Chapter 92
"What's your take on someone who enjoys lying on the grass, soaking up the sun, and listening to the sound of flowing water?"
Wang Rui pondered for a moment. "I think it's someone older."
"Mm-hmm." Li Qingxue nodded in agreement.
After sitting for a while, the time grew late, and the group prepared to leave.
Li Qingxue stood up, stretched, and gazed out at the river.
Her eyes flickered slightly.
Across the riverbank, she couldn't see clearly, but she could make out a figure reclining on the grass.
Her heart fluttered in an instant, and she didn't even realize the smile that crept onto her face—a joy she couldn't suppress.
"You guys go ahead. I have something to take care of."
The others exchanged puzzled glances at Li Qingxue, who had suddenly become so cheerful.
But Li Qingxue offered no explanation.
Instead, she walked along the riverbank toward the direction of the setting sun.
Her steps quickened a bit.
Breathing slightly heavier, she made her way around to the other side, which felt quite far.
Step by step, she moved forward.
In the next moment, her smile widened.
It was indeed that guy.
He didn't come in the morning; did he switch to the afternoon?
Li Qingxue tiptoed over, ready to give a good scare to this guy, Long Aotian, who always treated her like a child.
Long Aotian heard the sound of footsteps on the grass.
He opened his eyes and looked up.
"Ah~~" Li Qingxue, who had intended to scare Long Aotian, quickly covered her skirt.
"Ha cough cough..." Long Aotian immediately turned his head, pretending he hadn't seen anything.
The riverbank sloped up and down, and since Long Aotian was lying down, he was at a higher vantage point. Meanwhile, Li Qingxue, in her skirt...
Seeing Long Aotian's guilty reaction, Li Qingxue clenched her small fist in secret.
She forgot her initial intention to scare him and, feeling a bit flustered, adjusted her skirt and sat down beside him.
An awkward silence hung in the air.
After a while, Li Qingxue broke the silence. "Why aren't you talking? You're usually so chatty."
Long Aotian turned to her with a smile. "What a coincidence."
Li Qingxue shot him a glare, amused by his guilty demeanor. She couldn't help but chuckle.
"You haven't been here for over a month. Are you coming here every afternoon now?"
Li Qingxue finally asked the question she was most curious about.
Long Aotian usually came here to sunbathe during the day.
Or was it that he changed to the afternoon to avoid her?
"I've been a bit busy lately. I had a day off today, so I came here to lie down for a bit," Long Aotian yawned.
His movements were casual, exuding a lazy vibe that somehow felt comforting.
Li Qingxue found herself yawning as well, stretching and letting out a sigh.
"That's quite a coincidence. I was passing by here after shopping with friends and just happened to run into you."
"I heard you scored 518 on your college entrance exam?"
At this, Long Aotian couldn't help but show off. "Yeah, 518—pretty impressive, right?"
Seeing his proud expression made Li Qingxue laugh.
"Impressive, really impressive." She played along. "Looks like we might be going to school in the same city."
"Ah, speaking of which, you still owe me two meals."
"Weren't you the one who said you didn't care about those two meals?" Li Qingxue replied, but she still took out the small cakes she had bought earlier. "Here, have one."
They had enjoyed them while shopping in the afternoon, so Li Qingxue bought a couple extra to take home.
"Just one little cake to appease me?"
"Go ahead and eat it; you can't keep your mouth shut when there's food around."
Li Qingxue's personality was a bit lively, and she had her own way of interacting with friends.
Watching Long Aotian eat, she gazed into the distance with a smile in her eyes.
The atmosphere was so pleasant; even without saying anything, just sitting there felt relaxing and enjoyable.
Wait...
Why did that thought feel so familiar?
It seemed Li Qingxue realized something.
Suddenly, she felt a bit off, unsure whether to sit or stand.
She fidgeted restlessly.
Stealing a glance at Long Aotian, she quickly shook her head, convincing herself it was just a misunderstanding.
"Do you have ADHD? You're fidgeting around so much, it's making my eyes dizzy."
At this, Li Qingxue stopped her movements.
But suddenly, she found herself at a loss for words.
In her eyes, Long Aotian was with Hu Yuying, so how could she... feel such embarrassing...
"What are you underestimating? You seem a bit off today," Long Aotian observed, watching Li Qingxue's face turn red, then cover her face, and mumble to herself.
If he didn't know her better, he might think she was having a fit.
"I'm not acting weird!" Li Qingxue insisted, trying to sound tough.
"It's getting late; you should head home."
"Just eat and run? Long Aotian, you really have no shame."
Hearing this, Long Aotian stopped in his tracks. "What, should I stay here and keep you company overnight?"
Li Qingxue's face flushed at the thought of "keeping her company overnight." Thankfully, the dimming light made it less noticeable. "Who would want to keep you company overnight?"
She quickly stepped ahead of Long Aotian.
"Hey, there's something black on your skirt..."
Before he could finish, Li Qingxue turned around angrily. "You really saw it, you jerk! I'm going to get you for this..."
Long Aotian simply held up a finger to stop her. "I didn't see you wearing black underwear; I meant there's a black spot on your skirt. It must be dirt from yesterday's rain. Remember to clean it when you get home."
Upon hearing this, Li Qingxue decided to let Long Aotian off the hook, but then she blinked, as if realizing something.
When she turned back, Long Aotian had already walked away. She squeezed her small fist, which felt utterly powerless.
---
Chapter 111: A Little Happiness Today
Watching Long Aotian's retreating figure, Li Qingxue turned to leave.
Yet, her mood didn't seem as troubled as before.
Realizing this, she quickly wiped the smile off her face.
"That jerk Long Aotian..."
Then she remembered something, and her previously bright expression dimmed a bit.
She headed home.
Once back, Li Qingxue first checked herself in the mirror.
Sure enough, she found a black stain on the hem of her skirt. After changing, she tossed her clothes into the washing machine and hurried back to her room.
With her long, smooth, and fair legs, she leaped onto her bed.
After a moment's thought, she jumped back down, opened her wardrobe, and took out some undergarments, then crawled into bed. Before long, she had changed into a pair of black underwear.
Her lovely body tossed and turned on the bed.
For some reason, she felt inexplicably happy.
Especially when she saw the black underwear she had just changed out of, she dove under the covers, covering her face with her hands, feeling a bit shy about being seen.
Why do people always say that eighteen is the best age? Because it's pure, because it's innocent, and also because it's beautiful.
There was a knock on the door.
Li Qingxue froze for a moment, then she heard her mother's voice: "Xue'er, come out for dinner."
Then she heard the door creak open.
Li's mother looked at her daughter, wrapped in a blanket like a cocoon, and couldn't help but smile. "Xiao Xue, what are you doing? Why are you all bundled up like that?"
"Do you know you look like... like a... silkworm?"
Actually, Li's mother wanted to say "maggot," but thought it was inappropriate and not elegant, so she changed it to "silkworm."
As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed the undergarments Li Qingxue had just changed out of.
Li Qingxue, who had just poked her head out from under the blanket, clearly sensed her mother's gaze.
Her already flushed face turned an even deeper shade of red.
She quickly pulled the undergarments back under the covers.
Li's mother couldn't help but chuckle and quietly exited the room.
After closing the door, she leaned against it, trying to suppress her laughter. "Has Xiao Xue finally woken up?"
Her daughter was exceptional, and as a parent, she feared the most that Xiao Xue would get caught up in the hormonal whirlwind of adolescence... After all, both she and Xiao Xue's father had been young once, and they knew how it felt.
But their worries were unnecessary.
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