Chapter 71: The Timid Battle Against the White Snake: Little Pinky
Hearing Yan Huan refer to Ye Shiyu, An Le was momentarily taken aback, carefully scrutinizing the tall girl standing by the table.
“Sister Shiyu?”
What a beautiful sister, but her expression seems a bit… unsettling?
“Chilling?”
Little Pinky glanced at Ye Shiyu standing aside and wondered, “This girl looks a bit familiar. Haven’t I seen her in Classroom L502 this morning?”
Little Pinky was filled with curiosity, while An Le just felt puzzled.
But for Yan Huan, it felt like his heart was about to leap out of his chest.
Fortunately, he had mastered the art of perfect expression management and managed to keep his face neutral. He attempted to remain calm and smiled gently at Ye Shiyu, inviting her, “Sister Shiyu, have you eaten lunch? If not, would you like to join us?”
Ye Shiyu looked at Yan Huan, paused for a moment, and then replied, “Sure.”
“Welcome!”
The waitress just brought out the lunch Yan Huan and An Le ordered and greeted Ye Shiyu.
She sat beside Yan Huan, and the fragrant curry pork cutlet rice was placed on the table.
Ye Shiyu glanced at it, then lifted her phone to scan the QR code on the table.
She seemed to have little appetite, casually picking a dessert.
After placing her order, Ye Shiyu put her phone back on the table and turned to An Le.
Just as she was about to speak, Yan Huan, stirring the curry sauce with a spoon, took the initiative to introduce, “Sister Shiyu, this is An Le, a good friend I’ve known since we lived in the South District.”
“Hello.”
An Le timidly nodded, greeting Ye Shiyu.
“This is Ye Shiyu, who just arrived at Linyi Gate not long ago. I usually call her Sister Shiyu.”
Seeing that An Le was still confused about her relationship with Ye Shiyu, Yan Huan added more context about Ye Lan and his late mother, finally clarifying things for An Le.
Ye Shiyu sneaked a glance at Yan Huan, who appeared noble and composed, then turned her gaze to the blushing An Le and said, “Hello.”
“Ah, hi. Um, Sister Shiyu.”
An Le smiled slightly, trying hard to express goodwill towards Ye Shiyu by mimicking how Yan Huan addressed her.
“Buzz.”
Unbeknownst to her, once she spoke, Ye Shiyu’s gaze turned increasingly alien.
The previous conversation made Ye Shiyu envision a scene: Yan Huan introducing his future wife to his family.
“Sister Shiyu, this is An Le. An Le, this is Ye Shiyu, the daughter of my mother’s best friend.”
“Ah, Ye Senior, nice to meet you.”
“Still calling her Ye Senior? From now on, we’re family, so you should call her Sister Shiyu.”
That didn’t seem so bad, right?
After all, from another perspective, it also showed that Little Huan saw her as family, as an older sister.
But Ye Shiyu’s inner desire… no, or rather her truest thought, was whether she regarded Little Huan as family or solely as her possession.
If she considered him family, shouldn’t she maintain some distance?
Even the closest parent-child relationships need a bit of space.
But Ye Shiyu couldn’t fathom accepting even that slightest distance, even when their relationship had grown so intimate.
Little Huan’s previous kindness had to be because he saw her as family, right?
Aside from that, he showed kindness to other friends, elders, childhood companions… even to lovers.
Reason told Ye Shiyu that wanting to completely control Little Huan’s affections for others and funnel them all to herself was wrong.
But her greed told her…
“It’s okay, you have the APP; such thoughts are quite natural.”
Thinking this, Ye Shiyu expressionlessly shot a glance at An Le and softly said, “Call me Senior.”
“Eh? Oh, right. Sorry, Ye Senior.”
An Le awkwardly smiled, biting her lip and lowering her head to eat, trying to appear busy.
Yan Huan glanced at Ye Shiyu, and felt compelled to add, “Sister Shiyu isn’t very good at socializing, but she’s actually not hard to get along with. There’s no need to be so formal, An Le.”
Damn it, now his words to Ye Shiyu were starting to mirror what Ye Lan Auntie might say.
Except Ye Lan probably had a motherly lens toward Ye Shiyu, believing what she said was the truth.
And he knew Ye Shiyu was a dangerously cunning individual, so this was merely “to handle the modifier.”
“Ah, is that so?”
An Le forced a smile, but Ye Shiyu did adjust her expression slightly due to Yan Huan’s words, making her appear less frosty.
Little Pinky was increasingly dissatisfied with the naturally hostile Ye Shiyu. It flicked its tongue, patting An Le’s shoulder and loudly declared, “What’s with her attitude? Why’s her gaze so fierce? Let’s see if she’s honest or not with a little modifier magic!”
“Maybe she’s just naturally cold? I mean, I don’t know her well, so calling her the same way as Little Huan does seem a bit rude.”
“Rude my foot! I bet she’s got a grudge from seeing you and Yan Huan holding hands!”
“Really?”
“Hehe.”
Little Pinky smirked but didn’t answer, its meaning was clear.
As the smartest Pinky, it firmly believed in its sixth sense.
Spencer was like this, and now Ye Shiyu was too.
Do they currently have any concrete evidence proving otherwise?
No.
But based on experience, Little Pinky’s strong premonitions generally turned out to be correct.
“Well, let’s test the waters. Why not mention something you and Little Huan did when you were younger?”
“Something intimate?”
An Le didn’t intend to challenge Ye Shiyu, but she was genuinely curious about what Little Pinky said.
Did the other side also view Little Huan in such a light?
After brewing over it a bit, just before Yan Huan could steer the conversation towards lighter topics, she boldly asked, “Since Sister Ye has just arrived at Linyi Gate, you must have been living in Dragon Kingdom before, right?”
Ye Shiyu expressionlessly nodded, “Yeah.”
“Which city were you in in Dragon Kingdom?”
“Pencheng.”
Yan Huan glanced at Ye Shiyu, learning for the first time where she had studied before.
An Le bit her lip, contemplating for a while before finally saying softly, “I just returned to Linyi Gate from Yongzhou, but I was born here in Linyi. Back then, I played with Little Huan every day and often invited him over to sleep over and all.”
Yan Huan felt his heart go “crack,” yet he calmly added, “That was ages ago.”
Meanwhile, Ye Shiyu’s expression remained unchanged, her eyes fixed intently on An Le’s face.
Clearly, Yan Huan’s attempt to downplay things had no effect, and An Le’s probing had achieved its purpose.
Two points.
An Le also called Yan Huan “Little Huan.”
And, they had even slept together as kids?
Feeling that terrifying gaze, An Le couldn’t help but believe a little of what Little Pinky had said.
This Senior Ye truly had a soft spot for Little Huan…
“See! See! Told you so? Look at her eyes?! Isn’t it just like I said?! Hmph! To deal with that romantic rival, just use the ability I gave you, and it’ll be a piece of cake!”
Little Pinky was gleefully convinced it was right, disdainfully glancing at Ye Shiyu and preparing to incite An Le to use her modifier.
Before it could finish, it suddenly spotted Ye Shiyu’s phone lighting up on the table.
To outsiders, it seemed like a mere reaction to a touch or face, displaying the lock screen.
But in Little Pinky’s view, the phone screen revealed a whirlpool of deep purple.
And further, that dark purple whirlpool seemed to spin faster and faster…
Eventually, it appeared to form a gaping maw, roaring and ready to swallow it whole.
That was…
“Whoa!!”
Little Pinky seemed to recognize something terrifying, its previously cocky expression froze in an instant, its whole body tensed up.
It quickly darted behind An Le, biting her collar and yelling, “Run, An Le! Hurry! Don’t eat that! Run!!”
“Eh? Wh-what’s happening?”
An Le looked confused at the suddenly frightened Little Pinky, unsure what was going on with it.
Little Pinky stared blankly at her but didn’t know how to explain.
“Ugh, just don’t worry about it! I… I’m feeling a bit off! Just—hurry and run.”
“Feeling off?”
Though Little Pinky frequently teased her, An Le had unconsciously taken this talking little snake, who appeared with super abilities, as a potential friend she could confide in.
And for friends, An Le had always been very considerate.
She nervously glanced at Yang Huan and Ye Shiyu, saying carefully, “Um, Little Huan, Sister Ye, I have something to take care of…”
Yan Huan was momentarily surprised; a huge weight lifted off his chest.
He had been desperately looking for a reason to wrap up the meal and part ways soon.
At this point, Ye Shiyu felt like a ticking time bomb, with her time before An Le set to explode.
The problem was An Le also possessed a modifier. If they ended up in some sort of divine duel, it would be the ordinary one, himself, who’d suffer.
Now things worked out nicely; An Le planned to leave, and Yan Huan had a perfect excuse to follow suit.
Glancing at her anxious expression, it was evident that she indeed had matters to handle, prompting him to say, “Alright then, see you later.”
“Okay, I’ll go now.”
An Le stood up and left, and Yan Huan subtly sighed in relief. Ye Shiyu had just slightly hesitated in reaching for her phone.
Her gaze followed An Le’s departing back, seemingly lost in thought.
“Excuse me, your dessert has arrived.”
At that moment, the dessert she ordered arrived, snapping her out of contemplation.
“Thank you.”
She said to the attendant, then picked up a small spoon.
An Le quickly whisked Little Pinky away from the commercial street, arriving at the Forest Park adjacent to it.
This park was vast, with an artificial lake at its center, so it didn’t seem crowded at all.
Strictly speaking, this Forest Park and the surrounding commercial area were under the jurisdiction of Far Moon Academy, but the park had other entrances that allowed citizens to enter, though it rarely happened.
Finding a quiet spot with no one around, An Le nervously crouched down, placing Little Pinky on the ground.
“Little Pinky, are you okay? What happened earlier? Please don’t scare me.”
After distancing from Ye Shiyu, Little Pinky’s extreme discomfort gradually eased, but it still appeared shaken.
It glanced at An Le but fell silent, unsure how to explain.
“Do I tell her about the other fingers being present and that they are competing?”
But the divine being had mentioned that she could only be informed of other fingers when the host discovered their existence.
The other fingers didn’t face such a dilemma, as they couldn’t even communicate with the host.
Each finger blessed by the divine being, aside from the base modifier effects, had been additionally gifted special abilities.
For instance, Little Pinky had been endowed with supreme wisdom and the capacity to shatter the effect resistances of the other fingers.
Though it couldn’t compare to those numerical freaks in effects, Little Pinky believed that wisdom was the greatest power.
So, c’mon, think of a way, Little Pinky!
That Ye Shiyu harbored an extremely terrifying Index Finger.
Little Pinky glanced at An Le, softly asking, “An Le, do you think it’s possible for us to, um, not like Yan Huan for now? What if you picked someone else to like?”
Facing Ye Shiyu, the once-fearless Little Pinky had turned into a hesitant little snake, deciding to play it safe.
But as expected, An Le was slightly taken aback before silently shaking her head.
Not because of the other person’s looks or talent; her future seemed limitless.
She lowered her gaze, suddenly recalling a childhood spent in isolation, with only Little Huan choosing to be with her.
From Linyi Gate to Dragon Kingdom and back.
She had always been weak, even Spencer often showed his disdain.
But only Little Huan would accept her, looking at her with gentle eyes.
“Little Pinky, I…”
Seeing her like this, even though the words remained unspoken, Little Pinky could already guess the answer.
“Oh my God, what are we going to do now?”
There was definitely no way to defeat that supermodel freak.
Little Pinky could almost feel that Ye Shiyu hadn’t even used her modifier much, probably still at level 1, but the pressure she emitted was still staggering.
Additionally, the divine being’s gifts to the Index Finger were fearsome.
If the modifier failed, what about the host?
Little Pinky glanced at this weak, timid An Le, feeling increasingly hopeless.
Look at that Ye Shiyu, looking ready to devour someone.
She had figured out the concept of the modifier so thoroughly, with an air that screamed “I’m the boss here,” making the Index Finger serve her well.
Now, look at An Le…
Well, from modifiers to hosts, they were totally outmatched—maybe it’s a 15 to 1 ratio!
“So, what’s wrong with you, Little Pinky? Didn’t you say you were unwell? What’s bothering you?”
“My heart aches.”
Little Pinky lethargically lay on the ground, glancing at the worried An Le, as it weakly responded.
“So, were you asking about the incident involving Park Shuwen bullying her earlier?”
In the commercial street, after finishing their meal, Yan Huan and Ye Shiyu strolled through the bustling crowd.
Having heard Yan Huan’s explanation, Ye Shiyu blinked and asked, “So that Spencer, he’s the one who caused a scene at the Ocean Mansion entrance?”
Ye Shiyu recalled the terrifying power of the golden-haired lion from this morning and seemed to have a deeper understanding of how he talked down to other students.
The moment Spencer stood next to Little Huan reminded her made her feel a bit nauseous.
And how strange it was that someone like him was friends with An Le?
Birds of a feather.
“Yeah, that guy’s personality had always been odd enough to leave a lasting impression, so I didn’t expect to run into him here.”
Adding her explanation, they’d likely manage to navigate through this situation, right?
Yan Huan smiled on the surface, though a heavy stone in his heart hadn’t lifted.
His earlier actions to escape Ye Lan’s house indeed gave Ye Shiyu’s modifier a heavy blow, but it seemed he hadn’t considered a sustainable resolution for it.
This seemed to have boosted his favorability a bit too much, causing a somewhat subtle change in Ye Shiyu’s view of him.
But the issue was, Ye Shiyu felt like a ticking time bomb. No matter how cautious he was, once it came to dealing with the modifiers, he’d inevitably have to confront those hosts, right?
Just saying a few words felt so oppressive; next time, if he let her encounter yet another improper modifier, she’d certainly explode.
The future seemed utterly bleak…
He had to think of a way.
Yan Huan glanced at Ye Shiyu, whose expression gradually returned to normal. He hadn’t formed any methods yet, but one thought in his mind grew more resolute:
He absolutely could not let Ye Shiyu use her modifier on him again.
It would trigger a CG, for sure.
“By the way, Little Huan.”
At that moment, the eerily calm yet terrifying voice of Ye Shiyu cut in,
“The email the Student Council sent me regarding the club, I didn’t quite understand. Can you help me take a look?”
“Um…”
Yan Huan maintained his smile but forced himself not to look at her phone screen.
Guess what was on the phone screen? Was it really an email or a purple whirlpool?
He didn’t dare to guess; he simply said, “Oh, it should just be because of how that guy Spencer caused a ruckus this morning, which resulted in a few students not joining the clubs. So they are notifying us of the new meeting time.”
“That does seem to be it.”
Ye Shiyu nodded and withdrew her phone.
Yan Huan sighed in relief and turned his attention back ahead, saying, “Sister Shiyu, how about we grab some milk tea to take back? There’s not much happening in the afternoon’s workshop class; I think they’ll just cover some theory.”
“Sure.”
Ye Shiyu blinked, but suddenly pointed to the side, “Little Huan, look at that cute thing on the TV!”
“What?”
TV?
Yan Huan was briefly taken aback, turning to look at a promotional TV set outside a nearby shop.
The TV was airing an advertisement for “Angry Birds,” but as Yan Huan turned, the image abruptly filled with a surreal static.
Then, in Yan Huan’s eyes, it transformed into a purple whirlpool.
What the actual hell?!!!
It could do that too?!!!
The moment he saw that whirlpool, Yan Huan instinctively attempted to avert his gaze.
But clearly, it was too late.
A familiar tingling sensation, along with immense disbelief, washed over Yan Huan’s body.
His previously lively eyes gradually lost their sparkle, turning dull, his expression becoming as dazed as a marionette.
And from behind, an emotionless Ye Shiyu seemed to emanate the answer to this strange phenomenon.
[Modifier Level 1→2]
[APP Effect: Individual Hypnosis, Three Times a Week, Each Lasting 20 Minutes]
[When you hold the phone, and it has power, you can use any electronic device with a screen within a 5-meter radius as a medium for releasing the APP.]
[When activating the APP with this method, others except your target will remain unaware of any changes on the screen.]
[APP Activated]
[Effect: Individual Hypnosis]
[Duration: 20 Minutes]
[Timing, Start.]
No way, girl…
Yan Huan had calculated every possible variable, but he never anticipated that Ye Shiyu’s damn hypnosis APP would upgrade so inexplicably at such a crucial moment!?
And Ye Shiyu, seeing Yan Huan standing still, revealed a hint of excitement on her otherwise expressionless face.
She glanced around to ensure no one else was nearby, then quietly said to Yan Huan, “Little Huan, let’s go somewhere where there’s no one else.”
At her command, the tingling sensation coursing through him shifted to one of submission to Ye Shiyu’s orders.
“Yes.”
