Long Aotian, Actually We Are the Same Kind of People

"Alright, go ahead. What suggestions can you offer?"

Shen Mengjie gave a smug little hum. "Whatever I come up with will definitely be better than what you guys could brainstorm with your heads buried in your hands."

Her proud, slightly arrogant demeanor made Huang Fei stare in admiration. "Yeah, I think girls understand girls better. Mengjie might actually give some great advice."

The whole gathering had been arranged to ease the tension between the two of them, and now it seemed everything was falling perfectly into place.

Long Aotian, whether directly or indirectly, had ended up helping Shen Mengjie.

If Shen Mengjie could come up with the best, most romantic way for Long Aotian to confess his feelings—just as she said—then they’d be even.

Then Huang Fei wouldn’t have to feel stuck in the middle anymore.

Hearing Huang Fei’s words, Shen Mengjie looked at him and nodded firmly, as if to say, See? Huang Fei gets it.

Seeing her smile and nod at him, Huang Fei’s heart swelled with joy.

He grew even more convinced that, given a year, he could win Shen Mengjie over.

With that thought in mind, his gaze at her became even more infatuated.

This woman was utterly mesmerizing—fiery, sexy, confident, a little arrogant, and that unshakable I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude when she got mad. Everything about her drew him in.

"Well, I’ll take it under consideration," Long Aotian said with a laugh, raising his glass before downing it in one go.

"I’ve seen that girl before," Shen Mengjie took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "Just last Friday, she came to the school looking for you."

"One of them... had your reflection in her eyes..." At this, she let out a soft, inexplicable chuckle. "Long Aotian, we’re actually the same kind of people..."

"So you can’t look down on someone like me..."

Long Aotian gave her a strange look. Was it his imagination, or had he detected a hint of... hurt in her voice?

But he’d never said he looked down on her. Even if he didn’t approve of some of the things she’d done, he’d never outright disrespected her...

He glanced at Huang Fei, who shook his head in confusion.

Seeing this, Long Aotian simply said with gravity, "I don’t look down on anyone. You’re overthinking it."

Hearing this, Shen Mengjie pressed her lips together in a faint smile. "Then I’d be happy to help brainstorm ideas."

Huang Fei let out a quiet sigh of relief. In his eyes, Shen Mengjie and Long Aotian were now even—reconciled.

The little tension passed, and the simple dinner ended in laughter and chatter.

......

The pedestrian street near campus was lined with food stalls, barbecue joints, convenience stores, and supermarkets.

At that moment, two guys walked out of one of the supermarkets, hands in their pockets.

They stepped onto the street, simultaneously flicked their hair, then pulled out the cigarettes they’d just bought. Lighting up, they took a deep drag before tilting their heads back to exhale slowly into the sky.

Their synchronized movements naturally drew attention—including from several female students nearby.

Noticing the girls’ gazes, the two curved their lips into confident smirks and casually tossed their bangs.

"Honestly, you didn’t have to follow me. I’ve got my own plans for what I need to do."

"That may be, but you know Shen Mengjie admires me. With me around, things might go even smoother!" Xue Shaohua tilted his head back, basking in the attention from the girls around them.

Truth be told, Xue Shaohua loved this feeling—being silently watched.

He flicked his hair to the side, then frowned slightly and nudged Ye Liangchen. "Look over there."

Ye Liangchen puffed out his chest and smirked. "Not interested. Someone like me isn’t easy to pursue. Sure, my charm is undeniable, but not just anyone can handle it."

"No, it’s Long Aotian and Shen Mengjie."

Hearing this, Ye Liangchen’s eyes snapped up.

Sure enough, he spotted Long Aotian and Shen Mengjie in a group of people.

"Oh no!" Ye Liangchen gasped.

"What? What’s wrong?" Xue Shaohua was startled by his sudden outburst.

"You idiot, is your brain full of crap? Can’t you see Long Aotian is getting Shen Mengjie drunk?"

"I knew it. I knew that bastard would stoop to anything to get what he wants. Look at her—she’s clearly out of it. If Long Aotian takes her to a hotel now, do you think she’d even resist?"

Ye Liangchen clenched his fists so hard they trembled.

"Don’t you think you’re overreacting? There are so many people around. No matter how shameless Long Aotian is, he wouldn’t dare do anything to her in public."

Xue Shaohua was the calmer of the two.

"You don’t understand. You don’t get it at all. A guy like Long Aotian doesn’t care about laws. In his mind, as long as it satisfies his twisted desires, he’ll do anything..."

The memory of Long Aotian’s despicable actions in his dreams made Ye Liangchen shake with rage.

With that thought, he started marching toward Long Aotian’s group—but stopped after two steps.

It wasn’t that he was afraid of Long Aotian. He just didn’t want Shen Mengjie to see him, someone so refined, getting into a brawl.

So instead, he pulled out his phone and began rapidly typing a message.

Meanwhile...

Shen Mengjie felt her phone vibrate repeatedly and pulled it out to check.

She glanced around but didn’t spot anyone, which struck her as oddly amusing.

Turning to Long Aotian, she asked, "Hey, did you piss someone off before?"

"Not that I know of. This is my first time in the capital—who would I have offended?" Long Aotian answered without hesitation.

Since arriving, he’d either been at the university or working on design details in his courtyard home. Occasionally, he’d take his three friends out for a stroll, but his routine was stable. When would he have had time to make enemies?

Shen Mengjie shrugged. "Who knows? You seem like a decent guy to most people, but not everyone sees you that way."

She had been about to ask if Long Aotian knew Ye Liangchen and Xue Shaohua.

But then she remembered Ye Liangchen’s words: Long Aotian used underhanded tricks to steal my treasure, my white moonlight, my childhood sweetheart... If I get the chance, I’ll rescue them from his clutches...

Shen Mengjie glanced at her phone, typed a quick reply, then slipped it back into her pocket.

At that moment, she admitted to herself—she was being a little wicked.

She wanted to see if the girl Long Aotian was so hung up on would really be taken away by Ye Liangchen...