Goodbye Forever

After Qing Mo slowly uttered those two words, the atmosphere in the private room instantly froze.

Lin Yu stared blankly at Qing Mo.

The icy expression on her face had mostly melted away under the influence of alcohol, revealing a vibrant, spring-like allure that was utterly captivating.

But Lin Yu had no mind to appreciate her drunken, mesmerizing beauty at the moment.

His thoughts were entirely consumed by that intangible, elusive thing called fate.

Recalling the events of the day he met the third female lead, Lin Yu felt so overwhelmed that he could barely stand steady.

From Tang Manman’s confession that morning, to being tricked into playing games all day, and then the string of misfortunes that followed—

Lin Yu felt as if each and every one of these incidents had been meticulously arranged by some unseen force.

The purpose? To provoke his anger, to push him to his limit, and then deliver him right into the presence of the third female lead, creating the exact situation he now faced.

What shattered Lin Yu even more was the realization—

Every choice that led to that day had been his own.

It was his decision to reject Tang Manman’s confession.

His choice to go to the internet café to unwind with games.

His call to visit the mall to buy winter clothes.

His preference to take a taxi instead of riding his motorcycle...

Every single step had been a choice he made with his own hands.

Even encountering the third female lead was a result of his attempt to turn away from fate—only to run into her on the very path he took to escape.

The fate he had tried so desperately to avoid had been born from his own decisions...

How absurdly laughable.

Gazing into Qing Mo’s hazy eyes, Lin Yu took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. He reminded himself that things hadn’t spiraled completely out of control yet.

So what if the third female lead had… unconventional preferences?

It wasn’t like he was the only one who could fulfill that role.

Anyone could hit someone—there was no reason she had to fixate on him.

With that thought, Lin Yu spoke up:

“Is this why you want to keep me?”

Seeing Qing Mo nod slightly, her drunken eyes downcast, Lin Yu tried to reason with her:

“I really don’t think you need to go through the trouble of choosing me.”

“You could easily find someone else.”

“Like that scheming decoy of yours, or anyone else, really.”

“With your wealth, finding someone with sadis—”

Lin Yu paused, opting for a more tactful phrasing:

“Finding someone with those tendencies should be easy.”

“There’s no need to go through the hassle of keeping me.”

“I have no interest in you, or in that kind of thing.”

“Honestly, you might not know this, but at my school, I’m known for being gentle, reserved, and humble.”

“I wouldn’t dream of hitting anyone—sometimes I even feel guilty stepping on flowers or grass.”

“What happened that night was a one-time thing. Normally, I’m very gentle with women.”

“So I sincerely suggest you look for someone else.”

“Just forget about me.”

After finishing his long, half-hearted speech, Lin Yu quietly observed Qing Mo’s reaction.

A faint, resigned smirk curled at the corner of her lips as she murmured:

“If it were as easy as you say, I wouldn’t have come looking for you again today.”

She lifted a delicate hand, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, revealing the flushed, burning red tip.

Her intoxicated gaze fixed on Lin Yu, her voice no longer icy but tinged with drunken fascination as she said:

“Lin Yu, do you know something?”

“No matter how fiercely or cruelly others pretend, to me, they’re nothing more than kittens with ‘king’ scrawled on their foreheads.”

“They don’t stir even a flicker of interest in me.”

“Only you are different.”

“How am I different?”

Lin Yu frowned, baffled:

“Even if I agreed and did what you wanted, wouldn’t I just be like the rest?”

“Holding back, being careful of your status…”

“What makes me so special?”

Qing Mo shook her head, her voice slow but firm:

“You’re not the same.”

She leaned forward, propping her chin on one hand, her eyes glazed with infatuation as she gazed at Lin Yu and whispered:

“Lin Yu.”

“Do you know?”

“You don’t even have to do anything. Just standing there, I…”

“I just…”

She trailed off, staring at him silently for a long moment before continuing in a hushed voice:

“I can’t quite describe it.”

“My heart tightens.”

“My breathing quickens, my body tenses uncontrollably.”

“Is it fear?”

“Or excitement?”

Her voice dropped to a whisper as she mused to herself:

“I can’t tell.”

“But I don’t dislike this feeling.”

“Or rather…”

Here, Qing Mo suddenly smiled—a breathtaking, dazzling sight.

Her intoxicated eyes locked onto Lin Yu, her crossed legs shifting almost imperceptibly before she recrossed them the other way. A faint rasp colored her voice as she murmured:

“This sensation…”

“It’s intoxicating.”

“You’re seriously sick. Go see a doctor.”

“Maybe there’s still time to fix you.”

Lin Yu had truly lost his composure.

What kind of lunatic was this?!

Was she actually trying to claim him as her master or something?

This was insane!

Every one of them was insane!

…

Wait, no.

Tang Manman and Xia Muzhu had their reasons—but this third female lead?

This Qing Mo?

She was genuinely deranged!

Lin Yu gritted his teeth, seething—not just at the unhinged third female lead, but even more at that enigmatic, inescapable fate that had orchestrated their meeting in such a twisted way.

While Lin Yu fumed, Qing Mo remained utterly unruffled, completely unfazed by his insults. If anything, she seemed amused, her eyes narrowing in a way that only stoked Lin Yu’s fury.

“Stay away from me from now on.”

“Don’t come looking for me again.”

“Let me repeat—I have zero interest in you or your money.”

“If you dare approach me again…”

Noticing the sudden spark in Qing Mo’s drunken eyes, Lin Yu forcefully swallowed back the words “I’ll punch you dead.”

Damn it!

This is infuriating!

Lin Yu’s teeth ground together.

Now he finally understood that popular saying online:

I really want to hit you, but I’m afraid you’d enjoy it.

“Just stay the hell away from me!”

Lin Yu spat the words out bitterly before turning on his heel and storming off.

As he stepped out of the private room, Lin Yu suddenly halted. A thought struck him, and he spun around, marching back to the door. He pushed it open, sticking his head inside, and demanded bluntly:

“Answer me one thing.”

“Did you feel what you described when you first saw me?”

When Qing Mo slowly shook her head, Lin Yu turned and left without another word.

“Good riddance!”