"Where did Long Aotian take you just now?" Li Qingxue asked in a hushed voice. A girl's nature is curiosity, especially for someone like Li Qingxue.
Though Lin Wanning didn’t voice her question, the curiosity in her eyes was practically overflowing. But more than curiosity, she just wanted Hu Yuying and her brother to be happy together.
It was a strange feeling.
From the moment Long Aotian took all the blame upon himself, Lin Wanning knew she would never love another man in this lifetime.
But if she could stay by his side forever, nothing else really mattered.
Hu Yuying thought of the property deed with her name on it, her cheeks flushing pink.
He had given her a home—a real, tangible home.
"Nothing," she said, turning her head away to hide the smile tugging at her lips.
But the three of them were standing so close, and no matter how well Hu Yuying thought she was concealing her little reactions, every subtle movement and expression was noticed by the others.
"Nothing? Then why are you smiling so much?" Li Qingxue teased."Sister, maybe you should take some acting lessons—your smile is practically unstoppable," Lin Wanning giggled, wrapping her arms around Hu Yuying’s slender waist.
Since she’d been caught, Hu Yuying gave up pretending. Her gaze drifted toward Long Aotian. "There’s a big fool."
A real big fool, not even afraid she might leave him after signing her name.
He was so good, yet...
Her eyes inadvertently landed on Lin Wanning.
Lin Wanning lowered her gaze guiltily. She knew Yuying couldn’t possibly be unaffected—if it were her, she wouldn’t be able to accept it either.
Silently, she swore to herself that she would do everything in her power to make it up to Yuying, her sister.
The next moment, a fair fingertip gently lifted her chin. Hu Yuying’s touch trailed from her chin to her cheek. "Call me 'sister' again."
"Sister," Lin Wanning murmured, her usually cool face now tinged with pink, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"Once the house is fully renovated, you two should move in," Hu Yuying said softly, looking at the nearly finished main structure.
The master bedroom was already close to completion, and soon they’d be picking out furniture.
By winter, the entire house would be ready.
This was their home.
"Okay," Lin Wanning replied quietly.
The three of them had once agreed to move in together once the renovations were done, but after everything that had happened, Lin Wanning couldn’t bring herself to mention it again.
Li Qingxue sighed inwardly.
Yuying still didn’t know the full story. It seemed she would have to act quickly.
She needed to put Long Aotian in his place, guide him back to the right path, and bear the consequences herself to bring this to an end.
With that thought, she shot Long Aotian a glare, exasperated.
No matter the era, a girl’s reputation and innocence were important. No matter the reason, taking a girl’s purity meant taking responsibility.
She hoped that by throwing herself into this mess, she could make Long Aotian see reason.
Long Aotian, already feeling like an outsider among the three, was baffled by Li Qingxue’s sudden glare.
But as he watched the three girls standing together, he sighed. Fine, one glare wouldn’t hurt.
Because of the incident with Wanning, his standing in the household had plummeted.
If he upset Yuying now, he’d definitely be sleeping on the floor tonight.
At least it got dark early these days.
After Lin Wanning and Li Qingxue left, Long Aotian quickly shut the door and returned to his little sweetheart’s side.
Seeing her sitting quietly on the stool, he took a seat beside her.
"It’s getting cold. Let’s go back inside."
Hu Yuying shot him an annoyed look. "No."
Realizing she was still sulking, Long Aotian softened his voice, a hint of pleading in his tone. "What do I have to do to get you back to the room?"
"Say you’re a big dummy," Hu Yuying muttered.
"What?"
Dissatisfied with his response, Hu Yuying deliberately turned her head away. "Then I’m not going back."
Long Aotian gritted his teeth in resignation. "I’m a big dummy."
"Hmph, not good enough. Now say, 'Long Aotian is a big dummy.'" Her little pout made him both amused and helpless.
Finally, he simply scooped her up in his arms.
Caught off guard, Hu Yuying yelped and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Time for bed."
"It’s only six! I don’t want to sleep yet!" Hu Yuying protested.
Long Aotian smirked down at her. "What, are you scared?"
This morning, Hu Yuying had been so bold she’d nearly pushed him over the edge. He doubted she was faring much better now.
Hu Yuying scoffed. "Who’s scared of who? The books say it’s the ox that gets worked to death."
At this point, she pinched Long Aotian's face and said, "I suggest you exercise some restraint. Don’t just think about such things all the time—and I haven’t truly forgiven you yet."
"Then I’ll find a way to make my little girl forgive me," he replied. As the words left his lips, he stepped into the room and kicked the door shut behind him. With just a door between them and the outside world, the room suddenly fell into a hushed silence.
He moved to the bed, intending to set Hu Yuying down, but she clung tightly to his neck, refusing to let go.
Long Aotian chuckled softly. "What’s wrong? Do I have to admit that Long Aotian is a big idiot before you’ll get down?"
She knew he was teasing her about what had happened earlier.
Hu Yuying pouted, still holding onto his neck stubbornly. "I’m not letting go."
"This time, I won’t let you have your way so easily!"
In truth, she had already forgiven him—she was just being stubborn.
Long Aotian understood perfectly. He was more than willing to play along with his little girl’s antics.
He’d gladly humor her for a lifetime if that’s what she wanted.
Lowering his voice, he leaned close to her ear and murmured, "Seems like my little girl really enjoys this position."
Hu Yuying suddenly remembered the last time he’d carried her like this...
Instantly, she flushed with embarrassment and irritation.
She had genuinely forgiven him, but after that remark, she decided to withhold her forgiveness a little longer.
When she felt Long Aotian’s hands wandering, Hu Yuying quickly released her grip and jumped onto the bed.
She grabbed a pillow and placed it firmly between them, drawing a clear boundary.
"Don’t cross the line," she warned before turning her back to him.
But Long Aotian simply snatched the pillow away and pulled her into his arms in one swift motion.
She struggled briefly—until he suddenly let out a pained "Ow!"
At once, Hu Yuying panicked and turned back to look at him...