《“Rebirth, Not Downfall: My Story Isn't What You Think”》 The First Chapter：An Unexpected Journey of Fate "Damn, what rotten luck!" Grumbling under his breath, Lin Yu cursed his misfortune while dragging on a cheap cigarette, his hair styled like Iori Yagami''s. He could not fathom why he''d ended up in this world. Most transmigrators found themselves wielding unparalleled power in realms of immortality, or reshaping the course of history within ancient dynasties, or even leveraging knowledge gaps decades in the past to amass fortunes and harems beyond measure. So why, of all places, did he find himself stuck in an adult comic of all settings? And not just any comic, but one populated with minotaur-like beings! Was the original soul of this body really one to engage with every male lead with golden hair? As a true warrior of pure love, the thought alone was enough to make Lin Yu consider drastic measures. Recalling how the blond villain stole the female lead from the hero using despicable means in the comic, Lin Yu, as a steadfast proponent of pure love, found it utterly intolerable. Especially the final page of the comic, where four stunning ladies in tantalizing wedding dresses, each bearing a pregnant belly, wore expressions of utter despair, disgusted Lin Yu to the core. As a genuine paladin of pure love, Lin Yu absolutely could not allow such events to transpire. Despite lacking the usual ''golden finger'' granted to transmigrators and finding himself in this distasteful comic, Lin Yu was determined to prevent the dark future he knew awaited. Not just for any reason, But, as a dedicated moderator of a pure love forum prior to his transmigration, he was resolved to ensure that these four unfortunate women could spend their lives happily ever after with their beloved, far removed from any minotaur-like nonsense. "One minotaur at a time," he resolved, as he stomped out his cigarette butt underfoot and prepared to take action. Just then, as he extinguished the cigarette with a twist of his shoe, Lin Yu felt an eerily familiar sensation, as if he''d lived this moment before, down to the very same action. Wearing the same dark blue school pants and spotless white shoes, even the way his foot twisted and the angle of his gaze seemed lifted straight from his memory. The absurdity of the sensation wasn''t lost on Lin Yu. It was his first day at school, his first cigarette of the dayhe shouldn''t have any memories associated with this place. It certainly couldn''t be a memory of the original soul of the body; after all, Lin Yu had only cleaned these shoes to their pristine state after transmigrating. The bewildering familiarity faded as quickly as it arrived, like darkness dispelled by a flashlight beam. Shaking off the confusion, Lin Yu had an inkling of his situation but couldn''t be sure yet. Wandering past the school wall, the sight of the playground reignited that profound sensation of dj vuwith even more intensity. The teachers and students milling about, the eight-story teaching building opposite him, the podium, the flagpole, and even the clouds and sun in the sky all felt inexplicably familiar. As if he''d seen this scene beforenot the people or objects per se, but this precise moment, witnessing them all in their rightful places. "Eureka," Lin Yu realized, finally piecing together his earlier hunch. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.He was indeed living within the plot of the adult comic! Recognizing his predicament, Lin Yu began frantically recalling the comic''s storyline. Although it had been a while since he''d watched it, the vividness of his recent experiences gave him confidence he could remember the plot. Time pressed on, and as Lin Yu pieced together his thoughts, an epiphany struck him. "Damn, I need to save someone!" His legs moved before his thoughts fully formed, racing towards the teaching building as he remembered the peril that awaited the main female protagonist. In the comic, she was cornered on a deserted path by three delinquents. The purple-haired leader, coveting her beauty, made his move. This was when the original protagonist, the blonde troublemaker, was supposed to debut. Happening upon the scene, inflamed by lust, he''d play the thug, declaring, "Let her go and leave her to me!" After physically assaulting her, unsatisfied, the scoundrel took compromising photos as blackmail, forcing her to meet him at a specific hotel after school. Thus began the protagonist''s tragic descent under the thumb of a detestable character. Recalling this plot, Lin Yu despised the original villain while realizing the gravity of the situation. Without the original blond antagonistnow himselfthe main female protagonist seemed destined for violation. "Over my dead body," Lin Yu seethed, a vow to end anyone who dared infringe on pure love under his watch. As he sprinted towards the school, a pressing concern occupied his mind: where exactly would the confrontation take place? The original blond villain''s memory was of little help; the school was vast, with many secluded paths. Where was she likely to be? The comic conveniently omitted such trivial detailsleaving Lin Yu to deduce from his own experiences. Stabilizing his emotions, he concentrated. According to the comic, the blond villainnow himselfhad bumped into the main female while running an errand. What was he intending to do again? Lin Yu furrowed his brow in thought but couldn''t recall his earlier plans after finishing his cigarette. As he neared the teaching building, urgency took hold. Without a specific location, aimlessly searching could be disastrously late. Just then, he spotted a student approaching, halfway through a carbonated drink. The sight of the light green bottle sparked a realization in Lin Yuthe cafeteria''s soup had been too salty, leaving him craving something sweet. The school''s convenience store was the only place to buy such a beverage. Remembering the potential location for the confrontation, Lin Yu''s heart soared. But he quickly sensed something was amiss. The path to the convenience storehow could it be deserted? Then it clicked. It wasn''t the convenience store in its current southwestern school location, but its old site to the northwest! Since the store''s relocation, that area had become a storage for miscellaneous items and coal, seldom visited by anyone. Most likely, the original blond transgressornow himselfhad intended to buy water but mistakenly headed to the old site. With that, all the pieces fell into place: The purchase leading him past the place. The scarcely traveled path. That was it! Chapter Two：The Mission of True Love Begins! After confirming the location, Lin Yu raced towards the old site of the supermarket. As he neared the secluded old supermarket, the dwindling number of people around confirmed his suspicion that he was heading the right way. After a five-minute sprint, he finally reached the vicinity of the old supermarket. The path to the old market was just ahead. Anxiously, Lin Yu peered forward and spotted a teenager with dyed red hair and the high school uniform lounging about, looking like a casual sentinel. Having access to the original host''s memories, Lin Yu instantly knew what this meant. He was keeping watch for someone up to no good inside! Similar to how someone might stand guard outside a bathroom if bullying was happening within, he was there to prevent sudden teacher arrivals and stop other students from entering. This suggested that the unsavory act might have already begun. With a sinking feeling, Lin Yu quickened his pace. Approaching the red-haired sentinel, before Lin Yu could speak, the boy sprang to his feet and straightened up, his face plastered with a sycophantic grin. "Good to see you, Dragon Bro." The unfamiliar nickname puzzled Lin Yu immensely. Dragon Bro? What sort of wannabe gangster title was that? It turned out the original host was born in the year of the snake but disliked the moniker ''Snake Bro'', lacking in might and awe. By local custom, a snake could be referred to as a ''little dragon'', leading the original host to demand the title ''Dragon Bro''. Thinking this over, Lin Yu nearly facepalmed at the absurdity of it all. But this was no time for distractions. Ignoring the nickname, he hastened past the red-haired boy, eager to see if the situation matched his fears. The pure girl cornered by bullies - an NTR scenario! "Dragon Bro, um, Bro Mao is inside handling some business." Watching Lin Yu about to barge in, the red-haired teenager bit the bullet and stepped in front of Lin Yu, faithfully fulfilling his role. Hearing this, Lin Yu almost burst into laughter. Did the original host, a notorious school bully, not have enough clout, or was Lin Yu, the martial arts heir, insufficiently intimidating? Without mincing words, Lin Yu slapped the sentry hard across the face. The boy flew back into the alley, and Lin Yu strode in without hesitation. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Beyond the low stone archway, Lin Yu finally saw the scene within. On the left side of the narrow, brick-paved path, a purple-haired teenager paused, halfway through his wicked act, as he turned towards the disturbance Lin Yu had caused. Opposite the purple-haired boy was a girl sitting back against the brick wall, her arms tightly crossed over her chest, eyes brimming with tears. She was clearly cornered and terrified. Lin Yu exhaled in relief, seeing the girl was not yet harmed. In the comic, the original host didn''t stumble upon the scene until the girl''s blouse had been half-unzipped. It seemed Lin Yu had arrived much earlier than his comic counterpart. Stepping forward assertively towards the purple-haired boy, it was evident he was afraid of the original host; he straightened his posture and greeted Lin Yu with a reluctant smile, "Dragon Bro." "Who the hell''s your brother?" "Get lost!" Lin Yu harshly dismissed him. The startled boy and his cronies quickly scattered. With the bullies gone, Lin Yu finally turned his attention to the girl, the comic''s main heroine. When he saw her face, he found himself swallowing hard. No wonder she was the main character of an adult comic; she was exceptionally beautiful. Her long, silky hair, delicate face, straight nose, and tempting lips were mesmerizing, but it was her eyes that held Lin Yu captivea pair of glistening, almond-shaped windows to her soul, a godly work of art. Shaking off these distracting thoughts, Lin Yu focused on her name tag instead. B Area, Class 4. Tang Manman. Remembering the girl''s name, Lin Yu promptly turned and left without a word, to avoid further entanglements. Stunned by her sudden rescue and by the behavior of the previously fierce looking boy, Tang Manman quickly stood up and dashed back to the B Area school building, not even dusting off her clothes. After Lin Yu and the bullies left, the girl followed suit, leaving the scene deserted once again. Back inside the school, Lin Yu nearly stumbled because of his ridiculously long hair covering his eyes. Scowling, he pledged, "If I don''t cut this damn hair tonight, I''m not the pure-love champion." He remembered his resolve to stay away from the four main heroines and to let them have their perfect endings with their loved ones. With that thought in mind, he mentally launched his "Pure Love Plan"! Chapter Three：Facing Familiar Faces Lin Yu was a senior high student, a time when most students in ordinary schools would be buried in their studies, grappling with the oppressive atmosphere of preparing for the crucial national college entrance exams scheduled for the following summer. These exams were notorious for their ruthlessness, capable of altering the course of a person''s life dramatically. However, this was Sanzhong High, a school infamous for its poor academic performance, student violence, and general lack of discipline. Consequently, the classrooms were anything but studious environments. Students were engrossed in various distractions: playing on their phones, snacking, chatting, and even some were being overly affectionate with each other, an act that would lead to severe disciplinary actions in any other setting. Yet, in Sanzhong High, such behaviors were overlooked, if not tacitly condoned. The lax discipline was a contributing factor to Sanzhong High''s notorious reputation as the worst school in the city. It was a last resort for parents without better alternatives for their children''s education. However, the school''s image saw a slight improvement in recent years, thanks to a drastic measure by the beleaguered principal. Starting two years ago, he initiated a scholarship program to attract academically gifted students from less fortunate backgrounds, hoping to boost the school''s dismal academic performance. To prevent these bright students from being influenced by the school''s more troublesome elements, the principal split the school into two campuses: Campus A for the underperformers and Campus B for the high achievers. This segregation worked well until the experimental building in Campus A was deemed unsafe, prompting the relocation of its students to Campus B. Among these was Tang Manman, an unassuming beauty who became an unintended target of several delinquents from Campus A. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.Reflecting on the situation, Lin Yu couldn''t help but muse on the irony that beauty could be considered a sin in such a corrupt environment. The cacophony of the midday study session was soon interrupted by the class teacher''s announcement of a move to Campus B for lessons, much to the delight of the students, who cared little for the change in scenery and more for the break from lessons. During the move, Lin Yu spotted a vaguely familiar face not from his memories as the original host but from his personal recollections, suggesting the individual was a character from the comic universe he had found himself in. Given the presence of Tang Manman, the school''s unofficial belle, it was easy to deduce this amiable young man as her unknown childhood friend. Committing to a strategy of minimal interference, Lin Yu resolved to keep a distance not only from the main heroines but also from their significant others to prevent any unnecessary complications that could precipitate undesirable outcomes for them. As the day wound down, Lin Yu declined an invitation to hang out, opting instead to inquire about homework assignments, a move that raised eyebrows given the school''s general apathy towards academics. Despite being a recent transferee, Lin Yu deemed education as a viable path to changing his fate, steering clear of living off the reputation of a schoolyard bully. Leaving the school premises, Lin Yu''s immediate concern wasn''t the path home but the urgent need to find a barbershop to rid himself of the obstructive, sweat-inducing hairstyle that had become his unintended trademark. Chapter Four：Encountering Tang Manman Again If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. chapter Five：A Nights Guard Granted Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Chapter Six：Demanding Compensation Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Chapter seven：The Moment of Decision Feeling the bulging pocket of his school uniform, stuffed with cash, Lin Yu quickly devised a plan for the hefty sum. He would save 12,000 yuan for university tuition fees, allocate 1,000 yuan for daily expenses, and with the remaining amount, he planned to purchase a second-hand Hammer 4 phonegood enough for his needs, or even a counterfeit Hammer 7, if possible. Securing the phone would make Li Yuans chances of reclaiming the money slim. Having plotted his spending, Lin Yu made his way towards the largest mobile phone mall in H City. After some haggling on the fourth floor, he bought a cheap second-hand Hammer 4 deviceand decided it was time to head home and rest. While riding the escalator down, Lin Yu observed a primary school student ascending on the opposite one, backpack in tow, which suddenly reminded him of the homework tasks assigned by his teachers earlier that evening. Glancing at the timeit was half-past eightLin Yu felt a headache coming on. By the time he got home, it would be around 9 p.m., and completing assignments from all subjects would likely keep him up until 11 p.m. "Am I just creating trouble for myself?" he pondered. Yet, ignoring the homework wasn''t an option; having requested it himself, failing to complete it would be too embarrassing. With a sigh of resignation, Lin Yu acknowledged the predicament as one of his own making. After exiting the phone mall, Lin Yu set out to find a nearby stationery store for study essentials. Pens, notebooks, compasses, and rulersHuang Mao hadn''t kept a single piece of academic paraphernalia, treating the textbooks distributed by the school with equal neglect. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.The area around the mobile phone mall was teeming with all sorts of shops, part of a large entertainment complex. Lin Yu decided to scout the vicinity in hopes of locating a stationery store, sparing himself further hassle. But after scouting the area, Lin Yu found himself perplexed. The neighborhood boasted an array of eateries, entertainment venues, and even an unmanned adult shop, yet a simple stationery store was nowhere to be foundan oddity that left him scratching his head. After a moment of frustration, Lin Yu came to terms with the situation. Perhaps places like these werent meant to evoke the painful memories associated with academic pursuits. He ventured out from the bustling entertainment area into a nearby old residential complex without strict entry controls, aiming for the inner parts where he expected to find a small store selling basic stationery items. Soon enough, Lin Yu located a convenience shop selling what he needed. Having purchased the necessary stationery, he stepped out of the shop, glancing first to his left, then to his right. The left path led back to the familiar main street near the entertainment area, providing easy access to taxis or buses home. The right path offered a shortcut through the old complex to the citys main thoroughfare, making it quicker but less likely hed catch a busthough hailing a taxi wouldnt be a problem. After a brief contemplation, Lin Yu opted for the unknown right path. It was getting late, and taking a taxi seemed the best way to ensure a swift return home. Since he wasnt reliant on public transport and taxis were plentiful in the city, the right path through the old complex to the main road was clearly the better choice. Chapter Eight：The Familiar Face of Tangs Mother If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Chapter Nine：The Innocent Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Chapter Ten：The Coward The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Chapter Eleven：Surely, You’re Not Wearing Nothing? Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Chapter Twelve：The Unforgettable Explosive Plot! Tang Manman obediently nodded, casting a timid glance at Lin Yu before wiping the tears from her face and departing. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Chapter Thirteen：To Save Her Future, She Must Stay Away From Me! Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Chapter Fourteen：Maxing Out the Disdain! Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Chapter Fifteen：Ambush Maneuver! Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Chapter Sixteen："Youre Done For! Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Chapter Seventeen：Hairdo Disaster! "Ah!" "Uncle, I''m protecting you!" "Ah!" "Uncle!" "Ah!!!" Lin Yu, agile and swift, fended off the Scorpio gang members charging towards them while keeping Li Yuan away from direct attacks, inadvertently exposing him to more severe ambushes. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Chapter Eighteen：I Wont Be Your Burden! You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Chapter Nineteen：“Damsel Rescues the Hero... Wait, What? Tang Manman, What Are You Doing Here?”
After organizing the condiments for her mother, the girl struggled to hoist Lin Yu onto the tricycle. Her routine physical chores for her mother had somewhat prepared her to move Lin Yu, who weighed over a hundred pounds. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.Busy with these preparations, the girl paused to wipe the sweat from her forehead, just about to ride the tricycle away when a simple, melodic ringtone startled her. Taking out her old flip phone, which buzzed in her tense grip, she braced herself before answering, "Hello, mom?" It took several minutes for his critically slow mind to register a pressing question: where was he? At that moment, Lin Yu, lacking the strength even for a basic response, continued to blankly stare at the simple ceiling, as if he were still alone in the room.
Chapter Twenty：How Did You Almost Fall for Me While I Was Out Cold? "Hello?" "Hi?" "Lin Yu?" Tang Manman cycled through several addresses, her voice soft as she called out to Lin Yu, hoping he might show some sign of response. But her calls seemed to disappear without effect, failing even to draw a glance from Lin Yu. Observing Lin Yu''s vacant and silent demeanor, Tang Manman recalled the nurse''s advice. The patient has suffered significant blood loss and needs ample rest and hydration. Remembering this, Tang Manman quickly cooled some boiling water from the electric kettle and measured out some medication dispensed by the pharmacy. Approaching Lin Yu with water and medicine, surveying Lin Yu''s absent stare, she found herself at a loss. What to do now? His condition clearly didn''t allow him to take his medication by himself. Should she try to feed it to him? Tang Manman halted, grappling with her next move. Deep down, she harbored a certain fear of Lin Yu, reluctant to get too close, afraid he would snap back to the aggressive demeanor he showed earlier in the day. Yet... Tang Manman felt there was something odd, something incongruent about Lin Yu''s midday transformation. If he truly was a dangerous person, Then what about yesterday afternoon, especially when her clothes were torn... Remembering the humiliation of being nearly naked the night before heated Tang Manman''s cheeks. She shook her head, dismissing the embarrassing thoughts to ponder whether Lin Yu was a good or bad individual. Had he wished, the outcome yesterday evening wouldnt have been surprising. Yet, he did nothing and even thoughtfully purchased new clothes for her, leaving without asking anything in return - not even the cost of the clothing. Like a Good Samaritan from the textbooks. Except he always looked so grim, as if everyone owed him money. With these thoughts, Tang Manman instinctively looked towards Lin Yu. His face, now cleaned by the nurse and his usual face-obscuring yellow hair secured away with bandages, Appeared somewhat more respectable... Well, no, still not exactly respectable. He had a certain mischievous look about him. But... "Not unattractive..." Under the lens of having been rescued thrice, Tang Manman murmured with a slight blush. But why had he adopted that thug demeanor at noon? Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!Faced with this question, Tang Manman was perplexed. In fact, she had felt something was off even before the school ended. Lin Yu''s change was too sudden, and his actions at noon felt all too calculated. Recalling the noontime scenario, Tang Manman felt indignation. Was he playing her for a fool? Pretending to chase like villains only seen in child''s play? Who does that to a grown person? Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she thought of her panicked flight and even tripping over nothing, wishing she could hide away from added shame. After much thought, Tang Manman''s inner discomfort eased considerably. She eventually sat down beside the oblivious Lin Yu, determined to administer his medicine. Testing the water, still quite hot, she scooped some with a spoon, cooled it slightly, and cautiously approached Lin Yu''s lips with it. The oblivious Lin Yu, finally sensing something of interest, struggled to part his lips, instinctively seeking the water in the spoon to soothe his parched throat. After swallowing a small spoonful, his desire for water only grew. Seeing his gesture for more, Tang Manman fetched another spoonful of water. Before feeding him, she paused, suddenly recalling that the water was too hot. Might it scald him? Such considerations made Tang Manman halt feeding, understanding she couldn''t just give him the water in its current state. But seeing Lin Yu''s dire thirst made her anxious. She couldn''t just wait for the water to cool - when would that be? Looking at the hot water, then back at the finally alert Lin Yu, she hesitated briefly before shifting, moving out of Lin Yu''s line of sight. She then raised the spoon to her lips, gently blowing cool air over it. After cooling the water, she tenderly fed Lin Yu. This repeated action, spoonful after spoonful, progressively colored Tang Manmans cheeks a deep shade of red. Having sated Lin Yu with half a bowl of water, he resembled a body whose last wishes had been fulfilled - finally closing his eyes to rest. This respite allowed Tang Manman to breath out in relief, ending her flurry of actions before her mind overheated from the baffling high temperature. As she eventually chuckled at Lin Yus dual-toned face, she covered her mouth, fearing her laughter might disturb his rest, yet her gleeful eyes gave her away. Chapter 21：Pretty Sharp, Huh? (Smug~) 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. Yeah, he wasn''t. 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 sleepa body awakened while the soul still slept. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. 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. 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. 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 statedrawn from his ''hoodlum'' memorieshe responded, "Theyre dead." 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... Checking the clock againit was almost eleven. In half an hour, her mother would close shop and be home by midnight. How would she ever explain this to her mother? 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? 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 hed wake up promptly. "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? 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. 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 Manmans questions inadvertently shifted from ones meant to catch Lin Yus attention to inquiries she genuinely wanted answered. Chapter 22：Complications Arise! Lin Yu slowly released this answer that mattered greatly to Tang Manman. Pity? She pondered Lin Yu''s answer silently. After a moment, Tang Manman softly asked again, "Is there no other reason?" Lin Yu gave a slight shake of his head but then mumbled as if in a dream, "I also wanted you to live happily." "To not be bullied by bad people." After Lin Yu''s dreamlike words, silence fell in the room so profound you could hear a pin drop. Tang Manman sat beside Lin Yu, processing his half-coherent phrases over and over. Her fair skin flushed in waves of crimson, turning redder by the moment, almost alarmingly so. As if she had a fever. And indeed, her thoughts were as feverish. To live happily? Not be bullied? What does that mean? Is this a confession? It didn''t seem like it. Was it just a classmate''s concern? Neither. Such seemingly solemn words were too intimate. It sounded more like... What a father might say to his daughter. Despite understanding Lin Yu''s words as a form of affection unrelated to romance, Tang Manman couldn''t control the emotions surging within her. It was as if those words flipped a peculiar switch within her. Her cheeks burned as if scorched, her heart thumped painfully in her chest. Those phrases entrapped her along with the memories of being saved by Lin Yu repeatedly. Tang Manman found herself breathing heavily, an unusual emotion that dissipated by noon today enveloped her once again. And this time, its return was overwhelming, leaving Tang Manman utterly defenseless. Her face nearly bleeding with blush, Tang Manman asked the question foremost in her mind in a tiny voice. "Because..." Lin Yu, half-asleep and half-awake, was about to reveal his inner thoughts when he suddenly sensed something off. Tang Manman''s question, for Lin Yu, was like asking a sleepy person for their bank PINtouching the most sensitive spot in his heart. Finally, at this moment, his nearly stalled brain kicked into gear, flashing the critical words across his mind, connecting the dots. He started to think. Afternoon? Pretend? Scared me? The slow churning of his thoughts eventually shaped into a name Lin Yu found all too familiar. Tang Manman! Lin Yu snapped awake as if realizing in his drowsiness that he''d left the stove on. As he attempted to sit up, the sharp pain forced him to lay back down. Where is this? The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.Tang Manman, why are you here?! Lin Yu looked around in panic, particularly his gaze towards Tang Manman filled with more dread than facing the Scorpio gang''s chasers. "What pretend?" "What scare you?" "I wasn''t pretending!" "I warn you, Tang Manman, I''m not a good person." Lin Yu responded with a ferocity, hoping she''d react like she did at noonscared like a startled deer, fleeing far from him. But his hopes were dashed; Tang Manman didn''t run, nor did her face show any fear. Instead, concern and urgency filled her flushed face as she pleaded, "Don''t panic, just calm down." "You''re still very weak. You need to rest!" "I''m not panicking!" Lin Yu felt even more uneasy, increasingly desperate to revert Tang Manman to her state of aversion from earlier in the day. "Tang Manman, you''re not afraid of me?" "You better leave now!" "Or don''t blame me for what happens next!" "I, I just can''t move now." "Otherwise, I''d definitely be a hooligan to you!" Lin Yu''s breathing was ragged, his tone agitated as he glared at Tang Manman with a gaze as fierce as a predator''s. Beneath this menacing facade was a plea almost akin to begging. Tang Manman, please! Return to being annoyed at me, will you? I promise I''ll never bother you again, alright? "Alright, alright, be a hooligan. I''m so afraid of you, okay?" "Just calm down!" Tang Manman''s concern was solely for Lin Yu''s wellbeing, echoing his words in an attempt to pacify his agitation. Unaware of the ambiguity of her words until she saw Lin Yu''s shock, she clamped her mouth shut, her face and neck turning a vivid pink as if every blush she had ever held back was making up for lost time. For a moment, the intimacy of her words rendered Tang Manman brain-dead. Lin Yu felt similarly, pondering despondently that his life was over. How could things turn out this way? Did Tang Manman''s affection rise to such terrifying levels? Was his feared ending from the comics unavoidable? Destined to be a relationship wrecker, a bull-headed villain? In despair, he considered a dramatic exit. But as Lin Yu wallowed, he realized something he''d overlooked. Where am I, actually? Disregarding grief, Lin Yu looked around, concluding he was in an unfamiliar room. Where is this? Following this question, another significant inquiry surfaced in his mind: How did I end up here? Unable to answer due to the intense pain from slight movements, Lin Yu turned to Tang Manman, flushed and flustered, and asked: "Where is this?" "How did I end up here?" Chapter 23：Filling the Coffers! If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Chapter 24：Since Youve Come, Pay a Price! "Wow!" "Awesome!" Lin Yu gazed at the 10,000 yuan in his account with delight, feeling the burden of college tuition fees considerably lighten. 22,000 yuan. This sum was now enough to cover all his expenses for the first year of college. Though it might be tight for daily expenses, it was at least sufficient, wasn''t it? Holding enough to get through a year of college, Lin Yu sighed in relief and felt quite pleased with himself. However, his good mood didn''t last long, soon turning into worry. "Tang Manman, oh Tang Manman." "What to do with her?" Just thinking of her made Lin Yus already throbbing head hurt even more. How to face her in the future? What approach should he take? Avoid her? Be cold and aloof? Or continue pretending to be a rogue to drive her away? Lin Yu pondered, undecided for a moment. After much thought, Lin Yu decided to try all three methods! First, avoid her. It would be best if he could see her less or not at all. If avoidance wasn''t possible, then he would just keep her at a distance, adopting a cold stance. And if that also didn''t work, then he had no choice but to do the opposite. Turn into the super rogue that every nice girl avoids! There''s no way she would dare to get close then! After planning his three-step strategy to distance himself from Tang Manman, Lin Yus serious facial expression suddenly froze, then quickly dissolved into mockery, causing him to shake his head and chuckle: "Heh, what a conceited thought." "To think she''d cling to you." "Who do you think you are, Daniel Wu?" "Look at those few strands of yellow hair on your head." "Any girl with the slightest bit of sense would steer clear of you!" After mocking himself, Lin Yu had a moment of enlightenment. Right. How could Tang Manman possibly cling to him? He was just a delinquent, the type all good students avoid like the plague. Why would someone like Tang Manman stick to him? Her approaching him three times was merely to express her gratitude and return the clothes. For anyone who understands the concept of gratitude, such actions are nothing but normal. Why did he imagine her as an inescapable sticky candy? Perhaps last night, she was only trying to repay the favor for helping her escape bullying. Maybe she didn''t want to see him at all and was looking for ways to keep her distance. Why did he think of Tang Manman in that way? Lin Yu chuckled ruefully, shaking his head. Having clarified things, he felt relieved, the heavy burden seemingly lifted from his heart. Indeed. He had overthought the situation. As time passed and Lin Yu became more alert, his bodily sensations returned, especially hunger which gnawed painfully. Ordering takeout through an app, Lin Yu decided to settle his lunch this way. It was better not to wander about lately. With members of the Black Blood Gang roaming around, if anyone who knew him saw he wasn''t hospitalized and told Li Yuan, that would spell trouble. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.Getting Li Yuan angry was a minor issue. The bigger problem would be missing out on any further financial support from him. Lin Yu resolved to stay in and put school on hold for a while. After all, in his current condition, he wouldn''t be able to focus on studies anyway. Soon after devouring his takeout noodles, Lin Yu continued resting in bed. His mind was still foggy, as if he was slightly drunk, unable to concentrate. So, Lin Yu decided to rest some more. After all, there wasnt much else to do. He slept from noon till dusk, waking only when the sun began to set. Ordering another round of takeout, Lin Yu lay in bed, idly browsing his smartphone while waiting for his meal. This world of adult comics also had short video apps, though the content was noticeably less censored compared to before he crossed over. Videos featuring violence or excessive exposure were everywhere. He even saw some small-time streamers openly discussing prices for meetups in their comments. Only four days into this world, Lin Yu was astonished and ended up following a few streamers. No denying, they looked great! Knock knock knock. A light tapping sound made Lin Yu instinctively think the takeout had arrived. He got up to answer the door. But upon opening it, he was stupefied, shock rendering him immobile for a good half minute. Tang Manman! Why is it you again?!! Appearing somewhat embarrassed by Lin Yus intense gaze, Tang Manman slightly lowered her head, lifting a bag full of medication towards him and said: Lin Yu, these are the medicines I bought for you yesterday. You forgot to take them. Lin Yu didnt look at the bag full of medications, but rather fixed his stare on Tang Manman. So, you really are sticking to me, huh? How did you find my place? he asked, not hiding his irritation. I asked your friends from class, Tang Manman replied softly. Lin Yu didnt take the medications but continued staring directly at her. He knew the usual tactics wouldnt work to distance himself from Tang Manman anymore. Really bold move coming here. Arent you afraid of being completely devoured by me? No, something drastic needed to be done to scare her off. To show her how dangerous the world is. And how dangerous this delinquent with yellow hair can be!!! Thats really kind of you, Lin Yu abruptly switched from his harsh demeanor and, after thanking her, took the bag of medications inside. He then warmly invited Tang Manman in: Come in, have a seat. I should pay you for the medications. You saved me yesterday, so it wouldnt be right to let you pay for them as well. I, I... Theres no need. Im just grateful for your help yesterday and the day before. I dont want the money for the medicines, Tang Manman stood outside, her voice filled with nervousness, obviously wary of Lin Yus sudden gentleness. How can that be? Lin Yu insisted as she seemed ready to leave. Chapter 25：You Havent Really Fallen for Me, Have You? "I..." Tang Manman hesitated, her expression fraught with conflict, visibly struck by Lin Yu''s pointed observation. The cost of the medicine wasn''t merely a few hundred but over eight hundred! For her, that amount was a significant sum, the result of a year''s worth of scrimping and saving, nearly all of it had gone towards Lin Yu''s medication. To say she wasnt pained by this expenditure would be a lie, yet she remained steadfast, not stepping into the room but rather watching him with her soft, peach blossom eyes that held a hint of timidity. Had Lin Yu been his usual fierce or cold self, she wouldnt have hesitated to follow him. But confronted with Lin Yu''s uncharacteristically gentle demeanor, she genuinely feared him. Lin Yu noticed Tang Manmans wariness but had no intention of letting her off easily. Feeling scared now? What were you thinking before coming here? Didn''t it occur to you that something unexpected might happen? This time, you must learn your lesson well, So you''ll think twice before recklessly venturing into places in the future. After internally chastising Tang Manman, Lin Yu maintained a seemingly cheerful facade and jokingly asked, "Tang Manman, are you refusing to come in because you''re scared I might do something to you?" Caught off guard, Tang Manman visibly flinched before hurriedly denying, "No, that''s not it." "Well, in that case, come in quickly. I''m not going to bite, come on." Seizing the opportunity Tang Manman''s denial provided, Lin Yu persistently urged her inside. Under Lin Yus relentless coaxing, Tang Manmans resolve quickly crumbled. With reluctance written all over her face, she finally, and hesitatingly, stepped inside. Observing Tang Manman venture into what he perceived as a den of wolves, Lin Yus gaze turned icy. You''re clearly aware of the potential danger yet don''t know how to refuse? Well, then, This time, youll truly learn what happens when you can''t decisively say no. Once Tang Manman was inside, Lin Yu quickly locked the door behind her. The sound of the lock clicking into place caused Tang Manman to visibly flinch, her stance immediately rigid. Lin Yu, satisfied with her nervous reaction, thought, Lets see if you dare to enter a ruffian''s house again. Today, I, Lin Yu, The paragon of pure love, Will teach you, Tang Manman, an innocently na?ve girl, a lesson you wont soon forget, To show you how dangerous this world can be. "Stop standing, have a seat," Lin Yu gestured towards the untidy bed, signaling Tang Manman to sit. Rooted in place, Tang Manman didnt move, prompting Lin Yu to approach and softly tease, "Whats wrong?" "Want me to carry you over there?" "Alright then!" Lin Yu chuckled heartily, opening his arms as if to embrace Tang Manman. Frightened, Tang Manman quickly darted away, cornering herself between the bed and the wall. With no escape path left, she turned to face Lin Yu, standing defensively in the corner, eyes wary of any sudden moves from him. Seeing Tang Manmans endearingly panic-stricken appearance, Lin Yu struggled to suppress his laughter. Adopting a stern facade, he coldly stated, "If you don''t want me to carry you, then go sit on the bed yourself." Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation."Otherwise, I might have to get rough." Lin Yu feigned a menacing demeanor as a threat. The standoff between Tang Manman and Lin Yu grew tense until Tang Manman unexpectedly let out a small chuckle. "Tang Manman!" "What are you laughing at?" Lin Yu was taken aback. Tang Manman! Do you realize the predicament you''re in? You''re locked in a rogue''s home! Alone with a man, with no way out, your integrity at risk! And yet, you find humor in this situation? What were you thinking? Could it be that beneath your innocent exterior lies a wildly libertine interior? "Sorry, sorry." Seeming to realize the absurdity of her laughter under the circumstances, Tang Manman quickly covered her mouth, her eyes betraying a mix of vigilance and fear. Lin Yu, seeing she still regarded him as a potential threat, decided not to dwell on her brief moment of laughter... How could he not care! What kind of decent girl laughs in the face of danger when locked away by a ruffian? Isn''t that the definition of a libertine? Taking a deep breath to calm down, Lin Yu continued his rogue act without any real intention to scare Tang Manman further, more curious to confirm his suspicion about her true nature. "Ha ha, you must be thrilled to be here with me, right?" "Dont worry, Im happy too." "Especially since were going to have an even better time soon." Saying this, Lin Yu mockingly adopted a ruffians grin and teasingly raised an eyebrow in Tang Manman''s direction. But then he realized his long hair obscured his face, making the gesture invisible to Tang Manman, prompting him to switch and raise the other eyebrow instead. After the gesture, Lin Yu contemplating his newly widened field of vision, had an epiphany. Wait a second! Where did my blonde hair go? Was it trimmed while treating my head wound last night? Doctor, you? What a saint!!! Before Lin Yu could revel in the realization, Tang Manman, standing across from him, suddenly burst into giggles. "Tang Manman!" "Why?!" Lin Yu was flustered. Do you even grasp the gravity of your current situation? You''re locked in a rogue''s house! Alone with a man, exitless, your purity on the line! And yet, you laugh? Are you claiming youre not actually a libertine? For a moment, Lin Yu was too frustrated to breathe properly, especially considering the pure love relationship hed sought to protect might have been impure from the start. Utterly unacceptable. Absolutely, positively, utterly unacceptable!!! Maybe sensing the shift in atmosphere or perhaps Lin Yus angry glare affected her, but Tang Manman''s laughter ceased. Standing up like a child caught in wrongdoing, hands hanging listlessly, she glanced at Lin Yu before lowering her gaze and quietly apologized, "Sorry." "What are you laughing at?" Lin Yu''s voice was colder than ever. "I..." Tang Manman looked up briefly, then looked down again, murmuring, "Sorry, I didn''t mean to laugh at you." "Laugh at me?" Lin Yu''s anger momentarily ebbed at this unexpected response, prompting him to question, "What are you laughing at?" Chapter 26：A Life of Tranquility "Lin Yu, your face..." "What''s wrong with my face?" Such embarrassment. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. the money came to him voluntarily. "Brother Hu, are you sure Uncle has given me a ten percent share of this tavern?" Could this be the solution to all his college fees and living expenses? Fortune had come without effort! Indeed, a good deed pays off! "Lin Yu, once Deng Song heard about your exploits, he''s been full of nothing but admiration for you!" Upon hearing Heihu''s words, Lin Yu glanced at the seemingly tough, streetwise Deng Song, noting his excited gaze, which indeed reflected admiration. Once he graduated from high school, hed be off to collegewhy would he bother staying in some outdated tavern barely making a profit of ten thousand a month? could an ordinary college graduate even earn ten thousand yuan a month? Unsure of the value of a college degree in this world, he reckoned that even if the standards were high, it wouldn''t be easy for an ordinary university graduate to find a job paying over ten thousand a month. What a dilemma! But life in the underworld, with one hundred in, not one good endworking a nine-to-five might be tough, but at least it offered a stable life. At least no worries about being chased and sliced up while enjoying skewers by the roadside. With this in mind, Lin Yu went back to waiting for his takeout... Chapter 27：Im the Good Guy Here! So What? Lin Yu nodded at Heihu. After some idle chatter, feeling a bit bored, Lin Yu found an excuse to leave... It wasn''t until the fifth time he saw groups of casually dressed teens horsing around that he realized. He pulled out his phone. Thursday. But it''s Mid-Autumn Festival! Here I was, finally taking the initiative to study, and this happens. Frustrating! Forget studying! Going back to bed! 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? 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 cant have them every day." "And it''s been a while since I checked in at the spot." Arriving, he asked the bartender for some food. Of course, he didnt pay. The staff, having seen Lin Yu the day before, wisely chose not to ask him for money. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.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!" "Isnt 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, weve 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, its 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 C 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, didnt I divert four of the pursuers in the end? As the saying goes, judge a gentleman by his actions, not his intentions. Im a gentleman! The very definition of a good guy! Chapter 28：The Second Leading Lady! This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Chapter 29：Inescapable Destiny? Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "Are you here for me?" "If you dare to bully him again, I''ll go straight to the police!" Lin Yu inquired, turning to the unnamed female protagonist, "Yes," she affirmed, her voice tinged with indignation, "It happened yesterday afternoon. He went to Fourteenth Middle and beat up my brother, Xi Yue Shan." "Is that so?" Lin Yu directed his question towards Snow, who scratched his head uncertainly, "I don''t know her brother, but yeah, I did get paid to rough up a junior high kid there yesterday." "Alright then, don''t bully her brother anymore." "And you guys, stay out of Fourteenth Middle from now on," directing his words at the other gang members. "Got it, Brother Long," they chorused in agreement. Chapter 30：Are You in Love? If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Chapter 31：Could It Be Retaliation? How could he not have known? He was merely spectating from the sidelines! The hurt that had been buried deep within surged up, and with tears gathering in her eyes, Manman managed to say through her sobs: "When I was bullied, he just stood there watching!" "He just stood by while you were bullied?" "And did nothing?" Manman sniffled, trying to be truthful despite feeling an inexplicable sense of grievance: "At least he stood up for you, didn''t he?" If she hadn''t seen him, he would have continued hiding! Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Facing bad people, anyone would be afraid. It''s a normal reaction." "And Yu did finally step up, didn''t he?" "Try to put yourself in his shoes. If your loved one was surrounded by bad people, as a lone person, would you bravely step forward to help without hesitation?" Wasn''t Lin Yu also tormented by bad people that night? Hadn''t she bravely rescued him all on her own? Could it be... She is the same as Yu Peng? Or perhaps... Is it that most people in this world would act similarly? The mind of a teenage girl is the hardest to read; she decided not to pry further, instead sternly stating her demand: "That is, you absolutely must not engage in a relationship right now." "Do you hear me?" "As for whom you fancy, mom won''t interfere, but you must wait until after your exams!" She really hadn''t done anything wrong. Why is she portrayed almost as a bad child about to skip classes, drop out of school, and elope at any minute in her mother''s view? Seeing no response, Tang''s mother grew annoyed and tapped Manman''s forehead a few more times with a bit more force this time. Assured by her daughter''s promise, Tang''s mother finally relaxed. She stood up, deciding to tidy things up and prepare to head out to the stall, when she sensed something amiss. What was the initial topic with Manman? Thinking back to the nickname, Tang''s mother sat back down next to Manman, asking suspiciously: A joke; who would treat someone they liked that way? Lin Yu not only seemed indifferent but also somewhat dislike her. If he dislikes her, why does he keep helping her? "Then why doesn''t he step in to stop or clarify when the other students call you that way?" Tang''s mother maintained her skepticism. With more life experience than those high school students, she wasn''t so easily fooled. Could this be the legendary tactic of playing hard to get? Designed just to deceive someone as na?ve as Manman? Manman looked at her mother, her beautiful eyes filled with resignation and a hint of grievance. Tang''s mother held up a finger, pleadingly saying: "Just one last thing!" "Because he got hurt the night he saved me, and he hadn''t been at school until yesterday. How could he know about what was happening at school or stop them?" "How did it happen?" "Was it serious?" Listening to her mother''s barrage of questions Chapter 32：The Minotaur of the Mind If it were the latter, he''d rather be late for class than tackle the stairs. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Bai Mao quickly assented, clearly not expecting his attempt at flattery to backfire so spectacularly. 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. Chapter 33：Utter Embarrassment! Massaging his temples, Lin Yu felt a headache brewing. Why had things progressed to this stage? If it became too unbearable, perhaps transferring schools might be an option. Grasping his hair, he felt doubt seep in. Considering the notorious reputation of Third Middle School, the likelihood of successfully transferring was as slim as Tang Manmans childhood friend suddenly coming to beat him up. Just drop it. It''s come to this. Let''s grab some lunch first. Overwhelmed, Lin Yu decided to let himself wallow in frustration for a while. Any monumental issue could wait until after he had eaten. Though Third Middle was infamously lousy, the cafeteria was actually quite decent. Not only was the food delicious and affordable, but the cafeteria aunties technique was impressively stable. Praise was due! After purchasing several of his favorite dishes, Lin Yu, with a loaded tray, searched for a secluded corner to enjoy his scrumptious meal. However, he couldn''t help but notice a familiar face. Instinctively, he turned for a clearer view and suddenly his eyes widened in shock. Good heavens. Seems you''ve crossed over too, huh? And a direct port over at that? Lin Yu marveled at the tall, burly fellow with a sense of malaise. Carrying his tray, he sat beside him and gazed at the face identical to that of his past life, so much so that he almost wanted to give him a big hug in eager recognition. However, remembering his current delinquent appearance, Lin Yu refrained from acting on impulse. He decided on a more subtle approach to hint to this person of their shared origin. Plucking a few slender leaves from his plate, Lin Yu nibbled the larger ones and meticulously arranged the smaller leaves on the tabletop. As the details took shape, a clear message in the form of a symbol and an Arabic numeral emerged against the light tone of the table surface. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. +3! With the message complete, Lin Yu eagerly awaited the tall youth''s surprise. Unexpectedly, the young man showed no interest in Lin Yu''s leafy creation, even appearing to frown in disdain. Lin Yus brow furrowed with confusion. The hint couldnt be any clearerhow could a veteran forum browser not catch on? As time passed and the burly youth continued to quietly eat without comment, Lin Yu leaned in, whispering the code phrase meant to trigger recognition: "Old Man, unleash some gold coins!" At these words, the youth tensed up, apparently mistaking the jest for a literal threat. "I don''t have any money," he blurted, clearly intimidated. This puzzling reaction made Lin Yu reconsider. Could he really not be the same person? After examining him closely and confirming even the mole behind his ear matched his memories, Lin Yu felt a mixture of frustration and irritation. "Niu Dafei, can you just stop messing around?" he said, annoyed. "Do I have to beat you with adhesive in public before you recognize me?" He watched, waiting for the familiar cadence of "all this red tape," hoping for a shared moment of acknowledgement. But despite his wait, Niu Dafei only grew more anxious. Lin Yus bewilderment deepened. Surely Niu Dafei had to know the joke; theyd played it out countless times before crossing over. It was one of those inside bits no one could forget. Could he truly not be Niu Dafei? Lin Yus thoughts spun in circles. Staring at the tall youth, deciding to cut through any potential deceptions, Lin Yu opted for a final attempt using a surefire joke that always made Niu Dafei laugha cold joke involving a twist on a lyric from Andy Laus song, turning "cold rain" into "cold fish" that foolishly "slaps the face." Recalling that Niu Dafei found hilarity in a meme of a cartoon character smacked by a frozen fish, Lin Yu decided to play his trump card. Mentioning the joke or phrase had always sent Niu Dafei into fits of laughter. Lin Yu braced himself and delivered the punchline, watching Niu Dafei intently, ready to leap at any sign of recognition. Time ticked away. Not even a twitch of a smile appeared on Niu Dafeis face; his eyes now held even more fear. It was that moment Lin Yu confirmed the truth. He really was not Niu Dafei. "I got the wrong person, buddy," Lin Yu said, feigning calmness as he patted him on the shoulder, then quickly turned to leave. Damn it. I hope he doesn''t know what "adhesive" means in that context. How utterly embarrassing! Chapter 34：The Trilogy of Failure Is it possible for two people in this world to look so alike? The face of that unknown, burly young man haunted Lin Yu''s thoughts, refusing to leave. Despite many tests, Lin Yu still found it hard to believe the youth was not Niu Dafei. They looked so similar that Lin Yu could bet even their parents wouldn''t be able to tell them apart if placed side by side. Puzzled and feeling strange, Lin Yu mused over the recent encounter while absentmindedly eating his lunch, unaware of the faint scent of flowers that had begun to permeate the air around him. It wasn''t until he heard that soft, glutinous voice that he came back to his senses and looked up at the pretty girl whose relationship with him was unreasonably tangled. "Hello, Lin Yu," greeted Tang Manman, standing demurely at the table. When Lin Yu''s gaze met hers, she shyly waved, squeezing out a slightly nervous smile as a greeting. "Just say what you need to say." Despite determining that Tang Manman felt only gratitude towards him, Lin Yu maintained an icy demeanor to prevent any further complications. But rather than feeling awkward, Tang Manman actually seemed reassured by his cold response. She breathed a small sigh of relief, and her smile became more natural. "Lin Yu, how are your injuries?" she asked with concern. Lin Yu, who was about to cuss, paused; he couldn''t very well insult someone who had saved him. So instead, he replied coolly, "Much better." After a moment''s thought, to prevent further prying questions, he added, "I''m almost healed." "That''s good to hear," Tang Manman sighed with relief as if she had been the one who was injured. Having answered her, Lin Yu returned to his meal, expecting her to leave after getting her answer. But to his surprise, she remained, cheeks flushing pink, suddenly shy and evidently with more to say. "What else do you need?" Lin Yu, unable to endure her lingering presence, asked first. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. "Yes," Tang Manman barely whispered. After another moment of silence, she spoke up softly, "My mother knows you helped me. She would like to invite you over for dinner. Would that be okay?" Lin Yu, sipping on the free soup, choked and sprayed out half of it. "What did you say?" he exclaimed in disbelief. "Your mother wants to invite me to your house?" Tang Manman didn''t respond. Instead, her pretty face blushed a deeper hue as she nodded quickly, looking incredibly cute. Lin Yu, now uninterested in admiring her innocent beauty, asked pointedly, "Does your mother know what kind of person I am?" Tang Manman thought for a moment, then shook her head before adding, "I told her you''re a good person." As she spoke, her cheeks became even redder, spreading to her graceful neck, leaving none of her usual fair complexion visible. Watching Tang Manman''s unembellished, shy look, Lin Yu''s heart softened, and he couldnt help but laugh instead of swearing. "Why don''t we do this, Tang Manman. You ask around this school and see if anyone thinks I''m a good person," Lin Yu said while still pointing at his nose, chuckling at her. "If you can find ten people to say in front of me that I''m good, I''ll go to your house. How about that?" Tang Manman shrank back slightly, clearly intimidated by Lin Yus mischievous smirk. She attempted to build up some courage, still believing deep down that Lin Yu was not a bad person despite his fa?ade. "Is that really true?" she asked carefully. "Of course it''s not, you dummy!" Lin Yu''s face turned cold again, annoyance clear in his tone. "Just go away! Seeing you annoys me!" "Okay," said Tang Manman in a pitiful tone, but as she turned to leave, she suddenly hesitated. Hope glimmered in her tearful eyes as she asked cautiously, "Then... will you still visit my house?" "No!" Lin Yu glared at her fiercely. "Forget about it!" Dejected, Tang Manman walked away, leaving Lin Yu with mixed emotions and a loss of appetite. It seemed his plans to distance himself were failing... Lin Yu ruffled his hair in frustration, at a loss for what to do next. His ''trilogy'' of avoidance strategies now seemed ineffective. Avoiding her was uselessshe''d seek him out anyway. Being rude didn''t sit well with him, especially since she had saved his life. It wasn''t right to spit venom at someone for no reason. And the last resortacting like a hooligan to push her awaydid it still work? Lin Yu had his doubts about this tactic working again. Recalling the events of the day Tang Manman brought medicine only made him lose the nerve to try; it was too embarrassing. Too damn humbling... Holding his burning face, Lin Yu breathed deeply to calm himself down, then stared at his now-cool lunch. He decided to give it another try. Well, next time Tang Manman comes looking, adopt the rogue demeanor once more. Hopefully, it would still work on her. Lin Yu prayed quietly in his heart. Chapter 35：Defying Fate This Time After lunch, as usual, Lin Yu was heading to the snack shop to buy a bottle of sweet drink to enjoy. On his way, he pondered a question C a question about the second female lead. After a four-day break that included the Mid-Autumn Festival and a Sunday, Lin Yus mind had recovered to a pretty good state. Moreover, after mulling it over these past few days, more memories about the second female lead had surfaced. He''d confirmed there were indeed two episodes of unsavory content involving her. The first, of course, was a plot that everyone favored C the gracious lady saving her cute and obedient brother from being bullied at school. As for the second episode, one that left a huge psychological shadow on Lin Yu, he could only recall a few key pieces of information. For one, it didnt involve Yellow Hair. Secondly, the perpetrator wasnt the official male lead alongside the second female lead either. In other words, the male character in this scenario was a complete stranger. Who he was, what he did, and why he would commit such acts remained a mystery to Lin Yu. Perhaps the comic had briefly introduced the man''s identity and motives, but perhaps Lin Yu, being in a rush at that time, didn''t pay much attention to that fine print. As a result, he now found himself baffled about this second episodes lead. However, the central theme of this part was clear in his memory: assault. This presented Lin Yu with a dilemma. Should he get involved? He stroked his chin, feeling utterly conflicted. Turning a blind eye would be a betrayal of his pure-love beliefs. Yet, if he decided to intervene, how would he go about it without any information about the man or his intentions? Perhaps an invisible force truly was acting upon this adult comic world, subtly orchestrating the events to follow the original storyline. If so, regardless of Lin Yu''s desire or efforts to save the second female lead, was her terrible fate predestined by this so-called intangible power? Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. With this daunting thought, cold sweat beaded Lin Yus forehead. Was he really destined to be powerless against fate? That''s no way to live... But no! A sudden realization dawned on Lin Yu C he himself was a variable! Even if fate had predetermined the encounters with the female leads, Lin Yu had the choice not to replicate events from the comic. So, what did it matter if fate compelled him to meet these people? As long as he, Lin Yu, resided in Yellow Hair''s body, the disastrous events linked to Yellow Hair in the comic would never unfold. Motivated by a bold idea, Lin Yu thought, why not have a go against this so-called fate? What if he could actually help the second female lead escape her tragic destiny? Amidst this train of thought and newfound resolve, Lin Yu found himself at the school store, where he casually picked up a three-yuan happy drink for fat otakus before planning to return to class. On his way back, as Lin Yu brainstormed ways to aid the second female lead in avoiding her grim fate, his gaze landed on a remarkably familiar face. It was not Tang Manman or any of the adult comics characters C it was a face immeasurably familiar to Lin Yu from his previous life. It was his best buddy, Niu Dafei''s face! The tall young man currently cornered by a group far off in the distance was someone Lin Yu could hardly believe wasnt Niu Dafei. He was just too similar, in height, appearance, and everything else C as if someone had used copy-paste. As Lin Yu debated approaching the young man for another test, one of the yellow-haired guys next to him suddenly kicked him hard. This startled Lin Yu; what was the reckless guy thinking, kicking Niu Dafei? In his past life where his family ran a martial arts gym and Lin Yu was systematically trained from a young age, hed never been afraid of any peers. But Niu Dafei? Lin Yu couldn''t help but tremble C that guy was just too overwhelmingly built, a veritable human tank! Normally, a few punches wouldn''t rattle Niu Dafei, but if someone took one from him... well, lets just say they wouldn''t manage without breaking something. The group of average-sized but clearly junior-looking hoodlums up against Niu Dafei were in for it now. They dared to strike Niu Dafei? Theyre finished! Just you wait C when Niu Dafei gets angry, he''ll twist off every single one of your skull caps! Chapter 36：Operation Save the Second Female Lead, Commence! Lin Yu''s hopes were dashed as the unknown, burly young man did not turn into a Super Saiyan as he had expected, striking his attackers toward the moon with a single punch. Instead, he stood there and took the kick, revealing a timidness that ill-suited his towering physique. At that moment, witnessing the flushed face of the burly youth, Lin Yu finally recognized with clarityhe was not Niu Dafei. The real Niu Dafei would never let himself be bullied like that. Known for his honesty, Niu Dafei could transform into a raging bull when pushed too far, capable of putting insolent fools in their place with a single punch or kick. Why then was this man acting like an oversized quail in the face of trouble? As the group continued to harass the burly youth, Lin Yu couldn''t stand idly by any longer. Even if this person wasn''t Niu Dafei, the resemblance alone meant Lin Yu felt compelled to interveneand who knows, there could be some connection between them after all. People who look exactly alike with no connection? Impossible, Lin Yu muttered internally as he stepped forward. Just as he was about to curse at them, a melodious and enchanting tune played, irritating anyone who heard it into a frenzy. It demonstrated how even the most beautiful music, once set as a school bell, could become an eerie and urgent herald of the impending classlike a harbinger of doom! After a recent bullying incident involving a younger girl, the school had cracked down on discipline. At the sound of the bell indicating classes were about to begin, even the delinquents, plainly from A-School Area, rushed off toward their classes more swiftly than the top students themselves. What had the school done to make these bad students so compliant? Lin Yu was puzzled after being away from school for a fortnight but decided not to get involved any further since the situation seemed to resolve itself. The unnamed, sturdy youth patted the dust off his thigh and wiped his slightly reddened eyes before joining the crowd heading into the building. Watching the youth''s isolated and deflated figure, Lin Yu felt no sympathy but rather a trace of anger boiled within him. Damn it! With such a huge build, what was he scared of? Why didn''t he just stand up and take on those guys? With his size, he could crush them all single-handedlywhat in the world was there to be timid about? A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Lin Yu was utterly baffled. It''s one thing when a sweet, innocent, young girl like Tang Manman is bullied, appealing for the instinct to protect. But a 1.9-meter-tall rugged man reduced to tears by a few guys barely over 1.7 meters? Lin Yu felt the urge to punch that giant face! Afternoon came, and following three class periods, Lin Yu pulled out his planning notebook during the final study hall. It was time to devise a strategy to save the second female lead. First was to approach herbefore he could protect her, he had to establish a regular, friendly relationship and exchange contact details so she could reach him in times of danger. Second, after becoming friends, it was crucial to instill the concept that the world was dangerous. Since he couldn''t be by her side every moment, she needed to protect herself with pepper spray, wolf-repellent, portable stun guns, and the like. As for self-defense techniques, Lin Yu wiped the sweat from his brow, remembering the "anti-wolf" maneuvers he had seen on a phone in his past life. Dear heavens, after a full drill, even good men might transform into wolves. Lastly, and most challenging to counter, was the formless destiny of this adult-comic world. To fight this invisible force, Lin Yu knew he would have to make choices against his nature during his interactions with the second female lead. He might have to take options he would normally reject at times like that encounter at the convenience store or the crossroads. Perhaps only then could he battle this hidden fate and prevent the second female lead''s terrible future from unfolding. With the plan firmly in place, he pondered its execution. Could the same hero-saving-the-beauty tactic that boosted Tang Manman''s fondness work on the second female lead? With his ruffian face and unique hairstyle, befriending a woman of good standing by regular means was nigh-impossible. Despite his inner disdain for such self-staged tactics, Lin Yu resolved to use it for the greater good: to save the second female lead. This method, after all, was the most convenient and direct. He had to be careful, though, to not overdo itenough to keep her safe without causing undue complications later on. Help her, but make it a moderate assist, so she''s appreciative but not overly concerned. Then, gradually convince her the world is full of dangers, and she should stay vigilant outdoors. With a resigned sigh, Lin Yu wished he didn''t have to associate with the four female leads at all. But compared to watching the second female lead fall prey to another, he''d rather take the lead himselfat least he could be more gentle. As the evening self-study concluded, Lin Yu didn''t bother asking the teacher for homework. He planned to use the coming evenings to refine the hero-saving-the-beauty scheme, ensuring no slip-ups during its execution. Hopefully, he could put the plan into action this upcoming weekendto prevent a long night full of nightmares. After all, he had no idea when the anonymous assailant would strike. If that guy made his move before Lin Yu finished planning, it would be a dark joke indeed. As for homework... well, that could wait. The plan to save the second female lead? Initiated! Chapter 37: second female lead, Xia Mu Zhu The night was deep and somber, the stars and moon muted. Xia Mu Zhu, simmering with resentment, walked under the not-so-bright streetlights, her elegant kitten heels tapping out her annoyance. Really! Who concocts such petty pranks in the dead of night? Fuming at the recollection of a call from an unknown number, Xia Mu Zhu''s teeth itched with irritation. What community committee? What kind of registration? Registering for what at this ungodly hour when the committee office had long since closed? She was also angry at herself for being gullible enough to fall for it, forgetting to confirm the message with the community committee and senselessly rushing over, played like a fool. In her rage, nothing looked right to Xia Mu Zhu. Coincidentally, she spotted an abandoned can on the road. Though it wasn''t in her path, she deliberately walked over to it. Reaching the can, Xia Mu Zhu lifted her foot to vent the fury within. "Crash!" In the silent and empty alley, the can clattered as Xia Mu Zhu had hoped, but her face showed no triumph from her mischief, instead, she flinched and was engulfed in fear. Looking down at the can, once assured it hadn''t moved from its place, Xia Mu Zhu stiffly turned her neck to look behind hertowards where the sound had echoed. In a corner poorly lit by the streetlamp, a man stood silently. As Xia Mu Zhu''s gaze met his, he abruptly stepped to the side, retreating into the alley. He hadn''t moved quickly, allowing Xia Mu Zhu to see who he was and also his prominently bleached white hair. Was it him? Her heart sank. She''d often seen this white-haired man latelywhen going out for groceries or taking out the trash, he was always lurking around. Xia Mu Zhu scanned her surroundings subconsciously; the area was deserted, not even a night owl in sight. Now deep into autumn, the nights came early and were brisk, driving any outdoor wanderers back into their homes. And this back road, not a main thoroughfare, was usually quiet with few passersby. Realizing she was alone, fear welled up in Xia Mu Zhu. She hurriedly picked up her pace home, frequently glancing backward and noticing that the white-haired man hadn''t left, still following her. And he seemed to realize he''d given himself away. No longer bothering to hide, he strode purposefully toward her. Fearing the approaching footsteps behind her, Xia Mu Zhu couldnt maintain her composure and broke into a brisk trot. Stolen novel; please report. As she began to run, the footsteps behind her transitioned from a walk to a run as well. The sounds growing ever closer, Xia Mu Zhu desperately tried to suppress her inner dread, recalling if there was a convenience store nearby or maybe a late-night food stall that hadn''t packed up for the day. Any spot, any person, could offer her sanctuary from her pursuer. Memories didnt provide any relief; the nearest convenience store was a street block away, at least eight hundred meters, and likely shuttered at this hour. Becoming frantic, Xia Mu Zhu suddenly heard the sound of conversation. Someone nearby? Ecstatic, she turned and ran toward the sound. After crossing a junction, within a dim alley of the residential complex, she glimpsed a figure. The man stood under the feeble streetlight, his phone pressed to his ear while speaking loudly. Seeing him, Xia Mu Zhu''s slight hope plummeted. The man under the light seemed even more unsettling than the white-haired stranger pursuing her. The outlandish yellow hair obscuring half of his face, his blithe posture, plus a small tattoo peeking above his shirt collar did not inspire confidence. He seemed like another malevolent entity altogether. Stopping, gasping for breath, torn internally, Xia Mu Zhu weighed her optionsseek help from this dubious figure or keep running, hoping to find a more trustworthy stranger. In the breaths of indecision, the footsteps closed in again. With the pursuer all but upon her, she turned, saw the white-haired man now less than five meters away, and her legs gave out from fear. No longer caring about the offbeat man''s exaggerated look, Xia Mu Zhu ran to what seemed to be her only lifeline. Arriving beside the youth with yellow hair, she instinctively sought refuge behind him. Raising her hand and pointing at the white-haired individual who had halted close by, she panted: "Big brother, can you please help me?" "He''s been following me... all the way." "Following?" "What following?" The youth with yellow hair slid his phone into his pocket, clearly not yet caught up and puzzled as to what was happening. Before Xia Mu Zhu could explain further, the white-haired man who had been tracking her wiped the sweat from his forehead and preempted with a smile. "Don''t worry, big bro. This is my girlfriend. We just had a little spat; she''s mad at me." Hearing this, the yellow-haired youth turned questioningly to Xia Mu Zhu. "No, it''s not!" "I''m not his girlfriend. I don''t even know him!" Xia Mu Zhu shook her head vigorously in denial, teetering on the brink of tears. "Man, dont listen to her." "She is my girlfriend. Her names Xia Mu Zhu. Ask her if you don''t believe me!" The white-haired man asserted confidently. The yellow-haired youth looked at Xia Mu Zhu again. "No, it''s not true!" "I do go by Xia Mu Zhu, but I really dont know him!" Xia Mu Zhu doubled down on her denials, her eyes welling with tears. The yellow-haired youth didnt glance back at the white-haired man for more persuasive proof but instead studied Xia Mu Zhu for a while before speaking: "You look kind of familiar. Have we met before?" Startled by his seemingly flirtatious tone, Xia Mu Zhu inadvertently looked up. Beneath the dim streetlight, confusion flickered through her panicked eyes. As if remembering something, a spark lit up within her eyes, and almost instantly, the light widened into sheer joy and relief. Looking at the yellow-haired youth, she exclaimed in surprise: "It''s you!" "You''re the person who helped me in the tavern that day!" Chapter 38：Ive Got Something Great to Show You! Yes, it''s quite the coincidence. My name is Lin Yu, he said with a smile. After greeting Xia Mu Zhu, Lin Yu turned to the sullen white-haired man and said, Buddy, just knowing her name doesnt prove anything. Time to go on your way. The white-haired man stood his ground, his gaze turning venomous. After glancing around to ensure they were alone, he ominously warned, Id advise you to leave now and mind your own business. With that, he pulled out a folding knife from his pocket, pressing the button to release the blade which gleamed menacingly under the street light, clearly conveying a threat. Seeing the knife, Xia Mu Zhu clung closer to Lin Yu, fear eclipsing her worry about proximity. Lin Yu, meanwhile, noted the knife with a dismissive curl to his lip and scoffed, Heh, you call that little thing a weapon? Take a look at this. With confident bravado, Lin Yu lifted his coat and reached for his waist. Xia Mu Zhu, hidden behind him, was momentarily baffled by the curious turn of events. What was he planning to show? Her face flushed, but her fears were unfounded as Lin Yu merely withdrew a black rod tucked into his belt and let his coat fall back into place. "Check this out!" Lin Yu twirled the black rod in his fingers for a moment before pressing a switch. At its tip, four bent wires suddenly sparked with a faint purple glow, followed by a crackling of electricity. As the glow persisted, a slight scent of charring spread into the air. "How about that?" "Want to give it a try?" Lin Yu taunted with a roguish grin. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The white-haired man, realizing his knife was no match for the stun baton, hastily retreated after a threat, You just wait! Relieved to see the white-haired man leave, Xia Mu Zhu expressed her thanks, I really can''t thank you enough. I don''t know what I wouldve done tonight without you. It''s nothing to it! Lin Yu replied with the flair of a seasoned hero. He advised her, However, you ladies should be careful walking alone at night. Avoid these less frequented side streets and try to stick to the main thoroughfares where there''s more people and troublemakers are less likely to cause harm. Xia Mu Zhu nodded in full agreement, slightly shaken, and added, Yes, Ill have to be more careful. It''s dangerous out here. Its not enough to just be cautious, Lin Yu said, shaking his head with a serious look. The world is full of surprises, and apart from being vigilant, you should prepare some self-defense tools to protect yourself when emergencies strike. With that, he waved the stun baton in front of Xia Mu Zhu and continued, Like thisI take it wherever I go, and see, it came in handy, didnt it? And I think stun batons are very suitable for women, Lin Yu held the baton in both hands, starting to rattle off its advantages. It''s compact and portable, takes up almost no space in a purse. Plus, it packs a punch; you could disable a bad guy in almost one second. It''s also safer than knives, which could accidentally injure you during an attack. And the best partit''s so easy to use! As he demonstrated, pressing the rubber button on the bottom of the baton, a fizzing current buzzed to life. Releasing his finger stopped it immediately. See, it''s as simple as flipping a light switch, Lin Yu boasted. Its an excellent choice for both naive damsels and sophisticated ladies alike for self-protection! Xia Mu Zhu nodded enthusiastically, already convinced by Lin Yus persuasive explanation. How about it? Interested in one? With a smile, Lin Yu held the baton out to her. Ill take it! Xia Mu Zhu reacted with excitement, reaching into her bag for money. After a few moments, she recalled the rushed departure from home, wallet forgotten, her purse only holding some changeprobably not enough for the stun baton. She shyly looked at Lin Yu and asked, How much for the baton? Its free. Ill give it to you, Lin Yu replied smoothly, placing the baton into her open bag and boasting, Look, it fits perfectly right in there. Chapter 39：The Perilous Living Environment You''ve done so much to help me; how could I possibly accept your things? Xia Mu Zhu firmly declined, though without any intention of removing the stun baton from her bagafter tonight''s ordeal, she felt a dire need for self-defense. Do you need me to walk you back? Lin Yu kindly inquired. Im twenty-four. And you? I''m eighteen this year. By this time next year, I should be in college. Thats great. How are your studies coming along? Theyre not too good at the moment, but I''ll work hard. I believe with my abilities, getting into a top-tier or second-tier university shouldnt be a problem. That''s fantastic. Once you get into college and find a job, things will start looking up. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.Absolutely, I feel the same way! Lin Yu nodded in hearty agreement. It''s best used as a surprise weapon. When the person gets close, just zap them! Of course, thats an exaggeration. While the stun baton has a strong charge, it wont cause any real harm. At the most, itll just render them weak and immobile. After his explanation, Lin Yu concluded confidently: Just zap with peace of mind, sis. Nothing bad will come from it. Anything else? he asked curiously. Chapter 40：The Embarrassing Hairstyle Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. No effort was too much! Chapter 41：The Futility of Force Waking up early, Lin Yu found himself lounging in bed, unmotivated to move until his soul felt awakened enough to start the day. Face wash, tooth brushing. Glancing in the mirror, Lin noticed his right side appeared somewhat lighter. Instinctively, he lifted the yellow hair covering the left side of his face for a comparison. Well, what do you know. Observing the stark contrast, with the right side of his face several shades darker, Lin grimaced and dropped the yellow hair back in place. Those few strands proved somewhat useful after all. Today being Sunday, Lin Yu pondered over his to-do list while brushing his teeth. First off, it seemed his homework hadn''t been touched, his mind solely fixated on getting closer to the second female lead yesterday. Reflecting on Xia Mu Zhu, Lin Yu picked up his phone, sending her the selected videos on female victims he carefully chose last night. As the messages were swiftly marked as read, he sighed softly. Xia Mu Zhu, sending you these types of videos during the day is already my final act of kindness. Don''t blame me. It''s all for your sake! Soon, Xia Mu Zhu replied with a frightened emoji sticker. Lin Yu swiftly responded. : Sis, you''ve got to be extra cautious when you''re out alone. : It''s not about being scared for nothing; it''s about the "just in case." Always carry the stun baton with you; it truly comes in handy! : Got it! (hamster nodding emoji) After their brief chat, Lin Yu placed his phone on the vanity, mentally sorting out the rest of his day''s goals. Scaring Xia Mu Zhu into being cautious (done)! That left only homework and whatever Li Yuan needed from him. In his head, Lin Yu muttered to himself that the homework could wait given his reputation at school; avoiding it wouldn''t really matter at most, they''d call his parents. But that was the least of his worries. After all, they were in a world of adult manga, not a horror story! Thus, he had only one task remaining for the day. Li Yuan had asked him to swing by the mahjong parlor, though for what Lin Yu couldn''t fathom. Might as well check it out. Perfect time to scam some money! You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ... "The soup''s ready, take this to Qin Qin," Tang''s mother handed her the thermos, advising, "Make sure your sister finishes the chicken soup. I followed the doctor''s advice and added some herbs, which Qin Qin dislikes. If you don''t watch her, she''ll probably share it with others in the ward once you leave." "Okay." Tang Manman obediently nodded, taking the heavy silver thermos and placing it in a yellow fabric bag. "Oh, and Yu Kai said he''d like to visit Qin Qin, too. He''ll be here soon, wait for him, and you can go together," her mother added. After a moment''s thought, Tang Manman agreed without objection. Not long after, Yu Kai arrived. After greeting her mother, Tang Manman left with Yu Kai for the hospital. Along the way, Yu Kai kept talking while Tang Manman listened, offering the occasional response. Having had time to think, Tang Manman was no longer angry with Yu Kai. She had reevaluated their relationship. They were just childhood friends, after all. Considering Yu Kai had stepped in to help her when she was bullied, as a friend, that was commendable enough, even if the outcome wasn''t ideal. So, she no longer grimaced, even managing a smile at some of the funnier topics he brought up. Yu Kai, unaware of Tang Manman''s internal musings and seeing her smile, breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he had been forgiven. As they neared the bus station, Tang Manman spotted a familiar figure in front of a pharmacy. Lin Yu? Halting, she scrutinized the tall, thin silhouette by the pharmacy entrance. After the figure shifted direction, Tang Manman confirmed his identity, spotting Lin Yu''s trademark yellow hair partially covering his face. Was he injured again? Her eyes caught the thick bandage wrapped around Lin Yus head, prompting a sudden thought. Or was it the original injury that hadnt healed? She quickly jogged over to Lin Yu, calling out, "Lin Yu!" Upon reaching him and seeing his resigned expression of ''not you again,'' Tang Manman felt a twinge of dejection but mostly a familiar sense of security. It seemed today''s Lin Yu was the stoically kind Lin Yu, "Lin Yu, are you injured again?" It''s just before dawn, and Lin Yu is loath to leave the warmth of his bed but eventually rises to start his day. He goes through his morning routine, noticing that the right side of his face seems somewhat lighter compared to the covered left side. He lifts the blonde hair covering the left side and examines the contrast in the mirror. Shocked at the visible difference, Lin Yu grimaces and lets his hair fall back into place. It turns out, his hair did serve some purpose. It''s Sunday, and as Lin Yu brushes his teeth, he contemplates his tasks for the day. First on his list, he realizes he hasn''t started his homework, having been too focused on planning how to get closer to the second female lead yesterday. He takes a moment to message Xia Mu Zhu, sending her chosen videos depicting female victimization, sighing softly as they''re seen. Xia Mu Zhu quickly responds with a frightened emoji, prompting Lin Yu to advise her to always be cautious, mentioning the stun baton''s effectiveness in emergencies. Completing their brief exchange, Lin Yu gets back to his daily planning, which now consists solely of doing his homework and dealing with Li Yuan''s request. Considering his school reputation, Lin Yu figures skipping homework wont matter much anyway. After all, this isn''t a ghost story world but an adult manga one. Hence, the only remaining task is to visit Li Yuan. As Lin Yu ponders this, his mother tasks Tang Manman to take soup to her sister Qin Qin in the hospital and ensure she drinks it, given the added medicinal herbs. Yu Kai offers to accompany Tang Manman, and they head to the hospital together. On the way, Tang Manman has had time to reflect on her feelings and recognizes Yu Kai simply as a dear friend. Upon seeing Lin Yu at a pharmacy during their walk, Tang Manman is compelled to check on him, noticing his distinctive hairstyle and assuming he''s been injured again. Approaching Lin Yu, Tang Manman expresses concern over his wellbeing, indicating the growth in their acquaintanceship. Lin Yu, bemused by his hairstyle''s attention, presents a half-hearted explanation for retaining it. Chapter 42："Gross!" 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 menacinglyan 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... youd 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. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. 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 Kais 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 cant 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?" Chapter 43：First Encounter with the Third Female Lead Realizing he had slipped up, Yu Kai''s expression turned frantic as he hastily explained, "No, Manman, hear me out, I was on the fourth floor corridor when I saw you. I thought about coming down to help, but before I could, Lin Yu arrived." "And seeing you were safe, I didn''t intervene..." Under Tang Manman''s furious gaze, Yu Kai''s voice dwindled until guilt compelled him to avert his eyes and halt his lies. Tang Manman, staring him down, retorted, "Yu Kai, I''ve said it''s okay that you didn''t come out to help, but you don''t need to lie to me." "And you certainly can''t accuse those who helped me! Yu Kai clenched his fists, burning with jealousy hearing Tang Manman continuously defend Lin Yu, dubbed as the bad boy. His body seemed to churn with a fiery blend of helplessness and anger. "Yes!" Yu Kai blurted, "I saw you from the beginning, even before those three approached you." "I was afraid to step in." "I''m a coward!" "A scaredy-cat!" "But do you think Lin Yu is some kind of saint?" "Why was he there both times you were in trouble, always perfectly timed?" "Why won''t you think a little deeper into this?" "Those villains were acting according to his plans..." "Enough!!" Tang Manman shouted, her voice echoing down the silent streets. Opening her eyes, now rimmed with red, she took a deep breath and said with disbelief, "I can''t believe you''re this kind of person. You''ve disappointed me immensely." Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. With that, Tang Manman quickly turned and walked away, refusing to share another moment with someone so readily spinning lies. "Manman!" Yu Kai called after her in desperation, but she ignored him, speeding her pace and even hailing a caba luxury she seldom allowed herself. A blue and white taxi pulled up, and she hopped in the back seat. Yu Kai caught up in time to tap urgently on the window, pleading for a chance to explain. "Drive!" Tang Manman commanded the driver, without sparing Yu Kai a glance. The driver, confused by the scene, started the car upon Tang Manmans insistence that she didn''t know Yu Kai. As they pulled away, Yu Kai gave chase briefly before being left behind, his calls of "Manman" fading into the distance. Inside the taxi, Tang Manman sat quietly. Just before Yu Kai was completely out of sight, she rolled down the window and yelled, "Dont ever call me by my nickname again!" Then she withdrew into silence, leaving Yu Kai standing there, his initial spark of hope dimming rapidly. The driver cast a cautious glance at Tang Manman through the rearview mirror, puzzled. ... "Damn!" Lin Yu moaned internally. "I cant believe Tang Manman isnt frightened by that act anymore!" Lin Yu regretted having to adjust his attitude toward her, deciding it''s best to keep his distance in the future. Pausing beside a car, he used its reflective window as a mirror. Smirking at his bandaged reflection, he mused, "As if I''d fight looking like this!" In that moment, his smirk froze, replaced by unease. The reflection uncovering the comic-like scenario felt eerily familiar, yet different, distorted as if a piece of the puzzle was amiss. As Lin Yu processed this bizarre feeling, the car window rolled down, revealing a woman donning large black sunglasses. Despite the glasses covering half her face, her beauty was undeniable. Then, recognizing this woman must be the third female lead from the adult comic, who had been barely memorable to Lin Yu until now, he realized why she appeared. It must mean his involvement with the second female lead had concluded, moving the storyline forward. Before Lin Yu could even display his disapproval, the third female lead, steering wheel in one hand, boldly flipped him off with the other and sped away. Left standing there, Lin Yu''s mouth twitched in confusion, unsure whether to cry or laugh at the blunt dismissal. Chapter 44：Scolded Yet Strangely Elated Lin Yu stood still, pondering and feeling a sense of cheer despite being reprimanded by the third female lead when he first met her. Based on her character, he concluded that as long as he didnt go out of his way to annoy her, the chances of her pestering him were less than zero. Getting scolded just felt like a scolding. Internally, Lin Yu murmured to himself. After all, with the way he''s currently looking, who wouldn''t throw a scoff his way? Sometimes, even he wanted to curse his own hair when he saw his reflection. Looks like he and the third lead had something in common, after all. With a light breath, Lin Yu contentedly made his way toward the mahjong parlor. Scolded by the third female lead on first sightwhat a curious thrill! Taking his time, Lin Yu deliberately slowed his pace, only arriving at the mahjong parlor well after noon. By then, the gang from Black Blood had dispersed. Entering the parlor in search of Li Yuan, Lin Yu wondered about the nature of the summons. Upon seeing Li Yuan, Lin Yu''s throat tightened. The realization hit himhe had always misunderstood Fire Scorpion''s intentions. This group was playing for keeps. Li Yuan was in a wheelchair, his left leg wrapped in a thick cast, and bandages encircled his head and neck. A few more layers, and he''d be ready to play the mummy in an international film. "Xiao Long, you made it?" Li Yuan ditched his usual stern facade, greeting Lin Yu with a smile. "I''m here." Lin Yu answered and asked, "Uncle, you wanted to see me for something?" Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Li Yuan nodded, still beaming, "Of course! Xiao Long, come with me. Ive got a surprise for you!" Saying so, Black Tiger, standing behind Li Yuan, began to push his chair. Lin Yu followed, puzzled, his curiosity piqued about this so-called surprise. What sort of ''surprise'' could a famously frugal man like Li Yuan have up his sleeve? They reached the spacious backyard of the parlor where Lin Yu saw an object completely covered with a red cloth. Although the large red cloth concealed the object tightly, it was clearly shaped like a motorcycle from the bulge underneath. "Go ahead, Xiao Long." Li Yuan gestured towards the cover with a nod of his head, his face alight with a broad smile as if presenting Lin Yu with a grand opportunity, "Go check out what''s underneath." On the surface, Lin Yu nodded excitedly, but inside, he scoffed. It was clear as day it was a motorcycleno mystery there. Facing away so neither Li Yuan nor Black Tiger could see his expression, he approached the red cloth. Lin Yu was convinced that whatever was under there could not possibly be new and revolutionary. No way Li Yuan would spend big when he was so tightfisted. Bored and skeptical, Lin Yu grabbed the cloth and yanked. The cloth fell away, and Lin Yu''s eyes widened with genuine surprise. Wow! Stylish, isn''t it? The motorcycle hidden under the red cloth was far beyond any of Lin Yu''s expectations. The paint was a stunning blend of blue and white, the design aggressive with beautiful lines that looked years ahead of any local riding offerings, and seemed to rival even top competition bikes. In short, it was the dream bike of any motorcycle aficionado. As Lin Yu admired the fine craftsmanship, he couldn''t help but run a hand over its cool exterior. Black Tiger chuckled from behind Li Yuan''s wheelchair, "Xiao Long, this bike was specially brought in from a dealership outside the province by Brother Yuan. It''s the only one in D City." "You better thank Brother Yuan properly." "Thanks, Uncle!" Lin Yu replied, his lips forming the words with an obligatory sweetness. Chapter 45：The Show Begins! "Eh," Li Yuan casually waved his hand. "We''re all family here, no need for thanks." "The keys are on the bike, Xiao Long; go have fun with it!" "From now on, the motorcycle is yours!" Li Yuan proclaimed generously. "Thanks, Uncle!" Lin Yu eagerly seated himself on the bike, revving the engine with a twist of the throttle, the roar igniting a visceral thrill. Riding the motorcycle away from the back entrance of the mahjong parlor, Lin Yu''s first stop was a motorcycle accessory shop to acquire a cool helmet that matched his new ride. Safety was one reason for the purchase, and secondly, Lin Yu didn''t want to risk being spotted by Xia Mu Zhu. Given his persona in her eyesjust a poor orphanit would be hard to explain possessing such an expensive motorcycle. Would it not mean immediate ''death'' to their friendship founded on deceit? Riding on, Lin Yu maintained a moderate speed through the city streets. He knew how to race, but he didn''t enjoy it. Before his life took this unusual turn, Lin Yu often mixed with martial arts wanderers, loving the rush of zooming through traffic on a motorcycle. That changed after a fellow student had an accident that left both him and his bike in piecesLin Yu never exceeded sixty miles per hour since. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. During an evening bathed in golden sunset, Lin Yu idly cruised around the vast city, first passing by the Tang mother''s food stall to observe. Only Tang''s mother bustled there; Tang Manman and the delicate boy were absent. Watching from a distance for a moment, Lin Yu continued on his ride. After some time, he approached Xia Mu Zhu''s neighborhood. Circling the area to commit it to memory, Lin Yu prepared to head out. His next destination was the coastal freewaya quiet road, perfect for letting loose, pushing at least seventy miles per hour. Minutes after leaving Xia Mu Zhu''s complex, a commotion caught Lin Yu''s eye. Intrigued by the drama unfolding, he steered closer, intending to park. Recognizing the squabbling figures, Lin Yu grew more amused. You''ve got to be kidding! All familiar faces! The sight of Purple Hair, who called himself ''Brother Mao,'' clashing with the purple-haired girl who bullied Tang Manman, provided Lin Yu with sheer entertainment, a classic case of dog-eat-dog. Hiding behind a corner, helmet in hand, he eavesdropped on their dispute. "Gu Yue, when the hell are you going to bring Tang Manman around?" the expelled purple-haired delinquent, Brother Mao, snarled ferociously, almost ready to devour the timid-looking girl opposite him. "Mao, Brother Mao, I really cant do it." "If Long Brother finds out, hell kill me," Gu Yue trembled against the wall, her made-up face marked by fear and struggle, the left side notably swollen from an earlier scuffle. "Long Brother?" "Hes nothing of a Brother Long!" "Gu Yue, Im warning you!" Brother Mao raged with abandon, forgetting he was the architect of his own downfall. "Its all because of you I got expelled, and you owe it to me to deliver Tang Manman!" The ranting young delinquent seemed oblivious to his culpability in the debacle, deserving his misfortune. "Mao Brother, it''s impossible." "Long Brother will kill me if he knows." "Arent you afraid of retaliation from him?" "His uncle is" Chapter 46：What Did You Call Me Again? Before Gu Yue could finish her sentence, she received another vicious slap from the irate delinquent with bloodshot eyes. Triggered by her repeated rejections and respectful reference to ''Brother Long,'' he was on the verge of losing his mind, bellowing angrily: "Screw your ''Brother Long''! Screw your uncle! I''m leaving for out-of-state school in three days, I dont give a damn about any goddamn uncle!" The alley fell into an eerie silence after his furious roar. Gu Yue''s lips trembled in shock; she had never imagined he would just hit and run. If he could simply walk away after messing with Tang Manman, what would happen to her? Lin Yu, unable to catch the true culprit, would surely turn all his rage onto her. Recalling Lin Yu''s reputation, Gu Yues lips quivered with fear. The purple-haired youth realized hed let his plan slip and glared sinisterly at Gu Yue. Eventually, he stopped pretending and blurted out, "Let me tell you straight, Gu Yue. In these three days before I leave, you HAVE to bring Tang Manman to me." "Lin Yu thinks he''s so tough, protecting her? Well, I want a taste of Tang Manman myself. I''ll make her wear the green hat for Lin Yu, show him I, Mao, am not to be messed with!" Gu Yue, slapped again before she could defend herself, let the tears shed been holding back finally fall. In between sobs, she whimpered, "Brother Mao, Lin Yu doesn''t like Tang Manman. At school, he won''t even let others call Tang Manman ''sister-in-law.'' They''re not what you think." "Who do you think you''re lying to?" The delinquent wasnt convinced and slapped Gu Yue once more, snarling viciously. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "No, Brother Mao, I''m not lying. Everyone at school knows, you could ask anybody, they''ll tell you Im telling the truth, Gu Yue sobbed through her explanation. The fuming youth finally paused and smirked after scrutinizing Gu Yue and seemed convinced she wasn''t lying. Draping an arm around her shoulders, he turned to the henchmen he brought, chuckling, "Why don''t you lot give her a once-over?" Though her makeup was tear-streaked and ruined, the thugs could tell she was a catchafter all, the girlfriend of a school bully couldnt be ugly. Nodding in approval, a tall and beefy older man with stained clothing smiled, revealing yellowed teeth, "She looks fine. Clean her up, and she''ll do." Pleased with the response, Mao tightened his grip on Gu Yue and whispered sinisterly, "I''ll tell you, Gu Yue, they''re queued up to have a go at Tang Manman. If you don''t deliver within three days, Ill have them turn on you instead!" Gu Yue shook, tears rolling down her cheeks. Before she had a chance to plead, a lazy voice with a hint of humor rang out from the entrance of the alley, halting everyone. "Why go to all that trouble with her?" "You want to get back at me, right?" "I find that B-word so repulsive; Id be happy if you put her through that." Lin Yu''s mocking tone filled the alley, tension knotting in the delinquent''s scalp. He turned, his face reflecting the dread he felt to see Lin Yu, with a forced, twisted smile, approaching them. Lin Yu, unable to contain his rage at these animals targeting Tang Manman and attempting to drag him into their vile plans, squared off against them. As he was contemplating their fate, the delinquent tried intimidating him: "Watch it, Lin Yu, and see how many of us there are!" Emboldened suddenly, the delinquent realized he had the numbersfive to one, all adults. What could Lin Yu really do? Even if he were skilled, was he Bruce Lee? Could he go one against six? The prospect bolstered the delinquent''s confidence, and he sneered smugly until, without finishing his taunt, Lin Yu landed a punch on the inflated belly of the tall, fat man. "Keep quiet for now; your turn to talk will come," Lin Yu said icy cold, then turned to Mao brother, "What did you just call me again?" Chapter 47：The Blushing Reward!!! "Get on!" Lin Yu shouted at Gu Yue, who still stood in shock at the scene she had just witnessed. "Oh, right," she responded hastily and carefully made her way past the moaning figures strewn on the ground. As she passed the greasy-faced fat man in a dirty shirt, her small shoe accidentallyor perhaps not so accidentallystomped on his face, twisting it cruelly before she scurried towards Lin Yu. Once Gu Yue was securely on the bike, Lin Yu revved up and sped off with her... ... Arriving at the seaside at an even pace, Lin Yu parked the motorcycle and removed his helmet to gaze at the vast ocean. It was just past 4 PM, the beginning of dusk, and the blazing sun had tempered its glare, casting a sanctified, warm glow over the watersa brilliant tapestry of gold forged by the evening''s grace. The sea breeze was calming, and Lin Yu felt an unprecedented sense of ease. "You did great today," he said to Gu Yue, leaning against a railing by the roadside with a bright smile and an approving thumbs up. Gu Yue looked like a mess, her makeup smeared by tears, resembling an apparition from ''The Ring.'' Nonetheless, her eyes still shone beautifully against the golden canvas of the sea, reflecting the gentle image of the man before her. "Considering how well you performed today, the situation with Tang Manman..." Lin Yu''s smile vanished as he continued coldly, "Obviously cannot be forgotten." "What made you think you could be so cruel?" he questioned, poking at Gu Yue''s forehead indignantly. "Bullying Tang Manman is one thing, administering a lesson with your own hands is another, but wanting to take naked photos? You gave her no space to breathe. Do you even want her to live?" This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Gu Yue hung her head low and timidly accepted his reprimand, whispering an apology, "I''m sorry." "Remember this!" Lin Yu growled with a threat, "You''ll continue to protect Tang Manman at school. If anything happens to her, I''ll come after you first!" Gu Yue nodded faintly as dimness seeped into the golden light of the sunset in her eyes. "But," Lin Yu shifted his tone, his friendly smile resurfacing, "I am a man of fairness. You err, and Ill reprimand you, but youve earned merit today." As he spoke, Lin Yu began to unzip his jacket, adding, "So, Ill be sure to reward you appropriately." Gu Yue watched in bewilderment as Lin Yu unzipped his clothing, utterly confused by what he meant by ''reward.'' But the alarm in her eyes soon gave way to a mix of shyness and anticipation as Lin Yu paused his actions. Reaching halfway into his half-opened jacket, Lin Yu''s next motion was unexpected: he pulled out a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills. Handling the money that Xia Mu Zhu, the second female lead, had forcefully given him, he estimated it to be about three thousand dollars. After a brief moment of hesitation, he stuffed it all into Gu Yue''s hands, instructing, "Take this money. You''ve done work for me, and I wont leave you hanging." "Be sure to watch over Tang Manman at school, keep her from harm. But remember your boundaries; dont intrude on her life too much." Despite the mixed emotions in her eyes, Gu Yue nodded, reluctantly mustering a strained smile, "Brother Long, you can count on me to look after sister-in-law!" Lin Yu nearly slipped off the railing, glaring at her with vexation, "She''s not your sister-in-law. Call her that again, and I''ll knock you out!" He shook his clenched fist in front of her, his menacing demeanor enough to frighten her into nodding meekly. After giving Gu Yue one last disdainful look, Lin Yu turned back to the sea painted gold by the setting sun, seeking solace in its beauty and the cool sea breeze. For Lin Yu, the beautiful view was singular and right before his eyes, while for Gu Yue, there were twothe ocean and something else. Although mostly preoccupied by the sea, every now and then, her gaze drifted off, lingering a moment longer than necessary before returning warily to the gilded watersand every time her thoughts gave way, her eyes would sneak another fleeting look... Chapter 48：Grilling and Thrills After catching a cool sea breeze, Lin Yu unsurprisingly started to feel the cold. Perfect for a barbecue, perfect for a barbecue! A cool night like this is just begging for some grilling! Taking Gu Yue away from the seaside, Lin Yu led her to a barbecue spot. Back at his small but tidy rental, Lin Yu lay on his bed, patting his full belly, feeling a profound sense of contentment. As he was about to drift off, savoring this feeling of satisfaction, a niggling sensation, like a grain of sand in his heart, made him restless. His eyes snapped open as he pondered whether hed forgotten something. What was amiss? After a long thought, Lin Yu came to a conclusion. Hadnt he forgotten to send Xia Mu Zhu the horror videos today? So, he picked up his phone to check the chat history. But no, he had sent them. Looking at the chat interface with the terrifying video thumbnails, Lin Yu wondered about his vague uneasiness. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Nevermind. Since he had opened them already, might as well send a couple more. Selecting two videos depicting home invasions and two of night assaults, Lin Yus finger slid across the screen, sending all four videos in one fell swoop. Seeing the ''Read'' receipts, Lin Yu closed his eyes, reassured... ... Facing the wrath of the new homeroom teacher, Lin Yu swallowed hard. He remembered what he had forgotten yesterday. The homework was undone! "Go stand in the hallway!" the new teacher ordered, trying to contain his frustration before moving on to the next student. Sighing resignedly, Lin Yu stood up from his seat and obediently moved to the hallway outside. Once there, he looked left and right. He wanted to laugh, but held it in. The corridor was bustlingstudents lined both walls like snakes, and the latecomers found no space to lean, clumsily standing in the middle, looking a bit embarrassed. Sure, there were those who made the most of it, chatting with anyone and everyone as they navigated the crowded space. Lin Yu wasn''t in the mood to stand out, choosing his spot carefully. A white-haired student pressed against the wall gave up his place with a smile, "Bro, here you go." Lin Yu nodded and smoothly slipped into the vacated spot. The classroom continued to empty into the hall. Finally, when the corridor could hold no more, the teacher next door gave in, calling the unbegrudging students back in. With only two of his students having done their homework, it seemed pointless to continue the punishment if he wanted to teach his class at all. Soon after, most of the students who had neglected their homework were called back. When only a couple of classes were left in the hall, Lin Yu heard the voice of their own homeroom teacher, "Everyone, come back!" As the students filtered back into their classroom, Lin Yu prepared to rejoin themthat''s when a complaint caught his attention. "I don''t know which dumbass did their homework, but I''ll teach them a lesson later!" Lin Yu looked instinctively towards the source of the grumble. Wow. That''s one novel reason for bullying! ... Chapter 49：Feeling Like Ive Missed Something The morning study sessions swiftly passed. Finally, it was Lin Yu''s favorite time of the day. The joy of mealtime! After getting his food at the cafeteria window, Lin Yu eagerly found a spot to settle down and eat. Midway through his meal, Lin Yu suddenly felt a peculiar sensation, as if someone was watching him. Curiously glancing around, he saw no one staring in his direction. Just my imagination? Lin Yu pondered briefly, then shrugged it off. Back to eating! After his meal, following his usual routine, Lin Yu decided to head to the campus store to buy a drink and take a walk to aid digestion. On his way to the store, he once again sensed that feeling of being watched. He instinctively looked back, but with the crowd behind him, it was impossible to pinpoint the source. Scratching his bandaged head, Lin Yu decided not to dwell on those distractions. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Off to get a drink! Exiting the store, Lin Yu headed towards the academic building. On the way there, he passed through the bike shed area, a place not only for parking but also a notorious bullying hotspot. Especially recently, the bullying had intensified, primarily linked to Tang Manman. Or more precisely, because of the purple-haired Gu Yue. Following a public bullying incident involving her, the schools administrators resolved to strictly enforce rules and disciplines. The homework collection that morning was part of this new crackdown. Rumor had it that the school planned to drag not just the students but their parents to stand in the hallway as a punishment for not doing homework, forcing them to complete the assignments together. But with so many students neglecting their homework, there simply wasnt enough space in the hallway, let alone bringing in parents as well. Thus, the plan was abandoned. Yet, focusing on homework was secondary. The school''s primary goal was curbing the bullying. To this end, they installed surveillance cameras across campus, with staff monitoring around the clock, ready to expel anyone caught in the act. Therefore, the bike shed area, beyond the camera''s reach, became a prime bullying spot. Lin Yu had no time or interest to intervene in these countless bullying incidents. Many werent as straightforward as they seemed. For instance, it might start with Student A bullying Student B, leading B to retaliate with help from an older sibling or friend. Was it bullying or vengeance? Intervening without knowing the full story could mistakenly make you an accomplice to the aggressor and attract unnecessary trouble. Feeling uneasy from that lingering sensation of being watched, Lin Yu quickened his pace, then suddenly turned to look back. Although he didnt spot the observer, he did see a familiar yet timid figure resembling a certain Bull De Niu. Chapter 50：The Impostor Bull De Niu He was now being bullied by a group of students at least two heads shorter than him in the bike shed area, resembling an adult being hassled by a bunch of sixth graders. Witnessing the scene, Lin Yu''s anger blazed like wildfire. It always comes down to the same thing; if you''re a victim, you might garner sympathy and pity from onlookers. But you''re a big guy being hit and not fighting back or standing up for yourself? What''s the deal? Trying to play the fragile little girl? Usually, Lin Yu would just curse under his breath at such a pathetic sight and carry on with his day. After all, if you can''t stand up for yourself, who are you to expect anyone else to? But this time, Lin Yu stalled, rooted to the spot. Simply put, this guy looked too much like Bull De Niu! Being inexplicably dropped into this adult comic world, Lin Yu felt like he was thrust into a battle with no way out. Although the language and customs here matched his world before the crossover, everything still felt alien. From the filthy rental where the former protagonist lived to Li Yuan, the uncle and reluctant caretaker, Lin Yu felt no sense of belonging. Even though he knew this imposter was not the Bull De Niu from his previous life, the mere fact that he bore an uncanny resemblance to his old buddy, and brought a fleeting sense of familiarity, was enough reason for Lin Yu not to ignore his plight. However, the way Lin Yu planned to help had to be different from how he assisted Tang Manman. Narrowing his eyes, Lin Yu strode over to the counterfeit Bull De Niu. Reaching the bullied man''s side, Lin Yu kicked away one of the small troublemakers who was hitting the imposter. With the ring leader dealt with, he turned to the faux Bull De Niu, pointed at the one writhing on the ground, and instructed, "See that? Fight back!" Grabbing another bully by his pink-haired head, Lin Yu pushed the kid''s face towards the victim and commanded, "He slapped you a moment ago; now it''s your turn. Hit him back." This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. "Hey, brobro, I made a mistake," pleaded the kid caught in Lin Yu''s grip. "Quiet!" Lin Yu reprimanded and slapped him for talking back. Then, turning to the faux Bull De Niu, he barked, "What''re you waiting for? Act!" "Do you really think they''ll dare to hit you back with me here?" The imposter stood anxiously, looking down timidly like a student caught in wrongdoing. His lips pursed, he finally shook his head, unable to muster the will to fight. "What? You can''t do it?" Lin Yu sneered, fighting back his anger and conceded, "Fine, can''t do it? I''ll show youcome here!" With that, Lin Yu grabbed the man''s large hand, preparing to slap back on his behalf. However, as Lin Yu''s hand was raised high, ready to strike, the imposter suddenly pulled away, unwilling to continue. Predicting this cowardly retreat, Lin Yu''s grip tightened, refusing to let up, determined to follow through with the slap, to teach this man that hitting back wasn''t so hard! But as Lin Yu tried to force the issue, an overwhelming strength surged from the imposter, catching Lin Yu off-balance enough to stagger. "No, no," the big man stuttered, shaking his head, backing away as if the person to be slapped was not his tormentor but his own father. Watching Bull De Niu''s sheer timidity, Lin Yu nearly exploded with frustrationhe''d heard of impossible cases, but seeing a cowardly strong man like this was a first. Fine! I''m done here! Do whatever! With a mocking step back, Lin Yu gestured to the bullies to continue, pretending he hadn''t intervened, "Go on, keep at iteven though I never showed up. Continue." The bullies wavered, not keen on harassing the imposter any further, but hesitant to disregard Lin Yus words. They exchanged glances and ultimately acquiesced to Lin Yu''s wish. They struck once more, pushing the imposter off-balance. Suddenly, a hefty kick sent another bully flyingthe same fate awaited him as the one on the ground. "Did I tell you to actually hit him? Cant you tell the difference between good and bad?" Lin Yu vented his pent-up anger, slapping another one of the bullies and ordering them to leave, "Scram! If I ever catch any of you bullying him again, I''ll tear you apart!" The remaining students fled, and Lin Yu was left with the timid imposter. Although he had seen a flash of defiance in his eyes during the bullying, why on earth wouldn''t he stand up for himself? What was he so worried about? Unable to comprehend, Lin Yu didnt bother trying to understand. He was only helping out one time because of the resemblance to Bull De Niu. From now on, whatever happened to him would be none of Lin Yu''s concern... ... Lin Yu rubbed his temples with a hint of distress. Perhaps he really couldn''t just ignore him. Seeing him bullied, even though he wasnt Bull De Niu, somehow felt all too wrongas if it was truly his friend being hassled. He just couldn''t stand idly by. Chapter 51：Im Certainly Not into Little Girls! The final self-study period flew by quickly. Lin Yu had already finished his homework for all subjects and noticed he still had twenty minutes left before the school day ended. Organizing his backpack, Lin Yu then pulled out his planner to summarize recent events, starting with the main character, Tang Manman. ... On second thoughts, it might be better to consider someone else for now. Rubbing his temples, Lin Yu felt he didn''t have a solution for Tang Manman at the moment, so he decided to maintain the current status quonot bothering her since she seldom initiated contact. His immediate concern, however, was Xia Mu Zhu, the second main character. Recalling her captivating blue eyes and the aura of a mature woman in her twenties, Lin Yu''s spirits sank. Her situation was the most complex. Even now, he had no idea when the second indecent incident would occur, who would instigate it, or even if it would happen indoors or outdoors. Essentially, Lin Yu felt powerless to prevent this second incident from happening, hoping only that Xia Mu Zhu would be vigilant enough on her own. But was such minimal precaution truly enough to thwart an unseen, fateful event? Troubling indeed. After a moment''s consideration, Lin Yu resolved that to prevent the second incident, he''d need to interact more with Xia Mu Zhu, possibly getting to know the people around her to identify any potential threats. A cunning plan to get closer to her began to form in his mind. It might be a bit underhanded, but with the situation being critical, he couldn''t be too concerned about niceties. Turning his attention to the once-seen third main character, Lin Yu was surprised to find he had no recollection of her in his memories of the adult comic world. That seemed odd. Scratching his bandaged head, Lin Yu found it strange he had no memory of this third main character, especially considering he vividly remembered the fourth, a super cute little girl. Was it because the third character didn''t fit his "xp," leading to his lack of memory about her? The thought made Lin Yu blush. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. No, that couldn''t be the reason. Absolutely not! Frustrated, Lin Yu covered his face, not wanting to think any further. Perhaps some mysterious force had erased his memories concerning the third character. That must be it. Better to just wait and see. Letting out a sigh, Lin Yu knew the most pressing issue remained the second indecent event involving Xia Mu Zhu. Preventing this tragedy was paramount. Additionally, he could now be sure of one thing: Tang Manman''s mother definitely was not one of the main characters from the adult comic world. Having met three of them, and with the remaining one confirmed to be a young girl, Tang''s mother had no connection. The familiarity he felt towards Tang''s mother likely stemmed from her resemblance to Tang Manman. As the school bell rang for dismissal, Lin Yu smoothly packed up and left. On his way home, that sensation of being watched emerged again. Frowning, he glanced back at the dense crowd before turning into a secluded alley. If someone followed, he would discover who they were. How peculiar. Why was someone incessantly observing him? Annoyed, Lin Yu had just entered the alley when he clearly heard someone running towards its corner. Was someone really trailing him? Who could it be? His curiosity piqued, Lin Yu prepared to confront the follower. As the sound of footsteps approached the alley''s entrance, he readied himself to act. However, the sight of Tang Manman, cheeks flushed from running, stopped him in his tracks. Her again? Just when he thought she hardly ever initiated contact. Mentally complaining, Lin Yu then recalled the sensation of being watched at lunch and asked, "Were you following me today?" After a brief hesitation, Tang Manman looked at the ground, her ears turning red with embarrassment as she nodded slightly. "Why?" Lin Yu asked, his tone uncharacteristically gentle. "I... I heard you have to start submitting homework from today on," Tang Manman replied, her eyes flitting up to Lin Yu before quickly looking back down, her voice barely above a whisper, "I thought... if you needed... I could..." Hearing Tang Manman''s reply, Lin Yu rolled his eyes, stretching his arms out and saying, "Look." He then spun around in front of Tang Manman and asked, "See anything?" Confused, Tang Manman shook her head, clueless. "Idiot! Didn''t you notice I''m not even carrying a backpack? Do I look like I need help with homework?" Lin Yu scoffed. "But, I heard if you don''t submit your homework, the school will punish you," Tang Manman''s bright eyes showing a trace of worry, her tone anxious. Lin Yu rubbed his forehead exasperatedly, sighing deeply before questioning, "Ever consider that I might have already finished my homework?" "Ah?" Tang Manman''s response was of pure surprise. Sighing again, Lin Yu didn''t wish to continue the conversation and turned to leave. "Wait, Lin Yu!" Tang Manman''s gentle call halted him. "Speak," Lin Yu paused, turning back around, his face betraying a conflict of emotions he eventually chose not to voice. In the aftermath of their recent life-saving encounter, Lin Yu found it increasingly difficult to be harsh towards Tang Manman. A troubling development, indeed. "I saw you''re still hurt, so I bought you some medicine," Tang Manman said, rummaging through her backpack and pulling out a small bag of medications. Holding out the medications to Lin Yu, her eyes shimmered in the sunset, filled with hope and a hint of fear of his possible anger. Chapter 52：My Girlfriends A Little Stingy Observing Tang Manman''s shy and timid demeanor, Lin Yu kept a calm exterior, but inside, he was taken aback. Her behavior was suspiciously off! Why did it feel like what she was holding wasn''t medicine from a pharmacy, but rather a love letter difficult to deliver? Glancing at Tang Manman''s blushing cheeks, and then at the medication in her polished hands, and back at her, Lin Yu noted her face grow even redder. Her skin, naturally fair to an unbelievable degree, turned a vast shade of pink with even a hint of excitement. Now, her pinkish complexion was gradually deepening to red, complementing her delicate features and the inherent purity she exuded, leaving Lin Yu momentarily mesmerized. With a light breeze whistling by, the moment seemed suspended in time. Under Lin Yu''s intense gaze, Tang Manman''s cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red, trembling as she held the medication, as if on the verge of spontaneously combusting from embarrassment. It was then Lin Yu, breaking from his dumbfounded stance, softly inquired: The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Tang Manman." "You..." "You don''t happen to like me, do you?" At this question, Tang Manman''s eyes widened in shock; her once flustered glances fixed solely on Lin Yu, her clear black eyes suddenly dilating with panic. "No, not at all!" "I''m just really grateful for your help, wanting to repay you." "I don''t like you." "Really, I don''t." Tang Manman hastily shook her head, her denial rushed and almost stammered. Watching her face rapidly redden to a concerning degree prompted Lin Yu to a realization. What on earth had he just asked?! "Ha, good... good that you don''t like me," Lin Yu chuckled nervously, attempting to mask his embarrassment. After an awkward silence, Tang Manman, once again, extended the medicine towards Lin Yu, whispering to break the silence, "Please take the medicine, your body hasn''t fully recovered yet." "No need," Lin Yu chuckled again, shaking his head. Now fully back to his senses, Lin Yu took a deep breath, knowing he couldn''t let the situation progress any further. At that moment, an idea crossed his mind, "Just return these. I can buy them myself." "And maybe keep your distance from now on. You''re quite attractive, and my girlfriend would be jealous if she saw you." Tang Manman''s initial tension and shyness shattered like beautiful stained glass under Lin Yu''s few words, revealing an astonished expression underneath. She stood there, dumbfounded, struggling to grasp his brief comments. "You don''t need to dwell on those times I helped you; you''ve helped me significantly too, right?" "Let''s call it even." Lin Yu smiled, "Let''s just pretend we don''t know each other from now on." "My girlfriend is somewhat possessive." "I don''t want to make her jealous." Chapter 53：Poor Lin Yu 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. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. 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." Chapter 54："Sister, Surely Your Boyfriend Wont Misunderstand?" (In a Grating Tone) "What?" Xia Mu Zhu exclaimed, her eyebrows shooting up in fury. "They dared to rob you? That''s way too much! They''re breaking the law! Let''s go, we have to report this to the police!" Fuming with anger, she seized Lin Yu''s hand, intending to drag him to the nearby police station to make a report. "Sister, it''s useless; I''ve already reported it," Lin Yu said, allowing Xia Mu Zhu to pull his hand, his tone marred by disappointment. "But there were no cameras, no evidence of the robbery; the police can''t do anything about it." Xia Mu Zhu stopped abruptly, still clutching Lin Yu''s hand as she stood stock-still before slowly turning around, her eyes red with frustration. "Then what should we do? Is there no place to seek justice when we''re bullied like this?" Watching Xia Mu Zhu''s eyes brimming with helplessness and injustice, Lin Yu''s heart clenched painfully. Deceiving such a genuinely kind girlhe really felt like the worst. Burdened by guilt but considering the harrowing fate that might befall the unsuspecting Xia Mu Zhu, Lin Yu steeled himself to continue as planned. "There''s no other way; the police need evidence, and we don''t have any," Lin Yu remarked, with a distressingly resigned and despondent look in his eyes that seemed to accept the harsh realities of society. Seeing Lin Yu''s dejected state, Xia Mu Zhu felt a wave of compassion. After some hesitation, she began rummaging through her purse. Quickly, she pulled out a stack of money and offered it to Lin Yu, saying, "Take this. The whole thing started because of me; it''s my responsibility. I won''t let you suffer unnecessarily." "No way!" Lin Yu repeatedly refused. "Listen to me! I''m not short on money; you don''t have to do this," Xia Mu Zhu said as she stepped forward, determined to press the money into Lin Yu''s hands. He defensively covered his pockets, retreating from her grasp like the banknotes were burning coals. After a bit of back and forth, Lin Yu finally suggested, hopelessly outmatched by Xia Mu Zhu''s insistence, "Sister, how about this? I''ll accept the money, but you keep it for me. As you''ve seen, keeping it with me isn''t safe. When it''s time to pay for college, or if I need it, I can ask you then, okay?" Xia Mu Zhu pondered and decided his proposal was reasonable. Abandoning her insistence, she prepared to put the money back in her purse, but then she looked up at Lin Yu with a concerned expression, asking, "But with your money gone, do you have enough to get by?" Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "Yes," Lin Yu nodded affirmatively, and with a reassuring smile, he added, "I''ll get my paycheck tomorrow. Life might be tight, but I can manage." Hearing his response, Xia Mu Zhu finally took the money back, storing it securely in her bag. After zipping up her purse, she looked at Lin Yu again, her voice laced with lingering concern, "Don''t push yourself too hard. Remember, you can always come to me if you need help, no need to be reserved." Taking in Xia Mu Zhu''s caring words, Lin Yu smiled sheepishly, finding it somewhat awkward to speak, "Actually, there''s something I need your help with right now." "What''s that?" Xia Mu Zhu asked, showing genuine concern. "My paycheck isn''t until tomorrow, so tonight... " Lin Yu looked at Xia Mu Zhu hopefully and ventured, "Sister, could you treat me to dinner?" "I thought it was something serious!" Xia Mu Zhu let out a small sigh of relief, her soft-spoken voice asking, "What would you like to eat?" "Anything is fine with me," replied Lin Yu, not particularly choosy about his meals. "Can you handle spicy food?" Xia Mu Zhu suggested. "There''s a great Sichuan restaurant nearby, very authentic." "Absolutely!" Lin Yu nodded eagerly, admitting, "I love spicy food!" The sun was setting in the west, casting the heavens in a trio of colors: a golden hue from the fading sunset, the cool onset of night in the east, and a shifting hue of blue caught in betweenevolving from a pale sky blue near the receding light gradually deepening into a profound dark blue before it succumbed to the night. The ever-changing blue at the center like the red flag in a tug-of-war, indicating the midpoint of the battle between light and darknessa contest that, like millions before, ended as the sun triumphantly submerged its radiant body into the western mountains, dragging the blue along into the dark range, leaving the heavens to the blackness, accepting defeat. With the last strand of blue pulled from the skies, the streetlights burst forth like a battalion of lesser suns, illuminating the world with their dim glow. Beneath one such light, a garishly dressed youth with bandages wrapped round his head, paused to sniff the fragrant aroma wafting through the air. "That''s a delicious scent of stewed fish!" he couldn''t help but remark in admiration. "Do you want fish? There''s a fantastic grilled fish restaurant nearby. We could also go there," said the woman, about a step and a half ahead, pausing in her tracks. "But the fish there doesn''t taste the same," the youth replied with a hint of dejection. He inhaled deeply, the fish scent lingering in the air reminiscent of something more personal. "It smells like home. Ever since Mom left, it''s been so long since I''ve tasted this kind of flavor." The woman stood still for a moment, her eyesdeep as the oceanbrimming with profound pity and compassion. In that instant, the bag she carried dismissed her uncertainty; inside were a few yellowfish struggling for air, prompting a spark of inspiration. She looked towards the youth with a gleam of delight and suggested, "Would you like some stewed fish? Why not come home with me, and I''ll cook it for you? My fish stew is quite good, actually." "Is that really okay?" the youth''s hopeful gaze grew brighter, but soon his expression fell, and he said in a disheartened tone, "Wouldn''t that upset your boyfriend, though?" In Lin Yu''s internal monologue at that moment: Yue~! I can''t take it anymore. I''m going to be sick. This kind of talk is just too nauseating! I can''t keep up this act!!! Chapter 55：The Second Female Leads Designated Boyfriend "Boyfriend?" "What boyfriend?" Xia Mu Zhu blinked curiously. "Uh... Sister, are you single right now?" Lin Yu asked, a bit surprised. "Yes, I''m single," Xia Mu Zhu nodded as if it were the most natural thing. "I see. I thought a girl as wonderful as you would have lots of suitors," Lin Yu responded with a smile, though alarm bells rang in his mind. No boyfriend? Could I have mistaken the person? This fleeting thought crossed Lin Yu''s mind, but he quickly dismissed it. It couldn''t be. Xia Mu Zhu in front of him had to be the second female lead. Otherwise, the bizarre feeling of familiarity he had the first time he saw her wouldn''t make sense! Moreover... Lin Yu glanced covertly at the appealing curvature near Xia Mu Zhu''s chest and mentally clicked his tongue. "Since crossing over, I''ve never seen anything quite so... impressive, fitting perfectly with the second female lead in the adult comics; it can''t be wrong!" Every main female character in adult comics is paired with a male counterpart, though not necessarily a boyfriend. Just like Tang Manman and her timid male friend, they grew up together with mutual fondness, just shy of confessing to each other. Could it be the second female lead, Xia Mu Zhu, also has such a secretly smitten admirer pending confession? Lin Yu pondered for a while but couldn''t conjure any news about Xia Mu Zhu''s potential male counterpart. Furrowing then relaxing his brows, Lin Yu decided not to dwell on it. After all, Xia Mu Zhu was right here. Her matched male couldn''t just vanish. I''m sure to meet him eventually! If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. And when that time comes, I might remember something more. The two changed direction, walking towards Xia Mu Zhu''s home. Upon entering the unguarded neighborhood, they opened the broken security gate, and Lin Yu followed Xia Mu Zhu into the elevator up to the sixth floor. They paused outside room 603, and Xia Mu Zhu pressed her finger against the fingerprint scanner. "Beep beep." Two soft electronic beeps indicated entry, and the door opened seamlessly. "Take a seat; I''ll make the fish for you," Xia Mu Zhu offered as they entered the room. She carried several bags towards the kitchen. While she was away, Lin Yu quickly surveyed the surroundings to gather more information. Firstly, the apartment was spacioushe estimated the living room, kitchen, and dining area, not counting the rooms, to be no less than 100 square meters, indicating that Xia Mu Zhu''s living conditions were far from modest. Secondly, there was a toy box filled with toys and game controllers in the southwest corner of the living room, and a few Ultraman slippers by the entrance. These indicated that Xia Mu Zhu was not living alone; she likely shared the place with a younger child, probably a boy, based on the items present. Combining this with the angry demands Xia Mu Zhu made during their first encounter. This person could be her brother, still in junior high. After observing the general setting inside the apartment, Lin Yu turned his gaze to the fingerprint-secured entrance door. The security of this fingerprint-protected door was high, almost impossible for strangers to breach. With this realization, Lin Yu frowned slightly. Upon entering this room, he felt a faint sense of dj vu, as if adult comics had briefly sketched Xia Mu Zhu''s home. But this didn''t prove her second storyline was to unfold here. After all, according to the original adult comic plot, the protagonist frequently coerced the second female lead into misdeeds in her home. It was normal for me to have some recollection of this house. Wait! Suddenly, Lin Yu caught a crucial point. In the original adult comic story, when the protagonist visited Xia Mu Zhu''s home for those indecent acts... Under such circumstances, how could Xia Mu Zhu''s matched male counterpart not appear? This was an adult comic! Without the universally liked (forcefully scratched out)... Without the universally despised erotic plots, what kind of adult comic would it be? With this thought, Lin Yu furrowed his brows in deep thought, hoping this lead could jog his memory about who the second female lead Xia Mu Zhu''s counterpart actually was. As his recollections of the adult comics became clearer, Lin Yu finally saw Xia Mu Zhu''s male counterpart. He was hiding behind a barely open door, his eyes wide, reflecting the vigorous motions on the bed, filled with shock, pain, envy, wrath, and a myriad of complex emotions. Lin Yu concentrated his attention, finally seeing the tragic face through the door crevice. ? The face was youthful, the body smalla question mark formed above Lin Yu''s head. Whose kid is this, sneaking a watch? Is this something you should be seeing? While internally criticizing, a sudden flash of insight connected all the scattered information in Lin Yu''s mind. He turned shockingly to look at Xia Mu Zhu, busy in the kitchen. Could her male counterpart possibly be her brother? Chapter 56：Dealing with a Rebellious Child? Leave It to Me! Lin Yu thought about it and felt that his guess might very well be right. After all, what is there that those who draw adult comics wouldn''t dare to depict? But he couldn''t be so hasty to conclude; what if there was some misunderstanding? With this in mind, Lin Yu''s eyes narrowed slightly; if only he had a photograph, if he had a picture of her brother, he could immediately determine whether the person in pain was Xia Mu Zhu''s brother or not. Thinking this, Lin Yu couldn''t wait to call out to the willowy figure in the kitchen: "Sister, did you say back at the tavern that your brother was being bullied?" "Do you have a photo of him?" "I''d like to see if I know him; maybe I could help him if I see him being bullied again." "That would be wonderful," a grateful voice from Xia Mu Zhu came from the kitchen, "I have photos; they''re in the coffee table drawer. Feel free to take a look." At this, Xia Mu Zhu let out a sigh, her tone one of helplessness as she continued, "He''s so mischievous now; he doesn''t listen to anything I say. I just don''t know how to handle him anymore." After Xia Mu Zhu finished speaking, Lin Yu pulled out the drawer underneath the coffee table to find, indeed, a heap of photographs. Among them, the top photo featured two people: an affectionately smiling Xia Mu Zhu and a scowling boy who looked like he was still in elementary school. Lin Yu studied the photograph; the boy''s face practically spelt out ''unhappy.'' But he wasn''t the child from Lin Yu''s memory. The boy in the photo and the child in his recall were entirely different people, making Lin Yu frown even deeper. Could he be mistaken? Was the boy in his memory not Xia Mu Zhu''s brother? Or perhaps the photo was so outdated that her brother had since matured beyond recognition? Thinking this, Lin Yu took the entire stack from the drawer and began looking through them one by one, hoping to find some recent photos. There were many C landscape photos featuring Xia Mu Zhu alone and the scowling boy, as well as photos of two older individuals, a man and a woman, presumably their affectionate parents given the closeness of their poses. Among the many photos, Lin Yu found some recent ones. The boy had only gotten a bit taller; his complexion was just as dark and upset as before, the typical look of a child lacking paternal love and discipline. So Xia Mu Zhu''s designated male wasn''t her brother but another unknown boy of similar age? A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Lin Yu scratched his head, his mind struggling to make sense of it. Xia Mu Zhu had finished cooking. She emerged from the kitchen, removing her apron and giving Lin Yu a gentle smile, "The fish will be ready in a little while. Then we can eat." Lin Yu nodded, his insight laser-focused on understanding adult comic storylines as he looked at the silent bedroom doors. Curious, he asked, "It''s already so late; hasn''t your brother come back from school yet?" At Lin Yu''s question, the smile in Xia Mu Zhu''s blue eyes faded, transformed into a wistful expression as she admitted, "He''s at a friend''s place tonight." "Oh, okay then," Lin Yu responded, nodding and not probing further, his thoughts lingering on possible plots of adult comics. Xia Mu Zhu''s face held a resigned sadness. She took a seat on the single-seater sofa next to Lin Yu, looking as if she wanted to speak but hesitated. After a while, she couldn''t hold back and softly said, "Lin Yu." "Hmm?" Lin Yu looked at her curiously, "What''s wrong?" "I have a question for you. You''re still in school, so you might understand better: what are kids thinking these days?" Xia Mu Zhu''s expression was one of troubled concern as she explained, "I don''t know why, but around fourth grade, my brother Xia Yue Shan suddenly started disliking me. He just started junior high this year, and it hasn''t even been a few months since school began, yet now, he won''t even inform me about not coming home C something as serious as that." "It was the parents of the friend he''s staying with who messaged me, only then did I find out he wasn''t coming home tonight." "Do you think someone might have led him astray?" Xia Mu Zhu asked, her voice laden with worry. Hearing Xia Mu Zhu''s words, Lin Yu furrowed his brow in thought, then shook his head, "I don''t know, maybe it''s just his rebellious phase. Kids mature pretty early these days." Xia Mu Zhu sighed softly, her beautiful face filled with concern. "That''s what I''m afraid of C someone leading him astray. My parents work abroad, and if they come back to see Xia Yue Shan turning into a bad kid, I don''t know how I''d face them." "No worries," Lin Yu slapped his chest confidently, "I''ll handle this. Having just experienced my own rebellious phase, I think I can probably relate to your brother." "Really?" Xia Mu Zhu''s eyes shone with excitement, "Do you truly have a way?" "Absolutely!" Lin Yu nodded convincingly. Taking care of kids during their rebellious phase? That''s right up my alley~ "That would be great," Xia Mu Zhu sighed in relief and gratefully said, "If you could help me talk to Yue Shan, I''ll definitely give you a big red envelope when you graduate from high school." "It''s no big deal. Leave it to me!" Lin Yu declared with confidence. ... "Wah, sister, the fish you made is delicious. Can I come to eat again in the future?" Lin Yu, after devouring his third large bowl of rice and eager for the fourth, looked at Xia Mu Zhu with puppy eyes full of yearning. "Of course, you can," Xia Mu Zhu responded warmly. After the meal, Lin Yu stood up on his own to help clear the table. After most the dishes were returned to the kitchen, Lin Yu glanced at the scattered drink bottles on the table and instinctively reached to throw them away. "Don''t throw those away!" Xia Mu Zhu, placing the half-eaten food inside the kitchen, quickly intervened. She walked up to the table, gently took the empty bottles from Lin Yu''s hands, and said, "I''ll take care of them." Then she placed the empty bottles into a large bag specifically for beverage containers before attending to the other chores. Lin Yu watched the scene, puzzled. Xia Mu Zhu didn''t seem like someone who lacked money. Why did she care about a few drink bottles? Was it frugality and a desire not to waste? What a good person! Chapter 57：Of Course, Its Not Real! In the early morning, Lin Yu, with a single-shoulder bag slung over his shoulder, walked along a scarcely trafficked road, appearing preoccupied. He was contemplating a matter: how the second explicit storyline involving the second female lead, Xia Mu Zhu, would unfold. After all, knowing this would enable him to possibly prevent a tragedy based on the plot''s development. Following a night of deep reflection, Lin Yu formulated several initial guesses. The first guess was that Xia Mu Zhu''s timid brother gets bullied at school by some bad students. These bullies, after seeing Xia Yue Shan''s incredibly attractive sister, become infatuated and visit Xia Yue Shan''s home under the guise of friendship, leading to scenarios everyone is all too familiar with. However, this plotline... Seems somewhat lackluster. Although Lin Yu had forgotten all specific details about Xia Mu Zhu''s second explicit storyline, he still vaguely remembered the impact that plot had on him as a youngster. It was pure, enraged agony. Magic plus armor-piercing damage! The storyline must have been novel and explosive! The plotline he speculated seemed too tame by comparison. Such themes are common in NTR (Netorare)-type adult comics. Hence, the second guess might align more with the original story''s explosive nature. After the original male protagonist exploited Xia Mu Zhu, the blonde didn''t keep his promise to aid Xia Mu Zhu''s brother, leaving him to endure severe bullying at school. Infuriated, Xia Mu Zhu goes to the school demanding justice, only to be targeted by the bullies, or possibly a sleazy teacher or headmaster, initiating the second explicit storyline. Suddenly, Lin Yu''s expression darkened as realization dawned on him. He had only instructed the Black Blood gang to stop bullying Xia Mu Zhu''s brother, neglecting his school life entirely. Lin Yu massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He now believed there was a greater likelihood that his second guess was the correct one. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. No, he had to visit the Fourteenth Middle School where Xia Yue Shan studied! By doing so, checking on Xia Yue Shan''s condition at school would confirm or dispel some of his guesses. Perfect. He could also check if the boy from his memories in the adult comic was present at the Fourteenth Middle School. Lin Yu squinted his eyes, even more determined to visit the Fourteenth Middle School and see for himself. "Brother Long." A soft calling voice broke through Lin Yu''s thoughts, prompting him to turn towards the source. Upon seeing the young girl who spoke, he momentarily froze. Who the heck are you? The girl''s soft black hair cascaded over her shoulders, her eyes shone bright, and her lips were full, embodying the youthful spirit of a mischievously cute girl. Faced with this charmingly familiar yet unfamiliar girl, Lin Yu furrowed his brows in confusion. A girl from an adult comic? Doesn''t seem like it. Somebody the original protagonist knew? Not that either. Who is she then? Do I know her? As Lin Yu studied the girl, he couldn''t make heads or tails of it, but the familiar feeling grew more profound as if the answer to the girl''s identity was right there but out of reach. The girl, noticing Lin Yu''s puzzled frown, smiled even more mischievously, standing with her hands behind her back, bathing in his gaze, patiently waiting for him to remember who she was. The more Lin Yu saw her smile, the more familiar she seemed, and a name surfaced in his mind. After a moment''s thought, Lin Yu cautiously ventured: "Gu Yue?" "Spot on!" The girl threw her hands in the air, cheering for Lin Yu with a beaming smile. "Damn it!" "You." Unable to hold back, Lin Yu cursed under his breath. He stared at the completely transformed Gu Yue, struggling to verbalize his thoughts. After a while, he managed to sputter: "How did you end up looking like this?" "You look just like Tang Manman now." "What? Don''t you like it?" Gu Yue twirled in front of Lin Yu, asking. "Why are you asking if I like it or not?" "You planning on marrying me?" Lin Yu rolled his eyes, his retort sharp and merciless. After speaking, he turned and continued towards the school, unaware that Gu Yue''s makeup-free face turned red, her vivacious demeanor dimmed, standing there somewhat awkwardly. It wasn''t until Lin Yu had walked a good distance away that she hurriedly caught up with him. Feeling the breeze from her swift approach, Lin Yu turned to see Gu Yue, who had changed dramatically in just a day and two nights, and smiled, nodding: "This look suits you better." "Far better than your previous delinquent style." Hearing Lin Yu''s words, Gu Yue became visibly annoyed, retorting: "And you''re still saying that!" "That Sunday, my makeup was all ruined from crying and you didn''t say a word!" "Even when we went for barbecue, I kept wondering why so many people were staring. It wasn''t until I got home that I realized I looked like a ghost!" As Gu Yue spoke, raising her hand as if to smack the grinning Lin Yu, her hand paused mid-air and ultimately, she lowered it gently. "Really?" "I thought you looked quite cute like that." Lin Yu struggled to keep a straight face, lying without even a blink. "Really?" Gu Yue blushed, stuttering in disbelief. "Of course, it''s not true!" Lin Yu burst into laughter, showing no mercy as he teased: "You were crying like a horror movie character, and you think that was cute?" "Ha ha ha ha!" Laughing, Lin Yu ran ahead. "Lin Yu!" Angrily, Gu Yue shouted after Lin Yu''s retreating figure. Chapter 58：Should I Have Li Yuan Come and Tell You Personally? On Tuesday, after getting leave from school, Lin Yu arrived at the entrance of Fourteenth Middle School, ready to explore further. Under the pretext of visiting some teachers, Lin Yu easily tricked the security guard and entered the school grounds. To avoid drawing too much attention with his conspicuous appearance, he tucked his yellow hair under a baseball cap bought outside the school and wore a mask and sunglasses for additional disguise. Lin Yu first wandered the corridors of the first floor, where the seventh graders were located. Peering through the corridor windows, Lin Yu quickly identified the boy from the photo, Xia Mu Zhu''s brother, Xia Yue Shan. He was in Class 1-3, seated among the last few, slouching and with a scowl on his face, completely disinterested in the lesson C the epitome of a problematic student. Seeing Xia Yue Shan in person, Lin Yu felt puzzled. This guy didn''t look like someone easy to bully. It seemed more likely he would be the bully in any schoolyard conflict. After observing more closely, Lin Yu noticed several oddities. Firstly, Xia Yue Shan had no desk mate, sitting alone. Moreover, he didn''t interact with others at the back of the class. If Xia Yue Shan had good relations in the class, he wouldn''t be sitting quietly by himself, especially while others jubilantly mingled around him, silently laughing with each other and sneaking candies under the teacher''s nose. This led Lin Yu to consider a possibility. Was he being ostracized? Shortly after, a scene unfolded that confirmed Lin Yu''s suspicion. A student against the wall, secretly eating a candy, decided to share some with his peers by the windows, throwing candies towards them. The throw fell short, and one piece hit Xia Yue Shan''s face by accident. That candy was like a bomb dropped into a volcano, triggering an explosive reaction from Xia Yue Shan. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He picked up the candy, raised his hand high, and with a powerful throw, returned the candy directly to the face of the student who had thrown it. Lin Yu watched this scene in disbelief. He thought the class was isolating you, but it turns out you''re isolating the entire class? "Xia Yue Shan!" "What are you doing!" The teacher''s booming reprimand drew everyone''s attention to Xia Yue Shan, yelling, "Go stand at the back!" Xia Yue Shan glared at the candy-thrower, then shot a look at the teacher, kicked his chair away, and stood defiantly at the back of the classroom. Witnessing Xia Yue Shan''s increasingly hostile gaze, Lin Yu shook his head and clicked his tongue. The injustice of it all. Having gained an initial understanding of Xia Yue Shan''s standing in his class, Lin Yu left the first floor and headed to the second. After locating the school counselor''s office, Lin Yu removed his mask and sunglasses, gently knocked on the door. "Come in," a robust voice answered. Lin Yu entered to find a middle-aged man, inquiring, "Are you Counselor Zhang?" "That''s me," the man nodded. "I''m Xia Yue Shan''s brother. I heard he''s been having a tough time at school and came to check on the situation," Lin Yu spoke humbly. "Xia Yue Shan?" The counselor frowned, evidently remembering the name with a growing odd expression. "He told you he was being bullied?" Lin Yu nodded solemnly, "That''s how it seems." "Hmph." The counselor scoffed mockingly, "As if anyone could bully him in school. Half the class has been hit by him! He''s the bully!" The man slammed the desk, frustration evident. "No, no, no." Lin Yu calmly met the counselor''s angry gaze, arguing, "If Xia Yue Shan often targeted one or a few individuals, then maybe he''s bullying them." "But you said he''s hit almost half the class. What kind of person bullies nearly half of their classmates single-handedly? There''s no such madman." Lin Yu shook his head, proposing, "Perhaps my brother Xia Yue Shan is actually the one being bullied, but unlike others who retreat and cry alone, he prefers to fight back." "Against everyone who bullies him." The counselor sneered dismissively, incredulous at Lin Yu''s argument, "So you''re suggesting nearly half the class has banded together to bully Xia Yue Shan?" "Why would they do that?" "What reason would they have?" Lin Yu, maintaining eye contact, smiled gently, "That''s exactly why I''m here, to hopefully review the security footage to understand the situation." "Sorry, school surveillance isn''t available to the public." The counselor''s tone turned cold, and he turned back to his computer screen, signaling for Lin Yu to leave him be. Watching the counselor''s icy demeanor, Lin Yu''s lips curled into a wry smile. So, playing nice doesn''t work, huh? You dared to be disobedient? Time to drop the act and speak as who I am. Lin Yu took off his cap, shook his head to let his yellow hair fall over his face again and approached the counselor''s desk, stating sternly, "I hope I can review the surveillance footage now, not after Black Blood gang and you have a friendly talk tonight, leaving me to come back tomorrow." Seeing the counselor''s face shift from anger to panic, Lin Yu added, "Or should I have my uncle, Li Yuan, come and speak to you in person?" Chapter 59：Striking as a Super Saiyan! "No, it''s not necessary," Lin Yu responded dismissively. "You take a look." Upon the mention of Li Yuan, the middle-aged man''s face turned a kaleidoscope of emotions C from fear to forced smiles mixed with awkwardness, as his sudden change in demeanor seemed to embarrass even himself. Lin Yu didn''t bother with pleasantries, taking a seat on the plush black leather sofa and started reviewing the surveillance footage, asking without looking up: "When was the first time Xia Yue Shan got into a fight?" "He got into it on the first day of school," replied the man, clearly familiar with the boy''s infamous deeds. Lin Yu raised his eyebrows slightly surprised. A fight on the first day? Xia Mu Zhu''s brother was quite something. "Be more specific," pressed Lin Yu. "That afternoon, on the schoolyard. You can see it on camera number twenty-four," answered the man, very cooperative. After adjusting the time and camera angle, Lin Yu quickly came across Xia Yue Shan''s first fight at Fourteenth Middle School. In the footage, Xia Yue Shan stood alone, seemingly without a care as he watched two others play ping-pong from a distance. Soon, a group of six approached him, led by a dark-skinned and short-statured individual. They surrounded Xia Yue Shan and exchanged words before he lunged at them, sparking a brawl. Pausing the playback, Lin Yu felt certain this fight wasn''t the root of their altercation; it was more likely that Xia Yue Shan had already had issues with them before this encounter. Determined to uncover the full story, Lin Yu switched to the front gate camera and wound back time to the morning of September 1st C the first day of school. He switched camera angles periodically, tracking Xia Yue Shan''s movements all morning and at noon, yet found no conflict between him and the short, dark-skinned boy. It seemed they first met that afternoon. However, Xia Yue Shan had encountered a tall, slightly overweight, fair-skinned boy amid that group of six near the bike shed, though their interaction lasted no more than a minute. There appeared to be no physical contact, but a conversation definitely took place, as the overweight boy seemed taken aback, even double-taking at Xia Yue Shan after leaving. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Changing tactics, Lin Yu observed the tall, overweight boy''s activities through the surveillance. As expected, the overweight boy sought out the short, dark boy after class, and together with the group, they confronted Xia Yue Shan, leading to the fight. Realizing he couldn''t ascertain what was said through video alone, Lin Yu decided to leave. This matter would be better addressed by asking Xia Yue Shan directly after school. Leaving Fourteenth Middle School, Lin Yu checked the time. It was still early, just nine in the morning. Middle schoolers typically finish around five, so he planned to return by four o''clock to wait for Xia Yue Shan. Perfect timing. Now, he could also prepare accordingly. Inhaling deeply, Lin Yu was ready to slip back into the original host''s yellow-haired persona. The Yellow Hair Mode! In battles against enemies labeled as "Elementary School Kid," "Middle Schooler," "High Schooler," and others, this mode would boost his attack power by twenty percent and exert a courage-reducing debuff on the opponents. Especially against middle schoolers. The damage increase could spike up to a staggering fifty percent, with a high likelihood of inflicting a stun effect, rendering opponents incapable of retaliation, standing defenseless. Returning to his modest rental, Lin Yu gave his yellow hair, which partly concealed his left face, a gentle wash and comb. It had been since Lin Yu''s arrival in this new world that he''d treated his yellow hair with such care. Despising the host''s highly treasured belongings, Lin Yu would occasionally yank at the hair in frustration. Yet, as the moderator of the Pure Love forum, he would never admit to such NTR-like behavior. How could one label it NTR when the original holder bullied NTR? This was the execution of justice!!! After tending to his hair, Lin Yu swapped out his usual plain sportswear for something cooler for the night. Something that screamed ''street punk.'' Opening the wardrobe, facing the ugly, dirty clothes that even bore a faint odor, Lin Yu closed the door, deciding to make a purchase instead. Disgusting! Mounting his motorcycle, Lin Yu reached the mall and picked out slim-fit black denim jeans with a matching long-sleeve, black shirt. Standing before the full-length mirror in the store, Lin Yu saw his cool, rogue image but felt it was not enough. He opened the first three buttons of his shirt, revealing an azure tattoo on his chest and neck. Content with the badass look, he nodded with satisfaction. When paying, Lin Yu casually picked up a silver tag from the checkout area to purchase with his clothes. After the tag was demagnetized, he hung it around his neck. Super Saiyan Mode! start!!! ... At half-past four in the afternoon, Lin Yu parked his stunning blue and white motorcycle at the school entrance, leaning back on the bike as he casually opened the first three buttons of his black fitted shirt. The soft fabric billowed in the breeze, offering glimpses of the stark blue tattoo against his fair skin and black shirt C a truly eye-catching sight. With an unlit cigarette between his fingers, Lin Yu awaited the end of the school day in silence. "Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring!!!" The clear sound of the end-of-school bell rang out, and after half an hour of waiting, Lin Yu finally lit the cigarette in his hand and placed it between his lips. Wahaha, show-off time! Students poured out from Fourteenth Middle School, and regardless of gender, were glued to the striking figure in black. Barely tasting the edge of adolescence, they found themselves irresistibly drawn to Lin Yu''s rowdy and impressively cool ensemble, with a few students so distracted they even collided with others, causing a minor commotion. Amidst the flood of admiration and awe, Lin Yu maintained a cold demeanor, seemingly oblivious as he silently anticipated Xia Yue Shan''s arrival. Chapter 60：Why Wait Until After School to Fight? Xia Yue Shan soon appeared at the school entrance, backpack slung casually over his shoulder. Spotting his target, Lin Yu waved to get his attention, motioning for him to come over. Xia Yue Shan halted abruptly, seemingly uncertain for a few seconds before turning around without a word and heading back into the school. Watching Xia Yue Shan''s retreat, Lin Yu was taken aback but quickly understood the boy might have mistaken him for one of the thugs sent to bully him. Damn it! Do I really look that much like a villain? ... Well, considering his looks and current relations, Lin Yu had to admit, his appearance didn''t exactly scream ''friendly.'' Rubbing his forehead in slight annoyance, Lin Yu pulled out his phone and dialed the number he had gotten from Xia Mu Zhu the night before. The phone was answered after just two rings. "Xia Yue Shan, right?" Lin Yu didn''t beat around the bush. "I''m the guy your sister sent to back you up. Stop hiding in the school and come out here!" There was silence on the other end of the phone for more than ten seconds after Lin Yu spoke. Just as Lin Yu was about to ask if Xia Yue Shan had heard him, the call was abruptly disconnected. Staring at the contact list that lit up on his phone screen, Lin Yu''s brow furrowed in confusion. What was this kid playing at? He had made a special effort to dress in a way that would impress middle schoolers to come find him, to help him take revenge. The ingratitude was one thing, but to not say a single word and just hang up on him? What did that mean? Swiping his finger across the phone screen, Lin Yu was about to redial when Xia Yue Shan reappeared at the school gate. This time he wore a scowl that Lin Yu found all too familiar. It oddly resembled his own frustrated expression when he first encountered Tang Manman. Ignoring Xia Yue Shan''s mood, Lin Yu spoke up as the boy approached him: "Get on..." But Xia Yue Shan just walked right past Lin Yu without so much as a glance. Dude, I''m here to help you, not to beg you. What''s with the attitude? As Xia Yue Shan was about to walk away, Lin Yu leaned forward and reached out to grab his shoulder. Like a girl triggered into a state of frenzy, Xia Yue Shan attempted to shrug off Lin Yu''s touch with a defensive movement. Observing Xia Yue Shan''s reaction, Lin Yu inwardly smirked. If he was so easily shrugged away, would his years of hard training mean nothing? Lin Yu didn''t forcibly grip Xia Yue Shan''s shoulder but instead let go as the boy tried to pull away. His hand slid down Xia Yue Shan''s arm until he grasped the wrist and pulled it back. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Using the momentum, Lin Yu twisted it skillfully. The forceful twist, combined with the reversal of the wrist, twisted Xia Yue Shan''s slender arm, and he instantly lost the power to resist. Constrained by Lin Yu''s grip, Xia Yue Shan didn''t dare move any further and insisted with false bravado: "Let go of me!" "I don''t need your help!" Lin Yu wasn''t polite with his retort: "Think I want to meddle in your business?" "I''m your sister''s hired hand, not yours." "I don''t take orders from you." "And another thing," "I warn you." "Do not use that same tone with me as you do with your sister!" "She may indulge you, but I have no such obligation!" "If you dare give me that attitude again, I''ll knock you out cold!" His warning included a slight pulling of Xia Yue Shan''s arm, indicating that he better behave. Lin Yu understood all too well how to deal with rebellious middle schoolers like Xia Yue Shan. Now was precisely the time for his rebellion, and nice words would not sway him C especially regarding his family. This sort of guy was just unreasonably stubborn. At first, seeing Lin Yu, he was scared enough to run back into the school. But now, realizing Lin Yu was sent by his sister, he assumed he''d be coddled as well. He even dared to ignore Lin Yu''s presence, giving him the cold shoulder. So, with these clueless middle schoolers, if they showed a bad attitude, you had to be even worse. You just need to be tougher than them, and they''ll naturally become more compliant. As expected, after a little pull on the arm, Xia Yue Shan yelped and fell in line. He stopped flashing that sullen look, and his speech became free of vulgarity. "Get on the bike!" Lin Yu commanded, gesturing coolly for Xia Yue Shan to join him. Once Xia Yue Shan obliged, Lin Yu revved the throttle and took him to a nearby McDonald''s. After ordering some tasty food, Lin Yu chose a window seat and settled in with him. "Spill it," Lin Yu leaned back, scrutinizing Xia Yue Shan. "What''s going on?" "Spill what?" Xia Yue Shan glared back defiantly at Lin Yu. "Tch," Lin Yu clicked his tongue in frustration and leaned forward, gesturing as though he was about to strike. "Don''t don''t hit me!" Xia Yue Shan jolted back, his prior aggression dissipating, now unsure of what he was being questioned about. Hearing this, Lin Yu realized his question might have been poorly phrased, but no matter, missteps by elders often shift onto issues about attitude. Although rather underhanded, this tactic usually worked quite effectively. "Watch your tone!" Lin Yu pointed mockingly at Xia Yue Shan''s nose, speaking harshly. Seeing Xia Yue Shan grudgingly accept his position, Lin Yu nodded in satisfaction and instructed: "Start from the first day of school. You got into a fight that afternoon; walk me through the entire incident." Xia Yue Shan lifted his gaze slightly, caught off guard that Lin Yu knew about the incident. After a brief pause, he explained: "That morning when I parked my bike, I encountered a guy who cursed at me." "He said my head looked like a steamed egg, so I retorted that I must have gotten my haircut like his father." "Then in the afternoon, he showed up with a bunch of guys and told me to stick around after school." "That sounded like a textbook plan to corner me for a fight afterward, right?" "I thought, why wait until after school to fight?" "If you want to fight, just fight." "So I went up and got it started." Xia Yue Shan relayed the series of events nonchalantly. Even though he kept his head bowed, not revealing the emotions in his eyes, Lin Yu could sense the boy''s feeling of unfair treatment through his words. Indeed. What had he done wrong? He was the one provoked, yet in the eyes of most students and teachers at the school, he''d been labeled as the bully. How pitiful. Yet, also quite spirited. Lin Yu showed a glint of admiration in his eyes. And smart, too. If he couldn''t call a group of friends to his side to confront the others in a fight after school, then taking immediate action was indeed the best choice. Firstly, it told the others he wasn''t someone they could easily mess with. Secondly, with the teachers'' intervention, the aggressors wouldn''t dare go too far, at least not openly. And in such a scenario, If Xia Yue Shan had complied and waited passively after school to be pummeled, it wouldn''t have solved anything, and he would''ve been subjected to further bullying due to his perceived cowardice. Worse yet, he might have lived the next three years of middle school life without dignity, becoming a punching bag to bullies Chapter 61：Try Hitting Him and See What Happens! "Then what happened next?" "I noticed you don''t seem to get along too well with your classmates. Is there any conflict between you and them?" Lin Yu made a mental note of those individuals as he inquired further. "Some of them were from the same primary school as him, and those few get along with everyone in our class," Xia Yue Shan replied nonchalantly. He didn''t continue, and Lin Yu didn''t press further. The answer was already apparent in that brief response. McDonald''s service was quick, and both Lin Yu and Xia Yue Shan finished their meal swiftly. After eating, Lin Yu took Xia Yue Shan out of McDonald''s. Standing in front of the blue and white motorcycle, he looked at Xia Yue Shan and asked: "Do you know where they might be around this time?" "I know a few places," Xia Yue Shan nodded. "And for those you don''t know, do you know where their homes are?" Lin Yu asked while lighting a cigarette, his tone calm. "I don''t know," Xia Yue Shan shook his head, his breathing becoming a bit rapid, clearly understanding what Lin Yu was hinting at. But he was still somewhat in disbelief. Going to their homes? That was a bit too extreme... "Then we''ll just have to ask around," Lin Yu exhaled a puff of smoke, tossing the barely smoked cigarette to the ground and crushing it underfoot before getting on the motorcycle and starting it. "Get on," he said, turning his head towards Xia Yue Shan. "Okay," Xia Yue Shan nodded quickly and hopped onto the rear seat... ... After stopping by the internet caf, Lin Yu lit another cigarette, eyeing the red-cheeked middle schoolers in front of him before turning to Xia Yue Shan and asking: "Were these the ones who laid hands on you?" He then gestured towards another group, obviously their companions, with a nod and inquired: "None of them?" This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. After carefully observing the group, Xia Yue Shan shook his head: "No." "Let''s go then," Lin Yu said, turning away with the cigarette still in his mouth. Xia Yue Shan occasionally jogged a few steps to keep up, his face beaming with the thrill of vengeance and admiration for Lin Yu. His initial hostility towards Lin Yu had completely vanished, now following him closely like a loyal tail. After the internet caf, Lin Yu and Xia Yue Shan visited several other places C a pool hall, a basketball court, a milk tea shop, and so on. They had met with, and taught lessons to, all the significant figures involved, including the white chubby boy from the morning of the first school day. After turning his fair round face purple, Lin Yu took Xia Yue Shan and left. "Now there''s only one left." "What was his name?" "The short one, quite dark?" Lin Yu recalled the short dark-skinned boy who rallied others to corner Xia Yue Shan after school and asked. "They call him Li ''Darkie''." Xia Yue Shan''s smile vanished as soon as he mentioned him, his face tightening in obvious deep conflict. "Do you know where he lives?" Lin Yu inquired. "I do," Xia Yue Shan nodded. "Can you handle him?" Lin Yu pondered for a moment before asking. "I can," Xia Yue Shan responded without hesitation, his confidence in his abilities apparent. "Good." "Let''s go." Mounting the motorcycle again, Lin Yu followed Xia Yue Shan''s directions toward ''Darkie''s'' house. Upon arrival, nobody was home. They waited in front of the house for half an hour, but still, no one returned, forcing Lin Yu and Xia Yue Shan to leave. As they rode away, Lin Yu noticed a bustling square and decided to stop. He aimed to stroll around with Xia Yue Shan and take the opportunity to talk, curious about the reason for his loathing toward his sister. Given Xia Mu Zhu''s character, she couldn''t possibly be an annoying sister. And Xia Yue Shan, despite his temper and impulsiveness, wasn''t inherently a troublemaker. Thus, the root cause of their falling out puzzled Lin Yu. Arriving at a stall selling roasted pork knuckles, Lin Yu paid and quietly waited in line. "You..." Turning to Xia Yue Shan, just as Lin Yu was about to inquire why he detested his sister so much, a familiar figure caught his eye. Seeing the short, soy sauce-colored face not far behind Xia Yue Shan, Lin Yu''s lips curled slightly. What a coincidence. "Follow me." Lin Yu tapped the bewildered Xia Yue Shan on the head, who was waiting for him to continue, and walked towards the youth known as Li ''Darkie.'' Approaching Li ''Darkie,'' Lin Yu noticed the closely standing middle-aged couple behind the boy and understood the situation. He extended his hand toward the man, smiling: "Hello, I''m Lin Yu." The short middle-aged man, baffled by the sudden appearance of the punk-dressed teenager, knitted his brows, unsure of his intentions, but still extended his hand to maintain a superficial friendliness: "Do you need something?" After a brief handshake, Lin Yu retracted his hand, keeping his smile as he explained: "Well, here''s the thing..." "..." "He''s your son, right?" Lin Yu hesitated for a moment, feeling it was better to confirm. "Yes," the middle-aged man nodded. Assured of the answer, Lin Yu continued with a smile: "Great, there is a bit of an issue." "I''m here on behalf of my brother. It seems your son has been bullying him at school, and I''ve come to settle scores." "Is your son the one we''re talking about?" "And how do you think I should go about seeking revenge?" The middle-aged man, thrown off by Lin Yu''s audacious words, looked at his son with a dawning realization of the situation, his demeanor shifting completely from initial politeness to intimidating aggression: "What exactly are you implying?" With the tension rising, the man scoffed coldly: "Go on then, my son is right here. Try Hitting Him and See What Happens!" Chapter 62：Do You Hate Her? "Did you hear that?" "He said you should go ahead and hit him." Lin Yu turned to Xia Yue Shan with a confused expression on his face as if questioning why he hadn''t made his move yet. Glancing at Lin Yu and then at the man behind Li Heizi, Xia Yue Shan, without any hesitation, charged straight at Li Heizi. Xia Yue Shan wasn''t lying; he indeed found it effortless to take down Li Heizi. He began by kicking Li Heizi to the ground, then mounted him and rained down punch after punch, leaving Li Heizi no chance to fight back. "Fuck you!" Li Heizi''s father, upon seeing his son being beaten, instinctively moved forward to intervene, but Lin Yu didn''t waste any words. He stepped forward, delivering a hard slap across the man''s face that sent him tumbling to the ground, his nose bleeding profusely, utterly stunned. "Let''s calm down." Lin Yu protected Xia Yue Shan behind him, speaking with a grin: "The parents are right here, man. If you''ve got a problem, come at me. Why take it out on a kid?" Li Heizi''s father wore a dazed expression, seemingly unable to recover from Lin Yu''s slap. He held his nose as blood seeped through his fingers. A woman, standing closely by Li Heizi''s father, suddenly let out a piercing scream. She sat on the ground, crying loudly: "Oh my!" "Is there no justice left?" "You bully people in broad daylight!" "Doesn''t anyone care?" "My husband and son are being beaten to death!" "Help!" The woman''s screaming was shrill and loud, and with the plaza already crowded, her cries only drew more onlookers. Seeing the crowd that had gathered, Lin Yu felt no burden on his conscience, considering he was here for revenge. He could brazenly claim he was upholding justice without any issue. However... Seeing the woman screaming her lungs out irritated Lin Yu to no end. Looking around, Lin Yu quickly spotted a half-drunk bottle of mineral water a few steps away on a bench. He walked over, picked up the bottle, and returned. Holding onto the front end of the soft plastic bottle with his left hand, Lin Yu twisted the back half of the bottle with his right hand as if winding a spring. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. After twisting the bottle into a gourd-like shape, Lin Yu aimed the bottle cap at the woman''s wide-open mouth due to her screaming. With a gentle twist of the cap, the pressure built up in the bottle exploded at that moment, sending the cap rocketing straight into the woman''s mouth. Her wailing stopped abruptly. First, she clutched her throat, seemingly unable to breathe, and after prying the cap out, she lay on the ground, retching continuously. The woman quieted down, but the surroundings did not. The loudest voice had vanished, and a babble of whispers filled the air. Many onlookers murmured amongst themselves, casting odd looks at Lin Yu and Xia Yue Shan, who was still pounding on Li Heizi. Centered within the vortex of judgmental stares, Xia Yue Shan''s punch speed slowed until he finally stopped. Amidst the scrutiny and myriad gazes, Xia Yue Shan felt anxious and helpless. His eyes instinctively searched for the only person shielding him. Lin Yu looked back, asking: "Do you think you''ve had enough?" Xia Yue Shan glanced around at the bystanders, then back at Lin Yu. Clenching his fists once more, he bit his lip and vehemently shook his head. "Then, keep going." "You''ve got my protection; there''s nothing to fear." Lin Yu''s light-hearted words pierced Xia Yue Shan''s ears. The pent-up emotions he had suppressed for so long burst forth now, funneling into his fists, striking Li Heizi''s body and face repeatedly. Lin Yu turned away from the fight, addressing the onlookers with a gesture like a greeting: "Here''s the thing." "The person getting the beating right now," Lin Yu pointed at Li Heizi under Xia Yue Shan, continuing: "He''s been bullying my brother at school along with others. So, we''re here for revenge." "We''re not the bullies." "Of course," Lin Yu shifted gears, adding: "But that''s just my side of the story." "If anyone doesn''t believe it, or feels sorry for this kid getting beat and wants to play the hero, I won''t object." "All you have to do is come forward, knock me down, and you can save this beast who bullies others indiscriminately at school." Lin Yu shrugged, speaking nonchalantly: "If you save him, he''ll probably be grateful to you. Maybe he''ll remember your kindness when he''s slapping your child at school and give them a few less slaps." As Lin Yu spoke, the audibly fragmented conversations among the viewers dwindled significantly. Those with a sense of righteousness seemed less furrowed in their brows than at the beginning, especially upon hearing that saving the child might mean their own children could be bullied at school later. Most chose to remain silent, opting to continue their silent observation. They Didn''t fully trust the punk-style young man''s words. However, at the same time, they were no longer convinced that the boy currently pinned and receiving punches was entirely innocent. Seeing the crowd quiet down, Lin Yu lit a cigarette, taking a drag with satisfaction. It seemed unlikely any ''heroes'' would emerge to cause trouble now. "I''ve had enough." A calm voice rose from behind. Turning, Lin Yu saw C he didn''t know when C Xia Yue Shan had climbed off Li Heizi. In contrast to his calm tone, his face, flushed from agitation, was streaked with tear marks. He...had cried. "It''s done. Let''s go," Lin Yu spoke softly. As Lin Yu and Xia Yue Shan were leaving, Li Heizi''s father, who had been dazed from the slap, finally came to his senses. He got up, cursing loudly at their retreating figures: "Fuck!" "You little brats!" "Fuck your mother, I''ll be waiting for you!" "This isn''t over!" "F******..." Hearing the filthy curses behind them, Lin Yu paused, turning his head to nod at the bloodied man, stating: "This was almost over." "But now, it''s not." "Let''s say tomorrow." "It''s getting late today, I''m busy." "I''ll have someone come and talk to you in detail tomorrow." After speaking calmly, Lin Yu no longer paid attention to the cursing behind him, leading Xia Yue Shan away to collect their pork knuckles. The pork knuckles were ready, and Lin Yu also bought several meat skewers and grilled squid before riding off with Xia Yue Shan away from the plaza, stopping at a secluded riverside. Parking the motorcycle, Lin Yu, holding the skewers, led Xia Yue Shan to a vacant spot by the river to sit down. After chatting about various things with Xia Yue Shan for a while, Lin Yu finally broached the question he was most concerned about: "Xia Yue Shan, why are you on such bad terms with your sister?" "Do you hate her?" Chapter 63：Shes Far More Innocent Than You Xia Yue Shan''s chewing of the squid suddenly stopped, and after a brief pause, he gave a slight nod. "Why?" "I mean, your sister doesn''t seem like a bad person, right?" Lin Yu couldn''t fathom what could have driven such a wedge between them. Could it be that Xia Mu Zhu was actually someone who appeared kind on the outside but harbored malice within? Did she put on a friendly fa?ade for the world, only to reveal her true nature at home, treating her own brother like an enemy, subjecting him to endless cruelty? Lin Yu looked at Xia Yue Shan with puzzlement, waiting for an explanation. Gnashing his teeth, Xia Yue Shan tore off a piece of the grilled squid, chewing vigorously as he spoke bitterly: "If it weren''t for her, our parents would have never left!" "So, your parents leaving has a lot to do with your sister?" Lin Yu felt a twinge of sadness, beginning to understand Xia Yue Shan''s point of view. Could there truly be such deep-seated hostility between the siblings, to warrant such hatred from Xia Yue Shan towards his sister... ... No, that couldn''t be right! Recalling the photographs he''d seen at Xia Mu Zhu''s house not too long ago, Lin Yu furrowed his brow. Those photos were fairly recent, right? Could it be that their parents had passed away only in the last few months? Surely not. Xia Mu Zhu had implied that Xia Yue Shan had taken a dislike to her way back when he was in the third grade, a timeline that didn''t match up at all. As Lin Yu pondered, Xia Yue Shan nodded vehemently, his eyes full of resentment as he chewed the squid in his mouth as if gnawing on the flesh of Xia Mu Zhu itself, and said: "If not for her, my parents would never have left me alone in this country. They would have surely taken me with them to work abroad, or they would have found a new job here in China. Then we wouldn''t have had to separate!" ... ... Lin Yu didn''t know what his expression must look like at the moment. But he figured if someone took a picture, it could probably be used as a speechless meme in the future, and it wouldn''t even need any captions. Remembering Xia Yue Shan''s reasons, brimming with holes, Lin Yu took a moment to silence his brain and reply in a tone even he found absurd: Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "So what you''re saying is, your sister is reliable enough that your parents trusted her to take care of you while they went abroad. Because you couldn''t be with your parents, you resented her, is that right?" Lin Yu looked at Xia Yue Shan as if he were staring at a fool, and even more foolishly, Xia Yue Shan nodded in agreement. "Yes!" "If it weren''t for her, I''m sure they would have been by my side! They could have attended parent-teacher conferences, and I wouldn''t have been called a parentless wild child." "I wouldn''t have had to endure bullying without my mom and dad''s protection." "Just like Li Heizi just now!" Lin Yu''s forced smile froze on his lips at the mention of being mocked as a wild child. As Xia Yue Shan continued, the smile quickly faded. Watching tears being wiped away and sobs begin, Lin Yu quickly realized a problem. Was Xia Yue Shan''s reason for despising his sister ridiculous? Ridiculous it was, like something a naive child would come up with. He wanted his parents by his side. He didn''t want them to leave. From an adult''s perspective, it all seemed laughably absurd. But what if you looked at it from Xia Yue Shan''s perspective? From the perspective of someone who entered junior high only to be bullied and couldn''t seek his parents'' protection. From the perspective of attending a parent-teacher conference where everyone else''s parents came, but only his sister showed up. From the perspective of being taunted as a wild child, with no parents to prove otherwise. From his viewpoint... It seemed quite unjust. And he had every reason to detest his caring, compassionate sister. But was it justified? It couldn''t be more wrong. "Xia Yue Shan, you really resent your sister, right?" Lin Yu asked, watching as Xia Yue Shan continued to wipe away tears and sniffle intermittently. "Yeah!" Xia Yue Shan grunted affirmatively, nodding forcefully. "But have you ever considered that, from your sister''s perspective, she should be hating you instead?" Hearing Lin Yu''s words, Xia Yue Shan paused wiping his tears, Lowering his gaze. Lin Yu continued: "I understand you feel that your sister''s presence allowed your parents to work abroad peacefully, which meant you couldn''t be with them." "But your existence has restricted your sister too, hasn''t it?" "Your sister is pretty, yet she''s 24 and hasn''t dated or married." "You can''t be naive enough to think no one''s pursued her, right?" "Do you have any idea how many things your being here has held her back from, how many regrets it''s given her?" "Then she shouldn''t take care of me!" Xia Yue Shan suddenly roared: "If she didn''t, my parents would worry about me. They''d take me abroad or stay for my sake." "Who wants her involved!" Xia Yue Shan''s furious shouts echoed along the quiet riverbank. Lin Yu could only look at the delusional youth with pity. "So you''re really convinced that without your sister, your parents would have taken you overseas?" "Or stayed just for you?" "Xia Yue Shan, wake up." Lin Yu mercilessly shattered his illusions with a cold truth: "They would never have taken you with them." "I won''t mention anything else; just the language barrier alone is insurmountable!" "Without knowing the language, how would you get by overseas?" "Stay home all day?" "Wait for your parents to come home tired from a day''s work and still look after you, cook for you?" "I can learn to cook for myself!" Xia Yue Shan retorted defiantly. "And what about school?" Lin Yu pressed: "How would you solve that problem?" "You don''t think you''d be exempt from schooling overseas, do you?" "Without language skills, how would you go to school?" "How would you communicate with others?" "What if they insulted you with a smile, and you''d just smile back, oblivious?" Lin Yu did not relent, peering at the speechless Xia Yue Shan: "Don''t even think your parents would stay in China for you." "If they could have found a similar, or slightly worse, job here, they would never have chosen to leave you behind." "Xia Yue Shan, let me tell you." "If your sister did as you wish and didn''t look after you..." "Your fate would have only two possibilities." Lin Yu held up two fingers in front of Xia Yue Shan: "Either being carelessly looked after by a paid stranger for your meals," "Or dumped in a prison-like boarding school, to spend your elementary, current junior high, and future high school days!" "And," Lin Yu stood up, looking down at Xia Yue Shan sternly, "Even with all the rage in you, it shouldn''t be directed at your sister." "At the very least, she is much more innocent than you!" Chapter 64：Tang Manmans Predicament Bamboo Cat: Brother Lin Yu! Bamboo Cat: What did you say to Yue Shan? Bamboo Cat: He''s been so well-behaved since he came back today!!! Bamboo Cat: o() Dragon Proud Sky: Nothing much. Dragon Proud Sky: Just had a heart-to-heart with him. Bamboo Cat: You''re amazing! ( ) Dragon Proud Sky: It was nothing????) Bamboo Cat: Are you free tomorrow night? Bamboo Cat: Id like to invite you to dinner, along with my brother! Dragon Proud Sky: Sure! Dragon Proud Sky: I super love the meals you cook! Bamboo Cat: Then let''s meet tomorrow night~ Dragon Proud Sky: See you tomorrow night! After turning off his phone screen and placing it beside his pillow, Lin Yu looked up at the ceiling consumed by darkness, once again contemplating the second erotic incident involving the female lead, Xia Mu Zhu. Having now resolved the bullying issue of Xia Yue Shan and repaired his relationship with Xia Mu Zhu, it seemed. He could dismiss his previous two guesses. So... Did he win? Did he overcome that cryptic existence known as fate? Lin Yu stared blankly at the ceiling, pondering this question. Hard to say. Lin Yu gave himself an answer. The second erotic storyline of Xia Mu Zhu might not necessarily be the two he had guessed. No! They definitely weren''t the two he had speculated! Lin Yu suddenly realized. If the second erotic storyline of Xia Mu Zhu was as he had guessed, Then, tonight, while dealing with the bullies tormenting Xia Yue Shan, he should have recognized some familiar faces, recalling more fragments of erotic comics. Yet, throughout the night, that peculiar sense of familiarity never appeared. This alone proves that, at least for tonight, everyone he encountered had nothing to do with Xia Mu Zhu''s second erotic storyline! Does that mean the second erotic storyline of Xia Mu Zhu wasn''t triggered by Xia Yue Shan? Lin Yu rubbed his temples in frustration. In that case. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. All clues have been severed. Was he back to square one with no leads? Not necessarily. Lin Yu closed his eyes, took a long, slow breath, comforting himself inwardly. At the very least, he had now eliminated the potential problem of Xia Yue Shan, hadn''t he? And there''s still that little sneak peeking from behind the door in his erotic comic memory! He''s another clue that can''t be given up on. Moving his hand out from under the blanket, Lin Yu began to organize his thoughts for the next steps. Since no suspects related to the second erotic storyline were found, to save Xia Mu Zhu, he would need to keep in touch with her in the coming days. Perhaps one day, he might coincidentally encounter someone giving off that eerie sense of familiarity. If things go as expected, that person would be the male lead of Xia Mu Zhus second erotic storyline. At that time, he just needs to stay vigilant around him! If necessary, deliver a crippling kick to neutralize any malicious intent! Directly confiscate the tools of crime! See how he continues to do bad things after that! ... Early in the morning, Lin Yu was brushing his teeth in front of the sink. Looking at the mirror, seeing the yellow hair covering the left half of his face, Lin Yu brushed it aside as he did every day, revealing the pale, tender skin underneath before reluctantly letting it fall back in place. Damn it. Did he really have to endure this overly dramatic yellow hair until the winter break? Such torture. Lin Yu felt somewhat desperate. Even during the winter break, with the season''s low sunlight, it would be hard to tan the left half of his face to match the right, wouldn''t it? Was he doomed to sport this yellow hair until next summer, or even until college? Thinking this, Lin Yu felt a headache coming on. If it comes down to it... What about just cutting it off? The eye not covered by yellow hair turned fierce. As a man, you should be tough on yourself. Let them laugh if they want. After enduring it for ten days or half a month, the color difference between the left and right sides of his face shouldn''t be so noticeable, right? Thinking this, Lin Yu brushed the hair covering the left half of his face aside, his gaze firm as he looked at the mirror, seeing half of his face pale and delicate, the other half dark and rough. Looking at it made him feel somewhat hot, and he couldn''t help but expose his two rows of big white teeth to cool down. Forget it. Let them laugh; just don''t die laughing. Letting his yellow hair fall back into place, Lin Yu picked up his backpack and left the house. Is there a way to avoid social death and also get rid of this long hair? Such a headache! ... "Big Bro Dragon!" A light voice sounded from behind, and Lin Yu turned his head to see the girl bouncing up to him and decided to wait for her. "Big Bro Dragon, you look so handsome today!" Gu Yue came up to Lin Yu''s side and didn''t hesitate to flatter him. "Why?" "I didnt dress up special today." "How did I suddenly become handsome?" Lin Yu asked curiously. "Because you waited for me~" Gu Yue said with a giggle: "Boys who wait for girls are the handsomest!" Saying so, Gu Yue gave Lin Yu a thumbs up, affirming his behavior. Lin Yu rolled his eyes in response to Gu Yue''s smooth talking. "How has Tang Man Man been doing at school lately?" "Has anyone bullied her?" Lin Yu asked casually. Hearing Lin Yu''s question, a hint of sadness flashed in Gu Yue''s eyes, but she quickly adjusted her mood and cheerfully said: "Reporting to Big Bro Dragon!" "Sister-in-law is uh uh uh uh!" As soon as the words "sister-in-law" came out of Gu Yue''s mouth, an infuriated Lin Yu grabbed her cheek, her plump pink lips puckered up from the squeeze, looking somewhat cute, though Lin Yu had no interest in that. He looked around and, upon seeing no students from their school nearby, shook her cheek as if venting and fiercely said: "Didn''t I tell you not to call her sister-in-law?!" "Keep it up and see if I dont deal with you." "I got it, Big Bro Dragon!" Gu Yue said, whimpering. Lin Yu glared at her as a warning before finally letting go of her cheek. Gu Yue rubbed her sore cheeks with both hands, not forgetting the important matter at hand: "Ever since Big Bro Dragon showed off your might in the corridor that day and taught me a lesson, no one in the school dares to mess with Tang Man Man." "However, there''s a guy who keeps harassing her under the guise of being her childhood sweethearts." "Big Bro Dragon, should we..." As she spoke, Gu Yue placed her hand in front of her neck, making a menacingly cute motion. "Stay out of their business!" Lin Yu instantly knew who Gu Yue was talking about and hurriedly warned her to stay out of it. "Also." "They grew up together as childhood sweethearts. How can you describe their relationship as harassment?" Lin Yu scolded, clearly annoyed. Chastened by Lin Yu, Gu Yue felt somewhat aggrieved, pouting and retorting: "But Tang Man Man really dislikes him now!" "I heard from their classmates that Tang Man Man has been avoiding that guy named Yu Kai!" Chapter 65：The Charm of Sophisticated Women on Young Adults Gu Yue was still chattering non-stop when she suddenly realized the person next to her had vanished. Turning around, she found Lin Yu standing there, lost in thought. She blinked, curious, and asked: "Big Bro Dragon, what''s wrong?" "It''s nothing." Lin Yu shook his head and continued walking forward. On the surface, Lin Yu seemed calm, but his mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Had they broken up just like in the plot of an erotic manga? Lin Yu felt a complex mix of emotions. He recalled that in the original storyline, after Tang Man Man was "trained" by the blonde guy, there was also a part where she went to break up with her childhood sweetheart. That scene. Tsk tsk. It could truly be described as a hellish battlefield of pure love. Especially on the last page of the manga, where only half of Tang Man Man''s face is shown, her lips curling into a meaningful smile at the end. It was genuinely an uncomfortable yet... (entire line crossed out) It was genuinely double the discomfort! However, looking at the current situation, their breakup might not be such a bad thing. Without the appearance of a Minotaur, their breakup was just an ordinary, peaceful separation. Moreover, that guy named Yu Kai really didnt deserve Tang Man Man. His girlfriend was bullied, and he actually... ... Wait. Lin Yu suddenly realized a crucial point. It seemed they were never actually in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. Never mind. Who cares. Lin Yu rubbed his temples. Anyway, as the main female character of the erotic manga, Tang Man Man was now living well, and that''s what mattered. In the future... At least she won''t be bullied during her high school years, and he could consider his mission accomplished! Feeling relieved, Lin Yu stretched lazily, then looked at Gu Yue, who was wearing only light makeup, and a brilliant idea struck him. Right! Could he also use makeup to hide the different skin tones on either side of his face? By combing his blonde hair to the back, he could turn back into a normal human being!!! Thinking this, Lin Yu''s eyes sparkled with excitement. He looked at Gu Yue, who was adept in this area, and directly asked: "How good are your makeup skills?" "Not bad." Although Gu Yue didn''t understand why Lin Yu would bring up this topic, she still obediently answered his question. "Cough cough." Getting the answer, Lin Yu felt a bit nervous. He looked around to ensure no one was paying attention to them here... Still feeling unsure, he pulled Gu Yue behind a roadside tree for some privacy and, after a bit of mental preparation, hesitantly lifted the blonde hair covering the left side of his face and cautiously asked: "Do you think you can make both sides of my face the same color?" The puzzled look on Gu Yue''s face vanished upon seeing Lin Yu''s left half, replaced by an awkward expression. She tightly pursed her lips, her face twitching as she tried hard not to let even a hint of a smile show in her eyes. Stolen novel; please report.But soon. Her strained expression crumbled. Reluctantly, she turned her head to the left, her eyes darting around, refusing to look at Lin Yu''s face for even a second. Lin Yu let his blonde hair fall back and glared at Gu Yue, saying indignantly: "Come on, tell me!" "Can you do it or not?" Amid his indignation, Lin Yu also felt somewhat relieved that he hadn''t rashly decided to cut off his blonde hair before. Otherwise, his current appearance might have really made people die laughing! After letting his blonde hair down, Gu Yue became much more composed. She still tightly pursed her lips, her clear eyes poorly hiding laughter, and nodded: "I can do it." "Are you sure?" "Both sides of the face can become one color, without any flaws visible?" Lin Yu asked again, not reassured. As Lin Yu spoke, Gu Yue couldn''t control her trembling lips anymore. Finally, she pulled her lips into her mouth, not speaking, and just nodded. "Then it''s settled. Don''t leave right after school on Friday." "Wait for me." Lin Yu calculated the days and decided it was better to experiment on Friday. After all, there''s no school on Saturday and Sunday. If it fails, he could just stay at home and furiously wash his face. He spent the day calmly. After school, Lin Yu leisurely headed towards Xia Mu Zhu''s residential area. Arriving at the building where Xia Mu Zhu lived, Lin Yu looked at the broken entrance access system, determined not to drag it out any longer. By this weekend at the latest, he had to find someone to fix or replace the access system of this building. Xia Mu Zhu''s second "erotic incident" might happen at any time, so it was better to prepare early. While Lin Yu was staring at the broken access system, a plump figure tiptoed up behind him and then gently tapped him on the shoulder, saying with a radiant smile: "Little brother Lin Yu!" Hearing this call, Lin Yu knew who was behind him without looking. He turned around with a smile and greeted softly: "Hello, Sister Bamboo." Under the bright lights of the complex, Xia Mu Zhu was wearing a coffee-colored strap dress with a khaki mid-length knit jacket over it, highlighting her milky white skin even more. Her entire demeanor appeared exceptionally ethereal. Graceful, gentle, dignified yet approachable. She looked every bit the part of a wife. With a pleasant milky scent about her! "Let''s go." "Upstairs, I''ve warmed up the food for you." "You have your favorite fish." Xia Mu Zhu gently pushed a lock of black hair behind her ear, her smile gentle as she spoke. "Oh, okay." Lin Yu nodded, somewhat flustered, and stopped looking at Xia Mu Zhu. Damn! So appealing! The "wife" type really knows how to tug at a young man''s heartstrings! Following Xia Mu Zhu up the stairs, after she opened the door, Lin Yu saw Xia Yue Shan. He really was behaving well, distributing bowls and chopsticks on the dining table! Chapter 66：Are You Really Not Interested in My Sister? "You take a seat, I''ll serve the dishes." Xia Mu Zhu called out to Lin Yu, then headed to the kitchen. Lin Yu nodded and approached the dining table, about to sit down when he suddenly felt a chill. He looked around and saw Xia Yue Shan standing at the other side of the table with a gloomy face, his dark eyes filled with resentment and wariness. What''s up with this kid now? A big question mark popped up in Lin Yu''s mind. Xia Yue Shan glanced at Xia Mu Zhu busy in the kitchen, making sure she wasn''t looking, before he approached Lin Yu with three bottles of drinks, his tone carrying a hint of anger from being deceived, whispering: "You lied!" "I asked my sister, and you''re definitely not the tough guy she hired to stand up for me!" "Tell me!" "Are you being so helpful just because you like my sister?" Seeing Xia Yue Shan''s angry look, Lin Yu was quite disdainful. He took a bottle of drink from his embrace, then flicked his forehead and whispered: "I''m not trying to hit on your sister, I''m trying to protect her!" Xia Yue Shan yelped, quickly placing the other two bottles on the table and vigorously rubbed his forehead. After the pain eased a bit, he looked up at Lin Yu, making a mocking face and said sarcastically: "I''m not trying to hit on your sister~" "I''m trying to protect your sister~" "Just admit it if you like her, stop making excuses!" Xia Yue Shan pouted, seemingly looking down on Lin Yu for not admitting the truth. "Xia Yue Shan, I''m serious!" Lin Yu stared at Xia Yue Shan with a stern expression, word by word: "Your sister..." "What about me?" Xia Mu Zhu walked out of the kitchen slowly with a pot of soup, wearing heat-proof gloves, curious about the two gathered together. "Nothing." "Yue Shan here was saying you look very beautiful today." "I countered by saying you look beautiful every day." Lin Yu put his hand on Xia Yue Shan''s head, his expression earnest, so earnest it seemed he truly believed his own words. Seeing Lin Yu''s sincere look, Xia Mu Zhu''s milky white skin flushed with a touch of rosiness. She stood there somewhat awkwardly, then slightly lowered her head, softly saying: "Thank you." Xia Yue Shan, witnessing this scene, glared at Lin Yu angrily. Lin Yu! And you said you werent trying to hit on my sister? Lin Yu patted Xia Yue Shan''s head, putting on a look of disdain as if to say, "What would you know, kid?" A lavish meal was served one after another. During the meal, Lin Yu went all out, risking being attacked by Xia Yue Shan at any moment, making Xia Mu Zhu tremble with laughter. He also indirectly obtained the information he wanted. Xia Mu Zhu indeed had no boyfriend, nor a childhood friend like Yu Kai, not even someone slightly ambiguous. Her life was very simple and routine. Every day was about buying groceries, cooking, occasionally going shopping with friends, and when bored, reading romance novels or doing yoga-like home activities... This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.Why does it feel like her current life is as leisurely as that of a housewife who doesn''t work? Should I say, ''as expected of the innate housewife physique''? She''s just a marriage away from being the textbook perfect wife! This information was what Lin Yu gathered through indirect inquiries, but some details remained elusive. For instance, the young man from the erotic manga who peeked through a tiny crack in the bedroom door. Xia Mu Zhu revealed not a hint about him. Lin Yu could tell she wasn''t deliberately hiding anything. Rather, topics like love and childhood friends didn''t bring to mind even the slightest association with that young man. This left Lin Yu feeling puzzled. As the male lead matched with Xia Mu Zhu, shouldn''t she have some impression or fondness of him? I need to find a way to meet him. Lin Yu rubbed his temples with his thumb. Meeting him might help recall more scenes from the erotic manga, possibly remembering the male lead of the second erotic storyline, thereby preventing a tragedy. After dinner, Lin Yu got up to leave, subtly signaling Xia Yue Shan to follow him downstairs with a secret glance. Sitting on a bench downstairs, Lin Yu lit a cigarette and took a drag, quietly waiting for Xia Yue Shan. After much contemplation, Lin Yu decided it was time to let Xia Yue Shan know some of the truth. After all, he spent more time by Xia Mu Zhu''s side. If any unexpected or dangerous situation arose, perhaps he could help. With that thought, Xia Yue Shan appeared in the corridor, approaching Lin Yu with a grumpy tone: "Spit it out if you have something to say!" Lin Yu looked up at Xia Yue Shan''s displeased demeanor, suddenly stood up, grabbed Xia Yue Shan''s ear, and twisted it hard while scolding: "Who allowed you to talk to me like that, you little brat?" "Let go of me!" Xia Yue Shan, in pain but not wanting to back down, threatened: "Otherwise, I''ll tell my sister!" "Say you bullied me!" "Talk bad about you behind your back!" "Make my sister hate you and never want to see you again!" "Huh." Hearing Xia Yue Shan''s threat, Lin Yu smirked, twisting his ear again and asked: "Do you really think I''m trying to pursue your sister?" Saying that, Lin Yu let go of Xia Yue Shan''s ear. He stepped back, arms wide open, showcasing himself in front of Xia Yue Shan, coldly asking: "See?" "See what?" Xia Yue Shan, holding his ear, asked through clenched teeth. "Don''t you see this aura?" "This aura of a social youth buried deep in the mud!" Lin Yu proudly proclaimed, hands on his hips. Unconvinced, Xia Yue Shan glared at Lin Yu and huffed: "I''m not blind. Anyone can see you''re up to no good." Hearing that, Lin Yu nodded in satisfaction, smiling at Xia Yue Shan, and slowly asked: "So, do you think someone like me, if interested in your sister, would choose this stupid and laborious method to pursue her?" Chapter 67：Is It Martial Arts? Seeing the sudden alertness and fear in Xia Yue Shan''s eyes, Lin Yu stepped forward, patted his shoulder and whispered, "Let me tell you the truth, Xia Yue Shan." "If I really had any designs on your sister," "She would have been my woman long ago." "I wouldn''t have to go to such lengths to help you, to please her." "I have countless ways to make her obedient, more than you can imagine, believe it or not?" Lin Yu looked at Xia Yue Shan, his eyes filled with an undeniable calmness, as if what he was saying was as simple and ordinary as eating and drinking. "Why are you so good to my sister then?" Xia Yue Shan believed that Lin Yu could do what he said, but he was still full of doubt, not understanding why he was doing this. "Sigh," Lin Yu let out a heavy sigh, looking at Xia Yue Shan, whose face was full of confusion, his eyes showing a bit of helplessness. "Maybe what I''m about to say will be hard for you to accept." "But I have to say it." "Your sister, she..." "Is going to experience a disaster soon!" "What?" "Disaster?" Xia Yue Shan furrowed his brows, repeating the word in disbelief. "Yes." Lin Yu nodded seriously, saying, "Actually, I have learned some divination. When I saw your sister earlier, I noticed that her complexion was dark. This is a sign of a major disaster!" Hearing Lin Yu''s words, which were even more outrageous than a man being pregnant, Xia Yue Shan''s surprise and shock instantly receded. He looked at Lin Yu, his expression saying, ''Do I look like a fool?'' "I know, this reason sounds stupid, so stupid that even a fool wouldn''t believe it." Lin Yu shrugged, looking like he knew Xia Yue Shan wouldn''t believe him. "But!" Lin Yu''s tone changed, speaking seriously, "Xia Yue Shan, you should understand." "Because this reason is so outrageous, so outrageous that no one would believe it." "So the credibility of this reason is high enough!" "I think my image in your eyes should be far from that of a fool. If I wanted to deceive you, I have plenty of other excuses that would be easier for you to believe." "But I chose to tell you the truth." "Because I need your help." Lin Yu looked at him, his expression serious and focused, like a scene from a movie where a super agent who encountered difficulties needed the male protagonist, who was a high school student, to do something big to save the world. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "You, what do you need me to do?" Xia Yue Shan maintained a skeptical attitude, cautiously asking, "I need you to become stronger, strong enough to protect your sister," Lin Yu said, word by word. "Is that all?" Xia Yue Shan asked curiously, "You don''t need me to call my sister out on a dark and windy night?" "Or help you convince her to kiss you to ward off the blood disaster?" Hearing Xia Yue Shan''s absurd remarks, which clearly showed he''d read many online novels, Lin Yu felt a few black lines slide down his forehead, internally expressing his exasperation. You little brat! You''re not old, but you sure know a lot! "Of course not." Considering that Xia Yue Shan might be a good safeguard for Xia Mu Zhu, Lin Yu still suppressed his desire to complain and explained to him, "I not only don''t need you to lure your sister out on a dark and windy night." "On the contrary." "I need you to avoid her going out at night as much as possible." "Even during the day, it would be best if you could accompany her, to play a protective and alert role." Xia Yue Shan thought silently for a moment. He didn''t nod in agreement, but continued to look at Lin Yu with a skeptical gaze and asked, "Besides this, what else do you need me to do?" "Let''s make it clear now that whatever you need me to do, you''d better tell me all at once. Otherwise, if you ask me to do something you didn''t warn me about in advance, I won''t do it." Xia Yue Shan was full of caution. Looking at Xia Yue Shan''s cautious appearance, Lin Yu nodded secretly. Not bad. He''s very thoughtful. It seems unlikely that any bad guys could get past him by deception. Rubbing his chin in thought, Lin Yu said, "What I need you to do is not much, in the final analysis, there''s only one thing, and that is to protect your sister Xia Mu Zhu well and prevent her from getting hurt." "Everything else you need to do is based on this." "For example, you need to carry anti-wolf spray and an anti-wolf electric baton with you, so that you can better protect your sister in case of an accident." "Also." "I need you to learn some things from me." Lin Yu looked at Xia Yue Shan and said seriously, "I will teach you some combat skills, specifically attacking the human body''s vulnerable points." "In case of emergency." Hearing the words ''combat skills'', Xia Yue Shan''s eyes lit up immediately, and he asked excitedly, "Is it martial arts?" Lin Yu nodded and said, "You could say that." "Great!" "I agree!" Xia Yue Shan agreed very readily, so readily that Lin Yu even suspected that if he had mentioned teaching him martial arts earlier, he could have had Xia Mu Zhu delivered to his bed! Shaking his head, Lin Yu discarded the messy thoughts in his mind. Looking at the time on his phone, it was just eight o''clock, still early. Putting away his phone, Lin Yu looked at Xia Yue Shan, who was so excited that his eyes were shining, and decided to teach him a move right now. After sizing up Xia Yue Shan, Lin Yu decided to teach him the simplest move, which was also the most effective against molesters. "Do you know what ''monkey steals peaches'' means?" Hearing the phrase ''monkey steals peaches'', Xia Yue Shan''s face fell instantly. "Are you playing with me?" "How is ''monkey steals peaches'' considered a martial arts move?" Seeing Xia Yue Shan''s frustrated expression, looking like he was about to run home, Lin Yu smirked. He turned his head and looked around, finally setting his eyes on the wooden bench where they had just been sitting. Lin Yu walked over in a few strides, lifted his palm without saying a word, and then quickly chopped down. "Bang!" A loud noise echoed in the quiet night sky. Xia Yue Shan watched as Lin Yu broke the nearly three-finger-thick wooden bench with a simple chop. He was so shocked that his jaw dropped. "Did you see that?" Lin Yu put his hands behind his back, raised his chin, and asked in the manner of a martial arts master, "Did you see that!" Xia Yue Shan nodded frantically, his eyes full of admiration. "I didn''t use any moves in this chop, I simply lifted and chopped." "Anyone can do it." "But do you think others could break this piece of wood like I did?" Xia Yue Shan shook his head frantically. "Heh." "You''ve got some good eyes." Lin Yu sneered and continued, "Because I have practiced martial arts for more than ten years, my body is strong and powerful, so even a simple chop from me can break this piece of wood." "Similarly." "If you don''t practice the basics, don''t exercise your body." "Even if I teach you the most powerful martial arts techniques in the world, you won''t be able to exert any power." "The disaster that your sister is going to face may happen soon." "I don''t have time to teach you the basics now, so I can only teach you some basic attack techniques." "In this way, you''ll be able to learn faster and be capable of protecting your sister when the time comes." Chapter 68：Charming Tang Manman Xia Yue Shan nodded, finally putting aside his prejudice against the ''monkey steals peaches'' move, and asked earnestly, "Brother Lin Yu, what should I do?" "Simple." "The ''monkey steals peaches'' move has only two key points." "One is to be fast!" "Two is to be accurate." As he spoke, Lin Yu turned his head to look around. Soon, his gaze fell on a thickly-trunked landscaping tree. Without turning his head, he said to Xia Yue Shan, "Follow me." The two came to the front of the landscaping tree, one after the other. Looking at the five or six meters high tree, Lin Yu compared the position, and then burned a black mark on a certain position of the tree with a lighter. "From now on, you will practice against this black mark." "Remember, be fast, be accurate, and be ruthless." "Once you''ve mastered this move, and your body''s foundation is strong enough, I''ll teach you some acupoint techniques." Lin Yu, fearing that Xia Yue Shan wouldn''t practice seriously, first planned a bright future for him. "Acupoint?" Hearing that he could learn new kung fu, Xia Yue Shan''s eyes lit up, and he asked eagerly, "Is it the kind of acupoint technique in TV dramas?" "The Sunflower Acupoint Hand, a few swishes and you can fix someone in place?" No. That kind of acupoint technique is impossible to achieve. If you want to have that ability, you might as well go around the streets more often. You might pick up a pocket watch with a special function (time stop). Lin Yu was speechless in his heart. After complaining, he explained to Xia Yue Shan, "No." "The acupoint techniques I teach you can''t reach the level of fixing people in place." "But once you''ve learned them." "A single touch can make someone faint." "Hmm!" Xia Yue Shan nodded without doubt. He already regarded Lin Yu as a hidden expert in the city. "Besides, your physical fitness must keep up." "From today on, you will squat for half an hour in the morning and evening, run to and from school, do a hundred push-ups a day, five hundred squats. If you can''t finish in one go, you can do it in several times. Be careful not to hurt your body." This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Lin Yu carefully reminded. Xia Yue Shan nodded frantically. "For now, let''s just start with this. Once your physical fitness gets better, I''ll increase the intensity of your training." "Okay!" "Master Lin Yu!" "Alright,you practice." Lin Yu put his hands behind his back, preparing to turn around and leave. Just as Xia Yue Shan''s left hand, fingers extended and slightly bent, was about to practice the peach-stealing technique, his poised motion suddenly stopped. He looked at Lin Yu, who hadn''t turned around yet, and asked with a puzzled look: "Brother Lin Yu." "Are you teaching me this move to protect my sister?" "What exactly is my sister''s disaster?" "Is someone going to hurt her?" Lin Yu turned around and looked at Xia Yue Shan, nodding meaningfully. His tone carried a hint of gravity as he said: "Your sister''s future trace reveals a pink trace. Pink is the symbol of peach blossoms, representing that a man will harm your sister." "How will he harm my sister?" "Your sister might be assaulted." ... Xia Yue Shan stared silently at Lin Yu. After a moment, he nodded heavily and said in a deep voice: "I understand." "I will protect my sister." Lin Yu nodded with relief, turned around to leave. "In the future, apart from you, I won''t let any other man get close to my sister!" Hearing the firm voice behind him, Lin Yu almost tripped. Oh my God. Why does it seem that from the result, he has become the kind of person Xia Yue Shan initially imagined? "Remember not to tell your sister about this!" Lin Yu walked away quickly, waving his hand as he said. "Okay!" ... "Brother Long, what''s wrong with your hand?" A student who was passing by Lin Yu stopped, leaned in, and asked. "It''s tired from writing homework!" Lin Yu replied irritably, at the same time hiding his bandaged right hand in his arms. Damn it! As expected, just having the skill to chop bricks and wood is not enough. Only a hand that has been tempered a thousand times is the hard truth! Lin Yu wanted to cry but had no tears. However, he still felt a little relieved in his heart. Fortunately, he broke that piece of wood at that time. Otherwise, it would really be embarrassing. Looking down at his right hand in his arms, Lin Yu couldn''t help but brainstorm. According to his usual character. When encountering this kind of thing, he would definitely hide from Xia Yue Shan in the coming days, not letting him see his injured hand to avoid being laughed at. But... Could this be what that terrifying fate wants to see? Does it want him to stay away from the second female lead, Xia Mu Zhu, so that the second pornographic plot can be smoothly staged without any obstruction? No way! Lin Yu frowned,determined that even if he was laughed at by Xia Yue Shan, he would continue to visit Xia Mu Zhu''s house during this period. He must absolutely prevent the occurrence of the second pornographic plot! ... Lin Yu stopped, looking at the girl in front of him who was avoiding eye contact, nervously twisting her skirt. He asked helplessly, "Do you need something?" Tang Mantou hesitated for a moment, then plucked up the courage to look at Lin Yu. Her eyes were timid as she asked tentatively, "You..." Her gaze shifted to Lin Yu''s bandaged hand, then she looked up at him. Her soft voice held a hint of inquiry, "Your hand is injured now, do you need my help with homework?" Hearing Tang Mantou''s words, Lin Yu almost burst out laughing. This Tang Mantou. She is really a bit cute. This time, there was no golden filter of the setting sun, no cool and refreshing breeze as a backdrop. Lin Yu just looked at the girl standing in the shadow, her cheeks slightly red, her eyes shining like a little deer, yet filled with deep shyness. His heart began to beat uncontrollably, and a thought that had been suppressed in his heart reappeared... "No need, my girlfriend will help me with my homework." Crack! This thought was cut off by the pure love little man in Lin Yu''s heart with a pair of scissors. "Oh, okay, okay." Tang Mantou nodded, her spirit lost as she left. Lin Yu watched her retreating figure, sighing so softly it was almost inaudible. He turned and headed towards the direction of Xia Mu Zhu''s apartment complex. Chapter 69：Power Multiplies After Turning to the Dark Side: The Rules of the World On the way to Xia Mu Zhu''s house, Lin Yu couldn''t help but light a cigarette to soothe his irritation, taking a deep puff. The wisps of smoke entered his lungs, carrying away the heavy frustration in his heart as he exhaled forcefully. The irritability in his body was slightly eased, but the melancholy in his heart did not diminish. Lin Yu found a bench to sit on, and the innocent face of Tang Mantou, worthy of the title of school beauty, couldn''t help but appear in his mind. She... she really is a nice girl. She''s beautiful, gentle, considerate, pure, kind, and academically excellent. If it were in any other youthful school manga, she would surely be the school''s goddess, the object of the protagonist''s lifelong pursuit. It''s just her bad luck to live in this erotic manga world. With this thought, Lin Yu took another puff of his cigarette for the unfortunate fate of this poor child, Tang Mantou. Exhaling the smoke slowly, Lin Yu stared at the bustling street in a daze. Actually. It seems. If. Just. If he didn''t avoid Tang Mantou so much, didn''t treat her as an untouchable horror monster, there wouldn''t be any problem, right? She doesn''t have a boyfriend, and the break with the boy she was once paired with has nothing to do with him. To put it bluntly, she is now just an ordinary single girl. Why shouldn''t he pursue her? Why can''t he be her boyfriend? And judging by her attitude towards him now, it should be quite easy for him to pursue her. Like a stray puppy that is often fed, he just needs to beckon her, and she will come trotting over. Then he can pet her head, comb her hair, and she will probably follow him home without any complaints. But... Is this really okay? Recalling the final page of the erotic manga that made his scalp numb, Lin Yu rubbed his temples in a headache. This is the first female lead! He''s already a little tempted. What should he do next? In the past few days of contact, isn''t the second female lead, Xia Mu Zhu, also quite nice? She''s also beautiful, gentle, pretty, and kind. She''s also rich, and she has an advantage that Tang Mantou can never compete with in her lifetime. What should he do? Should he make her his girlfriend too? And the third female lead, whose name is not yet known. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. She''s also very beautiful and poised, and judging by the car she drives, she''s definitely wealthier than Xia Mu Zhu. Why not make her my girlfriend too? And the fourth female lead, who is likely underage, a cute Lolita. If I remember correctly, she''s the most beautiful among the four female leads. Although she''s young, her outstanding beauty can''t be covered up by her age. Instead of saying it''s covered up, it''s more like her forbidden age adds a different kind of charm... Such a beautiful girl, wouldn''t it be a pity not to make her my girlfriend? Since the first three have become my girlfriends, one more won''t make a difference! Then I can just become the male protagonist in the original work, perfectly replicating the last page of the erotic manga''s ending. Wrong! As the saying goes, becoming bad doubles your power! As the owner of the pure love forum, equivalent to the leader of the righteous path, the commander of the Five Mountains, I definitely can''t be on the same level as the original protagonist after turning bad. Isn''t Tang Mantou''s mother quite familiar to me? Make her my girlfriend! The fourth female lead is young and so beautiful, her mother must still be attractive! Make her my girlfriend too! Later, I''ll see if these female leads have any sisters, younger sisters, aunts, and the like. As long as they look good, they can all become my girlfriends. Just make a big mixed pot! Isn''t it beautiful? Screw you! Lin Yu slapped his forehead heavily, feeling that if he really did such a thing, the forum members would surely tear through the dimensional wall, come to him, and eat him alive. He sighed heavily and stood up. Actually, apart from these ridiculous fantasies. From a realistic perspective, he shouldn''t have any thoughts of falling in love with Tang Mantou. His expectation for love has always been one thing. That is to have a love affair with no end. From the beginning of love to the end of life, the person by his side should only be one person. Will this person be Tang Mantou? Lin Yu doesn''t think so. Not to mention other things, just the current grades. His last monthly test barely ranked in the upper-middle level in school, what''s Tang Mantou''s ranking? Seems to be in the top five, right? Such grades are bound to make her go to a key school for further study in the future, having a completely different life from now. And him, even with the bonus of the memory of studying in his previous life, he can probably only get into a first-tier university at most. So even if he confirms a romantic relationship with Tang Mantou now, what''s the point? Break up after high school graduation? Or maintain a long-distance relationship? Long-distance relationships are too exhausting. And it''s a great test for both sides. Moreover, what exactly are Tang Mantou''s feelings for him right now? Is it real liking? Or a different kind of gratitude? Or an emotion that even she can''t explain clearly? Lin Yu doesn''t want to give his feelings away under so many uncertainties. Not to mention the existence of that eerie fate. And didn''t she say herself that she doesn''t like him? So, for Tang Mantou, Lin Yu thinks it''s better to keep a respectful distance... ... No. Lin Yu flicked off the cigarette ash, and after taking the last puff, he flicked the cigarette butt into the iron trash can next to the bench with his middle finger bent. Watching the cigarette butt spinning in the air, drawing a beautiful arc, Lin Yu became more certain of his thoughts. It''s more appropriate to cleanly sever this relationship with Tang Mantou, which is destined to have no ending. "Dong." The cigarette butt hit the thin iron skin of the trash can and quickly fell to the ground. "Damn!" "Didn''t make it!" Lin Yu went over in a huff to pick up the cigarette butt and throw it back into the trash can... ... "Can you or can''t you transform!" "If you can''t, I''ll find someone else to do it! Lin Yu shouted angrily, slapping the armrest of the chair, ready to get up and leave. "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, Brother Long." "I, I just thought of something happy." Gu Yue covered her mouth, laughing so hard she couldn''t straighten her waist. "Bullshit!" "You''re clearly laughing at me, you never stopped!" Lin Yu couldn''t stand it, he pulled off the clip on his head, re-covered the left half of his face with his long loose yellow hair, and left in a huff. Chapter 70：How Does It Look? "Give me another chance!" "I promise to do the makeup properly." Gu Yue grabbed Lin Yu''s hand with both of hers, bending over so he couldn''t see the smile on her face. "Alright then." "One last chance!" Reluctantly, Lin Yu sat back down in front of the vanity, once again using a clip to hold his yellow hair on top of his head. Gu Yue rested her hands on her knees, catching her breath for a while. Only after she had mentally prepared herself did she straighten up again and look at the guy in the mirror, half of his face white, the other half black. "Pfft!" "Gu Yue!!!" ... "Brother Long, does this look okay?" Gu Yue rubbed her reddened forehead, cautiously asking. Looking at the handsome young man in the mirror with fair skin, Lin Yu nodded in satisfaction. Although the protagonist''s face still didn''t look like a good person, full of rogue vibes, it was a lot better than before. At least it now looked like a normal person. "Not bad." "Later, send me the brands and names of these makeup products, and give me a detailed introduction on how to use them." "From now on, I plan to meet people with this look." "Mmm." Gu Yue obediently nodded. Without removing his makeup, Lin Yu left Gu Yue''s house with this look, unwrapped some of the thick bandages on his hand, and slowly rode his motorcycle to a famous nightclub in H City. The reason Lin Yu went to the nightclub was not to have fun, but to find a special girl in the nightclub to cut off Tang Mantou''s thoughts, and also to cut off his own inexplicable heartbeat. Arriving outside the nightclub, due to the cool motorcycle and this rogue handsome white face, Lin Yu unsurprisingly attracted many girls'' eyes. While being watched by others, Lin Yu also unabashedly looked at them, trying to find a girl who met his requirements. After a cursory sweep, looking at the girls of all kinds dressed up and flaunting their charms, Lin Yu shook his head in disappointment, parked his motorcycle, and strode into the nightclub. After entering the nightclub, Lin Yu began to wander around, looking for a girl who met his requirements. After wandering around the nightclub for several rounds, Lin Yu still came up empty-handed. During this period, he did see several beautiful girls, but compared to Tang Mantou, they were still lacking. Not to mention, they were all fully made up. If they were bare-faced, they probably wouldn''t be able to compare to Tang Mantou. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Lin Yu knew it would be difficult to find a girl who was prettier than Tang Mantou here, so from the beginning, his target wasn''t beauty, but... Looking at a girl not far away bouncing around, Lin Yu''s jaw dropped slightly, his shocked gaze firmly fixed on the bouncing spheres on her chest. Swallowing a mouthful of saliva in secret, Lin Yu was ecstatic. Yes, that''s what I want! ... "Acting?" "What kind of play?" The short girl, who seemed to have all her nutrition concentrated on her chest, took a puff of her lady''s cigarette, exhaled the smoke, and asked doubtfully. "Act out a couple''s play." "You play my girlfriend, accompany me to dinner tomorrow night, that''s all." "Once it''s done, I''ll give you five hundred bucks." Lin Yu held out his palm and waved it in front of the girl. "Evening?" "Where''s dinner?" The girl asked with a hint of vigilance in her tone. "A street-side food stall." Lin Yu answered truthfully. The girl thought for a moment, nodded in agreement, and asked: "Can I do anything?" "There''s nothing you need to do, just be a bit more intimate with me during dinner, like a normal boyfriend and girlfriend." Lin Yu thought for a moment and said. "Who are you trying to deceive?" "Is it parents or elders?" The girl took a puff of her cigarette and asked carefully: "Do I need to dress more formally and cover these things up?" The girl pointed at her exposed chest and the wing tattoo just below her collarbone, almost at the root of her chest. "No need." Lin Yu hurriedly refused, saying: "The reason I chose you is because of this, if you cover it up, there''s no need for me to find you." "Your clothes should be the same as now, the best to show off your hot figure." "Of course, if you have anything more revealing than this, I don''t mind." Lin Yu shrugged and said. The girl took another puff of her cigarette, nodded, and slowly exhaled the smoke, indicating that she understood. The two exchanged contact information and names on their phones, and then the girl planned to go back to the bar and continue to party. "Wait!" Lin Yu stopped the girl. "What else is there?" The girl turned around and asked. "You''re sure you don''t have a boyfriend, right?" Lin Yu asked with a serious expression. Hearing Lin Yu''s question, the girl, Orange Sprout, frowned her painted eyebrows and asked puzzledly: "What does it matter?" "After all, we''re just pretend boyfriend and girlfriend." Of course it matters! I''m the owner of a pure love forum! How could I find a girl with a boyfriend to pretend to be my girlfriend? This is clearly forbidden by the forum rules! Lin Yu didn''t say all that to the girl, he just said seriously: "Of course it matters." "Otherwise, I wouldn''t ask you this question." The girl thought for a moment, then shook her head and said: "No." "Well, that''s good." Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief, waved the motorcycle key at her, and said: "Then see you tomorrow evening at six, I''ll come to pick you up." The girl took a drag on her cigarette and made an OK gesture with her hand. After leaving the nightclub on his motorcycle, Lin Yu went to a youth store, bought all the makeup products Gu Yue had sent him, then rode his motorcycle home, put the purchased makeup products back in the small rental house. Casually packing up the dirty clothes in the wardrobe that belonged to the original owner, Lin Yu took the bundles down the stairs. After throwing all the clothes into the trash can, Lin Yu strolled towards the community where the second female lead, Xia Mu Zhu, lived. On the way, Lin Yu found a lock shop, took out the key that Xia Yue Shan had given him from his pocket, and had the shopkeeper make a new key. After agreeing to go to Xin Yue Community to fix the lock at noon tomorrow, Lin Yu left the lock shop and continued to walk towards Xin Yue Community where Xia Mu Zhu was. After arriving at Xin Yue Community, Lin Yu unimpededly arrived in front of room 603, raised his hand and gently knocked on the door, standing in front of the door, waiting for the door to open. "Just a moment." "Xiao Shan, go open the door, it should be your brother Lin Yu." A soft voice sounded in the room, and soon, the door opened. Lin Yu looked at Xia Yue Shan who came to open the door, and Xia Yue Shan also looked at Lin Yu standing at the door. The two of them just looked at each other, silent. Finally. Lin Yu took the initiative to break the silence, asking: "How does it look?" Xia Yue Shan shook his head regretfully, clicking his tongue twice and saying: "Not as cool as before." "Did you also put on makeup?" "You really look like a woman." "You don''t know anything!" Lin Yu rolled his eyes, grabbed Xia Yue Shan''s head with one hand, pushed him aside, and walked straight into the room. Chapter 71：Doing a Good Job "Bamboo Sister, how do I look now? Lin Yu walked into the room, asking Xia Muzhu who was busy in the kitchen. Xia Muzhu turned around. She was wearing a cute apron with a little cat on it, and she was holding a spatula in her left hand. When she saw Lin Yu, a gleam of surprise and delight flashed in her deep blue eyes. She gave a thumbs-up and exclaimed, "You look good. Much more handsome than before! "Cut it out." Xia Yueshan, who passed by Lin Yu, disdained and said, "What''s so good about it? He was so cool before, I was even thinking about having a hairstyle like his." Saying that, Xia Yueshan made a weird pose, raised his left hand to cover his left half of the face, and quickly looked around, like a robot looking for a target. "You dare!" Xia Muzhu waved the wooden spatula in her hand and threatened fiercely, "If you dare to have that kind of hairstyle, I..." "I..." Xia Muzhu stammered, unable to find a threat that could scare Xia Yueshan for a moment. But soon, her gaze fell on Lin Yu, and she continued to threaten fiercely, "I''ll let your brother Lin Yu deal with you!" "Okay." Lin Yu nodded, giving face to Xia Muzhu''s words. Then he put his hand on Xia Yueshan''s fluffy little head, gently shook it, and said, "If your sister says so, I''ll definitely deal with you." Xia Yueshan quickly squatted down, broke free from Lin Yu''s hand, and ran to the sofa on the side, then turned to face the two. First, he looked at Xia Muzhu in the kitchen and made a face, saying in a weird tone, "Oh, I''ll let your brother Lin Yu deal with you." Then he turned to Lin Yu at the dining table, shaking his butt and making a face, saying, "Okay, if your sister says so, I''ll definitely deal with you." Hearing Xia Yueshan''s weird words, both of them blushed. These two sentences were ambiguous in the first place, but if they didn''t delve into it, they would just pass. But now that Xia Yueshan repeated them in such a weird tone, the ambiguous atmosphere was about to explode. Seeing Xia Muzhu sneak a glance at him, Lin Yu quickly changed the subject, shouting and pouncing at Xia Yueshan. "Oh, you dare to tease me now? Let''s see how I deal with you!" After the playful fight, they had another hearty dinner. After eating, Lin Yu checked the time, got up to leave, and signaled Xia Yueshan to meet him downstairs. After waiting downstairs for a while, when Xia Yueshan came down, Lin Yu returned his house key to him and told him about the lock replacement happening the next day. Xia Yueshan took the key. After hearing about the lock replacement, he started looking at Lin Yu with a strange gaze, as if he was seeing him for the first time. Lin Yu, feeling a bit impatient under his gaze, frowned and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?" "I never thought, I never thought." Xia Yueshan shook his head while stroking his chin, "I never thought that you genuinely want to protect my sister, rather than trying to harm her." Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. "Nonsense." Lin Yu rolled his eyes and said, "If I wanted to harm your sister, I would have done so the first time I saw her." "You would harm my sister the first time you saw her? What happened when you first met her?" Xia Yueshan asked with a frown. Lin Yu thought for a moment, feeling there was no need to hide it, so he said, "It''s nothing much. You were bullied by someone from outside the school. That person happened to be my little brother. Your sister came to warn him not to bully you anymore. It just so happened that I was there, so I helped your sister out and told them not to bother you anymore." Hearing Lin Yu''s explanation, Xia Yueshan''s mouth formed an ''O''. He pointed at Lin Yu and said in realization, "No wonder, I was wondering why Liu Lao Tou didn''t continue to get people from outside the school to beat me up. It turns out you helped me." "But what does this have to do with you harming my sister?" Xia Yueshan turned his head and asked in confusion. "Doesn''t it matter?" Lin Yu asked back, "What if I used you as a bargaining chip to threaten your sister to behave?" "Oh my gosh! You''re such a jerk!" Xia Yueshan shouted in anger. "What do you mean, jerk! I didn''t do it, did I?" Lin Yu hit Xia Yueshan''s forehead with his fist and retorted. Xia Yueshan covered his forehead with both hands, wincing in pain. Lin Yu didn''t bother with him. After reminding him to distribute the new access cards to every household in the building the next day, he prepared to leave. "Wait!" Xia Yueshan called out to Lin Yu. "What is it?" Lin Yu turned around impatiently and asked. Xia Yueshan''s face showed a rare expression of embarrassment. He fumbled in his pocket and took out another, larger key and put it in front of Lin Yu. He scratched his face and said somewhat awkwardly, "That... This is actually the key to my house. You can go and make a duplicate." "This is your house key?" Lin Yu took the key from Xia Yueshan''s palm, his eyebrows furrowed. A cold smile appeared on his lips as he asked, "Then what was the key you gave me earlier?" "That key... I... I took the wrong one!" Xia Yueshan defended himself, his eyes darting around. Seeing Lin Yu''s hand raised again, Xia Yueshan shrank his neck, closed his eyes tightly, and put on a defensive posture, ready to take a beating. But to his surprise, Lin Yu''s big hand just gently landed on his head and even gave it a soft rub. "Well done." Lin Yu said with a gentle smile on his face. "It''s necessary to stay alert around strangers who aren''t very familiar. Keep up this vigilance in the future." Xia Yueshan looked at Lin Yu, who seemed a bit different from before. He blinked hard, then nodded vigorously. After reminding him to distribute the new access cards to each household in the building the next day, Lin Yu prepared to leave. "Wait!" Xia Yueshan called out to Lin Yu. "What is it?" Lin Yu turned around impatiently and asked. Xia Yueshan''s face showed a rare expression of embarrassment. He fumbled in his pocket and took out another, larger key and put it in front of Lin Yu. He scratched his face and said somewhat awkwardly, "That... This is actually the key to my house. You can go and make a duplicate." "This is your house key?" Lin Yu took the key from Xia Yueshan''s palm, his eyebrows furrowed. A cold smile appeared on his lips as he asked, "Then what was the key you gave me earlier?" "That key... I... I took the wrong one!" Xia Yueshan defended himself, his eyes darting around. Seeing Lin Yu''s hand raised again, Xia Yueshan shrank his neck, closed his eyes tightly, and put on a defensive posture, ready to take a beating. But to his surprise, Lin Yu''s big hand just gently landed on his head and even gave it a soft rub. "Well done." Lin Yu said with a gentle smile on his face. "It''s necessary to stay alert around strangers who aren''t very familiar. Keep up this vigilance in the future." Xia Yueshan looked at Lin Yu, who seemed a bit different from before. He blinked hard, then nodded vigorously. After reminding him to distribute the new access cards to each household in the building the next day, Lin Yu prepared to leave. "Wait!" Xia Yueshan called out to Lin Yu again. "What now?" Lin Yu turned around impatiently and asked. Xia Yueshan''s face showed a rare expression of embarrassment. He fumbled in his pocket and took out another, larger key and put it in front of Lin Yu. He scratched his face and said somewhat awkwardly, "That... This is actually the key to my house. You can go and make a duplicate." "This is your house key?" Lin Yu took the key from Xia Yueshan''s palm, his eyebrows furrowed. A cold smile appeared on his lips as he asked, "Then what was the key you gave me earlier?" "That key... I... I took the wrong one!" Xia Yueshan defended himself, his eyes darting around. Seeing Lin Yu''s hand raised again, Xia Yueshan shrank his neck, closed his eyes tightly, and put on a defensive posture, ready to take a beating. But to his surprise, Lin Yu''s big hand just gently landed on his head and even gave it a soft rub. "Well done." Lin Yu said with a gentle smile on his face. "It''s necessary to stay alert around strangers who aren''t very familiar. Keep up this vigilance in the future." Xia Yueshan looked at Lin Yu, who seemed a bit different from before. He blinked hard, then nodded vigorously. Chapter 72：Initiating the Plan to Make Tang Manman Dislike Me! Watching the access control system being installed, Lin Yu breathed a small sigh of relief, feeling the heavy stone on his heart lighten a bit. After handing the stack of access cards to Xia Yueshan standing nearby, Lin Yu instructed, "Go distribute these cards to the residents." Xia Yueshan nodded and left with the access cards to go inside the building. After resolving this matter, Lin Yu turned around and left the Xin Yue Community. He returned home and read for a while until nightfall. Lin Yu closed the book and prepared to execute the plan. He sent a message to the young girl, Orange Sprout, and after receiving her reply with the address, Lin Yu rode his motorcycle over. When he arrived at the location, Lin Yu waited downstairs for a while. Orange Sprout quickly came downstairs. She was wearing a purple strapless dress, a pair of icy, bouncing white giants were exposed to the air, rising and falling, attracting people''s attention. "How does this look?" "Does it meet your requirements?" Orange Sprout stood in front of Lin Yu, opened her arms and showed herself off. "It''s perfect!" Lin Yu nodded vigorously as he spoke. "Get on the bike, let''s finish this early and go home." Lin Yu patted the back seat of the motorcycle. Orange Sprout nodded, looking at the motorcycle with beautiful curves and gorgeous colors under Lin Yu, she exclaimed, "What a cool motorcycle, how much did it cost?" "I don''t know, it was a gift, probably tens of thousands." Lin Yu thought of a rough figure. Behind Lin Yu, Orange Sprout''s eyes lit up. She had a smile on her face and got on the back seat of the motorcycle. Feeling that the back seat was stable, Lin Yu put his feet on the motorcycle''s ladder. For safety''s sake, he still asked, "Are you sitting steady?" "I''m steady." A soft, charming voice came from behind. Hearing this voice that made his goosebumps stand up, Lin Yu subconsciously frowned. He was about to remind Orange Sprout that it was not time to act yet, so there was no need to rush to play the part, when a soft feeling he had never felt before pressed against his back. The words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat, Lin Yu swallowed hard, and after a long time, he managed to say, "That..." Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "You only need to perform, you don''t need to sell yourself." "It''s okay~" Orange Sprout spoke in a coquett ish voice. At the same time, she tightly hugged Lin Yu''s waist with both hands and shook her body, fully showing Lin Yu her assets. Lin Yu sniffed. Although he didn''t know why she had changed like this. But there''s an old saying in China. You''re a fool if you don''t take advantage of a good deal! He remembered there was a rough gravel road nearby, where could it be specifically? ... After a bumpy ride, they arrived near Tang Mantou''s mother''s barbecue stall. Looking at the mother and daughter who were busy, Lin Yu said to Orange Sprout behind him: "Do you see her?" "The one serving skewers over there." "When we go to order barbecue later, you just need to act a bit intimate with me." Orange Sprout, who seemed to be nearsighted, squinted her eyes and stared at the distant figure for a while before turning her head to look at Lin Yu. She asked in a puzzled tone: "Do you mean you want me to show off love with you in front of that girl?" Lin Yu nodded and added: "You don''t have to do anything too intimate, just let her see that we are boyfriend and girlfriend." "No, why?" Orange Sprout suddenly asked out of the blue. "What do you mean why?" Lin Yu asked back curiously. "Why do you want me to pretend to be your girlfriend in front of her?" Orange Sprout asked with a puzzled face. "This, well, it''s a bit complicated to explain." Lin Yu thought for a moment and tried to explain as simply as possible: "In short, she wants me to be her boyfriend, but I don''t want to have anything to do with her. So I found you to let her know I already have a girlfriend, so she won''t have that idea about me anymore." "What?" Orange Sprout shouted loudly without controlling her volume. "Keep your voice down!" Lin Yu quickly covered her mouth, while stretching his neck to look at Tang Mantou. Seeing that she hadn''t noticed them, Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief. He glared at Orange Sprout, indicating for her to lower her voice, before he took his hand away. Orange Sprout also realized that she shouldn''t be loud. She lowered her voice, but still looked at Lin Yu incredulously and pointed at the busy girl in the distance, saying: "Her!" Lin Yu nodded. Then she pulled back her hand and pointed at Lin Yu. "Is interested in you?" "Ah,what''s wrong?" Lin Yu nodded, not understanding her reaction. Orange Sprout laughed as if she had heard a particularly absurd story. She gave Lin Yu a thumbs up and said, "Brother, you, you really are something." Seeing Orange Sprout''s inexplicable behavior, Lin Yu frowned impatiently and asked, "What''s wrong with you?" "Can you really do this job?" "If you can''t do it, I''ll find someone else. Don''t waste my time here." "No, no, no, big brother, I can do it, I can do it, I can do anything." Orange Sprout quickly grabbed Lin Yu''s hand and conceded. Seeing Orange Sprout concede, Lin Yu didn''t probe further. Actually, compared to Orange Sprout, Lin Yu was more afraid of her walking away. After all, it''s really hard to find someone with a similar figure to her in H City. Thinking of this, Lin Yu subconsciously thought of the second female lead, Xia Muzhu. Comparing the two, if you only look at the visual impact, Xia Muzhu can''t compete with the girl in front of him. But if you really compare them. Xia Muzhu should be able to beat her. Xia Muzhu is taller than most women, and her figure is not the thin type like Tang Mantou''s. Under such a disadvantageous figure, she can still attract people. Tsk tsk. What an amazing body proportion! As for Orange Sprout''s plumpness, it only appears so full because of her petite figure. Naturally, she can''t compare with Xia Muzhu. Shaking his head, after shaking off the messy thoughts in his head, Lin Yu looked at Orange Sprout, who was wearing a flattering smile, and asked uneasily: "You remember everything I said earlier, right?" "I remember." Orange Sprout nodded. "Then let''s go." "Do your job well." After Lin Yu finished speaking, he took the lead and walked towards the barbecue stall. After Lin Yu turned around, the flattering smile on Orange Sprout''s face disappeared instantly. She looked disgusted, and quietly cursed at Lin Yu''s back: This man is too confident, why does he think that girl would like him! Chapter 73：If You Wont Do the Job, Ill Find Someone Who Will! "Twenty skewers of beef, twenty skewers of lamb, five skewers of leeks, twenty oysters, and three grilled kidneys!" A series of loud orders rang out, drawing the attention of the surrounding diners. Who was this voracious eater? They wondered, their eyes wide with curiosity. The audacious display suggested a long night of exertion with a girlfriend. As their gazes landed on the young blonde man and his female companion, their eyes widened in shock. My goodness! Who could sleep with such a girlfriend? Orange Sprout, clinging to Lin Yu''s arm, squeezed tighter and said sweetly, "Oh, you''re so naughty." "Heh!" "You''ll see what''s even naughtier later!" Lin Yu''s lips curled into a smirk. After speaking, he looked up at Tang Mantou, who was standing behind the barbecue stall, and feigned surprise, "Oh, Tang Mantou, what a coincidence!" "Are you working here?" Tang''s mother, who was busy at the grill, heard the brash young man call her daughter''s name. A warning bell rang in her heart, and she turned to Tang Mantou and asked in a low voice, "Mantou, who is he?" Tang Mantou came back to her senses at her mother''s question. She looked at her mother, a bit flustered, and nodded, "Yes, he''s my classmate, from the same school." After speaking, Tang Mantou lowered her head and didn''t look at Lin Yu or her mother. She just kept arranging the skewers that had already been prepared, seemingly busier than before. "Auntie, you are?" Lin Yu feigned ignorance and asked with a puzzled expression. "I''m Mantou''s mother." Knowing that the young man in front of her was her daughter''s schoolmate, Tang''s mother breathed a sigh of relief and replied with a smile. "So you''re auntie." "Then don''t forget to give us a discount later." Lin Yu joked. "Sure." Tang''s mother nodded and smiled. After a brief greeting, Lin Yu took two bottles of beer and left, leading Orange Sprout to a small table to sit down. "No way, brother, she really likes you?" As soon as they sat down, Orange Sprout couldn''t wait to ask in a low voice, her eyes wide as if she had seen a ghost. She had seen the girl''s shock, daze, panic, and avoidance just now. Especially the hint of redness that appeared at the corner of her eye before she lowered her head. Even a fool could see her feelings. "Nonsense, or why would I hire you?" Lin Yu gave her a sidelong glance and replied grumpily. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "Great, brother, you''re really something." Orange Sprout gave Lin Yu a thumbs up and exclaimed in admiration. "But why?" Orange Sprout still couldn''t understand. She looked at Lin Yu with a puzzled expression and asked in a low voice, "Brother, why wouldn''t you let such a beautiful girl be your girlfriend?" "Why?" Lin Yu sneered, asking back, "Are there so many beautiful girls in the world that I should fall in love with each one I see?" "Am I a human trafficker?" Orange Sprout opened her mouth to retort but was silenced by Lin Yu''s rebuttal. She twisted her mouth in a grimace, thinking that the young man beside her was doing something that really didn''t match his face. He had a face that seemed to welcome all comers, even those who tried to resist him, yet he was pushing away a beautiful girl. It was a case of appearances being deceiving. "To be honest, brother, you think highly of me." Orange Sprout looked somewhat dejected. She wasn''t blind; she knew how big the gap between her and the other girl was. They were simply not on the same level! The other girl was countless times more beautiful than she was. As for Orange Sprout''s self-deprecation, Lin Yu''s dark eyes subtly shifted towards her, then quietly moved away. "You needn''t be so modest." "Here she comes, act affectionate!" Lin Yu caught a glimpse of Tang Mantou approaching with a tray of grilled skewers out of the corner of his eye and quickly reminded Orange Sprout. Orange Sprout reacted swiftly. She leaned onto Lin Yu''s shoulder without hesitation, her face beaming with a blissful smile. Tang Mantou slowly came over to their table. She placed some of the grilled skewers on the table and said softly, "Here are your skewers, enjoy." After saying this, she turned to leave. "Hey, wait." Lin Yu called out to Tang Mantou, who was about to leave. He signaled Orange Sprout to follow the script. Seeing Orange Sprout subtly give an OK gesture, Lin Yu smiled and said, "Come, Orange, let me introduce you. This is the classmate I told you about, Tang Mantou, the one who saved me before." Lin Yu affectionately wrapped his arm around Orange Sprout, pointing at Tang Mantou who had turned around again, and said, "Oh, it''s her, such a beautiful girl." Orange Sprout leaned against Lin Yu and lazily said, "It''s quite a story, abeauty saving a bear." "Should I step aside and give you two some space?" "What are you talking about?" "Don''t you know me by now?" Lin Yu pretended to be angry, tightened his hold on Orange Sprout''s shoulder, and smirked, "Looks don''t matter, you get tired of them after a while." "I prefer someone like you, captivating, irresistible!" Orange Sprout snorted proudly and said with a smile, "You''ve got good taste." ... Tang Mantou didn''t know when she had left. Watching her lower her head, occasionally raising her arm to wipe her face, Lin Yu sighed softly, turned back around, and faced the hot barbecue on the table. "Let''s eat." Lin Yu pushed the grilled leeks and kidneys towards Orange Sprout. "I don''t like these things." Orange Sprout wrinkled her brows, looking at the leeks and slightly charred kidneys, and pushed them back towards Lin Yu, saying with a disgusted face, "You ordered them, you eat them." "Eat more, don''t waste." "Me eat?" Lin Yu''s voice unconsciously rose, he glared at Orange Sprout and asked angrily, "If I eat all these, do I need to sleep tonight?" "You hurry up and eat!" Lin Yu pushed the kidney and leeks back to Orange Sprout angrily. Seeing that Orange Sprout was about to refuse again, Lin Yu quickly added, "Do you want the five hundred yuan or not?" "You!" Orange Sprout glared back at Lin Yu and said indignantly, "You didn''t say I had to eat these things when you hired me!" "So what if I didn''t say?" "You should eat them anyway!" Lin Yu fully displayed his shameless side, speaking like a ruthless capitalist, "Do you think it''s easy to earn five hundred yuan?" "Go out and see, who can earn five hundred yuan for such a short performance?" "Do you dare to take this opportunity for granted?" "I tell you, if you don''t want to act, there are plenty of people outside who want to!" "Eat quickly!" "If you don''t eat, I''ll deduct three hundred yuan!" Lin Yu threatened fiercely. "Alright, alright, I''ll eat, I''ll eat." Orange Sprout gritted her teeth and nodded. She picked up a skewer of grilled leeks, and her lips began to move before it even reached her mouth. It looked like she was cursing... ... Chapter 74：Target Spotted! "Manman, please take this plate of oysters to your classmate." Mother Tang used iron tongs to place the grilled oysters one by one onto the iron plate. She then placed the plate onto a table nearby, instructing without turning her head, then continued focusing on the other barbecues on the grill. After grilling another batch of pork, Mother Tang placed the pork on a tray to the side. Just as she was about to ask her daughter to serve this portion of pork skewers, she unexpectedly noticed that the plate of oysters was still in its original position. Subconsciously, Mother Tang turned her head to look behind her, only to find her precious daughter lying on the table, her shoulders occasionally shaking slightly. "Manman?" Mother Tang, not understanding the situation, softly called out. At Mother Tang''s call, Tang Manman slowly sat up, revealing her red, tear-soaked eyes and her delicate face streaked with tears. "Manman, what''s wrong?" Seeing her daughter crying like this, Mother Tang panicked, even forgetting about the meat on the grill. She quickly walked to Tang Manman''s side, squatted down, and asked with concern. "Mom, I''m not feeling well." Tang Manman sobbed. She raised her arm to wipe the tears off her face and choked out: "I... I want to go home." "Silly girl, why didn''t you say you were feeling unwell earlier?" Mother Tang pressed her forehead against Tang Manman''s to check her temperature. Finding that it wasn''t particularly hot, she let out a small sigh of relief and said: "If you''re not feeling well, go back and rest." "I can handle things here by myself." Tang Manman sobbed and nodded. She stood up, wiped the tears off her face again, and walked towards home. But before she had taken a few steps, she stopped, turned her head, and looked at the customers sitting in front of the barbecue stand. Seeing Lin Yu affectionately feeding the young girl, a pang of pain flashed in her eyes. She pursed her lips tightly, turned around decisively, and left... ... "Brother, I really can''t eat anymore." "If I eat these pork kidneys, will you eat the chives?" "I really can''t stand the taste of chives!" Cheng Ya pleaded with a pained expression on her face. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "No way!" "You hurry up and eat!" Lin Yu said, picking up a skewer of chives and stuffing it towards Cheng Ya''s mouth. "This is work, do you understand?" "You''re even picky about food now!" Just as Lin Yu was about to stuff the skewer of chives into Cheng Ya''s mouth, he caught a glimpse of Tang Manman carrying a plate of oysters towards them from the corner of his eye. Swiftly, Lin Yu grabbed Cheng Ya''s head and pulled it into his chest. Cheng Ya, truly dedicated to her role, immediately switched to a coquettish demeanor, nestling in Lin Yu''s arms and saying in a cutesy voice, "You''re so annoying~" "Classmate, here are your oysters." A soft, warm voice sounded, making Lin Yu frown. Something was off. Why had Tang Manman''s voice suddenly become so soft? It was as if she had suddenly aged. Curiosity piqued, Lin Yu turned to look, only to find that the person bringing the oysters was not Tang Manman, but her mother who bore a striking resemblance to her. "Thank you, auntie." Lin Yu nodded at Mother Tang and then looked around curiously, scanning the area but not finding Tang Manman. Had she left? After confirming that Tang Manman had left, Lin Yu no longer forced Cheng Ya to eat chives. They quickly finished the skewers and oysters, returned two untouched bottles of beer, and left after paying the bill. Lin Yu dropped Cheng Ya off at her apartment building and transferred the agreed-upon 500 yuan to her. After some thought, Lin Yu did not delete her contact information. Having this fake boyfriend-girlfriend relationship might come in handy when he needed to cover up a lie in the future. Watching Cheng Ya''s figure disappear into the building, Lin Yu didn''t immediately leave on his motorcycle. Instead, he lit a cigarette and sat on his bike, taking puff after puff. With this, the matter with Tang Manman was thoroughly resolved. She wasn''t the type of girl to persistently bother him. Given Cheng Ya''s obvious hostility towards her, Tang Manman, even if she cared about him, wouldn''t take the initiative to approach him again. Having resolved the matter with Tang Manman, Lin Yu didn''t feel particularly relieved. Instead, a sense of melancholy prevailed. "I wonder if I''ll ever meet such a beautiful girl who''s also fond of me in the future." He sighed softly. After taking a final deep drag on his cigarette, Lin Yu exhaled the smoke along with his troubled thoughts, started his motorcycle, and rode away... ... The following days were uneventful, so much so that Lin Yu was finding it hard to adjust. Firstly, there was Tang Manman. From that day onwards, she really hadn''t come to find him again. On the rare occasions when they bumped into each other, she would just give him a polite smile and then continue doing what she was supposed to do. Then, there was Xia Muzhu. Just thinking about Xia Muzhu gave Lin Yu a headache. A whole month! An entire month! He had been eating and drinking at her house for a whole month now! Even now, the so-called second male lead in the erotic plot hadn''t shown even a hint of his existence. This made Lin Yu start to doubt his memory. He wondered whether he had confused the plot of some other book with this one. As for the little boy in his memory who had been peeking at the erotic scenes from behind the door, Lin Yu had indeed seen him. He was a child from Xia Muzhu''s neighbor''s family. He had just started middle school this year, looked obedient and sensible, and really liked Xia Muzhu, the gentle big sister. However, Xia Muzhu didn''t have any particular feelings for him. She just treated him as a cute little neighbor brother. Compared to that little brat, Xia Muzhu''s feelings for him seemed to have deepened. Lin Yu rubbed his temples. He felt that if things continued like this, it wouldn''t be good! Next, there was the third female lead, whose name he still didn''t know, but who looked very cool and arrogant. Ever since he was scolded by her a month ago, and had a mouthful of car exhaust, Lin Yu had never seen her again. She was just like the male lead in the second erotic plot, without a trace, as if she didn''t exist at all. It was really headache-inducing! With a soft sigh, Lin Yu was just about to focus on the food in front of him to avoid it getting cold and losing its taste, when his phone in his trouser pocket vibrated briefly. Lin Yu took out his phone in confusion, only to see a message from Xia Yue Shan on the screen. It read: "Target spotted!" Chapter 75：Suspicious Person! Looking at the message from Xia Yue Shan, Lin Yu rubbed his aching temples. This guy! If he had known earlier, he wouldn''t have told him about the potential assault on his sister. Now, every time he sees a man, he assumes that the man has ill intentions towards his sister. How many suspects has he sent to him in the past month? On average, there must be at least two a day, right? Even though Lin Yu knew that the so-called target in Xia Yue Shan''s mouth might be a false target as usual, he still sent a voice message with the mentality that this time it might be a real bad guy: "Do you have a photo? Let me see." Soon. A photo appeared on Lin Yu''s phone screen. After opening the photo and looking at the completely unfamiliar man in the photo, Lin Yu sighed softly and replied to Xia Yue Shan in a helpless tone: "It''s not him." Xia Yue Shan: Really not? Xia Yue Shan: But I feel that he is very suspicious! Xia Yue Shan: Since my sister and I entered the supermarket, he has already bumped into us seven times! Xia Yue Shan: And every time we meet, his eyes are on my sister. When I notice and stare back, he looks elsewhere in a panic. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Xia Yue Shan: I think he''s not right! Xia Yue Shan: Very wrong! Looking at the messages sent by Xia Yue Shan, Lin Yu rolled his eyes in silence. However, in order not to dampen his enthusiasm, Lin Yu still patiently replied one by one. Long Ao Tian: There''s nothing wrong. Long Ao Tian: Given your sister''s looks and figure, it''s normal for people to stare at her. Long Ao Tian: And bumping into someone a few times while shopping in a supermarket is not a small probability event. Long Ao Tian: Your vigilance is commendable, but don''t be overly suspicious. After sending the message, the other end of the phone fell silent. Lin Yu shook his head and put down his phone. Just as he was about to continue eating, the special attention text message alert sounded again. Xia Yue Shan: Why can you tell at a glance that he is not going to harm my sister? Xia Yue Shan: Could it be that you know what that person looks like? Looking at the message sent by Xia Yue Shan, Lin Yu didn''t know how to explain to him for a moment. If he said he knew, if Xia Yue Shan asked about the specific appearance of that person next, he wouldn''t be able to round it up. If he said he didn''t know, then on what basis could he determine at a glance that this guy in front of him wouldn''t harm Xia Mu Zhu? After thinking about it, Lin Yu simply pushed the question to metaphysics again. Long Ao Tian: I don''t know what he looks like, but if I see him, I can recognize him at a glance. Long Ao Tian: Just like I can see the bad omen in your sister. Xia Yue Shan: Oh. Xia Yue Shan: Well, okay then. Xia Yue Shan: By the way, there''s another guy who bumped into my sister five times. I think he looks sneaky and doesn''t look like a good person. Can I send you his photo? Lin Yu clicked his tongue in irritation, just about to refuse, but suddenly thought of the mysterious fate that might be controlling everything in the dark. What if it''s him? After thinking about it, Lin Yu sent a message. Long Ao Tian: Take a photo and let me see! ... Long Ao Tian: It''s not him. Xia Yue Shan: Okay then. Xia Yue Shan: By the way, are you free tonight? Long Ao Tian: What''s up? Long Ao Tian: Is there something going on? Xia Yue Shan: My sister''s best friend is coming over for dinner tonight, and my sister wants you to come too. Long Ao Tian: If I have time, I''ll go. Xia Yue Shan: OK! Long Ao Tian: OK! Chapter 76：Craving for More Explosive Storylines! At dusk, Lin Yu leisurely strolled all the way to the Xin Yue Community, where Xia Muzhu resided, from his rented house. The reason he chose to walk wasn''t that he was short on cash. Having a 10% stake in the newly encountered tavern, Lin Yu had already achieved a preliminary level of financial freedom. The only reason he chose to walk was that he wanted to see if he could luckily spot the male lead from Xia Muzhu''s second erotic plot. If he could catch him, he could solve the problem once and for all, and he wouldn''t have to live in fear every day! Unfortunately, nothing happened. He walked all the way until it was dark, to the Xin Yue Community, and to the foot of Xia Muzhu''s house. Lin Yu didn''t meet anyone who could stir a sense of familiarity in his heart. Standing at the foot of Xia Muzhu''s house, Lin Yu was just about to go upstairs when a call with a hint of childishness sounded behind him. "Long Ao Tian!" Lin Yu''s mind conjured up a question mark. Damn it. Who is it? Don''t you even know the basic rule of not shouting out your username when you''re out? With a grudge, Lin Yu turned around to see a child running towards him with a beaming smile. The corners of his mouth twitched, revealing a cold smile devoid of warmth. "Xia Ao Di, where have you been playing? Why are you only back now?" Xia Yue Shan, who was running towards him, had his smug smile fade quite a bit. He stopped next to Lin Yu, caught his breath, and said: "I didn''t, Long Ao Tian, I went to throw out the trash, I didn''t go out to play." "Is that so, Xia Ao Di, I thought you went out to play and just came back." "No, Long Ao Tian, I''ve been at home since I returned from the supermarket at noon. To avoid the situation you mentioned, I''ve been sticking close to my sister all the time, except for when I''m in school." "Not bad, Xia Ao Di, you''re sensible." The two of them hurt each other all the way to the top floor... ... "This is Lin Yu I told you about." As soon as Lin Yu entered the door, Xia Muzhu, who was sitting on the sofa, stood up and introduced him to her best friend sitting next to her. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Then, Xia Muzhu turned to Lin Yu and introduced him: "Lin Yu, this is my best friend, Sun Tao. You can call her Sister Sun Tao." "So, you are Lin Yu?" "I heard about your heroic rescue from Zhu. You really helped us out that night." Sun Tao stood up and reached out to Lin Yu with a smile. "I dare not claim to be a hero, but the one I saved was indeed a beauty." Lin Yu stepped forward and shook her hand lightly, smiling. Sun Tao was amused by Lin Yu''s little joke, she covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes full of mirth flitting between the two of them. Eventually, her gaze landed on Xia Muzhu, and she nudged Xia Muzhu''s arm with her elbow, teasing: "He''s done you such a big favor, don''t you have a reward for him?" "What reward?" Xia Muzhu looked at Sun Tao in confusion, wondering why she was asking since she had already told her about giving Lin Yu three thousand yuan. Why ask again? Ignoring Xia Muzhu''s puzzled eyes, Sun Tao''s eyes curved into crescents, and a teasing glint flashed in them as she chuckled: "Isn''t it that after a hero saves a beauty, the girl will marry the one who saved her?" "Now it''s time for you to fulfill the reward." Hearing Sun Tao''s words, Xia Muzhu''s milky white skin suddenly flushed as if it was on fire. She first quickly glanced at Lin Yu to gauge his reaction, then turned back to Sun Tao, hitting her with a blush: "Stop talking nonsense!" "Lin Yu is still young, he''s still in high school!" "Huh?" "High school student?" Sun Tao covered her slightly open mouth in surprise, then turned to look at Xia Muzhu, making a sour face of envy and jealousy: "You really hit the jackpot this time!" "Sun Tao!" Xia Muzhu couldn''t handle Sun Tao''s teasing at all. The blush on her face deepened, even her ears were dyed a deep red. Being verbally clumsy but physically strong, she raised her hands and reached for Sun Tao''s face, shouting angrily: "I''ll teach you to talk nonsense!" After a bout of playfulness, the four of them sat down at the dining table to have dinner. During the meal, Sun Tao would occasionally cast her gaze on Lin Yu. She furrowed her brows, her expression full of confusion, as if she was comparing Lin Yu''s face with some memory in her mind. "Is there something wrong?" Lin Yu felt her gaze and looked up to ask. "Little brother Lin Yu, you look familiar, have we met somewhere before?" Sun Tao asked, pressing her lower lip with the tip of her chopsticks, while pondering. "I don''t think so." Looking at Sun Tao''s beautiful face, which could be described as a beauty, Lin Yu shook his head, not feeling that he had seen her before. If he had seen her before, he wouldn''t be like now, having no impression of her at all. Generally speaking, men have a deep memory of beautiful women! "Maybe you remembered wrong." Lin Yu answered with a smile. Sun Tao pursed her lips, obviously not quite satisfied with Lin Yu''s answer, but she couldn''t recall where she had seen Lin Yu''s face before, so she could only shrug her shoulders and concede: "Maybe." "By the way!" Sun Tao turned to Xia Muzhu, asking seriously: "Zhu, what does the bad man who stalked you look like?" "I need to keep my distance if I see him." "That''s too scary!" Xia Muzhu thought carefully for a moment, then said: "He doesn''t look old, between twenty and thirty, and he''s a bit thin. He''s slightly taller than the average person, his eyes aren''t big, his nose is very high, and the most noticeable thing is his hair, it''s white." Sun Tao nodded, remembering these details. Then she changed the topic, and everyone started to chat casually about various things. After dinner, Lin Yu excused himself to leave. Once downstairs, instead of leaving, Lin Yu stood in a corner, lit a cigarette, and smoked quietly. Thinking back to Xia Yue Shan''s coughing and winking at him after dinner, Lin Yu guessed that he had something to talk to him about and wanted him to wait for him downstairs. Thinking of this, Lin Yu exhaled a puff of white smoke with a sense of melancholy. This silly thing. Why didn''t you just send a message? Why make it so hard? It''s like exchanging intelligence as a secret agent. Chapter 77：Valuable Inheritance "When will you teach me acupoint striking? I''ve been practicing ''Monkey Stealing the Peach'' for a month now," grumbled Xia Yue Shan from downstairs, his brows furrowed in frustration. "Show me the hand you''ve been practicing with," Lin Yu responded, swiftly moving to inspect the progress of Xia Yue Shan''s month-long training. Upon examining Xia Yue Shan''s extended right hand, Lin Yu gave a satisfied nod, "Not bad, it seems you''ve been diligent in your training." Hearing this, Xia Yue Shan''s lips curled into a proud smile, "Of course, I''ve been following your instructions to the letter. Horse stances, running to and from school, squats, push-ups, I haven''t skipped a single one!" Feeling Xia Yue Shan''s fingers, Lin Yu decided it was time to teach him a few moves. "First, let me teach you the finger technique for acupoint striking. It''s not like what you see on TV, where you use the tips of your index and middle fingers to strike the acupoints. You should use your knuckles instead." As he spoke, Lin Yu held his index and middle fingers together, bending them to reveal his hard knuckles for Xia Yue Shan to see. Xia Yue Shan mimicked Lin Yu''s posture, extending two fingers and bending them to expose his sharp, hardened knuckles. "Correct, just like that," Lin Yu nodded, then placed his hand on a soft spot below Xia Yue Shan''s chest and above his stomach, pressing down lightly. "Remember this spot, it''s called the ''Jiuwei acupoint'', one of the most important acupoints on the Ren meridian. Striking this acupoint will incapacitate your enemy for a short period of time, even if they don''t pass out, they won''t be able to pose a threat to you." Listening to Lin Yu''s instructions, Xia Yue Shan''s eyes lit up and he nodded repeatedly, indicating that he had memorized it. "Alright, now try to find my Jiuwei acupoint," Lin Yu instructed, releasing his hold on Xia Yue Shan and standing upright. After a few attempts and some corrections from Lin Yu, Xia Yue Shan was able to locate the spot. Lin Yu then gave him some additional instructions before bidding him farewell. On his way back to his rented room, his phone rang abruptly from his jacket pocket. Lin Yu took out his phone to check the caller ID. As expected, it was Li Yuan. Seeing the incoming call screen on his phone, a faint smile played at the corners of Lin Yu''s lips. This guy must be desperate by now, he thought to himself. He had heard that the Huo Xie Gang had recently formed an alliance with a small gang in the city. This had led to the Black Blood Gang, which had a slight advantage in the gang struggle, to be at a great disadvantage almost instantly. And now, Li Yuan was so short-handed that he wanted to use even him, a wounded soldier? Checking the time on the upper right corner of his phone screen, it was half past eight. Lin Yu figured that pretending to be asleep and not answering the call at this time might be a bit far-fetched, so he decided to answer the call and put the phone to his ear. "Xiao Long, how''s your health recently?" As soon as the call was connected, Li Yuan''s voice of concern came from the phone speaker. Lin Yu, with a finger on his nails, appeared nonchalant on the surface, but his voice was full of lamentation as he complained, "Not good, Uncle. The Huo Xie Gang was too ruthless, they left me with some after-effects. I frequently have headaches now, and my memory is significantly worse. Forgetting to bring my backpack to school or toilet paper when I go to the bathroom has become a common occurrence. Uncle, do you think my life is over?" "No, don''t talk nonsense," Li Yuan retorted. "You''re just not fully recovered yet. Just rest a bit more and you''ll be back to health." Hearing Li Yuan''s words, Lin Yu almost laughed out loud. Well, he thought, I don''t even have to find an excuse now. "Ah? Is that so?" Lin Yu feigned surprise. "That''s great. It seems I can''t run around anymore. I need to focus on recuperating." As expected, there was silence on the other end of the line. After a while, Li Yuan finally spoke again, his tone filled with disappointment, "Alright, you focus on recuperating. When you feel that your body is almost recovered, remember to call me. Things aren''t looking good here. We really need you." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "Alright, Uncle, don''t worry," Lin Yu reassured him. "As soon as I feel better, I''ll come find you immediately." With that, Lin Yu let out a silent, cold chuckle. Wait for me to recover? Don''t worry, I''ll be sure to attend your funeral in perfect health! After hanging up the phone, Lin Yu put his phone back in his pocket and began pondering a question that he had put aside for a long time - the inheritance left by the protagonist''s parents! In the original protagonist''s memories, his parents had a modest fortune. They sold seafood in a large market, and thanks to their quality products, affordable prices, and good reputation, they had saved a considerable amount of money over the past decade. They owned a car and a house, free of debt, and had a substantial savings account of not less than 300,000. After both of them died in a car accident, all of these assets were taken by the original protagonist''s uncle, Li Yuan, who wasn''t the leader of the Black Blood Gang at the time. The original protagonist didn''t receive a single penny. Now that Li Yuan was in big trouble, could he take this opportunity to reclaim these assets? But how should he get the money back? Rubbing his temples in frustration, Lin Yu saw only two choices before him. One choice was to help Li Yuan, thereby gaining Li Yuan''s trust and attention. Even if he couldn''t reclaim the inheritance, it wouldn''t be difficult to get some money from Li Yuan. The other choice was to betray Li Yuan. He could collaborate with the Huo Xie Gang and, with their help, either kill Li Yuan or disable him, ensuring he would never rise again. After the Huo Xie Gang took over Li Yuan''s territory, he could take his parents'' inheritance. It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement. However, Lin Yu quickly dismissed both options. As a lone wolf, even with his exceptional skills, it would be hard for him to help Li Yuan regain his footing. If he stood out too much, he might attract the attention of the Huo Xie Gang and find it difficult to extricate himself. As for secretly contacting the Huo Xie Gang to betray Li Yuan? That was even less feasible. If he accidentally let slip any information during the negotiation, wouldn''t Li Yuan tear him apart? Moreover, the Huo Xie Gang might not agree to cooperate with him. As a lone wolf, how much could he really contribute? Even if they agreed to cooperate, they might not let him have the inheritance after everything was over. Such a disloyal act would not be looked upon favorably in the underworld. There were too many uncertainties. For safety''s sake, he couldn''t cooperate with the Huo Xie Gang either. With these thoughts, Lin Yu let out a sigh of resignation. Was he really going to give up this inheritance just like that? He couldn''t accept it! If he could get this money, his life would be much easier in the future. The inheritance of 300,000, plus his parents'' property, even without the car, would be close to a million after conversion. Who could let go of that? It seemed he had no choice. Lin Yu let out a heavy sigh. For now, there was no better solution, he would have to think of something else over time. The inheritance left by the protagonist''s parents was a problem he had been putting off for a long time. In the protagonist''s memories, his parents were quite well-off. They sold seafood in a large market and, thanks to their quality products and good reputation, they had managed to save a significant amount of money over the past decade. Not only did they own a car and a house without any loans, but they also had a large sum of savings, around 300,000. All of these assets were seized by Li Yuan, the protagonist''s uncle, after the parents died in a car accident. The protagonist didn''t receive a single penny. Now that Li Yuan was in big trouble, Lin Yu wondered if he could take this opportunity to reclaim these assets. But how could he get the money back? Rubbing his temples in frustration, Lin Yu saw only two choices before him. One choice was to help Li Yuan, thereby gaining Li Yuan''s trust and attention. Even if he couldn''t reclaim the inheritance, it wouldn''t be difficult to get some money from Li Yuan. The other choice was to betray Li Yuan. He could collaborate with the Huo Xie Gang and, with their help, either kill Li Yuan or disable him, ensuring he would never rise again. After the Huo Xie Gang took over Li Yuan''s territory, he could take his parents'' inheritance. It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement. However, Lin Yu quickly dismissed both options. As a lone wolf, even with his exceptional skills, it would be hard for him to help Li Yuan regain his footing. If he stood out too much, he might attract the attention of the Huo Xie Gang and find it difficult to extricate himself. As for secretly contacting the Huo Xie Gang to betray Li Yuan? That was even less feasible. If he accidentally let slip any information during the negotiation, wouldn''t Li Yuan tear him apart? Moreover, the Huo Xie Gang might not agree to cooperate with him. As a lone wolf, how much could he really contribute? Even if they agreed to cooperate, they might not let him have the inheritance after everything was over. Such a disloyal act would not be looked upon favorably in the underworld. There were too many uncertainties. For safety''s sake, he couldn''t cooperate with the Huo Xie Gang either. With these thoughts, Lin Yu let out a sigh of resignation. Was he really going to give up this inheritance just like that? He couldn''t accept it! If he could get this money, his life would be much easier in the future. The inheritance of 300,000, plus his parents'' property, even without the car, would be close to a million after conversion. Who could let go of that? But it seemed he had no choice. Lin Yu let out a heavy sigh. For now, there was no better solution, he would have to think of something else over time. Chapter 78：The Gap Between Individuals Sun Tao, a beautiful woman, sat cross-legged on the bed in a purple silk robe. The LCD TV in front of her was broadcasting the most popular comedic dating show of the moment. The dating show was quite interesting, filled with countless laugh points and eye-catching handsome men and beautiful women. However, Sun Tao''s attention was clearly not on the show. Her eyes were listless, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she was lost in a sea of memories. The bathroom door opened, and Xia Muzhu, who had just finished showering and was flushed, walked out. She was wearing a pink silk robe, the same style as Sun Tao''s. As she walked toward the bed, she was drying her wet hair with a hairdryer. "Help me dry my hair." When she reached the bed, Xia Muzhu turned around and sat down, handing the hairdryer back to Sun Tao. Sitting on the bed, Sun Tao naturally took the hairdryer. Her eyes were still full of confusion and bewilderment, but she knelt on the bed, thinking while using the hairdryer to dry Xia Muzhu''s hair. "Zhu, I feel like I''ve seen your younger brother Lin Yu somewhere before." "I always feel like I''ve seen him somewhere in the past few days!" "So what if you''ve seen him?" Xia Muzhu said indifferently, "We all live in the same city, isn''t it normal to run into each other?" "That''s true." Sun Tao nodded, agreeing with Xia Muzhu''s words. They all lived in the same city, so it was normal to run into each other and feel familiar. After understanding this, Sun Tao no longer dwelled on where she had seen Lin Yu before and began to focus on drying Xia Muzhu''s hair. However, her attention was soon attracted by something else. Looking at the two large, closely-knit soft mounds in the neckline of Xia Muzhu''s robe, Sun Tao was truly envious this time. She asked sourly, "Did these get bigger than they were in college?" Xia Muzhu naturally knew what Sun Tao was talking about. She lowered her head and looked down, sighed softly, and said, "Yes, they''ve gotten bigger." "I''ve forgotten what it feels like to sleep on my stomach." Sun Tao clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. As she continued to dry Xia Muzhu''s hair, she stared at Xia Muzhu''s collar and said, "I find it strange. You''ve been single all this time, and there''s no man to rub them for you. How did they get bigger and bigger?" "Speak!" Sun Tao gave a low chuckle, threw away the hairdryer in her hand, and reached out with both arms in a circular motion, her fingers clawing as if to grab something. She asked in a low voice, "Have you been secretly rubbing them at night?" "Ah!" Xia Muzhu, who was caught off guard, let out a scream and quickly curled up to defend herself. But before she could start to struggle, Sun Tao''s salty pig hand had already retreated. Taking this opportunity, Xia Muzhu quickly covered her chest and moved away from Sun Tao. At the same time, she found it strange in her heart. If they had been messing around in the past, Sun Tao wouldn''t have let go so easily. Turning to look, Xia Muzhu saw Sun Tao kneeling on the bed, her head down, her palms up, and her hands slowly making a kneading motion, looking as if she were about to cry. "What''s wrong with you?" Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Although Xia Muzhu knew that Sun Tao might not be thinking about anything good, she couldn''t help but ask. "Hmm." Sun Tao lifted her head with a whimper, her palms facing Xia Muzhu, her fingers slightly curling and uncurling, and said in a pitiful voice, "It''s too much." "It''s really too much!" "I can''t even grab half of yours with one hand now, can I?" Saying this, Sun Tao looked down at her own chest and felt even more upset. In the living room, Xia Yueshan, who was holding a bottle of sweet water and was about to return to his bedroom, stopped. He turned his head to look at the closed door of his sister''s bedroom and muttered to himself, "The disaster Lin Yu talked about shouldn''t be this, right?" "Hmm." "It shouldn''t be." "If it is, I''ll call the police and arrest him!" ... "Lin Yu, ranked first in the class, ranked 270th in the school." The head teacher who was reading the scores paused after reading this score. He looked up at Lin Yu in his seat, then looked down at the score sheet again. After confirming that he wasn''t seeing things, he looked puzzled as if he had encountered something strange and incomprehensible. However, he still nodded at Lin Yu and congratulated him, "You did well in this exam, your grades have greatly improved, keep it up." All the students in the class looked at Lin Yu following the head teacher''s words, and all of them were surprised. The pink-haired boy sitting next to Lin Yu was the most direct. He turned his head and asked,"Man, how did you manage to cheat with such strict exam conditions this time?" "I didn''t cheat." Lin Yu retorted without hesitation. Damn it. The top five scores in the ninth examination room combined might not be as high as my score, and I cheated? Who did I cheat off? After cursing the brainless pink-haired boy, Lin Yu returned his gaze to the test paper. As for this midterm exam result, Lin Yu was quite satisfied. All subjects were around eighty, with the three main subjects all scoring above one hundred and ten. It seems that his efforts over the past month were not in vain. However, he was not satisfied with this ranking. He thought that with the help of his three years of high school memory from his previous life, it would not be a problem for him to rank in the top one hundred or even fifty in the school. Unexpectedly, with this advantage, he only scored the 270th place in the school. He didn''t even make it to the top 250! This hit Lin Yu hard. But after thinking about it carefully, Lin Yu let it go. The grades of the students in No.3 Middle School were polarized. Either they were like the original protagonist, so bad that they couldn''t bear to watch. Or they were like Tang Manting, attracted by a large amount of scholarships, high-quality top students. The good ones are very good, and the bad ones are particularly bad. There are almost no middle-class students. Looking at the scores marked in red pen on the papers of each subject, Lin Yu felt a little melancholy. In his previous life, he had fought hard to barely make the cut for a first-tier university, and he didn''t know if he would have such good luck in this life. The grades were released during evening self-study. After the grades were read, the bell rang for the end of school. Lin Yu left the school alone with his backpack. After a while, as expected, Gu Yue caught up from behind, calling him "Dragon Brother". Lin Yu turned to look back, and besides Gu Yue, who was waving and running towards him, Lin Yu also saw Tang Manting, who was quietly shedding tears not far behind Gu Yue. ? A question mark popped up in Lin Yu''s mind. What''s wrong with this unfortunate child? Was she bullied again? "Dragon Brother!" Gu Yue stopped in front of Lin Yu and gave him a sweet smile. It wasn''t until this time that Lin Yu moved his gaze from Tang Manting and looked at Gu Yue, frowning and asking, "What''s wrong with Tang Manting?" "Was she bullied today?" Gu Yue was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook her head and said, "No way." "Who in No.3 Middle School would dare to bully her now?" "Unless they don''t want to live!" "Then why is she crying?" Lin Yu gestured to Gu Yue to look behind her. Gu Yue turned her head and, sure enough, saw Tang Manting walking with her head down, secretly wiping away tears, looking pitiful. Gu Yue frowned and said to Lin Yu, "Wait a moment, Dragon Brother." She took out her phone and hurriedly tapped on the screen with her thumb. After a while, she breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Lin Yu, "No one bullied her. She just did poorly on this midterm exam, so she''s crying." Hearing that Tang Manting wasn''t bullied, Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief and casually asked, "She did poorly?" "How many points did she score?" "I don''t know how many points she scored." Gu Yue shook her head, then added, "But I heard that she fell out of the top twenty this time. She seems to have only ranked twenty-third in the whole school." "Is that considered doing poorly?" Lin Yu had an expression of disgust as if he had eaten a fly. Damn. She''s crying about ranking twenty-third in the whole school. Should he, who ranked two hundred and seventieth in the whole school, feel ashamed and jump into a river and drown himself? Gu Yue thought for a moment and said, "It should be considered doing poorly." "I heard that she rarely falls out of the top ten in the school in previous exams." Chapter 79：You Sure Have a Sense of Humor Once Lin Yu was sure that Tang Manting hadn''t been bullied, he relaxed. Seeing the somewhat complicated expression on Gu Yue''s face beside him, Lin Yu casually asked, "How did you do on the test?" "Wait a moment, let me check." Gu Yue responded, then started to rummage through her backpack. After searching for a while, she lifted her head, blinked at Lin Yu, and said, "I think I threw away my report card." "So, what''s your general ranking?" "You can''t possibly not remember that, can you?" Lin Yu asked incredulously. Gu Yue rolled her shiny eyes, thinking for a moment before saying, "Around eight or nine hundred. I remember it was close to four digits." "Oh." Lin Yu nodded. He had just asked casually and didn''t say anything more. "Brother Long, how about you? How did you do?" Just like the phrases ''How are you'', ''I''m fine'', ''Thank you'', and ''and you'' always appear together in middle school English readings, after Lin Yu asked Gu Yue about her grades, Gu Yue naturally asked back. "Two hundred and seventy." Lin Yu said casually. Gu Yue looked at Lin Yu, hesitated for a moment, then cautiously ventured, "Class rank two hundred and seventy?" "Get lost! Which class has 270 people?" Lin Yu glared at her and said irritably. "Then you just missed a ''1''." Gu Yue said. This time her tone was more certain. Lin Yu turned to look at her and asked, "Are there 1270 people in our senior high school?" "There should be, right? Otherwise, could you really rank two hundred and seventy?" Gu Yue laughed as if she understood Lin Yu better than he understood himself. Lin Yu looked at Gu Yue speechlessly. He was too lazy to argue with her anymore. He directly pulled out the thin report card from his shoulder bag, waved it in front of Gu Yue, and said, "Open your blind eyes and see clearly. Am I ranked 1270 or 270?" Gu Yue didn''t look at the report card, but blinked at Lin Yu as if asking, ''Is it necessary to look at this?'' Lin Yu directly pressed the thin report card on her face and said coldly, "Look!" Gu Yue took the report card off her face and glanced at it. When she saw the name Lin Yu ranked first, she frowned, subconsciously turned the report card upside down. When she realized that the words on the report card also turned upside down with the paper, she frowned deeper. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. After turning the report card right side up again, Gu Yue looked at the name Lin Yu, ranked first on the report card, then looked up at Lin Yu beside her and asked, "Is there another person named Lin Yu in your class?" Without any further words, Lin Yu slapped her smooth forehead and said with a smile that was devoid of warmth, "Why don''t you check again? See if there''s a second Lin Yu on the report card." Seeing that Gu Yue was seriously looking for another Lin Yu on the report card, Lin Yu rolled his eyes in annoyance. Why didn''t he notice before that this little thing was so annoying? Finally, after a meticulous review of the report card several times, even turning it over to check the blank back, Gu Yue finally accepted that the Lin Yu who ranked first in the whole class was the Lin Yu in front of her. She looked up at Lin Yu, then down at the report card, then up at Lin Yu again. Her shiny black eyes were filled with shock and grievance as she said, "No way. Brother Long, you''re really studying!" "Rubbish!" Lin Yu snatched the report card from Gu Yue''s hand and put it back into his shoulder bag. "If you don''t study at school, what do you want to do?" "Then, then, then don''t you have a chance to go to university with these grades?" "I was thinking of going to the same college as you, or hanging out with you after the college entrance examination." Gu Yue said grievously. "College?" "Is your total score over 150?" Lin Yu turned his head and asked. "Um, isn''t it enough to get to 100?" Gu Yue hesitated for a moment and cautiously asked back. "Heh." Lin Yu smirked and said coldly, "Then you should think about other ways out." "I''m going to college, and I won''t play with you anymore." "Don''t, Brother Long!" "Without you, I''ll be bullied terribly!" Gu Yue grabbed Lin Yu''s hand with both hands and looked up at him pitifully, "Brother Long, you''re so good at studying, can you teach me?" "No." Lin Yu refused without thinking. He was barely managing his own scores, how could he have time to teach others? "You should find someone else to teach you." Lin Yu shook off Gu Yue''s hand and strode forward. After walking a few steps, Lin Yu suddenly remembered something. He turned his head to look at the pitiful Gu Yue standing in place and curiously asked, "Where do you live?" "Just, just nearby." "What''s up?" Gu Yue''s face of grievance instantly showed a trace of panic, she stuttered. "The exact location." Lin Yu continued to press, not giving her a chance to dodge the question. "Just..." "Just at the Qianhe Community up ahead!" After hesitating for a long time, Gu Yue suddenly pointed to the Qianhe Community not far ahead. Lin Yu followed the direction of her finger and confirmed that it was on his way home, so he nodded and didn''t ask any more questions. "Is there anything wrong with suddenly asking this?" Seeing that Lin Yu didn''t continue to ask, Gu Yue breathed a small sigh of relief, and asked as she jogged up to Lin Yu. "No, nothing really." Lin Yu answered, "I just found it a bit strange. I don''t seem to have ever met you when I was going to school before." "But in the past month or so, I''ve run into you almost every day on my way to and from school. It seems a bit unreasonable." Lin Yu said, his scrutinizing gaze once again landing on Gu Yue. "That''s because I moved." Gu Yue looked into Lin Yu''s eyes, her voice full of sincerity. "That makes sense." Lin Yu nodded his head in sudden realization. The two of them walked together for a while, Gu Yue''s face full of disappointment. Finally, just as they were about to part ways, she still couldn''t help but ask, "Brother Long, you really can''t teach me? I also want to get into a better university." "It''s not that I don''t want to teach you, it''s just that I''m also a bottom student." Lin Yu explained helplessly, "Moreover, I''m very busy now and don''t have time to teach you." "You should find someone who has time and is more reliable to teach you. Don''t count on me." Lin Yu patted Gu Yue''s shoulder, then strode towards the Moonlight Community where Xia Muzhu was. Gu Yue watched Lin Yu''s retreating figure, opened her mouth, but in the end, she didn''t say anything. She just deflated like a doll that was losing air. Chapter 80：Something Must Have Happened The day and night cycle tirelessly, and the autumn air grows denser each day. Tang''s mother, propped on the table with one hand supporting her cheek, stared at the variety of skewers spread across the entire table. In her heart, she was silently calculating how much more inventory she needed to buy to ensure enough stock and prevent leftovers when the temperature drops significantly. After pondering for a while, Tang''s mother looked at the empty chairs by the grill, only accompanied by the bleak autumn wind. She pursed her red lips, momentarily unsure of what to do. She decided to discuss it with Manting once she got home. Manting was a smart girl; she would probably come up with a good idea. Thinking of Tang Manting, Tang''s mother''s beautiful peach blossom eyes squinted into a smile, her gaze full of happiness. She didn''t know what good deeds she had done in her past life to have such a sensible and capable daughter in this life. Recalling the days three years ago when she was suffocated by debts and Qin Qin''s illness, Tang''s mother still felt somewhat oppressed. Fortunately, Manting excelled academically and received a large scholarship from No.3 Middle School, which not only paid off the debt left by her father but also left some surplus, allowing Qin Qin to continue treatment without being driven out of the hospital. What was even more gratifying was that Manting did not get spoiled by those bad kids at No.3 Middle School. She still focused on her studies, and her test scores were almost always in the top ten in the school. "Huh." Tang''s mother exhaled lightly. Thinking about her beloved daughter''s excellence, the image of other parents gritting their teeth in envy when discussing their children''s academic achievements in front of her naturally surfaced in her mind. The corners of her lips curled up slightly, and she felt her face glowing. But something seemed to be off with this child recently. She always seemed absent-minded. And she wouldn''t say why. Tang''s mother sighed softly with some worry, then quickly let it go. Manting was already an adult now. She should have some of her own worries and secrets. After a long sigh, Tang''s mother stretched lazily, feeling relaxed all over. Qin Qin''s condition had stabilized, and after a period of observation, if there were no problems, she could be discharged from the hospital early. Once she was discharged, the family could start saving some money. When Manting gets into university, she will buy her the best phone! She heard that you also need a computer and an iPad for university, so she will also buy the best ones for Manting when the time comes! Whatever others have, Manting should no longer lack. Tang''s mother gently rubbed her standard melon-seed face. Although there was a noticeable fatigue in her soft eyebrows and eyes, there was more happiness. The days ahead seemed to be getting better. As it approached evening, the cold autumn wind became even colder. Since there had been no business, Tang''s mother had been sitting on the plastic stool. Another gust of cold wind blew over, creeping into her slightly dirty cotton gloves and unknowingly scraping some temperature from her slender hands. Feeling a bit cold, Tang''s mother took off her gloves, cupped her hands to her mouth, and exhaled a breath of warm air. Then, she rubbed her hands together quickly. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. With some warmth returning to her fair hands, Tang''s mother was about to put her hands into her pockets to preserve this weak warmth when her movements abruptly stopped. She turned her head as if sensing something. Ah! Her precious daughter! (o()o) ... ? Why is she crying? (( 㧥 ;)) Seeing her daughter in tears, Tang''s mother anxiously stood up and quickly ran towards Tang Manting, who was a few steps away. Coming closer, Tang''s mother gently wiped away the tears that were rapidly falling on her face and asked with concern: "What''s wrong, Manting?" "Did someone bully you?" "If someone bullied you, tell mom, mom will find him!" As she spoke, Tang''s mother''s eyes reddened. Ever since her husband died, she had regarded these two children as her everything. Especially the obedient and sensible Tang Manting, apart from being proud and gratified by her excellence, Tang Yun had always felt somewhat sorry for her. Such an excellent and sensible child like her, if she were born in someone else''s family, she would definitely be a treasure held in the palm of everyone''s hand. But she happened to be her own daughter, and she had to suffer so much with her. In Tang Yun''s soft voice of concern, Tang Manting''s tight lips pressed down even more. She sobbed once, lowered her head and said: "I''m sorry, mom, I did very poorly on this test." Hearing that her daughter''s grades had dropped, Tang Yun wasn''t angry, but rather felt a sense of relief. So it was because she flunked the test. That really scared her. Seeing her daughter crying like this, she thought something big had happened. Knowing that her daughter wasn''t bullied, Tang Yun breathed a sigh of relief. She gently stroked Tang Manting''s head and asked softly: "Did you fall out of the top ten in the whole school?" "It''s okay." "Don''t cry." "We''ll work harder next time." Tang Manting bit her lip tightly, shook her head, sobbed once, and almost cried out when she spoke again: "I''m sorry, Mom, I fell out of the top twenty in the whole school, and I lost this test''s scholarship." "I''m sorry." "I''m sorry..." The sun completely hid its plump body behind the western mountains, returning the sky to darkness. Tang Yun blinked her textbook-like beautiful peach blossom eyes in the dark, as if she couldn''t believe her ears. Fell out of the top twenty? How could this happen? This has never happened before! Compared to the scholarship that could greatly ease her life, what Tang Yun was more worried about was her daughter''s current state. Why did her grades drop so much all of a sudden? Recalling her absent-minded appearance during this period, Tang Yun felt more and more that something was wrong. Her eyebrows furrowed, and the words of questioning almost slipped out of her mouth. Her gaze refocused, and under the bright street lamp, Tang Yun looked at her daughter''s self-blaming appearance while sobbing and choking. Her lips moved slightly, but she didn''t utter a single syllable for a long time. After a while, Tang Yun''s expression softened. She opened her arms and gently hugged the still sobbing Tang Manting, comforting her softly: "It''s okay." "We made a mistake this time, and we''ll work harder to make it up next time." "You don''t have to worry about things at home. Qin Qin is about to be discharged from the hospital, and the pressure on the family has been greatly reduced. Mom can handle it on her own." "You just need to focus on your studies in the future." "Don''t worry about the rest." Under Tang Yun''s gentle comfort, Tang Manting finally stopped crying. She raised her arm to wipe the tears on her face that had been chilled by the wind, sniffed her nose, and said: "Mom, I''m going to go home and review first." "There''s no hurry." Tang Yun spoke softly. She looked at the charcoal stove next to the barbecue grill and smiled at Tang Manting: "You just finished the exam, take a good rest tonight. There are no customers today, what do you want to eat?" "Mom will grill it for you." Tang Manting turned her head to look at the grill, and after a moment, she nodded lightly... ... "Manting, have anything interesting happened at school recently?" Tang Yun handed a skewer of beef to Tang Manting, who was sitting beside her, and asked in a seemingly casual manner. "Nothing." Tang Manting took the skewer of beef, eating it quietly as she shook her head and replied softly. Tang Yun responded with a simple "oh," and the conversation ended. After a while, as she was seasoning the sausage, she asked again: "How about you?" "How''s life at school recently?" "Is there anything you''re not used to, or anything that makes you uncomfortable?" "Nothing." Tang Manting''s answer was still those two words, her voice so faint that it was almost swept away by the autumn wind. "Really?" "But I''ve noticed that you''ve been absent-minded lately." Tang Yun handed the grilled sausage to Tang Manting, looking into her eyes as she spoke seriously. Tang Manting''s hand, holding the sausage skewer, froze in mid-air. Under Tang Yun''s scrutinizing gaze, a hint of panic flashed in her reddened eyes. She quickly turned her body away, not daring to look into Tang Yun''s eyes again. "Manting, no matter what happens, you can always talk to mom." "Mom won''t blame you." "Because mom and you are on the same side." Tang Yun''s eyebrows furrowed slightly, her tone as gentle as possible. "It''s... it''s really nothing." Sitting on the plastic chair with her head slightly lowered, Tang Manting spoke softly after a moment of silence. "You..." Tang Yun wanted to say something more, but Tang Manting didn''t give her the chance. She put the still hot sausage on the plate, stood up and said: "I''m full now, I''m going home to review my homework." "Mom, you should also go home early." After speaking, Tang Manting didn''t even wipe her mouth, she turned around and quickly walked away as if escaping. Watching her daughter''s retreating figure, Tang Yun clenched her fist tightly. She must be hiding something from me! I have to figure it out! Chapter 81：Caught in a Bind! Downstairs, Xia Yue Shan was staring at Lin Yu with a gloomy face. As time passed, his trust in the young man in front of him was dwindling. Hadn''t they agreed that his sister was in danger? It''s been a month and a half, and nothing has happened. Could this young man be lying to him, wanting to freeload off his family and take advantage of his sister? Under Xia Yue Shan''s scrutinizing gaze, Lin Yu felt somewhat uncomfortable. But at this point, he had other things to worry about. He suddenly realized a serious problem. In the original plot, Xia Mu Zhu was indeed raped, but now that he had taken so many preventative measures, had he unknowingly helped Xia Mu Zhu avoid this tragic fate? Perhaps the plot had already been subtly altered by his actions, and the sexually explicit storyline that would bring Xia Mu Zhu unimaginable pain had been nipped in the bud. But... What if that event hadn''t happened yet? What if that unspeakable, eerie fate was just waiting for him to let his guard down? Thinking of this, Lin Yu had a headache. Damn it. Not knowing whether the second explicit storyline had occurred or not, he dared not leave Xia Mu Zhu! Wasn''t this a trap? It was fine for a short while. But what about half a year later? Or a year later? He still had to go to college! He couldn''t possibly stay by Xia Mu Zhu''s side forever. Damn it! If only there was a way to confirm whether that plotline had occurred or not. Lin Yu gritted his teeth in frustration. Every time he thought about it, he felt aggrieved. Damn it! It was bad enough that he''d transmigrated into a pornographic manga. But he didn''t even have the standard cheat code for transmigrators. At the very least, he should have been given some sort of spirit or something! He was all alone. This was too depressing. Despite his frustration, problems still had to be solved one by one. The first problem to be solved was the brat in front of him! This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He needed to find a way to continue earning his trust. Under Xia Yue Shan''s openly scrutinizing gaze, Lin Yu knew his temperament well and knew he couldn''t back down. So, he returned a disdainful glance and asked with a displeased face: "What are you looking at?" "Is there a problem?" Xia Yue Shan, a little devil, stroked his chin and nodded, saying: "There is." "Little Yu, you said my sister would encounter a disaster, but when exactly will it happen?" "It''s been a month and a half, and not only has she not been violated, she hasn''t even been approached by a strange man within a meter." "I''m not saying I don''t believe what you''re saying, but you should give me a rough timeline, right?" "Don''t wait until my sister is seventy or eighty years old, and then when she''s touched by an old man, you tell me that''s the disaster my sister is going to encounter." "Heh." Hearing Xia Yue Shan''s sarcastic words, Lin Yu couldn''t help but let out a cold laugh, and retorted: "So you''re implying that I''m a liar, huh?" "Fine." "Then I''m a liar, okay?" "I don''t care anymore." "I''m leaving." "I won''t lie to you anymore, okay?" "Whatever happens to your sister in the future has nothing to do with me." "Goodbye." With that, Lin Yu let out a scoff, turned around and was about to leave, taking large strides as if he was about to disappear into the darkness. Lin Yu''s resolute silhouette, however, had a hint of an undetectable confident smile on his face. He knew Xia Yue Shan''s temperament well, he wouldn''t let him leave just like that. In less than five counts, he was sure to catch up and stop him. 5! 4! 3! 2! 1!!! ... -1... -2... -3... -4... ... Just as he was about to turn the corner, Lin Yu felt like crying. Damn it. It seemed he had overplayed his hand. What should he do now? Would it be too embarrassing to just go back? Should he give Xia Yue Shan the cold shoulder for a few days? A thought popped into Lin Yu''s mind. Given Xia Yue Shan''s current level of concern for Xia Mu Zhu, it wouldn''t take more than a few days for him to come looking for him again. But... ...if he gave him the cold shoulder for a few days, would that strange fate seize the opportunity to intervene? Lin Yu was torn. If his stubbornness now led to Xia Mu Zhu''s demise, he wouldn''t even have a place to cry. In the blink of an eye, he had reached the turning point, and Lin Yu turned around. Looking at the broken entrance of the Xing Yue community in the distance, he sighed softly in his heart. Forget it. He''d rather lose face. Xia Mu Zhu was more important. Not just because she was the second female lead in the pornographic manga, but also because of the close relationship they had developed over the past month and a half. He couldn''t just stand by and let a tragedy occur. Taking a deep breath and gathering his emotions, Lin Yu was about to turn around and go back with a big grin on his face when a voice, sounding like music to his ears, called out. "Brother Lin Yu!" "Wait!" "Don''t go!" Hearing the immature voice of a boy who hadn''t yet gone through puberty, Lin Yu almost burst into tears. Stop calling me your brother. From now on, you''re my brother! As Xia Yue Shan continued to call out, Lin Yu put on a cold face again, taking large strides towards the gate of the Xing Yue community. "Wait!" "Wait!" Finally, just as Lin Yu was about to leave the Xing Yue community, Xia Yue Shan caught up. He put on a big grin and said: "Don''t be angry, Brother Lin Yu, I was just joking with you." "Brother Lin Yu?" "Who''s your Brother Lin Yu?" "Am I not a liar?" Lin Yu asked, feigning confusion. "No, no." Xia Yue Shan smiled humbly, denying it and saying: "How could my Brother Lin Yu be a liar?" "Brother Lin Yu knows martial arts, can read faces, is kind-hearted and virtuous. My Brother Lin Yu is simply the best person in the world!" "Heh!" Lin Yu let out a cold laugh, but he didn''t continue to ridicule Xia Yue Shan. Instead, he took the opportunity to say seriously: "Xia Yue Shan, I actually understand how you feel." "It''s normal for you to have some doubts about what I''ve said since nothing has happened for so long." "I also can''t provide any evidence that your sister might be in danger to convince you." "But if you look at things from a different perspective, you''ll understand a lot." "Assume, as you suspect, that I''m lying, that I''m a liar. Then what would be my motivation for doing so?" "I must have a reason to lie, right?" "Is it for money?" "But I''ve only ever taken three thousand yuan from your sister, and I haven''t touched a cent of it. I''ve also said that I''ll give it to you after the matter is resolved, right?" Xia Yue Shan nodded shamefully. He had first heard about the three thousand yuan from Lin Yu. From this perspective, Lin Yu''s reason for getting close to his sister was definitely not money. Chapter 82：Fighting Against Fate! Seeing Xia Yue Shan nodding in acknowledgment, Lin Yu continued to ask: "Then am I deceiving you to pursue your sister?" "You must have seen that with your sister''s current attitude towards me, it would be easy for me to pursue her." "But until today, I haven''t made any intimate moves towards her." "Xia Yue Shan, whether you believe it or not, I don''t like your sister." "Although your sister is pretty and has a good figure, she''s not my type. I prefer the pure and cute girl type." "And to say something a bit shameless..." "Given your sister''s age, it would be like she''s robbing the cradle if I were to date her." Upon hearing this, Xia Yue Shan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly nodded in agreement, saying: "What you said is indeed quite shameless." Lin Yu, keeping his composure, gave him a hard knock on the forehead, ignoring Xia Yue Shan''s howl of pain, he continued: "So think about it, why would I go through all this trouble to come to your house for dinner every day?" "I''m not after money or lust, so I can''t possibly be traveling all this way to your house every day just for a meal, right?" Holding his head and grimacing in pain, Xia Yue Shan had to admit, albeit unwillingly, that Lin Yu''s words were reasonable. Just like in crime investigation TV shows, when the police are eliminating suspects, they always look for a key point, which is the criminal''s motive. Most premeditated crimes have a motive. Whether it''s for money, lust, or revenge, there''s always a reason. From what he could see, apart from the dinner every night, Lin Yu didn''t seem to have taken anything from him or his sister. Thinking of this, Xia Yue Shan looked up at Lin Yu, his face drooping, and apologized in a low voice: "I''m sorry, Brother Lin Yu, I shouldn''t have doubted you." Seeing Xia Yue Shan apologize, Lin Yu didn''t feel the slightest bit of joy from winning the argument. Instead, he felt more melancholy. He sighed and patted Xia Yue Shan''s head, pouring out his heartfelt words like beans. "Xia Yue Shan, actually, even if you hadn''t come to find me just now, I would have come back to find you." "Your sister is a very good person, I wouldn''t just sit by and let a tragedy happen because of a moment''s anger." Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "As for when that disaster will come, I''m sorry, I don''t know." "If I knew, I wouldn''t need to go through all this trouble to do so many things." "I could just stake out in advance, and when the bad guy appears, I could kick him to death and it would be over." "And do you know?" "I really hate eating fish, especially freshwater fish. No matter how I cook it, I can always taste a disgusting earthy smell. Every dinner at your house is a torture for me." "Ah." Xia Yue Shan was surprised and said weakly: "But my sister said you love fish the most, and you eat a lot of fish every night." "I have no choice." Lin Yu spread his hands and said helplessly: "I lied that I love eating fish in order to get close to your sister and protect her like I do now." "Now I have to pay for my lie." Xia Yue Shan pursed his lips, his whole face wrinkled, looking even more guilty. "Alright, let''s go back." Lin Yu patted his shoulder and said: "Go back and stay with your sister more, protect her well." "You, will you come tomorrow?" Xia Yue Shan''s voice was aggrieved, as if he was afraid that Lin Yu would be angry and no longer care about his sister. "Of course I will." Lin Yu grinned at Xia Yue Shan and said: "I can''t trust your sister''s safety to you, you little dummy." "Alright, go home." Lin Yu urged Xia Yue Shan to go home again, and then planned to turn around and leave. Before he could turn around, he paused. Lin Yu thought for a moment and felt that since they had already talked so much, it wouldn''t hurt to let Xia Yue Shan know a little more. Looking at Xia Yue Shan, who was about to turn around and leave with a drooping face, Lin Yu called out to him and said in a solemn tone that he had never used before: "Xia Yue Shan, destiny is something that no one can figure out." "You may think that we have taken so many preventive measures so far, but they may not necessarily be effective." "Even what we''re doing now might be fueling the fire, unknowingly giving a push to the bad thing that might happen." "These are all uncertain things." "What should we do?" Upon hearing this, Xia Yue Shan anxiously asked: "Is there no way to ensure my sister''s safety?" Looking at Xia Yue Shan, who seemed to regard him as a lifesaver, Lin Yu slowly shook his head and said regretfully: "I''m sorry, there isn''t." "What we can do now is to do our best, carefully observe every detail in life, and stay 100% vigilant when something unreasonable happens." "Even 00´׼ 16:29 if there''s only a slight inconsistency in something, or even if it seems reasonable, you can''t let your guard down." "Perhaps only in this way can we have a chance to beat it." Saying this, Lin Yu extended his index finger, pointing towards the star-studded night sky. Xia Yue Shan looked up at the sky, and after lowering his head, his expression became extremely serious. He nodded heavily and said: "I understand." ... "Bamboo, what are you doing?" Sun Tao, who was lying on the bed playing with her phone, looked up and asked. "I can''t find my wallet." Xia Mu Zhu, who was walking around the bedroom, flipping things here and there, said with a frown. "Ah?" "Did you lose your wallet?" Sun Tao jumped up from the bed, asking worriedly: "When did you lose it?" "I don''t know, I clearly used it when I went shopping yesterday." Xia Mu Zhu lifted the goose-yellow desk lamp on the bedside table, glanced under the lamp base, and after not seeing the familiar wallet, she put the lamp down and said. "Could it be under the lamp?" "You silly girl." "What does the wallet look like?" "I''ll help you find it." Sun Tao rolled off the bed and looked at Xia Mu Zhu, asking. "It''s a porcelain blue rectangular small leather bag with a gold buckle." Xia Mu Zhu briefly described the appearance of the wallet, and Sun Tao immediately joined the search party. The two of them flipped and searched, and it was only after Sun Tao had flipped the mattress for the third time without finding the wallet that they finally accepted the fact that the wallet was lost. "Was there anything valuable in the wallet?" Sun Tao turned to look at Xia Mu Zhu, asking worriedly. Xia Mu Zhu thought for a moment and nodded, saying: "Yes." "All three of my bank cards are in the wallet, along with a few thousand yuan in cash, and my ID card is also in the wallet."