The smile on her lips froze, and Li Qingxue said with a half-smile, "But why does it feel more like a little rabbit to me?"
Hearing this, coupled with Li Qingxue's ambiguous expression, Long Aotian seemed to realize something. "You know what? It really does."
With that, he bit into it, and the air fell silent for a moment.
Li Qingxue looked at Long Aotian expectantly, waiting for his evaluation.
Long Aotian increased the pressure of his bite, then finally laughed, "Such a cute rabbit—it's such a pity to eat it."
As he spoke, he took the rabbit-shaped cookie out of his mouth.
Li Qingxue didn't think much of it, feeling only a little embarrassed and awkward.
While Li Qingxue was distracted, Long Aotian glanced at the cookie in his hand and then smashed it against a small stone shard nearby.
The stone shard cracked immediately, but the cookie in his hand remained completely intact. "Damn!"
He took a deep breath, calmly put it in his pocket, and thought to himself that something strange must have gotten mixed into the cookie jar.
With that, Long Aotian lost his appetite. If he accidentally chipped a tooth, it wouldn't be worth it.
After finishing the remaining fruits and drinks, Long Aotian lay on the grass and said comfortably, "Alright, we're even now."
"Mhm," Li Qingxue replied, resting her chin on her hand. Although she hadn't eaten much, seeing Long Aotian enjoy himself so much had lifted her spirits.
Just then, familiar voices came from not far away.
Li Qingxue couldn't help but look up.
On the path above, she saw two figures—one thin and one fat—talking.
"Quan, don't you trust me? I was just drunk last night and forgot. Do you really think your brother Liangchen is that kind of person?"
Ye Liangchen looked at Gao Quan seriously and said, "You know I'm not that kind of person."
Gao Quan's face was bitter. "Brother Liangchen, I know you're not that kind of person, but last night, let's just split the bill, okay? I need to pay someone back."
"Come on, Quan, saying that is really being too formal. Would your brother Liangchen ever let you pay when he invites you out?"
Hearing this, Gao Quan nodded repeatedly. "Then, Brother Liangchen..."
"Don't bring it up again. I'll give you the money, don't worry. When your brother Liangchen says he'll take you to new heights, he means it," Ye Liangchen said earnestly, patting Gao Quan's shoulder heavily.
"But Brother Liangchen..."
"No buts. Don't you trust your brother Liangchen?"
"It's just a hundred bucks. We need to think bigger, understand?"
"I can tell you straight up, that hundred bucks you're giving me today, I'll repay it a thousand, no, ten thousand times over in the future. That's the kind of person your brother Liangchen is."
Though Ye Liangchen spoke confidently, deep down, he was seething with resentment.
If it weren't for that bastard Long Aotian scamming him out of three hundred bucks, he wouldn't have lost face in front of Gao Quan like this.
And Gao Quan, too—he hadn't answered his calls yesterday, which should have been a clear enough hint that he didn't have money. Yet, here he was today, chasing him down for it. Ugh...
"How shameless, how disgusting!" Li Qingxue couldn't help but mutter under her breath when she saw this.
It was just too brazen, speaking so grandly while Gao Quan was genuinely in debt for over a hundred bucks.
"That's your old friend, right? Honestly, your taste in friends isn't great," Li Qingxue said, having seen and heard everything. Long Aotian, naturally, had also seen and heard it all.
Long Aotian didn't have any strong feelings about Ye Liangchen. Even though there had been some unpleasantness at school before, Long Aotian hadn't taken it to heart.
But since Hu Yuying disliked him, Long Aotian had somehow started to dislike him too.
"Yeah, I didn't expect you to remember him," Li Qingxue said, feeling a little embarrassed.
Truthfully, her taste in friends was usually pretty good—otherwise, she wouldn't have made so many friends. But Ye Liangchen's behavior over the past six months had been... questionable, to say the least.
"Of course I remember. I scammed him out of 299 bucks not long ago when I was selling clothes."
Mentioning this, Long Aotian couldn't help but recall the moment he handed the money to Hu Yuying, her eyes curving into crescents and her bright smile.
Unconsciously, a smile spread across his face too.
"You used to sell clothes?" Li Qingxue was skeptical.
"There's nothing I haven't done!"
Li Qingxue pouted. "But you're so mean. Though I am surprised he actually had 299 bucks to give."
You're surprised? Even the little girl was surprised at the time, Long Aotian thought to himself.
With that thought, Long Aotian's smile widened. "It's getting late. Time to go."
"Mhm," Li Qingxue replied, standing up and starting to pack her things.
"Take care on your ride back," Long Aotian said, waving as he walked away.
"Okay, bye," Li Qingxue said softly, watching Long Aotian's retreating figure.
Then, remembering something, she quietly took out her phone and snapped a photo of Long Aotian's back as he waved.
The setting sun cast its warm orange glow across the horizon, bathing the earth in light. The young man's silhouette was full of vigor and defiance.
Looking at the photo on her phone, Li Qingxue smiled contentedly, then turned and rode off into the warm orange-lit road.
When Long Aotian reached the residential building, he didn't stop. He passed the market without pausing and eventually slowed his pace as he entered a familiar alley.
Standing in front of the door, he took a deep breath, then exhaled heavily.
He knocked on the door.
No response.
Peeking through the crack in the door, Long Aotian could see the tricycle inside, but the goods that had been piled on it were gone.
"Out, huh?"
Long Aotian withdrew his gaze and sat down on a stone slab by the doorstep.
After a while, as the sky darkened further, Long Aotian stood up and walked east through the alley.
He remembered this path—Hu Yuying had taken him this way before, and they had crossed a railway track along the way.
Climbing onto the railway platform, Long Aotian walked toward the exit on the other side.
He didn't stop, unsure of where he should go, so he decided to wander for a bit.
Maybe he'd run into the little girl by chance.
As night fell, the city lights began to shine, transforming the dark world into a kaleidoscope of colors.
It was noisy, but full of life.
"The city inspectors are coming!"
Someone shouted.
Long Aotian turned to look.
He saw the street vendors scattering in all directions.
Some rode tricycles, others electric bikes, and some... were dragging burlap sacks, panting as they ran...
[It's getting cold, so stay warm. Anyone else feeling the chill in their nose? Haha...]