Chapter 598 - 242: Go Home? Which Home?
Chapter 598: Chapter 242: Go Home? Which Home?
A few seconds of dead silence.
The confusion on Li Zhi’s face at Shen Yuan’s frozen state was like a spark landing in hot oil. It instantly ignited.
"...!!!"
An incredibly clear realization slammed into her mind with immense force.
’I’m! So! Screwed!’
’It was me... I got the wrong idea!’
’Shen Yuan, this straightforward, almost foolish "Selaan," didn’t have any of the ulterior motives I was imagining!’
’When he said "go home," he meant it literally—go back to his grandparents’ house!’
’Or at most, he just wanted to drag me along to see the lively scene at his grandparents’ place again!’
’And me...’
’That place filled with romantic implications that was just swirling around in my head...’
WHOOSH—!
A wave of unprecedented embarrassment erupted like a volcano, rushing from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head!
Her cheeks suddenly became a prairie fire, burning fiercely!
The beautiful young woman felt as if her entire body was being roasted over a fire. Even the tips of her ears were so red they looked like they might bleed.
’Oh god! What on earth did I just say?!’
Li Zhi screamed silently in her heart, her toes curling tightly inside her boots. She wished she could dig a hole and bury herself on the spot.
She subconsciously wanted to raise her hands to cover her face, but her trembling fingers instead clutched Shen Yuan’s sleeve, like she was desperately grabbing onto the last piece of driftwood.
Shame, regret, mortification... all sorts of emotions violently intertwined, instantly filling her beautiful eyes with a thick layer of moisture, bringing her to the verge of tears.
She ducked her head, not daring to look Shen Yuan in the eye again.
’It’s over!’
’Social suicide!!!’
’I’ve made a complete fool of myself in front of this dense blockhead!!!’
Li Zhi’s cheeks were burning, like a ripe red apple radiating a surprising amount of heat in the cold winter night. She was too ashamed to lift her head at all.
In the midst of this utter silence, a hand gently cupped her chin. The warm pads of his fingers brushed against the astonishingly hot edge of her cheek, slowly lifting her deeply buried head.
Shen Yuan finally forced a reboot from his shocked, crashed state. Looking at the crimson-flushed face before him, all his chaotic and complex thoughts were instantly overwritten by a much clearer impulse.
The wits that had been scared clean out of him by Li Zhi’s bold idea now quietly returned.
The pressure from the pads of Shen Yuan’s fingers was light, but it compelled Li Zhi to lift her eyes to his.
In the depths of the young man’s eyes, her clear and panicked reflection was visible.
Shen Yuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed silently. His voice was low and deep.
"Zhizhi..."
"Why is your face so hot?"
’You know exactly why!’
Li Zhi glared at him, a mix of shame and annoyance in her eyes.
A slight smile touched the corners of Shen Yuan’s lips. "It’s so cold out... Why don’t we..."
He spoke with a thick, undeniable sense of anticipation:
"Shall we go back?"
"BOOM—!"
Those four words were like a spark splashing into hot oil.
Like a key, they instantly punctured all the overthinking she’d been doing just moments ago.
’He means *that* place!’
’A space for just the two of them!’
No more words were needed.
Li Zhi buried her face low, her throat seemingly blocked by immense shyness. In the end, all that escaped was a muffled, almost inaudible hum from within her collar.
"Mm..."
That sound of assent made Shen Yuan’s heart pound thunderously in his ears.
He tried to suppress the surging joy, tightening his arm around her and gently nuzzling the top of her head with his chin.
"So... should I go get Sister Shui to drive us back?"
He loosened his embrace slightly, looking down at her still-flushed cheeks, his fingers unconsciously caressing her cool knuckles.
She bit her lower lip and nodded lightly. "Okay."
But then, as if remembering something, the beautiful young woman immediately added, "W-wait a minute..."
Shen Yuan looked at her, puzzled, but saw her take a deep breath, her gaze drifting uncontrollably toward her own brightly lit courtyard.
"I... I have to tell my parents and my grandparents first." Li Zhi’s voice was quiet, with a pleading tone, as if she were trying to convince herself to be brave.
"I’ll just say... I’ll just say Sister Shui is taking us out!"
She paused, then turned her face away and muttered, "...I-I can’t just sneak away, can I?"
’We’ll all have to go home eventually, but if I wait for Old Li to go home, it’ll be the middle of the night at least.’
’It’s not even 9 PM yet...’
Shen Yuan gazed at her earnest cuteness, his heart melting.
He loosened his grip. "Mm, I know. I’ll walk you over there first, and then we can go to my place."
’Yang Yishui can be the scapegoat. I’ll just buy her a couple of extra milk teas later.’
Li Zhi took a deep breath, as if steeling herself to walk into a small "battle."
Shen Yuan escorted her all the way to the courtyard gate before stopping.
"Go on, Li Bao," Shen Yuan’s voice was low and gentle. "I’ll be right here waiting for you."
Li Zhi nodded and turned, walking toward her brightly lit little courtyard.
Her heart was still pounding in her chest, half from the anticipation of being alone with Shen Yuan, and half from the nervousness of facing her family’s scrutiny.
Pushing open the courtyard gate, a wave of warmth and the sound of her family’s laughter washed over her.
She stood in the entryway, feeling several gazes from the living room land on her.
Her cousins’ eyes held teasing smiles, and her grandparents were also beaming at her.
The heat that had just receded from Li Zhi’s face flared up again with a WHOOSH.
Steeling herself, she looked directly at Ms. Xu Chan, who was sitting on the sofa, and at Old Li, who was holding a teacup and seemingly watching the news on TV.
"...Dad." Li Zhi cleared her throat, trying her best to keep her voice normal.
Hearing her voice, Old Li put down his teacup and turned to look at her, his gaze gentle.