Chapter 487 - 222: Li Zhi: No One Said I Couldn’t Kiss You
Chapter 487: Chapter 222: Li Zhi: No One Said I Couldn’t Kiss You
A lively, upbeat song-and-dance number from the New Year’s Eve gala was playing. The host’s booming voice came through the projector, completely drowning out any faint sounds in the living room.
Brilliant colors danced, reflecting in Li Zhi’s eyes. They still held a trace of her earlier pique, but had already softened.
"...So silly," she muttered under her breath. It was hard to tell if she was talking about the performance on TV, or something else entirely.
But her body, ever honest, released its last bit of tension, and she leaned her head back onto Shen Yuan’s steady shoulder.
Shen Yuan felt her relax and tightened his arms around her, gently resting his chin on the soft crown of her head.
He didn’t speak either, simply following her gaze to the screen of flowing light and shadow.
The singing and chatter from the show became the perfect background noise, gently enveloping their little world.
For a time, the only sounds in the room were the din from the television show and the occasional purr from the small cat.
Li Zhi’s breathing grew steady and deep. Her fingers unconsciously toyed with a loose thread on Shen Yuan’s sweater—one she hadn’t managed to pull off earlier—but her gaze showed a new Concentration, her eyes flickering faintly along with the rhythm of the program.
Shen Yuan looked down. He could see her thick eyelashes casting small, fan-shaped shadows in the shifting light, the tip of her nose twitching faintly with each breath.
The breeze from the air conditioner stirred her hair, carrying the faint, sweet scent of peaches.
It was a moment both perfectly ordinary and unbelievably precious.
They remained silent, a tacit understanding between them. They greedily soaked in this quiet intimacy, a moment that was entirely their own, born from the recent progress in their relationship.
The winter night outside was cold and clear, but a cozy warmth filled the room.
They just stayed nestled together, neither willing to mention the time, letting the digital clock by the bed mark the passing seconds and minutes.
Even as the clock ticked closer to the moment they would have to part, they couldn’t bear to shatter this intoxicating tranquility.
Suddenly, the light on the wall shifted. A deafening, tsunami-like roar erupted from the gala on screen.
The impassioned voices of the hosts burst from the projector, shattering the room’s silence:
"Dear friends, the New Year is almost upon us!"
"Let’s all count down together to welcome the New Year!"
"Ten!"
The synchronized shouts of the live audience came through the projector with perfect clarity.
"Nine!"
"..."
"Five!"
The sudden noise startled the cuddling couple.
Shen Yuan and Li Zhi lifted their heads simultaneously, any trace of drowsiness or languor instantly chased away by the approaching moment.
Their eyes were glued to the giant countdown numbers on the screen.
"Four!"
Startled by the sudden roar, San Geng leaped off Li Zhi’s lap with a jolt, tail bolt upright, and scurried to a corner of the bed to hide.
Naonao was fine. He’s deaf.
"Three!"
Li Zhi instinctively tightened her grip on Shen Yuan’s arm, her fingertips digging in slightly.
She tilted her face up to look at Shen Yuan.
In response, Shen Yuan pulled her shoulder even closer.
"Two!"
The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment. Only the light from the projector continued to move, illuminating the mix of tension and anticipation on their young faces.
"One!"
"Happy New Year!!!!!"
Dazzling fireworks exploded across the screen as the voices of the hosts and the audience swelled into a roar.
At the same time, the sound of real fireworks erupted from outside the window, as if on cue.
While cheers echoed across the sky, inside their warm little world, at this new beginning that belonged only to them—
Shen Yuan lowered his head, his burning gaze locking onto Li Zhi’s eyes, which shone exceptionally bright in the reflected light. His voice cut clearly through the din of the projector: "Happy New Year, girlfriend!"
A smile as bright as a spring morning bloomed on Li Zhi’s face, like ice cracking after a long winter.
She replied with equal clarity, her voice brimming with irrepressible joy and a touch of her familiar, feisty attitude, "Happy New Year! You dumbass boyfriend!"
Shen Yuan gazed at Li Zhi’s radiant smile, so close to his own. Her clear, bright eyes reflected the light from the night sky outside and the fireworks on the screen.
The raucous cheers from the gala seemed to vanish as if someone had hit a mute button. In his world, there was only the curve of her lips and the sweet scent of peaches that clung to her.
Driven by a surge of uncontrollable impulse, Shen Yuan leaned in abruptly, lowering his head toward that alluring, sweet source—
And then, Shen Yuan’s lips met Li Zhi’s hand.
The girl’s reaction was lightning-fast. The very instant Shen Yuan leaned in, a palm pressed with perfect precision against his mouth.
"You damned Selaan!! Do you just pounce whenever you feel like it?!"
Li Zhi shot Shen Yuan a look of utter disdain. "I saw that look in your eye! I knew you were up to no good!"
Shen Yuan caught the hand that had blocked him. His eyes were a mix of flustered embarrassment and helplessness, his voice trembling with urgency. "No! Li Bao, listen to me! The atmosphere just now..."
He insisted, trying to convey how he’d been swept away by the New Year’s atmosphere and his overflowing affection. "When I saw you smile, I just... I just couldn’t help myself!"
"Shut! Up!"
Li Zhi had no intention of hearing his excuses. She cut him off sharply, feeling the urge to clamp her other hand over his mouth too.
She glared at him, a mixture of shame and annoyance on her face. "Such a smooth talker! Excuses are just a cover-up! Don’t give me that! What do you mean you ’couldn’t help it’? I bet you’ve been planning this all along! Your true Selaan nature is showing!"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. His recklessness had completely shattered the sweet atmosphere from moments ago, leaving nothing but mortifying embarrassment.
"The mood was so perfect just now! If you had just asked, I might have actually gone along with it! But now..."
The girl’s voice suddenly rose, filled with sharp condemnation for the ruined mood, as she delivered her verdict to Shen Yuan with crystal clarity.