Further Ahead, There Will Be More People

Long Aotian thought for a moment and posted his first social media update since arriving in this world.

After finishing, a faint smile curled at the corners of his lips as he lay down on the bed.

......

At University A, roommates who hadn’t seen each other all break were sharing stories of their time apart.

Amid the lively dorm, Hu Yuying sat quietly on her bed, an occasional flicker of a smile crossing her face, as if lost in her own world—standing out against the cheerful atmosphere.

"Yuying, what are you thinking about? You’ve been grinning to yourself this whole time."

"Yeah, did something happen over the break that we don’t know about?"

Faced with their teasing, Hu Yuying nodded and admitted without hesitation: "Mm, something very happy happened."

Because she was happy, she answered honestly.

"Look at that smile—don’t tell us you’re in love?"

Hu Yuying blinked, instinctively touching her cheeks. "Is it that obvious?"

"Extremely obvious. I remember once before, you came back from outside with the same kind of smile, but back then, it was more shy."

"But this time, there’s less shyness—more like pure happiness..."

"Come on, tell us! Is it that ‘Long-ge’ you’ve always talked about?"

Hu Yuying bit her lip lightly before nodding emphatically with a soft "Mm." The smile at her lips, no longer restrained, bloomed fully.

She was Long-ge’s girlfriend now—kissing, cuddling, touching cutely—they’d done all the intimate things only couples do.

So happiness, unstoppable happiness, kept bubbling up inside her.

Lying back on the bed, she checked the time on her phone.

Long-ge had promised to video call her every night. Now, she couldn’t wait for evening to come sooner.

Opening the messaging app, she tapped into Long Aotian’s chat.

Her bright eyes sparkled as she noticed a red dot on his profile—under the "Space" section.

Clicking into his profile:

Posts: 0. Blogs: 0. Albums: 1. Comments: 0. Visitors: 12.

Gently, she opened the album.

Her lips curved uncontrollably.

The first photo was their silhouettes by the waterfront in Haiwan City, pinkies linked in a promise.

The second captured the moment their fingers intertwined, their glances meeting mid-turn.

The third, the fourth...

Each photo was a treasured memory.

Each one arranged chronologically, from the beginning to now.

The corners of her eyes tinged faintly red—moved, yet overflowing with tenderness.

She tapped the video call button.

It connected almost instantly.

On the screen, the boy grinned goofily at her.

"What’s up?"

"I missed you."

"Me too."

"I saw it."

"All our memories, carefully kept."

"Long-ge, I want to see you. I can’t stop thinking about it."

When attachment reaches a certain depth, when longing peaks, the heart no longer belongs to itself.

The call ended.

Hu Yuying stared at the disconnected screen.

Then she looked out the window.

Pushing open the balcony door, she stepped outside.

The afternoon sun cast a golden glow—warm but not scorching, gentle as a caress. The breeze carried lingering warmth, brushing against the girl’s heart, stirring an irrepressible desire.

She let her hair down and slipped on her shoes.

Just then, her phone buzzed.

Long Aotian: "Wait for me."

Hu Yuying beamed and, ignoring her roommates’ puzzled looks, dashed out without hesitation.

Her steps quickened, as if time itself pulsed in sync with her heartbeat.

Three kilometers wasn’t far.

She used to find it silly in movies when the male lead ran desperately to the female lead—forced romance, she’d thought.

But hearing him say, I miss you, I need to see you, I can’t hold back anymore...

Nothing else seemed to matter.

One day, you’ll meet someone who shines like a rainbow—and when you do, you’ll run to them without a second thought.

Her pace slowed as she spotted the familiar figure sprinting toward her.

Sweat glistened on the boy’s sunlit face, his gaze as tender as the fiercest sunlight.

"Long-ge." Just like the countless times before.

She threw herself into his arms.

Their ragged breaths intertwined, their heartbeats merging into one.

Just because he missed her, he came.

His hand brushed the sweat-dampened hair from her forehead, gentle yet firm.

"There are people watching."

"Long-ge, we just saw each other at noon, but I don’t know why... I missed you so much." Hu Yuying couldn’t care less about onlookers.

Long-ge had run three kilometers just because she said she missed him.

How could she care about others’ stares? Let the whole world know—her boyfriend was the best in existence.

How lucky was she to have met Long-ge...

......

Teeth clenched, fists trembling.

"Shaohua, just drop it. Stop looking."

"I told you before—Hu Yuying never responded to advances because she already had a boyfriend. And now, here he is, right at the campus gates."

Xue Shaohua stared bitterly at Long Aotian and Hu Yuying embracing.

Who could understand the bitterness in his heart?

"He just met her before I did!"

Xue Shaohua was convinced—if he’d known Hu Yuying first, he would be the one holding her now.

The thought fueled his resentment.

Especially when he saw Long Aotian lead Hu Yuying away by the hand, he nearly chased after them to wrench her free.

"Long-ge, today I told my roommates—I said, ‘Long-ge is my boyfriend now.’"

She tilted her face up, eyes sparkling for praise. Long Aotian chuckled and pinched her cheek. "Let’s pick a time to treat your roommates to a meal. I’ll ask them to take good care of my girl."

Hu Yuying flushed but waved it off. "No need, Long-ge! We all get along really well."

She wanted to save him the expense.

"I’ll indulge you in everything else, but this time, listen to me."

Long Aotian took her around the shops near University A.

"Cake, milk tea, desserts... Long-ge, why so much?"

"Mm, gotta properly ask them to look after my girlfriend."

By the time they returned, night had fallen.

The area around University A was beautifully lit.

Long Aotian walked ahead, carrying the bags, while Hu Yuying trailed behind—reluctant to go back.

Suddenly, Long Aotian stopped. Hu Yuying, following closely, bumped into his back.

"Long-ge? What’s wrong?"

"Further ahead, it’ll get crowded."

Hu Yuying blinked, still dazed.

Long Aotian leaned down, cupped the back of her head, and pressed his lips against her soft mouth...