Chapter 62
How could he forget the treasure girl’s face? Even though she had changed so much today, that sense of fate still allowed him to recognize her at a glance...
“I feel like that girl looks so familiar. Chen Ge, don’t you think she’s the one we ran into at the cafeteria before?” Gao Quan squinted, increasingly convinced of her familiarity.
“It’s her.”
With Ye Liangchen’s confirmation, Gao Quan gasped. It was no wonder; after all, Hu Yuying had indeed transformed dramatically today.
Usually, she wore her school uniform, her hair tied back, silently trailing behind Long Aotian. Though she was beautiful, her face often bore no expression.
But today was different. She was smiling so joyfully, a kind of pure happiness that was hard to describe—so pure that just seeing it made one’s heart flutter, irresistibly drawn in by such a smile.
Suddenly, the phrase “郎才女貌” (a talented man and a beautiful woman) flashed through his mind.
“So even the treasure girl can be dazzled by material things. Heh, I’ve underestimated human nature, ha...” At this point, the cold smile on Ye Liangchen’s face vanished, replaced by a steely expression.
“Brave Liangchen, don’t fear difficulties, let’s go!”
Ye Liangchen straightened his clothes. He was determined to outshine Long Aotian in every way, to let the treasure girl know just what kind of high-quality man she had missed out on!
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**Chapter 74: Elegance Never Goes Out of Style**
The closer Ye Liangchen got to the restaurant where Hu Yuying and Long Aotian were, the more a wave of dread and helplessness rose within him.
Finally, he reached the entrance, leaning against the wall, gasping for breath.
“Chen Ge, what’s wrong? It’s just a meal, why does it feel like it’s costing you half your life? Don’t worry, I’ve got the money,” Gao Quan said, puzzled by Ye Liangchen’s strange demeanor.
Ye Liangchen took a deep breath and waved his hand dismissively. “I’m fine. I’m still me, the daring and passionate Ye Liangchen, unafraid of challenges.”
“I’ll reclaim everything I’ve lost, piece by piece.”
Indeed, Ye Liangchen was caught in a dichotomy. On one hand, he truly despised Long Aotian.
On the other, he was genuinely afraid that Long Aotian might retaliate against him. Long Aotian was like a stubborn adhesive; once he had his sights set on someone...
Ye Liangchen could never forget the pain of that bottle smashing against his head...
But things had escalated to this point; it was no longer something that could be resolved by simply backing down.
He couldn’t defeat Long Aotian, but surely Long Aotian wouldn’t attack him out of jealousy for being better, right?
As long as he appeared alongside Long Aotian in front of the treasure girl, with his high-quality male charm, wouldn’t he easily overshadow Long Aotian?
He could also let Hu Yuying see the high-quality version of himself compared to the crude and vulgar Long Aotian, subtly drawing her attention.
With this thought, Ye Liangchen’s fear dissipated significantly.
At the same time, his anticipation grew.
Just imagine, on the surface, Hu Yuying was still with Long Aotian, but secretly, she was mingling with him. Heh, that feeling was thrilling just to think about.
“Arrogance is useless; in the end, I’m the one who’s got the upper hand.”
Having realized this, Ye Liangchen shook off his earlier timidity and, with a composed expression, straightened his clothes and hair before walking into the restaurant with Gao Quan.
With his hands in his pockets, he smiled broadly as he scanned the room, finally locking onto the table where Long Aotian and Hu Yuying sat. He straightened his back, confidently tossed his hair, and struck a pose he felt was charming as he approached.
He sat down right next to Long Aotian and Hu Yuying’s table, separated only by a narrow aisle.
At first, Ye Liangchen thought his bold entrance would surely attract the attention of either Long Aotian or Hu Yuying.
Once a girl’s gaze was caught, he thought, heh...
But the reality was that neither of them acknowledged him at all. No, to be precise, their eyes never even glanced in his direction.
“Damn it!” He clenched his fists in frustration. “How dare they ignore me? Fine, very well.”
This restaurant specialized in shrimp hotpot, where you first enjoyed the shrimp and then could cook in the broth afterward.
He and Gao Quan ordered a large pot, not for any particular reason—just because they could afford it.
Before the waiter left, Ye Liangchen felt a spark of inspiration. “And bring me two cases of beer.”
Overall, even though Ye Liangchen and Gao Quan were still students, they were of legal drinking age, so asking for beer wasn’t out of place.
“Chen Ge, you’re so impressive! When did you learn to drink?” Gao Quan stared at Ye Liangchen, wide-eyed.
For students still in school, drinking was a big deal.
At least for Gao Quan, it was. He had never had a drink in his life.
As the two cases of beer were placed at their feet, Ye Liangchen tossed his hair back, confidently and calmly pulled out two bottles, then stepped on the unopened case, using a bottle opener to pop the caps off.
Taking a deep breath, he tossed his hair again and walked over to Long Aotian’s table.
“Hello, everyone.” Ye Liangchen flicked his hair and greeted them first.
In that moment, he wore a faint smile, every movement exuding gentlemanly charm.
Upon seeing Ye Liangchen, Hu Yuying frowned in disgust. She had never disliked anyone as much as she did him.
Stealing a glance at Long Aotian, she felt inexplicably reassured. “Ye Liangchen, my brother is here today, so I’m not afraid of you.”
Hearing that name, Long Aotian looked over again.
Wasn’t this the guy who had been scared off by him at the classroom door earlier?
And the one who had stood in the rain at Nanfeng Square, holding an umbrella but still getting soaked? It seemed to be him...
Noticing Long Aotian’s gaze, Ye Liangchen tossed his hair again and smiled confidently.
At least in front of Long Aotian, he had to maintain his elegance; after all, elegance never goes out of style!
“I was rude last time. This chance encounter is just to apologize for my previous behavior.” Ye Liangchen wore a self-satisfied smile, tilting his head slightly.
Seeing that smile, Long Aotian couldn’t help but think, “What the hell?”
He had always found it hard to understand what a crooked smile meant in novels, but now he saw it perfectly exemplified.
Hu Yuying was a kind person. Though she disliked Ye Liangchen, she didn’t say much, considering he had come to apologize. The best way to deal with someone like him was simply to ignore him.
Ye Liangchen still wore that crooked smile, turning his gaze to Long Aotian, confidently saying, “Let’s drink together.”
A person’s character is revealed through their drinking habits.
Moreover, thanks to his past life’s experience with alcohol, getting an eighteen-year-old drunk was not just easy; it was practically effortless.
He wanted Long Aotian to put on a show of drunkenness in front of Hu Yuying.
Meanwhile, he would stand protectively in front of Hu Yuying, creating a stark contrast that would leave a lasting impression on her.
After all, compared to him, the gentle and kind sunshine boy, Long Aotian, who often bullied her and forced her into uncomfortable situations, would surely make Hu Yuying’s heart waver.
Long Aotian noticed that although Ye Liangchen was speaking to him, his eyes were always on Hu Yuying.
Meanwhile, Hu Yuying’s frown deepened—a rare expression for her, one that revealed genuine aversion and discomfort.
Though he didn’t know what had happened to make Hu Yuying feel this way about Ye Liangchen, he was still her older brother.
What older brother wouldn’t stand up for his little sister?
“I’m not interested. Please don’t interrupt our meal!” Long Aotian said, looking up at Ye Liangchen.
Feeling the intensity of Long Aotian’s gaze, Ye Liangchen instinctively took a step back.
He clenched his fists tightly. If he could, he would have loved to smash the bottle over Long Aotian’s head. Though he thought this, he still wore a forced smile.
He knew he couldn’t act that way, so he replied, “Alright then, I won’t disturb you any longer.”
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**Chapter 75: Isn’t This a Bit Too Ambiguous?**
As Ye Liangchen walked away, Long Aotian turned to Hu Yuying. “Do you really dislike him that much?”
He rarely saw Hu Yuying show such a reaction towards someone, so he instinctively asked.
It seemed that caring for her had become second nature.
Hu Yuying nodded slightly. Although her brother often teased her, she didn’t want to lie to him.
Long Aotian didn’t ask why; he simply cast a cold glance at Ye Liangchen, already forming his own conclusions.
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