Mature Fantasy Power Invasion

Chapter 10

When you lost something as a child, how did your parents react?

If it wasn't anything important, they might scold you for being careless and remind you to be more careful next time.

But if it was something serious—like a house key or a bank card—then a stir-fried bamboo shoot with pork combo plus a mixed double beatdown was probably inevitable.

(*) Note for line 4: "Stir-fried bamboo shoot with pork combo" is a humorous metaphor for getting punished physically, referencing a typical home-cooked dish in Asian households.

Of course, every family is different—this was just how Yan Huan remembered it.

In any case, no parent would normally drive all the way back to the mall just to find a lost keychain, especially without uttering a single word of blame.

Yet, Ye Lan really did just that.

After hearing Ye Shiyu’s request, she had the driver turn the car around and head back to the mall where they had eaten earlier.

As soon as the car stopped, Ye Shiyu jumped out, even forgetting the jacket she'd taken off earlier because of the heater.

Yan Huan glanced at the jacket, quietly picked it up, and got out of the car as well.

Once outside, Ye Lan exchanged a few words with the driver. It seemed the driver wanted to help search too, but Ye Lan told her to head back first.

After a bit of back and forth, the car finally drove away.

Although the mall still sparkled with lights around eight or nine in the early spring evening, a slight chill lingered in the air.

Draped in a shawl and walking in high heels, Ye Lan gave a helpless smile to Yan Huan, who was walking ahead.

"Let’s go. Xiaohuan, help Shiyu look around, will you? She’ll probably retrace the path we took today, trying to recall everything, right?"

'Retrace the route we took today, huh...'

Yan Huan blinked and looked ahead at Ye Shiyu, who was walking far in front of them.

She stood at the edge of the mall, staring at the distant aquarium. Its lights were now off, blending into the night, as she stood there lost in thought.

"Shiyu-sis."

Hearing Yan Huan’s voice, she turned her head expressionlessly and looked at the clothes he held out.

"It’s getting cold tonight—put this on."

She glanced at Yan Huan’s hand holding the jacket. His fingers happened to touch the spot where her name tag was affixed.

"Thank you."

After a slight pause, she took the jacket but didn’t put it on.

Yan Huan didn’t press the issue. Instead, he moved to her side and thoughtfully asked,

"Shiyu-sis, do you remember the last time you opened your bag? Was it inside the aquarium or somewhere else in the mall?"

"I didn’t open it again after I bought the keychain today."

"Ah?"

Yan Huan raised an eyebrow and looked at Ye Shiyu, who sounded very certain after thinking it through.

"Could your bag have had a leak or something?"

Ye Shiyu picked up her handbag, inspected it carefully, and shook her head.

"No."

'That’s strange...'

'A paranormal event, maybe?'

He had clearly seen her put the keychain—name tag and all—into her bag this morning. Or maybe she had opened it again at some point and just forgot?

"...The aquarium’s already closed. I’ll search along the route back to the mall."

Ye Shiyu’s expression turned a bit cold. Holding onto the jacket, she turned and walked off.

Seeing this, Yan Huan and Ye Lan had no choice but to follow her, retracing the path they had taken at noon.

[Dear guests, the mall will be closing in twenty minutes. Please leave the premises promptly unless you are in the cinema area.]

[At that time, please take Elevator 7A located in the seventh-floor cinema to reach the first floor or the underground parking lot. All other elevators will be shut down.]

The announcement echoed through the mall. The seven-story building gradually dimmed its lights, and the sound of shop gates closing and shutters rolling down rang out one after another.

As Yan Huan descended the second-floor escalator, he saw Ye Lan sitting on a bench on the first floor. She had taken off her high heels and was rubbing her ankles.

Her long dress spread out like petals, and a hint of exhaustion showed in her eyes.

Seeing Yan Huan approach, she looked up and smiled.

"How did it go, Xiaohuan? Did you find it?"

Yan Huan shook his head.

"We’ve searched several times already. I even checked the lost and found and asked the staff, but no one’s seen it. We split up and still couldn’t find it."

"Hmm, that’s really strange."

Ye Lan pursed her lips, moved her heels slightly aside, and patted the seat next to her.

"You must be tired. Come sit and rest for a bit. Thank you, Xiaohuan. You came out to have fun, and I ended up making you run around helping your sister look for something."

"It’s nothing. Besides, we already had fun today, Aunt."

Yan Huan sat down beside Ye Lan, watching her hug her knees as she massaged her calves and feet.

At that moment, her ankles had turned red—after all, she had walked all day in high heels. That was probably why she let the two of them go search on their own while she rested.

Yan Huan sighed and glanced around the gradually quieting mall, his eyes flickering slightly.

Meanwhile, Ye Lan looked at his profile, resting her chin on her hand, and suddenly asked,

"Xiaohuan, don’t you think this is a bit much?"

"Too much?"

Yan Huan snapped back to reality and looked at Ye Lan, who was still smiling.

"To go back and search for a whole hour over a tiny keychain—doesn’t that sound kind of dumb?"

"Not really."

Yan Huan blinked and said,

"Honestly, I thought you’d bring a whole team, reopen the aquarium after hours, and have a small army help Shiyu-sis look for it."

Ye Lan covered her mouth, laughing.

"Now that’s too much!"

"Is it? That’s how it always goes in novels."

Yan Huan smiled slightly, then struck a pose like a domineering CEO, dramatically pointing and commanding,

"If you can’t find her item, you’ll all be buried with it!"

*Hahahaha!*

Ye Lan burst into laughter, clutching her stomach while her toes wiggled in the air.

"That was spot on—you should really be a movie star, Xiaohuan~"

Yan Huan smiled back, and Ye Lan reached out to knock on his head, scolding playfully,

"Still, it’s just a keychain—how could I waste that much manpower on it?"

Yan Huan held his head and dodged her not-so-hard pink fist.

"That’s why I said it only happens in novels. But Aunt, you’re not so different from those CEOs who drop millions in an hour. Willing to spend time looking for a cheap keychain—that’s basically the same spirit, isn’t it?"

That made Ye Lan smile even more. She reached out and ruffled Yan Huan’s hair without messing it up.

"Shiyu rarely loses things. If no one messes with her stuff, she pretty much never makes mistakes. It might seem like a hassle, but this has only happened a few times. And as you’ve probably noticed, aside from dolls, her favorite thing is jellyfish."

"Yeah, but we also checked the security footage just now—no strangers ever got close to her bag."

"Exactly, which is why this is so strange. Maybe she really did drop it in the aquarium by mistake? But I’d never bother anyone else over something like this."

Ye Lan grinned, patting his head as she said,

"The item she lost is very important—it’s something she treasures, something she labeled with her name. I know that once she puts her name on something, it can’t just be replaced. But that’s how it is for her and me."

"To others, it’s just a cheap keychain."

"I’m willing to come back and help her find it because I’m her mother. What’s special to her is special to me too. That kind of value can’t be measured by money. Besides, there wasn’t anything else going on tonight anyway."

"How could I possibly ask others to spend their weekend night running around over something just because it’s special to me... So, Xiaohuan, thank you for staying out with us so late—it really means a lot to Aunt."

Yan Huan didn’t really mind—if anything, going home late helped him avoid getting sneak-attacked by Ye Shiyu’s Hypnosis.

(*) Note for line 84: "Hypnosis" here humorously refers to a persistent request or stare that’s hard to resist.

But now, the air around them was gradually warming. Maybe it was Ye Lan’s smile.

"No wonder that driver Liu said she wanted to help, but Aunt turned her down."

"Yeah. Her job was just to drive us home after dinner. Since her shift was over, she should get proper rest. So let’s just take a taxi home later~"

It was technically overtime for the driver today. She only needed to bring Ye Lan in the morning and pick her up in the evening, yet still got paid for a full day of overtime.

For some reason, hearing Ye Lan say that made Yan Huan feel a little teary-eyed.

Maybe it was because, in his past life, he’d died from overwork. Hearing someone say they wouldn’t make others work past their normal hours... it gave him this strange feeling of, 'Why didn’t I meet someone like you sooner?'

"Aunt, if I ever get the chance, I definitely want to work for you."

Moved by the moment, Yan Huan said it with complete seriousness.

'If Aunt would have me, I’d be honored to serve under her.'

*Hahahaha.*

Ye Lan was once again amused by Yan Huan’s serious face. She affectionately ruffled his hair and said,

"With how capable you are, Xiaohuan, it shouldn’t be hard. But don’t regret it later, okay? Because aside from being lenient in this one area, Aunt’s not so nice in others—hehe."

"..."

Seeing Ye Lan’s smile suddenly turn a little sinister, Yan Huan wondered if he’d spoken too soon.

But he was only a first-year high school student—there was no rush to make career decisions yet. It was fine to keep dreaming about all the paths he could take.

Kind of like saying, "Grandma, Grandpa, I want to be an astronaut when I grow up."

Just then, as Ye Lan ruffled Yan Huan's hair, Ye Shiyu descended the escalator with a blank face and a sour expression.

The result was obvious—she still hadn't found it.

Seeing her like that, Yan Huan stood up and offered,

"Shiyu-sis, how about I go back up and check one more time?"

Ye Shiyu glanced at him, then shifted her gaze toward Ye Lan, who was rubbing her sore feet.

Her mother had been walking around all day in high heels, and she herself had been searching for quite a while too.

Besides, it was just a keychain. Even if she really liked it, losing it—or giving it away—shouldn't have been the end of the world.

Yet as that thought crossed her mind, her brows furrowed slightly. It had come out of nowhere, completely unbidden.

The idea was faint, just a passing thought, but she had always treasured her belongings dearly.

Ye Shiyu had lost things before, but for her mother's sake, she would usually give up the search to avoid troubling anyone.

However—

She had never felt so indifferent about losing something she loved. If anything, she usually felt deep regret.

And because of that strange thought, which came out of nowhere, her expression had turned cold and furious, as though she were physically ill.

Suddenly, the phone in her hand lit up—this time, with an ominous deep purple glow.

Yan Huan raised an eyebrow at the sight.

'Is she... angry?'

'Just because she lost that keychain?'

'But why did the modifier activate too? Losing something shouldn't trigger Hypnosis, right?'

(*) Modifier and Hypnosis likely refer to supernatural or sci-fi elements in the story.

Noticing her dark expression, Ye Lan quickly put her heels back on, fastened the straps, and stood up.

"There are only twenty minutes left before the mall closes. How about Xiaohuan and I help you search one last time?"

The icy look on Ye Shiyu's face softened a little at her mother's gentle voice. She shook her head and replied,

"Forget it, Mom. Let's go home."

"Then Mommy will buy you a new one tomorrow, okay?"

"No need. Let's just go."

Ye Shiyu shook her head again and prepared to leave. Ye Lan looked helplessly at Yan Huan and muttered,

"Your sister's temper is worse than usual today. She never used to get this upset over something like this."

But Yan Huan just kept staring at her back, lost in thought.

Ending the day like this left a bitter taste. Even in the taxi, the atmosphere felt heavy.

When they arrived home, Ye Lan and Ye Shiyu went upstairs to rest. Aunt Chen was in the laundry room on the first floor, preparing to wash the clothes the driver had brought back earlier.

Seeing this, Yan Huan grew curious.

Ye Shiyu had already labeled her clothes—how would they be washed?

After watching for a while, he noticed Aunt Chen carefully peeling off the name labels. Sensing his curiosity, she explained,

"These name labels are just temporary. Later, she'll sew her name on by hand. Shiyu is really good with needlework. Miss even hired a skilled tailor to teach her."

While sorting through Ye Shiyu's clothes and preparing to wash them separately in another machine, Aunt Chen added,

"The clothes on the dolls in Shiyu’s room were all made by her too. Oh right, Xiaohuan, you haven’t seen them yet, have you? Let her show you tomorrow."

"Sure, if the opportunity comes up."

Yan Huan replied with a half-hearted smile. Honestly, he doubted Ye Shiyu would agree.

Earlier, she had refused to wear her shawl again just because he touched it. That shawl wasn’t among the laundry, either.

She really hated other people touching her things.

At least when it came to outsiders like Yan Huan. But it was different with Aunt Chen and Ye Lan.

Aunt Chen could wash her clothes, and the shawl Ye Lan had worn earlier was also Ye Shiyu’s.

Thinking about all of this, Yan Huan also headed back to his room to rest.

"There’s milk in the kitchen, Xiaohuan—remember to bring some upstairs."

"Got it. Thanks, Aunt Chen."

Milk in hand, Yan Huan went upstairs to his room.

When he turned on the light, he found a black cat already sitting neatly on the sofa.

*"Meow~"*

"Meow-chan."

"You're back. How was today?"

Setting the milk down, Yan Huan collapsed onto the sofa. The jolt barely affected Meow-chan, thanks to her chubbiness.

"What do you think? Same old, same old."

He turned his head and saw Meow-chan leap onto his chest, staring at him intently as if to ask,

"Did something happen?"

"Hmm, how should I put it..."

Just as he was about to speak, Yan Huan's expression shifted.

He quickly walked over and locked the door.

*Click.*

Only after locking it did he relax a bit and return to the sofa.

Sipping his milk while staring at the black cat tilting her head, he asked,

"Meow-chan, what do you think is the connection between dolls and jellyfish?"

"Is this a riddle?"

"It’s about Ye Shiyu. As the modifier's host, the two things she loves most are dolls and—oddly enough—jellyfish. Is there any connection between them?"

Meow-chan tilted her head again and asked,

"Is there?"

"Wait, I'm the one asking you—why are you asking me?"

"But humans are complicated, right? The things they love don’t always have to be related."

Yan Huan downed the rest of the milk in one gulp and sighed.

"She’s not normal. Her love for dolls and jellyfish clearly goes beyond ordinary. So I have to wonder if there's some deeper reason behind it. Also, that place today felt off—like there were ghosts."

Ye Shiyu’s item had suddenly disappeared. According to Ye Lan, she was always careful and rarely lost things. Even after thinking it through, Shiyu was sure she hadn't opened her bag.

But the keychain had simply vanished.

Maybe it was left behind at the aquarium, but something still didn’t sit right.

What a strange day.

Ye Shiyu loved dolls and jellyfish.

A mysteriously missing jellyfish keychain... and her unexplainable anger.

The two seemed as unrelated as basketballs and chickens.

Completely disconnected on the surface. But if you tried to link them, you could barely make out a strange silhouette in overalls.

That was the kind of feeling he got.

Just then, something occurred to Yan Huan. He picked up his phone and snapped a picture of Meow-chan.

*Click.*

The adorable cat appeared clearly on the screen. Yan Huan opened Plane and sent it to Yinggong, the Vice President with the white cat profile picture.

(*) Plane likely refers to a messaging or social media app within the story's universe.

He attached a "This is today’s friendship fee" emoji and typed:

"Vice President Yinggong, are you free right now? I have something to ask."

Yinggong Tong loved cats and knew a lot about them. She often gave good advice.

A few minutes later, her status changed to "typing..." Then Yan Huan’s screen went black—it was an incoming call.

He turned on his Bluetooth earphones, put them on, and answered the call.

Smiling slightly, he asked,

"Cute, right? The kitty?"

"Mm, very cute. Is it a cat raised by your President Aunt’s family?"

The woman’s voice on the other end was soft and silky, like flowing silk.

"Nope, I picked up a stray and have been taking care of it lately. I call her Meow-chan."

Upon hearing that, Meow-chan let out a big yawn.

"I see."

Yinggong Tong didn’t comment on his naming sense. Instead, she guessed his real question.

"Did the President want to ask about how to raise a cat?"

"Ah, not exactly."

Yan Huan chuckled, then proceeded to ask,

"I wanted to ask—Yinggong, why do you like cats?"

"..."

The other end of the line suddenly fell silent.

"Vice President Yinggong?"

"Because they're cute, I guess."

Just as Yan Huan was about to ask another question, Yinggong Tong suddenly spoke out of nowhere, catching him off guard.

"Emm."

'Cats are definitely cute... but are jellyfish cute?'

'It kind of makes sense, but it still doesn’t feel like the right answer.'

The illusionary figure in overalls gradually faded from sight, as if silently telling Yan Huan that this wasn’t the correct link between basketball and chickens.

"Aside from that?"

"President, you mean—aside from their appearance—what other qualities in cats make me like them, right?"

'Exactly. Could it be something jellyfish also have?'

"Mhm mhm, what kind of qualities does Yinggong like in cats?"

"Mmm... because cats are very independent, yet they know how to act spoiled with their owners when they want to. They're strong but also fragile—like children. Clearly capable individuals, but still reliant on their parents. Aside from being cute, that's the main reason."

Vice President Yinggong sighed and explained,

"But, President, everyone has their own reasons for liking something."

"Maybe it's because that thing has a quality they yearn for or lack. Maybe it resembles them in some way. Or maybe it just makes them feel safe, or at ease... and so on."

"So, just like a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's eyes, it's not really the object people love, but the part of themselves they see in it."

As he listened to Vice President Yinggong's soothing voice, a sudden spark of inspiration flashed through Yan Huan's mind.

'The quality that was missing...'

Unconsciously, the image of Ye Shiyu’s breathtaking profile from earlier that day surfaced in his mind.

She had been staring blankly at the glowing jellyfish inside the tank, watching them pulse gently through the water.

Movement—vivid, vibrant motion.

Her black eyes reflected the soft glow of the jellyfish, shimmering like tears.

'It’s like… the chicken feet are showing.'

(*) Note for line 222: "The chicken feet are showing" is likely a metaphor or cultural expression implying that someone's true emotions or intentions are starting to become visible.

"Thank you so much, Yinggong."

Yan Huan suddenly sat up and spoke to the female voice in his Bluetooth earpiece.

Although it was only a guess, at least he finally had a lead.

'Well... that's something to work on tomorrow.'

Hearing Yan Huan’s sincere thanks, the voice on the other end fell silent for a moment.

Then Yinggong Tong ventured another guess,

"President, is it just me, or did it feel like your real question wasn’t about why I like cats?"

"I'll remember it, Yinggong."

Yan Huan, ever the mimic, mimicked her spontaneous way of starting a sentence.

"Ah?"

"I’ll remember why you like cats."

Yinggong Tong sighed helplessly.

"...Well, whatever. It probably has to do with your family matters anyway, President. I shouldn't pry. Get some rest, President. I'm just glad I could help."

"You too. Good night."

"Mhm."

The call ended. He removed his Bluetooth earpiece and looked toward the door.

'Hmm, no knocking.'

'Looks like it’s a peaceful night?'

That couldn’t be right. Yan Huan had assumed that after being ignored tonight and losing her things, she would definitely come to vent her frustration on him.

And yet... she didn’t?

'Even better. Who wants to be hypnotized, anyway?'

Yan Huan shook his head, stood up, stretched, and got ready to wash up for bed.

Meanwhile, outside the room, Ye Shiyu—now in pajamas—was carrying her phone and a glass of milk as she came up the stairs.

When she reached the second floor, she glanced in the direction of Yan Huan's room.

"."

There was a moment of hesitation. After a brief silence, she turned and headed toward the third floor.

Because she still had something else to do tonight.

[End of Chapter]