknownst to the confused Ya Qiao Mu, the temperature within the corridor seemed to drop several degrees in an instant.

He shivered as he glanced left at the fierce red-hot lion and right at the two cold-faced beauties.

I… I just wanted a piece of cookie!!

But with the current atmosphere, he felt it best not to speak up.

Fortunately, just then, the door to Seminar Room L502 opened, and a club recruiter poked his head out, smiling at Sakura Kyoko, “Vice President Sakuraguchi, are we ready to begin?”

“Yeah, no problem. We’ll be right in.”

Thank goodness!

Seeing the stifling atmosphere finally dissipate, Ya Qiao Mu dashed toward L502 like a person who had nearly suffocated, gasping for air.

“Hahaha, I’ll head into the classroom first. You all are coming in too, right? Haha!”

Let’s just wrap this up and get back to class, I’m begging you all!

The battle had temporarily cooled, and the rigid atmosphere began to flow again.

Sakura Kyoko smiled as she walked toward the classroom, saying to Yan Huan, “President, shall we go?”

“Alright, you guys go in first.”

Yan Huan shot a glance at Spencer and unceremoniously replied, “You should join us, go grab the study materials we prepared for you in L501.”

“Sure, Yan President.”

She nodded impatiently before turning to head into the classroom.

Then, Yan Huan handed the remaining cookies to Ye Shiyu with a smile, saying, “Sister Shiyu, you go in first. I’ll just head to the restroom.”

“Me…”

Ye Shiyu was about to suggest, “I’ll go with you,” but Sakura Kyoko smiled and glanced inside the classroom, seeming to indicate she had something to say.

“…Okay, Little Huan, you go ahead.”

After a brief thought, Ye Shiyu decided to enter the classroom with Sakura Kyoko to hear what she planned to discuss.

Once everyone else had entered Seminar Room L502, Yan Huan turned to the other end towards the restroom.

“That was close, meow.”

The corridor was eerily quiet, typical for a library just before the first lesson of the morning; generally, no one would come unless something was afoot.

Yan Huan entered the male restroom and rinsed his hands in front of the mirror, cleaning off the grease from the cookies.

He exhaled, relaying to Meow-chan in his mind, “The modifier seems to choose its host with purpose; it’s not merely about having desires.”

“Meow-chan, don’t you think the effects provided by these modifiers align closely with certain character traits of theirs?”

Meow-chan replied cutely, “Meow,” and said, “That’s right, meow. These hosts are meticulously selected by the modifiers. They’re drawn to specific flaws in their characters that give rise to desires, which can sometimes lead to contradictions.”

“Yan Huan, this may just be my speculation, meow: Although these modifiers all come from the same place, they’re not in cahoots.”

“Rather, it seems like they hold an animosity toward each other that’s just as strong as their greed for you.”

Listening to Meow-chan’s words, Yan Huan narrowed his eyes.

Is that so…

He dried his hands, pondering over Meow-chan’s insights when suddenly a golden-haired silhouette with a mischievous grin invaded his line of sight.

Spencer stood before him, exuding an overwhelming pressure as she locked her gaze onto him.

Yan Huan furrowed his brow, saying, “Spencer? This is the men’s…”

“Bang!”

Before he could finish, Spencer suddenly closed the distance.

In the astonished gaze of Yan Huan, she gently pressed her hand on his chest, pushing him back against the wall.

One hand held his wrist, while the other pressed against the wall beside his ear, fully enclosing him.

“Geez.”

The muscles he had trained the previous night ached, and he instinctively gasped, staring at Spencer, who was now so close he could almost feel her breath.

“Meow?!”

Meow-chan yelped in shock, glancing at Spencer, who wore a grin and was eyeing Yan Huan like a predator.

Then, she licked her lips, revealing her distinctive fangs.

With a pale yet charismatic face tinted faintly pink, she tilted her head, allowing the restroom’s lights to catch the ends of her beautiful golden curls.

The scent of her shampoo wafted through the air, lending an astonishingly pleasant aroma like a sporty body wash.

That fragrance lodged itself vividly in Yan Huan’s mind.

Quickly regaining his composure, the proximity brought forth thoughts that were entirely different from those concerning modifiers or anything else.

It was the first time he earnestly assessed this stunning, dashing, golden-haired girl.

“…Compensation?”

In the silence, he cleared his throat before speaking.