Chapter 343: I Only Want to Be Your Sun

In the math competition class room of Fu Yi Middle School.

After finishing today's test paper, Ying Chanxi propped her chin absentmindedly, her gaze unfocused, drifting randomly across the classroom walls and windows.

Since there was only one week left before the start of Gao Er, Li Luo had simply let the seven-person study group take extra rest during the final stretch of summer vacation.

Qiao Xinyan and the other two hadn't gone to Bihai Lanting to study together in the morning, so naturally they didn't know about Yan Zhusheng's private date with Li Luo.

After the second class ended, Qiao Xinyan stood up as usual, preparing to go to the restroom with Ying Chanxi, but after calling her twice, she got no response.

With that dazed expression, it was hard to tell what she was thinking about.

Qiao Xinyan rolled her eyes, suddenly remembering something, and quietly smirked before leaning close to Ying Chanxi's ear and whispering, "Li Luo's here—right behind the back door."

In an instant, Ying Chanxi shot up from her seat, turning to look toward the back door while instinctively stepping in that direction.

When she realized there was no sign of Li Luo at the back door and saw Qiao Xinyan's shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter, she immediately understood—her cheeks flushed crimson, and she chased after Qiao Xinyan, trying to swat her to vent her embarrassment.

The two girls chased and played, running out of the classroom toward the restroom.

The boys in the class, watching this youthful scene, couldn't help but let their eyes follow Ying Chanxi's figure.

Such a beautiful silhouette would likely linger in their memories for a long time, becoming one of the rare sweet recollections they'd recall when looking back on their high school years amid all the hard study.

What kind of girl would this become a real part of someone's life someday?

Many would fantasize, but ultimately they'd accept reality.

At this moment, Ying Chanxi had already chased Qiao Xinyan into the restroom; after Qiao Xinyan slipped into a stall and locked the door, Ying Chanxi tapped twice on the door with a huff.

Qiao Xinyan laughed heartily without opening the door, saying, "I was just teasing you—I didn't expect you'd be so easy to fool, jumping up like that in a flash. I nearly got hypnotized."

"Xinyan!" Ying Chanxi felt even more embarrassed by her words, but since the door was locked, she could only stomp her foot outside. "Stop talking! I thought he had an emergency and came looking for me, so I stood up right away."

"Alright, alright, I didn't say much anyway." Qiao Xinyan grinned. "Hurry up and use the restroom—we still have class."

Ying Chanxi had no choice but to open the door and walk into the adjacent stall.

After using the restroom, Ying Chanxi's anger had faded, and she washed her hands with Qiao Xinyan before heading back to the classroom.

But on the way, Qiao Xinyan curiously asked, "So what were you thinking about earlier while sitting at your desk? I noticed you just stared blankly after finishing your problems."

"It's nothing really…" Ying Chanxi bit her lip, then said shyly, "Isn't today Zhusheng's birthday?"

"Right, so what?" Qiao Xinyan thought for a moment, then suddenly guessed, "Is it because Zhusheng's with Li Luo right now?"

"N-No it's not!" Ying Chanxi immediately denied it. "I'm just a little disappointed—it's Monday, so we can't celebrate with Zhusheng this afternoon; we'll have to wait until after class in the evening."

"But Li Luo and the senior are already with her, aren't they?" Qiao Xinyan smiled sweetly. "We're not all going to be gone today—just these few afternoon hours."

Ying Chanxi couldn't voice her true feelings, so she swallowed her frustration and sulked in silence.

But having spent over a year together, Qiao Xinyan, who already knew Ying Chanxi and Li Luo were childhood friends, could now roughly guess her best friend's inner thoughts.

Watching her sulky, adorable silence, Qiao Xinyan shook her head and chuckled: "You're still so unforthcoming."

…

Meanwhile, as Ying Chanxi and Qiao Xinyan were still in class, at a nearby badminton court, Xu Youyu had already gasped her way over to a nearby bench and raised her hands in surrender.

"I can't… I really can't… please spare me."

Xu Youyu clutched her lower back, panting heavily, her face flushed, hair disheveled, forehead slick with sweat, her whole body drenched in perspiration.

Xu Yinghuan walked over, racket in hand, and looked at the exhausted senior with exasperation: "Senior, we've only played for ten minutes—how are you already done?"

Although Xu Yinghuan wasn't as strong as Yan Zhusheng, she had at least signed up for the school's badminton tournament before.

Compared to Xu Youyu's amateur level, she was clearly far superior.

Not to mention Xu Youyu simply didn't have the stamina to even display any real badminton technique.

"Let's just take a break," Xu Youyu said, pulling Xu Yinghuan down to sit. She pointed to another court. "Let's watch the real high-level play, then sit here, drink some drinks, chat—it's better, right?"

Xu Yinghuan now clearly understood her mission: as long as Senior didn't interfere with Yan Zhusheng and Li Luo's date, whether or not they played badminton didn't matter.

So Xu Yinghuan nodded and said, "Sure, Senior—what should we talk about?"

"Something interesting," Xu Youyu chuckled. "Like Li Luo's novel? I heard everyone in his class knows he's writing one—are you reading it too?"

"Yes!" At this topic, Xu Yinghuan perked up immediately, enthusiastically saying, "Senior, you won't believe it—I never really read this kind of novel before, but Li Luo's is actually really interesting and quite enjoyable."

"True," Xu Youyu nodded.

"So… are you reading it too?" Xu Yinghuan suddenly realized something, her expression turning slightly odd.

"Yeah, why?"

"Then… what do you think of the character Jiang Mingyue in the book?"

"I know what you're getting at," Xu Youyu instantly saw through Xu Yinghuan's subtle intent and said openly, "That's just Li Luo writing me."

"Huh? You know and you don't mind?" Xu Yinghuan was stunned, then felt a bit embarrassed. "B-But isn't that kind of bad for you? Being written into a novel like that…"

"It's completely normal," Xu Youyu laughed. "Every novel an author writes is a projection of reality."

"No one can completely detach from reality to create a purely fictional story with zero connection to the real world."

"Even though novels are fictional, every element that makes them up must have some reflection in reality."

"Even when the author is unconscious of it—which is undeniable—and especially for important elements like characters."

Here, Xu Youyu smiled, paused, then continued, "Actually, there are you and Qiao Xinyan in his book too."

"Huh? Really?" Xu Yinghuan froze, then gasped in shock. "I didn't notice at all!"

"He made major changes, so you didn't catch it," Xu Youyu shrugged. "You'd probably recognize the three heroines' prototypes right away, but for supporting characters, he just took key traits and rearranged them."

Xu Yinghuan, captivated by Xu Youyu's explanation, eagerly began chatting with her.

On the court, Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng were locked in an intense match.

I have to say, compared to a year ago, Li Luo is clearly much stronger now.

Not only can he completely keep up with Yan Zhusheng physically, but he has also made significant progress in all aspects of his bodily functions.

The two of them traded points back and forth on the court; Li Luo could overpower his opponent with raw strength, while Yan Zhusheng could win through finesse.

During the halftime break, Yan Zhusheng walked over to the bench on the other side, drenched in sweat, and handed the water bottle to Li Luo, saying, "I can't open it."

Li Luo didn't bother arguing with her, took the water bottle, twisted it open, then handed it back.

But Yan Zhusheng didn't take it—instead, she pressed her lips to the bottle's mouth and slowly tilted her head back.

Seeing this, Li Luo had no choice but to slowly lift the bottle, feeding her the water himself.

She drank several large gulps of cold water; occasionally, a drop leaked from the corner of her mouth, tracing down her chin and neck, past her delicate collarbone, and into her neckline.

Fortunately, the dress she bought today was loose, with safety shorts underneath, so there was no risk of exposure.

After finishing feeding her water, Li Luo looked around and suddenly froze: "You didn't buy just this one bottle, did you?"

"Yeah." Yan Zhusheng blinked. "You can drink some too."

Li Luo: "..."

"I don't mind."

"... Is this about minding or not?"

"You've drunk from it before—what's the difference?" Yan Zhusheng said. "Besides, according to geography, Earth's water is always cycling. The water we drink today might have been drunk by dinosaurs millions of years ago, so it's fine."

Li Luo: "... You're so good at geography—you've applied all your knowledge to perversion."

Even so, Li Luo didn't truly refuse—he tilted his head back and took a large gulp.

After all, he'd just had a fierce battle with Yan Zhusheng and sweated through his clothes—he needed to rehydrate.

After drinking, the two rested briefly, then returned to the field to begin their second round of battle.

"So... Senior doesn't mind at all being written into the book?" Xu Yinghuan asked curiously.

"Of course not—in fact, it's an honor," Xu Youyu said with a smile. "When someone has the right to write you into a novel as an important character, it means you're special in their heart."

"But when you read the book, don't you feel weird?" Xu Yinghuan asked again. "Don't you think Li Luo feels... uh... kind of... that way... about you?"

"Then you should ask Chanxi and Zhusheng," Xu Youyu said with a sly smile. "Even if he does—so what? Boys fantasizing about girls is normal. No need to judge."

"Online Novel is sometimes an art of dissecting the author's own desires."

"When its content fully reveals the author's desire and resonates with readers, it becomes a popular work."

"Most people are ashamed to show such desires in real life, but in books, they can imagine freely."

"If you're writing a novel, why hide your thoughts?"

Xu Yinghuan hadn't expected Xu Youyu to hold such views about Li Luo's novel.

No wonder she's the top student raised by a literature professor's family.

Her perspective really is different from ordinary people's.

Thinking this, Xu Yinghuan's gaze fell on Yan Zhusheng on the field.

Her own best friend probably didn't think about reading books the way Senior did.

"You know so much, Senior," Xu Yinghuan couldn't help exclaiming.

"Cough..." Realizing she'd gotten a bit carried away, Xu Youyu quickly added, "My dad's been writing papers about Online Novel lately—I've just overheard him discussing it at home, so I've picked up a bit by osmosis."

By around three in the afternoon, Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng's intense battle finally ended.

Xu Youyu and Xu Yinghuan had also finished their lively conversation.

After reuniting, Li Luo told the two to go ahead and book a private room at the KTV, while he and Yan Zhusheng went to the bakery to pick up the birthday cake he'd ordered.

As they walked out of the bakery with the cake, Yan Zhusheng tugged at her neckline and whispered, "I'm sweaty—my clothes feel sticky."

"Then go home and shower first?" Li Luo asked. "Change clothes, but don't wash your hair yet."

"Oh, okay."

Yan Zhusheng readily agreed, so they called Xu Youyu, said goodbye, and headed home together.

Since Yan Zhusheng was going to shower, Li Luo sat on the sofa for a while, thinking sitting idle was pointless—he might as well do something, so he went to his room to shower too.

Just as Li Luo finished showering, slipped on a pair of loose shorts, and turned to find clothes in his bedroom, the door swung open.

Yan Zhusheng walked in wrapped only in a towel, startling Li Luo.

"Go change your clothes—why are you coming here?"

"I wanted to wash my face, but I left my towel here," Yan Zhusheng blinked, pointing to Li Luo's bathroom. "I washed up here this morning and forgot to take it back."

"Then go get it."

"Oh."

He'd already seen Yan Zhusheng like this in Changning, so he could still hold his composure now.

Watching her enter his bathroom, he turned and opened his closet, looking for clothes and pants to put on.

But just then, the front door opened.

Ying Chanxi had finished class and rushed home to drop off her backpack before heading straight to the KTV.

But as soon as she entered, she saw two pairs of shoes by the door—she immediately recognized them as Li Luo's and Yan Zhusheng's.

Strange...

Didn't Xu Youyu message them that they'd already gone to the KTV?

Why were they still at home?

Wondering this, Ying Chanxi walked toward her room with her backpack, just as she heard noises from Li Luo's bedroom—she hurried in to check.

The next moment, she froze, her face instantly flushing bright red.

There was Li Luo, halfway into his pants, shirtless.

Though she'd accidentally seen this before, it had always been at night—this time, it was broad daylight, the room brightly lit, and she saw everything clearly, staring without blinking, her cheeks burning.

"How long are you going to keep staring?" Li Luo said, exasperated. "Why did you come back suddenly?"

"I—I came to drop off my backpack," Ying Chanxi stammered, turning away, embarrassed.

"Why can't you just put your bag down properly? Why do you have to burst in and sneak a peek at me?" After pulling on his pants, Li Luo didn't bother putting on his shirt—he grabbed Ying Chanxi's shoulders and shoved her toward the adjacent bedroom.

Ying Chanxi turned her head and saw Li Luo still naked; her face instantly flushed red, and she quickly turned back, daring not to look again.

Unbeknownst to them, at that very moment, a slender shadow slipped quietly out from behind Li Luo.

…

At 4:30 p. m., in the KTV room, Li Luo arrived with two girls, placed the birthday cake on the table, glanced around, and asked, "Where are Xinyan and Junge?"

"They haven't arrived yet," Xu Youyu said. "Why did all three of you come together?"

"Zhusheng and I went back to take a shower, and just as Xixi came back to drop off her bag, we all ended up coming together."

"So you really just went back to shower?" Xu Youyu muttered under his breath, unheard by the others.

But Li Luo himself was now slightly shaken—he was lucky he reacted in time; otherwise, he might have let Ying Chanxi see something she shouldn't have.

Though it was all a misunderstanding, explaining it would be too troublesome, and just thinking about it gave him a headache.

Seeing Yan Zhusheng sit beside her, Xu Yinghuan pulled out a small gift box and handed it over. "Zhusheng, this is my gift for you~"

At the sight, Xu Youyu and Ying Chanxi also pulled out their own gifts.

Just then, Qiao Xinyan and Zhao Rongjun arrived as well, each presenting their gifts, leaving only Li Luo yet to give his.

"Li Luo, what about yours?" Yan Zhusheng looked at him expectantly. "You said you had a surprise."

"Isn't the surprise buying you new clothes?" Li Luo chuckled.

"... Oh." Yan Zhusheng's expression dipped slightly in disappointment, but then she remembered the other outfit Li Luo had given her, and she let it go.

It was nearly 5 p. m. now; Li Luo opened the birthday cake and inserted and lit the candles one by one.

Xu Youyu promptly turned off all the KTV lights; the room was now bathed only in scattered glimmers, illuminating the faces of the seven people.

Everyone sat in a circle, with Yan Zhusheng seated right in the center, facing the cake on the table.

Li Luo stood before the screen and selected a birthday song.

Everyone clapped their hands and sang, wishing Yan Zhusheng a happy birthday.

Listening to the "Happy Birthday to You~" melody beside her, Yan Zhusheng swayed gently, immersed in the joyful atmosphere.

In the past, even if Yuan Wanqing had been free, she would have celebrated her birthday—but this feeling, surrounded by close friends like this, was something she had never experienced before.

When the song ended, Xu Youyu clapped and laughed. "Zhusheng, it's time to make a wish."

"Wait a moment," Li Luo interjected with a smile, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an eye mask. He gently placed it over Yan Zhusheng's eyes. "Wear this while you wish."

"What's this move?" Xu Youyu burst out laughing.

But the next second, everyone else watching saw Li Luo pull out his phone, begin scrolling, and place a microphone against the phone's speaker.

At this moment, Yan Zhusheng had already clasped her hands together and begun making her wish.

Li Luo held another microphone and asked with a smile, "What did you wish for?"

"I wish we can all stay together forever," Yan Zhusheng said without hesitation, still wearing the eye mask.

"Anything else?" Li Luo said. "You've got sixteen candles—we can make sixteen wishes, no problem."

"Is that right?" Yan Zhusheng blinked, then didn't hold back: "I wish Mom stays healthy."

"I wish Li Luo's novels get better and better."

"I wish Xixi's competition results are outstanding."

"I wish Senior can sleep in every day until she wakes up naturally."

"I wish Yinghuan can pass the entrance exam and get into Qianjiang University with us."

"I wish Xinyan and Xixi both perform excellently in the competition."

"I wish Zhao Rongjun… um… I hope he can stop stuttering when talking to girls."

Zhao Rongjun: "...?"

After wishing for everyone, the eyes of everyone present softened.

Ying Chanxi couldn't help but reach out and hold Yan Zhusheng's hand, her eyes filled with emotion.

But after saying all that, Yan Zhusheng paused again, then said, "Sixteen wishes seem too many—I might not use them all."

"You've been wishing for everyone else—you should wish for yourself too," Li Luo laughed. "Any wishes just for you?"

"Hmm… let me think." Yan Zhusheng furrowed her beautiful brows, thought hard, then said, "I wish my grades improve, so I can get a good score in the new semester's selection exam."

"I wish I can grow a little taller."

"I wish I can make more friends."

"I wish everyone is happy every day… um… I just said something about others again…"

Yan Zhusheng looked troubled, then suddenly remembered something and said eagerly, "I also hope I can keep reading Li Luo's novels and listening to his new songs."

Hearing the answer he wanted, Li Luo raised his eyebrows and immediately opened the audio file on his phone.

Yan Zhusheng, who had been straining to think of how to finish her remaining wishes, instantly sensed the sound and asked sharply, "Is there some background music?"

"Don't talk," Li Luo smiled. "Listen carefully."

He spoke.

His voice echoed through the room.

"I only want to be your sun~ your sun~"

The unfamiliar lyrics drifted into Yan Zhusheng's ears, each word striking deep into her heart.

Instantly, she pressed her lips tightly, desperate to tear off the eye mask and see the handsome sight of Li Luo singing for her.

But Li Luo didn't let her remove it, so she sat quietly, savoring the surprise, her heart sweet and warm.

Only wanting to be her sun?

Did she even need to think?

Li Luo had long been her sun.