Chapter 356: Xixi

After fleeing back to her bedroom, Ying Chanxi patted her slightly flushed cheeks and sat down at her desk.

After finishing the rest of the replies, Ying Chanxi sighed in relief and finally prepared to read the letters from Xu Youyu and Li Luo.

First, Xu Youyu.

Ying Chanxi opened her senior's pen-pal letter and spread it out to read carefully.

【Dear Xixi:】

【Over this past year, I've been very happy here.】

【You two probably know that before you moved in, there were other seniors from the previous class living here.】

【But back then, the atmosphere wasn't nearly as good—we barely spoke to each other, let alone did things like go to school together, cook together, or play together like we do now.】

【Sometimes, they'd even fight over where a Mao Jin was placed.】

【But when I think back, I can't recall us ever arguing over such trivial daily matters.】

【Li Luo cooks, Xixi willingly helps with laundry and hanging clothes, and Zhusheng is well-behaved—he quickly fit in after moving in.】

【Sometimes I even feel like I'm the one being taken care of, haha~】

【When I was little, I always dreamed of having a same-age brother or sister.】

【Otherwise, alone at home with no one to play with, I'd just sit in the study reading to pass the time.】

【But now it's different.】

【Even though we have no blood ties, I still feel like I've gained a few younger siblings.】

Especially when we bathe together, hehe~ the feeling of washing you both clean feels just like I'm truly taking care of my little sisters—it's really joyful.

【If possible, I really hope our relationship isn't just limited to high school roommates—I hope this kind of life can continue all the way through university, and even after four years of college, we still hold onto this purity.】

【If after graduation we can still live together like this, full of noise and warmth, I imagine it would be a very happy and unforgettable thing.】

【I originally thought you'd apply to Tsinghua or Peking University, but when I heard you're only applying to Qianjiang University, I have to say—I'm genuinely happy.】

【Then we'll all be at the same school, never separated, like one big family.】

【I hope this bond can last forever.】

【—Your loving senior~】

After reading Xu Youyu's letter, Ying Chanxi was still deeply moved.

She pursed her lips and read it again, her heart stirred slightly.

So her senior really sees her as a little sister?

But thinking back to how her senior always rubbed and scrubbed her during baths, Ying Chanxi couldn't help blushing.

Yet after reading this letter, her heart still felt warm and cozy.

At the same time, she felt a pang of shame for her own petty thoughts… after all, she had once even hoped her senior would get into university and move out of Bihai Lanting.

Thinking this, Ying Chanxi instantly felt embarrassed, as if she'd betrayed her senior's expectations—she felt truly guilty.

After silently reflecting, Ying Chanxi finally picked up Li Luo's letter.

But just as she was about to open it, she heard the sound of the front door opening.

It was six-thirty in the evening; Zhao Rongjun and the other two had come over together to study with them.

Li Luo, at the living room desk, had already finished reading his letter, tidied up, and invited the three of them to sit down.

Qiao Xinyan looked around and saw only Yan Zhusheng and Xu Youyu washing dishes in the kitchen, so she asked, "Where's Xixi?"

"In her bedroom."

"Why's she running off to her bedroom at this hour?" Qiao Xinyan said, rising and walking to Ying Chanxi's bedroom door, knocking and asking, "Xixi, can I come in?"

Soon, Ying Chanxi opened the door, revealing just her head, whispering softly, "Xinyan, wait a moment—I'll be right out."

"What are you doing in there?"

"Nothing much, just reading the pen-pal letters the Literature Club got this afternoon."

"Oh~" Qiao Xinyan nodded knowingly, chuckling, "You're reading Li Luo's letter, aren't you? Too shy to read it out here? What dirty secrets did he write to you?"

"N-No! I haven't even started reading it yet!" Ying Chanxi quickly denied, "And it's not just his letter—there are lots of others, including my senior's too."

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. Finish reading and come out quickly."

After seeing off Qiao Xinyan, Ying Chanxi closed the door and returned to her desk, picking up Li Luo's still-unopened pen-pal letter.

Carefully and gently opening it, ensuring not a single tear, Ying Chanxi slowly pulled out the letter and smoothed it flat on the desk.

【Little dumbass Xixi:】

【I thought and thought but couldn't come up with anything good, so I just copied you—I wonder what kind of nickname you'll come up with to call me this time.】

【Either it's 'stinky and dumb' or 'dull and silly'—am I right?】

【High school's started—we've graduated from little freshmen to upperclassmen.】

【As planned, we ended up in the same class, and for the next two years, we won't be separated—congratulations.】

【A person changes in three days; you must look at me anew.】

【I'm taking the class monitor position without hesitation—my dear vice monitor, please bear with me.】

【After all, you've still got the student council president position waiting for you.】

【You'd better study hard and push yourself—when you get to Qianjiang University, aim to grab that student council spot too, and gather plenty of experience.】

【Once you graduate, come work for Chongran Culture as my CEO, hahaha~】

【By the way, if you really become CEO, and I still get to boss you around, that'd be kinda hot, wouldn't it?】

【CEO in public, little childhood sweetheart in private—what if I write this setup into my novel?】

【The protagonist's studio should gradually become a company anyway. Shen Dongdong may be clueless, but she's got serious work ability—but she still has to act, so maybe not.】

【Maybe someday you'll inherit Uncle Ying's position—I won't meddle in that.】

【When Uncle Ying finds out I lured you to our company, he might just curse me out.】

【No matter what, the future is always beautiful】

【Whether it's the remaining two years of high school, the four years of university ahead, or even more distant futures】

【I believe we'll all stay together, walking side by side forever】

【I hope that whenever I turn around in the future, I'll see you standing beside me】

【Of course, you can stand in front of me too—it'll be easier for me to play with your hair】

【—Li Luo】

When Ying Chanxi read the beginning of the letter, she couldn't help but smile—he'd guessed it right again.

Seeing Li Luo mock her about being class monitor, Ying Chanxi let out a huff, swinging her bare feet under the desk, itching to kick him right then and there.

But when she read his joke about asking her to become CEO, she grew thoughtful, seriously considering the feasibility of the idea.

Even… a tiny bit of excitement stirred inside her.

Chongran Culture—that's Li Luo's own company, right?

You could even say it's a brand company built entirely around Chongran.

If I became the CEO of this company, wouldn't that mean I'm helping Li Luo build and nurture his own brand?

Ying Chanxi had previously felt a faint unease, as if she were growing increasingly useless to Li Luo—but right now, she seemed to have discovered a brand-new direction.

Her eyes even glowed slightly.

Though she knew Li Luo was just joking, if she truly put in the effort, wouldn't he refuse her?

Once she'd figured this out, her plans for the future became much clearer, and her mood brightened.

After reading Li Luo's letter several more times with care, she carefully tucked it away, placing it inside the box reserved solely for Li Luo's pen-pal letters.

When Ying Chanxi stepped out of her bedroom, Yan Zhusheng and Xu Youyu had already washed the dishes and were seated at the desk, beginning to study.

"OK, Xi Xi's here—now we're all present," Li Luo said, tapping the table as Ying Chanxi sat beside him. "Let me lay it out simply."

"After this semester starts, according to the Ministry of Education's schedule, the first elective exam will be held in early November."

"It'll be on the same paper as the academic proficiency test, but students taking the elective exam must also complete the additional section at the end."

"In short, the overall difficulty of this exam won't be high."

"That's not great news for Xi Xi, but it's a favorable situation for students like Xu Yinghuan."

"Hey hey hey!" Xu Yinghuan protested. "Class monitor, you're being discriminatory!"

"Isn't it good that the conditions favor you?" Li Luo gave her a look. "Either way, before early November, we all need to stay sharp and make sure we win this first battle."

"Most people still don't fully understand the elective exam system—even many students' parents and teachers are confused about it."

"For students like Xu Yinghuan and Zhusheng, if they're lucky, they might use this opportunity and the scoring adjustment system to earn a high score."

After saying this, Li Luo laid out a follow-up study plan for Xu Yinghuan and Yan Zhusheng.

As for Qiao Xinyan and Zhao Rongjun, both are top-tier students who can plan their own studies—no need for Li Luo to worry about them.

As for Ying Chanxi, if she can't score three hundred points across her three elective subjects, that's her own problem.

…

After the first week of school, students at Fuyi High began settling into a steady rhythm of study.

Unlike their freshman classmates, still basking in the novelty of enrollment, the seniors had already entered their college entrance exam preparation phase.

The sophomores facing the new college entrance exam reforms no longer enjoyed the relative ease of past sophomores; instead, they were immediately confronted with the choice of which electives to take.

From sophomore to senior year, there are four opportunities to take elective exams; each student may choose only two of them per elective subject.

How to plan their studies and select the right exam timing became the top priority.

Most people believed it was best to wait until after completing all high school material, then take the exams during senior year—when their chances were highest.

But under the scoring adjustment system, elective exams are essentially a numbers game.

If you wait until senior year, the number of test-takers will be the largest—not just seniors, but also sophomores will be taking the exam then.

With a larger denominator, it becomes easier to receive a higher adjusted score.

But at the same time, by senior year, everyone's study progress is fully ramped up, and their test performance has improved.

No one knows whether they'll be the numerator or the denominator.

If you take the elective exam in your sophomore year, although fewer people take it, the exam paper is paired with the academic proficiency test and is relatively easier—so for top students who can't fully showcase their ability on harder papers, this might be where a miracle emerges.

But both choices have advantages and drawbacks.

So Li Luo's thinking was simple.

Take the elective exam once in early November.

If you get 100 points, great; if not, no problem—just take it again during senior year, when the denominator is largest.

With this plan in place, Li Luo's seven-member study group steadily advanced along its scheduled path.

Even Xu Yinghuan, the weakest performer in the group, was fully motivated after scoring within the top 250 in the opening exam, finally developing a faint ambition for Qianjiang University.

Meanwhile, as time passed, Yuan Wanqing on "I Am a Singer" fought her way through each episode, unlocking a new song every week, and had become a must-watch program every weekend.

After the moving "Under the Flying Clouds," came "The Rose Boy."

The chorus's lyrics—"What rose doesn't have thorns? The best revenge is beauty; the most beautiful bloom is retaliation"—became a motto for many.

Many who had suffered violence or exclusion found strength in this song; under the related Weibo trending topic, they shared their pasts and embraced their new selves.

A single song's power isn't inherently strong—but it acts as a lever to move hearts. A small force can unlock vast inner voices, triggering a tsunami of resonance.

Then came "Chasing the Light," cleanly portraying the shy, timid longing and admiration of first love.

The entire song never once used the words "crush" or "like," yet every line revealed a yearning for and reverence toward the admired person.

The pure, innocent lyrics struck a chord in countless hearts.

In youth, who hasn't had a radiant figure in their heart, like a firework or a river of stars, once shining upon them?

Even if they never possessed it, it didn't stop people from once shadowing that light, and cherishing the bittersweet story of their unattainable youth.

From the heart-wrenching opening of "Empty Heart," to the calm detachment of "Light," the homesickness in "Under the Flying Clouds," the spirit of resistance in "Rose Boy," to the youthful innocence of "Chasing the Light."

When people looked back, they were astonished to find that Yuan Wanqing's several songs had nearly every one reached a level above excellence.

And this was only the top five—four more songs still awaited them.

Moreover, the title track "The Sky Has No Limits" had yet to make its debut.

Yet, just as everyone speculated what style and theme the next song would be,

on September 25, Yuan Wanqing's "The Sky Has No Limits" exploded across the entire Singer stage.

The ripple effect instantly spread to Weibo's trending list and major music charts.

This time, Yuan Wanqing sang about "dream."

When the chorus's climactic line—"The sky has no limits~ My future is boundless~ The butterfly I've become will fly toward a bluer tomorrow~"—was unleashed by Yuan Wanqing's soaring vocals,

viewers sitting before their TVs, recalling Yuan Wanqing's past struggles and her decade-long battle with heart disease before returning to the stage,

couldn't help but think: wasn't this "the butterfly I've become"?

Overcome with empathy, many viewers couldn't help shedding tears for Yuan Wanqing.

Even those untouched by her previous songs were now won over by this one.

After the climax's lingering resonance, people turned back to examine the verses.

Lines like "When I curiously pounded the black-and-white keys," "When I hid in my room, lost in ecstatic performance," "When I listened day and night to my favorite records," and "When every page of my books was scribbled with chords"—these four lines overflowed with Yuan Wanqing's pursuit and love for music.

The second verse after the chorus painted with vivid clarity Yuan Wanqing's despair at the possibility of never singing on stage again.

At this moment, as they listened again, viewers flooded Weibo with emotional comments.

The trending topic for "The Sky Has No Limits" remained atop Weibo's trending list for several days without fading.

On QQ Music's charts, "The Sky Has No Limits" soared to number one.

Even Li Luo's "I Am Really Not a Star" experienced another surge of massive traffic.

Because for six consecutive songs, Yuan Wanqing's entire set had been written and composed by this author known as Chongran.

And the title track "The Sky Has No Limits" so perfectly mirrored Yuan Wanqing's own life story, it could be called tailor-made.

If the previous five songs had merely expanded her audience within the influence of "Singer,"

then after "The Sky Has No Limits," the explosive traffic benefited even "Singer" itself immensely.

Especially as the National Day holiday approached, this popularity remained high, stretching all the way into National Day.

As a result, on October 2, the twelfth episode of "Singer"—the elimination round before the finals, where the four finalists would be decided—opened under intense public scrutiny.

From early morning, fans eagerly anticipated, speculating on Weibo about the theme and style of Yuan Wanqing's new song tonight.

The "Guess the Song" segment before the show had become a favorite pastime among fans.

After all, these six songs were all wildly different, their creative styles utterly unpredictable, leaving no choice but to admire the talent of this Chongran.

So many people who read his novels ended up cursing him—he wrote harem fiction! Clearly, talented men are all scoundrels!

Yet those who cursed him were mostly female viewers; after such backlash, even more male viewers flocked to his works out of curiosity.

Even if only a small fraction of them were drawn to the official version, it still brought Li Luo substantial returns.

From mid-August to early October—nearly a month and a half—Li Luo not only surpassed the 30,000 average subscription mark, but on National Day, he broke through the 40,000 average subscription threshold.

He was now Qidian's undisputed hottest author of the year.

This 40,000 average subscription wasn't just from Qidian's own readers—it also drew in a massive external audience.

Qidian's own traffic rose significantly as well.

This delighted Qidian's upper management immensely.

Had Li Luo not just signed his Grandmaster contract and been a minor, Wenxue Group might have already considered offering him a Platinum contract directly.

Qidian heavily praised its operations and copyright departments, and even gave Qianzhou's editor an extra bonus.

After all, securing Li Luo's Grandmaster contract meant that for at least the next five years, the pen name Chongran would be bound to Qidian.

It was a guaranteed profit.

So upon hearing Chongran had another realistic-themed novel coming, Qidian held several meetings to finalize arrangements.

Upon receiving the news, Qianzhou excitedly shared it with Li Luo.

【Qianzhou】: You're really going to blow up now.

【Chongran】: Wasn't I already famous?

【Qianzhou】: Fame and fame aren't the same level.

【Qianzhou】: But that's not the point—when you finish "Little Joys," let me know. Qidian will coordinate promotion for you.

【Qianzhou】: This time the treatment is excellent—don't miss the chance. If you sell the film/TV rights, you'll make a fortune, and I'll get a taste too.

【Chongran】: Okay, I'll finish it before December.

【Qianzhou】: Then I'll wait for your good news.

【Qianzhou】: By the way, isn't tonight Yuan Wanqing's show again? What song is she singing? Spoil me.

【Chongran】: It's National Day—of course she's singing a red song, wishing the Motherland a happy holiday.

After chatting with the editor, Li Luo stretched out on the sofa.

Beside him, Ying Chanxi pulled out a "Kill" card and slapped it on the table: "Li Luo, done chatting? I'm killing you."

"You're trying to assassinate your lord?" Li Luo pulled out a "Dodge," "Little rebel, wait till I deal with you."

"Kill." It was Yan Zhusheng's turn; after drawing two cards, she attacked Li Luo.

Li Luo twitched his lips, glanced at his hand, and silently lost one health point: "Why are you a rebel too?"

"I kill too!" Xu Youyu's turn—she grinned and pulled out a "Kill," swinging it at Li Luo.

"... Fine, fine, so it's like this?" Li Luo sighed. "All three of you are rebels? Where's my loyalist?! Come protect me!"

Qiao Xinyan looked around, bewildered, still unclear on the situation; after drawing cards, she cautiously tossed a "Kill" at Li Luo.

Li Luo: "???"

"Wait, there's a traitor?!" Li Luo shouted. "So Yinghuan and Rongjun are my loyal subjects?!"

As he said this, Zhao Rongjun and Xu Yinghuan also revealed the kill cards in their hands.

Looking at his depleted health bar, Li Luo fell silent, then quietly flipped over the identity cards of the others.

All of them were green, glowing traitors.

At last, Xu Youyu couldn't hold back his laughter anymore; he rolled around on the sofa, clutching his stomach, laughing hysterically: "Hahaha!"

It was now clear who was behind the trick.

"The loser sits on the floor, hurry up, make room!" Xu Youyu kicked Li Luo's waist with his bare foot, sending him tumbling to the ground.

"The show's about to start," Yan Zhusheng said from the sofa, pointing at the television.

Thus, Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng sat in the middle, while Xu Youyu and Xu Yinghuan sat beside them.

Qiao Xinyan and Zhao Rongjun each took a single chair.

Only Li Luo was the poorest, forced to sit on the floor between the coffee table and the sofa, propping his chin as he muttered, "You're all bullying me, fine—I've got a good temper. But what if someone else draws the Lord card?"

"I just trust your luck," Xu Youyu grinned, patting Li Luo's head, then kicked his back with his foot. "Bring me a grape, good boy."

"I want one too," Yan Zhusheng kicked him.

"Then I want one too," Ying Chanxi quickly added, giving him another kick.

"Uh… can I get one too?" Xu Yinghuan asked weakly.

"I'll get you one, Yinghuan," Yan Zhusheng said without turning, expressionless.

Feeling three girls' bare feet pressing against his back, Li Luo sighed: "Don't you have hands? Should I just use my feet to pick up the grapes too?"

"You want us to pick them up?" Xu Youyu kicked him again, grinning. "Don't you know you can just feed him?"

"Li Luo, do you want us to feed you with our feet?" Yan Zhusheng tilted her head, then draped her foot onto Li Luo's shoulder, spreading her toes apart. "I can try it for you."

"Get off," Li Luo snapped, swatting her foot away. "I lost, sure—but it was unfair! And now you're humiliating me?!"

"I—I can feed you too," Ying Chanxi said, blushing furiously as she offered her foot after seeing Yan Zhusheng's boldness.

Seeing Ying Chanxi's delicate, porcelain-white foot, Li Luo swallowed hard and hesitated for several seconds in his mind.

"You're not attracted, are you?" Xu Youyu smirked.

"... No way!"