Consistency

After extracting information about Wang Nian's partners, the user with the ID "Z" sent a message.

Z: Master Yu, do you have any other questions?

"That's all," Lin Yu said into the phone.

Z: How should we deal with him?

Lin Yu looked at the miserable figure of Wang Nian on the screen. After a moment of thought, he said, "If it's convenient for you guys, make him go turn himself in. If it's not, just handle it however you see fit."

Z: OK.

The video call ended, but Lin Yu didn't put down his phone.

His thumb swiped across the screen a few times, and he quickly found a contact that had been buried deep in his chat list.

Long Aotian: Asleep?

Qing Mo: No.

Qing Mo's reply came as quickly as ever.

Lin Yu continued tapping on the screen.

Long Aotian: Good. Help me find some people.

Long Aotian: [File]

Lin Yu sent the scammers' information to Qing Mo, intending to request...

He paused to think, then typed out another line, forcefully demanding that Qing Mo find them.

Long Aotian: You piece of trash, I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself. Find them within three days.

His finger tapped the screen, hitting send.

The moment the message was sent, Lin Yu felt a sudden pang of regret.

Should he have done that?

He felt that given his relationship with Qing Mo, she would have done her best to help even if he had asked nicely.

Why did he have to insult her like that?

What if she didn't like it? Wouldn't his behavior just be obnoxious?

Thinking this, Lin Yu pressed his finger on the sent message, intending to recall it. He planned to use "being possessed by a ghost" as an excuse to cover up his shameful conduct.

Qing Mo: Send a voice message.

???

Raising his free hand to rub his face vigorously, Lin Yu suddenly felt relieved.

Qing Mo was still Qing Mo...

After satisfying Qing Mo's request, Lin Yu felt a bit more at ease. He lay back on the bed, preparing to exit the app and scroll through some mindless short videos to help him fall asleep.

Just as he was exiting the chat interface, Lin Yu noticed an unread red dot.

He reopened the app and saw a missed video call notification in his chat with Bamboo Meow. It was only then that he suddenly remembered he had rejected Xia Muzhu's video request while he was on the call with Z.

Lin Yu hurriedly called her back.

Xia Muzhu was evidently still awake; the ringtone only sounded twice before the video call was answered.

On the screen, everything was pitch black except for Xia Muzhu's gentle, fair face, illuminated by the light of her phone.

She was curled up under the covers, her sapphire-blue eyes slightly glowing. A tender smile played on her lips, making her look like a cute kitten...

No.

A big cat.

"I was on a video call discussing some matters with someone else. I just finished," Lin Yu explained voluntarily, without waiting for Xia Muzhu to ask.

Xia Muzhu nodded slightly. She didn't seem to mind.

However, Lin Yu keenly noticed the slight upward curve of her lips and the way her eyes narrowed just a fraction.

She was secretly happy...

The two chatted about trivial things for a while before Xia Muzhu brought up the main topic.

"How is the situation with her getting scammed?"

"Is there any progress?"

Lin Yu smacked his lips and sighed.

"A little, but not much."

"I feel like the chances of recovering the money aren't high. We'll just have to leave it to fate."

"Is that so..."

Xia Muzhu's exquisite brows drooped slightly, her expression filled with pity.

She had heard Lin Yu talk about the girl's family situation. If such a large sum of money were lost, even she would feel heartache and self-reproach for a while, let alone someone whose family was far from wealthy.

Xia Muzhu paused. After what seemed like a brief internal struggle, she spoke softly.

"Lin Yu."

"This must have been a huge blow to her. You should go help comfort her. Don't let her get stuck in a dead end."

Lin Yu took a deep breath; he was naturally aware of this.

Although Tang Manman wasn't greedy, her upbringing ensured that she placed great importance on money.

Money is a necessity for survival in modern society, and for her, it had always been a scarce commodity.

She had been like a hamster finding a fertile field, painstakingly digging here and hoarding there, finally saving up a decent amount of grain. She had even been able to support her hardworking mother and sickly sister.

But in an instant, the money was gone. Lin Yu didn't even want to imagine how devastated she must be.

That was why he was in such a rush to see her.

He was genuinely afraid that the acute stress might cause something untoward to happen to her.

Having said that, Lin Yu nodded again, took a deep breath, and whispered, "I know."

It was getting late, so after exchanging a few more words, they wished each other goodnight and ended the call.

The curtains rose and fell like waves on the ocean.

A slender beam of moonlight escaped through a gap in the drapes, slipping into the room and leaving a bright, silvery streak across the duvet.

Xia Muzhu set her phone aside. She rolled over onto her back, her gaze unfocused as she stared into the darkness of the room, lost in thought.

She knew this girl was Tang Manman, the one who had been close to Lin Yu before.

Xia Muzhu had always considered herself a generous woman, but when it came to things like this, she had her moments of pettiness.

Who wouldn't be petty about something like this?

However, Lin Yu's honesty acted as a powerful reassurance.

And she was willing to trust him.

Just as she had said before, she would never doubt him again...

*Mmh...* (Breathing felt constricted.)

She turned on her side.

*Phew~* (Much better.)

Saturday. Outside the Yuante Joy World, Lin Yu stood dressed in a versatile black outfit, scrolling through his phone while he waited.

Soon, the appointed time arrived. Lin Yu looked up just in time to see Tang Manman getting out of a taxi.

Her makeup was light but exquisite. She wore a French-style white dress with a small white bag at her waist. A slender gold necklace rested on her chest, glinting in the sunlight.

The sparkling accent highlighted her skin, making it look even fairer and more alluring.

Beneath the hem of her dress, her shapely calves were bare, leading down to high white socks and pristine white shoes.

It was the quintessential look of an internet "White Moonlight" goddess.

Looking at Tang Manman like this, Lin Yu blinked, suddenly feeling a sense of unfamiliarity.

*Are you really Tang Manman?*

This exquisite, perfectly put-together outfit, this vibe that was both innocent and sultry...

*You're Tao Yaoyao, aren't you?*

Seeing her like this, Lin Yu instantly felt that his plan to take her out and help her relax today was entirely unnecessary.

She had the presence of mind to dress herself up so beautifully?

She certainly didn't look like someone drowning in despair from a massive blow!