Chapter 25
“Why are you just standing there? Lead the way!” Long Aotian took a couple of steps forward but noticed Hu Yuying still frozen in place, so he called out to her.
Hearing Long Aotian's shout, Hu Yuying hesitated and glanced at him.
In the next moment, she felt a tight grip on her hand and looked up in surprise to see Long Aotian holding her.
“Are you stunned? Got some guts? Let me back you up.”
Feeling the warmth of Long Aotian's hand, Hu Yuying instinctively followed his lead and walked ahead.
By the time she regained her senses, they were already nearing the village where she rented a place.
“Where’s your home?”
Hu Yuying stared blankly at Long Aotian. “Big Brother, why are you being so nice to me?”
This question caught Long Aotian off guard.
It’s not easy for an ordinary person to accept the fact that I’ve crossed over, right?
He couldn’t just tell Hu Yuying that this world was actually a fictional one.
His kindness towards her stemmed from the fact that he was a villainous supporting character trying to change his tragic fate.
If he said that, she’d probably think he was crazy, right?
But looking into Hu Yuying’s clear, innocent eyes, Long Aotian cleared his throat and said seriously, “Of course, it’s because I’m your big brother! Since you’ve become my little follower, I’ll make sure you’re safe!”
“And I need your help too, little teacher. I want to go to college and experience a completely different life.”
“Otherwise, with my current grades, my future seems all too predictable.”
At this point, Long Aotian looked earnestly at Hu Yuying. “Each of us exists in this world for a reason. You do, and so do I.”
“And for me at this moment, helping a classmate overcome her troubles is something truly meaningful.”
Hu Yuying’s eyes flickered. “My existence is meaningful too.”
---
**Chapter 30: At This Age, I Can Still Choke on My Food**
“Ugh~” Ye Liangchen suddenly clutched his stomach and gasped.
He felt a storm brewing inside him.
“Oh no, drinking too much milk tea can upset your stomach. Damn... this is intense, it’s right at the door...”
He glanced around and, holding his stomach, hurried toward the drainage ditch at the end of the alley.
As soon as he stepped in, he quickly came back out, picked up a brick from the ground, smashed it down, and grabbed two broken pieces, checking their size before rushing back in.
When Long Aotian and Hu Yuying arrived, the alley was empty, with not a soul in sight.
Back at her doorstep, Hu Yuying checked the lock on her door. The keyhole wasn’t blocked, and there were no signs of tampering.
“It was just here a moment ago,” Hu Yuying murmured.
“Do you think they left because they couldn’t get the door open?” Long Aotian suggested, looking toward the other end of the alley.
The alley had entrances on both the east and west sides, allowing people to come and go freely.
He and Hu Yuying had entered from the west side and hadn’t encountered anyone.
It was possible they had exited through the east side.
Hu Yuying nodded, agreeing it was likely.
She opened the door and stepped inside. “Big Brother, you go in first.”
Long Aotian thought for a moment and decided it was fine. If those people dared to come back, he could always go out and reason with them.
So he stepped inside.
It was just a simple courtyard.
A main room, a kitchen, and a toilet in the southeast corner.
The courtyard looked a bit worn but was kept clean, overall appearing decent.
Hu Yuying placed the items she had bought in the kitchen.
She lifted the bamboo curtain of the main room. “Big Brother, come in. I’ll get you some water.”
Hearing Hu Yuying call for him, Long Aotian walked into the main room.
The main room wasn’t small, with two bedrooms.
It was a typical layout for a house with a courtyard.
Hu Yuying poured two cups of water and set them on the coffee table, then awkwardly looked at Long Aotian. “Big Brother, you sit first. I’ll turn on the fan.”
She had never expected someone would come to her home.
Hu Yuying’s house was very clean, literally clean.
There were no snacks, no fruits; the empty coffee table only had open books and unfinished exercises.
As she welcomed her first guest, Hu Yuying didn’t know what to do.
After pouring the water for Long Aotian, she found herself at a loss for words.
The air fell into a heavy silence.
“Um, Big Brother, you haven’t had lunch yet, right? I can cook something for you. How about trying my cooking?”
It was mealtime, and she figured he hadn’t had a chance to eat at the market.
“No, I’m not hungry.” Just as he finished speaking, his stomach growled.
In the quiet...
Hu Yuying stole a glance at Long Aotian.
She found him looking back at her, both of them caught in a moment of surprise, and they couldn’t help but laugh.
“Well, that’s awkward,” Long Aotian said, a bit embarrassed.
“It’s fine. Big Brother is helping me, so I’ll cook quickly,” Hu Yuying said, her steps light as she headed to the kitchen.
The fridge had some green peppers, two tomatoes, and four or five eggs.
After thinking for a moment, Hu Yuying decided to stir-fry two dishes.
Stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers and scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
They say poor kids grow up fast, and that couldn’t be more true.
From a young age, Hu Yuying had helped her family make simple porridge.
By the time she reached middle school, while her peers were still struggling with instant noodles, she had already mastered cooking.
So these two dishes were indeed her specialties.
“I didn’t expect you to be so skilled at cooking,” Long Aotian said as he entered the kitchen.
Hu Yuying smiled at him. “I often cook for myself, so I guess I look pretty experienced.”
Long Aotian stepped into the kitchen.
Sitting alone in the living room felt a bit restless.
So he came to see if there was anything he could help with.
From the looks of it, Hu Yuying seemed to be more adept at cooking than he was.
Seeing Long Aotian glancing around, looking like he wanted to help but didn’t know how, Hu Yuying chuckled. “Big Brother, why don’t you sit in the living room? It’ll be ready soon.”
Realizing he couldn’t be of much help, Long Aotian wandered back into the main room.
Watching him lift the bamboo curtain and duck into the room, Hu Yuying felt her smile widen.
Having someone over for the first time wasn’t as bad as she had imagined. He didn’t nitpick or show any disgust at her humble living conditions.
Hu Yuying was full of energy as she cooked.
Soon, both dishes were ready.
The rice was just finishing up.
Hu Yuying washed the bowls and chopsticks several times.
Since she usually didn’t need many, they had been sitting for a while.
She served Long Aotian a big bowl of rice and then carried the dishes into the main room.
“Big Brother, it’s time to eat.”
“Smells great.” Long Aotian stood up to take the rice.
“There’s another dish too,” Hu Yuying said.
Then she brought over the stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers.
“Big Brother, try it and see if it’s good.”
Before crossing over, Long Aotian had also lived frugally and had known hardship.
He wouldn’t be picky even if it was just a bowl of rice.
He scooped some of the tomato egg sauce onto the rice, mixed it, and took a bite, unable to help but give a thumbs up. “Delicious.”
Seeing Long Aotian devour his food, Hu Yuying felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
“Don’t just sit there grinning, eat with me.” Noticing Hu Yuying taking one bite of vegetables and three bites of rice, Long Aotian pushed the stir-fried pork toward her.
“You eat. I have enough,” Hu Yuying said hurriedly, not even swallowing her rice.
“Enough? You need to eat more meat to build up your strength, okay? Look at you, you’re so thin; even middle schoolers have more curves than you.”
Hearing Long Aotian’s words, Hu Yuying instinctively glanced at her body.
“Eat more. You’re in good shape; you’ll charm those who bullied you in the future.”
She stole a glance at Long Aotian. “Don’t guys usually prefer girls with good figures?”
“What are you talking about? Your big brother isn’t that shallow!” Long Aotian shot her a look.
Hu Yuying quickly shrank back, thinking that with how handsome Long Aotian was and his good personality, he couldn’t possibly be shallow.
“I like girls who aren’t model-thin too.”
Pfft!
Cough cough cough...
Hu Yuying accidentally choked on her food upon hearing that, breaking into a fit of coughs.
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