Chapter 492: Reward You a Little Longer

In the afternoon, Cui Suling used a clay pot from the kitchen to simmer a chicken soup, planning to cook it slowly over low heat for several hours.

While waiting, she sat on the living room sofa watching TV.

Around three o'clock in the afternoon, she went to Xu Youyu's room, opened the door, and glanced inside.

Seeing the guy still sleeping with his eyes closed, she returned to the sofa to watch TV.

By five in the evening, Cui Suling checked the simmered chicken soup in the kitchen, then went back to Xu Youyu's room.

Opening the door, she couldn't tell if it was her old eyesight, but she swore she'd just seen a flash of light on the bed.

Yet when she looked again, Xu Youyu was still fast asleep with her eyes shut.

After thinking it over, Cui Suling felt something was off, leaned closer, reached out, picked up the phone beside the pillow, and gave a cold smile as she patted her daughter's cheek: "Stop pretending."

"Who can unlock their phone screen while asleep?"

"If you want to play with your phone, just play—why pretend to be sick with me?"

Exposed by Cui Suling's revelation, Xu Youyu could only open her eyes with a helpless expression, then seized the right moment to snatch her phone back.

"You're awfully nimble," Cui Suling blinked in surprise, then rolled her eyes, "Are you already over the fever?"

"No way," Xu Youyu immediately feigned weakness, clutching her forehead and speaking faintly, "My head still feels dizzy."

Cui Suling didn't care whether it was real or fake; she walked to the desk, tidied up the cluttered surface, and began lecturing nonstop:

"Look at you—your desk is always a mess. I've told you to keep it neat, but you never listen. What will Li Luo think when he sees it?"

"And now this illness—you didn't tell us, just let Li Luo take care of you. Doesn't he have classes?"

"If I hadn't come today, would you have made him come back again in the evening to bring you dinner? And feed you by hand too? Don't you feel embarrassed?"

"You never check the weather forecast. You didn't even notice the temperature drop these days—look, now you're sick."

"You must've worn that flimsy pajama again last night and caught a chill—it's not even summer yet."

"The college entrance exam is coming soon. Teacher Cao said you need to take care of your health—don't let it ruin your exam."

Listening to Cui Suling's nagging, Xu Youyu unusually didn't mind—instead, she held her phone and listened with delight, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

Recalling her earlier complaints to Li Luo and comparing them to her mother's words now, they were identical.

Suppressing her laughter, Xu Youyu sent Li Luo a message, venting about Cui Suling's antics.

Li Luo had just finished dinner and arrived with Yan Zhusheng at the fifth floor of the library, the new rehearsal room for the Rock Club. After reading Xu Youyu's message, he smiled faintly.

【Chongran】: Auntie Cui only wants what's best for you—just accept it gracefully.

【Zao Shui Hui Zhang Gao】: What else can I do? She's my mom.

【Chongran】: Did you eat dinner?

【Zao Shui Hui Zhang Gao】: Not yet. I'll probably have to wait until she finishes nagging before she goes to cook.

【Chongran】: Hold on a little longer—I need to attend the Rock Club activity.

【Zao Shui Hui Zhang Gao】: Okay~

After chatting with Li Luo, Xu Youyu looked at Cui Suling, who was nearly done talking, and pouted: "Mom~ I'm hungry~"

"All you ever think about is eating," Cui Suling shot her a look, but turned toward the door anyway, "I'll cook for you. Your dad will be here soon—eat at the table. I won't bring food to your room."

"Okay…" Xu Youyu replied obediently.

Not long after, the door to Bihai Lanting 1502 rang. Cui Suling opened it, and Xu Rongsheng walked in.

"Where's Youyu?"

"In her bedroom."

"Can I go in now?"

"Go ahead—she's awake," Cui Suling said. "I'm cooking. When it's ready, call her to come eat."

"Alright."

Xu Rongsheng nodded, slipped on slippers, and walked to Xu Youyu's bedroom door, knocking gently: "Youyu, can I come in?"

"Okay!" Xu Youyu replied, and the door swung open as Xu Rongsheng entered.

Xu Rongsheng stepped in, sat on the edge of the bed, and pressed the back of his hand to Xu Youyu's forehead: "Feeling better?"

"Much better—I already took the fever medicine."

"When did you get a fever last night?" Xu Rongsheng asked.

"Around midnight, I think."

"Was Li Luo still awake at midnight?"

"I don't know," Xu Youyu blinked. "I just called him from bed. Then he went to buy the medicine for me."

"I see," Xu Rongsheng understood. He noticed the uncontainable smile on his daughter's lips and shook his head helplessly. "Remember to thank him."

"I already did~" Xu Youyu said, but as she spoke, the memory of kissing Li Luo at noon flashed in her mind, and her cheeks flushed red.

Thinking of those moments while facing her father felt thrilling.

"Dinner's ready!" Cui Suling called from outside.

Hearing it, Xu Rongsheng patted the bed and told Xu Youyu: "Get up. Wear more clothes—don't catch another chill."

"Got it." After watching Xu Rongsheng leave, Xu Youyu obediently got out of bed, pulled on a thicker pajama jacket, stepped out of the room, and went to the bathroom first.

At dinner.

Xu Youyu ate a lot.

Patting her full little belly, she guessed her fever had broken.

Still, she feigned weakness, returned to her bedroom after dinner, and lay down listlessly.

After clearing the table and kitchen, Cui Suling and Xu Rongsheng entered the bedroom to check on Xu Youyu. Cui Suling asked: "How do you feel now? Need another dose of medicine?"

Xu Youyu already felt much better and didn't need more medicine, but she didn't want her parents to know she was recovered, so she rolled her eyes and said: "I already took some."

"Alright," Cui Suling nodded without suspicion. "Then your dad and I will head home. Call us if you need anything."

"Got it~ Isn't there Li Luo anyway?"

"You dare to keep bothering him like this?" Cui Suling rolled her eyes.

"What's wrong with that? It's mutual help—I help him all the time too."

"What have you ever done for him?" Cui Suling shot her a sidelong glance.

"Well… anyway, I've helped him a lot." Xu Youyu suddenly remembered those few days she'd spent in Qiongzhou City for the annual meeting—she really had helped Li Luo quite a bit.

Thinking of it, her cheeks flushed.

Luckily, only a small desk lamp on the main table was lit, so her blushing wasn't clearly visible.

Cui Suling didn't bother arguing further and returned home with Xu Rongsheng, tossing the kitchen trash along the way.

After seeing her parents off, Xu Youyu in the bedroom finally exhaled deeply and could peacefully resume slacking off.

Not having to go to school? Perfect.

Xu Youyu didn't dislike school, but whenever she thought about how some classmates knew she wrote online novels, she couldn't bear to face their gazes.

It was so damn embarrassing!

Staying home was better.

Might as well be a coward hiding her head.

If only this fever could last until the day before the college entrance exam—that'd be perfect.

Thinking this, Xu Youyu sighed softly, then pulled out her phone and browsed the latest chapters of Literary Era, her mind immediately filling with the outline for the ending.

She'd already decided what the ending should be.

But she felt something like "fear of returning home"—the closer she got to the finale, the more reluctant she became to approach it.

So she dragged it out; had she updated normally, she might have finished by March.

Instead, she'd dragged it all the way to May before nearing the final wrap-up.

She guessed there were only a few chapters left—finish those and she'd be done.

But she was just lazy.

Xu Youyu always trusted the future version of herself, full of confidence in tomorrow's self.

Then she just slacked off.

She thought about getting up to write a bit, but then reasoned: it's only a few chapters anyway, I can write later.

So she dawdled and dawdled—by the time Li Luo and the other two got back from school, Xu Youyu still hadn't gotten out of bed.

"How are you?" Li Luo came straight to Xu Youyu's room after returning home. Seeing her propped up on the pillow scrolling her phone, he said, "Looks like you're almost recovered?"

"Nooo~" Xu Youyu immediately feigned weakness, lying down with furrowed brows and a pained expression, looking frail and boneless.

Li Luo chuckled, walked to the bed, and tapped her forehead: "Don't act so hard in front of me—it's fake."

"You don't care about me at all," Xu Youyu said pitifully.

"Let's check your temperature first," Li Luo inserted the thermometer under her armpit. "If you're better, you should be able to go back to school tomorrow."

At the word "school," Xu Youyu let out a wail and collapsed onto the bed, looking utterly lifeless.

But unfortunately, though her body had poor resistance, the fever-reducing medicine had brought her temperature down to 37.3°C—she was officially no longer feverish.

"Damn it," Xu Youyu stared at the thermometer and sighed to the ceiling.

Li Luo smiled at her: "Go to school early, get used to it sooner."

"Besides, your classmates know you write online novels—but they don't know you know they know."

"So if you pretend you don't know, isn't everything fine?"

"Get lost!" Xu Youyu kicked him irritably, "Are you reciting tongue twisters? It's all your fault!"

"Why is it my fault again?"

"If you hadn't found out, and no one else had exposed me, I wouldn't have known!" Xu Youyu insisted, "If I didn't know, and no one revealed it after the college entrance exam, wouldn't it be as if no one knew?"

Li Luo: "... You're pulling out idealist philosophy now?"

"It's still your fault, it's all your fault!" Xu Youyu pummeled his stomach with tiny fists—softly, without any real force.

Li Luo grabbed her small hand, sighed, then said: "How about this."

"What?"

"You're still running a fever."

"Huh?"

"So for the next few days, keep taking leave and rest at home," Li Luo continued. "But no later than this Saturday—next week you must return to school."

"And during these days at home, you must finish writing the ending of Literary Era—wrap it up by this weekend."

"Then focus properly on school and preparing for the college entrance exam. Stop overthinking—how's that?"

"This…" Xu Youyu was slightly tempted, but couldn't help saying, "That doesn't seem right. And Mom won't be easy to fool."

"Cough… I think Uncle Xu is easier to reason with," Li Luo considered carefully. "I'll talk to him."

"Huh? That's allowed?"

…

How to put it?

In his past life, Li Luo had little interaction with Xu Rongsheng.

But compared to Cui Suling, Li Luo had always held a much better impression of Xu Rongsheng in his past life.

Xu Rongsheng rarely interfered in his daughter's life—even rarely pressured her to marry.

Even if Xu Youyu never married, he didn't mind.

So later, when Xu Youyu grew older, her relationship with Cui Suling was poor—they'd argue constantly when they met—but her bond with her father remained strong.

In this life, Li Luo, who had offered some help in online novel theory research, had developed a better relationship with Xu Rongsheng.

Although they didn't communicate much on a daily basis, they both held mutual respect for each other.

It felt like a quiet mutual admiration.

Li Luo greatly approved of Xu Rongsheng's values and work style, and Xu Rongsheng also admired this young man's talent and conduct.

So when he received Li Luo's call and heard what he said, Xu Rongsheng thought for a few seconds, then nodded and said, "I understand. Just don't tell Aunt Cui."

Li Luo was momentarily stunned—he hadn't expected it to be that easy—then quickly said, "Thank you, Uncle Xu."

"It's nothing," Xu Rongsheng shook his head. "But since it's your suggestion, you'll be responsible. If she doesn't finish this book in the next few days, there won't be a next time."

"Alright, I understand," Li Luo promised. "I'll supervise her."

After hanging up, Xu Rongsheng gazed at the night view of Qianjiang University's campus, then glanced toward Bihai Lanting, and chuckled as he shook his head.

Then he sighed, rubbing his temples in mild distress.

It was already past nine at night; Xu Rongsheng set an alarm, planning to speak with Teacher Cao tomorrow morning.

Then he turned and walked back to the bedroom.

"Who did you just talk to?" Cui Suling asked from bed, puzzled.

"Li Luo called," Xu Rongsheng said calmly, casually. "He just updated me on Youyu's situation. Nothing else."

"Why didn't he call me?" Cui Suling muttered at once.

"You're jealous over this?" Xu Rongsheng laughed teasingly.

"You talk too much," Cui Suling snapped, her attention diverted. She rolled her eyes, pulled the blanket over herself, and said, "Sleep."

……

On the other side.

Upon hearing the good news from Li Luo, Xu Youyu leapt out of bed and threw her arms around him.

"Yay! Big brother, you're amazing!"

Due to the height difference of the beds, Li Luo's face was buried deep in her chest, nearly suffocating.

"... Calm down. Are you trying to choke me?"

"Hmph~ That's a reward, okay?"

"Then how about another reward?"