Qiao Gaoyang thought about it and felt it made a lot of sense.

But he pondered for several nights on how to proceed, yet he still couldn't come up with a definite answer.

With the weekend fast approaching, Qiao Gaoyang usually visits Leng Yingying at this time of year. The two of them train together in the military base, but Qiao Gaoyang feels it's time to make a move.

That day, after finishing their cultivation, Qiao Gaoyang decided to confess his feelings when it was just the two of them alone.

"Well, don't go yet, I," Qiao Gaoyang said, for the first time showing an embarrassed expression, scratching the back of his short hair as if he was about to tear the skin, too embarrassed to look Leng Yingying in the eye, "I have something I want to tell you."

Leng Yingying looked Qiao Gaoyang up and down with a suspicious gaze, but didn't move.

[Is something wrong with this guy?]

When Qiao Gaoyang heard Leng Yingying's thoughts, his mind went blank for a moment, as if something was about to burst forth. Then, he heard Leng Yingying speak resolutely.

"You want to borrow money from me?" Leng Yingying asked.

Qiao Gaoyang: "..."

Borrow money?

Before Qiao Gaoyang could react, Leng Yingying shook her head vigorously.

"No, I won't lend it."

Everything can be discussed, but not lending money.

Although Leng Yingying is now quite wealthy, she doesn't like lending money to others. Moreover, based on her understanding of Qiao Gaoyang, he wouldn't be short of money unless something unusual happened, such as if he developed some bad habit. In that case, she definitely shouldn't lend him money.

Qiao Gaoyang: "..."

[This guy, could he have started gambling?]

"I didn't!" Qiao Gaoyang immediately retorted. Was he that kind of person?

"Huh? What do you mean, 'nothing'?" Leng Yingying asked back.

Qiao Gaoyang looked embarrassed, his expression turning from awkward to helpless. He sighed and said, "I said, I'm not asking you for money."

He doesn't gamble, though.

【That's good.】

Leng Yingying was immediately relieved.

Okay, we can still be friends.

"Then what do you want to say?" Leng Yingying asked again.

In an instant, Qiao Gaoyang's heart rate returned to 180 beats per minute, thumping so hard that he wondered if Leng Yingying could hear his alarming heartbeat. It was a little embarrassing.

"What I wanted to say was, I... I like you!" With a determined effort, Qiao Gaoyang finally said what he had been holding in for so long. And with this simple and sincere confession, he seemed to gain some strength, making his subsequent words much easier.

"Yes, Leng Yingying, I like you. I want to be your girlfriend. Oh, by the way, I have a gift for you." As he spoke, he started rummaging in his pocket.

Perhaps his mind and mouth weren't in sync, because his movements as he put the gift in his pocket seemed a bit flustered, and he didn't manage to pull it out for a while.

Meanwhile, Leng Yingying was shocked by Qiao Gaoyang's sudden confession.

Her mouth was wide open at that moment, big enough to swallow an egg whole.

【What?】

【What?】

[Qiao Lao Er just said that he likes me?]

Because of Leng Yingying's thoughts, Qiao Gaoyang's already flustered movements paused, making him appear even more helpless.

He wanted to get Leng Yingying's thoughts from her inner voice, but he was also afraid that it wouldn't be the result he wanted, so he was conflicted and anxious.

[Is he crazy? What kind of taste does Qiao Lao Er have? I just don't understand!]

Qiao Gaoyang: "..."

He liked her, and then she questioned his taste, so what does that mean—wait, Qiao Gaoyang felt like he needed to grow a brain, otherwise how could he not figure it out or analyze it clearly?

[All along, the guys have treated me like a brother, so what exactly does Qiao Lao Er like about me? Does he like my kung fu skills, my ability to make explosives, my ability to make money? Does he like that I can kill a whole company with one punch? No way...]

Qiao Gaoyang: "..."

What is all this about?

Besides, aren't all the advantages that Leng Yingying just listed worthy of admiration? They are all very impressive skills!

[This is really strange. Why would she suddenly say something like she likes me?]

Qiao Gaoyang: Is this nonsense?

No, is his affection really that terrible, that incomprehensible?

Qiao Gaoyang was extremely helpless. He had been a little flustered at first, but after hearing Leng Yingying's thoughts, he was no longer flustered at all and ended up feeling both amused and exasperated.

He had absolutely no way of analyzing these thoughts and feelings; he was completely clueless.

Since that's the case, let's give a gift first.

"Well, this is a gift I prepared for you." After rummaging through his pockets for a while, Qiao Gaoyang finally pulled out the gift and presented it to you with a forced smile.

It is a pair of wrist guards and knee pads.

Qiao Gaoyang carefully selected this gift for a long time before deciding on it.

He figured that Leng Yingying didn't seem to have many hobbies, except for eating, and she was passionate about training and improving her strength. So wristbands and knee pads would come in handy during training, making them necessities.

Qiao Gaoyang thought that if he sent her something she wouldn't need, given Leng Yingying's personality, she would definitely just throw it aside and forget about it in a couple of days, so it would be a waste of money.

If the gifts are actually useful, Leng Yingying might use them, which would be both economical and make him more noticeable.

"Knee pads and wrist guards?" Leng Yingying took the gifts and examined them.

It's alright, the quality feels pretty good, and it works.

Qiao Gaoyang: It's alright, I didn't send the wrong item.

[For the sake of the knee pads and wrist guards, perhaps... we should give Qiao Lao Er this chance?]

Leng Yingying's gaze suddenly shifted from the gift in her hand to the face of the person opposite her, and then to their body, as if she were deep in thought.

[That second brother Qiao—]

Qiao Gaoyang: "..."

Tell me quickly!

Look, she does have some looks, especially her figure—

Leng Yingying scrutinized him closely, her eyes like laser beams, scanning Qiao Gaoyang from head to toe, savoring every detail.

She looks quite thin.

Qiao Gaoyang: Thin? Me, thin?

I don't know if he has muscles, but I like a muscular physique, ideally with chest muscles, abs, biceps, and a V-line!

Qiao Gaoyang: Is this a questioning of him?

If he weren't worried that his actions would make him look crazy, he would have loved to take off his clothes right in front of Leng Yingying so that she could give him a detailed critique of what was missing in his chest, abs, and biceps.

But what exactly is a V-line?

Qiao Gaoyang, who wasn't so nervous before, became nervous again.

He felt like a fish on a chopping board, completely at the mercy of others, at Leng Yingying's whims.

But that's just how it is. If Leng Yingying likes it, he can get what he wants. If Leng Yingying doesn't like it, he can only leave with regret. Isn't that just handing over the power of life and death to someone else?

“So…” Qiao Gaoyang hesitated before speaking, looking at Leng Yingying, his heart filled with extreme anxiety.