On the other side.
After picking up Hu Yuying, Long Aotian magically pulled a roasted sweet potato from his coat.
"Ta-da~ Want some?" Long Aotian waved the fragrant sweet potato in front of Hu Yuying, looking every bit like a sketchy uncle luring a little girl with candy.
Hu Yuying took a deep breath, savoring the lingering aroma in the air, then beamed and nodded emphatically. "Yes, please!"
Seeing how eagerly she played along, Long Aotian peeled the sweet potato and handed it to her.
Hu Yuying took a small bite—it was sweet, soft, and delightfully warm.
"Long-ge, you have some too," she said, holding the sweet potato up to his lips, her eyes sparkling with anticipation for him to take a big bite.
Noticing the hopeful look in her eyes, Long Aotian took a bite. "Delicious."
"Hehe." Satisfied, Hu Yuying giggled and let Long Aotian help her put on her helmet while she continued nibbling on the sweet potato.
Back in her hometown during winter, she used to roast sweet potatoes by the fire—they were just as delicious.
She thought about bringing Long Aotian home this year and roasting sweet potatoes for him too.
Watching her cheerful expression, Long Aotian took a quiet, steadying breath. The hesitation in his eyes gradually hardened into resolve. Every time he saw the smile on A-Ying’s face, he felt he could no longer keep hiding the truth.
He couldn’t deceive her any longer. Clenching his fists nervously, he met her gaze. "A-Ying, there’s something I need to—"
Before he could finish, Hu Yuying’s phone rang.
She glanced at the caller ID. "It’s Wanning!"
She answered the video call, and Lin Wanning and Li Qingxue’s faces immediately popped up on the screen.
"You two are together?"
Li Qingxue glanced subtly at Lin Wanning before replying with a soft "Mhm," then added, "We’re going for a bath tonight, and you’re the only one missing."
"Yuying, it’s been so long since we bathed together. Spend tonight with us, okay?" Lin Wanning coaxed.
Hu Yuying’s heart swayed at their invitation, and she turned to Long Aotian. "Long-ge, we’re going for a bath."
"Brother/Long Aotian, we’re going for a bath~~~"
Lin Wanning and Li Qingxue’s playful voices chimed through the phone.
Seeing how excited Hu Yuying looked, a rare smile tugged at Long Aotian’s usually stern face. "Where are you?"
"I know the place! I’ll take Long-ge there," Hu Yuying declared proudly before hanging up.
Long Aotian chuckled and lightly booped her nose. "That happy, huh?"
"Of course! It’s been forever since we bathed together."
"And bathing with me isn’t fun?"
Hu Yuying’s cheeks flushed pink, and she pinched his waist lightly. "Bad Long-ge, stop talking!"
Every time they bathed together, it left her blushing furiously—she couldn’t handle him teasing her about it.
Even as she pouted, Long Aotian found it endearing. He gently pinched her cheek. "Alright, let’s go. I’ll take you there."
"Mhm."
Once seated behind him on the bike, she suddenly remembered something and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Long-ge, what were you going to tell me earlier?"
Long Aotian held her hands where they rested against his stomach, silent for a moment before replying, "I’ll tell you when you get back."
"Okay." She rested her head against his back with a soft murmur.
Following Hu Yuying’s directions, Long Aotian soon spotted Lin Wanning and Li Qingxue waiting by the roadside.
Before they even reached them, the two girls started waving excitedly. "Over here! We’re here!"
"Qingxue! Wanning! Long-ge, hurry up!" Hu Yuying tightened her grip around him, urging him to speed up.
"Easy, easy, we’re already here," Long Aotian laughed, amused by her impatience.
Why did it feel like she was more excited to see them than him?
After parking, the three girls reunited, leaving Long Aotian feeling somewhat like a third wheel.
"Long-ge, you can head back now. We’re going for our bath!" Hu Yuying grinned at him.
"Fine. Call me when you’re done, and I’ll pick you up."
"Afraid we’ll lose Yuying if she’s with us?" Li Qingxue teased.
"Drive safely," Lin Wanning added softly.
Long Aotian watched the three disappear into the bathhouse before turning his bike around.
"Yuying, we already booked a room!"
Lin Wanning and Li Qingxue had made arrangements beforehand.
"Stay with us tonight," Lin Wanning whispered with a smile.
Seeing Hu Yuying hesitate, the two girls tag-teamed their persuasion until she gave in.
"Then... I need to call Long-ge."
Hu Yuying knew if she didn’t tell him, he’d wait up all night, worried.
Long Aotian hadn’t gone far when Hu Yuying’s message came through.
Hearing she wasn’t coming home, he sighed but simply replied, "Alright."
"Yes~!"
Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning high-fived, quietly cheering.
Hu Yuying rolled her eyes at them. "I’m starting to regret this."
"No take-backs!"
"Tonight, you’re ours. No regrets allowed!"
Two bathtubs, three girls—endless fun.
At least without Long Aotian around, their friendship was something to envy.
Fresh from their bath and thoroughly relaxed, they headed to the hotel room Lin Wanning and Li Qingxue had booked.
A single large bed was more than enough for three slender girls.
Hu Yuying was the first to strip down and leap onto the bed, settling in the middle. She swept her long hair over one shoulder and patted the space beside her, grinning at Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning to come cuddle up.
Sleeping alone and sleeping with friends were completely different experiences.
The warmth was indescribable, but she loved it.
With one girl nestled under each arm, Hu Yuying was overjoyed.
"See? Sleeping with us is way better than with Long Aotian, right?"
It wasn’t the same—sleeping with Long-ge was its own kind of wonderful. But Hu Yuying would never say that out loud, or they’d pester her for details. Too embarrassing...
Suddenly, a familiar fragrance tickled her nose. Hu Yuying sniffed and turned to Lin Wanning on her right.
Noticing her gaze, Lin Wanning nuzzled against Hu Yuying’s neck. "What’s up, A-Ying? Want a snack? I’ll get it for you."
As Lin Wanning pressed closer, the scent grew stronger.
Hu Yuying hadn’t noticed it before.
As Lin Wanning undressed and pressed close, the faint fragrance of her body finally reached Hu Yuying.
Hu Yuying felt slightly dazed and shook her head gently. "Pour me a glass of water, please..."
"My dear sister, wait for me." With an affectionate nuzzle of her nose against Hu Yuying's cheek, Lin Wanning got up to fetch the water.
She held the glass to Hu Yuying's lips while lifting her chin with the other hand. "Let me feed you."
Gazing at Lin Wanning, who was so devoted to her, Hu Yuying chuckled softly. "You're being naughty, little sister."
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
ress Kneels to Admit Wrong] [Dealing with Love-Struck Fools] [Forced to the Throne] Ren Tianye transmigrated into a female-oriented novel world, only to find everyone in it was utterly insane. He risked his life to save a young girl from barbarians, but was accused of arriving too late and branded the real murderer. He held a knife to a military officer's neck, demanding the troop tally, but the officer only cared about questioning his wife: "Do you not love me anymore? All these years of affection and time together, they were all a mistake, a mistake!" After seizing Yunji City, the original defending general, to save face with the Empress, knelt on the ground: "You must give Yunji City back to me, or I'll hang myself at the city gate and let everyone know you're a villain!" The young lord of the Duke's mansion, to please a woman, directly ordered a merchant: "The menstrual pads you buy for her must be studded with diamonds. Loving her means giving her the best." Having become a great general, he was about to marry a merchant's daughter, who set a pre-nuptial rule: "I can divorce you anytime. When that happens, you must give me half of your troops and soldiers!" Even the Empress was a severe love-struck fool, who ordered the execution of 70,000 elite troops simply because they stood in the way of her romance. Ren Tianye was speechless. He was done. Let it all burn! This deranged female-oriented novel world! ...
