Chapter 288
Lin Wan Ning glanced at her brother squatting nearby, biting her lip to suppress the urge to look at him. She silently prayed for him in her heart, then picked up the ingredients and walked over to Hu Yu Ying. "Sister, I've already bought everything."
Hu Yu Ying nodded gently, then turned to look at Long Ao Tian, who was still squatting to the side, and rolled her eyes dramatically.
Seeing this, Long Ao Tian quickly dropped the firewood he was holding and jogged over to Hu Yu Ying, tugging at her sleeve lightly. "Can I wash the vegetables?"
A soft laugh escaped.
Long Ao Tian turned to the smiling Li Qing Xue, shaking his fist playfully as if to say, "Still laughing? You think I won't punch you?"
Li Qing Xue wasn't scared at all. She raised her delicate nose at Long Ao Tian, as if to say, "Hmph, I know your secret, so I'm not afraid of you!"
Long Ao Tian raised an eyebrow, but out of the corner of his eye, he caught the smile tugging at the corners of the little girl's mouth.
So he gently tugged at Hu Yu Ying's sleeve again. "Then can I wash the vegetables?"
Hu Yu Ying bit her lip in annoyance, trying not to let her amusement show too clearly. "You've already asked twice."
Long Ao Tian looked at Hu Yu Ying, chuckling as he picked up the ingredients. "Alright."
Li Qing Xue lightly nudged Lin Wan Ning. "What's up with Long Ao Tian? Why is he so happy about washing vegetables?"
Lin Wan Ning chuckled as she glanced at Long Ao Tian. "It's adult stuff; little girls shouldn't meddle..."
Li Qing Xue rolled her eyes. Who does she think she is? Just wait until I grow up and surprise you...
---
**Chapter 351: The Isolated Long Ao Tian**
Long Ao Tian, busy washing vegetables, was indeed in high spirits.
He occasionally glanced at Hu Yu Ying, wearing a blissful expression that made him look a bit silly.
Feeling Long Ao Tian's gaze, Hu Yu Ying thought to herself that she wouldn't look at him, but perhaps his gaze was too intense, and she couldn't help but steal a glance.
She bit her lip and turned her face away, a smile unconsciously blooming at the corners of her mouth.
Seeing this, Lin Wan Ning slowly squatted down beside Hu Yu Ying. "Sister, you really mean a lot to my brother. He really likes his little girl."
"I'm not saying this to persuade you to forgive us. After all, what I did was disgraceful, and I have no right to ask for your forgiveness. If you want to blame someone, blame me, Wan Ning. From now on, I'll follow your lead, Sister, and accept any punishment you give me."
Everything happening now was because of her. If she hadn't intervened, her brother and Yu Ying would never have ended up like this.
Guilt and self-reproach twisted in her heart.
Seeing Yu Ying punish her brother but not herself made her feel even worse.
Hu Yu Ying looked at Lin Wan Ning, who was so lowly positioned beside her, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
She reached out and pulled Lin Wan Ning up. "I used to spoil Long Ge too much. Even though he admitted his mistake this time, wrong is wrong. We can't live without him, but he needs to know that I can get angry too."
She had already given Lin Wan Ning her punishment that morning.
Even though she had given herself to Long Ge, she had proven that as long as she was in this family, Long Ao Tian would always prioritize her.
What Long Ge had said to her, his promises, were always worth believing.
His love for her was genuine, a hundred percent sincere. If he really wanted to deceive her, he wouldn't have confessed; he could have easily kept it hidden.
That brother who once stood before her, supporting her, was a good man. He just wanted everything to be alright...
The mistake had already happened. No amount of arguing or fussing would change that fact.
Now that she had the upper hand in the household and occupied a more significant place in Long Ge's heart, whatever he did in the future would have to consider her feelings.
She hoped she could punish him by not talking to him.
So she would punish him by not speaking to him for the entire afternoon.
This was the most severe punishment Hu Yu Ying could think of for Long Ao Tian.
She was just too kind-hearted.
She always regarded Long Ao Tian as her man.
"You two whispering about something?" After teasing Long Ao Tian, Li Qing Xue noticed Hu Yu Ying and Lin Wan Ning sharing a secret conversation and hurried over, eager to join in.
"We're discussing how to punish Long Ge for being disobedient today."
Hearing Hu Yu Ying say this, Li Qing Xue was taken aback.
Hu Yu Ying had always indulged Long Ao Tian, and now she was actually planning to punish him.
But seeing Long Ao Tian all alone, squatting there washing vegetables, she couldn't help but chuckle.
Hearing the laughter, Long Ao Tian turned to look.
And just like that, Li Qing Xue caught him and quickly reported to Hu Yu Ying, "Ah Ying, look! Long Ao Tian isn't even washing the vegetables properly; he's sneaking glances at us!"
This nearly made Long Ao Tian's head explode with frustration.
But seeing the three little girls together, he sighed and continued washing the vegetables.
He quickly finished washing and hurried over to Hu Yu Ying to show off his work.
Hu Yu Ying shot him a playful glare, telling him to figure it out himself, then said, "Let's ignore him."
Li Qing Xue, always one for drama, chimed in with a cheerful "Sounds good!"
Lin Wan Ning stifled a laugh but still stood by Hu Yu Ying's side, looking apologetically at Long Ao Tian. "I'll listen to Sister."
That one word, "Sister," filled with sincerity and warmth, struck a chord in Hu Yu Ying's heart.
Her tenderness was ingrained in her very being. She glanced at Lin Wan Ning, who noticed her gaze and shrugged with a smile. "You're my sister."
Once, she had longed for a brother or sister of her own.
And so, Long Ao Tian found himself isolated by the three little girls.
No matter how much he tried to talk to them, no one was willing to engage; they had all united against him.
Dinner was ready.
Lin Wan Ning served the first bowl of rice, glancing at Long Ao Tian. When he met her gaze, he smiled and was about to get up.
But the rice was placed in front of Hu Yu Ying instead.
Lin Wan Ning was still clear about her position in the family hierarchy.
Hu Yu Ying smiled, and seeing her smile made Long Ao Tian want to get closer. But just a few steps in, Hu Yu Ying huffed and turned her head away.
Lin Wan Ning handed the second bowl of rice to Long Ao Tian. "You better sweet-talk Sister; she cares about you too."
"I know, you..."
Before Long Ao Tian could finish, Lin Wan Ning softly interrupted, "I'm not talking to you. I'm listening to Sister, and it's not just talk."
After dinner, while Lin Wan Ning and Li Qing Xue were tidying up, Long Ao Tian quietly moved closer to Hu Yu Ying and grabbed her small hand.
Hu Yu Ying, annoyed, stomped on Long Ao Tian's foot. "What are you doing? Let go of me!"
She shot him a sideways glance. "Don't think I don't know if Wan Ning was talking to you just now."
Hearing this, Long Ao Tian couldn't help but smile. "Yeah."
Hu Yu Ying huffed, surprised that he actually admitted it. She had been thinking of giving him a way out later, but now she was so annoyed she didn't want to talk to him for even a second.
But Long Ao Tian was being stubborn. He rummaged around the room and pulled out something, tucking it into his pocket, then grabbed Hu Yu Ying and said, "Let's go out for a bit."
This time, Hu Yu Ying was genuinely angry and unwilling to follow him, but Long Ao Tian was strong enough to lift the little girl into his arms.
Sitting on the back of the electric bike, she asked, "What are you doing?"
Long Ao Tian replied matter-of-factly, "Just getting a little gift for my future wife."
Without caring about what the little girl was saying, he hopped on the bike and rode off.
Hu Yu Ying watched Long Ao Tian's back. Although her thick skin was taught by Long Ge, she never expected his skin to be this thick.
So she deliberately created distance. Even though they were on the same bike, there were at least two fists' worth of space between them.
But Hu Yu Ying underestimated Long Ao Tian's audacity. He shifted his weight, closing the gap between them, leaning against her.
Hu Yu Ying pushed him away with her hand, frowning. "I still haven't forgiven you."
"And I said I wouldn't talk to you today."
Hearing this, Long Ao Tian chuckled softly. "But you just talked to me, didn't you?"
Hu Yu Ying momentarily lost her words but quickly retorted, "That doesn't count."
---
**Chapter 352: I'm Not So Easy to Soothe**
Before long, Long Ao Tian stopped the bike.
Hu Yu Ying looked around, puzzled about why Long Ge had brought her to the housing authority, but that didn't stop her from sulking and refusing to get off.
"Are you getting off on your own, or do I have to carry you down?" Long Ao Tian whispered in her ear.
There were quite a few people around.
Table of Contents
