Poor Lin Yu

After speaking, Lin Yu didn’t wait for Tang Manman to react. He flashed her an apologetic smile before turning and walking away.

He strode out of the alley and onto the bustling main road, exhaling heavily as if trying to expel all the chaotic thoughts and emotions swirling in his mind along with that breath.

Seriously.

What had possessed him to ask that question earlier?

At least Tang Manman had said she didn’t like him. If she’d said yes...

...Well, he could’ve just used the excuse of having a girlfriend to turn her down.

Rubbing his temples, Lin Yu forced down the strange feelings Tang Manman had stirred in him.

Come on!

Lin Yu, get a grip on yourself!

You’re the moderator of the Pure Love forum!

Keep this up, and you might as well join the NTR forum!

A moderator betraying their own cause?

Watch out, or the forum members will toss you into a pig cage for treason!

Shaking his head to clear Tang Manman from his thoughts, Lin Yu continued walking slowly.

Following the main road, he soon reached a T-junction. Pausing, he stared at the two diverging paths ahead and to the right, once again caught in indecision.

What now?

Which way?

If he kept going straight, he’d reach the residential complex where Xia Muzhu, the second female lead, lived in less than twenty minutes. Then he could proceed with the plan he’d devised during the last self-study session.

That had been his original intention.

But...

Lin Yu glanced at the road on the right, leading back to his rented apartment, and rubbed his face in frustration. Tang Manman had left him too unsettled to carry out the plan now.

He figured it was better to go home, rest, and regroup for tomorrow rather than forcing himself to act in this unstable state. It wasn’t like one day would make a difference.

With a tired sigh, just as Lin Yu was about to follow his instincts and head home, he suddenly remembered something—an intangible, unseen force silently shaping everything around him.

The unique fate of this adult manga world!

Thinking of this force he’d sworn to resist, Lin Yu frowned, questioning whether going home was the right choice.

How strange.

He’d fully intended to see Xia Muzhu tonight, so why was he suddenly reluctant?

Because of an accident.

Because Tang Manman’s unexpected appearance had thrown him off.

That was why he now wanted to retreat home.

"Accident."

"Fate."

Lin Yu muttered these two deeply connected words, his unease growing. Finally, with a determined crease in his brow, he decided to stick to the original plan.

Even if visiting Xia Muzhu wasn’t necessarily the correct move, going now would at least guarantee one thing—her safety.

With that thought, Lin Yu stopped hesitating and strode forward along the straight path toward Xia Muzhu’s neighborhood.

Fueled by his rising anxiety, he quickened his pace, even breaking into a light jog as he neared her complex.

Just before reaching the residential area, Lin Yu halted, spotting a girl in a pale yellow dress carrying a few small bags of fresh groceries by the market entrance. He let out a long breath of relief.

Good.

The worst-case scenario hadn’t happened.

Upon finding Xia Muzhu, Lin Yu didn’t approach her immediately. Instead, he turned to a nearby shop window to adjust the bandage wrapped around his head.

Once satisfied, he took a deep breath, mentally reviewing his plan before stepping confidently toward her.

"Sis?"

"What are you doing here?"

"What a coincidence!"

Lin Yu appeared behind Xia Muzhu, feigning surprise as he greeted her with a smile.

"Lin Yu?"

Xia Muzhu’s eyes lit up briefly before widening in shock when she noticed the thick white bandages around his head.

"You—you’re hurt?" she asked, pointing at his head in alarm.

"Huh?"

"This?"

Lin Yu touched the bandage lightly, as if he’d forgotten it was there, then gave an awkward, apologetic smile.

"Well..."

"Sorry, sis."

"I didn’t want you to find out about this."

"I was just so happy to see you that I couldn’t help coming over to say hi."

"What didn’t you want me to know?"

Xia Muzhu immediately picked up on the hidden implication in his words and pressed further.

"It’s just..."

"Ah, never mind!"

"Please don’t ask, sis!"

Lin Yu hesitated, putting on a show of reluctance to share his secret.

"Lin Yu, just tell me, okay?"

"Don’t make me worry."

Xia Muzhu’s voice was pleading but insistent.

After their night together, she’d already come to see Lin Yu—this kind-hearted, justice-driven high schooler with a tragic past—as a younger brother.

Seeing him injured like this, how could she let him brush it off so easily?

Under her relentless questioning, Lin Yu’s expression grew increasingly conflicted. Finally, with a resigned sigh, he mumbled sheepishly:

"It’s really nothing big."

"Just that after I left your place that night, some thugs ambushed me outside the complex."

"What?"

Xia Muzhu gasped. "Who were they? Why did they attack you?"

"I don’t know."

Lin Yu scratched his head, then after a cautious glance at her, added:

"I think they were sent by that white-haired guy who was following you that night."

"While beating me up, they kept saying stuff like, ‘How dare you ruin our boss’ plans!’"

"If I’ve ruined anyone’s plans recently, it’d have to be his."

Before Xia Muzhu could voice her outrage, Lin Yu cut in weakly:

"I’m sorry, sis. I couldn’t protect the money you gave me either—they took it all."