Worried about Xiang Youyou's safety behind, Li Nianlong drove slowly all the way, taking half an hour to arrive at the community Xiang Youyou mentioned.
"We're here." It was quite late, and the community was very quiet. Any noise could be heard from afar. Li Nianlong got out of the car, went to the back to untie the rope, and said, "Xiang, hurry up and recharge so you won't be late for work tomorrow."
Xiang Youyou smiled, "Got it. Thank you, Teacher Liu. I really owe you one today. Otherwise, I'd still be freezing halfway."
"You need to be more careful." Compared to Nalan Ruyue, Xiang Youyou was indeed quite careless. Were all female athletes like this?
"It was just a mistake." Xiang Youyou pushed the electric scooter into the storage room, charged it, and closed the door. "Teacher Liu, come in and have a seat!"
"No, thanks." Li Nianlong put the rope back in the car. "It's late, and you have to work tomorrow. I won't go up. Maybe some other time."
"It's okay. You know what time I go to work." Xiang Youyou held the bowl of hot dry noodles. "Come up and have some. I have some work-related matters I want to discuss with you."
"I really can't..."
"Come on!" Xiang Youyou grabbed his arm. "I'm not afraid to be alone as a woman. What are you, a big man, afraid of?"
Li Nianlong sighed helplessly. "What am I afraid of? I'm not... Well, since you're not worried, I shouldn't be either. I'll stay for a while."
"That's more like it." Xiang Youyou smiled, let go of his arm, and led Li Nianlong to the third floor. She opened the door, turned on the lights, and said, "Please come in, Teacher Liu. My place is a bit small, so please forgive me."
"It's quite nice." Li Nianlong walked in and looked around. The living room was spacious, with a sofa, coffee table, and TV. Although the decoration was simple, it was very clean and tidy, with a touch of neatness.
"Please have a seat, Teacher Liu. Let me heat up the hot dry noodles." Xiang Youyou walked to the kitchen with the hot dry noodles. "There are drinks in the fridge... Sorry, I don't drink alcohol usually, and there's no beer at home."
"It's okay. Drinks are fine." Li Nianlong smiled slightly. He thought Xiang Youyou's straightforwardness was quite nice. When it came to opposite-sex friends, Li Nianlong preferred someone like Xiang Youyou. Well, Yuexi was also good.
Li Nianlong didn't hesitate to take a can of drink from the fridge.
Jiaduolu, not that he liked it, but it was the only drink in the fridge. However, it showed that Xiang Youyou was someone who paid attention to diet and self-discipline. Jiaduolu was a functional beverage specially designed for athletes, which was very suitable for Xiang Youyou's identity as an athlete. For athletes, carbonated drinks were absolutely not allowed, and while fruit juice was acceptable, it was better to drink functional beverages. Jiaduolu was the most famous functional beverage in the world and was widely used in the sports industry.
Sitting on the sofa, Li Nianlong casually turned on the TV and tuned to the Tianfu News channel, drinking his beverage while watching.
"The latest news from our station: According to the latest information obtained by our station, Mr. Liu, who was just discharged from the hospital a few days ago, once again ignored the doctor's advice and insisted on handling government affairs. This afternoon, he fell into a coma again. Mr. Liu has not yet regained consciousness. For more details, please watch our news program later..."
Seeing this news, Li Nianlong pondered: Is this a strategy to lure the enemy out of hiding?
"Mr. Liu, is Mr. Liu in a coma again?" Xiang Youyou walked over with two plates of hot dry noodles. She handed one to Li Nianlong. "Teacher Liu, try my cooking."
Li Nianlong looked at her speechlessly. "Xiang, did you buy this?"
"But I heated it up."
"..."
"You're so impatient." Xiang Youyou chuckled twice. "But I didn't expect Mr. Liu to have this skill. Speaking of which, my shoulder has been aching lately. Can Mr. Liu help me adjust it?"
"It's simple. Just a few moves." After finishing the hot dry noodles, Li Nianlong patted the sofa next to him. "Come here."
"Okay." Xiang Youyou didn't hesitate, got up, and sat next to Li Nianlong. Li Nianlong stood up, went behind Xiang Youyou, and kneaded her shoulders a few times. "It's a bit stiff. You've been overworking lately. You need to rest."
Enjoying Li Nianlong's massage, Xiang Youyou let out a soft hum of comfort. "Yes, that's it. This spot is the most painful."
Continuously pressing on some acupuncture points on Xiang Youyou's shoulders, Li Nianlong said, "What have you been up to lately? Being a PE teacher shouldn't be this tiring!"
"I haven't been doing anything special, but I like to exercise regularly. Maybe I overdid it." Warm currents surged through her shoulders, alleviating the pain. Xiang Youyou exclaimed, "My shoulders feel much better now. Mr. Liu, you're amazing!"
"It's nothing. How can I make a living without some skills?" Li Nianlong smiled, massaged a few more times, and finally patted her back a few times. "Okay, get up and move around."
Those last few moves were like recharging a battery. Xiang Youyou instantly felt a surge of energy rushing into her body, making her slightly heavy body feel much lighter.
Standing up and moving around a bit, her shoulders felt strong and flexible, making her feel great. "Mr. Liu, you're amazing." Xiang Youyou exclaimed excitedly. "I feel so much more relaxed now."
"That's good." Li Nianlong smiled, picked up the half-empty bottle of Jiaduolu, and said, "It's getting late. If there's nothing else, I'll go."
"Why are you in such a hurry? Stay a bit longer!" Xiang Youyou insisted.
"No, I need to go home!" Li Nianlong took out the car keys. "Xiang, don't rush things at work. Let things happen naturally. Believe that good results will come."
Xiang Youyou nodded. "Alright, Teacher Liu, take care. I won't see you off."
"Why not? Just rest early!" Li Nianlong waved and walked out of the door.
"Take care, Teacher Liu."
"Got it. Hurry back inside!"
Seeing Li Nianlong off, Xiang Youyou closed the door, sat on the sofa, and contemplated quietly. "The Liu family is in a precarious situation.
"Little rooster laying eggs, a fighter among roosters, yay..." The phone rang, and Xiang Youyou picked it up, a hint of smile appearing on her lips. "Sister Mei Yun."
"Finished talking? How do you feel?"
"He's not bad, but our backgrounds are different after all..."
"That's not a problem. His background is worthy of yours."
"Is that what you mean, Sister Mei Yun?"
"That's exactly what I mean." She chuckled lightly. "You and I have known each other for over a decade, and Meng Long is the most outstanding man in the Liu family for the past century. Otherwise, why would I introduce him to you?"
Xiang Youyou smiled faintly. "Sister Mei Yun, you know I want my husband to be a strong, exceptional man..."
"Of course, I know. That's why I introduced Meng Long to you."
"Oh?" Xiang Youyou stood by the window, watching Li Nianlong drive out of the neighborhood. "So you're saying he's an exceptional man?"
"He might not be considered exceptional yet, but among the young talents, he ranks second. No one dares to claim first."
Xiang Youyou fell silent for a moment. "Next March, at the Martial Arts Conference, if he can demonstrate his strength, I'll consider it."
"Haha, good little sister, then you'll be part of the Liu family. Hurry and call me sister-in-law."
"Let's talk about that after the Martial Arts Conference!" Xiang Youyou smiled softly. "But Teacher Liu is indeed a good man. As long as he doesn't perform too poorly, I'm willing to give him a chance."
"It seems that you have some feelings for Meng Long, so I can rest assured."
"It's just a favorable impression. If he wants me to call you sister-in-law, he needs to prove himself."
"Don't worry! After the Martial Arts Conference next year, you'll definitely call me sister-in-law. Haha, Xiang Youyou, good night."
"Good night."
After hanging up the phone, Xiang Youyou sat on the sofa, contemplating quietly. "The Liu family is facing uncertain times."
Thinking of Li Nianlong, a hint of a smile appeared on her lips. "Although I don't dislike you, if you want to be the man of Xiang Youyou, you'll have to work harder."