Chapter 563 - 236: Can I Kiss You Now?
Chapter 563: Chapter 236: Can I Kiss You Now?
How was anyone supposed to study? How was anyone supposed to pass their exams?!
...
On the surface, Li Zhi pretended to sit primly, turning her gaze back to her workbook.
However, the fingertips holding her pen curled slightly at the edge of the page, but she didn’t write down a single symbol.
The beautiful girl lowered her eyelids, her long, thick lashes trembling slightly, as her gaze cautiously stole over to Shen Yuan beside her.
She clearly saw the tense lines of the boy’s body, saw how the hand resting on his knee had unconsciously clenched into a fist, his knuckles turning white.
She could even clearly make out the taut curve of his neck as his Adam’s apple bobbed.
Shen Yuan was slightly hunched over in an extremely awkward yet desperately-trying-to-be-natural posture, as if wrestling with an invisible weight. His handsome brows were knitted into a suppressed knot, and his breathing was several degrees heavier than usual.
His entire flustered and forcibly restrained appearance was all captured in the corners of Li Zhi’s carefully concealed gaze.
An indescribable sense of triumph, like tiny bubbles, instantly fizzed and popped in the beautiful girl’s heart.
’Heh, you stupid idiot!’
’Serves you right for showing off! Serves you right for always having your mind on naughty things! Serves you right for scoring a 665 and getting so full of yourself you don’t know which way is up!’
’There, you see? Got a taste of the consequences for flirting and running, haven’t you? Feeling frustrated? Is it killing you?’
Li Zhi forced the corners of her mouth down, not letting the slightest hint of her gleeful smile show, but her slightly narrowed eyes, shimmering with light, were filled with the sly, triumphant glee of a successful prank.
...
Time flowed by quietly as the winter sun slanted into the classroom.
In the classroom, the students of Class 15, or rather, the entire senior class, were growing restless.
As the final bell rang,
Old Zhou cleared his throat. "Alright, everyone! Winter break officially starts this afternoon. Pack up and prepare to head out. Remember to study over the break, and be back on time on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year!"
The moment his words fell, the classroom erupted. Students cheered, and a cacophony of rustling books and bags filled the air.
"We’re on break!!"
Ah Jie’s howl nearly blew the roof off. He haphazardly swept his winter break homework into his backpack and was the first to charge for the door.
"Finally, a break!!"
"WOOHOO! We’re free!"
"AHHH! We can finally rest!"
Shen Yuan and Li Zhi had already packed up their winter break homework, so they just grabbed their backpacks.
Li Zhi stood up, her puffer jacket zipped up tight and her scarf wrapped casually twice around her neck, revealing a small, delicate, porcelain-white part of her face.
She slung her backpack on and looked at Shen Yuan, who had his on already and was waiting for her.
"Let’s go, idiot," she said, heading out of the classroom, her ponytail swaying gently behind her.
Shen Yuan immediately followed and, quite naturally, took her hand, which was hanging by her side.
Her cool hand flinched slightly, but Shen Yuan only gripped it tighter, his warm palm completely enveloping her fingers.
The hallway was buzzing with noise as excited students surged toward the stairs and the school gate.
The winter sun carried a midday warmth, but the air was still cold.
"SSSK—"
Startled by a gust of cold wind, Li Zhi couldn’t help but shrink her neck and instinctively press a little closer to the "human furnace" beside her.
Shen Yuan immediately noticed her subtle movement. He let go of her hand and, again with perfect naturalness, shifted his position to pull her halfway into his embrace.
His large hand rested on her shoulder through her puffer jacket, his warmth transferring to her in a steady flow.
Shen Yuan lowered his head and asked in a low voice by her ear, a hint of smugness in his tone as if seeking praise, "Not cold anymore, right?"
Li Zhi’s body tensed for a moment, her earlobes turning a translucent red.
"Hmph! I guess you’re somewhat useful as a boyfriend!"
Like that, the two of them made their way through the noisy hallway and out the main doors of the academic building, amidst the river of students eager to get home.
The last rays of the setting sun stretched their shadows long across the cold concrete.
Outside, the wintry air rushed to meet them, a stark contrast to the lingering warmth of the school building.
Shen Yuan’s arm around Li Zhi tightened, pulling her more securely to his side as he strode into the human tide flowing toward the school gate.
Li Zhi also subconsciously snuggled a little closer.
As they passed the corner of the school gate and moved away from the most boisterous area, their surroundings grew a little quieter.
The soft warmth of Li Zhi’s body was pressed against his arm, and the familiar scent of peaches from her hair wafted around his nose with every breath.
Shen Yuan looked down, his gaze landing on the tip of her ear, which was slightly red from the cold wind. Her fair, delicate skin seemed to glow under the dim yellow light of the streetlamps.
A mischievous thought suddenly popped into the boy’s head.
The hand on Li Zhi’s shoulder tightened slightly as he leaned to the side.
His warm breath practically brushed against the sensitive shell of her ear as his low, clear voice sounded out:
"Li Bao..."
Shen Yuan paused, as if gathering the last of his courage to speak. Then, his searing gaze locked onto Li Zhi’s eyes as she turned toward him, as if he wanted to peer into the very depths of their clear pools.
"So... does that mean I can kiss you now?"
His voice wasn’t loud, but like a stone tossed into a calm lake, it instantly sent violent ripples through Li Zhi’s heart.
Li Zhi’s body went rigid. A deep blush bloomed across her porcelain-white cheeks with a visible WHOOSH, spreading from her face all the way down to her neck.
She abruptly whipped her head around, her bright eyes wide with utter shock and disbelief as she glared fiercely at Shen Yuan.
"Huh?!"
The beautiful girl’s voice shot up in an instant from extreme embarrassment, ending on a sharp, high note.
She quickly struggled to pull away from Shen Yuan’s embrace, though the distance she created was minuscule.
Li Zhi looked at this idiot in front of her who, just after scoring a 665, dared to be so "presumptuous," his mind now full of "improper thoughts." She was simply furious and exasperated.