Chapter 325 - 183: What Are You Doing, Sneaking Around
Li Zhi nodded.
Seeing San Geng safely through the neutering surgery, Li Zhi finally felt her worries start to ease.
Even San Geng, who had some minor health issues, was fine, so there was even less to worry about with Naonao.
"Let’s go back and sit for a while."
Shen Yuan’s voice was more relaxed now, tinged with a gentle, relieved tone.
Shen Yuan naturally lowered the hand he had on Li Zhi’s shoulder and gently took hers.
Li Zhi froze for a moment, her fingertips instinctively curling.
This time, she didn’t snatch her hand away in a panic like before. She didn’t even duck her head to hide the blush instantly flooding her cheeks, simply allowing the warmth of his youthful touch to envelop her hand.
The last of her tension from the surgery seemed to melt away in that silent, grounding touch.
Neither of them spoke.
Shen Yuan squeezed the cool fingers in his palm, leading Li Zhi back to their corner by the window, which was bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun.
He had just sat down in his original seat when a blinding ray of sunlight shot through the floor-to-ceiling window, hitting him square in the face.
He instinctively squinted, turning his head to avoid the glare. His gaze swept over to Li Zhi beside him.
She was sitting a little closer to the window with her back to the sun, so the glare wasn’t bothering her.
Shen Yuan made a decision almost instantly.
He stood up decisively, grabbed his chair, and moved it right next to Li Zhi.
With that, Shen Yuan was settled in right beside Li Zhi.
"The sun is too blinding over there. It’s more comfortable here," Shen Yuan said as he sat down, his tone as matter-of-fact as if he were stating a simple truth. His arm brushed gently against Li Zhi’s.
Li Zhi’s shoulders had tensed slightly when Shen Yuan stood up. It wasn’t until he sat down practically flush against her, the warmth from his arm seeping through their clothes, that she realized just how close they now were.
"You don’t need to be this close to get out of the sun, do you?"
Shen Yuan chuckled. "What’s the big deal? We’re deskmates, aren’t we?"
Li Zhi rolled her eyes at him, her voice laced with mock disdain. "Seeing you all day at school is annoying enough. Now you have to stick close to me here, too? Seriously..."
She muttered softly, "...So annoying."
Despite her words, however, she didn’t flinch or move away. She tacitly allowed their arms to remain pressed together, not pushing him away or getting up to sit elsewhere.
Outside, the sunlight shifted from gold to orange-red, casting a warm, soft filter over the two of them.
What little space was left between them was filled with a deep intimacy, and the silent companionship they shared was more powerful than any words.
About ten minutes after San Geng’s neutering surgery ended, Naonao’s surgery began.
As he watched the other little cat lying on the operating table, Shen Yuan’s mood had finally settled.
He studied the shaved patch on the little cat’s belly. "They shaved so much fur off. We’ll have to line their cage with a blanket to keep them warm."
Hearing Shen Yuan, Li Zhi nodded lightly. "Mhm, the weather is getting colder. With so much fur gone, we definitely need to keep them warm."
Shen Yuan nodded. "Actually, that’s not a huge deal. But there is a much more important matter at hand right now."
"What is it?" Li Zhi asked, curious.
Shen Yuan turned to Li Zhi, his expression dead serious. "I’m hungry, and my mom isn’t back yet."
The moment Shen Yuan mentioned Zhang Yuyan, a blush crept onto Li Zhi’s cheeks.
She chided him playfully, "Can’t you just hold on for a bit? You can’t even wait that long?"
Shen Yuan explained earnestly, "A person can’t function without food. I’m starving. Besides, I bet my mom took my dad out for something good, leaving me here to go hungry."
"I’m here with you, aren’t I? Alright, that’s enough. Go sit down and wait patiently."
Just as Li Zhi was about to turn and walk away, Shen Yuan suddenly called out, "Wait."
"What is it?"
As Li Zhi watched in confusion, Shen Yuan suddenly held out his hand to her, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"I’m so hungry I can’t walk. I need Li Bao to pull me."
Shen Yuan deliberately drew out his words, his tone playful and wheedling.
His sudden, wheedling tone left Li Zhi momentarily speechless.
But she quickly recovered, snapping at Shen Yuan, "Then you can just stand here by yourself!"
With that, Li Zhi turned and walked away.
She took three or four steps forward—less than two meters—before stopping abruptly.
Li Zhi spun around and saw that Shen Yuan was, indeed, still standing in the exact same spot!
He tilted his head and blinked at her, his bright eyes full of mischief, and he even deliberately pressed his lips together into a piteous pout.
"You!"
Li Zhi hurried back with quick, short steps, her ponytail swinging in an indignant arc under the sun.
"Are you coming or not?"
Shen Yuan didn’t budge, keeping his arm outstretched. "My parents aren’t around, so what’s the harm in giving me a hand?"
Li Zhi took a deep breath, the helplessness in her eyes finally turning into a short, coquettish huff. "Then just starve to death! Dumbass!"
But the moment the words left her lips, Li Zhi grabbed his wrist.
The sudden pull on his wrist made Shen Yuan lean forward slightly.
She still looked a little annoyed as she dragged him along.