After checking his scores, Long Aotian celebrated by taking Hu Yuying out for three days of fun.
Amidst the joy and excitement, life gradually returned to its usual calm.
In the following days,
Hu Yuying was able to manage the stall on her own, keeping everything in order.
Meanwhile, Long Aotian took the opportunity to sign up for a driver's license test.
Having driven before his transmigration, getting a license in this world wasn’t particularly difficult for him, though it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park either.
Time always slips away unnoticed.
One day, Hu Yuying sat on a small stool, resting her chin on one hand as she gazed at the overcast sky. "I wonder how Long Aotian's test went today."
From the first to the third test, Long Aotian had passed each one effortlessly. Today, he was taking the fourth test. Although she knew he wouldn’t have any issues, she still couldn’t help but think about him and worry.
The mere thought of Long Aotian made Hu Yuying blush. She covered her face with both hands, feeling utterly embarrassed.
Boom!
The dark clouds in the sky flashed with lightning, followed by the rumble of thunder.
As a single raindrop hit the ground, countless others followed, forming a natural curtain of water.
Hu Yuying quickly picked up her stool and took shelter under the awning, also gathering most of the clothes on display.
The bustling marketplace, once crowded and noisy, soon quieted down as people hurried away.
The sky remained gloomy, with occasional thunder rolling in the distance.
The old awning, battered by the sudden downpour, soon began to leak, droplets of water falling here and there.
Feeling the cold drops on her skin, Hu Yuying shivered and sped up her packing.
"Damn, this rain is heavy..."
Long Aotian arrived on his bike, already drenched from head to toe.
"How did it go, Long Aotian?"
"When has your Long Aotian ever failed?"
Long Aotian shook off the water from his body, crouched down, and helped Hu Yuying pack up the goods.
Once everything was packed, the two found a dry spot under the awning and watched the endless rain.
The gloomy sky, the sound of raindrops hitting the awning and the ground—it was all strangely soothing, bringing a sense of calm to both body and mind.
"Long Aotian, do you want to change your clothes?" Hu Yuying asked, looking at his soaked figure. Without waiting for an answer, she had already found a set of clothes that fit his size.
Long Aotian had been wanting to change for a while but had hesitated because Hu Yuying was there.
Now that she had brought it up, and with the rain showing no signs of stopping, he didn’t refuse. After all, the feeling of wet clothes clinging to his skin was unbearable.
"Don’t peek, okay?" Long Aotian joked.
"Who, who would peek? I wouldn’t!" Hu Yuying exclaimed, covering her eyes with both hands.
Seeing this, Long Aotian walked to the back and began to change.
A faint blush crept onto Hu Yuying’s cheeks.
Through the gaps between her fingers, her bright, watery eyes blinked slightly.
She swallowed hard, not daring to let her gaze linger on any part of him for more than a second.
When Long Aotian finished changing and returned to her side, he was startled. "Are you okay?"
Her fair, delicate face was now flushed red, her damp eyes darting around as if she had a fever.
"I-I’m fine," Hu Yuying stammered, embarrassed.
Long Aotian touched her forehead—no fever.
He narrowed his eyes. "Did you peek while I was changing? Look how red you are."
This comment made Hu Yuying shake her head vigorously, like a cat caught in the act. "N-no, I didn’t peek."
"Really?"
At this, Hu Yuying’s already red face turned even redder.
Seeing her like this, Long Aotian couldn’t resist teasing her. "Tsk tsk, you little pervert."
Hu Yuying lowered her head, pressing her hands against her cheeks, trying to cool them down. "I-I’m not a pervert!"
"Greedy for money and lustful—what am I going to do with you?" Long Aotian chuckled, poking her forehead with his finger.
Hu Yuying stole a glance at Long Aotian, and their eyes met. Seeing her soft, shy expression, Long Aotian couldn’t help but laugh. Seeing him laugh, Hu Yuying also smiled.
The rain began to ease, and the vendors in the market had either left or were packing up.
Long Aotian and Hu Yuying decided to call it a day early.
After loading everything onto the cart, Hu Yuying sat down obediently. "Long Aotian, I’m ready."
"Let’s go, then."
He started the tricycle and headed toward the market exit.
But as luck would have it, the rain, which had started to lighten, suddenly grew heavier again.
"Long Aotian, it’s pouring again," Hu Yuying said, standing up and holding onto the cart with one hand while shielding Long Aotian’s head with the other.
"Hold on tight," Long Aotian said, speeding up.
They could find shelter from the rain, but the goods on the cart had nowhere to hide.
The heavy rain soon soaked their clothes.
Years later, this rainstorm would remain vivid in their memories.
Years later, whenever Hu Yuying thought of this day, she couldn’t help but smile, a hint of pride in her expression.
When they got home, Hu Yuying jumped off the cart and quickly opened the door for Long Aotian to drive inside.
After he entered, she shivered and locked the door behind them.
"Go change your clothes," Long Aotian said, pushing her toward the living room as she trembled from the cold.
He then headed to the kitchen.
Filling a pot with water, he lit the stove and began slicing ginger. Even as a grown man, he couldn’t help but shiver.
Once the water boiled, he added a bit of brown sugar to the ginger water.
As he walked into the living room, Hu Yuying emerged from the bedroom, now in dry clothes.
But even though she had changed, she was still shivering slightly from the cold.
"Drink some ginger tea first, then go lie down in your room. For lunch today, you’ll get to taste Long Aotian’s cooking."
Watching Long Aotian busy himself and care for her, Hu Yuying couldn’t help but smile. It felt good to be cared for.
"What are you spacing out for? Drink up," Long Aotian said, leaning down to see what she was so lost in thought about.
As Long Aotian suddenly leaned in close, Hu Yuying’s breath quickened. He was so close, too close.
Her mind went blank, and she forgot what she was about to say. Her heart raced uncontrollably.
In that moment, her body seemed to move on its own. She took a step forward, as if to close the distance between them.
Long Aotian, still leaning down, was caught off guard as Hu Yuying’s forehead bumped into his.
"Silly girl, does it hurt?" Long Aotian chuckled, amused by her dazed expression.
Just as he was about to straighten up and hand her the ginger tea,
her arms wrapped around his neck...
[That’s enough for today, hehehe...]