Chapter 423 - 209: [That Night, Li Zhi Did Not Leave]
Chapter 423: Chapter 209: [That Night, Li Zhi Did Not Leave]
The journey home on that cold night ended in the warmth of snuggling and lighthearted banter.
On a new day, the winter sun, cold and bright, slanted through the classroom’s frost-kissed windowpanes.
The morning’s comprehensive science exam had just ended, but the atmosphere lingered in the air.
The door to the exam hall was pushed open, and a mixture of cold outdoor air and the scent of ink from the test papers billowed out.
Shen Yuan and Zhou Shaojie walked out of the classroom, their steps light. They completely ignored the other students around them still engrossed in checking answers or agonizing over the questions, heading straight for Class 15.
Inside the Class 15 classroom, Li Zhi was at her desk, one hand propping up her chin, the other twirling a pen.
The pen danced nimbly between her slender fingers while she stared out the window, looking utterly bored.
Soon enough, however, Li Zhi heard a familiar commotion.
She looked up and met Shen Yuan’s astonishingly bright eyes.
The light dancing in them was that of absolute confidence and sheer determination.
With a THUD, Shen Yuan pulled out the chair next to Li Zhi and sat down. His movements were swift, almost carrying an air of bravado.
He leaned forward slightly, getting closer to her. A wide, undisguised grin spread across his face, and his voice, several notches higher than usual, was filled with conviction.
"Li Bao!" Shen Yuan looked her in the eye, his tone absolute. "It’s in the bag! I’m getting a 650 this time, you just wait and see!"
The winter sunlight landed right on his raised eyebrows and confident smile, as if gilding his conviction in a radiant glow.
The calm confidence and sense of mastery he’d felt during the exam seemed to linger at his fingertips.
In that moment, Shen Yuan was filled with an almost bursting confidence in the promise he had made.
Even the cold wind outside the window seemed to retreat in the face of his powerful self-assurance.
Li Zhi looked at the guy before her, who had suddenly become so brazen, and a familiar flicker of disdain gathered in her eyes.
Her brow furrowed slightly out of habit, as if she was about to say something to dampen his spirits.
But when her gaze swept over Shen Yuan’s radiant face, she immediately remembered how diligently he had been studying for the past few weeks.
The dampening words on the tip of her tongue ultimately turned into a soft huff.
"Hmph. Moron..."
Li Zhi kept her voice deliberately low, as if she only meant for him and herself to hear.
She very naturally lifted her right hand, the one holding the pen, and poked his arm on the desk with the tip. She did it with a look of annoyance, but the touch was as light as a feather.
The girl didn’t hold back her approval, though.
"I guess... your effort wasn’t wasted."
The corner of Li Zhi’s mouth curved upward almost imperceptibly before she quickly pursed her lips, but her voice held a tiny, subtle hint of pride.
To Shen Yuan, her characteristically standoffish restraint and awkward approval were nothing short of heavenly music.
It was like a drop of honey falling precisely into the fervent lake of his heart, the sweetness instantly exploding and flowing through his entire body.
Shen Yuan’s eyes lit up. His already confident and brazen smile erupted across his face like a lit firework, blooming uncontrollably.
An immense wave of joy washed over him, making him want to jump up and down like a child who’d just gotten his favorite toy.
Shen Yuan beamed, his body swaying with glee.
His joy was so thick it was palpable, spilling out of him. Even his voice trembled with a cheerful tremor.
"Hehehe..."
Li Zhi watched him, huffing softly.
"Moron. You have such a stupid laugh."
But there was no actual disdain on her face; on the contrary, her eyes shone with a bright smile.
"Alright, I’m going to eat. I’m hungry!"
"Okay, okay, let’s go! Time to eat! Can’t let my Li Bao go hungry!"
"BLECH—!!!"
An extremely exaggerated retching sound exploded right next to Shen Yuan’s ear.
Ah Jie, leaning close to Shen Yuan’s ear, had his face twisted in a mask of sour grapes and utter disgust. He even patted his chest dramatically.
"Fuck! Damn it, we’re about to eat! Why are you serving up this sappy crap!"
Chen Mingyu rubbed his arms as if trying to get something sticky off. "Damn, I’ve got goosebumps all over! How are we supposed to eat now? Fuck!"
Ah Jie, beside him, chimed in, "Exactly! You have no sense of public decency!"
Zhuo Peipei shot back at Ah Jie, "Why is it all about ’his’ decency? What about ’hers’? Careful, or I’ll put you on blast!"
Ah Jie rubbed his nose and backed down.
Seeing Ah Jie’s reaction, Shen Yuan was quick to mock him. "Wuss!"
"You’re not any better!"
Both of them knew exactly what the other was talking about.
Shen Yuan was mocking Ah Jie for being a wuss in front of Zhuo Peipei, not for the threat of being exposed online.
As for Ah Jie, he was, of course, mocking Shen Yuan for being a wuss in front of Li Zhi.
But unlike Ah Jie, Shen Yuan could retort with righteous indignation.
"How am I a wuss?"
Shen Yuan puffed out his chest. "I’m not being a wuss, I’m being respectful to Li Bao! Li Bao is the best. She tutors me, makes sure I study... I couldn’t have improved without Li Bao!"
Beside them, Yang Ze looked like he couldn’t bear to watch. He rolled his eyes and complained to Chen Mingyu, "Fuck... I’m cringing so hard I’m numb. Goddamn, I’m completely numb!"
Chen Mingyu patted Yang Ze’s shoulder sympathetically. "You’ll get used to it, bro. This bastard’s skin is as thick as a fortress wall."
He Zhiyu, however, was completely lost in her own world.
She cupped her blushing cheeks, her big eyes curving into crescents as her shoulders trembled from suppressing her giggles.
Watching Shen Yuan’s openly doting tone and Li Zhi’s sweet, albeit tsundere, response...
He Zhiyu felt as if a sugar jar had just CRASHED open in her heart. It was all so sweet she felt like she was about to start bubbling over with glee.