Seeing that both of them were looking at him, he naturally didn't know what Long Aotian and Hu Yuying were thinking, and simply assumed they still didn't believe him.
So, he took out a photo album from his backpack.
Because it felt so familiar in his memory, he quickly found the corresponding photos.
"Take a look," he said.
The people in the photos appeared to be around the same age as the two of them.
The boy had a sunny smile, and the girl looked sweet and shy.
In the photo, their eyes were fixed on each other, filled with tenderness and love.
The second photo showed the two of them embracing sweetly.
The happiness and joy on their faces were so vivid that even just looking at the photo could move someone deeply.
In the background of these two photos,
a bluestone brick stood out prominently.
[Student Chen, I love you.]
[Student Su, I love you too.]
Looking at these two photos, Hu Yuying couldn't help but instinctively compare them to the two photos she held in her hand.
A faint smile curved her lips, sweet and gentle.
She still thought that she and Long Aotian looked better in their photos.
Although [Student Chen and Student Su also looked lovely], Hu Yuying just felt that she and Long Aotian looked even better.
"Long Aotian, can I have these photos?" Hu Yuying asked softly.
She really, really, really liked these two photos.
"If you like them, take them," Long Aotian said after glancing at the photos.
That old guy, gotta admit, he took pretty good photos.
"Thank you," Hu Yuying said happily, clutching the photos to her chest.
"Such a silly smile."
Hu Yuying turned her back to Long Aotian. "It's not silly, I'm just happy."
......
When Hu Yuying returned home,
she immediately and carefully tucked the photos into one of her books.
But not long after, she took them out again.
Looking at the photos of herself and Long Aotian, Hu Yuying couldn't help but study Long Aotian's expression in the photo.
Especially since their hands were intertwined in the photo, she lightly touched her little finger, her heartbeat quickening, her breathing becoming faster, and her cheeks gradually warming up.
After a long while, this pure and kind-hearted girl finally realized that this was what it felt like to have a crush, and she also came to understand that even someone like her could feel this way...
At that moment, she simply felt an overwhelming sense of joy, her lips curling into an uncontrollable smile, and her heart seemed to overflow with sweetness, like honey.
But suddenly, she remembered the words Long Aotian had said to her, and the smile in Hu Yuying's eyes gradually dimmed.
"We're all moving in the same unchanging direction..."
"And I still owe you a set of clothes. You said you'd chase me to the ends of the earth to punch me."
Taking a deep breath, Hu Yuying took out her phone and snapped a picture of the photo.
It was a bit blurry; compared to the actual photo, the image taken by her smartphone was still somewhat unclear.
She carefully put the photo away, as if it were truly precious to her.
From under her bed, she pulled out a metal box.
Opening it, she found the money she had saved over the years.
There were both small bills and coins.
From the very beginning, Hu Yuying had known her goal, and she had been working hard toward it without ever slacking off.
Though there had been moments of brief confusion,
Long Aotian's words had ultimately made her even more determined.
This was the result of her years of hard work, and it also carried the expectations of her grandparents and Long Aotian.
"After the college entrance exams, I'll have more time to work part-time and save up for tuition," she said.
With that, she placed the book containing the photos into the metal box.
She forgot about cooking, sitting alone in her room, in this small courtyard, occasionally glancing at the photo on her phone, occasionally playing with her bunny plushie...
At least for this moment, loneliness stayed away from her...
......
Long Aotian, lying on his bed lost in thought, felt his phone vibrate.
Hu Yuying: [Photo X2]
"Silly girl!" Long Aotian chuckled, looking closely at the photos Hu Yuying had sent. Unconsciously, a smile spread across his face.
He saved the photos.
Then he replied: [Have you eaten yet?]
[Not yet, I'm not hungry.]
Actually, that wasn't true. It was just that with Long Aotian not around, she didn't know what to cook, so she decided to make do with whatever was available.
It had been like this before, so it was fine.
[Eat something. You're already so light and thin; I'm afraid a gust of wind might really blow you away.]
The last time he had pulled Hu Yuying at school, she had felt so light.
[If I get blown away, I'll just find my way back. I'm not scared.]
[You're quite something, huh.]
Reading this message, Hu Yuying hugged her phone and lay back on the bed. "That's because I have a really amazing big brother."
She rolled over once, then switched to her photo album and browsed for a while. As time passed, it was already bedtime, but Hu Yuying felt no sleepiness at all.
Similarly, Long Aotian was also wide awake.
He was thinking about what Li Qingxue had said earlier that day, as well as Hu Yuying's little actions.
Hu Yuying was indeed very good to him. Around her, he never had to worry about anything; she always took care of everything so well.
She—was really good, truly, truly good, so gentle, so kind...
......
On Sunday afternoon, they returned to school.
As soon as they entered the classroom, Long Aotian sent Hu Yuying away.
By now, Hu Yuying had already integrated well into the group.
Long Aotian no longer had to worry about her.
Taking a deep breath, he also began his own journey of self-improvement.
Meanwhile, Hu Yuying, standing amidst the small group, couldn't take her eyes off Long Aotian, who sat alone at the very back of the classroom.
Finally, when the first self-study session ended,
Hu Yuying was about to say something, but Long Aotian stood up and walked out of the classroom.
By the time Long Aotian returned, the bell for the next class had already rung.
"Long Aotian, did I do something wrong?" Hu Yuying asked softly.
"Why would you say that?" Long Aotian looked at Hu Yuying, amused.
In truth, Hu Yuying didn't know why she had said that, but she could sense that Long Aotian was different now.
Before, Long Aotian had always been playful, treating her like a child and teasing her.
He liked seeing her get angry or happy, and she wasn't stupid—she could feel it.
But ever since Saturday, Long Aotian had stopped teasing her.
He had become more serious, like an adult.
She couldn't quite describe how she felt, but it wasn't a good feeling.
So, she mustered her courage and shamelessly asked Long Aotian.
"You're fine. Don't be so silly, always taking responsibility for everything. I'm really worried you might get taken advantage of someday," Long Aotian said, gently tapping Hu Yuying on the head and then ruffling her hair.

young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."

ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!

e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.

ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】