Chapter 204: Teaching You How to Be Thick-Skinned Without Making You Look Ungenuine
After buying the groceries, on the way home,
Hu Yu Ying still chose to obediently stick close to Dragon Brother. The sky was gradually darkening, a gentle breeze blew up her long hair, and her ears already looked like they were blushing bright red.
She occasionally lifted her gaze to sneak a peek at Dragon Brother, a ridiculously adorable smile spreading across her face.
Dragon Brother didn’t turn his head, but he could feel her tiny, shy glances drifting his way.
Uncomfortably, he looked elsewhere, but his big hand casually brushed against Hu Yu Ying’s small hand hanging by her side.
Hu Yu Ying felt Dragon Brother’s palm touch her hand.
She froze for a beat, lips pressed into a smug little smile, then quickly moved closer to him again.
The distance that once separated them slowly shrank.
Fingertips unintentionally brushed together.
Soon, Hu Yu Ying felt a finger subtly hook onto her little finger.
Like a handshake with no intention of breaking, but also somehow different from the usual.
The difference was stark, making her heart flutter wildly.
She bit her red lip, cheeks flushing with a kind of shy sweetness, her heart pounding like a little deer racing around inside her chest.
Her eyes sparkled with a smile as she looked up at Dragon Brother.
Detecting her gaze, Dragon Brother, who was always a proud, thick-skinned man, deliberately avoided eye contact, staring elsewhere. Yet, that hooked finger on her tip remained steady, unwavering.
Seeing this adorable side of Dragon Brother, Hu Yu Ying couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
Her laughter was so lively and crisp, echoing perfectly in the alleyway.
She saw her shy Dragon Brother, saw his ears turning as red as a tomato.
He was the one teaching her to be thick-skinned, yet right now, he looked more innocent than her.
This kind of Dragon Brother was no longer the mature, serious man she once knew—he was unexpectedly kind of adorable.
Being with him made her feel so happy—no, anyone would be happy with a guy like Dragon Brother. But luckily, at this moment, it was just her and Dragon Brother together.
It’s okay, Hu Yu Ying has already become thick-skinned! She gently hooked her little finger around his.
“Feels like I’m dreaming,” she whispered with a soft laugh.
“Maybe because the night isn’t long enough,” Dragon Brother replied, heart fluttering. Did she believe in fate? He’d asked himself that a hundred times. It told him—yes, he believed, because it was impossible to control those uncontrollable feelings.
From the very beginning, helping her had been mutual salvation.
If there was truly a destiny, then their tangled threads weren’t just coincidence but something far deeper.
Pulling this gloomy girl out of darkness, calming his own restless heart—such was their story.
All the splendor of the world can’t compare to her bright, beautiful smile right now.
“Dragon Brother.”
“Hmm? What’s up?”
“Nothing much, just wanted to call you.”
“Dragon Brother, you’re so good, so handsome. You’re the best in the whole world.”
For the first time, these words made her cheeks redden—so shy she couldn’t say them out loud. But now, she could say them freely without hesitation—like it was only natural.
Actually, Hu Yu Ying had tons of things she wanted to say.
She wanted to ask Dragon Brother: Why did he help her when they first met and she was helplessly bullied, even though they’d just met for the first time?
She wanted to ask what feeling washed over him when he first ate her homemade food.
Because, when she cooked for him for the first time, her heart was pounding wildly—excited? Nervous? There were just too many emotions, and she was scared her food might not taste good enough…
She wanted to ask if, during their first awkward moment when he pushed her away, he was also momentarily moved by her.
Because she’d clearly felt his heart race then too…
There were so many things she wanted to say, but before she knew it, they’d arrived at her destination.
Just before opening the door, Hu Yu Ying gently tugged on Dragon Brother’s sleeve.
“Dragon Brother, tell me—am I thick-skinned enough now?”
Dragon Brother amusedly pinched her cheeks: “Let’s see—am I a good enough look at my little sidekick’s thick-skinned face?”
Under his indulgent gaze, Hu Yu Ying’s courage swelled—she now knew for sure that Dragon Brother’s love was endless, that he cherished her.
He reached out, pulling her neck down into his embrace. Before she knew it, she was leaning fully against him.
Her lips parted slightly, her eyes shimmering like they might cry, shrouded by the darkness of night. She tiptoed without restraint, quickly gathering her courage to kiss him.
Her slender fingertips desperately clung to his neck. Even though she was kissing Dragon Brother, her body was trembling with a strange numbness, almost unable to stand—completely pressed against him.
Dragon Brother swept her into his arms, his breath uneven from her teasing, half-laughing, half-exhausted, he sighed and whispered in her ear, “Teaching you to be thick-skinned doesn’t mean I want you to lose all restraint.”
“But after I get thick-skinned, I’ll be more unrestrained with you, Dragon Brother,” she replied innocently, trusting and confident—perhaps these small moments had accumulated into something deeper.
Everyone said Dragon Brother was bad-mouthed, said he was no good.
But that wasn’t true.
To her, Dragon Brother was truly wonderful—maybe others couldn’t understand, but she did. It was just like someone who had been through the same hardships, who could resonat with her feelings.
Fortunately, everyone still had the power of self-healing.
Hearing her words, Dragon Brother chuckled: “Tell me, you’re greedy, lustful, hopeless at cooking, love to play—all that! What am I supposed to do with you?”
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Feeling Dragon Brother’s gentle hand resting on her head, Hu Yu Ying earnestly tilted her head to look up: “I’ll be good. Really obedient.”
“Foolish girl,” Dragon Brother said, softly pinching her nose, “Do you even realize what you might lose?”
Throughout their help for her, everything he built was on the premise of not affecting her future.
He’d suppressed his feelings with reason, but now, everything seemed filled with the unknown…
“My life can go down countless paths, just like the hands of a clock, eventually reaching completeness. I don’t know what you mean by ‘loss,’ Dragon Brother, but I want to try another path in life.”
She wanted to tell him—her chosen road was truly her own.
Dragon Brother murmured, “Another path in life, huh?” He replayed her words, realizing he too was trying to walk another route.
He softly pinched her tender cheek: “My little sidekick has really grown up.”
“It’s because Dragon Brother always treats me like a kid,” she whispered, gently rubbing her cheek against his palm, “but I can also take good care of you.”
Finally, at this moment, Dragon Brother saw the same look in her eyes that he used to have for her.
Because she truly wanted his happiness.
【???? Gift? King of Gifts??????】 Suddenly seeing that, his mind went blank, plunging into deep reflection. Do I deserve this??? (stared with wide, dog-eared eyes). Even before, I had my reasons to ask for tomorrow off… d*mn it, I’m actually thinking of taking a day off? Seriously… some wake-up calls, please…
【Thanks to my boss—generous, mighty, healthy, luckiest—forever invincible!!!】
