Chapter 593 - 241: The Silly Boy at Li Zhi’s Doorstep
Chapter 593: Chapter 241: The Silly Boy at Li Zhi’s Doorstep
He subconsciously touched the collar of his turtleneck, making sure it was still securely guarding the "secret" on the side of his neck.
’Should I go in?’
’How would I even start?’
’"Aunt Xu, I’m here to set off fireworks with Li Zhi?"’
The thought flashed through Shen Yuan’s mind, and he immediately dismissed it.
’No, that’s way too deliberate.’ It would definitely make him the center of the family’s attention again, drawing those knowing smiles.
He could almost picture the pouting glare on Li Zhi’s blushing face.
His phone was in his pocket, within easy reach.
’Sending her a text to sneak out would be so much easier.’
But...
Shen Yuan looked at the courtyard gate and the light-filled windows, and a more direct idea popped into his head.
He took a deep breath of the night air, his chest filling with the frigid air and a certain impulse.
’It’s already come to this...’
’I can’t shake off the "silly boy" label from earlier anyway, so what does this matter?’
’Instead of secretly texting her, I might as well...’
A glint flashed in the young man’s eyes, as if he had made up his mind.
Shen Yuan cleared his throat and straightened his back.
The next second, he lifted his head, faced the brightly lit courtyard, and called out in a clean, clear voice, tinged with a mix of nervousness and the do-or-die frankness of someone with nothing left to lose.
"Li Zhi—!"
The shout wasn’t loud, yet it cut cleanly through the noise of the night, like a pebble tossed into a calm pond, instantly sending ripples through the light spilling from the Li Family’s windows.
Li Zhi, who was sitting next to her grandmother and just about to pop the last segment of a sugar tangerine into her mouth, froze mid-action.
"—!!!"
Her beautiful eyes flew wide with incredulous shock as she whipped her head toward the window, in the direction of the voice.
’Shen Yuan?!’
’Has he lost his mind?!’
’Shouting for me right outside my house on New Year’s Eve?!’
’Wasn’t the cringeworthy embarrassment of being a "silly boy" this morning enough for him?!’
A huge wave of mortification and panicked disbelief instantly washed over her. Her cheeks flushed from pink to red, finally becoming crimson.
For a moment, Li Zhi felt the marks he had left on her neck and shoulder, hidden securely beneath her turtleneck, begin to burn.
’It’s over, it’s over! I’m being publicly humiliated again!’
She could clearly feel everyone’s gaze in the living room zeroing in on her like searchlights.
Xu Chan put down her teacup and raised an eyebrow at her daughter, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.
"Zhizhi, hurry up and go! He sounds impatient!" one of her cousins chimed in with a teasing laugh.
The teasing was like a match that set Li Zhi’s sense of shame completely ablaze.
She didn’t even dare to look anyone in the eye. Her scalp tingled, and her toes curled up in her slippers out of sheer embarrassment.
’Shen... Yuan! You absolute moron!!!’
Li Zhi let out a silent scream in her heart, so mortified she wanted to find a hole to crawl into and disappear.
Just then, that clear voice rang out again.
"Li Zhi—!!"
"I... I’ll go see!"
Li Zhi practically shrieked the words, her voice trembling with humiliation.
Under the amused gazes of her entire family, Li Zhi scrambled into her shoes and bolted out the door.
SLAM!
The muffled sound of the door closing echoed.
The night wind, carrying the smell of gunpowder and a biting chill, couldn’t extinguish the flames of embarrassed anger burning on Li Zhi’s cheeks.
She practically stomped her way out of her warmly lit home, her eyes immediately locking onto the culprit standing in the frigid winter night.
"Shen Yuan! You absolute moron!!"
Li Zhi’s frantic, angry voice was like a lit firecracker, unleashing a tirade of pure mortification upon the young man.
She rushed right up to him.
However, just as she raised her hand to point at him, the moment before a fierce accusation could escape her lips, her gaze collided with Shen Yuan’s.
The shadow of the courtyard wall cast a dim light, but it couldn’t hide the brightness in his eyes.
It was an expectation so pure it was almost transparent, like it held all the brilliant light of tonight’s fireworks, focused solely on her.
The embarrassed "silly boy" from the doorway this morning was gone. The smug rascal from the study who had insisted she call him "brother" had also vanished.
Standing here in the cold night, all that remained of Shen Yuan was a pure-hearted boy, his eyes filled with anticipation for her arrival.
That gaze was like an invisible electric current, instantly striking the taut string of her wildly fluctuating emotions.
SNAP.
All the clamorous shame and anger, the embarrassment of being watched, the accusations against his recklessness—it all vanished in an instant.
The thought of marching over to settle the score with him, which had her puffed up with anger just moments ago, melted away like a snowflake on hot coals.
The night wind was still blowing, rustling the turtlenecks that hid their secret, shared marks.
Her fingertips curled in the cold air, and the arm she had raised to point at him slowly fell to her side.
The world seemed to fall silent in an instant.
The sound of her family’s chatter and the distant crackle of firecrackers all faded into the background.
Li Zhi stared, transfixed, at Shen Yuan’s stunningly bright eyes.
A corner of her heart turned completely to mush.
An impulse even stronger than her earlier mortification washed over her.
’What accusations? What blame?’ At this moment, none of it seemed to matter.
Right now... she just wanted to throw herself into that warm embrace that was waiting for her.
"Hold me..."
A muffled voice, yet perfectly clear, cut through her lingering embarrassment and escaped from Li Zhi’s tightly pressed lips.
The words had barely left her lips when Shen Yuan reached his arms out to her.
But just as Shen Yuan’s fingertips brushed against the wide sleeve of her down jacket, Li Zhi had already thrown herself forward!
She dove headfirst into the embrace that was already open for her.
She pressed her cheek tightly into the turtleneck-covered crook of Shen Yuan’s neck, as if trying to crush all the shame she’d endured in front of her family and all the overwhelming affection she felt now, embedding it all right there.
The cool surface of her down jacket pressed against the fabric of his chest, making a reassuring rustling sound.
Shen Yuan felt a sudden weight in his arms, followed by a warm, soft armful.
His arms, already around her waist, tightened almost instinctively, locking this treasure who had thrown herself into his embrace securely in place.
A sudden burst of fireworks lit up the night sky, their shattered golden light reflecting in both of their shining eyes.
Shen Yuan rested his chin gently on the top of Li Zhi’s head, his nose filled with her sweet scent.
He loosened his embrace slightly and looked down, allowing their gazes to meet in the flickering light and shadows.
Looking at Li Zhi’s cheeks, illuminated by the flowing light of the fireworks, Shen Yuan’s voice was filled with irrepressible anticipation.
"Let me take you... to set off some fireworks?"
Li Zhi looked at Shen Yuan and nodded emphatically.
"Mhm!"