Mature Fantasy Power Invasion

Chapter 31

The evening light was fading outside the gates of Yuanyue Academy.

Beside a handsome boy carrying a backpack, a black cat—unseen by others—suddenly appeared.

Meow-chan blinked her emerald eyes, occasionally glancing back at someone who had been trailing them at a short distance.

That person wasn’t semi-transparent, but she wore a bucket hat, sunglasses, and a mask to hide her identity. She had been following Yan Huan at a steady pace ever since he left school.

*Meow~*

Meow-chan let out a soft meow, lifted her head, and aimed for Yan Huan’s shoulder.

Her pink paw pads pressed into the ground as she gathered strength. With a light push, she leapt up and landed gently on his shoulder.

Her fluid-like body moved nimbly from his right shoulder to the left, before she poked her furry head forward to look at Yan Huan.

Her soft, sleek fur brushed against his neck, and her curved tail trailed lightly past his Adam's apple.

Yan Huan blinked, and then heard Meow-chan speak in his mind.

"Bai Yi still seems to be following you, meow."

"I know. If stalking makes her happy, let her follow."

While chatting with Meow-chan telepathically, Yan Huan recalled what had just happened in the classroom and began piecing things together.

'I think I understand how her modifier works. I’ve read a lot of similar doujinshi before, so I have a rough idea of the various mechanics…'

(*) Doujinshi: Fan-made comics, often unofficial and based on existing series.

'Her modifier likely allows her to manipulate more factors than Ye Shiyu’s. The gender-swap effect isn’t that strong, unless it has additional functions.'

The "No Concern" modifier mainly affected Bai Yi herself. As long as Yan Huan pretended not to notice her, there was no hard control or forced effect. It was one of the easiest types to deal with.

'But I don’t know much about her—her personality, her habits, or why she holds such a grudge against me.'

Meow-chan glanced at the sneaky Bai Yi behind them and asked,

"So, were you trying the same tactic as with Ye Shiyu just now? Appealing to her conscience?"

Yan Huan shook his head.

"I just wanted to test what kind of person she is, so I acted a little pitiful."

"When someone directly sees the consequences of their actions—some feel regret, some don't care, and others might even get excited."

As he spoke, Yan Huan arrived at the bus stop.

He glanced at his phone and said softly,

"Different people need different approaches in social situations. I think the same applies to modifier users."

Meow-chan tilted her head and nodded as if she deeply agreed.

"Mm, I got it."

Actually, she didn’t understand a thing!

But it sounded pretty impressive!

Anyway, just listening to Yan Huan couldn’t be wrong!

"What do you mean you got it, der—I don’t even get it myself. She’s been standing behind me silently, using No Concern and wearing a mask. I barely noticed her."

*Meow!*

Meow-chan reached out a paw and patted his cheek as she caught sight of him opening a browser with a search engine.

"But she’s kind of a semi-public figure. There should be info about her online."

So he decided to use the power of the internet to search for information on Bai Yi.

Before he even typed anything, related search suggestions appeared under the bar.

"Bai Yi movie"

"Why is Bai Yi’s acting so bad"

"Bai Yi meme pic"

"Is Bai Yi male or female"

Yan Huan clicked “search” and was taken to Bai Yi’s profile page.

The first thing he noticed was a side-profile photo of her in a JK-style uniform, with soft air bangs covering her forehead.

(*) JK-style: A Japanese high school girl uniform fashion trend.

Her gaze met his through the screen—like the most beloved girl in class locking eyes with you by accident, leaving both sides startled.

Normally, you'd quickly look away out of embarrassment, but the photo froze that moment and turned it into a heart-throb.

"Bai Yi: Linmen-born actress, new-generation idol, singer."

"Pure beauty: Discovered at age 11 by Linmen’s Yaban Entertainment Company during a talent search. Debuted as a child star and later wowed audiences with her appearance on the variety show 'Youth People,' earning the nickname 'the idol with the most youthful vibe' from netizens both domestic and abroad."

Yaban Entertainment Company.

That name brought back some unpleasant memories.

Yan Huan continued scrolling.

"Acting Career: Her first romantic art film, 'Falling in Love After Dusk,' tells the story of heroine A-Meng (played by Bai Yi) and A-Ning (also played by Bai Yi), who meet in a parallel world and fall in love."

"Story Summary: A shy girl named A-Meng from a troubled family and the rebellious A-Ning from a happy family gradually develop feelings as their worlds intertwine after dusk."

"Box Office: Released in Dongzhou (excluding Longguo), the film performed poorly and received negative word of mouth. Bai Yi's performance as A-Ning was even rated by some media outlets as ‘disaster-level acting.’ However, the film was nominated for the Rainbow Film Festival in Xizhou a year later."

(*) Longguo: Likely a fictional or alternate version of China.

Rainbow Film Festival award.

Ah, now he remembered what kind of award that was.

How to describe it?

Let’s just say the gold prize winner last year was a historical drama from Saku Nation.

(*) Saku Nation: A fictional country; possibly a stand-in for Japan.

It told the story of a Black samurai who avenged his lord by plotting to assassinate the enemy leader.

When the villain questioned his obsession, the samurai coughed up blood and shouted:

"Even if we’re both men, don’t underestimate my love for my lord!!"

That was the kind of content that could win an award there.

As he scrolled further, most entries were about her variety show appearances and public events.

Only near the bottom did it mention the songs she had written and performed.

“Youth in Emergency,” “Stars Not Moon”

A few pop-style tracks.

After reading everything, Yan Huan realized he only had two possible points of connection with her.

One was Yaban Entertainment Company, the other was Yuanyue Academy.

Yuanyue Academy seemed like a weak connection—she rarely showed up for school.

But Yaban Entertainment Company...

As mentioned before, Yan Huan had tried many ways to escape the southern district—becoming a child star was one of them.

He never seriously considered acting. He didn’t think he was good at it, nor did he enjoy being in the spotlight.

But Yaban’s talent scout came to the southern district and approached him, saying he could try out and get a decent monthly salary.

Yan Huan agreed, thinking it might help cover living expenses and tuition during summer break.

Unexpectedly, his natural qualities were so impressive that everything proceeded more smoothly than he imagined.

He didn’t even need to audition. Yaban insisted on signing him with a “we’ll give you whatever you want” attitude.

Everything sounded perfect, right?

That is, if you ignored the boss's eyes that burned with hunger like he wanted to devour him.

Yes, Yaban’s boss was a twisted old man who only liked little boys.

The kind who would say boys needed to be “exorcised” before being possessed by demons.

Under those circumstances, could Yan Huan really stay?

What was he supposed to do, wait around to be destroyed?

So, the straight-as-steel boy wrote “resistance” all over himself, firmly rejected all of Yaban’s offers, and ran for his life.

*Di di di*

[Jinghe-Yuanyue Station, arrived.]

The sound of the bus pulling in snapped Yan Huan out of his thoughts. He looked up, still puzzled.

'Could it be…'

'Was it something that happened at Yaban?'

'But what could I have done there that offended her?'

'Don’t tell me she was already shipping weird CPs when she was eleven?'

(*) CP: Short for "coupling" or "character pairing," often used in fandoms to refer to romantic pairings.

Yan Huan thought with growing confusion as he pulled out his earbud case and put on his earphones.

He opened his music app and typed in “Bai Yi.”

'Hmm, the copyright’s just right.'

[Dear passengers, please board in an orderly manner~]

*Meow~*

Meow-chan, quicker than her meow, lightly leapt into the bus.

Yan Huan clicked on a song by Bai Yi titled “Stars Not Moon” and stepped onto the bus.

There weren’t many passengers, so he picked a window seat in the back row and sat down.

"Lonely night, stars twinkling"

"Clear and lively, blinking eyes~"

"Galaxy splashes, moon dominates the view"

"Each of them shines in their own way. Why compare?"

"Mm."

"Pretty pleasant to listen to. Her voice is so clear. I wonder if she taught herself vocal training?"

Bai Yi's melodious singing, accompanied by the gentle strumming of a guitar, drifted through the air. Yan Huan, leaning against the window sill, glanced at his phone screen again.

"Lyrics: Bai Yi. Composition: Bai Yi. Arrangement: Bai Yi."

Just then, a fully geared, masked person stepped onto the bus.

She glanced in Yan Huan’s direction, then silently moved to the very back, sitting in the last row behind him.

*Staaaare~*

Yan Huan paid her no attention. He simply leaned against the window, listening to music, watching the silhouettes outside, lost in thought.

A plump black cat sat upright in his arms, holding its paws with a dignified air. It then turned to look at him.

"Meow~"

With a faint smile, he gently removed one earbud and placed it in one of the cat’s perked-up ears.

There was no music playing, but Meow-chan felt a terrible itch instead.

It quickly shook its head and wobbled, scratching its ear with a hind paw as it let out an indignant protest.

"Meow!"

*Di di.*

*Di di.*

Bai Yi's mind was foggy and nearly drifting off when the ringing phone in her hand finally brought her back to awareness.

The ride from Jinghe District to the Southern District was long. After running away from home in fear yesterday and running around all day today, even tilting her head slightly made her feel drowsy.

Seeing the boy still leaning against the window listening to music, she finally allowed herself to relax a bit.

She glanced at her phone and noticed a few new messages had come in.

"Yi Nuo-sis:"

"Xiao Yi, the police just called me."

"Your mom is going crazy looking for you."

That message instantly snapped Bai Yi's mind into clarity.

She quickly sat upright, frowning as she began to type.

"Don’t mind her, Yi Nuo-sis. Just say you don’t know where I went."

The contact status changed to "typing..."

"It’s not that I’d betray you or anything, but you can’t keep running like this forever, right? You’ll have to face your mom eventually."

"Where are you now?"

'I’m...'

'I’m following that guy.'

Just as Bai Yi was about to casually reply, the bus slowly came to a stop. Yan Huan stood up, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

'This is the stop!'

Bai Yi quickly locked her phone and quietly followed Yan Huan off the bus.

Near the station was a busy intersection—one of the liveliest corners of the Southern District.

The sun had already set. The night belonged to neon lights, bustling noise, and the scent of fireworks in the air.

That lively atmosphere seemed to orbit around the boy, escorting him into a pub called "Nursery Rhyme."

In stark contrast, Bai Yi—with her face tightly wrapped and hidden—looked completely out of place.

Passersby occasionally glanced her way, causing her to lower her head nervously and quicken her pace.

Without realizing it, she had grasped a delicate pocket watch between her fingers.

'Does he work part-time at that pub?'

Just as she was observing the already-crowded pub entrance, her phone rang again.

*Di di.*

She glanced down. This time, the caller ID showed: [plane].

"Yi Nuo-sis."

Bai Yi didn’t think twice and answered the call, holding the phone to her ear.

"Yi Nuo-sis, you—"

"Bai Yi! Where the hell are you right now?!" It was Zuo Jiangqin’s voice.

Bai Yi froze slightly, replying in disbelief.

"Mom?"

"So you still remember I’m your mom? You ran out in the middle of the night and never came home! Do you know how worried I’ve been?!"

Hearing her mother’s slightly trembling voice, Bai Yi pursed her lips, feeling a stab of guilt.

But the wound in her heart—caused by her mother’s harsh words—still throbbed faintly.

That pain refused to heal and pushed her toward defiance.

Even if that defiance always ended in an explosion.

After a moment of silence, she gritted her teeth.

"I’ll go back on my own later. You don’t need to come looking for me."

"What do you mean I don’t need to look for you?! If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t even know you’re still in contact with that Li Yi Nuo!"

As expected, Zuo Jiangqin was furious at Bai Yi’s defiance.

"I told you to stay away from those shady people, and you still got corrupted by that tattooed girl! You ignore the right path and keep fooling around! Just wait till I deal with you. Where are you?!"

That was the last straw. Bai Yi’s simmering anger ignited.

Clenching her phone tightly, she shouted,

"It’s always my fault—or someone else’s! Have you ever admitted you were wrong even once?!"

"What did I do wrong, huh? I gave birth to you, raised you, fed and clothed you every single day—what more do you want from me?!"

"You—"

Bai Yi’s face turned red. Just as she was about to yell back, she noticed people on the street beginning to stare.

Embarrassment surged up. Tears welled in her eyes as she hurriedly turned into a nearby alley, holding her phone close.

But her sudden silence only poured fuel on Zuo Jiangqin’s fury.

From last night to now, she had been searching non-stop. She believed everything was rooted in Bai Yi’s immaturity.

"Look at yourself—slacking off in school, never participating in events properly, always half-hearted! Am I supposed to just sit back and do nothing? I say a few words, and you explode—do I need to worship you now?!"

"Do I need that? You’ve never once asked for my opinion! All the contests, going to Yuanyue—that was your decision! Since you've decided everything, why even pretend to include me? What do you need me for?"

"Who do you think I’m doing this for? It’s all for your own good! These opportunities you keep rejecting—people beg for them and can’t get them! Do you know how many favors your Uncle had to call in for your sake? You think the entertainment industry is easy to break into?!"

Meanwhile, in a room on the second floor of a tattoo parlor, a group of police officers and a tattooed woman with colorful hair and a lip piercing all sighed in unison.

They had already advised Zuo Jiangqin to focus on persuading her daughter to come home first.

But the moment she heard chaotic noise through the call and thought about Bai Yi’s stubbornness, she exploded again.

Especially after Bai Yi talked back—the anger only intensified.

"You have me and your Uncle Jiang supporting you! Look at that Yan Huan kid at your school—no parents, works part-time to survive! You don’t want to be in showbiz or follow our plans? Fine! Then at least achieve something else!"

"You’ve been a mess in school since you were little! You love songwriting? How many people even recognize your music? Good songs need promotion and exposure! Your amateur work doesn’t count! You can’t do anything well, and all you do is complain—what is there to complain about, huh?!"

On Bai Yi’s end, her mouth and nose were covered by a mask. Listening to her mother tear down every choice she had made—it was suffocating.

Especially when her mother criticized her songs.

Of course she was angry. Words surged to the tip of her tongue, but for some reason, all that came were tears.

"Zuo Jiangqin, I seriously hate you the most."

In the next second, she suddenly hurled her phone with all her strength.

*Bang!*

The phone, without a case, smashed against the wall. The screen cracked extensively before falling to the ground.

From the shattered device, Zuo Jiangqin’s voice continued faintly,

"...you listen to me... hear me..."

Then the screen went completely dark, and the voice cut off.

Bai Yi leaned against the wall, head bowed. Behind her sunglasses, tears pooled and dripped onto her mask.

Her body slowly slid down the wall until she was sitting on the ground.

Hugging her knees, she finally broke into sobs.

*Wuuuuuuuuuuu...*

She truly didn’t know what to do anymore—how to do anything that would make her mother proud.

She knew she didn’t study hard enough, knew the path to fame was tough, and that nothing would ever be perfect.

But did that mean she couldn’t pursue what she loved?

She just didn’t want to be compared to Yan Huan anymore. She didn’t want to keep hearing how amazing someone else was and how she should learn from them.

She only wanted to do something she enjoyed—wanted her mother to genuinely listen to her music and say, "Not bad."

But no matter how long she waited, she never heard those words.

From beginning to end, she had never received what she truly wanted.

It was denial.

*Wuu wuu wuu wuu... wuu wuu wuu.*

*Ka-da.*

Just as Bai Yi was sobbing on this unfamiliar little path, a door on the side suddenly opened.

She quickly lifted her head. Through a blur of tears and the tint of her sunglasses, she could barely make out a figure holding a trash bag and wearing a bartender’s uniform.

The person seemed a bit startled too, clearly not expecting someone to be crying there.

Then, a familiar voice spoke.

"Hey, Miss, this is where we throw out the trash. You can’t sit here, okay?"

"..."

'What the—Linbei is heartbroken here, and you're worried about whether she can sit here or not?'

Bai Yi dazedly looked up.

That upward glance shifted her angle just enough to spot, through a dry patch on her lens, the smiling face of the boy.

'Yan Huan?!'

'This... this was the back door of the pub where he worked!'

By now, he had already walked over and tossed the trash into the bin next to her.

Bai Yi belatedly tried to stand up and leave, but then she heard him say,

"Wanna come inside and rest for a bit?"

"..."

Bai Yi sniffled, giving a barely noticeable shake of her head.

She raised her fingers to wipe the inside of her sunglasses, then awkwardly pointed to the nearby phone and whispered,

"My phone’s broken... I can’t pay."

"It’s fine. Sitting down for a while doesn’t cost anything."

Yan Huan gave a soft smile and picked up the phone with the shattered screen from the ground.

He handed it to her and said,

"There are still empty seats in the shop. If it gets busy later, you can leave then—it won’t be too late."

Bai Yi looked up at him, uncertain of what to do.

But Yan Huan simply placed the phone firmly in her hand, then turned and led the way.

"Come with me."

"...Mm."

Bai Yi had no choice but to follow.

Entering through the pub’s back door, they stepped into a small interior section with one or two tables—an area usually untouched by customers. Only Tong Tingting, the resident drunk, would sneak in here to drink.

Yan Huan let Bai Yi sit and rest there. Then he added,

"This is the southern district, Miss. In these alleys and backstreets, it’s better to stay alert and not wander alone, got it?"

He fetched a cup of warm water from the side and handed it to her, thoughtfully including a straw.

"People in the southern district don’t care whether you’re hiding your face or not. For them, it’s like the thrill of opening a mystery box."

"Mm-hmm."

Bai Yi didn’t drink the water. Instead, she turned her head to look at him again.

The closer she looked, the more she understood—those executives at the station weren’t wrong to notice him immediately.

'Ha, so good at studying... and still managed to become Student Council President.'

The more she thought about it, the more overwhelmed she felt.

Her mother’s words had sliced through her like a scalpel, exposing every raw nerve inside her.

Even the one thing she truly loved—singing—had been dismissed. She really didn’t know...

*Ding ding.*

A bell rang from inside the shop, but Bai Yi had no idea what it signified. She only heard Yan Huan say,

"Just sit here for now. Leave whenever you want—just remember to be safe when you do."

She lowered her head, silent for a moment, then asked hoarsely,

"Um... you’re really handsome. Hasn’t any talent scout tried to recruit you as a celebrity?"

"Mm, actually, yes."

"...Then why didn’t you go?"

Yan Huan blinked, about to respond, when another bell rang.

He turned to glance toward the sound, then looked back at the girl in front of him. Her head was down, her entire body curled up instinctively.

She looked completely shattered.

'The closer someone is to you, the deeper the wounds they leave.'

In truth, Yan Huan had overheard her conversation with her mother earlier.

When she didn’t follow him back, he had wondered where she’d gone.

But he couldn’t go looking for her directly, so he kept working and paid attention.

Who would’ve thought that just heading out to take out the trash would lead to this?

He was starting to understand why Bai Yi disliked him so much.

'Can you really say it’s all her fault?'

Yan Huan didn’t know either.

But from a “modifier resolution” perspective, he figured she needed a little more kindness right now.

After a moment’s thought, he smiled and said,

"Although being noticed feels good, I always felt like... that’s not what I really want. So I didn’t go."

*Ding ding.*

"...But that’s because you have a choice, right?"

*Ding ding.*

"Working here counts as having a choice?"

*Ding ding.*

"..."

Bai Yi was momentarily pulled out of her tears by his helpless self-deprecation.

She lowered her eyes, just about to speak, when she noticed a striking red-haired woman beside Yan Huan—her expression somewhere between 'I’ll kill you' and 'Please kill me.'

The woman was holding a bell, presumably the one used to summon employees—“a magical capitalist tool.”

(*) Note: This is a sarcastic reference to how employers use tools like bells to control workers, likening it to a 'magical' form of capitalist control.

Oh.

When the woman saw Bai Yi crying and masked, her expression leaned more toward 'I’ll kill you.'

Tong Tingting looked at Bai Yi. Truthfully, ever since Yan Huan led her in, Tingting had felt something bad was about to happen—and now it had.

Quitting smoking and drinking was already annoying enough.

You think you’ve done a good deed by helping someone, but don’t realize how easy it is for bad women to cling onto you.

Look, she came in and immediately started clinging and talking nonstop.

Next thing you know, she’s chartering a plane to chase you down and throwing money at you...

And just like that, you become a bad woman’s pet.

You’re just a first-year student, with zero dating experience, and exactly the type girls like—bad women love boys like you.

Xiaohuan, the waters of the southern district are far too deep for you.

It’s a boss’s duty to protect innocent employees.

Yan Huan blinked and turned to look at Tong Tingting beside him.

"Tong... Sis Tong?"

Just as he was about to say more, he saw Sis Tong sit down in front of Bai Yi, wave him off, and command,

"Go on, get back to work—the customers are getting impatient."

Then she turned to the teary-eyed Bai Yi, pulled out a cigarette box, and said,

"Leave this part to me."

[End of Chapter]