"You..."
Naruko Anjou wore an exasperated expression, sighing as she said.
"I really find it hard to believe why someone like you possesses such power. I can't even determine whether this is fortunate or unfortunate for the world."
"Listen to yourself."
Ye Xing replied with complete seriousness.
"Without me, this world would have been doomed long ago."
"Alright, alright, I know. You're also mine and Menma's saviour, I remember."
"Good that you remember."
Ye Xing casually responded first, then looked at the chain around Naruko Anjou's neck.
"Remember, you must never remove the pendant I gave you, even when bathing. You haven't forgotten, have you?"
"No, I haven't."
Naruko Anjou took out the small jade-like pendant to look at it, unable to resist asking curiously.
"If I were to remove it... what would happen?"
Ye Xing shook his head and said meaningfully:
"You wouldn't want to know."
The current Naruko Anjou was just like Miko Yotsuya in the past - possessing only the ability to observe without any power to confront evil spirits.
The constitution of a psychic would attract the attention of evil spirits, especially someone like Naruko Anjou now, who was practically a piece of prime meat in the eyes of evil spirits.
Ye Xing didn't think she had the same strong mental fortitude as Miko Yotsuya, who could remain expressionless and show no flaws when faced with evil spirits that occasionally popped up to scare people.
Therefore, he specifically gave Naruko Anjou a spiritual pendant that deterred evil spirits and prevented them from approaching.
Originally, a spiritual object of this level - not a powerful spiritual weapon like Onimaru Kunitsuna or Mikazuki Munechika - would only keep ordinary evil spirits at bay, while stronger evil spirits would simply ignore it.
However, in the current Kyoto... there were no powerful evil spirits left.
All the incidents that had occurred in the real world's Kyoto City recently - Kyoto Tower, Toyogasaki High School, and the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters building incident a few days ago - had all been resolved satisfactorily.
Especially the incident at the Metropolitan Police Department headquarters building - whether Soichiro Yagami had considered the existence of the Reverse World or it was unintentional - he had quelled public opinion in the most perfect way possible.
Compared to the decline in the Metropolitan Police Department's public image and questions about internal personnel assessment standards, if the image of Mask were to develop cracks, that would be the major incident that would cause panic and unrest among Kyoto citizens.
With no major cases occurring, there naturally wasn't much accumulation of negative emotions. Plus, with Tamamo-no-Mae in the Reverse World, members of the Supernatural Society regularly forming teams to level up inside, and exorcism commissions in the real world...
Evil spirits powerful enough to resist this spiritual talisman no longer existed in Kyoto City. Even if such evil spirits were born in the Reverse World, they would be eliminated before they had a chance to enter the real world and cause trouble.
Because of this, Naruko Anjou could awaken her spiritual power and wear this spiritual jade talisman without being harassed by any evil spirits, maintaining her original everyday life.
...
When Ye Xing brought Naruko Anjou and Menma to Mai Sakurajima's doorstep and knocked, before even two seconds had passed, the door quickly opened and Shoko Makinohara - already changed into outdoor clothes - rushed out and affectionately wrapped her arms around him.
"Ye Xing-kun."
Shoko Makinohara first called out softly, then spoke in a somewhat aggrieved tone.
"I've been staying at home all this time, unable to go anywhere. I'm practically going crazy from boredom."
"That can't be helped."
Ye Xing replied with a laugh.
"Your health wasn't good to begin with, plus everyone's been very busy recently. We couldn't possibly take you along for exorcisms - the risk would be too great."
Shoko Makinohara sighed, a hint of cunning flashing in her eyes.
"Then... what if I moved into your house? Wouldn't that solve it? Staying by your side should be the safest, right?"
"That's not necessarily true, depending on how you define safety."
"Oh?"
Shoko Makinohara stood on tiptoe, leaning close to Ye Xing's ear as she whispered with a soft laugh.
"That's not safe... but it's alright."
What advanced tactics.
Just the change in how she addressed him already demonstrated Shoko Makinohara's skill.
Originally, she had been calling Ye Xing 'big brother,' just as Keika Kawasaki and Menma did.
But now, she directly switched to calling him 'Ye Xing-kun'.
What did this mean?
This was using the address change to hope that Ye Xing's view of her would also change - no longer seeing her as a little girl, but as a girl his own age.
And then, she immediately launched her offensive.
Smooth and seamless, flowing like water, already reaching master-level proficiency.
"If you want to stay over, that's fine too."
"That's wonderful."
Hearing their conversation, Menma immediately chimed in.
"Shoko is going to stay at brother Ye Xing's house? Then I want to go too!"
Then Menma turned to Naruko Anjou with a sweet smile.
"Annaru, if you don't have plans this weekend... come stay over too! I have so much I want to tell you, the three of us can play together"
"Well..."
Naruko Anjou pursed her lips, showing hesitation on her face as she looked at Ye Xing and said cautiously.
"This... I really don't have any plans this weekend, but wouldn't it... cause trouble for classmate Ye Xing?"
"It's fine, you can come if you want."
Ye Xing replied indifferently.
"Anyway, there's no one else in my house, and there are plenty of rooms. You can stay if you want, it doesn't matter to me."
"Eh? No one else?"
Naruko Anjou looked puzzled.
"Don't your parents work in Kyoto?"
"I don't have parents."
Naruko Anjou couldn't help but freeze at these words, her face showing guilt as she said.
"Ah... I'm sorry..."
Ye Xing waved his hand, directly cutting off Naruko Anjou's words.
"Enough, I've already heard that line before. You can't use the same joke too many times. To prevent this situation from happening again in the future, I'm considering whether to make a name tag that says 'I'm an orphan' and hang it on my chest."
Naruko Anjou was amused and couldn't help covering her mouth with a light laugh.
"What nonsense are you talking about? That would be way too strange."
Though she said this, Naruko Anjou couldn't help but feel relieved inside, since this matter was quite heavy.
Was Ye Xing considering my feelings... and deliberately saying something so abstract to comfort me...
Just as Menma said, he really is a very gentle person.
...
One hour later.
"This place..."
Looking at the castle-like mansion before her, Naruko Anjou was completely stunned.
There was actually a place like this in Kyoto?
"Open the gate."
Ye Xing, however, looked completely unfazed as he walked straight to the entrance and said this to the security personnel inside.
What surprised Naruko Anjou, Menma, and Shoko Makinohara was that the security personnel inside actually nodded and directly pressed the switch to open the large gate.
Ye Xing walked through the Gate as if returning to his own home, showing no sign of restraint or caution as he strode inside.
"Aren't you coming?"
"Oh... oh, right."
Only when they heard these words did Naruko Anjou and the others finally snap out of their daze and hurriedly follow him.
At that moment, a beautiful girl with black hair and crimson eyes, dressed in kyudo attire, approached slowly from the distance, accompanied by a blonde girl dressed like a gyaru.
"Ye Xing-kun."
Kaguya Shinomiya stopped before Ye Xing, her expression placid, yet her eyes carrying a subtle complexity.
"You... being able to walk right in like this is truly beyond my expectations."
Kaguya had received Ye Xing's text message saying he would visit today.
To be honest, she thought he was being absurd again.
This castle-like luxurious residence was prepared specifically for her by the Shinomiya family - or rather, it was a cage specially designed for Kaguya Shinomiya.
From her personal maid to the security personnel at the gate and the bodyguards patrolling the premises, almost everyone in this mansion served as a spy, monitoring her movements.
These included not only Gan'an Shinomiya's people but also informants from the Shinomiya conglomerate's branch families. If Kaguya did something in the morning, the news would reach their ears before noon.
This was precisely why Kaguya spent her days hiding in her room, rarely engaging in any activities within the mansion except when she needed to demonstrate her talents.
Inviting classmates to her home... only her close friend Chika Fujiwara, who came from a similarly influential background, had ever visited.
The problem was that Chika Fujiwara was a girl.
Yet Ye Xing, a male of the same age, had entered without being stopped by the security personnel at the gate?
How did he manage that?
Kaguya glanced briefly at the security personnel at the entrance, pondering silently. Although there were many spies from branch families within the mansion, crucial positions, such as security, must be filled by her father, Gan'an Shinomiya's, most trusted subordinates.
Had Ye Xing... reached some kind of agreement with her father, the current head of the Shinomiya conglomerate?
Was such a thing even possible?
Though countless thoughts raced through Kaguya's mind, only a moment passed in reality. She showed no outward signs of her internal turmoil, maintaining perfect decorum as she said:
"Ye Xing-kun, and these two..."
Naruko Anjou and Shoko Makinohara introduced themselves, and Kaguya nodded after hearing their names.
"I'm Kaguya Shinomiya. It's nice to meet you. Please follow me."
From Kaguya's words, Shoko Makinohara and Naruko Anjou could tell she wasn't a psychic; otherwise, she would have been able to see Menma standing beside them.
But...
Shinomiya?
Connecting this to the extravagantly luxurious castle-like mansion, Naruko Anjou and Shoko Makinohara immediately thought of the Shinomiya conglomerate - the leading family among the four great financial groups.
Just who had Ye Xing brought them to meet?
Throughout the entire process of leading them into the mansion, Ai Hayasaka remained completely silent.
Normally, guiding guests and making introductions would be part of her duties as a maid.
However, Kaguya had insisted on greeting them personally.
The reason was simple.
She didn't want to see Ye Xing stopped by security personnel and end up in an embarrassing situation.
Though they were rivals, during the recent school festival, Kaguya owed Ye Xing a favour - she had been able to enjoy two rare days of freedom like an ordinary girl, for which she felt genuinely grateful.
But as it turned out now, she had worried unnecessarily.
...
After entering the mansion and arriving in her room, Kaguya Shinomiya gave a meaningful glance, which Ai Hayasaka immediately understood before leaving the room. However, she didn't go far, merely standing outside the door once it was closed to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.
"Young Master Ye Xing, your visit this time is..."
"Wait a moment."
Just as Kaguya Shinomiya began speaking, Ye Xing suddenly raised his hand to stop her. He then scanned the room's furnishings and, under Kaguya's astonished gaze, retrieved several small black spherical objects from several hidden corners. After crushing them directly, he finally spoke with a smile.
"Now we can talk."
Kaguya Shinomiya looked at the black debris on the carpet, her brow slightly furrowed.
"Listening devices? But to think even here has them..."
Kaguya had specifically brought Ye Xing and the others to her private bedroom rather than the usual guest study precisely because she considered it vital that no one learn about her suffering from Adolescence Syndrome. She never imagined that even her own bedroom would contain listening devices.
The maids who cleaned the room... had many opportunities to plant listening devices, but Ai Hayasaka had never discovered any during previous inspections. This wasn't because they lacked opportunity, but because they didn't dare.
Gan'an Shinomiya, as the current head of the Shinomiya conglomerate, was naturally not a weak man.
Appropriate surveillance to see whether Kaguya Shinomiya had sufficient substance to shoulder the identity of the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya conglomerate?
That was acceptable, but planting listening devices in his daughter's bedroom crossed the bottom line - something Gan'an Shinomiya would absolutely not tolerate.
"I presume you can guess it now?"
Ye Xing sat in his chair, watching the contemplative Kaguya Shinomiya, and spoke with a smile.
"Your father's influence within the Shinomiya Group has been declining steadily. Those who were originally hiding in the shadows are now becoming restless, showing signs of becoming uncontrollable."
Upon hearing this, Kaguya Shinomiya's frown deepened as she murmured.
"But why? Father is still in his prime, not even sixty yet... There haven't been any sudden incidents recently. How could the Shinomiya Group, which has always been under his control, suddenly become unstable? Unless..."
At this point, Kaguya suddenly fell silent as if she had thought of something.
Kaguya Shinomiya was not foolish - in fact, she was quite intelligent.
Considering how her father had been appearing less frequently at public events, and even at unavoidable social occasions, making only brief appearances without staying long, the truth was already clear to her.
"Since you've already guessed, I'll speak plainly."
Ye Xing put away his smile and spoke seriously.
"One year, two at most - that's all the time you have left. Now you only have two paths before you."
"The first: you abandon the Shinomiya name, transfer directly from Shuchi'in Academy to Sobu High School, join our club, become an ordinary person from now on, and enjoy a pleasant, peaceful school life together."
Hearing this, complex emotions surfaced in Kaguya Shinomiya's eyes. She parted her lips slightly as if to say something, but ultimately just raised her hand to touch her cheek before regaining her composure and speaking calmly.
"I cannot do that. I don't care about money, status, or such things, but if I give up my inheritance rights to the Shinomiya family, it won't just affect me, but also my..."
Here, Kaguya Shinomiya paused, looking at Ye Xing as she said softly.
"Ye Xing-kun, please forgive me for not being psychologically prepared yet. When the day comes that I am ready, I will tell you my reasons personally. But I truly cannot bring myself to abandon the Shinomiya name, no matter how much I might want to."
Though Kaguya Shinomiya spoke these words calmly, Naruko Anjou, Menma, and Shoko Makinohara could all sense the sorrow and melancholy contained within them.
Even a young lady living in such a castle-like luxurious mansion... had her own difficulties?
Naruko Anjou and the others couldn't fully understand Kaguya Shinomiya's emotions, but putting themselves in her position, if they had to live in such a lifeless place where even their own bedrooms had listening devices installed, where every move had to be made carefully in this suffocating environment, it would be unbearably oppressive and painful, nothing short of torture.
"I guessed you wouldn't choose that option."
Ye Xing smiled lightly before speaking softly.
"The second path: become someone capable, someone who can break free from all restraints and act freely according to your own will. That would be sufficient."
"Someone who can break free from all restraints..."
Kaguya Shinomiya showed a bitter smile and shook her head.
"You may not understand this, Ye Xing-kun, but being part of such a family, no matter how outstanding one's individual abilities are - even as exceptional as yours - it's impossible to achieve what you just described."
Ye Xing spread his hands and countered.
"Then why do you think I was able to enter this residence? If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, would you believe I could accomplish something like this?"
"This..."
Kaguya Shinomiya was left speechless.
Just as Ye Xing said, if she hadn't witnessed it herself, she would never have believed he could stroll in so boldly.
And then there was the school festival incident... Her father's attitude during that phone call...
Could it be that her father, Gan'an Shinomiya, the current head of the Shinomiya conglomerate, had seen some talent in Ye Xing that she herself hadn't detected?
Beyond being first in Japan's joint exams, the genius who defeated her in the joint examinations, and a master of musical instrument performance, did Ye Xing possess other hidden talents?
Kaguya Shinomiya was genuinely curious now.
"Then... if I choose the second path... what should I do?"
Ye Xing smiled and slowly began to speak.
"To achieve that, you and I need to be completely open with each other."
Before Kaguya Shinomiya could respond, Ye Xing added.
"This being open with each other isn't just the meaning you're thinking of - it also has a literal meaning. Understand?"