Chapter 19: Xijie, Have Some Tea

"You just write novels in your spare time, so your Chinese composition scores are so good?"

"Yes."

"And then you posted your novels on some platform, and their editor noticed them?"

"Yes."

"Now they're inviting you to become a contracted author—after signing the contract, you can actually make money?"

"Yes."

"But minors need a guardian's consent to sign contracts, right?"

"Yes."

"Are there any problems with this kind of contract? Will signing it affect your future studies?"

"These are standard contracts, fixed templates—all new authors sign them," Li Luo explained. "There aren't any clear obligations—you write as much or as little as you want, whenever you want. The platform just handles online distribution and promotion to attract readers to your books."

"Oh, I get it now," Lin Xiuhong nodded, paused in thought, then looked at Li Luo again. "We'll make a deal: I'll help you sign the contract, but if your grades drop after you enter high school, we'll have to reconsider this."

"No problem!"

If, before the high school entrance exam, Li Luo had come to Lin Xiuhong and said he'd written a novel that someone wanted to sign.

Lin Xiuhong would've rolled her eyes, grabbed his ear, and told him to get serious and stop fiddling with nonsense.

But now, Li Luo's image in his parents' eyes was completely different.

Not only did he score extremely well on the high school entrance exam, earning a perfect score in Chinese composition, but he'd also matured greatly in how he carried himself over this period.

Though he still occasionally said silly things, he'd grown far, far more than before.

This made Lin Xiuhong feel increasingly at ease and confident about his actions.

Moreover, her son's casual writings had caught someone's attention and earned a contract offer—it gave her some face too.

But could novels really make money?

Lin Xiuhong didn't expect that at all; a child's writing was lucky to get attention, let alone profit.

So when her son wanted to sign a contract with a website, she simply learned the details thoroughly, confirmed there were no issues, and agreed.

As for writing novels improving composition skills?

That kind of talk could only fool someone with only a junior high diploma like Lin Xiuhong…

But regardless, thanks to the "reformed prodigal son" persona he'd built over the past half-month, Li Luo finally passed his mother's scrutiny and successfully signed his first novel after rebirth.

"I Am Really Not a Star" smoothly updated its contracted status over the following days and entered the normal recommendation process.

By next Sunday, Li Luo's novel was placed on Qianzhou's recommended slot for the urban category on Qidian.

Li Luo himself also faced the college-bound banquet his parents had arranged for him after the high school entrance exam.

…

Li Luo had never experienced a college-bound banquet in his previous life.

After all, he'd barely scraped into regular high school by paying a special admission fee—he'd nearly ended up in vocational school, so there was nothing to celebrate.

His college entrance exam scores were just as dismal; again, his parents used connections to get him into a local junior college, where he learned some cooking skills just to avoid starving.

Thus, the so-called college-bound banquet had never been his to have.

"Didn't your dad plan to throw you a college-bound banquet?"

At around three in the afternoon, as the family prepared to leave for the restaurant, Li Luo asked Ying Chanxi while descending the stairs.

"Dad's too busy—I told him to just focus on work, no need for a banquet," Ying Chanxi shook her head, walking beside Li Luo, then smiled sweetly. "Besides, I'm just crashing yours—consider it like I had one too."

"That's true," Li Luo nodded. "But with your scores, if my parents threw you a banquet, they'd need at least ten or twenty tables just to do justice to your top rank in the entire district."

"You're exaggerating," Ying Chanxi rolled her eyes at him.

The two followed Li Guohong and Lin Xiuhong downstairs, where Zhao Rongjun was already waiting to attend the banquet.

While Li Guohong went to get the car, Li Luo placed one hand on Ying Chanxi's shoulder and the other around Zhao Rongjun's neck, sighing: "Honestly, the two of you are the last people I wanted to see at my banquet."

"Why?" Zhao Rongjun looked confused. "Aren't you only inviting the two of us?"

"Isn't it because we're the closest friends?" Li Luo clicked his tongue. "When relatives praise me—'Li Luo is amazing! Scored 555 on the exam and got into Fuyi High!'—"

"Then they turn to my two dear friends and ask, 'How did you two do?'"

"And you two are both freaks who got in through Fuyi's independent admission."

"I'm halfway through flexing and I hit a wall—how embarrassing is that?"

Ying Chanxi slapped his hand away, glancing at him with disdain. "You're so childish."

"You don't get it," Li Luo wagged his finger. "If you're not childish now, when you grow up, you won't have the environment or conditions to be childish anymore."

"Stop standing around chatting—get in the car!" Li Guohong drove out the secondhand sedan from the garage and called them over.

Lin Xiuhong sat in the front passenger seat; the three kids squeezed into the back.

Zhao Rongjun, being considerate, sat by the door and gave the middle seat to Li Luo.

Ying Chanxi sat on Li Luo's other side.

Because Zhao Rongjun was so bulky and the sedan's backseat was small, Li Luo was squeezed over to Ying Chanxi's side, forced to sit pressed against her just to fit.

Ying Chanxi didn't mind at all—she simply rolled down the window to let in the breeze and cool the backseat.

"Actually, this seat is the most dangerous one in the whole car," Li Luo said seriously from the middle backseat. "So Dad, drive carefully."

"You're getting mouthy," Li Guohong chuckled. "Then again, your third uncle's family will be here too—remember what I told you last time?"

"Huh? What?" Li Luo paused, then realized, eyebrows lifting. "Is it about your third uncle's house?"

"Yes," Li Guohong smiled. "This banquet isn't just for you—it's mainly to invite your third uncle's family to discuss buying the house."

"Why the sudden decision to buy a house?" Li Luo asked curiously. "What about your cousin's situation?"

"We'll put that on hold for now," Li Guohong said. "As for the house… it's settled."

Although the decision was made because Li Luo's exam results moved Li Guohong and Lin Xiuhong, touched by their son's progress and growth.

But fearing that Li Luo might become too conceited if he found out, Li Guohong kept quiet.

After Li Guohong finished speaking, Lin Xiuhong beside him added: "That apartment is right next to Fuyi Middle School; if things move quickly, we can transfer ownership during the summer break."

"Your third uncle's apartment is usually rented out to students from Fuyi Middle School—it comes fully equipped with rooms and all the amenities."

"When you and Xixi go to Fuyi Middle School, you won't have to cram into dorms or rush for the bus every morning from home."

"That way, your school commute will be convenient, your sleeping space will be spacious and comfortable, and on weekends I can come over to cook for you—how nice!"

After hearing Lin Xiuhong's words, Ying Chanxi in the back seat blinked and asked softly: "Lin Yi, if you're buying the house… can I stay there too? Would that be inappropriate?"

"What's inappropriate about that?" Lin Xiuhong's tone turned slightly annoyed. "Xixi, why are you being so formal with us? If you say that, I'll be hurt."

"No no! It's just… I just…" Ying Chanxi waved her hands frantically, unsure how to express herself.

At that moment, Li Guohong interrupted them and turned to Zhao Rongjun: "Xiao Jun, you too—you've helped Li Luo so much. When the time comes, you can both stay with us; it'll be more convenient for school."

"Oh, thank you, Uncle," Zhao Rongjun replied quickly. "But my grandfather's house is quite close to the school—I'll just stay with him."

"Then what about Xixi?" Li Guohong now turned to Ying Chanxi. "I'll tell your father—I'll have you move right in. That way, you can keep an eye on Li Luo for us."

"After all, leaving him alone outside school, with your aunt and me running our breakfast shop, we won't have time to watch him."

"If he slips back into his old ways and runs around causing trouble, we won't even know."

"If you're there, and he slacks off studying, you just report it to us—we'll have Lin Yi give him a good scolding."

Hearing this, Ying Chanxi suddenly found herself accepting this kindness—and her gaze toward Li Luo grew faintly smug and expectant, leaving Li Luo utterly speechless.

"What do you mean 'slips back into his old ways'? Dad, where did you even learn a word like that?" Li Luo couldn't help but complain.

"You're meddling now? I'm the one with the highest diploma in this car." Li Guohong chuckled.

Li Luo's lip twitched: "Dad, that's just a bit shameless."

"Anyway, let's see if your third uncle's apartment can be transferred sooner." Li Guohong rolled his eyes. "Once the house is settled, you'll definitely need someone watching you."

"Honestly, Ying Chanxi's father might not even agree."

"What if you drag her grades down? Her grades are good enough to pick any university she wants—she's far more valuable than you."

"No no!" Ying Chanxi hurriedly waved her hands in modesty. "Uncle Li, you're exaggerating! I'll just take charge of keeping an eye on Li Luo—it's no problem at all!"

"Good good, then it's settled." Lin Xiuhong beamed happily.

Inside the small car, the atmosphere instantly grew cheerful. Soon after, Li Guohong drove them to the restaurant entrance.

It was still around four in the afternoon; the guests hadn't arrived yet.

After Li Guohong's group arrived first, they sat down in the private room and went over the menu again.

The restaurant owner, Lin Shufen, walked in and greeted Lin Xiuhong with a warm smile, holding her hand and catching up.

"This is your son, right? Li Luo, it's been a long time—do you still remember me?" Lin Shufen beamed at Li Luo.

"Auntie, hello." Li Luo had no clear grasp of his parents' sprawling family ties, so he activated his memory palace, searched, then took the initiative: "You held me when I was little—how could I forget?"

"Hahaha~ You still remember me holding you?" Lin Shufen laughed heartily, then teased, "Do you remember how you peed on me while I held you?"

"That's right, that's right!" Lin Xiuhong burst into laughter, slapping her thigh, giggling with her cousin as they recalled Li Luo's childhood: "He was still wearing open-crotch pants back then—peeing and wailing at the same time."

"Mom," Li Luo said, his face darkening. "Please don't bring that up again. Why not talk about my high school entrance exam instead?"

"Why not?" Ying Chanxi chimed in immediately. "I think it's hilarious."

"You shut up too," Li Luo glared at Ying Chanxi, annoyed.

Ying Chanxi shot him a sidelong glance, unafraid of his glare, and slowly twirled a strand of hair around her ear: "I still remember many of your elementary school embarrassments—for example…"

"Sis Xixi, drink tea, drink tea," Li Luo quickly poured her a cup. "The weather's really nice today, isn't it, Xiao Jun?"

Zhao Rongjun blinked, then said: "Actually, I also remember your elementary school…"

"Brother Jun! Brother Jun!" Li Luo gritted his teeth and poured him a cup of tea too.

"Cough cough, Li Luo," Lin Xiuhong tapped the table lightly. "Don't you see your aunt hasn't had any tea yet?"

"No no, I should be pouring for you," Lin Shufen laughed, her wrinkles creasing with delight.

But Li Luo had already stood up obediently and poured tea for his aunt.

This promotion banquet had turned him into a server before a single dish had even been served.

But just as he finished pouring tea for his mother and aunt and sat back down, Ying Chanxi poured a cup of tea and pushed it toward him.

"Here, you drink too."

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