Chapter 395

Noon.

In the kitchen of Bihai Lanting 1502.

Yan Zhusheng wore an apron and was assisting Lin Xiuhong and Cui Suling.

But with these two mothers working in perfect tandem, there wasn't much need for Yan Zhusheng's help.

At most, when Lin Xiuhong and Cui Suling needed to use the restroom, Yan Zhusheng would step in to lend a hand.

Or when vegetables needed washing, they'd hand that task to Yan Zhusheng, letting Lin Xiuhong prep and Cui Suling cook—making things more convenient.

Yet just as Lin Xiuhong finished stir-frying one dish, she noticed Yan Zhusheng pulling out her phone, frowning intently at the screen, and asked curiously, "Zhusheng, what's wrong? What are you looking at?"

"Nothing…" Yan Zhusheng quietly put away her phone, "Li Luo and Chanxi are coming back."

"Oh." Lin Xiuhong nodded. "I was wondering why only the two of them went out this morning—didn't you and Youyu go with them?"

"Xuejie slept in and couldn't get up," Yan Zhusheng shook her head. "I also stayed up late last night, so I didn't go along. Besides, Chanxi went with Li Luo to shoot a music video—it's serious business."

"They shot a music video?" Lin Xiuhong raised an eyebrow—it was the first she'd heard of it. "I never heard anything about it."

"Yes," Yan Zhusheng nodded. "It's on QQ Music—the song 'Wait for You After Class.'"

"Oh, I'll look it up later."

Normally, Lin Xiuhong and Li Guohong didn't go online much or bother listening to songs.

They claimed they wanted to read their son's novel, but now it was over three million words—they simply couldn't stomach it and had no idea about any music videos.

Soon after, the sound of the front door opening came.

Hearing the noise, Yan Zhusheng immediately stepped out of the kitchen, apron still on, and saw Li Luo and Ying Chanxi walking in one after the other.

"Was the music video shoot going well?" Yan Zhusheng leaned against the wall, tilting her head toward them, asking in a calm tone.

"Mm." Ying Chanxi nodded, slightly guilty, avoiding Yan Zhusheng's gaze. She took the tripod from Li Luo's hands and carried her camera toward his room. "I'll upload the footage."

Watching Ying Chanxi rush into his bedroom, Li Luo changed into slippers, walked up to Yan Zhusheng, and took off her apron.

"Did you have fun this morning?" Yan Zhusheng asked.

"Not bad."

"Buy new clothes?" Yan Zhusheng reached out to touch the brand-new coat on Li Luo, then glanced at the bag in his hand.

"Yeah. Chanxi bought them."

"Oh." Yan Zhusheng nodded, adjusted his scarf, took it off, then helped him remove the coat, revealing the white sweater underneath. "Looks good."

Li Luo hung the apron in the kitchen; Yan Zhusheng hung his scarf and coat on the coat rack by the door.

But when Li Luo tried to go to his bedroom to check on Ying Chanxi's upload, Yan Zhusheng reached out and grabbed the hem of his shirt.

Li Luo turned to look at her; Yan Zhusheng turned her head away, saying nothing.

"What's wrong?" Li Luo turned to face her, gently stroking her head. "Are you upset?"

"A little." Yan Zhusheng whispered.

"What should we do?"

"I don't know."

"Hug?"

"Mm."

Without hesitation, Yan Zhusheng rushed into Li Luo's arms in the hallway, nuzzling her head against his chest.

But barely had she hugged him when she lifted her head from his chest and quietly plucked a strand of hair from her face.

Li Luo glanced at the hair strand in her hand; though he couldn't tell whose it was just by looking,

Ying Chanxi had leaned against him for who-knew-how-long today—the answer was obvious.

Yet after tossing the hair away, Yan Zhusheng threw herself back into Li Luo's arms and held him tightly for a long while.

At this moment, Ying Chanxi was in Li Luo's bedroom, uploading the footage from this morning's camera.

Xu Youyu was sleeping in the study next door.

Lin Xiuhong and Cui Suling were cooking in the nearby kitchen.

Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng held each other for a long time before finally letting go.

Then Yan Zhusheng ran proactively toward Li Luo's bedroom, pushed open the door, and came to Ying Chanxi's side, asking curiously, "What did you film these past two days? I want to see too."

"Y-yes, of course," Ying Chanxi replied, still a bit guilty, but then eagerly opened the uploaded video on the computer and played the footage from last night by the river.

When Li Luo entered the bedroom, the video had already started.

Yan Zhusheng stared intently at the screen, watching the girl chasing after the boy's back.

Then the two embraced and kissed.

At this point, Ying Chanxi coughed, offering a half-hearted excuse: "This is just a trick shot—it's not real."

"Oh." Yan Zhusheng nodded, seemingly accepting it at once—but as Ying Chanxi opened today's footage, she glanced sideways at Ying Chanxi's rosy lips, then unconsciously pressed her own lips together.

Soon after, the three of them had watched a while of Ying Chanxi's video footage when Lin Xiuhong called from outside: "Lunch is ready!"

Cui Suling, looking utterly exasperated, pushed open her daughter's room, yanked open the curtains to let sunlight in, then yanked off Xu Youyu's blanket.

"Xu Youyu! Do you even know what time it—"

Cui Suling's scolding voice abruptly cut off.

Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng, now in the living room, both wore strange, puzzled expressions.

Only Li Luo's expression shifted slightly—he guessed what had happened inside.

Soon after, Cui Suling stepped out of the room, looking slightly embarrassed, muttering to herself.

Xu Youyu emerged from the bedroom, changed into different clothes.

Even after washing up in the bathroom, her face still looked slightly flushed when she sat down at the dining table.

Seeing Xu Youyu's state, Li Luo barely suppressed his smile—but Xu Youyu, sharp-eyed, spotted it anyway.

Then, the next second, Li Luo felt a foot step on his heel.

Looking across at Xu Youyu, Li Luo was glared at by his beloved senior.

After lunch, Lin Xiuhong and Cui Suling washed the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, then left together to play mahjong.

Xu Youyu returned to his room to write for a while in the afternoon.

Ying Chanxi walked toward Li Luo's room and said to him, "I want to edit some footage this afternoon—can I use your computer? Are you going to write?"

"No." Li Luo shook his head. "I have plenty of drafts saved. Go ahead."

"OK." Ying Chanxi gave a gesture, then walked into Li Luo's room without hesitation, ready to carefully edit the MV.

After seeing Ying Chanxi and Xu Youyu both busy, Yan Zhusheng's expression subtly changed; she eagerly slipped her small hand into Li Luo's palm and whispered, "I want to watch a movie."

"Huh?" Li Luo paused, then asked, "Now?"

"Can't I?" Yan Zhusheng asked.

"Watch at home?"

"At the cinema."

"Uh…" Li Luo calculated the time—afternoon was indeed free. "I guess it's fine. Just the two of us?"

"Did you and Chanxi watch one this morning?"

"Cough… We did watch one, but if you want to, of course I'll go with you."

"It's not you accompanying me." Yan Zhusheng shook her head. "I'm accompanying you. Today is still your birthday."

"Then let's go out for another walk." Li Luo laughed. "Good thing you didn't go out this morning."

"Mm." Yan Zhusheng's face finally lit up with a smile; she happily pulled Li Luo to the door and helped him put on his scarf.

After a quick preparation and grabbing their phones, the two left together.

But as soon as Li Luo stepped outside, intending to hail a taxi, a car pulled up in front of him: "Hey, kid, going out again?"

The driver, spotting the familiar figure by the roadside, stopped and rolled down his window, calling out to Li Luo.

Seeing the slightly familiar driver, Li Luo froze: "Sir, how come you're still around here?"

"After dropping you off, it was lunchtime, so I ate nearby, rested a bit, and just started working again," the driver chuckled. "Need a ride?"

"Uh…"

Li Luo hesitated.

But beside him, Yan Zhusheng had already opened the back door and pulled Li Luo inside.

Only then did the driver notice Yan Zhusheng; seeing the unfamiliar girl's face in the rearview mirror, he blinked in surprise.

"To Yintai Mall," Yan Zhusheng said. "Thank you, sir."

The driver blinked again, still dazed, then finally reacted: "Oh, oh oh… Alright!"

Afterwards,

the taxi fell silent.

The driver kept glancing at the rearview mirror, where the girl clung tightly to the boy's arm, looking deeply affectionate.

And a similar scene—he thought he'd seen it this morning.

And the boy was still the same boy, but… the girl was no longer the same girl.

This change made the driver's gaze subtly shift.

Yet, adhering to the principle of avoiding trouble, the driver abandoned his earlier warmth, said nothing the whole way, and simply drove them quietly to the entrance of Yintai Mall.

Li Luo awkwardly paid the fare and quickly pulled Yan Zhusheng out of the car.

Watching Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng walk away, the driver sighed and shook his head: "These days, good girls are all being taken by scoundrels. I've got to warn my own daughter—can't let her get hurt. Never thought Qian Da had guys like this!"

"Do you know that driver?" Yan Zhusheng asked curiously after getting out.

"Cough… Just a passing acquaintance. Not worth mentioning."

Hearing this, Yan Zhusheng didn't press further; she simply held his arm as they walked upward, then asked, "Are you still buying new clothes?"

"I don't need any." Li Luo shook his head, took her hand, found a women's clothing store on the second floor, and said, "I'll buy you two outfits."

"Okay!"

Yan Zhusheng didn't hesitate at all; she nodded happily.

Inside the store, unlike other girls who browsed endlessly, she stood still, waiting for Li Luo to bring clothes and hold them up against her.

If it didn't fit, he set it aside; if it did, she changed into it.

Yan Zhusheng's tall, slender frame was naturally a mannequin—unless the design required bust support, she could wear almost anything perfectly.

After picking out two outfits for her, Li Luo didn't move to leave; instead, he browsed the racks again, took down two more pieces.

Seeing this, Yan Zhusheng asked in confusion, "Didn't we already finish?"

"I'm buying two more for Chanxi," Li Luo said. "She helped me shoot the MV this morning and even bought me clothes—I never bought her anything. Let's make it up now."

"Oh." Yan Zhusheng nodded, took the clothes, and asked the salesperson to pack them.

After paying, Li Luo picked up the bags and prepared to leave.

"Too many," Yan Zhusheng frowned, looking at the bags in Li Luo's hands. "Let me carry these."

"No problem."

"It is a problem." Yan Zhusheng took the bag from his right hand, then slipped her left hand into his.

The two walked out of the women's store and continued toward the cinema on the fifth floor.

…

Meanwhile,

Ren Zheng and the other three, having just finished lunch at a restaurant on the fourth floor, were eating the complimentary fruit the restaurant offered while chatting.

At that moment, Lin Yuan casually glanced out the window and suddenly saw two familiar figures slowly emerging from the elevator.

When he clearly saw the person's face, Lin Yuan opened his mouth in shock.

Beside him, Hua Xiuxiu noticed his sudden turn and fixed gaze out the window, and asked suspiciously, "What are you looking at?"

"You're not checking out some hot girl, are you?" Fang Chen chuckled teasingly.

"She really is a beauty," Lin Yuan nodded, his lips twitching slightly.

"Huh?" Hua Xiuxiu's brow furrowed at this. "What did you say?"

"You look for yourselves!" Lin Yuan pointed toward the elevator entrance, where Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng had just entered and were walking past the restaurant's floor-to-ceiling window.

At once, not only Hua Xiuxiu, but also Fang Chen and Ren Zheng across from them noticed the scene — all of them widened their eyes, staring in disbelief at Yan Zhusheng and Li Luo walking hand in hand.

"No way…" Ren Zheng stared without blinking until Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng disappeared into the elevator heading to the fifth floor, then muttered, "How the hell did the class monitor pull this off?"

"Incredible," Fang Chen rubbed his chin, thinking carefully. "This time management? Unbeatable!"

"Morning was the vice monitor, afternoon is Yan Zhusheng," Lin Yuan marveled. "So tonight's turn is Xu senior?"

"Doesn't Chanxi know Li Luo is on a date with Zhusheng?" Hua Xiuxiu couldn't understand this.

"I even wonder if the three of them made a schedule — each taking a portion of the class monitor's time, living in peace?" Ren Zheng couldn't help speculating.

"That's too absurd," Hua Xiuxiu immediately shook her head, thinking it impossible.

Lin Yuan and Fang Chen sighed again: "The class monitor is such a damn bastard!"

…

At the fifth-floor cinema entrance, Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng arrived at the ticket counter and looked up at the scrolling movie schedule on the screen.

"What do you want to watch?" Li Luo turned to ask.

"I want to see that," Yan Zhusheng pointed with her finger. "My Girlhood. I remember Mom sang one of your songs before — wasn't that for this movie?"

"Hmm…" Li Luo regretted letting Yan Zhusheng pick the movie herself.

After all, given Yan Zhusheng's nature, choosing a film with her mother's song was perfectly normal.

But Li Luo didn't want to dampen her spirits, so he didn't mention he'd already seen it that morning. He nodded and gritted his teeth: "Fine, let's watch this — there's a show in about ten minutes."

After deciding, Li Luo took Yan Zhusheng to the ticket clerk and stated their request.

But when choosing seats, Yan Zhusheng added: "We'd like a couple's seat, thank you."

"Oh, sure, no problem," the clerk smiled sweetly, selecting a couple's seat — but as she glanced at Li Luo's face, her expression turned slightly puzzled, then strange.

She looked from Li Luo's face to Yan Zhusheng's, hesitated, handed them the couple's tickets, then sold them a double popcorn combo as well.

Had Yan Zhusheng's appearance and demeanor not differed so greatly from Ying Chanxi's, the clerk nearly thought she'd slipped into some time-reversal event.

But once she understood what was happening, her gaze toward Li Luo turned utterly speechless.

Earlier that morning, seeing a handsome couple, the clerk had actually felt quite cheerful.

Watching them come to watch a movie, she'd felt years younger, remembering her own school days dating classmates.

But now that she'd learned this boy was dating two girls, it was hard not to feel disgusted.

Too bad she had to work — otherwise she'd have warned the girl.

Amid the clerk's strange glances, Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng carried their popcorn and drinks, scanned their tickets at the entrance, and walked into the theater hall.

Meanwhile.

At the cinema entrance.

Four sneaky figures leaned forward, watching Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng's backs disappear into the theater, and each shook their heads in awe.

"Wait — is the class monitor going to watch My Girlhood again?" Lin Yuan couldn't help asking.

"Probably not?" Fang Chen said. "Watching the same movie twice? That's too boring."

"Is the movie the point?" Lin Yuan chuckled. "The point is making out in the couple's seat."

"Why ask so much? Just go ask the clerk," Hua Xiuxiu said beside them.

"That wouldn't be right — she won't tell us," Lin Yuan shook his head.

"Watch me," Ren Zheng chuckled, walking straight to the ticket counter. A few minutes later, she returned.

"Well?" Hua Xiuxiu raised an eyebrow, curious.

"Zhusheng and the class monitor really went to see My Girlhood," Ren Zheng shook her head, smiling wryly. "The class monitor really has it rough."

"So you just asked directly?" Fang Chen asked curiously.

"Nope," Ren Zheng shook her head. "I just asked about all recent showtimes, checked the seat selection screen — only one couple's seat was sold. Who else could it be?"

…

Afternoon.

Ying Chanxi was carefully editing an MV in Li Luo's bedroom.

During a break to drink water, she pulled out her phone and checked QQ.

The next second, she froze.