The Daily Life That Doesn't Descend into Ruin

Happy.

To put it simply, I'm extremely happy.

The newly rented apartment has air conditioning, and in this scorching summer heat, the AC is Lin Yu's only salvation!

Hugging a thick, comforting blanket, Lin Yu rolled around on the bed, freely enjoying this peaceful summer morning.

But it seemed even the heavens couldn’t stand to see him so comfortable. At 8 a.m., just as the young man was peacefully asleep, a voice call came through.

Groggily, Lin Yu picked up the phone and glanced at the screen.

"Three-Good Student"?

Gu Yue?

Reluctantly, Lin Yu answered the call, pressing the phone to his ear. His voice was lazy and drawn-out as he asked,

"What do you want so early in the morning?"

Compared to Lin Yu’s half-asleep, sluggish tone, Gu Yue embodied the very essence of a youthful girl.

"Long-ge, guess which university I applied to?"

Her voice was bright and lively, carrying a hint of playful secrecy. Just hearing it, Lin Yu could picture her squinting slightly, a mischievous yet sweet smile on her face—expectant, as if testing him.

"How am I supposed to guess that?"

Lin Yu yawned, his interest clearly lacking.

After all, there were countless universities in the world. How could he possibly know which one she chose?

"I applied to Z University!"

Z University?

Lin Yu silently repeated the name in his head, feeling an odd sense of familiarity.

Before he could recall what Z University was, Gu Yue’s mysterious voice rang out again through the phone speaker.

"Guess which city Z University is in?"

A sinking feeling crept into Lin Yu’s chest. After a brief hesitation, he cautiously asked,

"Don’t tell me it’s in N City?"

"Nope!"

Gu Yue replied cheerfully.

Lin Yu let out a sigh of relief—but before he could fully exhale, Gu Yue excitedly dropped a bombshell that nearly stopped his heart.

"It’s in T City, right next to N City!"

"Super close to your school!"

"Less than half an hour away!"

Crack!

An invisible bolt of lightning struck Lin Yu’s messy bedhead, leaving his mind utterly blank.

Gu Yue’s chirpy, melodic voice continued pouring from the phone speaker, but Lin Yu could no longer hear it.

Only two words echoed in his mind:

I’m screwed.

Especially when he remembered that yesterday was the final deadline for applications, cold sweat broke out all over his body.

This was really, truly the end.

How was he supposed to tell her he changed his application?

How was he supposed to face her?

"Long-ge, you promised you’d look out for me."

"You better keep your word, okay~?"

Gu Yue’s voice was sweet as honey.

"Ahem!"

Lin Yu coughed awkwardly, too guilty to answer her directly. Instead, he dodged the question entirely.

"Uh..."

"Well..."

"My, my phone’s out of battery. Gotta go!"

Hanging up, Lin Yu wiped his forehead—only to realize his palm was damp with nervous sweat.

With a heavy sigh, he recalled the chaotic mess of events from the past few days. His head throbbed with frustration, his pent-up anger with nowhere to go.

In a fit of irritation, Lin Yu smacked his own forehead hard.

Now his head hurt even more—inside and out.

"Ugh!"

"What am I gonna do?!"

Wearing nothing but his underwear, Lin Yu sprawled out on the bed like a starfish, tugging at his hair in distress.

Guess he’d just have to find the right moment to explain things to her later.

No other choice!

Lin Yu sat up, hunched over like a shrimp, and stared out the window.

Outside, the sun was bright, the greenery lush—a picture-perfect summer scene.

But Lin Yu couldn’t find any joy in it.

This summer...

Who knew what other surprises were in store?

Just hurry up and end already!!!

...

...

Yeah, I regret it. If I listen to "Reverse Clock" ten thousand times, can you send me back to the start of summer break, oh mighty heavens?

Early August, with only half a month left before the semester began, Lin Yu was filled with regret.

He didn’t want school to start so soon.

Normally, no high school graduate would dread the upcoming college life.

Because to them, university seems like paradise.

Freedom, independence, living away from parents, having your own money to spend!

Not to mention all the attractive guys and girls on campus!

Sure, for some current college students, reality might not live up to the fantasy.

But for high school grads who haven’t experienced it yet?

College is absolute heaven!

Lin Yu used to think the same way.

But not anymore.

Because now he has a girlfriend!

And he doesn’t want to leave her!!!

Every day, they could stroll down the streets together, breathing in her sweet scent in the cool summer night breeze.

He could eat the delicious meals she cooked, shower her with praise, and watch her blush adorably.

They could go on dates, watch movies, hang out.

And even... well...

Lin Yu had grown too attached to this life.

College?

Screw college!

If it weren’t for needing that diploma to secure a decent job, he’d seriously consider skipping it altogether!

What relieved Lin Yu even more was that things hadn’t spiraled completely out of control.

First, there was Tang Manman.

That night, Lin Yu replied to her text with a simple "Don’t talk nonsense."

After a brief silence, Tang Manman sent back a pitiful "mm-hmm" sticker.

Since then, Lin Yu rarely responded to her messages. Occasionally, when she timidly asked why he wasn’t replying, he’d just say, "Busy."

These days, her messages had dwindled significantly.

From hundreds a day to dozens, then to just a handful. Lately, she barely sent any—sometimes none at all.

Lin Yu’s feelings about this were complicated, but mostly, he felt relieved.

This was for the best.

If he couldn’t give her what she wanted, then staying distant was the right choice.

Did he really think he could have his cake and eat it too?

Not without setting off Qing Mo’s landmine!

Speaking of Qing Mo—she’d been unusually quiet lately, not reaching out at all.

Last he heard, the Qing Group was dealing with some major issues. She was probably busy with that.

As for Su Yuyao, Lin Yu had even less connection with her.

If not for that life-saving favor, he would’ve deleted her contact long ago.

Then there was Gu Yue.

Honestly, Lin Yu couldn’t bring himself to tell her he wasn’t going to N City for school.

So he kept putting it off, too afraid to break the news.

Still, the second-tier university Gu Yue chose was a pretty good one—definitely a solid match for her college entrance exam scores!