Chapter 137
Hu Yuying shook her head. "No, I'm just tired. I need to sit down and rest for a bit."
Just as she finished speaking, someone tapped her on the head. "Long Ge~" Hu Yuying turned to look at Long Aotian, her eyes filled with a hint of grievance.
Seeing the glistening tears in Hu Yuying's eyes and her pitiful expression, Long Aotian couldn't help but chuckle. "Do you know you're really bad at lying?"
"Am I?"
"Yes, your ears turn bright red when you lie," Long Aotian teased, unable to resist exposing her.
At his words, Hu Yuying smiled but said nothing. It wasn’t because she was lying that her ears turned red. It was because Long Ge was right beside her, and seeing his concern made her blush.
"Long Aotian, let’s go ride a small boat too," Li Qingxue said, gazing longingly at the boats gliding across the lake in the distance.
After speaking, she noticed Hu Yuying sitting nearby and instinctively asked, "Yuying, are your feet hurting?"
Then she turned to Long Aotian. "You don’t know, do you? Hu Yuying sprained her ankle last night."
This was Hu Yuying's first time in Kyoto and her first outing, and she really didn’t want to ruin the fun for everyone. So she looked at Long Ge, her eyes filled with a hint of pleading. "No, I’m just a bit tired."
Seeing the pleading look in Hu Yuying's eyes, Long Aotian decided not to say anything more. He understood her well enough; she didn’t want to be the reason everyone else had to hold back.
"How about you guys go ahead? I’ll just rest for a bit."
No way! There was no way Long Aotian could leave Hu Yuying alone here. His heart wasn’t that big.
Even though Hu Yuying was already eighteen and technically an adult, he couldn’t just let her be on her own.
Back in Haigang City, he was worried about her walking alone at night and insisted on seeing her to the alley entrance. How could he possibly feel at ease in this unfamiliar city?
Noticing the hesitation in the others' eyes, Lin Wanning softly said, "Since we’ve been walking for a while, I’d like to rest too. I’ll stay with Hu Yuying."
---
Chapter 165: Does This Count as an Indirect Kiss?
They put on life jackets and settled into the small boat, with Long Aotian at the helm.
As they paddled, the boat slowly glided across the lake.
Seeing Hu Yuying waving energetically not far away, Long Aotian waved back at her.
Li Qingxue also shouted towards Hu Yuying in the distance, though she wasn’t sure if she could hear her.
Hu Yuying gently moved her ankle, feeling the discomfort, and glanced at Long Ge, who was waving at her. A sudden pang of emotion washed over her.
Watching Hu Yuying’s cheerful effort to wave, Long Aotian felt a twinge of heartache. This silly girl, so considerate, made his heart ache.
As the boat drifted further away, Hu Yuying’s smile faded, her gaze fixed on the distance. Even though she could no longer see them, she wanted to keep looking.
"You’ve known your brother for a long time, right?" Lin Wanning asked quietly, also watching the departing boat.
"Yeah, I met Long Ge in the second half of my senior year. It’s been half a year," Hu Yuying replied, realizing she had known Long Ge the longest compared to Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning.
"He cares about you a lot," Lin Wanning said with a smile.
At this, Hu Yuying paused for a moment.
Yes, Long Ge really did care about her—truly cared.
Meeting Long Ge was the happiest thing that had ever happened in her life, bar none.
She nodded earnestly. "Long Ge is the best brother in the world."
Lin Wanning didn’t say anything further. Everyone had their own thoughts. Perhaps Lin Wanning, having just met a few of them, didn’t have deep emotional ties, allowing her to see things from a different perspective.
But that was all there was to it, as everyone’s thoughts were unique.
Just like how exceptional people can recognize other exceptional individuals without feeling inferior.
Hu Yuying hadn’t thought much of it at first, but soon blinked and glanced at Lin Wanning.
Following Lin Wanning’s gaze, her eyes sparkled slightly.
---
As they paddled on the lake, Li Qingxue was initially excited, her eyes darting around. When she smiled, she looked stunning, as if she had gathered all the beauty in the world.
In the midst of her joy, the slight unease in Long Aotian’s heart began to settle.
After all, they would be living in Kyoto for four years. There would be plenty of time to bring Hu Yuying back to play later.
"Long Aotian, why does the boat keep spinning? Are we lost?" Li Qingxue asked, staring at the shimmering lake surface. After a while, she felt like they were going in circles.
Long Aotian glanced at the boat, which was still moving normally. "No, we’re not."
Li Qingxue suddenly took a deep breath and turned to Long Aotian. "I feel a bit dizzy, and my stomach doesn’t feel great."
Her voice was weak, and her beautiful face turned pale, prompting Long Aotian to sit up straight. "You’re not seasick, are you?"
"I don’t know," Li Qingxue replied, looking a bit down.
At that moment, Long Aotian remembered what Li Qingxue had said earlier: "My mom always told me not to go near the water; it’s dangerous."
It was only the last time she had tried to cheer him up by bringing him close to the water, and he had almost fallen in.
"Stop staring at the lake," Long Aotian said, realizing why Li Qingxue felt dizzy, and he chuckled.
"I’m not looking anymore, but I still feel dizzy," Li Qingxue turned her head away, trying not to look at the lake, sounding a bit aggrieved.
"You’re acting like you’re carsick. Just close your eyes and give it a moment."
"Oh, I feel a bit unwell. Can I lean on your shoulder?"
Seeing Li Qingxue’s once lively face now pale, Long Aotian naturally wouldn’t refuse. He leaned closer to her. "Go ahead."
Li Qingxue sniffled, her voice muffled. "You’re so nice."
A gentle breeze brushed a few strands of hair against her cheeks, and her pitiful yet slightly damp eyes made her look both adorable and heart-wrenching.
Leaning on Long Aotian’s shoulder, the discomfort only lasted a short while. Soon, Li Qingxue felt better but didn’t move away.
Instead, she remained resting on Long Aotian’s shoulder. "Long Aotian, why are you always so nice to people?"
"Because you’re all my friends. Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘At home, rely on your parents; out, rely on your friends’?"
Li Qingxue seemed to hesitate at his answer, clearly not satisfied with it.
"You’re not about to throw up, are you? Please keep your distance; I don’t want to walk around with vomit on me."
"You’re so annoying!" Li Qingxue had indeed felt a bit nauseous, but after Long Aotian’s teasing, she immediately lost that feeling.
"Ow~" Long Aotian dodged slightly, "You’ve gotten pretty good at pinching, little girl."
"Who told you to keep teasing me?" After saying that, Li Qingxue sniffled again. "Long Aotian, I’m a bit thirsty."
With one hand on the steering wheel and his feet still paddling, Long Aotian reached into his back pocket and pulled out a crumpled bottle of water, handing it to Li Qingxue. He was so busy, it was overwhelming.
"You’ve squished the bottle like this."
"We’re all drinking the same water. If I don’t squish it and accidentally grab yours, that would be so embarrassing!"
He glanced at Li Qingxue. "So, are you going to drink it or not? If not, I’ll drink it."
Li Qingxue quickly protected the water bottle, mumbling, "I didn’t say I wouldn’t drink it."
As she opened the bottle, her red lips parted slightly, and her long, fair neck caught the eye.
As the last drop of water was consumed, Li Qingxue fidgeted, biting her lip, unable to hide her smile. "Thank you."
Then, with a satisfied look, she quietly slipped the bottle cap into her pocket.
Maybe it was just a feeling, but the water tasted so sweet.
Sweet enough to make her heart a little happy.
Stealing a glance at Long Aotian, she thought he was quite handsome and so caring. Now that they had shared a bottle of water, did that count as an indirect kiss?
Hmph, considering they had an indirect kiss, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to give him a chance.
With that thought, Li Qingxue’s heart raced faster...
"Wow, I must be dreaming. Did I just hear a ‘thank you’?" Long Aotian teased.
Faced with his playful banter, Li Qingxue, who had been feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, rolled her eyes at him. "You’re such a pest."
"Leaning on my shoulder, drinking my water, and now I’m the pest, huh?" Long Aotian realized that the more he teased Li Qingxue, the happier he felt, and the happier he was, the more he wanted to keep teasing her.
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