novelraw Chapter 69
Chapter 69
Chapter 69
After an investigation by the Discipline Committee, the Student Council, and the Student Affairs Office, it has been determined that on March 19, Year-1 Class-C student Aria Spencer assaulted a classmate, violating Yuanyue Academy's code of conduct and the Linmen High-School behavioral standards.
Approved by the Disciplinary Office and the Student Affairs Office, and reviewed by the Board of Directors, the following sanctions are imposed on Aria Spencer:
1. Deliver a written apology to the assaulted student, Hua Zhaofeng, and provide financial compensation.
2. Revoke her eligibility to apply for scholarships, grants, or any form of financial aid for the next three years.
3. Immediate suspension for one week, effective today.
Tuesday, noon.
In the garden outside the Student Union notice board, freshmen clustered and whispered.
"No way—that's not even a punishment. Might as well be nothing."
"Heh, Spencer. See that new building up there? Her family name's literally carved into the stone. Wake up."
"Rich kids, man—never thought I'd say it out loud."
Just as Yan Huan had predicted, the moment the notice went up, Spencer became the talk of the school.
Standing at the edge of the crowd, An Le pressed her lips together.
A translucent white snake draped over her shoulder flicked its tongue.
"Happy now? She's basically unscathed, and you still rushed over like a headless chicken."
An Le bit her lip, worry still etched on her face.
"But if Spencer can't join a club and win Club Wars, she could be expelled!"
"Would that really be so bad?"
"Eh? W-why do you say that?"
Xiao Muzi blinked, thinking for a second.
"Call it a hunch—every time she mentions Yan Huan, I get this nasty chill. Don't you feel it?"
An Le caught the implication and hurried to defend Spencer.
"How could that be? Spencer said she'd help get Xiao Huan and me together!"
"Sure she did," the snake drawled.
"Besides, when Park Seo-mun was bullying me, Spencer stood up for me. This whole mess started because of me and Park Seo-mun."
Xiao Muzi rolled its eyes, irritation flaring.
"And whose fault is that? I gave you the power to crush Park Seo-mun, plus memory edits afterward. And what did you do? Nothing!"
It thumped its tail against An Le's shoulder.
"If you'd shown even a shred of guts, none of this would have happened!"
"I-I'm sorry."
The snake snorted.
"Look, expulsion terrifies you, but she probably doesn't care. You're fretting like a peasant who thinks the emperor uses a golden hoe. Stop playing eunuch to an unbothered monarch."
An Le opened her mouth, unconvinced, then turned away and muttered,
"No matter what, I have to find a way to help Spencer."
Xiao Muzi heaved another mental sigh but didn't explode this time.
It had learned to view its host dialectically: changing her was impossible without suicide, so it might as well mine the silver lining.
Stubborn as An Le was—refusing to keep distance from Spencer, who gave the snake the creeps—at least the former coward was now willing to act.
Tail flicking with faux nonchalance, Xiao Muzi added,
"Isn't Yan Huan in charge of this? He's the Student-Council President; asking him beats running around like a headless fly."
"R-right!"
An Le's anxious expression eased. She spun toward the stairwell, aiming for the top-floor office—only to spot Yan Huan coming down alone.
"Xiao Huan..."
The moment she saw him, blood rushed to her cheeks, tinting her pale skin pink.
Her fingers tangled in front of her stomach, trying to dodge his gaze—yet the motion only pressed and reshaped the softness of her arms, drawing even more attention.
"Um, Xiao Huan, I need your help with something."
Yan Huan blinked, then gave a small smile.
He pointed toward the street outside.
"Perfect timing—I was looking for you too. Let's grab lunch off-campus; I've got questions of my own."
"Eh? You were...? Ah, o-okay."
Watching from her shoulder, Xiao Muzi looked smug.
I'm a genius.
"Xiao Huan... maybe we should sit inside?"
They chose an outdoor table at a restaurant on the commercial strip.
After scanning the QR code to order, An Le's face reddened and she whispered,
"Everyone's staring."
Yan Huan glanced around.
Since the strip was technically still inside Yuanyue, every patron was a student.
Not everyone was idle, but the occasional passer-by still tossed a curious glance.
"Inside's the same crowd. Sit or stand, it's all our school."
He tapped the menu.
"What do you want? My treat."
"Eh? Me?"
An Le took the phone with both hands, lips pursed, picked the cheapest rice bowl, and handed it back.
Yan Huan paid, set the phone down, then rubbed his shoulder and chest—only to hiss in pain.
Xiao Muzi, sensing the lull, hissed in An Le's ear:
"Say something! You came for help, remember? Waiting for him to read your mind?"
The jolt snapped An Le out of her daze.
She opened her mouth—then saw Yan Huan's smile fade as he locked his phone.
He looked up and asked,
"That thing with Park Seo-mun bullying you—was it true?"
An Le froze.
Noting the stiffness in his shoulder, the slightest move bringing pain, she switched tracks, worry flooding her voice.
"Xiao Huan, are you hurt?"
Yan Huan gave a resigned smile.
"I asked about you first. Don't dodge."
"I-I know! I'm just worried."
Meeting her wide, watery eyes, he relented.
"I've been working out. High volume equals sore muscles. Pain means growth."
"Working out, huh..."
An Le's gaze drifted over the table, imagination running wild; her cheeks flushed.
Xiao Muzi rolled its eyes.
"Total lech."
An Le didn't even protest.
Months of cohabitation had taught the snake exactly who she was.
Still—Xiao Huan looked miserable. If her power could ease the ache...
She whispered urgently, "Xiao Muzi, if I use my ability to give him pleasure, would that kill the pain?"
"Of course. Pleasure's the best painkiller."
The snake flicked its tongue, holding something back.
After a pause it added,
"No need for Superconducting Mode or memory edits. Just call the serpent tattoo to your hand and brush his skin lightly—pain gone."
"S-so..."
Xiao Muzi grinned.
"Find an excuse to touch Xiao Huan's hand."
An Le pressed her lips together; her heart shot straight into her throat.
Her gaze trembled as it inched upward—from her own softness, sliding forward until it settled on Yan Huan's fingers.
"The question from before—you still haven't answered me, An Le."
"Ah? Mmm."
At his words, she went quiet for a moment, then finally nodded.
"Actually... it was only that one time. The isolation, the snide remarks—because I overheard them asking Hashimoto to pass you a love letter, Xiao Huan.
"I wanted to reveal myself to you like this, but they caught me, so..."
Yan Huan rubbed the bridge of his nose, a look of "as expected" flickering across his face.
That was An Le all over. She could have come straight to him, yet she had to weave a maze of detours.
Before doing anything she'd run infinite simulations in her head; in the end she'd either scare herself into giving up or gamble everything on one desperate burst of courage—preferably by the most indirect route possible.
But it left Yan Huan with a huge question.
By the timeline, An Le should already have had the Modifier when Pu Seo-mun bullied her last week. Knowing her, she'd never use it for revenge—he could accept that.
Yet last Thursday, in the corridor outside the student-council office, she had inexplicably flooded him with pleasure via the Modifier. If he hadn't had resistance, he'd have turned into cream puff on the spot.
So why?
Timid with Pu Seo-mun, heavy-handed with him—was this her version of childhood-sweetheart diplomacy?
Yan Huan couldn't make sense of it.
But looking at the girl in front of him, lips still pressed together as if bracing for blame, he quietly buried the suspicion.
He preferred to believe she'd fumbled the Modifier that day—triggered it by mistake.
Come to think of it, it made sense. If she'd been watching, she'd have seen the cold mask he wore in front of Spencer.
An Le, the fool, wouldn't punish bullies with the Modifier, but if she thought her friends were fighting, she'd use it to help.
"You've always been like this, An Le. Ever since we were kids."
"S-sorry, Xiao Huan."
Seeing her bow her head, certain she was being scolded for her foolishness, Yan Huan almost laughed.
And here he'd been suspecting her of doing it on purpose. He really was losing his mind over this Modifier business.
An Le was still An Le—exactly the same.
With that thought, he lifted a hand to tap her forehead.
But as An Le watched his approaching fingers, Xiao Muzi at her side yelled, "Chance, An Le! Right now!"
"Ah—r-right!"
Flustered, she pretended shyness and stretched out her hand to block the tap—her real goal: contact with Yan Huan's palm.
A phantom serpent tattoo slithered unnoticed from Yan Huan onto her right hand.
She drew a steadying breath and gently caught his wrist.
*Clap.*
A light squeeze. Yan Huan smiled at her bashful face—then felt a familiar jolt race up his arm and explode in his brain.
"?"
His pupils contracted; he activated Perfect Expression Management. Behind the mask, disbelief flickered.
An Le, are you really going to flip wolf?
A spectral black cat materialized on his shoulder, baring its claws at An Le.
"Yan Huan, your resistance just took another hit!"
"I—"
Before he could speak, the fatigue in his body was swept away by a tide of pleasure rushing in through her hand.
*Sss.*
So it can work like this?
He reflexively tightened his grip; An Le's heart nearly leapt out of her chest.
"X-Xiao Muzi, X-Xiao Huan h-he—"
"Calm down! Don't panic! Side effects are normal after using a superpower! Besides, this will make him like you, won't it? If you're not used to it now, someone else will make you used to it later!!"
"Ah—"
Yan Huan inhaled sharply, letting the stimulation from An Le wash every ache from his body. It felt as if the debuff had vanished entirely.
"Meow!"
Meow-chan had been on high alert, but noticing Yan Huan still holding on, it gave a warning meow.
"Yan Huan, don't let the Modifier's sugar-coated bullets corrupt you. It helps neither you nor An Le."
Yet as it spoke, it recalled last night—Yan Huan cursed, hurting wherever he touched in the shower. Its tail curled, voice softening.
"...at least in the long run, meow."
Yan Huan blinked, considered, and gently released An Le's hand.
The moment he let go, the pain flared back to life. This time, he didn't reach out again.
Behind his mask, he told Meow-chan with regret, "Thought An Le's Modifier could solve it for good. Turns out it's temporary."
Hearing the disappointment, Meow-chan sighed on his shoulder.
"If it were permanent, would you really rely on the Modifier?"
"Not rely—critically utilize, Meow-chan."
"..."
Meow-chan said nothing, simply nipped his ear in protest.
Yan Huan didn't mind; he stretched his newly-light body and looked at the red-faced girl before him.
"Don't be so rigid. For me, it eases the curse's pain; for her, after so long apart, it narrows the distance and helps me gather intel on her Modifier.
"Like now I know: the effect she used today is weaker than the one at the expo. It's direct, triggered by physical contact."
While he analyzed, Meow-chan's trembling voice cut in.
"Yan Huan, you don't actually think this is win-win, do you?"
"Win-win, kind of—"
He'd assumed Meow-chan was the type to forbid any use of Modifiers.
The next second, he realized otherwise. The useless cat knew its limits; it never meddled.
Yet now its tone held seven parts horror, three parts despair—something had happened.
Only then did he notice the long shadow falling across their table.
A waitress bringing food?
An Le, relieved to see Yan Huan relaxed, also sensed someone standing beside them—tall, slender.
They turned together.
A breathtaking girl with waterfall-straight black hair.
Skin like snow, figure perfectly balanced.
A beauty worthy of a fairy tale—yet her face was the calm before a blizzard, utterly cold.
She stood silently by their curb-side table, having watched for who knew how long.
Which meant she'd probably seen them holding hands.
Yan Huan wasn't sure, but from the corner of his eye he caught the glow of her phone—screen toward her palm, lit an eerie violet.
Only then did he understand why Meow-chan had sounded so alarmed.
Win-win was irrelevant.
A win for both but a loss for one—that's the most terrifying outcome of all.
Yan Huan's face froze, the smile dying on his lips. After a moment of silence, he turned to the aloof girl beside him—the one who hadn't said a word, who looked at An Le with eyes that didn't seem human—and greeted her softly.
"Shiyu sis."
At Yan Huan's voice, Ye Shiyu—who'd been standing there like a porcelain doll carved for murder—seemed to remember she was still human. Her expression shifted, becoming almost lifelike, and she finally looked away from An Le to meet his gaze.
But for some reason, the phone in her hand remained lit. So bright it burned violet.