Chapter 842: Sister Is So Stingy

After Li Luo's birthday yesterday, Ying Chanxi had, without realizing it, gradually undergone some changes.

Ying Chanxi herself was unaware of these changes.

But Li Luo could precisely sense and detect them.

After all, in the past, whether it was Li Luo or Zhusheng, whenever either suggested bathing together, how could Ying Chanxi possibly have failed to refuse?

Even if she eventually accepted with half-hearted reluctance, blushing, she would never have agreed so swiftly and decisively as she did now.

It could only be that yesterday's birthday had struck Ying Chanxi far too deeply.

So much so that she now unconsciously felt that four people bathing together wasn't such a big deal.

Of course, the truth was exactly that.

After all, they had done even more embarrassing things before.

Compared to those, simply bathing together was indeed easier to accept.

Wasn't it far better than the video Ying Chanxi had recorded on her phone?

"I've already turned on the hot water," Ying Chanxi called out from the bathroom, poking her head out toward Li Luo. "I've also activated the bathtub's heating and insulation system—it'll take about half an hour before we can get in. Should we shower first?"

"Mm."

Li Luo nodded and walked into the bathroom with Yan Zhusheng.

The three of them were quite familiar with the routine, though this was their first time bathing together at Sky Ridge Elegant Residence.

But just as the three began showering, a knock came at the bathroom door.

The next moment, the door was pushed open from outside.

Xu Youyu stuck her head in, glanced around, then grinned and stepped fully inside.

"Seriously, couldn't you have waited for me?" Xu Youyu huffed, walking toward the shower area while stripping off her clothes and squeezing between the three of them.

Li Luo looked at Xu Youyu in surprise and asked, "How did you get up here so fast? Finished writing?"

"Nope," Xu Youyu rolled her eyes. "I took the day off. What else could I do?"

"You could've finished writing first, then come up," Li Luo said helplessly.

"I can't wait that long," Xu Youyu laughed, reaching out and grabbing him. "Important matters come first—I've been looking forward to this bathtub for ages."

"If your readers found out, I bet you'd get beaten to death," Li Luo pinched her. "How did you even get time off?"

"I hurt my lower back moving," Xu Youyu blinked. "I need bed rest."

"Let me see," Li Luo said, making her turn around and running his hand over the soft, smooth flesh of her waist. "Where exactly did you strain it?"

"Mmm~ Right here~" Xu Youyu guided his hand, turning back to lean against him, seductively whispering, "Rub it for me nicely, okay?"

Watching Xu Youyu immediately monopolize Li Luo, Ying Chanxi grew slightly anxious.

"Senior, isn't it wrong to take time off like that? Lying isn't right, is it?"

"You don't understand, Xixi," Xu Youyu explained seriously. "First of all, not taking time off is obviously best."

"But sometimes you just want to rest, and your reason for taking leave isn't always perfectly legitimate."

"If you tell the truth, some thoughtful readers will understand."

"But there will always be readers who mock you or vent their frustration in the comments."

"What we need to do is manage readers' emotional expectations—this applies equally inside and outside the book."

"So every time I take time off, I say I have back pain."

Ying Chanxi listened intently to Xu Youyu's serious tone, only to be utterly confused by the end: "What does that have to do with saying you have back pain?"

"You just don't get it," Xu Youyu grinned. "It doesn't have to be back pain specifically—other excuses work too. The key is repetition, to reinforce a stereotype."

"Every time I take time off, it's back pain. Over time, readers start joking on their own whether I have a bad back."

"They even bring up the joke in the novels themselves."

"Once this pattern forms, every future time I take off, everyone just laughs and plays along—previously negative feelings about my updates get partially neutralized."

"Readers feel less upset, and I get my rest. Isn't that a win-win?"

Ying Chanxi listened, stunned. "So that's how it works?"

"You've got a lot of twisted logic," Li Luo said dryly. "Just don't take time off and nothing happens."

"Shut up, tentacle monster," Xu Youyu shot him a glare, then immediately let out a soft "Mmm~," her whole body trembling. "You… be gentle…"

The four of them chatted and laughed in the shower, and Li Luo made sure to treat all three girls equally.

By the time they finished showering, the bathtub's water had heated two-thirds of the way and was ready.

Yan Zhusheng stepped forward first, testing the water temperature with her toes, found it acceptable, then slid her long legs in and sank into the water.

Ying Chanxi and Xu Youyu followed behind and easily slipped in.

Finally, it was Li Luo's turn—he barely dipped his legs in and immediately felt the water was scalding.

Looking at the three girls already soaking in the tub, Li Luo sighed helplessly: "You can really handle this temperature?"

"It's fine," Xu Youyu stroked her rounded shoulder, leaning back and tilting her head up with a long, contented sigh. "Can't you?"

"Don't use reverse psychology," Li Luo rolled his eyes, then gradually adjusted to the heat, lowering himself inch by inch over several minutes until he was fully acclimated.

The square bathtub was spacious enough that four people sitting on each side felt no crowding.

Even when Li Luo stretched his legs fully, he only barely touched the opposite wall, trapping Xu Youyu between his feet.

As for the three girls, only Yan Zhusheng could stretch her toes to reach the wall with effort; Ying Chanxi and Xu Youyu couldn't reach it at all.

But since they couldn't reach the wall, they had plenty of room elsewhere.

Li Luo's face remained calm, but he was already trying to identify whose feet were beneath the water.

No need to guess—just by watching the girls' expressions, it was obvious.

Xixi was still talking about her day at the office; Xu Youyu pretended to listen seriously, but her gaze was playfully fixed on Li Luo.

To his right, Yan Zhusheng wore a perfectly serious expression—but the more serious she looked, the more clearly she revealed she wasn't serious at all.

So the two little feet beneath the water were easy to guess.

Fortunately, Ying Chanxi was no longer shy; after a bit of casual chat, she boldly pressed herself against Li Luo's side, sinking into the bath with him.

Li Luo pulled her into his arms, then naturally wrapped his other arm around Yan Zhusheng, who had also leaned in.

The two sisters refused to yield to each other; their hands beneath the surface grew restless, leaving Li Luo in pain yet delight.