Chapter 400

Following Xu Youyu out of the dressing room, Li Luo watched her graceful figure walk toward the full-length mirror, his gaze slightly dazed.

The previous white dress was fine—it merely accentuated her aura with a touch of sanctity.

But because Xu Youyu was still somewhat youthful, pairing her with the white long dress failed to evoke the mature elegance needed to carry it off.

It was beautiful, yet something was missing.

Now, dressed in this black velvet evening gown, her full figure combined with the dark hue revealed a hint of mature allure beneath the long skirt.

Li Luo walked beside Xu Youyu, lost in thought, gazing at her reflection in the mirror—he seemed to glimpse, for a fleeting moment, the faint essence of the mature Xu Youyu years from now.

"Why are you staring like that?" Xu Youyu noticed his dazed expression and assumed her first time wearing such a mature evening gown had instantly captivated Li Luo.

But Li Luo simply embraced her silently from behind, gripping tighter than before, resting his head against her shoulder and whispering softly, "Youyu-jie, you're truly beautiful."

For some reason,

Li Luo's soft utterance of "Youyu-jie" drifted straight into Xu Youyu's heart, instantly sparking an electric jolt that left her momentarily stunned.

The term seemed to come from afar, yet it sprang from the depths of his soul.

Though Li Luo had almost never called her that before, hearing it now made Xu Youyu feel as if he had called her that thousands upon thousands of times.

The words "Youyu-jie" were ordinary enough, but coming from Li Luo's lips, they stirred her more than "sister-in-law" ever had.

Yet while Xu Youyu was still dazed, Li Luo came to his senses first. Seeing Xu Youyu standing motionless before the mirror, he smiled apologetically: "You okay, xuejie?"

"I'm fine…" Xu Youyu snapped back to herself, pursed her lips, then turned to look at Li Luo and whispered, "Don't call me xuejie."

"Sister-in-law?"

"Not that either." Xu Youyu shook her head, turned fully toward Li Luo, rose onto her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes brimming with tender emotion, and whispered, "What did you just call me? Say it again."

Li Luo had merely blurted it out on instinct, seeing the shadow of Xu Youyu from his past life.

Now, being asked to say it again deliberately made him feel uneasy.

But Xu Youyu wouldn't let him off the hook. She frowned and said, "You already said it once—what's one more time? Come on, I want to hear it~"

Li Luo had no choice. He wrapped his arms around her slender waist to steady her, then sighed and nodded: "Youyu-jie. Is that enough?"

"No feeling." Xu Youyu shook her head. "Say it again."

"Stop it." Li Luo laughed, pulled her tightly against him, leaned down to her ear, and gazed at her slender back in the mirror as he whispered, "Youyu-jie, change into something else—I still want to see more outfits."

Xu Youyu shuddered at his words, her ears tingling from his warm breath.

She quickly broke free from his embrace, stepped back to the mirror, and asked softly, "You haven't answered yet—how do you like this one?"

"Beautiful."

"Too vague."

"Perfect for you—buy it." Li Luo nodded. "But don't wear it to the year-end party."

"Why?" Xu Youyu blinked in confusion, turning to look at Li Luo.

"Too revealing." Li Luo pointed at her chest, speaking softly with a hint of embarrassment. "Just… no."

"Huh?" Xu Youyu paused, then smirked, leaning close to his ear and teasing, "On what grounds are you telling me I can't wear something a little revealing? Are you already jealous?"

"Listen, sister-in-law." Li Luo wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered into her ear, "Even though you're my brother's woman, right now you're mine—and even in the future, if you ever wear this, you'll wear it only for me."

Xu Youyu gave him a sultry glance, then laughed softly: "Not even your brother?"

"Not even him." Li Luo held her tighter. "Only I can see you like this."

"Alright~" Xu Youyu leaned into his arms, smiling sweetly. "From now on, only you."

Li Luo now slipped into the role quickly; the two matched each other perfectly, a perfect pairing, hearts in sync.

But the sales assistant standing nearby had a peculiar expression.

Though Li Luo and Xu Youyu had said she needn't come over unless helping with clothes,

the assistant, standing a short distance away, still overheard fragments of their conversation.

Hearing "Youyu-jie" and "sister-in-law" back and forth left her utterly bewildered.

She never expected to stumble upon such a dramatic plot.

I have to say, rich people really know how to have fun—they won't even let their own sister-in-law off the hook.

Looking at the two so young, they were playing such complicated games behind closed doors.

Truly, morals are declining.

…

Li Luo watched Xu Youyu try on three or four more evening gowns, finally choosing two, having the assistant pack them for mailing back later.

As they stepped out of the store, Li Luo checked the time—it was past 9:30 p. m., nearly ten.

"This place closes soon," Li Luo said. "We bought the clothes—shouldn't we head back?"

"Why the rush?" Xu Youyu grinned, pulling him along—not toward the elevator down, but upward.

As she dragged him floor by floor upward, and as they stepped onto the elevator to the fifth floor, Li Luo gripped the handrail, a bad premonition stirring in his chest.

"Xuejie…"

"I told you not to call me xuejie."

"Sister-in-law?"

"Hmm~ Fine."

"So where are we going?" Li Luo asked, stepping onto the fifth-floor floor as the elevator doors opened. Ahead lay the Yintai Mall's cinema. "It's this late—you're not thinking of watching a movie, are you?"

"All the shops close at ten sharp, but the cinema stays open until dawn," Xu Youyu said matter-of-factly. "What? You won't accompany me to a movie?"

"It's not that I won't… it's just…"

"Oh come on, we finally got a chance to go out alone, and you want to leave right after buying clothes?" Xu Youyu gave him a look. "That's hurtful."

"I didn't say that—I'd be happy to watch a movie with sister-in-law."

"Then stop talking and just follow me." Xu Youyu pulled Li Luo to the ticket counter, smiled brightly at the clerk, and said, "Two tickets for My Sassy Girl, please."

"Alright." The ticket seller's gaze landed on Xu Youyu, thinking how beautiful this girl was—and how well-built. She couldn't help but glance a few more times before opening the seat selection page on the electronic screen. "Would you like a couple's seat?"

Saying this, the ticket seller looked at Xu Youyu, then at the man accompanying her, her eyes settling on Li Luo's face—and froze.

This guy…

Why does he look so familiar?

Hadn't she seen him during the day?

"Sure, how about this couple's seat here?" Xu Youyu pointed to a seat in the back row. "Thanks."

After selecting the seat, Xu Youyu casually paid for the tickets.

The ticket seller took the money, handed out the couple's tickets, and finally remembered who this guy was.

Wasn't this the guy who, earlier today, was dating two girls at once—taking one to the movies in the morning and another in the afternoon?

So those two weren't even all of them? There was a third???

The ticket seller stared at Li Luo's back as he walked toward the ticket checkpoint, his arm linked with Xu Youyu's, and fell into deep thought.

Are guys like this really that outrageous these days?

In a single day—morning, afternoon, evening—he took three different girls to the cinema… and all to the same theater?

And they all watched the same movie!

Thinking of this, the ticket seller suddenly felt the guy wasn't so easy after all.

If she had to watch the same movie three times in one day, she'd probably throw up.

But she hadn't expected that, just trying to earn some overtime pay over the weekend, she'd end up with such bad luck.

She'd actually run into a guy cheating on three girls at once!

Li Luo didn't notice the ticket seller's stare. After Xu Youyu bought the tickets, he followed her to the ticket checkpoint.

As the two walked into the theater together and the couple's seat drew nearer, Li Luo fell into thought.

"What's wrong? Sit down." Xu Youyu plopped onto the seat, then turned to Li Luo with a puzzled look. "Why are you standing there? You've never sat in a couple's seat before?"

"Cough… have you ever sat in one, Senior?" Li Luo hurried over to the familiar seat and quietly took the same spot he'd occupied twice already today.

"I've never sat in one, but I've heard about them." Xu Youyu grinned mischievously, leaning against Li Luo. Her tone shifted, becoming sultry. "Your brother never took me to one. This is my first time—and I'm giving it to you."

Li Luo: "…"

After teasing him, Xu Youyu grew serious again. With the movie yet to start, she leaned close to his ear and whispered: "It's not just that I wanted to drag you here to watch a movie. I mainly wanted to recommend something to you."

"What do you mean?"

"This movie," Xu Youyu said. "Do you know how much it cost to make? Less than twenty million."

"And after more than a month in release, its domestic box office has already surpassed three hundred million."

"The studio's net profit is at least around one hundred million—that's a return of over five times the investment."

"I think it'd be perfect to include in your novel. What do you think?"

"Yeah, that makes sense." Li Luo nodded after listening to Xu Youyu.

Even if Xu Youyu hadn't mentioned it, Li Luo had planned to write this anyway.

After all, when "My Youthful Days" approached Chongran Culture for a song, Li Luo had already had this idea.

Even during discussions about the theme song, Li Luo had asked the studio whether they could coordinate with his own "I Am Really Not a Star," like Yuan Wanqing's new album had done.

Unfortunately, the film's release date was already locked, and Li Luo, with over two months of stored drafts, had no time to make revisions.

So they abandoned the collaboration.

But after receiving the studio's approval, including "My Youthful Days" in his novel posed no problem.

And as Xu Youyu said, this movie was perfectly suited to the current plot of "I Am Really Not a Star."

"It's starting, it's starting—let's watch first." Xu Youyu sat up straight as the opening credits began, then leaned into Li Luo's chest, settling into a comfortable position. "Let's see how the plot is—maybe we can take notes."

"Mm." Li Luo nodded and unhesitatingly wrapped his arm around Xu Youyu's shoulder, snuggling close as he watched "My Youthful Days"—for the third time.

And unlike others, Li Luo, thanks to his Memory Palace, remembered this film more vividly than even the director himself.

Watching it for the third time now felt almost torturous.

Fortunately, Xu Youyu wasn't an ordinary girl—she viewed the film from a creator's perspective.

Whenever a scene appeared, she'd quietly whisper a critique to Li Luo, then discuss how such a plot point would need to be rewritten if included in an Online Novel.

Seeing the film from this new angle, Li Luo no longer found it dull.

Instead, he could chat with Xu Youyu, exploring how such scenes might be adapted into a novel—with different approaches and perspectives.

But as they talked, Xu Youyu suddenly placed her leg across his thighs, then leaned sideways against the armrest.

"I'm a bit tired sitting like this. Let me change position."

Li Luo looked down at the beautiful leg resting on his lap and fell into thought.

After changing into her school uniform tonight, Xu Youyu wore a down jacket and sweater on top, and a brown short skirt with black thermal tights below.

Now, with her leg on Li Luo's lap, the black tights-clad leg was fully exposed to his view.

"Is your leg tired?"

"Yeah."

"Then… shall I massage your sister's leg?" Li Luo placed his hand on Xu Youyu's calf and began gently kneading.

Xu Youyu closed her eyes in pleasure, offering no resistance, letting him rub her leg.

The two continued watching the movie.

As they watched, Xu Youyu shifted her hips slowly toward Li Luo, until she was finally sitting sideways on his lap, whispering into his ear: "My thighs are tired too. Will you massage them for me?"

Li Luo took a deep breath, filling his lungs with Xu Youyu's faint scent. One hand wrapped around her waist to steady her, the other naturally settling on her thigh.

"Sister-in-law… isn't this… not very appropriate?"

"We've done far worse things. Are you afraid of this now?" Xu Youyu whispered into his ear, her breath warm.

We're still in the movie theater.

"Isn't this exactly what couples do in these seats?" Xu Youyu teased, "You won't even let me touch you—what if something even more extreme happened…"

As she spoke, Xu Youyu shifted her hips; Li Luo instantly hissed, quickly gripping her slender waist to stop her from wriggling.

"Sister-in-law, don't play around…"

"You're the one playing around," Xu Youyu hummed in his ear, "Making so much noise—and reacting this strongly."

"It's just a normal physiological response."

"Then is your heart normal too?" Xu Youyu's hand brushed over Li Luo's chest, whispering playfully, "Shall I listen to it?"

"... Let's just keep watching the movie."

After being tormented by Xu Youyu like this, Li Luo had lost all interest in the film.

But he'd already seen it twice, and it was stored in his Memory Palace—whether he watched it or not made no difference.

When the plot reached the scene where Xu Taiyu announced he was dating the school beauty and told Lin Zhenxin, and Lin Zhenxin wept heartbreakingly, Yuan Wanqing's voice rose again.

Xu Youyu was neither like Ying Chanxi, who was easily moved, nor like Yan Zhusheng, who couldn't understand why anyone found this movie appealing.

She could appreciate the screenwriter's and director's intentions from a creator's perspective, but precisely because of this third-person viewpoint, she didn't cry like Ying Chanxi did.

"The plot is genuinely well done—it should hit hard with young girls," Xu Youyu said with a smile to Li Luo as the credits rolled.

"Aren't you one of those young ladies too?"

"Maybe I'm just more rational," Xu Youyu said. "I can recognize the strengths of the plot, but that doesn't mean I'm moved—some scenes still pull you out of the story."

"Then what's your rating?"

"Worth watching, but not a second time," Xu Youyu snapped her fingers, then added, "Still want to touch? If not, we should go."

"Cough…" Li Luo quietly pulled his hand back from her thigh, "You told me to."

"I saw how eager you were—so fond of it? When we get home tonight, I'll take off my stockings and let you touch all you want," Xu Youyu teased with a grin, "After all, past midnight, it'll be the 21st—that's your real birthday. Consider it a birthday gift for the Birthday Person."

"... I'm not as lustful as you make me out to be."

"Really?" Xu Youyu shifted her hips again, chuckling, "Your body disagrees."

"Hiss…" Li Luo sucked in a breath, swiftly rose from the seat, and lifted Xu Youyu to the floor, "Let's go, let's go—we need to head home."

Seeing his flustered expression, Xu Youyu stifled a laugh, then stopped teasing him; as she linked arms with him leaving the theater, she asked, "That song was nice—its voice felt familiar."

"Your aunt Yuan sang it."

"Huh? Really?" Xu Youyu was surprised.

"I wrote the song," Li Luo whispered into her ear.

"Ah?" Xu Youyu froze, then in the elevator, right before other exiting viewers, she kissed Li Luo's cheek. "You're amazing~ Sister-in-law never misjudged you—so incredible."

In that instant.

Li Luo instantly felt faint, lingering glances drifting toward them.

He looked down at Xu Youyu and saw her mischievous, triumphant grin; he said, "You're the real mastermind—I'm already home, yet you still dared to come out with me."

Xu Youyu's face froze; sensing the surrounding stares, her cheeks flushed crimson, and she quietly pinched Li Luo's waist.

Li Luo grinned at her, thinking: Who doesn't know how to fight back?