Chapter 240: The Ambush of Yan Zhusheng

February 16th, morning.

For once, Li Luo's family did not wake before three a. m. in the dark.

Although Li Guohong and Lin Xiuhong had woken around four a. m. and lain in bed for over an hour, they finally got up at half past five.

A biological clock formed over years could not be reversed in just one day.

By seven a. m., Li Luo woke up on time; Lin Xiuhong, idly watching TV in the living room, said to him: "There's white rice porridge in the rice cooker, pickled mustard greens and fermented tofu on the table, and century eggs in the fridge if you want them."

"Got it."

Li Luo replied, walked into the kitchen, scooped himself a bowl of porridge, and quickly finished it at the table with loud slurping sounds.

Feeling warmth in his stomach, Li Luo washed his bowl and chopsticks, then returned to his bedroom, put on his coat, and prepared to go out for a morning run.

"Where are you going?" Lin Xiuhong asked, puzzled.

"Going for a morning run to exercise. Want to come with me, Mom?"

"Since when did you develop this habit?" Lin Xiuhong was surprised; although Li Luo used to wake early for runs after coming home—unless he was helping at the shop—she had never seen him do it.

This was the first time she learned her son had this habit.

"Just started cultivating it this semester," Li Luo grinned. "Don't you think your son's impressive? Can't help wanting to praise him?"

"All you ever do is joke around," Lin Xiuhong rolled her eyes. "Come back soon after your run. Go knock on Xixi and Ying's door next door—if they haven't eaten breakfast, come over for a bite, then we'll all go buy New Year goods together."

"Got it."

Li Luo replied, stepped out the door, descended the stairs, and arrived at the community entrance.

Just as he was about to stretch his ankles to warm up, a familiar figure appeared before him, making Li Luo pause in surprise.

"Good morning," Yan Zhusheng said, wearing the beige down jacket Li Luo had picked for her last time, her neck wrapped in the orange scarf he had given her, her expression serene as she greeted him.

Her expression made it seem as if she had already made plans with Li Luo to meet this morning—perfectly natural, no awkwardness at all.

"Why are you here?" Li Luo was slightly stunned, walking up to Yan Zhusheng and staring at her curiously.

"I came out for a morning run and happened to pass by here," Yan Zhusheng blinked. "What about you? Why are you here?"

Hearing her words, Li Luo couldn't help but laugh and sigh: "Pick a better excuse—you live several kilometers away from my place. You're telling me you ran all the way here?"

"Huh?" Yan Zhusheng stared blankly at the community behind Li Luo. "So this is your home?"

"They say if someone keeps pretending to be foolish, they'll eventually become truly foolish," Li Luo said, pinching her cheek at her silly look. "Are you really foolish or just pretending?"

"I'm not foolish," Yan Zhusheng shook her head, then pulled a pair of fingerless gloves from her pocket and handed them to Li Luo.

"What's this?"

"A gift."

"You carry gifts with you on your morning runs?"

"Mm," Yan Zhusheng nodded firmly. "Hand. Give me your hand."

Li Luo extended his hand, watching as Yan Zhusheng carefully put the gloves on him.

"So you ran all this way just to give me gloves?"

"I came out for a morning run," Yan Zhusheng blinked. "Are you going for a run too?"

"Yeah."

"Then let's go together?"

"Heh," Li Luo smiled, then nodded. "Let's go. Start running."

In the morning light of Jincheng Community, two figures circled the community wall slowly for several laps.

After roughly twenty minutes, when they returned to the community entrance for the fourth time, Li Luo stopped, feeling his slightly warm body, and asked Yan Zhusheng: "Have you eaten breakfast?"

Yan Zhusheng shook her head.

"Want to go up and eat something?"

"To your place?" Yan Zhusheng blinked, visibly tempted.

But when she saw Li Luo nod, she quickly shook her head. "I'll go home and eat."

"Forget it. There's nothing special to eat at my place today," Li Luo walked toward the nearby street. "Let's get you something to eat nearby."

"Okay!" Hearing that, Yan Zhusheng immediately abandoned the idea of going home for breakfast, trotting happily beside him. "Are we buying New Year goods today?"

"Yes."

"Are you going back to the countryside tomorrow?"

"Mm."

As they chatted along the way, they arrived at a nearby breakfast shop.

Since Li Luo had already eaten breakfast at home, he mainly ordered for Yan Zhusheng.

But while eating the dumplings, Yan Zhusheng ate one herself, then looked up at Li Luo.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Do you want one?" Yan Zhusheng scooped up a dumpling with her spoon and said to Li Luo. "I can't finish it."

Li Luo had only eaten porridge at home, which had merely filled his stomach slightly—he was neither hungry nor full.

Had Yan Zhusheng not mentioned it, he wouldn't have thought of it; but now that she had, he felt a sudden urge to taste one, his expression hesitating slightly.

That hesitation was enough—Yan Zhusheng had already lifted the spoon and held it to his lips, watching his mouth eagerly.

When Li Luo opened his mouth and swallowed the dumpling, Yan Zhusheng's eyes narrowed into happy little crescents.

"Have you contacted your senior?" Li Luo swallowed the sweet-salty dumpling and asked Yan Zhusheng.

"I asked," Yan Zhusheng nodded. "We agreed to visit you on the fourth day of the New Year, but we don't know how long we'll stay."

"Stay as long as you want," Li Luo said. "We'll return from the countryside on the eighth day—see how many days you want to play."

"Then I can stay until the eighth day," Yan Zhusheng's eyes brightened, then she tilted her head. "Will your parents agree?"

"My family won't object—more people means more liveliness; it's just two extra mouths to feed," Li Luo chuckled. "But you need to discuss it with your senior first, then explain clearly to your family."

"Mm." Yan Zhusheng nodded, slowly finishing the bowl of dumplings; when only one dumpling remained, he fed it to Li Luo.

The two of them wandered back slowly from the breakfast shop to the residential complex entrance; only when Li Luo was about to go home did Yan Zhusheng bid him farewell and get into a taxi to return home.

By the time Li Luo got home, it was already around eight-thirty in the morning.

In the living room, Ying Zhicheng was drinking rice porridge and chatting with Li Guohong beside him.

Li Luo glanced at the two opposite doors, then asked curiously, "Has Chanxi woken up yet?"

"I just called out to her, but she didn't respond—I opened the door and checked; she's still sleeping soundly," Ying Zhicheng said. "She's probably still adjusting to the time difference, so I figured I'd let her sleep a bit longer."

As he spoke, Ying Zhicheng looked at Li Luo with a meaningful gaze, making Li Luo feel slightly guilty; he let out two awkward laughs: "So… we're going to buy New Year goods soon, right? Should I go wake her up?"

"Mm, it's about time now," Ying Zhicheng glanced at the clock. "Thanks for your help."

"No trouble at all."

Li Luo turned and walked toward the opposite door, arriving at Ying Chanxi's bedroom door and knocking a few times.

As with Ying Zhicheng, there was no response from inside.

So Li Luo called out, "I'm coming in," and pushed open Ying Chanxi's bedroom door—then saw her fast asleep.

Li Luo walked to the bedside, crouched down, and studied her slightly pouting face as she slept; he smiled and gently poked her cheek.

Ying Chanxi immediately furrowed her brows slightly, murmuring incomprehensible dream words under her lips.

Logically, when he left her room last night, it was only around one a. m.

Ying Chanxi had said she'd finish reading that one chapter and then sleep, but judging by how deeply she was sleeping, she clearly hadn't read just one chapter.

"Wake up, the sun's already on your butt," Li Luo called out several times, but she didn't react at all; he was genuinely surprised. "Still not waking up? She's turned into a little pig."

Saying this, Li Luo pinched Ying Chanxi's nose.

This time, Ying Chanxi finally woke up; her eyelids struggled for a long while before slowly parting into a narrow slit.

"Mmm… who is it…?"

Ying Chanxi murmured sleepily, sweetly; after barely recognizing who stood beside her, she laughed a few times—perhaps thinking she was dreaming—and reached out to touch Li Luo's face.

"Looks just like him…" Ying Chanxi caressed Li Luo's face like a lovesick girl, touching here, pinching there, indulging freely in her imagined dream.

Until she tried to stick her finger into her own nostril, Li Luo, exasperated, grabbed her wandering hand: "It's really me—how could it not look like him?"

Hearing this, Ying Chanxi's dazed mind snapped awake instantly; she sat bolt upright, blinked at Li Luo, then her face slowly flushed red: "You… I… just now…"

"I came to wake you up for breakfast," Li Luo stood up, brushed off his pants, and tossed the clothes from the chair onto the bed. "Get up first, then come over to the other side for some porridge to fill your stomach."

"Oh…" Ying Chanxi blinked, watching Li Luo leave her bedroom—her ears were already bright red.

Thinking of how she had touched Li Luo's face, Ying Chanxi blushed again, yet also let out a quiet sigh of relief.

At least she'd only touched him—if she'd lost control just a moment longer… it would've been too embarrassing!

It was all Li Luo's fault!

Last night she'd said she'd only finish that one chapter, but the cliffhanger at the end was too tempting—she couldn't resist flipping one more page, thinking, just one more chapter and then sleep.

The more she read, the more absorbed she became.

Especially since Li Luo loved leaving tantalizing lines at the end of each chapter, making Ying Chanxi sink deeper and deeper without realizing it.

By the time she came to her senses, it was already four or five a. m.

She didn't even remember when she'd fallen asleep.

All she remembered was how, every time Shen Dongdong appeared, she'd happily squeeze her quilt tight.

But whenever Mo Qinghan or Jiang Ming appeared, she'd immediately frown and skip past them quickly, refusing to look even once.

Thinking of this, Ying Chanxi puffed out her cheeks; instead of putting on clothes right away, she turned to the nightstand, snatched up Pikachu and Doraemon.

Thud! Thud!

First, let out some steam.