Chapter 57
Listening to Hu Yuying's soft murmurs, Long Aotian found it both amusing and intriguing.
Hu Yuying was great in every way, except for being overly frugal.
Before his journey to this world, Long Aotian thought he was quite thrifty himself, but this girl was even more so.
"I really admire you. Whoever marries you will definitely save a lot of money."
Upon hearing this, Hu Yuying bit her lip, glanced shyly at Long Aotian, her red lips parting slightly as she mustered the courage to say, "I... I'm very frugal..."
As she spoke, her head lowered more and more, her voice growing softer: "And I'm also very capable of working..."
After finishing her sentence, she felt tense, her feet stiffening, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Long Aotian devouring a plate of fried noodles, and for no reason, her body relaxed.
Once he finished, Long Aotian set the plate down. "What did you just say? What time should I come to find you tomorrow?"
"N-nothing," Hu Yuying replied, poking at the noodles, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I have some things to do tomorrow morning..." She needed to go to her part-time job.
"Then let's do it in the afternoon," Long Aotian decided without hesitation.
After Hu Yuying finished eating, Long Aotian lingered for a while before getting up to leave as the sky darkened.
"Take care on your way back, Long Ge," Hu Yuying said cautiously as she saw him off at the door, watching his retreating figure.
"Head back," Long Aotian waved his hand and soon disappeared at the end of the alley.
It wasn't far, just a post-meal stroll to aid digestion.
Only after Long Aotian was out of sight did Hu Yuying lock the door again.
Then she jogged back to her room, flopping onto her bed and burying her head in the blanket.
What was wrong with her just now? Why did she say such things? Luckily, Long Ge was too busy eating to hear; otherwise, she'd be the laughingstock again...
---
**Chapter 68: Let Li Qingxue and Ye Liangchen Sit Together**
"Liangchen, it's time for dinner."
Ye's mother pushed open the door, only to be startled by the darkness of the room, illuminated only by the glow of a phone screen reflecting on Ye Liangchen's face. She quickly turned on the lights.
But it was worse than before.
The light revealed Ye Liangchen's expression.
How to describe it? Dejected? Older? Or perhaps sinister? Evil?
Ye Liangchen's eyes were bloodshot, fixated on the phone screen.
He had even let his nose run, not bothering to wipe it, just sucking it back in, only for it to flow out again...
That was one thing; at most, it was just unhygienic.
The key issue was the faint layer of sadness that surrounded him.
"Liangchen, what's wrong?" Ye's mother asked, worried about her child, stepping closer to see him still staring blankly at the phone.
She took the phone from him.
Then she frowned, seeing the posts Ye Liangchen had made.
Something like, "I'm so lonely, cold, and isolated..."
Or, "If I can't keep her, I might as well set her free..."
Or, "The knight has retreated, and this retreat lasts a lifetime..."
Looking at the posts Ye Liangchen had shared, any mother would understand what was going on.
After all, she had been through that age herself.
"Mom, I feel so sad," Ye Liangchen said with a bitter smile, pointing to his chest. "It really hurts here."
No matter how old he got, in front of his father and mother, he still felt like a child who hadn't grown up.
This was the child's dependence on their parents, a bond that transcended age.
"Silly boy, is it because of that girl Qingxue?" Ye's mother asked.
Long before, Ye Liangchen had told her he liked a girl in his class.
In the days that followed, he would often talk about how cute that girl was.
But as he grew older, he stopped mentioning her, and his parents understood that he was maturing and had his own little secrets, so they didn't pry.
But now, seeing their son like this, saying his heart hurt, it was clear what was happening.
"My son is so amazing; if Li Qingxue doesn't appreciate you, that's her loss. My precious boy is the best and most handsome in the world."
"Your father and I have always taught you to be confident, to have a thick skin. As long as you like someone, pursue them bravely. Strong Liangchen isn't afraid of difficulties."
Hearing his mother's words, Ye Liangchen's mood brightened considerably.
After all, he had the soul of a twenty-eight-year-old in this body, with a much stronger capacity for acceptance than his peers.
With his mother's encouragement, Ye Liangchen nodded. "Yeah, I understand, Mom! I'll prove her wrong!"
"Because I'm the strong and brave Liangchen, never afraid of challenges and hardships."
Seeing her son in better spirits, Ye's mother smiled. "Alright, let's go eat. After dinner, get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, I'll give you some money to go out and relax."
"Okay, thanks, Mom."
As Ye Liangchen stepped out of the room, the smile on Ye's mother's face suddenly vanished.
She took out her phone and dialed Ye Liangchen's homeroom teacher.
"Yes, it's me. I want to ask how you manage the class."
"Right now, during this crucial time in senior year, there's someone in the class dating, affecting my son's mood, and you, as the teacher, don't know anything? If my son doesn't do well because of this, can you take responsibility?"
"What do you mean I should calm down? Let me tell you, if you don't handle this, I'll make a scene at school."
"It would be best if Li Qingxue and my son sat together. They've known each other for nine years; they know each other well, and Li Qingxue can help my son with his studies..."
"You're the homeroom teacher, for goodness' sake..."
After hanging up, Ye's mother finally left the room.
Watching Ye Liangchen eat, she couldn't help but smile affectionately; her son was the best in the world.
Anyone who didn't like her son was surely of poor character.
She had thought Li Qingxue was quite well-behaved, but now, she thought, hmph, she better not step into their home, or she'd make sure to teach her a lesson for her son’s sake.
"What kind of person dares to reject my precious son?"
"Besides dating my son, who else could she possibly date?"
"Mom, what are you talking about? Come eat!" Ye Liangchen called out when he noticed his mother lost in thought.
Whether in the past or present, Ye Liangchen had always relied on this selfless mother who cared for him unconditionally.
"Coming! My son has grown up and now knows to care for his mom."
The family sat together, enjoying a relatively lavish dinner.
---
On the other side, Li Qingxue's family had just sat down at the dining table.
At that moment, a phone rang from the living room.
Li Qingxue's family was relatively well-off, and her parents led by example when it came to raising their children.
No phones were allowed at the dining table, and certainly no playing with them.
So during mealtime, phones were strictly left out.
Hearing the phone ring, Li's mother got up to answer it.
But upon hearing the voice on the other end, her elegant brows furrowed slightly as she glanced at Qingxue.
Waiting for her mother to join her for dinner, Li Qingxue was curious about who would call during mealtime, and their eyes met.
"What's wrong, Mom? Who's calling?"
"Your homeroom teacher."
Upon hearing this, confusion flickered in Li Qingxue's eyes. "Why is the homeroom teacher calling?"
"She said you were dating in class, affecting your classmates." As soon as those words left her mouth, the table fell silent.
A table full of delicious dishes, prepared to celebrate Qingxue's top score in the recent exam, now sat untouched because of that statement.
Li's father’s face darkened; as a doting father, he couldn't bear to hear that some boy was trying to disrupt his precious daughter’s life. It made him furious...
"Dating? Who's spreading such nonsense?"
As parents, they knew their child best.
Li Qingxue's little habits since childhood were clearer to her mother than anyone else.
When she lied, she had a small habit of looking down, unable to meet the other person's eyes—a sign of guilt.
But at that moment, Li Qingxue showed no signs of guilt; instead, she looked a bit angry and confused at her mother.
Just this alone was enough for Li's mother to feel certain.
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