"Then we'll be going now." Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning stepped out the door, turning back to glance at Hu Yuying and Long Aotian as they spoke softly. Though the subway was convenient, the trip would still take over twenty minutes, so they had to leave early. "Take care on your way." Watching the two girls disappear around the alley corner, Long Aotian finally pulled Hu Yuying back inside. Now that they were alone, Long Aotian naturally wanted to get closer to his little sweetheart. He wrapped his arms around her, and the two of them settled onto the recliner. The chair swayed gently from the motion. Nestled in Long Aotian's embrace, Hu Yuying tilted her head up, her smiling eyes meeting his. "Aren’t you afraid we’ll break this chair?" Breathing in her faint, sweet fragrance, Long Aotian kissed her forehead contentedly. "Even if it breaks, I’ll protect you. Worst case, you’ll just have to try out a human seat cushion." "No way!" Hu Yuying tapped her fingertip lightly between his brows. Hu Yuying stifled a laugh before rolling her eyes at him. "Warm, sure—but when the soft seat turns hard, things get a little too sweaty." The playful glare, paired with her delicate charm, was irresistibly alluring. It made Long Aotian want to tease her even more. Her body was too sensitive—just a few playful touches left her cheeks flushed, her eyes glazed with a dazed, watery shimmer that tugged at his heart. She quickly shook her head. "Long-ge, take me to school now." Long Aotian took a deep breath. "Alright." Hu Yuying felt like she was losing her mind. Whenever she was with Long-ge, her body always reacted in strange ways, making her lose control over her desires. But not now—she needed to cool down. Long Aotian felt the same. There was something about her—an inexplicable pull that drew him in. But once he got close, he couldn’t help but want to push down this soft, shy, and utterly adorable girl who looked so easy to tease... Sitting on the electric scooter, her arms wrapped around his waist, she could feel the heat radiating through his clothes. Resting her forehead lightly against his back, she murmured, "Long-ge, hold on a little longer, okay?" Hearing this, Long Aotian stiffened for a second before chuckling. "Do you really think I’m some kind of hormone-driven beast?" Hu Yuying shook her head at first, then hesitated and nodded uncertainly. The mixed response made him laugh. "Why the nod and then the shake?" She peeked at him before answering solemnly, "The old Long-ge definitely wasn’t ." "But the current Long-ge is like a powder keg—one wrong move, and Ah-Ying gets pushed down..." Long Aotian opened his mouth to protest, determined to reassert his dignity as the responsible one. But her next words left him red-faced with shame. "Plus, Long-ge keeps tricking me—once pretending we needed to shower together, three times pretending there were bugs, and last time faking a sprained ankle just to say you needed pain relief..." "Okay, okay, stop—" Then he realized something. "Wait, one of those bug incidents was with your consent! You even kicked the door shut yourself." ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅✦𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾✦𝗇𝖾𝗍 The moment the words left his mouth, silence fell behind him. Unable to see her directly, Long Aotian adjusted the rearview mirror with one hand. There she was—her face burning red with embarrassment. Their eyes met in the mirror, and both burst into laughter. "Long-ge, you’re the worst! You were the one who said you saw a bug and threatened to release a snake to kill it..." "Fine, fine, it’s all my fault." Long Aotian grinned, deciding not to tease her further—who knew how much redder her face could get? Before long, they arrived near A University. Long Aotian parked, removing her helmet and smoothing out her disheveled hair. "Text me when class is over." "Mm." She nodded obediently. Seeing him still watching her, she glanced around before quickly pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Be careful on your way back, Long-ge. I’m heading in now." After watching her disappear into the campus, Long Aotian turned the scooter around. Passing the subway entrance, he spotted a familiar figure—tall, fair-skinned, with long, straight black hair. "Wanning." Hearing his voice, Lin Wanning’s lips curved into a smile as she turned. "Brother, you’ve already brought Ah-Ying to school?" "You didn’t go back yet?" Lin Wanning explained, "I don’t have afternoon classes, so I just dropped Qingxue off first." "Hop on, I’ll take you home." Long Aotian patted the back seat. "Perfect timing—any later and you’d have been inside the subway." "Nothing is ever too late—just perfectly timed." Lin Wanning teased back. Sitting behind him, breathing in his familiar scent, she closed her eyes briefly, smiling to herself. "Hang on tight, we’re moving." Lin Wanning answered softly, her gaze lingering on his back. She tentatively reached out but couldn’t quite bring herself to wrap her arms around him. At a red light, Long Aotian braked. Lin Wanning, lost in thought, lurched forward from the sudden stop and instinctively clung to him to steady herself. For a split second, her fingers trembled, her grip tightening unconsciously. Snapping out of it, she exhaled shakily. "Y-yeah, just lost my balance. Don’t worry, Brother." Slowly, she loosened her hold on his waist—lingering just a moment longer—before finally settling for gripping the hem of his jacket. In that brief contact, an internal war raged inside her. A little white angel whispered, "If he rejects you, you might not even stay friends. Ah-Ying might distance herself too. Just keep things as they are—he’ll still treat you like a little sister." A little black devil scoffed, "Sister? Don’t kid yourself. If you don’t even try, you’ve already lost. Handcuff him, make it irreversible—would he really deny it then? Besides, you’re not asking for much. Just be careful, and Ah-Ying will never know." Lin Wanning glanced at the little devil and nodded. "You’re right." The dark thought took root in her mind, sprouting rapidly. As Long Aotian rode on, a sudden chill ran down his spine. He glanced around—no cars, no scammers, no danger in sight. He scratched his head. "Weird."