Upon hearing this and seeing the look of self-doubt on Hu Yuying's face, Long Aotian seemed to sense something and glanced at her feet.
Feeling Long Aotian's gaze, Hu Yuying's insecurities grew stronger. "I-I'm sorry, Brother Long," she murmured, biting her lip before turning to leave.
Her heart ached. She had finally gotten the chance to go shopping and have a meal with Brother Long...
"Ah—" Hu Yuying let out an involuntary gasp as she felt herself being lifted by a strong force, startling her.
Long Aotian hoisted her onto his shoulder. "What are you screaming for?"
"Daring to stand me up? You’ve got some nerve."
"N-no, Brother Long, it’s not like that... Please put me down..." Hu Yuying, now perched on Long Aotian's shoulder, felt a mix of fear and excitement, but what she couldn't stand the most were the amused glances from the people around her.
So many people were looking their way because of Brother Long's actions. It was so embarrassing...
Long Aotian gave her bottom a light slap. "Quiet down."
Hu Yuying's body stiffened, her cheeks instantly flushing red, her breathing becoming uneven.
The sensation on her bottom... it was so, so humiliating...
She felt too ashamed to face anyone, covering her face with her hands, but she obediently stopped struggling, letting Long Aotian carry her forward.
After the slap, Long Aotian himself paused, realizing he had acted on impulse.
The lingering sensation on his palm left him flustered, his body slightly stiffening. Unconsciously, his ears turned red, and even the hand that had slapped her was now slightly damp with sweat.
He cleared his throat. "That’s what you get for not listening." It sounded like a feeble excuse for his sudden action...
The basement level of the mall was the clothing district, and Long Aotian immediately took Hu Yuying to the women's clothing and shoe section.
Hu Yuying, still reeling from the slap, didn’t dare to resist and let Long Aotian lead her to the clothing area.
Her hands were clenched tightly in nervousness.
Once they arrived, Long Aotian crouched down and set Hu Yuying on her feet.
As their eyes met for a brief moment, Hu Yuying's gaze sparkled with emotion.
The moment her feet touched the ground, she quickly turned away, afraid he might see her flushed face. She bit her lip, her heart pounding uncontrollably in her chest.
All she could hear was the thumping of her own heartbeat. Hu Yuying felt both shy and nervous, worried that Long Aotian might hear it too.
Just as Long Aotian called over a shop assistant, Hu Yuying finally snapped out of her daze. "Brother Long."
"Quiet."
"No, Brother Long, I have plenty at home..."
"One more word, and I’ll make sure you can’t even crawl away!"
Hu Yuying glanced at the price tag on the shoes and muttered softly, "So expensive."
"My treat, you cheapskate," Long Aotian said with a chuckle.
But the price on the tag still lingered in Hu Yuying's mind. "Rip-off," she whispered.
"What are you mumbling about? Sit down!"
Hu Yuying sat down on the shoe bench, her head lowered. "With this price, I could buy two pairs of shoes back in my hometown..."
Then, while the shop assistant was searching for the shoes, Hu Yuying gently tugged on Long Aotian's pants. "Maybe I should just get a pair of slippers. They’re the most comfortable anyway."
Summer slippers were cheap, and even in a mall like this, Hu Yuying could afford them herself.
"Are you done yet?"
"I don’t want Brother Long to spend money on me," Hu Yuying said softly, her gaze shrinking back.
"Still talking? Want me to hit you?" Long Aotian raised his fist, and Hu Yuying immediately sat back down on the bench, glancing at him timidly before quickly looking away.
When the clerk brought over the shoes, Long Aotian looked at Hu Yuying. "Are you going to take them off yourself, or should I do it for you?"
Hu Yuying wanted to say something, but seeing Long Aotian's gaze, she relented. "I-I’ll do it myself."
The clerk couldn’t help but laugh at their interaction. "Your boyfriend is buying you something. Why are you so shy?"
Ever since Long Aotian had carried her over, they had attracted quite a bit of attention.
"Huh?" Hu Yuying was stunned for a moment, then quickly waved her hands at the clerk, trying to explain. But the word "boyfriend" left her mind blank, unable to form a coherent thought.
She opened her mouth, but all that came out was the sound of her pounding heartbeat.
"We’re classmates," Long Aotian explained.
Hearing this, Hu Yuying glanced at Long Aotian, then looked down at her canvas shoes.
“Oh, I see. You two seem really close,” the shop assistant said with a light laugh, noticing Hu Yuying’s flushed face and Long Aotian’s slightly reddened ears. She didn’t press further.
Instead, she took out the shoes from the box. "Do you like this style? It’s the latest arrival. I haven’t even had the chance to display them yet. What’s your shoe size?"
Hu Yuying glanced at Long Aotian before answering, "Size 37."
Soon, the sales clerk brought over the two latest pairs of shoes.
Hu Yuying reluctantly took off her own shoes.
Her small feet were clad in black high socks, which weren’t noticeable under her pants.
But now, with her pants rolled up, the contrast between the black socks and the white shoes felt oddly mismatched.
"Give us two pairs of socks, the ankle ones," Long Aotian said.
The shop assistant didn’t hesitate and went to fetch them, understanding the implication: "I’ll take both pairs of shoes."
"Do I need to change the socks too?" Hu Yuying asked softly, her cheeks still flushed.
"Yeah," Long Aotian replied, and Hu Yuying didn’t ask further. At least the socks were complimentary.
When the clerk returned with a white and a pink pair of small socks, Hu Yuying took them and began removing her own socks.
As the socks came off, Hu Yuying instinctively looked up at Long Aotian, who quickly turned his head away, pretending nothing had happened.
But Hu Yuying was certain she heard him swallow hard.
Long Aotian cleared his throat, his mind flashing with fleeting thoughts...
...Damn it...
As Hu Yuying looked away, Long Aotian turned his head back.
Feeling his gaze, Hu Yuying lowered her eyes and bit her lip, feeling utterly embarrassed. Yet... besides the shyness, there was another emotion quietly spreading in her heart...
The ankle socks were small, only reaching her heels. Once she put on the shoes, the socks were neatly hidden, making her look more polished and stylish.
[Edited, some descriptions removed, but it shouldn’t affect the reading experience. Hope it doesn’t bother the readers...]
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
