Chapter 722: I Don

"What's wrong with senior?" Ying Chanxi, seeing Xu Youyu's dramatic reaction, immediately showed a concerned expression.

Li Luo, sitting across from her, seeing this, couldn't help raising an eyebrow and asking, "Did your book-writing get exposed?"

"Get lost." Xu Youyu glared at him at these words, "You never say anything decent!"

"Then what else could it be?" Li Luo scratched his ear. "Tell us, we're all ears."

"What's there to listen to? I don't even want to talk about it." Xu Youyu puffed out her cheeks in anger, slapping her phone on the table. "I feel like the school is deliberately targeting me! It's literally trying to kill me."

"Just explain clearly what's going on," Li Luo sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Xu Youyu let out a long sigh and finally waved her hand. "Check your class group—you'll see. By now, the whole school probably already got the notice. Anyway, it's just really frustrating…"

Upon hearing this, even Yan Zhusheng pulled out his phone and opened their class group to take a look.

Sure enough, in their three classmates' university group, each counselor had posted a group announcement for everyone to check.

Li Luo opened Jian Chun's group announcement, scanned its content, and then burst out laughing.

"What… is this all?" Li Luo chuckled. "I thought it was something serious. Isn't this just the sunshine jogging thing you already mentioned? Didn't you already know about the facial recognition?"

"But this time it's different!" Xu Youyu screamed, clutching her head. "Why are there so many new rules now? Didn't we used to be able to jog anytime? Now they've restricted both time and format!"

"Actually, it's not that bad," Li Luo carefully reread the latest group announcement in his mind, summarizing the three key changes.

First, there was an explanation regarding facial recognition technology.

New students were required to follow a guide and download a dedicated app for jogging check-ins, register with their school credentials and student ID, then complete the newly launched facial recognition feature by uploading their facial data.

During sunshine jogging, the app would now randomly conduct three to five facial recognition tests per jogging session.

Only students who completed facial recognition within ten seconds would have their jogging counted as valid.

Otherwise, the run would be voided.

In addition, there were two new points, neither of which Xu Youyu had previously discovered.

The second point concerned the newly added morning jogging program.

Qianjiang University would install fixed check-in machines at about seven or eight locations: the south gate, the library entrance, the gym entrance, and so on.

The time window would be from 6:00 a. m. to 7:30 a. m. daily.

During this period, students could wake up early for morning jogging, following the single correct check-in sequence, running along the campus morning jogging route while completing facial recognition at each check-in point.

As long as all check-ins were completed within 45 minutes, it would count as one sunshine jogging session.

The key point was that previously, students needed at least 32 sunshine jogging sessions per semester to pass, and 48 for full marks.

With the addition of morning jogging, the school now mandated that half of the 32 required jogging sessions—16 sessions—must be morning jogging sessions to qualify.

The remaining 16 jogging sessions could be scheduled freely—whether morning or any other time—as before.

Seeing this, Li Luo finally understood why Xu Youyu was wailing, and couldn't help smiling.

"I still have to say something in the school's defense," Li Luo said with a smile. "I think this change is actually pretty good. The school probably knows there are a lot of people like you who hire others to jog for them, so they came up with this clever idea of requiring 16 morning jogging sessions."

"Don't you dare say that," Xu Youyu snapped. "I was just planning to use your method—have you drive me around to complete my jogging requirement."

"And now you two suddenly throw this at me? Not only do I have to do morning jogging, but I also have to check in at fixed locations!"

"Those check-in spots are definitely all monitored by the sports department, and I have to personally do facial recognition!"

"How am I supposed to survive?!"

Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng exchanged glances, finding nothing particularly difficult about this.

Still, Yan Zhusheng picked up his phone and said, "Senior, our music college doesn't require morning jogging—only students in the main campus do."

"But if we really want to join morning jogging, we can. It's just not mandatory."

"If you want to go, go. If you don't, you can still follow the old sunshine jogging rules."

Hearing this, Xu Youyu instantly felt unfairly treated. She leaned over Yan Zhusheng's phone to examine it closely, then looked up with envy: "Is it too late to change my major now?"

"I think it's more sensible to start exercising now," Li Luo said, pulling at his lips.

"I don't want this…" Xu Youyu collapsed onto the dining table, whimpering.

Li Luo felt no pity for her, but still comforted her: "Aren't there still the third new rules? I think that one's not bad."

Li Luo pointed to the third item in the group announcement.

"What third item?" Xu Youyu looked up again, puzzled.

"Didn't you see it?" Li Luo handed over his phone. "Our group announcement also lists a third new rule. You should have it too, right?"

"Oh… right. Let me check." Xu Youyu had been focused only on the first two items; after reading them, she nearly fainted and hadn't noticed the third rule. "It's not going to be something disgusting, is it?"

"That shouldn't count as disgusting."

"Let me see what it is…" Xu Youyu reopened her phone and glanced at it, then immediately showed a look of realization.

The third point regarding sunshine jogging concerned swimming rules.

The content was simple.

Qianjiang University offers swimming classes; any student currently taking swimming or who has taken it before can swim in the pool during free time.

The pool also has facial recognition check-in machines, monitored by sports department students.

Each time you enter, check in once; after exercising for 45 minutes inside, check out again to count as one jogging session.

"That's not bad," Xu Youyu said after reading it, feeling slightly satisfied. "All I have to do is check in. Even if I just sit in the water the whole time, it doesn't matter."

"Aren't you afraid the sports department students will be watching?" Li Luo chuckled.

"It's still way more comfortable than just jogging," Xu Youyu said. "Isn't swimming easier than jogging?"

"Swimming is easier, sure," Li Luo pointed to the final note under the third rule. "But swimming can only offset 16 jogging sessions, and it cannot replace morning jogging sessions—it only counts as regular jogging sessions."

"So even if you swim."

"You still have to do your morning jogging."

After hearing Li Luo's words, Xu Youyu's previously improved expression collapsed again.

"Don't… don't say any more…" Xu Youyu stood up dazedly, suddenly losing her appetite, and shuffled toward her room. "I need to be alone."

"It's just sixteen morning runs." Li Luo watched her pass by, then grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, setting her on his lap. "What are you doing? Let go."

"Don't rush off," Li Luo chuckled. "It's only sixteen times total—from week three to week sixteen, that's exactly fourteen weeks in between, roughly one run per week. Doesn't that sound a lot easier?"

"So it's basically like dying at least once a week?" Xu Youyu whimpered in Li Luo's arms. "Why don't you carry me instead?"

"You're dreaming…" Li Luo sighed. "You yourself said there are definitely PE department students watching. The route's fixed—there's no escaping it. Just run with us every morning."

"With me, Chanxi, and Zhusheng running with you, those sixteen runs will be over in no time."

"If you want to get it over with sooner, let's just start running every morning from tomorrow. Three weeks and it's done. How about that?"

Xu Youyu: "... Are you seriously trying to kill me?"

"Then what's your own idea?"

"I..." After careful thought, Xu Youyu finally sighed. "Fine. Wake me up tomorrow."

"That's the spirit," Li Luo smiled, then leaned close to Xu Youyu's ear and whispered in a voice too soft for Chanxi and Zhusheng to hear: "Once you've finished the sixteen runs, maybe you'll be able to last longer."

Hearing this, Xu Youyu's cheeks flushed slightly as she shot him a glare, then got up and returned to her seat to keep eating.

Ying Chanxi frowned, suspicious. "Li Luo, what did you just say to Senior Xu?"

"Nothing," Li Luo brushed it off. "Just encouraged her a bit."

Hmm... strictly speaking, that was indeed a bit of encouragement.

Soon after dinner, everyone went their separate ways.

Li Luo and Xu Youyu returned to their room to write.

Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng began clearing the dishes and cleaning up.

After tidying the kitchen, Yan Zhusheng went to the piano room. Ying Chanxi washed some fruit and delivered a portion to each of their rooms.

Finally, Ying Chanxi came to Li Luo's bedroom. After handing him the fruit tray, she wondered whether she should join him for a bath.

But as she sat on the edge of the bed, she reconsidered—Zhusheng had caught them yesterday; today she'd surely be extra watchful.

Getting caught in the act would be too embarrassing.

So after much deliberation, Ying Chanxi decided to let Li Luo off for now, and got up obediently to take her bath.

She hadn't washed her hair last night because Li Luo had been tormenting her, and she'd rushed out to avoid being spotted by Zhusheng.

So tonight, Ying Chanxi decided to properly wash her hair.

Just as she walked into the hallway bathroom with her pajamas, the piano room door slowly opened.

Yan Zhusheng tiptoed out, paused beside the hallway bathroom, and listened carefully for a moment.

Then she swiftly entered Li Luo's bedroom, grabbed his arm, and dragged him toward the bathroom.

"Wait... I'm still writing... why don't you just go ahead and bathe?"

"No," Yan Zhusheng said firmly, her face serious. "I want to bathe with you."

"Why don't you bathe with Chanxi? She's bathing right now."

"So Li Luo wants all three of us to bathe together?" Yan Zhusheng blinked innocently. "That's not impossible."

"Cough... better not," Li Luo thought for a moment and politely declined the tempting suggestion.

In the end, he was dragged into the bathroom by Yan Zhusheng.

After succeeding, Yan Zhusheng smirked, tied her long hair into a bun, revealing her long, fair neck, hummed a tune as she stepped into the shower, and murmured softly: "Second time. One more to go."

"What did you say?" Li Luo followed her into the shower, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. "I didn't catch it."

"Nothing," Yan Zhusheng immediately fell silent, shook her head, turned to face him, and pressed into his embrace after turning on the showerhead. "I'll wash you first... then you wash me..."

Over forty minutes later.

Ying Chanxi stepped out of the hallway bathroom, towel drying her hair, and entered Li Luo's bedroom.

When she walked in, she saw Yan Zhusheng lying flushed on Li Luo's bed, while Li Luo, dressed in pajamas, was still typing. Ying Chanxi froze.

"Zhusheng, weren't you playing piano?"

"Yes," Yan Zhusheng nodded. "I played for a while and finished."

"Then when did you bathe?"

"Just now."

"What about Li Luo?"

"He bathed with me."

Yan Zhusheng answered without hesitation.

Hearing this, Ying Chanxi was speechless.

Recalling last night's scene, how eerily similar it was to this moment.

But Ying Chanxi could never, under any circumstances, admit such a thing so openly like Yan Zhusheng.

"You... you..." Ying Chanxi bit her lip, annoyed. "I didn't even... how could you still..."

"Do you want to bathe with Li Luo too?" Yan Zhusheng tilted her head. "Then why didn't you say so today?"

"I... I didn't want to bathe with him!" Ying Chanxi noticed Li Luo's suppressed laughter and stamped her foot, angrily climbing into bed.

Li Luo sensed Ying Chanxi's irritation, immediately sat up straight, and resumed typing earnestly.

But Yan Zhusheng continued: "I even asked Li Luo if we should all bathe together, but he said no—probably because he likes me more."

Ying Chanxi: "...???"

"Cough..." Li Luo couldn't ignore that anymore. He cleared his throat and interrupted: "I just thought Chanxi was already bathing, so it wouldn't be right to interrupt. If it were the other way around, I'd definitely bathe alone with Chanxi."

"See? See?" Ying Chanxi, hearing this, lifted her chin triumphantly at Yan Zhusheng. "All you do is stir up trouble—you're terrible."

"Oh," Yan Zhusheng didn't care. She merely blinked, watching her sister's smug expression, wondering what she had to be proud of since she hadn't bathed with Li Luo today.

(End of Chapter)