Chapter 488 - 222: Li Zhi: Nobody Said I Couldn’t Kiss You
Chapter 488: Chapter 222: Li Zhi: Nobody Said I Couldn’t Kiss You
"665!! Not a single point less! This is your punishment for that sneak attack!"
Shen Yuan: "???!!!!!"
"Huh? How many?"
Shen Yuan stared at Li Zhi in disbelief, his handsome face instantly crumpling like a bitter melon as his shoulders slumped.
He’d used Concentration for the better part of a month and only managed to score a 663, and now Li Zhi was hitting him with a 665.
That was the joint final exam! The joint exam for the best high schools in all of Huaiji City!
How could it possibly be easy?!
In that instant, Shen Yuan truly understood the meaning of "one misstep brings a thousand years of regret."
Seeing Shen Yuan’s gloomy and miserable expression, Li Zhi’s earlier indignation from his sneak attack instantly transformed into pure, unadulterated smugness.
The girl lifted her chin slightly, her rosy lips curling into a sly, pleased arc.
"Hmph, hmph~" she deliberately dragged out the sound, her bright eyes twinkling with mischief. "Regretting it now? That’s what you get for having naughty thoughts! That’s what you get for your sneak attack!"
Li Zhi’s legs swayed gently, her toes curling contentedly into the soft bedsheets. Her posture was one of lazy, smug satisfaction.
"Well then, you’d better work hard, Shen."
Li Zhi’s voice held a playful, upward lilt as she mimicked his usual tone, even wagging a little finger at Shen Yuan for effect.
"665 points, boyfriend. You’re not allowed to back out! I’m counting on you—"
The last syllable of "you" had barely faded when a crisp, sudden "DING!" from a notification echoed abruptly!
The sound came from Li Zhi’s phone, which was lying to the side.
The triumphant smile that had bloomed on Li Zhi’s face froze. The playfulness and slyness vanished as if someone had hit pause, replaced by an instinctual flicker of guilt and nervousness.
She subconsciously glanced at Shen Yuan, who had also been startled by the sound.
In the cozy room, the boisterous New Year’s Eve gala on TV was still playing its clamorous finale, but the air between the two of them seemed to freeze solid in an instant.
A shared sense of foreboding quietly began to spread.
Li Zhi reached out a hand, a little stiffly, and cautiously picked up her phone.
The screen lit up with a soft glow, illuminating her small face, which had turned serious and a little panicked.
In the notification bar at the top of the screen, the sender’s name was clearly displayed: Old Li.
Old Li: [Come home early.]
For Old Li to just send a text was already a sign of great restraint.
Normally, Old Li would have just called directly.
Shen Yuan pressed his lips together, his gaze fixed on Li Zhi’s face.
Li Zhi’s gaze also moved from her phone to meet Shen Yuan’s.
"Boo... I have to go back."
Those words were like a small hammer, tapping lightly on Shen Yuan’s heart.
A powerful urge surged into his throat, compelling him to say, "Just stay a little longer, okay? We just rang in the new year..."
He had even started rapidly coming up with excuses in his head.
However, the moment that thought surfaced, an image of Old Li’s impassive face appeared with stark clarity in Shen Yuan’s mind.
Shen Yuan’s throat felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, and all the words on the tip of his tongue were forcefully choked back.
’He wanted her to stay.’
’He’d just gotten a taste of sweet intimacy, the warmth of her in his arms hadn’t even faded, and his girlfriend’s smiling face and those long legs were right there in front of him. How could he possibly bear to let her just walk away?’
But he didn’t dare ask her to stay.
If Li Zhi really didn’t come home for the night, Old Li would absolutely have a "nice long chat" with Old Shen the next day.
As for the outcome...
Shen Yuan could pretty much guess what would happen.
Li Zhi watched Shen Yuan’s features fall. The warm light cast a faint blush on her ears as the girl cleared her throat. She lowered her voice, making it light and soft, as if coaxing Naonao.
"It’s only for a day. I’ll be back the day after tomorrow, won’t I?"
Shen Yuan pouted, his whole body slumping listlessly into the mattress.
"...Alright."
Seeing his dejected posture, slumped from his shoulders all the way to his heels, Li Zhi stared at his tightly pressed lips. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she couldn’t suppress a "PFFT" of laughter.
The beautiful girl raised a sleeve to cover her mouth, but it couldn’t hide the stars exploding in her eyes.
"You look so silly!"
But even as she said it, the girl’s eyes clearly reflected his undisguised reluctance to let her go.
She stared intently at Shen Yuan’s crestfallen face, her voice growing even softer, like a feather brushing through the warm air, laced with understanding and an almost imperceptible sweetness.
"Dummy... you really can’t bear to see me go, huh?"
Shen Yuan’s lips moved, his Adam’s apple bobbing silently.
In the end, he said nothing.
He just glued his gaze more intensely onto the face so close to his, unable to hide the thick, churning reluctance in the depths of his eyes.
’He just couldn’t bear it.’
Watching him, the blush on Li Zhi’s cheeks had yet to fully fade, but a smile now bloomed in her eyes.
The girl leaned slightly forward, her clear eyes looking straight at Shen Yuan, the corners of her lips turning up in a gentle curve.
"Alright now, Shen Yuan."
Her voice was crisp and clear, carrying a knowing smile and a soothing tone that gently broke through his heavy sense of loss.
"What’s with that look? Don’t act like the sky is falling."
Li Zhi reached out and poked Shen Yuan’s arm, her fingertip applying a light, comforting pressure. "We’ll only be apart for a little over a day. What’s the rush? I’ll spend plenty of time with you when I get back."
Hearing this, Shen Yuan seemed to finally snap out of it. "Really?"
Li Zhi looked at him and poked his head in exasperation.
"You’re just putting on an act!"
"I’m not!" Shen Yuan argued. "I really can’t bear to see you go."
"Well, that’s not an option. It’s getting late! If I don’t go back now, Old Li is going to beat you up!"
Shen Yuan pressed his lips together.
’Getting beaten up once in a while wouldn’t be so bad,’ he thought. ’I’ll probably get beaten up a lot in the future anyway.’