With Xue Shaohua no longer pestering her, Hu Yuying's mood visibly improved.
She disliked people like him—not just because he wouldn’t leave her alone (though that was certainly part of it), but mostly because he was so fake.
His eyes burned with greed and possessiveness whenever he looked at her, yet he insisted on acting all proper and dignified.
It was disgustingly hypocritical, and his pretense reminded her of Ye Liangchen.
Both of them carried themselves as if they were doing her a favor by pursuing her, as if they alone could offer her happiness.
Ye Liangchen was always preaching about "saving" her.
Xue Shaohua was always insisting they "just be friends."
At their core, they were the same kind of person—and Hu Yuying wanted nothing to do with them.
"Alright, Yuying, don’t let some irrelevant guy ruin our mood," Li Qingxue said softly, trying to comfort her.
Hu Yuying’s eyes widened in shock. She never expected such words to come from Lin Wanning, of all people—the girl who usually seemed so aloof and reserved.
Seeing her stunned expression, Li Qingxue stifled a laugh. She knew firsthand just how secretly mischievous Lin Wanning could be.
Outwardly, she was the picture of an icy, untouchable beauty—but inside? A total closet pervert.
Still, Hu Yuying quickly shook off her surprise.
They were here to have fun today. She wouldn’t let anyone ruin their time together.
"Let’s go check out the market! It’s probably packed right now," Li Qingxue suggested.
Hu Yuying and Lin Wanning immediately agreed.
This market was livelier than the last, with new game stalls set up among the usual vendors. Though it wasn’t as elaborate as a proper amusement park, the festive atmosphere drew huge crowds.
"Qingxue! Wanning! Over here—they have ring toss!" Hu Yuying called out excitedly when she spotted the game.
"You wanna try?" Li Qingxue asked.
Hu Yuying nodded eagerly. "Brother Long took me once before. I actually won two cups!" Her voice brimmed with pride—even now, he still used one of those cups at home.
Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning exchanged a glance.
They’d played ring toss plenty of times, but they’d never seen Hu Yuying this thrilled about it.
Lin Wanning might not have understood, but Li Qingxue knew—Hu Yuying rarely showed this kind of excitement over anything.
Combined with her frugal habits, it wasn’t hard to imagine what her life had been like before.
So they decided to play a round.
Three beautiful girls playing ring toss naturally drew a crowd.
The onlookers couldn’t help but smile as they watched the trio carefully aim their rings.
And when Hu Yuying successfully hooked a plush bunny, the three of them squealed and hugged in celebration—prompting an outbreak of fond, almost maternal grins from the spectators.
This was youth at its most carefree and joyful.
Afterward, they went clothes shopping. With autumn winds picking up in the capital, each of them picked out a new jacket.
Once they’d tried theirs on, Hu Yuying glanced around and suddenly said, "I’m gonna look over there."
Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning followed her gaze—toward the men’s section.
Realization dawned, and they mentally kicked themselves for not thinking of it first.
They quickly followed her.
After browsing for a while, Hu Yuying held up a shirt and asked, "What do you think? Would this suit him?"
"Definitely Brother Long’s style," Lin Wanning said.
"Long Aotian’s gonna be grinning like an idiot later," Li Qingxue teased.
Hu Yuying giggled, imagining how good he’d look in it. "For someone his age, he’s terrible at taking care of himself."
She remembered how, when she’d gone back to her hometown for a few days, he’d barely eaten properly. The thought made her smile.
"Then I’ll pick out a shirt for Brother Long," Lin Wanning said, already scanning the racks.
Li Qingxue bit her lip, then sighed. "Even though Long Aotian loves arguing with me, he’s actually pretty decent. I’ll get him some pants."
By the time they left the market, all three were loaded with bags, eagerly anticipating Long Aotian’s stunned reaction when he saw their gifts.
"Where to now?" Lin Wanning checked the time—still early, and he’d definitely be busy.
"How about the baths?" Li Qingxue suggested.
"Fine by me," Lin Wanning said with a shrug.
"But I just showered at school last night," Hu Yuying murmured. This update ıs available on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
Li Qingxue grabbed her arm, pouting. "School showers don’t count! I really wanna soak. Come with me, pleaaase?"
Hu Yuying laughed at her whining. "Alright, alright."
In the women’s changing room, Hu Yuying kicked off her shoes, slipped into sandals, and started undressing.
As the clothes came off, Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning blinked in surprise beside her.
"You... Yuying, how are you so... so well-endowed?"
Li Qingxue even stepped forward, measuring Hu Yuying’s waist with her hands and then comparing it to her own. "How can it be this slim?"
Hu Yuying awkwardly used the discarded clothes to cover herself, too embarrassed to admit that Long Aotian probably preferred girls with better figures, so she worked out occasionally.
"Let me touch it—why don’t you look this curvy with clothes on?"
"What are you saying, Wanning?" Hu Yuying froze for a moment. Earlier, when Wanning had joked about craving her body, she thought she’d misheard. But now, it seemed she hadn’t.
Seizing the moment of her hesitation, Lin Wanning grabbed one—her hand couldn’t fully grasp it, so she gave it a squeeze.
"Wanning, how could you...?" Hu Yuying shuddered, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"I want a feel too!" Li Qingxue joined in, grabbing the other one.
"No! Qingxue, Wanning, stop kneading them..." The sound of their playful banter filled the bathroom.
A short while later, Hu Yuying lay submerged in the pool, leaning back against the edge, her face flushed and her expression dazed, as if thoroughly worn out.
She glanced at the red marks left on Lin Wanning’s long, slender legs from their earlier tussle.
Then she looked at Li Qingxue, whose perfectly proportioned figure was now sprawled weakly in the water.
The three exchanged a glance and finally shared a peaceful, knowing smile.
After stepping out of the bathhouse, they felt lighter, their bodies indescribably relaxed.
"Oh heavens, can you hear my voice...?"