Chapter 461: Two Aunts

Li Luo had a dream.

In the dream, he had already graduated from university and fully immersed himself in the life of a full-time author.

Ying Chanxi served as CEO of Chongran Culture, gradually gaining power and learning business operations from her uncle Li Guoru and Ying Zhicheng.

Xu Youyu had become a top-tier author and had also signed his contract under Chongran Culture.

Yan Zhusheng had even founded her own music studio, affiliated with Chongran Culture, and Li Luo personally oversaw the release of her first solo debut album.

All four of them had achieved success in their careers.

Emotionally, they had all confessed their feelings; the three girls had accepted each other, leaving Li Luo utterly fortunate.

During the New Year, Li Luo brought the three girls home, one arm wrapped around Ying Chanxi, the other around Yan Zhusheng, leaving Xu Youyu with nowhere to cling.

So Li Luo said, "Xixi, come sit in my lap—make room for Sister Youyu."

The next second, the dream ended.

Li Luo was woken up by force.

Blinking in confusion, Li Luo opened his eyes, still dazed, then suddenly realized he had just been dreaming.

When he tried to move his arms, he found they were immobilized—instead, two soft, sweet bodies lay nestled in his arms.

"What…?" Li Luo felt a slight sting on his face, as if slapped—he couldn't help asking, "When did you two get here? Didn't sneak in in the middle of the night, did you?"

"No," Yan Zhusheng, nestled against him, shook her head. "We just came up to wake you up."

"You call this waking me up?" Li Luo tightened his arms around both girls, laughing. "You didn't just come over to nap again? You're still wearing your down jackets—don't you get hot?"

"Isn't it all your fault?" Ying Chanxi murmured softly in his arms.

"How's it my fault? I was asleep the whole time!"

"You were hugging a pillow while sleeping—I tried to take it away, and you immediately grabbed me instead," Ying Chanxi continued, leaning into him. "I even suspected you were pretending to sleep."

"How could I be…? I was just dreaming."

"Oh~ I see," Ying Chanxi narrowed her eyes. "What did you dream? You told me to move over and make room for Senior Li."

Li Luo blushed at this: "... I was on a car ride—the backseat was cramped, so I told you to sit in my lap."

"Huh? Really?" Ying Chanxi paused, surprised the dream had involved such a scenario.

She imagined the scene: Yan Zhusheng and Xu Youyu sitting beside Li Luo, while only she sat on his lap—did that mean she was the most special one among the three?

Thinking this, Ying Chanxi's cheeks flushed slightly, and she unexpectedly felt a little happy.

"So you slapped me just because you heard me talking in my sleep?" Li Luo pulled his arms back, touching his face, and asked helplessly.

"I didn't!" Ying Chanxi's face turned bright red as Li Luo exposed her; she sat up on the bed to explain. "I was just trying to wake you—I tapped your face, I didn't slap you!"

"Right, right, no slap, no slap," Li Luo, seeing her guilty expression, decided not to press further—it hadn't hurt much anyway.

Laughing, he sat up, patted Yan Zhusheng's head, and said, "You two go downstairs and eat breakfast—I'll freshen up and join you."

"Hurry up," Ying Chanxi got out of bed, adjusted her down jacket, then walked out with Yan Zhusheng.

Li Luo watched the two girls' retreating backs, then lay back down, sighed deeply, and smiled faintly, savoring the warm, full feeling of holding them.

It felt exactly like the dream.

I hope this dream could come true someday.

As Li Luo fantasized about it, he quickly shook off the dream's illusion, slapped his own face, sat up, and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

When he came downstairs to the second-floor living room, the elders had already finished breakfast and gone about their business.

Ying Zhicheng returned to his neighboring house to handle company matters online.

Lin Xiuhong had called Li Guohong to drive her and Li Xuexian and Chen Hailin to the nearby market to buy groceries.

Some vegetables could be bought days in advance.

But some ingredients tasted best when bought fresh that same day.

After they left, only Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng remained on the second floor, just starting breakfast.

The other younger ones hadn't woken up yet.

Li Luo had originally planned to go to the kitchen and get a bowl of porridge.

But when Ying Chanxi saw him come down, she waved him over: "Come drink porridge—I've already served you some."

"Oh, okay," Li Luo stopped his steps toward the kitchen and walked to the table, sitting between Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng.

"Here," Yan Zhusheng placed a halved salted duck egg into Li Luo's bowl and slid the fermented tofu jar toward him.

Li Luo didn't have to lift a finger—his side dishes were already in his bowl; he just had to eat his porridge.

Li Xiang, who had just come down to get a bowl of porridge to warm his stomach, stepped into the second-floor living room and saw this warm scene—he immediately grimaced.

If I'd known this was going on, I'd have stayed in bed longer.

Woken up this early to be fed dog food—what a tragedy!

Damn uncle!

Li Xiang sighed deeply and walked straight toward the kitchen.

But Ying Chanxi waved at him too: "Li Xiang, there's another bowl already served—just come and eat."

"Huh?" Li Xiang paused, noticing the extra bowl on the table; his face lit up with gratitude.

He plopped down on the empty seat opposite them, took the bowl Ying Chanxi handed him, and couldn't help saying, "Thank you, Auntie!"

"W-what did you just say?!" Ying Chanxi's face turned crimson at the term "Auntie."

But Yan Zhusheng had already stood up, handed Li Xiang another jar of fermented tofu, and slipped him a halved salted duck egg.

Li Xiang stared at the side dishes Yan Zhusheng offered, paused, noticed her intense gaze fixed on him, then immediately realized—he quickly thanked her: "Thank you, Auntie!"

Yan Zhusheng nodded contentedly and sat back down.

But Li Luo across from them was utterly exasperated: "What are you calling her? Just eat your food."

He said it, but inside, Li Luo felt a quiet, pleasant warmth.

He just didn't dare show it.

When Ying Chanxi heard Li Xiang also call Yan Zhusheng "Auntie," she immediately puffed out her cheeks, slightly annoyed.

She wasn't really against the title—how could you call someone else "Auntie"?

You've been given a bowl of porridge for nothing!

But Ying Chanxi didn't dare say it out loud.

After all, that bowl of porridge had originally been meant for Li Luo—just in case Li Luo came down too late and the first bowl he'd been served had gone cold.

That's why there was an extra bowl on the table—not because it was specially made for Li Xiang.

"Eat up and rest a bit first, let your food digest, then go for a run," Ying Chanxi said, standing up as she walked toward the door, adding, "I'm going back to get something."

"I need to get something too," Yan Zhusheng said, rising and following Ying Chanxi toward the next room.

Li Luo was still drinking his porridge, unaware of what the two were going to fetch.

Li Xiang across from him had even less idea—he just sat there enjoying the breakfast the two "aunties" had prepared for him.

As Ying Chanxi walked toward the next room, she noticed Yan Zhusheng following and frowned in confusion: "Zhusheng, what are you going to get?"

"What are you getting, Xixi?"

"Nothing…"

"Then neither am I."

The two girls returned to Ying Chanxi's bedroom each with their own secret intentions, rummaged through their luggage, slipped something into their pockets, and neither knew exactly what the other had taken.

But when they returned to the second-floor living room, Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng simultaneously pulled red envelopes from their pants pockets and handed them to Li Xiang across from them.

In that instant, not only Li Xiang and Li Luo, but even Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng themselves froze—neither had expected they'd brought the exact same thing.

"This… this…" Li Xiang stared at the two red envelopes before him, suddenly embarrassed. "You're too kind—it's not really appropriate."

"Didn't you receive one last year?" Ying Chanxi shook her red envelope. "It's not much—just take it."

Was last year the same?

Although it was Ying Chanxi who gave it, it was actually Li Luo who had prepared it—he'd just asked Ying Chanxi to hand it to Li Xiang.

But this time, these two "aunties" had each privately prepared their own red envelopes.

To be honest, when Li Xiang called them "aunties," it was partly meant as a joke.

Who knew Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng took it seriously? Since he called them "aunties," they naturally had to give a New Year's red envelope to their junior.

It made perfect sense.

But for a college student like Li Xiang to accept red envelopes from two high school girls? That was awfully awkward!

At least Li Luo was genuinely his junior in seniority.

? ttkдn? C〇

Although Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng had already accepted Li Luo, they still hadn't officially become his partners!

But at that moment, Li Luo across from them had already realized the situation. He let out a wry laugh, waved his hand, and said: "If they want to give it, just take it—they've already pulled them out. Are you going to refuse now?"

"Uh…" Li Xiang, hearing his little uncle say that, bowed to the inevitable. He silently extended both hands, first taking Ying Chanxi's red envelope, then Yan Zhusheng's, and murmured, "Thank you…"

"Hm?" Yan Zhusheng tilted her head.

"Thank you, Auntie!" Li Xiang instantly understood her meaning. He turned to Yan Zhusheng, face unashamed, and shouted loudly.

Seeing this, Ying Chanxi let out a soft huff.

"And thank you too, Auntie!" Li Xiang quickly turned to Ying Chanxi and added his thanks.

Li Luo watched the scene with amusement, stood up, patted his backside, and said to the two: "Alright, enough fooling around. Let him finish his breakfast. We're going for a morning run."