Feeling Hu Yuying's heartbeat, Long Aotian realized he might even be less composed than her.
Having spent twenty-eight years as a perpetual bachelor in his original world and then another eighteen years "technically" single in this one, he wasn’t exactly experienced in matters of the heart. Sometimes, he simply didn’t know what to do.
But one thing was crystal clear to him: being with Hu Yuying was effortless and joyful.
This feeling hadn’t just appeared now—it had been there from the very moment they met.
Long Aotian smiled, loosening his embrace but tightening his grip on her hand instead.
If his little follower could be this brave, how could he, as her "big brother," afford to hesitate?
Feeling his firm hold, Hu Yuying lifted her gaze, her beautiful eyes shimmering with amusement as she looked at him.
Sometimes, love struck without warning—a single word, a fleeting gesture. For Hu Yuying, these heart-fluttering moments weren’t rare.
But only twice had Long Aotian reciprocated.
The first time was last night—when they kissed.
The second time was now—when he held her hand so tightly.
Hu Yuying was simple—happiness and sadness were both written plainly on her face. Right now, she was undeniably happy.
"Let’s grab some breakfast first," Long Aotian said, his voice softening at the sight of her smile.
"Okay," Hu Yuying nodded. She’d follow whatever Long Aotian said.
Ever since she took that first bold step to travel with him for business, she had placed unconditional trust in him.
Ah, the little things about love.
It made the mature act a little immature.
It made the timid unexpectedly brave.
And yet, this "little thing" filled every moment with joy.
Hu Yuying rested her chin on one hand, her eyes fixed on Long Aotian with unblinking delight as he devoured one steamed bun after another, his lips curving into that effortlessly charming smile.
Long Aotian grew a little self-conscious under her gaze. She’d stolen glances at him before, but never this openly.
Surely, everyone had experienced this—eating while someone watched with such fond amusement that it became impossible to chew naturally.
But Hu Yuying adored watching him eat.
When he finally set down his chopsticks, she reached for a napkin. Long Aotian extended his hand to take it, but she didn’t stop—instead, she leaned forward and gently dabbed the corner of his mouth.
His body stiffened. After so long fending for himself, he wasn’t used to being cared for like this. "I—I can do it myself."
Hu Yuying’s eyes shimmered, her own shyness not stopping her. "I can take care of you too, Long Aotian."
Her fair neck flushed pink as she continued, "You... you’re not alone anymore. You’ll have to get used to it."
"Back home, we’d say you’ve been independent for too long."
"You don’t dislike being cared for—you’re just afraid of it, aren’t you?"
Long Aotian met her gaze, seeing his own reflection in her pupils. Slowly, the tension in his body eased.
Who wouldn’t want to be looked after by someone they loved?
It wasn’t fear—it was something harder to put into words, especially when Hu Yuying said, You’re not alone anymore.
If he had to name this feeling, it might be... guilt.
He owed her a proper confession.
Her feelings for him were so transparent.
Maybe she thought it unnecessary, but shouldn’t there be one?
Hu Yuying sat back down, fingers nervously crumpling the napkin—far less composed than she pretended.
"I... I just want you to know, I’d do anything for you."
To her, Long Aotian was incredible—capable of anything, solving every problem.
She might not be able to help him in those ways, but she could learn. She wanted to be someone he could rely on too.
Love went both ways. He’d helped her, cared for her, even given her the freedom to distinguish gratitude from affection.
This man who called himself "rough around the edges" had gone so far for someone like her.
He’d already given so much.
So she wanted—no, needed—to show him she could take care of him too.
Their eyes locked, and Long Aotian couldn’t resist reaching out to cup her cheek. Her earnestness tugged at his heart.
Hu Yuying leaned into his touch without hesitation.
Ding-ding-ding!
The sudden video call alert froze them both.
Long Aotian’s lovestruck expression made Hu Yuying blush.
The way her lashes fluttered, so willing, drew a soft sigh from him.
Pulling back, he grabbed his phone. Who on earth—
One glance at the caller ID deflated his frustration into amusement. "It’s Dad."
At those words, Hu Yuying’s eyes lit up—then immediately shifted to panic as she hurriedly smoothed her hair and clothes.
Long Aotian chuckled. "You already look perfect."
But his reassurance only made her more nervous, like a bride meeting her in-laws for the first time.
He answered the call.
"Son!"
His father’s face filled the screen, his voice booming loud enough for the entire café to hear.
The man had only recently learned to use messaging apps—Long Aotian had set up the account for him weeks ago.
Rubbing his forehead, Long Aotian shot an apologetic glance at nearby customers. "Dad, I’m out right now."
"Out with friends, eh?" His father lowered his voice—or tried to, forgetting the speaker was on. The effect was comically ineffective.
But the next words turned that comedy into warmth:
"Take care of yourself, son. I’ll transfer some money later—you’ll need it for food and outings. And get along with your friends..."
"No need, I’ve got enough. Don’t trouble yourself."
"No trouble now! I finally learned how to send money on the phone."
That simple sentence painted a clear picture in Long Aotian’s mind—his father, phone in hand, asking anyone and everyone how to make a digital transfer.
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
esick Sect? Well, at least it's considered a respectable orthodox sect. Wait a minute— What kind of vibe are you all giving off? Shouldn’t this be a love-struck, romance-obsessed sect? Why does everyone here sound more like demonic cultivators? "Master, today he’s getting married. This disciple wishes to descend the mountain and crash the wedding, then toy with him to death right in front of his wife..." "Elder, I only got into your sect through connections, so why won’t you teach me anything?" "Because I also became an elder through connections." Thankfully, Su Ji was just an outer sect labor disciple. Surely, nothing too crazy would— "Junior Brother, you’ve broken through to Qi Refining. Once you sever your useless spiritual root, you can officially become an outer sect disciple." "The Great Dao is merciless. Don’t let a worthless spiritual root waste your essence and spirit, hindering your cultivation." Is this really the Lovesick Sect? ... Three years later, Su Ji sat in the seat of the Lovesick Sect’s sect master, sighing with emotion. His rise to this position all started when his junior sister adamantly insisted on preserving his "spiritual root." "Mmm... Senior Brother, what’s our relationship now?" "Stop talking. Keep going." "By the way, that newly promoted top-tier sect—didn’t they come to buy our Love Beans?" "One top-grade spirit stone per Love Bean—is that really so expensive?" "I suspect they’ve eaten too many Love Beans." "Now they’re lovesick." Well, this really is the Lovesick Sect after all.
