Chapter 20: He Summered the Summer, Seven O’Clock Knocking on Dreams  

……  

“You’re not actually into Zhang Modu, are you, Lin Yu?” Li Yide’s face showed a flicker of surprise, but he quickly adjusted himself, raising a smile as he looked at Lin Yu.  

He lifted his phone, turned on the screen, and placed a brightly lit image in front of Lin Yu for him to see clearly.  

On the screen was unmistakably Zhang Modu—  

In the photo, he had his arms around a beautiful woman, sitting on a yacht, with a backdrop full of men Lin Yu didn’t recognize—laughing wildly and lewdly. Glasses and bottles were scattered messily on the ground, the scene exuding nothing but extravagance, devoid of even a trace of the grace he showed now.  

Lin Yu frowned.  

Li Yide swiped through a few more photos, all of them showing Zhang Modu “enjoying life” in various clubs and bars, both domestically and abroad. Among them were plenty of images that clearly revealed his questionable character.  

Lin Yu took a sip of coffee, smoothing out his brows before speaking in a cool, measured voice, “Photoshopped, right?”  

“Bullshit!” Li Yide laughed in exasperation, slamming his phone down beside Lin Yu so he could take a closer look.  

“Sweetheart, look carefully. If I photoshopped these, may my whole family die.” Li Yide leaned in, tapping the screen. “After we get together, you can go through everything on my personal phone.”  

……  

Lin Yu quickly snapped out of the memory. He lightly pressed his fingers to his temple, pursed his lips, and somewhat awkwardly lowered his gaze to Zhang Modu, who was still holding him tightly.  

Their eyes met. The color in Lin Yu’s pupils grew increasingly faint, even flickering with a barely perceptible gold.  

The air between them grew thick with tension as Lin Yu locked onto Zhang Modu’s gaze, scrutinizing him carefully.  

The warmth from their palms grew hotter, the heat seeping from skin to blood, warming them to the core.  

Zhang Modu anxiously called for a first aid kit from his team, half-dragging Lin Yu into his car while gripping his hand firmly.  

A butler-like man in an old-fashioned suit respectfully handed over the medical kit and bandages, though his eyes held reverence when they landed on Lin Yu—as if still shaken by what had just happened.  

Not just him—even the burly men nearby kept stealing glances at Lin Yu.  

—Dude, are you even human? Taking on over a dozen guys with that slight frame?  

Lin Yu lowered his lashes, watching as Zhang Modu carefully tended to his wounds. His expression remained indifferent, not even resisting as he was led into the car.  

Zhang Modu gently placed a layer of gauze under Lin Yu’s hand, applying the expensive травма healing elixir. The cooling sensation didn’t so much as flicker Lin Yu’s expression.  

Once applied, Zhang Modu lowered his head, wrapping the gauze in neat layers before tying a perfect knot at the end. Only then did he look up, meeting Lin Yu’s unwavering stare.  

That gaze was sharp and probing—  

Zhang Modu swallowed hard.  

But he wasn’t afraid.  

A faint smile curled his lips as he took Lin Yu’s pale wrist in his hand, holding it without letting go. He met Lin Yu’s searching gaze head-on, his own eyes burning with intensity, unblinking.  

—And then, he rolled up the car window.

Lin Yu blinked, his eyelashes fluttering lightly as his gaze fixed on Zhang Modu, so intense it nearly materialized into something tangible.

He simply watched Zhang Modu in silence, unmoving.

The scorching temperature in the air gradually rose as the distance between the two narrowed. Zhang Modu still held Lin Yu’s hand, gripping it tightly, lost in thought as he lowered his head.

“Doesn’t he feel awkward?” 001 perched on his shoulder and whispered quietly.

“Shut up.”

001 ducked its head and slipped from Lin Yu’s neck into his consciousness, curling up silently.

“Deactivate Source Power.”

Only when the conspicuous “black mist” around Zhang Modu vanished from Lin Yu’s sight did he slowly blink again.

Lin Yu leaned forward slightly, his wrist twisting swiftly. In the blink of an eye, he reversed their positions, seizing Zhang Modu’s wrist firmly in his grasp, turning the tables.

Zhang Modu felt his heartbeat quicken.

The searing heat from Lin Yu’s palm surged straight toward Zhang Modu’s heart like raging waves crashing relentlessly against his chest.

—Burning, throbbing, constricting.

Yet Lin Yu’s pupils remained calm, like the tranquil surface of Lake Baikal, deeply reflecting Zhang Modu’s figure.

With one hand, Lin Yu lifted Zhang Modu’s wrist, pulling him slightly closer, narrowing the distance between them.

He tilted his head, lightly licking his lower lip, the moisture seemingly seeping into his next words.

Leaning close to Zhang Modu’s ear, his breath brushed against it as he whispered—

“How did you know I was here?” He felt he desperately needed an explanation.

Then he retreated, straightening his posture.

Zhang Modu turned his head away sheepishly, scratching the top of his hair as he awkwardly met Lin Yu’s eyes. “Um… Promise you won’t get mad, okay?”

“I won’t get mad.” Lin Yu was calm.

Zhang Modu lowered his head, bending slowly to rest it on Lin Yu’s shoulder. His gray-black hair faintly tickled Lin Yu’s face, soft yet slightly prickly.

He nuzzled against Lin Yu’s shoulder.

“I used my access to monitor and track your phone’s location.” He peered cautiously at Lin Yu’s expression from his shoulder. Unfortunately, there was no change.

Lin Yu: “.”

“001, is this true?”

001 responded instantly, its naive voice echoing from Lin Yu’s consciousness. “No way~ Host~ Trust the administrator. The tech in this low-level Small world couldn’t possibly breach our system~”

“The code is generated by the Interstellar World. There’s no way it could be monitored.”

Lin Yu gripped Zhang Modu’s arm, his other hand resting gently on his waist. He encircled Zhang Modu in his embrace, locking their wrists together as their bodies pressed tightly against each other.

His fingers traced slow circles on Zhang Modu’s wrist, savoring the softness beneath his touch.

“Mm, I believe you.”

Lin Yu’s expression was utterly serious, his light-colored eyes reflecting a figure that remained crystal clear.

The calm sea seemed perpetually ruffled by the wind, swaying gently. Not far away, white sails drifted across the azure waters, pulling small flags that waved at the ocean as if greeting it.  

The car’s ceiling was adorned with a starry sky design, delicate strands of light filtering through the dark obsidian-tinted windows to dance upon the roof.  

The light fell upon the two figures, making them appear like stars entering the galaxy, swirling together with the cosmos until even the fixed stars began to flicker.  

The surroundings were so tranquil.  

The area, already cleared by Li Yide, had been tidied once more by Zhang Modu’s people. Security personnel had long since driven away quietly, leaving only the two protagonists in a silent standoff.  

Lin Yu’s arms gradually tightened around him.  

Zhang Modu remained nestled in Lin Yu’s embrace, tilting his head back to gaze upward. His bright eyes blinked rapidly as he stared at Lin Yu before stretching out his arms and naturally wrapping them around Lin Yu’s waist.  

“Hug,” Zhang Modu murmured softly.  

“Mhm.” Lin Yu’s voice was even, yet beneath the restrained tone lay hidden emotions.  

Lin Yu lifted a hand slightly, fingers curling gently as they rested against Zhang Modu’s cheek. With a faint press, he pinched Zhang Modu’s flushed face lightly, the reddening skin growing even hotter and more vivid beneath Lin Yu’s pale fingers.  

“Do you still like me?” Lin Yu asked.  

“Of course. So, will you be with me?” Zhang Modu raised his wrist, tugging at Lin Yu’s knuckles before grasping his hand firmly.  

The corner of Lin Yu’s lips curved upward.  

“I’ll think about it,” he said softly, his voice carrying a faint trace of amusement as it drifted into Zhang Modu’s heart like a passing breeze.  

Had Lin Yu not sealed his Source Power at that moment, he would have surely heard the hoarse, chaotic whispers of the black mist swirling around Zhang Modu—tangled together like a knotted mess.  

[Congratulations, Host Zhang Modu—estimated progress toward goal: 80%]  

[Once we devour Lin Yu’s Aura of Destiny, we’ll withdraw.]  

Zhang Modu had been in a state of heightened excitement from the moment he seized Lin Yu’s wrist, his heart pounding wildly. If he had a tail, it would have been wagging furiously in circles by now.  

Lin Yu stroked Zhang Modu’s head, the gentle pressure accompanied by Zhang Modu’s hopeful gaze as he rubbed slowly.  

Zhang Modu clung to Lin Yu’s waist like an overgrown puppy, batting his eyes as he asked, “I overheard Li Yide saying he was taking you out somewhere fun.”  

His eyes glistened wetly as he pleaded, “I’m so jealous. Take me out too, okay?”  

Lin Yu: “…”  

Seriously?  

As if he had actually been eavesdropping.  

Zhang Modu lifted one of Lin Yu’s hands and pressed a light kiss to his well-defined knuckles.  

A jolt like an electric current shot through Lin Yu, sending a numbing tingle up his arm. His light-colored pupils dilated, marking the second shift in his expression since he had first smiled today.  

( ?° ?° ? )  

Zhang Modu watched Lin Yu’s dazed expression before lifting his hand again to plant two more quick kisses, then looked up at him expectantly.  

“Ayu, won’t you take me out to play?”  

“Alright.” Lin Yu’s eyes settled back into calmness, as if everything that had just happened was nothing more than a fleeting illusion, slowly fading from his gaze.  

Petals danced wildly in the height of summer, weaving through spring and stretching across time.  

Soft pastel pinks mingled with the verdant hues of summer, flowing like a river before dissipating with the wind.  

The breeze brushed past willow branches, swaying them carelessly.

The city was about to welcome its summer.

001 no longer dared to speak. Trembling, it hid deep within Lin Yu’s consciousness and cautiously said:

“Host, I’m going to be destroyed…”

“I won’t be able to complete my first mission, wuwuwuwu.”

“No, you won’t. Shut up.”