Mature Fantasy Power Invasion

Chapter 30

"Aiyo, you all must help me! Please find her—she has to attend an event this Sunday!"

As soon as she got out of the car, Zuo Jiangqin hurried after the police officers, anxiously stressing how important it was to find Bai Yi.

The officer listening adjusted his police cap, which had a qilin emblem and the words "Jinghe District Police Department" printed on it. He glanced back at Zuo Jiangqin and asked plainly,

"Mrs. Zuo, shouldn't you be more concerned about your missing daughter than some weekend event? According to your statement, she ran away from home on her own, didn’t she?"

"I—"

Caught off guard by the question, Zuo Jiangqin opened her mouth but had no idea how to respond.

"Alright, Mrs. Zuo, we’ll do everything we can to find her. I promise. Don’t worry, okay?"

That one sentence was enough to reassure her, but the officer’s face remained expressionless.

After all, he knew exactly whose money kept the local police department running smoothly.

They were there to serve people like her.

The officer turned away at just the right time and walked toward the campus.

Several of his colleagues fanned out behind him—some approached the security guards, while others looked for teachers.

At the same time, he pressed his Bluetooth earpiece and spoke into it.

"Xiao Lait, did you check the surveillance footage from the complex?"

"Checked, Captain Jianghu. They said all the footage near the villa was reviewed. No one was seen leaving between 5 and 7 yesterday afternoon."

Officer Jianghu furrowed his brows in surprise, then muttered after a brief pause,

"...Keep checking a few hours beyond that. Also, have someone check for any blind spots in the surveillance coverage."

"Okay. But Captain, I thought it was unlikely she’d come to school. Based on what Mrs. Zuo said, she rarely attends."

"Yeah. But we searched all night, so we’re just trying our luck here. Mrs. Zuo is extremely nervous—giving out information one sentence at a time, like squeezing toothpaste. I can’t do much with that."

"Mhm, I get it. After working all night, she only mentioned this morning that she often talked about a classmate named Yan Huan in front of her daughter. Seems like that might be why the girl ran away."

Jianghu sighed silently. Since Zuo Jiangqin was still nearby, he didn’t want to say much more. He whispered,

"Her head is filled with stress over that big weekend event. If she misses it, there’s probably a hefty penalty, huh?"

"Ha, of course."

Jianghu was about to instruct the other officer to return to work while he checked on the boy named Yan Huan himself.

But suddenly, a new message came through his earpiece.

"Oh, Captain. The Information Division reports there’s no hotel record under Bai Yi’s ID from last night. If our little celebrity didn’t lower herself to sleep under a bridge in Jinghe District, then..."

Jianghu suddenly stopped walking and muttered,

"She has a place to stay?"

Turning around quickly, he addressed Zuo Jiangqin, who stood behind him holding a parasol.

"Mrs. Zuo, does your daughter have anywhere else she could stay? Any acquaintances in Linmen who might take her in?"

Zuo Jiangqin was momentarily stunned. A few seconds later, she smacked her forehead and said as if an idea had struck her,

"She might have a best friend! Much older than her, owns a house in Jinghe District—maybe..."

"...Why didn’t you tell us this earlier, Mrs. Zuo?"

"She—aiya, that woman looked super shady. Covered in tattoos, like some street thug. I already told Yiyi to cut off contact with her. I was afraid she’d be a bad influence. Who knew if they kept in touch secretly—I forgot."

Jianghu was completely speechless by now.

Even with his usual composure, Zuo Jiangqin was testing his patience. He felt like he needed a fast-acting heart pill.

*Aixi—*

He rubbed his brow. At that moment, he truly hated his job.

Forget it.

Money is hard to earn, and crap is hard to swallow.

After all, offending wealthy people in Jinghe District wasn’t something they could afford.

Seeing Jianghu silent for a long time, Zuo Jiangqin pulled out her phone from her designer handbag and asked tentatively,

"How about... I try contacting her?"

Jianghu nodded wearily, glancing at the prestigious school beside them—

Yuanyue Academy.

He forced a smile and said to Zuo Jiangqin,

"Alright, go ahead. In the meantime, we’ll keep looking for her, okay?"

"Okay, I—aiya, I don’t remember her number either. I’ll try contacting Yiyi’s agent first. Give me a moment."

"Mhm-mhm."

'Daughter, look closely!!'

'Your dad works and lives this hard, ya know!!'

'You have to study hard in the future—Dad will save up so you can attend a high school like this one!'

Jianghu cried tears of blood in his heart, silently shouting.

After escorting Zuo Jiangqin back into the police car, Jianghu used his walkie-talkie to recall all the officers who had spread out.

*WEE-woo WEE-woo!!*

The police sirens blared again as the vehicle drove away from the school, leaving the students inside puzzled by the abrupt visit.

Among them was Yan Huan, who had arrived late.

He had come to check out the situation, but seeing that everyone had already left, he was disappointed.

In truth, Yan Huan secretly hoped the police wouldn’t uncover anything.

After all, if others discovered the anomalies caused by the modifier and began digging deeper—

It would be like walking a tightrope over exposure.

If Bai Yi truly lost her sense of security and her modifier self-destructed, there’d be no way to control the outcome.

Thinking carefully, among the known modifier users, Bai Yi’s was the most at risk of exposure.

The others all had memory corrections or similar safeguards for those affected. Only Bai Yi’s power left behind direct traces.

Like the mark on Zhou Bin’s face, or the paint on Yan Huan’s desk.

Once or twice might be overlooked, but if it kept happening, it would draw attention for sure.

'Seriously—'

Yan Huan took a deep breath, though his expression remained calm.

Just then, the security guard from the gate pavilion walked over, looking puzzled as he stared toward the entrance.

Yan Huan raised an eyebrow, then greeted him cheerfully.

"Uncle He!"

"Oh, Yan Huan, good thing you’re here. They said a student named 'Bai Yi' ran away from home and went missing. The police even came to search the school and asked for you specifically. Did they talk to you?"

'Asked for me?'

'So Bai Yi running away might really have something to do with me?'

'And she holds such a grudge against me...'

Yan Huan thought silently, but outwardly smiled and shook his head.

"Nope. I just came out of curiosity. I didn’t see anyone—they had already left."

"Such a strange thing... Well, let’s hope nothing bad happens. She’s just a young girl."

The guard shook his head, waved, and returned to the pavilion.

Yet somehow, Yan Huan felt like someone was watching him from behind.

He turned around suddenly, but all he saw were curious gazes from fellow students on campus.

Silently, Yan Huan turned back and walked away.

He didn’t notice the breeze lift a strand of black hair in a hidden corner of the teaching building—only for it to quietly fall again.

Standing in the shadows was Bai Yi, fully disguised with a bucket hat, sunglasses, and face mask.

Not semi-transparent, but the real her.

*Thump. Thump. Thump.*

Her heart pounded wildly, and her mouth was dry with fear.

After all, it was the first time she had ever been searched for by the police, not to mention she possessed all these inexplicable superpowers.

If she got caught on camera when "No Concern" ended, wouldn’t she look like a ghost? That would be terrifying.

If someone found out—

*Di di. Da da.*

Just as Bai Yi was panicking, wondering if she’d be taken away for research, a sound like dripping water echoed, and glowing text appeared before her eyes.

[Accumulated usage time: 3 minutes]

She had been using it continuously since last night, and her time was almost up.

Only 10 minutes per day—couldn’t it be just a bit longer?

Even if it allowed accumulation, wasn’t that still way too little?

Holding the pocket watch, Bai Yi’s earlier fear turned into a single question in her heart.

And the moment that thought surfaced, the air around her grew noticeably colder—

Frozen, as if it had solidified.

*Ka ka ka*

[Congratulations! Due to your continued usage, the pocket watch's level has increased!]

[Level 1 → Level 2]

[The daily No Concern effect duration has been extended to 20 minutes!]

[A new trait has been acquired: Invisible Person Correction]

[All irrational phenomena that may occur before or after activating the No Concern effect will now be automatically corrected by the pocket watch.]

[These corrections include, but are not limited to, technological devices such as cameras, phones, and other recording equipment. However, humans and animals can still detect abnormalities with their naked eyes, so please remain cautious to avoid exposing the existence of the pocket watch.]

Bai Yi’s beautiful eyes, hidden behind her sunglasses, widened slightly as she noticed the duration had suddenly increased by 20 minutes.

She stood silently, her expression unreadable behind her mask, her hand gradually tightening around the pocket watch.

She said nothing, and her face remained obscured by the mask.

The only visible movement was her hand clutching the pocket watch, gripping it tighter and tighter.

As the sun set in the west, Yan Huan stepped out of the changing room with his backpack, having changed out of his volleyball uniform. Yinggong Tong didn’t return for afternoon electives—she had taken leave to care for her kitten, Meiyue.

Yan Huan bought a sports drink from a vending machine and sipped as he walked back toward the classroom.

Just like Monday, the teaching building was tranquil and nearly deserted.

Along the corridor, aside from the shadows cast by the pillars in the setting sunlight, there stood a semi-transparent girl in a mask, arms crossed.

'Wait a second... Did something strange sneak in?'

Realizing something was off, Yan Huan nearly spit out his drink.

Fortunately, at that critical moment, his Perfect Expression Control kicked in again.

He passed by the masked girl naturally. Her face was completely covered, and her gaze followed him silently. It was unclear what she intended.

'Also, isn’t this person’s modifier duration a little too long?'

'I could’ve sworn the exam on Friday had a 15-minute countdown.'

'How is she still using it in the afternoon? Shouldn’t it have expired by lunchtime?'

'Hello? Yes, hi, I’m a parent. I’d like to report something!'

'Please implement an anti-addiction system for the modifier—my child Zihan has been completely led astray!!'

Though unsure of Bai Yi’s intentions, Yan Huan knew he had to act.

He continued drinking casually, his expression calm as he made his way toward Class A.

The rhythm of his footsteps remained steady, as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

By the time he reached the classroom entrance, the 500mL drink was already empty. Bai Yi stood behind him, slightly dumbfounded.

'Was he really that thirsty?'

'Did he just gulp it all down in one go?'

Arms crossed, she watched Yan Huan toss the empty bottle into the recycling bin. The dark thoughts she had tried to suppress at noon began to resurface.

After a brief pause, she quietly followed behind him.

The sun dipped lower, casting the corridor in a red hue as the two walked forward.

One shadow stretched long and thin, while the other was bathed entirely in the crimson glow—like a shadow come to life.

Yan Huan opened the classroom door and stepped inside. The desk by the window, previously splattered with paint, had already been replaced after he reported it to the school.

'Is he here to pack up his things?'

'But he’s already wearing his backpack.'

In the next moment, Yan Huan dragged the newly replaced desk and chair aside, revealing the wall that had been hidden behind them.

The wall still bore traces of brightly colored paint.

He stared at the paint stains in silence, then set down his backpack and removed his jacket, revealing a black T-shirt underneath.

He exited the classroom and soon returned with a damp cloth and a disinfectant spray he had picked up from the restroom.

Under Bai Yi’s puzzled gaze, Yan Huan calmly rolled up his sleeves.

He sprayed disinfectant onto the paint marks on the wall, then crouched down and began carefully scrubbing with the cloth.

'He’s... actually cleaning the paint off the wall?'

Bai Yi stood frozen, her earlier dark intentions momentarily stalled.

The paint had already begun to dry, and even with alcohol, it was difficult to remove. But Yan Huan scrubbed each mark with determination and care.

Those stains, after all, had appeared due to her resentment.

'Maybe he thinks, like that girl from Class A, that this is some kind of paranormal incident?'

'First the random paint splashes, then pebbles tossed at the window...'

Yet here he was, silently cleaning up the mess someone else had left behind.

While wiping the wall, Yan Huan suddenly paused, as if remembering something. He quickly pulled out his phone.

His phone was an ordinary model. While recent smartphones are competitively priced and efficient, his seemed to have seen better days.

It wasn’t a bad phone, just clearly well-used.

Bai Yi, who was quite tech-savvy, could tell this at a glance.

Yan Huan dialed a number, then tilted his head to hold the phone between his shoulder and ear.

*Doo*

"Sis Tong, it’s me. Umm... I’ll be a little late getting to the shop tonight."

"Yeah, there’s something I need to handle at school. I probably won’t make the school bus and will have to catch another one."

"I’m really sorry. Truly."

Smiling as he spoke on the phone, he continued wiping the paint off the wall.

Meanwhile, on the second floor of the pub, Tong Tingting lay on her bed, half-asleep, holding the phone in a daze.

'Hmm?'

'What’s with this kid?'

'Why is he suddenly being so polite?'

'Am I dreaming?'

'I must be half-asleep.'

"Mmhm. Mm."

Thinking it was all a dream, Tong Tingting responded vaguely, then hung up.

She scratched her exposed belly, rolled over, hugged her pillow, and went back to sleep.

Back in Yuanyue’s Class A classroom—

Listening to Yan Huan on the phone, Bai Yi finally realized the rumors she’d occasionally heard at school were actually true.

Yan Huan, the well-liked Student Council President of Yuanyue Academy, was working part-time to make ends meet.

And even when running late for work, he apologized so earnestly to his boss?

A twisted sense of superiority suddenly surged in Bai Yi’s chest.

Over the years, she had appeared in variety shows and even acted in a film, earning herself some fame.

She had made good money for her family. Her clothes, belongings, and even her home were all top-tier.

'So what if my mom says he’s smart and hardworking?'

'So what if the station execs scouted him at first glance?'

'Even if he is—'

'Maybe... probably... perhaps—'

'Really impressive.'

'Isn’t he still struggling this hard just to get by?'

Bai Yi thought this as she watched Yan Huan put away his phone.

He slipped it into his pocket and let out a weary yawn.

Yet even exhausted, he continued scrubbing the wall, never showing any irritation.

Watching him, Bai Yi’s fleeting sense of superiority bloomed like fireworks—only to quickly fizzle out.

Hidden within the No Concern effect, she remained unseen. And thus, this was her truest self.

That ugly feeling of superiority was more like a spring uncoiled after long suppression, surging out like the anger that had driven her actions.

Rationally speaking, it was easy to understand—she and Yan Huan had no real connection.

From his point of view, he’d done absolutely nothing, yet was still dragged into this mess.

He had to study, manage Student Council duties, and work part-time just to make ends meet.

And now, he was inexplicably entangled in a “paranormal incident,” quietly cleaning up colorful paint stains after school.

That was entirely Bai Yi’s fault.

Economic theory assumes that people are rational and always choose the most logical path.

But in reality, people can’t always remain rational.

Especially when constantly being compared to someone else—told that they’re better, more diligent, more valuable.

Of course you’d begin to resent the person making those comparisons.

And deep down, it's hard not to develop aversion and resistance toward the person being praised.

Especially when you possess a pocket watch capable of entering the No Concern state.

It acts like a magnifying glass—one that enlarges all the filth you try to hide.

But here's the reality: people can't stay irrational forever.

For instance, take this very moment.

Bai Yi, who had fallen into a state of detachment, slightly parted her lips. Yet the vile plan she had originally intended to carry out remained impossible to execute.

'Yeah.'

'Didn't I hate the path my mother and agent forced on me the most?'

"With such favorable conditions, you should absolutely take advantage of your looks and capture the visual appeal fan market."

That’s why she always wanted to write her own songs and create her own identity.

But now, seeing someone else—whose looks rivaled or even surpassed her own—not taking that route, she couldn't help but wonder: had she really felt superior for leveraging her appearance to achieve her position?

A mix of regret, jealousy, and confusion surged within Bai Yi.

She regretted using the modifier to harm someone so innocent, and she felt ashamed for once mocking his situation with smug superiority.

She was jealous because she now truly understood what her mother had meant—she understood his struggle and brilliance.

'People teaching people teaches nothing; only experience delivers real lessons.'

But why did someone like him have to cross her path?

'If there's already a Bai Yi, why must there also be a Yan Huan?'

Bai Yi clenched her teeth, her pink fists slowly tightening.

And what truly puzzled her was—

'Back then, he was already favored by the station’s executives. So why would he choose to suffer now rather than accept that opportunity?'

'No matter what, that path would’ve been easier than this, right?'

It really did make one curious—

'Are you truly that excellent and hardworking, or…?'

'Then let me take another look at you—the one my mother always talks about. What kind of person are you really?'

"Phew, finally done."

After quite some time, Yan Huan finally wiped the last of the paint from the tiles.

He took a deep breath and stood up, clapping his hands, now soaked with the strong scent of alcohol.

Then he turned around, pretending to tidy up and get ready to leave.

In truth, he just wanted to check on Bai Yi's condition behind him.

However, when his gaze swept across the classroom, it was already empty—the girl was nowhere to be seen.

*...*

'Hmm, looks like that wave of tension has been temporarily defused.'

Yan Huan rubbed his wrist and glanced at the time on his phone—it was exactly time for his part-time job.

Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he remained on high alert.

Because he had a feeling—things between him and Bai Yi weren’t over just yet.

[End of this chapter]