(Posted first, revised later. It'll be fixed shortly.)
Seeing Ye Lingling like this, Zhao Zilong was overjoyed. As she tried to flee, he wrapped an arm around her slender waist and pulled her into his embrace. Ye Lingling's heart raced, but she no longer tried to dodge him. Instead, she hugged Zhao Zilong and gently leaned against his chest.
Zhao Zilong teased, "Lingling, did you like me a long time ago?"
"Mm." Ye Lingling no longer hid her feelings. Looking at Zhao Zilong's handsome face, she met his eyes for two seconds before quickly looking away again. Her fair face had flushed crimson as she confessed, "I liked you back when we were at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. But you were with Meng Yiran then, so I thought you didn't like me at all."
"How could that be?" Zhao Zilong immediately grabbed Ye Lingling's fragrant shoulders and said seriously, "Lingling, you're so cute and beautiful. How could I not like you? It was just that whenever I tried talking to you before, you ignored me. I thought you were the one who didn't like me!"
"I'm sorry..." Ye Lingling looked a little dejected upon hearing that, but she also explained, "It wasn't that I was ignoring you. It was... Meng Yiran wouldn't let me speak to you."
"What?" Zhao Zilong was stunned.
Ye Lingling began telling Zhao Zilong about the grievance she had suffered back then. "After your duel with Yu Tianheng, Meng Yiran threatened me. She said that if I dared to get involved with you, she would strip off my clothes and throw me into that kind of place..."
"That kind of place?" Zhao Zilong froze for a moment before immediately understanding.
Ye Lingling did not continue. Her eyes grew moist, and tears began pooling in them. She