Chapter 567

The cook was not fully fired.

Considering that someone still needed to clean the rooms, and Li Luo was male, it was inconvenient for him to enter or exit Yan Zhusheng's bedroom and bathroom.

So after confirming Li Luo was willing to take on the role of full-time chef, Yan Zhusheng negotiated a new contract with the cook whose contract had expired.

In short, cooking was handed over to Li Luo; everything else remained unchanged.

Li Luo's monthly salary was directly raised to fifteen thousand.

The cook did not lose her job because of this.

And Yan Zhusheng could now eat Li Luo's meals every day—truly a win-win situation.

"Why have the dishes these past two days…" At noon, Yan Zhusheng put down her phone after taking a photo, staring at the black bean pork trotter soup, longan lotus seed soup, and the bowl of red date porridge before her, and asked, "seem a bit bland?"

"Uh… is it not tasty?" Li Luo's heart tightened at this, fearing his boss was dissatisfied.

"It's fine," Yan Zhusheng nodded faintly. "I've just never seen you make these dishes before, and eating porridge for lunch is uncommon."

"Actually, it's because… um…" Li Luo hesitated, then carefully said, "These days are your period, right?"

Yan Zhusheng fell silent for a moment, glancing at Li Luo: "…How did you know?"

"Last month, you asked me to get you some sanitary pads."

"Oh," Yan Zhusheng nodded, understanding, then said nothing more and quietly ate her lunch.

In truth, Li Luo had noticed Yan Zhusheng often frowned during her period and guessed she suffered from dysmenorrhea, so he prepared blood-nourishing, tonic dishes.

When Xu Youyu had dysmenorrhea, she used to love eating dishes like these.

Yan Zhusheng also found them beneficial—these past two days, her dysmenorrhea had become less frequent, especially after drinking the porridge and soup and trying the lotus seed soup, she felt noticeably more comfortable.

But she was never good at expressing emotions; her expression remained as detached as ever, giving no clue to what she was thinking.

【Zhusheng】: (photo)

【Zhusheng】: Today's lunch.

【Xixi】: Why have the dishes been so bland these past two days?

【Zhusheng】: He knows I'm on my period, so he made them specially.

【Xixi】:?

【Xixi】: How does he know about your period? Do you even talk about things like this?

【Zhusheng】: Last month, I had my period in the bathroom, ran out of pads, and the new ones were in the living room, so I asked him to get them for me.

【Xixi】: And he remembered? When did this guy become so thoughtful?

【Zhusheng】: You're jealous.

【Xixi】: I'm not.

【Xixi】: He's just trying hard to keep his job, so he's deliberately pleasing you.

【Xixi】: An employee's attentiveness to his boss isn't for any other reason.

【Zhusheng】: But you're jealous.

【Xixi】: I said I'm not.

【Zhusheng】: Then just say you're not—why explain so much for him?

【Xixi】: You're being overly talkative.

【Zhusheng】: I just think you shouldn't waste so much energy on him.

【Xixi】: You don't understand.

【Zhusheng】: It's only because you liked him as a child, but he doesn't like you now.

【Zhusheng】: In fact, he might fall for me any day now.

【Zhusheng】: What's so special about this ordinary guy that makes you do all this?

【Xixi】: Do you want to fight with me?

【Xixi】: Should I handle all future orders myself from now on?

【Zhusheng】: I'm sorry.

【Xixi】: Hm?

【Zhusheng】: Sister, I'm sorry.

【Xixi】: Don't forget to send a photo of dinner.

The chat ended.

Yan Zhusheng gave Li Luo a cold, aloof glance, then looked down at the chat log again.

Although Li Luo worked diligently enough.

Although his cooking was quite good.

Although he consistently maintained proper boundaries in daily interactions.

But just from the way he occasionally couldn't help stealing glances at her legs, it was clear he was just an ordinary man.

Yan Zhusheng truly couldn't understand what her cheap sister saw in him.

She felt she needed to prove to someone that childhood feelings and adult feelings were different.

…

In the days that followed, Li Luo's life was fairly full.

Every morning he woke early, ate breakfast, then walked straight to Jinlin Wangjiang Mansion to work at Yan Zhusheng's place.

He recorded in the morning, cooked lunch, edited in the afternoon, slipped in some leisure time, picked up script gigs for extra cash, cooked dinner to satisfy his boss's stomach, then clocked out.

Then he went home, stocked up on supplies for his evening stall, hopped on his electric tricycle, and headed to the busy intersection where he usually sold stir-fried rice noodles.

If he received a notice from the city inspectors that street vending was banned that night due to a city appearance check, only then could he spare time to visit the hospital and check on Lin Xiuhong's condition.

"I feel much better already—I really don't need surgery…"

"Alright, Mom, don't say things like that." Li Luo sat beside her, waving his hand. "Even in a good month, I make a little over thirty thousand. That's already great—I don't need that extra money for surgery."

He earned fifteen thousand a month from Yan Zhusheng, picked up side gigs when he could, and added what he made from stir-fried noodles—thirty thousand a month wasn't fantasy.

It was just tiring.

But since his mother lay in bed sick, every bit of this work was worth it.

"But I heard just the surgery alone will cost hundreds of thousands, and there'll be ongoing medication afterward..."

"We have enough money. Don't worry about it."

"Thirty thousand a month is indeed a lot, but still..."

"It's really enough, we already..."

"Cough! Cough!" Li Guohong, standing beside them, suddenly coughed twice, interrupting the mother and son's conversation. Then he said, "The government has taken over Wei Dongrong's case. Though we won't get all our money back, we'll still get around a million—more than enough for your treatment."

"Really?" Lin Xiuhong's eyes lit up. "The money's been recovered?"

"Yes, it'll be credited soon." Li Guohong nodded vigorously, his face tense, forcing a faint smile from the corner of his mouth.

Li Luo fell silent at those words. Seeing Lin Xiuhong smiling on the bed, he said nothing to expose Li Guohong's lie.

If Lin Xiuhong knew they had sold the house they'd lived in for over thirty years, she would never accept the money for her treatment.

Yet even after her brief joy, she carefully said, "This money... maybe we should keep it?"

"You two have borrowed a lot lately. First, pay back those people."

"Save the rest—for Li Luo's wedding later. Deal?"

Li Luo immediately rejected Lin Xiuhong's idea, telling her to just wait quietly for surgery and stop thinking about such things.

After leaving the ward, Li Luo stepped out of the hospital gate, the cold street wind brushing his face. His heart trembled. He lowered his head, wiped his eyes, rubbed his stiff face hard, took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

"Don't tell your mother about selling the house," Li Guohong said beside him, instinctively reaching into his pocket.

He pulled out only a lighter—no cigarettes.

Then he realized: to save money, he hadn't smoked in over half a year.

"I know." Li Luo glanced at his father's hand, then looked across the street to the small convenience store. "Want one?" Li Guohong glanced at his son, then shook his head. "No. Once you start, there'll be a second, a third."

"You don't have to save on cigarettes."

"It's not just about saving money," Li Guohong exhaled, gazing at the night sky. "I need to take care of my own health."

"Now that you've seen Mom sick, you're finally worried about yourself?" Li Luo laughed.

"Hmph." Li Guohong smirked. "I used to think smoking was bad for health, but I figured, when I get old and can't take care of myself, I'll have your mom to look after me."

"Now she's like this—even if the surgery succeeds, her body won't ever be like before."

"So shouldn't I take better care of myself? Who else will look after her?"

The father and son chatted on the street outside the hospital.

No cigarettes. No alcohol.

Soon, Li Guohong prepared to return to the ward.

!

Before leaving, he told Li Luo: "The house sale contract is signed. We just need to go to the office next week for the transfer. You should start looking for a rental."

Li Luo nodded lightly, watching his father's back disappear into the hospital entrance, then turned and walked home.

When he returned to Jincheng Community, climbed to the fourth floor, and reached his front door,

Li Luo turned to look at the door across the hall.

No one had returned there in a long time.

Now, Li Luo turned back to face his own door, sighing softly—no one would return here anymore.

The childhood bond, here, was likely severed completely.

The next day, Yan Zhusheng rose early as usual, went for a morning run, ate a simple breakfast, then warmed up her voice on the balcony.

When Li Luo arrived for work, they slipped into their routine.

But at lunch, Li Luo watched Yan Zhusheng take her usual photo before eating, so he ate while observing her.

When she was nearly done, he cautiously spoke: "Uh... I have a request. Can I say it?"

"Hmm?" Yan Zhusheng looked up, eyebrows slightly furrowed. "What is it?"

"I need to go out this afternoon. Could I take half a day off?" Li Luo asked. "Of course, I won't let work suffer."

"You can take leave anytime—that was stated in the hiring terms," Yan Zhusheng said. "But where are you going?"

"Uh... to rent a place."

"Rent?" Yan Zhusheng frowned slightly. "Aren't you living at home? Isn't that convenient for work?"

"Well..." Li Luo hesitated, then thought better of it and spoke plainly. "We're short on money. We sold the house. I have to find a rental."

"Oh." Yan Zhusheng nodded. "Go ahead."

"Any recommendations for rentals?" Li Luo asked curiously. "Somewhere nearby?"

"Wangjiang Fu isn't bad."

"Too expensive," Li Luo muttered.

He'd seen the rental prices for Jinlin Wangjiang Fu—even a shared room under ten square meters cost at least 1,500.

With a private bathroom? Over 2,000.

He wasn't unable to afford it—just preferred to save where he could. His standards for living quality were low now.

Cheap was key.

Unable to get any rental suggestions from Yan Zhusheng, Li Luo prepared to leave that afternoon to visit agencies and view apartments.

But the area around Jinlin Wangjiang Fu was a newly developed commercial zone in Yinjiang District, close to the city center and bordering Nan Station, the northern subway transfer hub.

The rental price is really not low.

Especially since he also needs to find a place to park his electric tricycle, it's even more troublesome.

So in the afternoon, he followed the agent around several residential complexes, but none were quite satisfactory.

In the evening, Li Luo bought groceries and returned to Jinlin Wangjiang Mansion, cooked dinner for Yan Zhusheng, and added, "I might need to take another afternoon off tomorrow."

"Didn't you find a rental?" Yan Zhusheng asked.

"Hmm… none of them were quite right."

After saying that, Li Luo began cooking dinner.

Yan Zhusheng sat boredly beside the dining table, propping her chin as she watched the busy figure in the kitchen.

With nothing else to do, she took a photo of Li Luo and sent it to someone.

No reply.

When Li Luo finished dinner, Yan Zhusheng took another photo, sent it, and finally received a reply.

【Chanxi】: The dishes look delicious today.

【Zhusheng】: Which one do you want to try? I'll taste it for you.

【Chanxi】: Do I need to say thank you?

【Zhusheng】: You're welcome.

【Chanxi】: Don't send me pictures of him anymore.

【Zhusheng】: Why? Don't you like looking at them?

【Chanxi】: I don't like them.

【Zhusheng】: Then next time we meet, let me go through your phone gallery.

【Chanxi】: That's personal privacy.

【Zhusheng】: I can show you mine too.

【Chanxi】: What's there to see in your gallery?

【Zhusheng】: I can take several more front-facing photos of Li Luo.

【Chanxi】: I don't want to see them.

【Zhusheng】: Tell me, if he falls for me, will you still help him the way you do now?

【Chanxi】: I help him not just because I liked him as a child—there are other reasons too.

【Zhusheng】: So why are you afraid to meet him face to face? Afraid your childhood fantasy will shatter and you'll realize you don't actually like him anymore?

【Chanxi】: Can you stop meddling? Just eat your dinner.

…

After dinner ended.

Li Luo soaked the dishes in water and handed them over to tomorrow's cooking aunt—no, correction, now she should be called the cleaning aunt.

Then he picked up the kitchen waste, ready to clock out and leave.

But just then, Yan Zhusheng suddenly called out to him.

"Wait."

"What is it?" Li Luo turned back, puzzled.

"Come with me," Yan Zhusheng said calmly, then turned and walked toward the depths of the first floor.

Li Luo placed the kitchen waste by the door and followed Yan Zhusheng all the way to the guest bedroom door on the first floor.

At that moment, Yan Zhusheng stopped, opened the guest bedroom door, turned to face him, and said, "You'll live here from now on."

"... Huh?"

(End of Chapter)