The two held hands as they jogged across the campus, finally stopping to catch their breath in the pavilion by the artificial lake.
Exchanging a glance, they burst into laughter simultaneously.
Leaning against the pavilion bench, Hu Yuying remarked, "Back when I watched those short videos, I always thought so-called stalkers wouldn’t exist here. But now, Ye Liangchen and Xue Shaohua seem just like those creeps from the clips."
"Honestly, I kind of regret ever knowing him," Li Qingxue sighed deeply before continuing, "If I hadn’t met him, things wouldn’t have turned out like this."
Hu Yuying gently squeezed Li Qingxue’s hand. "Brother Long once said that everyone’s life is a mix of good and bad. We should choose to focus on the bright side. Just like freedom has no limits, we should live our lives to the fullest."
"You wouldn’t believe it, but Ye Liangchen used to harass me too. He even followed me all the way back to my rented place in Haiwan City. I was terrified back then. But Brother Long stepped in to help me. He said everyone’s existence has meaning, and helping me was part of his."
"Alone, I felt completely powerless..." Hu Yuying could still vividly recall the moment she saw Ye Liangchen taking pictures outside her rented home, how she had nearly broken down in tears from fear.
But when Brother Long shielded her on the way home, all her fear vanished, replaced by a deep sense of security. "When someone lends you their courage, there’s nothing left to be afraid of."
"Even though Capital City is over a thousand kilometers from our hometown, you’re not alone. You have me, Wanning, and Brother Long by your side."
"Look how strong Brother Long is—one punch sent Ye Liangchen seeing his ancestors! With him around, he’ll always protect us."Li Qingxue covered her mouth, giggling at Hu Yuying’s quip about "seeing his ancestors."
"That’s it! You should smile more. You look so beautiful when you do."
"Thank you." Li Qingxue knew Hu Yuying was trying to lift her spirits, and she truly appreciated it.
Resting her head on Hu Yuying’s shoulder, she murmured, "Yuying, you’ve changed so much."
Back then, Hu Yuying used to keep her head down, barely speaking, always trailing behind Long Aotian.
Li Qingxue remembered how softly she used to speak when they first met.
But now? Hu Yuying had blossomed—confident, warm, radiant...
The timid girl who once followed Long Aotian around could now even put him in his place.
"Yeah, I’ve changed a lot. We all have." Hu Yuying then turned to Li Qingxue. "But you’re still the same as ever."
Li Qingxue had always been amazing—confident, bold, full of laughter.
And she still was. Her confidence and bright smile remained untouched by time.
Staying true to oneself was rare, and Hu Yuying hoped Li Qingxue would always stay this happy.
"Who says I haven’t changed? I have too!" With a playful grin, Li Qingxue tightened her arms, accentuating her curves slightly.
Her radiant smile, brimming with youthful charm, was utterly captivating.
It felt like all the beauty in the world paled in comparison to her joy in that moment.
"Come on, let me walk you back to the dorm."
With no major classes scheduled, they had plenty of free time. After dropping off Li Qingxue, Brother Long would probably come to pick her up soon.
"Alright~" Li Qingxue leaned lazily against Hu Yuying’s shoulder, her voice tinged with reluctance.
After seeing Li Qingxue to her dorm, Hu Yuying headed toward the main gate of University A.
She didn’t have to wait long before a cheerful "Sis!" caught her off guard.
Turning, she saw Lin Wanning parked in front of her on an electric scooter, helmet on and grinning.
"Surprised?" Lin Wanning pinched Hu Yuying’s cheek, clearly delighted.
Hu Yuying nodded with a soft laugh. She really hadn’t expected this.
Hopping onto the scooter, Hu Yuying turned around and headed with Lin Wanning to their favorite spot—a small restaurant famous for its hearty clay-pot rice noodles.
After dinner, they returned to the courtyard house.
As soon as Hu Yuying sat down, Lin Wanning moved behind her, gently massaging her shoulders. "We should take Qingxue there next time. I’d only ever had thin rice noodles before—who knew the thick ones could be this good?"
"Mhm." Hu Yuying hummed in agreement, catching Lin Wanning’s hands and pulling her to sit beside her on the bench.
"Qingxue hasn’t been in the best mood lately. Let’s all go out tomorrow since there’s no heavy coursework."
At this, Lin Wanning huffed. "That Ye Liangchen is the worst! If I ever run into him, I won’t let him off as easily as Qingxue did!"
Hu Yuying tapped Lin Wanning’s forehead lightly. "You... Qingxue’s known him for years. She gives people the benefit of the doubt, but after this, I doubt she’ll spare him any courtesy."
She understood Lin Wanning’s concern—she worried about Li Qingxue too. But more than anything, Hu Yuying didn’t want any of the three of them to go through something like this again.
Because none of them needed the so-called "redemption" Ye Liangchen kept preaching about...
"Sis, guess what? Today, Brother mentioned that Ye Liangchen actually came by the music department recently, trying to harass me too! Luckily, I never ran into him. Ugh, what’s wrong with that guy?"
Hu Yuying froze.
She’d thought Ye Liangchen was only fixated on Li Qingxue. But now it was clear—he was rotten to the core. After harassing Qingxue, he’d set his sights on Wanning too. How could someone like that even exist?
If Brother Long hadn’t always been around to watch over her, would Ye Liangchen have come after her as well?
It wasn’t impossible. It had happened before—Brother Long had even slapped him a few times back then. Only after she and Brother Long got together did Ye Liangchen finally leave her alone...
"And that Xue Shaohua? No better. Brother’s dealt with both of them before..."
Hu Yuying recalled Brother Long’s warning about Xue Shaohua—how he wasn’t to be trusted and she should keep her distance.
The way Xue Shaohua looked at her and Li Qingxue always left her feeling uneasy.
"Maybe you and Qingxue should just move in here," Hu Yuying suggested softly. "You’re both on your own, and I’d feel better knowing you’re safe..."