Be there or be square

Studying was always tedious and dull, but when Lin Yu took a break and looked out the window at the lively scene outside, he suddenly found the monotony of studying a little more bearable.

Faced with two painful choices,

people often pick the one that hurts less.

With a sigh, Lin Yu, who had just sat down on the bed, stood up again and returned to his desk to continue studying.

Settling into his chair, he reached out to pick up his pen.

Just then, a text notification chimed. Lin Yu glanced at it reflexively, and his eyes widened when he saw the pending transfer notification.

A hundred thousand?

Who in their right mind would send him that much money?

Lin Yu looked closer and realized the sender was Tang Manman.

He picked up his phone but didn’t accept the money yet, typing out a question instead.

Lin Yu: What’s up?

Tang Manman: Mom told me to pay you back 100k first.

Lin Yu: I’m in no rush. If you need the money, keep it for now.

Tang Manman: We have enough for daily expenses now.

Tang Manman: I got a 60k scholarship from the last exam, so Mom said I should return 100k to you.

Lin Yu: How’s your sister doing?

Lin Yu: Don’t you need to save some just in case?

Tang Manman: Qin Qin’s recovery is going well. The deposit you paid at the hospital is more than enough—no need to add more.

Lin Yu: Got it.

At this point, Lin Yu thought it over and decided to accept the money.

If Tang Manman didn’t need it anymore, there was no point forcing it on her.

After accepting the transfer, Lin Yu assumed the conversation was over. He turned off his phone screen and refocused on his foreign language textbook—only for another text to chime.

Lin Yu glanced over and raised an eyebrow at the message.

Tang Manman: Are you free the day after tomorrow?

Lin Yu: Yeah, what’s up?

Tang Manman: I was thinking of going out to buy some things for the New Year…

Lin Yu: OK.

Lin Yu: Let’s go together.

Tang Manman: ⁽⁽ଘ(ˊᵕˋ)ଓ⁾⁾

Lin Yu: Don’t forget the coupons.

Tang Manman: （╥﹏╥)

The stark contrast between Tang Manman’s two emoticon-packed replies made Lin Yu chuckle.

After sending a final “No freeloading,” he turned his attention back to his textbook…

…

After a grueling morning of studying, Lin Yu ordered takeout, planning to eat and then nap before resuming in the afternoon.

But before he could even set his phone down, a new message popped up on the screen.

Lin Yu blinked at the friend request.

Zhao She?

Had there been progress on that matter?

His mind instantly flashed back to the favor he’d asked of Black Tiger—the one Zhao She had readily agreed to handle.

He quickly accepted the request. Before he could even pull up the keyboard, a photo appeared in the otherwise empty chat.

It was a picture of a dying man.

The man’s face was a mess of bruises and blood, his nose crooked beyond recognition.

But the most jarring detail wasn’t his injuries—it was his neck, drenched in blood.

Embedded in the left side was the handle of a fruit knife, the blade nowhere to be seen.

The sharp blade had clearly pierced entirely through the man's neck.

He was dead.

This man, who in the original storyline would have driven Xia Muzhu into endless despair, was dead.

Dead beyond any doubt.

Looking at the photo, Lin Yu felt a twinge of melancholy, but more than anything, he felt relief.

He was dead.

Xia Muzhu would be safe now.

She...

She...

She probably wouldn’t fall into the same kind of breakdown from the end of that second steamy storyline, right?

Recalling the plot details about Xia Muzhu from his memories—

At the end of that adult comic chapter, her hair disheveled, she had sobbed and begged the original protagonist not to leave her, promising she’d do anything.

Surely, such a thing would vanish along with this man’s death, wouldn’t it?

Yeah.

Definitely.

It had to be that way.

After all, with the mastermind dead, what else could possibly drive Xia Muzhu to such a state of collapse?

Shaking his head lightly, Lin Yu suppressed the unease in his chest and stared at the man in the photo, feeling increasingly reassured.

The fruit knife had stabbed clean through his neck, the tip even slightly tenting the skin on the other side.

If this guy could still come back and cause trouble after that, then the world Lin Yu was living in wasn’t just some adult comic—it’d be a full-blown supernatural horror story!

Before he could examine the photo further, it suddenly disappeared—clearly recalled by the sender.

A moment later, a message popped up.

Zhao She: "Yu, just let me know if you need anything else in the future. No need to be formal."

Reading the message, Lin Yu hesitated briefly before replying politely.

Lin Yu: "Thanks, man. Appreciate it."

Zhao She: "No big deal."

With the conversation over, Lin Yu set his phone down, unable to shake a lingering sense of awe.

A life had just been erased between the lines of text.

Did this count as his first kill?

Probably, right?

After all, he was the one who wanted the man dead.

Tsk.

What a waste.

If only he’d had these connections earlier, he could’ve taken care of this sooner!

Almost let him ruin Xia Yueshan’s life!

Scratching his head, Lin Yu turned back to his studies, but just as he picked up his pen, his phone buzzed again.

He glanced at it, exasperated.

Couldn’t people just send all their messages at once?

Did they really have to space them out like this?

Picking up the phone, he saw Qing Mo’s text: "Come out and keep me company." His head throbbed.

Seriously, sis.

I get that your 26 years of ascetic living might’ve left you a little too pent-up, but that’s no excuse to go off the rails like this!

At this rate, it’s practically becoming a three-meals-a-day thing!

What, are you treating this like food now?

Ugh.

Honestly, it was his own fault—that day, out of some misguided pity, he’d thought to cheer her up and help her relieve stress, repeating what they’d done during their second encounter. After all, he’d taken her money; might as well solve her problems.

And now?

Before the fourth female lead could even develop a taste for it, Qing Mo had already gotten addicted!

After a moment’s thought, Lin Yu decided against indulging her this time and typed back a word of caution.

Lin Yu: "Moderation is key!"

Qing Mo: "I’m not a man. What do I need moderation for?"

...

Lin Yu was left speechless.

Damn.

She had a point.

Can’t even argue with that.

Lin Yu: "No time today. Maybe another day."

He figured he’d just let it slide—he wasn’t in the mood to move today. If he felt like it later, then maybe.

Qing Mo: "Tomorrow?"

...

Seeing that Qing Mo had replied almost the second after he sent his message, Lin Yu smacked his lips, gaining a clearer understanding of just how eager she was.

Lin Yu had initially planned to push it off a bit longer, but remembering his upcoming appointment with Tang Manman the day after tomorrow, he decided to agree.

Dragon Overlord: Aight.

As soon as he sent that, another message popped up immediately.

Model Student: Bro Dragon, you free anytime soon?

Looking at Gu Yue’s invitation, Lin Yu hesitated for a moment before deciding to decline. He should probably stay home and hit the books for a while.

Once you make a decision, you’ve gotta put in the effort, right?

Can’t just mess around all day!

With that in mind, Lin Yu started typing his reply.

Dragon Overlord: Nah, gonna stay in and study for now.

Model Student: Alright.

Model Student: Heard there’s a new steak buffet down in Qiaonan—only 49 bucks per person right now, half off!

Model Student: Was thinking we could check it out together.

Dragon Overlord: Tomorrow night, 7 PM. Don’t be late!