Chapter 460: Wake-Up Service

Is Chongran Culture participating in the investment?

This surprised Ying Zhi Cheng slightly, but he immediately fell into thought, actually beginning to consider its feasibility.

Huayue Film and Television doesn't fully fund its TV dramas internally.

Especially in the early days when they first entered the film and television industry, most projects were joint ventures.

But for a complete outsider like Chongran Culture to come in and get involved? That's truly rare.

But since the other party is the author's own company, it's slightly more acceptable.

Especially since Li Luo made a small request during the copyright negotiations—that he himself serve as the screenwriter for this TV drama.

Clearly, Li Luo himself places great value on "Little Joys."

Not just for the copyright revenue, but for the success of the novel's adaptation into a TV drama.

"I can't say for sure about this," Ying Zhi Cheng thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I'll bring it up at the board meeting after the New Year. Whether it's feasible, how much to invest—it still needs to be decided."

"No problem, I just mentioned it offhand," Li Luo said with a smile. "Whether it works out or not, it's fine."

He'd just had a sudden impulse, thinking of this out of nowhere.

After all, his current cash flow isn't small.

But since royalties are paid directly into the company account, if he wants to withdraw them personally, he has to pay taxes.

Although thanks to Uncle Li Guoru's various legal tax-reduction methods, the amount that actually reaches Li Luo is certainly less than his normal personal royalty tax burden, but not by much.

If he could keep the money within the company and invest it elsewhere to make money grow, it might be far better than withdrawing it and paying taxes outright.

According to Li Guoru's advice, unless Li Luo has some major personal need requiring a large expenditure,

otherwise, when receiving annual dividends from company royalties, he should simply distribute them at the most tax-efficient level.

Receiving a few hundred thousand per year into his personal account is already more than enough to spend.

For example, Li Guohong's Mercedes SUV was paid for directly through the company account—not only avoiding personal taxation, but also allowing the car itself to count as an asset for tax deductions.

Originally, Li Luo had planned to use company funds to invest in stocks or something similar.

But in front of his parents and Uncle, someone who'd never traded stocks before suddenly trying to do so felt inappropriate.

So after careful consideration, Li Luo felt investing in a TV drama was quite suitable.

Especially investing in his own production—it would certainly be much safer.

……

After finishing this topic, Ying Zhi Cheng checked the time, felt it was about right, and stood up to say to Yuan Wanqing: "It's time to take you to the airport."

"Mm, coming," Yuan Wanqing said, having just finished a round of mahjong. She stood up and told Lin Xiuhong, "Sorry, I have to catch my flight—I'll be leaving now."

"No problem, no problem," Lin Xiuhong immediately stood up, smiling. "We're all looking forward to seeing you on New Year's Eve during the Spring Festival Gala. Think how impressive it'll be to say: 'A Spring Festival Gala star had dinner at our house yesterday!'"

Yuan Wanqing laughed along, greeted everyone else in the living room, then left downstairs with Ying Zhi Cheng, who drove her out of Li Family Village toward the airport.

Li Luo watched the speeding BMW and fell into deep thought.

Normally, wouldn't Yuan Wanqing just have her own driver pick her up?

Yet Ying Zhi Cheng insisted on driving her to the airport himself—how suspicious is that…

Li Luo recalled last night, when he'd taken Xu Youyu home and given him a long, deep kiss right outside his building.

Putting himself in Ying Zhi Cheng's shoes, he now understood exactly what they were up to.

Uncle Ying, be careful—don't get anyone pregnant… Li Luo muttered to himself.

After Yuan Wanqing left, conversations about her became even livelier in the living room.

Earlier, when Yuan Wanqing was present, Chen Lu and the others hadn't dared speak much.

Now that she was off to catch her flight, Chen Lu and Chen Sijia immediately began chattering excitedly.

Chen Sijia, normally quiet and reserved, now spoke more than ever, holding the autograph Yuan Wanqing gave her, staring at the photo on her phone, beaming with joy.

"I never thought a big star would come visit our home," Li Xuexian couldn't help exclaiming. "Li Luo, aren't you close to Yuan Wanqing?"

"Close? That's not even the half of it," Li Xiang said beside him. "Every song Yuan Wanqing sang on that singing show? All written by our little uncle."

"Mainly because she's Yan Zhusheng's mother," Li Luo coughed twice, signaling Li Xiang to stop talking. "Yuan Auntie is going to appear on the Spring Festival Gala, so she won't be home for the New Year—so Chanxi brought Zhusheng here to celebrate with us."

"More people, more fun," Aunt Li Xuexian smiled at Yan Zhusheng. "Treat this place like your own home. Have you arranged a bedroom for her?"

"Already arranged," Ying Chanxi said quickly, wrapping her arm around Yan Zhusheng's. "Zhusheng will sleep with me."

"Oh, so you two are really close," Li Xuexian nodded, not thinking much of it.

But Li Xiang, watching Ying Chanxi cling to Yan Zhusheng, fell into deep thought.

Logically, any outsider could see the feelings both girls had for their little uncle—they must surely be aware of each other's feelings.

Yet they still sleep together? So intimately?

Damn.

How the hell did our little uncle manage this? This is insane!

He wouldn't even dare write this in his own novels!

Even Shen Dongdong and Mo Qinghan, when they met, had occasional subtle rivalries and dramatic scenes.

So why are the real-life prototypes getting along so peacefully?!

Obviously, novels need logic—reality doesn't need any…

Li Xiang, watching this scene before him, suddenly grasped this profound truth.

But why couldn't he ever meet girls like Ying Chanxi or Yan Zhusheng?

Our little uncle is truly a bastard.

In the living room, after Yuan Wanqing left, Li Xuexian took her place at the mahjong table.

Lin Xiuhong, along with the two future daughters-in-law, continued playing mahjong with Li Luo's aunt.

Chen Lu and Chen Sijia pulled Li Luo and Li Xiang over to the coffee table to play cards.

Cousin Chen Yongqi had already returned to his own bedroom next door, probably off playing some anime girl game again.

But today wasn't New Year's Eve.

Around ten at night, the people in the living room dispersed, each returning to their rooms to prepare for an early rest—there'd be plenty to do tomorrow, on New Year's Eve.

Perhaps because it was their first day back, Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng behaved themselves, not sneaking off to Li Luo's bedroom, and instead returned obediently to their own room to sleep early.

Li Luo returned to his room and typed for a while, then surprisingly slept soundly—though when he first lay down, he felt a slight discomfort.

He felt something missing from his arms.

Only when he pulled another pillow into his embrace did he feel slightly better, sinking deeply into sleep.

……

The next morning, Ying Chanxi's bedroom.

To prevent Ying Chanxi from stealing the covers, Yan Zhusheng hugged her tightly while sleeping.

The two girls cuddled on the bed, sleeping sweetly.

Meanwhile, Yin Zhicheng, because of an urgent company matter early in the morning, had woken up early to handle it.

After washing up, he went to Ying Chanxi's bedroom door, knocked, and called for them to wake up.

Hearing no response, Yin Zhicheng opened the door and glanced inside—he saw Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng cuddled together, sleeping peacefully.

This scene struck him, leaving him momentarily stunned, unable to react.

He knew Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng had both lived at Bihai Lanting during school, and were now classmates.

But given their subtle feelings toward that boy Li Luo, Yin Zhicheng had assumed they wouldn't be especially close.

Yet this…

Were they this close?

Watching this warm scene, a warm current flowed in Yin Zhicheng's heart, and some of his earlier worries faded slightly.

He felt more confident about their eventual revelation about college.

At least, if Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng got along so well, perhaps they'd more easily accept his relationship with Yuan Wanqing.

"Wake up early," Yin Zhicheng said from the doorway, composing himself before knocking again at the two girls on the bed, "it's New Year's Eve today—go help next door."

"Mmm…" Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng were woken by Yin Zhicheng.

Rubbing her eyes on the bed, Ying Chanxi slowly came to, muttering, "Alright."

"I'll go downstairs first," Yin Zhicheng closed the door and headed downstairs for breakfast.

On the bed, Yan Zhusheng woke slightly later than Ying Chanxi, hugging her and humming softly, then sneaking her hand under.

"Ah! Zhusheng, stop touching!"

"Xixi, why do I feel you've changed again? How'd you do it?" Yan Zhusheng opened her eyes, curious.

"It's all your imagination… where did I get bigger?"

"You definitely did."

"No, hurry up and get up."

Ying Chanxi slipped out of Yan Zhusheng's arms, her face flushed red, got out of bed, slipped on slippers, and fled into the bathroom down the hall, standing before the mirror.

Ying Chanxi, who had intended to wash up immediately, saw her messy pajamas in the mirror, instinctively touched her chest, and whispered softly: "Did I really get bigger?"

Could what the senior sister said—massaging more often—actually work?

After all, when they went to Qiongzhou City a few days ago, Li Luo had indeed done something naughty to her.

Could it really be effective?

Ying Chanxi's mind wandered with random thoughts, her cheeks growing even rosier.

At that moment, Yan Zhusheng also got out of bed and came in; Ying Chanxi immediately composed her expression and began washing up with her.

After a simple wash, they changed clothes and went downstairs to next door.

At this time, Lin Xiuhong, Li Guohong, and others were already up, eating breakfast at the dining table on the second floor; Yin Zhicheng was there too.

Ying Chanxi scanned the room at the door but didn't see Li Luo's figure, so she asked curiously: "Hasn't Li Luo woken up yet?"

"Not yet," Lin Xiuhong said. "Probably still sleeping. Xixi, Zhusheng, come have breakfast first."

"Then I'll go upstairs and wake him," Ying Chanxi said. "We need to go jogging soon."

"I'll come too," Yan Zhusheng said immediately upon hearing this.

The two girls walked together toward the third floor; the elders at the second-floor table exchanged glances, everything understood without words.

Especially since Xixi's father was right here—some things were better left unsaid.

Like Li Xuexian and the other aunts, seeing how clingy the two girls were toward Li Luo, couldn't help but smile inwardly, then exchanged knowing glances toward Lin Xiuhong.

Lin Xiuhong coughed twice, slightly embarrassed.

Though she did very much want two daughters-in-law—even three…—to say such thoughts aloud would be asking for a beating.

The three girls were simply too good; Lin Xiuhong suffered from decision paralysis, feeling regret no matter whom she chose.

On the other side, Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng had already reached the third floor, outside Li Luo's bedroom door.

The two girls exchanged glances at the door, neither making a move to knock—instead, they quietly pushed open Li Luo's door, making almost no sound.

After returning to his room last night, Li Luo had habitually typed for a while, so he hadn't slept early.

He only stopped writing around midnight, then got into bed and hugged a pillow to sleep.

Now he slept peacefully on the bed, in a normal posture, lying flat.

But there was a distinct bulge under the covers, as if Li Luo were hugging someone—causing Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng to exchange suspicious glances.

Only after carefully lifting the covers did they discover Li Luo was hugging a pillow.

They looked at each other, puzzled, unsure when he'd developed this habit.

But neither overthought it—Ying Chanxi reached in and pulled the pillow from under the covers, pondering how best to wake Li Luo.

I don't know if it was Li Luo's subconscious, but after the pillow in his arms was taken away, he instinctively grabbed Ying Chanxi and pulled her into his embrace.

"Ah!" Ying Chanxi let out a soft cry, but didn't want to wake Li Luo too soon, so she stifled the scream in her mouth and let him hold her.

Yet, thinking that Yan Zhusheng was still watching beside her, Ying Chanxi felt a faint blush rise.

But when Li Luo murmured softly, "Xixi," Ying Chanxi's eyes instantly sparkled with delight, her joy nearly overflowing.

So he was holding the pillow because he was thinking of me?

Thinking this, Ying Chanxi snuggled deeper into Li Luo's arms, sweetly content, no longer resisting—instead, she wanted to sleep a little longer in his warm embrace.

But Yan Zhusheng, watching this scene, pouted slightly, crawled to the other side of the bed, and slipped under the covers too.