Chapter 358 - 192: It’s All the Period’s Fault
After she spoke, she seemed a little embarrassed, unconsciously fidgeting with the corner of her clothes.
"It's fine, it's fine," Zhang Yuyan said, waving her hand. "I'm used to that stinker Shen Yuan. He's tough, so getting rained on for a bit won't hurt him. Are you okay?"
Li Zhi shook her head. "I didn't get wet."
"Want to sit for a bit then? Come play with us for a while?"
Zhang Yuyan held up the game controller in her hand.
Li Zhi shook her head and refused. "No, thank you. I should head back now. I... I need to take a shower too."
Hearing this, Zhang Yuyan nodded. "Go on, then. I won't see you out."
"Okay."
With that, Li Zhi turned and left Shen Yuan's home.
After Li Zhi left, a knowing and gratified smile appeared on Zhang Yuyan's face. She glanced at Old Shen, her eyes clearly saying, "See? What did I tell you?"
Old Shen laughed as well, this time finally understanding what his wife had meant earlier.
In the bathroom, water streamed down with a RUSH, pouring over Shen Yuan and washing away the icy chill from the rain.
The warm water traced the line of his powerful shoulders, ran down his broad, firm back, and slid over his solid waist and abdomen.
Droplets of water rolled down the taut lines of his muscles.
The lines of his arms were well-defined, especially the one Li Zhi had squeezed, the one that had gotten wet. The skin there was flushed slightly red from the hot water.
His body, enhanced by the system, was well-proportioned and brimming with a sense of power.
'This feeling of getting something for nothing is simply perfect.'
'And considering the system gave this body to a 35-year-old Shen Yuan... well, all I can say is Brother Tongzi's greatness speaks for itself!'
'At 35, not having a beer belly already puts you ahead of a whole lot of people.'
'Having an eight-pack is even more ridiculous.'
Shen Yuan tilted his head back, letting the water stream over his face and the back of his neck. Amid the rising steam, the events that had just transpired began to replay uncontrollably in his mind.
When he closed his eyes, it was no longer the cold rain he felt, but the small figure nestled against him under the umbrella.
The heavy yet incredibly comforting weight on his shoulder felt as if it were still there.
That moment when Li Zhi had leaned against him carried a hint of unexpected initiative.
Shen Yuan hadn't expected at all that Li Zhi would actually let him put his arm around her.
The faint, sweet fragrance from the ends of her hair seemed to rise and linger again in the humid bathroom steam, feeling even more real than it had in the rain.
Shen Yuan wiped the water from his face, smiling as he shook his head.
'Can't think about this anymore. This is so pathetic.'
"…"
'But... Li Bao has been so proactive these last two days. Is it because her period is coming soon?'
Just as Shen Yuan was thinking this, Li Zhi happened to be in her own bathroom.
'Rainy days are still pretty cold. Perfect, I'll take a shower before my period starts.'
Li Zhi turned on the hot water. Steam instantly filled the air, fogging up the bathroom mirror and blurring her still-flushed cheeks.
The warm water caressed her cool skin, dispelling the chill of the rainy night, but what swept over her heart was a different, more vexing kind of heat.
The moment she began to relax, the scenes she had forcefully suppressed burst into her mind with perfect clarity.
The warmth and sense of security from Shen Yuan's arm as he held the umbrella around her shoulders...
The hug he gave her before bed last night, and the one before she left for school this evening...
And of course, just now under the umbrella, when Shen Yuan had once again cautiously placed his arm on her shoulder, she hadn't dodged. Instead...
Instead, she'd leaned even closer into his embrace!
'How could this happen? Why would I do something like that on my own initiative? It's so out of character!'
'This isn't like me at all!'
"Ugh—"
Li Zhi let out a low, frustrated groan, as if battling with herself.
After a long moment, she lifted her head, letting the water rush over her face.
"Agh! Forget it! Time to shower!"
She didn't shower particularly quickly.
To make sure she wouldn't get cold after her shower, Li Zhi had turned on the heat in her room and the bathroom beforehand.
Li Zhi was quite afraid of the cramps that came with her period.
As she was drying her hair in front of the mirror, her eyes suddenly lit up.
Gazing into the steam-covered mirror, she found the most rational excuse for her uncharacteristic behavior over the past two days.
Li Zhi spoke to her reflection in the mirror with an almost certain tone.
"It must be, it must be because my period is coming!"
"It's all my period's fault!" Li Zhi muttered under her breath, repeating it as if clutching at a lifeline. "Otherwise, who would do something so embarrassing..."
After drying her long hair, Li Zhi walked out of the bathroom.
Instead of immediately heading to her closet to pick out pajamas like she usually did, she picked up her phone.
Upon seeing a message from Shen Yuan on her phone, Li Zhi let out a soft hmph. She didn't reply right away, but instead, with a sense of satisfaction she couldn't quite describe, went to pick out her pajamas for the night.
Only after changing into her pajamas did Li Zhi pick up her phone again to reply to Shen Yuan's message.
And after replying, Li Zhi didn't immediately switch out of the messaging app; instead, she waited for a few seconds.
When she saw the words "is typing..." pop up in the chat box, a smile touched the corners of Li Zhi's lips.
But the next second, the smile on Li Zhi's face froze.
"Ah!!"
She quickly buried herself under the covers.
Li Zhi suddenly realized she had been waiting expectantly for Shen Yuan's reply.
"It's all my period's fault! Why do periods even have to exist!"