Chapter 510: [Side Story: Xu Youyu] (3) First Visit

After their second meal and agreeing to become each other's rental companions, Li Luo and Xu Youyu's relationship grew increasingly close.

Originally online, their conversations were limited to topics related to Online Novels and films and TV shows.

After their first meeting, their topics expanded to include memories of Yinjiang District.

After their second meeting, their casual daily chats came to cover most aspects of everyday life.

Afterwards, whenever they had free time, they would meet up for a drink, search for restaurants in Yinjiang District they hadn't tried yet, and check out new spots.

This mode of interaction immersed Li Luo completely.

Certain unusual emotions kept rising from deep within him.

But soon, these nascent thoughts were crushed by himself.

As time passed, Li Luo came to understand Xu Youyu's personality quite well.

She described herself as a non-marriage advocate and a solo-living advocate.

She greatly enjoyed the feeling of living alone, carefree and free-spirited.

Normally, besides writing, she did whatever she wanted.

Especially now, as she neared the end of her novel, Gu Dao Changqing, she updated only once every few days.

When stuck, she'd slack off, do things she liked, relax her mind, and when inspiration struck suddenly, she'd write a chapter in a flash.

Li Luo was quite envious of her.

But after understanding her lifestyle and goals, he naturally let go of certain fantasies inside him.

Meeting such an excellent woman online was already like a cake falling from the sky; demanding more would be unreasonable.

Thus, after spending more time together, Li Luo instead calmed his mindset and tried to treat Xu Youyu as a normal opposite-sex friend—his daily interactions became far less tense than when they first met.

Time quickly passed from scorching summer to the Spring Festival.

After the New Year, Li Luo received a message from Xu Youyu.

【GoToSleepAndGrowTaller】：Are you free the day after tomorrow?!

【FenceFall】：That depends on what it's about.

【GoToSleepAndGrowTaller】：What do you mean? Are you picky about who you hang out with?

【FenceFall】：I've got to write, sis. If it's something important, I'll finish my chapter a day early.

【GoToSleepAndGrowTaller】：Awwww~ That's so touching!

【FenceFall】：…Be normal. What's this about?

【GoToSleepAndGrowTaller】：Haven't you read my book?

【FenceFall】：I'm reading it.

【GoToSleepAndGrowTaller】：What about the latest chapter?!

【FenceFall】：Let me check… You just updated a minute ago—how could I possibly have read it yet?!

【GoToSleepAndGrowTaller】：Then read it fast!

【FenceFall】：Okay, wait a sec.

Li Luo glanced at the latest chapter of Gu Dao Changqing, expecting some explosive content, but it was just ordinary wrapping-up—some foreshadowing revealed and some plot holes filled.

Only when he reached the end did he understand Xu Youyu's meaning.

【This book will have one final chapter to conclude! See you in about two days!】

【FenceFall】：It's ending?

【GoToSleepAndGrowTaller】：Mmm~ Let's celebrate when it's done.

【FenceFall】：Sure, where should we eat this time?

【GoToSleepAndGrowTaller】：I was going to ask you! I feel like we've already eaten at every nearby restaurant!

【FenceFall】：I see.

【FenceFall】：Then I have a bold suggestion—would you be willing to try it?

【GoToSleepAndGrowTaller】：Go ahead.

【Li Luo】：Do you have a kitchen?

【GoToSleepAndGrowTaller】：Yes, why?

【FenceFall】：I'll cook you a meal to celebrate your completion.

【GoToSleepAndGrowTaller】：Huh? You can cook?

…

February 16, Thursday.

Before leaving, Li Luo took a shower and, unusually, washed his face with facial cleanser, carefully shaving off all his facial hair.

Lin Xiuhong returned from the breakfast shop to nap and, seeing his preparation, knew exactly what this boy was up to.

At home, when writing, he always looked disheveled—only when going out with that girl named Xu Youyu did he bother to tidy up.

"What's going on?" Lin Xiuhong asked casually as he put on his down jacket to leave.

"Same as always," Li Luo said, slipping on his shoes and opening the door. "I won't be home for dinner. I'm off."

"Got it. Go ahead."

Lin Xiuhong had no objection to Li Luo meeting that girl named Xu Youyu.

Over these past months, she'd gathered enough from Li Luo's chatter.

The girl herself was highly capable of earning money, and her family was scholarly—putting it bluntly, if Li Luo could actually win her over, it would be his family climbing up in status.

Thinking of her future daughter-in-law, Lin Xiuhong's mind flashed to another slender figure, and she sighed.

Watching Li Luo leave, she thought it over, then pulled out her phone and sent a WeChat message.

【Lin Xiuhong】：That boy went out and won't be home for dinner.

【Ying Chanxi】: Is there cola chicken wings tonight?

【Lin Xiuhong】: Of course there is.

【Ying Chanxi】: Then I'll come after work to help Lin Yi.

Lin Xiuhong stared at her WeChat and sighed again, not knowing what to do.

This girl is stubborn—so long as Li Luo is around, she refuses to come over.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Xiuhong sent another WeChat message.

【Lin Xiuhong】: He's out on a date with a girl.

【Ying Chanxi】: Oh.

This cold reaction… Lin Xiuhong didn't know what to say.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Li Luo stepped out of his home, glanced at the apartment across the hall as usual, then descended the stairs.

Before he reached the subway station, his phone vibrated a few times.

Li Luo thought it was Xu Youyu's message, but when he opened his phone, it was Zhao Rongjun's WeChat.

【Zhao Rongjun】: Free tonight? Let's go drink.

【Li Luo】: Not free. I've got something to do.

【Zhao Rongjun】: What could you possibly have to do, writing online novels at home?

【Li Luo】: I'm meeting someone for dinner. Let's drink next time.

【Zhao Rongjun】: Who? You're ditching your buddy for a new flame?

【Li Luo】: What are you thinking? She's just a senior online novelist.

【Zhao Rongjun】: Male or female?

【Li Luo】: Female.

【Zhao Rongjun】: Something going on?

【Li Luo】: You're imagining things. Nothing like that.

【Zhao Rongjun】: I advise you to confess honestly.

【Li Luo】: She graduated from Qian Da too—why would she be interested in me?

【Zhao Rongjun】: Huh? She's my alum? What's her name? Maybe I know her.

【Li Luo】: She's one year ahead of you, from the Literature Department. Her name is Xu Youyu—you definitely don't know her.

【Zhao Rongjun】: … Are you sure her name is that?

【Li Luo】: What's wrong?

【Zhao Rongjun】: She was the president of the student union in high school. Ying Chanxi took over from her in Gao Er.

【Li Luo】: Can we not bring her up?

【Zhao Rongjun】: How did you even meet her?

【Li Luo】: You're asking too many questions. Let's talk over drinks next time.

As he entered the subway, Li Luo ended the conversation and sent a message to Xu Youyu.

【Li Luo】: Got on the subway. Will be there in a few minutes.

【Zao Shui Hui Chang Gao】: Okay, I'm getting ready to leave too.

Meanwhile, at a certain company, Zhao Rongjun took a screenshot and forwarded the chat log to someone.

Seeing the reply "Thank you," Zhao Rongjun shook his head helplessly and muttered under his breath:

"After all these years, these two are still insane."

…

In a single glance /p>

Across from the north entrance of Yinjiang District Yintai City, at the gate of Ansheng Jiayuan residential complex, Li Luo arrived right after getting off the subway and saw Xu Youyu waiting there.

Today, Xu Youyu was unusually not late—after all, they were meeting at the entrance of her rented apartment complex.

She wore a short, snow-white down jacket paired with a high-neck beige sweater, and below, high-waisted jeans that accentuated her long legs.

The waistband extended up to her waist; the full curve of her chest, tightly wrapped by the beige sweater beneath the open zipper of the down jacket, was half-revealed, like a black hole drawing the gaze irresistibly.

Xu Youyu's figure was perfect—except for a slight belly from not exercising, there was almost nothing to criticize.

Li Luo didn't understand how this homebound girl managed to maintain such a figure.

Now that they had met, Xu Youyu saw Li Luo approaching from the subway exit and waved happily, walking toward him.

"Wuhoo~ Let's go! Let's go buy groceries!"

Xu Youyu reached Li Luo, patted his shoulder, and hurried toward the opposite Yintai City, her face beaming with excitement, clearly in high spirits.

"It's just grocery shopping—why are you so excited?" Li Luo laughed, watching Xu Youyu skip ahead.

Xu Youyu turned back, grinning: "When I was writing 'Gu Dao Changqing,' I got stuck in the later chapters—I was pulling out my hair every day!"

"Now I'm finally free—how could I not be happy?!"

"Today I'm going to eat my fill! Play my fill! Hurry up!"

"Coming, coming." Li Luo caught up with Xu Youyu's light steps, envious of her lifestyle.

He wished he could one day rent his own place and live alone.

He thought this, but his current financial situation couldn't support such a decision.

Although his novel, with an average subscription of 6,000, already brought in substantial income, he had no guarantee his next book could maintain such success.

In contrast, Xu Youyu, whose skills were consistently strong, could expect a decent new book simply by performing normally—she had no worries about money.

"What are you thinking about?" Xu Youyu glanced at Li Luo as they walked toward the basement grocery store of Yintai City. "You look so preoccupied."

"I'm just a little envious of Youyu Sister," Li Luo sighed, remembering it was her completion celebration day, and quickly shook off his gloom, changing the subject: "So, Youyu Sister, have you decided what to write for your next book?"

"Hmm~" Xu Youyu tilted her head, thought for a while, then said, "I just finished writing 'Gu Dao Changqing' and had my fill—I don't feel like writing cultivation upgrade stories anymore. I'm thinking of trying literature and entertainment again."

"Huh?" Li Luo blinked. "You just switched from literature and entertainment to the big trend of spiritual energy revival—why go back?"

"I don't write for trends. What matters is that I enjoy writing it," Xu Youyu shook her head, then smiled. "Besides, literature and entertainment has a very loyal reader base—the results are still reliable, just with a lower ceiling. And this time, I want to try something different."

"What kind of something?"

"I'm going to write 'Dream of the Red Chamber,'" Xu Youyu raised an eyebrow and grinned. "The protagonist goes back to last century—not the early 20th-century entertainment circle."

"That's actually pretty rare," Li Luo pondered, unsure how well the topic would work, and dared not judge hastily.

Xu Youyu didn't expect Li Luo to offer any good advice; she mentioned it briefly, then steered the conversation back to today's celebration:

"Alright, alright, enough about that. I just finished—I need at least a few months to relax and have fun!"

The two entered a fresh food supermarket. Li Luo put the earlier topic out of his mind and began selecting ingredients, walking and asking, "What home-cooked dishes do you like best, Youyu Sister?"

"Hmm… this one." Xu Youyu thought, then said, "Can we do green pepper with pork? I prefer dishes like that to go with rice."

"No problem," Li Luo nodded, picking out a piece of pork tenderloin and a few green peppers.

Xu Youyu watched curiously beside him—clearly she rarely came to places like this: "Can you make Maple Tofu? My mom can't cook it, but I really like eating it."

"Oh, that one?" Li Luo nodded. "Of course I can. If you want some, I'll buy some tofu."

"Yay!" Xu Youyu bounced along beside him, looking less like someone shopping for groceries and more like someone visiting an amusement park.

Li Luo glanced at her and chuckled: "You don't cook for yourself at home?"

"Of course not," Xu Youyu shook her head vigorously. "I mostly order takeout."

"Wait." Li Luo couldn't help asking: "So… do you even have kitchenware at home?"

"I do, sort of," Xu Youyu nodded. "The landlord left a full set—it still looks new—I've barely used it, maybe just for instant noodles."

"What about seasonings?"

"Uh…"

"Alright, I get it," Li Luo sighed. "We'll buy everything then."

"Hehe, then it's all up to you!" Xu Youyu patted Li Luo's shoulder, waved her hand dismissively, handing him all the responsibility, and happily became a hands-off landlord—only pausing at the beer shelf to grab a few bottles.

"Any other dishes you want?" Li Luo glanced at the beer in her hand, said nothing more, and asked again.

"I've already picked two dishes. We two won't eat much—pick two you like too," Xu Youyu said.

"Then…" Li Luo glanced at the nearby vegetables, didn't think hard, and said instinctively, "Cola chicken wings, and maybe tomato and scrambled eggs?"

"Sounds good."

After buying the groceries, they stepped out of the fresh food supermarket, each carrying two large bags.

Li Luo walked beside Xu Youyu, crossed the street, and arrived at the entrance of Ansheng Jiayuan residential complex, where she led him to her building.

"This building has four units per floor—I rent a two-bedroom, eighty-square-meter apartment on…"

"Eighteenth floor, right?" Li Luo shifted the plastic bag in his left hand to his right, freeing one hand to press the button for the 18th floor.

Xu Youyu beside him froze, surprised: "How did you know?"

"You told me when we met the second time," Li Luo said. "You even opened your window and waved to me across the street."

"Oh right," Xu Youyu recalled, and smiled knowingly.

But Li Luo's face looked calm—his heart was tense.

Excluding childhood visits next door, this was probably his first time visiting a girl his own age's home.

Especially since she lived alone.

And soon, they'd be drinking alcohol…

Thinking of that, Li Luo's mind involuntarily filled with all sorts of chaotic thoughts.

Until the elevator doors opened and Xu Youyu called him out—he snapped back to reality.

"Here we are—1802," Xu Youyu walked straight to the door directly opposite the elevator, unlocked it with her fingerprint, and the door swung open.

The next second.

Before Li Luo could see inside, a meow rang out.

Then Xu Youyu expertly hooked her foot, snagging the belly of a tabby cat trying to escape, and kicked it back inside.

"Okay, door-opening mission accomplished—come on in."

Holding two plastic bags, Xu Youyu tilted her body to wedge the door open, turned to Li Luo, and smiled: "Don't go into the bedroom on the far right—everything else is yours to explore. Welcome to my home."

(End of Chapter)