Mature Fantasy Power Invasion

Chapter 27

*Putong. Putong. Putong.*

The sounds outside the classroom gradually faded, as if an invisible giant hand that had been gripping Ye Shiyu's heart was slowly letting go.

Her breathing steadied. She lifted her gaze toward Yan Huan, whose eyes were still blank, as though reason had just reclaimed control of her mind and made her realize what she had done.

Looking at her wrist—where Yan Huan had gripped her earlier—she noticed a red, ring-shaped mark on her pale, delicate skin. It didn't seem like it would fade anytime soon.

The mark appeared to be from blood rushing under the surface, making the area tingle and itch slightly.

Ye Shiyu had a body that bruised and marked easily.

Especially since her skin was so fair and soft, like a clean canvas that instantly revealed any color.

She had always hated any action that felt like someone invading her personal space.

Physical contact from others and people taking her things were equally intolerable offenses to her.

But ever since Yan Huan arrived, something seemed different.

Maybe it was the kindness he showed that night, or maybe it was the smile he always wore, but Ye Shiyu had voluntarily softened her stinginess—wanting to give something in return.

She had only asked him for help today and planned to casually ask what he liked, but in the end—

She still used Hypnosis on him.

'I'm sorry, Xiaohuan.'

'Next time, I definitely won’t use Hypnosis on you.'

Guilt welled up in Ye Shiyu's heart.

Although being called “Older Sister” by Yan Huan felt wonderful, it would be even better if he acted a bit gentler when trying to be spoiled—

But next time, she swore, she would absolutely not use Hypnosis on Xiaohuan again.

Ye Shiyu made this solemn promise to herself, appearing clever and pure—almost like a half-saint.

Why only half?

Because when she asked Yan Huan to act spoiled earlier, she didn’t get full satisfaction—so it only counted as half.

"Xiaohuan, after I count down from three to one, you’ll be released from Hypnosis. Three, two, one—"

She made a silent wish in her heart to deactivate the app, mixed with some nervousness.

The last time she hypnotized someone, she had left the room beforehand. She had no idea what it would be like to undo Hypnosis face-to-face.

But with her command, that familiar sensation returned—memories peeling away like a tidal wave.

Whether it was Yinggong Tong’s or Ye Shiyu’s modifier, the effect was the same: first, all recent memories would disappear, then a new set of memories would take their place.

The forged memories were incredibly realistic. Without a modifier or third-party reminder, the hypnotized person would almost never realize what had happened.

*...*

Yan Huan’s dazed eyes slowly closed. When they opened again, there was no trace of anything unusual.

"Shiyu-sis?"

"Let’s keep fixing the computer."

Seeing that Yan Huan hadn't noticed anything strange, Ye Shiyu let out a quiet sigh of relief and returned to her doll-like composure.

But her eyes swept over Yan Huan from head to toe like a criminal surveying a crime scene.

Yan Huan turned his head with a smile and resumed working on her computer—though his mind was already racing.

When someone obtains a modifier, their desire to use it usually builds gradually.

That kind of "get everything at once" thinking probably came from reading doujin that wrap up in just a few dozen pages.

(*) Doujin: Fan-made comics, often fast-paced and exaggerated in storytelling.

Before reaching the "I don’t eat beef" stage, they would definitely first go through the "watch out for Superman" phase.

(*) "I don’t eat beef" and "watch out for Superman" are metaphorical stages suggesting moral restraint before giving in to power-induced temptations.

Especially since Ye Shiyu’s modifier only lasted 15 minutes, which invisibly limited many of her possible actions.

Even so, her progress was far faster than Yan Huan had expected.

Just last Sunday night, he had gone all out, trying to trigger Ye Shiyu’s guilt to suppress her urge to use the modifier.

Even Meow-chan said Ye Shiyu had lost a Charm Fragment at the time—so the plan must have worked.

(*) Charm Fragment: Possibly a unit of magical energy or emotional value in the story’s system.

Yet just a few days later, by Tuesday noon, the secret was out again.

Sure, the initial use of the modifier was to avoid social death—it could be seen as an emergency.

But after that?

She still couldn’t resist the temptation and gave herself a string of commands.

They weren’t extreme, but they clearly showed her desire to use the modifier had returned.

It wasn’t that Yan Huan’s attempt to appeal to her conscience had no effect—you could see that from her hesitation and repeated apologies.

The only problem was—

The dose hadn’t been strong enough.

For a "patient" like Ye Shiyu, he needed to increase the dosage.

Yan "Fake Psychiatrist" Huan thought to himself.

"Shiyu-sis, for your next weekly corner, just use SafeGuard. It’s pretty user-friendly for someone who doesn’t know computers. Basically, no safety worries."

"Mm-hmm."

Ye Shiyu didn’t understand either, so she just nodded and let Yan Huan do whatever he wanted on her computer.

She didn’t care that he was using a mouse labeled with her name or tapping on her keyboard with his fingers.

For a moment, Yan Huan also forgot about Ye Shiyu’s strange obsession with things being hers.

His mind was busy planning his next steps, all while acting like the perfectly normal adopted little brother who had just been hypnotized...

These two roles filled his mental space like the downloader virus on Ye Shiyu’s computer.

Wait—did those people outside just shout Bai Yi’s name?

The name of the idol with the "No Concern" modifier.

*Di di da da.*

*Di di da da.*

In the afternoon classroom building, the illusion of ticking clock sounds echoed like dripping water from the void.

But the students walking by didn’t seem to hear it. Their expressions remained completely normal.

Amid the crowd, a beautiful girl stood at the school gate, wearing sunglasses, a milky white long-sleeved shirt, and a black cotton-linen skirt that reached her knees.

It was none other than Bai Yi, the famous idol of Yuanyue Academy.

Not even sunglasses could mask her beauty. Radiating confidence, fashion, and youthful charm, she was the embodiment of vibrant youth.

She chewed a piece of strawberry-flavored bubblegum, occasionally blowing it into a bubble that popped like a balloon.

*Pop.*

That was the sound it made.

She wore light makeup, with high-quality pink lip gloss applied to only half her lips, giving them a delicious, glossy shine.

Her lips were as sweet as the strawberry bubblegum she was chewing.

'I really don’t feel like going to class this afternoon. Maybe I’ll sneak out instead. I can use that, anyway.'

Thinking this, she pulled out a pocket-watch-shaped object from her chest.

Though simple in design, the pocket watch was beautifully crafted—like a priceless work of art.

Phantom text floated in the center of the dial, adding a touch of fantasy.

[Unnamed]

The dial had three hands, but none pointed to real-world time.

Though it was nearly 1 PM, the hour hand—seemingly made of ice—pointed at the top: 12 o’clock. It hadn’t moved in a long time.

The rust-covered minute hand pointed toward 9 o’clock. Floating above it was a line of phantom text:

[Accumulated usage time: 30 minutes]

The second hand appeared invisible. Only by watching the base could one tell it was moving.

When Bai Yi’s consciousness touched the rotating second hand, phantom information surged forth:

[Welcome to the Unnamed Pocket Watch]

[Watch Level: 1]

[Current Effect: No Concern]

[Ten minutes per day. After activation, you enter a state where no one notices anything you do. If unused in a day, time can accumulate up to 60 minutes.]

[During the effect, all your actions immediately affect only you. For others, all consequences occur the moment the effect ends.]

It sounded complex, but using it once made everything clear.

While in the No Concern state, if Bai Yi touched someone, she would feel it right away.

But others wouldn’t feel anything—until the effect ended, when it would all rush in at once.

No matter how many sensations there were, they would all arrive in a single instant.

The effect also worked on objects, though the modifier didn’t explain that part well...

Or maybe it wanted Bai Yi to do whatever she wanted to others while the effect was active?

Back to the topic of objects.

The pocket watch automatically corrected unreasonable changes made to objects.

For example, that marker she used to prank Zhou Bin—afterward, it returned to its original spot, clean and unused...

Yet the ghost doodles on Zhou Bin’s face remained.

*...*

Just from hearing the description, anyone could tell how magical this power was.

Ever since last Friday, when the pocket watch mysteriously appeared in Bai Yi's bag, it had practically become her favorite toy—something she couldn’t put down.

With this device, she could do things she'd never even dared to imagine before.

Zhou Bin became the first target, mainly because he had made numerous phone calls last semester complaining to his mother.

When she came by at noon today, she saw that Zhou Bin was covered in all sorts of strange theological trinkets.

'He must still be on edge, huh?' Bai Yi thought.

Smiling in satisfaction, Bai Yi turned around under the shield of *No Concern* and walked toward the school gate.

She had decided to skip class for the entire afternoon.

*Tick-tock. Tick-tock.*

The world around her seemed to split with the rhythmic ticking of the clock—Bai Yi on one side, and the rest of the world on the other.

Then, the two realities overlapped, forming the world she saw before her.

At the shopping street inside the park outside the school gates, she casually grabbed a stick of candied hawthorn from a dessert shop and began eating it wantonly. The manager was always monitoring her eating habits, terrified she’d gain weight or get acne from high-calorie foods. He practically tried to drill salads and light meals into her brain as if they were basic nutrition facts.

Yet secretly, she feasted on meat and fish, even posting hot pot photos on her friend circle—while he was left thinking she lived off green juice and salad.

(*) Note: "Friend circle" refers to a social feed feature on Chinese messaging app WeChat, similar to Facebook's timeline.

Thinking of that, Bai Yi bit into the candied hawthorn more fiercely, as if she were chewing the manager’s head.

"Hahaha, even the President said I’m not some mascot, okay?"

"Eh? President Yan actually said that to you?"

"Of course. But you know, to forge iron, you have to be strong yourself! I think it’s because I’m too clever that the President sees me that way."

"Hahaha..."

President?

Yan Huan...

Still munching on her candied hawthorn, Bai Yi glanced over the rim of her sunglasses toward the voice and saw You’an Lina chatting with a few senior girls outside a milk tea shop.

'That annoying person...'

Bai Yi quickly looked away, intending to leave before the ten-minute effect wore off.

After all, if she kept using the watch, she’d have to burn through the time she had saved up over the weekend and Monday.

Bai Yi was a bit like a hoarding mouse.

Yet out of the corner of her eye, she couldn’t help being drawn to a bulletin board at the school gate. On it was the Student Council's emblem, with an introduction to its members above.

"Yan Huan, Student Council President, earned the admiration of classmates in the fall semester with his outstanding grades and undeniable charm, receiving a total of—"

Bai Yi’s hand paused slightly as she ate the candied hawthorn. Just seeing Yan Huan’s photo on the bulletin board made her face twist in disgust.

*Tsk.*

The candied hawthorn in her mouth gradually lost its flavor, but she couldn’t bring herself to throw it away. She took it with her as she left Yuanyue Academy during the lunch break.

(*) Note: "Candied hawthorn" (Tanghulu) is a traditional Chinese snack made of sugar-coated hawthorn fruits on a stick.

That evening, in a luxury villa on the first floor in Jinghe District—

Bai Yi entered the house using a fingerprint scan. The sound of the range hood came from the kitchen—her mother must be cooking.

She glanced toward the kitchen, changed her shoes at the doorway, then casually removed her bucket hat, sunglasses, and mask, tossing them into a basket nearby.

"I’m back."

"How was school today?"

The voice came not from the kitchen, but from the living room.

Bai Yi paused for a moment and ran her fingers through her smooth black hair, slightly tousled by the hat.

She casually walked into the living room and responded,

"What else? Same as always. Just one elective."

A middle-aged woman in gray loungewear sat on the sofa, scrutinizing her.

That was Bai Yi’s mother, Zuo Jiangqin.

Hearing Bai Yi’s reply, Zuo Jiangqin frowned and exposed her lie.

"I had Xiao Ji go pick you up from school this afternoon. She said she didn’t see you come out."

Xiao Ji, full name Ji Lin, was Bai Yi’s manager.

Bai Yi stopped in her tracks, frowned, and looked at her mother in the living room, retorting,

"Didn’t I say I’d come back on my own this afternoon?"

"You didn’t go to school at all, did you?"

"...So what?"

Bai Yi took a deep breath. In the end, instead of going to her room, she walked into the living room and said,

"It was just one elective. What’s the big deal if I skip it?"

"What do you mean 'what’s the big deal'? Look at this."

Her mother grew even more furious at Bai Yi’s indifferent tone.

She pulled out her phone, opened an email, and showed Bai Yi an information sheet.

"The Student Council sent me your entrance exam results this morning. Out of 500, you scored only 292! Ranked 152 out of 178. Isn’t that shameful? Huh? If your fans find out how bad your grades are, just imagine what they'll say online again."

"Why do you care what they say? I have events lined up every day. I barely even attend class—how could I do well?"

"Barely attend? Then why didn’t you go this afternoon when I sent someone? Isn’t it just you slacking off? Lazy!"

"Mom, if you don’t understand, then stop pretending you do, okay? You can’t even tell the difference between mandatory and elective courses—so what are you lecturing me for?"

Completely talking past each other, Bai Yi waved her hand in frustration.

"I’m tired. I’m going back to rest."

Annoyed by the nagging, Bai Yi turned to leave, but her mother shouted sharply behind her,

"Stop right there! You act like this every day! Xiao Ji already told me—you’re uncooperative at events and slack off at school. What exactly do you want?"

"..."

Activities. So many activities.

Weren't all those lousy gigs arranged by them?

They wouldn’t let her write songs, said it was too slow for exposure, insisted she target Yan-fans, and now forced her to eat like a goat every day...

Her mother too—so eager to monetize her. Every time her manager mentioned a commercial opportunity, she got excited. Meanwhile, Bai Yi was the one running around exhausted.

But despite having so much to say, Bai Yi took a deep breath and held it all in.

Her pretty face darkened. She didn’t want to argue anymore. She turned toward her room again.

"Wait a second—you better eat that salad on the table!"

"..."

Bai Yi ignored her completely and had already placed her hand on the doorknob.

Behind her, her mother wasn’t even looking anymore, as if both of them were used to this routine by now.

Only today, perhaps because of the grade report email, Zuo Jiangqin spoke with rare emotion.

"Look at that Yan Huan from your Student Council. Top grades, President, always ranks first in every exam. And don’t forget, he was there at your child star audition."

Hearing this, Bai Yi, just about to step into her room, froze in place.

But her mother didn’t notice that her fist, hidden inside her sleeve, was clenched tightly.

"He just smiled once, and the TV station executives instantly wanted to sign him. Just one appearance, and they begged him to join. Meanwhile, we had to work so hard—writing songs, learning instruments—just to get selected."

Every time she brought it up, Zuo Jiangqin got even more upset.

"What right do you have not to work hard, huh? He can slack off and still have options. We don’t have that luxury. We have to fight for every opportunity."

"We got you into the entertainment industry and made you famous. So be more active at events! We paid to get you into Yuanyue, so study hard and raise your grades. That way, Xiao Ji can manage your image better—do you hear me?"

Zuo Jiangqin finally looked up and realized Bai Yi was staring at her with an unfamiliar expression.

A cold, emotionless gaze she had never seen before.

In that silent moment, a chilling desire seemed to freeze the room's atmosphere.

Even the steam rising from the boiling soup in the kitchen couldn’t warm the air.

Bai Yi stared at her mother. After a long silence, she let out a mocking laugh and said,

"If you like him so much, Mom, why don’t you go make him your son?"

"You—"

*Bang!*

Before Zuo Jiangqin could say anything else, Bai Yi had already flung open the door and slammed it shut behind her.

"This child—"

Zuo Jiangqin frowned, still wearing a look of bitter disappointment.

She sat on the sofa with her arms crossed for a long time, but no guitar sounds came from Bai Yi's room like they normally would.

The oppressive silence in the villa finally forced Zuo Jiangqin to admit, however reluctantly...

Maybe she had been a little too harsh with her words.

But how could things continue like this if Bai Yi kept slacking off every single day?

Zuo Jiangqin still believed her intentions weren’t wrong—only her methods were flawed.

She often brought up that boy, Yan Huan, in front of Bai Yi.

After all, during that child star audition, he had left a deep impression on everyone.

And even now at Yuanyue—he was popular, with explosive grades...

He was everything she wished Bai Yi could be.

Zuo Jiangqin simply believed that giving Bai Yi a rival might ignite her fighting spirit, so she kept bringing it up relentlessly.

*Di di di*

At that moment, the kitchen timer suddenly went off.

The soup was ready.

Zuo Jiangqin sighed, walked into the kitchen, turned off the stove, and ladled a bowl of rib soup.

She picked up the salad from the table and headed toward Bai Yi's door.

*Dong dong dong*

"Come out and eat."

This was Zuo Jiangqin's way of extending an olive branch.

But even after a long wait, there was no response from inside the room.

Seeing this, the anger Zuo Jiangqin had just managed to suppress began to rise again.

She placed the soup and salad on the table, then walked back, intending to open Bai Yi's door herself.

"I said it's mealtime. Didn't you hear me?"

But when she pushed the door open again, the girl's room—filled with a guitar, sheet music, a computer, and a game console—was completely empty.

"Yiyi?"

Zuo Jiangqin froze slightly, calling out Bai Yi's nickname as if startled.

But the room remained eerily silent. Only the wind from outside the first-floor villa blew through the open window, making the curtains flutter in response.

[End of this chapter]