Chapter 329: Xixi, I

That night, back at the hotel, the two went to their respective rooms first.

Just as Li Luo was about to enter the bathroom for a shower, someone knocked on the door.

Li Luo could guess who it was without even looking—he opened the door to find Xu Youyu standing there, bright and lively, raising her hand to greet him.

"Hi~ I'm here~"

"Wait… hold on…" Li Luo glanced at the laptop in her arms and the sheer white silk pajamas she held, then asked sharply, "What are you bringing those over for?"

"What else? You have to wear pajamas to sleep, right?" Xu Youyu said as if it were obvious. "We're a couple—booking two rooms is already ridiculous. Don't I get to change into my pajamas?"

"You're not seriously planning to change in here, are you?"

"What else am I supposed to do?" Xu Youyu rolled her eyes, then giggled, ducked under his outstretched arm, slipped past him like a flash, and dashed into the bathroom, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Li Luo's expression changed—he hurried to the bathroom door and grabbed the handle, only to find it locked.

"What are you doing?" Xu Youyu laughed from inside. "Brother, you wanna join me in the shower? Not that I'd mind~"

Li Luo's ears tingled at the words, but he quickly scowled. "You've got your own bathroom in your room—why the hell do you have to come here to shower?"

"What's wrong with showering in my boyfriend's room?" Xu Youyu said, and faint sounds of undressing drifted out. "I'm already naked, brother—want to come in?"

"Just hurry up and shower," Li Luo said, immediately turning away and sitting at the desk, taking several deep breaths before opening his laptop to calm himself.

But soon, the sound of running water began coming from the bathroom.

Unlike the farmhouse stay during the class-assignment trip.

This hotel's bathroom was unusual—it wasn't separated from the room by a solid wall, but by frosted glass.

And it had two horizontal clear-glass panels, about the width of a head, at the very top and bottom.

So when Li Luo couldn't help but turn to look, the frosted glass obscured the view—but still revealed a gray shadow inside, and below it, a pair of pale, delicate feet, clearly visible.

Following those feet, Li Luo could almost trace the silhouette of Xu Youyu's body from the gray shape above.

Especially when Xu Youyu turned sideways, Li Luo found himself unable to look away.

Often, this half-concealed, half-revealed sensation was even more stimulating than seeing everything outright—it made it impossible for Li Luo to focus on writing.

Eventually, he opened a music app on his computer, played a song, and barely drowned out the water sounds—only then could he finally turn his attention back to the screen.

About half an hour later.

The bathroom door slowly opened.

Xu Youyu stepped out wearing her light pajamas, holding a towel as she dried her hair.

"Can you blow-dry my hair?" Xu Youyu sat beside Li Luo, opened her laptop, and smiled sweetly at him. "Darling, please?"

"Alright," Li Luo sighed, stood up, picked up the hotel's complimentary hairdryer, and walked behind Xu Youyu.

Xu Youyu leaned back comfortably in the chair, opened her laptop, and checked what she'd write today.

Li Luo picked up the towel from her head, hesitated a moment, then draped it over her shoulders, just slightly covering the view.

Then he turned on the hairdryer and skillfully dried her hair.

For some reason, Xu Youyu always felt incredibly comfortable when Li Luo dried her hair.

Whether it was the pressure of his fingers threading through her strands, or how long the warm air lingered on certain spots—it was just perfect for her.

Xu Youyu couldn't explain why, so she attributed it to the skills Li Luo had honed on Ying Chanxi.

After Li Luo finished drying her hair, Xu Youyu shook her head and sweetly said, "Thanks, hubby~"

"You're welcome," Li Luo said, placing the hairdryer aside, his gaze involuntarily flickering toward Xu Youyu wrapped in her pajama dress, then quickly added, "I'm going to shower now."

"Okay," Xu Youyu smiled brightly at him, swinging her pale feet as she sat in the chair. "Then I'll wait for you in bed~"

Hearing that, Li Luo froze mid-step, covered his face, and walked into the bathroom: "Sis, just get back to writing—you're already past ten."

Watching Li Luo flee, Xu Youyu laughed. "Alright, alright—you're so easy to tease."

Li Luo shut the bathroom door.

After careful thought, he still chose to lock it.

But when he turned around to place his pajamas on the shelf beside him, he froze.

The empty shelf was now piled with someone else's clothes.

The short-sleeved top and long pants were the first taken off, naturally placed at the bottom.

Then came two pure white undergarments, glaringly obvious in Li Luo's sight, making him blink hard.

Thinking that these were the very things just taken off Xu Youyu's body moments ago, Li Luo felt his throat go dry.

He hastily stripped off his own clothes and tossed them onto the sink, then rushed under a cold shower to cool down.

Meanwhile, Xu Youyu was swinging her feet, leaning back in her chair, imagining Li Luo's expression as he stepped into the bathroom, then smirking mischievously.

Her cheeks flushed slightly.

It felt thrilling.

Then she heard the water running in the bathroom, turned her head—and gasped.

Xu Youyu blinked, suddenly realizing this hotel's bathrooms were frosted glass!

She'd seen it before, but hadn't thought about it.

Now, seeing someone actually showering inside, and what could be seen from outside, she was stunned.

Recalling how she'd bathed earlier… and how Li Luo had been sitting right outside, watching clearly…

In an instant, her cheeks burned red, and she felt embarrassed.

She did enjoy teasing Li Luo—but not to this extreme…

Especially now, with Li Luo showering, and his shadow visible through the frosted glass, she couldn't help but glance downward—then quickly turned her head away, refusing to look again.

She lunged at her laptop and typed furiously, trying to regain her composure—but Li Luo's silhouette through the frosted glass kept replaying in her mind, making her feel strangely unbalanced.

Fortunately, boys shower quickly—after seven or eight minutes, Li Luo stepped out wearing normal pajamas, picked up the hairdryer, and prepared to dry his own hair.

Seeing this, Xu Youyu immediately grabbed his hand, made him sit back down, then took the hairdryer and walked behind Li Luo.

"I'll blow-dry it for you." Xu Youyu blushed again, glancing over. "Just sit still."

The sound of the hair dryer started up.

Just as she got halfway through, Li Luo's phone vibrated once.

He picked it up and saw a message from Ying Chanxi.

【Ying Chanxi】: Are you asleep yet?

【Li Luo】: Not yet.

After receiving Li Luo's reply,

the next second, Ying Chanxi called him.

Seeing this, Li Luo quickly turned to signal Xu Youyu, telling her not to speak for a moment.

Xu Youyu gave him an OK gesture, and only then did Li Luo press the answer button.

"Hello?"

"Li Luo." Ying Chanxi's voice came through the phone. She barely greeted him before asking curiously, "What's that noise over there?"

"I just finished showering," Li Luo said. "I'm blow-drying my hair."

"Ohhh." Ying Chanxi nodded, then said with a hint of delight and pride, "I just finished showering too—Lin Yi blew-dried my hair for me~"

"Is it more comfortable than mine?" Li Luo teased with a smile.

"Hmph, why ask such a question?" Ying Chanxi dodged him. "I finished class today and came back with Lin Yi and the others. We're taking the high-speed train at seven tomorrow morning—we'll reach Changning City by eight."

"Yeah, I know," Li Luo said. "I booked you a hotel right next to Jinjiang Hotel. Just come straight over and check in."

"Wait, why didn't you just book the same hotel you're staying in?" Ying Chanxi asked, lying on her bed and propping up her feet. "Wouldn't that be more convenient?"

"Cough…" Li Luo cleared his throat. "Jinjiang Hotel is more expensive. Plus, your dad booked the same hotel for his business trip—I figured it'd be more convenient for you."

"Besides, I have to attend the official author salon tomorrow afternoon—I won't have time to hang out until evening."

"When you get there tomorrow, just go sightseeing with my parents first."

"Alright…" Ying Chanxi was surprisingly sensible. She accepted his words, then added mischievously, "Li Luo, guess where I am right now?"

"Huh? Didn't you go home?" Li Luo paused, confused by her sudden question. "At Jincheng Community, right?"

"I mean—guess where I'm sleeping right now?" Ying Chanxi bit her lip, her tone playfully teasing.

"Where else could you possibly be sleeping?"

"Of course, in your room~" Ying Chanxi whispered, her voice light and excited.

Li Luo: "…?"

"Why aren't you answering?"

"I'm just surprised," Li Luo cleared his throat. "Why aren't you sleeping in your own room? Did you sneak in, or did you tell my parents? Don't get caught and mistaken for a thief."

"You're the thief!" Ying Chanxi huffed. "Of course I told Lin Yi—I only slept there after she agreed."

"What did you say to her?" Li Luo asked, puzzled. "Did my mom just hand over her son's room so easily?"

"I said if I sleep over there, it'll be easier for them to wake me up tomorrow morning~" Ying Chanxi lay on Li Luo's bed, burying her face in the pillow, inhaling his scent, her phone pressed to her ear, imagining Li Luo right beside her. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Go ahead and sleep," Li Luo sighed. "Would it matter if I objected now?"

"Hehe~ Of course it wouldn't."

As Li Luo chatted with Ying Chanxi,

Xu Youyu finished blow-drying his hair.

She put away the hair dryer, and while Li Luo wasn't looking, wrapped her arms around him, pressing tightly against his back, curiously leaning close to his phone to eavesdrop.

Seeing this, Li Luo quickly moved the phone to his other ear and turned to glare at her, silently telling her not to cause trouble.

But Xu Youyu let out a soft hum, then deliberately leaned close to his face and gave him a loud "Mwah!"

Li Luo was startled by her sudden attack, leaping up from his chair—only to see Xu Youyu, like a child who'd pulled off a prank, collapsed on the bed, covering her mouth to stifle laughter, leaving him utterly powerless to stop her.

On the other end of the line, Ying Chanxi asked curiously, "What was that noise just now?"

"Oh, nothing," Li Luo swallowed. "I ate a lollipop and accidentally sucked it loudly."

"Why are you eating lollipops now?" Ying Chanxi asked. "I've never seen you eat them before."

"There was a launch event this afternoon—they were giving them away for free, so I grabbed a handful," Li Luo lied smoothly.

Hearing this, Xu Youyu burst into laughter on the bed—Li Luo immediately bolted into the bathroom, locked the door, and only then felt slightly relieved.

After chatting with Ying Chanxi for a while, Li Luo saw it was already eleven at night, so he reminded her to sleep early, or she'd be too tired to enjoy herself tomorrow.

Then they hung up.

Seeing Li Luo finally step out of the bathroom, Xu Youyu gave him a pouty look, extending a pale, delicate foot to gently tap his chest. "Look what you've done."

"What did I do?"

"Who goes on a romantic getaway with their girlfriend and then hides in the bathroom talking to another woman for so long?"

"We're just doing a 'couple experience'—don't act like it's real…"

"Yes, yes, it's not real," Xu Youyu rolled her eyes, then grinned. "But is the lollipop thing real?"

At that, Li Luo's face darkened. "How dare you bring that up? Why did you suddenly kiss me while I was on the phone with Chanxi?"

"It was fun~" Xu Youyu grinned, turning her face toward him. "So… do you want to actually eat a lollipop now? The kind you suck loudly~"

"…Get back to writing. It's already eleven—have you written today's update yet?"

"Relax," Xu Youyu waved her hand. "I had a backlog before I came—I saved several chapters. I don't even need to write these few days."

"Oh?" Li Luo glanced at her in surprise. "Has the sun risen in the west?"

"I did it so we could have a good time together."

"We only have today free. After the salon ends tomorrow, I'll be spending time with Chanxi."

"You'll still have to return to the hotel at night, right?"

"Mmm…" Li Luo fell silent at these words.

"You're not planning to sleep on Chanxi's side, are you?" Xu Youyu asked suspiciously.

"Not exactly… but Zhusheng will come here with Aunt Yuan too."

"Huh?" Xu Youyu blinked. "Aren't she and Aunt Yuan in Hulan recording a show?"

"They probably finished today," Li Luo said. "Aunt Yuan's coming to Changning for an event this weekend, so she'll bring her along."

"And then?"

"She said she wanted to find me tonight," Li Luo said helplessly. "If you don't mind being caught…"

"Get lost!" Xu Youyu threw a pillow at him in annoyance, then collapsed onto the bed, wailing, "You're a jerk! So mean! I thought I'd get to spend a few more nights with you, and now it's just today!"

Seeing her actually crying, Li Luo panicked and hurried to the bedside, ready to whisper words of comfort.

But Xu Youyu had already lifted her head, flashed him a grin, and pulled him onto the bed with a sudden hug.

Li Luo was pulled down onto the bed, then straddled by her.

Xu Youyu leaned forward, her face close to his, grinning. "How's that? Did your conscience ache a little just now?"

As she spoke, she brushed her hand over Li Luo's chest.

"It did… a little," Li Luo said flatly. "But it's gone now." He grabbed her hand before it could slip into his pajama top. "Can you stop touching me like that?"

"You can touch me too—I'm not stopping you," Xu Youyu declared proudly, thrusting her chest forward. "What are we to each other now? You can do whatever you want."

Li Luo stared at the full silhouette of her pajama dress, especially as her chest swayed softly with the motion.

He seriously doubted she was wearing anything underneath.

After all, when she'd entered the room, besides her laptop, she'd brought only this one pajama dress.

And the clothes she'd been wearing earlier were still in the bathroom.

Need I say more…

At this thought, Li Luo's mind went hazy.

But Xu Youyu didn't tease him further. Instead, she rolled off him with a grin and plopped down on the chair in front of the desk. "Alright, I'm done teasing you. Go write some more."

"... Didn't you say you had drafts?"

Seeing her suddenly stop mid-tease, Li Luo felt like he'd been hoisted up and then dropped hard—he was utterly dazed.

Xu Youyu just smirked mischievously, then spoke with mock seriousness: "I'm working hard to match Ran Shen! I'm saving up drafts whenever I can, aiming to become a Qidian Grandmaster soon!"

Li Luo lay on the bed, scratching his head. After a moment, he slowly regained some clarity.

If Xu Youyu hadn't stopped just in time, with his young, overheated body right now, he wasn't sure he could've held out.

He got up from the bed, sat at the desk, took a deep breath, shook his head, and cleared away all distractions.

Then both of them fell into typing mode—the sound of keys clacking echoed endlessly in the room.

…

The next day.

Ying Chanxi woke early from Li Luo's bed, obediently brushed her teeth and washed her face with Lin Xiuhong, her face bright with joy and anticipation.

After returning to Li Luo's room to change into a new outfit he'd bought earlier, she couldn't help humming a tune.

After having breakfast with Li Guohong and his wife, the three of them packed their luggage and drove to the high-speed rail station.

They parked the car in the station lot, entered the station smoothly, and reached the waiting hall.

More than ten minutes remained before boarding. Ying Chanxi and Lin Xiuhong found an empty seat and immediately pulled out their phones to send Li Luo a message.

【Ying Chanxi】: We've arrived at the high-speed rail station—boarding in ten minutes.

【Ying Chanxi】: Did you wake up? Don't tell me you're not going to run in the morning just because you're away from home.

【Ying Chanxi】: When I get to the hotel this morning, can I come over to visit you first?

【Ying Chanxi】: By the way, what's your room number again?

She sent several messages in a row but received no reply from Li Luo.

She guessed he might still be asleep—or perhaps he'd woken up early and was out running, ignoring his phone.

Thinking this, Ying Chanxi couldn't resist. She stood up, saying she needed the restroom, then slipped into a corner where neither Lin Xiuhong nor Li Guohong could see and secretly called Li Luo.

A few seconds later.

The call connected successfully.

"Li Luo, you—" Ying Chanxi had barely spoken when a woman's voice came from the other end.

"Mmm… who is it?"

In an instant, Ying Chanxi fell silent, frozen in place.