Chapter 141: Moving Again

After leaving Luo Shaotian’s home, Lin Yu hitched a ride in his sister’s car and spent the night at a nearby Home Inn hotel.

He actually wanted to go back to his own place to sleep, but judging from how Luo Shaotian looked when he left—guilt-ridden to the point of seeming half-deranged—his sister absolutely refused to let Lin Yu stay home alone.

So… he gave in and stayed out for the night.

************************

The Next Morning

“Mm…”
Lin Yu turned over on the unfamiliar hotel bed, instinctively reaching out to hug something like he usually did.

But his arms were empty.
The familiar feeling of his life-sized body pillow wasn’t there—only the bleach-scented hotel quilt.

He opened his eyes, staring blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling for three full seconds…
Then the very first thing he did was bury his head under the pillow and writhe on the bed like a dying grub.

“Quit, quit, quit… should I quit or not?!”

His sister’s words echoed in his ears like a curse.

His rationality told him that yes, he really should run away.

If this continued, not only would he have to face the threat of monsters—
even his dignity as a man, and his little chick, might not survive.

But…

Lin Yu released the pillow and slowly raised his right hand, staring at the palm—so clean it reflected the morning light.

These hands once held a salary slip that barely reached 3,500 yuan, trembling in a late-night subway car.

But these same hands also wielded a pink-glowing psychic weapon, tearing apart unspeakable monsters in a single strike—
they had saved lives,
and had been acknowledged by those proud magical girls.

“…How could I possibly give that up?”

He murmured, a bitter and complicated smile tugging at his lips.

Besides that tempting 40,000-yuan monthly salary…
Besides the favor he still owed to that big shot from 【Abyssal Sea】…

More importantly, this damned job was the only moment in his twenty-something years of loser life when he ever felt truly alive.

That feeling of being needed—
that intoxicating sense of power—

It was more addictive than nicotine.

Quitting smoking was easier than quitting this job.

And honestly… what else could he even do?

His college major was nothing but exam-oriented garbage.
Teachers rambled, he slacked off,
he graduated as a full-time salted fish.

Without this salary, what could he do?

Go back to being a salesman?
Earning basic pay while being scolded to death every day?

At this thought, he suddenly felt a little regretful.

If only I were a girl…
Then I wouldn’t have this problem…

Yeah.
If he’d been a girl from the start, he wouldn’t have any issue becoming a magical girl.
Even after work, he could hang out with his magical girl colleagues and—

Eh?
Why am I thinking like this?

Lin Yu shot upright, slapping his cheeks hard as if to scatter his weak thoughts.

“No—no! I don’t wanna be a girl! I’m gonna守住 (defend) my bottom line as a real man!”

As long as he was careful…
As long as he controlled his transformation frequency…

He should be fine!

Like a gambler setting rules for himself, Lin Yu set a new standard in his heart—

Just one more year… No, two years!

Enough to save up the penalty fee, prepare a dowry for Xiaoxue, save money for his parents’ retirement…
And buy a house and get married!

Once that’s done, he’d immediately wash his hands of the job, retire with honor!

Yes! That’s it!
My fate is mine, not heaven’s!

After fully hypnotizing himself, Lin Yu took a deep breath and got out of bed.

********************

Moving Again

Following his sister’s suggestion—
to avoid another humiliating “head-down-meets-head-down” encounter that triggered his secondhand embarrassment to clinical levels—
he had no choice but to initiate another moving plan.

After all, Luo Shaotian’s territory was upstairs.
Staying in that apartment complex was no longer appropriate.

Under his ultra-efficient sister’s remote guidance, Lin Yu quickly secured a new place.

The new apartment was near the university town—
two metro stops from Lin Xue’s school,
close to Dawn Company,
and accessible via a direct commuter bus that took only 30 minutes.

Most importantly, the area was full of lively college students.
Who would notice a reclusive “freelancer”?

Taking advantage of Luo Shaotian’s hangover, Lin Yu packed his belongings at lightning speed.

This time, he had learned his lesson.

To avoid encountering strange gang members again, he didn’t use a cheap moving service.
Instead, he spent a lot more money on a premium moving company.

“Uh… sir, where should I put this box?”

The mover held a heavy box, looking at Lin Yu with a subtle confusion.

“Oh—bedroom, thanks.”

Lin Yu pointed in the direction, not noticing the man’s odd gaze.

His hair had grown long and was tied into a small ponytail on the back.
Even without makeup or transformation, the natural clarity that lingered after spiritual modification gave him an androgynous beauty.

His hands-on-hips posture, the slight redness from the heat…

The mover wiped his sweat and quietly muttered in his heart:

“Kids these days… how come boys look prettier than girls?”

***********************

A New Base

“Phew… finally done.”

After sending the movers off, Lin Yu stood in the bright, clean new living room and exhaled long and deep.
Outside, the campus trees formed a lush green avenue.

This would be his new base.

A place without Luo Shaotian,
without social-death memories,
just him and…

“Gur~”

A white furball poked out from a box and hopped onto the windowsill.
It shot him a disdainful look with its ruby-like eyes, then curled up to sunbathe.

“…And this damn rabbit.”

Lin Yu rolled his eyes.

He opened the window.
Fresh air carrying the scent of campus greenery filled his lungs.

“Speaking of which…”

Lin Yu squinted, looking toward a certain direction, brows slightly furrowed.

Ever since “Wrench” died, that once-arrogant Akacheng Gang had grown eerily quiet.

No news reports.
No street punks revving their modified bikes.
Even the company’s mission briefs rarely mentioned sightings anymore.

It was as if…

They had vanished overnight.

“Did they really calm down?”

Lin Yu murmured, tapping the windowsill with his fingers.

“Or… are they brewing something worse?”

For some reason, staring at the unusually peaceful sky,
the joy of moving into a new home didn’t come.

Instead, an unexplained sense of foreboding crept into his heart.