Goodbye to Xia Yueshan Too

"Mm."

Xia Muzhu gave a slight nod, her gentle face forcing a somewhat stiff smile in response to Lin Yu's earlier greeting.

Compared to adults who were better at masking their emotions, Xia Yueshan had no such reservations.

His little face was dark with displeasure, his eyes glaring fiercely at Lin Yu, clearly broadcasting his resentment—how dare this guy wrong his sister?

Ignoring the meddlesome kid who understood little but interfered much, Lin Yu instead felt the weight of Tang Manman's questioning gaze beside him. The awkward tension in the air was palpable, so he tried to lighten the mood by introducing the two parties:

"Manman, this is Xia Muzhu—Sister Muzhu. She’s someone I know, a really kind person who’s helped me a lot before."

To his surprise, the introduction only made the atmosphere worse.

Tang Manman, arms full of plush toys, had lost her earlier cheerfulness, her usual liveliness replaced by silence.

Across from them, Xia Muzhu’s reaction was even more strained. When Lin Yu mentioned how much she’d helped him, her lips twitched visibly. Her gentle brows furrowed slightly, and the smile on her face grew increasingly forced—as if it took tremendous effort just to maintain that soft, polite expression.

Lin Yu had no idea what had gone wrong, but a sinking feeling told him he’d messed up. He licked his lips nervously, unsure how to salvage the situation.

Just as the awkwardness reached unbearable levels, Xia Yueshan suddenly spoke up:

"Why didn’t you introduce me to her?"

Lin Yu turned to the boy, a surge of gratitude welling up in his chest.

Good kid!

I haven’t spoiled you for nothing!

You actually stepped up to save your big bro from this mess.

I knew I could count on you!

Facing Tang Manman, whose smile had all but vanished, Lin Yu chuckled and said,

"This is Xia Yueshan, he’s—"

Seizing the moment, Xia Yueshan loudly cut in:

"I’m his brother-in-law!"

"Whoa—"

A wave of murmurs and gasps rippled through the cinema lobby. Moviegoers waiting to enter turned to each other, eyes alight with gossip, their excitement momentarily overshadowing the film they’d come to see.

Who needs scripted drama when you’ve got real-life entertainment like this?

Under the scrutiny of so many onlookers, Lin Yu burned with embarrassment and frustration—though a small part of him was weirdly envious.

Dammit.

Can I just sneak out and join them?

I love watching drama, but I don’t wanna be the drama!

Before Lin Yu could react, Xia Muzhu frowned and gently scolded her brother,

"Yueshan, stop talking nonsense."

Xia Yueshan pouted but didn’t push further.

"Kung Fu Panda 4, 11:30 screening—please proceed to the ticket counter if you haven’t checked in yet," a sweet-voiced staff member announced over the speakers.

But hardly anyone paid attention. All eyes remained fixed on the four figures by the claw machine.

Who cares about a movie when there’s juicy gossip unfolding right here?

Hearing the announcement, Xia Muzhu glanced at her ticket—the 11:30 showtime matched. She raised it slightly and waved at Lin Yu with a smile.

"The movie’s starting. We’ll head in first."

Lin Yu nodded eagerly.

"Sure. See you later, Sister Muzhu."

Then, his tone shifting from warm to thinly veiled menace, he added,

"And goodbye to you too, Xia Yueshan!"

Better hope I don’t catch you alone later.

Or you’re in for a world of trouble.

The last part went unspoken, simmering in Lin Yu’s thoughts.

As Xia Muzhu and her brother walked toward the ticket counter, Lin Yu checked his own ticket—also for the 11:30 screening.

After dropping off the plush toys at the storage counter and deliberately stalling to avoid another awkward encounter, he finally led Tang Manman toward the theater entrance, stopping first to buy popcorn and sodas for further delay.

While lining up, Lin Yu shot a grateful glance at the sweet-voiced staff member—only to notice she looked upset, her eyes reddened as if she’d been wronged.

Just as he wondered what happened, a middle-aged woman ahead snatched her ticket back rudely and grumbled,

"Terrible timing to speak up."

The girl’s face fell even further.

Ah. So that’s why.

Under her resentful stare, Lin Yu ducked his head, took their tickets, and hurried Tang Manman into the theater hallway.

Once inside, he scanned the crowd and sighed in relief—no sign of Xia Muzhu or her brother.

Turning to Tang Manman, who still seemed downcast, he hesitated before explaining,

"There’s nothing between me and Sister Muzhu."

"Her brother just likes stirring up trouble."

"He’s young and clueless, always playing matchmaker where there’s none."

"Don’t take it seriously, okay?"

At his words, Tang Manman lifted her head, her peach-blossom eyes brightening instantly, as if happiness had flooded back in a heartbeat.

Lin Yu was baffled—how is she this easy to cheer up?

But he didn’t dwell on it. As long as she was happy.

Clutching the popcorn buckets, he led the way, alternating between checking their ticket and squinting at the theater numbers overhead.

Behind him, Tang Manman followed obediently, a soda in each hand, her pretty eyes crinkling with joy.

He explained it to me~

He cares!