He is a very, very, very good person

"Did you only bring back this little after finally coming home?"

"Mm, there’s everything at home, no need to carry things back and forth. Besides, I’ll be leaving for the capital soon anyway," Hu Yuying said softly, seated on the back of the bicycle.

Then, cautiously, tentatively, she inched closer to Long Aotian, her hands lightly resting on his waist.

She could clearly feel his body stiffen for a moment at her touch—but, but Brother Long didn’t scold her...

Her mood instantly brightened.

After that one impulsive moment before, she had nearly lost her Brother Long. Because of that, Hu Yuying had been trying very hard to restrain herself lately.

But... but sometimes, she found it truly difficult...

Since Brother Long didn’t say anything, she gathered her courage, nervous yet determined, and gently leaned her head against his back.

A radiant smile curled at the corners of her lips, and her once-calm heart now rippled with emotion.

"This is nice," she murmured under her breath, so quietly only she could hear.

The station was far, but eventually, they arrived.

As Long Aotian stopped the bike, the reluctant Hu Yuying finally let go of her hold. "Thank you, Brother Long."

"Why not leave tomorrow? Why insist on going back tonight?" Long Aotian unhooked the bag of snacks hanging from the bike’s handlebars and handed it to her. "Here, for the road."

"And don’t start being polite with me, or I’ll smack you!"

Looking at the bag of snacks, Hu Yuying chuckled softly and nodded. "Okay, Brother Long. I’ll be good. I’m the best little follower."

"Go on in. Message me when you arrive." Long Aotian waved, urging her to hurry inside.

She wanted to say "thank you" again, but the words stuck in her throat.

From the moment they first met, she had always been thanking Brother Long.

This time, she wouldn’t say it. "Brother Long, goodbye."

The sooner she left, the sooner she could return.

Her grandparents were her family, but in another way—in her heart—Brother Long was family too...

She didn’t look back, because she knew he was still watching her.

The timid, weak, gloomy Hu Yuying was a thing of the past.

Now, she was confident, brave, and strong—at least in front of Brother Long, she would be.

She never wanted to make things difficult for him again.

Those days apart had been unbearable.

After buying her ticket and waiting inside the station, Hu Yuying finally glanced back.

Just like the first time they met, he was still looking at her...

Hejin Village was a three-hour journey—not too long, but for the fifteen-year-old Hu Yuying back then, it had felt endless.

Six years from the countryside to the town, three more from the town to the county, another three from the county to Haiwan City—and now, she was heading even farther, to the capital. The road ahead was still long, but Hu Yuying was no longer afraid.

Leaving the station, she took a six-yuan tricycle ride back to her village.

From a distance, she could see two figures standing at the village entrance.

Their backs were slightly hunched, but they had always held up a small world for her.

"Grandpa, Grandma," Hu Yuying called out, running toward them.

Looking at their familiar faces, their hair a little whiter, their wrinkles a little deeper, she didn’t want to cry—but the tears wouldn’t stop.

Her grandfather’s rough hand gently patted her head. "Crying as soon as you’re home? Aren’t you ashamed?"

Her grandmother wiped the tears from her face. "It’s good you’re back. Let’s go home first."

At home, they studied their granddaughter carefully.

She had changed—a lot.

Her smiles were more frequent now, and the confidence and ease she carried were nothing like before.

Just seeing her like this, they knew she had been happy these past six months.

That school transfer had been the right decision.

Back then, seeing her put on a brave face while struggling with insecurity had broken their hearts.

She never said anything, but how could they not know? She must have been bullied outside.

"Good, so good. Our Yuying is still so beautiful," Grandma said fondly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Hu Yuying’s ear to get a better look at her.

"Tell us about your new school."

At the mention of the transfer, Hu Yuying’s eyes sparkled. "Okay."

They hadn’t known each other for long, but she could talk endlessly about him.

Seeing the way her face lit up when she spoke of Long Aotian—the admiration, the gratitude in her words—her grandparents couldn’t help but smile too.

This classmate Long Aotian had taught her so much and changed her in so many ways.

"He’s just... a really, really, really good person."

"If I hadn’t met him... I don’t know what my life would be like. But I’m glad I did."

Hu Yuying finished speaking, but the light in her eyes didn’t fade.

Grandma and Grandpa exchanged a glance.

They had lived long enough to recognize that look.

In the countryside, this wasn’t unusual. Some had children by eighteen, married by twenty. Past twenty-two, unmarried folks became the talk of the village.

And in their family’s situation—if Hu Yuying hadn’t gotten into high school, if her grandparents hadn’t supported her education, if she hadn’t worked so hard herself—they would have already been arranging a match for her by now.

After all, they were old. They couldn’t protect her forever.

Marrying her off would have meant security. (Not to generalize, but that’s how it went in most rural families.)

"Are you and Long Aotian... together?" Grandma asked with a smile, because she could tell her granddaughter was different when talking about him.

Hu Yuying’s face immediately flushed red. Fidgeting, she stammered for a while before whispering, "N-no... He... he thinks I’m still too young."

Long Aotian had never said it, but those who carried insecurity were also the most perceptive. She had sensed it—at some point, Brother Long had felt something for her too.

At the very least, she was different in his eyes...

Her grandparents didn’t press further.

Young people’s affairs were beyond their interference now.

But seeing their granddaughter happy—and admitted to Capital City University—filled them with pride and joy...

[Thanks for the support, everyone! Stay warm—it’s getting cold out.]