Chapter 334 - 185: Li Bao Is a Bad Woman
Leaning in slightly, Shen Yuan’s voice was even softer than the night itself. "Li Bao?"
The young woman didn’t respond, her eyelashes the only thing fluttering with her breathing.
Shen Yuan hesitantly raised his hand, finally patting Li Zhi’s arm with utmost care.
"Li Bao, time to wake up."
The sleeping young woman seemed to sense his call, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly at the disturbance.
"Hm?"
A moment later, Li Zhi’s eyes slowly fluttered open.
Her almond-shaped eyes, still hazy with sleep, slowly came into focus. In her blurry vision, Shen Yuan’s face suddenly filled her sight.
The young man was leaning very close, a gentle smile on his face.
Without warning, their gazes locked.
Moonlight streamed silently through the window. Inside, time seemed to stretch like thick honey, rippling slowly with each soft breath.
Shen Yuan could clearly see his own reflection in Li Zhi’s eyes.
For a moment, Shen Yuan wanted to pull back to lessen the impact of their intense, close-up gaze, but the liquid shimmer in her eyes held him captive, halting his retreat.
In the depths of his eyes, which reflected her own image, Li Zhi seemed to glimpse something he was deliberately suppressing.
It was like an undercurrent in a deep pool, causing her heart, already relaxed from sleep, to suddenly skip a beat.
The silence in the air suddenly grew thick and charged with an intimate tension.
Shen Yuan’s heart hammered against his ribs like a drum, the silent thrum of it nearly bursting from his throat.
Li Zhi’s breath, mere inches away, and the faint, warm fragrance lingering in the air were both pulling him in, tempting him to lose himself in the moment.
But in the end, he remained clear-headed.
Mustering nearly all his willpower, Shen Yuan took a sharp breath of the room’s cool air, forcibly suppressing the emotions churning within him.
At the same time, as if pulled by an invisible force, he shifted back slightly, deliberately putting some distance between them and breaking the heart-pounding proximity.
The young man’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He avoided Li Zhi’s gaze and deliberately kept his voice calm.
"It’s past 10."
The hazy depths of Li Zhi’s eyes still seemed to hold the syrupy haze from their shared gaze.
She didn’t speak right away, merely pulling her face more fully from under the thin blanket.
After a few breaths, she gave a small nod. "Okay, got it."
The young woman’s voice was slightly hoarse from sleep, adding an extra layer of languor to her usual tone.
As she spoke, Li Zhi drew in her long legs, which had been stretched out in front of Shen Yuan.
As she moved, Li Zhi realized her legs hadn’t fallen asleep this time.
She used her arms to push herself up straighter in the chair, the movement causing the thin blanket to rustle softly.
Shen Yuan watched as she threw off the blanket, bent her knees, and stood up firmly on the floor.
The light caught her lowered lashes, casting faint shadows beneath her eyes. Strands of sleep-mussed hair clung to her slightly flushed cheeks.
"Did you sleep well?"
The young woman was looking down, smoothing the wrinkles from her clothes, when her movements paused at his question.
Li Zhi’s eyes shot up, and she gave Shen Yuan an exasperated look. "You’re asking even though you already know the answer."
The clipped end of her sentence was lost to the sound of her suddenly racing heart. Li Zhi quickly turned away, hiding her burning ears, and shuffled away in her slippers, her steps making a soft PITTER-PATTER on the floor.
"I’m going to go say bye to them."
Li Zhi went into Shen Yuan’s study, her gaze falling on the two little kittens resting quietly in their cage.
"Genggeng, Naonao, Mommy’s going home now. Mommy will come see you again tomorrow morning."
Hearing Li Zhi’s voice, San Geng lifted his head and glanced at her.
After glancing over at Shen Yuan, Li Zhi lowered her voice and whispered to San Geng, "You have to be good tonight, okay? Don’t bother Daddy while he’s resting. Daddy is very tired today."
As soon as she finished speaking, San Geng lowered his head and went back to resting.
"Mhm, you rest well."
Seemingly very pleased with this, the young woman pushed herself up by her knees and stood.
Turning and walking out of the study, Li Zhi immediately saw Shen Yuan, who was still sitting on the edge of his bed.
The light fell on his straight back, making the profile of his face exceptionally clear in the interplay of light and shadow.
Seeing Li Zhi come out of the study, Shen Yuan instinctively looked up at her.
The next moment, the young woman’s clear voice rang out.
"Oh? Is Master Shen still on duty?"
Hearing this, Shen Yuan chuckled and nodded, his movements carrying a lazy sort of composure.
He rested his hands casually on his knees, a flicker of amusement in his eyes as he replied slowly, "Well, I was just waiting for the client to leave a tip. If Young Master Li was satisfied with tonight’s service, remember to give Master Shen a five-star review."
Li Zhi choked on his words, her cheeks instantly flushing red. She stomped her foot in a fluster. "Pah! Your technique was awful and you still want a good review? This Young Master didn’t file a complaint about you hurting me, and for that, you should be thanking your lucky stars!"
Shen Yuan’s smile deepened. He nodded, deliberately drawing out his words. "Alright, I’ll do better tomorrow, then. I guarantee your feet will feel so good you won’t be able to leave a bad review."
The young woman unconsciously twisted the toe of her slipper against the floor, making a faint ’PAT’ sound.
"Huh? You want to do this again tomorrow? In your dreams! Not a chance!"
With that, Li Zhi pouted and turned as if to walk out of the room.
"Alright, Master Shen, your shift is over."
The young woman’s voice was light, but it held a hidden, almost imperceptible reluctance to leave. Her body was angled slightly toward the door.
"I’ll just leave my bag here. This Young Master is heading home for today."
Shen Yuan nodded and stood up. "Let me walk you out."
"Okay. Oh, and get some rest soon."
"I know."
As he spoke, Shen Yuan noticed that the slender figure at the door had suddenly frozen.