Chapter 138
Li Qingxue bit her lip, feeling a mix of annoyance and happiness. All day long, he just loved to tease her. But deep down, she was actually quite pleased. Still, her proud little mouth wouldn’t allow her to be too forward.
So she huffed lightly, “Just resting on your arm, drinking your water…”
**[Sometimes being a bit cheeky is actually quite nice.]**
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**Chapter 166: Can’t Stand Seeing My Little Follower Unhappy**
With her youthful face set in a mock-serious expression, she delivered such unreasonable words, creating a delightful contrast that was rather cute.
Long Aotian couldn’t help but chuckle, “Alright, alright, as long as you’re happy.”
Li Qingxue had more to say, but when she looked up and saw the sweat beading at Long Aotian’s temples, she forgot her words. She stood up, took a tissue from her pocket, and gently wiped the sweat away.
It was her first time helping someone with this, and her movements were light and tender.
Though they often bickered, when it really mattered, she could be quite gentle.
As she gazed at Long Aotian’s profile, her eyes sparkled.
“If you keep wiping like that, you’re going to rub my face raw,” Long Aotian joked, turning his head with a smile.
In that fleeting moment when their eyes met, Li Qingxue’s heart raced, like a little kitten caught sneaking a bite of fish, her cheeks flushing.
“I’m not! I’m being gentle, okay?” she retorted, kicking her feet playfully.
The water rippled around them. Initially, she had felt uneasy, but now, even staring at the water didn’t make her dizzy anymore.
The lively and cheerful Li Qingxue was back.
Long Aotian found it amusing.
He thought the earlier version of her—looking distressed, wronged, and pitiful—was much more entertaining.
Perhaps Long Aotian’s smile was too infectious, as Li Qingxue quickly noticed, “Why are you looking at me like that, grinning so creepily?”
“You’re just pretty, alright?”
Li Qingxue felt a bit flustered, thinking, what a rascal! Why did he have to be so straightforward?
“Fine, I admit I’m a little pretty too. If you want to look, go ahead,” she said, pouting her nose in a haughty manner.
Though she spoke boldly, she was all too aware that her face was heating up uncontrollably!
Long Aotian looked at her speechlessly. She was indeed pretty, and saying such things didn’t seem out of place, just a bit conceited.
Before long, they returned to the shore.
As Hu Yuying and Lin Wanqing began walking toward them from the small boat, Li Qingxue stepped off the boat and immediately felt her heart relax.
She completely forgot the earlier discomfort and grievances, happily snuggling up to Hu Yuying and sharing her joy.
After sharing with Hu Yuying, she didn’t forget to share with Lin Wanqing as well.
Long Aotian glanced at Hu Yuying.
Hu Yuying seemed to understand what Long Aotian wanted to say. She looked at him intently, her smile radiant, and stood on her tiptoes to indicate that she was truly fine.
They spent the entire afternoon walking, looking around, taking photos, and having fun.
After a while, they decided to grab a bite to eat.
Once they arrived at the restaurant, Li Qingxue looked toward the nearby mall. “How about we go shopping after we finish eating?”
Shopping is in a girl’s nature, and on this point, the guys really shouldn’t argue, right?
Lin Wanqing had no objections.
But Hu Yuying hesitated, glancing at the grand mall.
Long Aotian noticed everything. In truth, Hu Yuying was already doing great.
She earned her own tuition and, instead of keeping the extra for herself, she sent it to her grandparents.
At their age, Long Aotian thought honestly, whether in his world or this one, he didn’t know anyone better than Hu Yuying.
He took out his phone and casually asked, “By the way, I mentioned wanting to start an online store. What do you think? Are you brave enough to venture into it with me?”
Hu Yuying paused for a moment, then remembered that Long Aotian had mentioned wanting to start an online store when they were selling goods on the street. He had said that with societal development, everyone would enter the age of online technology.
Soon, with just a phone, people could buy everything they wanted without leaving home.
“What kind of online store?” Li Qingxue asked.
Hu Yuying glanced at Long Aotian, and after receiving his nod, she recounted what he had told her before.
“I’ve looked online before, but it just doesn’t feel as good as trying things on in a physical store.”
“So, are you thinking of doing this, bro?” Lin Wanqing asked Long Aotian.
He nodded, “I had that idea before.”
However, he had temporarily set it aside. Right now, he was mainly waiting for a certain cryptocurrency to skyrocket, so he could buy properties at a low price and wait for their value to rise, while also opening a small supermarket and living carefree as a landlord…
As for why he brought it up now, perhaps it was to give his little follower a part-time opportunity.
After spending time together, he couldn’t stand seeing his little follower unhappy.
Hu Yuying had unwavering faith in Long Aotian. If he was willing to take her along, she would follow him without hesitation.
So, when he looked at her, she nodded vigorously, “I’m in, bro!”
Her unconditional trust made Long Aotian quite happy.
He immediately shared his thoughts.
Online shopping hadn’t yet become widespread.
The arrival of the 4G era had propelled significant advancements in society.
Online shopping and short videos were having a tremendous impact on various industries.
This wasn’t an exaggeration; just look at the tourism, restaurant, and even music industries—short videos could spark a massive change.
These were the monumental shifts brought about by the 4G era.
But that wasn’t the greatest achievement of 4G; the biggest was payment.
Although certain payment apps existed, they weren’t comprehensive or widely adopted.
This was evident from the fact that Long Aotian was still using a basic mobile phone.
As payment methods became more widespread, they would drastically change traditional industries and business models.
The same proliferation of payment methods would also drive the entire population into the online age.
In this wave, as long as you weren’t too incompetent and understood a bit about operational strategies, you could generally make money; even the worst wouldn’t be poor.
Especially with short videos, countless ordinary people—some with only a primary school education—could suddenly soar, buying cars, houses, and marrying…
Traffic equals money, which equals demand.
After hearing Long Aotian’s words, not just Hu Yuying, but even Li Qingxue and Lin Wanqing were slightly taken aback.
It was because what Long Aotian spoke of was not yet common; it was a bold vision for the future.
If one day, it really became possible to make payments with just a phone, perhaps an online store would indeed be a relatively good way to profit.
Because people still held onto fixed mindsets.
For instance, when going out to buy clothes, if they tried them on and found them suitable and beautiful, paying for them felt natural.
But if they bought clothes online without trying them on, the money would be gone before they even knew if the clothes fit or if the quality was good. The key was that the clothes hadn’t even arrived yet, and the money was already spent, which felt unsettling.
To illustrate, it was like the plowing machines in the village. Before they existed, everyone plowed by hand, which was not only tiring but also slow.
When the plowing machines appeared, people were still hesitant, thinking the machines couldn’t compare to manual labor.
But in the end? Not only did they have plowing machines, but also seeders, harvesters, and eventually, even drone sprayers…
From manual farming to mechanized assistance, this was progress—a trend that human effort could not stop…
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**Chapter 167: Girls Are the Best at Deceiving**
“Can I open an online store too?” Li Qingxue asked excitedly.
“Of course! You might even do better,” Long Aotian replied, knowing that Li Qingxue loved to share, and an online store thrived on sharing and promotion.
They were their own models, their own advertisements, especially in school, where their peers were a valuable network.
This was an advantage—a very good one.
“Can you teach me too?” Li Qingxue asked shyly.
“Sure,” Long Aotian smiled and nodded, “But you have to call me ‘bro’ first.”
Upon hearing this, Li Qingxue immediately scrunched up her nose.
Seeing her do that, not just Long Aotian, but also Hu Yuying and Lin Wanqing found her adorable.
“Ahem, Yuying, call him ‘bro’ so we can hear it.”
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