Chapter 22: Overcoming Adversity with Strength of Will

pleasure surged within him.Zhou Guangtao had never actually experienced it before, but he had seen such scenes countless times in books and on TV. Those descriptions painted the pleasure of the act a...Chapter 22: Determined Despite Physical Limitations

Yan Luoxi didn't sleep well last night either. After seeing Li An to bed, she took a bath and felt more energetic afterward. Lying down on the sofa, however, she couldn’t fall asleep. Deciding to stay awake instead of tossing and turning, she spent some time online, sending Zhou Guangtao an affectionate email to ease her longing.

Only when dawn broke did she feel sleepy again and went back to bed.

This time around, Yan Luoxi’s sleep was what is commonly known as a "nap." It was particularly refreshing. Just as she was in the midst of deep sleep, however, an alarm suddenly rang out. Thinking it was her phone, she reached for it but found that there wasn't any sound coming from it.

She got up dazedly and realized after a while that it was actually the doorbell ringing. Instinctively, she put on her slippers to open the door. Upon opening it, Yan Luoxi, still half-asleep, immediately snapped awake as complex emotions flashed across her eyes.

Standing at the doorway were a group of people: Shao Junhe, Shao Meizhuo, Wu Tiantian, and Ming Zixi, with actress Zhou, a current rising star known for her beauty, hanging on his arm.

Facing Shao Junhe and the others, Yan Luoxi was initially flustered. Seeing the stunningly beautiful Zhou made her speechless. With an otherworldly tone to herself, she muttered, "Zhou… You’re Zhou…"

Ming Zixi gazed at Yan Luoxi in her pajamas with disheveled hair and half-asleep eyes, his eyes sparkling as he revealed a stereotypical gossip expression. "Oh, Miss Yan lives here! No wonder Li An slipped out of the hospital without informing anyone; it’s because there’s something attractive at home, and you two didn’t want us to disturb your private moments…"

"Stop your gossiping! If you want to come in, just walk in; if not, get lost!" Li An, leaning on his walking stick, came out of the bedroom and quickly tried to stop Ming Zixi from making nonsensical remarks. He knew that Ming Zixi was as wicked-minded as himself and would say nothing good, and he feared for Yan Luoxi's thin face which might not be able to withstand such talk and shift his anger onto him.

While speaking, Li An turned a few circles with his shoulder joints as if he wanted to prove to Ming Zixi that he had recovered his health. If Ming Zixi did not listen, he would use force to settle things.

Ming Zixi wouldn't leave if there was something interesting to watch

He ignored Li An's harsh words and lightly touched the tip of his foot before pulling Zhou Zhou into the house with a mischievous gait. He openly displayed his curiosity, laughing heartily as he patted Li An on the shoulder, saying, "Boy, you're impressive! You still managed to do that despite being injured; it's truly a demonstration of our party’s tradition of perseverance in adversity. I really like what I see in you!"

"Get lost!" Li An was genuinely frustrated and disregarded the fact that there was a stunningly beautiful superstar standing beside Ming Zixi. He raised his walking stick to hit him.

Ming Zixi, with quick reflexes, dodged swiftly aside with a 'whoosh', saying, "Look at you, quite the morning temper!" Then, he wickedly extended his thumb towards Li An.

"You're truly despicable. It's early in the morning and still no peace for anyone," said Li An helplessly, rolling his eyes at him before pressing his lips together tightly with dissatisfaction and putting down his walking stick.

"Brother, you seem to find a short spring night disappointing. But it’s not early anymore; it's already noon." Ming Zixi glanced at Yan Luoxi by the door and smirked even more mischievously.

PuTTY and disheveled Yan Luoxi stared at Zhou Zhou, who was charmingly present in the room, with a dazed expression. She numbly accepted the various looks directed her way as people filed in—looks that were either hostile, surprised, or disappointed.

Originally, Yan Luoxi didn't have any particular hobbies. In the past half year since graduation was approaching and she had free time on her hands, she got dragged along by He Yufan and Ye Zixin to watch movies and TV series. This led her to develop a liking for Zhou Zhou, whose acting was beautiful and who herself was even more stunning.

She and He Yufan as well as Ye Zixin were staunch fans of Zhou Zhou; to her, Zhou Zhou was an idealized idol existing in a fantasy realm, someone she worshiped but with whom she would never have any real connection. At this moment, almost unable to believe her eyes, Yan Luoxi saw Zhou Zhou standing not far from her, smiling gently and amicably.

Unable to contain the beating of her heart upon seeing her idol in person, Yan Luoxi glanced down at her disheveled appearance. She glared resentfully at Li An, who was the culprit behind this awkward situation, as she would not have been left behind if he hadn't insisted on keeping her.

However, Yan Luoxi soon lamented that while both she and Li An had just woken up from their beds with sleepy eyes, Li An managed to look neat and composed, even standing there with a cane but exuding an aura of vitality.

The room was filled with handsome men and beautiful women who looked well-groomed. She herself resembled someone selling roasted sweet potatoes. Yan Luoxi felt no face going up to greet the others and certainly didn't have the heart to meet her idol, so she went straight into the bathroom for a wash.

In fact, aside from Ming Zixi deliberately twisting the relationship between Li An and Yan Luoxi, everyone else had their eyes wide open. The guest room where Yan Luoxi stayed was open, showing messy bedding clearly indicating that someone had just gotten up from there. Meanwhile, Li An was seen walking out of his own bedroom.

So the two’s relationship seemed perfectly innocent, but Shao Meizhuo couldn't take it anymore. She glared at Yan Luoxi's back with a flushed face and puffed cheeks, looking as if she wanted to say something yet dared not do so.

Wu Tiantian, seeing that the situation was not good, pulled Shao Meizhuo aside and said, "Your leg is still recovering, you can't stand for long. Why don’t you sit down"

After being chased away by Li An last time, Shao Meizhuo didn't dare to openly cause a commotion this time. She glared at Li An with a look of resentment. This guy was truly unbeatable; he even had an elegant appearance despite his limp and wearing slippers.

Since there was a long-standing relationship between their families, Li An naturally couldn't take things to the extreme. Even though he found Shao Meizhuo somewhat annoying, as guests, they deserved respect. He pointed at the sofa with his cane and gestured to her with his mouth, "Sit over there! Don’t stand so much that you injure your leg again!"

Although his words were a bit harsh, he still showed some concern for her. Shao Meizhuo pouted as she sat on the sofa, finally feeling a hint of sweetness in her heart.

Sima Junhe’s expression at this moment had completely lost any trace of surprise or disappointment when they first entered. He looked at Li An and smiled as he asked, "Why did you suddenly get discharged Has your leg recovered You didn’t even inform us! We were worried sick!"

"I was just staying in the hospital to recover, but I feel more comfortable being at home. I was actually planning on calling you guys today when you showed up." As Li An spoke, he glanced at Yan Luoxi who was in the bathroom. "You all can sit here for now. I haven’t washed or brushed my teeth yet; let me go do that."

Ming Zixi winked at Li An and said, "Go ahead then! We understand that you need help taking off your pants due to your leg injury. Do what needs to be done, but don’t expect us to leave without a fight!"Luoxi wiped away her tears and smiled as she hugged Zhou Guangtao's neck and kissed him on the lips.Yan Luoxi was a well-behaved child. The next day, she stopped chatting with Ran Xu online. When Ran...