Chapter 76: Now Everyone Knows How to Play the Doting Kid Card
Seeing the bl**d, Hu Yuying was startled out of her wits—like she’d just seen a ghost or stepped on a landmine.
Meanwhile, Dragon Brother (aka Long Aotian), who had just poured himself a soda, caught sight of her reaction and furrowed his brow—seriously, he looked like he was about to lecture a puppy. He casually raised a hand to shield Hu Yuying’s eyes.
In a gentle voice meant to soothe a frightened kitten, he said, “It’s okay, don’t be scared.”
Hearing Long Aotian’s refined and gentle tone, Hu Yuying’s heart instantly stabilized—like someone just flipped a switch from “panic mode” to “zen.”
It was as if, with Long Aotian around, she could suddenly become a fearless hero—like a heroine in a blockbuster, dodging bullets without breaking a sweat.
Feeling the warmth from Long Aotian’s palm, Hu Yuying quietly cracked open her eyes.
Her eyelashes fluttered, brushing lightly against Long Aotian’s hand, tickling her. She instinctively pulled her hand back slightly—just enough to keep her eyelashes from tickling his palm, while also blocking her view.
As Long Aotian withdrew his hand, Hu Yuying saw that his palm was bright red.
Still radiating heat, it looked like he’d just touched something scalding—probably that steaming lobster she was eating earlier, right?
Sliding her gaze down, she looked at her own hand.
Yeah, she’d been scalded too, leaving a red mark just like his.
“Brother Dragon, shall we go now?” she said, grabbing his finger. Honestly, they’d finished eating most of the meal anyway. Might as well pack the leftovers so her big bro could have some stew for dinner.
She didn’t want to stay here anymore—just afraid she’d ruin his mood.
But fate had other plans.
Gripping Long Aotian’s finger, feeling its warmth, Hu Yuying pressed her hand back against his to cool it down.
“Let’s go,” Long Aotian said softly, patting her hand gently, like he was helping a tiny bird onto its first flight—very reassuring.
In his mind, Hu Yuying was just a little girl—timid, shy, probably too cautious.
He always thought she was a bit scaredy-cat, actually.
When she heard he agreed to leave, Hu Yuying hurriedly broke free and ran toward the front desk.
She’d only taken two steps before she felt a big hand grab the back of her neck.
“Think you can sneer at your Big Bro Dragon, huh?”
Hu Yuying looked up at him, softly shaking his arm like a little kitten, her big sparkling eyes filled with fake innocence. Long hair draped over her shoulders, looking pure and fresh—literally a textbook girl next door.
Long Aotian almost blurted out something, but… nope, he swallowed it.
“You, you—now you’ve learned how to play the adorable young lady too?”
Seeing him silent, Hu Yuying’s face blossomed into a bright, radiant smile, like she was all sunshine.
Only around Long Aotian could she show such happiness.
Watching that grin, Long Aotian shifted his gaze awkwardly—uncomfortable like a cat caught in the act. He tapped her forehead with a finger, giving it a gentle push.
“Big Bro Dragon’s invitation to hang out doesn’t come with the rule that the girl pays, so go pack your stuff. We’re heading back.”
All along, neither of them had paid any attention to Ye Liangchen—they practically pretended he wasn’t there.
This cold shoulder was worse than a punch in the gut.
Ye Liangchen covered his nose, watching their backs walk away, feeling like he’d just been suffocated.
Honestly, if Long Aotian had scolded him a little, he wouldn’t even feel this bad.
Being ignored like this, more than being slapped could ever be—at least then he’d feel like they were on equal footing.
But now, he just felt like a clown on a stage, being ignored, acting out a joke nobody laughs at.
Clenching his fists tightly, he vowed: “Long Aotian, today’s humiliation, I will pay you back a hundredfold someday!”
“Brother Chen, Long Aotian didn’t do anything; it was all your own bl**d that made you hit your nose,” Gao Quan whispered.
Ye Liangchen snapped around, glaring at him.
“What do you know? If Long Aotian hadn’t scared me, would I have slammed into my nose so hard?”
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He whipped out his phone.
“Quick, get ready to take a picture!”
While he was busy striking a pose and making a scene, Long Aotian and Hu Yuying had already descended the stairs.
“Big Brother,” Hu Yuying’s voice was soft as she looked down at her skirt and shoes.
“Mmhm,” Long Aotian replied, noncommittally.
“Thanks, Brother, for buying me clothes and shoes today. I really like them—but… but… I want to give you some more time. I want to buy you clothes and shoes too,” she blurted out, gathering all her courage.
Hu Yuying thought about it—she constantly felt she owed Long Aotian. Whenever she ate that cheap, ten-yuan meal in the cafeteria, she’d feel guilty.
Now, she was wearing clothes worth hundreds of yuan—how could she not?
She always had her own secret savings; those were her hard-earned coins, saved little by little to pay for her college tuition.
Coming from a rural background, studying was her only way out.
Her parents gone, grandparents old, she was the only one she could rely on.
That’s why she never gave up, even when bullied.
As Li Qingxue said, she studied hard to be responsible for her own life.
And Hu Yuying’s efforts were entirely for herself.
“Alright. After the college entrance exam, when you have some money, get a nice set of clothes for Big Bro Dragon. He’s pretty picky,” Long Aotian said, understanding her feelings well.
He knew if he refused, Hu Yuying would feel guiltier.
But if he agreed, she’d feel at ease and lighter.
That strange feeling—maybe everyone’s experienced it—like suddenly having a goal, an expectation bright in the distance.
“You’re not afraid I’ll renege later, run away after the exam, and leave Big Bro Dragon out in the cold?” she asked, blinking, honestly feeling how nice it was to be trusted.
“Don’t worry. If you dare to run, I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth and beat you up!” Long Aotian joked. “Scared?”
Hu Yuying shrank her neck.
“Yeah, I’m scared.”
“Good. Then study hard. Make money in the future, and have your clothes tailored just for me!”
“Alright, shall we head home and study now?”
Long Aotian paused, then said, “Actually, I think studying should be relaxed—breaks are important. Maybe easing up a bit will help you learn better.”
Boys are naturally playful. Still, there’s that saying: Men are forever boys.
That’s pretty much Long Aotian right now—like a wild horse that’s just been freed.
It’s a common scene: “Someone looking at a table full of delicious food, then resolutely says, ‘I want to lose weight, so I’ll start after I finish this meal.’”
“After school on Friday, wanting to go to the internet café, but seeing classmates studying hard, then saying, ‘Next week I’ll also work on studying properly.’”
“Nope, Big Bro Dragon, you have to study hard too,” Hu Yuying said seriously about her own studies.
She grabbed Long Aotian’s arm, tugging him back toward home.
At that moment, Hu Yuying was like a bridle on a wild stallion—no matter how unruly, now she’s holding the reins, making him go where she wants.
