Chapter 103: Good Friends

"Zhusheng, come have dinner with us today."

Holding the Pikachu doll that Yan Zhusheng had given her, Ying Chanxi invited him warmly.

Yan Zhusheng nodded without hesitation, pulled out his phone, and called the cook to say dinner wasn't needed tonight.

The three of them waited at the school gate for Xu Youyu, then headed back together to Bihai Lanting 1502.

When Ying Chanxi returned to her bedroom and placed the Pikachu doll on her nightstand, she heard Li Luo ask at the door: "Where should I put these dolls?"

"Anywhere you like," Ying Chanxi waved her hand. "Just not in my room."

Tsk tsk.

Li Luo looked down at the dolls in his arms and sighed for them.

Same dolls, completely different treatment.

"I don't get how you think," Xu Youyu said, flopping onto the sofa the moment he got home—he'd already heard about Li Luo's glorious deeds—and grinned with his feet propped up. "You really think Xixi likes dolls?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Li Luo frowned, placing the dolls on the windowsill in a neat row.

"Girls like the person who gives them the doll," Xu Youyu said calmly. "Anyone close to them—they'll like anything you give."

"What about someone they're not close to?"

"There." Xu Youyu nodded toward the row of dolls in front of Li Luo. "Isn't the outcome right in front of you?"

"So what does your sister like when others give her gifts?"

"I'm almost out of sanitary pads. Just bring me some."

"You'd better buy those yourself," Li Luo shook his head. "Most guys can't even tell the brands apart, let alone day vs. night types."

"You know about this?" Xu Youyu was surprised.

"Cough… I've looked into it a bit."

Hearing that, Xu Youyu's expression cleared with understanding.

After all, he was an Online Novel writer—this kind of weird little knowledge, odd to most guys, was perfectly normal.

Xu Youyu loved collecting such male-centric trivia online to better immerse himself in the male-oriented Online Novel perspective.

After chatting a while, Ying Chanxi called Xu Youyu and Yan Zhusheng downstairs to go grocery shopping.

Li Luo also went downstairs, went to the bank, and checked his bank balance.

——91824.38

Over ninety thousand yuan in savings.

Hard to believe this was money a Gao Zhongsheng had earned in just three or four months without any parental help.

Li Luo recalled his own high school days in his past life—after deducting meal expenses, he never had more than a few coins in his pocket.

If he'd had tens of thousands back then, he didn't know how confident he'd have felt.

Thinking this, Li Luo withdrew ten thousand yuan from his bank account, bought a stack of red envelope shells on the street, took out two, and stuffed five thousand yuan into each.

Back home, after the three girls returned with groceries, while Xu Youyu went upstairs to wait for dinner and Ying Chanxi stepped into the bathroom, Li Luo pulled Yan Zhusheng into the piano room and handed her the two red envelopes.

"What's this?" Yan Zhusheng looked puzzled.

"For you and Aunt Luo Fei," Li Luo said. "You're the original singer of 'Year Rings'; Aunt Luo Fei arranged the music."

"I'll accept this one on behalf of Auntie," Yan Zhusheng took only one envelope and returned the other to Li Luo, shaking her head. "I don't want money."

"I know you're not short on cash—it's just standard royalty distribution. I'm even worried I'm giving too little," Li Luo pressed the envelope into her palm. "Take it. Otherwise, just buy me more snacks later."

Yan Zhusheng couldn't refuse him; she frowned and took the envelope, still looking unhappy.

"I notice you never hang out with your dorm mates," Li Luo said. "Sometimes buy some snacks and share them in the dorm."

"Oh." Yan Zhusheng nodded, then added, "I'll teach you guitar tonight."

"Got it, Teacher Yan."

"What did you call me?"

"Teacher Yan? What's wrong?"

"Didn't hear clearly."

"... You've gotten too clever lately."

After dinner, Li Luo took out the ten-thousand-yuan guitar belonging to Yin Zhicheng, sat on the living room sofa.

Yan Zhusheng stood before the coffee table, face stern, trying hard to maintain her teacherly authority.

Xu Youyu and Ying Chanxi sat to the side, quickly catching up on the situation.

"So you're performing on stage during the sports meet?" Xu Youyu was surprised. "You didn't even join the Rock Club?"

"I'm joining now," Li Luo pulled out a club application form from his backpack. "I can just ask the advisor for special permission."

"The Rock Club doesn't even have one person who can play guitar?" Ying Chanxi narrowed her eyes, looking reluctant.

Hearing Li Luo would perform, she was no longer as happy.

But thinking of him shining on stage, she felt an inexplicable anticipation.

"Lots of Gao Er students are joining competitions lately," Li Luo said, exasperated. "There were already few of us, and now a few more have left—there won't be enough to form a team."

"Then start," Xu Youyu half-lay on the sofa, gave Li Luo a light kick with his foot, already ready to gather material. "We'll be the audience."

"The Brave Heart," Yan Zhusheng said. "I brought the sheet music."

"No need," Li Luo flicked his fingers. "I've memorized it."

Yan Zhusheng paused, then accepted this premise.

After all, this wasn't the first time Li Luo had done something like this.

In the living room at night, the dolls on the windowsill stood in a neat row.

The stirring music began.

But he was occasionally interrupted by Yan Zhusheng.

"Here, it's too fast—you can slow down a bit, then suddenly pull up here."

"Mm, the front part's fine; the interlude has no vocals, so the rhythm needs to be richer."

"There are some differences between the two choruses, but what you've done is enough—most people wouldn't notice."

After practicing for over an hour, Li Luo was exhausted, so Yan Teacher's lesson ended.

Originally, Xu Youyu and Ying Chanxi had been watching with great interest, but Yan Zhusheng kept interrupting Li Luo's actions and then demonstrating himself, making the whole process somewhat dull.

So Xu Youyu returned to his room halfway through to write.

Ying Chanxi also took out her math competition problem set and placed it on the living room desk, solving problems while glancing toward the sofa.

After the lesson ended, Ying Chanxi stood up and accompanied Yan Zhusheng downstairs, bidding her farewell at the building's entrance.

"I really like the gift you gave me," Ying Chanxi happily hugged her. "This is the first gift I've received from a girl since high school."

Yan Zhusheng blinked, startled by Ying Chanxi's sudden hug.

Hm… is this what friendship feels like?

"I'm glad you like it."

"Do you have anything you like?" Ying Chanxi asked curiously, hands behind her back.

Yan Zhusheng thought for a moment: "I like listening to songs and running."

"I see," Ying Chanxi nodded, lost in thought. "Then I'll leave you here—be careful on your way back."

"Mm, goodbye."

"Bye~ Thanks for helping Li Luo with his training today."