Chapter 592: Yan Zhusheng: This One

At around six in the evening, Yuan Wanqing and Lin Xiuhong brought out a full table of lavish dishes and called everyone over for dinner.

The three men smoking and chatting on the balcony immediately stubbed out their cigarettes and came inside.

Ying Chanxi and the others stepped forward to help, arranging the bowls and chopsticks.

The ten people from the three families filled the table perfectly; after so much time together, they were all utterly familiar with each other, no formalities were needed, and they picked up their chopsticks and began eating.

Ying Chanxi picked up a cola chicken wing for herself, then added one to Li Luo's plate.

Yan Zhusheng saw this and extended her own bowl, signaling to Ying Chanxi.

Ying Chanxi gave her younger sister a look, her eyes saying, "You've got hands of your own," but finally she reached out with her chopsticks and added one to Yan Zhusheng's bowl.

With a sense of fairness, Ying Chanxi also picked up a chicken wing for Xu Youyu and said, "Made by Aunt Yuan herself—so delicious, Sister Xu, try some."

Xu Youyu glanced down at the chicken wing in her bowl, then glanced at Ying Chanxi, and a faint smile curled at her lips.

It seems Xixi really isn't as resistant to Uncle Ying and Aunt Yuan's relationship after all.

Xu Youyu bit into the cola chicken wing, praised it warmly, and felt a little more at ease inside.

"Come on, come on." Li Guohong raised his wine glass first, livening the mood with a grin. "Congratulations to my good brother, Ying Zhicheng, and our big star Yuan Wanqing, on your union!"

Ying Zhicheng chuckled and shook his head at his enthusiastic celebration, then raised his own glass.

At that moment, Yuan Wanqing also raised her glass and said softly, "Zhicheng and I only went to register our marriage—today's gathering isn't just for that, but also for our Xixi—happy birthday."

"Mm." Ying Chanxi stood up, raised her glass filled with juice, and lightly clinked it against Yuan Wanqing's. "Thank you, Aunt Yuan."

The others promptly picked up their glasses and clinked them in celebration.

"So you're not planning a banquet or anything?" Cui Suling asked curiously.

"Let's skip it," Yuan Wanqing shook her head, smiling gently. "For one, my current status is sensitive; for another, we're both long past our youth—I've never cared much for weddings, so let's avoid extravagance."

Ying Zhicheng had wanted to say something, but hearing Yuan Wanqing speak this way, he stayed silent.

Everyone ate dinner, the atmosphere warm and harmonious.

When dinner was nearly finished, Yuan Wanqing stood up voluntarily to clear the table.

Lin Xiuhong and Cui Suling helped beside her, clearing a large clean space on the table.

Li Luo immediately rose, went to the kitchen fridge, and took out the birthday cake they'd brought back earlier, placing it in the center of the table and unwrapping its outer packaging.

Carefully inserting the number candles "1" and "8" into the cake, Li Luo turned to look at Ying Chanxi, then at Ying Zhicheng: "Uncle Ying, I don't have a lighter—can you light them?"

"Sure." Ying Zhicheng nodded, stepped closer to the table, and pulled out his lighter from his pocket.

But he didn't light the candles right away; staring at the candles representing "eighteen," he was overcome with emotion.

In the blink of an eye, his daughter was already turning eighteen…

Time really flies.

Ying Zhicheng glanced at Yuan Wanqing, then down at the candles, recalling the face of Yan Ruqing in his mind.

"I hope you're watching too."

Ying Zhicheng whispered softly, then finally lit the candles.

Yan Zhusheng had been waiting by the wall switch in the living room; the moment Ying Zhicheng lit the candles, she turned off all the lights.

The room plunged into dimness, leaving only the two candles burning silently.

The flickering flame lit up everyone's faces.

Li Luo had already picked up his guitar, but didn't play—instead, he handed it to Yuan Wanqing.

Yuan Wanqing paused slightly, then understood, smiled at Li Luo, and cradled the guitar with practiced ease, lightly strumming the strings as her melody flowed like a stream—

"Happy birthday to you~"

"Happy birthday to you~"

Li Luo was the first to clap along to the rhythm.

The others quickly joined in.

Ying Chanxi stood before the cake, facing the candlelight, listening to Yuan Wanqing's soft singing, surrounded by a comforting atmosphere.

She clasped her fingers together, lips pressed, eyes closed, silently making a wish in her heart.

Finally, the song ended.

Ying Chanxi slowly opened her eyes, leaned close to the cake, and blew hard.

The candles went out, and the living room lights turned on again.

On the table, beside the birthday cake, now lay several gift boxes.

"Happy birthday!" Li Luo grinned. "Put the gifts away for now—open them yourself tonight. Let's eat the cake first."

"Mm." Ying Chanxi nodded lightly, picked up the plastic knife, and cut a slice for everyone.

Everyone gathered on the sofa; those without room found spots at the desk.

Just recently, Lin Xiuhong had installed a karaoke function on the TV, so they ate cake while picking songs in the living room.

But Xu Youyu had to update her novel that night, so halfway through eating cake, she leaned close to Ying Chanxi and whispered, "I still have to write tonight—I need to get started."

"Mm-hmm." Ying Chanxi nodded. "Got it, Sister Xu, go ahead."

"Wait, I'm not done yet." Xu Youyu, holding back a grin, continued, "My gift to you—go get it, then come to my room and open it with me."

"Huh?" Ying Chanxi blinked, then her face darkened with suspicion. "Sister Xu, you didn't buy another weird thing, did you?"

"What do you mean 'again'?" Xu Youyu pouted. "When have I ever bought you anything weird?"

"Last time—the Doraemon underwear." Ying Chanxi said flatly.

"But you liked wearing it, didn't you?" Xu Youyu teased with a grin.

That was only because Li Luo wore Doraemon underwear too.

Otherwise, who would wear them…

Ying Chanxi muttered to herself, but would never say it aloud.

The two of them said this, yet Ying Chanxi still stood up and followed Xu Youyu, taking the gift box she had given her into Xu Youyu's room.

"So what did you give me this time?" Ying Chanxi sat in front of Xu Youyu's desk, watching the gift box with a wary expression, certain Xu Youyu had no good intentions.

"Relax, it's something practical," Xu Youyu patted her chest in assurance. "Just open it and you'll see."

Ying Chanxi extended her hand half-skeptically, carefully unwrapping the gift box's packaging and slowly opening the box.

The next moment, a small, unfamiliar package appeared before her eyes.

She blinked, not recognizing what it was, but guessing from the box's size: "Is this face wash? Or hand cream? Maybe sunscreen?"

"Cough…" Xu Youyu, caught off guard by the question, grew slightly embarrassed. "None of those."

"Then what is it?" Ying Chanxi's expression grew even more confused.

"You… you just open it. Once you do, you'll recognize it right away."

Hearing this, Ying Chanxi found it even stranger, but still pulled out one box, peeled off its plastic wrapping, opened the lid, and peeked inside.

Inside was not face wash or anything like it, but a series of small square bags, each about a quarter the size of her palm.

Ying Chanxi had never seen this before; curiously, she reached out to take one—only to realize the bags were still connected, with perforated lines between them.

"This is…"

Ying Chanxi noticed words printed on the bags, so she leaned closer to read them.

The next instant, her cheeks flushed crimson; her fingers jerked as if shocked, and she snatched the item back with a swift *whoosh! *

"Senior!" Ying Chanxi leapt from her seat, stumbling backward until she hit the wall, her voice trembling.

"You—you… this—this… how could you buy something like this?!"

Seeing Ying Chanxi's adorable reaction, Xu Youyu finally burst out laughing.

She picked up the entire box of treasures and shoved it into Ying Chanxi's arms: "I told you it's your birthday gift—don't run off."

"I—I… I think it's not very practical for me…" Ying Chanxi protested, her face utterly flushed.

"Where's it not practical?" Xu Youyu feigned ignorance, then suddenly pretended to understand. "Wait—does that mean you won't use this in the future?"

"That's not what I meant!" Ying Chanxi shook her head quickly, then added, "I mean… this… that… Senior, you're being way too reckless—how could you buy something like this?!"

"It's already bought, so just take it," Xu Youyu grinned. "You'll definitely need it someday."

"Stop talking…" Ying Chanxi's ears turned soft with redness; she cut off Xu Youyu's words and turned to flee from the bedroom.

In the hallway, Ying Chanxi instinctively headed toward the living room.

But remembering what she was holding in her arms, she quickly turned around and headed toward her own bedroom.

After stashing the dangerous item deep in her drawer, Ying Chanxi finally exhaled in relief.

Once she confirmed no one else would find it, she returned to the living room.

…

Around nine at night, the elders prepared to take their leave.

But before departing, Cui Suling, after much thought, went to Xu Youyu's bedroom.

Hearing the door open, Xu Youyu, who was typing, turned in confusion—and saw her mother sitting on the edge of the bed, gesturing for her to come over.

"What's up?" Xu Youyu, puzzled, stood and sat beside Cui Suling. "You look so serious."

"Where's it serious? I'm being serious with you."

"What could possibly be so serious?" Xu Youyu asked, wondering if her mother had seen the gift she'd given Ying Chanxi.

That shouldn't be possible…

But as Xu Youyu thought this, Cui Suling reached out, took her daughter's hand, placed it in her own palm, and patted it gently, speaking with solemn gravity:

"You're grown up now. There are some things I need to tell you."

"Just say it," Xu Youyu sighed. "Are you telling me you're secretly the heiress of some corporation, eloped to marry Dad, and now that the chairman's passed, you're the sole heir?"

"You've written too many novels," Cui Suling stared at her daughter in disbelief. "Stop making up nonsense."

"Then hurry up and say it," Xu Youyu urged. "I still have to type."

"I'm saying it now, aren't I? It's your interruption that ruined it!" Cui Suling snapped. "All the mood I built up is gone."

"Oh come on, just say it—I won't interrupt anymore."

"Then be quiet," Cui Suling grumbled.

Xu Youyu finally fell silent.

Cui Suling took several deep breaths, calmed herself, then resumed:

"You're not young anymore…"

"I'm still young…" Xu Youyu muttered under her breath.

But after Cui Suling shot her a glare, Xu Youyu instantly clamped her mouth shut, covering it with her free hand to signal her mother to continue.

Cui Suling dropped the glare and continued: "At your age, if you ever get a boyfriend, you'll inevitably encounter such things."

"When you were in high school and didn't date, your father and I never brought it up."

"But after reading your previous novel, your father and I realized you're actually quite well-informed."

Hearing this, Xu Youyu, the legendary "Qiumingshan Driver," understood exactly what her mother meant.

Yet even though Xu Youyu normally treated driving as routine, discussing such matters with her mother still made her deeply embarrassed.

Especially since Cui Suling had mentioned her last novel!

Xu Youyu involuntarily clenched her fists, feeling her soul's mortification rising from the ashes.

But the next moment, she felt a cool object pressed into her palm—Cui Suling had slipped something into her hand.

Looking down, Xu Youyu was stunned.

"Keep this with you," Cui Suling coughed, clearly embarrassed herself. "I see you write about it so expertly—you already know how to use it. I won't teach you."

"If you ever do get involved with a boy you like… uh… be sure to use it."

"This is the bottom line; it cannot be compromised."

Xu Youyu looked down at the object in her hand, her mother's earnest advice ringing in her ears; she felt her ears burn and her heart pound.

Oh my~

Mom, can you please stop talking?

You're giving me just one? How's that even enough?

I bought Xi Xi a whole box of them, okay?

Xu Youyu's cheeks flushed, and she silently grumbled inside.

After speaking, Cui Suling gave a few more reminders, patted Xu Youyu's small hand, and got up to leave.

"Could Mom have suspected something?" Xu Youyu muttered to herself after seeing Cui Suling off, holding the small square piece in her hand, "But I haven't even acted yet."

Saying this, Xu Youyu decided to put the thing away.

But after thinking it over, she couldn't decide where to put it, so she finally shoved it into her pajama pocket, planning to tear it open and examine it later while bathing.

Although she had written about this thing in her novels, she had never actually seen one in real life and didn't know what it was like inside.

Thinking this, Xu Youyu returned to her writing, forgetting entirely that the thing was still in her pajama pocket.

…

When it was past eleven at night, Xu Youyu finished writing and took a shower, then walked to Li Luo's bedroom door wearing her pajamas.

Without even knocking, she pushed the door open and saw two good sisters already lying on the bed.

Li Luo was still sitting at his computer, typing away.

He now had to maintain the manuscript updates for I Am Really Not a Star while preparing for his new book, so he was indeed busier than before.

Seeing Xu Youyu come in after her shower, Li Luo ended his writing session for the night, stretched in his chair, and prepared to get into bed.

Just as Li Luo lay down, hugging the two sisters, his right hand playfully slipping toward Xu Youyu's chest—

Ying Chanxi shifted slightly in his arms, causing Li Luo's hand to slip out of Xu Youyu's chest and brush against something with a plastic texture on the bed.

Curious, he reached out, grabbed it, and pulled it out from under the covers; in the dim, lightless room, he squinted and asked, "What's this? Who dropped it on the bed?"

"Hm?" Ying Chanxi leaned closer to look, but it was too dark to make out what it was.

Xu Youyu also leaned over Ying Chanxi's shoulder, her vision still blurry from being touched for so long.

Only Yan Zhusheng kept her wits about her, pulled out her phone, and used its light to illuminate the object.

The next second—

Ying Chanxi's expression changed instantly.

Li Luo's expression turned peculiar.

Yan Zhusheng's face lit up with curiosity.

As for Xu Youyu…

"Huh? Xi Xi, isn't this the birthday gift I gave you? Why did you bring it to bed?" Xu Youyu said calmly, not batting an eye, shifting blame onto her good friend.

Hearing this, Ying Chanxi noticed Li Luo's expression and instantly turned bright red, waving her hands frantically: "No, no way it's mine! I hid it in my own drawer! It couldn't possibly be on this bed!"

"Wait… you really have one?" Li Luo's expression was a mix of disbelief and amusement.

"I—I…" Ying Chanxi was speechless, but after glancing again at the object in Li Luo's hand, she suddenly felt something was off, "Wait…"

"What's wrong?" Li Luo asked, puzzled.

"This isn't mine," Ying Chanxi took the small square piece from Li Luo's hand and said, "Senior didn't give me this brand—the packaging color and logo are completely different. It definitely isn't mine."

"Not mine either," Yan Zhusheng shook her head. "So what is this thing?"

"Kids shouldn't ask too many questions," Li Luo pushed Yan Zhusheng's head back down, then glanced at Xu Youyu with a faint smile. "You're the one I felt it behind, on the bed."

"If it's not Xi Xi's, then it must be yours?"

"You bought this for Xi Xi as a birthday gift—that means…"

"I don't know!" Xu Youyu, sensing she was about to be exposed, immediately activated her "playing dead" tactic, burying her head under the covers. "Sleep! Sleep! Stop talking!"

Li Luo found Xu Youyu's behavior amusing, but he had no intention of pressing further.

Ying Chanxi, however, was not letting it go; she patted Xu Youyu through the covers. "Senior, you're so mean—just now you tried to frame me!"

"Alright, alright, sleep now," Li Luo pulled Ying Chanxi back into his arms, unsure what to do with the object in his hand. "You're not taking it back, Youyu?"

"Ugh, you're so annoying—it's not mine!" Xu Youyu still insisted.

"So what exactly is this thing?" The ever-curious Yan Zhusheng still hungered for answers.

"Cough…" Li Luo cleared his throat, then leaned close to Yan Zhusheng's ear and whispered a few words.

Instantly, Yan Zhusheng's face lit up with understanding.

Then she reached out and took the small square piece from Li Luo's hand.

"I remember now," Yan Zhusheng said seriously. "I accidentally dropped this on the bed."

Saying this, she carefully put the thing away, as if securing a legendary artifact.

Like she had just claimed a supreme treasure.

(End of Chapter)