Long Aotian, You Lied to Us Again

Upon hearing this,

Xu Shuai and Li Longlong couldn’t help but prick up their ears, though they pretended to remain indifferent on the surface.

"Chasing girls is actually quite simple. First, you must have enough patience—persist relentlessly, pursue her passionately, and never fear setbacks or hardships."

As the words landed,

Xu Shuai and Li Longlong instinctively straightened their postures, showing respect while nodding subtly in agreement.

Seeing their approval, Huang Fei could barely suppress the smug grin threatening to split his face. Clearing his throat lightly, he continued, "Of course, that’s just the first step."

"The second step is even more crucial: sending morning, noon, and night greetings without fail. You must maintain your presence in your goddess’s mind. Then comes the gifts and surprises—keep the novelty flowing. That’s the key!"

Hearing this, Xu Shuai and Li Longlong exchanged glances of sudden understanding before nodding solemnly. "Absolutely, Brother Huang. That part’s vital."

"Presence keeps her thinking of you, and novelty is like... a form of flirting?"

Huang Fei paused, surprised by their interpretation. But hearing it spelled out, he couldn’t help but nod approvingly, acknowledging their insight. "The third step is the most critical in pursuing a girl."

"Once you’ve established your presence, start asking her out—relentlessly. Even if she rejects you, keep trying. Girls are shy; if she softens and agrees to one date..."

A confident smirk curled his lips. "Congrats, you’re already halfway there!"

He thumped his chest. "Relax, with us veterans as your wingmen, no matter how tough the girl is—two words: [Mission accomplished!]"

Watching Huang Fei’s bravado, Long Aotian inhaled sharply. This ‘simp doctrine’ is so intense even a cuck would hand him a cigarette and call him ‘Big Bro’!

But when he glanced sideways, he found Xu Shuai and Li Longlong nodding with dead seriousness—their eyes even gleaming with camaraderie toward Huang Fei?

What the actual hell?

Whether Long Aotian enjoyed this was unclear, but Huang Fei and the others were clearly riding a high.

"Who knew we’d vibe so well? Come on, my treat—let’s hit the skewer stand!" Huang Fei declared, waving grandly.

Neither Li Longlong nor Xu Shuai objected. Having arrived earlier, they already knew Huang Fei came from money.

Being dormmates who clicked so well, there was no reason to hesitate—after all, they’d likely spend the next four years together.

Long Aotian had no complaints either. This is the college life I’ve dreamed of!

They headed to the off-campus food street.

The start of semester meant every spot was packed. Only after reaching the far end did they snag a table.

"A jug of draft beer, skip the flatbreads, buns, and sweets on the menu—just bring ten of every other skewer."

After downing half a mug in one go, they all exhaled a satisfied "Ha!"

Their brotherhood was cemented with that first shared swig.

Long Aotian let out a long breath too.

Back at Haiwan No.1 High School, his reputation had been trash. Even after turning things around, few wanted anything to do with him.

Here, in a fresh start where pasts were unknown, the freedom to speak openly left him lighter—his mindset shifting subtly.

The funniest part? They still hadn’t dropped their mission to teach him romance.

"Brother Long, you’ve no idea how dire the single rate is these days. Lucky for you, we’re pros—otherwise you’d miss out on campus love’s magic!"

Long Aotian chuckled silently. Well, chasing love is just humans seeking beauty, after all.

Then—

His phone buzzed.

A text from Hu Yuying:

"Long-ge, my roommates are great. How about you?"

"Qingxue and I are in opposite dorms—me on 3rd floor, her on 2nd."

"Long-ge, can I come see you?"

Amused, Long Aotian eyed his tipsy, boastful friends and replied: "My roommates are cool too."

"You don’t know the way. I’ll visit when I’m free."

Hu Yuying fired back instantly: "Qingxue’s with me—we know the route."

Cornered, Long Aotian admitted he was at dinner with the guys.

They’d originally planned to eat together that evening after parting at the subway station.

Predictably, Hu Yuying’s replies stopped dead.

Then—a voice message. Li Qingxue’s accusatory tone blared: "Long Aotian, you liar! We agreed on dinner tonight!"

Unlike Hu Yuying, Li Qingxue wasn’t easily placated. Long Aotian could already envision her harping on this for weeks.

He was about to deflect when—

Huang Fei, two beers deep, jerked upright. "Huh? A girl’s voice? I definitely heard a girl."

"Wh—where?" Xu Shuai squinted drunkenly.

"Yep, something about ‘liar’... and damn, she sounded cute," Li Longlong added with a sleazy grin.

Long Aotian’s eye twitched. "Isn’t this reaction a bit much?"

A self-styled ‘love sage,’ a ‘romance knight,’ and a ‘seduction king’—and this is their game?

The trio simply raised their mugs in unison, smirking. "You wouldn’t understand."

Their absurdity didn’t annoy Long Aotian. Instead, he found it hilariously entertaining.

——

Meanwhile, Hu Yuying’s mood sank.

Tomorrow marked the semester’s start. If she couldn’t see Long-ge now, she’d likely have to wait until after military training.

"Long Aotian’s missing out—no two beauties keeping him company," Li Qingxue huffed, nudging the despondent Hu Yuying. "Hey... you seem really attached to him."

"Long-ge’s always looked after me," Hu Yuying murmured.

"Yeah, I can tell. He treats you so well."

"He does, always."

Countless times, she’d noticed his pulse quicken around her, the way his ears reddened unconsciously...

His emotions did stir for her...

Yet more often—restraint.

She sensed it too: Long-ge seemed to hold back, as if guarded by an invisible wall...

【It feels like it's getting colder later than usual this year in our area. How about where you are? I wonder if we'll get any snow this winter.】