Chapter 4

At six in the evening, Lin Xiuhong called the two of them to the living room for dinner.

Li Luo reluctantly put down his pen, his face still immersed in thought, having confirmed the answers to about ten problems, and gradually felt a sense of calm settle within him.

After dinner, he would keep working tonight—most of the questions on tomorrow's Chinese and math exams should be within his grasp.

Thinking this, Li Luo rose with Ying Chanxi, stepped out of the bedroom, and immediately saw Lin Xiuhong and Li Guohong carrying dishes from the kitchen.

Seeing his parents twenty years younger, Li Luo instinctively froze in place, staring at them in stunned silence.

Although he possessed the ability of the Memory Palace, Li Luo had never deliberately recalled what his parents looked like in their youth.

Only now, seeing them side by side, did he suddenly realize that even these parents—already nearly forty—looked remarkably young.

At least compared to the image in his memory: twenty years later, their temples grayed, their faces lined with wrinkles.

This made him take a deep breath, forcing down the searing heat in his chest before it could rise to his eyes and brow.

Beside him, Ying Chanxi had already stepped forward, helping to carry out the remaining dishes from the kitchen.

"Xixi's helping out, and you still won't lend a hand?" Lin Xiuhong tapped her son's shoulder, urging him, "Go get the bowls and chopsticks."

"... Yeah." Li Luo struggled to swallow his sob, nodded, swallowed the thick wave of emotion and joy, and hurried into the kitchen.

He pretended to wash his hands, wiped his eyes, then took clean bowls and chopsticks from the cabinet and brought them to the dining table.

"Xixi, won't your dad be back for the high school entrance exam these days?" Li Guohong picked up a bottle of baijiu from the cabinet and asked Ying Chanxi casually.

"Dad said he's been busy lately, and since I've already been admitted through early admission, I didn't ask him to come back," Ying Chanxi replied softly, a world apart from the girl who had just been tugging Li Luo's ear in the bedroom.

"Oh, right." Li Guohong nodded, but his hand holding the baijiu was slapped away by Lin Xiuhong—he hissed in protest, "Just one small glass!"

"Li Luo's taking the exam tomorrow—can't you wait two days?" Lin Xiuhong glared at him, eyebrows raised. "Get him a good score, then you can drink all you want at the celebration dinner."

"Cough, cough, that's not important," Li Guohong pulled his hand back, embarrassed, then winked at his wife and said to Li Luo, "The exam is important, but don't put too much pressure on yourself—just perform normally."

"I know," Li Luo replied quietly, unusually obedient, sitting at the table and nodding.

This surprised both Li Guohong and Lin Xiuhong; they exchanged a glance, uneasy at their son's sudden silence.

Lin Xiuhong, who had planned to say more, swallowed her words and sat down, speaking softly:

"Li Luo, don't stress too much. Your dad and I don't expect much from you—just perform as you normally do. Don't overthink it."

In past scripts, fifteen-year-old Li Luo would have snapped back immediately.

Then Lin Xiuhong would bring up Ying Chanxi, telling him to learn from Xixi—we don't even expect you to get into Yuhang No. 1 High, the provincial elite, but at least make it to regular high school, right?

But now, seeing Li Luo's calm expression, Li Guohong and Lin Xiuhong dared not provoke him.

"I'm not nervous," Li Luo said, glancing at his mother in confusion, unable to help staring a little longer.

Lin Xiuhong found his gaze odd, touching her face: "Good you're not nervous—but why are you staring? Did I get something on my face?"

"No," Li Luo shook his head. "I just suddenly think Mom looks really beautiful."

"You little brat…" Lin Xiuhong blinked in shock, then couldn't suppress the upward curve of her lips, though she kept her voice level: "I'm nearly forty—what beauty? Eat your food."

"Hehe, your mom's definitely beautiful," Li Guohong smiled, picking up his chopsticks first, still praising his wife: "If I could have a sip of wine, she'd be even more beautiful."

"Get lost," Lin Xiuhong rolled her eyes.

Beside them, Ying Chanxi also picked up her chopsticks, smiling sincerely: "Lin Yi is the most beautiful—I go out shopping with her, and everyone thinks she's my sister, can't tell our ages."

"Stop praising," Lin Xiuhong waved her hands. "Just eat."

Though she said that, the smile on her face refused to fade.

The family ate happily, chatting occasionally—mostly words of advice and encouragement.

Li Luo and Ying Chanxi quietly picked food, responding only when elders spoke.

Li Guohong and Lin Xiuhong talked a bit about the exam, confirmed Li Luo would continue studying after dinner, then nodded with quiet satisfaction and kept eating.

Though this boy had always been irresponsible, at least he'd turned things around before the exam—seemed more mature now, better than wallowing in self-destruction.

But the couple didn't dwell on it; their thoughts were simple.

If their son could just clear the cutoff for regular high school, that would be enough.

If he didn't make it, they'd spend a few ten thousand yuan, grit their teeth, and send him to regular high school anyway.

As long as he kept this attitude from now on, the money would be worth it.

As for Yuhang No. 1 High, the provincial elite?

Li Luo could dream of it.

But they, his parents, dared not.

Only in dreams did they dare to imagine it.

After finishing their talk about Li Luo's exam, Li Guohong and Lin Xiuhong shifted to discussing their breakfast shop.

"We'll close the shop for these two exam days," Li Guohong mumbled through a mouthful of rice. "We won't lose much."

"The exam is at school—I'll go myself. Don't shut down the shop," Li Luo looked up at his parents and interjected.

"Two days won't hurt," Lin Xiuhong glanced at him. "We'll pick you up after the exam and cook for you ourselves—guarantee your nutrition. Just focus on the test."

"Right," Li Guohong nodded. "Don't worry about any of this—just study."

"... I know," Li Luo lowered his head and quietly resumed eating.

But his parents didn't know the storm churning inside him.

In his memory, on the eve of his previous life's exam, he'd gone to play basketball with Zhao Rongjun, coming home very late.

Lin Xiuhong and Li Guohong had prepared a full table of food—all grown cold.

They'd argued fiercely that night; his father still opened the shop early the next morning.

His mother had taken him to the exam, prepared lunch and dinner both days, but still slipped back to help at the shop whenever she could.

Now, reborn, one small change—coming home early to study, eating dinner normally—made his parents naturally decide to close the shop for two days.

Everything was ordinary.

But Li Luo's heart could not calm.

Back then, his parents were probably deeply disappointed in him as a son.

"I'm full."

Li Luo finished his rice in a hurry, swallowed the faint guilt and regret whole, stood up, and immediately regained his composure: "I'm going back to my room to review."

"Then I…" Ying Chanxi hadn't finished eating, but she set down her chopsticks and bowl, preparing to rise.

Li Luo pressed his palm down on her shoulder: "Eat slowly. Come in after you're done. There's no rush."

"That's right, Xixi, eat slowly," Lin Xiuhong added. "Li Luo, you go first."

"Oh…" Ying Chanxi blinked, picked up her chopsticks again, and ate a little faster.

At the dinner table, after Li Luo entered the bedroom, Lin Xiuhong confirmed he couldn't hear outside, then lowered her voice and whispered to Ying Chanxi:

"Xixi, Auntie has a question for you."

"Hmm?"

"Do you think Li Luo still has a chance at regular high school? Can he reach the cutoff score?"

"It was truly uncertain before," Ying Chanxi set down her chopsticks, thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Auntie Lin, you know Li Luo only surpassed last year's regular high school cutoff in his third mock exam."

"And the third mock exam questions were relatively easy, designed to boost everyone's confidence."

"So if Li Luo performs as he usually does, he might not reach the cutoff."

"But…"

Ying Chanxi immediately added, "He studied very seriously today."

"I went over all his Chinese and math mock exam papers with him."

"If he truly absorbed it, he might pick up a few more points—there's still hope for regular high school."

After hearing Ying Chanxi's words, Lin Xiuhong exhaled slightly, then picked up her chopsticks and placed a piece of cola chicken wing—Ying Chanxi's favorite—onto her bowl: "Eat more, Xixi. Li Luo is counting on you today."

"Thank you, Auntie Lin~" Ying Chanxi bit into the chicken wing and sweetly replied, "You've taken care of me since I was little. This is nothing."

"Sigh… If Li Luo were half as well-behaved as you, I'd thank heaven and earth."

Lin Xiuhong looked at Ying Chanxi, feeling a touch of envy—and also deep relief.

Ying Chanxi's mother passed away long ago, and her father works long hours in downtown Yuhang City, only returning on weekends.

So Ying Chanxi usually lives alone.

Li Guohong, being Ying Chanxi's father's childhood friend, and his wife have always taken extra care of Ying Chanxi, often inviting her over for meals.

Over time, it's almost as if she's their half-daughter.

So they're genuinely happy that Ying Chanxi has become so outstanding.

Too bad, if only their own son could be as outstanding as Ying Chanxi.

"I'm full too," Ying Chanxi said after finishing her meal, neatly sweeping the leftover bones into her bowl, then stood and cleared Li Luo's mess as well, carrying it to the kitchen sink to wash, before heading toward Li Luo's bedroom: "Auntie Lin, I'm going in now."

"Go ahead, go ahead," Lin Xiuhong replied. "You've worked hard today."

"It's no trouble," Ying Chanxi shook her head, then pushed open the door and entered Li Luo's bedroom.

"I wish I had a daughter like Xixi," Lin Xiuhong murmured softly, watching Ying Chanxi's retreating back.

Li Guohong glanced at her, then smiled gently: "Have your son try harder. A daughter's out of the question, but a daughter-in-law is still possible."

"…," Lin Xiuhong shot him a look, then chuckled: "Is Li Luo even worthy of her?"

The way she said it, someone who didn't know might think Ying Chanxi was her own daughter and Li Luo her son-in-law.

But after hearing it, Li Guohong fell silent for a moment, then sighed: "... You're right."