The next morning.
The old man woke up and instinctively went to Long Aotian’s room. Seeing the empty space, he chuckled and closed the door again. "Looks like they made up."
"No wonder he seemed different when he came back yesterday."
Early birds catch the worms at the market.
Hu Yuying had woken up early to prepare breakfast and was now sitting obediently on the steps, waiting for Long Aotian.
After eating, the two set off.
"Long Aotian, slow down—you're going so fast!" Hu Yuying shouted into the wind from her little stool in the back of the tricycle.
She could tell Long Aotian was unusually excited today.
The tricycle overtook one car after another, speeding along the road.
Long Aotian really was in high spirits. He’d been cooped up at home for days, practically bored to death. Even he would joke that he was born to keep busy.
"It’s fine, my riding skills are top-notch. We need to hurry."
"Alright then."
Hu Yuying would always go along with whatever Long Aotian said.
Even at full speed, it still took them nearly an hour to reach their destination.
And yet, the place was already packed with people.
Long Aotian took out a cigarette, walked around the area, then parked the tricycle in an open spot. "Here’s good."
"Okay."
Hu Yuying hopped off and helped Long Aotian set up the sunshade.
Despite the days they’d spent idle, their teamwork hadn’t dulled at all.
Soon, their stall was ready.
Hu Yuying looked at the clothes hanging from the sunshade and smiled. "This just feels right."
For days, she’d been laying the clothes out on the ground—easier to manage, but far less appealing.
This way was definitely better.
Once everything was set, Long Aotian turned to Hu Yuying. "Hand me your phone for a sec."
"Sure." She pulled it out and passed it to him.
"Add this contact." Long Aotian handed her his old button phone.
Hu Yuying paused when she saw the QQ number and the note beside it: [Li Qingxue].
But she quickly added the account anyway.
After finishing, she glanced guiltily at Long Aotian, bit her lip, and tapped back into their chat history.
She knew it was wrong, but she couldn’t help wanting to take a peek.
"Done?"
His sudden voice made her quickly exit the screen.
"Look at you, acting all guilty," Long Aotian said, amused.
"Take some photos or videos and send them to her. You two might be classmates soon—better start building a connection."
"You don’t need a crowd of friends, but you shouldn’t have none at all."
Li Qingxue was a good person, and her personality complemented Hu Yuying’s well.
Having someone to rely on at the same school would be a good thing.
With Li Qingxue’s outgoing nature, she’d make friends quickly. Humans weren’t meant to be alone, and Long Aotian wanted Hu Yuying to have more people in her life too.
"Got it, Long Aotian." Hu Yuying obediently picked up her phone and snapped a few pictures of their stall.
Then she stepped onto the road and took several shots of the sprawling market stretching north and south.
Meanwhile, Li Qingxue, still half-asleep, was roused by the constant pings of her phone.
She rubbed her messy hair, rolled over lazily, and grabbed her phone from where it was charging.
When she saw the unfamiliar contact sending photos of the market, she instantly became more alert.
She accepted the friend request first, then began scrolling through the images.
The market, stretching endlessly, was lined with all kinds of stalls.
It was fascinating.
She tapped the profile picture to check the account’s space—only to find it completely empty.
Returning to the chat, she noticed the username: *Ancient Moon*.
"Ancient Moon…? Hu Yuying?" Li Qingxue muttered.
She’d only ever mentioned to Long Aotian that she wanted to see what a bustling market looked like.
Combined with the username, her mind immediately jumped to Hu Yuying being the one with him now.
She froze for a second, then aggressively rubbed her face.
"Li Qingxue, what’s wrong with you? Didn’t you already figure they were a couple? Why are you overthinking this?"
She exited the profile and sent a quick message:
**[Good morning! (image)]**
"Yuying, is that you?" *Send.*
Hu Yuying tensed for a moment when the reply popped up.
She’d only ever chatted with Long Aotian before.
"Long Aotian, Li Qingxue texted me."
When in doubt, ask Long Aotian—in her mind, he could handle anything effortlessly.
Long Aotian nodded without looking up. "Good. Today’s task: bond with your future schoolmate."
"Okay." Hu Yuying sat primly on her stool and began typing.
"Qingxue, Long Aotian said you wanted to see the market. It’s still early, so it’s not crowded yet. But later, it’ll get really lively."
Li Qingxue replied almost instantly:
"No worries, I was just curious. Did you guys get there super early? Have you eaten yet?"
Simple greetings were the quickest way to bridge gaps.
Hu Yuying couldn’t help but smile at the message.
Long Aotian glanced at her grinning at her phone and shook his head in amusement.
"I’m gonna find the bathroom. Be right back."
Hu Yuying looked up. "Mm-hmm." She nodded. "I’ll watch the stall."
As soon as Long Aotian left, her phone buzzed repeatedly.
She glanced down—a video call request.
Her fingers tightened nervously. But remembering Long Aotian’s words, she took a deep breath and answered.
The next second, Li Qingxue’s face filled the screen—soft, tousled hair framing delicate features, a kind of effortless, messy beauty.
"H-Hi, Qingxue," Hu Yuying managed, forcing herself to speak first.
She’d seen Li Qingxue at school before, but back then, Long Aotian was the one doing all the talking. This was their first real conversation, and her nerves were showing.
"Wow, Yuying, your skin is amazing! What moisturizer do you use?" Li Qingxue grinned as soon as she saw Hu Yuying’s face.
Hu Yuying’s cheeks pinked. "J-Just regular Dabao. And yours is really nice too."
"Hehe, thanks!" Unlike Hu Yuying’s shyness, Li Qingxue beamed at the compliment.
...