Chapter 71
A flicker of reluctance crossed his eyes, but he still spoke up, “From today onwards, I, Ye Liangchen, officially strip Hu Yuying of her title as the treasure girl.”
As the words fell, Ye Liangchen closed his eyes.
With that, a single tear slowly slipped from the corner of his eye.
This tear was enough to convey just how tormented Ye Liangchen felt at that moment...
【A new month begins tonight. I hope everyone can send some love and little gifts.】
---
**Chapter 85: You Have No Idea What I've Been Through**
On the other side.
When Long Aotian and Hu Yuying returned to class, they felt countless gazes fixed upon them.
Hu Yuying might not understand.
But Long Aotian knew that these looks were a form of acknowledgment.
Perhaps it was the first time they had seen someone called away by the homeroom teacher, yet still return with a smile.
Long Aotian straightened his back and nodded slightly to his classmates who were looking at him.
Then, with a swagger, he led Hu Yuying back to their seats.
Hu Yuying stole a glance at Long Aotian, puzzled as to why he seemed so pleased with himself.
Unable to figure it out, she decided to follow his lead and share in his pride.
In the fast-paced life of a senior, this was merely a small episode.
Soon, everyone with hopes for the college entrance exam threw themselves back into their studies.
Long Aotian was no exception.
Life seemed to return to normal, with each day blending into the next like a copy-paste routine.
Mornings spent at Hu Yuying’s house for breakfast, heading to school together, tackling problems while learning, then in the evenings, he would walk Hu Yuying back to the alley before heading home to shower and sleep.
During this time, two small tests saw Long Aotian’s score rise from 318 to 389.
Such progress made his classmates look at him with newfound respect.
At the same time, more people began to notice Hu Yuying.
After all, even someone like Long Aotian had benefited from her help in improving his grades.
As a result, the number of classmates wanting to study with her was no longer limited to just a few.
This meant that Long Aotian’s bathroom breaks became increasingly prolonged.
Yet, watching Hu Yuying’s gradual transformation brought him a sense of joy.
From the beginning, when Hu Yuying sought out others, trying to fit into different groups, to now, where she had become the center of a collective, with others trying to integrate around her.
Every time he saw this, a swell of pride rose within Long Aotian.
It was like polishing a tarnished pearl, gradually revealing its inherent beauty.
But with this joy came a growing concern.
As Hu Yuying became more optimistic, cheerful, and confident, it was only natural that she attracted attention.
Her innocent face, soft and gentle to the core, embodied the ideal beauty for adolescent boys.
After all, who wouldn’t want a girl who excelled in her studies, had a great figure, and was both sweet and gentle?
Watching the young boys blush as they spoke to Hu Yuying, Long Aotian often felt like a farmer watching his prized cabbage being eyed by a hungry pig.
But he couldn’t voice these feelings directly; instead, he could only indirectly tell Hu Yuying to focus on her studies and not to think about anything unnecessary before the exams.
Hu Yuying was incredibly obedient; when it came to boys, if there was a problem, she would address it, but if it was just idle chatter, she would pretend not to hear or see.
This greatly satisfied Long Aotian’s vanity. Look, this is my little follower, who listens only to me!
“Long Ge, by now you should have a good grasp of your grades, right? Which university are you planning to apply to?”
“Probably somewhere in Haigang or one of the nearby cities,” Long Aotian replied, having done some research during this time. “Of course, if I can’t get in, I’ll look further away.”
Hu Yuying nodded, softly murmuring an “mm,” then lowered her gaze, lost in thought.
After a moment, she quietly asked, “Long Ge, have you ever thought about going to university in Kyoto?”
Hearing this, Long Aotian couldn’t help but laugh, “You really think highly of your Long Ge, don’t you?”
“But you, I remember your first choice was Kyoto A University, right? Do you have confidence?”
Hu Yuying didn’t answer but said again, “Long Ge, if you don’t even try, how will you know you can’t get in?”
“Long Ge, you need to believe in yourself.”
This sentiment was quite similar to what the old man had once believed.
Back then, the old man spent so much money, pulling strings and making connections to send the original owner to study in Kyoto, hoping he could establish himself in the big city.
Even if things didn’t work out and he had to come back, at least he could say he had studied in Kyoto and interned there, making it easier to find a decent job.
Kyoto is a fascinating city.
Many from the older generation may never have visited Kyoto, yet the name holds increasing value in their hearts.
The younger generation, on the other hand, views Kyoto as a mysterious city filled with dreams and aspirations...
“Alright, I’ll give it my best shot. If I can get in, that’s great; if not, it won’t matter much.”
“Mm.” Hu Yuying nodded, a hint of a smile flickering in her eyes.
She quickly handed a notebook to Long Aotian.
Looking at the problems on the page, Long Aotian raised an eyebrow and shot Hu Yuying a sidelong glance, “It’s my break time. What do you want?”
“Just write, Long Ge. Do more problems.”
“You’re pushing it! You want to squeeze me even during my break?”
Hu Yuying pulled out a lollipop, “Long Ge.”
“Don’t try that with me. Just because you’re acting cute doesn’t mean I won’t scold you. I’m not falling for that!”
In the following period, Long Aotian learned what it meant to squeeze water from a sponge; with enough pressure, something would always come out!
In another round of grade testing, Long Aotian’s score reached 420.
This score stunned everyone in Class 7.
Especially Wang Shuo, who, before Long Aotian could come over to show off, took the initiative to approach him, studying Long Aotian’s total score with a serious expression.
The carefulness in his demeanor was as if he were gazing at something incredibly precious.
“How did you do it?”
Long Aotian looked up at Wang Shuo, “You want to learn?”
“Damn!” Wang Shuo stepped back two paces, seeing Long Aotian’s haggard and drained appearance.
But Long Aotian waved him over, “Come here, I’ll teach you.”
Wang Shuo instinctively shook his head, “Maybe I’ll pass on that...”
---
Saturday morning.
This time was meant for Long Aotian’s leisure.
Solving problems was tedious and mentally exhausting.
Long Aotian felt like his brain was constantly on high alert during this period.
Lying on the grass, the comfort made him sigh in relief.
Yet, the improvement in his grades was undeniable.
In science, there were no shortcuts; it was all about relentless practice, practice, and more practice.
So much so that now, when he saw Hu Yuying pull out her little notebook, he felt a psychological shadow looming over him.
He sensed someone approaching.
Long Aotian turned over, changing his position. He knew who it was, but he simply wasn’t in the mood, or rather, he didn’t want to waste his precious leisure time.
Li Qingxue squatted down, looking at Long Aotian’s back, and poked him gently with her finger.
“Stop messing around.”
Li Qingxue covered her mouth, chuckling softly, finding it amusing.
She poked Long Aotian again, “You’ve made significant progress this time, breaking 400 points!”
“You have no idea what I’ve been through!”
Li Qingxue stifled her laughter, poking Long Aotian once more, “Wake up! I brought something good for you to see...”
---
**Chapter 86: You Better Not Like Me**
This piqued Long Aotian’s interest a bit. He turned to Li Qingxue, “Something good?”
“Uh-huh.” Li Qingxue nodded, then proudly pulled out several practice books from the small backpack she had brought.
“This is my practice book. It has a lot of key points and some mistakes I’ve made over the years. You can take a look; it might help you.”
“Hey, why are you turning your back to me again? Turn around! Don’t pretend to be asleep; I saw you open your eyes just now...”
When Li Qingxue took out the practice books, Long Aotian had already turned back, continuing to face away from her, enjoying his precious leisure time.
Eventually, Li Qingxue stuffed the practice books into Long Aotian’s arms and sat beside him, gazing at the river in the distance.
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