"Retaliation?"

Tang Manman repeated the notion she had never considered, her heart becoming even more unsettled.

"Yes," her mother inquired with curiosity, "What happened to those who bullied you in the end?"

"A boy was expelled, and the rest received major demerits," Manman disclosed the school's disciplinary actions truthfully.

Hearing this, Tang's mother fell silent for a moment, intuiting that the boy's injury was likely a consequence of revenge from the expelled student. Otherwise, wasn't it too much of a coincidence? A dispute in the morning leads to severe injuries by evening?

Manman realized this connection too. The thought that Lin Yu's injuries might be because of her, especially after she had demanded the medicine money back, tormented her heart like a sharp knife.

"Manman, what kind of person is this classmate of yours?" Tang's mother became slightly curious about this unseen youth.

"He, he doesn't seem like a good person at first glance, always cold and fierce, but actually, he's a good person," Manman recalled, striving to be fair in her description.

"I see," her mother said gently. "Manman, why don’t you invite him over for a meal sometime? He helped you a great deal; we should show our gratitude."

"Okay," Manman nodded quietly, then fell silent, lost in thought...

Holidays, like mythological panaceas, are eagerly consumed by the working masses and students alike, who hardly realize what they’ve tasted before it's all gone. Lin Yu was no exception.

Though he planned to diligently study for a bright university and future career, it didn't mean he enjoyed school life. I swear, if I ever find a student who loves going to school, I'll kick their bottom with my own boot!

The monotonous morning classes quickly ended, and perhaps because the students lacked discipline, the teachers' lack of enthusiasm made the lessons feel like a chore, challenging Lin Yu's comprehension.

But overall, it was manageable. The academic content here was simpler and easier to grasp compared to his previous life, thanks largely to Lin Yu's "James Bond-level" retention skills from his past life, allowing him to keep pace with the curriculum.

Come lunchtime, Lin Yu prepared to head downstairs. The school’s elevator area was always jam-packed at lunch and after school, besieged by a sea of students where not even a fly could sneak through.

Lin Yu didn't bother vying for the elevator; albeit, the main reason was he needed to descend, not ascend.

If it were the latter, he'd rather be late for class than tackle the stairs.

Please, it's the eighth floor! Who has the energy to study after that climb? Making it back to your seat would be a testament to willpower!

Taking the stairs down from the eighth floor, Lin Yu spontaneously glanced towards the fourth-floor hallway once he reached it. Just like on the eighth floor, crowds lingered near the elevator, but unlike the chaotic scenes above, order seemed somewhat preserved here.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Ah, the disparity in manners was evident.

Among those preferring stairs to waiting for the elevator was Tang Manman, and as Lin Yu glanced her way, she seemed to sense his gaze, looking back at him.

Their eyes met in midair, and after a brief moment, Lin Yu immediately turned to keep descending, determined to minimize contact with Tang Manman.

Yet, it felt peculiar always bumping into her.

Hastening his pace to leave, Lin Yu suddenly heard a loud shout from behind:

“Sister-in-law, hello!”

That call nearly made Lin Yu stumble down the stairs. Stabilizing himself, he turned to see Bai Mao, a familiar face from Yellow Hair's circle, grinning slyly as he called out, clearly referring to Tang Manman.

Rushing back to Bai Mao, Lin Yu grabbed him by the collar, dragging him to the third floor before giving his head a hard slap, scolding:

“Who the hell told you to call her that?”

Confused, Bai Mao covered his head, his expression awkward as he responded:

“Brother Long, weren’t you trying to chase her?”

“When did I ever say that?”

Lin Yu, infuriated to the brink, lamented having such imbecilic NPCs — no, he corrected himself, he didn't even have teammates, just troublesome NPCs.

He gave Bai Mao a couple more smacks, completely disheveling his carefully styled hair, and then pointedly warned:

“I despise her, got it? Stop making up nonsense or else I’ll make you regret it!”

“Got it, Brother Long.”

Bai Mao quickly assented, clearly not expecting his attempt at flattery to backfire so spectacularly.

Breathing heavily with anger, Lin Yu inquired, “Aside from you, who else has been calling Tang Manman that?”

“Quite a few,” Bai Mao replied sheepishly, admitting, “Most guys from our Class 6 have, and some others we hang out with too.”

Hearing this, Lin Yu’s expression darkened further. Grabbing Bai Mao’s collar again, he ordered:

“I don’t care who started this nickname. Just go and put a stop to it. Tell each of them to mind their mouths. If I hear of it again, I’ll make sure they regret it.”

“Alright, alright, calm down, Brother Long,” Bai Mao quickly acquiesced, fearing further wrath.

“Don’t bother with lunch, just go sort this out,” Lin Yu shoved Bai Mao away, struggling to catch his breath.

“Okay, okay, on it now,” Bai Mao obliged, rushing off towards the crowd to clarify the mischievously spread rumor.

“Wait!” Lin Yu suddenly called out to Bai Mao.

“What is it, Brother Long?”

Bai Mao stopped, turning back in confusion.

Lin Yu beckoned him over. When Bai Mao approached, Lin Yu wrapped an arm around his shoulder, whispering:

“How does she react when you guys call her that?”

Bai Mao went blank for a moment before a knowing smirk spread across his face, implying a shared secret. However, the smile quickly twisted into a grimace of pain.

“Hurry up and tell me,” Lin Yu commanded after pulling his punch back, his voice menacing:

“Be honest. If you lie to me, I’ll pull out every hair on your head.”

After a punch to the chest, Bai Mao sobered up, admitting with a hint of discomfort:

“When we call her that, she usually ignores us and walks away."

"Seems like she really dislikes that nickname."

Relieved by Bai Mao’s answer, Lin Yu finally let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Tang Manman had no special feelings for him. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he gave Bai Mao a final shove towards solving the situation.

Seeing Bai Mao depart, Lin Yu momentarily wished he could eliminate such troublesome NPCs.

In usual circumstances, having underlings call the female lead "sister-in-law" might be a decent way to irritate her. Especially now that Manman detests the nickname, it was a prime opportunity to annoy her.

But Lin Yu was intent on distancing himself from her, let alone getting mixed up with the male lead destined for her.

The idea of undermining a couple's burgeoning feelings was utterly repellent to him, not to mention such sly tactics felt almost like a spiritual maneuver by a Minotaur, causing even more agony and torment to the victim than any physical act could.