Chapter 193: You Idiot, Let Go Already
“Why are you guys here?”
“Bro, we brought something to show you,” Lin Wan Ning grinned mischievously.
“What kind of—… cough, cough—what kind of thing?” Long Aotian was about to say, “What could be more exciting than high-altitude crane work?”
But when he saw the two tiny figures staring back at him with big grins, he quickly changed his tune.
Why “two tiny figures”? Because Long Aotian realized Li Qing Xue today seemed especially aloof. Since they were so familiar with each other, he could almost feel the mood swings like a cheery yoyo.
Li Qing Xue also noticed Long Aotian’s gaze and awkwardly turned her head aside.
People’s minds are a weird puzzle—hard to crack, often unpredictable.
At any moment, something—maybe the mood, maybe some event—can cause a switch, flipping thoughts on a dime.
Right now, Li Qing Xue was caught in such a mood whirlpool.
She could feel Long Aotian’s subconscious concern and Hu Yu Ying’s trust and kindness. Yet she was caught up in her own tangled emotions.
Yeah, her mind was a mess of knots. She kept overthinking everything, which just made things more complicated. Overanalyze, and suddenly joy turns into confusion.
Sometimes, Li Qing Xue wished Long Aotian wouldn’t be so nice to her.
“What’s wrong? Looks like you’re not in a good mood today. Are you hitting menopause early or something?”
That comment got Li Qing Xue to squint her beautiful eyes slightly. “Long! Aotian! You’re the one hitting menopause early—I’m only eighteen, okay? Still young and blooming like a flower!”
Long Aotian chuckled. “Alright, alright, you’re just like a flower.”
Li Qing Xue rolled her eyes but suddenly realized the earlier knots in her heart vanished in these few seconds of teasing banter.
Yes, completely gone.
Turns out, overthinking makes things complicated. Think less, be spontaneous, and emotions stay clear. Such a simple truth, yet so easy for people to overlook instantly.
Long Aotian looked at Li Qing Xue; the change in attitude was pretty obvious because she wasn’t the type to hold grudges or overanalyze.
After all, someone who loves sharing happiness isn’t fussing about every little mood swing, right?
“Looks like someone’s feeling a little crabby, huh? Come on, let’s go get some yummy food.”
“I’m NOT picky about food,” Li Qing Xue shot back defiantly.
“I never said you were. You just took it the wrong way—honestly, you’re good at that.”
“I’m going to strangle you…”
In just a few seconds, Li Qing Xue was both annoyed and giggling because Long Aotian’s antics were too much to resist.
Annoyed? Fake. Smiling? Totally genuine.
But, of course, she still didn’t get him to take her out for a feast.
He just rented a place and was goofily decorating, so pockets weren’t exactly overflowing with cash.
First, she showed Long Aotian the videos of the three of them shooting, along with their plans.
Long Aotian gave an approving thumbs-up.
“So, we’re going to borrow you to help us take some pics,” Li Qing Xue said, showing her proud “I came up with this” smile.
Seeing Long Aotian’s self-confidence, the little ones started to trust him more.
In his old world, Long Aotian’s happiest moment was chilling on the bed scrolling through some TikTok-like app.
Fixing horse hooves, cleaning carpets, and varied photo tricks—nothing fancy, just enough to look legit.
He wasn’t a master, but he was getting there.
He pulled out his phone with a grin. “Let me see if I can find the vibe.”
Of course, the little ones played along.
“Wait, really? Can Long Aotian from that angle take a good shot?” Li Qing Xue tilted her head, suspicious.
She often shot pictures but had never tried that angle. Something felt off.
“Of course you don’t trust my skills?” Long Aotian said, pouting. “Ready? On the count of one, two, three—eyes on the camera. Got it?”
Seeing his dead-serious face, the little ones nodded in agreement.
“1… 2… 3!”
“Ha!~” Long Aotian suddenly burst into laughter, then quickly masked his expression.
He got up, tall advantage in tow, tiptoeing and shooting at a slant from above.
That moment, even Li Qing Xue and Lin Wan Ning and Hu Yu Ying couldn’t help but wonder—are these “top-down” shots actually good?
After years, they’d learn a new term: The “d*ath Angle”.
“Are you laughing, Long Aotian?” Li Qing Xue asked, puzzled.
“Brother, why do you suddenly seem so weird?” Lin Wan Ning added.
Long Aotian waved dismissively. “Nothing, just remembering something funny.”
“Liar! I saw you giggle just now, and when I looked at you, you stopped right away,” Hu Yu Ying whispered, sensing something was off even from her usually obedient self.
Li Qing Xue shot her a glance—oh boy, if even Hu Yu Ying thinks something’s wrong, then it’s definitely not just her imagination!
“Let me see the photos,” Li Qing Xue demanded.
This wasn’t unreasonable.
But Long Aotian, with a serious face, pocketed his phone. “Enough warm-up. Now, we start shooting.”
“Wait, is Brother trying to distract us?” Hu Yu Ying asked cautiously, sensing he was in a mischievous mood today.
Suddenly, everyone snapped to attention.
Lin Wan Ning looked at him skeptically. “Earlier, I wondered why you burst into laughter after the count. Now give me an explanation?”
Long Aotian waved his hand impatiently. “Just trying to help, and you guys doubt me? Honestly, I’m hurt… Sigh~.”
He took a deep breath and looked at Li Qing Xue, who was frantically digging into her pocket. “What are you doing? Let go, dumbass!”
Li Qing Xue also sensed something was wrong. She swiftly withdrew her hand and stumbled back, eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Long Aotian.
“Stay here.”
Lin Wan Ning had secretly taken Long Aotian’s phone.
Her voice eased the awkward tension between Long Aotian and Li Qing Xue a bit.
Li Qing Xue lowered her head, clutching her clothes tightly, too afraid to look at Long Aotian. She swiftly moved closer to Lin Wan Ning and Hu Yu Ying.
Seeing the three distracted by the phone, Long Aotian finally couldn’t hold it anymore. He bent over, gasping exaggeratedly, his face a mix of confusion and disbelief.
When they looked at the photos on the phone, the three of them first stiffened, then their expressions faded into blankness before turning to look at Long Aotian together…
【Guess what Qing Xue caught!】
【Send some love—pretty please! Love you all!】
