Glancing up at the wall clock.

7:20.

Tang Manman calculated silently.

Her mother usually packed up her stall around 11:30 pm, so she would be home by midnight.

There was still time for Lin Yu to rest; he could take his medicine after waking up.

As Lin Yu drifted into a deep sleep, Tang Manman pulled out her notebook and pen. She sat down at a small desk not far from Lin Yu to complete the homework assigned by her teacher. While working, she frequently found her thoughts wandering, glancing at Lin Yu, worried about what he might do upon awakening. Over time, however, the stark contrast of Lin Yu's partially tanned face amused her, any previous anxiety fading as she returned to her studies.

He couldn't possibly be that kind of person, right?

Yeah, he wasn't.

Gradually regaining consciousness, pain was Lin Yu's first sensation—severe headache as if his brain had been scrambled. He rested motionless, letting the jumbled pain subside before opening his eyes to survey his surroundings. What he saw was a room simple yet visibly aging: white walls with visible signs of time, pink curtains with flowers that obstructed the view but allowed light, and an old-fashioned yellow wooden wardrobe you couldn't even find on the second-hand market. An improvised storage rack made from hollow metal rods was tidily organized with various items, and then...

Tang Manman?

Yes, Tang Manman.

Lin Yu's gaze quickly swept over the girl intently focused at the desk, as if she was just another piece of outdated furniture in the room. At the moment, Lin Yu felt like a college student who had stayed up all night at an internet cafe, roused by a mother's call to visit relatives after less than an hour of sleep—a body awakened while the soul still slept.

As for all those thoughts of a world filled with adult comics, staying away from the female leads, NTR, and being a pure love forum admin, these ideas sat quietly deep in his mind, stirring no more than a ripple. Almost instinctively confirming that there was no danger around him, Lin Yu relaxed significantly.

Disregarding why he was here, where here was, and why Tang Manman was present, he was ready to close his eyes once more and surrender to the weariness beckoning him back to sleep. But just as he closed his eyes, a familiar pleasant scent wafted to him from somewhere.

Lin Yu inhaled and found the scent oddly familiar, but his mind gave no concept of why. His brain functioned like the first-generation processor from 1965, completely incapable of responding to the information his olfactory system provided. His subconscious simply registered: pleasant, loving the scent, and wanting to smell more.

But as Lin Yu's sluggish processor mulled over why the scent was familiar, a soft voice called out, "Lin Yu, could you take your medicine first?"

Hearing the vaguely familiar sweet voice, Lin Yu decided not to rely on his ineffective brain for processing; he just opened his eyes and looked at the fresh-faced Tang Manman in front of him. His mind summed up two straightforward pieces of information: Tang Manman, no danger.

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And then...

There were no more 'and thens.'

Lin Yu, as if enchantment held him, didn't question the medicine or the need for it. Assured that Tang Manman wasn't a threat, he nodded slowly, lifting his hand to take the medicine she offered.

"Water," she said, handing him a cup.

Lin Yu drank it down, guided by bodily instinct. After consuming the medicine, his brain remained in shutdown mode, his mind still empty of thought, just planning to sleep some more.

"Lin Yu, what are your parents' cellphone numbers?" "Do I need to call them to come and get you?"

Her sweet voice rose again.

Even though the voice was pleasant, Lin Yu found it slightly annoying, wanting only to slip back into sleep. His two sets of memories, blurred by the brick's blow to his head, made distinguishing them difficult for him. Opting for the easiest explanation in his drowsy state—drawn from his 'hoodlum' memories—he responded, "They’re dead."

After his terse reply, silence enveloped the room.

Tang Manman sat beside Lin Yu, her eyes filled with shock, soon obscured by a profound sense of guilt. She hadn't expected such an answer.

Both parents gone, then?

Truly unfortunate...

Typically, upon touching on someone’s painful memory, most, especially a timid talker like Tang Manman, would choose silence. But today, she couldn't afford that.

Checking the clock again—it was almost eleven.

In half an hour, her mother would close shop and be home by midnight.

If Lin Yu didn't regain consciousness and leave soon, it'd be disastrous if her mother found him here.

How would she ever explain this to her mother?

With a worried rub of her face, Tang Manman decided to persist, hoping to stir Lin Yu awake by discussing sensitive topics, helping him realize where he was and leave on his own.

Considering what might truly rouse Lin Yu, she devised a sufficiently sensitive question, peeking at the seemingly sleeping Lin Yu before asking carefully:

"Lin Yu, what was your rank in the last exam?"

Satisfied with her sly query, she believed this touchy subject might provoke a strong distaste in Lin Yu, waking him up.

After all, which student would be indifferent about grades?

Remembering her distress from dropping out of the top ten in mock exams, she knew this question should have an effect.

Especially so for Lin Yu, whose results were likely worse. The mention of this question should anger him, make him detest it?

Such emotional arousal surely meant he’d wake up promptly.

Tang Manman, thinking this, watched Lin Yu expectantly with sparkling peach blossom eyes.

"Last," Lin Yu mumbled unclearly without any visible discomfort over his rank.

Taken aback by Lin Yu's apathetic answer, Tang Manman felt slightly defeated.

How could someone speak so nonchalantly about such poor performance?

"Then, have you finished tonight’s homework?"

Persisting, Tang Manman sought another subject to stir Lin Yu into awareness, reminding him of pending tasks.

Homework was essential, wasn't it? Not doing it would surely result in punishment from the teacher!

Surely, no student ever truly dismissed daunted feelings when facing an uncompleted assignment.

Time ticked slowly by as Lin Yu dismissed every sensitive topic Tang Manman considered. She sighed heavily, worn out by the effort of discovering his concerns—it was harder than facing an exam.

Amidst her fatigue, she noticed something intriguing: Lin Yu seemed to answer any question honestly, like someone under the influence of a truth serum from TV dramas.

Finding amusement in this revelation, Tang Manman’s questions inadvertently shifted from ones meant to catch Lin Yu’s attention to inquiries she genuinely wanted answered.