Chapter 96
Silver teeth clenched tightly, and the pretty little face of Li Qingxue was flushed, unsure if it was from anger or embarrassment.
“Stupid Long Aotian, you big jerk...”
Being seen for the first time made Li Qingxue feel incredibly shy.
She hadn’t gone to the riverside for several days because it felt too awkward.
After a lot of mental preparation, she had quietly told herself that she and Long Aotian were just good friends, that he didn’t mean it, and that she had been careless too...
But now, being caught again, Li Qingxue couldn’t help but wonder if Long Aotian was focusing all his attention on this.
Her heart was a mix of anger and shame.
She was angry that Long Aotian was already with Hu Yuying and still looked at her little panties so shamelessly.
She was ashamed because, despite being seen by Long Aotian, she should have despised him, yet her heart didn’t quite feel that way...
This left the somewhat proud girl tangled in her emotions and struggling.
Her mind involuntarily drifted to the innocent, sweet smile on Hu Yuying’s face when she sat in the back seat of Long Aotian’s car.
But in a twist of thoughts, it shifted to the sensation of lying on Long Aotian’s body.
Their bodies pressed closely together, she could smell the intoxicating scent of his hormones.
She could clearly feel the rapid beating of his heart.
And the vibrations that coursed through her when he laughed.
At this thought, Li Qingxue’s small hands clenched tightly. She realized she had developed feelings for Long Aotian that went beyond mere friendship.
But Li Qingxue also had her own pride; at least for now, they could only be friends.
With that thought, the strange feelings in her heart were gradually suppressed.
Feeling particularly embarrassed, she buried her head deep in her blanket.
In that moment, she felt like a real mess.
Just then, her phone chimed.
The blanket shifted, and her blushing face peeked out from the gap.
She opened her phone.
Upon seeing the message, Li Qingxue’s already flushed face turned even redder.
She kicked and thrashed around in her blanket: “Wuwuwu, I can’t show my face anymore, I’m going to die of embarrassment...”
The message from Long Aotian read: [Your pink hair tie, I’ll return it to you at our usual spot tomorrow.]
Before long, a pink pair of panties was thrown out of the blanket by Li Qingxue.
If she hadn’t worn this color today, she definitely wouldn’t have thought anything inappropriate.
Her thoughts were just too unhealthy...
Thinking back to when she had called Long Aotian a bad guy, she realized that his confused expression wasn’t an act; he was genuinely bewildered...
On the other side.
After sending the message.
Long Aotian stared blankly at the photos on his phone.
The two pictures were a bit blurry, and even when he wiped the small screen with his thumb, they remained so.
His phone buzzed.
Long Aotian glanced at it.
Li Qingxue: [Sorry for calling you a big bad guy today. How about I treat you to something delicious tomorrow?]
If she hadn’t mentioned it, Long Aotian would have forgotten all about it.
Li Qingxue: [Please don’t refuse. I really want to thank you. If it weren’t for you, today would have been a disaster.]
Long Aotian looked at the hair tie beside him and replied, “The little cookies are pretty good.”
Li Qingxue: [Okay.]
Long Aotian exited the chat, took one last look at the photos, and then closed his phone to take a shower.
Li Qingxue let out a sigh of relief: “What a huge misunderstanding today.”
She shook her head and took out a piece of clothing from a small drawer in her wardrobe.
Looking at the item in her hand, Li Qingxue froze, then checked what she was wearing.
The hairpin was black, the phone case was pink, and she thought she’d wear jeans tomorrow, which were blue. After considering, she realized the purple didn’t clash.
Only then did she put it on.
Then she walked out of her room and playfully said, “Mom, I want to eat the little cookies you made!”
“It’s quite late now. Let’s do it tomorrow.”
“No, no! I want to eat them now, please, dear Mom!”
Faced with her daughter’s pleading, Li’s mother had no defense and indulgently said, “Alright then.”
“Hehe, thank you, Mom!”
“How many do you want?”
Li Qingxue thought about how Long Aotian had devoured them earlier and decided to ask for a bit more: “A few more, please.”
“Can you finish them all?”
Li Qingxue confidently replied, “I can finish them!”
“Mom, can I try making them?” Seeing her mother looking so relaxed, Li Qingxue felt it wouldn’t be too hard, so she asked.
“Of course! It’s very simple.”
Under her mother’s guidance, Li Qingxue washed her hands and began to try.
“I want to make a bunny shape.”
Watching her daughter create the bunny, Li’s mother’s lips twitched slightly.
Thank goodness she hadn’t let Qingxue learn to draw back then.
But to avoid hurting her child’s confidence, she said, “What a beautiful little bunny.”
With her mother’s praise, Li Qingxue felt even prouder.
The things she made seemed to have a filter in her eyes; they were just not ugly.
Finally, looking at her finished product, Li Qingxue packed it into a box to take to Long Aotian tomorrow.
After finishing everything, Li Qingxue took a shower and returned to her blanket.
Perhaps it was the praise from her mom or the fact that she had just showered.
Li Qingxue wasn’t feeling sleepy yet.
So she opened her phone to browse today’s updates on Penguin.
But as soon as she entered, she frowned slightly.
【When the mountains have no ridges and the earth meets the sky, only then will I dare to sever ties with you...】 (with a picture of a shadow under a streetlight)
【How can something that never existed be considered lost...】 (with a picture of a shadow looking up at a 45-degree angle under a streetlight)
【I finally felt a flutter in my heart once, but you left me utterly defeated...】 (with a picture of a shadow looking down at a 45-degree angle under a streetlight)
【...】
Scrolling up, various updates flashed by, but when she stopped, it was still (with a picture of a shadow under a streetlight, looking sorrowful).
Li Qingxue frowned: “Why are there so many?”
She clicked to block them.
Suddenly, the previously oppressive updates returned to their vibrant and colorful state.
Feeling good, she enjoyed her friends’ shared stories from today, liking and commenting. This was a delightful thing for Li Qingxue...
---
**Chapter 116: Successful People Are Lonely**
“Drinking hurts the stomach, but it doesn’t hurt the heart!” Ye Liangchen’s eyes were bloodshot, his demeanor listless, even his usually well-kept hairstyle was a bit messy.
In response to Gao Quan’s advice, Ye Liangchen merely smiled faintly and shook his head, knowing that Gao Quan wouldn’t understand his current feelings.
It didn’t matter; no one in this world truly understood him.
He felt like a butterfly, flapping his wings at will, changing the fate of the world with each movement.
Who could truly comprehend his helplessness?
With that thought, Ye Liangchen chuckled to himself: “Indeed, successful people are lonely!”
“That’s a profound statement.”
He quickly took out his phone and began typing a message.
“Chen Ge, don’t post anymore. You’ve already shared so many updates today; the Penguin feed is full of your posts.”
“Ha!” Ye Liangchen took a deep breath. “What do you know?”
“The more I post now, the more certain people will regret it later. Only then will they realize how deeply they hurt me.”
“Are these posts just random thoughts? No, they’re my feelings, the most innocent and sincere emotions that have already faded before they even began.”
Gao Quan rolled his eyes, recalling how Ye Liangchen had confidently claimed that after the college entrance exams, Hu Yuying would become his girlfriend and Li Qingxue would chase after him.
He had been so sure back then that Gao Quan almost believed him, even betting on it.
And now? He could only hide in a dark corner, posting vague updates.
Sigh! At least he could still treat himself to some barbecue; he decided to keep quiet to avoid hurting Chen Ge further.
Ye Liangchen slowly stood up, raised the bottle towards the moon, and snapped a photo.
“I’m leaving now. A lonely night, a lonely heart—who can understand, haha...”
As Ye Liangchen departed, Gao Quan focused on finishing the food on the table.
After eating and drinking his fill, Gao Quan patted his belly and prepared to leave.
Just as he stood up, a waiter approached: “Hello, your total is 103.”
Gao Quan was a bit confused: “Didn’t Chen Ge already settle the bill?”
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