Isn't This a Bit Too Ambiguous

As Ye Liangchen left, Long Aotian turned to Hu Yuying and asked, "Do you dislike him?"

It was rare for him to see Hu Yuying show such an expression toward someone, so he couldn't help but ask. It was as if caring for her had become second nature to him.

Hearing Long Aotian's question, Hu Yuying nodded gently. Even though Long Aotian often teased her, she still didn’t want to lie to him.

Long Aotian didn’t press for an explanation. He simply glanced at Ye Liangchen and made up his mind about something.

Hu Yuying quickly adjusted her mood. Today, she was out shopping and dining with Long Aotian, and she wanted to stay happy.

Soon, the shrimp dish they ordered arrived.

Seeing this, Hu Yuying quickly stood up, grabbed an apron from the shelf behind her, and walked over to Long Aotian.

"Long Aotian, put on the apron," she said.

Long Aotian was momentarily stunned.

To be honest, he had no idea that eating shrimp required wearing an apron. Even in his original world, Long Aotian had always dug in without any such precautions. After all, shrimp dishes were common there too...

Seeing Long Aotian’s confused expression, Hu Yuying’s eyes curved into little crescents as she suppressed a smile. She stepped closer and draped the apron around his neck.

"Long Aotian, hold out your arms," she instructed.

Long Aotian complied, extending his arms.

Hu Yuying carefully fastened the apron, ensuring it would protect his clothes from any splatters.

Being so close, Long Aotian caught the faint scent of Hu Yuying’s perfume. It was subtle but unmistakable, making him avert his gaze uncomfortably.

Hu Yuying’s hands slowed as she adjusted the apron. This was the first time she had actively gotten so close to Long Aotian.

Her heart raced.

She placed a hand over her chest, but the next moment, her breath hitched, and her eyes flickered before finally settling on Long Aotian’s profile.

Hearing Long Aotian’s heartbeat, which seemed even more frantic than her own, Hu Yuying felt as if a deer had just pranced across her heart. It was a mix of nervousness, warmth, and an indescribable sweetness that overwhelmed her.

She tried to steady her breathing, but in that moment, it felt as though she had forgotten how to breathe normally.

"Is... is it done?" Long Aotian asked, turning his head away as if casually inquiring. In truth, he was incredibly tense. His heart felt like it might burst out of his chest, and the faint fragrance lingering in the air made his palms sweat. He clenched his fists to suppress the surge of emotions.

This was too close, way too close... it felt awkward.

"It’s done," Hu Yuying replied softly.

Long Aotian exhaled a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. The atmosphere felt far too intimate...

Indeed, to an outsider, the two of them looked like a couple engaged in playful flirtation!

Gao Quan watched them with a dreamy expression, a wide grin plastered across his face. The interaction between Long Aotian and Hu Yuying was just too sweet—how could it be this sweet?

It wasn’t until Long Aotian and Hu Yuying returned to their seats to eat that Gao Quan reluctantly looked away. After all, staring at people while they ate was just too awkward.

But as soon as he turned back, he was startled.

Ye Liangchen was also watching Long Aotian and Hu Yuying, a smile on his face. Yet, as he smiled, two silent tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Brother Liangchen, are you okay?" Gao Quan asked.

Ye Liangchen shook his head without a word, tilting his head back to take a swig of beer.

"First bottle!" Ye Liangchen hiccuped, then muttered, "Who can love a heart that’s been broken? The taste of being alone... my love has already been buried."

His voice was loud enough, as if deliberately trying to catch Long Aotian and Hu Yuying’s attention.

Hu Yuying, however, was too focused on peeling shrimp for Long Aotian and didn’t hear him. Even if she had, she wouldn’t have paid any attention.

Long Aotian glanced at Ye Liangchen, his lips twitching in discomfort. He felt incredibly awkward, as if he could dig a hole in the ground with his toes. Didn’t Ye Liangchen feel any embarrassment at all?

The freshly cooked shrimp were drenched in sauce and still piping hot. Hu Yuying tried peeling one but kept burning her fingers.

Seeing her blow on her hands, Long Aotian couldn’t help but chuckle.

He put on a disposable glove with his left hand, picked up a shrimp with his right, and began peeling it with practiced ease, as if the heat didn’t bother him at all.

Soon, he placed the peeled shrimp on Hu Yuying’s plate.

Hu Yuying looked at the shrimp, then up at Long Aotian.

"What are you looking at? Eat it," he said.

As she ate the shrimp, Hu Yuying felt a strange warmth in her chest, and a faint smile crept onto her lips.

The shrimp tasted especially delicious—maybe because Long Aotian had peeled it for her. It just felt... different.

She decided to peel some for Long Aotian too, speeding up her movements.

After happily peeling a few, she noticed that her plate now had five or six more peeled shrimp.

"Long Aotian, you eat too," she said.

"I’m eating," Long Aotian replied absentmindedly, focused on peeling more shrimp.

"Long Aotian, open your mouth," Hu Yuying said, holding out a shrimp.

"Mm," Long Aotian complied.

"Long Aotian, let me wipe your sweat," Hu Yuying added.

"Huh?" Long Aotian looked up in surprise, only to find Hu Yuying leaning in with a damp tissue. The cool touch of the tissue against his warm skin felt refreshing.

As Hu Yuying leaned forward, her chest inadvertently came into Long Aotian’s line of sight.

"Pink... pink?" he muttered under his breath.

"What pink? Do you want to eat something pink?" Hu Yuying asked, not catching his words.

Long Aotian quickly shook his head. "Nothing."

Watching Long Aotian and Hu Yuying’s interactions, Ye Liangchen laughed through his tears, chugging his beer as if it were water.

It seemed like the only way to soothe his shattered heart.

Especially when he saw Hu Yuying feeding Long Aotian and wiping his sweat, Ye Liangchen felt utterly superfluous. His rationality slowly eroded by alcohol, he raised his glass and swirled the pale liquid inside. Without looking at Long Aotian or Hu Yuying, he said in a strange tone:

"It’s our final year of high school. If you truly care for each other, you shouldn’t be dating now. Studies are like rowing against the current—if you don’t move forward, you’ll fall behind. Even the top student isn’t exempt!"

Hu Yuying, who had been feeling blissful, shot a glare at Ye Liangchen. She wasn’t stupid—she understood the implication behind his words.

He was indirectly suggesting that Long Aotian was holding her back.

Nonsense! Long Aotian cared for her deeply and had never once negatively affected her studies.

Long Aotian didn’t even glance at Ye Liangchen. Instead, he calmly picked up a bottle of fruit beer.

Seeing this, Ye Liangchen’s eyes widened. He thought Long Aotian was about to smash the bottle over his head.

He instinctively ducked, preparing to protect himself.

But in his drunken state, he forgot he was sitting down. As he bent forward, his face slammed into the table.

*Thud!*

A cry of pain followed, and blood began to stream from his nose.