Give Me Another Smile

"I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't do it on purpose!" Tang Yu frantically reached for the box of tissues on the desk. However, she accidentally knocked over the cup of water on the desk in her haste, the water in the cup spilling all over Yin Zhao-an's keyboard.

Fumes immediately rose from the keyboard, and even the monitor's screen had gone dark. However, despite the fumes, Tang Yu still tried to wipe it with the tissue she had just grabbed.

Yin Zhao-an's heart thumped when she saw this. Hurriedly, she pulled Tang Yu's hand away from the desk and simultaneously cut off the main power supply.

"What are you doing?! Didn't I say not to come in?! Are you satisfied now?!" Yin Zhao-an angrily pushed Tang Yu's hand away when she saw the mess in her room.

Tang Yu choked. While trying to keep her voice from trembling, she said, "I didn't mean to…"

Yin Zhao-an took a deep breath and closed her eyes, desperately trying to calm herself down. Then, she said, "Forget it. Just go out…"

Her clothes were soaked with fish soup. When exposed to the air, the soup instantly cooled, and the originally fragrant smell of the soup intensified to the point where it became suffocating. The sticky feeling she experienced all over her body only worsened her mood.

"An-An, I'll wash your clothes… It'll be uncomfortable to keep wearing it like this…" Tang Yu tentatively reached toward Yin Zhao-an and pinched the corner of her sleeve, her voice full of caution and guilt.

"Get out!"

"An-An…"

"I told you to get out!" Yin Zhao-an fiercely shook off the hand that was pulling at her sleeve, her eyes reddened with anger.

The room suddenly became quiet, and only the wind whistling outside the window could be heard.

Tang Yu stopped speaking. She crouched down and collected the broken pieces of porcelain on the floor. Then, she silently left the room and numbly walked into the kitchen, a steady stream of blood flowing down her hands and staining the broken porcelain pieces red before dripping and splashing on the marble floor.

…

"Yes. Are you free now? Okay, please come over and help me take a look, then." Yin Zhao-an hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

What a nuisance! Another guild is going to steal the dungeon's first clear now!

After searching around the house and failing to find any sign of Tang Yu, Yin Zhao-an grew even more annoyed. Then, she looked out the window and saw the dark sky dyed slightly yellow by the city's lights.

Why did you have to run out at such a late hour? Do you not care about your safety?

Yin Zhao-an returned to her room, grabbed her phone, and called the number pinned at the top of her contact list. However, unlike in the past, Tang Yu did not answer her call immediately this time. The call only connected after the ringback tone had beeped multiple times. Yin Zhao-an would be an utter fool if she couldn't tell that Tang Yu was throwing a tantrum.

"Where did you go?" Yin Zhao-an asked somberly as she pretended to be angry, her palms somewhat sweaty.

The sound of harsh winds and rustling leaves came through the earpiece. The other side remained silent for a long time before faintly responding, "None of your business."

Yin Zhao-an, originally thinking of going to Tang Yu and apologizing, immediately grew angry at this response.

None of my business?! None of my business?! I'm the one whose computer died, yet you're throwing a tantrum?!

"Fine! Have it your way!"

…

Tang Yu sat by the riverside as she looked at her phone, her nose growing stuffy and tears forming in her eyes as an indescribable sense of grievance welled up within her. Now, even the rustling leaves around her sounded like they were laughing at her in mockery.

Immersed in sorrow, Tang Yu failed to realize that the danger hiding in the shadows was quietly approaching her…

"Heh, caught you…"