Chapter 522: Come Home With Me This Year

The next morning, Li Luo woke up again on the hotel's large bed.

Logically, the single rooms provided by Wenxue Group all had very large beds, spacious enough to accommodate two or three people without crowding.

Yet Li Luo still felt slightly cramped sleeping here.

Yan Zhusheng on his left slept peacefully, while Ying Chanxi clung tightly to him on his right.

Li Luo grimaced as he pulled his right arm out from under Ying Chanxi's head; after a long while, his numb, aching limb finally returned to normal.

But the movement had woken Ying Chanxi; she stirred drowsily in his arms, unaware of what she'd dreamed, instinctively hugging him tighter and murmuring softly:

"Don't… don't go…"

"Did I wake you?" Li Luo pulled her back into his arms and asked softly.

"Mmm…" Ying Chanxi let out a cute muffled sound against his chest, slowly waking from her daze, finally realizing she was fully awake.

She rubbed her eyes, lifted her face in his arms, and upon seeing the clear contours of his face, the anxiety that had hung in her dream finally eased slightly.

But soon, she seemed to remember something; the brightness that had lit her eyes upon waking vanished, replaced by dimness.

She looked emotionally low.

Li Luo had intended to give her a good-morning kiss, but noticed her mood, so his lips only brushed her smooth forehead.

"Good morning."

"Mm." Ying Chanxi wriggled slightly in his arms, found the most comfortable position, and closed her eyes again, savoring the peace.

Many thoughts flickered through her mind; her cheeks, closed-eyed, faintly betrayed subtle expressions.

But some things, she didn't know how to say—even telling Li Luo probably wouldn't yield any useful answer.

Thinking of this, Ying Chanxi's spirits sank further; she still had no idea what to do.

As a result, when she got up and followed Li Luo downstairs for breakfast, she was distracted, clearly burdened with worries.

In contrast, Yan Zhusheng, who had also risen early to join for breakfast, looked calm and composed, giving no hint of having discovered that earth-shattering secret last night.

Ying Chanxi actually envied Yan Zhusheng's personality—direct, straightforward, never wasting energy on inner turmoil.

Unlike herself, who always overthought things, yet didn't want to show it too clearly, so she buried many thoughts deep inside, silently suffering.

If only she could be like Yan Zhusheng, speaking her mind openly and honestly.

Holding her chopsticks, Ying Chanxi thought of these things, and unconsciously poked at her fried rice with them.

Seeing this, Li Luo asked, "Breakfast not good? Want to go find something else nearby?"

"N-No, it's fine… I'm not that hungry." Ying Chanxi shook her head, glanced at Li Luo, then fell silent.

In the end, she said nothing.

When the others woke up one by one that morning and they all set out together to tour attractions and hunt for food, Ying Chanxi tucked away her gloom, put on a smile, and joined Li Luo and the others in playing.

On the 14th, after Yuan Wanqing finished recording a variety show in Yuzhong City, she returned to the hotel that night, and everyone agreed to take a river cruise on Jialing River.

Earlier in Changning City, Li Luo had already taken several river cruises on Huangpu River, so this time felt familiar.

But this was the first time all four families—ten people together—boarded the luxury cruise ship, especially with Ying Chanxi and the other two girls.

They paid extra to reach the VIP section on the top deck, chose a nice private cabin, and from there could step directly onto the open-air platform above, offering an unobstructed view of the river.

"I was thinking…" Ying Zhicheng walked at the back, shoulder to shoulder with Yuan Wanqing, watching the backs of the children ahead, and whispered to her.

"What?" Yuan Wanqing instinctively pulled her hand back and whispered a warning, "The kids are right there—don't go doing anything silly again."

"What are you thinking about?" Ying Zhicheng chuckled at her cautious reaction, then felt a pang of pity, and continued softly, "I'm being serious."

"What about?"

"Why don't you just come home for Chinese New Year this year?"

As Ying Zhicheng spoke, his gaze shifted from the children ahead, passed over the river scenery and towering buildings along the shore, and finally settled on Yuan Wanqing.

His eyes locked onto hers, and as he spoke, his gaze carried unmistakable resolve.

Yuan Wanqing hadn't expected Ying Zhicheng to say something like this; her heart jolted, then began pounding hard.

She instinctively paused her step; only when Lin Xiuhong turned back in confusion did she hurry to catch up with the group, not answering Ying Zhicheng right away.

Ying Zhicheng wasn't in a rush; after resting briefly in the cabin, as they climbed the stairs to the open-air platform, he quietly took Yuan Wanqing's hand and held it tightly until they reached the top.

Yuan Wanqing bit her lip, lost in thought, no longer paying attention to the river view; her eyes kept flickering toward Yan Zhusheng and Ying Chanxi—sometimes tender, sometimes sighing.

Li Luo barely noticed the subtle exchanges between Ying Zhicheng and Yuan Wanqing; surrounded by the three girls on the open-air platform, the cool river breeze brought welcome relief to the sweltering night, brushing pleasantly against his face.

There was a paid photo service nearby, but Ying Chanxi carried her own camera and the instant camera Li Luo had once given her, so she didn't need to pay extra.

The three girls took turns posing with Li Luo by the railing; when the cruise passed near Hongyadong, the photos taken against its staggered stilted buildings looked especially beautiful.

Lin Xiuhong beamed as she held the instant camera Ying Chanxi handed her, snapping several photos of the four children.

Watching her own son surrounded by three girls who excelled in every way, Lin Xiuhong grinned so wide her mouth barely closed.

But remembering the other girls' parents were present, she reluctantly restrained her expression.

Don't be greedy. Don't be greedy.

Lin Xiuhong silently warned herself, absolutely no more daydreaming.

Yet her hands kept moving, snapping photos with great delight.

When the cruise returned and passed Hongyadong again, Li Luo paid for a professional photo session, having the photographer take a group picture of all four families—ten people.

In the photo:

The four children stood in front; Ying Chanxi crouched at the very front, one arm hugging her knee, the other making a victory sign.

Li Luo half-crouched behind her, hands resting on Ying Chanxi's shoulders, smiling at the camera. Yan Zhusheng and Xu Youyu stood on either side, pressed close to Li Luo, each making a victory sign.

In one photo, Xu Youyu poked Ying Chanxi's cheek.

Behind them, in the second row, stood the six parents.

Behind Yan Zhusheng stood Yuan Wanqing and Ying Zhicheng.

Behind Li Luo stood Li Guohong and Lin Xiuhong; behind Xu Youyu stood Cui Suling and Xu Rongsheng.

Everyone's faces were lit with smiles, and the beautiful moments were cropped by cameras, perfectly preserved.

Li Luo wasn't short on money, so he simply asked the staff to print extra photos, giving a few to each person as keepsakes.

Although the four families had dined together before and were close, this was their first time traveling far away together—it truly held great memorial value.

After disembarking from the cruise ship and returning to the hotel, everyone began packing their belongings; they would fly home the next morning.

When Yuan Wanqing returned to her hotel room, she first took a bath; only at around ten at night did she step out wearing a bathrobe and knock on the door across the hall.

Ying Zhicheng opened the door, pulled Yuan Wanqing inside, and didn't intend to do anything—just held her as they sat together on the edge of the bed.

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Yuan Wanqing rested her head against Ying Zhicheng's chest, sitting sideways on his thighs; the two sat in perfect silence, not saying a word.

Until Yuan Wanqing lifted her head again, looking at him with serious expression; after locking eyes for several seconds, she asked, "Are you sure?"

Alone, this remark meant nothing.

But Ying Zhicheng naturally understood what Yuan Wanqing was asking.

"Of course." Ying Zhicheng nodded, tightening his arms around her.

"Why the sudden urgency?" Yuan Wanqing pressed her lips together, still confused. "Didn't we agree to wait until they entered university before…? After all, bringing it up too early might affect their studies."

"That was the original plan, but after this trip, my view has shifted slightly." Ying Zhicheng lowered his head and spoke softly, "At least I feel that even if we tell them sooner, it won't greatly affect their studies."

"Or rather, even if there is some impact, it shouldn't be enough to prevent them from getting into Qianjiang University."

"Xi Xi's abilities speak for themselves; Zhusheng is taking the arts exam, so there's no need to worry too much."

That was true enough.

But Yuan Wanqing still said, "For safety's sake, it's still better to…"

She had barely begun when Ying Zhicheng raised a finger to block her lips, then paused for several seconds before saying, "Actually, I think the longer we hide it, the more painful the revelation will be when we finally tell them."

"Before, we worried it would affect their studies, but now the situation might be different."

"Do you understand what I mean?"

"You mean…" Yuan Wanqing, prompted by Ying Zhicheng, slowly caught on, then suddenly realized, "Li Luo?"

"Mm…" Ying Zhicheng gave a slight nod; though reluctant to admit it, he had to say, "With Li Luo around, our matter is actually less worrisome."

"He's still just a child…" Yuan Wanqing said instinctively.

"Can you still see him as a child?" Ying Zhicheng countered.

Yuan Wanqing paused, then sighed with a wry smile: "If you put it that way, it makes sense—but are you certain Li Luo will help?"

"He's crazy about our daughters." Ying Zhicheng couldn't help a cold snort. "I don't know which one he truly likes, but either way, he won't let them be unhappy."

"You're handing over the task of soothing your daughters to someone else?" Yuan Wanqing pressed her hand to her forehead and sighed. "It just feels strange."

Though reluctant to admit it, Ying Zhicheng knew clearly: since Li Luo had also passed the entrance exam for Fuyi High School, then written Online Novels and composed songs, achieving great success—and living with their two daughters—Li Luo's standing in the girls' hearts had clearly changed from before.

If before high school, Ying Zhicheng had viewed Li Luo as ordinary—a typical troublemaking, rebellious boy—then after two years of high school, Li Luo had undergone an astonishing transformation.

Even from the most critical perspective, Ying Zhicheng could find almost no flaw in the current Li Luo.

"Anyway, this year, come home with me." Ying Zhicheng fell silent for a moment, then said, "My father has been mentioning it for a long time—didn't he already tell you he wanted you to come home for the New Year this year?"

"I understand…" Yuan Wanqing sighed softly, her heart filled with worry yet also a quiet hope; she felt Ying Zhicheng's reasoning had some merit.

Previously, Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng didn't know each other; if they had simply brought the two girls together and announced their parents' remarriage, the shock would have been immense.

But now Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng lived under the same roof, and even on this trip they shared a hotel room—their bond must already be strong.

Add Li Luo as the glue in the middle, and even if they revealed the truth early, the impact might not be too great.

As Yuan Wanqing thought of this, her earlier tension gradually eased, and the emotion of anticipation began to rise, filling her with longing.

Women claimed not to care, but inwardly they still yearned for "legitimacy."

Yuan Wanqing was no exception.

Yet compared to this longing, she cared more about her daughters' feelings.

She just didn't know how Yan Zhusheng would react when she learned the truth this New Year.

Yuan Wanqing pressed her lips together, forcing herself to think positively, when suddenly she felt two restless hands begin to wander along her waist.

…

July 15, 9 a. m.: Li Luo and the group arrived at the airport and boarded a flight to Yuhang City.

After returning home, Xu Youyu resumed training for the second stage of the driver's license exam.

After another half-month of hard practice at the driving school, he finally passed the test by month's end and moved on to the third stage.

On August 1, Li Luo arrived at a newly built studio on the outskirts of Yuhang City, witnessing the launch ceremony of the "Little Joy" production team.

"Little Joy" officially began filming.

"Director Chongran, hello." Ruan Lin, who played the female lead Qiao Yingzi, sat beside Li Luo holding a script, blinking her big eyes at him. "I'd like to ask you about a scene—could we talk?"

(End of Chapter)