Seeing Long Aotian's excitement, Li Qingxue's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Why are you so worked up?" she teased, as if she had caught onto something interesting. Squinting mischievously, she added, "I get it now—your heart's in turmoil, isn't it?"
Hearing this, Long Aotian realized he had been a little too expressive. He shifted his posture and said, "I'm Hu Yuying's older brother. She... she's a very kind person."
Li Qingxue pursed her lips, her thoughts swirling. She hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, "What about me? What kind of person do you think I am?"
Long Aotian glanced back at her. "You? You're lively and spirited."
Hearing his description, Li Qingxue couldn't help but smile, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "You... you're quite the smooth talker," she said, her earlier frustration completely forgotten.
Coming here had definitely been the right decision.
"You're pretty good at asking questions too," Long Aotian remarked.
"Of course," Li Qingxue replied proudly.
She was naturally outgoing and talkative—what people in later years would call a "social butterfly."
"By the way, did you hear what I said earlier?" she asked.
"I did," Long Aotian replied.
"Don't you think they're being unreasonable? They accused me of dating someone at school and said it was affecting Ye Liangchen's studies. That's not true at all! I even shared my study materials with him, but he didn't even use them."
"I didn't affect his studies at all. Why would he say something like that about me?"
Li Qingxue sighed, feeling utterly helpless.
"Now I realize that Ye Liangchen has changed. All he thinks about is dating, as if the college entrance exam means nothing to him."
"He keeps saying stuff like, 'The knight has stepped down,' and now he's making false accusations about me, worrying my parents."
Long Aotian gave her a calm look. "If you can't untie a knot, turn it into a bow. Take care of your health and emotions, and let everything else take its course."
He wanted to remind Li Qingxue not to overthink things or let her emotions control her. While she was busy being upset, others might be laughing.
Life is full of troubles.
If you don't learn to manage your mindset, you'll spend your short life constantly angry.
Sometimes, it's better to let go and go with the flow.
No one's life is smooth sailing.
Li Qingxue propped her chin on her hand, studying Long Aotian with curiosity. "You seem so mature. Aren't young people supposed to be more impulsive?"
"And it feels like nothing can shake your composure."
"Who said that?" Long Aotian disagreed. "The college entrance exam definitely affects my mindset."
Although his grades had improved, with a score of just over 300, getting into a decent university was still a long shot.
Hearing this, Li Qingxue's interest was piqued again.
"Which university do you want to go to?" she asked softly.
"I don't know," Long Aotian admitted. He hadn't looked into the universities in this world yet, and with his current score, it wasn't like he could just pick any school he wanted.
"I want to go to A University. I also want to visit the capital. I've never been there before, but I imagine it must be beautiful and grand." Li Qingxue gazed at the river, her eyes filled with longing.
"If it's you, I'm sure you'll make it... after all, you're the top of your grade."
Li Qingxue chuckled. "I'm starting to think you're teasing me, but I have no proof!"
Even as she said this, she felt a little happy inside.
If nothing unexpected happened, she might really get into her dream school with her current grades.
The college entrance exam is a crossroads in life, and university marks the beginning of a new chapter.
Long Aotian had suffered from his lack of education. In society, his options were limited, and he could only take on manual labor jobs.
At first, it didn't seem so bad, but as he got older, the limitations became more apparent.
That's why he was now more determined than ever to go back to school, to experience life from a different angle and start anew.
"Ugh, physics is so hard!" Long Aotian groaned at the thought, his head aching.
Those formulas were downright sneaky and shameless...
Seeing his frustration, Li Qingxue couldn't help but laugh.
Finally, she had found something that troubled him.
For some reason, seeing someone like Long Aotian struggle made her inexplicably happy.
Perhaps even Li Qingxue herself hadn't realized it yet.
From the start, she had come to vent to Long Aotian.
But now, they were chatting about everyday trivialities, and the conversation seemed endless.
This shift in mood and emotion was an uncontrollable, secret joy.
"Hu Yuying aced the latest test too. Couldn't she teach you?"
"Though physics is pretty tough."
"She explains problems very thoroughly," Long Aotian said, a smile forming as he thought of Hu Yuying's serious expression while tutoring him. "That girl..."
Li Qingxue noticed the smile on Long Aotian's face whenever he mentioned Hu Yuying, and for some reason, it felt a little irritating.
Her own smile faded slightly. "You two..."
Before she could finish, Long Aotian tapped her on the head. "What's going on in that little brain of yours?"
Li Qingxue pouted, rubbing her head and acting like she wasn't going to let him off the hook. "I didn't even say anything yet!"
"You don't have to. I can tell what you're thinking just by the look on your face!" Long Aotian quickly corrected himself.
"You don't know Hu Yuying. She's a really good person."
Children who have been hurt grow up too fast. Long Aotian could see this, and it always made him feel protective.
He lay back on the grass, staring straight at the clouds in the sky. "Who knows? Maybe you'll be classmates someday."
Li Qingxue's eyes flickered as she watched Long Aotian lying on the grass, his arm under his head as he gazed at the sky. "Really?"
She couldn't tell if it was her imagination, but she thought she saw a hint of sadness and tenderness in Long Aotian's eyes—a sense of loneliness.
Li Qingxue slowly lay down on the grass too. She could sense it but couldn't quite understand it.
A person's background and family are beyond their control.
Li Qingxue couldn't fully grasp the loneliness reflected in Long Aotian's eyes.
Even if she could feel it, she didn't know how to respond.
This is life—differences in age and experience.
Perhaps one day, when we've grown older, we'll look back and laugh at our younger selves, saying, "How silly we were!"
[Thanks for the gifts, hehehe... I'm so happy...]