Chapter 381: What Is Li Luo

At four-thirty in the afternoon, after picking up Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng at the sports center's second-floor rock club room, Ying Chanxi led the way toward the cake shop.

After retrieving the pre-ordered cake, the group returned to Bihai Lanting, Unit 1502.

At this time, Lin Xiuhong and Cui Suling, as usual, had gone together to the market, bought groceries, and come over to prepare dinner for them.

But when they saw Li Luo arrive with Zhao Rongjun and the other three, Lin Xiuhong froze for a moment.

"Are Xiao Jun and the others eating here today?" Lin Xiuhong pulled Li Luo aside, puzzled. "Why didn't you tell me ahead of time? We didn't buy enough vegetables."

"Oh, guess I forgot to mention it," Li Luo scratched his head. "It's my birthday today, Mom."

"Huh?" Lin Xiuhong blinked, then suddenly remembered. "Oh oh… I completely forgot. Today's the 21st… yeah, yeah, it's your birthday."

Li Luo: "..."

"I'll go buy more vegetables then—I'll cook extra today." Lin Xiuhong hurriedly said.

Normally on Saturdays, Zhao Rongjun and the other three would go home first to eat, then come to Bihai Lanting to study afterward.

Lin Xiuhong was used to it; she naturally didn't think to expect Li Luo to notify her in advance.

As for Li Luo's birthday…

Since middle school, she had never celebrated her son's birthday, so she hadn't bothered to remember—and had simply forgotten.

But Li Luo quickly grabbed Lin Xiuhong's arm and smiled: "There's enough. We're eight people anyway, and we always make ten or so dishes. Today we have cake too—no need to buy more."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuhong didn't take off her apron; she nodded and returned to the kitchen to work with Cui Suling.

"Happy birthday, Li Luo."

Soon after, Cui Suling walked out of the kitchen, went to the bathroom, and passed the living room, smiling at Li Luo.

"Thank you, Auntie," Li Luo replied quickly while playing cards, then saw Cui Suling walk over to Xu Youyu and tap her head.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Xu Youyu looked up at her, expressionless.

"Li Luo's birthday today, and you didn't even tell me," Cui Suling complained. "Look, I didn't prepare anything."

"Oh come on, what's there to prepare?" Xu Youyu waved her hand, then wrapped her arm around Li Luo's neck and grinned. "We're best friends—why be formal? I already bought a gift. Just consider it from our whole family."

"What did you buy?" Cui Suling asked curiously.

"Uh… ahem…" Caught off guard by the sudden question, Xu Youyu grew slightly embarrassed, her cheeks flushing as she hurriedly said, "Birthday gifts are supposed to be a surprise—you can't just tell someone."

"Pfft… so mysterious," Cui Suling rolled her eyes and turned back to the kitchen. "Have fun, don't let me interrupt you two."

"Let go," Li Luo patted Xu Youyu's hand on his shoulder and turned her head back from where it had been pressed against his chest.

"Oh," Xu Youyu pulled her hand back and glanced at the scattered cards on the coffee table. "Whose turn is it?"

…

Around five in the evening, Li Guohong strolled over from the hot pot restaurant, carrying some ingredients he brought to the kitchen.

Although Li Luo said no extra dishes were needed, Lin Xiuhong had privately called Li Guohong to tell him about her son's birthday.

So when Li Guohong returned, he bought some vegetables along the way.

Soon after, Xu Rongsheng also arrived from outside.

After slipping on slippers and entering the living room, he pulled a book from his chest and smiled as he handed it to Li Luo.

Li Luo paused, then took the book and looked down at it.

It was even in English.

The Versions of Us

"I heard today was your birthday, and I didn't prepare anything special," Xu Rongsheng said. "I just finished reading a novel recently, so I thought I'd give it to you."

"Thank you, Uncle," Li Luo quickly replied.

To be honest, in his past life, if someone had given him such an English novel, Li Luo would have been completely lost.

But this life was different—at least his English was good enough to understand it.

Yet whether in his past life or this one, he had never heard of this book and didn't know what obscure novel it was.

"The book is about romance, but its angle is interesting—it tells how the male and female leads, due to certain reasons, experience three completely different life paths across three parallel worlds."

Xu Rongsheng said, "It feels similar to your online novels about reincarnation and time travel, so I thought you'd like to read it."

"Mm, I'll read it when I have time," Li Luo nodded and thanked him again. "Thank you, Uncle."

"Go on playing," Xu Rongsheng waved his hand and walked over to the desk, sitting beside Li Guohong, who was scrolling on his phone. The two fathers began chatting.

By six in the evening, the table, arranged in a circle, was filled with a full spread of dishes.

Lin Xiuhong and Cui Suling exchanged glances, smiling at the feast, then called out to the living room and desk area: "Dinner's ready! Come eat!"

"What about the cake? I put it in the fridge—should we take it out now?" Lin Xiuhong asked.

"No, eat first," Li Luo said as he sat down. "After dinner, we'll cut the cake at the desk."

Eleven people sat around the table; though crowded, the atmosphere was warm.

"Here, chicken leg," Ying Chanxi stood up immediately after dinner began and placed a chicken leg into Li Luo's bowl.

Soon after, Yan Zhusheng also placed a piece of braised pork into Li Luo's bowl: "Li Luo, eat this."

Cui Suling watched all this, then turned her gaze to Xu Youyu beside her, sighing inwardly.

Was her daughter just clueless about romance?

Earlier during the card game, Cui Suling had been pleased seeing her daughter casually wrap her arms around Li Luo's neck.

But then she wondered—was Xu Youyu treating Li Luo like just a buddy?

Look at the two girls—they both fought to sit next to Li Luo and actively served him food.

Yet Xu Youyu sat elsewhere, happily eating her favorite dishes, showing zero initiative.

Thinking of this, Cui Suling shook her head and decided not to overthink it.

Kids' matters should be left to unfold naturally.

Who knows what will happen once they get to university?

Eleven people ate together happily at the dinner table, but since elders were present, the younger ones were quiet and spoke little.

Fortunately, Lin Xiuhong and the others weren't strict at all; they laughed and chatted, occasionally exchanging words with Zhao Rongjun and the other three.

After they were full and satisfied, Ying Chanxi carefully took the cake out of the refrigerator and placed it on the large study table in the living room.

"Burp~" Li Luo patted his belly, stood up from the table, and walked over to the cake, saying, "You two fed me too much—I can't even eat the cake anymore."

"It's fine," Xu Youyu smiled warmly. "Cake isn't just for eating."

"Heh, don't think you can sneak attack," Li Luo pointed around. "Wait and see who turns into a little cat with cream all over their face tonight."

As he spoke, everyone had gathered around the study table.

Ying Chanxi carefully opened the cake box, pulled out a bag of candles, took out seventeen, and inserted them one by one.

Yan Zhusheng walked out from the piano room, carrying a guitar.

When Li Guohong pulled out a lighter and lit all the candles, and Lin Xiuhong turned off all the lights in the living room, the room plunged into dimness, lit only by the candlelight on the table.

At that moment, Yan Zhusheng stood beside Li Luo and gently strummed the guitar strings, playing the birthday song.

"Happy birthday to you~"

"Happy birthday to you~"

Yan Zhusheng softly hummed, prompting the others to join in chorus.

Ying Chanxi clapped her hands, standing on Li Luo's other side, glancing now at the candlelit cake, now at Li Luo's profile in the dim light, softly singing along.

When everyone finished singing, Ying Chanxi said, "Li Luo, it's time to make a wish."

"Mm."

Li Luo clasped his hands together, stood before his birthday cake, and silently murmured for a long while.

After about one or two minutes, Li Luo opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and blew out all seventeen candles in one breath.

Cheers and applause filled the living room. Lin Xiuhong turned the lights back on and asked curiously, "What did you wish for? It took so long."

"Cough, cough…" Li Luo cleared his throat awkwardly, his eyes instinctively flicking toward the three girls beside him, then shifting away guiltily. "Wishes aren't spoken aloud after they're made—they won't come true if you say them."

"That's super superstitious," Lin Xiuhong chuckled, but didn't press further.

After Li Luo cut the cake and shared it with the elders, and Lin Xiuhong and the others had tasted it, they politely took their leave, leaving the space to the younger ones.

But before leaving, Lin Xiuhong reminded them: "Remember to clean up the table, and don't stay up too late—no all-nighters."

"Got it," Li Luo saw the four parents to the door. The moment he shut it, someone suddenly slapped his face.

A large blob of cream smeared directly onto his face.

Li Luo turned to see Xu Youyu already laughing and darting away.

"Stop right there!" Li Luo rushed back to the table, added more cream to the cake, and chased Xu Youyu around the entire living room.

The seven of them played around in the living room, mostly the girls.

Zhao Rongjun dared not join in directly; he only sneaked a swipe at his good friend when Li Luo wasn't looking, and otherwise stayed out of the battle.

After the cake fight, everyone washed the cream off their faces and returned to the sofa to continue playing cards.

By nine-thirty, Zhao Rongjun and the others took their leave.

"You got cream all over my clothes just now," Xu Youyu said, touching his collar, then reaching inside and pulling out a bit of cream. "Look, it even got on my chest—was that intentional?"

"Don't make false accusations!" Li Luo denied, scowling. "Wasn't that Ying Chanxi or Yan Zhusheng? What's it got to do with me?"

"I've got cream on my clothes too," Yan Zhusheng said.

"Go take a shower first," Xu Youyu grabbed Yan Zhusheng and turned to Ying Chanxi. "Come with us, Xi Xi?"

"I won't," Ying Chanxi waved her hand, declining. "My clothes are still clean."

So Yan Zhusheng was dragged into the bathroom by Xu Youyu.

Seeing this, Ying Chanxi's face lit up with joy.

She had been trying to find an excuse, worried Xu Youyu and Yan Zhusheng might follow.

Now it was perfect.

"Come on, come on, we already planned it," Ying Chanxi hurried back to the bedroom, grabbed the filming equipment, then pulled Li Luo to the door to put on their shoes.

"Don't I need to bring anything?" Li Luo asked. "Should I change out of my school uniform?"

"No need," Ying Chanxi said, already placing his shoes beside his feet, then quickly slipping hers on.

The two of them quietly slipped out the front door, took the elevator down, and walked into the night, leaving the residential compound.

"So where are we going to film the MV?"

"Just follow me~"

Ying Chanxi took Li Luo's hand, acting as if she was leading him and only holding his hand for that reason, her cheeks flushed as she walked ahead.

Li Luo carried a long, cylindrical bag containing Ying Chanxi's tripod, following her step by step.

The two walked through the night, following the road between Qianjiang University and the First Affiliated High School, until they reached the Yin River.

Feeling the touch and emotion of holding Li Luo's hand as they walked along the busy road, Ying Chanxi bit her lip, her cheeks flushed, her heartbeat subtly quickening.

Only when they stopped by the riverbank did she quietly release his hand.

Because the Yin River regularly experienced tides, high embankments had been built on both sides; during low tide, people could be seen carrying buckets to fish along the shore.

Tonight's tide was high—the water level was up, revealing only faint, submerged steps beneath the embankment.

Warning signs along the bank forbade swimming in the river.

Ying Chanxi found a scenic shooting spot, avoiding the distant bridge over the river, making the wide river surface look like an ocean.

"All set~"

After deciding on the desired angle, Ying Chanxi pulled Li Luo to the camera and pointed it out to him.

"I just want to film one shot," Ying Chanxi said. "Look here—stand right here by the riverbank, then slowly walk along the shore, away from the camera. Just give me your back."

"Then I'll run into the frame from outside the camera, chasing after your back."

"When you run behind me, suddenly turn around—I'll accidentally fall into your arms."

"Then, we'll gaze deeply into each other's eyes… and finally… uh… finally…"

"And then what?" Li Luo turned his head to look at Ying Chanxi's delicate profile, noticing her cheeks were noticeably flushed even in the night, and smiled as he asked.

"Finally, of course… we kiss." Ying Chanxi summoned her courage, forcing out those words, then quickly added, "But it's just pretend kissing!"

"Because the camera angle only captures my back, so even if we kiss after you turn, the camera won't see it."

"We just need to make it feel like a real kiss, okay? It's not an actual kiss—you mustn't misunderstand!"

"I understand." Li Luo chuckled at her flustered expression. "Shall we start now?"

"Mm… let's try a few times first—I won't turn on the camera, just practice the blocking." Ying Chanxi said, then told Li Luo, "Go stand over there—I'll check the angle."

"Alright." Li Luo nodded. "I follow Director Ying's orders."

Saying this, Li Luo had already reached the starting point Ying Chanxi had indicated, turned his head toward her, and looked at her with an inquiring gaze.

"A little farther forward!" Ying Chanxi called out. "Yes! Right there! Listen to me—okay, now move forward, slowly…"

"Keep that pace—slightly slower now!"

"Perfect—stop right here!"

After speaking, Ying Chanxi hurried over.

Hearing the sound behind him, Li Luo turned around, opened his arms, and embraced Ying Chanxi as she ran toward him.

"W-what are you doing?"

"Didn't you say that when you ran over, you'd throw yourself into my arms?"

"You're so dumb…" Ying Chanxi, flushed and held in Li Luo's arms, said, even though he'd misunderstood—she had no intention of pulling away, only speaking from within his embrace. "I just ran over to explain the scene to you."

"You'll stop right here—take about five or six seconds to walk there. Got it?"

"Mm, got it." Li Luo held Ying Chanxi, then lowered his head, gently tilting her chin with one hand, and asked with a smile, "Shall we try the next part too?"

"Mm… okay." Ying Chanxi's face turned bright red, but the dim night hid it well.

With her chin lifted by Li Luo, Ying Chanxi's breath quickened instantly.

"You're too short." Li Luo said, then slightly bent down, bringing his lips close to hers. "I have to lean down, or the camera will catch our mouths."

"Mm…" Ying Chanxi's heart raced at Li Luo's sudden closeness; she could barely think.

Especially with his breath so near—it made her head spin.

Even when sleeping in the same bed, she'd never been this close to Li Luo's face.

And now, it felt as if, if she only mustered a little courage, moved forward just a little… it might… be possible…

Ying Chanxi's gaze grew hazy; she held her breath.

But Li Luo only stayed like that for a dozen seconds before pulling back, smiling: "Feels like you're getting into character a bit?"

"I-I'm not!"