Chapter 582 - 239: Li Zhi: I’m Not Ready Yet
Chapter 582: Chapter 239: Li Zhi: I’m Not Ready Yet
Then, the curled-up figure began to slowly turn.
She finally turned over.
The blush on Li Zhi’s cheeks hadn’t faded, and she still wouldn’t fully lift her head to meet his gaze.
But she was no longer facing away from him.
Her slender frame lay on its side, her face nearly touching his. Her warmth seeped through the thin fabric of their clothes.
With a hint of hesitation, her fingertips crept forward, carefully clutching the edge of Shen Yuan’s sweater as if grasping for an anchor.
"...Asshole..."
The word escaped her lips, muffled and much softer than before, yet it still carried a trace of stubbornness.
Yet, her grip on his clothes tightened, a silent testament to the conflicted feelings of dependence in her heart.
A flicker of emotion crossed Shen Yuan’s eyes.
He looked at the face so close to his, sensing her pliant posture and the small gesture of her hand clutching his clothes.
He knew exactly what he had to do next.
Shen Yuan slowly lifted the arm resting at his side.
As Li Zhi watched, his large hand reached out, his fingertips gently landing on the curve of her waist.
Her waist, wrapped in a thin cashmere sweater, felt slender and soft. He could feel her warmth through the fabric.
His fingers didn’t tighten. They simply rested there, his palm conveying a warmth that was firm yet gentle, utterly devoid of pressure.
Then, his arm slid around Li Zhi’s body with practiced ease, settling on the small of her back.
Like he was holding a priceless, long-lost treasure, Shen Yuan pulled her closer, his movements incredibly gentle yet unshakably firm.
Li Zhi’s body tensed for a moment as his arm wrapped around her waist.
However, when the familiar sensation of his embrace registered, that slight tension melted away like spring snow.
Shen Yuan didn’t pull her flush against him. He simply held her gently, offering his support.
It was a posture of waiting, an embrace full of promise.
The fingers clutching his hem trembled, then relaxed their grip slightly, as if in tacit acceptance of this deeper intimacy.
Her lowered eyelashes fluttered, but she shifted in the warm crook of his arm, finding a more comfortable angle. Her entire body relaxed as she melted completely into his embrace.
Feeling the soft warmth in his arms, the great stone of guilt that had been weighing on Shen Yuan’s heart finally lifted, replaced by a profound sense of satisfaction.
He gently rested his chin on the crown of her head, inhaling the faint, sweet fragrance of her hair.
One arm held her securely around her back, while the other remained propped behind his head for support. This effectively drew her deeper into the protective space created by his body.
Li Zhi curled up within the safe circle of his arm, her cheek resting against his warm chest, separated only by the thin cashmere of his sweater.
His once-frantic heartbeat had settled into a steady, powerful thrum, each beat soothing her frayed nerves.
His body heat and his familiar, clean scent were like an invisible net, completely enveloping her and bringing a sense of security and dependence she had never felt before.
Time flowed silently in the quiet intimacy of their embrace.
Perhaps the emotional roller coaster—from passion to fright, and finally to relief—had been too draining.
Or perhaps it was the intoxicating comfort of his warm chest and steady embrace.
Enveloped in this unprecedented security, the exhaustion brought on by the first kiss and the recent storm of emotions washed over her like a gentle tide.
Li Zhi’s long lashes fluttered. Her resolve to stay awake, fueled by a lingering shyness, began to dissolve in the steady rhythm of Shen Yuan’s heartbeat and the warmth of his embrace.
She snuggled against him, her body growing limp. The small hand that had been clutching his shirt finally went slack, coming to rest unconsciously on his side.
Shen Yuan could clearly feel the breathing of the girl in his arms grow long and steady.
He felt the even, warm puffs of her breath against his chest. The subtle, restless movements had ceased, leaving only the stillness of her completely relaxed body.
She had surrendered most of her weight to his embrace.
’She’s asleep.’
Shen Yuan held his breath, not daring to move an inch.
He lowered his gaze slightly, his view limited to the whorl of dark hair on the crown of Li Zhi’s head and a sliver of her smooth forehead.
The face that was usually so sharp-tongued was now nestled quietly against his chest, looking impossibly serene.
In the warm yellow light, her sleeping face seemed gilded with a soft glow, revealing a defenseless vulnerability.
A faint, satisfied smile seemed to linger on her lips.
As Shen Yuan gazed at her, the warmth of his own satisfaction melted into something even more tender.
He carefully adjusted the hand propping up his head for better stability, making sure not to disturb the little princess who had just fallen into a deep sleep.
His other arm, the one holding her, tightened ever so gently, securing her firmly within his domain.
The aftershocks of their first kiss had yet to fade, but in this moment of shared slumber, they settled into a profound and abiding tenderness.
Shen Yuan didn’t dare move a muscle, holding perfectly still.
He just watched her sleep.
Her warmth seeped through the thin cashmere, pressing against him like a piece of warm, smooth jade.
The faint, lingering scent of peaches in her hair wafted around him, carrying a magical, calming power.
He wasn’t sure if it was the unparalleled peace that came from holding the sleeping girl, or if it was the exhaustion that finally caught up to him now that his tense nerves had relaxed.
Maybe it was simply the comfortable temperature and quiet atmosphere in the room.
The young man, who had been focused solely on protecting her, felt a heavy wave of drowsiness creep over him.
He fought to stay awake, wanting to gaze a little longer at Li Zhi’s unguarded, sleeping face.
But his eyelids felt as if they were weighted with lead, growing heavy against his will.
Shen Yuan blinked a few times, trying to drive away the drowsiness.
The small whorl of hair on Li Zhi’s head began to blur, smudging into a soft patch of warm color under the yellow light.
The soft weight in his arms and the sound of her even, quiet breathing became the most gentle of lullabies.
He realized his posture had become exceptionally comfortable; the arm wrapped around her felt natural, and the elbow propping up his head was no longer tense.
He unconsciously tightened his arm around Li Zhi’s waist, fitting her more snugly against him.
The slight movement didn’t wake the sleeping girl; on the contrary, it gave him an even deeper sense of rightness and peace.
Resting his chin gently on the crown of her head, Shen Yuan took a deep breath, filling his lungs with air that smelled of peaches and her own unique fragrance.
He stopped fighting it.
His vision blurred completely into a warm patch of color.
The sound of Li Zhi’s soft breathing by his ear grew distant.
The arm holding her went slack for a moment, then instinctively tightened once more.
Finally, Shen Yuan’s consciousness faded, and his tense muscles relaxed completely.
His breathing slowed, intertwining with Li Zhi’s.
A deep drowsiness, like a warm tide, finally pulled him under.
’It’s only a little past nine, anyway. I’ll just treat it as going back to sleep for a bit.’
The young man held the beautiful girl in his arms tightly, taking in her softness and her scent.
And just like that, with his head pillowed on one arm and the other holding his girl, he fell into a peaceful slumber with her.