The hand rubbed over her clothes, stroking her lower abdomen with a tingling, ticklish sensation.
Hu Yuying giggled, wanting to roll over to escape Long Aotian's mischievous grasp.
But the moment she turned, Long Aotian quickly shifted closer, closing the distance again.
The little girl could only look at him helplessly, though her heart swelled with delight.
The more Long Aotian clung to her, the more it proved how important she was to him.
"Long Aotian, you're so clingy with me now," Hu Yuying teased, her fingertip lightly tracing circles on his chest.
"Of course, I love clinging to my little girl. You're my remedy," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing his face against the soft curve of her lower back, completely abandoning any pretense of restraint.
"Long Aotian, you're so shameless," she chided, yet she didn’t resist his embrace.
"Before I had you, I had to keep up a proper big brother image. But now that you're mine, why hold back? I just love holding you," he declared openly, leaving no room for doubt about his affection.
"Me too," Hu Yuying whispered, turning back into his arms. "I love you, Long Aotian, and I love being held by you."
Her gaze met his, earnest and tender. "I love waking up every day in your arms."
"Well, don’t complain if I never let go. I could hold you forever," he chuckled.
The truth was, as long as they were together, every moment was pure happiness.
"I need to go out for a bit later. What do you want me to bring back for you?" he murmured, holding her close.
"I want to go with you," Hu Yuying insisted, blinking up at him with an expression that clearly said, If you leave me behind, I’ll be upset.
In just a few short days, Hu Yuying had experienced a whirlwind of emotions—anxiety, tension, tenderness—but today, the moment Long Aotian found her, all those feelings melted away.
Her desire to be with him had reached its peak.
At least for today, she didn’t want to be apart from him for even a second.
Wherever her man went, she would follow.
Unable to resist the pleading look in her eyes, Long Aotian finally relented. He knelt down and took hold of her delicate, fair foot.
"L-Long Aotian, I can do it myself!" Hu Yuying instinctively tried to pull her foot back—how could she let him put her shoes on? That was something she should be doing for him.
"Stay still, or you’re staying home," he warned, his hand easily enveloping her small foot.
After playfully squeezing it for a moment, he finally slipped her shoe on, amused by her flushed cheeks. "Let’s go."
"Mm." She obediently followed behind him, stealing a glance at his profile. He really loves playing with my feet…
They arrived at an electric scooter dealership.
"Want me to take you for a spin?" Long Aotian asked, grinning after picking out a mid-sized scooter.
"Okay!"
"Boss, we’ll take this one. Install the battery—I’m taking it for a test ride."
While the staff prepared the scooter, Long Aotian led Hu Yuying to pick out helmets.
He placed a pink-patterned one on her head. "This one looks cute."
In return, she chose a black-and-yellow striped helmet for him. "Will you wear this one, Long Aotian?"
"Sure. Doesn’t it match those cups you won at the ring toss?"
"That’s exactly why I picked it!" she beamed.
"Same here," he laughed.
Their shared understanding and unspoken connection were the source of their joy.
She hadn’t forgotten.
Neither had he.
Soon, the scooter was ready.
Long Aotian swung his long leg over the seat, effortlessly putting on his helmet before turning to Hu Yuying, who stood waiting. "Careful."
"Mm-hmm." She cautiously climbed on behind him.
This time, she didn’t hesitate—she wrapped her arms around him without restraint.
Nothing could make her happier than this moment.
Feeling her soft body press against his back, Long Aotian smirked. Her warm breath tickled his ear.
"I’m ready, Long Aotian," she murmured, hugging him tightly.
"Let’s go."
The scooter hummed to life, carrying them down the open road.
It felt just like their days in Haibin City—Long Aotian riding his tricycle with her sitting sweetly behind him.
Different city, different scenery, but the same two hearts.
"Long Aotian, I feel so happy right now."
"If this is enough to make you happy, you’re way too easy to please. I’ll make sure you’re even happier in the future."
"That sounds perfect," she giggled, squeezing his waist as they rode on.
After a leisurely ride around the neighborhood, they returned to the shop to pay before heading home together.
......
"Why?" Xue Shaohua flicked his hair aside, revealing the earring on his left ear as he stared at his phone, his chest hollow.
Hu Yuying hadn’t been at school all day.
Assuming she might be unwell, he had texted one of her roommates (they were mutual friends, and he had once tried—unsuccessfully—to get Hu Yuying’s contact through her).
The reply? She’s not in the dorm. She left early this morning. Around 8 AM, I heard a guy’s voice on the phone—probably her boyfriend.
The words stabbed at him.
Tilting his head back, Xue Shaohua gazed at the sky, as if seeking some kind of enlightenment.
Slowly, he stretched out his arms, then closed his eyes and did something he’d never been able to before—he hugged himself.
Just last week, he had her. And now, not even a full week later, Long Aotian has taken her away again.
Maybe right now, Hu Yuying was lost in bliss, completely content.
But—
She never once considered how I feel. Never thought about how lonely and empty I am.
With a bitter sigh, Xue Shaohua dialed a number.
When the call connected, his voice was heavy with defeat. "Hu Yuying’s with Long Aotian again. He called her away this morning..."
"Damn that psychopath! Has he completely lost it? Now he’s even taking her away during class?"
"Is there anything he won’t do?"
"Did you get those photos developed yet?"
At that, a shadow flickered in Xue Shaohua’s eyes. "Of course..."
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
