Still thinking about your sweet water

But for some unknown reason.

Judging by Lin Yu's current reaction, it seemed like he already knew everything.

What was even stranger...

Lin Yu didn't look like he had known about this for a long time.

It was as if the moment he walked through the door and saw Su Yuyao—in that very instant—he suddenly understood it all.

In Qing Mo's mind, this guy Lin Yu had always been somewhat mysterious.

Qing Mo had always had someone monitoring his every move.

What he did every day, even what he ate for every meal—as long as Qing Mo wanted to, she could get incredibly detailed information.

Qing Mo thought that by obtaining this information, she could understand Lin Yu.

But that wasn't the case.

Lin Yu would always make unexpected moves during major events.

Like his previous attempt to throw himself into the river.

And like right now.

As if suddenly knowing everything.

He revealed an ashen, dejected, and despairing expression.

Beside him, Su Yuyao had already stood up nervously due to Lin Yu's extremely displeased expression.

Her eyes were red.

Her two small hands, starved thin from intentionally losing weight to hide her swelling belly, nervously gripped the skirt at her sides.

Her timid and lost appearance was like that of a child who had made a mistake.

At this moment, Qing Mo also couldn't sit still anymore.

Lin Yu's face full of dejected despair reminded her of the Lin Yu who had once sneaked out of the hospital, intending to do something foolish.

She was terrified that Lin Yu would have those extreme thoughts again.

At this moment.

She suddenly felt a bit of regret.

Should she have told Lin Yu about this earlier?

Or maybe she shouldn't have told him at all?

Should she have been forceful and made Su Yuyao deal with this accident when she confusedly asked what to do?

Qing Mo's mind was a mess.

Tension, worry, fear, regret, and many other emotions clogged her throat.

She had so many things she wanted to say and ask.

But in the end, nothing came out.

After hesitating for quite a while, she finally asked cautiously:

"Lin Yu."

"Are you okay?"

Qing Mo's brief question seemed to awaken Lin Yu's lost soul.

He blinked blankly a few times.

A bit of light spilled into his dull, lifeless eyes in a very short time.

His chest was no longer silent; it began to heave visibly, and his breathing became increasingly heavy and rapid.

Like someone who had just woken up from a nightmare.

"I, I..."

After stuttering out two "I"s.

Lin Yu surprisingly found that he seemed to have lost the ability to speak.

He immediately raised his left hand, which was trembling so much it was hard to control, and wiped his face fiercely from his forehead to his chin.

After taking a deep breath.

Lin Yu finally gave an answer:

"I, I'm fine."

"Don't, don't just stand there."

"Hurry and sit down."

After two brief stutters, Lin Yu recovered his ability to speak.

Acting as if he were the host, he beckoned Su Yuyao and Qing Mo to sit down.

Both of them were somewhat frightened by Lin Yu's previous appearance.

Now that Lin Yu told them to sit down, after digesting this unexpected and somewhat disjointed instruction, they both obediently sat down on the sofa.

Lin Yu also came over to the sofa in the living room.

Standing by the coffee table in front of the sofa, he turned his head to look at Qing Mo, who was closer to him, and suddenly asked:

"Is there anything to drink in the house?"

"Huh?"

Qing Mo was stunned by Lin Yu's unexpected question.

She didn't instinctively blame Lin Yu for not knowing what was important, for still thinking about his silly sweet drinks at a time like this.

She clearly sensed that something was wrong with Lin Yu's state of mind.

It was just that for a moment, she couldn't react and give an answer.

Qing Mo's silence prompted a more detailed inquiry from Lin Yu.

"Like, tea, coffee, juice, milk, or something."

"Do you have any?"

Lin Yu asked again, and this time Qing Mo reacted.

Except, this was the house she had bought for Su Yuyao, and she had no idea if there were any of these things in the house.

Instinctively, Qing Mo turned to look at Su Yuyao.

Sitting on the sofa nearby, Su Yuyao immediately reacted and said:

"Yes."

"There's juice in the fridge."

"Oh."

"Okay."

Hearing this, Lin Yu immediately turned around, left the living room, and walked towards the kitchen.

Leaving Su Yuyao and Qing Mo sitting on the sofa, looking at each other in dismay.

Neither of them was stupid; they could see that Lin Yu's current state was clearly off, and they subconsciously just wanted to go along with him, afraid of triggering him again.

Now that Lin Yu wasn't here.

Su Yuyao was no longer tense.

The emotions in her heart flowed out like water.

She lowered her head, her frail shoulders shrinking in sheer helplessness.

Her smooth black hair fell with her movement, hiding the red corners of her eyes.

Beside her, Qing Mo took in all of Su Yuyao's sorrow, and her heart ached.

But at this moment, she wasn't in the mood to say any comforting words.

Compared to Su Yuyao, she was more worried about Lin Yu's current mental state.

She was even a little afraid that Lin Yu was just pretending to be calm and was currently opening the kitchen window, preparing to jump.

Fortunately, Qing Mo's worries did not come true.

In just a moment.

Lin Yu came out of the kitchen.

In one hand, he held a square paper carton of juice.

In the other hand, he carried three transparent glasses.

He came to the coffee table, carefully placed the glasses on the glass surface, and then poured each of the three glasses more than half full of juice.

He then gently pushed the glasses in front of Su Yuyao and Qing Mo.

After completing this series of bizarre actions, as if he were the host entertaining guests, Lin Yu sat down on the single armchair opposite Qing Mo.

Su Yuyao was on the sofa to his left; using the motion of brushing her hair, she secretly wiped away the faint tears at the corners of her eyes.

At this moment.

The modest living room fell into an eerie silence.

Neither Su Yuyao nor Qing Mo spoke, nor did they drink the juice Lin Yu had poured for them.

The two sat silently in their seats.

Su Yuyao still kept her head down, her hands resting quietly on her lap, looking like a child who had done wrong, not saying a word.

She looked pitiful and vulnerable.

Qing Mo, on the other hand, had a face full of worry and conflict.

From time to time, she glanced at Lin Yu, and then at Su Yuyao.

Her gaze landed on the two of them as if it had been burned.

Just a quick glance and she guiltily shifted her eyes elsewhere.

Qing Mo's personality was actually quite similar to her appearance.

Both carried an unattainable, aloof, ethereal aura.

Except for a very small number of people, the vast majority of people or things in this world could not stir her emotions.

But these two people in front of her.

Even among that very small number of people, they were the most important existence.

Very rarely did she feel such a deep sense of unease and guilt.

For a moment, she didn't know who to help, or how to help.

She only felt that no matter what she did—whether she acted or not.

She was letting both of them down.

Ever since Lin Yu finished pouring the juice and sat down on the sofa, his gaze had been nailed to the center of the empty coffee table.

He didn't spare even half a glance at Su Yuyao and Qing Mo.

He merely stared at that unremarkable pane of dark tinted glass.

In the living room.

None of the three made a single move.

The noise gradually died down.

In the quiet atmosphere, a sound that the two of them had previously ignored suddenly became glaringly obvious.

Following the sound, the two realized it was Lin Yu's breathing.

It was strange.

Lin Yu clearly hadn't done any strenuous exercise, yet his breathing was incredibly heavy.

It was so heavy that his shoulders heaved up and down in time with his rough, ox-like panting.

His hands were braced against his legs, fingers clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.

Furthermore, whether it was just an illusion or because the living room was growing ever quieter.

The two of them felt as if Lin Yu's panting was growing heavier with each successive breath.

They both shared the same thought: the current Lin Yu was like an active volcano suppressed to its absolute limit.

On the surface, he appeared calm and peaceful.

But deep down, there was no telling how the magma was surging and boiling.

It was as if a devastating disaster could erupt at any given moment.

In the silent living room.

The atmosphere was so stifling that it made it hard to breathe.

For some reason, the flow of time here seemed exceptionally slow, making the wait feel like pure torment.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Was it a few minutes?

Or over ten minutes?

Suddenly, Lin Yu took a long, deep breath and held back his heavy panting.

He moved his lips.

He opened his mouth.

The voice that slipped from his lips was soft and slow, but its tone carried a palpable weight, heavy as stone.

"I will take responsibility."