Chapter 41: I Thought… You Didn’t Want Me Anymore

Lin Qingyou was stunned, her hand frozen mid-air as she was about to pick up a piece of potato.

Yin Hanyu immediately noticed her unusual reaction and asked anxiously, “What’s wrong?”

Lin Qingyou fed him the piece of potato instead. “Do you like eating potatoes?”

Yin Hanyu nodded, then shook his head.

The reason he loved potatoes was actually because she loved them.

Since she was young, Lin Qingyou had enjoyed cooking.

Her father was rarely home, and her mother often locked herself in a room, immersing herself in the study of medicine. No one took care of her.

So, she would set up a big iron pot in the courtyard and fry potatoes.

At that time, she didn’t know anything about cooking techniques—she would just haphazardly chop and fry.

She’d cut the potatoes while tossing them into the sizzling oil, which splattered everywhere.

But she wasn’t scared at all. Instead, she was incredibly happy, jumping around the yard in excitement.

Once the potatoes were fried, she would eagerly present them to him like a prized treasure.

“Can you even eat what you made?”

“Of course! I already tried it—it’s delicious!”

“But what exactly is this? Potato chunks? Fries? Potato slices? Potato shreds? Or just… potato blobs?”

Her cutting was a complete mess—triangles, rectangles, squares, rhombuses, parallelograms… Every shape imaginable.

“It’s just potatoes!”

“Hey, stop worrying about the shape! I was scared of cutting my hand, so I chopped randomly. Just try it, it’s really good!”

He took a bite, and surprisingly, it wasn’t bad.

So, she got even more enthusiastic—not only feeding him but also making her mother eat some.

His mother adored Lin Qingyou. No matter what she did, she found her adorable.

Since he was always quiet and rarely spoke, his mother often called him a dull gourd or a little blockhead.

Lin Qingyou, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She was like a joyful little bird, chattering nonstop all day long. His mother adored her endlessly.

But she still worried about such a young child cooking—it was dangerous.

So, she gave him a lot of money, asking him to take Lin Qingyou outside to buy food instead.

However, Lin Qingyou was stubborn. She insisted on keeping the money, saying it was only safe with her.

He let her have her way.

For a while, their daily routine after school was rushing to the street stalls to buy fried potatoes.

They would eat while walking, with her occasionally stealing his food and then feeding him some in return. She bounced along like a happy little rabbit.

As these memories resurfaced, a warm smile unconsciously appeared on Yin Hanyu’s face.

But Lin Qingyou’s reaction was different.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her head, and she felt like she was being dragged into a thick fog.

She couldn’t see the road ahead, couldn’t see anyone—only darkness and silence.

“Ahhh… Ahhh!” Lin Qingyou suddenly screamed in fear.

“Qingyou! Qingyou!” Yin Hanyu quickly grabbed her. “Qingyou, what’s wrong?”

She clutched her head in agony. The moment she looked up at Yin Hanyu, it was as if she had found a lifeline, reaching desperately for his hand.

But in the next second, his face suddenly morphed into another figure from her memories.

She struggled to push through the fog, trying to see more clearly.

And then—his face became Leng Yifeng’s.

“No… No!”

Terrified, she staggered backward.

Leng Yifeng’s face became clearer and clearer.

“Qingyou… Qingyou…”

Leng Yifeng. Leng Yifeng.

She instinctively took several steps back.

In her panic, the small food container in her hands slipped and fell to the ground.

Potatoes and skewers scattered everywhere.

“Qingyou, what’s wrong?” Yin Hanyu’s anxious voice kept reaching her ears.

But Lin Qingyou seemed unable to hear him anymore. She crouched down helplessly, clutching her head, shaking violently.

Yet, in her mind, the only face she could see was Leng Yifeng’s.

“Qingyou…”

Yin Hanyu knelt down as well, reaching out to embrace her.

But the next second, she screamed,

“Leng Yifeng!”

“Leng Yifeng!”

Yin Hanyu’s hand froze in midair.

His lips parted, but he felt as though something was choking him, making it impossible to say a word.

“Qingyou…”

“Get away from me!”

“Go away!”

“Leave!”

Lin Qingyou desperately slapped her own head. “Go away…”

“Go away…”

“Go away…”

Yin Hanyu’s body trembled violently, his heart twisting in agony as if it were being shredded apart.

She was still thinking about Leng Yifeng.

She still needed Leng Yifeng.

His whole body tensed, his fists clenched tightly. His pride screamed at him to walk away.

But looking at her pained expression, his pride was nothing in comparison to his heartache for her.

“Go away… Go away… Go away…”

Yin Hanyu was overwhelmed with pain, his eyes filled with sorrow.

The next moment, he pressed a certain spot on the back of her neck, and Lin Qingyou instantly lost consciousness, collapsing into his arms.

---

Hospital

When Lin Qingyou woke up, it was already late at night.

She was surprised to find herself in a hospital.

Wasn’t she walking through the school street with Yin Hanyu?

Where was he?

She scanned the hospital room but didn’t see him anywhere.

Immediately, she got up from the bed.

“Yin Hanyu…”

Before she could take a step, Ming Yu entered the room, wearing a white coat.

“Ming Yu?” Lin Qingyou quickly asked, “Where is Yin Hanyu?”

“He had something to take care of and left first,” Ming Yu replied. “He asked me to take care of you.”

“He left? He had something to do?”

Lin Qingyou shook her head firmly. She grabbed Ming Yu’s hand in urgency. “What happened? Did I do something again?”

Otherwise, Yin Hanyu would never leave her behind.

Ming Yu glanced at her coolly. “At least you’re self-aware. But since you know, why did you still do it? Lin Qingyou, does Yin Hanyu owe you something? Why do you keep hurting him?”

“So… what did I do?” Lin Qingyou clutched her head. “I really don’t remember. The last thing I recall is us eating at the school street…”

She vaguely remembered something about their childhood, but then her head had started aching terribly, preventing her from thinking further.

What happened after that?

Why couldn’t she remember anything?

“You told him to leave.”

“And even while unconscious, you kept calling Leng Yifeng’s name.”

“I…” Lin Qingyou’s heart clenched painfully.

Why?

“Well, congratulations. He left. Just as you wanted. So why do you look unhappy now?”

“I didn’t mean to…” She was just… worried about him, heartbroken for him.

“Didn’t mean to?” Ming Yu’s icy voice carried rare anger. “Lin Qingyou, Yin Hanyu never owed you anything. You don’t have to love him, but at least don’t hurt him.”

Lin Qingyou opened her mouth to explain, but words felt meaningless.

Because whether intentional or not, she had hurt Yin Hanyu once again.

Clutching her chest in pain, she felt like she could barely stand.

“You’re physically fine,” Ming Yu stated coldly. “You can leave now.”

---

Lin Qingyou walked out of the hospital in a daze.

She wandered aimlessly along the empty street.

What should she do?

Should she look for Yin Hanyu?

But he must hate her now.

He probably thought she was a deceitful, disgusting liar.

Yet, she had never lied to him…

She wanted to cry but bit her lip, forcing back her tears.

She had no right to cry.

She, who hurt others, had no right to cry.

The autumn wind howled.

Lin Qingyou’s figure stretched long under the streetlights, looking lonelier than ever.

Just then, a familiar black coat was gently draped over her shoulders.

Startled, she turned around.

And instantly met a pair of familiar eyes.

Yin Hanyu had been standing behind her all along.

Looking at him, her eyes turned red.

Tears flooded out uncontrollably.

“Yin Hanyu…”

Like a wounded rabbit, she threw herself into his warm embrace, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Why are you crying?” Yin Hanyu pinched her nose, teasing yet hoarse with emotion. “You told me to leave, and I didn’t even cry…”

“I thought you left… I thought you didn’t want me anymore…” she sobbed in fear.

“Yin Hanyu, please… don’t leave me, okay?”