Chapter 430 - 210: Shen Yuan Decides to Confess on New Year’s Eve
Chapter 430: Chapter 210: Shen Yuan Decides to Confess on New Year’s Eve
Would her eyes widen in surprise, or would her lips curve into a subtle arc, just like that time she’d lightly tapped her chin?
Or maybe, like countless times before, she’d spit out a familiar "fucking idiot" before sending a swift kick my way?
Just imagining the moment after she heard him out—the silence, the contemplation, and then the instant right before she was about to speak—sent an indescribable, searing heat coursing through Shen Yuan’s entire body.
It was almost enough to make him squirm.
That brief period of waiting was far more nerve-wracking than facing the toughest final question on an exam.
After eating and drinking their fill, the group reluctantly put down their chopsticks. The broth in the copper pot on the table had been all but consumed, leaving only a few scattered dregs and a handful of bubbles simmering at the bottom.
The cold air seemed to have been driven away by the steaming lamb spine hot pot, and the warmth from their full bellies left everyone feeling a little sluggish and content.
"Alright, let’s go, time to walk this off!"
Ah Jie slapped the table and stood up, swiftly starting to put on his jacket.
"My legs have gone numb from sitting. The wind seems to have died down a bit outside. Let’s take a stroll through the mall, see if there’s anything interesting going on."
"Sounds good," Yang Ze said, getting up. "It’s cold just standing around outside, and it’ll be warm in the mall."
"Seconded," Chen Mingyu agreed.
Zhuo Peipei and He Zhiyu, naturally, had no objections either.
Li Zhi picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth, her gaze flickering toward Shen Yuan beside her.
Shen Yuan was already on his feet and had casually grabbed Li Zhi’s jacket, which had been draped over the back of her chair.
The group settled the bill, pushed open the thick, wind-blocking curtain of the lamb spine hot pot restaurant, and were instantly enveloped by the outdoor chill.
But unlike the post-class lethargy they’d felt on their way here, they now had full stomachs and the satisfied, rosy glow of a shared meal on their faces. Their spirits were clearly much higher.
"BRRR—still cold!" Ah Jie hunched his shoulders, but the earlier weariness was gone from his voice, replaced by the energetic buzz of a post-meal walk.
They walked along the commercial street toward the nearby mall.
Pedestrians still hurried past, and the bleakness of winter remained, but as they passed a boutique on the street corner, they made a new discovery.
"Hey? That shop has a Christmas tree in its window!" He Zhiyu, the sharp-eyed one, exclaimed in surprise, pointing at the storefront.
Everyone’s gazes followed her finger.
The window was no longer filled with its usual trinkets. Instead, it was adorned with strings of small, colorful lights that twinkled like stars, wrapped around a circle of lush, artificial pine boughs.
The boughs were sparsely decorated with a few sparkling glass ornaments and bows made from red silk ribbon.
Under the glow of the lights, the display exuded a warm, fairytale-like aura.
"Oh, right! Next Saturday is Christmas!"
Ah Jie glanced around. "Actually, it’s not just this place. Looks like other places have started decorating too."
A few steps further, they saw a coffee shop’s glass door decorated with cute snowflake stickers and a simple line drawing of a reindeer wearing a Santa hat.
There was even a small snowman decoration wearing a red hat by the door. Though the material looked a bit cheap, it was exceptionally eye-catching against the winter streetscape.
The closer they got to the mall’s entrance, the more festive decorations they saw.
While the full displays weren’t completely set up yet, Christmas elements were already appearing like budding flowers, dotting every corner of the city.
He Zhiyu excitedly pulled Zhuo Peipei over to take pictures, while Ah Jie boisterously pointed at various decorations, commenting on how authentic they looked.
Meanwhile, Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu stood to the side, lamenting that they’d been so buried in their studies they couldn’t even remember other things.
The Christmas decorations must have been out for a while already.
But they hadn’t noticed at all.
The winter cold seemed to be diluted somewhat by the growing festive atmosphere, and even the pedestrians on the street seemed to have more relaxed smiles on their faces after seeing the bright colors.
Shen Yuan walked beside Li Zhi. Neither of them took much part in Ah Jie and the others’ exaggerated commentary.
Shen Yuan’s gaze swept over the twinkling colored lights and the snowflake stickers on the glass, finally settling back on the profile of Li Zhi’s face beside him.
The tip of her nose was still slightly red from the cold, and her long eyelashes cast a small, soft shadow under the lights of the mall entrance.
She seemed a little curious about the decorations too, her gaze lingering on the meticulously prepared festive elements, a faint curve playing on her lips.
Watching the faint glow of the colored lights on Li Zhi’s quiet profile, seeing the festive spirit gradually build inside the mall, Shen Yuan felt the idea that had been circling his mind all through dinner gently knock at his heart once more.
’Christmas...’
’Warm, romantic, full of fairytale-like anticipation...’
’Couples walking hand-in-hand on the streets, sweetness filling the very air...’
’Exquisite gifts in the shop windows, twinkling lights on the trees...’
’And... the system’s task prompt about confessing my feelings...’
’What if I were to ask her on a night like that, with lights like a sky full of stars? What if I confessed to her on Christmas?’
’Wouldn’t that be better than in the cold wind outside a classroom, or next to a noisy hot pot restaurant?’
’If I revealed these long-brewing feelings at that specific moment, wouldn’t it make her beautiful eyes reflect a light even more brilliant than the festive displays?’
This thought, like the string of colored lights in the shop window, suddenly lit up in Shen Yuan’s mind, bringing with it a distinct jolt of electricity and a subtle, rising heat.
He subconsciously touched his nose, his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and he tore his gaze away from Li Zhi’s face to look toward the bright, warm entrance of the mall ahead. But deep in his eyes swirled a complex light—a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, but above all, an immense sense of deliberation.