The next morning, just as dawn broke.
Hu Yuying got out of bed and glanced at Li Qingxue, who was still fast asleep. Unable to resist, she turned over and playfully brushed her long hair against Li Qingxue’s nose.
Watching Li Qingxue twitch her nose from the ticklish sensation, Hu Yuying chuckled softly. She reached out and gently stroked Li Qingxue’s swollen eyelids, then sighed quietly.
After dressing, she prepared to go downstairs to buy breakfast.
As soon as she opened the door, she spotted Long Aotian crouching in the corner.
Seeing Hu Yuying emerge, Long Aotian quickly stood up, about to explain himself.
Hu Yuying raised a finger to her lips, signaling him to stay silent. Only after closing the door did she speak. "Qingxue cried most of the night."
Hearing this, Long Aotian anxiously grabbed Hu Yuying’s hand. "Yuying—"
"Whatever it is, let’s talk downstairs," she said, walking toward the stairwell.
Long Aotian, his words stuck in his throat, had no choice but to follow her hurriedly down the stairs."Yuying, if I told you yesterday was all a misunderstanding, would you believe me?"
Long Aotian knew Hu Yuying likely wouldn’t believe him, but he said it anyway to set up his explanation.
To his surprise, Hu Yuying simply nodded calmly. "I believe you."
"Y-you believe me?" All the words he’d prepared that morning froze in his throat at her response.
"Yes, I believe you," she said, lifting her gaze to meet his. "I believe it was a misunderstanding with Wanning, and I believe it was a misunderstanding with Qingxue too. But tell me—why do all these ‘misunderstandings’ only happen to you?"
"I have two closest friends, and you’ve managed to trample over both of them, Long Aotian. I could strangle you right now!"
With that, she pinched his waist hard—no mercy at all. The pain made Long Aotian suck in a sharp breath.
"You promised you’d never hurt me again, and look how long that lasted?"
Grimacing, Long Aotian rubbed the sore spot and quickly stepped in front of her. "Let me explain."
"Explain what? How you ‘accidentally’ pushed Qingxue down? Don’t talk to me. I don’t want to hear it." Hu Yuying shoved past him and strode outside.
Long Aotian trailed behind her in silence, keeping pace.
When Hu Yuying bought breakfast, he rushed to take the bags from her.
She stubbornly refused to let him carry them. "Let go."
Long Aotian kept his head down, holding tight.
After a brief struggle, Hu Yuying realized she couldn’t win. Shooting him an exasperated look—since he’d already taken everything else from her—she finally released her grip.
Long Aotian happily carried the breakfast, following her like a pleased puppy.
She had bought four portions. On the way back, Hu Yuying quickened her steps, and Long Aotian matched her pace. When she slowed, so did he.
Finally, Hu Yuying stopped abruptly.
Long Aotian nearly stumbled in his haste to halt.
"Stop following me like some little tail."
At her words, Long Aotian shuffled sideways to stand beside her.
Hu Yuying pressed her lips together, suppressing a smile. Now she understood why Long Aotian had never let her trail behind him before.
Noticing the faint amusement on her face, Long Aotian eagerly stepped forward. "Hit me," he said, crouching down. "Smack the back of my head—knock some sense into me."
"You seem perfectly awake to me," Hu Yuying retorted, clasping her hands behind her back before heading upstairs.
She entered Room 6 first, but Lin Wanning wasn’t there, so she made her way to Room 9 at the end of the hall.
Opening the door, she found Li Qingxue already dressed and chatting with Lin Wanning.
When Lin Wanning saw Hu Yuying, she greeted her with a cheerful, "Sis!"
Li Qingxue hesitated, then shyly murmured, "Sis," her lips pressed together.
As Hu Yuying stepped inside, she glanced back at the doorway. "Our breakfast."
At her cue, Long Aotian awkwardly shuffled in. When embarrassed, people often pretend to be busy—he avoided eye contact with Li Qingxue, fumbling with the bags in his hands.
Finally, he took a deep breath, mustered a strained smile, and looked up at Li Qingxue.
But the moment their eyes met, Li Qingxue huffed, crossed her arms, and turned her head away.
Lin Wanning, watching the scene, stifled a laugh. She hopped off the bed and closed the door. "Time for breakfast!"
"Which one’s mine?" she asked.
Hu Yuying pointed to one of the bags in Long Aotian’s hands. "That one’s yours."
"Thanks, sis!" Lin Wanning took her breakfast and planted a kiss on Hu Yuying’s cheek.
"And this one’s Qingxue’s," Hu Yuying added, indicating another bag.
Long Aotian glanced at Li Qingxue, who was still turned away. He looked helplessly at Hu Yuying, then at Lin Wanning, who was clearly enjoying his discomfort.
After a brief hesitation, he stepped forward and held out the bag to Li Qingxue. "H-here. Breakfast."
Li Qingxue shot Long Aotian a sidelong glance, snorted, and promptly snatched her portion of breakfast. Then, turning away with a radiant smile, she approached Hu Yuying and chirped, "Thank you, sis!" before planting a kiss on Hu Yuying's other cheek.
Left standing dumbfounded, Long Aotian glanced at the two remaining breakfasts in his hands, his eyes suddenly lighting up. Awkwardly, he shuffled over to Hu Yuying and offered one to her. "Here, eat up."
As Hu Yuying accepted it, Long Aotian pressed his lips together, leaned in, and bent down for a kiss—only to be blocked by a palm. His lips landed squarely on her hand instead.
Hu Yuying rolled her eyes. "How shameless!"
On the other side, Lin Wanning and Li Qingxue couldn’t hold back their laughter.
"Brother really knows how to seize an opportunity," teased Lin Wanning.
"Long Aotian, you never miss a chance to take advantage!" Li Qingxue added.
Amid their giggles, Hu Yuying also chuckled softly. "No sense of shame at all."
Lin Wanning turned to Li Qingxue. "Not mad anymore?"
At that, Li Qingxue immediately wiped the smile off her face and glared at Long Aotian with a huff.
Long Aotian slowly stepped forward, stopping in front of her. "What if I told you yesterday was all just a misunderstanding? Would you believe me?"
Pfft—
Hu Yuying couldn’t contain herself and burst out laughing.
When Long Aotian gives advice to others, he’s always methodical and insightful, offering comfort while guiding them. But when it comes to his own messes, it’s like he becomes a completely different person.
Lin Wanning and Li Qingxue didn’t understand why Hu Yuying was laughing so hard—so hard that she had to brace herself against the bed, clutching her stomach, utterly unable to stop.
Through her laughter, Li Qingxue shot Long Aotian another glare. "A misunderstanding, my foot!"
"No, really! The room number plaque fell off—the '6' flipped into a '9.' The lights were off in the room, and you didn’t say anything—"
"I didn’t say anything? I’ve never seen someone so impatient! You barged in before I could even get my pants off—I didn’t have time to say a word—"
The words left Long Aotian utterly speechless, his head hanging low...