After that masked girl fled in panic, Lin Feng did not stay at the fountain square for too long.
Although the feeling of forcibly pulling someone else's "derailed train" back onto the right track just now was very satisfying, he knew very clearly that behind this satisfaction lay a huge risk.
If another old grandpa singing "Nan Shan Nan" out of tune came along, or a literary youth playing "Chengdu" not even in the right key appeared, relying on this uncontrolled [Ancient Rhythm Sacred Constitution], Lin Feng was very afraid he wouldn't be able to stop himself from rushing up to smash their instrument, or worse—transform into a "human metronome" again and forcibly take over the scene.
Too dangerous.
The outside world is too dangerous, everywhere there are unruly musical notes.
Lin Feng was like an addict who had just successfully quit drugs but was afraid of relapsing, walking quickly through the crowd until he could completely no longer hear those noisy instrument sounds; only then did he find a secluded bench to sit down.
Slightly calming his breathing, he fished out his mobile phone from his pocket, planning to check the time.
Just now, for the sake of that so-called "evil charming smile," he unlocked the phone but didn't have time to look at the screen. At this moment, fixing his eyes to look, on the top right corner of the WeChat icon on the screen, there impressively hung a number so red it was dazzling to the eye.
[16]
"Good fellow..."
Lin Feng's eyelid jumped fiercely.
Who is this idle? Could it be those few adopted sons in the dormitory group chat @-ing him again to borrow money to top up games? But that can't be, they were there when he woke up in the hospital. Or is it that chatterbox Ren Yichen sending some jokes that only he himself finds funny again?
However, when he clicked open the WeChat interface and saw clearly that pinned remark name, a stream of chilliness instantly rushed up from his tailbone to the crown of his head.
There was only one person sending messages—
[Second Sister-in-law].
This was the remark name Lin Feng gave Shen Linyin.
Looking at that string of red unread notifications, Lin Feng's fingers were even slightly stiff.
Although in the real world, from the time he entered the system space to cultivate his voice until now, counting fully it had only been about 17 hours.
But in Lin Feng's perceived time, that was a solid twenty-plus days!
Twenty-plus days of dull, painful, and what could even be called mental torture-like vocal music training.
Perhaps to prevent the Host from having a mental breakdown due to long-term closed training, the system seemed to have activated some kind of protection mechanism similar to "memory blurring." At this very moment, Lin Feng recalled those twenty-plus days in the white space, feeling like it was separated by a layer of frosted glass. Although he knew he had experienced hell, those specific, maddening details—such as those vicious nicknames he gave the progress bar—had all become blurred and unclear.
This feeling was like having a long and exhausting dream; after waking up one only remembers being "very tired," but cannot clearly remember the specific plot of the dream.
This kind of blurring treatment protected Lin Feng's SAN value very well, allowing him to quickly find back his self-cognition as a "normal person" after returning to reality.
However.
There was one matter the system did not blur.
That was on the ninth day after cultivation started, which was also midnight in the real world, the prompt regarding Shen Linyin's status change that the system suddenly popped up.
That line of words was just like being brushed in Lin Feng's mind with dripping fresh red paint, terribly clear:
[Shen Linyin has completed self-conquest, defeating [Confused] status.] [Current thought: "If I don't let anyone know, it should be okay, right..."]
"Gulp."
Lin Feng swallowed a mouthful of saliva with difficulty.
Even though twenty-plus days of perceived time had passed, this sentence was still like a Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, making him feel waves of heart palpitations.
What is meant by "it doesn't matter if I don't let anyone know"?
What kind of dangerous statement is this?
Is this a thought a proper good brother's girlfriend should have?
This is clearly a line that those yandere blackened characters would say before locking the male lead into a basement!
Lin Feng took a deep breath, attempting to use reason to persuade himself: Calm down, Lin Feng, you must be calm. Maybe she just wants to ask about the band rehearsal matters? Or ask about Ren Yichen's situation? After all, you are Ren Yichen's best brother, it is also very normal for her to come find you if she can't find her boyfriend... right?
It must be like this.
Carrying this kind of fluke mentalit bordering on self-hypnosis, Lin Feng trembled his fingers and clicked open that chat box.
Lin Feng took a deep breath, his gaze finally landing on those words.
The very first message almost made him throw the phone away.
[Second Sister-in-law]: Brother Feng, I've thought a lot, can we meet?
"Brother... Feng?"
Lin Feng only felt his scalp go numb, as if ten thousand ants were crawling inside his brain. Although Shen Linyin was polite to him before, she would only distantly call him "Lin Feng" or "Classmate Lin." What the hell is this "Brother Feng"? Is this form of address, full of Jianghu flavor yet not lacking in intimacy, really coming out of that high-and-cold campus belle's mouth?
Don't call me Brother Feng! I'm afraid it'll shorten my lifespan!
He braced himself and continued reading.
[Second Sister-in-law]: Don't feel pressured.
[Second Sister-in-law]: Don't tell Yichen about this matter for now.
Boom!
If the first two sentences were still within Lin Feng's psychological tolerance range, then this sentence, "Don't tell Yichen for now," was simply a nuclear bomb, directly blasting Lin Feng's worldview into powder.
What kind of top-tier taboo line is this?
The script isn't right! This is clearly a one-way street leading to a "Nice Boat Hatchet Ending" or a "Rooftop Duel"!
Immediately following was a combo chain of anxiety:
[Second Sister-in-law]: Are you there?
[Second Sister-in-law]: Why aren't you replying?
[Second Sister-in-law]: I heard Old Zhang say you passed out sleeping in the dorm and were sent to the campus hospital?
[Second Sister-in-law]: What did the doctor say? Is it serious?
[Second Sister-in-law]: I am very worried about you... reply to me when you see this, okay?
Looking at this string of messages filled with concern and even carrying a few points of humbleness, Lin Feng only felt a chill run down his spine.
That big mouth Old Zhang, why does he blab about everything!
The so-called "passed out sleeping" was actually because he had stayed in the system space for a full twenty-plus days for special vocal training. His physical body in reality was in a standby state like a vegetable; his consciousness couldn't return, so it indeed looked like he was sleeping like the dead.
But in Shen Linyin's eyes, this was probably interpreted as a tragic drama of "not hesitating to overdraft the body for the band/for me," right?
Plus that [Eternal Padlock (Silver)] that locked the favorability firmly until 60...
Lin Feng could even brain-supplement Shen Linyin's current state: feeling guilty on one hand, heart-aching on the other, while that seed named "immorality" was sprouting crazily.
"This phone can't be kept anymore."
Lin Feng held the phone with trembling hands, a wonderful escape plan emerging in his mind: Next time he sees Shen Linyin, he'll just say his phone fell into a crack in the Great Wall, or was hijacked by aliens—in short, a complete loss of contact.
As long as I don't look at the phone, no one can conquer me!
Just as he was preparing to play dead to the end no matter what, his finger accidentally swiped the screen, seeing another unread message below.
Remark Name: [Runaway Magical Girl]
That was that guitar genius in the late stages of Chuunibyou, Xu Zhixia.
[Runaway Magical Girl]: Fellow Daoist Lin! How was the effect of that peerless divine song "Chinese Cabbage" that This Venerable Seat bestowed upon you?! Did it awe those mortals who do not know the height of the heavens and the depth of the earth?!
Lin Feng: "..."
Looking at this text with a sudden change in art style, Lin Feng's originally tight nerves relaxed a little, but immediately after, he was speechless again.
Still talking about "Chinese Cabbage"...
If he really sang that show-off song that had zero emotion and extremely retarded lyrics, he would probably have already been ruined in the Livehouse by now; how could he still be here contemplating life?
He silently nodded, his determination becoming even firmer.
Yeah, this phone should really be thrown away.
Not only is there a dangerous Second Sister-in-law, but there's also a potential scandal partner whose brain isn't quite normal.
Lin Feng raised his hand, making a move to throw the phone into the nearby trash can.
However, with his hand raised in mid-air, he froze again.
"Wait... my meal card doesn't seem to have money charged on it, I rely entirely on WeChat Pay now..."
"And those coupons for the taxi app haven't been used yet..."
In this era of digital survival, throwing away a phone is equal to social suicide, and even more equal to cutting off one's own food supply.
Lin Feng let out a long sigh, and silently stuffed the phone back into his pocket.
Forced by life, forced by life.
Since he couldn't hide, he could only adopt the "Procrastination" tactic.
Lin Feng's eyes sharpened, and he set a strategic policy in his heart:
Before the system shows great mercy, or his luck explodes and he draws the [Eternal Lockpick (Silver)], this damn [Eternal Padlock] is a ticking time bomb. Only by getting the lockpick, unlocking the lock on Shen Linyin, and lowering that weird favorability, can this world return to normal.
Until then—
Major Mission: Camp like a dog!
Secondary Mission: Within this campus, make "Avoid Second Sister-in-law" the highest priority survival rule!
Even if he has to detour three kilometers to go to the toilet, even if he has to wear sunglasses and a mask to get food at the cafeteria, he absolutely must not be alone with Shen Linyin!
"As long as I don't meet her, the favorability won't rise... right?"
Lin Feng comforted himself guiltily, then like an escaping fugitive, slipped out of the square hugging the wall.