Chapter 300 - 175: Hand-in-Hand Out of the Community
Not long after Old Li finished speaking, a soft click came from the front door.
After hearing the two kids leave, Xu Chan, who had been in the kitchen, hurried over to the sofa.
"Old Li, something’s fishy."
Li Shicheng smiled at his wife. "Isn’t it obvious? Still, their relationship seems to be progressing a little too quickly."
"Do you think... they’ve done anything they shouldn’t have?"
Li Shicheng shook his head. "No, just holding hands."
Hearing Li Shicheng speak with such certainty, Xu Chan grew even more puzzled.
"You’re so sure?"
Li Shicheng nodded. "Haven’t you noticed they’ve been coming home especially late from their evening study sessions recently?"
"Didn’t Li Zhi say Shen Yuan was asking her about his schoolwork?"
The moment she said it, Xu Chan stared at Old Li in shock. "You mean? They...?!"
"They most likely just dawdled on the way home, held hands, and lost track of time."
Old Li added, "Those two know what they’re doing. You can rest easy."
Xu Chan pressed her lips together. "Fine, have it your way. Just don’t come crying to me when your precious daughter gets whisked away."
Old Li laughed heartily and took his wife’s hand. "Kids have to leave the nest eventually. As long as I have you by my side, I’m content."
Xu Chan rolled her eyes at him.
While the old couple was flirting, Shen Yuan and Li Zhi had just made it to the elevator.
As the elevator doors slid open with a DING, Shen Yuan subconsciously stepped aside to let Li Zhi in first, then followed her into the car.
The moment the elevator doors closed, Shen Yuan’s gaze was uncontrollably drawn back to Li Zhi’s hair.
Li Zhi lowered her gaze to the floor buttons, pretending not to notice him staring.
"This hair clip..."
Shen Yuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. In the small space, his voice was exceptionally clear. "It really suits you."
At the sound of his voice, Li Zhi looked up, and the faint blush at the base of her ears instantly spread across her cheeks.
The pretty girl let out a soft huff, then lifted her chin, a smug yet playful smile gracing her lips. "Well, of course. I’m a natural beauty."
The undisguised vanity in her voice made Shen Yuan chuckle.
He watched her proud display, his gaze lingering, shifting between the luster of the pearls and her flushed cheeks.
"That just proves I have good taste. It’s worthy of you."
"Yes, yes, it’s a great gift. Thank you~"
As her voice trailed off, the pretty girl looked at the broad, undisguised smile on Shen Yuan’s face. Her own pink lips involuntarily pressed together, then quietly curved into a sweet smile of her own.
The last trace of shyness in her eyes was instantly replaced by a lighthearted smile.
Their gazes met for a fleeting moment before quickly darting away.
In the cramped elevator, silent smiles bloomed on both of their young faces.
Even after they got out of the elevator, the two still wore those lingering, slightly goofy smiles.
The soft light of the entryway fell upon them.
Shen Yuan naturally slowed his pace by half a step. His hand, hanging at his side, moved to gently envelop Li Zhi’s.
Li Zhi’s steps faltered almost imperceptibly.
His hand, wrapping around hers, had a familiar strength.
Li Zhi’s gaze drifted involuntarily to their joined hands, but she showed no intention of pulling away.
The moment he took her hand, her fingers curled slightly before relaxing, obediently letting her own hand be completely enfolded in his larger one.
There were no words.
Shen Yuan didn’t even turn to look at her, his gaze calmly fixed on the exit of the residential complex ahead.
It was late October, and at five o’clock, the sky had not yet fully darkened.
The golden glow of the sunset filtered through the gaps in the complex’s greenery, casting long, intertwined shadows behind them.
The small pearl nestled in the girl’s hair shimmered with a soft luster in the warm twilight.
It wasn’t until they had walked out of the complex that Li Zhi finally reacted.
Li Zhi’s pace slowed unconsciously as her gaze swept over the bustling street corner ahead.
Her hand was still held tightly in Shen Yuan’s. His knuckles were warm and strong, yet she felt a subtle anxiety creep into her heart.
The evening breeze stirred the pearl clip in her hair, its gentle luster glinting in the dusk as if to remind her of something.
Almost simultaneously, Li Zhi’s fingers twitched in his palm, a weak but clear attempt to pull away.
"Hey..." Her voice was barely a whisper, and a blush instantly colored her cheeks. "You should let go now."
Shen Yuan, who had been looking straight ahead, froze. His breath hitched.
The young man turned his head, his gaze landing on the base of her flushed ears.
After a brief standoff, Li Zhi lowered her lashes, not daring to look at him, and added in a small voice, "It’s getting crowded up ahead. Do you want us to end up on the school forums?"
Shen Yuan pursed his lips.
’Honestly, he didn’t care about ending up on the forums.’
’Shen Yuan was thick-skinned; it really didn’t bother him.’
’But the girl beside him clearly felt differently.’
"Oh..." Shen Yuan replied vaguely, slightly loosening his grip.
Sure enough, the instant he loosened his grip, his hand was empty.
The sensation made him instinctively curl his fingers, as if the feeling of her skin still lingered in his palm.
Li Zhi quickly snatched her hand back, hiding it behind her back to secretly rub her warmed palm.
The pretty girl couldn’t help but quicken her pace. After a few steps, she stopped, turned back, and shot him a glare. Her tone was one of mock anger, but it couldn’t hide her bashfulness. "Hurry up! What are you dawdling for?!"
Their eyes met for a second before quickly flitting away.
"I’m coming," Shen Yuan said, immediately striding to catch up.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long. On the noisy street corner, a subtle distance, like an invisible line, gently severed the intimacy of the previous moment.
’But for Shen Yuan, this was actually a good sign, wasn’t it?’
’At least now, Li Zhi was willing to hold hands with him outside of her apartment complex.’
’They were only a dozen or so meters away from the complex, but sooner or later, he would extend that distance.’
’All the way to the school gates, even. All the way into the classroom.’
Shen Yuan watched the pretty girl’s retreating back, the smile on his face impossible to suppress.
’Li Bao, oh, Li Bao,’ he thought, ’I’m breaking down your defenses, one little step at a time!’