"Alright, thanks, Brother Hu."
Lin Yu nodded at Heihu. After some idle chatter, feeling a bit bored, Lin Yu found an excuse to leave...
The next morning, after packing his backpack, Lin Yu headed downstairs. Walking along the bustling streets, he noticed a denser crowd than usual and felt something was off.
It wasn't until the fifth time he saw groups of casually dressed teens horsing around that he realized.
Damn! What day is it today?
He pulled out his phone. Thursday. But it's Mid-Autumn Festival!
Seeing the holiday marked in red on the calendar, Lin Yu rolled his eyes.
Here I was, finally taking the initiative to study, and this happens. Frustrating!
Forget studying!
Going back to bed!
Lin Yu decided to head back home for more sleep but stopped at a crossroad just a few steps away.
Pausing at the crosswalk, he looked left, then right. The left was the way he came, the way home, which he initially planned to return by to catch up on sleep. But his stomach was starting to grumble. Nevertheless, following that road home wouldn't be too bad since there was an egg pancake stand along the way.
The stand's owner was quite skilled.
Choosing egg pancakes for breakfast seemed like a great idea.
But on the right was a path that led close to the 24-hour tavern named "The First Encounter," where breakfast would surely be more lavish and, most importantly, free!
However...
Was it really worth the trip just for a free breakfast?
Lin Yu hesitated, glancing left then right repeatedly.
The traffic light changed colors several times, but Lin Yu couldn't make up his mind.
"Oh well,"
He muttered to himself:
"Time for a change of pace. Egg pancakes are tasty, but you can’t have them every day."
"And it's been a while since I checked in at the spot."
Deciding, Lin Yu turned right, heading towards "The First Encounter" tavern.
Arriving, he asked the bartender for some food.
Of course, he didn’t pay.
The staff, having seen Lin Yu the day before, wisely chose not to ask him for money.
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Lin Yu found a quiet spot to eat, planning to return home afterward.
The tavern was nearly empty at 6 am, with the usual crowd already gone and a few drunken patrons nowhere near waking, making the place surprisingly quiet.
Just as Lin Yu thought he'd enjoy a peaceful breakfast in solitude, a noisy group barged into the tavern.
The tranquility of Lin Yu's breakfast was disrupted, somewhat irritating him, but he said nothing, understanding this wasn't his place, grateful for the free meal.
Continuing his meal in silence, the rowdy group approached him.
"Holy crap!"
"Isn’t that Brother Long?" The man in a blue denim jacket and ripped jeans shouted excitedly after spotting Lin Yu.
"Brother Long?"
"Where? Where?" The initially indifferent faces around him perked up, scanning the surroundings.
"Are you blind?"
"Who else could be here?" The man chided his companions, pointing towards Lin Yu in his school uniform.
Their gazes followed his pointing finger to Lin Yu, quietly eating breakfast in the corner. Initially, they were dismissive, mistaking Lin Yu for just another high school student, not the formidable Lin Yu they expected.
But upon recognizing Lin Yu's uniquely arrogant hairstyle, recognition dawned.
"Holy!"
"It's really Brother Long!" They clamored around him, greeting enthusiastically.
"Hey, Brother Long."
"Hello, everyone." Lin Yu responded nonchalantly, puzzled by this newfound popularity.
"Brother Long, we’ve all heard of your heroic deeds," the man in the denim jacket said, thumbing up in admiration.
"What heroics?" Lin Yu inquired, curious.
"Of course, it’s about how you risked your life to protect our boss some time ago!"
"Brother Long, you probably haven't heard since you were resting, but it's the talk of the gang!"
"Putting your life on the line to lead away those dogs from the Scorpio gang for the boss."
"Truly noble and...uhh..." The denim-wearing gang member struggled to find the words, luckily saved by a nudge from a friend who whispered, "As lofty as the clouds."
"Right, right, right!"
"As lofty as the clouds!" He eagerly repeated.
Lin Yu couldn't help but touch his nose self-consciously amid the endless praise, feeling somewhat guilty yet eventually coming to terms with his actions.
Forget the motives – look at what I did!
If not for me that night, Li Yuan...
Well, he'd run off already...
And the wound on my head...
Well, if I'd not plotted against Li Yuan, I wouldn't have been injured...
But then, didn’t I divert four of the pursuers in the end?
As the saying goes, judge a gentleman by his actions, not his intentions.
I’m a gentleman!
The very definition of a good guy!