Chapter 585 - 240: The Eve of New Year’s Eve (3)
Chapter 585: Chapter 240: The Eve of New Year’s Eve (3)
"Hmph! That’s more like it! Hurry up!"
"Oh, right. Before the takeout arrives, does my darling want some ice cream?"
Hearing Shen Yuan’s words, Li Zhi’s eyes instantly lit up.
"Yes! Of course, I want some!"
Shen Yuan didn’t answer right away. Instead, he propped himself up with one hand on the mattress, sitting up a little straighter, his intense gaze turning to Li Zhi.
A mischievous smile played on his lips as he said in a low voice, "Hold on—before you get your ice cream, shouldn’t you say something nice to me? For example..."
He deliberately drew out his words, lightly poking her blushing cheek with his fingertip.
Li Zhi’s heart started racing again, and the tips of her ears burned. She buried half her face in the covers and mumbled indistinctly, "...What do you want to hear? All you do is bully me."
Shen Yuan didn’t look away. Instead, he moved even closer, waiting for the words she was reluctantly trying to form.
Li Zhi looked at the smug smile on Shen Yuan’s face, feeling both annoyed and tempted.
She struggled internally for a moment, but in the end, her craving for ice cream won out over her embarrassment and anger.
’It’s not like this is the first time I’ve called him that, anyway.’
She lifted her blushing face, her gaze fixed on Shen Yuan, and mumbled in a sweet, coquettish voice:
"Brother, you’re the best..."
That sweet, soft, and slightly awkward call hit Shen Yuan like a jolt of electricity.
The expression on his face froze for a second before being replaced by a surprise and satisfaction that nearly overflowed.
"Wait right here!"
Before the words were even out of his mouth, Shen Yuan shot up from the bed like a firecracker with a lit fuse, ZOOM.
His movements were so swift they even had a touch of a young man’s characteristic recklessness.
He moved as if his feet had wings, practically skipping and jumping as he rushed out of the bedroom, heading straight for the kitchen or the fridge.
He had only one goal: to get that ice cream—the one that had earned him a "Brother, you’re the best"—in front of his Zhizhi, right here, right now.
A moment later, he returned carrying two cartons of vanilla ice cream. His eyes sparkling, he presented them to Li Zhi as if offering a treasure.
Just as Li Zhi took them, Shen Yuan mischievously brushed her nose with his icy fingertips, making her cry out, "Shen Yuan!"
Not long after, the takeout Shen Yuan had ordered arrived. The two went to the study and slowly ate their lunch.
After lunch, Shen Yuan and Li Zhi still had no intention of getting back to their homework, so they went back to lying on the bed.
By now, Li Zhi was no longer resistant to this kind of contact. She would even proactively drape herself over Shen Yuan like a little koala.
They spent the entire afternoon fooling around.
Shen Yuan deliberately imitated Li Zhi’s earlier tone, drawing out the words "Brother, you’re the best." Li Zhi, her ears bright red with embarrassment, grabbed a throw pillow from the sofa and threw it at him.
Shen Yuan didn’t even try to dodge. He just waited for Li Zhi to throw it, and then, amidst her surprised gasp, he pulled her into his arms.
After a moment of staring into each other’s eyes, their lips and tongues tangled together again.
It wasn’t until the sun began to set that Li Zhi realized how late it had gotten.
The time on her phone already read 5:40—Old Li usually got home from work at six.
Li Zhi shot up, a slightly anxious look on her face. "Old Li will be back soon! I have to go!"
Hearing this, Shen Yuan immediately stood up from the bed as well. "Wait, I’ll walk you back! Your coat."
Li Zhi grabbed the coat Shen Yuan handed her and quickly put it on.
Their hands naturally found each other. They hurried out of the bedroom, and then Shen Yuan threw open the front door.
The cold air rushed in, instantly dispelling the warmth of the apartment.
Shen Yuan tightened his grip on Li Zhi’s hand, and the two of them hurried down the hallway.
It was only a short walk to Li Zhi’s front door.
The hallway was unusually quiet, filled only with the sound of their rapid heartbeats and footsteps.
Shen Yuan reluctantly let go of her hand.
Li Zhi stood at her own front door, her hand on the cold doorknob, but didn’t turn it right away.
She took a deep breath as if gathering her courage, then suddenly spun around—
Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the cold and her nerves. Her eyes held a clear mix of shyness and an undeniable warning as she deliberately lowered her voice and spoke quickly.
"When you get back, remember to change your clothes! Don’t let Uncle Shen and Aunt Zhang see... see that hickey on your neck!"
Her gaze swept over the collar of Shen Yuan’s shirt, and she added hastily, "Pull your collar up! Cover it!"
The beautiful girl’s tone was fierce, but it couldn’t hide the panic of someone terrified of getting caught.
Shen Yuan looked at Li Zhi’s anxious state, let out a low chuckle, and replied, "Got it."
Then, he reached out, pulled Li Zhi into his arms, and looking down at her, he asked, "So... are you coming over tonight or not?"
"No way am I coming over!" Li Zhi immediately refused, her cheeks flushing as she spoke with a hint of embarrassed anger. "Nothing good ever happens when I do! You even tricked me out of my first kiss!"
Shen Yuan didn’t argue. He just looked at her, the smile on his face deepening with understanding and affection, as if he could see right through her pretense.
That smile made Li Zhi’s heart beat even faster, and her shyness intensified.
As if she’d made up her mind, she suddenly stood on her tiptoes, gave his faintly smiling lips a quick peck, and then pulled back just as fast. Her voice was as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz, "...Tomorrow. I’ll come over tomorrow."
"Then I’ll be at home, awaiting your royal presence."
Li Zhi saw the mischievous look in Shen Yuan’s eyes and huffed lightly.
"Jerk!"
With that, the beautiful girl quickly turned, opened her door, and slipped inside.
Shen Yuan watched her retreating figure, chuckling to himself as he brushed the pad of his finger across the corner of his lips, where the warmth of her kiss still lingered.
But Shen Yuan didn’t stay long either and was soon back home.
’My father-in-law and mother-in-law will be back soon, and so will Old Shen and Ms. Zhang Yuyan!’
’Li Zhi can’t let her hickey be discovered, and neither can I!’