Chapter 408 - 206: Shen Yuan, You Really Deserve to Die
Chapter 408: Chapter 206: Shen Yuan, You Really Deserve to Die
As the long train car glided smoothly to the platform at Jiyang Station, a soft announcement sounded inside.
Shen Yuan and Li Zhi followed the crowd off the platform, their hands naturally intertwined as they entered the descending passageway to the exit.
The cool white lights stretched and shortened their shadows. The air in the underground passage was thick with the weariness and dust of returning travelers.
Shen Yuan and Li Zhi swiped their cards and walked through the exit turnstiles.
Before Li Zhi could say anything, Shen Yuan’s hand naturally found hers again.
Li Zhi’s fingertips curled slightly, but she didn’t pull away, allowing his warm palm to envelop her fingers.
It was likely a habit they had picked up during their trip to Hang City.
Shen Yuan’s thumb unconsciously rubbed the back of her hand, earning him a huffy but entirely unthreatening glare from the girl.
Just then, Li Zhi seemed to remember something and paused in her tracks.
"Hey, Shen Yuan, you moron." She cleared her throat, her voice a little lower than usual, carrying a subtle note of warning. "...Behave yourself in a bit."
Shen Yuan, still lost in the pleasant thoughts from their time in Hang City, was taken aback by this sudden turn. "Huh? What’s wrong?"
Li Zhi’s eyes darted to his face and then quickly away, as if confirming something. "Old Li is waiting for us in the parking lot."
She paused, then stressed with added emphasis, "Did you hear me? Behave!"
"..."
Shen Yuan instantly understood what Li Zhi meant. The small, romantic spark in his heart was extinguished with a FIZZ.
He grasped the subtext behind "behave" almost immediately.
Old Li absolutely could not see their hands tightly clasped together right now.
The nascent smile froze on his lips, immediately replaced by a serious expression and a hint of fear from the near-miss.
He nodded instinctively, his neck feeling a little stiff. "...Got it."
The words had barely left his mouth when Li Zhi, without a moment’s hesitation, flung his hand away with the force of someone casting off a burden.
The lingering warmth of her touch had yet to be savored before it dissipated into the slightly chilly air outside the station.
With a tacit understanding, they put a little distance between them. The subtle, quiet intimacy was gone in an instant.
The atmosphere reverted to that of two ordinary classmates—deskmates or childhood friends—simply heading home together.
Li Zhi took out her phone to call Old Li, wanting to tell him they had arrived and ask where he was.
She unlocked the screen, opened the call interface, and skillfully found and dialed Old Li’s number.
At almost the exact same second her phone started ringing—
"The boundless horizon is my love—"
An unmistakably clear, echoing ringtone sounded out.
The ringtone was so close it was as if it had exploded right next to their ears!
Shen Yuan and Li Zhi froze instantly, as if someone had hit a pause button!
They whipped their heads around, their movements nearly synchronized.
There, in the crowd behind them, was Old Li, raising a hand and waving at them.
In his hand was the phone, which was now singing, "what kind of rhythm is the most, most groovy."
Old Li looked at the two of them, a gentle smile on his face. It was a playful smile, one that seemed to see everything but chose to say nothing.
It was as if the piercing ringtone and Old Li’s sudden appearance had cast a binding spell on Shen Yuan and Li Zhi. Their eyes went wide, and their breath caught in their throats!
In that second, their hearts skipped a beat.
—Horror far outweighed simple surprise!
Shen Yuan felt the blood drain from his face, a cold chill shooting up his spine to the top of his head.
One moment, the warmth of Li Zhi’s fingertips still lingered in his palm; the next, Old Li’s sudden appearance had scared him out of his wits.
’He saw us. No, wait, when did Uncle Li get behind us?!’
’My hand! I was holding Li Zhi’s hand! There’s no way Uncle Li saw that, right?!!’
Alarm bells shrieked wildly in his mind, with a single thought growing louder and louder—’Should I just die now?’
Shen Yuan’s gaze was fixed on Old Li’s meaningful smile, trying to discern any proof that he had seen them holding hands.
But the smile felt unfathomably deep, like a magic mirror reflecting all of his own guilt.
Shen Yuan swallowed instinctively, his throat feeling tight and dry. He wished he could just ascend to the heavens on the spot.
’That might be the only way to save myself.’
Li Zhi’s reaction wasn’t as utterly horrified as Shen Yuan’s, but she was just as scared stiff at being caught so unexpectedly.
The girl’s cheeks flushed an uncontrollable, fiery red, turning scorching hot as if they were on fire.
’No way, how did Dad come from behind us?’
’Did I let go of his hand fast enough? Did Dad see?!’
’Ahhh!!! Damn you, Shen Yuan! Why did you have to hold my hand after we got out, you moron!’
’Wait, Old Li, what’s with that expression!? Don’t tell me... you actually saw, didn’t you?!’
A tidal wave of panic crashed through the girl’s heart. She forced herself to look composed as she met her father’s gaze, but she couldn’t hide the flicker of panic deep in her eyes.
Li Zhi tried to force a casual, even slightly reproachful, expression, but her lips felt stiff. She could only lower her gaze slightly, quickly hiding the emotional turmoil in her eyes.
The girl was now bitterly regretting not standing a little farther away from Shen Yuan!
’Then that moron Shen Yuan wouldn’t have been able to hold my hand!’
The ringtone came to an abrupt stop. Old Li ended the call, the gentle smile still on his face, now tinged with a hint of amusement.
"Zhizhi, what a coincidence. I was just about to say hi when you called me."