Hehehehehe

"Cheers!"

Raising their soda glasses, the four of them clinked their cups lightly. Hu Yuying and the other two exchanged smiles and took small sips.

Outside, the rain had stopped, replaced by fluttering snowflakes drifting down under the glow of the courtyard lights—truly a beautiful sight.

Long Aotian stood up to wipe the condensation off the window, giving the three a clearer view of the snowfall.

This was their first snow since arriving in Kyoto.

For the three of them, it held special significance.

Just a few days ago, they had been talking about snow, and now, here it was.

"Yuying, try this soup—I made it myself." Li Qingxue ladled a bowl for Hu Yuying. The pumpkin had simmered so long it had completely melted into the broth, rich and fragrant, with an oddly pleasant aroma.

"Let me tell you, sis, she’s been bragging about this soup nonstop since before you got back. I really want to pinch her cheeks—she’s so full of herself!" Lin Wanning said with a laugh.

"Keep talking, and I won’t give you any," Li Qingxue retorted, tilting the bowl she was about to hand Lin Wanning toward Long Aotian instead. "What if I give this to Long Aotian instead?"

Hearing this, Long Aotian wasn’t pleased. What was that supposed to mean?

If she wanted to give it to him, fine—but why phrase it like a threat?

"Ha ha ha!" Hu Yuying couldn’t hold back her laughter. The scene was just too amusing.

"Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you," Lin Wanning said, taking the bowl with a grin. She took a small sip, then dramatically gave Li Qingxue a thumbs-up. "Delicious!"

"Of course," Li Qingxue replied, her expression brimming with pride.

When they were together, they didn’t have to hold back—they could be their truest selves. That was why they were so happy.

"Since you helped bring sis home, I’ll give you a bowl too," Li Qingxue said, serving Long Aotian as well.

"Wow, look—the snow’s coming down harder now!" Lin Wanning pointed outside. "See how it looks under the lights?"

"If it keeps up like this, the ground will be covered by tomorrow, right?" Hu Yuying glanced at Long Aotian. "You have a competition tomorrow—will the snow affect it?"

"Nope." Long Aotian shrugged. "The school takes this sports meet pretty seriously."

"Dress warmly tomorrow. I’ll find you some extra layers." Hu Yuying always made sure to take care of Long Aotian in every little way—her "Long-ge" never looked after himself properly.

After dinner, Hu Yuying returned to her room and laid out Long Aotian’s clothes for the next day by his bedside.

Then she joined Lin Wanning and Li Qingxue in the courtyard, dancing in the snow.

It wasn’t really dancing—just joyful, carefree hopping as snowflakes landed on them.

"Lin Wanning, you have a competition tomorrow too—get inside now!" Long Aotian called out from the sidelines.

"And you two, check if your shoes are wet. Come in and dry them by the stove!"

Long Aotian scolded them relentlessly, but they knew it came from a place of care.

He always indulged them, rarely lecturing them—so when he did, they knew it was for their own good.

At his words, the three of them lined up and trooped back inside.

Seated by the stove, they warmed their shoes.

"I checked the weather—it’s supposed to snow all week. You can play as much as you want after tomorrow, but for now, behave!"

Long Aotian crossed his arms, exasperated.

The three exchanged glances. "Fine."

"But if the snow piles up, you have to build a snowman with us."

"Deal!"

"And we want to sleep together tonight!" Li Qingxue seized the moment to make another demand.

Long Aotian frowned. "That’s not a good idea. I have a competition tomorrow, and if we all—"

Before he could finish, the three of them chased him out of the sunroom.

......

"Tomorrow’s the T University sports meet—are you ready?"

Ye Liangchen looked solemnly at Xue Shaohua and Gao Quan.

Gao Quan still seemed uneasy. "Brother Liangchen, are you sure this plan will work? Pretending to be a waiter..."

Ye Liangchen nodded confidently.

"Long Aotian doesn’t know you, so you’re the perfect choice."

After much deliberation, this was the best plan he could devise.

Gao Quan was a fresh face—unknown to Long Aotian and everyone else.

All he had to do was serve Long Aotian a drink under the guise of a restaurant promotion. After that, his role was done.

If it succeeded and Long Aotian accepted his fate, Gao Quan would leave Kyoto without a trace.

If Long Aotian resisted, Gao Quan would take the fall—killed by Long Aotian, giving Ye Liangchen proof of murder. Either way, Long Aotian would be at his mercy.

No matter the outcome, Hu Yuying and the others would finally see Long Aotian’s true, violent nature—and remember how well Ye Liangchen had treated them.

This move was necessary.

Originally, it wouldn’t have been so complicated—but Shen Mengjie had betrayed him, forcing his hand.

Just thinking about it filled Ye Liangchen with fury.

If not for his foresight in bringing Gao Quan into the plan, he’d be at a loss.

"Gao Quan, don’t worry. All you have to do is place the drink in front of Long Aotian," Xue Shaohua reassured him. "Long Aotian has bullied us for too long. Don’t you want to help Brother Liangchen get justice?"

Gao Quan had seen firsthand how well Ye Liangchen treated him since he arrived in Kyoto. Surely, he’d be willing to help with something so simple.

And indeed, Gao Quan remembered Ye Liangchen’s kindness.

If this small favor could help him, why not?

It was just a drink. Once Long Aotian was drunk, Ye Liangchen would beat him up—nothing too extreme. A drunken Long Aotian wouldn’t even remember who did it.

"Brothers stand together. You know the situation—Long Aotian humiliated me in front of Qingxue. If I don’t get back at him, I’d be a coward!"

"I’ve got my whole future ahead of me. I’m not going to do anything reckless—just teach him a lesson, make him look like a fool in public."

Hearing this, Gao Quan nodded. "Alright. Is it this bottle of wine here?"

"Yes. I’ve mixed it myself—just alcohol and black tea."

The tea would make Long Aotian need the bathroom. They’d lie in wait there, and by the time the diluted ["See You Tomorrow"] kicked in...

Well. Heh heh heh...

If you can’t find the book by title, try searching the author—maybe it’s just been renamed!