The Future Destiny

In the end, Lin Yu couldn’t change Qing Mo’s mind, so he had to go to Class B2 himself while Tang Manman stayed in her familiar Class B1.

After switching to Class B2, Lin Yu immediately felt a different kind of pressure compared to Class A16.

The familiar grind of senior year was back in full force!

It was the kind of senior year where you didn’t even need to push yourself—just the endless barrage of exams and homework was enough to crush you!

Amid the relentless academic workload, Lin Yu gradually lost track of time...

But he didn’t forget about Gu Yue.

After just one morning in Class B2, Lin Yu, already suffering, decided he shouldn’t endure this torment alone!

So during lunch that day, he sought out Gu Yue and asked for her opinion.

"Hey, kid."

"Do you want to gain power (scratch that) knowledge?"

Under Gu Yue’s confused but obedient gaze, Lin Yu smiled with satisfaction and promptly arranged for her to join Class B3.

That evening after school, Gu Yue tearfully confronted Lin Yu, begging him to transfer her back to Class A.

When he flatly refused her unreasonable request, she settled for the next best thing—asking to join Lin Yu’s Class B2. At least having someone familiar around would be better than being alone in a strange class.

Lin Yu thought of Tang Manman and rejected her again, opting instead to dangle a grand promise in front of her.

"Study hard!"

"When we both get into top-tier universities, I’ll still be your big brother and look out for you!"

...

After a drizzling spring rain, the soil softened, and branches burst into bloom.

It was as if the world had taken one giant stride straight into spring overnight.

Vibrant yet tiny wildflowers and weeds stealthily emerged from the soil when no one was looking, aggressively yet tenderly claiming the entire city, gently soothing the wounds winter had inflicted on all living things.

Lin Yu stood outside the gates of Fourteenth High, waiting for someone. As he idly glanced at the specks of colorful flowers sprouting in the nearby greenery, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of nervousness.

He was about to see Tang’s mother again.

At the thought, Lin Yu exhaled heavily, his heart restless.

So far, every plotline from the adult manga had played out in reality.

Only the unresolved subplot involving Tang’s mother remained a mystery.

She was like a loose thread on a shirt—no one knew how much fabric it was connected to or how much trouble it might unravel!

"Ugh!"

"What a mess!"

Lin Yu rubbed his temples in frustration.

He didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if fate intervened and he somehow ended up entangled with Tang’s mother. How would he ever face Tang Manman afterward?

She was so gentle and soft-hearted.

A betrayal like that would probably shatter her.

The more he dwelled on it, the more his frown deepened. Stirred by agitation, he found himself craving the taste of a cigarette for the first time in a while.

As he glanced around, considering ducking into a convenience store for a pack, two excited voices called out to him simultaneously from behind.

"Long Aotian!"

"Brother-in-law!"

???

The two starkly different greetings filled Lin Yu’s head with question marks.

This was Fourteenth High, where Xia Yueshan attended school.

The title "Long Aotian" was undoubtedly Xia Yueshan’s doing, so that wasn’t surprising.

But who the heck was calling him "brother-in-law"?

Turning around in bewilderment, he saw two teenagers of similar height standing nearby.

The slightly shorter Xia Yueshan scowled, his thick brows furrowed as he glared at the girl beside him with a mix of shock and displeasure, as if she were an enemy.

"Who are you calling brother-in-law?"

The slightly taller girl, who bore a striking resemblance to Tang Manman at first glance but looked entirely different upon closer inspection, planted her hands on her hips and declared confidently:

"I’m calling Lin Yu brother-in-law!"

"What’s it to you?"

"Since when is he your brother-in-law?" Xia Yueshan’s voice rose sharply, almost cracking.

"He’s been my brother-in-law for a while now!" Tang Qinqin gloated.

"And he’s coming to my house today to meet my mom!"

"Huh?!"

Xia Yueshan’s jaw dropped. He whipped his head toward Lin Yu, eyes demanding an explanation.

Lin Yu shot Tang Qinqin a warning glare first.

"Stop spouting nonsense!"

Then he turned to Xia Yueshan.

"I just helped her family with something. Her mom invited me over for dinner today, that’s all."

Only then did Xia Yueshan relax.

Lin Yu’s task today was to pick up Tang Qinqin from school and take her home.

Tang Manman and Tang’s mother were busy cooking and couldn’t come, so they’d asked Lin Yu to fetch Tang Qinqin instead.

Now that he’d found her, Lin Yu was about to leave when he ran into Xia Yueshan. After a moment’s thought, he fished out a hundred-yuan bill from his pocket and sent Tang Qinqin off to buy snacks from a nearby stall.

Then he pulled Xia Yueshan aside to ask about his sister’s recent situation.

"She’s... okay, I guess." Xia Yueshan pouted, clearly unhappy.

"Same as before, just living her life."

"Though she’s way more timid now."

"She won’t go out at night unless I’m with her."

"Even during the day, she sticks to crowded main roads."

"Avoids alleys completely."

Lin Yu nodded in understanding.

"Yeah."

"Better safe than sorry."

"Caution keeps you out of trouble."

He still couldn’t shake his concern over Xia Muzhu’s tragic fate in the adult manga.

But things should be fine now.

The culprit was already dead.

Probably reduced to ashes by now.

Her calamity must have been averted, right?

Just as Lin Yu thought this, Xia Yueshan coincidentally brought up the same topic.

"Lin Yu, do you think my sister will ever be in danger again?"

Xia Yueshan still believed Lin Yu’s earlier lie about being able to read fortunes and predict the future.

"You said before that my sister had a doomed fate."

"That her forehead was dark—a sign of rotten luck in love."

"That she might get... assaulted."

"After that guy went to jail, you said being around you might put her in danger."

"And that came true too—he escaped from the hospital."

"Almost hurt her again."

"So what now?"

"Will my sister face anything like that in the future?"

Lin Yu frowned slightly, thinking it over before continuing the charade with his honest conclusion.

"Probably not."

"But I’m just an amateur."

"Figuring out that much was already pushing it."

"No clue what comes next."

"Same advice as always."

"Stay cautious."

"Tell her to always carry her self-defense stuff when she goes out."

"Better safe than sorry!"