Chapter 377 - 199: I Will Take Good Care of Li Zhi
Chapter 377: Chapter 199: I Will Take Good Care of Li Zhi
DING!
The elevator stopped at 19A, and Shen Yuan and Li Zhi stepped out.
Shen Yuan naturally let go of Li Zhi’s hand, his face breaking into its usual confident smile as he vowed, "Don’t worry, Li Bao. My parents? Leave them to me!"
Li Zhi turned to the side, taking out her keys to open the door, but the corner of her lips curled into a subtle, amused smile, as if she were about to watch a show.
She shot Shen Yuan a sideways glance and reminded him in a teasing tone, "Hmm... you know, you might have to win over my parents in a bit, too."
Shen Yuan’s smile froze on his face. As if he’d choked on something, his swaggering confidence deflated like a popped balloon with a soft PFFT.
His mouth twitched. He visibly stiffened for half a second, and a vague, uncertain syllable was all that escaped his throat.
"Huh?"
Seeing his confidence instantly evaporate, Li Zhi couldn’t help but let out a low laugh.
The pretty girl made a fist with both hands in a cheering gesture, a teasing look on her face.
"Good luck~"
The soft click of the key turning in the lock seemed like the perfect sound effect to conclude this little moment of fun between the two of them.
The door swung open, and the warm light of the living room spilled out. A hint of the awkwardness from Li Zhi’s "good luck" still lingered on Shen Yuan’s face as he mentally plotted how to coax Zhang Yuyan.
’As for Old Shen... I’ll just count on Zhongdeng to pay out!’
Shen Yuan looked up, and his heart skipped a beat.
On the sofa, Zhang Yuyan and Old Shen were sitting side-by-side, their gazes fixed on the flickering TV screen as they quietly watched a drama.
Shen Yuan froze in the entryway, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
He took a deep breath, and the last traces of stiffness on his face were instantly replaced by an overly deliberate, beaming smile.
He walked over to the sofa in a few strides, turning his body pointedly toward Zhang Yuyan. He grinned, forcing a smile that was trying its best to look obedient and eager to please.
Zhang Yuyan lifted an eyelid, her gaze lazily shifting from the TV screen to her son’s exceptionally brilliant smile.
She sized Shen Yuan up for two seconds, her worldly-wise eyes narrowing.
She didn’t address Shen Yuan directly. Instead, she gently nudged Old Shen, who was watching the news with intense Concentration, with her elbow. She jutted her chin in Shen Yuan’s direction, her voice low but filled with a knowing amusement and a hint of disdain:
"Hey, look at him. The kid’s grinning like a blooming idiot. He’s definitely up to no good."
Her words hit the nail on the head, but Shen Yuan didn’t back down. Instead, he shamelessly plopped down next to Zhang Yuyan and grabbed her hand.
Shen Yuan leaned his head on Zhang Yuyan’s shoulder and whined clingily:
"Aww, Mom~ How could you say that!"
Ms. Zhang Yuyan instantly broke out in goosebumps.
She unceremoniously slapped his ingratiating hands away with a sharp SMACK, as if trying to fling off a sticky plaster covered in dog hair.
Zhang Yuyan scooted away in disgust, straightened her collar, and demanded irritably, "Cut the act! Hurry up and spit it out. Don’t sit here being disgusting!"
Shen Yuan grumbled under his breath, and his playful grin vanished completely.
He opened his mouth, then closed it. After clearing his throat, his voice suddenly lost some of its nerve as he confessed the truth:
"So... uh, Mom, the joint exams are over, right? I... I’m planning to go on a trip with Li Zhi."
Zhang Yuyan’s brow furrowed, her disdainful gaze shooting toward Shen Yuan like an arrow. "That’s it? All this for a little thing like that? What’s wrong with going on a trip? You think you need to put on such a big show just to relax after your exams?"
She waved her hand as if shooing away an annoying fly. "If you need money, go ask your dad."
As she spoke, Old Shen picked up his phone, looking ready to transfer money.
Seeing his parents’ reactions, Shen Yuan gave an awkward smile and said, "Well... we’re, I’m planning for us to be gone all day. We’d leave tomorrow and come back the day after."
Zhang Yuyan’s gaze, which had just moved away, instantly snapped back to Shen Yuan’s face.
"Uh, Li Zhi already agreed!" Shen Yuan added hastily.
Zhang Yuyan’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them. "You’re staying overnight?"
Shen Yuan nodded, then quickly blurted out, "Uh, Mom, no! No! It’s not the kind of ’staying overnight’ you’re thinking of!"
"Then what kind is it?"
"It’s just..."
Shen Yuan gestured awkwardly with his hands. "It’s just... it’s not what you’re thinking, anyway!"
After saying this, Shen Yuan’s face flushed red, and he looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.
Zhang Yuyan lazily lifted her eyelids, her teasing gaze hooking onto Shen Yuan’s blushing face.
A soft snort escaped her nose. She tapped her fingers nonchalantly on the sofa, drawing out her words slowly. "Ohhh—so after all this song and dance..."
Zhang Yuyan looked at Shen Yuan and asked, "Well then, tell me, have Li Zhi’s parents agreed? If Li Zhi’s parents agree, then your father and I will agree."
...
Li Zhi gently closed the door to her apartment, shutting out the light from the hallway. She slipped on her slippers and walked lightly toward the living room.
Under a warm light, similar yet not quite the same as the one in Shen Yuan’s home, Old Li and Xu Chan were sitting on the sofa. Xu Chan was nestled against Old Li’s shoulder, her eyes on the TV drama in front of them, while Old Li was looking at his phone.
Compared to the casual drama-watching at Shen Yuan’s place, the atmosphere in the Li Family’s home seemed much quieter.
Hearing the noise from the entryway, both Old Li and Xu Chan turned their gazes toward Li Zhi.
Meeting her parents’ calm gazes, Li Zhi’s heart suddenly felt like it was hanging in the air.
The girl paused her steps, and the relaxed smile on her face faded slightly.
She walked to the opposite side of the sofa. Unlike Shen Yuan, she didn’t cozy up to them. Instead, under her parents’ watchful eyes, she sat down on the other end.