Shen Mengjie stared blankly at Long Aotian. The happiness in his words was something she could actually see with her own eyes.
In all her experiences, she had never—not once—seen someone’s joy radiate so vividly through their words and gaze.
The way Long Aotian made her feel at this moment was indescribable.
If she had to put it into words, it was like facing a knife-wielding assailant—he would still step forward without hesitation, shielding the person behind him...
"You two really are something," she murmured in response.
"It’s because of her that everything has become this good."
His eyes sparkled when he mentioned her.
"I mean, someone like you..." Shen Mengjie tightened her grip on the ointment in her hand, her gaze drifting away as she spoke. "Really is a bit..."
Before she could finish, a voice interrupted her.
Turning around, she saw a figure jogging toward them.
"Wanning," Long Aotian said with a smile. "Slow down. Why are you out so late?"
His tone was full of concern, directed at a very pretty girl. Yet, no matter how Shen Mengjie listened, she couldn’t detect anything beyond simple care in his voice.
It was as if his concern was purely for her sake—nothing more.
Lin Wanning reached Long Aotian’s side but didn’t answer his question. Instead, her eyes shifted to Shen Mengjie. A flicker of surprise crossed her expression when she recognized her. "It’s you..."
"You know each other?"
"Yeah, on Friday, this classmate was the one who helped us find you."
While Lin Wanning studied Shen Mengjie, Shen Mengjie was also observing her. Hearing her words, Shen Mengjie smiled and greeted her. "Hello, we meet again. Are you from the neighboring music academy?"
She guessed as much from Long Aotian’s earlier remark.
"Yes, Lin Wanning from the music academy." After introducing herself, Lin Wanning finally turned her attention back to Long Aotian.
A faint smile curled on her cool, delicate face—yet somehow, it carried a chill.
There was a scrutinizing glint in her eyes, as if saying: Brother, care to explain why you’re out with another girl so late?
Her expression practically screamed: If you don’t give me a good answer right now, I’m telling Yuying immediately.
"I needed to ask Shen Mengjie about something," Long Aotian explained.
Lin Wanning’s brows lifted slightly at his answer. Her smile remained flawless, but the slight narrowing of her eyes silently retorted: Do you really expect me to believe that?
Shen Mengjie had been watching Lin Wanning the whole time, observing her silent exchange with Long Aotian.
A thought stirred in her heart, and she spoke up. "It’s true. He asked me for a favor."
Lin Wanning chuckled softly, her gaze shifting back to Shen Mengjie. "I was just teasing my brother. I know his character better than anyone."
On this point, Lin Wanning had no doubts.
She had seen how her brother treated Hu Yuying and understood his nature deeply.
Back then, if he had been less principled, he could have easily taken advantage of her when she threw herself at him—then made excuses later about incompatibility.
But he was mature. Rationality had overruled everything, all for the sake of waiting for Hu Yuying’s answer.
A man who couldn’t even steady his own emotions would never have captivated her and Qingxue so deeply.
Trust wasn’t built on momentary impulses—it was the most rational judgment formed through long-term understanding.
A person who respected love and people so deeply deserved both trust and respect in return.
With a smile, Lin Wanning asked Shen Mengjie, "Anyway, I’m dragging my brother out for fruit tea now. Want to join?"
Shen Mengjie met Lin Wanning’s eyes, her red lips curving slightly. "No, thanks. We just had coffee."
Lin Wanning’s smile faltered for a split second before she turned back to Long Aotian. "Then let’s go, Brother."
Without waiting for his reply, she grabbed his arm and pulled him in the opposite direction.
Honestly, the pressure a girl could exude when serious was overwhelming—especially someone like Lin Wanning, whose aura was naturally cool and ethereal.
Halfway there, Lin Wanning released Long Aotian’s arm. "Brother, what’s going on?"
She trusted him, but she still wanted an explanation.
So she put on a stern face, as if threatening: I’m about to tell Hu Yuying, so you’d better start talking.
"Ah..." Long Aotian sighed. He already knew the three girls were close—if he told Wanning or Qingxue, they’d probably blab to Yuying behind his back.
But given the situation, even if he stayed silent, Wanning would likely tattle to Yuying anyway.
So he explained everything to Lin Wanning.
"You know how rough I can be with these things..."
Lin Wanning frowned, still dissatisfied. "Brother, I’m a girl too. Why didn’t you ask me instead?"
"You? The moment I tell you, you’d run straight to Yuying."
Lin Wanning opened her mouth but then hesitated. Still, when a girl didn’t want to concede, she could always find a way to argue. "But does she really understand? Qingxue and I know Yuying best."
Long Aotian showed her the chat logs with Shen Mengjie.
After skimming through them, Lin Wanning had to admit—as a fellow girl—that Shen Mengjie’s advice was actually quite reasonable.
But her feminine intuition made her dislike Shen Mengjie a little. There was something faintly provocative in the way Shen Mengjie looked at her brother—like he was prey.
Instinctively, Lin Wanning didn’t want him getting too close to her.
"Well, now that I know, if you have any more questions, you can ask me. I promise I won’t tell Yuying before you confess. I swear."
"Can I really trust you?" Long Aotian found her solemn vow amusing.
"Ugh, I won’t say anything! Believe me, Brother, believe me!"
"Alright, alright. I believe you." He started walking ahead.
"Where are we going now?"
"You wanted fruit tea, didn’t you?"
"I’ll treat you. I’ve been earning money too, you know."
Sitting on a bench along the path, Long Aotian asked, "You still haven’t told me why you were out so late alone."
"Here." Lin Wanning placed her phone in front of him. Thɪs chapter is updated by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱
The screen displayed a series of photos—late autumn, streetlights, fallen leaves. Beautiful shots.
"Yuying helped Qingxue and me a lot with managing our accounts. Qingxue’s friends also gave us technical support and ideas for promotion. But me? I don’t have any skills like that."
"So I thought I’d take more scenic photos, edit them together, and use them to promote our online shop during the school festival..."
【A new month begins, dear friends—I humbly ask for your support. Sending love and gratitude your way...】