Chapter 157
She stood up and walked towards the outside of the campus.
Arriving at the breakfast shop, she hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, as if to pump herself up.
She stepped inside.
Moments later, Hu Yuying came running out, her smile radiant and beautiful.
Before long, she returned, breathless.
“Thank you, thank you.”
Seeing such a lovely and polite girl, the old man and woman behind the counter smiled broadly and waved their hands.
As she exited the breakfast shop, Hu Yuying spotted a bicycle and rode off towards the nearest subway station.
She was anxious, very anxious; her heart raced with urgency, a sense of impatience that couldn’t be ignored.
When the subway doors opened, Hu Yuying dashed out.
On the pedestrian path, everyone turned to look at the running girl.
This time, Hu Yuying didn’t care about the gazes of others; her face still wore an expectant smile, like a rainbow leaving behind countless colors as she ran.
Her determination made her unafraid of the attention.
Because Long Ge had said: “No one knows you, so why be shy? Those who don’t care will pass by and forget, while those who do care will still care, no matter what you look like.”
Everyone was heading in the same direction, like the silent ticking of a clock hand, on this endless road—finally finding that person.
At the alley’s entrance, Long Aotian seemed to sense something, turned around, and then relaxed, breaking into a grin.
The fourth time.
The fourth time he had seen her rushing towards him without reservation.
“Long Ge.”
Seeing Long Ge look her way, Hu Yuying’s smile blossomed, and she called out happily.
She slowed her pace, standing in front of Long Aotian, carefully placing something she had been cradling in her arms before him.
“You silly!” Long Aotian looked at what she was holding and ruffled her hair playfully.
The tousled hair didn’t matter; she loved it when Long Ge showed her such affection.
“Long Ge, have some porridge.”
The words “Long Ge, have some porridge” felt like an invisible blade, not painful but deeply etched into her heart.
Sometimes, Long Aotian wondered if he was too emotionally mature, too easily swayed by feelings.
He had heard this phrase more than once back in Haiwan City.
But here in Kyoto, at this moment, it felt like a sweet blade made of honey, filling his heart with a delightful sensation.
So sweet, yet not cloying.
...
Sitting on the green steps, she opened the disposable lid, steam rising with a rich aroma.
It was lean meat porridge.
Hu Yuying’s beautiful eyes sparkled with a smile: “Long Ge, give it a try.”
After taking a big spoonful, he found it delicious, just like the porridge back in Haiwan City.
Watching Long Ge eat, especially when he was enjoying something she had made, Hu Yuying couldn’t help but feel elated: “Is it good?”
“Delicious... you haven’t had any yet, have you?” Long Aotian asked cautiously, noticing the porridge was still warm, clearly not left for long, and remembering how Hu Yuying had rushed over.
“I’m not hungry.” Before meeting Long Ge, she rarely had breakfast; she had grown accustomed to it over the years. It was only after meeting him that she started cooking for him and having breakfast together.
“Have some.” Long Aotian handed her the remaining porridge.
Hu Yuying shook her head repeatedly: “I’m not hungry, you eat.”
“Hmm? Not listening? If you don’t listen, I’ll poke you!”
“Hurry up!”
He forcefully placed the porridge in her hands: “Eat.”
Looking at the porridge in her hands, Hu Yuying took a small sip, then raised her eyes to meet Long Aotian’s gaze. In that moment, she couldn’t help but grin.
Her smile was truly beautiful, soft like a gentle spring rain, intoxicating and ticklish...
“You, you.” Long Aotian, seeing her like this, gently pinched her nose. She was just so adorable...
...
From a distance, someone paused, holding a bag of buns and a packet of soy milk, their grip tightening unconsciously.
After a long while, the hand slowly relaxed.
She didn’t move closer but hid at the entrance of another alley.
Her palm pressed lightly against her heart.
It was calm, very calm inside.
Li Qingxue stared blankly, though they were so close, it felt somewhat distant.
Even from this distance, she could sense Hu Yuying’s joy; it seemed that this was a side of her that could only be seen when she was with Long Aotian.
Long Aotian looked at her, showering all his affection on Hu Yuying; at least in this moment, his gaze held no room for anyone else.
Seeing this scene!
At that moment, Li Qingxue suddenly felt a sense of relief.
Not exactly relief, but a strange emotion.
It was hard to describe, almost indescribable.
It felt like her heart was calm, yet there was a slight discomfort. But seeing Hu Yuying so happy, she felt joy for them.
Yes, joy.
Her mind drifted back to that night when Hu Yuying had called out to her.
She had said: “Qingxue, what if I like Long Ge too?”
At that time, she had forgotten Hu Yuying’s expression.
“You silly Yuying, were you feeling sad back then?”
“Of course, I was. I said something like that while being right next to you, and even though you were clearly upset, I didn’t notice at all...”
【Thanks to everyone for the tips and support, love you all.】
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Chapter 190: Time, oh time, please slow down.
After finishing the lean meat porridge with delight, Hu Yuying playfully looked at Long Aotian: “Long Ge, look, I’ve finished eating.”
“Such a good girl.”
Hu Yuying felt a little smug; she was the best girl.
Then she remembered something and said, “Long Ge, I joined the Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) club.”
One of Hu Yuying’s favorite things was sharing her daily life with Long Aotian.
Long Aotian also enjoyed listening to her stories, as it helped him know how the little girl was doing at school.
“Actually, a few days ago, the Hanfu club wanted to invite me to join, but I didn’t agree at the time.”
“Then, when I was talking with Qingxue and Wan Ning about the online store, I went home last night and checked the prices of Hanfu.”
At this point, Hu Yuying was clearly excited: “Long Ge, you wouldn’t believe it, one piece of Hanfu costs almost two hundred yuan!”
“So I thought, why not sell Hanfu while selling clothes? That’s why I joined the Hanfu club.”
Hearing this, Long Aotian knew that Hu Yuying had her own ideas, which was a good thing.
For the next while, Hu Yuying talked, and Long Aotian listened. Unbeknownst to him, the little follower who had always been behind him was truly growing up.
By the end, Long Aotian couldn’t help but chuckle and bought a bottle of water for Hu Yuying to soothe her throat.
After drinking the water, Hu Yuying sighed contentedly. In front of Long Aotian, she was just herself—authentic.
Her beautiful side, her ugly side, her tearful side, her shy side; Long Ge had seen all her flaws and witnessed her growth.
No matter how much she grew, in front of Long Ge, she would always be that little follower who loved to trail behind him.
Just then, the foreman came to find Long Aotian, seemingly to discuss some matters regarding house renovations.
Long Ge followed the foreman away.
Hu Yuying sat on the green steps and took out her phone to check.
Then she saw a reply from Li Qingxue.
“Ah, I was so into talking to Long Ge that I didn’t even notice.”
She quickly clicked on the chat box to reply.
She told her that she had come to find Long Ge and asked if Qingxue was coming over.
Soon, Qingxue replied.
【I have something to do today, so I won’t be coming.】
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” They had parted ways yesterday, and Qingxue had seemed fine; she hadn’t mentioned anything unusual today.
Seeing Hu Yuying’s message, Li Qingxue could clearly feel the concern woven into her words.
That was just how Hu Yuying was—sometimes, her genuine kindness was disarming. Having a friend like her in life was truly a blessing.
Li Qingxue smiled and replied, “I’m really fine. I’ll come over to play another day. Besides, isn’t Long Aotian busy with the house renovations today? He should be quite occupied. Please tell him I wish him all the best.”
“Okay, I will. I’ll bring you a little cake when I head back. Wait for me!”
Seeing this message, Li Qingxue took a deep breath, her head unconsciously leaning against the railing.
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