Voice Call

To be honest, the game Xia Yueshan found was really fun.

The graphics were exquisite, the gameplay was interesting. Even without tackling the levels, some of the engaging mechanics and tempting easter eggs could keep players hooked for a long time.

These past few days, Lin Yu had mainly been playing through the levels with Xia Yueshan, wanting to finish this co-op game as soon as possible.

Otherwise, this old rascal would just keep lazing around at home playing on the computer—what a waste of time!

He wondered if it was too late to sign him up for some tutoring classes now, to save him from being a homebody all day.

In the afternoon, Lin Yu and Xia Yueshan were once again sitting in front of the computer, each holding a controller, focused on dealing with the monsters in the game.

Next to the computer desk were two plates. One held freshly cut fruit, the other a plate of deliciously fragrant fried calamari rings. They played and ate at the same time—this kind of life, you could say, wasn't worth trading even for being an emperor.

After clearing the level, Xia Yueshan happily shifted in his seat, reached out with a skewer, speared a golden, crispy calamari ring, and stuffed it into his mouth.

After finishing one, still unsatisfied, he tried to stuff a few more into his mouth before the level-clear animation ended.

While wolfing them down, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of an incoming call notification on Lin Yu's phone screen.

"Phone call."

Xia Yueshan said, his words muffled by the calamari ring in his mouth.

"Who is it?"

After these days of comfortable living, Lin Yu had reached new heights of laziness. The phone was less than a meter away from him. He could easily have craned his neck to see, but he insisted on having Xia Yueshan check for him.

Xia Yueshan didn't mind Lin Yu's laziness. He stretched his neck to look, chewed the food in his mouth, and said:

"Tang Manman."

!

Lin Yu's mind buzzed, and his body visibly stiffened a little.

But Lin Yu was someone who had weathered storms. At this critical moment, he controlled his instinctive reaction, quickly adjusted his expression, and pretended nonchalance as he said:

"Oh, her. It's nothing important. Just hang up."

"Okay."

Xia Yueshan said 'okay' and reached out to pick up Lin Yu's phone to decline the call...

"Wait!"

Lin Yu suddenly spoke up to stop him.

???

Xia Yueshan tilted his head, cheeks puffed out, looking at Lin Yu with a suspicious expression, not sure what he was up to.

Lin Yu looked at the silent phone on the desk, his expression turning serious.

It was important to remember that Tang Manman very, very, very rarely made voice or video calls to him.

Ever since she left City H for City N last summer, all their communication had been through text or voice messages. She hadn't made a single call.

Her suddenly calling now... could it be that she encountered something important?

Thinking of her peculiar streak of bad luck, Lin Yu grew increasingly worried. After a moment's thought, he bent over, grabbed the phone, and while maneuvering his wheelchair out of the computer room, said to Xia Yueshan without looking back:

"I'll take this outside."

Lin Yu left the computer room, making a point to close the door behind him.

This struck Xia Yueshan as very odd.

What kind of call required going outside to take it, away from him?

And even deliberately closing the door...

Xia Yueshan narrowed his eyes slightly, imitating Lin Yu's thoughtful pose, and raised a hand to stroke his smooth, beardless chin.

Could he have some vixen on the side?

No way!

Gotta go check it out!

...

...

Back in his own room, Lin Yu locked the door, wheeled himself to the spot farthest from the door by the window, and only then answered the call.

"Hello?"

Lin Yu uttered a somewhat apprehensive 'hello,' waiting for a response from the other end.

"Lin Yu."

That long-unheard familiar voice sounded in his ear once more. Whether Tang Manman herself had changed, or his memory had been altered by the passage of time, Lin Yu felt her voice seemed somewhat different now.

Before Lin Yu could speak, Tang Manman immediately pressed on:

"Did you move?"

This time, Tang Manman said more, and Lin Yu could hear it—her voice was hurried, mixed with a distinct note of tears.

Hearing that voice, Lin Yu tried hard to ignore the strange feeling in his heart and calmly explained:

"I didn't move..."

"Well, it wasn't really a move. That was never my place to begin with. I went to City S for university, so I gave up that rented room."

"Then where are you now?"

Tang Manman seemed unable to wait a second longer. The moment Lin Yu finished speaking, she immediately asked again, her impatient tone as if afraid something might slip away.

"I..."

"I, I'm down in the South Sea area right now."

"Winters back home are too cold, and since I have nothing else going on anyway, I thought I'd travel around a bit."

After hesitating for a long while, Lin Yu still followed his gut feeling and chose to lie. After all, lies are much smoother than the truth, easier to spit out, and less likely to cut anyone.

Although sometimes, a lie is more like a dry piece of wood trying to smother a flame, potentially causing even more serious consequences in the future...

...

But...

...

That's a problem for future Lin Yu, right?

...

Right?

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Tang Manman's emotions seemed to ease a little. Her speech was no longer as aggressive as before, her tone softening considerably. But she clearly wasn't planning to end the call just yet.

"Where exactly are you in the South Sea area?"

Tang Manman persisted, unwilling to give up.

"In a small town, Nanning City."

Lin Yu casually named a place he'd heard of before. Afraid Tang Manman might impulsively try to find him, he quickly added:

"I'll be leaving in a few days, planning to spend the New Year in a bigger city. This place is too small, accommodations and everything are inconvenient."

"Where will you go after that?"

Tang Manman asked again, seemingly determined to get Lin Yu's address.

Where did Lin Yu know he'd go after that? It would just be Xia Muzhu's house, or maybe downstairs from Xia Muzhu's place. Where else could he go?

But he'd rather die than say that to Tang Manman, so he said hastily:

"I haven't decided where I'm going after that yet. I've got things to do, gotta go."

With that, not waiting for Tang Manman to say anything more, Lin Yu directly ended the call.

The call interface disappeared with a tap of his finger, the phone screen returning to its home screen. Lin Yu turned to look out the window at the world blanketed in thick snow, his feelings complicated.

Well.

Another muddled evasion.

Who knows...

...

"...Sigh."

Lin Yu let out a soft sigh. Anyway, those words were too hard for him to say aloud. Stick to the old plan—leave it to time.

"Ding."

A soft notification sound for a text message rang out. Lin Yu picked up his phone and saw it was a new message from Tang Manman.

Tang Manman: When you decide where you'll spend the New Year, can you tell me?