Chapter 702

On such a late night, Ying Zhicheng never expected Yuan Wanqing to suddenly ask such a question.

To be honest, compared to Yuan Wanqing, Ying Zhicheng's feelings toward Li Luo were far more complicated.

After all, from Yuan Wanqing's perspective, since she met Li Luo, he had always been an exceptionally outstanding boy.

But for Ying Zhicheng, Li Luo had never been particularly likable as a child.

Especially after entering junior high, it only got worse.

Yet right after the junior high entrance exam, Li Luo suddenly seemed to awaken—he transformed completely over the three years of high school, becoming utterly different from his junior high self.

Ying Zhicheng felt this must be a kind of enlightenment.

After all, there's often this saying: girls mature earlier due to earlier physical development, so they tend to be more emotionally mature, and thus generally have an academic advantage in elementary and especially junior high school, absorbing knowledge more easily.

Boys, however, mature later; even if they didn't do well in junior high, their cognitive abilities often surge during high school as their bodies develop.

But Li Luo's case was so extreme that Ying Zhicheng had never seen anything like it before.

It wasn't just about development—it felt like evolution.

"Why are you asking this all of a sudden?" Ying Zhicheng found the question frustrating.

To be honest, if you look at how Li Luo and Ying Chanxi got along as children,

now that Li Luo is so outstanding, our daughter adores him, and they both clearly like each other—plus, he's the son of my childhood friend,

Ying Zhicheng should have been perfectly happy with this situation.

But after three years of observation, though he rarely interfered in Ying Chanxi's school life, annual New Year visits and family trips still revealed something off.

Leaving Xu Youyu aside for now, Ying Zhicheng couldn't quite tell if there was an issue there, but Yan Zhusheng's situation was definitely serious.

But Yan Zhusheng is Yuan Wanqing's daughter… strictly speaking, even without considering Yuan Wanqing, purely from Yan Ruqing's side, Yan Zhusheng is still his niece.

Xi Xi and Zhu Sheng are even cousins.

"You can see it too, right?" Yuan Wanqing said softly, watching his expression, "Zhu Sheng and Xi Xi… they both seem to have feelings for Li Luo."

"When they were younger, letting things unfold naturally wasn't a problem."

"But now they're in university—if this keeps developing…"

"I know." Ying Zhicheng rubbed his temples, exasperated. "But what can we do?"

"Don't be fooled by how well-behaved Xi Xi seems— I know her personality well."

"She's obedient and sweet in small matters, but when it comes to things she truly cares about, she's more stubborn than anyone."

"Take her applying to Qianjiang University— at first, I didn't really agree."

"After all, with her competition achievements, she could've joined some Tsinghua or Peking University programs and still had a strong chance of getting in."

"But she refused—she only wanted to attend the same university as her mother."

Clearly, Ying Zhicheng also knew that telling Ying Chanxi outright to stop seeing Li Luo would be pointless.

It might even backfire.

Here, Ying Zhicheng paused, then asked, "What about Zhu Sheng?"

"You suddenly ask me this—did she say something to you?"

Yuan Wanqing looked slightly guilty but nodded softly: "If you think Xi Xi is stubborn in this regard, Zhu Sheng probably isn't any better…"

"Look at how this whole thing has turned out—what are we supposed to do?"

"We can't just let them both… stay with Li Luo like this…"

"That's impossible!" Ying Zhicheng frowned at this. "Even if Li Luo is willing, would Xi Xi and Zhu Sheng agree? How could such a thing happen?"

"Even if both Xi Xi and Zhu Sheng like him, he's the one who must make the choice."

"How can a man be so indecisive?"

"But…" Yuan Wanqing bit her lip, deliberating long before finally saying, "Let me make a hypothetical."

"Suppose."

"Suppose Li Luo ultimately chooses Zhu Sheng—what happens to Xi Xi?"

Ying Zhicheng: "... If Li Luo's gone, are there no good men left in the world? Even if they don't marry, life still goes on."

"That's true," Yuan Wanqing sighed, clearly understanding his meaning.

But after hesitating again, she couldn't help asking, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Hmm?"

"Still hypothetical," Yuan Wanqing said, her voice growing quieter, almost fearful.

But she still forced herself to whisper: "Suppose I and Ruqing-jie had both met you at the same time, and spent roughly equal time with you."

"You liked both of us, and we both liked you."

"Which one would you have chosen?"

As soon as this death question was asked, Ying Zhicheng fell silent.

He clenched his lips tightly, his mind a blur—he never expected Yuan Wanqing to ask something like this.

"Xi Xi and Zhu Sheng didn't meet Li Luo at the same time…"

"So you think Li Luo will choose Xi Xi, right?" Yuan Wanqing sighed.

"That's not what I meant," Ying Zhicheng felt a flicker of panic.

Saying "choose Xi Xi" sounded like he was admitting he'd still pick Yan Ruqing.

But such questions have no real answer unless you're actually faced with them.

He loved Yan Ruqing deeply, but he didn't want to hurt Yuan Wanqing's feelings right now.

Thinking of this, Ying Zhicheng silently cursed Li Luo.

But after cursing, he felt only helplessness.

Because Huayue Film and Television's board had already approved the project advancement of "The Beginning."

Whether Huayue Film and Television's next blockbuster can still be born depends entirely on Li Luo's performance this time.

"So why are you asking me this?" Ying Zhicheng couldn't help letting out a long sigh. "This emotional dilemma is Li Luo's to face—so it's up to him to decide."

"What I mean is, is there a possibility that no choice needs to be made?" Yuan Wanqing whispered. "Just like the question I just asked you—if both me and Ruqing were willing, wouldn't you gladly accept it?"

Damn… that's a question…

Ying Zhicheng couldn't help pulling at the corner of his mouth.

Do you even need to ask that?

Any normal man would find it hard to refuse such a temptation.

Ying Zhicheng didn't consider himself a moral saint—if he truly faced such a situation, he'd probably make the same choice as 99% of men.

But that still requires both girls to be willing. "Your statement has a precondition—that Xixi and Zhusheng are both willing," Ying Zhicheng frowned deeply. "Did Zhusheng say something to you?"

"No, not at all." Yuan Wanqing wasn't yet ready to fully open up to Ying Zhicheng about this—she'd only been testing the waters—so she immediately shook her head lightly. "I just said it out of curiosity."

"Then let's drop this topic for now," Ying Zhicheng rubbed his temples. "College has started; they'll probably live in dorms from now on."

"And since none of them are in the same college, even though they're at the same school, their time together won't be like it was in high school."

"If this situation continues long enough, they might not stay so close anymore."

"College still has four years—no need to worry about this now."

Hearing Ying Zhicheng's slightly self-deceptive words, Yuan Wanqing could only smile helplessly.

But tonight, she'd at least made an effort.

After all, from her perspective, if Xixi and Zhusheng truly could coexist peacefully like these past two days—tonight you take Li Luo to the movies, tomorrow I take Li Luo to the movies—then perhaps the three of them coming together wasn't impossible.

Yuan Wanqing imagined for a moment—if she'd met Ying Zhicheng at the same time as Ruqing…

Thinking of this, Yuan Wanqing quickly slapped her own head, shaking off those thoughts, and silently apologized to Yan Ruqing in her heart.

But soon after, she remembered the words Yan Ruqing had given her on her deathbed… If Ruqing were standing in her position now, what would she do?

Yuan Wanqing leaned against Ying Zhicheng's chest and sighed deeply, then finally picked up her phone and scrolled to Ying Chanxi's WeChat Moments.

Then she reached out and tapped a like.

…

At the same moment, in Bihai Lanting.

Li Luo was still blow-drying Ying Chanxi's hair.

Yan Zhusheng was typing away with her mother.

Just then, Ying Chanxi received another WeChat notification—a like.

She hadn't checked that Moments post since she'd published it.

Now, enjoying Li Luo's blow-drying service while Yan Zhusheng lay on the bed, Ying Chanxi finally gathered the courage to quietly open the Moments post and sneak a glance.

But the sight of over twenty likes made her eyes blur.

Qiao Xinyan, Xu Yinghuan, and others were obvious—but many high school classmates had also liked it.

In addition, her two new roommates, Lin Zhixia and Jiang Lai, had liked it too.

The senior from the Secretariat, other department classmates, and her university peers…

Of course, the most crucial one was the name that stood out clearly.

—Yuan Wanqing.

Aunt Yuan liked it?!

Ying Chanxi's heart jolted. Looking at Yuan Wanqing's like notification, her expression grew complicated—she couldn't even tell how she felt right now.

On one hand, she felt ashamed—yesterday Yuan Wanqing had seen Yan Zhusheng's Moments, and today she'd seen hers; their relationship with Zhusheng and Li Luo was now completely exposed.

Although Zhusheng had already said she'd told her mother about this, Ying Chanxi had never truly felt it.

Now, for the first time, she truly realized it.

Beyond that, Ying Chanxi felt uneasy, her heart beginning to flutter with worry.

After all, Yuan Wanqing was still Yan Zhusheng's biological mother—could she really treat Ying Chanxi and Zhusheng equally just because Ying Chanxi called her "Mom"?

Ying Chanxi didn't know.

But after seeing Yuan Wanqing's like, Ying Chanxi inexplicably felt a little more at ease.

"Sister," Yan Zhusheng noticed her mother had liked the post and saw Ying Chanxi's odd expression—she turned to face her. "You're checking WeChat Moments, aren't you?"

Hearing this, Ying Chanxi flinched with guilt and quickly put her phone away, forcing a stern face. "I wasn't looking."

"Oh." Yan Zhusheng didn't care whether she'd looked or not. "Mom liked it—go check it if you haven't."

"W-what's there to look at?" Ying Chanxi muttered softly. "It's just a like—what's so special?"

That's what you say.

Li Luo, who was blow-drying Ying Chanxi's hair, suddenly froze, his hand trembling: "You didn't block Aunt Yuan?"

"N-no… I didn't…" Ying Chanxi felt guilty, but then lifted her chin defiantly. "Zhusheng didn't block her either—and she already told Aunt Yuan. Why should I block her?"

Li Luo: "…"

To be honest, Li Luo was a little panicked now.

He didn't know when he'd next meet Yuan Wanqing—he already didn't know how to face her.

Just then, Yan Zhusheng turned to Ying Chanxi again: "Mom asked me to ask you—if she convinces Dad to accept us, will you call her 'Mom'?"

Ying Chanxi: "… That's definitely something you made up."

"Then I'll ask her," Yan Zhusheng picked up her phone. "I'll ask her what Dad thinks."

"No!" Ying Chanxi panicked, lunging onto the bed and tossing Yan Zhusheng's phone aside. "Don't do anything reckless! I'm not ready to talk to Dad yet!"

"So Xixi is agreeing, then?" Yan Zhusheng seized the loophole in Ying Chanxi's words and climbed right up it. "You just don't know how to bring it up to Dad?"

"I-I didn't say that!" Ying Chanxi's face flushed crimson. She huffed and was pulled back into the chair by Li Luo, who resumed blow-drying her hair.

Li Luo said nothing, merely letting the wind blow, fully entrusting the battlefield's output role to Yan Zhusheng.

He knew that staying silent was now the optimal choice.

Yan Zhusheng also did not further provoke Ying Chanxi; after speaking, he retrieved his phone and quietly sent a message to Yuan Wanqing.

【Yan Zhusheng】: I just asked—Xixi said that if Mom convinces Dad, we'll truly be one family from now on.

……

Yuan Wanqing, lying beside Ying Zhicheng, picked up her phone on the sly to glance at the WeChat message Yan Zhusheng had sent.

After reading the content of Yan Zhusheng's message, Yuan Wanqing fell into deep thought.

Then she turned her head, gazing at Ying Zhicheng's profile, already deep in sleep, and let out a soft sigh.

Beside her, Ying Zhicheng, who had been holding Yuan Wanqing as he slept, drifted into a dream and suddenly found himself transported back to his youth, to the first time he met Yan Ruqing.

But this time, Yuan Wanqing appeared beside him out of nowhere.

Amidst nostalgia and a strange unease, Ying Zhicheng failed to notice anything odd, and simply spent time with the two girls.

Only when he held both their hands and saw the two women beside him—Yuan Wanqing and Yan Ruqing, both dressed in white wedding gowns—walking down a red carpet did he suddenly awaken to the truth.

The next instant, he jolted awake, realizing it was already deep night…

Rubbing his temples, Ying Zhicheng let out a bitter laugh, thinking he had truly gone mad.

After Yuan Wanqing's words stirred him, he had actually dreamed of such a scene.

It was deadly…

(End of Chapter)