Chapter 12
Eighty percent of her cheerful, optimistic, and confident personality stemmed from her privileged background, where she received love and care from a young age.
Such people can quickly make friends and form their own little circles.
But Hu Yuying was different. In the original novel, her family was not well-off, and her upbringing shaped her shy and sensible nature.
The child who cries gets the candy, while the sensible child is often overlooked.
Even though she was exceptionally talented, her simplicity, shyness, and lack of eloquence made her seem out of place in her class. Her quiet demeanor and unassertive nature led to her being marginalized, isolated, and bullied—it was only a matter of time.
“So, if you really want to change all of this, you first need to become strong and confident enough,” said Long Aotian.
Hu Yuying looked at Long Aotian. Although he was the same age as her, his words always struck a chord deep within her, like a wise elder gently guiding her out of a dead end.
“Step by step, I’ll learn to be strong and confident,” she replied.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. To change, you need to toughen up. Honestly, I think you’re a bit too soft; you blush just from speaking!”
Hu Yuying instinctively touched her cheek.
It wasn’t hot; she wasn’t blushing, was she?
“I can practice slowly.”
Seeing Hu Yuying’s determination, Long Aotian nodded in satisfaction. “First, say ‘Long Ge is so handsome’ a couple of times.”
“Ah?” The courage Hu Yuying had just mustered evaporated in an instant.
Wasn’t that a bit too embarrassing?
Though Long Aotian was indeed handsome, saying that felt like losing her dignity.
As she thought this, her ears inexplicably grew warm.
Quickly, she covered her ears and stole a glance at Long Aotian, hoping he hadn’t noticed.
“Take your hand away,” Long Aotian said.
Hu Yuying’s big, innocent eyes were filled with confusion as she shook her head.
“Come on, take it off, or I’ll hit you!”
At his words, Hu Yuying bit her lip, her cheeks flushed. She looked up at Long Aotian and slowly lowered her hand.
Long Aotian’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Was this girl genuinely naive or just trying to flirt?
That innocent expression was practically a sign saying she was easy to bully.
As Hu Yuying lowered her hand, Long Aotian turned his head away. “And you say you’re not blushing!”
“Watch closely; let me show you how thick-skinned I can be!”
Suddenly, he leaned closer to Hu Yuying, gazing into her eyes. “Hu Yuying, you’re so beautiful.”
“You’re pretty amazing too.”
“Your life deserves the best.”
At that moment, when Long Aotian leaned in, Hu Yuying instinctively wanted to lean back and create distance.
But for the sake of changing herself, she forced herself to stay put!
Yet, as Long Aotian complimented her beauty, her excellence, and her deserving of the best in life...
Her heart began to race uncontrollably.
Her palms clenched involuntarily, and meeting Long Aotian’s gaze made her breath feel a bit labored.
She took a slight breath, forcing herself to look into Long Aotian’s eyes.
Suddenly, her heart returned to a normal rhythm, her hands relaxed, and breathing became easier.
It was just because...
She noticed that the tips of Long Aotian’s ears seemed to be turning red too...
So, glancing at the still-serious Long Aotian, Hu Yuying lowered her gaze slightly, then peeked at him again, ultimately deciding to pretend she hadn’t seen anything.
“Did you see that?” Long Aotian said smugly. “My skin is as thick as they come!”
Hu Yuying, hearing this, instinctively looked at the tips of Long Aotian’s ears and quickly nodded. “I saw it.”
“Where are your eyes wandering? Be careful, or I’ll hit you!” Long Aotian insisted, playfully unreasonable.
Hu Yuying nodded like a chick pecking at grains, softly saying, “Got it.”
Seeing her like this, Long Aotian couldn’t help but chuckle.
This girl was quite nice—at least she was obedient.
She just needed someone to guide her. He believed that under his mentorship, Hu Yuying would soon regain her confidence.
His name wouldn’t become a villainous meme in the story!
With that thought, Long Aotian took a deep breath and looked out the window.
The sky had darkened, and the stars and moon emitted a faint, shimmering glow.
He wondered if he could ever go back.
This thought lingered for only a second.
Long Aotian had never been a sentimental person.
Returning to that world, he would still be the same, living the same life.
In this world, for him, it was a brand new beginning.
After all, he had to keep living.
As the self-study bell rang, Hu Yuying tidied up her desk.
Then she came over to clean Long Aotian’s desk as well.
“See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow, Long Ge.”
Watching Long Aotian’s departing figure, Hu Yuying walked toward the school gate.
Just as she reached the hallway...
“What a coincidence! Do you remember me?”
Ye Liangchen emerged from the hallway, grinning at Hu Yuying with a bright smile.
Hu Yuying paused, feeling a sense of familiarity but unable to place him.
Ye Liangchen, who had been observing her, revealed a bittersweet smile. “It’s me! I’m Liangchen, Ye Liangchen. We met at the cafeteria today.”
With that reminder, Hu Yuying immediately recalled him and quickly apologized, “I’m sorry!”
Seeing that Hu Yuying remembered him, Ye Liangchen smiled and said, “No need for that. We never have to say sorry to each other.”
The smile that had been on Hu Yuying’s face gradually faded upon hearing his words.
His tone suggested a familiarity that felt out of place.
They had only met once, and with this encounter, it was just the second time.
Surely, they weren’t that close yet?
“I... I need to go home. I’ll be leaving now.”
Ye Liangchen wanted to reach out and stop Hu Yuying, to tell her that he was her salvation.
But his hand fell short, unable to intervene.
He knew their fates didn’t align here.
She wasn’t his treasure yet, and he wasn’t her savior.
Saying those things too soon would only frighten her.
Watching Hu Yuying walk away, Ye Liangchen took a deep breath. “It’s okay; we have plenty of time.”
“I just wanted to see if that jerk Long Aotian had bullied you and made you sad. Now that you’re fine, I can relax.”
...
**Chapter 15: The Kindness of Others**
Following the memories in his mind, Long Aotian made his way home.
The novel devoted a lot of space to the story between the male and female leads.
As for Long Aotian’s family situation, it was barely mentioned.
Having crossed over, Long Aotian didn’t possess the original owner’s memories.
He could only recall the relevant plot points from his mind.
In the story, it seemed to suggest that his parents’ divorce had contributed to Long Aotian’s obsessive personality.
But according to the original text, Long Aotian’s father was willing to pull strings and spend money just to keep the aimless Long Aotian in school, eventually forcing him into a vocational college.
From this, it was clear that Long Aotian’s father actually cared about him.
In the story’s conclusion, Long Aotian’s downfall was due to two reasons: first, it was necessary for the plot, as villains must fail; second, his father had a car accident while trying to persuade him to change his ways, which caused Long Aotian to collapse.
Lost in thought, he finally returned to the courtyard.
Though it was called a courtyard, it was merely an old rental building.
Upon opening the door, the smell of smoke and alcohol hit him like a wave.
Stepping inside, the sound of loud snoring filled the air.
A middle-aged man lay sprawled on the sofa, already asleep. On the table were unfinished pig ears, a plate of peanuts, and two empty bottles of liquor.
This was Long Aotian’s father, Long Batian, a butcher who ran a meat shop at a nearby market.
Seeing this, Long Aotian let out a small sigh.
In such an environment, it was no wonder the original Long Aotian had developed an obsessive personality.
“Dad, wake up, wake up...” After calling out a couple of times without success, Long Aotian had no choice but to help his father up. Fortunately, Long Aotian was strong, but it still took considerable effort to get his father into the room.
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