If you can't afford to provoke, you can afford to hide

"Let's go!"

Seizing the moment Tang Manman paused, Lin Yu grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

Qing Mo was clearly looking for trouble—if they didn’t leave now, when would they?

Wait for the two of them to start fighting?

Without another word, Lin Yu dragged Tang Manman away, glancing back as they walked. Seeing Qing Mo standing frozen in place, her face cold with no intention of chasing them, Lin Yu finally relaxed.

Good.

If she had gotten tangled up with them, who knew how today would’ve ended!

"Come on, I’ll take you down the other way."

"It’s faster that way."

Lin Yu was blatantly lying through his teeth, pretending not to see the long escalator right behind Qing Mo.

Whatever worked to get them out of there!

Even the flimsiest excuse was still an excuse!

Holding Tang Manman’s hand, he walked briskly for several minutes before looking back again. Only when Qing Mo had completely disappeared from sight did Lin Yu finally exhale and let go of Tang Manman’s hand.

"Let’s go."

"I remember there’s another escalator up ahead. We’ll take that one down."

With that, Lin Yu lifted his foot, ready to move on.

"...Was it her?"

A soft, hesitant voice spoke beside him.

"Huh? Who?"

Lin Yu froze for a second before realizing who Tang Manman meant.

Tang Manman’s eyes were downcast, her whole demeanor wilted like a flower. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she asked:

"That person… the one at the school gate who said she wanted to… keep you."

"Was it her?"

"..."

Lin Yu was momentarily speechless, unsure how to answer without hurting her. After a pause, he reached out and lightly tapped her forehead, forcing a clumsy change of subject.

"Don’t overthink it."

"Let’s go watch the lion dance downstairs."

"......"

Tang Manman stayed silent for a few seconds before nodding slowly—obedient, easy to push around.

If he didn’t want her to think about it, she wouldn’t.

The lion dance on the first floor was lively, but Lin Yu couldn’t focus on it.

His head kept turning, scanning the crowd.

Between watching out for Xia Muzhu and keeping an eye out for Qing Mo, he was practically juggling.

Tang Manman, ever perceptive, noticed his distraction. After a moment, she gently tugged his sleeve and murmured:

"I don’t want to watch anymore."

"Let’s just finish shopping and go."

"Sure!"

Lin Yu couldn’t agree fast enough, steering Tang Manman out of the crowd.

But the moment they broke free, he spotted a familiar figure approaching and instinctively tried to duck back into the throng.

Damn it!

Why today of all—

Wait.

Why was he even avoiding her?

Realizing there was no need to hide, Lin Yu relaxed and turned back, continuing toward the exit.

As Su Yuyao’s face lit up with delight, Lin Yu mouthed a sharp "Get lost" with a glare.

Once the easiest nuisance was dealt with, he and Tang Manman headed for the supermarket...

...

Maybe they’d already run into everyone they were meant to.

The rest of the shopping trip went smoothly—no more familiar faces, no encounters that seemed normal but felt unsettling upon closer thought.

Since they were stocking up for the New Year, the list was long. Very long.

So long that the two of them could barely carry everything.

In the end, they had to split the haul into two trips.

First, they’d take the groceries and other purchases home, then come back for the plushies.

Luckily, they had plenty of time to take it slow.

When they met up again, Lin Yu accompanied Tang Manman to the cinema to pick up the plushies.

The moment the clerk handed over the neatly packaged toys, Tang Manman’s mood brightened instantly.

She ran her fingers over each one, eyes crinkling with joy—a sight so lovely it was almost childlike.

Amused, Lin Yu nearly teased her about acting like she’d never seen a plushie before.

But the words died in his throat.

What if asking if she’d never had toys like these only brought up painful memories?

Swallowing the jab, he opted for a safer, more important question instead.

"How’s your sister’s recovery going?"

Tang Manman smiled faintly.

"She’s doing much better."

"She can already get out of bed on her own now."

"Another month or so, and she’ll be discharged."

Lin Yu nodded.

"Let’s go visit her together."

"Okay."

Tang Manman agreed without hesitation.

Stepping onto the escalator, their view gradually descended. As the ground floor came into focus, Lin Yu suddenly turned to Tang Manman.

"Does your sister hate anything in particular?"

...

Click!

The door handle turned abruptly. On the hospital bed, a black-haired girl scrambled to shove a glowing black object under the covers, guilt written all over her face.

The door swung open. Spotting the two visitors, the girl’s expression flickered with surprise—as if she hadn’t expected these two, or more precisely, hadn’t expected him to come.

Memories of what happened before she lost consciousness resurfaced, and the guilt returned full force.

She grinned, all sweet innocence and appeasement.

"Lin Yu-gege, what brings you here?"

"I came to see you, of course."

"Tang Qinqin-meimei."

Lin Yu’s smile was even brighter than hers—though his carried an edge that made the hairs on her neck stand up.

"Here, I brought you a gift."

Lin Yu stepped closer, extending his left hand toward Tang Qinqin.

Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the mango cake. Beaming, she reached for it with a sugary "Thank you, Lin Yu-gege!"

Just as her pale fingers were about to touch the box, Lin Yu lifted it just out of reach.

Feigning regret, he tutted.

"Ah, my mistake. This one’s for me and your sister."

"Your gift is right here."

Lowering his left hand, he raised his right, waving a cartoon-patterned thermos under her nose.

A faint aroma seeped from the lid—rich, savory, with an underlying hint of bean paste.

Tang Qinqin’s face drained of color.

Lin Yu’s grin widened.

"Drink up while it’s hot."

"It’s good for you!"