Being Seen by the World, Is It Okay Not to Go Home

After hearing Ye Mengfu's response,

Teacher Weiba nodded with an appreciative smile.

She took out her phone and asked,

"Mengfu, may I have your contact info?"

"If you're free later, I’d love to invite you to my studio."

"I’m working on a new themed picture book series and would love to collaborate with young artists to bring in fresh perspectives."

"If you're interested, we can discuss it anytime."

Ye Mengfu froze for a moment—"!!!"

Her?

Collaborating with Weiba Studio?

Weiba was one of the absolute top female illustrators in the country!

No young artist would ever refuse such an opportunity!

Ye Mengfu hurriedly fumbled for her phone.

In her excitement,

she nearly dropped it.

Lin Yu, standing behind her, caught it just in time and handed it back.

He whispered,

"Hold it tight, don’t be nervous."

"See? I told you so."

"Our little Fufu… was always destined to be seen by the world!"

Little Fufu’s eyes reddened as she clutched her phone and nodded vigorously.

A year ago, during graduation season,

when her artwork was ruined and she couldn’t attend the interview,

Ye Mengfu had felt like her life was over.

Now, looking back at everything that had happened,

it seemed fate had quietly arranged it all along.

If Jiang Yangmei hadn’t sabotaged her on purpose,

she might never have met Lin Yu.

Nor would she have been "seen by the world."

As for Jiang Yangmei?

Convinced she had seized the most important opportunity in life,

she was now in the studio, arguing furiously with her boyfriend.

People chase after a better life,

but which path is the right one?

The old Ye Mengfu wouldn’t have known.

But now, she seemed to understand—just a little, just a tiny bit…

[Ding!]

[Masterstroke move! Fate’s favor and the Saint’s encouragement have given your Dao Companion the courage to face adversity!]

[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones.]

[Ding!]

[Congratulations, Host, for completing the limited-time quest "Dispelling Inner Demons"!]

[The Joyous Sect’s Talisman Master has fully overcome her inner demons, triumphing over her old foe, the "Mountain Ogre"!]

[Reward: 200 Sect Contribution Points, 500 Spirit Stones, 1 free system shop draw.]

…

After leaving the exhibition hall,

the rain outside continued—neither too heavy nor too light.

The two went to a nearby mall and settled into a rice noodle restaurant for lunch.

At the exhibition,

Ye Mengfu had been relaxed and happy the entire time.

But now, during lunch, her demeanor was completely different.

It was as if the timid, socially anxious girl had returned.

Whenever she noticed Lin Yu’s gaze,

she’d nervously look away.

Even while eating steaming hot rice noodles,

she kept her face down, barely lifting her head.

Lin Yu couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly.

He could guess what was going through little Fufu’s mind.

Clearly,

now that their "date" had entered the second phase,

she must have imagined what might happen next.

Her face screamed, "I’m so nervous!"—

which told him everything.

"Little Fufu, it’s summer, you know."

"Is it comfortable having noodle steam blowing in your face?"

"Doesn’t your whole face smell like rice noodles now?"

Lin Yu teased.

Ye Mengfu, mid-slurp, quickly looked up:

"I… I forgot."

Hearing this,

she immediately grabbed a wet wipe and scrubbed her face furiously.

But even after wiping,

she still didn’t feel clean enough.

So…

Ye Mengfu stood up in a fluster and said,

"Lin Yu, I... I need to go to the restroom."

Lin Yu nodded,

"Sure, I'll stay and watch our things."

She turned and walked away from the table.

Ye Mengfu smacked her own forehead in frustration.

This was her first date with Lin Yu!

Coming back with her face smelling like rice noodles would definitely affect how he saw her...

No matter how nervous she was, she couldn’t overlook something like this!

What an idiot she was!

Annoyed with herself, Ye Mengfu hurried to the restroom.

Left alone at the table, Lin Yu felt both delighted and impressed.

What a wonderful girl.

What a wonderful youth.

Little Fufu was still in that girlish phase where she’d "laugh at others getting caught in the rain while shopping on a stormy day."

How many twenty-something girls these days would dare wipe their faces vigorously with a wet wipe?

Or splash water on their face in the restroom without a care?

To have such a Fufu—what more could he ask for?

...

Ye Mengfu returned after washing her face.

Not only did her face feel fresher, but her mood had lightened too.

Being teased by Lin Yu earlier had made her too self-conscious to keep eating.

She scooped the rice noodles into a small bowl, waiting for the steam to fade before taking tiny, cautious bites.

Lin Yu didn’t mind.

If she didn’t eat enough at the mall, they could always grab snacks later when they moved on.

The two talked for a long time, sharing their thoughts about the exhibition that day.

When the conversation turned to picture book illustrations and Teacher Weiba, Ye Mengfu unexpectedly spoke at length.

Though it still couldn’t compare to how much Lin Yu could say in just a few minutes,

for Ye Mengfu, it was already a huge step forward.

Seeing the moment was right, Lin Yu politely asked,

"Little Fufu, it’s still raining outside..."

"And it’s almost naptime. Why don’t we... find a place to rest for a bit?"

"Once we’re refreshed, we can take the bus home in the afternoon. What do you think?"

To play it safe, he chose the most effective way to phrase the question.

Lin Yu’s question wasn’t "Should we go home or go somewhere else?"

but rather "Should we go somewhere else or not?"

Once again, it seemed like a choice, but the answer was already implied.

Ye Mengfu: "!!!"

Even if she had imagined this moment might come,

when Lin Yu actually asked, Ye Mengfu was too flustered to speak.

She’d read plenty of romance comics.

Everything they’d done today matched the plotlines perfectly.

Lin Yu had taken her out, helped her through a tough spot, shared sweet moments, and now they were chatting over a meal...

So what came next?

Ye Mengfu wasn’t clueless.

But the fear of the unknown left her speechless.

Lin Yu didn’t press her.

He simply watched Little Fufu quietly, waiting for her answer.

If she showed strong resistance, he wouldn’t push further.

It would just mean today wasn’t the right time—he could try again another day.

At this final step, he couldn’t force things with Ye Mengfu, who struggled to say no.

Ye Mengfu opened her mouth: "..."

Lin Yu: "???"

She parted her lips again: "..."

Lin Yu: "..."

After several attempts,

not a single word came out, but her face grew redder by the second.

Blushing and breathing quickly, Ye Mengfu picked up her phone and tapped on the screen.

Then,

she held it up to show Lin Yu.

That was her WeChat chat dialog with Lin Yu.

In the unsent message box, it read:

Okay.

...

(Second update for today. Only 189 more "Power by Love" supports needed for an extra chapter! Hope everyone can spare some time to watch an ad and show your support. Whether we hit 189 or not, I’ll push hard to add another chapter tonight!)