Chapter 473: Ying Chanxi Will Tell You the Script

The boss's family is well-off; she's loved tinkering with handmade trinkets since childhood.

Later, she took a liking to pottery clay and opened a Taobao shop specializing in customized handmade items.

After earning some money, she had a sudden idea and opened this little shop.

For her, the shop's main purpose isn't to make money—after all, her Taobao shop's income already covers her living expenses.

This place is more her own little world.

Occasionally, when customers book appointments and come by, it becomes her time to share joy with others.

Especially when she meets lovely customers like Li Luo and Ying Chanxi, it makes her especially happy.

"Wet it… center it… pull it… shape it…"

Ying Chanxi murmured these steps the boss had just taught her; though the clay in her hands was still lopsided, at least it had taken a rough shape.

Watching her serious expression, with a few stray smudges of clay still on her face, only added a touch of charm.

To the boss, Ying Chanxi was already quite clever—she learned quickly and could complete basic shaping so fast; she'd probably finish the cup body soon.

But when she looked over at Li Luo, watching him casually mold the wet clay into any shape he wanted, the boss couldn't help falling into thought, then asked:

"Did you learn this before?"

"Huh? No." Li Luo shaped the clay before him into a simple cup, then paused the operation of his Memory Palace, "It's my first time today."

Well… in this life.

Of course, you could say two lives—after all, after the commercial street expanded, this shop moved to a larger space outside, so Li Luo truly had never come here before.

"You really learn fast." The boss complimented him.

Li Luo didn't react, just nodded—he knew his own secret: it was all thanks to his Memory Palace.

But beside him, Ying Chanxi nodded vigorously, happier than if the boss had praised her directly: "Yes! He learns everything fast—he's amazing!"

The boss smiled and nodded, watching Ying Chanxi eagerly praise Li Luo in front of her—it felt especially sweet.

"Still so ugly." Ying Chanxi had grasped the basics but couldn't yet shape the cup body smoothly like the boss or Li Luo—it kept coming out crooked, so she puffed out her cheeks.

Seeing this, Li Luo followed the boss's instructions, carefully lifted the shaped clay cup body off the wheel, then moved his chair beside Ying Chanxi: "Don't move."

Saying that, Li Luo wrapped his arms around her and gently took hold of her small hands.

"W-what are you doing…?" Ying Chanxi blushed slightly at Li Luo's sudden closeness.

Just a moment ago she said they were only classmates, and now he's hugging her—how's she supposed to look at him?

Thinking this, she whispered quietly: "The sister across from us is still watching."

"What are you thinking?" Li Luo laughed. "I'm here to help you make the cup."

Then he activated the wheel beside Ying Chanxi, re-kneaded the lopsided clay back into a lump, and began again—centering, pulling, shaping.

In Li Luo's hands, Ying Chanxi clearly felt the mastery of his technique, and soon watched a decent cup body form before her eyes.

But since she hadn't done it herself, Li Luo couldn't perfectly replicate it—he failed a few times.

So he held her like that, fumbling for over half an hour, until finally they made a passable clay cup body together.

It was already ten in the morning; Ying Chanxi carefully placed both their cup bodies on a tray.

Standing up, she followed the boss to a back room, where they watched their cup bodies being placed inside an oven-like furnace.

First, it took a few minutes for rapid drying.

Then the boss took out the cup bodies and placed them into another, larger furnace.

"My equipment dries faster, but the first firing still takes two or three hours," the boss smiled. "Will you come back this afternoon, or make another appointment? I'll keep your bisque ware for you until then."

"We'll come back this afternoon," Li Luo and Ying Chanxi washed their hands briefly at the sink, then smiled and took their leave.

"You're not disturbing me at all," the boss waved goodbye cheerfully, seeing them out the door. "I'll message you when the firing's done."

"Alright, no problem."

Li Luo nodded and turned to leave.

Beside him, Ying Chanxi obediently followed, unconsciously slipping her small hand into his palm.

The boss, watching them leave from the shop door, softly chuckled.

Heh… so this is what they call a "classmate relationship"?

These young people these days are just adorable.

"Where are we going now? Home?" Ying Chanxi, hand in hand with Li Luo, stepped out of the alley onto the busy street outside and looked up at him.

"You want to go home?"

"I-I don't really mind either way…"

"Then what do you want to do?"

"I don't know… isn't that up to you?" Ying Chanxi poked his waist, telling him to shut up and just take her somewhere fun.

Li Luo looked down at her adorable expression, chuckled softly, then continued walking beside her along the street: "Let's go somewhere else—there's a good place to eat nearby."

"Where?"

"You'll see when we get there."

After walking for a few minutes, Li Luo brought Ying Chanxi to a door that looked extravagantly luxurious.

It resembled the entrance of a high-end hotel.

"Golden Lakefront?" Ying Chanxi hesitated. "What is this place?"

"Dining, drinking, entertainment," Li Luo said, pulling her inside. Two attendants stepped forward, confirmed their number, and handed them wrist tags.

Ying Chanxi blinked, still dazed, then was asked to remove her shoes, put on slippers, wear the wrist tag, and swipe it to enter.

"Your hair got clay on it too—go take a good shower, then follow the staff's instructions to change clothes and come upstairs to find me," Li Luo pinched her cheek.

"Oh…" Ying Chanxi finally realized—this was a bathhouse.

She'd heard of them before, but this was her first time visiting one.

Fortunately, the baths are separated by gender… Ying Chanxi thought, and somehow her cheeks flushed even redder, as if she'd thought of something.

Li Luo watched Ying Chanxi walk into the women's bath entrance, then turned and entered the men's bath.

After soaking in the first-floor bath and rinsing himself clean, Li Luo changed into the loose robe provided by the bathhouse, picked up his phone with his wrist tag, and went to the fourth-floor restaurant.

After sending Ying Chanxi a message on his phone, Li Luo glanced at the menu, estimated the usual time she spent bathing, and waited another fifteen minutes before ordering.

As expected, just as the first dish was served, Ying Chanxi stepped out of the elevator, freshly bathed, and found Li Luo's table.

"How do you feel?" Li Luo asked with a smile.

"I'm still a little shy," Ying Chanxi whispered. Her face, still flushed from the bath, looked especially lovely and charming. "I've never been to a bathhouse before."

"Neither have I."

"Then why does it seem like you know everything?" Ying Chanxi looked at him skeptically.

"I did my homework."

"T-That's right…?" Ying Chanxi felt a quiet joy inside—she hadn't expected Li Luo to prepare so much just to celebrate her birthday alone with her.

But Ying Chanxi's words brought Li Luo back to his past life.

Hmm… yes.

Whenever it came to things like this, Xu Youyu had always taken him.

Whether making crafts, soaking in a bathhouse, or going upstairs to eat, drink, and play—it was all things Xu Youyu had once done with him.

But compared to Ying Chanxi, Xu Youyu was far more bold in these matters.

The reason for coming here was simple: after paying the bath fee, all other services upstairs—except for extra restaurant orders and the rooftop massage—were free.

Including free fruit and drinks, light snacks, free mahjong rooms, pool tables, esports rooms, claw machines, and various arcade games.

Xu Youyu loved to casually grab a bottle of alcohol and drag Li Luo around everywhere.

They'd play pool, play games, and whoever lost had to drink a shot—it was always fun.

Li Luo's three dating experiences with girls in this life were basically all inherited from Xu Youyu.

You could say Master Yu taught well.

A great teacher produces outstanding students.

After lunch, the boss's wife still hadn't sent a message, so Li Luo took Ying Chanxi for a stroll upstairs.

They played a bit of pool, then sat on the lazy sofa by the arcade machines and played games together.

But Ying Chanxi was bad at it—she couldn't operate well.

Li Luo simply grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his lap, guiding her hands to show her how to play.

Ying Chanxi, her face flushed, nestled between Li Luo's thighs, feeling the broadness of his chest and shoulders against her back, her small body curled up tightly, safe and content in his embrace.

She had assumed that a Sunday date alone with Li Luo would just be the usual trio: dinner, shopping, and a movie.

But she hadn't expected Li Luo's plan to be so much more interesting—everything she'd never experienced before.

Thinking of this, Ying Chanxi's gaze grew slightly dreamy.

Li Luo noticed Ying Chanxi's mood had shifted. He paused his actions and asked, lowering his head, "Is the game not fun?"

"No…," Ying Chanxi shook her head gently, then turned in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, biting her lip softly, and whispering, "I just got a little inspiration—I want to act out a scene for you."

"Oh?" Li Luo chuckled at this. "What scene does Director Ying want to perform?"

"Hmm… it's just… uh!"

Before Director Ying could even begin her scene, Li Luo, as the male lead, had already understood the director's intent—and slipped into character instantly.

The scene grew deeper, the two sinking into the soft lazy sofa, savoring the warmth and emotion of the moment.

Ying Chanxi held Li Luo tightly, feeling an extraordinary sense of happiness and fulfillment.

"Li Luo."

"Hmm?"

"I'm so happy~"