Chapter 597

This property in Sky Ridge Elegant Residence is located in the southeast corner of the community.

It is relatively close to Ningshan but not entirely at the community's edge, minimizing insect interference.

The location of Xu Yinghuan's family is only two villas away from this property.

From the front door of this villa, you need only walk a few dozen meters to reach Xu Yinghuan's front gate.

Sky Ridge Elegant Residence is roughly divided into three concentric rings of villas, with abundant greenery and small parks separating each ring.

The property Li Luo's family is considering is in the second ring, surrounded by green parks on all sides, with an excellent environment.

"This villa has four floors plus an open rooftop," Butler Liu said, standing beside Li Guohong and Lin Xiuhong. "Typically, the first floor serves as a living room for guests and a dining area."

"The remaining small rooms, besides storage and bathrooms, are for the nanny."

"Don't you two still remember your stay in that villa in Qiongzhou City?"

"Back then, you stayed on the second and third floors, which generally serve as bedrooms."

"The second floor also includes functional rooms like a study."

"The fourth floor houses facilities rarely used but occasionally needed, such as a mahjong room."

Hearing Butler Liu's explanation, both Li Guohong and Lin Xiuhong, as well as Li Luo and the other four, gained a general sense of the villa's basic layout.

Butler Liu then added, "After ensuring each family member has their own private bedroom, how to arrange and decorate the extra rooms depends entirely on your and your family's needs."

As Li Luo listened, he stood in the center of the first-floor shell and looked upward: "Can we install an elevator?"

"A small elevator can be installed here," the real estate agent quickly interjected. "Our staircase was specially designed with a hollow center that perfectly fits the dimensions of today's popular small home elevators."

"That's good," Li Luo nodded. "I don't have any other special requests—just a desk in the bedroom for writing."

"You definitely need a study for writing," Xu Youyu poked Li Luo's side. "Writing in the bedroom was just out of necessity—we're in a villa now, so we should write in a study."

"So we need one study?" Li Luo stroked his chin, calculating. "Let's put in two desks—one for each of us."

"I want a huge bookshelf," Xu Youyu said, her eyes gleaming with hope.

"Fine."

"I want a recording studio," Yan Zhusheng now chimed in, leaning toward Li Luo. "Like the one at my place—it needs proper soundproofing."

"A recording studio is fine—put it on the fourth floor," Li Luo nodded in agreement. "I remember you've collected a lot of instruments at home—let's make the fourth-floor studio bigger."

Yan Zhusheng nodded vigorously.

With their needs settled, Li Luo turned to Ying Chanxi.

Ying Chanxi noticed Li Luo's questioning gaze and fell into deep thought, unable to think of anything she wanted.

"How about we reserve a small room for a photo wall?" Li Luo smiled. "You can store all your most meaningful photos there."

Hearing this, Ying Chanxi's eyes lit up: "Not just photos—a collection room."

She had many treasures she wanted to keep.

"What about you, Mom?" Li Luo turned to Lin Xiuhong. "The mahjong room's already a given."

"Cough… of course we need a mahjong room, but…" Lin Xiuhong glanced at the three girls beside her, her expression odd.

Because the four kids' conversation had flowed so smoothly, she only now realized she'd been left out.

This house was bought by Li Luo, but had Ying Chanxi and the other two unconsciously treated it as their future home?

And they didn't seem to mind each other at all.

Lin Xiuhong was speechless, unsure whether the three girls were just too young to understand—or…

Thinking of this, Lin Xiuhong couldn't help but glance again at her son, lost in thought.

Could the half-joking remarks she'd occasionally made to Lao Li actually come true?

This…

She was currently very close with Cui Suling and Yuan Wanqing.

If Li Luo really ended up with three daughters-in-law, would she still be able to keep being their good friend?

But the most crucial question was—did Ying Chanxi and the other two seem perfectly fine with each other?

Lin Xiuhong's gaze settled on her son, utterly baffled—how had he managed this?

If he really ended up with three daughters-in-law, it would be a nightmare.

For example…

"Mom, what are you trying to say?" Li Luo asked, puzzled by Lin Xiuhong's troubled expression.

"What else?" Lin Xiuhong rolled her eyes, then leaned close to Li Luo's ear, glancing at Ying Chanxi and the others, and whispered, "We're going to live here a long time, right?"

"Yeah."

"So…" Lin Xiuhong hesitated, then finally asked, "Should we reserve a nursery?"

Li Luo: "…"

"One nursery, or three?" Lin Xiuhong asked with a meaningful look.

"Cough…" Li Luo was stunned by his mother's bluntness and quickly waved his hands. "That's way too far off—years away. We can think about it then."

Lin Xiuhong thought that made sense and let it go for now, not pressing further.

After all, they were just about to take the college entrance exam—they still had four years of university ahead, and Xu Youyu had only one year less.

Even if they wanted grandchildren, they'd have to wait at least three or four more years.

"So the renovation plan is settled?" Li Guohong whispered beside Lin Xiuhong, his eyes frantically signaling. "You're sure?"

"My son says it's fine—what problem could I have?" Lin Xiuhong rolled her eyes.

"But… this doesn't seem right," Li Guohong hesitated. "They can't possibly… all four of them…"

"Why not? Having three daughters-in-law is fine," Lin Xiuhong insisted, chin raised.

"But what about their parents?" Li Guohong looked incredulous. "Though honestly, it doesn't matter anymore."

After all, the girls' requests—study, recording studio, collection room—would all be useful to Li Luo even if he eventually broke up with them.

After much thought, they as parents decided to stop interfering and overthinking it.

"Dad, do you have any other requests?" Li Luo now turned to Li Guohong.

"What requests could I have?" Li Guohong waved his hand. "Just reserve a parking spot for me, and leave me a patch of land in the yard—I'll plant something for fun when I'm retired."

Li Luo nodded with a smile, then looked toward Butler Liu.

Butler Liu pulled out a voice recorder, gestured to Li Luo, indicating he had recorded everything.

"I'll organize the details later and prepare several tailored renovation plans for your review," Butler Liu said with a smile.

"Thanks for your trouble," Li Luo said, watching Butler Liu's professional demeanor, feeling somewhat relieved.

Otherwise, if he had to worry about these things himself—or worse, leave them entirely to his parents' renovation tastes—he'd truly be anxious.

Now that a professional butler was handling these trivial matters, he could focus his energy on more important matters.

…

After confirming there were no issues with the property, Li Luo signed the purchase contract.

Subsequent renovation matters were handed over to Butler Liu; Li Luo and the others only needed to provide their renovation ideas.

As time gradually neared mid-April, just before Li Luo's new book was to be released.

Ying Zhicheng took time out to visit Bihai Lanting, came over for a weekend meal, and further discussed with Li Luo the promotional plan for the sequel of "Little Joys," as well as the copyright issue of the short story Li Luo had mentioned earlier.

"Dad, how much longer are you two going to talk?" Ying Chanxi changed into a new outfit in the bedroom, walked into the living room, and frowned upon seeing the two still chatting. "Li Luo and I made plans to go look at cars."

"Look at cars?" Ying Zhicheng paused slightly. "What cars?"

"Aren't Li Luo and I about to finish our driver's license exams?" Ying Chanxi sat beside Li Luo. "He said he's going to buy me a new car, so we're going to check some out this weekend."

Ying Zhicheng: "...?"

Although he had already tacitly accepted the closeness between his daughter and this Li Luo kid.

But hearing this guy planned to buy his daughter a car, Ying Zhicheng couldn't help but be stunned.

My daughter hasn't even said she'll marry you—what right do you have to give her a car?

This kind of expensive gift isn't like giving a small present for a birthday; tens of thousands of yuan spent at once—even if Li Luo isn't short on money, he shouldn't be so reckless.

"If you want to buy a car, tell me," Ying Zhicheng frowned. "Don't let Li Luo spend his money—I'm not incapable of buying a new car myself."

"Well, it's not just for me," Ying Chanxi explained, seeing her father's serious expression. "Li Luo actually wants to buy a car for Lin Yi, but Lin Yi always says it's wasteful and refuses to accept it."

"So he's pretending this car is a gift to me."

"But since I'm usually at school, the car will still be driven by Lin Yi."

After hearing Ying Chanxi's explanation, Ying Zhicheng's expression finally eased.

This reason, at least, was somewhat reasonable.

But after thinking it over, Ying Zhicheng still said: "Since it's officially registered in your name, I can't be stingy."

"I was already planning to replace my car anyway—this works out perfectly."

"Li Luo's about to finish his driver's license too. Since you're still in school, even if you buy a new car, it'll just sit idle."

"Just take my current Audi—it'll serve as a temporary vehicle for now."

"When you start driving more often later, you can get your own new car without rushing."

After hearing Ying Zhicheng's suggestion, Li Luo was somewhat tempted.

To be honest, he had no interest in car brands—just something that runs is fine; he had no brand bias.

If Ying Zhicheng was indeed replacing his car, and the old one was being retired, it would be fine for Li Luo to use it—it wouldn't be wasteful.

But just as Li Luo was considering whether to accept, Ying Chanxi beside him suddenly said: "Dad, you're so stingy. Why not just buy Li Luo a new car instead?"

"He's buying me a new car—shouldn't you buy a new one too? Why are you just handing over your old one?"

"Your old car's only been driven three or four years—it'll last a long time yet, right?"

Ying Zhicheng: "..."

Watching his daughter side with the outsider, Ying Zhicheng's mouth twitched, unsure what to say.

It was finally Li Luo who stepped forward, holding Ying Chanxi back and telling her to stay quiet, ending this scene of fatherly affection and filial piety.

After accepting Ying Zhicheng's kindness, Li Luo watched him leave, then took Ying Chanxi and his own mother to a nearby 4S store to look at cars.

But after touring several models, faced with prices of tens of thousands of yuan, Lin Xiuhong changed her mind and said it was still too early, no need to rush.

After all, Li Luo and Ying Chanxi were about to take the college entrance exam.

The villa renovation wouldn't be finished overnight.

So the car wasn't an urgent need for their family—they could wait until summer, after the exam and when the villa renovation was nearly complete, to buy it.

Several days passed.

Li Luo still hadn't bought Ying Chanxi a new car.

But Ying Zhicheng acted quickly—in less than three days, he had already delivered his usual Audi A6 to Li Luo.

Li Luo hadn't even spent a penny on a new car yet.

Yet he'd already acquired an Audi A6 for free.

Worse, Ying Chanxi was perfectly satisfied, and as soon as Li Luo got his license on April 7th, she eagerly dragged him downstairs to test-drive it.

Then she climbed into the passenger seat, turned to Li Luo with a bright smile: "Try it out—how's the handling? If you don't like it, I'll ask my dad to swap it for his new one."

"What new car did Uncle Ying buy?" Li Luo asked curiously.

"I think it's another Audi, but bigger," Ying Chanxi recalled. "Something called the Audi Q7."

"Uncle Ying really knows how to enjoy life," Li Luo said, starting the car, smoothly shifting gears, pressing the accelerator, and driving the Audi out of the compound. "Where to for a spin?"

"By the river~"

"Alright, hold on tight."

…

More than half an hour later, Li Luo brought Ying Chanxi home.

Yan Zhusheng, just emerging from the piano room, squinted at Li Luo, and seized the chance to leap into his arms when Ying Chanxi went to the bathroom.

"Where did you two go?"

"I test-drove the car Uncle Ying gave me."

"Actually, my mom has a car too," Yan Zhusheng mused. "She flies around all the time and hardly ever drives it."

"Why don't I ask my mom to give you her car too?"

"Then you can take me out for a drive all by yourself?"

Li Luo: "... Does Aunt Yuan know how much of a spendthrift you are?"

"Then do you know how long it's been since you last took me out alone?" Yan Zhusheng stared at Li Luo with a serious expression.

"Next time, I promise."

"Li Luo, you're mean."

"This is mean? I've got worse things I've done."

"What's worse... mm..."

(End of Chapter)