Leave Some Soup for Me

The essence of life is simplicity.

Weeks passed by one after another.

The weather grew colder.

Thanks to the relentless efforts of the trio, their online store business flourished.

Sometimes, when things got too busy, Long Aotian would find himself sidelined by the little girl.

Compared to the three of them, Long Aotian seemed to revert to his old slacker self.

To change this, to avoid being the slacker,

Long Aotian had no choice but to shamelessly insert himself into her world.

Most of the time, the little girl couldn’t resist his clinginess—when he wrapped his arms around her waist, she’d surrender, nestling obediently in his embrace.

One afternoon, Long Aotian received a message from Hu Yuying. She had no classes that afternoon and wanted to invite him to their usual restaurant for clay pot rice noodles.

After tidying up, Long Aotian hopped on his scooter to pick her up.

The roads were clear today, as if even the traffic lights were paving the way for him.

Arriving early at the gates of University A, Long Aotian had just removed his helmet when he spotted Hu Yuying walking toward the entrance.

His brow furrowed slightly.

Beside her was a boy—about 1.75 meters tall, with short hair and a sunny demeanor.

They seemed to be chatting about something, and Hu Yuying even laughed.

At this sight, Long Aotian quickly glanced at his scooter’s rearview mirror.

His wind-tousled bangs looked effortlessly handsome, and when he smiled, faint dimples appeared.

After comparing himself to the boy beside Hu Yuying, he decided he’d get a shorter haircut soon.

Though he knew Hu Yuying’s heart and body belonged to him, and though he pretended not to care, his jealousy was irrational.

When Hu Yuying laughed again, Long Aotian cleared his throat and called out, "Yuying."

Hearing his voice, Hu Yuying looked up, her bright eyes instantly curving into crescents.

She nodded at her classmate before jogging over to Long Aotian.

Taking her hand, Long Aotian shot a glance at the boy, then raised an eyebrow and gently placed the helmet on her head.

"What’s this about, Long-ge?" Hu Yuying giggled, covering her mouth at his antics.

"Mm," Long Aotian nodded to himself. "I know he’s just your classmate."

Hu Yuying blinked. "But Long-ge looked so smug just now. Could it be... jealousy?"

Long Aotian didn’t answer, simply pulling her onto the scooter before speeding off.

With her arms wrapped around his waist, Hu Yuying softly explained, "You know I run the online store, right? That classmate wanted to buy clothes for his girlfriend and asked me to help pick a set."

The mention of the store made Long Aotian regretful. Since they started selling winter clothes, business had boomed—so much so that Hu Yuying had stayed up late on her phone two nights ago, even after lulling him to sleep.

They were already separated by different schools during the day, and now their evenings were consumed by the store. Their time together was dwindling.

No. Today, he’d claim every second of her afternoon.

With that thought, Long Aotian took Hu Yuying straight to their home.

They hadn’t even stepped inside when he pinned her against the wall in the courtyard.

His kisses were urgent, his breathing ragged, laced with a hint of punishment.

Hu Yuying clung to him for balance.

Then she felt his hands slide to her waist, undoing the buttons of her clothes.

Catching her breath, she pressed against his shoulder. "Long-ge, we can’t."

Long Aotian paused, his voice rough. "Why not?"

"We’re out. I need to buy more," she murmured, her flushed face resting against his chest.

"I told you we should stock up at home, but you wouldn’t let me," he grumbled, fingertips tracing her jaw as his breath grew hotter.

Hu Yuying shot him a playful glare. "And why wouldn’t I? Shouldn’t Long-ge know the reason?"

Last time, he’d bought a whole box—and finished it in days.

Better to buy small packs of three. At least that way, she could restrain him. Otherwise, he’d treat intimacy like eating or drinking...

Not that she ever refused him. In fact, she lost herself in it every time. But Hu Yuying knew—too much would leave her glowing while draining Long Aotian’s energy.

Faced with her retort, Long Aotian’s fire dimmed. Sometimes, even he wondered if his stamina was excessive.

"I’ll be quick," Hu Yuying said, about to leave.

But Long Aotian held her close, whispering in her ear, "Let’s eat first."

The more he had, the more he cherished. Time with her was so precious it twisted his mindset.

He couldn’t ban every man from her life—that wasn’t realistic.

Life was full of interactions: men, women, the elderly, children. Even he couldn’t avoid them. His jealousy was baseless.

What he didn’t know was how happy Hu Yuying felt seeing him jealous.

Nothing was better than knowing the one you loved cared just as deeply.

Eyes twinkling, she asked, "Not doing it anymore?"

Truthfully, she’d skipped class today because she’d wanted him too...

"Let’s get you fed first. We’ll come back early tonight."

"Okay."

They smiled at each other. Life was beautiful—simple, yet sprinkled with little joys.

......

Music Academy.

Lin Wanning returned to her dorm and stepped into the bathroom.

Noticing her period had ended, she stretched contentedly.

Checking her phone, she saw the date and calendar.

The trio knew each other’s schedules inside out—which days had lectures, which didn’t.

Today seemed free, so she messaged their group chat: "Anyone up for a bath? Missing my two bath buddies."

Li Qingxue replied quickly, promising to meet her soon.

Hu Yuying, however, said she had plans and would join another time.

Reading this, Lin Wanning knew Hu Yuying was with her man.

"Yuying, save some soup for me..."

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