Let it end like this.

Tao Yaoyao truly looked as if she had been terrified out of her wits.

Even though Lin Yu's gaze drifted behind her several times, she didn't even notice that Xu Mingyao was standing right behind her.

But none of that mattered anymore.

They...

...

Oh.

No.

It was that Xu Mingyao had already passed the test.

So it didn't matter anymore.

Lin Yu reached into his pocket, took out a bank card he had prepared in advance, placed it on the cabinet outside the door, and looked at Tao Yaoyao as he spoke:

"It's over."

"No one will target you two anymore."

"There is a sum of money in this card. Take it, move somewhere else, and start a new life."

After saying this, Lin Yu didn't look at Tao Yaoyao again.

He simply turned around and left decisively.

He completely ignored Tao Yaoyao, who was left even more stunned by this unexpected turn of events, as well as Xu Mingyao behind her, who froze just the same upon hearing those words.

Entering the elevator.

Lin Yu was gone.

Tao Yaoyao still stood at the door, looking dazed and lost, as if she hadn't yet processed everything that had just happened.

It wasn't until a restrained force bumped into her from behind.

Tao Yaoyao finally snapped back to reality.

Feeling Xu Mingyao's tight embrace from behind and hearing the suppressed sobbing by her ear.

Tao Yaoyao quickly realized that Xu Mingyao must have somehow found out about her and Lin Yu without her knowing.

Was it yesterday?

Tao Yaoyao recalled how disheveled Xu Mingyao had looked when she returned last night.

She was covered in dirt and grass clippings, completely filthy.

Her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had cried for a long time.

She had two wads of tissue stuffed in her nose, and there were still traces of dried, unwashed blood on her chin.

She looked like an absolute mess.

She had claimed that she fell and that was why she looked like that.

But looking at her miserable and battered state, Tao Yaoyao felt that her injuries didn't look like they came from a fall at all.

They looked more like she had been beaten up.

So, did she see Lin Yu yesterday, and was that why she ended up like that?

Tao Yaoyao quickly figured it all out.

After understanding what had happened.

A heavy wave of guilt suddenly surged in Tao Yaoyao's heart.

It overshadowed the strange, uncomfortable feeling deep within her.

She turned around, raised her arms, and hugged Xu Mingyao just as tightly, whispering guiltily:

"I'm sorry."

Xu Mingyao sniffled through her sobs and shook her head vigorously in Tao Yaoyao's embrace, indicating that it was okay.

After going through so much.

Xu Mingyao had figured things out.

She didn't want anything anymore.

Now, she only wanted Tao Yaoyao to continue staying by her side.

Just like before.

Other than that.

She wanted nothing else.

Tao Yaoyao obtained Xu Mingyao's forgiveness just as easily as that.

Just like how those who are loved are always emboldened.

Tao Yaoyao was now enjoying this favoritism that was enough to let her act spoiled.

However, right now, she had no mind to cherish this favoritism that she once wouldn't even dare to dream of.

Tao Yaoyao hugged Xu Mingyao.

With the soft body pressed against her chest, she subconsciously tightened her arms, holding Xu Mingyao even closer.

She tried to use this method to fill the part of her heart that, for some unknown reason, had become so unbearably empty from the moment Lin Yu turned and left.

But the soft pressure built up on her chest could hardly seep into her bones and flesh.

Tao Yaoyao couldn't use this method to make up for the inexplicable emptiness that had settled in her heart following Lin Yu's departure.

She could only try her best to not pay attention to it.

But how long could this deliberate ignorance last?

Tao Yaoyao didn't know.

Right now, she could only turn her back to it.

Avoiding looking at it as if running away.

Until she got used to this feeling of emptiness.

Or until this emptiness, like a blunt knife cutting through flesh, slowly nibbled away at her reason, morality, and loyalty, turning her into someone she didn't want to become...

...

Leaving Tao Yaoyao and the others' residential area.

Lin Yu stood by the road and let out a long, deep breath.

Having resolved the issue with those two.

Although it couldn't be called a heavy burden lifted.

Lin Yu still felt a bit lighter after making the decision.

However, to prevent Xu Mingyao from causing any more trouble in the future.

Lin Yu still didn't plan to withdraw the people monitoring her.

Anyway, it wouldn't cost Qing Mo much money, so he'd just leave them there to keep an eye on her.

Yeah.

Zhao She's people were no longer needed either; he should make a call to tell them not to come.

Thinking of this, Lin Yu subconsciously reached for his phone.

But before he could slip his hand into the pocket holding his phone, his attention was drawn by a few short honks of a car horn, sounding almost like a greeting.

Turning his head toward the sound.

Lin Yu saw a luxury car parked by the side of the road.

Seeing this luxury car that, just by its appearance, was undoubtedly outrageously expensive, Lin Yu formed a basic guess about the person inside.

Among the people around him who could afford to drive this kind of car.

Other than Qing Mo, it was probably only Zhao She.

Lin Yu didn't have much contact with Zhao She, but he knew that Zhao She wasn't a very high-profile person.

In his line of work.

Only someone completely brainless would dress themselves up in such a flashy manner.

So the person in this car could only be...

...

Lin Yu's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

He sniffled guiltily.

Lin Yu vaguely remembered.

Su Yuyao's family seemed to be extraordinarily wealthy as well.

Could the person in this car be his brother-in-law or someone similar?

At the thought of this, Lin Yu's scalp began to tingle.

He hesitated for a moment.

Believing in the principle that what is a blessing is not a disaster, and what is a disaster cannot be avoided.

Lin Yu, with a mood as heavy as going to a grave, walked with heavy steps toward the luxury car parked on the roadside.

It wasn't until he saw the cold, almost unearthly side profile of the face inside the car that Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

Pulling open the car door, he got in smoothly in one go, reached out to flirtatiously lift Qing Mo's chin, and closed the door. In a great mood, Lin Yu shifted his butt on the passenger seat.

Then he leaned back comfortably against the backrest.

Phew.

Lin Yu sighed in relief.

The feeling of a false alarm was truly great.

It felt like his time of death could be delayed a bit longer.

Qing Mo didn't mind Lin Yu's frivolous behavior, which resembled that of a street punk.

Or rather.

She didn't signal for Lin Yu to increase his efforts.

Because she still had serious matters to ask about.

As for the less serious things, there would be time to do them later.

"How do you plan to deal with the two of them?"

Qing Mo immediately asked the question she cared about most at the moment.

"I gave them a sum of money."

"And told them to get the hell away."

Lin Yu scratched his belly and said casually.

Hearing this, Qing Mo nodded gently.

Such an outcome.

Wasn't bad at all.