Like a Serious Adult

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.