I Am Frugal and Capable

Hu Yuying bit her lower lip tightly, her eyelashes trembling slightly, as if she were a butterfly about to lose its wings and fall at any moment: "Long Aotian."

Long Aotian felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his body stiffening. Hu Yuying's tearful eyes inexplicably pierced his heart.

The moment he saw Hu Yuying's message, he could sense that something was off with her emotions.

But...

But... seeing Hu Yuying like this in person, Long Aotian immediately felt at a loss. He didn't know what to do.

Acting on instinct, he raised his hand, his warm fingertips gently wiping the corner of her eye: "It's okay, big bro is here. No one dares to bully you."

Hearing this, the emotions she had been trying to suppress suddenly broke through.

Seeing this, Long Aotian panicked. He didn't know whether to keep his hand on her cheek or pull it back.

In the end, he gently ruffled her hair, trying to calm her down.

"What's wrong? Don't cry. Your Long Aotian can't stand seeing girls cry. When you cry, I don't know what to do."

While feeling helpless, Long Aotian was also puzzled. Today was supposed to be the day the male and female leads met and got to know each other.

How had his little sidekick ended up so upset?

Hu Yuying shook her head. She first apologized to Long Aotian, then pursed her lips and said she was just in a bad mood, that it was really nothing.

For now, Hu Yuying just wanted to focus on tutoring Long Aotian properly.

Long Aotian had always been good to her, and she didn't want him to get into trouble because of her.

Besides, in Hu Yuying's heart, she would probably never forget how Long Aotian had been so smug and proud in class today.

He kept telling everyone he scored 318 on the test, clearly showing off but insisting he wasn't bragging.

She still had to tutor Long Aotian, and she didn't want some unreasonable people to affect them.

With the college entrance exams approaching, if Long Aotian stood up for her and confronted Ye Liangchen, it could lead to him getting a disciplinary record, being sent home for reflection, or even having his parents called in. None of that was what Hu Yuying wanted to see!

Besides, she had already pushed Ye Liangchen today, so she hadn't lost out.

Strictly speaking, she had even come out ahead.

The sadness was just because Ye Liangchen had spoken badly of Long Aotian.

Now, feeling Long Aotian comforting her, she was already feeling better.

Long Aotian looked at Hu Yuying. If she didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't press her.

"In life, apart from life and death, everything else is trivial. As long as the sun rises tomorrow, there's no hurdle that can't be overcome."

"If you feel wronged and want to talk, I'll listen. No matter how harsh the world is, with me, you can just be yourself."

Hearing this, Hu Yuying glanced at Long Aotian secretly, then quickly averted her gaze, lightly biting her red lip. A hint of indescribable joy crept into her heart.

["With me, you can just be yourself"]—this sentence sent ripples through her heart.

At the age when a girl's heart first stirs, she didn't yet understand the meaning of having a crush. She only felt her heart beating fast and a sense of happiness.

It was as if, as long as this person was in front of her, all her worries and unhappiness would be kept at bay, unable to get close to her.

Although Long Aotian didn't know why Hu Yuying had been in a bad mood, seeing her visibly more at ease now, he didn't press further.

Instead, he changed the subject: "What are we eating today?"

"Stir-fried noodles, tomato and egg stir-fried noodles," Hu Yuying said, pulling Long Aotian into the yard. "Long Aotian, go wash your hands. The noodles will be ready soon."

Watching Hu Yuying bustling about, Long Aotian couldn't help but chuckle. "This girl."

He wandered around the yard for a bit, then went into the living room.

Having come here every day recently, Long Aotian felt as comfortable as if he were at home. He poured himself a glass of water, then sprawled on the sofa, stretching lazily.

Soon, Hu Yuying came in carrying bowls: "Long Aotian, dinner's ready."

"Tomorrow, I'll take you out for something good," Long Aotian said between bites of noodles.

He had promised Hu Yuying earlier that if she made it into the top three of her grade, he'd treat her to something nice.

That way, she wouldn't complain that he was always just sweet-talking her.

"Eating at home is fine. Long Aotian, what do you want to eat? I'll make it for you," Hu Yuying said softly. "There's no need to go out. It's just a waste of money."

To Hu Yuying, the money spent on eating out could cover several meals at home.

And it wasn't any worse than eating out.

"If I'm treating you, just enjoy it."

Seeing Hu Yuying about to argue, Long Aotian cut her off: "Shut up. If you keep nitpicking, I'll really smack you!"

"It's not worth it," Hu Yuying muttered under her breath. She really felt it wasn't worth it.

For example, this stir-fried noodles. At a street vendor, a bowl would cost seven or eight yuan.

But she had only used two yuan's worth of noodles, two tomatoes, and three eggs. The total cost was less than five yuan, and she had made so much.

And if they were still hungry, there was more in the pot.

Eating out was more expensive, and they might not even get full.

Listening to Hu Yuying's soft muttering, Long Aotian found it both amusing and endearing.

Hu Yuying was great in every way, except she was too frugal.

Before his transmigration, Long Aotian thought he was quite thrifty, but this girl was even more so.

"I really can't with you. Whoever marries you in the future will definitely save a lot of money."

Hearing this, Hu Yuying bit her lip lightly, glanced at Long Aotian shyly, and then, mustering her courage, said softly: "I... I'm very frugal..."

As she spoke, her head lowered further, and her voice grew quieter: "And I'm also very hardworking..."

After saying this, she tensed up, her feet curling slightly. But all she saw was Long Aotian holding his plate, shoveling noodles into his mouth like there was no tomorrow. Unconsciously, her body relaxed.

After finishing his noodles, Long Aotian put the plate down: "What did you say just now? What time should I come over tomorrow?"

"N-nothing," Hu Yuying said, poking at her noodles with a hint of embarrassment. "I have something to do tomorrow morning..." She still had to work her part-time job.

"Then we'll meet in the afternoon," Long Aotian decided without hesitation.

After Hu Yuying finished eating, Long Aotian stayed for a while longer. As the sky grew darker, he got up to leave.

"Long Aotian, be careful on your way back," Hu Yuying said, seeing him off at the door and watching his retreating figure with concern.

"Go back inside," Long Aotian waved, soon disappearing at the end of the alley.

It wasn't far anyway, so he treated it as a post-dinner stroll.

Only when Long Aotian was completely out of sight did Hu Yuying lock the gate again.

She then ran back to her room, threw herself onto the bed, and buried her face in the blanket.

What had come over her earlier? How could she have said something like that? Thankfully, Long Aotian had been too busy eating to hear her, or he would have teased her again...

[Thank you for the gifts. I'm so grateful. You guys are amazing. Thank you, everyone. Sending hearts 0.0]