Can't Escape

"Just good friends?"

Qing Mo almost laughed in exasperation at Lin Yu's words.

Yet beneath her anger, she realized she truly couldn't pin him down on this.

Sure, he went out of his way every day after school to escort Tang Manman home. Sure, they ate lunch together daily. Sure, they spent every holiday hanging out.

But what did any of that prove?

None of it was concrete evidence of a relationship.

No confessions, no kisses or embraces—not even when they walked together did Lin Yu ever let his hands stray from his pockets, those big paws tucked away as if guarding against some imagined theft of his virtue!

Even though their closeness was obvious to anyone with eyes, when Lin Yu pulled out this excuse, Qing Mo had no choice but to grudgingly accept it.

But she wasn’t about to let him off the hook.

She knew far more than he thought she did.

"Hah."

Qing Mo let out a cold laugh, her sharp phoenix eyes boring into Lin Yu with a threatening glint.

"'Just good friends'?"

"Does Tang Manman know about this?"

"Should I go tell her for you?"

Lin Yu had been wearing a smirk this whole time—smug, even a little triumphant.

But at her words, his expression darkened, replaced by silence, sorrow, and resignation.

It took him a long moment before he finally spoke, his voice low and measured.

"Even if you dragged her here right now, I’d still say the same thing."

"Why?"

Qing Mo’s brows knitted together in frustration.

"After being tricked like this, you’re really going to play the noble fool and take responsibility?"

"Tricked?" Lin Yu frowned.

"Isn’t it obvious?"

Qing Mo spread her hands, speaking deliberately.

"You hadn’t seen that woman, Xia Muzhu, in over half a year, right?"

"Then the moment you meet, you end up in bed."

"Can you honestly say that was your choice?"

When Lin Yu stayed silent, Qing Mo pressed on, her gaze unrelenting.

"Not long ago, you gave up your rented place, threw out half your belongings, even started asking around to sell your beloved motorcycle."

"In such a hurry to liquidate everything—were you planning to move to N City with Tang Manman?"

"First, you gathered all your school friends for a farewell dinner. Then you met with Zhao Dahu, the younger brother of the Black Blood Gang’s leader. After that, you saw another girl—someone close to you."

"Were you saying goodbye to them all?"

"I’m guessing you went to see Xia Muzhu for the same reason, right?"

"Half a year apart, barely any connection between you two."

"There’s no reason you’d suddenly end up in bed together."

"You’re not the type to lose control over lust."

"So there’s only one answer left: she set you up."

"Am I right?"

Qing Mo stared at him, radiating the confidence of someone who’d pieced everything together.

Lin Yu didn’t answer. Instead, he muttered just loud enough for her to hear:

"Damn stalker."

She ignored the jab, waiting for his response.

"It wasn’t a setup."

"It was..."

He hesitated, then exhaled sharply, as if forcing out the words.

"An accident."

"We were both victims."

Qing Mo was slightly puzzled by this unexpected answer, but it wasn’t the key point she cared about. She looked at Lin Yu and pressed further:

"So what?"

"You’re going to take responsibility for her just because of that?"

Lin Yu shot her a sidelong glance, his tone sharp:

"What’s it to you?"

"Can’t I?"

"Tch."

Qing Mo let out a dry laugh, her expression complicated.

"Your actions really don’t match that face of yours."

Lin Yu rolled his eyes to show his disdain for her judging by appearances, then continued explaining:

"It’s not just because of this."

"I already had feelings for her before this."

"It’s just that due to some unavoidable circumstances, I..."

He trailed off, afraid that mentioning Tang Manman might give Qing Mo ammunition. Skipping the details, he concluded firmly:

"Anyway, this accident helped me make my choice."

"That’s how it is."

"What about me?"

Qing Mo suddenly asked, her question seemingly out of nowhere.

"What about you?"

Lin Yu didn’t understand what she meant.

Qing Mo stared straight at him, not giving him room to dodge, her expression serious as she asked:

"Do you have feelings for me?"

Caught off guard by her directness, Lin Yu froze for a moment. After a brief pause, he met her gaze with equal sincerity and said slowly:

"My feelings for you are... complicated."

Sometimes I just want to slap you, but I’m afraid you’d enjoy it!

Lin Yu spoke half the thought aloud and kept the other half to himself.

Qing Mo fell silent at his words. She lowered her eyes, staring at the empty glass tabletop, saying nothing for a long while.

Lin Yu had no idea what was going on with her.

Deciding not to dwell on it, he happily focused on his meal instead.

As he ate, a soft scoff came from across the table.

Confused, Lin Yu looked up and saw Qing Mo smiling—though her smile carried a hint of bitterness and self-mockery, it still struck him with its breathtaking beauty.

When she smiled, the usual coldness melted away, transforming her entirely.

It was only then that Lin Yu realized: after all this time together, this might be the first genuine smile he’d seen from her, not one of her usual icy smirks.

It was oddly captivating.

Not that she wasn’t pretty when she wasn’t smiling...

Qing Mo leaned forward, her flawless pale arms resting on the table, her eyes curved with amusement as she asked:

"Say, if that night had gone differently between us..."

"Would you have taken responsibility for me too?"

Lin Yu glanced at her but didn’t answer. Instead, he lowered his head and kept eating, muttering a retort before shoveling more rice into his mouth:

"Stop being delusional."

Qing Mo watched him, her smile fading. But this time, her expression wasn’t as cold as usual—instead, it was tinged with helpless regret.

Lin Yu kept eating, not bothering to look up, letting her do as she pleased.

"I regret it."

Qing Mo’s voice was soft, barely audible—whether meant for him or herself, it was unclear.

With that, she picked up her undoubtedly expensive bag and walked away.

Lin Yu watched her retreating figure, followed by a few burly men in suits.

As Qing Mo disappeared from sight, a weight lifted from his chest—but instead of relief, he felt an odd sense of melancholy.

Maybe it’s because of Tang Manman, he told himself.

After all, Lin Yu was still an optimist at heart.

After a few bites of delicious food and a sip of sweet, fizzy drink to wash it down, Lin Yu's mood lifted again.

In the afternoon, once he finished renting the apartment and buying daily necessities, he thought he might visit Xia Muzhu if there was still time.

After all, given what had just happened between them, he ought to show her some extra care for a while.

Perhaps it was because he was well-rested, or perhaps because the lingering effects of the medicine had completely worn off, but memories that had been hazy in the aftermath now surfaced in Lin Yu's mind with startling clarity.

The sensation of surging waves, the warmth of soft jade against fragrant skin.

Lin Yu savored the recollection of that unfamiliar yet extraordinary feeling, unable to suppress the smile tugging at his lips.

After a long moment, he straightened up and patted his cheeks, finally managing to compose himself.

Scooping up a spoonful of rice mixed with savory dishes, he raised it to his mouth—just as his memories rewound to the very beginning of it all.

A whisper, once too faint to decipher, now traveled across time to echo softly in his ears.

Don't...

...

The restaurant bustled with a steady flow of travelers and passersby, all moving swiftly about their business.

Amid this river of people, Lin Yu sat frozen behind his table—one hand beneath it, the other holding the spoon suspended mid-air, motionless. His unblinking eyes made him look like an exquisitely detailed statue.

His mind had completely shut down.

Only one thought occupied his thoughts, a mere handful of words.

Yet those few words violently flooded his consciousness, leaving no room for any other thought...

...

Xia Muzhu had still been violated.