Lin Yu, what kind of monster have you actually created

Walking on the street in the early hours of the morning.

Lin Yu finally understood what it meant to dodge the first of the month, only to be caught on the fifteenth—you can't hide from the inevitable forever.

Just like right now.

Could he really accompany Tang Manman all the way until dawn?

And even if dawn came, wouldn't he still have to say what needed to be said?

Thinking of this, Lin Yu took a deep breath.

Knowing he couldn't avoid this hurdle no matter what, Lin Yu gathered his courage, planning to bid Tang Manman goodbye.

But just as he turned his head, before he could even open his mouth, Tang Manman suddenly tilted her head to look at him and asked without any warning,

"Are you leaving?"

The dark night.

The deserted streets.

A slightly eerie Tang Manman.

If a few snowflakes were falling from the sky right now, Lin Yu would have reacted instinctively, hissing and arching his back like a startled cat.

However, thinking about how happy Tang Manman had been today, and the not-so-cold expression on her small face right now, Lin Yu bit the bullet, nodded, and gave a soft affirmative hum.

But that was it.

Lin Yu wasn't stupid enough to mention his upcoming itinerary and provoke Tang Manman.

Wouldn't that be like plucking a tiger's whiskers—purely courting death?

Almost the exact second Lin Yu gave his definite answer, Tang Manman made her move.

Because they were so close, and Lin Yu was preoccupied with his own thoughts, he had absolutely no time to react.

It wasn't until he was enveloped in Tang Manman's soft embrace that his scalp tingled with a delayed sense of fear, as if an electric current had just shot through him.

After a brief moment of shock, Lin Yu realized that he wasn't in any pain anywhere on his body. Snapping back to reality, he immediately raised his arms and hugged her back.

The two held each other for a short while.

Tang Manman let go, and Lin Yu followed suit.

The two looked at each other, one tall and one short, as Tang Manman said softly,

"Bye-bye."

Lin Yu blinked. He looked at Tang Manman, speechless for a moment.

Because Tang Manman's behavior was just too abnormal.

How did she seem so calm? Her eyes weren't even red.

This wasn't like her at all!

Even if she didn't summon her second personality, the regular version of Tang Manman should be weeping right now, staring at him silently in an attempt to make him change his mind.

Why was she being so cooperative?

Could Tang Manman be hiding a third personality he had never seen before?

Lin Yu felt a bit scared.

But anyway, long story short.

Tang Manman had at least agreed to let him leave on the surface.

Coming back to his senses, Lin Yu nodded subconsciously, said his goodbye, and turned to leave.

However, after only taking a few steps, Lin Yu felt increasingly uneasy.

He felt that the surroundings were eerily quiet, and unseasonable gusts of cold wind kept blowing against his neck, giving him patches of goosebumps.

He hadn't gone far.

Still worried, Lin Yu stopped and glanced back at Tang Manman. Seeing her still standing there obediently watching him, her hands not hidden behind her back, nor suddenly wielding a knife or anything of the sort,

Lin Yu finally relaxed a little.

It seemed he really needed to watch fewer of those messing-with-your-head movies.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Lin Yu was about to leave when he suddenly realized his mistake. He quickly slapped his forehead, turned around, and walked right back.

"Let's go."

"I'll walk you home."

Saying that, Lin Yu took Tang Manman's slightly cold little hand, turned her around, and headed toward her home, keeping an eye out for any passing taxis...

...

When he opened his eyes again, it was almost noon.

Lin Yu nestled in the quilt, stretched his free arm, and let out a huge, silent yawn.

Beside him, Su Yuyao lay there like a little kitten, sleeping peacefully.

Lin Yu carefully moved the arm she had been using as a pillow, adjusting his position so she could sleep more comfortably.

Since Su Yuyao was fast asleep, Lin Yu couldn't bear to disturb her. So, he lay there quietly, his mind wandering to all sorts of random things.

Actually, there was only one thing Lin Yu could really think about.

It wasn't that he didn't have other things on his mind.

But rather that this matter was his most pressing priority.

If he went to see Xia Muzhu, he definitely wouldn't be able to avoid Xia Yueshan.

If he couldn't avoid Xia Yueshan...

...

He raised a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose in distress.

To be honest, Lin Yu was genuinely quite intimidated by Xia Yueshan right now.

In recent years, the kid had been eating and sleeping like a monster, and with puberty hitting, his body had developed incredibly fast.

His height had shot up like a bamboo stalk.

He heard that the kid had never slacked off on his physical training, and had even started hitting the boxing gym recently?

He really was putting in the effort.

He sighed.

Lin Yu knew very well that times had changed.

Subduing this young-adult version of Xia Yueshan was no longer a walk in the park for him.

Back in the day.

Lin Yu could hold him back by pressing one hand against his head, and even if the kid turned into a wild boar, he wouldn't be able to push through.

Now, he figured he'd need to use both hands and about seventy or eighty percent of his strength to fully pin him down.

But even that wasn't a sure bet!

Things like groin strikes, hitting specific pressure points, and ultimate moves to defeat a stronger opponent—he had pretty much taught the kid all of them.

If he used all those dirty tricks on him.

Assuming they weren't fighting to the death.

Even Lin Yu would have a hard time fending him off!

Thinking of this, Lin Yu couldn't help but put a hand to his forehead, questioning what kind of monster he had created.

As for the matter with Su Yuyao, Lin Yu knew that Xia Muzhu definitely wouldn't tell that brat Xia Yueshan.

But given his crafty and inquisitive nature, it was hard to say whether he'd peel back the layers and uncover the truth through some subtle clues.

After all, there was precedent for it.

"Sigh."

He couldn't help but sigh again.

Right now, Lin Yu could only pray to the heavens that Xia Yueshan didn't know about this.

Otherwise.

He felt the kid's threat level wouldn't be much lower than Tang Manman's second personality.

Having finished stressing over Xia Yueshan, Lin Yu didn't have the energy to think about any other messy affairs.

He subconsciously wanted to grab his phone and scroll through some brainless short videos to kill time, but looking at the sleeping Su Yuyao, he decided against it.

Best not to wake her up.

Bored, Lin Yu naturally rested his gaze on Su Yuyao beside him.

This was the first time he had observed her from such a close distance.

Looking closely.

Lin Yu noticed that Su Yuyao's lips were actually somewhat similar to Qingmo's; both were on the thinner side.

Their thin lips didn't look mean; instead, they accentuated a person's aura.

Qingmo's thin lips made her overall temperament seem colder and more noble, giving off an unapproachable vibe.

But Su Yuyao's similar thin lips, set on her tiny, palm-sized face, gave off a completely different feeling.

On her face, the thin lips didn't look mature or aloof, but rather more youthful.

They looked like the thin lips of a child who hadn't yet hit puberty.

They made her look even more green and loli-like!