Lin Wanning shrugged her shoulders. "For my brother to do such a thing to you, I must let my sister punish him and stand up for you."
Hearing this, Li Qingxue sat down on the bed, completely bewildered. This wasn’t how she had imagined things would go.
Why wasn’t Lin Wanning afraid of Hu Yuying finding out?
Before she could figure it out, Lin Wanning’s phone rang.
The contact name read: Sister.
No need to guess—it was Hu Yuying.
Seeing Li Qingxue’s slightly dazed expression, Lin Wanning found it amusing and gently patted her shoulder. "It’s okay, it’s all my brother’s fault."
Then, with a bright smile, she glanced at Long Aotian, giving him a you’re-dead look before walking out of the room.
Watching Lin Wanning’s retreating figure, Li Qingxue realized she had overplayed her hand this time.
Her original plan had been to throw herself into the situation, taste what Long Aotian had to offer, then threaten and persuade him and Lin Wanning to stop sneaking around behind Hu Yuying’s back—setting everything back on the right track.But now, she had ended up losing herself in the mess. Would Hu Yuying even forgive her? The thought made Li Qingxue’s eyes well up again.
Sniffling, she turned to Long Aotian and stomped on him in frustration. "This is all your fault! If A-Ying doesn’t forgive me, I’ll never speak to you again..."
Long Aotian knew he was to blame. He curled into a ball, burying his head under the blankets, too ashamed to face Hu Yuying. This time was different from what happened with Wanning—he had been the one to initiate everything from start to finish.
Soon, the door swung open, and Hu Yuying stormed in, visibly furious.
Li Qingxue didn’t dare look at her, bracing herself for a slap—after all, that’s how these things always played out in dramas.
Sure enough, Hu Yuying’s angry voice rang out. "Long Aotian, you again!"
She kicked off her shoes and socks, then delivered a sharp kick to Long Aotian’s backside as he lay face-down on the bed.
"How many times have you promised me?" she demanded, her voice trembling with anger. "I just forgave you, and here you are making the same mistake! What exactly do you want?"
"Even rabbits know not to eat the grass by their own burrow, yet you keep reaching for the people closest to you—the ones who once had even a shred of goodwill toward you!"
"Out of the three of us sisters, you haven’t spared a single one..."
"Long Aotian, you’ve gone too far!"
Li Qingxue, sitting nearby and waiting to be scolded, was stunned. Shouldn’t A-Ying have rushed at her first, slapped her, and then tearfully demanded to know why her best friend would betray her like this?
Watching Long Aotian being berated, kicked, and looking utterly miserable—wanting to explain but not knowing where to start—she actually felt a little sorry for him...
Hu Yuying had never called him by his full name before. The fact that she did now showed just how furious she was.
"I... I didn’t mean to," he finally managed to stammer after a long pause.
"Oh? So Qingxue did it on purpose? Are you saying she seduced you?"
"N-no! There’s just... some misunderstanding..." Long Aotian’s mind was a tangled mess. He didn’t know how to explain—because if it hadn’t happened to him, even he wouldn’t have believed it.
The number plate on Room 6 had loosened and flipped upside down, turning into a 9.
The door had been unlocked when he tried it.
The lights inside were off, and only a sliver of light from the slightly parted curtains allowed him to see someone lying on the bed...
"Are you okay?" Hu Yuying asked Li Qingxue softly.
Before Li Qingxue could respond, Lin Wanning cut in. "Qingxue cried the whole time, from start to finish."
Hu Yuying shot Long Aotian an exasperated look. "You’re always so rough."
Li Qingxue, still dazed, shook her head quickly. Hu Yuying hadn’t scolded her—she was even concerned about her. Feeling both guilty and relieved, she murmured, "I’m fine..."
"Let’s go. We’ll leave this awful man here to reflect on what he’s done."
Long Aotian didn’t dare argue.
Only when the three were about to leave did he finally lift his head to steal a glance.
Lin Wanning fought back a smile as she met his gaze. "You’d better think hard about your mistakes."
Just as she stepped out, she noticed something Long Aotian had left behind.
Her eyes flickered with surprise as she picked it up and examined it closely.
Then, covering her lips with a delighted gasp, she hurried back to Long Aotian, cupped his face, and planted a kiss on his lips. "Thank you, brother."
"Wanning, untie me," Long Aotian pleaded.
But Lin Wanning shook her head firmly. "No. I listen to you, but I listen to sister more. Since she hasn’t said anything, you stay here and reflect."
With that, she left the room, considerately closing the door behind her...
......
Downstairs, none of the three spoke first.
Li Qingxue, especially, kept sneaking glances at Hu Yuying before quickly looking away.
None of this had gone the way she’d imagined.
In her mind, Long Aotian would have been sobbing, begging her not to tell.
She would have stood tall, hands on her hips, lecturing him sternly about right and wrong.
And in the end, he would have repented under her guidance, returning to the right path.
She would have become a woman, tasted Long Aotian, and protected everyone in the process...
"You’ve peeked at me twelve times now," Hu Yuying remarked lightly, glancing at Li Qingxue.
Li Qingxue gripped Hu Yuying’s hand nervously. "A-Ying, I... I’m so sorry."
"I... I originally wanted to... to stop..."
She suddenly didn’t know how to explain. Wouldn’t saying it outright also expose Lin Wanning’s involvement?
Just then, rapid footsteps approached from behind. Lin Wanning jogged up to them, excitedly holding something out for Hu Yuying and Li Qingxue to see.
"Sister, look! The audition notice for Happy Girl’s Voice!"
Hu Yuying glanced at it, then smiled. "Well, at least he did one decent thing!"
"You didn’t untie him, did you?"
Lin Wanning shook her head like a rattle-drum. "Brother wanted me to, but I only listen to you, sister."
Hu Yuying nodded. "Good. He deserves to be punished. The three of us—all ruined by him alone."
Li Qingxue blinked in confusion.
[The three of us—all ruined by him alone...]