Chapter 217: Don

After breakfast, the time had already reached half past six in the morning.

Ying Zhicheng asked Ying Chanxi to double-check the luggage she had already prepared, then received a call from the driver, who said he and the secretary were already waiting downstairs.

Soon after, the secretary and the driver arrived on the fourth floor and helped carry the father and daughter's luggage down.

Ying Zhicheng followed behind with Ying Chanxi, ready to depart.

At this moment, Li Luo from across the way also stepped out, seeing them all the way down the stairs.

When they reached the car, Li Luo glanced at the interior seats, leaned close to Ying Chanxi, and asked, "Want me to accompany you to the airport?"

"Huh?" Ying Chanxi paused, then her face lit up with a delighted smile, "You're going to see me off?"

"I'm just worried the car will be crowded," Li Luo said.

"Where's it crowded?" Ying Chanxi immediately pulled Li Luo into the car; when they reached the door, she patted the secretary's shoulder and said, "Uncle Rong, could you sit up front? My friend is coming to the airport to see me off."

Upon hearing this, Secretary Rong immediately moved aside, then glanced at Ying Zhicheng, silently seeking his approval.

Ying Zhicheng glanced at Li Luo, opened his mouth slightly, but seeing Ying Chanxi's happy expression, he silently nodded, allowing Secretary Rong to take the front passenger seat.

He himself sat in the rear seat on the other side of his daughter.

After the luggage was secured and the driver returned to his seat, Ying Zhicheng said, "Let's go. After leaving the compound, stop at the breakfast shop across the street."

"Understood, Director Ying."

The driver pulled out of the compound and soon arrived at the breakfast shop across the street, stopping smoothly.

Ying Zhicheng rolled down his window and called out to Lin Xiuhong inside, "Xiuhong! Tell Lao Li we're leaving!"

Lin Xiuhong usually handled the shop's external sales, including buns, steamed buns, mixed noodles, wontons, soy milk, and fried dough sticks.

Li Guohong primarily managed the kitchen, preparing freshly cooked dishes.

Hearing Ying Zhicheng's call outside, Lin Xiuhong, having just finished a customer's order, quickly grabbed a plastic bag she had prepared, ran over with a smile, and handed it through the window:

"Tea eggs—your favorite, Xi Xi. You can eat them on the way… Huh? Li Luo, why are you in the car?"

Mid-sentence, Lin Xiuhong noticed her own son's face inside the car and froze in surprise.

"Thanks, Lin Yi~ Li Luo is seeing me off to the airport," Ying Chanxi quickly took the plastic bag of tea eggs and explained, "The driver will bring him back afterward."

"You little rascal," Lin Xiuhong laughed at her son, "Good of you to care—see them off properly, then."

She then turned to the driver and smiled, "Driver, after dropping this kid off, come have lunch here before you go."

"No trouble at all," the driver chuckled.

After the greetings, new customers arrived at the shop; Lin Xiuhong didn't delay them further, waved goodbye, watched their car drive away, then hurried back inside to resume work.

In the car, Ying Chanxi held the plastic bag Lin Xiuhong had given her and carefully began peeling the tea egg.

After peeling one, before even eating it herself, she handed it to Li Luo beside her.

"Aren't you going to give it to your dad first?" Li Luo whispered near her ear.

"He already ate plenty for breakfast," Ying Chanxi turned and nipped his ear, "Eat it."

Li Luo took the tea egg and shoved it whole into his mouth.

Salty, delicious.

After all, it was his mother's cooking—the flavor he'd grown up with.

Watching Li Luo finish one tea egg, Ying Chanxi turned to her father and blinked, "Dad, want one?"

Ying Zhicheng glanced at Li Luo, then shook his head, "I'm full from breakfast. You eat it."

Ying Chanxi nodded and asked Secretary Rong and the driver; both shook their heads politely, saying they'd already eaten.

So Ying Chanxi peeled another tea egg and began eating it slowly.

The remaining two tea eggs ended up in Li Luo's stomach.

"Should've just skipped it," Li Luo patted his stomach and sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"My mouth's dry," Li Luo licked his lips, "And I wasn't even hungry before, but now I am."

"I should've asked Lin Yi for more breakfast items," Ying Chanxi said helplessly, "You never come over to our place for breakfast."

"I'm just seeing you off to the airport—aren't you moved?"

"Moved my foot," Ying Chanxi huffed, "Isn't this what you're supposed to do?"

The two continued bickering in the car, chatting idly for a while.

Once the car entered the highway, Ying Chanxi grew sleepy again, her head nodding, then unconsciously leaning against Li Luo's shoulder.

Li Luo had been watching the cityscape blur past the window when he suddenly felt his shoulder sink; he instinctively turned his head and saw Ying Chanxi's head.

The next instant, his gaze passed over her head and met Ying Zhicheng's eyes.

That was awkward.

Her own father was right there in the car, yet she leaned on him instead of him—this was hard to justify.

Ying Chanxi, Ying Chanxi, aren't you your dad's little cuddly sweater?

How could you lack such basic awareness?

But Ying Zhicheng's face showed no sign of discomfort; he glanced once, then looked away, and began chatting casually with Li Luo.

"What are your plans for winter break?"

"Help my parents with the breakfast shop, play basketball, play some games?"

"No other hobbies?" Ying Zhicheng asked. "I heard from Xi Xi that you joined a band at school and play guitar pretty well."

"Not really, just playing around."

"I heard you also write songs? Xi Xi said you've written a few." Ying Zhicheng added, "Want to record them and submit them to our company?"

"Director Ying, you flatter me—I just scribble for fun, nothing professional."

"Oh, really?" Ying Zhicheng made no further comment, merely gave Li Luo a faint glance, then let the subject drop.

About thirty to forty minutes later, the car smoothly entered the airport.

Ying Zhicheng and the other three got out; the driver first went to the airport parking lot to wait, and would come back to pick up Li Luo when he returned.

Li Luo accompanied Ying Chanxi, helped her pull her suitcase, walked with her all the way into the airport, and stayed with them to complete check-in.

Then Ying Chanxi glanced at the time and said to Ying Zhicheng, "Dad, it's still early—can we go through security a bit later? I'll take Li Luo to get breakfast first."

"Fine." Ying Zhicheng nodded, glad for the chance to handle some company matters; he sat down on a bench, waved to Secretary Rong, and told his daughter, "We'll wait here for you."

"Okay!" Ying Chanxi smiled brightly, waved at her father and Secretary Rong, then pulled Li Luo toward the dining area.

"What do you want to eat?" As they walked through the dining area, Ying Chanxi turned her head to look at Li Luo.

"Let's get KFC." Li Luo walked straight ahead, turned a few corners, and arrived smoothly at the KFC entrance, "I'll order a meal—do you want an ice cream cone?"

Ying Chanxi blinked her eyes, looking from the KFC store to Li Luo, and asked suspiciously, "Li Luo, have you been to this airport before? Why do you seem so familiar with it?"

Ying Chanxi had flown many times with Ying Zhicheng, always departing from this airport.

Even so, she didn't know exactly where KFC was—how did Li Luo seem so at ease, heading straight for it like he knew the way?

"Cough… There are signs everywhere." Li Luo coughed nervously, ordered a meal and an ice cream cone from the staff.

As for why KFC was so easy to find, it was simply because he'd been here just the day before.

With his Memory Palace, he could find this place even with his eyes closed.

After ordering the meal, Li Luo had planned to pay himself.

But Ying Chanxi had already pulled out her small wallet and handed a hundred-yuan bill to the cashier.

Soon, the meal and ice cream cone were brought out.

Li Luo took the meal, Ying Chanxi took the ice cream cone, and they found a seat beside the second-floor glass railing, overlooking most of the check-in counter area, even catching sight of Ying Zhicheng sitting on a chair nearby working.

"Want some?" Ying Chanxi held the ice cream cone up in front of Li Luo and waved it twice.

Li Luo raised an eyebrow, looking unreserved, and opened his mouth to bite down.

Ying Chanxi quickly pulled it back, glaring at him: "You're really going to eat it?"

"Didn't you just offer it to me?"

"If I offer you something, you'll eat it no matter what?"

"Eating an ice cream cone is definitely fine."

"Hmph, I won't give it to you then."

"Childish." Li Luo chuckled twice, sucked on his cola, sighed contentedly, and began eating his burger meal.

But Ying Chanxi didn't immediately eat hers; instead, she went back to the staff, asked for a small plastic spoon, returned to their seat, scooped out a large bite of ice cream, and held it to Li Luo's lips.

"Here, have a little."

This time, Li Luo was truly unreserved—he opened his mouth and sucked the ice cream in.

Cold, sweet.

Watching Li Luo bite down on the plastic spoon, savoring it with delight, Ying Chanxi smiled happily.

Then she began eating her ice cream cone, watching Li Luo devour his burger, squeezing ketchup onto his fries, occasionally picking up a fry, putting one in her own mouth, then feeding one to Li Luo.

Soon, they finished the entire meal and ice cream cone.

Seeing the time was nearly up, Li Luo and Ying Chanxi chatted a bit more, then stood and walked toward Ying Zhicheng.

After meeting up, Ying Zhicheng rose from his seat and said, "Let's go—time for security. Li Luo, I'll send you the driver's number—call him when you need a ride."

"Yes, Uncle Ying."

Li Luo walked with them all the way to the security checkpoint.

Ying Chanxi's face showed reluctance; she walked beside Li Luo, her steps slowing.

Just before reaching the security checkpoint, Li Luo glanced at Ying Zhicheng and Secretary Rong ahead, then suddenly stopped.

Ying Chanxi instinctively stopped too, looking at Li Luo in confusion—then saw him turn sideways and gently pull her into his arms.

This instantly shut down Ying Chanxi's mind.

Her cheeks flushed crimson, reddening all the way to her ears, her heart pounding hard.

Her hands stiffened at her sides, unsure how to react.

Fortunately, Li Luo held her only briefly before letting go, then smiled and said, "It's an international custom—when friends part, a hug isn't too much, right?"

"Mmm… yeah… yeah!" Ying Chanxi was still dazed; when she came to, she nodded vigorously, "Right! Not too much—not at all!"

"Then hurry after them—I'll see you off here." Li Luo pointed at Ying Zhicheng and Secretary Rong, who were already walking away, "Wish you a smooth journey—text me when you land."

"Oh… o-okay…" Ying Chanxi blinked, still savoring the feeling of that moment.

Then Ying Zhicheng's voice came from the security checkpoint: "Xixi, hurry up! Why did you stop?"

"Oh! Coming!" Ying Chanxi called back; seeing her father look over, she instantly abandoned the idea of hugging Li Luo in return, bit her lips, and ran toward Ying Zhicheng.

After entering the security checkpoint, Ying Chanxi turned to look at Li Luo far away, raised her small hand, and waved it vigorously.

Li Luo raised his hand in reply, smiling as he watched her back disappear into the security checkpoint.

When Li Luo returned to the shop in the driver's car, a message arrived on his phone.

【Ying Chanxi】: The plane is about to take off—I'll message you after landing.