There's really no way to deal with you

The next morning.

"Still mad?" Lin Wanning looked at Li Qingxue, who had her arms crossed and her cheeks puffed up in a sulk, refusing to acknowledge her. Unable to resist, she reached out and poked Li Qingxue’s plump cheek, amused.

Li Qingxue shot her an annoyed glance.

Not only had Lin Wanning made her watch that video yesterday, but she’d also left her hanging mid-story. For someone who thrived on gossip like her, the emotional damage was real.

She’d assumed Lin Wanning would come to coax her soon enough.

But she’d ended up falling asleep without so much as an apology.

Now, even after waking up, she was still a little miffed.

"Alright, alright, how about I treat you to breakfast?" Lin Wanning gently tugged at Li Qingxue’s arm.

After a moment of serious consideration, Li Qingxue nodded. "Fine."

"Wait a sec, let me call my brother and grab some for them too."

She pulled out her phone and dialed Long Aotian’s number.

The call was about to time out when he finally picked up.

"Wanning?"

Long Aotian’s voice came through, rough with sleep and laziness.

Glancing at the time—only six in the morning—he asked, "Why are you up so early? Something wrong?"

As he spoke, his gaze drifted to the long legs draped over his waist beside him.

He pulled the blanket up, tucking the figure snugly beneath it.

Feeling him stir, Hu Yuying blinked drowsily, brushing her messy hair aside with a hand. Her voice was soft, laced with a hint of a whine. "Long-ge…"

On the other end of the line, Lin Wanning froze at the sound of that honeyed, sleep-laden voice.

"I’ll bring breakfast over soon," she blurted before hastily hanging up.

Staring at the disconnected call, Long Aotian chuckled and pinched Hu Yuying’s soft cheek. "Rest for another forty minutes. I’ll wake you then."

"Mmm." Hu Yuying stretched, savoring the comfort of the bed. She’d slept so soundly.

Unable to resist, she rolled over to Long Aotian’s side of the bed, burying herself in the warmth and his lingering scent.

After getting up, Long Aotian left the front door unlocked and ran out to grab some groceries.

When he returned, Hu Yuying was still in bed—awake now, but lounging lazily, watching him with a smile.

"Long-ge, was that Wanning on the phone earlier?" She’d heard the voice but wasn’t entirely sure in her half-asleep state.

"Yeah. She said she and Qingxue are coming over soon."

"Then I should get up!" Hu Yuying scrambled out of bed. If they arrived and saw her still lying in Long Aotian’s bed, they’d never let her live it down.

Now that she had a boyfriend, her body was for Long-ge’s eyes—and hands—only. No way was she letting those two tease her.

She smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes—sleeping in them had left them slightly crumpled.

Long Aotian sat on the edge of the bed, carefully straightening her outfit before gathering her hair into a simple ponytail.

"Long-ge, you know how to tie hair?" Hu Yuying couldn’t see, but she could feel his fingers working deftly.

"Just the basics." With a final adjustment, he let her hair fall back into place.

Running her fingers over the ponytail, Hu Yuying’s smile was radiant.

Nothing compared to the joy of having the one you love tend to you like this.

"Long-ge, I’m gonna freshen up." She grabbed the toiletries he’d bought her and headed to the courtyard.

Taking in the ever-changing space, she couldn’t help but daydream about their future life together.

After a quick wash, she returned. "Long-ge, I’m done!"

She blinked up at him, eyes sparkling with unspoken expectation.

Long Aotian sighed in mock exasperation. "You’re impossible."

Then he pulled her close and kissed her.

Hu Yuying stiffened, overwhelmed by the heat and the intensity of his presence. Her legs wobbled, and her hands instinctively clutched his shoulders for balance.

She stared up at him, dazed and flustered.

Had… had Long-ge misunderstood?

She’d just wanted him to praise her—tell her she was cute or something…

Not this!

All her unspoken words melted into breathless little gasps.

......

Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning pushed open the courtyard gate, their playful bickering echoing ahead of them.

At the sound, Hu Yuying’s eyes flew open. She hastily broke away from Long Aotian’s embrace.

"L-Long-ge, you’re terrible!"

Her embarrassment morphed into a shy pout as she lightly punched his chest before fleeing to the courtyard.

Watching her retreating figure, Long Aotian touched his lips, amused. "Did I misread that?"

Out in the courtyard, Hu Yuying took a deep breath, willing the blush on her cheeks to fade. "You two never wake up this early. What’s the occasion?"

She knew Li Qingxue especially loved sleeping in—this was unusual for her.

Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning handed her the breakfast they’d brought. "We went to bed early. Brought you guys some food."

"Thanks." Hu Yuying accepted it, turning to take it inside for Long Aotian.

As she moved, Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning caught sight of her lopsided ponytail and burst into giggles.

"What?" Hu Yuying glanced at them, confused.

"Did Long-ge do your hair?" Lin Wanning asked.

Hu Yuying touched her ponytail. "How’d you know?"

"It’s practically sideways."

Hu Yuying just smiled. So what if it was crooked? She loved it anyway.

Seeing her flustered but happy expression, Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning exchanged knowing looks, stifling their laughter.

Then Li Qingxue leaned in, sniffing. "Yuying, what’s that smell on you?"

Hu Yuying immediately panicked, sniffing at herself. She couldn’t detect anything unusual, but the thought of Long Aotian noticing something unpleasant horrified her.

"W-what smell?" she whispered, cheeks burning.

"You need a shower."

Hu Yuying’s gaze dropped. It had been two days since she’d last washed up.

Lin Wanning chimed in softly, "Go change, and we’ll all head to the baths together."

Hu Yuying stole a glance toward the house. She didn’t want to leave Long Aotian yet.

"You don’t want him noticing, do you?" Lin Wanning sniffed pointedly.

With that, after a quick goodbye to Long Aotian, the two successfully whisked Hu Yuying away.

Watching the trio leave, Long Aotian smiled to himself.

He was growing accustomed to—even fond of—having Hu Yuying by his side.

A solitary life had its perks, but this?

This was something else entirely.

Once you've grown accustomed to having someone by your side, their absence leaves a hollow ache in your heart...