Chapter 116 Entering the Game Alone

That day, Lin Yu had just turned on his phone to ask about the latest developments in Jiangchuan when he heard someone calling him from outside the window.

Unable to hear clearly through the window, she put down her phone in confusion, walked to the window, and pushed open the glass. "Banban! Over here!"

Lin Yu looked in the direction of the sound and saw Chen Guang leaning out of the window downstairs, waving at her.

When he saw her finally show her face, a smile instantly bloomed on his face, revealing his two signature tiger teeth, making him look like a young man.

This scene is so familiar, as if time has suddenly rewound to our university days. Back then, Chen Guang was just like that, standing by the basketball court or in front of the teaching building, calling out to himself loudly through the crowd.

Back then, she was completely devoted to him and was willing to run to him without hesitation. But now, even though they are only separated by one floor, it feels as far away as the entire playground they once shared.

What are you yelling about?

Lin Yu stopped him from shouting again, pointing a finger at him from a distance. "Can't you just call and say what's wrong?"

Half an hour later, Lin Yu stood in Chen Guang's cramped bathroom, holding a clipper in his hand, staring at Chen Guang, who was wrapped in a white cloth in front of the mirror like a lamb to the slaughter, and couldn't help but check again.

Are you sure you don't want to wait until the lockdown is lifted before going to the hair salon for a haircut?

"Didn't the neighborhood committee announce yesterday that the quarantine period would be extended to a month?" Chen Guang casually brushed aside the hair that was covering his eyes.

“It’s okay, the clippers have calipers, just shave it all off close to my scalp.” He gestured in front of the mirror. “Have you seen ‘The Man from Nowhere’? It’s similar to Won Bin’s hairstyle.”

"Actually... you can tie it up too?" Lin Yu's mind conjured up Yuan Bin's angular face and eight-pack abs, and he hesitated to make the move.

In all her life, she had never touched a single hair of anyone else's except for her own bangs, fearing that she might accidentally hurt Chen Guang, especially now that she was in a state of unease.

Chen Guang tilted his head and looked at her in the mirror, his tone tinged with a defiant, mocking tone. "I've let you do whatever you want, and you tell me this? Come on, I believe you!"

“Sure…” Seeing Chen Guang’s attitude that he was completely at Chen Guang’s mercy, Lin Yu became bolder. “One hundred yuan per time, WeChat or Alipay?”

"Robbery?" Chen Guang's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

"What? I didn't drag you out from outside!" Lin Yu poked his shoulder with the tip of his clippers, reminding him, "You invited me here yourself."

"Master Lin, can you explain why you charge such a high price?" Chen Guang argued.

"Have you ever heard of blind boxes? Blind boxes are always expensive." Lin Yu snorted coldly, reflecting on himself, wondering if he had been giving Chen Guang too much of a friendly look these past few days.

She stopped teasing him, straightened his head to face the mirror, took a deep breath, and pressed the switch.

The clippers began to vibrate with a buzzing sound. Lin Yu chose the longest caliper and carefully pushed it upwards along the back of Chen Guang's head.

With the first push, the black hair fell in rustling motions, surprisingly smoothly. Lin Yu's courage gradually grew, and his hand speed increased.

At first, things went smoothly, but when the clippers reached the top of his head, they suddenly made a strange clicking sound. Lin Yu's hand trembled, and he subconsciously pulled hard, causing Chen Guang to feel a chill on the top of his head.

The air suddenly froze, and neither of them spoke.

Lin Yu glanced at Chen Guang, who looked completely oblivious in the mirror, then looked down at the abruptly empty space above his head. He hurriedly turned off the clippers and smacked his lips guiltily.

Everything looked normal in the mirror, but Chen Guang had a bad feeling. He raised his hand alertly and touched something smooth.

He suddenly looked down, and in the mirror, amidst his once thick black hair, a circular, shiny, bald patch appeared, looking utterly comical under the overhead light.

A few clumps of hair of varying lengths still stubbornly stood around it, resembling a wheat field ravaged by a typhoon, which made the bald patch even more conspicuous and eye-catching.

Chen Guang's expression shifted from bewilderment to shock, finally settling on a strange sense of relief. His lips twitched a few times, then he let out a short, dry laugh. "Master Lin, your skills... a hundred isn't expensive at all."

He turned around and pointed to his newly grown Mediterranean-looking hairline. "It's like seeing myself at forty. From now on, you don't have to call me section chief anymore, just call me department head, really."

Lin Yu looked at Chen Guang's astonished expression and the bare patch of ground above his head, a smile playing on his lips, his shoulders trembling slightly.

The two looked at each other and suddenly burst out laughing at the same time. The awkward yet helpless laughter seemed to temporarily ease the distance between them and the gloom of the pandemic.

After tidying up the bathroom, Chen Guang, with his conspicuous bald patch, casually invited Lin Yu to stay for a cup of hand-ground coffee.

Lin Yu always felt that he was deliberately sporting that ridiculous hairstyle in front of her so that she would always remember the favor she owed him.

While waiting, Chen Guang steered the conversation back to work. This time, he seemed to have learned his lesson and approached the topic indirectly, as if he were just casually bringing up an unimportant subject.

"I remember you prepared for graduate school entrance exams when you were in college, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I didn't know anything back then, and I was confused about my career path. I was just blindly following everyone else," Lin Yu said truthfully.

"Now?" Chen Guang poured the freshly ground coffee into the filter. "Want to try again?"

"What? Taking the postgraduate entrance exam?" Lin Yu looked up in surprise, meeting his smiling eyes.

Chen Guang gently swirled the filter cup, pouring hot water evenly over the coffee grounds. "Dean Zhang contacted me some time ago..."

Without pausing his work, he continued, "Our college has a joint training program with the neighboring 985 university. Each year, there are a few places for recommended students. If you pass the written exam, the interview is usually no problem."

Coffee began to drip into the pot, drop by drop. "As you know, this school has many high-scoring students who fail the re-examination every year. This is a rare opportunity."

Lin Yu gazed at the gradually filling glass pot, and began to think seriously, a rare occurrence for him. "If I go to graduate school at this age, I'll be almost thirty by the time I graduate, and finding a job won't be easy."

"Many enterprises and institutions in Linjiang require master's degree graduates from 985 universities to be eligible for recruitment, and those under 35 years old have a chance."

The rich aroma of coffee filled the air. He handed Lin Yu the freshly brewed coffee. "Would you like some milk?"

In the years since graduation, the idea of ​​returning to Linjiang has only flashed through Lin Yu's mind twice.

The first time was when Chen Guang made a special trip to Shanghai to clear up the misunderstanding, and the second time was during the period when he learned that he might lose his job.

However, these thoughts were fleeting and ephemeral. In the end, she still felt that Shanghai was a better fit for her.

It wasn't until the pandemic hit and her grandmother became seriously ill that this fleeting thought was rekindled, prompting her to seriously consider the possibility for the first time.

Seeing that Lin Yu seemed to be persuaded, Chen Guang gently pushed the coffee with milk in front of her. "The housing prices in Linjiang are reasonable, and the pace of life is not as fast as in Shanghai. Your previous research projects also have the opportunity to apply for research grants."

He patiently persuaded her, sitting down opposite him. "More importantly, your family and friends are all there. Banban, think it over carefully."

Just as Lin Yu was deep in thought, Jiang Chuan called. Chen Guang frowned, feeling annoyed, and silently stepped aside.

There was some background noise coming from the other end of the receiver, but his voice remained steady, clear, and exceptionally penetrating.

He told Lin Yu that he had successfully received the patient and that his grandmother had been transferred to the ICU at Xiangya Hospital. After evaluation, the doctor said that the patient was brought to the hospital in time and the situation was under control.

Due to epidemic control measures, family members were unable to accompany the couple, so Jiang Chuan and Lin Min were arranged to stay in a quarantine hotel near the hospital.

But he assured Lin Yu that he would communicate with the nurse every day and keep her updated on the latest developments in his grandmother's condition.

"How are you?" Lin Yu didn't rush to ask about the situation at home, but was more concerned about the safety of Jiang Chuan, who could have stayed out of it but had resolutely entered the fray alone.

"Don't worry, everything is fine."

Jiang Chuan didn't tell Lin Yu that he had deliberately arrived at the Changsha border half a day early. In order to avoid mandatory quarantine, he stayed in his car for most of the night.

When he picked up Lin Min's family, his shirt was wrinkled beyond recognition, and he had two dark circles under his eyes, but he was unusually excited, as if he knew that victory was just around the corner.

He had never been so driven by anything in his life, regardless of the cost or the outcome. For a moment, he thought Zhang Hengyuan was right; he probably really had gone mad.

Yet this madness also made him feel more clear-headed than ever before, like a truly living person, giving his all and fighting with all his might for the things he cared about.

"Jiang Chuan, thank you!"

Jiang Chuan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. He didn't respond to the thank you, but instead asked softly, "Do you want to talk to your mother?"

"good!"

"Mom, how are you?" Lin Yu gripped the phone tighter.

"Everything's fine, don't worry. How are things on your end?" Lin Min took the phone, pressing it close to her ear, wanting to hear her daughter's voice more clearly.

"I'm doing fine, I have no worries about food and clothing."

"If you're in quarantine, learn to cook for yourself instead of always ordering takeout; it's unhealthy."

"I know." What used to annoy her about the nagging now felt incredibly precious and warm.

“You should listen to Jiang Chuan. I’ve called the hotel in Changsha and they’ve installed a dehumidifier in your room.”

"If you develop eczema, remember to contact the nurse who is following up with you, and continue using the medication."

"Okay!" Lin Min felt gratified on the other end of the phone. It seemed that her daughter had grown into a real adult without her even realizing it.

"Mom, I want to eat Uncle Liu's pickled cabbage. I left early for the New Year and didn't even have a chance to try it." Lin Yu didn't know why she suddenly thought of this; maybe she just wanted to talk about something lighthearted.

"I'll send you some when Mom gets home." Then she paused. "Don't eat too much, that stuff causes cancer."

Lin Yu chuckled, and the gloom that had been building up in his heart seemed to dissipate a little.

After hanging up Lin Min's call, Lin Yu realized that Chen Guang had been staring at her silently the whole time. She took a sip of her now-cold coffee, the bitterness and aroma spreading between her teeth at the same time.

"Something happened at home," she explained casually.

"Is it serious?" Chen Guang's voice unconsciously turned somber.

Lin Yu briefly explained the situation to him, and finally sighed softly. "Luckily, he was taken to the hospital in time." These words seemed to be spoken to him, but also to comfort herself.

Chen Guang's gaze fell on the milk foam that was gradually dissipating at the rim of the coffee cup. "Why didn't you tell me about something this important sooner?"

"I just found out too..." Lin Yu paused. "What good will it do to tell you? We're both stuck in this neighborhood now."

Chen Guang remained silent, all words of comfort stuck in his throat, each one seeming pale and superfluous.

He didn't expect Jiang Chuan and Lin Yu to still be in frequent contact, and he certainly didn't expect that he could go to such lengths for Lin Yu.

At this moment, he was absurdly glad that he was trapped here by the pandemic; otherwise, he wondered if he himself would have such decisive courage.

If that moment truly came, he would likely appear even more wretched in Lin Yu's eyes. This thought, like a block of ice, slid down his spine, sending a chill down his spine.

Jiang Chuan was like a reckless gambler, betting all his chips on the table, going all in, and never thinking of giving up.

The initial joy of persuading Lin Yu had been swallowed up by a stronger emotion: an instinctive alertness and sense of crisis when facing a real opponent.