Chapter 492 - 223: A Girlfriend’s Duty
Chapter 492: Chapter 223: A Girlfriend’s Duty
「The next morning.」
The winter sun slipped through the gap in the curtains, lazily spilling onto the floor.
Shen Yuan woke from his dreams in a daze. Before his consciousness could fully return, all the sweetness and excitement of the previous night rushed in like a tidal wave, instantly submerging him.
The spot on his cheek where Li Zhi had kissed him seemed to retain a phantom touch, making the tips of his ears flush hot again without him realizing it.
He reached for his phone by the pillow out of pure reflex. The screen lit up, showing the time was just past eight.
His fingertip swiped across the screen. He quickly tapped on the pinned contact, a silly grin on his face as he expertly typed out a line of text.
"Morning! [Sun emoji], is San Geng’s mom up yet?"
Not long after he sent the message, a reply came from Li Zhi.
"Morning! San Geng’s dad!"
Followed immediately by another:
Li Zhi: "Are you studying yet? Never mind, you definitely just woke up. Bad performance today!"
Shen Yuan stared at the screen, his smile deepening. He could picture the girl on the other end, her face still flushed from sleep, deliberately putting on a fierce expression.
His fingers flew as he replied:
Shen Yuan: "Couldn’t help it. I couldn’t sleep last night. My mind was full of Li Bao kissing me."
The reply took a few seconds longer this time, as if the person on the other end was composing their thoughts or suppressing a smile.
Li Zhi: "Hmph! Idiot Selaan!"
Li Zhi: "You better study hard and do your homework today."
Looking at Li Zhi’s reminder, Shen Yuan could almost see the beautiful girl with her chin slightly raised, a hint of a warning in her eyes.
His gaze involuntarily drifted to the calendar lying quietly on his desk.
The date circled in red pen, labeled "Final Joint Exams," now seemed clearer and more important than ever before.
"665 points..."
Shen Yuan muttered to himself. The fighting spirit from last night, fueled by the thought of a "reward," was reignited.
He took a long, deep breath and slowly exhaled, then sprang up from the bed.
A new day had begun. For the sake of returning that sneak-attack kiss on the cheek out in the open, and to be worthy of being called "boyfriend"—a word filled with expectation...
He, Shen Yuan, was really going to give it his all!
’The goal is 660 points on the final joint exams... No, 665 points!’
After washing up, the cold water he splashed on his face finally dispelled the last vestiges of sleepiness.
But the giddy feeling caused by a certain someone was like a small ember, filling his chest with a pleasant warmth.
Shen Yuan casually wiped his face, water dripping from his chin. He had just reached for a towel when his phone buzzed twice in his pocket.
His heart skipped a beat, and he pulled out his phone in a flash.
On the illuminated screen, the pinned name leaped into view.
Li Zhi: "Idiot, I’m leaving for my grandpa’s house."
His fingertip hovered over the screen for a few seconds. The water on Shen Yuan’s face hadn’t even dried yet, but a sense of disappointment quietly began to spread.
On the first morning of the new year, the excitement he’d felt upon waking, still basking in the sweetness of the previous night, was mostly washed away by this simple sentence.
The warm room on New Year’s Eve, the body heat as they snuggled close, the sound of her heartbeat in his ear, and that sudden, soul-stirring sneak-attack kiss on his cheek...
It all seemed to be veiled by a thin gauze, temporarily pushed away by the two words "grandpa’s house."
"Got it." His fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed a reply.
After a moment’s thought, he couldn’t help but add a few more words, full of tentative hope: "Let me know when you get there."
He sent the message and stared at the screen, waiting.
Just as he sent it, the screen suddenly lit up with a new notification:
Li Zhi: "Idiot Shen Yuan! Aren’t you going to see me off? [angry_cat_face.jpg]"
Shen Yuan stared at the familiar enraged cat meme on the screen, stunned for a moment.
There was no time to type. Shen Yuan used voice-to-text.
"Got it, Li Bao! I’m coming right now! Wait for me!!!"
The reluctance and budding disappointment were instantly thrown to the winds, replaced by an urgent and subtly thrilling sense of being summoned.
Shen Yuan dashed to his bedroom, threw open the closet, and grabbed a random black down jacket.
He didn’t bother with matching socks; the pair on the bed would do.
He opened the door with so much force that the handle slammed against the wall with a muffled BANG, startling San Geng, who was sleeping on the bed, into jerking its head up.
Shen Yuan had no time to soothe his startled cat. He bolted to his front security door, yanked it open, and let in a gust of cold air.
Just as he pulled his own door open, the clear sound of the door opposite his opening, along with faint voices, reached him.
In the chilly hallway, the motion-sensor light flickered on.
Warm light spilled out from the doorways, illuminating the two families who had appeared at their respective doors at the same time.
Shen Yuan’s hair was a mess, his zipper was only halfway up, and his jacket was hanging loosely on his frame. He looked flustered and rushed.
On the other side, Li Zhi’s family was standing in the hallway.
Old Li was wearing a thick jacket and carrying a travel bag in his hand. Xu Chan stood beside him, head down, adjusting her scarf.
And just behind them, Li Zhi stood there, looking lovely.
When she saw Shen Yuan, a glimmer flashed in the beautiful girl’s eyes and the corners of her mouth tilted up slightly, but she immediately and deliberately flattened them.
She even intentionally averted her gaze, pretending to look down the other end of the corridor.
When Old Li saw Shen Yuan, his eyes first showed a brief flash of astonishment, which then shifted to understanding, and finally settled into scrutiny.
His gaze swept over Shen Yuan’s somewhat disheveled appearance before slowly moving to his own daughter.