Chapter 337: Ying Chanxi

August 17, Monday morning.

Ying Chanxi was sound asleep when she woke abruptly from the urge to urinate; half-asleep, she opened her eyes, threw off the covers, rolled out of bed, rubbed her eyes, and shuffled toward the bathroom.

After using the toilet, Ying Chanxi briefly came fully awake, blinked twice, glanced around, then stepped out of the bathroom and saw Li Luo still asleep in bed—only then did she remember where she had slept last night.

The thought that she had spent the entire night in the same bed as Li Luo in a hotel room made her cheeks slightly warm.

When she returned to the bed, she crept cautiously onto it, lay down quietly, and realized Li Luo's arm had been stretched out, resting on her pillow.

It seemed she had slept in Li Luo's arms again last night?

Then again, if he hadn't held her, she probably would have stolen the blankets while asleep.

Thinking this, Ying Chanxi snuggled back into Li Luo's embrace, leaning against his chest, closed her eyes contentedly, and memories of last night's movie-watching began to surface in her mind.

Had she fallen asleep halfway through the film?

Li Luo definitely held her afterward—had they said something to each other?

Ying Chanxi opened her eyes again, gazing at Li Luo beside her, her face filled with vague confusion—she couldn't recall what they had said.

She only remembered feeling happy at the time.

As she thought of these things, she felt joy and leaned against Li Luo, closing her eyes once more.

But now she couldn't sleep; she stole a glance at Li Luo beside her, saw he was deeply asleep, and finally couldn't resist—quietly lifting her hand, she gently brushed it across his face.

They say if two people maintain uninterrupted eye contact for more than seven seconds, they begin to develop affection for each other.

If mutual affection already exists, eye contact beyond seven seconds inevitably leads to a kiss.

Though Li Luo was still asleep and his eyes were closed, Ying Chanxi's gaze, simply resting on his face, unconsciously drifted to his lips.

Her breathing grew slightly erratic.

A wildly bold thought surfaced in her mind, spinning there repeatedly.

Especially now, in the dim room, a lone man and woman lying together in bed, Ying Chanxi nestled entirely in Li Luo's arms—this atmosphere made it nearly impossible not to imagine.

Yet she remained too timid, attempting several times, each time losing courage midway.

But finally, she summoned her courage, puckered her lips, and lightly pressed them against Li Luo's cheek.

The next instant, like a kitten caught doing something terrible, she instantly buried herself in Li Luo's arms, clamping both hands over her face, feeling her entire body burn and her head spin.

Aaah!

She felt like she was turning into a bad girl… Ying Chanxi pinched her cheeks hard, blushing furiously, thinking random thoughts, still savoring the sensation of that touch.

If you sneak a kiss, kissing the cheek shouldn't be too bad, right?

Ying Chanxi's toes curled tightly inside the blankets, her whole body trembling faintly with uncontrollable excitement, leaving her emotionally overwhelmed.

She hadn't felt this kind of tension and physical tightness in years.

Only after several minutes did the feeling gradually subside; Ying Chanxi replayed it in her mind, thinking she was probably the first girl ever to kiss Li Luo—this thought filled her with quiet delight.

Too bad Li Luo was asleep and didn't know about it.

Of course, if Li Luo had been awake, she never would have dared do this.

They're still too young, after all—such things should wait until college, at least.

No no, maybe after the college entrance exam?

Ying Chanxi's mind swarmed with random, bizarre thoughts—she didn't even know what she was thinking anymore.

But after the initial rush of excitement faded, she gradually grew drowsy, and finally fell asleep again in Li Luo's arms.

…

When she woke again, it was because Li Luo's alarm had gone off.

Both opened their eyes under the covers; Li Luo shook his slightly numb arm, picked up his phone and turned off the alarm, yawned, and said: "Get up, freshen up, then head back early—otherwise, if my mom comes to the room looking for you and doesn't find you, it'll be bad."

"Mm-hmm." Ying Chanxi nodded, climbed out of bed obediently, still wearing Li Luo's shirt.

Morning sunlight slipped through the window cracks into the room, casting light on her back and legs; Ying Chanxi stretched on the edge of the bed, her hem rising slowly with the motion, revealing a long stretch of thigh skin, pale and flawless in the morning glow.

Li Luo sat on the bed's edge, turned his head, saw this scene, and froze for a moment—wishing he had a camera to capture it.

Ying Chanxi didn't notice his gaze; still shy, she tugged at her hem, then hurried into the bathroom to put on her pants.

To make her shirt look less odd, she tucked the entire hem into her pants, rolled up the sleeves, revealing a small section of her pale forearm.

When Li Luo entered the bathroom, Ying Chanxi had already dressed, stood before the mirror, and smiled at him: "How do I look? Doesn't it suit me?"

I have to say, a girl like Ying Chanxi basically looks good in anything—she's a natural clotheshorse.

Originally, wearing Li Luo's shirt, the too-long hem made her legs look shorter.

Now that the hem was fully tucked into her waistband, it fit much better.

Combined with the loose, comfortable feel, she looked casually stylish—the men's shirt added a touch of androgyny, balancing her naturally petite and cute style into something cool-cute.

I have to say, after dressing up like this, Ying Chanxi has a unique charm of her own.

"If you added a baseball cap, it'd be perfect," Li Luo smiled. "But you look great already—why not just keep the shirt?"

"Not a bad idea," Ying Chanxi smiled faintly, then her gaze unconsciously drifted to Li Luo's face—thinking of what she'd done while he slept, her cheeks flushed again.

Li Luo didn't pay much attention, assuming she was just shy because it was her first time wearing men's clothing.

After washing up, Ying Chanxi packed her still-damp top and underwear into a bag, then followed Li Luo out the door, ready to head downstairs for breakfast.

Just as they pressed the elevator button and saw one elevator stop at the 8th floor, they stood by the door waiting.

Watching the elevator doors slowly open.

Whether it was Li Luo,

Or perhaps Ying Zhicheng right now in the elevator shaft.

or Ying Zhicheng inside the elevator at that moment—

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Li Luo hurriedly pressed the button, stepped inside, and forced a greeting: "Uncle Ying, good morning."

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Li Luo quickly pressed the button, stepped inside, and forced a greeting: "Uncle Ying, good morning."

【61】 Seeing this, Ying Chanxi had no choice but to follow Li Luo into the elevator, but she dared not look at Ying Zhicheng, terrified he'd notice something.

And at this moment, Ying Zhicheng was also deeply troubled, never expecting to meet Xixi under such circumstances, still pondering how to explain himself.

Fortunately, Li Luo reacted quickly; as soon as he stepped into the elevator, he smiled warmly and chatted with Ying Zhicheng: "Uncle Ying, are you here to see Lawyer Tian? Did you settle yesterday's matter?"

Upon hearing this, Ying Zhicheng first froze, then immediately understood—Li Luo was helping him—so he nodded right away: "Hmm… yeah… we've reached a preliminary interest, but we'll need to see further."

"W-what matter?" Ying Chanxi whispered in confusion, finally realizing it was strange for her father to appear at Jinjiang Hotel so early.

After all, from Ying Chanxi's perspective, Ying Zhicheng should have been staying at Quanjie Hotel all along.

She had originally thought her father had come to Jinjiang Hotel to "catch her in the act" because he couldn't find her in her room that morning, but now it turned out to be something else—this slightly eased Ying Chanxi's tension.

"It's the realist novel I'm writing—the one that will enter the writing contest," Li Luo said quickly, offhand. "Didn't I already talk to Uncle Ying about the plot and structure?"

"He thought it had some potential, so he discussed the novel's copyright with me."

"I don't understand this side of things, so I had to ask Uncle Ying to talk more with Lawyer Tian."

"Right," Ying Zhicheng promptly picked up the thread, as if it made perfect sense. "If your novel turns out well, I might buy the copyright—maybe someday you'll even see it adapted into a TV drama."

"Really?" Ying Chanxi immediately brightened for Li Luo's sake. "Then Dad, you've got to keep your word—no backing out later."

"Cough… of course I will," Ying Zhicheng said, then shifted his gaze and asked, "So why are you here with Li Luo so early in the morning?"

"Me? I… I…"

"She showed up early this morning and insisted on dragging me out for a morning run," Li Luo coughed and added. "I used to run every day, but this is our first real trip—why on earth does she still want to run today?"

"W-well, exercise is important!" Ying Chanxi blushed slightly, feeling guilty about lying to her father, but if he found out she'd slept in Li Luo's room last night, she feared he'd forbid her from staying at Bihai Lanting again—so she went along with Li Luo's story: "You've got to keep the habit. If you break it too long, you'll just give up."

"Hmm… Xixi makes sense," Ying Zhicheng nodded, too nervous to notice the logical flaw in the excuse.

To make Ying Chanxi believe his visit to Lawyer Tian was real, he unconsciously accepted Li Luo and Ying Chanxi's story as true too.

After all, in Ying Zhicheng's mind, his daughter was still a well-behaved girl who wouldn't do anything too outlandish.

Thinking this, Ying Zhicheng sighed in relief, deciding the matter was settled, then turned his gaze to Ying Chanxi, searching for another topic.

His eyes landed on her outfit, and he asked: "This shirt looks odd… didn't you buy it too big? I've never seen you wear this before."

"T-this?" Ying Chanxi froze at the question.

Beside her, Li Luo tensed up, watching Ying Chanxi nervously.

How could he possibly explain this? Li Luo couldn't think of anything on the spot.

Fortunately, Ying Chanxi had calmed down by now; with a quick mental turn, using her top-student reflexes, she said: "This shirt is just like this—it's part of that oversized women's style, super loose fit. I bought it for the first time to try it out. What do you think, Dad?"

"Hmm… nice," Ying Zhicheng, who knew nothing about women's clothing, nodded. "Looks good."

After all, though the shirt had seemed too loose at first glance, the more he looked, the better it suited her.

Of course, Ying Zhicheng figured it was simply because his daughter was naturally beautiful.

Beyond that, he didn't think further—not even noticing the plastic bag she was holding.

When the elevator reached the first floor, Ying Zhicheng said he still had matters to attend to and hurriedly got into his car and left.

After watching Ying Zhicheng drive away, Li Luo and Ying Chanxi didn't go up to the second floor for breakfast—they rushed back to Quanjie Hotel.

After shoving the plastic bag containing the T-shirt and underwear into her suitcase, Ying Chanxi let out a long breath.

Li Luo also exhaled, then reminded her: "Go change clothes—you'll need to, or my mom will come knocking soon to call you for breakfast."

"But… didn't you give me this shirt?" Ying Chanxi blinked, blushing softly. "Dad didn't notice anything strange earlier—why not just wear it today?"

"You're sure?" Li Luo swallowed.

Just being seen by Ying Zhicheng was already intense enough.

And now Ying Chanxi wanted to wear it all day…?

Oh no—she'd have to attend the competition class at Fuyi Middle School in the afternoon, so she'd only wear it until noon.

Even so, Li Luo still felt it was too much.

"I'm already wearing it—what's there to be shy about?" Ying Chanxi said, as if making up her mind, then pulled out an undergarment from her suitcase, blushing as she walked into the bathroom: "I'm going to the toilet."

Saying she was going to the toilet, she really just needed to put on her undergarments.

Though Li Luo's shirt was loose enough and the fabric high-quality—so she had no worry about visible outlines—she still put on the undergarment as a precaution.

When Ying Chanxi stepped out of the bathroom, it was already past seven in the morning.

A knock came at the door.

Li Luo opened it, and Lin Xiuhong froze on the other side.

"Why are you here?" Lin Xiuhong asked suspiciously. "What are you doing at Xixi's room so early?"

"We just got back from our morning run," Li Luo coughed twice, recycling the same excuse. "I figured you and Dad were here too, so I came over—we might as well have breakfast together."

"Fine," Lin Xiuhong didn't doubt it, nodded, and said: "Get ready, we'll have breakfast, then stroll around nearby before heading to the high-speed rail station."

"Got it."

Neither Li Luo nor Ying Chanxi had much to pack—just grabbed their room cards and phones, followed Lin Xiuhong out, picked up Li Guohong, and the four of them headed to Quanjie Hotel's restaurant for breakfast.

When Lin Xiuhong saw Ying Chanxi's outfit, she immediately frowned, feeling it looked familiar—as if she'd seen it somewhere before.

After Ying Chanxi explained again about this "oversized women's style," Lin Xiuhong—who never paid much attention to clothes—believed it, assuming it was just a new trend among the young.

Thus, Ying Chanxi openly paraded around wearing Li Luo's shirt.

Whenever she glanced at Li Luo, she couldn't help but sneak a smile, her cheeks flushed red like a ripe tomato—adorable beyond words.

…

Far away, in Yinjiang District, Yuhang City, the Bihai Lanting residential complex on the north side of Ningshan.

Xu Youyu woke up from a full bladder, yawning in her strap sleep dress, stepped out of her room, and went to the bathroom.

It was only about eight-thirty in the morning.

After using the toilet, Xu Youyu prepared to return to her room and go back to sleep.

But before she reached her door, she heard the sound of a key unlocking the front door.

Startled, she thought it might be Li Luo and the others returning, and curiously walked toward the entrance.

The next moment, the front door opened, and Yan Zhusheng walked in dragging her suitcase; seeing Xu Youyu at the door, she greeted: "Senior, good morning."

"It's Zhusheng," Xu Youyu chuckled. "Just back from Hulan?"

Yan Zhusheng didn't know Xu Youyu was aware she'd gone to Changning; she immediately nodded. "Yes, I just came back with Mom from there."

Xu Youyu silently clicked her tongue but said nothing else. Watching Yan Zhusheng drag her suitcase into the bedroom, she returned to her own room to nap again.

Only near noon, just before eleven, did the door to 1502 open again.

Li Luo and Ying Chanxi walked in dragging their suitcases, followed by Lin Xiuhong and Li Guohong, who carried groceries.

As the four entered the home, Lin Xiuhong instructed: "You two go pack your things first. We'll head to the kitchen to cook. Oh, by the way, check if the other two are back. Li Luo, if they're here, let me know—I'll cook extra for six."

"Got it," Li Luo nodded, glancing at Ying Chanxi.

Ying Chanxi understood and took the suitcase from him: "I'll help you pack. You go check if Senior and Zhusheng are around."

"Alright." Li Luo smiled and headed first to Yan Zhusheng's door.

But Yan Zhusheng had clearly heard the noise outside; before Li Luo could knock, she opened the door and stepped out.

"Back already?" Li Luo said, looking down.

"Mm, back," Yan Zhusheng glanced left and right, confirmed the hallway was empty, then leaned her head against Li Luo's chest and nudged it twice before saying, "Senior's home too—she's still asleep. Don't go wake her."

"Alright."

"I'll go help Auntie."

"Then tell her we're six for lunch."

"Okay." With that, Yan Zhusheng walked into the kitchen, took down an apron from the wall, and said, "Uncle, let me help Auntie—you go rest in the living room."

Happy to avoid work, Li Guohong gladly stepped aside, laughing as he left the kitchen to relax on the sofa.

Meanwhile, Li Luo had returned to his bedroom and saw Ying Chanxi had already opened his suitcase and was carefully organizing his things. He crouched down and said, "Need help?"

"No, just rest beside me," Ying Chanxi said, pulling out his dirty clothes from the past two days. "These all need washing, right?"

"Mm."

"I'll wash them later," Ying Chanxi said, then packed away the rest of the suitcase's contents.

After she finished organizing both Li Luo's and her own luggage and stuffed all the laundry into the washing machine, she pulled out a pile of small items.

"What's all this?"

"Gifts," Ying Chanxi said seriously. "When you travel, you have to buy something for everyone."

At that moment, Lin Xiuhong called them to dinner.

Soon after, the six ate in the living room, and Ying Chanxi happily pulled out the gifts she'd bought in Changning to show Xu Youyu and Yan Zhusheng.

"Senior, this bracelet is so pretty—try it on. And this hair clip."

"Zhusheng, you always tie your hair—this whole box of hair ties, I picked them all out. They're lovely."

"Oh, and I bought some snacks too—I'll hand them out later when Xin Yan and the others come over."

Watching Ying Chanxi happily share these gifts, Li Luo, Yan Zhusheng, and Xu Youyu each wore slightly odd expressions.

But for Ying Chanxi, having traveled alone with Li Luo to Changning for two days while Xu Youyu and Yan Zhusheng were away had made her happy—and quietly proud.

Now, sharing these gifts, she was clearly showing off a little.

Yet Xu Youyu and Yan Zhusheng merely smiled as they accepted Ying Chanxi's gifts, thanking her warmly.

The three got along harmoniously, all joy and warmth; Li Luo watched from the side, helplessly smiling.

In the end, as long as they were happy.