Chapter 180: Reminiscing (Part 1)

In fact, as early as yesterday—after that long “heart-to-heart talk” with Manager Qian—
Lin Yu had already vaguely guessed what kind of fate awaited Luo Shaotian.

On paper, the company called it “special protection and rehabilitation observation,”
but translating that grand, official phrasing into plain human language meant only one thing— lab rat research.

“So in the end… I still couldn’t help him keep the secret,”
Lin Yu sighed silently in her heart.

Still, as a seasoned corporate wage s*ave who deeply understood the survival logic of “vested interests,” she very quickly constructed a set of self-comforting rationalizations:

No matter what, the company was at least a legitimate enterprise backed by a major conglomerate.
They wouldn’t go as far as those dark biolab scenes in movies—strapping an active-duty police officer to an operating table and slicing him up for research, right?

At most, they’d draw a couple tubes of blood, run a few psychological tests, make him sign a confidentiality agreement thicker than a dictionary, then stuff him with a hush-money payout big enough to seal his mouth.
That would be the end of it.

For a guy who had almost mutated into a monster, that might even be the best possible outcome.

That was how Lin Yu had been hypnotizing herself all along.

Until tonight.

Until she stood in front of that heavy alloy isolation door, and the bonus-addled brain of hers finally sobered up a little.

“Um… Manager Qian.”

Lin Yu stiffly turned her head, looking at the chubby boss beside her, who was smiling with narrowed eyes, looking as if he were sending his daughter off to be married.

“That so-called ‘old friend’… it’s not going to be…?”

“Heh, you’ll know once you go in. Why so much nonsense?”

Manager Qian didn’t answer directly. He just reached out with his pudgy hand and patted Lin Yu’s slender shoulder meaningfully.

No—more precisely…

He patted Lulu’s shoulder.

Five minutes ago, this old fox had made a strange request—

“For safety reasons, and also to make our guest feel more at ease, Xiao Lin, don’t go in with that stiff male body this time. Transform first.”

What was that supposed to mean?

If it were just a normal reunion—two bros catching up over drinks—why would—

Unless…

The person inside didn’t want to see “Lin Yu” at all,
but “Lulu.”

“Go on. Perform well.”

Manager Qian’s voice was as gentle as that of a kind elder.

But the smile glinting in his slitted eyes made Lin Yu feel like a little lamb being shoved into a den of starving wolves.

“As long as you handle this job… the company will let bygones be bygones regarding that mess you made posting online.”

Lin Yu bit her moist lips lightly. In the end, she still couldn’t bring herself to say no.

For money.
For her salary not being docked.
She had no choice.

“Hiss—”

With the sound of changing air pressure, the heavy alloy door slid open to both sides.

Passing through a long, dim corridor, the end revealed an elegantly arranged Japanese-style tea room.

A faint tatami fragrance filled the air. Soft, warm yellow light spilled across the mats, creating an intimate, tranquil atmosphere.

And at one end of the low tea table, a man sat cross-legged—

It was Luo Shaotian.

Today he wore loose, dark-gray cotton-linen loungewear.
The collar buttons weren’t fastened properly, hanging open casually and revealing the hard lines of his collarbone.

Perhaps because he’d just showered, his short black hair hung messily over his forehead, a few damp strands still clinging to his temples.

In the air, besides the tatami scent, there lingered a faint hint of minty body wash—fresh and clean.

Seeing this, the tight knot in Lin Yu’s chest loosened slightly.

Looks like the company was still fairly decent. At least they hadn’t mistreated the prisoner.

Hearing the movement, Luo Shaotian looked up.

The instant his gaze met the petite figure at the doorway,
a flash of uncontrollable light burst into his slightly weary eyes.

With a muffled grunt, he sprang up from the tatami.

But quickly, he forced that light back down.

Cough.

He clenched a fist to his lips and coughed lightly, masking that fleeting loss of composure.

“You’re here.”

“So it really is you… No wonder the company suddenly called me over.”

Lin Yu did her best to maintain the persona of a “tsundere girl,” walking calmly to the opposite side of the tea table.

This time, her transformation outfit was the company-issued “classic sailor uniform set.”
The dark-blue pleated skirt was… really not very long.

So she didn’t dare sit cross-legged like she would as a man. Instead, she carefully drew her legs together, knees touching, and awkwardly knelt on the soft cushion.

The posture was a bit taxing for her—she’d hardly ever sat like this before. Too proper.

Instinctively, she shifted some of her weight onto her elbows, resting them lightly on the table to keep her balance.

However, this proper kneeling posture inevitably made her well-developed chest look even more prominent, rising and falling gently with her breathing, outlining a curve that was almost startling.

Gulp…

A very soft swallowing sound rang out in the quiet tea room, painfully clear.

Luo Shaotian sharply turned his face away, his gaze drifting toward the flower arrangement to the side.

He was a gentleman.

At least… until the truth was confirmed, he had to be.

……

Neither of them spoke again.

An eerie silence settled over the tea room, broken only by the gentle bubbling of boiling water in the kettle.

Facing this close friend with whom she had once shared life-and-death moments, Lin Yu’s emotions were unimaginably complicated.

Guilt?
Regret?

She didn’t know what face she should use to face him now.

Should she continue playing the role of the money-obsessed “gold digger,”
and make him give up completely?

Or should she open up just a little, give him a bit of comfort?

As she hesitated, fingers nervously twisting the hem of her skirt—

Luo Shaotian finally moved.

That large, well-defined hand picked up the purple clay teapot on the table.

“Pour—”

Accompanied by a crisp, pleasant sound, the clear green tea arced elegantly through the air and flowed into the small white porcelain cup in front of Lin Yu, not spilling a single drop.

“Have some tea first.”

His voice was low and gentle, carrying an unmistakable note of concern.

As he spoke, he lightly pressed the rim of the cup with two fingers and slowly pushed the steaming tea toward her.

“Ah… thank you.”

Lin Yu accepted it without thinking.

Her fingertips touched the warm porcelain wall, and that warmth flowed from her fingers into her heart, easing her tightly strung nerves just a little.

The tea was still hot. Like an ordinary girl, she tucked stray hair behind her ear, lowered her head, and gently blew on it.

Tea leaves floated on the surface.
Pink lips reflected in the water.

Luo Shaotian watched the girl in front of him take small sips. Slowly, he closed his eyes, his hand tightening slightly.

“Make a call.”

He suddenly said, picking up a black phone from beside him.

Screen facing down, it slid smoothly across the wooden tabletop—

And stopped right beside the steaming cup of tea in front of Lin Yu.

“Eh?”

Lin Yu froze, staring at the phone in confusion, a strong sense of unease rising in her chest.

“W-what… what do you mean? Who am I calling?”

Luo Shaotian looked at her quietly, his eyes like a hidden abyss.

“Make a call.”

“Call Lin Yu.”

“Tell him… to come here. Now.”

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