Chapter 362 - 194: Take Li Zhi Out Overnight
Chapter 362: Chapter 194: Take Li Zhi Out Overnight
The truth was, Li Zhi had intentionally told He Zhiyu that Ah Jie had a crush on Zhuo Peipei.
It was a completely spur-of-the-moment prank.
Young Master Li was never your typical cute high school girl. She was a Painful Sacrifice.
Besides, He Zhiyu had actually been there the day Ah Jie put himself on blast in front of Zhuo Peipei. The young author was just a bit oblivious when it came to secret crushes.
’So even Sugar Text authors had their blind spots?’
Besides, once a harmless prank like this was over, all that really remained were the flames of gossip.
On one hand, there was the poorly-veiled romance between a best friend and a childhood sweetheart.
On the other hand, there was a secret crush blossoming between sworn enemies.
To any qualified member of the Kissing Association, both were prime shipping material.
The first one was great for shipping, and the second one was great, too!
The moments right before a confession are always the most exciting!
During dinner, mortified, Ah Jie tried to clutch his phone to his chest. But with Yang Ze and the others ganging up on him, he ultimately failed to keep it safe.
Yang Ze snatched Ah Jie’s phone, quickly unlocked it with a fingerprint, and found the Sugar Text Ah Jie had written.
Quick as a flash, Shen Yuan snatched the phone and started swiping. He soon found the secret crush Sugar Text.
The table fell silent. Li Zhi and He Zhiyu leaned in closer, too. Everyone looked on with the excited interest of someone who had just discovered a rare delicacy—no, more like a new kind of fruit-based cuisine.
Shen Yuan’s brow furrowed the moment he saw the title.
He pinched the phone between two fingers as if it were contaminated with a virus.
"Bullshit. Come on. What is this garbage? ’A Gentle Breeze Through Your Hair’? Seriously? This title creates absolutely no suspense!"
The moment Shen Yuan finished speaking, Yang Ze snatched the phone.
Yang Ze shook his head furiously as he read. "This plot is so braindead! Damn it, why does it open with the main character’s pervy fantasies? What’s with this line, ’The white dress she wore today made her look like an angel’? Nope, nope. I can’t take it. It’s too cringe."
With that, Yang Ze passed the phone on.
Listening to his friends’ criticism, Ah Jie felt like he was losing his appetite.
"Well, you guys say something then! Don’t just criticize!"
Hearing Ah Jie’s words, the others at the table fell silent.
Seeing this, Ah Jie started to get desperate.
"Motherf—"
But before Ah Jie could get the curse out, another voice spoke up.
"Just call the book ’Silent Reading.’"
As she spoke, all eyes turned to Li Zhi.
"Si... Silent Reading?"
Hearing the name come from Li Zhi’s lips, Ah Jie froze, as if someone had hit a pause button on him.
Just a moment ago, he had been on the verge of jumping up and cursing, his face a mask of frustration and shame. Now, that expression froze, but his eyes began to shine with an astonishing light.
A tide of shock washed over him, followed by uncontrollable elation.
"Yes, Silent Reading." Li Zhi nodded calmly, as if she’d just said it offhandedly.
"But why? Why Silent Reading?"
Shen Yuan scratched his head and looked at Li Zhi. "Disclaimer: I’m not trying to be a contrarian. I admit it’s a good title, but I don’t really understand what’s so great about it."
"The hell you aren’t," Ah Jie spat.
In any case, he thought the title was miles better than the one he had blindly come up with.
Li Zhi sighed softly. Her gaze fell on Shen Yuan, and her voice, though calm, carried clearly to everyone’s ears.
"Isn’t that what having a secret crush is like? You’re always watching, always guessing. You take their every smile and frown, their every single move, and hold it in your heart, silently reading it over and over."
"You don’t dare to speak up, don’t dare to disturb them. It’s like silently reciting a voiceless poem, mulling over every word in the privacy of your own heart... Right?"
Li Zhi’s gaze remained on Shen Yuan, as if her light and airy "Right?" was a question aimed solely at him.
The moment their eyes met, Shen Yuan swallowed unconsciously. The young man’s eyes flickered, as if he were mulling over her words, wanting to speak yet holding himself back.
They continued to look at each other, and a silent understanding filled the air, the atmosphere instantly charged by the metaphor behind ’Silent Reading.’
He Zhiyu’s gaze was locked on this scene.
She forgot to even move her chopsticks. Her heart clenched, and a storm erupted in her mind. ’AHHH! This is it! That intense, smoldering gaze!’
’This is exactly the feeling!’
’Li Zhi had just finished explaining the meaning of ’Silent Reading’ in the context of a crush, and now she’s staring right at Shen Yuan like that? This is basically a live demonstration!’
The young author almost screamed out loud, forcing herself to suppress her elation and just shriek internally.
While He Zhiyu was screaming internally, Li Zhi’s gaze shifted, lightly brushing past Ah Jie as if it could see right through to his most hidden thoughts.
"Right, Zhou Shaojie?"
Li Zhi’s words were like a feather, lightly tickling Ah Jie’s heart. His initial elation was instantly compounded by a deeper thrill.
’She gets me!’
’She really gets me!!’
’She really, truly gets me!!!’
’The two words "Silent Reading" perfectly summed up his cautious state—only daring to interpret Zhuo Peipei in his heart!’
"Sis! Young Master Li! You’re my real big sister!" Ah Jie exclaimed excitedly.
The air at the table grew subtly quiet once more. But this time, the silence wasn’t critical. Everyone was captivated by Li Zhi’s pointed explanation, and their expressions had all become a little mischievous.
Shen Yuan’s gaze fell to the plate in front of him as a familiar voice suddenly echoed in his mind.