After being attacked by the rich young ladies with hatchets, I chose to enter "sage mode".

Lin Ying carefully tied a bow on Bai Yu's hand with gauze. As she reached up to lift a strand of golden hair behind her ear and prepared to get up, Bai Yu's words made her delicate body tremble slightly.

"Can...can I like you?"

Before Chapter 8... I didn't know him.

Bai Yu's words left Lin Ying completely stunned, and she even began to doubt whether she was hallucinating.

She'd heard confessions of love before, but this was the first time she'd heard one delivered so seriously, like Bai Yu had done.

In the past, many people's confessions to her seemed like ordinary confessions, but they were actually driven by a strong purpose, which was desire. However, Bai Yu in front of her did not give her any sense of purpose. Moreover, her sincere eyes and nervous emotions even had a touch of naivety and innocence.

Lin Ying was still unsure whether Bai Yu's confession was genuine, but she was certain that Bai Yu did not have any ill intentions at this moment.

Watching Lin Ying's gaze as she looked at him, Bai Yu waited expectantly, hoping that he would succeed.

Unfortunately, Lin Ying would not easily accept his hasty actions.

After regaining her senses, Lin Ying's cheeks flushed slightly. She quickly wrote a line in her notebook and handed it to Bai Yu.

"I'm sorry, I might not be the kind of person you like. I apologize."

Lin Ying's rejection was tactful yet decisive; to put it bluntly, she wanted Bai Yu to stop liking her.

Of course, Bai Yu was very upset about being rejected, and he was just as upset as Lin Ying had been for him.

However, he could understand these things completely. After all, he knew Lin Ying quite well, but Lin Ying didn't know him at all. They had only known each other for two days. Did he feel safe liking her?

Perhaps to put it bluntly, there are indeed some fast-food romances in this society, with many people starting a relationship after knowing each other for only a day or two. But Lin Ying is actually very closed off, not only in her mind but also in her heart. It's simply impossible for her to like someone just because of their appearance or a few words.

These are things Bai Yu didn't understand in his previous life. It's just that in his previous life, he happened to perform a false redemption, and Lin Ying also happened to believe that she was being redeemed, which is why she gradually fell in love with him.

But if they were to start over, they would be strangers to each other. Yet Bai Yu simply wanted to pursue him in the most naive way and was eager to express her feelings. It was really, really difficult.

Why didn't Bai Yu use the same method as in her previous life to approach Lin Ying and gain her favor?

Bai Yu wasn't unaware of this, but he would no longer do hypocritical things. Everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone can correct them.

In the previous life, he hypocritically carried out a self-heroic redemption while hiding, but in the end, he was only selfishly smug and filled with regret.

Therefore, what Bai Yu needs to do for Lin Ying in this life is not a hypocritical redemption through avoidance, but an open and honest expression of his inner feelings and redemption, and also a redemption that faces difficulties head-on.

He was once Lin Ying's light, and in her world, he may have wanted to be the only one. But now, Lin Ying is his light, the only healing light he wants to receive.

Under Lin Ying's surprised gaze, Bai Yu reached out and picked up the black fountain pen next to the notebook, and began to write, word by word.

"It's okay, I like you, that's all. I won't lie to you. As long as you know I like you, that's enough."

Bai Yu could never have written this sentence in his previous two lives, because he understood love but dared not love, understood pain but was afraid of pain, and he would have had to put himself in such a lowly position to write it!

But things are different now. He knows that if you like someone, you should say it, and if you love someone, you should seize every opportunity to express it. Otherwise, if you miss the chance, you may never have the chance to express it again.

But Lin Ying wouldn't easily believe those words. Someone who could casually say they liked someone, even if she couldn't see any ulterior motives now, definitely couldn't be without them.

There is no such thing as good without a reason in this world. Lin Ying knows this better than anyone else. Moreover, she has no intention of continuing to live. The things she likes are just fantasies and things she never thought would come true.

"Thank you."

After writing "thank you" twice, Lin Ying wanted Bai Yu to leave. After all, the conversation had ended with the words "thank you," and continuing in silence would be tantamount to telling her to get rid of him.

But Bai Yu insisted on pretending to be thick-skinned and didn't know, and went about her own business, finding topics to talk about and chatting about interesting things.

"Um, Miss Lin Ying, I'm actually thinking of taking a part-time job at your shop. I recently came from China to study and I don't have much money. I'd like to ease the financial burden on my family a bit. What do you think, boss lady?"

Bai Yu actually prefers to call Lin Ying "Boss Lady" rather than "Miss Lin Ying," perhaps out of habit or because of her inner affection.

Lin Ying didn't object to the title "boss lady" he mentioned; in fact, she inexplicably liked it. She didn't even realize that she had silently accepted it.

As for the part-time job Bai Yu mentioned, Lin Ying was willing to agree, considering that he had stepped forward to help her out of a difficult situation.

Lin Ying took the notebook and pen from the kotatsu, quickly wrote a line, and handed it to Bai Yu.

"Sure, the working hours and wages will be exactly as stated on the flyer, how about that?"

After reading this sentence, Bai Yu felt both happy and sad. She was happy because Lin Ying in her previous life not only paid her a lot of money, but also worked for very short hours, which was considered excessive.

The sadness lies in the fact that we are now working normal jobs with normal wages, without any special care or treatment, and the gap is indeed huge.

You only know how to cherish something when you lose it, and Bai Yu understands the meaning of this saying better than anyone else.

"Okay, then boss lady, can I start work tomorrow?"

Seeing Bai Yu's eager expression as he wanted to go to work, Lin Ying really wanted to write down "You can go back first" and let him go back first. After all, she felt it was inappropriate for a man and a woman to be alone in a room together. However, she couldn't bring herself to write the words "You can go back first" with the pen in her hand.

Their eyes met. Lin Ying's pen stopped on the notebook, leaving a black ink stain. She could only write "can" and had no strength left to write anything else. Bai Yu, on the other hand, was looking at her and smiling. His eyes were full of joy, and he felt that every extra glance was a reward.

Putting down her pen, Lin Ying looked at Bai Yu's eyes and suddenly a picture of Bai Yu smiling in the same way flashed through her mind. In the picture, he was also smiling, so gentle and generous, and so captivating to her.

But this fleeting memory left her somewhat stunned, because she clearly remembered that she had never seen Bai Yu before meeting him. The two were complete strangers, so how could she possibly have a memory of his smile?

However, when she tried to recall the fleeting scene, she found that she couldn't remember it at all, as if it had just been a hallucination.

Lin Ying flipped through the notebook, quickly wrote a line of words on it, and then carefully pushed it in front of Bai Yu to show him.

"Mr. Bai Yu, have we met before?"

Looking at this question, which was brimming with distance, Bai Yu wanted to say that she knew him, but in the end, she forced a smile and shook her head.

"No, we didn't know each other before..."

Chapter Nine: The Furthest Distance

Looking at Bai Yu's smile, Lin Ying always felt that he was lying to her, but her memories told her that he was not lying. They really did not know each other before, and there was no memory of him ever being there, not even a silhouette or outline.

Standing up, Bai Yu arrived at Lin Ying's door, waved with a smile, and then bowed as she had in her previous life before silently leaving.

Watching Bai Yu's departing figure quietly, the room returned to its usual quiet after the door closed. However, this otherwise ordinary quiet made Lin Ying feel a little uncomfortable for the first time, as if she was suddenly not used to it.

Time flies like an arrow, and before we knew it, it was the morning of the next day.

Today, Bai Yu was finally able to openly go out with Lin Ying and go to work at the dessert shop together.

The summer morning sun, carrying the warmth of the approaching heatwave, gently sprinkled the earth. As soon as Bai Yu stepped outside, she saw Lin Ying from next door also coming out of her house.

Watching the sunlight reflect off her long, golden hair, dazzling and radiant, added a touch of anticipation and splendor to the dreamlike morning.

Good morning, boss lady.

Bai Yu waved and greeted them, her smile particularly relaxed and joyful.

Upon hearing his greeting, Lin Ying simply nodded and then took out her old notebook and black pen from her bag, quickly writing a line of text.

Good morning, Mr. Bai Yu.

The familiar yet unfamiliar form of address caused Bai Yu's smile to pause and stiffen slightly, but only for a moment before she quickly returned to normal.

"Boss lady, what desserts are you planning to make at the shop today? Do you have any summer promotions or anything?"

Bai Yu's opening remarks were ingratiating, even somewhat obsequious. In his previous life, he would never have been such a talkative person who deliberately tried to please girls, nor would he have made any intentional attempts to get closer to them.

But now... rather than wanting to pursue and make up for his mistakes and regrets towards Lin Ying, he's more like a groveling sycophant.

Of course, Bai Yu himself must know this. After all, he was once a master at flirting. How could he not know what he was doing? But what he wanted was to treat Lin Ying unconditionally, just like she had treated him unconditionally before. The love he gave was so quiet that he didn't even dare to say it when they parted.

Perhaps this would make it difficult to gain Lin Ying's approval and make her seem so cheap, but he knew very well that he had no right to ask for anything in return. So be it if it's cheap; he never intended to earn anything anyway.

"Please go to the store to arrange it. We don't have any summer promotions or recommendations, sorry."

Lin Ying had no idea what Bai Yu was thinking; he had just asked her a question, so she naturally had to politely write a reply.

“This won’t work, boss lady. If you want to make money, you need recommendations and promotions. Besides, I’ve noticed that the location you chose has great foot traffic and a good location. With your dessert skills, it would be quite easy for you to expand.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Ying felt a little embarrassed by Bai Yu's praise. She quickly waved her hand and wrote something down in her notebook.

"I don't need to make money, I just enjoy making desserts. The reason I hired you is because I'm silent, which might make many customers dislike me. I'm sorry."

Lin Ying's words were very direct, but Bai Yu could clearly sense her inferiority complex. People with an inferiority complex always like to apologize.

He knew very well how much Lin Ying's inability to speak affected her, and it was precisely because of this that she suffered countless discriminations and bullyings. Even her so-called younger brother repeatedly pushed her to the brink of despair.

"I understand, boss lady. So... you won't suddenly abandon me in the future, will you?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Ying couldn't help but look up at Bai Yu. Although his somewhat hesitant words made it clear to her that he was referring to the shop assistant, why did she always feel that there was another meaning behind them?

"The shop will probably stay open forever."

Lin Ying's written reply made Bai Yu realize that she herself wasn't sure if her shop could stay open indefinitely. After all, in her previous life, this girl had been thinking of leaving this world when school started, and Bai Yu had to stop her more than once or twice.

Bai Yu extended his right hand, palm open, and placed it in front of Lin Ying. A ray of sunlight fell directly onto his palm. Bai Yu's sudden action caused Lin Ying's beautiful brows to furrow slightly, not quite understanding what Bai Yu meant.

"Boss lady, we have days off from work. Could you take me to see some different scenery on my days off?"

Holding the notebook in both hands, his fingers twitched slightly but he didn't reach out or give Bai Yu a reply. His turning away left Bai Yu feeling awkward.

He understood Lin Ying, but Lin Ying didn't understand him at all. He knew everything, but she treated him like a stranger.

Perhaps the greatest distance in the world is not between the north and south, but that I remember you, while you have forgotten me.

He awkwardly withdrew his hand and squeezed his right palm. He realized how painful it was to be rejected time and time again. He wondered if Sisi had also been very upset when he rejected her time and time again.

"Hey, wait for me, boss lady."

Bai Yu took a deep breath, adjusted her mindset, and then ran after Lin Ying's retreating figure.

After the two arrived at the store, Bai Yu did not act like a novice and wait for Lin Ying to direct or instruct him on what to do. Instead, he acted like a brainwashed 996 blessed worker, taking on everything, whether it was his responsibility or not.

All of this seemed incredible to Lin Ying. Although the hierarchical relationship in the island nation was very strict, some things had to be done and that was fine. Most people would not be willing to meddle in other people's business if they could help but not asked to do something. But Bai Yu was busy with everything he saw, which was really strange.

In her previous life, because Lin Ying often went to school with Bai Yuhe, the two of them only opened their shop in the afternoon. During the summer vacation, they opened the shop in the morning. Although Lin Ying knew that not many people would come all day long, she had nothing else to do.

ding ding ding~

The shop door was pulled open, and the sound of wind chimes tinkling rang out. Just as Bai Yu turned around to see the first customer of the day, she found that the person who entered was actually Lin Ying's younger brother, Fujiwara Ishiu.

This scene instantly wiped the smile off Bai Yu's face. If Fujiwara Ishio had come alone, it would have been fine, but he had brought along the three thugs from yesterday and two young men in casual clothes. They looked like friends or classmates, but their sycophantic manner clearly indicated a clear distinction in status.

"Sister, this place is so hard to find, I'm exhausted! Why didn't you give my friend some money yesterday? I heard you've hooked up with a new guy?"

Upon entering, Fujiwara Ishizo didn't look at Bai Yu standing by the door. Instead, he looked at Lin Ying by the counter with disdain, his arrogant demeanor making him incredibly irritating.

Chapter Ten: Becoming Someone You Can Trust

After hearing Fujiwara Ishio's words, Lin Ying just stood there nervously with her lips pursed, without making any response.

Having been bullied so often, she knew very well that her younger brother was definitely here to cause her trouble. Every time she met him, nothing good ever came of it, so she just had to swallow her anger and listen, and give him whatever he wanted.

But she was used to bullying Bai Yu like this, and she wasn't used to it. Moreover, knowing how she left in her previous life, she felt an irresistible urge to kill Fujiwara Ishizo whenever she saw him.

"Um...sir, there's a sign outside that says people with dogs aren't allowed in. You'd better go outside for a bit, or you can leave your dog at the pet shop across the street."