Chapter 243
“I mean, someone like you...” Shen Mengjie said this while tightly gripping the ointment in her hand, her gaze drifting elsewhere. “It really is a bit...”
Before she could finish, a voice interrupted her.
“Ge?” The voice carried a hint of uncertainty, mixed with surprise.
She turned around.
A figure was jogging toward them.
“Wan Ning!” Seeing the newcomer, Long Aotian smiled and said, “Slow down! Why are you out so late?”
His words were filled with concern, directed at a very beautiful girl. Yet, to Shen Mengjie’s ears, they conveyed nothing more than mere concern...
It seemed that caring for this person was simply about caring for her.
Lin Wan Ning reached Long Aotian’s side, not answering his question but instead looking at Shen Mengjie. Upon seeing her, her expression shifted to one of mild surprise. “It’s you...”
“You two know each other?”
“Yeah, on Friday, this classmate helped us find you.”
As Lin Wan Ning looked at Shen Mengjie, Shen Mengjie was also observing her. Hearing her words, she smiled and greeted, “Hi, nice to see you again! You’re from the music academy next door, right?”
This was something she had guessed from Long Aotian’s earlier words.
“Yeah, I’m Lin Wan Ning from the music academy.” After introducing herself, her gaze shifted back to Long Aotian.
A hint of a smile graced her cool, delicate face. Though she was smiling, it somehow felt a bit cold.
There was a scrutinizing quality to her expression, as if she were silently saying: Ge, care to explain why you’re out with another girl at this hour?
It was as if she were warning him: If you don’t clarify this for me, I might just go tell Yu Ying.
“I just need to ask Shen Mengjie a question,” Long Aotian explained.
Upon hearing this, Lin Wan Ning raised an eyebrow. The smile on her face remained charming, but her slightly narrowed eyes silently questioned: Do you think I believe that?
Shen Mengjie’s gaze was fixed on Lin Wan Ning, watching the silent interaction between her and Long Aotian.
A thought crossed her mind, and she spoke up, “It’s true. He wants to ask me for a favor.”
Lin Wan Ning turned to Shen Mengjie and smiled softly, “I was just joking with my brother. I know him well enough.”
She had no doubts about this.
She had seen how her brother treated Hu Yu Ying and understood his character better.
When she had approached him back then, if her brother had been less resolute, he could have easily taken advantage of the situation and then made excuses about it not being suitable.
But he was mature, suppressing all impulses, just waiting for Hu Yu Ying’s answer.
Someone who couldn’t even stabilize their own feelings could hardly attract her and Qing Xue deeply.
Moreover, trusting someone wasn’t a fleeting impulse; it was the most rational judgment formed through long-term interaction.
A person who respects feelings and values everyone deserves trust and respect in return.
She smiled at Shen Mengjie, “But right now, I want my brother to treat me to some fruit tea. Are you coming?”
Shen Mengjie looked into Lin Wan Ning’s eyes, her lips curling slightly. “No, we just had coffee.”
Lin Wan Ning’s smile faltered for a moment, then she turned to Long Aotian. “Then let’s go, brother.”
Without waiting for his response, she took his arm and walked in another direction.
To be honest, when a girl gets serious, the pressure can be quite overwhelming.
Especially someone like Lin Wan Ning, who exuded a cool, ethereal aura.
Halfway through, Lin Wan Ning released Long Aotian’s arm. “Ge, what’s going on?”
She believed Long Aotian was innocent, but she wanted to know why.
So she put on a serious face, as if to say, I’m about to tell Hu Yu Ying, trying to intimidate Long Aotian.
“Ugh!” Long Aotian sighed. He already knew the three little ones were close. If he told Wan Ning, she would definitely spill the beans to the little girl.
But in this situation, even if he didn’t say anything, Wan Ning would probably still sneakily report to the little girl.
He then recounted the events to Lin Wan Ning.
“You know I can be a bit rough around the edges...”
Hearing this, Lin Wan Ning frowned slightly, still showing her dissatisfaction. “Ge, I’m a girl too. Why didn’t you ask me?”
“You big mouth! I just told you, and I bet the next second you’d tell A Ying.”
Lin Wan Ning suddenly fell silent, but when a girl doesn’t want to reason, she can argue from every angle. “But does she really understand? After all, I and Qing Xue know Yu Ying better.”
Long Aotian showed Lin Wan Ning the chat history.
Lin Wan Ning glanced through it. As a girl herself, she had to admit that Shen Mengjie’s suggestions were quite reasonable.
However, due to her innate intuition as a girl, she felt a bit uneasy about Shen Mengjie. The way Shen Mengjie looked at her brother carried a hint of flirtation, as if she were eyeing a prey.
So Lin Wan Ning instinctively disliked her and didn’t want her brother to get too close.
“Well, now that I know, if you have any questions, you can come ask me. I promise I won’t tell Yu Ying before you confess. I really promise.”
“Can I trust you?” Long Aotian found Lin Wan Ning’s serious promise amusing.
“Come on, I definitely won’t say anything! Trust me, trust me, Ge, please trust me.”
“Alright, alright, I trust you.” He said, walking ahead.
“Where are we going now, Ge?”
“Aren’t you the one who wanted fruit tea?”
“I’ll treat you! I’ve made some money!”
Sitting on a bench along the internal path, she said, “You still haven’t told me, what are you doing out so late?”
“Here.” Lin Wan Ning placed her phone in front of Long Aotian.
It displayed a series of beautifully taken photos.
Late autumn, streetlights, fallen leaves—very picturesque.
“Yu Ying has been a great help to me and Qing Xue with managing the account, and Qing Xue can provide technical support and some streaming ideas through her friends. I’m the only one who doesn’t know anything.”
“So I wanted to take more beautiful photos and use the technology to create something that could help promote our online store during the school anniversary event…”
【A new month is here! I beg you all to send some love, thank you, love you all...】
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Chapter 296: The One Who Didn’t Come
Long Aotian turned off his phone, slumping back on the bench, looking up at the night sky. “I can understand your thoughts; it’s only natural for you to feel this way.”
“But have you considered that they might not care?”
Lin Wan Ning mimicked Long Aotian’s posture, gazing up at the night sky. “Of course I can sense that. That’s exactly why I want to help Yu Ying and Qing Xue.”
“The relationship you share is strong. Even if they’re helping you now, it doesn’t mean they won’t need your help in the future.”
“Both A Ying and Qing Xue can apply their majors flexibly in life since they’re studying related fields.”
“Your major is music, and your path will ultimately lead you toward music. Perhaps one day you’ll become a real star, and with so many fans, you might even create a star effect.”
“Of course, if that day comes, you might not even care about the income from the online store…”
Upon hearing this, Lin Wan Ning was quick to object. “Who says that? I won’t forget! If I really become a star, we’ll create our own brand, and the three of us will be just fine.”
“See, it’s the same. Your friendship with them doesn’t hinge on these things. If the same situation were to arise with Hu Yu Ying and Li Qing Xue, their response would be just like yours—they’d want all three of you to do well.”
“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I once told A Ying that she was like a little sapling needing care and protection. I was really afraid she might suddenly break…”
As he spoke, Long Aotian seemed to drift into memories of that time, when he had just argued with Ye Liangchen and his mother, taking the little girl to the playground, gazing at the starry sky.
“Back then, A Ying said she was tired, just like you now, caught in self-doubt. But look at her now—she’s so happy.”
“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Life is like that; what’s meant to come will come.”
“And I see your efforts.”
“What I want to say is, you’re already doing great.”
Words of affirmation like “I see your efforts” and “You’re already doing great” were like seeds taking root in her heart.
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