Chapter 184
Hu Yuying was clearly the type of person who would stick to her choices for a lifetime. Even if she was struggling now, even if that scoundrel Long Aotian was a complete jerk, as long as she hadn’t given up hope, there was no way she would fall for someone else.
He had tried to change that back when they were in Haiwan City.
If it weren’t for that, with his elegance, his charisma, and the advantage he had, he would have long since taken down that scoundrel Long Aotian and put him in his place!
How could he have spent an entire night lurking in an alley?
He had already called her when Hu Yuying went back with Long Aotian, asking her to make an excuse to come out and keep him company.
Thinking back to that night spent squatting in the alley made him feel utterly incompetent!
Suddenly, Ye Liangchen’s eyes lit up: “What a great opportunity!”
Hearing this, Xue Shaohua followed Ye Liangchen’s gaze and saw Long Aotian getting up and leaving the breakfast shop.
The two exchanged glances, simultaneously tossing their hair back, a confident smile curling at the corners of their mouths.
They hurriedly followed.
When they saw Long Aotian walk into the public restroom, Ye Liangchen couldn’t help but mutter, “Heaven has a path, yet you refuse to take it; hell has no door, yet you come knocking. Don’t blame us for giving you a beating now!”
Ye Liangchen and Xue Shaohua laughed, and this time it was a genuine laugh.
After squatting in the corner for an entire night, filled with pent-up frustration, they finally found a chance to vent.
As they spoke, they entered the public restroom.
They exchanged a glance, then stood on either side of Long Aotian.
Ye Liangchen watched as Long Aotian remained oblivious to his presence, sneering coldly. He considered whether to ambush Long Aotian while he was busy, but then he inadvertently glanced down.
“Uh...!” He gasped, clutching his chest and staggering back a couple of steps.
This gasp startled not only Long Aotian but also Xue Shaohua.
Long Aotian frowned at Ye Liangchen, his brows knitting tighter.
He couldn’t understand why Ye Liangchen was crying.
Xue Shaohua was even more confused.
No one understood.
Only Ye Liangchen knew what was truly going on in his heart.
He had prayed more than once, hoping that Long Aotian would treat his precious girl with a little more care, that he wouldn’t turn her into a wooden puppet.
But the sight before him shattered all his prayers.
Long Aotian looked at Ye Liangchen, who was staring at his younger brother, and couldn’t help but shake his head, putting it away: “What’s wrong with you? Don’t you have any problems of your own?”
With that, he turned to leave.
Somehow, those words struck a nerve with Ye Liangchen.
He shot his head up, glaring fiercely at Long Aotian: “Are you insulting me?”
Having just cried, his eyes were bloodshot, making him look quite intimidating: “And hey! Did I let you go?”
As Long Aotian walked past him, Ye Liangchen’s voice came out hoarse.
Hearing Ye Liangchen’s words and seeing his expression, Xue Shaohua smiled confidently, casually slipping his hand into his pocket and tossing his hair as he approached Long Aotian: “So you’re Long Aotian, huh?”
“What do you mean by that?” Long Aotian asked, looking at Ye Liangchen and Xue Shaohua with a smile.
It felt like a group of elementary school kids trying to rob a high schooler; at least that’s how Long Aotian perceived it.
“What do I mean? You really have the nerve to ask! Don’t you know what you’re doing?” Xue Shaohua said, looking at the two of them, clearly not taking Long Aotian seriously.
He tossed his hair and stepped in front of Long Aotian: “Do you know you’re wasting Hu Yuying’s time?”
“Hu Yuying is exceptional, and I want you to let her go. She deserves a better future. Your presence is just a stumbling block for her. If you truly care for her, you should understand that she needs someone as outstanding as she is.”
“And you? You can’t help her at all; you’re just holding her back. So you should know what I mean, right? If you really want what’s best for Hu Yuying, you should leave her right now.”
Long Aotian understood, nodding at Xue Shaohua: “Do you know what kind of person is the most terrifying?”
“Ha! Do I even need to say? It’s scoundrels like you who waste other people’s lives that are the most terrifying,” Xue Shaohua replied mockingly.
Long Aotian shook his head: “Real villains aren’t that scary. What’s truly frightening is people like you who pretend to be good.”
“Hu Yuying has her own life and her own choices. Don’t hide behind the guise of caring for her to morally bind others.”
“And one more thing, my temper isn’t exactly mild.”
At this, Long Aotian shot a cold glance at Xue Shaohua. His tone was low, yet it carried an unspoken pressure that made Xue Shaohua feel uneasy.
Especially that last look he gave him sent a chill down Xue Shaohua’s spine, like a lurking beast ready to tear apart any obstacles in its way...
He involuntarily took a few steps back, realizing his palms were slick with cold sweat...
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Chapter 223: Enough Talk, Let’s Duel
“I’ve put up with you long enough. I thought stepping back would earn your respect, but I was wrong. How dare you insult me like this?”
Ye Liangchen took a deep breath, tossing aside the bangs that had fallen over his eyes, glaring at Long Aotian with a fierce look.
Xue Shaohua was scared of him, but he wasn’t. He raised his chin proudly, his eyes locked onto Long Aotian’s, the fury within him barely contained...
But when he saw Long Aotian’s calm, mocking expression, his anger flared, and his dark thoughts spiraled out of control.
“What’s with that look? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Why did Long Aotian look down on him? He was a reborn person, possessing foresight.
How dare he insult him? Sure, he might not be as big as Long Aotian, but so what? Hadn’t he heard of being short but capable?
Besides, what was so great about being big? It only brought pain to girls, unlike him, who could offer them tenderness.
Suddenly, Ye Liangchen stepped back, creating distance from Long Aotian, striking a fighting pose: “Enough talk, let’s settle this in a duel.”
“If you win, we’ll admit we were wrong.”
“If you lose, then please leave Hu Yuying and stop wasting her potential!”
At this point, Ye Liangchen let out a self-deprecating smile. Even though his precious girl had repeatedly embarrassed him, he couldn’t rest until he saved her from her suffering!
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and focused on calming his heartbeat, channeling all his strength...
Smack!
Just as he was gathering his energy, Ye Liangchen stumbled, eyes wide in disbelief as he looked at Long Aotian, raising a hand to touch his stinging cheek.
“You... you hit me?”
Seeing Ye Liangchen’s incredulous expression, Long Aotian finally understood why even the gentlest of followers would despise him.
It was simply unbearable, infuriating.
Xue Shaohua had initially planned to sneak up on Long Aotian from behind, but upon witnessing Long Aotian slap Ye Liangchen, he immediately halted his thoughts.
Goodness, if that slap had landed on him, it would have hurt like hell.
“How shameless can you be to say something like that?” Long Aotian stepped forward, looking down at Ye Liangchen.
At that moment, hearing Long Aotian’s words, Ye Liangchen finally snapped back to reality after being slapped.
Fiercely, with a sense of unwillingness, he glared at Long Aotian: “I’m shameless? Ha! Just hearing you say that makes me laugh.”
“What do you know? You don’t know anything at all.”
With that, Ye Liangchen grew bolder: “Do you have any idea how much I’ve sacrificed for Hu Yuying?”
“She clearly has a brighter future ahead, but your presence is like a stone in a cesspool. Without you, Hu Yuying’s excellence would lead her to a much better future.”
“But you? You’re completely oblivious. If you truly cared for her, you would let her go.”
At this moment, Ye Liangchen stood on the moral high ground, looking down at Long Aotian with a sense of righteous indignation.
Having reached this point, if Long Aotian truly had even a shred of concern for Hu Yuying, he should leave her, set her free, and allow someone like him to save and redeem her.
Because only he could urge Hu Yuying to reach the heights of the life she had dreamed of in her past life.
Ye Liangchen slowly straightened up, standing on his tiptoes, trying to match Long Aotian’s height, striving to meet his gaze. He wanted to see regret in Long Aotian’s eyes.
“You’re so hypocritical.” Looking at Ye Liangchen, Long Aotian said flatly, “What gives you the right to dictate Hu Yuying’s life? Who do you think you are?”
“Don’t you think your concern is rather cheap?”
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