My Youth

Hu Yuying quickly pulled Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning away from the spot.

"What a psycho, seriously, what a complete nutcase."

"Yuying, don’t listen to that creep’s nonsense."

Lin Wanning, noticing Hu Yuying’s silence, softly added, "Once when my brother and I were biking, a bug flew into my eye. He was just helping me blow it out—nothing like what that pervert was implying."

Hu Yuying suddenly stopped walking. "I don’t get it. Why does that guy keep badmouthing Brother Long?"

"I don’t understand why he acts like he’s looking out for us while doing things that make zero sense."

Hearing this, Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning secretly sighed in relief.

After all, the things Ye Liangchen had just said were downright hard to stomach...

"He wasn’t like this before. I don’t know how he suddenly became this way."

Li Qingxue had known Ye Liangchen the longest, and the person he was now bore little resemblance to the past.

"So... did Brother Long really force you to stick out your tongue?" Hu Yuying turned to Lin Wanning and asked.

Lin Wanning hadn’t expected Hu Yuying’s train of thought to jump so abruptly. She shook her head but was immediately hit by a wave of awkwardness.

Long Aotian hadn’t forced her—she’d done it willingly.

But admitting that? Way too embarrassing.

Especially in front of Hu Yuying, the person who mattered most to her brother.

"It wasn’t like what Ye Liangchen described. Brother Long isn’t that kind of person. You know him better than I do..."

She peeked at Hu Yuying and noticed her lost in thought.

"What’s on your mind?"

"N-nothing." Hu Yuying shook her head lightly.

She’d just randomly remembered a cheesy detail...

"Let’s get out of here first. We shouldn’t come back to bathe here again," Li Qingxue suggested.

Hu Yuying and Lin Wanning nodded, even glancing back to make sure no one was following them.

On the subway, the trio looked at the clothes they’d bought.

"What do you think Brother Long’s doing right now?"

Li Qingxue pondered. "Sunbathing." That guy loved soaking up the sun, especially on a nice day like this. He was probably lounging on a chair, basking lazily.

"Making clay figures." Hu Yuying wasn’t guessing—last time she video-called Long Aotian, he’d been kneading mud into a blocky shape with two gecko tails stuck on top, insisting it was the Bull Demon King...

It had nearly scared her to death, and then he’d laughed at her for being a scaredy-cat...

Hearing this, Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning could only conclude that Long Aotian had some seriously weird hobbies.

But it also confirmed how special Hu Yuying was to him.

At least, he’d never acted that way around them.

Soon, they reached the alley.

"Strange. Brother Long isn’t here today?" Hu Yuying eyed the tightly shut gate, puzzled.

"Maybe the workers are off today too."

Hu Yuying stepped forward and tried the gate. "It’s unlocked." She walked in.

Splash—

Hearing the sound, she called out, "Brother Long?"

Long Aotian turned at the sound.

Their eyes met.

Long Aotian froze, staring at Hu Yuying’s face, which instantly flushed crimson. The basin in his hands clattered to the ground.

Hu Yuying stiffened, fingers curling slightly as her gaze drifted downward.

Her pupils shrank. She held her breath—she’d never seen a naked man before. Her cheeks burned uncontrollably.

Only when Long Aotian shakily covered himself did she snap out of it, inhaling shakily, her limbs numb with nerves.

"Yuying, why are you just standing there? Why not go in?"

At Li Qingxue’s voice, Hu Yuying spun around, biting her lip. "I—I—I—there’s no water at home. Let’s go buy some!"

She blocked Li Qingxue’s view, forcing a laugh as she dragged her and Lin Wanning back out.

"Yuying, why’s your face so red?"

Hu Yuying touched her cheeks. "R-red? M-must be the heat. Come on, let’s get water."

As Hu Yuying led the others away, Long Aotian staggered, bracing himself against the water tank. "My youth... has been exposed..."

At the store:

"Yuying, why are you so distracted?" Li Qingxue placed water bottles on the counter and nudged her.

Startled, Hu Yuying blinked. "Huh? What?"

"It’s you who’s out of it. You’ve been spacing out since earlier."

"Yeah, look at the shopping bag—you’re about to rip it," Lin Wanning teased after paying.

Back at the alley, Hu Yuying eyed the nearing gate and hurried ahead. "I’ll open it!"

Just as she reached the door, it swung open from inside.

Long Aotian’s tall frame stood before her.

Their eyes locked again—Hu Yuying’s face flamed anew.

Her gaze flicked downward.

Long Aotian cleared his throat awkwardly, tapping her forehead. "Still not done looking?"

Hu Yuying instinctively shook her head.

"Hmm?"

Realizing her mistake, she hastily nodded.

Long Aotian couldn’t help but laugh. "I always said you were greedy and a perv, but you kept denying it!"

He then turned smoothly to Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning. "You should’ve called before coming."

Unaware of the tension, the two grinned. "We brought you a gift! Guess what it is!"

Long Aotian glanced at Hu Yuying, whose face was now practically steaming.

"Uh, come in first." He stepped aside, eyeing Hu Yuying, who was fidgeting with her sleeves. "You too. Get inside."

"O-okay." Hu Yuying kept her head down, scurrying past him into the courtyard, uncharacteristically meek.

Once the others entered, Long Aotian rubbed his face hard, composing himself before following.

......

......