Chapter 188: New Year

The only good thing was that Yan Zhusheng didn't sleep like Ying Chanxi and Xu Youyu—one who liked to steal blankets while asleep, the other who preferred lying on her side with her legs draped over others.

When Yan Zhusheng slept, she was quite proper and well-behaved.

The blanket covered her chest, her hands pressed it gently against her stomach, her face serene and peaceful.

After Li Luo sat up in bed, he noticed Yan Zhusheng lying beside him; he should have gotten up immediately and left, but he couldn't help admiring the girl's delicate sleeping face a little longer.

Only when footsteps in slippers echoed down the hallway did Li Luo's expression change, and he hurried off the bed.

He glanced down at his clothes, confirmed there was nothing amiss, then walked out the door with a calm face.

Xu Youyu, just waking up, stepped out of the opposite study and saw Li Luo emerging from the small bedroom—her face filled with astonishment.

"Why are you in there?"

"Yan Zhusheng came over and said she was still sleepy, so I tidied up this room and let her sleep for a while," Li Luo said without blinking, "What about you? I thought you were sleeping on my bed."

"Cough, cough…," Xu Youyu flushed at this, "I was so tired last night, I accidentally fell asleep. My sleeping posture isn't great—did I disturb you?"

"No." Li Luo blinked. "After I noticed you two were asleep, I brought you a blanket, then I didn't sleep in the main bedroom anymore."

"So that's why." Xu Youyu nodded in realization—no wonder Li Luo wasn't beside her when she woke up.

This guy Li Luo… was just too honest.

Xu Youyu looked at Li Luo, scanned him up and down, then looked at herself.

"What's wrong?" Li Luo noticed her odd behavior and asked with concern.

"Nothing." Xu Youyu shook her head. "Zhusheng's still sleeping, and Xixi hasn't woken up yet—how about we go buy groceries first?"

"Sounds good."

Li Luo checked the time—it was already past ten in the morning.

If they didn't buy groceries soon, lunch would be pushed to one or two in the afternoon.

So Li Luo quickly got dressed, went to the main bedroom to grab his down jacket and scarf, glanced at Ying Chanxi still fast asleep on his bed, and shook his head with a wry smile.

Then he stepped out with Xu Youyu, who was already ready, heading toward the market.

"Come to think of it," Xu Youyu recalled, "this is the first time we've gone out alone to buy groceries."

"Is that some kind of milestone worth commemorating?"

"Just an observation," Xu Youyu grinned. "I've never slept on a guy's bed before, then gone out grocery shopping with him afterward—hmm, really makes you imagine things."

No wonder she was the early-to-bed president—her words came out like a car speeding down the highway.

Li Luo tugged at his lips: "Don't make something so ordinary sound like I did something scandalous—we're still pure."

"Oh come on, it doesn't matter," Xu Youyu patted Li Luo's shoulder. "By the way, I've never gone grocery shopping alone with a guy—what do you think guys usually think about in situations like this?"

Before they'd even exchanged two sentences, Xu Youyu couldn't help but start gathering material.

Li Luo didn't overthink it—he just assumed Xu Youyu was chatting idly, so he replied casually: "If a guy and girl go grocery shopping and cook alone, with no one else around, the guy's probably thinking how to trick her into bed and eat her up."

"Eww~" Xu Youyu raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Do guys really think like that?"

"Probably. I'm just making it up, and most people probably only fantasize," Li Luo said. "Out of ten, maybe one actually acts on it."

"I see." Xu Youyu pondered, then smiled. "So what do you think girls think about in this situation?"

"What do they think?"

"If it's someone they like, the girl's probably thinking how to pretend just right—so she can make him take the first step, then play hard to get while secretly letting him win her over."

"You didn't just make that up on the spot, did you?"

"Of course not."

"So… are you thinking that right now, Senior?"

"You're pretty confident in yourself, huh? I said 'someone you like.'"

"What if it's someone you don't like?"

"Then the first step can't even happen," Xu Youyu chuckled. "If you don't like them, who'd go grocery shopping alone with them?"

"Hm?"

"What's wrong? What are you thinking?" Xu Youyu watched him with a half-smile. "We're different, after all—we've got Xixi and Zhusheng waiting for lunch."

"True enough."

As they chatted idly, they soon arrived at the market.

Along the way, Xu Youyu asked many sensitive topics; by the time they returned to Bihai Lanting with their groceries, she felt she'd gained plenty—her inspiration was practically overflowing from her mind.

Mostly because Li Luo was interesting to talk to, and unlike ordinary guys, he didn't hide or dodge when chatting with her—he openly expressed genuine attitudes.

That matched Xu Youyu's own nature.

It gave her the feeling of meeting an equal in conversation.

As for other boys her age, the more they talked, the more childish they seemed—she'd rather go home and argue with her dad over any random topic.

Just as the two returned home and began cooking in the kitchen, Ying Chanxi in the main bedroom finally woke up fully, stretching lazily on Li Luo's bed.

She picked up her phone, saw it was past eleven in the morning, and jolted upright—hurrying off the bed and out of the bedroom.

Then she saw Xu Youyu, wearing the apron Ying Chanxi usually wore, standing beside Li Luo, helping him cook.

"Huh? Xixi," Xu Youyu noticed Ying Chanxi at the kitchen door and smiled. "Go freshen up first—we'll call you when dinner's ready."

Li Luo, who was stir-frying, turned his head and looked at Ying Chanxi: "Remember to comb your hair."

"Ah!" Ying Chanxi covered her head—only now realizing her hair was a mess from just waking up.

She dashed into the bathroom and hurriedly washed up.

When she finished freshening up and stepped out of the bathroom, about to head back to the kitchen and ask if she could help, the door to the small bedroom opposite the study suddenly opened.

Yan Zhusheng, still half-asleep, rubbed her head as she stepped out—and seeing Ying Chanxi, instinctively opened her arms and gave her a big hug.

"Xixi, good morning…"

Yan Zhusheng was clearly still half-asleep, mumbling as she spoke, "It smells so good."

"Zhu... Zhusheng?" Ying Chanxi blinked in surprise. "How did you end up in here?"

"I went jogging with Li Luo this morning, then came here," Yan Zhusheng mumbled, her head resting on Ying Chanxi's shoulder. "I was so sleepy, I just fell asleep."

"Oh... I see..." Ying Chanxi roughly understood Yan Zhusheng's meaning. Seeing she was still dazed, she simply led her into the bathroom again.

After washing her face, Yan Zhusheng immediately became alert. Smelling the aroma of the food, she walked straight to the kitchen.

Ying Chanxi followed behind, and the four of them squeezed into the small kitchen.

Li Luo had just finished stir-frying a dish when he slapped away Yan Zhusheng's sneaky hand. "Almost done—don't steal bites. Did you wash your hands?"

"I did."

"At least use chopsticks."

"It tastes better when I eat with my hands."

"..." Li Luo sighed. "What kind of nonsense is that?" He slapped away Ying Chanxi's hand too. "What's going on with you two? Both of you like stealing bites, huh?"

"Look—our senior is stealing too," Ying Chanxi's sharp eyes caught Xu Youyu's sneaky motion.

But Xu Youyu had already succeeded. She happily chewed on the rib in her mouth, grinned, and darted off before Li Luo could catch her.

The kitchen instantly burst into lively chaos.

Li Luo, with only two hands, couldn't stop six hands. He let them steal several bites each, until every small hand was greasy—making him laugh and groan in equal measure.

"Alright, alright, I've got one more dish left," Li Luo said. "Just take these out to the table first."

"Got it." Ying Chanxi went to the sink to wash her hands, then obediently started carrying the dishes.

Xu Youyu and Yan Zhusheng followed suit, and soon all the dishes were on the dining table.

At exactly twelve-thirty noon, the six dishes and one soup were all ready.

The four of them sat in a circle, enjoying their first lunch of 2015.

Xu Youyu fetched a can of beer; Li Luo poured juice for the other two.

They clinked glasses and began eating, each offering blessings:

"Happy New Year!"