The End

"Here is your money, two hundred and sixty thousand in total."

Lin Yu reached into his pocket, pulled out a bank card from his black leather jacket, and held it out to Tang Manman between his index and middle fingers.

Tang Manman kept her head down and reached out with both hands to pinch the thin edges of the bank card.

She didn't immediately put away this card, which held all her savings. Instead, she lifted her face and looked at Lin Yu with tears in her eyes.

He was always like this.

Able to help her solve any problem.

It seemed that no matter how massive the issue was, as long as he stood in front of her, she wouldn't need to worry about anything anymore.

Such a reassuring feeling.

She liked it.

She really liked it.

She wanted to stay by his side forever.

She wanted to possess everything about him...

...

Seeing Tang Manman's teary-eyed look, Lin Yu reached out to rub her head and teased with a smile,

"Alright, go back to class."

"Don't be so silly and get scammed again next time."

After rubbing her head a couple of times, Lin Yu withdrew his hand. The smile on his lips faded a bit as he looked at Tang Manman and softly said his goodbyes,

"Well, I should head back to school too."

"Remember to take good care of yourself. You're in college now, so you should enjoy life properly. Don't be too hard on yourself."

Tang Manman sniffled and obediently nodded.

"Bye-bye then."

After saying this, Lin Yu stuffed his hands into his pockets, turned around, and walked away.

Looking at Lin Yu's retreating back, a wave of panic suddenly surged in Tang Manman's heart for no reason.

It felt as if Lin Yu wasn't just leaving A University, leaving N City, or leaving a specific place.

But rather, he was about to leave her world entirely.

"Wait!"

Fear is the fuel of courage. Driven by this baseless fear, Tang Manman finally took that step. She trotted to catch up with him and grabbed the hem of his jacket.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Yu stopped and turned around, looking at Tang Manman in confusion.

Tang Manman's face flushed bright red, her ears so red they looked as if they might drip blood.

Ignoring the increasingly burning temperature on her cheeks, her pale, clean little hands gripped Lin Yu's clothes tightly. Without averting her gaze at all, she looked straight at him. Suppressing her body that was trembling slightly from nervousness, she spoke with a quivering voice,

"Can you go back tomorrow instead?"

"Tonight."

"We..."

Having gathered her courage to say this much, Tang Manman simply couldn't bring herself to continue.

She could only hide the rest of her words in her burning eyes, hoping that Lin Yu could read them.

"Ah..."

"About that."

Faced with the invitation Tang Manman had issued with every ounce of courage in her body, Lin Yu panicked a little.

But Lin Yu knew he absolutely couldn't stay, so he hurriedly made excuses,

"I can't."

"I have to go back today."

"I still have a competition to attend at school."

"I can't delay it any longer."

"Besides, I already decided to leave today."

"It wasn't a last-minute decision."

"I've already cleared it with the school counselor."

"There's no way I can leave tomorrow."

Lin Yu frantically listed his reasons, but it didn't earn him Tang Manman's usual considerate understanding.

A layer of mist formed in her eyes, and her gaze gradually became both aggrieved and stubborn.

Her hands gripped tighter, her slender knuckles turning white from the exertion.

She didn't say anything, but she had already made her intentions clear.

She didn't want to just let Lin Yu go like this.

A hint of obsession tainted Tang Manman's eyes, making her look like a stubborn child.

Looking at her like this, the panic in Lin Yu's heart was suddenly and swiftly smoothed over, and he became entirely calm.

Raising his hand, Lin Yu patted Tang Manman's head again. He bent down slightly to meet her gaze on an even level and said softly,

"Tang Manman, go back."

"You got into such a good university, and you managed to save up so much money in such a short time."

"You are a very amazing person."

"You will have a very bright future."

"Go and work hard to grasp it."

"That's what you should be doing right now."

"Once you grasp it, it will help you get everything you want."

"It will help you live the life you want."

So.

Forget about me.

Go pursue the happiness that should belong to you.

These last few unspoken words turned into a sour ache in Lin Yu's heart, reaching all the way to his eyes.

Tang Manman seemed to understand.

She gradually stopped gripping his clothes so tightly, slowly letting go.

"I know."

Tang Manman released her hand. She looked at Lin Yu, hesitating to speak.

A moment later, a somewhat relieved smile appeared on her lips. This time, with a bit more energy, she repeated,

"I know!"

Tang Manman's sudden change in attitude surprised Lin Yu a little.

Even though he had a sense of loss in his heart that he couldn't hide, the way things were now was already the best possible ending.

"Then."

"Goodbye?"

A smile tugged at the corners of Lin Yu's mouth as he raised his arm and gently waved his hand.

"Mhm."

Tang Manman nodded and also smiled, saying softly,

"Goodbye."

Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief. Raising his head to look at Tang Manman again, the burden in his heart had significantly lightened. He smiled and said,

"If you run into any trouble in the future, you can still call me. I'll still have your back."

Tang Manman nodded. Although Lin Yu's words sounded a bit strange, she didn't mind.

Lin Yu exhaled once more. Even he couldn't tell if it was a sigh of resignation or a sigh of relief.

Or perhaps it was both.

Anyway, it was all over.

This was an ending that was good for everyone.

There was nothing to regret.

Lin Yu turned around, hailed a taxi by the roadside, and left.

Tang Manman stood where she was, watching the taxi carrying Lin Yu merge into the traffic before turning around and taking large strides toward the school.

Lin Yu was right. She should work hard to grasp, or rather, to create a bright future.

Only then could she keep happiness by her side.

Tang Manman's hanging hand slowly tightened into a fist.

The project in the lab was already showing some promise.

If she could cooperate and help her seniors and the professor complete that major project, she believed the school would definitely be willing to grant her some special privileges.

When that time came...

She would ask the professor to help her get a transfer quota.

And bring Lin Yu over.

At this thought, Tang Manman looked up at the A University gate towering above her.

She gave a knowing smile.

Lin Yu liked her university so much.

When the time came, she would arrange everything perfectly and give him a surprise.

He would definitely be very happy.