Chapter 319 - 182: Shen Yuan: Be Nicer to Me From Now On
The next morning.
When Shen Yuan opened his front door, he happened to see Li Zhi from across the hall, head down as she put on her shoes.
After Li Zhi finished putting on her shoes, she stood up and tossed her schoolbag to Shen Yuan.
Seeing that Shen Yuan was about to say something, Li Zhi pursed her lips and gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head.
Shen Yuan took one look at her expression and immediately understood.
Shen Yuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He greeted Li Zhi as he usually did.
"Morning."
Li Zhi nodded. "Morning."
After that, they exchanged no more words, silently waiting for the elevator.
With a "DING," the elevator arrived. Once the doors opened, the two of them silently stepped into the car.
As the elevator doors slid shut, both Shen Yuan and Li Zhi let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Still, just in case, neither of them spoke.
The feeling of weightlessness as the elevator descended, mixed with the sound of their heartbeats, seemed to swell in the enclosed space. Shen Yuan shifted half a step closer to her, his shoulder brushing almost imperceptibly against her school uniform’s sleeve.
Li Zhi’s body stiffened instantly. "Shen Yuan, don’t mess around," she warned in a low voice.
Shen Yuan chuckled, a look of nonchalance on his face. He kept his voice extremely low. "What’s there to be afraid of? We’re in the elevator. Our parents won’t know."
He deliberately moved an inch closer, the friction of their uniform sleeves creating a faint warmth.
Li Zhi’s brows furrowed, her eyes betraying her nervousness. Her warning grew sterner. "Behave yourself! Don’t make me mad!"
Seeing Li Zhi’s serious expression, Shen Yuan immediately backed off.
"Alright, fine."
But as soon as the words left his mouth, he reached out and gave Li Zhi’s hand a quick squeeze.
He let go just before Li Zhi could glare at him.
Seeing that he had let go, the scolding Li Zhi was about to deliver died on her lips.
She knew the guy was just teasing her, so she shot him a small glare and shook her tiny fist in front of him in a silent warning.
With a soft "DING," the elevator reached the first floor.
They walked out of the car, crossed the building’s lobby, and pushed open the glass doors, a rush of cool morning air greeting them.
Shen Yuan and Li Zhi walked out of the building side by side, stepping onto the main path of the residential complex.
And behind them, from a window in each of their respective apartments, Zhang Yuyan and Xu Chan coincidentally pulled back a corner of their curtains.
Their gazes quietly followed the two figures in school uniforms walking shoulder to shoulder down below.
Just then, as they were walking, Shen Yuan suddenly turned his head. A sly smile played on his lips as he lowered his voice and asked Li Zhi, "Hey, what do you bet our parents are watching us from upstairs right now?"
Li Zhi, who had been looking at the path, faltered for an almost imperceptible moment.
She didn’t immediately look up toward her window. Instead, feigning composure, she smacked Shen Yuan’s arm, pretending that he had annoyed her.
"Shut up!"
Her voice still held its usual warning tone, but only she knew about her slightly quickening heartbeat.
Shen Yuan let out an exaggerated "Hiss," but his smile only deepened.
He adjusted the two schoolbags on his shoulders and didn’t press the issue, as if he had just made a casual, amusing joke.
Shen Yuan didn’t look back either.
He was very clear on one thing. With his Bright Eyes Skill, while he might not be able to make out faces on the 18th floor, he could definitely see if someone was standing by a window.
And Shen Yuan also knew that if he looked back, it would be best if he didn’t see anyone at the window.
But if he did, it would mean that their families knew about him and Li Zhi.
It would also mean that he knew his family was watching him and Li Zhi.
Of course, the most important thing was the awkward situation that would arise if they made eye contact.
The parents probably wouldn’t be embarrassed, which would leave only Shen Yuan and Li Zhi feeling awkward.
Having the budding romance between childhood sweethearts exposed to classmates is a whole different ball game from having it exposed to parents.
To avoid any awkwardness in the family, Shen Yuan decided it was best to behave.
So even after leaving the complex and walking to a spot where they couldn’t be seen, Shen Yuan remained on his best behavior today.
"Boss, two with vermicelli, one with meat, pickled vegetables, and preserved greens, and one savory tofu pudding."
"15!"
Before Shen Yuan had even finished speaking, the owner of the steamed bun shop had already bagged the ones he wanted and handed them over.
"Sent."
Shen Yuan took the steamed buns and turned, walking toward Li Zhi with a light spring in his step.
He walked up to Li Zhi and asked with a smile, "Which one do you want?"
Li Zhi’s gaze fell on the steamed buns in Shen Yuan’s hands. After examining them carefully for a moment, she answered, "I want the vermicelli one."
Shen Yuan smiled faintly, quickly picked out a vermicelli-filled bun, and carefully broke it in two, handing one half to Li Zhi.
Li Zhi took the bun and was just about to take a bite when she suddenly heard Shen Yuan speak.
"We didn’t hold hands this morning, but we’re definitely holding hands on the way back tonight."
Li Zhi’s movements froze instantly. Her eyes widened as she stared at Shen Yuan.
The girl quickly shoved the bun in her hand back at Shen Yuan, as if it were a hot potato.
Shen Yuan immediately raised his voice. "Hey, hey, hey, what’s the meaning of this?"
"What’s the meaning of *this*?" Li Zhi shot back, looking at Shen Yuan with feigned anger.
Shen Yuan spoke quickly, "Aren’t we suspicious of our families right now? And if we are, shouldn’t we avoid acting strangely?"
"This morning was already a change, because they don’t know what our morning routine is like. But tonight, shouldn’t we continue our usual walk around the complex? If we act too out of the ordinary, won’t our families get suspicious?"