"Are you doing alright at school?"
Hu Yuying nodded softly. "I'm fine, though I still feel a little unadjusted sometimes."
Unadjusted to being alone, unadjusted to not being able to cook for Long Aotian every day. It seemed like everything in this city felt unfamiliar.
She had grown used to being by Long Aotian's side, accustomed to his maturity and his occasional playful, unserious demeanor.
Her classmates acted childish, often doing meaningless things just to get her attention.
But she got along well with her roommates—not just in the dorm, but in class too.
No one bullied her anymore.
"What about you, Long Aotian?" Hu Yuying asked in return.
"Not bad. It’s a little different from what I imagined, but I’m happier than I expected." Long Aotian thought of his three self-proclaimed "adopted sons" in the dorm and couldn’t help but chuckle.
It was like they were determined to make up for every missed opportunity from high school now that they were in college.
"Long Aotian, I think you’ve changed a little," Hu Yuying said, tilting her head as she studied him seriously.
"How so?"
"I don’t know." She sighed in frustration. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was different, but she could feel it.
If she had to put it into words, he seemed more at ease, as if some invisible wall inside him had shifted without notice...
But no matter how he changed, he was still her Long Aotian.
"Long Aotian, um… can I message you when I’m free?" Hu Yuying murmured. "Or if you have time, you could message me too..."
The last time she’d reached out, he’d been busy eating with his roommates, and she’d worried about disturbing him.
Hearing this, Long Aotian smiled sheepishly. He *had* been neglecting his little follower lately, too caught up in goofing off with his dormmates. "Sure."
Delighted by his answer, Hu Yuying happily shared more stories from her past few days at school—down to what she ate every day, how cheap and delicious the campus food was, and so on.
With Long Aotian, it seemed she always had endless things to say.
Li Qingxue returned from the restroom and took her seat, glancing at the tableware that had already been rinsed with hot water. She lightly smacked Long Aotian’s back. "Thanks."
Long Aotian’s brows twitched imperceptibly before he forced a smile and stretched his back. "Just eat your fill later."
Li Qingxue’s eyes flickered, but she grinned. "Fine. I’ll eat you broke."
"I’ll leave you here as collateral and make a run for it with Hu Yuying!"
"You *dare*! If I catch you, I’ll bite you to death!" She burst into laughter, reminded of how Gao Quan had once been left as "collateral" at a barbecue stall by Ye Liangchen.
"Long Aotian, don’t leave Qingxue here as collateral," Hu Yuying giggled, tugging lightly at his sleeve.
"See? Hu Yuying and I are the real besties. Watch out, or we’ll leave *you* behind!"
Though the meal wasn’t extravagant, it brought endless laughter to the three of them, all far from home.
"Full?"
"Full x2."
"Can you two ride bikes?" Long Aotian asked.
Li Qingxue rolled her eyes. "I was the one who biked over with the fruit and snacks for you. Can’t you pay attention?"
"I can ride too," Hu Yuying chimed in, happy that Long Aotian cared enough to ask.
"Then let’s go. I’ll take you back." With a wave of his hand, Long Aotian led the two of them to the bike-sharing station.
He pulled up the navigation app, switching to cycling mode—3.2 kilometers in total.
The three of them pedaled through unfamiliar streets, Long Aotian in front and the two girls trailing behind.
From the moment they started riding, the smiles on their faces never faded.
Even back when they’d first learned to ride bikes, following their families hadn’t felt as joyful as this.
Or maybe it had—but that was so long ago, the happiness couldn’t compare to now.
At this age, they were still too innocent to understand why some would say, *"I’d rather cry in a BMW than laugh on a bicycle."*
But at least in this moment, they were happy.
"Damn, this looks even more impressive in person." Long Aotian stared up at the gates of University A. "No wonder it’s the top school in the capital."
"The campus is huge too. Want to take a look inside?" Li Qingxue offered.
"Another day. You two head back."
As he watched them walk away, his phone buzzed twice.
It was Li Qingxue, who had just left. The message was brief: *"Wait, don’t leave yet!"*
Confused but obliging, Long Aotian lingered. They were all from the same hometown, after all. Helping each other out was natural.
Before long, Li Qingxue came sprinting back, panting. She shot him an exasperated look—here she was, exhausted, while he stood there surrounded by female classmates asking for his QQ handle...
She marched up to him. "Come with me."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away.
Long Aotian smiled apologetically at the girls. "The person I’m waiting for is here. See you."
He caught up to Li Qingxue. "Hey, what’s up?"
"What, scared I’ll sell you off?" She quickened her pace.
Once they reached a quieter spot, Li Qingxue suddenly stopped and turned to face him.
Long Aotian frowned under her intense gaze. "Do I have something on my face?"
Li Qingxue didn’t answer, just kept staring until her eyes began to redden.
"Wait, what’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re about to cry—I’ll punch you!" Long Aotian couldn’t handle girls crying in front of him. The moment tears fell, logic went out the window—suddenly, everything was *his* fault.
"What’s wrong with *me*? What’s wrong with *you*?"
"Me? What did I do?" He was still lost.
"What happened to your back? Did you get into a fight?"
Li Qingxue had heard about University T—full of athletes. Had they ganged up on Long Aotian because he was an outsider?
He’d been fine yesterday, but now, after just one night, even a light touch made him wince and tense up.
And he’d tried to play it off like nothing was wrong—but she’d noticed!
"My back is just—hey, hey! No groping—"
"Stay still, or I’ll tell Hu Yuying." Li Qingxue sniffled, her voice thick.
Amused but obedient, Long Aotian stopped resisting...
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
For the sake of his unrequited love, his ex-girlfriend abandoned him at the altar, indirectly causing the death of his parents. Just when he thought his life was plunged into darkness, a clueless yet beautiful girl unexpectedly took him in. Looking back, he realized how many hidden gems had always been by his side. A childhood friend who had secretly loved him for over a decade, a stunning but socially clueless school beauty, a mischievous and playful girl who lived for chaos... His ex, filled with regret, pleaded: "I was wrong—can we go back to how things were?" Before he could respond, the girl stepped in front of Ye Shuang and coldly declared, "If you didn’t cherish him, then he’s mine now." Also known as: "After Losing My Job, I Was Picked Up by a Hidden Gem," "The School Beauty I Raised," and "Oh No, I’m Surrounded by Rich Girls."
