Chapter 376 - 198: We’re Staying Overnight?
Chapter 376: Chapter 198: We’re Staying Overnight?
Wait?
A hotel?
Li Zhi’s gaze fell on the word "hotel" on the screen. Her focused expression, which she’d had while browsing the itinerary, instantly faltered.
The pretty girl pursed her lips and looked up. Her gaze shifted from the phone screen to Shen Yuan beside her, her brows knitting slightly as she asked, "...We have to stay overnight?"
Shen Yuan nodded without hesitation, a natural smile on his face. His voice was light and certain. "Yeah. It’s rare to get such a long break, so of course we should have fun for a bit longer! Otherwise, a same-day round trip wouldn’t be satisfying enough."
He paused, then quickly added, as if worried Li Zhi would be concerned, "Don’t worry, I’ll book the hotel. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied with it."
Listening to Shen Yuan, Li Zhi had to agree with his point about it "not being satisfying enough."
Seeing his confident expression, her gaze lingered on his face for a moment before she reminded him, her tone clear and deliberately emphasized, "Um... Remember to book two rooms."
Hearing Li Zhi’s deliberately emphasized reminder, the smile on Shen Yuan’s face froze for a split second before melting into a teasing, mischievous expression.
He tilted his head slightly, looking at Li Zhi as if he’d just heard something utterly unexpected and a little funny.
With obvious mockery in his eyes, Shen Yuan’s voice rose as he retorted, "Huh? What else would I do?"
Before he could finish speaking, Li Zhi’s clear, bright eyes narrowed sharply.
"Shen Yuan—"
Li Zhi dragged out his name, a clear sign of her displeasure.
Without waiting for Shen Yuan to say anything, Li Zhi fiercely lifted her foot and kicked the side of his shin.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
"OW!"
Shen Yuan’s yelp of pain rang out before Li Zhi had even finished speaking.
The girl pulled her leg back, crossed her arms, and glared at him, her cold gaze carrying an irrefutable warning.
"Keep messing with me and you can go on the weekend trip by yourself!"
"No, no, no, I was wrong, I was wrong."
Shen Yuan immediately adopted the pitiful look of someone begging for mercy.
Li Zhi looked at his sorry state and huffed. "You’d better be."
With that said, Li Zhi asked, "Hey, have you bought the high-speed rail tickets yet?"
"I’ll buy them now. How about the 8:30 AM train for tomorrow morning?"
Shen Yuan took the phone from Li Zhi’s hand and immediately started booking the tickets.
Li Zhi nodded. "Fine. Since you’ve already made the arrangements, this Young Master will reluctantly accompany you on your little trip."
"Many thanks to Young Master Li for gracing me with your presence!"
After speaking, Shen Yuan said to Li Zhi, "Okay, uh, I need you to do the identity verification."
Shen Yuan already knew Li Zhi’s ID number.
It was actually quite simple to remember an ID number.
The beginning of their ID numbers was the same, and he could certainly remember her birthday, so he really only had to memorize the last four digits.
’Easy peasy.’
"Here, the verification code."
Li Zhi showed Shen Yuan the verification code. After he entered it, the tickets were bought.
Then, Shen Yuan also applied for a visitor pass to Zhejiang University for Li Zhi.
By the time Shen Yuan was done, the two had already walked into their residential complex.
Shen Yuan slid his phone back into his pocket. As his hand came out, it moved naturally through the air, smoothly taking hold of Li Zhi’s.
Unlike when he had suddenly gripped her wrist on the bustling street earlier, this touch was warm and steady, feeling like the most ordinary, everyday continuation of their time together.
Li Zhi’s fingers twitched slightly, but she allowed her hand to be enveloped in his warm palm.
The paths in the residential complex were quiet under the night sky. Only the dim yellow streetlights cast their long shadows on the ground, which were periodically shattered by the leaves of passing trees.
Their footsteps tapped against the silence, carrying an intimacy unique to the night.
"By the way..." Shen Yuan’s voice, tinged with a thoughtful tone, broke the silence.
Li Zhi turned her head to look at him. The streetlight cast a glow on the side of his face, outlining his distinct profile.
"Hm?" Li Zhi hummed softly, waiting for him to continue.
"About this trip, with just the two of us..." Shen Yuan paused. His tone held a hint of imperceptible smugness mixed with a serious, consultative air. "What’s the best way to tell our parents?"
Shen Yuan turned his head, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Li Zhi, seeking her opinion.
He knew that both sets of parents wouldn’t be completely indifferent to them going out alone, especially if they were staying overnight—even if they booked two rooms.
Li Zhi stared at the light-drenched path ahead, her fingertip unconsciously tracing the edge of Shen Yuan’s palm as if she were mulling over her words.
"Just say... we’re going to Hang City for two days."
Li Zhi’s voice was clear and calm in the night. "Anyway, they... uh, we..."
Li Zhi paused, momentarily at a loss for words.
Finally, the girl gave up and said with abandon, "Anyway, I can handle my parents! You figure out what to do about Uncle and Auntie!"
Seeing her like this, a smile appeared on Shen Yuan’s face.
He naturally knew what she was trying to say. He squeezed her hand and gently bumped his shoulder against hers.
"My mom will definitely be fine with it. With you there, she’ll just tell me to take good care of you on the road. As for my dad..."
Shen Yuan pursed his lips. "We’ll just tell them the truth. We’re just going to visit Zhejiang University and then stroll around West Lake. We’ll emphasize that we’ll be safe."
"At worst, if they’re really worried about the two of us, they can come with us."
As Shen Yuan’s words fell, a faint, ambiguous sense of awkwardness and amusement floated in the air.
As for *why* they might be worried, well, that was probably obvious.
Hearing this, a wave of shyness washed over Li Zhi.
The girl subconsciously tried to pull her hand back, but Shen Yuan tightened his grip slightly, not letting her succeed.
Li Zhi rolled her eyes in resignation.
"Fine, fine. We’ll go with that for now."
Shen Yuan straightened up, his voice full of confidence. "No problem. Leave it to me. I’ll message you on WeChat when it’s handled."
"Okay."
Li Zhi nodded, then reminded Shen Yuan as if she’d just remembered something, "Remember to pack your things tonight."
"Don’t worry," Shen Yuan said, leaning close to Li Zhi’s ear and whispering, "Li Bao, wear something nice tomorrow, okay?"
"Get lost!"
"You got it!"
Shen Yuan tightened his grip on Li Zhi’s hand, and the two continued walking toward home, hand in hand, their steps in perfect sync.
The evening breeze rustled through the treetops, blowing away the last subtle traces of awkwardness in the air.
In both their hearts, a sliver of anticipation for the upcoming trip began to grow.
The small trouble of figuring out how to "deal with" their parents had now transformed into a minor episode for them to solve together as they walked side by side—one that wasn’t particularly urgent.
’Still, why does this feel a bit like we’re doing something bad behind our parents’ backs?’