Chapter 142
Shen Mengjie leaned against Han Xiaojing's shoulder, her soft waist curving gracefully as she tilted slightly, creating a beautiful indentation that made her waist appear almost boneless, her figure enchanting.
Han Xiaojing's slightly tense demeanor contrasted sharply with Shen Mengjie's relaxed smile, presenting two distinctly different styles.
From a male perspective, Han Xiaojing was also beautiful, but in this combined setting, most men's gazes would inevitably linger on Shen Mengjie.
She knew how to leverage her physical advantages to the fullest.
A girl like this, Long Aotian had no doubt that Huang Fei would be left tongue-tied.
"What's up?"
Noticing Long Aotian's pure gaze directed at her, Shen Mengjie raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to join in for a bit?"
Boys have an instinctive urge to show off in front of pretty girls; it's in their DNA.
Girls, on the other hand, tend to be a bit more mature emotionally. They can see through boys' childish need for attention; some find it amusing, while others simply enjoy it.
In a normal scenario, a boy at this stage would want to impress a beautiful girl who invited him to show off.
Most would secretly rejoice and fall into daydreams: Why is she talking to me? Does she have a crush on me? They would then decide to put on a show in front of her.
But for Long Aotian, this surge of hormones was something he could control.
For instance, if you placed a sports car in front of him and asked, "Hey, Long Aotian, want to take it for a spin?"
He might feel a twinge of excitement but wouldn't necessarily jump at the chance.
However, if you placed a bulldozer in front of him and asked the same question, he would eagerly step forward, exclaiming, "Sure!"
This shift in mindset is quite unique.
At eighteen, everything is about youth—wow, that sports car looks so cool.
As one matures, a car is just a means of transportation, something to shield you from the elements.
At eighteen, it's all about the thrill—look at that massive bulldozer/excavator!
As one ages, the excitement fades—where is it? Let me take a look.
Moreover, just last night, he had seen his little follower in her pure yet alluring form.
Now, everything felt like a moment of clarity.
In plain terms, he just felt indifferent.
So, Long Aotian merely smiled and said nothing.
Shen Mengjie was taken aback; she had considered many possibilities but never imagined Long Aotian would simply brush her off with a smile.
She straightened up, her eyes sparkling with interest, yet they remained fixed on Long Aotian...
---
Chapter 171: We Will Bully Your Sister
The moment Shen Mengjie pulled back, Han Xiaojing bit her lip and stole a glance at Long Aotian.
She had been so afraid that Long Aotian would agree with Shen Mengjie.
But seeing him just smile and remain unmoved, she felt inexplicably happy.
"He's different from the other guys," Shen Mengjie whispered in Han Xiaojing's ear.
Upon hearing this, Han Xiaojing maintained her calm facade, but her ears turned slightly red.
He truly was different—not just because he offered her watermelon, but also due to his behavior during military training, which had caught Han Xiaojing's attention.
Though they were the same age, his aura set him apart from everyone else in the class.
He was mature, caring, and considerate of others' feelings, never letting anyone feel awkward.
He lacked the typical competitive spirit, yet excelled at everything he did, effortlessly giving off a reliable vibe.
In his presence, it felt as if she only needed to be a protected little woman, a feeling Han Xiaojing often experienced.
And these feelings were absent with other boys.
If there was a difference, it lay in how Long Aotian stood apart from the rest.
Like now, she could see Li Longlong and the others trying to show off.
But Long Aotian simply watched from the sidelines. If he was needed, he would step in without hesitation, playing the supporting role.
When he wasn't needed, he would sit quietly, like an observer, smiling and enjoying the moment.
This feeling wasn't forced; he genuinely found joy in it.
A bottle of new wine and a bottle of old wine—though both are wine, they are truly different.
Han Xiaojing quietly took out her phone, mentally encouraging herself, and finally looked at Long Aotian. "Long Aotian, can we..."
Before she could finish, Long Aotian turned to her.
A badminton shuttlecock arced down nearby.
"I just finished warming up, and you guys are already done?" Xu Shuai and the others returned, casually spinning their rackets.
Indeed, boys are at their most charming in their confident domains.
Xu Shuai wasn't ugly, but he wasn't particularly handsome either—at least, he was quite ordinary in the dorm.
Yet at this moment, he was the most attractive.
Han Xiaojing's hard-won courage evaporated in an instant.
Shen Mengjie observed everything, her playful gaze constantly drifting back to Long Aotian.
"How about we all have lunch together?" Huang Fei asked Shen Mengjie with a smile.
"Yeah, let's have lunch together," Xu Shuai chimed in, wiping the sweat from his forehead and grinning at Wang Lijuan.
With the lunch plan set, everyone felt a surge of happiness.
Love, after all, is just a small matter.
Pursuing a girl is just a small matter.
Youth is all about self-discovery; anything is possible.
After lunch, the three kings of love felt they had made significant progress in front of their crushes. Once they returned the girls to their dorm, the dorm erupted into a brief celebration!
"How did I do today, Old Ao? Pretty good, right?" Xu Shuai asked excitedly.
"Not bad. I saw Wang Lijuan glance at you more than once."
"What about me? What about me?" Li Longlong asked anxiously.
The reason they all turned to Long Aotian was that he was the only one in the dorm with dating experience.
The cool beauty from the music academy had come to their dorm looking for him, and any one of those two stunning girls would have been no competition for him, so asking Long Aotian was the safest bet.
"I didn't really notice," Long Aotian replied honestly. "I can't exactly be watching the girls while you guys are playing ball, can I?"
Huang Fei nodded, feeling that Old Ao wasn't that kind of person, so he didn't press further.
However, Huang Fei still felt he had made great strides today; Shen Mengjie had smiled at him several times and had even subtly shown off her figure in front of him.
What did that mean? It meant winning Shen Mengjie over was just a matter of time!
There's a saying: where there's a goal, there's motivation. For now, he was brimming with confidence.
Just then, Long Aotian's phone rang.
It was an unfamiliar local number.
Long Aotian glanced at his excited companions and stepped out onto the balcony to answer the call.
A polite voice came through the line. "Is this Mr. Long Aotian?"
"Who is this?"
"I'm a real estate agent from Haidian District. We spoke in the group chat before. I currently have a vacant siheyuan (a traditional Chinese courtyard house) available. Do you have time to come take a look?"
Upon hearing this, Long Aotian immediately arranged a time with Cui Yong.
"I'm stepping out for a bit," he said, casually tidying up before heading out.
"Where are you going, Old Ao? Aren't we going out together tonight?" Xu Shuai asked when he saw Long Aotian getting ready to leave.
They had agreed to be his wingmen today, but these two guys were already eager to show off in front of the girls.
After all, it was his plan to go out with them today!
Only Long Aotian was steadfastly sticking to his role as the wingman.
"I'm not going tonight. Wang Lijuan seems nice. Go for it, Old Ao, I've got your back."
Xu Shuai scratched his head at this, realizing he sometimes had a good read on people.
With Long Aotian's words, Xu Shuai felt even more resolute.
Walking under the shade of the trees, the hottest part of the day had passed, and with the breeze in Kyoto, the weather was just right.
---
"Bro."
Long Aotian looked up at the sound and saw Lin Wanning waving at him.
Seeing Long Aotian stop, Lin Wanning trotted over.
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