Chapter 170
She hurried into the room and placed Long Ge's coat on the bed.
With her hands pressed tightly against her small face, she bit her red lips and took a deep breath before stepping back outside.
When she reappeared, Hu Yuying seemed different.
Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning could sense that something had changed between Yuying and Long Aotian.
But they couldn't quite pinpoint what that change was, as the feeling was purely instinctive.
Hu Yuying felt a bit shy under their gaze.
Fortunately, at that moment, the flames had fully ignited.
"I'll take care of the rest, Long Ge," Hu Yuying said softly, tugging at Long Aotian's short sleeve.
At this, Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning confirmed that Hu Yuying was indeed gentle, but she had never spoken to Long Aotian in such a soft and sweet tone in front of them before.
"Sure, just be careful," Long Aotian replied as he stood up to make room.
Seeing him get up, Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning huddled around Hu Yuying, whispering to each other.
Watching the three of them whispering, Long Aotian couldn't help but chuckle.
Especially when he noticed Hu Yuying's ears turning a shade of red, her eyes sparkling with unhidden affection, and a smile that was simply too tender.
Sometimes, when Hu Yuying was teased, she would glance back, inadvertently meeting Long Ge's gentle, doting gaze, her eyes filled with laughter and shyness, as if the entire world’s fireworks had blossomed just for her.
Lin Wanning nudged Li Qingxue with her shoulder, signaling her.
Though they hadn't known each other for long, Li Qingxue understood Lin Wanning's meaning.
She looked up at Long Aotian and said, "How can we have hot pot without some chilled drinks? We want some cold drinks!"
"Alright, is soda okay?" Long Aotian asked.
"Sure," Li Qingxue replied after a moment of thought.
Actually, it didn't matter what they drank; she just wanted to send Long Aotian away for a bit.
The three girls watched as Long Aotian turned the corner.
As soon as he was out of sight, the two girls' hands became restless.
They turned to Hu Yuying, playfully interrogating her: "Confess, or face the consequences! Yuying, tell us honestly, what were you two doing just now?"
Li Qingxue's hands formed claws as she grinned and leaned closer to Hu Yuying's adorable face: "You better spill the beans, or I might just have to catch you!"
Having witnessed Hu Yuying's cuteness firsthand during their earlier bath, Li Qingxue was practically itching to squeeze her again.
Hu Yuying's cheeks flushed, and she squirmed, looking at Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning with wide eyes: "Don't do that..."
She had just experienced the embarrassment of being teased by them earlier that afternoon, and it was quite overwhelming.
"We can tell there's been a change between you and Long Ge. If you don't want us to tease you, just come clean. Otherwise, I might just have to squeeze you too," Lin Wanning said, leaning in closer to Hu Yuying, her cool, unique voice laced with a hint of seduction.
Whether intentional or not, she kept whispering close to Hu Yuying's ear, her breath brushing against her skin.
Hu Yuying shivered slightly.
"Hey!" Seizing the moment, Li Qingxue lunged forward and started to tickle Hu Yuying. At first, she resisted, but soon her body softened and leaned against Lin Wanning.
With her teeth lightly biting her red lips and her enchanting eyes glistening, she finally succumbed to the playful hands of her friends...
"I-I-I kissed Long Ge," she stammered, feeling utterly embarrassed, her hands tightly covering her face.
Upon hearing this, Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning exchanged knowing smiles and stopped their teasing.
"Is it the kind of kiss we think it is?"
Feeling the hands that had been playfully teasing her come to a halt, Hu Yuying still covered her face but nodded slightly.
Through her fingers, Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning could see a hint of the happy smile lingering at the corners of Hu Yuying's mouth as she spoke.
It was a smile that made her blush just thinking about it, one that would turn her cheeks red if she said it out loud.
"Who initiated it?" The two girls, now acting like professional gossipers, asked with a hint of excitement.
Seeing that they had stopped teasing her, Hu Yuying quietly lowered her hands from her face.
She glanced apologetically at Li Qingxue.
Girls are so perceptive; even without Hu Yuying saying anything, Li Qingxue seemed to hear her unspoken thoughts.
Taking Hu Yuying's small hand, she gently placed it against her own heart.
"Ah Ying, do you feel it?"
"My heart is so happy right now, not for any other reason, just because of you."
"Long Aotian once comforted me when I was at my lowest, telling me that there are many kinds of love, each with its own definition..."
"Though I once openly admitted to you that I liked Long Aotian, that doesn't stop me from feeling happy for you."
At this, Li Qingxue broke into a bright, radiant smile: "Doesn't that seem contradictory?"
"Honestly, I was quite conflicted at first, but after hearing what you said to me that night, I no longer felt that way."
If Hu Yuying could open her heart to her, how could she not genuinely wish for her happiness?
"I feel happy for you because I also hope that Long Aotian, that rascal, can find happiness."
The joy on Li Qingxue's face was so beautiful, it seemed to encompass all the goodness in the world.
It was hard to say whether it was because she met him in summer or if it was because of him that she had summer.
But just like Hu Yuying said, at least she had once experienced it, hadn't she?
When she realized how much Hu Yuying meant to Long Aotian, the undefined feelings of affection finally found their definition.
---
Li Qingxue's words were straightforward and candid.
Hu Yuying's gaze flickered, her fingertips unconsciously brushing over her own red lips.
"I forced Long Ge," she whispered, her voice barely audible yet resonating in the quiet of the night.
"Forced?" Those words seemed so out of place for someone as shy as her.
No wonder Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning were surprised; they couldn't fathom how such a gentle girl like Hu Yuying could have forced Long Aotian.
Hu Yuying squeezed her own hands, feeling embarrassed to say such things out loud.
She had mustered all her courage to give Long Ge two choices.
No one knew how scared she had been at that moment.
In truth, even if Long Ge had pushed her away, she wouldn't have left him.
She had a thick skin, after all.
Fortunately, Long Ge had embraced her.
And they had shared two kisses, extending their tongues twice—she was so happy.
"Hey, Hu Yuying, what on earth are you thinking? Why are you smiling so mischievously?" Li Qingxue teased, shaking the giggling Hu Yuying, her gossiping spirit fully ignited.
Lin Wanning said nothing, but her beautiful eyes never left Hu Yuying.
She was just as curious.
But how could they bring themselves to say it out loud? Even though they were good friends, it was still too embarrassing.
"What else did you do besides kissing?" Lin Wanning, noticing Hu Yuying's hesitation, changed the subject.
"Yeah, what else?"
"Does touching feet count?" Hu Yuying finally lowered her gaze, her cheeks flushed as she replied.
"What? Playing with feet?"
The shocked expressions on the two girls' faces made Hu Yuying forget her shyness and quickly explain, "No, it wasn't like that! My foot hurt, and Long Ge was just checking it."
Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning instinctively glanced down at their own feet.
They couldn't help but compare their feet to Hu Yuying's.
They had seen everything during their bath earlier...
The key was, they had both kissed Long Aotian, but they had never had their feet played with by him—no, they had never even had their feet touched by him.
Li Qingxue had fantasized about using her little foot to step on Long Aotian's face, but that was just a thought.
Now, hearing that Long Aotian had such a quirk, her little toes curled up nervously.
Thank goodness for the layers of socks and shoes; otherwise, she might have left marks on the floor.
For a moment, she couldn't help but look at Hu Yuying with envy, wondering why she hadn't thought of that.
But they could still ask.
"What does it feel like to have Long Aotian play with your feet?"
Seeing that Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning were about to ask more questions...
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