The Irreversible Mistake

Hearing Zhao Dahu's sincere words, Lin Yu was visibly moved and nodded.

The principles of the older generation might be simple, but most of them carried a warmth that resonated deeply.

Looking at the stack of cash—roughly five thousand yuan—Lin Yu didn’t reach out to take it. Instead, he waved his hand and said,

"Keep the money."

"You’re on your own now, and you’ll need it for a lot of things."

Zhao Dahu stayed silent. He didn’t thank Lin Yu and take the money back, but he also didn’t bring up returning it again.

Clearly, he was torn. He wanted to follow his grandfather’s teachings and return the unused money, yet he knew he desperately needed it to get by.

Noticing his hesitation, Lin Yu took the cash and stuffed it back into Zhao Dahu’s pocket, patting the bulging fabric as he said,

"Just take it."

"If you really feel bad about it, think of it as a loan."

"You can pay me back later, alright?"

Only after Lin Yu said this did Zhao Dahu nod, accepting the money with a hint of embarrassment.

"Alright, go do whatever you need to do."

Lin Yu yawned, rubbing his eyes as he added,

"I’m in a hurry to get back and sleep."

With that, he turned to leave.

"Brother Long."

Zhao Dahu suddenly called out.

"What’s up?"

Lin Yu stopped and glanced back. "Something else?"

Zhao Dahu scratched his head, looking sheepish but with an earnest expression.

"I… I want to follow you."

"Follow me?"

Lin Yu repeated the words, his face unreadably complex.

The request caught him off guard, but it wasn’t entirely surprising.

Unexpected, yet somehow inevitable.

Looking at Zhao Dahu’s burly frame, Lin Yu knew he was a rare powerhouse.

In some gangster movie or drama, he’d be the most loyal enforcer—the kind who struck fear into opponents.

But the problem was, Lin Yu had no plans to get involved in that kind of life!

He just wanted to focus on his studies.

After distancing himself from the four female leads, he aimed to get into a decent university, land a job, and live a quiet, stable life.

What would he even do with a follower like this?

Keep him as a pet until his massive appetite bankrupted him?

Thinking this, Lin Yu shook his head.

"Zhao Dahu, I’m just an ordinary student. My plan is to get into college—not to run the streets or join the underworld. So there’s no way for you to ‘follow’ me, understand?"

"And…"

"Here’s some advice."

"I don’t think the underworld suits you either. You’re too…"

Looking at Zhao Dahu’s honest face, Lin Yu swallowed the word "simpleton" and opted for something gentler.

"You’re too straightforward."

"And I’m not cut out for that life either."

"I know myself—I’m soft-hearted. When it comes to making tough calls, I can’t bring myself to be ruthless."

"If we teamed up, the moment we got chased down, you’d stay behind to cover me. And I wouldn’t have the heart to leave you, so we’d both end up hacked to pieces."

"So."

Lin Yu patted Zhao Dahu’s shoulder and sighed.

"You’d better find another path."

"Something legit."

"Otherwise, with your nature, you’d get tricked into selling yourself out and still help the conman count the cash."

"I get it."

Zhao Dahu nodded, his expression downcast, disappointment plain on his face.

Having said his piece, Lin Yu turned to leave again—but then remembered yesterday’s incident and paused.

"Zhao Dahu, did you go to our class yesterday and beat someone up?"

A flicker of panic crossed Zhao Dahu’s face.

"Sorry, Brother Long. I didn’t know he was your guy."

"No, no."

Lin Yu waved it off.

"He’s not my guy. I don’t have ‘guys.’"

"Wait—"

His mind flashed to Gu Yue.

If anyone counted as his follower, it’d be her.

She helped protect Tang Manman, he looked out for her, even gave her money once…

"Anyway, the guy you hit isn’t connected to me. We’ve got no ties."

Lin Yu brushed it off, then added approvingly,

"No need to apologize. You did the right thing."

"If someone messes with you, hit back."

"Just think before you swing—save yourself from unnecessary trouble later."

Zhao Dahu grinned and nodded.

"Got it."

Amused by his earnestness, Lin Yu chuckled.

"You’ve changed fast."

"Before, you wouldn’t even throw a punch if I dragged your hand for you. Now you’re taking initiative."

"Nice."

"Big improvement."

Zhao Dahu scratched his head and explained,

"My grandpa used to drill it into me—never start fights. His health was bad, and I didn’t want to upset him. Plus, if I hurt someone, we couldn’t afford to pay for it…"

His voice wavered, eyes reddening. Clearly, he hadn’t fully processed his grandfather’s passing.

Lin Yu quickly reassured him,

"Hey, old folks worry too much. It’s fine."

"My grandpa wasn’t always like that," Zhao Dahu murmured, voice thick.

"He used to tell us—if someone bullies you, fight back. Don’t be afraid. The more you fear, the more they’ll target you."

"But after what happened to my brother… he never said those things again."

"He blamed himself. Thought his words influenced my brother… ruined him."

"After that, he’d just tell me—‘You’re big. If someone hits you, just take it. Endure it.’"

"‘Don’t make a mistake you can’t undo.’"

"A mistake you can’t undo?"

Lin Yu’s curiosity flared. He opened his mouth to ask—

Then a pale hand smacked his shoulder, startling him so badly he nearly bit his tongue.

"Brother Long!"

Turning, he saw Gu Yue beaming, her earlier gloom completely gone.

"What’s up with you?"

Lin Yu grumbled, still recovering from the scare. "Win the lottery or something?"

"Better than the lottery!"

Unfazed by his tone, Gu Yue bounced excitedly, grin unstoppable.

"Brother Long, guess what rank I got in the physics exam!"

Not wanting to dampen her mood, Lin Yu mentally calculated before guessing,

"Tenth?"

"Nope! Guess again!"

Gu Yue shook her head, her smile radiant.

"Fifth place?"

Lin Yu ventured another guess.

"Nope, nope!"

"Guess again!"

Gu Yue's grin widened.

"Third?"

Lin Yu asked, his tone laced with disbelief.

"It's first in the class!"

Gu Yue threw her arms up in triumph.

"That impressive?"

Lin Yu was so stunned his jaw practically hit the floor. He quickly pressed,

"What score did you get?"

"Fifty-six!"

"I almost passed!!!"

Gu Yue crossed her arms, preening with pride.

The astonishment drained from Lin Yu's face, leaving him feeling like his earlier excitement had been utterly wasted.

"Hey!"

"What's with that look, Long-ge?"

"This is my first time ranking first in class!"

"Can't you at least give me some emotional support?"

Seeing Lin Yu's utterly deadpan expression, Gu Yue pouted exaggeratedly, her lower lip jutting out in protest.

"Oh, wow, amazing~"

"Our Gu Yue is just brilliant~"

"Truly scraping the cream off the bottom of the barrel—top of the class without even passing."

"Simply spectacular~"

Lin Yu drawled with sarcastic praise.

"Long-ge!"

Gu Yue stomped her foot in frustration.

Lin Yu flashed a cheeky grin and turned to leave.

Gu Yue chased after him, still squawking complaints, leaving Zhao Dahu standing alone, dumbfounded.

Once again, he swallowed that story whole.