Chapter 196: Is He Just My Brother or a Lover?
Seeing Hu Yu Ying like that, Li Qing Xue couldn’t help but smile.
She wasn’t laughing at finally being able to chase after Dragon Brother without messing up her friendship.
No, she was laughing because she finally understood why Dragon Brother constantly dotes on Hu Yu Ying.
Turns out, a person truly worth being good to is someone who doesn’t expect anything in return.
“Yu Ying, we’ll be best friends forever, right?” Li Qing Xue gently hugged Hu Yu Ying and softly asked.
“Of course, we’ll be best friends forever.” Hu Yu Ying could feel Li Qing Xue’s emotions—nothing fancy, just a sincere promise of forever friendship.
Suddenly, Hu Yu Ying’s delicate body trembled lightly, her face flushing as she softly said, “Qing Xue, can you please take your hand off my b*tt? We’re outside, you know.”
“Nooo, I won’t! Your body’s so soft and squishy—it feels soooo good.”
“I’ll grab you, then.”
“Oh my god—”Li Qing Xue shivered for a moment. “Ying, if only you were a guy, I’d marry you right this instant!”
Hu Yu Ying chuckled, lifting her gaze to the sky. If she were a guy, would someone like her—so timid—actually be loved?
It was Dragon Brother who changed her. Without him, how unfortunate would she have been?
Dragon Brother was the best—the absolute best in the world—so she was more than happy to wish him happiness.
That was her way of respecting Dragon Brother.
She gently patted Qing Xue on the back.
Actually, when she first learned Qing Xue liked Dragon Brother, she panicked a little too.
Now, the reason she could calmly tell Qing Xue all this was because Dragon Brother’s heart told her—it too once beat fiercely for her.
That was enough. No matter how it ends, it had at least once made her heart race.
Three days later, the university’s first long break arrived.
That afternoon.
Li Qing Xue arrived at a cozy café outside campus.
“Here,” Lin Wan Ning waved her over as soon as she saw Li Qing Xue walk in.
Seeing Lin Wan Ning, Li Qing Xue let out a light laugh, then gracefully approached her.
Lin Wan Ning supported her chin with one hand, her eyes crinkling in a smile as she looked at Li Qing Xue. Compared to their last encounter, Qing Xue had gone through quite the transformation.
That change was hard to describe—basically, she had a new vibe now; it was in her attitude.
“Feel like you’ve changed a lot these days,” Lin Wan Ning softly said.
Li Qing Xue nodded without hiding it. Yeah, how couldn’t she change?
Whenever she faced Dragon Brother, her heart would flutter.
Whenever she faced Hu Yu Ying, guilt would creep in.
But all that evaporated the moment she talked to Hu Yu Ying that afternoon.
Her mood cleared, and her whole aura was different now.
“Qing Xue, do you also like Dragon Brother?” Lin Wan Ning asked directly because Qing Xue nodded.
She’s straightforward and hates beating around the bush. Plus, she’s a good friend, so she just asked outright.
“Yeah, I like him. How could I not like a guy like that?”
Qing Xue’s honesty surprised Lin Wan Ning a bit.
She couldn’t help but laugh slightly. “Just as I thought.”
“Exactly. Someone like him, after interacting with him, how could you not develop feelings?”
Qing Xue looked at Lin Wan Ning in surprise. “Could you too?”
“Mmm, so I wanted to meet you.”
In Dragon Brother’s story, Hu Yu Ying was his first-ever friend—together they helped, rescued, and shared a bond heavier than theirs.
Hu Yu Ying and Li Qing Xue are both my friends. I don’t want to see a rift form between them.
So today, I came to talk to Li Qing Xue.
Why her and not Hu Yu Ying? Because Hu Yu Ying is the most important person to Dragon Brother—Lin Wan Ning can see that.
But today, it seemed she was overthinking. Qing Xue’s in a good state, and that weird mood from that day didn’t continue.
During their chat, Qing Xue shared everything she said to Hu Yu Ying that afternoon.
After hearing it, Lin Wan Ning pursed her lips and smiled. “Hu Yu Ying is really wonderful, no wonder Brother says she’s someone very important.”
“Really? What did Dragon Brother say?” Qing Xue was still a bit curious.
“Earlier I asked him if he had a girlfriend. He said not yet, but there’s someone who’s extremely important to him.”
“Although he didn’t say exactly who that person was, I could tell—he meant Hu Yu Ying.”
Qing Xue sipped her coffee and tentatively asked, “If you know Dragon Brother already has someone important in his heart, why do you still like him?”
This puzzle was unsolvable, at least for now—Lin Wan Ning couldn’t give a definitive answer.
Just like Qing Xue, why did she like Dragon Brother in the first place?
She watched Lin Wan Ning shake her head and pressed on playfully. “So, what do you think?”
“Very simple—being with Dragon Brother makes me happy. It gives me this indescribable sense of security.”
“If I could become his boyfriend, I’d treasure him forever. If not, he’s my brother, and that’s forever.”
Qing Xue narrowed her eyes, leaning forward. “Is he just my brother, or a lover?”
Lin Wan Ning was caught off guard. Her fair cheeks blushed instantly.
Thoughts flashing back to their kiss—a girl’s first kiss is unforgettable. Many say the power of that white moonlight hurts deeply. It’s not a joke.
Meeting a boy you like at the most beautiful age is a wonderful thing—so much so that, even years later, you might quietly get a flutter when recalling it.
“Don’t lie to me; I’m a legendary lie detector,” Qing Xue teased.
Hearing that—
Lin Wan Ning lowered her gaze, whispering softly, “If he wants me, I’d give…”
“Wow!” Qing Xue stared at her in shock. “Turns out, the colder someone looks, the more secretly rebellious they are—that’s so true!”
Honestly, the fact that Lin Wan Ning could openly admit her true feelings told Qing Xue that, in some ways, Hu Yu Ying was even more important to Dragon Brother than she was.
And that’s why Lin Wan Ning was so candid with her.
Feeling sad? Nope.
Just like she said, being together is better. Not being together isn’t the end of the world—being good friends is fine too.
Just like Hu Yu Ying always said, she only wishes him happiness—that’s all.
Lin Wan Ning looked at Qing Xue. “And you?”
Qing Xue wrinkled her nose. “Not gonna tell you.”
“I already said, and you still refuse to tell me? That’s unfair.” Lin Wan Ning reached out, tickling Qing Xue.
Qing Xue quickly protected her body. “I’m not afraid of being tickled.”
In the next second, her body shuddered. “No! Don’t tickle me there—my skin will break!”
“Then tell me, or I’ll keep tickling you.”
Qing Xue’s face turned pink, her eyes a little dreamy. “If it’s Dragon Brother… then maybe not impossible…”
