Chapter 148
Her body was soft, and the older generation always said that a woman's body was made of water. There was truth in that saying.
For a moment, Long Aotian didn’t dare to move.
After a long pause, Lin Wanqing's voice slowly broke the silence. “Brother, you’re really lonely.”
As Long Aotian spoke, Lin Wanqing began to feel the weight of his words.
She sensed just how lonely her brother was, as if he had lost many years of his life, suddenly waking up from a dream, surrounded by everything unfamiliar.
He had no friends by his side, his life was monotonous, and there was a time when he didn’t even know what he was supposed to do.
Yes, at first, Lin Wanqing thought her brother was helping Hu Yuying.
But in reality, it was not just that; in helping Hu Yuying, he was also saving himself.
Hearing the word "lonely" come from Lin Wanqing's lips, Long Aotian froze for a moment, and then his nose and eyes felt a sudden sting.
It was loneliness.
Waking up in a strange world, facing countless unfamiliar faces, he felt like an outsider.
Why did Long Aotian prefer silence when he first arrived in this world? Because those who love silence are often lonely.
Why could Long Aotian understand Hu Yuying? It was because he saw the same loneliness reflected in her.
Teaching Hu Yuying to change step by step was, in fact, a way of changing himself.
Long Aotian took a deep breath, desperately suppressing the sting in his eyes and nose. He forced a smile and gently patted Lin Wanqing's back. “Alright, alright. If I had known you were this sentimental, I wouldn’t have said anything.”
“Get up! Are you trying to take advantage of me?”
Lin Wanqing was instantly thrown off balance by Long Aotian's words. “Who’s taking advantage of you... I... I just wanted to say, you have a sister now... You’re not lonely anymore...”
It turned out that everyone had their own facade. Even someone like Long Aotian had a vulnerable side.
“After hearing you say that, I feel like I might be the luckiest person in the world,” Long Aotian joked.
Lin Wanqing smiled. “Then I guess I’m lucky too.”
Life is filled with countless tribulations, but fortunately, no, it’s lucky that the challenges that came to her were blocked by her brother.
Defeating the bad guys and protecting herself and her reputation—wasn’t that a kind of luck?
The two fell silent for a moment, surrounded by the shade of trees, streetlights, and the night sky, enveloped in a tranquil atmosphere.
This comfortable feeling washed away the earlier confusion.
“It’s getting late. Let me walk you back,” Long Aotian finally said after a long pause.
“Okay.”
...
After dropping Lin Wanqing off at the music academy, Long Aotian returned to his dorm.
The moment he saw his three adopted brothers, his mood shifted dramatically.
“Old Ao, you’re finally back! Guess what club we joined?”
“It’s definitely a big perk!”
“Hahaha, you’re so clueless, Old Ao will never guess.”
Who could feel melancholy in such an environment?
“It’s the swimming club! You didn’t see that coming, did you? Hahaha, it’s so awesome, absolutely amazing!”
“Can you believe there’s even a swimming club in our academy?”
Long Aotian smiled. “That’s great! I have high hopes for you guys!”
Upon hearing this, the three immediately put on serious faces. “You’re being distant, Old Ao.”
“Do you think we’re the kind of brothers who would hog all the fun?”
“Exactly! The four kings of 147 stick together through thick and thin.”
“So we signed you up too! What do you say? Let’s party! Hahaha…”
Hearing this, Long Aotian laughed along with them.
“Old Ao, why do I feel like your laughter is a bit forced? You don’t seem as happy as we imagined.”
At this, Long Aotian laughed even harder, almost to the point of tears, shaking his head as he looked at the three. “I can’t swim!”
As soon as he said that, the three stopped laughing.
Xu Shuai said, “I forgot, I still need to wash my underwear.”
Li Longlong added, “Oh no, it’s late. I should go to bed.”
Huang Fei chimed in, “I’m going to the balcony for a smoke.”
“Hold on a second! Let’s discuss some truths. I think I could give you an arm…” Long Aotian didn’t finish his sentence.
Suddenly, three figures bolted out of the 147 dorm.
Long Aotian turned stiffly to look at the open door and the three who had vanished. “Damn it!”
No surprises here.
Swimming was part of the sports curriculum.
In Huang Fei’s words, a real man faces his shortcomings head-on.
What they said about helping Old Ao adapt was one thing, but what they truly thought remained a mystery.
“After the basic club orientation, there will be a small gathering. We should come early to get familiar with it.”
“Look at Old Huang, he went through a lot of trouble to make reservations and even thoughtfully prepared swim caps and goggles. Just accept your fate and don’t resist.”
“Old Ao, to be honest, if I had a body like yours, I’d be showing it off every day!”
Long Aotian shot Huang Fei a glare. “That guy must have seen Shen Mengjie join the swimming club, right?”
Huang Fei didn’t care, grinning. “Who told you to always run out of the dorm? You haven’t seen our progress in the dorm.”
As Long Aotian began to take off his clothes, the three couldn’t help but twitch their lips. “I feel like calling Old Ao over was a mistake.”
That feeling vanished the moment they walked through the quiet corridor and entered the swimming pool.
“This is way more exciting than watching long legs on campus.”
“Be serious, don’t embarrass the four kings of 147.”
A figure emerged from the water, approaching the edge of the pool as if about to get out.
“Hey! You guys are here too!” Zhang Mengmeng smiled as she greeted the four kings.
“What a coincidence, you’re here too,” Huang Fei replied with a grin.
Upon seeing Huang Fei, Zhang Mengmeng rolled her eyes. What do you mean “what a coincidence”? She knew exactly what he was thinking. “Mengjie is over there.”
“Thanks!” Huang Fei said, quickly heading in the direction Zhang Mengmeng pointed.
Watching Huang Fei leave, Zhang Mengmeng couldn’t help but let out a small sigh, biting her lip.
When she turned her gaze back, she noticed the well-built figure in front of her hadn’t followed Huang Fei.
Curious, she wondered why he hadn’t gone with them. Was he waiting for her?
Thinking this, a blush crept onto Zhang Mengmeng’s cheeks as she secretly glanced at Long Aotian. From below, his physique stood out prominently, making her quickly avert her eyes, feeling a bit flustered. “Why aren’t you going?”
“I can’t swim. This shallow end is just right for me,” Long Aotian said with a smile as he stepped into the pool. He wasn’t trying to show off; this was simply suitable for him.
Hearing Long Aotian’s words, Zhang Mengmeng nodded lightly.
As she watched the water droplets slide down Long Aotian’s muscular body, leaving trails of moisture, she couldn’t help but steal a few more glances.
“His physique is really impressive…”
【You could say we met because of a novel, which counts as a kind of fate. For me, it’s a stroke of luck. Really, thanks to everyone for supporting the Vulture.】
---
Chapter 179: Admit it, Traitor, or No One Will Get You
A week passed quickly.
“After this weekend, we only have three more days of classes before a seven-day break. What are the plans, brothers?”
It was Huang Fei speaking. He originally wanted to invite Shen Mengjie to go out, preferably to a distant place where they could bond during the trip.
Even if the outing ended, the distance would make it too late to return home, allowing them to stay at a hotel and have some fun, heh heh heh.
But while the imagination was beautiful, reality was painfully stark. Yes, he was rejected, and not wanting to go home, he decided to ask about the others’ plans.
“Ah! I don’t have any plans,” Li Longlong sighed to himself. His thoughts aligned with Huang Fei’s, but the outcome was still dismal.
He didn’t know if it was because he wasn’t trying hard enough, but it felt like there was a barrier between him and Han Xiaojing.
They could still laugh and talk when they met, and they could go out for meals in a group, but whenever he wanted to ask her out, he was always turned down.
Just like now, when he texted her to hang out, she first asked who else would be there.
When he said it would just be the two of them, she flatly refused, leaving him feeling like he was hitting a wall of cotton...
“Hey heh heh...”
Table of Contents
