I Won't Give It to You Unless My Sister Says So

At the restroom entrance.

Long Aotian had just stepped out when he spotted Shen Mengjie leaning casually against the wall, idly scrolling through her phone. After a brief hesitation, he smiled and said, "Thanks."

Shen Mengjie shrugged. "You probably know this guy, right?" She pulled up a photo of Ye Liangchen kneeling on the ground, swearing an oath, and showed it to Long Aotian.

The moment he saw Ye Liangchen’s fervent expression in the picture, Long Aotian looked at Shen Mengjie in surprise. "How do you have this photo of him?"

"I saw him at the music academy," Shen Mengjie replied, then glanced at Long Aotian. "At first, he seemed to be looking for someone."

She knew Ye Liangchen was searching for Lin Wanning, but Lin Wanning had ended up entangled with Long Aotian.

Ye Liangchen’s words couldn’t be fully trusted, but she was intensely curious about the true nature of their relationships.

As for her so-called "collaboration" with Ye Liangchen—please. Their goals were entirely different.

To Shen Mengjie, Ye Liangchen and Xue Shaohua were nothing more than stepping stones, tools to help her get closer to this enigmatic man.

He was extraordinary. The more she got near him, the more she sensed his uniqueness.

It was hard to describe, but if she had to put it into words, it was a feeling of security.

A deep, unshakable security—just sitting beside him, neither speaking, as he quietly drank one beer after another.

If she stayed silent, he wouldn’t pry. He simply stayed, a steady presence, as if no matter what she did, he could always pull her back. Wrapped in this wordless reassurance, her heart felt at ease.

When she spoke, he listened attentively, absorbing all her negativity and transforming it.

He told her he didn’t pity her—because the things she’d done didn’t deserve pity.

But he also said that in matters like these, where both parties were willing, if she was at fault, then so were the others.

She deserved criticism, but so did those who approached her despite having girlfriends. That, he called fairness.

Fairness—coming from him, to someone like her.

Watching Long Aotian’s silence, Shen Mengjie spoke again. "He seems to have some grudge against you. And he’s confident—if I had to guess, the person he’s looking for at the music academy is Lin Wanning, right?"

Long Aotian frowned and nodded. He, too, believed Ye Liangchen had come for Wanning. He added, "I beat him up before over some issues."

Shen Mengjie blinked in surprise. In all the time she’d known Long Aotian, his temperament had always been steady.

Even his occasional jokes and teasing were lighthearted. For him to resort to violence—whatever Ye Liangchen had done must have crossed a line Long Aotian couldn’t tolerate.

"You care a lot about Lin Wanning. That kind of concern seems to go beyond just friendship."

The words made Long Aotian glance at her, but he offered no explanation.

Seeing he didn’t want to talk, Shen Mengjie simply smiled.

Her eyes dropped back to the photo of Ye Liangchen kneeling on her phone. "Do you know him?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah. He tried to chase me," Shen Mengjie said bluntly. "Haven’t met someone so blindly arrogant in a while."

The memory of Ye Liangchen stretching his arms toward the moon as if to embrace her made her shudder. No matter how many times she recalled it, she still couldn’t stomach it.

"He tried to chase you?"

Shen Mengjie scowled, flipping her long hair and tugging her zipper down slightly. "What’s that supposed to mean? Am I not pretty enough?"

"No, no!" Long Aotian waved his hands hastily, denying any such implication. He was just surprised.

Maybe after his transmigration, the original plot had truly diverged.

In the original story, characters like Huang Fei and Shen Mengjie hadn’t even existed.

But because of him, they’d become his friends. Now, with Ye Liangchen involved, he wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

He stole a glance at Shen Mengjie and ventured, "You’re not actually interested in Ye Liangchen, are you—?"

Before he could finish, Shen Mengjie cut him off, bristling like a cat robbed of its fish. She pinched his arm hard. "If you want to insult me, just say it outright! Don’t beat around the bush!"

She shot him a glare, her good mood ruined, and stormed off toward the private room.

Long Aotian rubbed his arm, wincing slightly. That hurt...

After the gathering ended, Long Aotian didn’t return to the dorm with Huang Fei and the others.

Instead, he headed to the music academy’s entrance and called Lin Wanning.

Soon, a figure came running out of the academy and leaped into his arms with a delighted squeal.

"Brother! You finally called me! Did Sister Ying agree? I missed you so much!"

The girl in his arms was anything but the aloof goddess others saw—just a clingy, affectionate kitten.

"Ying didn’t say anything. I came to talk to you about something."

At that, Lin Wanning released him, wrapping her coat tighter and turning away. "Then no."

"If Sister Ying didn’t give permission, I won’t do it!"

Long Aotian flicked her forehead lightly. "Do you really see me that way?"

Lin Wanning blinked, confused. It wasn’t entirely her fault—ever since they’d first been intimate, almost every time they met, they ended up making love.

So when she saw him seeking her out, she’d assumed...

Rubbing her forehead, she peered up at him sweetly. "What’s the matter?"

Long Aotian’s expression turned serious. "A friend told me Ye Liangchen was spotted near the music academy recently, looking for someone."

"Be careful these next few days. Don’t wander around alone. If you run into him, avoid conflict—just walk away."

"If he dares come near me, I’ll avenge Qingxue! That bastard is despicable!" Lin Wanning clenched her fists, her voice icy.

When she’d learned how Ye Liangchen had bullied Qingxue, she’d been furious.

But after hearing from her sister that Long Aotian had punched him so hard his ancestors nearly came to collect him, she’d burst out laughing instead...

She looked at Long Aotian again. "Don’t worry about me, Brother. I’m not like Qingxue. She’s known him longer, and she’s too soft-hearted. But if he messes with me, I won’t let him off easy!"

Because of her family circumstances, Lin Wanning had once had no one to rely on. Her cold demeanor had been armor, a way to seem unapproachable.

But now, everything was different. She had her brother, her sister, her closest friends. She would never again fear those who sought to harm her or the people she loved.