In the room...
Luo Yun Chu flipped through the songs, discovering over ten in total, aside from the few he had seen before.
Most of the rest were a little off, but still listenable.
He wasn't in a hurry about the music, planning to wait until after filming "Tian Long Ba Bu" to deal with it.
The music scene was different from the film industry.
As long as he didn't hold concerts or take on commercial gigs, his time was his own.
Secondly, his teacher from university had contacted him, wanting him to share his experiences filming with the class.
He was the only one in his class to have gone filming so soon after starting.
He was only a freshman, and by the time he finished filming and returned to school, he would be a sophomore.
...
December 31st, 2002
New Year's Eve
Luo Yun Chu received New Year's greetings from Shu Chang and Jiang Xin on his phone.
He didn't reply.
It wasn't that he didn't want to, he simply didn't have time.
His aunt and cousin were both at the New Year's Eve dinner.
His aunt definitely wouldn't be looking at his phone, but his cousin might.
Liu Xiao Li called from outside.
"Yun Chu, stop playing with your phone and come eat."
"Coming."
Luo Yun Chu responded, pulling Liu Yi Fei out of the bedroom. It had been a long time since he had shared New Year's Eve dinner with his family.
As soon as they stepped out, they saw a table full of dishes.
Of course, these weren't made by Liu Xiao Li. They were a specially ordered set from a hotel.
A bottle of wine was also on the table.
Liu Xiao Li wore a black gown with delicate embroidery on the skirt, a wide sash cinched at her waist, accentuating her curves.
She wore a white mink coat over it, barely reaching her snow-white shoulders.
After taking her seat,
She took off the mink scarf, the entire process graceful and natural.
"Come sit down, let's eat. This is the first year Yun Chu is spending New Year's Eve with us."
Luo Yun Chu was truly stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered and averted his gaze.
Even Liu Yi Fei was overshadowed by her mother at this moment.
Though it had to do with the clothing and their ages.
It could only be said that cuteness was no match for sexiness.
Liu Xiao Li noticed the amazement in Luo Yun Chu's eyes, feeling like she'd just eaten candy. A smile curved her lips.
She couldn't remember how many years it had been since she dressed up like this. It seemed to be quite effective.
The little guy was even blushing. It was strangely endearing.
Liu Yi Fei complimented her mom's outfit.
"Mom, you look really beautiful today."
Luo Yun Chu chimed in with a compliment.
"Aunt, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
Liu Xiao Li laughed.
"Of course I'm pretty, how else could I have given birth to a little fairy like Xi Xi."
"Yun Chu, you're such a sweet talker. I wonder how many girls will like you in the future."
"Alright, let's eat first, or the food will get cold."
Compared to her daughter, Luo Yun Chu's praise was more pleasing to her. Look at what he said.
"Aunt, you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
What woman wouldn't be happy and flattered by that?
This New Year's Eve dinner was truly delightful. Liu Xiao Li, who rarely drank, even opened a bottle of wine.
She even poured a glass for the two youngsters.
Luo Yun Chu disliked drinking, but he could handle wine. It was sweet and sour, just right, so he had a couple of sips.
He wasn't particularly tipsy after finishing, but he felt a bit warm and giddy.
His face felt hot to the touch.
Liu Xiao Li glanced at Luo Yun Chu and noticed how flushed his face was. Concerned, she said,
"Yun Chu, are you alright? If you can't drink, don't. Rest for a while."
"Okay."
Luo Yun Chu simply sat down on the couch and laid down. He felt like he could fall asleep right then and there.
He was truly tired today.
He initially intended to just rest for a bit, but slowly drifted off to sleep. He didn't know how long it had been.
He felt his lips being covered by something soft and fragrant, and unconsciously, he kissed back deeply.
Only when he couldn't breathe anymore did he push the other person away, muttering in a daze,
"Cousin, stop messing around. I'm sleepy."
"Mhm."
He only heard a hum in response. Then it happened again.
Luo Yun Chu was about to speak when he lost his defenses. He struggled for a while, but gave up because it wasn't unpleasant, it was actually quite comfortable.
A few minutes later,
A blanket was thrown over him.
...
The night passed in a blink.
The sun rose in the east.
Light streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, hitting Luo Yun Chu's face. He instinctively raised his hand to block it.
He slept soundly. After having a little bit of wine, how could he have a headache?
It was true that he had fallen asleep.
Thinking back to last night, Xi Xi seemed to have kissed him?
He wasn't sure if it was really Xi Xi. He was quite hazy and focused on the kiss, so he hadn't thought much about it.
Now that he thought about it carefully, it didn't seem quite right.
Luo Yun Chu sat up and looked around. It was his room.
His cousin's little arms and legs couldn't have possibly carried him, so it must have been his aunt who brought him back.
Could it be...
He didn't dare think about that possibility. It must have been an illusion.
His aunt was so kind, finding him scripts, finding songs for him, acting as his manager.
It seemed he would need to drink less in the future. His head was a little muddled.
Luo Yun Chu pulled out his phone and checked the time. It was already nine o'clock.
There were messages from Jiang Xin and Shu Chang, several more because he hadn't replied.
Jiang Xin had even called a few times, but he had already been asleep at that time.
He pressed the hard, clunky buttons of his Nokia to type a reply.
He was so used to using a smart phone that using this old phone was a bit awkward.
He replied with a simple Happy New Year to both of them, inviting them to Beijing to visit him if they had time.
He sent the message, but they didn't reply. They probably hadn't seen it yet, as they were busy with other things.
He had one more day off.
Luo Yun Chu walked out of his room to his aunt and Liu Yi Fei's room, knocking on the door.
"Creak"
Liu Yi Fei opened the door.
"Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year, Yun Chu. Come in."
Luo Yun Chu was pulled into the room. He had originally wanted to see where Liu Xiao Li was.
But he was dragged straight into Liu Yi Fei's bedroom and pressed against the wall, then kissed.
Liu Yi Fei really missed Luo Yun Chu. Her mom had been preventing her from spending time with him. Today, maybe because it was a holiday,
She didn't interfere with them. Of course, she had to kiss Yun Chu.
Luo Yun Chu responded, feeling that Xi Xi wasn't as comfortable to hold as last night. He seemed to have sunk into something soft and fluffy that day.
His hand patted Xi Xi's little bottom. Yeah, this was alright.
They had been dating for so long, Liu Yi Fei might have been a little shy about these intimate actions at first, but later she grew accustomed to them, even enjoying them.
Luo Yun Chu wouldn't slap her bottom, she wouldn't be happy.
Liu Yi Fei "popped" her lips away.
"Yun Chu, you're bad."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Hmph, I said you were bad, I didn't tell you to take your hand away."
...