Is she seeing someone

The two settled into their seats at the restaurant, with Tang Yun wearing a troubled expression.

She had been lost in thought the entire way here.

What should she say, and how should she phrase it, to make this delinquent with dyed blond hair stay away from Manman without provoking resentment—lest he bully Tang Manman at school?

Teenagers at this age were impulsive. If she angered him, who knew what he might do to Manman?

After much deliberation, Tang Yun decided it would be best to approach the matter tactfully.

With this in mind, her delicate brows relaxed, and she turned a gentle smile toward Lin Yu across the table...

Her slightly parted lips froze mid-motion, the words she had prepared suddenly stuck in her throat. Tang Yun shifted uncomfortably under the young man’s intense, unwavering gaze.

This guy!

What was he looking at her like that for?

Lin Yu, meanwhile, was completely absorbed in the eerie sense of déjà vu he had experienced multiple times before, entirely oblivious to the discomfort on Tang Yun’s face.

Only one thought dominated his mind:

Weren’t there supposed to be just four heroines in this adult manga?

This doesn’t add up!!!

But...

She really did seem to be one of the heroines from that series.

The uncanny familiarity triggered a flood of memories—both appropriate and inappropriate—rushing into Lin Yu’s mind.

As vivid, unmentionable scenes flashed through his thoughts, his gaze instinctively drifted downward.

Even with the mental images as proof, he still found it hard to believe.

This... this didn’t seem to match the proportions he remembered at all...

Unaware of Lin Yu’s inner turmoil, Tang Yun clenched her fists on her lap beneath the table, feeling his stare grow increasingly brazen.

He...

He...

Surely not, right?

Kids these days matured early, but...

Was he really that desperate?

She was already in her thirties, practically pushing forty!

Tang Yun fell silent, while Lin Yu—still oblivious to the awkward tension—remained lost in thought, staring at her without blinking.

Finally, after enduring his gaze long enough for her cheeks to burn, Tang Yun reached her limit.

She took a deep breath, about to reprimand him, when she suddenly noticed the teenager who had followed Lin Yu in. The boy sat at a nearby table, slumped over the plastic-covered surface, his dark, glistening eyes brimming with what looked like unshed tears.

The sight of the pitiful boy tugged at Tang Yun’s heart, snapping her back to reason.

She absolutely could not provoke this delinquent.

Whether or not those two incidents where he’d "helped" Manman were staged, it was clear he held considerable influence at school.

Someone like him could make Tang Manman’s life miserable with ease.

Suppressing her anger, Tang Yun forced a gentle expression and spoke in a soft voice:

"Lin Yu?"

"Are you alright?"

"Huh?"

The boy across the table jolted as if waking from a dream. After a dazed moment, he plastered on an awkward grin and replied:

"I—I’m fine."

"Auntie, what did you want to talk about?"

Tang Yun studied Lin Yu, who now seemed to have reverted to the polite young man she’d expected. Though puzzled by his sudden shift in demeanor, she let out a small sigh of relief.

Thank goodness.

If he’d kept acting like that unruly delinquent, she wouldn’t have known what to do...

After collecting her thoughts, she smiled warmly and continued:

"Well, Lin Yu, the main reason I wanted to meet you today was to thank you."

"Manman mentioned you helped her out twice at school?"

Her tone was probing.

"Ah, it wasn’t really a big deal. Just something any classmate would do if they saw someone in trouble."

"I’m sure others would’ve stepped in too."

Lin Yu downplayed the incidents, hoping to avoid further interactions with Tang Yun.

He still couldn’t figure out why a fifth heroine had appeared in what should’ve been a four-heroine adult manga world.

But his policy since transmigrating remained unchanged:

Stay away from all heroines!

...Even if his track record so far was abysmal.

Tang Yun’s brows lifted in surprise at his response. She’d expected him to boast about his "heroic deeds" to win Manman’s admiration.

Why was he dismissing them as trivial?

For a moment, she questioned her assumptions, but she didn’t dwell on it.

The details of those incidents didn’t matter.

What mattered was ensuring Manman could focus on her studies without distractions and improve her grades.

After a pause, Tang Yun pressed on with her prepared script:

"Regardless, since you helped Manman, I wanted to properly express my gratitude."

"Really, it was nothing worth thanking me for," Lin Yu insisted, waving his hands.

Their food arrived just then—two affordable servings of sesame noodle dishes. While Tang Yun’s was standard, Lin Yu’s portion was a deluxe edition, topped with a fall-off-the-bone braised duck leg.

They each took their meals.

Lin Yu dug in immediately, while Tang Yun absently stirred her noodles. Watching him eat with gusto, she ventured cautiously:

"Lin Yu, what do you think of Manman?"

"Uh..."

He paused mid-bite before answering:

"She’s alright. A good girl—pretty, hardworking, kind-hearted."

Hearing her daughter praised, Tang Yun smiled the proud smile of any parent. But soon, her expression clouded again as she sighed softly.

"Yes, she’s always been so dependable."

"But for some reason..."

"Her grades have dropped significantly this term."

"Since you’re her classmate, do you know why?"

"No idea," Lin Yu shook his head, equally puzzled.

Tang Yun hesitated, studying his face before asking quietly:

"Do you think... could she have started dating someone at school?"

"Probably not," Lin Yu frowned. "I haven’t heard anything like that."