Tang Manman pointed to the bandage atop Lin Yu's head, her voice cautious, "Is it still the same injury?" Remembering her mother's speculation, a mix of guilt and urgency swelled within her.
"What does it matter to you?" Lin Yu retorted impatiently, "Stay away from me! Come any closer, and I won't be polite!"
He held his arms out to the sides, palms facing Tang Manman, fingers flexing menacingly—an unmistakable gesture understood the world over.
Startled, Tang Manman recoiled, hands instinctively covering her chest. Then, steeling herself and with a conviction born of past humiliations, she straightened, stood her ground like a determined gambler, "Stop trying to intimidate me. You're not a bad person."
Her unexpected defiance caught Lin Yu off guard. His fierce demeanor faltered, then hardened as if to mask some inner vulnerability, "I am exactly that kind of bad person! Were I not occupied today, you... you’d see yourself on the morning crime news!"
With a final glare, Lin Yu turned and walked away briskly, as if fleeing an unseen monster.
Watching his hasty retreat, a sour wave of injustice washed over Tang Manman. She couldn't fathom why Lin Yu was always so hostile toward her, unwarranted and unprovoked.
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With a heavy heart, she returned to the bus stop, silently mulling over any possible slight that might have provoked Lin Yu's behavior.
Unnoticed by Tang Manman, Yu Kai’s face had turned a shade of stormy purple, barely containing his livid frustration, "Manman, you should keep your distance from that type of person. He's obviously no good!"
After enduring in silence, Yu Kai finally spoke, his voice tinged with undeniable anger. At his warning, Tang Manman frowned and countered seriously, "Lin Yu is a good person. You can’t judge someone solely by their appearance. Remember, he has helped me."
Yu Kai's irritation peaked as Tang Manman defended Lin Yu. In a fit of anger, he accused Lin Yu of scheming, suggesting the so-called help was a prearranged stunt to play the hero, "Helpful? He probably staged those incidents just to 'save' you. Why else would he appear so timely?"
At his insinuation, Tang Manman felt incredulity and rage. The idea that Lin Yu would orchestrate her bullying for any reason was ludicrous. Why would he arrange her torment, only to beat up the perpetrators or frequently scold her, making her his scapegoat?
She couldn't understand how Yu Kai could so boldly accuse someone he barely knew. Choosing to ignore him, she caught a flaw in Yu Kai's earlier statements, "Two times? Apart from the corridor incident, which other time are you referring to? Were you hiding and watching that time too?"
Faced with her accusations, all she saw in Yu Kai was a stranger filled with cowardice and malice.
"How did you become so repulsive?"