Chapter 572 - 238: Go Lie on the Bed for a While (Part 2)
Chapter 572: Chapter 238: Go Lie on the Bed for a While (Part 2)
"They’re just kittens. What do they know about being a ’bad influence’?"
A wicked grin spread across Shen Yuan’s lips, a sight reflected in Li Zhi’s wide, indignant eyes.
"They’re probably just wondering... why Mommy and Daddy are suddenly all over each other, making out so hard they can’t even breathe~"
"Jerk!"
Li Zhi was instantly mortified. Her sharp voice cracked, and her cheeks flushed so red it looked as if they might start bleeding.
She couldn’t take the dual torment of being gawked at and teased any longer. She abruptly buried her head and hammered her fists against Shen Yuan.
The blows held little force, serving only as an outlet for her frustration. Then she let out a muffled whimper, a sound like a cat whose tail had been stepped on—a mixture of shame, indignation, and a hint of a pout.
"Shut up, Selaan!"
"...Hmph! I-I’m not speaking to you anymore!"
Muttering with puffed cheeks, her face flushed red, she seemed to think that could block out everything that had just happened—including Shen Yuan’s infuriating teasing.
She clutched the hem of his shirt, burying her face deeper into the soft folds of his sweater, leaving only the bright red tip of an ear exposed.
As if they’d lost interest in the show, San Geng and Naonao meowed softly from the bedside. They ambled back to the center of the bed to resume their winter nap.
Feeling Li Zhi burying her head in his chest like an ostrich, Shen Yuan’s sense of satisfied amusement was joined by an overwhelming wave of tender affection.
"Li Bao..."
When Li Zhi only burrowed deeper into his chest in protest, the amusement in Shen Yuan’s eyes deepened.
He gently ran a calloused fingertip down her spine over her cashmere sweater, as if soothing a bristling kitten.
"Alright, alright. What’s there to be shy about?"
Shen Yuan’s voice grew softer, laced with a lazy, teasing tone as he soothed her.
"The little kitties have gone... They’re catching up on their naps, so they have no time to watch us kiss..."
"Hey!" From deep within his embrace, Li Zhi let out an indignant, muffled grunt and gave his side a warning pinch.
Shen Yuan took the hint and changed his tune, muffling a laugh as he continued to coax her. "Okay, okay~ They’re not watching us! Really, they’re not! Should we get back to... the test paper? Hmm?"
As he spoke, he gently patted Li Zhi’s back. She had clearly relaxed somewhat, but still refused to lift her head.
His doting gaze fell on the flushed nape of her neck.
’That was his masterpiece.’
The moment Shen Yuan finished speaking, Li Zhi suddenly lifted her head from his embrace.
Her cheeks were still flushed, and her wide, glistening eyes burned with a clear accusation born of shame and indignation.
"D-doing homework?!"
Her voice suddenly shot up as her fingertip jabbed at the red mark on Shen Yuan’s neck—a mark she herself had left.
"Selaan! Who can even think about a test paper right now?! That was... that was my first kiss!!"
Her voice was filled with incredulous accusation and a deep sense of being wronged. Her beautiful eyes instantly misted over, as if his heartlessness might make her burst into tears at any moment.
"You jerk! W-we just finished... and you’re already thinking about homework?! The-the warmth of my first kiss hasn’t even faded yet!!"
As Li Zhi spoke the words "first kiss," her voice was soft and trembling, her embarrassment practically radiating off her.
She stared at the guy in front of her—the one whose lips had just been locked with hers, whose breath had just mingled with her own—and he was acting as if nothing had happened, casually bringing up that damned test paper!
A wave of indignation, a mix of feeling betrayed and intense embarrassment, surged through her.
Shen Yuan froze for a second, clearly not expecting his suggestion to "look at the test paper" would set off such an explosion. He immediately understood the delicate, sensitive, and wronged state of mind of the girl in his arms.
Looking at her large, tear-filled, accusing eyes, his heart melted into a puddle, and a subtle feeling of guilt crept in.
He quickly tightened his arms, pulling the little bristling beast closer into his embrace.
"That’s not it, Li Bao, I..."
But before he could finish, an enraged Li Zhi gave him no opportunity to explain.
"Shen Yuan! Have you no conscience?!"
Li Zhi cut him off furiously, her voice trembling on the verge of tears. The hands resting on his shoulders balled into small fists and began to pound against his sturdy chest in frustration.
Once, twice... each blow accompanied by an accusation.
"Selaan, you jerk! You got what you wanted and now you’re playing innocent! The second we’re done kissing, you want to do homework! You’re just a black-hearted capitalist! First, you exploit my feelings, and now you want to exploit my brain! You heartless, rotten jerk!!"
Each soft punch that landed was paired with an accusation, as Li Zhi firmly branded him with the crime of being "heartless."
Her petulant blows felt more like tickles to Shen Yuan. He held back a laugh and let her vent.
Just as one of her soft fists landed and her red lips parted for the next round of accusations, a sly glint flashed in Shen Yuan’s eyes.
His amused eyes suddenly turned serious, and the arm around her waist tightened abruptly.
At the same time, without the slightest warning, he swooped down.
His scorching lips found their mark, silencing her chattering mouth just as she was about to spit out the word "jerk"!
"Mmph—?!"
All of Li Zhi’s accusations and her anger were abruptly stifled by the sudden assault, dissolving into a short, shocked grunt caught between their tightly pressed lips.
Her beautiful eyes flew wide, her pupils clearly reflecting the sudden, magnified image of his face.
Her small fist, raised mid-air, froze completely.
’Her mind went blank. She even forgot to be angry, her entire world narrowing to the domineering yet familiar warmth on her lips.’