Chapter 21: Orange Soda  

“Where do you want to go…?”  

Lin Yu’s pale pupils flickered with an almost imperceptible golden glint once more, the fleeting hue dissolving into the obscure depths of his gaze.  

That sliver of gold was like a meteor streaking across the sky, laced with scrutiny and suspicion. He never made baseless assumptions about someone unrelated to him—no matter how entangled their connection might be.  

It was an innate talent of his.  

Their hands remained intertwined, the damp warmth clinging to the skin where they touched, their clasped posture unchanged.  

—Except for the slight curl of Lin Yu’s pinky finger.  

Their gazes tangled tightly together, like drawn-out threads hurtling through the boundless depths of the universe, pulling taut the ambiguous tension between them.  

Zhang Modu’s palm trembled faintly at the teasing touch, his heart fluttering wildly like a captured butterfly, racing in sync with the gentle tug of that thumb.  

Hesitantly, Zhang Modu wrapped his arms around Lin Yu’s neck, embracing him tentatively. When no resistance came, he leaned in cautiously.  

He arched forward, his waist drawing closer—  

Lin Yu turned his head away.  

Disappointment flashed in Zhang Modu’s eyes, but he quickly withdrew his arms with practiced restraint, leaving only his unwavering gaze fixed on Lin Yu:  

“We’ll go wherever you want.”  

“Mm.”  

Lin Yu tilted his head slightly, his pupils unfocused as if deep in thought. After a long pause, he finally spoke: “I want to see the creatures of your world.”  

?  

Zhang Modu: ?  

001: ?  

001 emitted a sharp, staticky screech.  

“LinLinLinLinLin, are you serious?!” 001 spun around in a panic, but lacking vocal permissions, it could only shiver in a corner and scrawl its words across the system screen.  

Unfortunately, Lin Yu had long since shut the system screen off.  

Lin Yu’s expression was clear, showing no trace of abnormality.  

Zhang Modu felt an uneasy prickle. He glanced distractedly out the window before returning his attention to Lin Yu’s face.  

He stared at him, as if waiting for Lin Yu’s next move.  

Lin Yu released his hand.  

“Aren’t you curious how I fought so many people without a scratch?” Lin Yu’s expression grew as pale as his irises, the emotions in his eyes too murky to decipher.  

An overwhelming sense of danger enveloped Zhang Modu—his instincts screamed at him.  

Lin Yu’s gaze remained locked onto Zhang Modu’s, unnervingly still, like stagnant water.  

Zhang Modu’s heartbeat quickened further. Without Lin Yu’s warmth, he felt cold.  

Summer was still sweltering. Though the afternoon sun had begun to dip, the impending peak of summer was enough to drench anyone in sweat.  

The car’s air conditioning and engine hummed steadily. Though not set too low, the unnatural chill made Zhang Modu’s instincts flare.  

This place felt like an ice cellar—not just from the frost in Lin Yu’s eyes, but from the bizarre temperature. It was as if the air had frozen solid, a world of ice and snow.  

—Zhang Modu’s internal alarms blared at full volume.  

This answer could alter the entire course of his mission to win Lin Yu over.  

He curved his lips into a smile, his eyes brimming with affection like a warm spring: “I was just worried about you.”  

Four feather-light words.

The scrutinizing gaze continued, but the surrounding environment was clearly not as cold anymore. The temperature gradually climbed until it returned to the normal level with the car’s air conditioning on. Only then did Zhang Modu realize—

The earlier drop in temperature wasn’t an illusion!

Lin Yu could really control the temperature!

He wiped a nervous sweat for himself and snapped back to reality, seeing Lin Yu’s faint smile curling at the corners of his lips.

“April’s blooms fade in the mortal world, while temple peaches begin to blossom.”

Zhang Modu heard Lin Yu’s voice, light with laughter, like a clear spring bubbling with emerald waters. “So, are we still going?”

“Hmm…”

“To the zoo?”

“Sure.”

“And the aquarium.”

Should summer taste like lemon soda?

Sweet, yet tinged with the tart fizz of bubbles—one sip and you’re transported to the height of summer.

Mingled with the wind and the scorching summer air, carrying the refreshing chill of ice cubes, it’s like the scent of love—beautiful and heartwarming.

He summered the summer.

…

[Congratulations, Host Zhang Modu—Lin Yu’s affection progress has reached approximately 90%.]

Considering Lin Yu had just finished a “rather exhausting” solo battle, Zhang Modu took the initiative to drive.

Lin Yu sat in the passenger seat, his eyes fixed indifferently on the endless stream of traffic ahead. 001, whose permissions had been adjusted by Lin Yu, perched on his shoulder with tiny hands, occasionally darting glances toward Zhang Modu’s direction.

Zhang Modu often wore suits, but today, he had clearly dressed up specially for Lin Yu in an exquisitely tailored shirt. His slender fingers rested on the steering wheel, looking relaxed and casual—a stark contrast to Lin Yu’s usually meticulous driving style.

More laid-back than the original host when driving, yet lost to them before?

Could something like that really happen?

Standing on Lin Yu’s shoulder, 001 spoke earnestly to him, even puffing up indignantly with hands on hips:

“Lin Lin, I told you not to casually reveal your identity!”

“I’m genuinely curious,” Lin Yu replied with a hint of indifference, idly chatting with 001 from the passenger seat.

“How many times has the host said it? A Fantasy Creature like you—a dragon!”

“No one would believe it even if you told them!” 001 declared proudly, hands on hips.

“I’m Fae,” Lin Yu glanced at 001, his pupils flickering briefly before settling back to calm.

“If you’ve got the guts, go ask Administrator Shen Qian! I’ve never seen a dragon insist on calling themselves Fae!”

“If I’m not Fae, then what am I?”

…

City A · Aquarium

The undulating blue hues resembled a fish gliding through water, with free-flowing light and shadows dancing across the massive glass walls.

The thick pressure-resistant glass seemed on the verge of buckling under the strain, while the beluga whale trapped within lazily flicked its tail, meandering through the water. Occasionally, it would swim up to the audience, eliciting gasps of awe.

As the largest aquarium in City A and one of the top in the country, it boasted an impressive variety of marine life and was always bustling with visitors.

All tickets for the day had been fully booked, but Zhang Modu flexed his financial prowess, stepping into the azure glass world with Lin Yu.

Rippling water, swaying blue reflections.

Lin Yu stood in an underwater tunnel, staring dumbfounded at the manta rays and vividly colored tropical fish swimming above their heads.

A perfect embodiment of the phrase—”dumb as a wooden chicken.”

“001, this is the first time in my life I’ve seen creatures from the sea up close…”

“So this is what they look like…” Lin Yu murmured, his gaze fixed on the school of fish swimming above, never straying.

Zhang Modu didn’t know what to say anymore. He just stood there, silently watching Lin Yu’s back, like a silent statue lingering in the distant sunset.

In his mind, Zhang Modu silently mouthed to the “Black Mist,” “System, what exactly is Lin Yu?”

“Don’t tell me the Child of the Micro-World can make the air temperature change with his mood, or emerge unscathed from fighting a hundred enemies.”

“Foolish Host.” A hoarse, growling voice eerily came from beside Zhang Modu, but he merely frowned slightly, as if accustomed to it.

“The strength of the Child of the Micro-World is directly proportional to the Small World itself. Haven’t you noticed how much stronger the Small World has become these past few days?”

“And making the air turn cold is nothing. Some protagonists of Small Worlds can even make it rain when the world is sad and clear up when it’s happy…”

Zhang Modu didn’t bother listening to the grating, ghost-like voice any longer. He glanced around and noticed that, despite it being near closing time, more and more people were gathering at this “entrance.”

Where there had been scattered individuals before, small groups now clustered together, chattering away. Some even took out their phones to take pictures, muttering things he couldn’t make out.

Lin Yu remained standing there, his face filled with disbelief.

“No way, even celebrities aren’t this good-looking…”

“Look at that handsome guy tilting his head up. Are you sure he’s not some star?”

Occasional murmurs drifted unintentionally into Zhang Modu’s ears, chaotic and noisy, almost as unbearable as his own system.

Zhang Modu’s expression darkened further. He furrowed his brows slightly, strode over to one of the men holding up a phone, and abruptly covered the lens with his hand.

His voice was terrifyingly low, his pupils exuding an almost hypnotic control as he spoke slowly, word by word:

“Excuse me, he’s my friend.”

“Please stop taking pictures.”

“It’s very rude behavior.”

……

Lin Yu rested his chin on his hand, observing with near-tracing intensity for a long while before finally snapping out of it and turning to look at Zhang Modu, who stood watching him.

The surroundings were now empty.

Zhang Modu stood perfectly straight, his gaze never wavering from Lin Yu, watching him without a hint of weariness. The azure-blue light of the aquarium cast across his profile, making him appear as calm as a pool of water.

—Only his eyes remained fixed.

“The Host is amazing, watching for ten whole minutes,” 001 remarked, swaying its head as it watched alongside Lin Yu, even displaying the names of the marine animals on the system screen.

Lin Yu lowered his eyelids, then lifted them again, revealing a faint trace of apology in his bright, shimmering eyes as he looked at Zhang Modu. “I’m sorry…”

“This is my first time seeing these.”

What does it feel like when your heart is struck by Cupid’s arrow? What does it feel like when your crush confesses to you? What does it feel like when you kiss the one you love for the first time?

Zhang Modu didn’t know any of these things, but right now, his heart ached terribly.

After a momentary pause, it began pounding violently in his chest, throbbing within the blood-soaked vessel of life.

Emotion is nourishment, and a heartbeat is proof.  

It’s the most sincere melody born from a stirring heart.  

Zhang Modu looked up, his gaze slowly meeting Lin Yu’s in the air. After a brief moment of eye contact, he turned away slightly unnaturally:  

“Actually, inside there’s also a massive ocean area, over ten meters long and wide…”  

“Oh, I know.”  

“Whale Shark, right?” Lin Yu answered instantly.  

Zhang Modu: ?  

Huh? How do you know?  

Wait, no?