If life were as the first sight, the first sight would have been a lifetime.

Five minutes later, Long Aotian walked downstairs, refreshed and full of energy.

Just as he stepped out of the dormitory, he ran into Shen Mengjie, who looked utterly surprised.

Without thinking, she blurted, "You finished showering that fast?"

"What does the speed of my shower have to do with you?" Long Aotian replied, eyeing her curiously. "Wait, how did you know I just showered?"

Shen Mengjie paused, then pointed at his still-damp hair. "Duh, I have eyes, don’t I?"

Long Aotian casually ruffled his slightly wet locks, brushing off the details. "What are you doing here?"

"I—I came to see Huang Fei..." She had actually intended to warn Long Aotian about Ye Liangchen and Xue Shaohua, those two idiots.

But for some reason, the words that left her mouth were about Huang Fei instead.

Hearing this, Long Aotian grinned, his eyes crinkling. "No wonder Huang Fei’s been grinning like an idiot these past couple of days."

"I almost thought the guy had lost his mind..."

Shen Mengjie turned her head away, rolling her eyes. "None of your business."

"Fine, not my problem. I’m heading out—you can contact Huang Fei yourself." With that, he walked past her, striding briskly toward where the "Three Little Ones" were waiting.

Watching Long Aotian’s retreating figure, Shen Mengjie opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she just sighed in frustration, her expression tinged with regret.

No matter what she did, whenever she faced Long Aotian, she always lost the upper hand.

The tactics that worked on other men were completely useless against him.

Meanwhile...

When Long Aotian appeared before the Three Little Ones, their reactions mirrored Shen Mengjie’s earlier shock.

"You finished showering that fast?!" Li Qingxue couldn’t help exclaiming, her astonishment too great to hold back.

Lin Wanning also found it hard to believe. In that short amount of time, if it were them, they’d probably still be undressing, their long hair not even wet yet.

Hu Yuying, on the other hand, was torn between laughter and disbelief. Was it really possible for boys to shower that quickly?

"You guys are so easily impressed," Long Aotian said, amused. To him, it was just a quick rinse—why did it feel like he’d accomplished something extraordinary?

Boys showering = a quick rinse. Made perfect sense.

If the Three Little Ones could hear his thoughts, they’d surely protest in unison: "No, that’s not normal..."

As they walked, Hu Yuying shared her ideas about their online shop with Long Aotian.

She had been considering a strategy but wanted his opinion first.

After listening, Long Aotian was genuinely surprised. In his original world, using cashback incentives to boost online store traffic was a well-established tactic. (Even a mere one-yuan price difference could sway most buyers toward the cheaper option, even if the products were identical.)

This eventually led to the rise of third-party promotion platforms, all leveraging discount coupons to attract customers.

The ultimate goal? Increasing sales volume.

As everyone knew, higher sales meant more visibility, more traffic, and ultimately, more revenue.

Customers got discounts, promoters earned commissions, and stores gained exposure—a win-win-win scenario.

It wasn’t hard to imagine that mastering cashback strategies could skyrocket a store’s rankings and profits.

No wonder Hu Yuying would later become a business prodigy—her foresight was truly remarkable.

While most people were still following the crowd, she was already thinking about leveraging coupons for promotion.

Though, applying this to a small online shop might have been overkill...

"Long Aotian, do you think it’ll work?" Hu Yuying asked softly.

Back when they were selling clothes together, she had wanted to price them at 25 yuan apiece, only for Long Aotian to bonk her on the head and call her greedy.

He had also warned that undercutting market prices was like cutting off others’ livelihoods—so she wanted his approval before proceeding.

"Absolutely. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes the standard for online shops in the future."

Hearing his endorsement, Hu Yuying’s heart swelled with joy, as if she’d just tasted honey.

She had worked so hard, researching and strategizing, because unlike Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning, she had no margin for error.

Li Qingxue came from a well-off family and had her own advantages.

Lin Wanning’s musical talent ensured she’d never lack opportunities.

But Hu Yuying? Aside from being a good student, she had nothing else to fall back on.

That was why, no matter what she did, she strived to be the best.

With Long Aotian’s approval, she could move forward with confidence.

It wasn’t just about the plan—it was the reassurance of having someone to rely on, a solid anchor in her heart.

Gently, she reached for Long Aotian’s hand, swinging it lightly.

A girl’s emotions were simple and direct.

Happy meant happy. Unhappy meant unhappy.

Right now, every fiber of Hu Yuying’s being was shouting to Long Aotian just how overjoyed she was.

Happiness was contagious. Feeling her excitement, Long Aotian hooked his pinky with hers and said, "Tomorrow’s the start of the holiday."

Hu Yuying’s cheeks flushed instantly. She tightened her grip on his finger and whispered, "Then let’s head back early. I’ll tidy up the room."

Not a question—a statement.

Hearing her say this, Long Aotian’s heart soared with delight, though he couldn’t help feeling a little guilty.

Right now, his mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of teasing her.

Honestly, he couldn’t stand how shameless he was being.

Watching Long Aotian’s boundless energy and Hu Yuying’s eager compliance, Li Qingxue sighed and rubbed her temples. "Long Aotian, don’t you dare—"

Before she could finish, Lin Wanning clamped a hand over her mouth.

She had already bought handcuffs, after all. If not for wanting Hu Yuying to claim Long Aotian’s "first time," she would’ve dragged him to bed long ago.

Stealing a glance at Long Aotian and Hu Yuying, she thought to herself—I don’t need much, just a little taste.

It might be wrong, but she couldn’t help herself.

If she didn’t have him at least once, her heart would never feel whole.

Some people, once met, become unforgettable.

You can’t explain what makes them special, but no one else could ever take their place.

The day Lin Wanning met Long Aotian, there had been a minor mishap.

But it was precisely that little accident that made him irreplaceable.

No one else would ever stand in front of her, shielding her from harm.

If only life could stay as it was at first sight—

That first sight was already a lifetime.