Chapter 73
So, Long Aotian became Hu Yuying's big brother. He vowed to protect her, to change her, to guide her, and to implore her, time and again, to save herself from the fires and floods of the world, over and over, a thousand times, a million times.
He wanted her to understand that her own happiness was paramount, and everything else was secondary.
He wanted to tell her to learn to love herself, to be unwavering in that love.
In this world, there was no shortage of people who felt weary and unfortunate, but on the journey of life, even if just for a moment, one should feel a bit of warmth.
Yet, it seemed he hadn’t quite managed the distance between them.
The girl’s innocence was not a rational thing.
He was different from her, at least in terms of mental age...
She would one day soar high, so high that in the end, everyone could only look up to her...
Thump~~
Thump~~
Thump~~
Long Aotian raised his hand in confusion, resting it on his chest. His heart was racing...
“Long Ge, the food is ready. Give it a try.”
The girl lifted the bamboo curtain, and the beauty of her face, illuminated by the sunlight, was so stunning that it was hard to look away.
“Mm.” Long Aotian scratched his head and took the bowl of rice.
Soon, Hu Yuying brought over a dish and then sat down to eat.
“Eat more.” Long Aotian habitually picked up a piece of meat.
Hu Yuying happily shifted her bowl in front of Long Aotian.
Looking at the bowl before him, Long Aotian paused for a moment, then withdrew his chopsticks and placed the meat in his own bowl: “You serve yourself.”
“Oh.” Hu Yuying pulled her bowl back, took a piece for herself, and secretly glanced at Long Aotian.
“What are you looking at? After dinner, we need to get back to studying.”
“Mm-hmm.” Hu Yuying hadn’t expected to be caught sneaking a look, and her cheeks flushed as she nodded repeatedly, focusing on her meal.
Seeing that adorable, easily flustered face turn red, Long Aotian couldn’t help but chuckle. The next moment, he slapped his own face: “Cough, cough, I think there’s a mosquito.”
Hu Yuying looked around: “Is there?”
“I said there is, so there is.”
Having grown accustomed to Long Aotian’s unreasonable nature, Hu Yuying chuckled lightly and continued eating. After dinner, she still had to help her big brother with his studies.
With the college entrance examination approaching, Hu Yuying thought she had to make the most of the final sprint, getting Long Ge to practice as much as possible.
Ideally, she wanted him to score over 500 points.
Long Ge’s grades had been steadily improving, and if they made good use of the remaining time, it wasn’t an impossible task.
With that thought, Hu Yuying felt even more motivated.
That’s how people are; once they have a goal, they will do everything they can to move toward it.
As Hu Yuying worked hard to teach herself, Long Aotian naturally wouldn’t say anything against it.
The afternoon slipped by quietly.
In the end, Long Aotian stretched, and his bones cracked from staying in one position for too long.
Feeling satisfied, he finally completed the homework assigned by his little teacher for the day.
Seeing Long Aotian stretch, Hu Yuying approached and began to massage his shoulders.
“Long Ge, let me give you a massage.”
As her hands rested on him, Long Aotian felt his body stiffen.
Before, he thought it was normal for his little follower to give him a massage, but now he felt a bit shy. He cleared his throat and stood up: “No need, I’m fine.”
“Oh.” Hu Yuying withdrew her hands, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
She sensed that Long Ge seemed a bit different today, but she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what had changed.
Girls can be quite sensitive sometimes.
Long Aotian took a couple of steps in the living room, then turned to Hu Yuying: “Want to go for a walk?”
“Sure.” Hu Yuying had always been obedient to Long Aotian’s words.
Her obedience seemed to be ingrained in her very bones.
Walking in the alley, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.
Their shadows stretched long on the ground, eventually merging into one...
**Chapter 88: A Hint of Sweetness, Filling the Heart**
They stepped out of the alley.
Now on a wider road.
Hu Yuying didn’t ask where they were going; she simply walked alongside Long Aotian, moving forward, always forward.
In the past, Hu Yuying loved studying, as if she didn’t know what else to do besides that.
But now, apart from studying, her second favorite thing was to walk beside Long Aotian, even if they did nothing but stroll along the road.
It was a kind of inexplicable peace, a fearless sense of security.
Her lips curled into a slight smile as she basked in the sunlight, feeling the gentle breeze, her hair dancing lightly, and she stole a glance at Long Aotian beside her.
This feeling—was so good.
Suddenly, Long Aotian stopped, and Hu Yuying, like a thief about to be caught, hurriedly averted her gaze.
“Wait for me.”
Long Aotian’s eyes were fixed on a nearby snowflake drink stand.
“Okay, I’ll wait for you, Long Ge.” Hu Yuying beamed, nodding earnestly at him.
“You silly.” Seeing the smile on her face, Long Aotian couldn’t help but smile back.
Before long, he returned with two cups of snowflake drink.
He handed one to Hu Yuying: “Give it a try. This stuff is really refreshing.”
Cool and refreshing, she looked at the straw sticking out and took a sip.
Her eyes curved into crescent moons as she looked up at Long Aotian: “So sweet.”
In the sunlight, the girl’s eyes sparkled like morning dew, shining with countless stars.
So sweet, truly so sweet.
Desserts always seem to lift one’s spirits.
Long Aotian watched as Hu Yuying smiled up at him, momentarily taken aback.
It was just a cup of snowflake drink, just a little sweetness.
But that tiny bit of sweetness was enough to fill Hu Yuying’s heart.
How much hardship had this girl endured in the past...
He then looked toward the setting sun and said, “Of course. Life is like that; it can be a bit busy, a bit troublesome, and sometimes a bit bitter, but it always needs a little sweetness to balance it out.”
“Mm-hmm.” Hu Yuying cradled the snowflake drink in her hands, feeling that little bit of sweetness was given to her by Long Ge.
They continued walking.
It felt as if they had no destination.
Eventually, Long Aotian led Hu Yuying to the riverside.
In the afternoon, the riverside was livelier than in the morning—not just noisy, but bustling with people.
They found a patch of grass and sat down.
This was the first time lying on the grass, looking up at the sky, together with Long Aotian on the school playground.
This was the second time, closer to the riverbank where the wind was a bit stronger. Feeling the natural breeze mixed with the scent of grass and earth brushing against her cheeks, Hu Yuying slowly closed her eyes, quietly savoring the moment.
Unlike with Li Qingxue, Hu Yuying felt at ease with nature from the very first time.
Because everyone’s mindset is different.
Just like Long Aotian said, he could understand Hu Yuying.
But no one else could say they understood her like Long Aotian did.
Long Aotian didn’t disturb Hu Yuying, who lay quietly on the grass, her eyes closed, letting herself settle.
Studying is dull and tedious; it requires a break for the mind and body.
This place might not be anything special, but the flowing water, the sound of the wind, the grass, and the earth could calm one’s spirit.
Lying on the grass, Hu Yuying opened her beautiful eyes and gazed at Long Aotian’s back.
She looked quietly, as if her eyes could only hold Long Aotian’s presence.
The girl didn’t understand what it meant to have her heart race; she just felt that being with him made her very happy.
“Yuying,” after a long while, a lazy, casual voice broke the silence.
“Mm?”
“The college entrance exam is coming up.”
Hu Yuying’s heart skipped a beat for no reason: “Mm.”
“A University is your second starting point in life. Tell Long Ge that you can easily get in, right?”
Hu Yuying opened her mouth, her smile gradually stiffening.
Long Aotian didn’t look at her but continued speaking: “You’ve worked hard for so long, never giving up on your beliefs. This time, you not only need to hand in a satisfactory answer for yourself.”
“There are also your family’s expectations and my expectations as your big brother. Tell Long Ge that you will definitely get in, right?”
At that moment, the air seemed to freeze, and even the sounds faded away. All that could be heard was Hu Yuying’s soft whisper: “Mm.”
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