Chapter 378 - 199: I Will Take Good Care of Li Zhi
Chapter 378: Chapter 199: I Will Take Good Care of Li Zhi
Old Li and Xu Chan exchanged a look. Just like Zhang Yuyan, the couple could tell at a glance that their daughter had something she wanted to talk to them about.
Xu Chan picked up the remote and turned the TV volume down a few notches.
Their gazes naturally fell upon Li Zhi.
The living room suddenly became much quieter, and Li Zhi was instantly the center of attention.
The loaded silence made Li Zhi sit up a little straighter.
Three pairs of eyes looked back and forth. The air was thick with a subtle tension, a feeling that everyone knew what was happening, but no one wanted to be the first to say it.
Finally, Li Zhi took a deep breath, mustering the courage to break the silence.
Her voice wasn’t its usual clear tone; instead, it was soft and tentative. She began cautiously, "So, um, the exams are over."
"Mm," Old Li nodded, his gaze gentle, as if waiting for Li Zhi to continue.
Under her parents’ gaze, a faint, almost imperceptible blush crept onto Li Zhi’s face.
She swallowed, her voice growing even quieter, laced with timid hesitation.
"Um—I, I’m planning on going to Hang City with Shen Yuan tomorrow, and then... maybe, possibly, we’ll stay the night there, and, well..."
Li Zhi’s voice trailed off until it was barely a mumble. She timidly squeezed out the most crucial question: "Is... is that okay?"
The moment the words left her mouth, the air in the living room seemed to freeze. Hearing this, Old Li and Xu Chan both frowned slightly in unison, the subtle creases on their foreheads distinct under the light.
The two exchanged a brief glance, a mixture of worry and understanding in their eyes.
A moment of silence spread through the living room, with only the low hum of the television as background noise.
Li Zhi clutched the hem of her shirt, about to offer an explanation, but she met her parents’ eyes.
Finally, Old Li cleared his throat. His voice wasn’t loud, but it broke the silence, tinged with a father’s caution. "Was it Shen Yuan’s idea?"
Li Zhi’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly shook her head.
"No, Dad... It was—we decided together!"
Li Zhi was lying.
She didn’t know why she said it, why she was lying for Shen Yuan; the words had just come out instinctively.
Seeing her daughter’s act, Xu Chan said nothing, only leaning back deeper into the sofa. Her gaze, a cross between a smile and a smirk, swept over Li Zhi’s feigned composure, as if she could see right through the clumsy performance.
Li Zhi squirmed under the scrutiny, subtly shrinking her shoulders.
Old Li tilted his head slightly, his gaze shifting to Xu Chan beside him. His eyes held a hint of uncertainty, as if silently asking, ’What do we do?’
Xu Chan met her husband’s gaze and gave his elbow a gentle, almost imperceptible nudge. The gesture was tiny, but the message in her eyes was clear: he should follow his own judgment.
Old Li gave a resigned nod.
Looking at his daughter before him, a complex feeling washed over Old Li.
’His precious little cabbage, so carefully cultivated, was already thinking about running off on her own.’
Though a hundred worries and a thousand reminders rose to his lips, they ultimately condensed into a single, solemn question: "Zhizhi, have you... thought this through yourself?"
His voice wasn’t loud, but it echoed clearly in the quiet living room, carrying a father’s unique brand of gravity and scrutiny.
Li Zhi lowered her gaze. Hearing her father’s question, she nodded lightly and answered, "...Yes."
Old Li gave her a deep look and said no more. He just averted his gaze and said, seemingly casually, "Alright then. Go wait for me in the study for a bit."
Li Zhi did as she was told, standing up and heading for the study.
Behind her, the living room was left with only the very low background noise from the TV and the silent exchange of glances between Old Li and Xu Chan.
The light from the desk lamp in the study was bright yet soft. Li Zhi sat down in her chair, placing her hands on her knees, her fingers unconsciously curling tight.
Time seemed to flow with excruciating slowness in the silence.
Li Zhi’s gaze drifted unconsciously over the desk and bookshelves, trying to distract herself, but her mind couldn’t stop guessing what her father was going to say next.
’Will he just give me some warnings? Or reconfirm the details of my plans with Shen Yuan? Or maybe...’
Just then, the study door was gently pushed open.
Old Li walked in, empty-handed, but Li Zhi could immediately feel an unusually serious aura about him.
He closed the door behind him and walked over to the chair opposite the desk, sitting down. His movements weren’t fast, as if he too were considering how to begin.
Father and daughter looked at each other. Old Li’s lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out yet.
Her father’s brow was slightly furrowed, as if he were trying to find the least pressuring words.
In that brief silence, Li Zhi suddenly realized what Old Li was going to talk about.
It wasn’t just a simple lecture about travel safety, nor was it an interrogation about her itinerary.
It was a father’s worry, a deeper kind of concern.
The thought struck Li Zhi like a bolt of lightning. With a WHOOSH, blood rushed to her cheeks.
The realization of what her father might want to discuss specifically sent a fierce wave of immense embarrassment and helplessness crashing over her, turning her face beet red.
Just as Old Li found his words and was about to speak.
"Dad!!!"
Li Zhi shot her head up, her voice shrill with panic as the words tumbled out incoherently.
"No, no, no! You—you—you’ve misunderstood! It’s, it’s not what you think! Shen Yuan and I, we, we haven’t reached that... that stage! No, there’s nothing going on between Shen Yuan and me! Nothing! Really, nothing!"