Chapter 566: Can I Kiss You Now?
Her cheeks were already flushed crimson, as if painted with the most vibrant rouge.
Li Zhi subconsciously pressed her lips together, then let them part as the corners of her mouth curved up uncontrollably.
Soon, Shen Yuan’s voice rang out from outside Li Zhi’s door.
“Li Bao!”
Hearing his voice, Li Zhi gave a slight roll of her eyes.
‘Idiot… Let him worry himself to death…’
Li Zhi put down her phone, her heart inexplicably starting to race.
She took a deep breath, trying to look as calm as possible, then walked to the door and turned the lock.
The moment she pulled the door open a crack, a biting winter wind rushed eagerly inside.
Li Zhi instinctively recoiled, hiding halfway behind the door. She was about to tell the reckless fool outside to wait a minute while she grabbed her bag, but the sight that met her eyes made her freeze. The words caught in her throat.
Under the cold, white light of the entryway, Shen Yuan stood ramrod straight.
He was wearing nothing but a thin, dark sweater!
Li Zhi’s pupils contracted. Any trace of feigned composure, along with the “just a moment” she’d been about to say, vanished instantly.
“Hey! Are you a fucking idiot!?” she shrieked, her voice a mix of shock and anger, laced with genuine worry and frustration.
Without waiting for Shen Yuan to speak, without even giving him time to react, Li Zhi yanked the door wide open.
She practically lunged forward, her hand shooting out to grab the front of Shen Yuan’s cool-to-the-touch sweater.
With undeniable urgency and a hint of bossiness, she yanked him forcefully into the warmth of the house.
“You’re going to freeze to death! Get in here, now!”
The force sent Shen Yuan stumbling, and he was pulled bodily into the warm entryway.
Li Zhi slammed the heavy door shut behind them, sealing out the outside cold.
The indoor heating enveloped the thinly-clad Shen Yuan. A second later, he was met with Li Zhi’s blazing eyes.
“Why are you wearing so little?!”
Faced with her interrogation, Shen Yuan just chuckled. “What’s this? Worried about me?”
“Worried, my ass!”
Li Zhi shot back through gritted teeth, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of crimson from a mixture of anger and her earlier embarrassment.
Almost on instinct, she raised a hand and jabbed her finger hard into his chest, as if trying to drill her anger into him. “If you ever dare to run out dressed like this again, see if I don’t beat the crap out of you! You’ll freeze to death, you fucking idiot!”
Watching her put on a fierce front that couldn’t hide her concern, Shen Yuan found her unbearably cute.
He seized the opportunity, grabbing the wrist of the hand she was poking him with. His thumb unconsciously caressed the delicate skin on the inside of her wrist, feeling her racing pulse.
His smile deepened, his tone carrying a youthful, devil-may-care swagger. “Ooh, so fierce. It’s just a short walk, how cold could I possibly get? See? I’m perfectly fine. I wasn’t cold at all running over here. I run hot…”
As if to prove his point, he covered her fingertips with his other large hand, trying to transfer his warmth to her.
With her wrist in his grasp, her fingertips touched his palm, which was indeed warm, almost scorching. The searing Yang Qi radiated from him like a small, constant furnace.
She wanted to snap at him again, but his straightforward intimacy and his proud “I run hot” declaration somehow deflated her anger.
‘Besides… he really is warm…’
Still, she glared at him, her cheeks puffed out. She tried to yank her hand away, though not with much force. “Hmph! I don’t care how hot you run, dress properly! I’m going to get my bag.”
With that, she forcefully pulled her hand free, turned her back on him, and headed for her room. But the blush creeping up the back of her neck and her slightly flustered movements betrayed her racing heart.
Shen Yuan stood in the warm, bright entryway, watching Li Zhi’s hasty retreat. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face.
“I know, I know…”
he murmured, his tone light and content. He leaned against the doorframe, his gaze following her slender figure. The room was filled with the warm breeze from the heater and her sweet, pleasant scent.
The first morning of winter break had only just begun.
Li Zhi quickly packed her schoolbag, changed her clothes, and came out of her room.
She had just changed out of her loungewear and into her everyday clothes.
As Li Zhi emerged from her room, Shen Yuan reached for her bag strap with practiced ease.
“I’ll carry it myself!” Li Zhi twisted away, hiding the bag behind her back. The cuff of her down jacket brushed against his outstretched fingertips.
The touch was light, like the brush of a feather.
She glared at him like a cat guarding its food and wrinkled her nose. “Dressed like that and you’re still getting handsy!”
Shen Yuan chuckled, letting her clutch her bag strap and brush past him.
Li Zhi turned off the heater in the living room, then watched as Shen Yuan opened the door.
They crossed the familiar hallway and arrived at Shen Yuan’s home.
Shen Yuan hadn’t turned on the heater in his living room, so it was still a bit chilly.
But it was only a few steps from the living room to his bedroom.
He opened his bedroom door, and a wave of cozy warmth washed over them.
Li Zhi tossed her bag onto Shen Yuan’s bed and promptly shrugged off her down jacket.
The warmth of the room chased away the last vestiges of the hallway’s chill, leaving only the low hum of the heater and a silence between the two of them that was suddenly sharp and tinged with a subtle tension.
The air was filled with the unique scent of a boy’s room—a clean smell blending laundry detergent and the faint scent of books, mixed with the familiar warmth that radiated from Shen Yuan himself.
Shen Yuan closed the bedroom door and turned to see Li Zhi standing by the bed, her back to him, carefully draping her down jacket over the back of a chair.
She was wearing a soft, cream-colored cashmere sweater that hugged her slender figure.
Shen Yuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He closed the distance in a few steps.
He didn’t say a word. He simply reached out, his large, scorching palm covering hers with unnerving naturalness.
“Li Bao…”
Shen Yuan’s voice was dangerously low and husky, laced with a suppressed rasp. He was so close that his voice seemed to resonate right behind her.
His warm breath ghosted over the nape of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.
Shen Yuan’s palm was as hot as a branding iron. His fingers slid between hers, leaving no room for refusal.
His warm breath seared the shell of her ear. Li Zhi’s back went rigid, and a shiver traced its way up her neck.
SMACK!
She yanked her hand back and spun around. A blush spread across her porcelain cheeks, but a warning fire burned in the depths of her eyes.
“Selaan!” She gave his shin a light kick, then grabbed her bag from the bed and yanked the zipper open with a sharp ZIP. “We agreed to do homework!”
Seeing Shen Yuan still staring in a daze at her red ears, Li Zhi grabbed a science worksheet and slapped it against his chest. “Keep staring and I’ll kick you out to freeze into a popsicle!”