Bowing to Reality

The thick snow hadn’t settled long, still carrying that fresh, crisp scent.

A cold wind swept through, brushing away a thin layer of snowflakes from the treetops and rooftops.

The slightly hard snowflakes pelted Lin Yu’s skin, almost making him think it was snowing again.

He sat on the bench, lost in thought for a long while.

In the end, Lin Yu made up his mind.

It seemed he really wasn’t the kind of person who could make this kind of money...

How baffling.

Lin Yu gave a self-mocking bitter smile, gazing at the beautifully solemn winter night scene. His mood was complicated beyond words.

This kind of thing—getting paid well and being with an absolutely stunning beauty—was the dream of countless men.

But when it came to him, he actually didn’t know his own good and wanted to refuse?

Truly clueless.

Sigh.

He sighed again and rubbed his face hard.

Lin Yu forced himself not to think too much.

Since the decision was made, so be it.

He simply couldn’t earn this quick money.

Better to honestly stick to his pure love.

Taking out his phone, he transferred the remaining 300,000 yuan from his bank card back, and suddenly felt a great weight lift off his shoulders.

It was as if some heavy burden had been removed, even his heartbeat felt lighter.

Lin Yu had thought that making this decision—bearing such a huge debt—would crush him with pressure.

But unexpectedly, he felt strangely relieved instead.

Looking at the snowy night scene, Lin Yu smiled knowingly.

Damn it.

He really was born a pure love saint.

This pure love forum needs a boss like me!

“Macabaca, Akawaka, Mikamaka, mm.”

“Macabaca, Abayaka...”

His steady voice spoke with utmost seriousness, yet what came out was a childish, silly, and adorably cute nursery rhyme.

The contrast was enough to make anyone burst out laughing.

Looking at the incoming call on his phone, Lin Yu was a little surprised.

Qing Mo was quick to react.

He had just transferred the money, and she had already received it?

After a moment’s thought, Lin Yu answered the call, putting the phone to his ear.

Some things were better said clearly.

“What do you mean?” Qing Mo’s voice was cold and accusatory. She instantly transformed back into the high-ranking ice-cold CEO, as if the woman who had begged him with tender eyes before their parting was someone else entirely.

“Nothing,” Lin Yu replied calmly.

“I just can’t do this job.”

“I’m returning the 300,000 to you first. The rest of the money...”

“I’ll pay you back in the next day or two.”

Silence fell on the other end of the line. After a moment, Qing Mo suddenly asked,

“Are you messing with me?”

“No.”

Lin Yu thought for a moment, then decided to say everything clearly.

“This kind of thing, I want to do it only with someone I like.”

“Sorry, I broke my promise.”

“I’ll pay you back as soon as possible.”

Having said that, without waiting for Qing Mo’s reply, Lin Yu quickly hung up.

Just as he put down the phone, barely having time to feel proud of being true to his forum friends and worthy of the pure love forum boss title, the “Macabaca” ringtone sounded again.

Lin Yu looked down at the phone number on the screen, the same as before. He sniffed, thought it over, and still decided to answer the call.

Before Lin Yu could say a word, a cold, furious voice came through the phone.

“I don’t agree!”

“What do I need your permission for?”

Out of muscle memory, Lin Yu snapped back without hesitation:

“If you don’t agree, then just keep it to yourself!”

“Get lost!”

After the insult, Lin Yu promptly hung up.

Before he could even let out a long breath, the phone rang again. Seeing Qing Mo’s number flashing on the screen, Lin Yu hesitated, not wanting to pick up this time.

But then he thought, if he didn’t answer, Qing Mo would probably still be waiting outside the school gate tomorrow night.

Being treated like a joke would be one thing, but it would seriously affect Tang Manman’s studies.

After a moment of inner struggle, Lin Yu decided to answer the call.

The moment the call connected, Lin Yu braced himself to hear Qing Mo lose her temper again. But to his surprise, her voice was now incredibly soft, laced with a deep sense of pleading.

“Lin Yu, please don’t be like this, okay?”

“If you don’t want to do those things, we don’t have to.”

“Can you just... just keep me company for a bit? Just treat it like that, please?”

Hearing Qing Mo’s humble words, Lin Yu fell into silence for a moment.

It wasn’t that he was moved by her proposal, but he was genuinely surprised that she could humble herself like this, lowering her pride.

That was truly unexpected.

On the other end, Qing Mo saw Lin Yu’s silence as a sign of hope and quickly pressed on:

“Lin Yu, I know you used that 500,000 yuan to pay the medical bills for that girl’s little sister.”

“I also know that if you want to pay off that debt, you’ll have to ask another girl for help, right?”

“Please don’t do this.”

“Lin Yu, I don’t want the remaining 500,000 yuan. You just... just spend some time with me, satisfy me a little, okay? We don’t have to do those things.”

Listening to Qing Mo’s desperate pleas, Lin Yu’s heart twisted. He felt he shouldn’t agree, but he was also deeply troubled by that huge sum of 400,000 yuan. He could only remain silent.

“Lin Yu, please say yes.”

“I know all your money has been used to cover medical expenses.”

“Even if you manage to get that woman to pay 500,000 yuan to help you clear the debt, what will you do afterward?”

“Do you still have money to live on?”

“That girl’s little sister’s condition is still unstable. Those medical bills might not be enough. What will you do then?”

“You’re going to college, right?”

“How will you pay your tuition fees?”

Qing Mo’s voice was soft and urgent. Every word she spoke could have been a devastating weapon against Lin Yu, yet her tone was filled with pleading and concern for him, so humble it stirred a reluctant sympathy.

It was like a general holding absolute power willingly submitting as a slave, still loyally devoted to an emperor who had been reduced to a mere figurehead.

“Please, just say yes.”

“I know you’re not incapable of handling these things, but there’s no need for you to wear yourself out like this.”

“Promise me, will you?”

“I’m begging you...”

Listening to Qing Mo’s endless pleas, Lin Yu let out a helpless sigh, a warm breath escaping his lips...

...

“Alright, since you’re begging me like this, I’ll reluctantly agree to keep you company for a while.”

“After all, people as shameless as you are pretty rare. Consider it an experience of the diversity of life in this vast world.”

Lin Yu’s sarcastic tone echoed softly from the speaker of the phone, filling the elegantly decorated bedroom.

Qing Mo’s straightened spine suddenly slumped, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her heart. She relaxed completely, cupping the phone at her ear with both hands, her voice gentle as she said,

“Thank you.”

“No need to thank me, you shameless brat.”

A teasing farewell rang out, the call ended, and Qing Mo collapsed weakly onto the snow-white silk duvet.

Her expression held an unusual excitement that one wouldn’t expect when being insulted, but beneath that strange exhilaration was a deep, hidden pain, making her look painfully torn apart.

She lay on her side, her delicate and graceful body slowly curling up.

Before tears could gather on her shimmering lashes, her long, pale fingers gently covered her twisted, anguished face.