Chapter 60: I Think I Slightly Understand Her
Seeing Hu Yu Ying remain silent, Long Ao Tian quietly asked, “What’s wrong?”
Hu Yu Ying still didn’t speak, just lowering her eyes and shaking her head secretly.
Long Ao Tian furrowed his brows slightly. Right now, Hu Yu Ying’s vibe was like a rewind to the first time they met—an insecure, gloomy girl stuck in a muddy pit.
“Lift your head.” Long Ao Tian’s voice suddenly sounded a bit louder.
Honestly, usually when Long Ao Tian speaks, he’s pretty gentle—a kind of soft, warm voice. But today? Nope, not so much. That kind of tone made not just Hu Yu Ying, but even Li Qing Xue shriek and shiver a little.
When Long Ao Tian’s voice reached her ears, Hu Yu Ying clutched her clothes tightly with her fingers. That’s her nervous tic when she’s anxious.
But obediently, she lifted her head.
“I really can’t stand your self-doubt, gloomy face… It’s like you’ve tasted life’s every bitter trick, like you’re some… some sad soul,” Long Ao Tian said candidly.
In her previous world, she was a big bro—clawed her way up from the bottom, endured life’s brutalities. She had faced pressure, took social knocks, and still, she kept going.
Nothing in this world is insurmountable.
If there is a hurdle, you just gotta find a way to cross over it.
Hardship is dead; people are alive. There’s always a shortcut out.
Suffering is mortal, but people still breathe. There’s always a solution.
Long Ao Tian didn’t deny Hu Yu Ying’s hardships in her former life. That’s why she deserved to enjoy life’s beauty even more now. She must love herself more fiercely than anyone else.
He shot her a half-annoyed look, then lightly tapped her head. “Your smile is really pretty. Now, give me a smile.”
Hu Yu Ying stared at Long Ao Tian, stunned. She didn’t know how to react for a moment.
“What are you looking at? Sometimes I really want to punch you to d*ath!”
Hu Yu Ying finally chuckled; it was a sincere, contagious kind of laugh that could brighten the people around her.
Li Qing Xue blinked her pretty eyes, a little confused. She was thinking, You’re about to get punched, yet you’re still smiling? Weird.
But she didn’t realize her own lips, subtly turning upward, actually looked really good.
“So, what’s really wrong?” Long Ao Tian asked.
Hu Yu Ying lowered her eyes, looking a bit unsure. “It’s nothing, I just feel like I didn’t perform very well.”
Hearing this, Long Ao Tian sighed. “Thought something serious happened? Just this once, huh? Next time you slack off on a test again, I’ll K you!”
“Got it, Long Ge. I’ll try to do better.”
Sss—an exasperated gasp sounded nearby.
Long Ao Tian looked up and saw only a chubby guy being dragged into the bathroom.
Not recognizing him, he looked away.
But Li Qing Xue, who saw the guy too, her eyes flickered with suspicion. That chubby guy was Gao Quan!
“All right, go back now. Wait for me at the classroom door at noon. I’ll come find you.”
This seemingly caring words somehow quieted Hu Yu Ying’s mood a lot.
“Mm.”
“Remember, you’re my little sidekick, my junior teacher. I got your back. Stop putting on that gloomy old lady face. I want to see you smile now, and I want to keep seeing it in the future.”
Watching Hu Yu Ying walk back to Class 1, Li Qing Xue whispered, “Are you really gonna punch her? Don’t bully girls, Long Ao Tian.”
Long Ao Tian shot her a quick glance. “I’ll punch you instead.”
Li Qing Xue tilted her head, a sly smile tugging at her lips. “Liar—you’re not really gonna punch girls, right?”
“You’re good to Hu Yu Ying, after all,” Long Ao Tian stated plainly.
“Yep.” Li Qing Xue didn’t deny it. Instead, she looked toward where Hu Yu Ying disappeared, her voice calm but carrying an emotion that Li Qing Xue didn’t quite understand. “Because… I understand her a little.”
“What?” Li Qing Xue asked instinctively.
“Sadness.”
That feeling right now? Li Qing Xue couldn’t quite get it. If she went to college, entered society, experienced scheming, and thorny battles, maybe someday she’d understand what Long Ao Tian meant by “sadness.”
“Understanding her—that’s a sad thing,” Long Ao Tian’s voice was so quiet Li Qing Xue almost didn’t catch it.
…..
Meanwhile, inside the bathroom.
Gao Quan gritted his teeth, rubbing his palms, which still bore a visible mark from someone’s teeth.
“Bro Chen, why did you bite my hand?” Gao Quan asked, pouting.
Ye Liang Chen leaned against the bathroom wall, looking up at the ceiling, seemingly trying to hide inner grief.
What did he see just now?
He saw Li Qing Xue standing beside Long Ao Tian.
He saw Long Ao Tian slap Hu Yu Ying on the head…
It hurt. No, it was like his heart got torn into a thousand pieces in that instant.
He couldn’t hold back and wanted to rush out to protect Hu Yu Ying and punch Long Ao Tian.
But he couldn’t.
Because his sudden appearance had made Long Ao Tian feel threatened, igniting Long Ao Tian’s wicked possessiveness.
That’s why Long Ao Tian forced Hu Yu Ying…
If Long Ao Tian saw him helping Hu Yu Ying now, what would happen?
Let’s be clear: Ye Liang Chen wasn’t really afraid of Long Ao Tian.
Even though he looked like he was only eighteen, he’d been reborn with the soul of a twenty-eight-year-old.
So how could he truly fear Long Ao Tian?
It’s not that he’s afraid, but Hu Yu Ying? She might be.
He didn’t want his presence to cause Hu Yu Ying to be bullied by Long Ao Tian’s possessiveness.
“I’m fine, Quan, don’t ask. I just want to be alone,” Ye Liang Chen said, closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, then slowly exhaling.
He patted Gao Quan’s shoulder. “Sorry, I lost myself for a moment earlier!”
Gao Quan was still a bit angry but, hearing this, could only ask helplessly, “Why did you bite me? That hurts so much.”
“I know. I’m afraid of pain too.” Ye Liang Chen peeked out to check the corridor. Since class was about to start, there weren’t many people left.
“Let’s go. Let’s head back,” he said, leading the way out.
Passing by Class 6, Ye Liang Chen looked inside through the window at Li Qing Xue.
“Things are starting to get interesting. I don’t know if you’re trying to use Long Ao Tian to get to me or what!”
“But one day, when you discover Long Ao Tian is really just a trashy guy full of violence deep down, I’ll be waiting for you to come crying to me!”
“When that day comes, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
After saying this softly, Ye Liang Chen shot a fierce glare at Long Ao Tian through the window.
“You better watch out. After this exam, it’ll be the moment where I and the treasure girl finally meet!”
“But this time, I’ve decided I won’t be nice anymore. I’ll ruin your reputation and make sure you wish you could d*e but can’t, shame you to the max!”
“You wanna fight me? Don’t forget—I’m reborn. I have resources you can’t even imagine!”
And with that, he vanished into the corridor, eyes burning with intent.
