Chapter 42
Taking a couple of steps forward, due to the height difference, Long Aotian slightly lowered his head to look at Ye Liangchen. “Hey, I don’t know your name, but pulling and tugging at girls like this in public is really not cool.”
“Having a crush on someone isn’t a bad thing, but with the college entrance exam coming up, there’s a long road ahead. You should focus on your studies for now.”
“And about that time you knocked on Hu Yuying’s door, that was pretty terrible too. I’m trying to reason with you here, and I hope you can take it to heart. Otherwise, I know a thing or two about throwing punches.”
With that, Long Aotian lightly tapped Hu Yuying’s head with his knuckles, looking at her with those starry eyes. “Didn’t you think to call me?”
Hu Yuying covered her head with both hands, feeling a bit of pain, but in the midst of an inexplicable happiness, that little pain seemed trivial.
“Still not leaving?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Ye Liangchen’s lips trembled; he couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or from being intimidated by Long Aotian.
He just stood there, staring blankly as Long Aotian took Hu Yuying away.
He opened his mouth, words on the tip of his tongue, but he didn’t know how to express them, so he clenched his fists tightly.
Damn it!
He just hit Hu Yuying on the head!
He was forcing Hu Yuying again!
Was there really no way to change anything?
In the pouring rain, Ye Liangchen looked up at the sky, the raindrops stinging his face... but it was nothing compared to the pain in his heart: “Is there really no way to change this?”
“Must Hu Yuying be hurt and exhausted before I can become her salvation?”
“Why does my love have to be so bumpy?”
“Fate, why do you always like to play tricks on me...”
“Why must two people who truly love each other endure unnecessary suffering?”
---
**Chapter 50: Afterward, I’ll Cook for You Whenever You Want**
On the way back.
Hu Yuying let out a quiet sigh of relief and smiled softly at Long Aotian beside her. “Long Ge, thank you for coming to get me.”
“Next time you need help, just let me know directly.”
“I’m your big brother, and you’re my little teacher. You don’t need to feel like it’s a bother. If I hadn’t come today, wouldn’t you be afraid of getting sick from the rain on your way home?”
Hearing Long Aotian’s slightly reproachful tone, Hu Yuying didn’t feel upset; instead, she chuckled softly and said, “I understand.”
Seeing Hu Yuying’s obedient demeanor, Long Aotian couldn’t help but smile. No matter what he said, she always nodded and said she understood.
But when it came to needing help, she still faced it all alone.
She was fundamentally afraid of troubling others, but isn’t human connection all about mutual support and complementing each other?
“Long Ge, let me help you carry something.”
Seeing Long Aotian holding the umbrella in one hand and carrying things in the other, Hu Yuying, with her hands empty, went to grab the bag from him.
“It’s really light,” Long Aotian lifted his hand, dodging her attempt to take it.
“I’m empty-handed, and you still have to hold the umbrella. Let me carry something for you,” Hu Yuying said, looking at him a bit shyly.
“Stop fussing, or I might just kick you into the rain.”
At this, Hu Yuying stood awkwardly in place.
Seeing her like this, Long Aotian chuckled, “Once we get back, you’ll cook for me. You’ll have plenty to do then.”
Hearing that she could still help Long Aotian, Hu Yuying instantly brightened up. “Sure! I can make a lot of things, just tell me what you want.”
“If I don’t know how to make it, I can learn. I pick things up quickly.”
“Alright, alright, I know you can’t sit still. Can we hurry home now so you can cook for me? I’m really hungry.”
“Mm-hmm, okay! Long Ge, follow me. I know a shortcut; it’ll be quicker this way.” After saying that, Hu Yuying didn’t even notice when she inadvertently grabbed Long Aotian’s arm.
They walked through a train track transfer point.
Crossing the gate, walking through the narrow passage piled with bags, jumping down to the platform, and crossing the tracks saved them a lot of time.
“What’s with this weather? By the time we get home, the rain’s lightened up.” Long Aotian closed the umbrella and looked at the drizzling rain. “Can you make spare ribs? We’re having that today.”
With that, he handed all the groceries, meat, and spare ribs to Hu Yuying.
Looking at the bag Long Aotian handed over, Hu Yuying’s gaze went a bit blank. “Long Ge, helping you with your studies was my choice. Just tell me what you want to eat...”
Before she could finish, Long Aotian tapped her head again. “Still going on about it?”
“Do you think your Long Ge is the kind of person who takes advantage of others? You don’t know how happy my old man was when he found out I ranked fifth from the bottom this time. If I hadn’t stopped him, he would’ve wanted to move the meat stall straight to your house.”
Hu Yuying wasn’t used to accepting gifts from others, but for some reason, after hearing Long Aotian’s words, a smile crept onto her lips.
“How about we have spare rib noodles today?”
“Sounds good.”
Hu Yuying carried the bag into the kitchen and then took out a towel. “Long Ge, you should dry off first. Go sit in the living room; it’ll be ready soon.”
When she handed the towel to Long Aotian, she noticed that the side of his body that had been holding the groceries was already soaked from the rain.
In contrast, she hadn’t gotten wet after the initial downpour.
Back in the room, Hu Yuying looked at her clothes.
Aside from her floral short-sleeve shirt, the rest of her clothes seemed ill-fitting.
Picking up the floral shirt, she felt an inexplicable blush creep onto her face.
“Long Ge, if you don’t mind, you can change into this first.”
With that, she placed the shirt in Long Aotian’s hands and walked into the kitchen.
She boiled some hot water and added ginger slices to steep.
After pouring a bowl, she brought it into the room.
Seeing Long Aotian’s current look, she couldn’t help but smile brightly.
The floral shirt that had been so loose on her now fit him snugly.
Noticing Hu Yuying’s gaze, Long Aotian awkwardly tugged at the shirt. “If you’re laughing, I’ll have to hit you.”
“If I laugh, you have to hit me?” she said, handing him the ginger tea with a hint of grievance.
Looking at the steaming ginger tea in his hands, Long Aotian sniffed. “Don’t think that just because you made me ginger tea, I won’t hit you.”
Hu Yuying turned and walked back to the kitchen. As she lifted the bamboo curtain, she stole a glance at Long Aotian drinking the ginger tea, biting her lip and chuckling as she began to cook.
Long Aotian had bought a lot of groceries, including plenty of meat and spare ribs.
Hu Yuying organized everything in the kitchen and put it all in the fridge.
As long as the ingredients didn’t spoil, they could last a long time.
After stewing the spare ribs until they were tender, Hu Yuying served a bowl of ribs and then started cooking the noodles in the rib broth.
The flour from the noodles dissolved in the broth, thickening it and coating the noodles, making it both flavorful and refreshing.
After tasting the broth, her eyes lit up, and she happily brought the meal to Long Aotian.
“I’ll handle it myself.” Long Aotian quickly lifted the bamboo curtain to catch the bowl and chopsticks.
Two bowls of noodles and a small basin of spare ribs.
After taking a bite, Long Aotian couldn’t help but praise Hu Yuying’s cooking.
“Hu Yuying, you’re amazing! You’re beautiful, you study well, and you even cook so deliciously.”
Hearing Long Aotian’s compliment, Hu Yuying felt a bit shy; it was just a home-cooked meal.
But seeing Long Aotian eat so contentedly, her eyes sparkled. “If it’s good, I’ll make it for you from now on.”
“Then I’ll be counting on you before the college entrance exam,” Long Aotian joked.
At this, Hu Yuying’s gaze dimmed for a moment. “If you want to eat something later, you can always tell me.”
Upon hearing this, Long Aotian paused, then looked up to see Hu Yuying’s serious yet smiling eyes, instinctively looking away.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin and swallowed the food in his mouth.
“We’ll talk about the future later; right now is just fine.”
“Mm-hmm.”
After dinner, Hu Yuying assigned Long Aotian ten questions, which she had summarized based on the mistakes from her previous test.
Whenever Long Aotian encountered a question he didn’t understand, Hu Yuying patiently explained it to him.
She used to enjoy the quiet atmosphere of studying, but now she found joy in teaching Long Aotian.
Seeing the confidence radiating from Hu Yuying as she explained, Long Aotian could clearly feel her happiness.
Feeling Long Aotian’s gaze on her face, Hu Yuying looked up and smiled softly, “Long Ge, why do you keep staring at me...”
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