After speaking, Lin Yu didn't wait for Tang Manman to respond. He gave her a slightly apologetic smile and then turned to leave.
Walking out of the alley and onto the busy main road, Lin Yu let out a deep sigh, wishing he could expel all the jumbled thoughts and ideas in his head along with that breath.
Really, what had gotten into him to ask that question?
It was probably for the best that Tang Manman said she didn't like him. If she had confessed her feelings...
...
He could still have used the excuse of having a girlfriend to reject her.
Rubbing his temples, Lin Yu fought to suppress the unusual feelings he had towards Tang Manman.
Come on, Lin Yu, get a grip on yourself!
You're supposed to be the pure love forum moderator!
At this rate, you might as well join the ranks of the less savory forums!
A moderator turning traitor?
Beware, your forum members might dunk you in a pig cage!
Shaking his head to dismiss thoughts of Tang Manman, Lin Yu continued to amble forward.
Walking along the main road, he reached a T-intersection, contemplating which way to go.
Following the path straight ahead would lead him to Xia Mu Zhu's residential area within twenty minutes, allowing him to enact the plan he devised during the last self-study period.
That had been his original plan.
However...
Lin Yu glanced towards the right, the direction leading home, rubbing his face in irritation. Tang Manman's unexpected interference had left him in no mood to carry out his plan.
He figured it would be better to rest at home tonight, recalibrate, and then seek out Xia Mu Zhu the next day. After all, there was no rush.
Sighing with fatigue, just as Lin Yu was about to follow his heart's desire and head home, he suddenly became aware of an elusive presence.
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An invisible, intangible force quietly altering everything— the distinctive destiny of this adult comic world.
Contemplating this force he had resolved to confront, Lin Yu frowned, reevaluating his choice to go home.
Odd.
He had intended to meet with the second main character, Xia Mu Zhu, tonight. So why the reluctance now?
Because of an unexpected occurrence.
Tang Manman's sudden appearance had thrown him off.
Hence, the idea of going home emerged.
"Unexpected."
"Destiny."
Muttering these two significantly interrelated words, Lin Yu's unease grew. Eventually, he decided to stick with the original plan.
While it wasn't guaranteed this was the right decision, if he went now, at least, he could ensure Xia Mu Zhu's safety.
With that thought, Lin Yu no longer hesitated and went straight towards Xia Mu Zhu's residential area, picking up his pace to a brisk walk and even jogging as he neared.
As he approached her neighborhood, Lin Yu paused at the sight of Xia Mu Zhu in front of the market, holding bags of fresh produce, wearing a goose-yellow long skirt. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, his worst fears hadn't materialized.
Spotting Xia Mu Zhu, Lin Yu didn't greet her immediately; instead, he adjusted the bandages on his head using a street-side window.
After fixing himself up, Lin Yu took a deep breath, reassessed his plan, and confidently approached her.
"Sister?"
"What are you doing here?"
"What a coincidence, huh?"
Appearing behind Xia Mu Zhu, Lin Yu feigned a casual encounter with a smile.
"Lin Yu?"
Xia Mu Zhu's eyes lit up with surprise upon seeing him, but her joy faded rapidly when she noticed the bandages around his head, turning into shock instead.
"You're injured?"
Pointing at Lin Yu's head, Xia Mu Zhu asked in astonishment.
"Huh?"
"This?"
Lin Yu feigned surprise as if he had forgotten about the bandages, lightly touched his forehead, then offered an apologetic look, saying:
"Sorry, sis."
"I didn't want you to worry about this."
"I just got too excited seeing you and wanted to say hi."
"What didn't you want me to know about?"
Xia Mu Zhu quickly caught the nuance in Lin Yu's statement, pressing for answers.
"Well..."
"Ah, please don't ask, sis!"
Lin Yu hesitated, portraying a reluctance to share a secret.
"Come on, just tell me, okay?"
"Don't make your sister worry."
Xia Mu Zhu persisted, mixing coaxing with urgency. After spending time together that night, she had come to see Lin Yu, this tragic but warm-hearted high school student, as a younger brother.
Seeing him so gravely injured, she naturally grew concerned and demanded more than a simple glossing over.
Under Xia Mu Zhu's persistent questioning, Lin Yu looked increasingly distressed before finally letting out a sigh, hesitantly revealing:
"It's really nothing major."
"Just that that night, after I left the neighborhood, I was ambushed by a gang of thugs waiting outside."
"Who are they?"
"Why did they target you?"
"I don't know."
Scratching his head and stealing a cautious glance at Xia Mu Zhu, Lin Yu added:
"It seems like they were sent by that man with the dyed white hair who followed you that night."
"They mentioned something about 'messing with our boss's plans when they were beating me."
"If I recently interfered with anyone's plans, I guess it could only have been him."
Before an angry Xia Mu Zhu could respond, Lin Yu interjected timidly:
"Sorry, sis. I failed to protect the money you entrusted to me. It was taken by them."