Chapter 666: There

While Yan Zhusheng happily went to the amusement park with Li Luo, Ying Chanxi in Room 1502 of Bihai Lanting lay in bed until nine in the morning, already unable to lie still any longer.

"Senior, when are we going to that bathhouse you mentioned?" Ying Chanxi asked softly.

Xu Youyu was still sleeping in, rolling over in bed and mumbling, then grumbling, "What time is it?"

"It's already past nine."

"Then it's still early," Xu Youyu yawned and went back to sleep. "Wake me at half past ten, then we'll go out for food and head to the bathhouse."

Ying Chanxi knew Xu Youyu's nature well and wasn't surprised; she could only lie back down and wait.

But she definitely couldn't sleep, so she pulled out her phone to scroll—soon she saw Yan Zhusheng's WeChat Moments post.

It showed three photos: one taken at the car's windshield, one of her own long legs, and one of Li Luo driving beside her.

Above the three images was text: 【Li Luo took me to the amusement park for my birthday~】

Ying Chanxi pouted, already feeling a twinge of regret, then mentally resolved that next year, on her own birthday, she would take Li Luo out alone too.

She had agreed this morning to let Li Luo go out alone with Yan Zhusheng purely because she saw how exhausted he'd been from writing lately and needed an excuse to get him out of the house.

Now that he was actually out, Ying Chanxi felt jealous and uneasy inside.

So she thought: she couldn't just suffer alone—she needed someone to suffer with her.

With that thought, Ying Chanxi turned over and shoved her phone in front of Xu Youyu: "Senior, look."

Xu Youyu, hearing the sound, reluctantly opened one eye, glanced at Yan Zhusheng's Moments, then nodded lazily: "Mm… nice, so what?"

"... That's Zhusheng's Moments post," Ying Chanxi whispered, thinking she hadn't looked closely enough.

"I know."

"Aren't you jealous?"

"Not at all," Xu Youyu glanced at her, finally understanding why Ying Chanxi showed her this, and chuckled in reply, "If I got jealous over this, would I have bought you that maid outfit before?"

At the mention of the maid outfit, Ying Chanxi's face flushed with embarrassment: "Senior, don't bring that up!"

Just hearing those three words made Ying Chanxi instantly recall the moment Lin Xiuhong saw her—she couldn't bear to think of it.

The sheer humiliation was unbearable to remember.

It was simply too painful to recall.

But Xu Youyu couldn't help laughing: "Oh come on, so Lin Yi saw it—what's the big deal? As long as Li Luo likes it, why won't you wear it?"

"It's too embarrassing," Ying Chanxi whispered, covering her face—she looked utterly adorable.

Having known Ying Chanxi this long, Xu Youyu understood her personality well; seeing this reaction, she could only shake her head helplessly.

"Anyway, we're already like this—Cixi, just let it go," Xu Youyu said with sincere reassurance. "Didn't you just agree this morning that Zhusheng could go out with Li Luo?"

"I'm not disagreeing now," Ying Chanxi muttered softly. "But I'd obviously rather be the one going out with Li Luo."

"Then next time, take Li Luo out alone," Xu Youyu laughed. "Social norms and conventions serve the majority, but that doesn't mean they're absolutely right."

"For society as a whole, such constraints maintain stability."

"But when it comes to individuals, everyone has their own better way."

"In short…" Xu Youyu stretched out in bed, no longer sleepy, yawned, sat up, and said to Ying Chanxi, "First figure out what your ultimate goal is, then you'll understand the meaning of the process."

"I don't know what you, Cixi, truly want—but I know I only seek happiness in life."

"As long as I reach that goal, whether the process follows social norms means nothing to me."

"My current life makes me happy, so I can accept it without hesitation."

Xu Youyu got out of bed and headed toward the bathroom, then turned back and smiled at Ying Chanxi: "Cixi, get up—I'll take you to the bathhouse."

"Oh… oh!" Ying Chanxi had been mulling over Xu Youyu's words, but hearing the invitation, she realized Xu Youyu was already up—she quickly got out of bed and followed.

While brushing her teeth and washing her face, Ying Chanxi's mind felt chaotic—Xu Youyu's words kept spinning in her head.

Only when she changed clothes and was pulled out the door by Xu Youyu's hand did she slowly come back to herself.

"Senior, are we going straight to the bathhouse?" Ying Chanxi asked.

"Yep, just follow me," Xu Youyu tossed her car keys, led her into her BMW, and drove toward a newly opened bathhouse near Shidai Tianjie.

Because it had just opened, there weren't many people there.

Xu Youyu took Ying Chanxi to get a locker key, then swiped in to the women's bath area, stripped naked, wrapped themselves in towels, and walked into the hot spring pool.

"Cixi, what do you want to drink?" Xu Youyu asked, walking over to the fridge.

"I'll just have water."

"Ok." Xu Youyu grabbed a bottle of water and one of lemon iced tea, then walked to the edge of the hot spring pool, picked a milky-white pool, and slowly sat down.

"Ah, so comfortable~" Xu Youyu sighed deeply, leaning against the pool's edge, turning to look at Ying Chanxi's flushed cheeks, and couldn't resist pinching her soft, pink face.

Ying Chanxi blushed and turned her head away, whispering: "Senior, don't pinch."

"Only Li Luo can pinch, right?" Xu Youyu teased with a chuckle.

Ying Chanxi stayed silent, blushing, not denying it—though she wouldn't say it aloud, she had tacitly admitted it.

Xu Youyu didn't care; she grinned mischievously and pressed close, wrapping her arms around Ying Chanxi.

The two splashed and played in the pool, Ying Chanxi begging for mercy.

"Has Li Luo touched here before?"

"Senior, why are you asking this…?"

"He touched me here, you know—what about you?"

"What?" Ying Chanxi bit her lip, whispering, "H-He touched me here too."

"Really?" Xu Youyu chuckled softly, then continued teasing Ying Chanxi—asking here, pinching there.

Ying Chanxi's face burned red, and from Xu Youyu, she learned many blush-inducing, body-heating little facts.

Though embarrassed, she summoned the learning discipline of a Fengyi Middle School god, silently memorizing them all.

……

After soaking in the bath, they went to the bathroom to rinse off and enjoyed a warm, comfortable shower.

Then they put on the facility's communal bathrobes and went upstairs to the public recreation area.

Xu Youyu took her first to the restaurant, ordered a Western-style set meal, sampled it, then rested for a while in the relaxation zone.

After waking from their nap, Xu Youyu pulled Ying Chanxi around to wander everywhere—played a bit of pool, tried some arcade games, watched a movie, and sampled the unlimited durian and cherries on offer.

In the evening, they had another buffet dinner, casually picked out two girls to be their mahjong partners, and played a round.

Feeling their digestion had settled, they went upstairs to the massage area, booked two female therapists, and began enjoying their spa massage.

At that moment, Ying Chanxi realized she hadn't looked at her phone in nearly a full day.

She quickly leaned over the massage bed, reached for her phone, opened WeChat, and glanced at her Moments.

Then she saw a string of Yan Zhusheng's Moments posts.

Roller coasters, giant swings, haunted houses, rapids rides, Ferris wheels… each photo formed a 3x3 grid, posted by Yan Zhusheng.

Besides these attractions, there were countless photos of Yan Zhusheng and Li Luo together.

The final Moments post was Yan Zhusheng's caption: "Heading home!" Ying Chanxi suddenly realized: "Senior, they seem to be going home."

"Is that so?" Xu Youyu was still enjoying her massage, eyes closed, fumbling for her phone, then opened them to take a look.

Right after reading Yan Zhusheng's Moments, her phone vibrated a few times—someone had sent a message.

Xu Youyu returned to the chat screen and saw a message from Yan Zhusheng.

【Yan Zhusheng】: Senior, are you still at the bathhouse?

【Yan Zhusheng】: Or have you already gone home?

Xu Youyu raised an eyebrow and replied immediately.

【Xu Youyu】: Getting a spa now, probably back in about an hour.

【Yan Zhusheng】: Oh, got it.

【Xu Youyu】: Take it easy—Chanxi already saw your posts. She'll probably head home right after the massage.

【Yan Zhusheng】: Okay, thanks, Senior.

…

7:30 PM.

Li Luo drove into the Bihai Lanting community gate and parked in the spot below the building.

Yan Zhusheng obediently got out, hugged Li Luo's arm, and the two walked upstairs.

The elevator doors opened on the 15th floor. Holding Yan Zhusheng's small hand, after over half an hour of tension, Li Luo had finally calmed down. He pulled out his keys and opened the door.

He glanced down and saw the slippers Xu Youyu and Ying Chanxi usually wore still by the door—he knew they hadn't returned yet.

But thinking they might come home any moment, Li Luo lost his earlier intentions.

Yet Yan Zhusheng beside him didn't let his thoughts slip away. After closing the door, before even changing shoes, she flung herself into Li Luo's arms, knocking him against the wall.

Her hands grew restless.

In an instant, the flame Li Luo had barely extinguished was reignited effortlessly by Yan Zhusheng.

The two tumbled from the front door to the sofa, then the hallway, finally reaching Li Luo's bedroom.

Yan Zhusheng was pressed hard onto the bed, her face flushed from Li Luo's teasing.

Soon after, Li Luo stared blankly at the bedsheet before him.

Then he took a tissue from the desk to wipe his fingers, falling into deep thought—wondering where the clean bedsheet had been stored before.

Yan Zhusheng, meanwhile, was dazed, eyes glazed, mouth slightly open unconsciously.

But just as Li Luo, overwhelmed by her seduction, reached for protection, Yan Zhusheng suddenly snapped back to awareness, remembering her mother's advice.

She grabbed his hand.

"What's wrong?" Li Luo blinked in surprise.

"Um… Mom doesn't allow it," Yan Zhusheng blinked, whispering.

"..." Li Luo fell silent. The heat in his body annoyed him, but reason quickly cooled him. "Fine, forget it."

"No…," Yan Zhusheng quickly held onto him, "I promised Mom I wouldn't use this, but I didn't say I couldn't do that."

Li Luo: "...?"

"Wait—what did you and Aunt Yuan say?" Li Luo was confused, pressing urgently.

"I just… I just…" Yan Zhusheng avoided Li Luo's gaze, guiltily mumbling, "I told her about us."

"What?" Li Luo's heart skipped a beat; he too felt guilty. "You told Aunt Yuan? About all four of us?"

"Mm… not everything," Yan Zhusheng confessed honestly. "I only mentioned me and Chanxi, then Mom forbade me from using this."

"She meant you shouldn't do this at all," Li Luo said, dumbfounded. "You're playing word games?"

"But it doesn't matter—she doesn't know anyway," Yan Zhusheng opened her arms for a hug. "Come on, come on—no need to use it. That way, I'm not lying to Mom."

To be fair, Yan Zhusheng was incredibly alluring right then.

But Li Luo still retained some reason—he knew this was wrong, and stubbornly pulled back the blanket to cover her.

"We're just starting university. Since Aunt Yuan knows and doesn't approve, you should listen to her," Li Luo sighed. "We can't get pregnant right after starting college."

"But it wouldn't be bad," Yan Zhusheng crawled out from under the blanket and hugged him from behind. "If I get pregnant, I can give Li Luo a baby."

Li Luo: "... Don't tempt me."

"Oh…" Yan Zhusheng saw Li Luo's serious expression and gave up.

"What else did Aunt Yuan say?" Li Luo was deeply concerned, still feeling guilty, asking cautiously. "What did she think about this?"

"Mom said she'll leave us alone for now," Yan Zhusheng rolled her eyes, then admitted honestly. "So she won't tell Uncle Ying yet—but she didn't fully approve either. Still, I think Mom will agree eventually."

"I see…" Li Luo lowered his head in thought, his mood growing heavier.

At this point, the parents' side of things could no longer be ignored.

But Yan Zhusheng, like a child, secretly mischief-making with her small hands as she hugged him from behind.

"Stop fooling around… Let's call it a day for now. I need to write to calm down."

"If you want to write, go ahead," Yan Zhusheng suddenly let go of Li Luo, then leapt off the bed first, her long legs swaying violently before Li Luo's eyes.

Then Li Luo watched helplessly as Yan Zhusheng crawled under the desk, knelt there in hiding, only her head poking out, winking at him: "Come on, let's write."

(End of Chapter)