Chapter 341 - 187: Do You Want Me to Help You Press It a Little?
Shen Yuan’s expression went from confusion to shock, then froze into a picture of utter disbelief.
His eyes were wide, his mouth hung slightly agape, and he seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. All that remained were the comical lines on his face, dancing to a taunting rhythm against the black-and-white-painted canvas of his skin.
A full three or four seconds passed before he jerked his head around as if he’d been scalded, his neck turning stiffly toward Li Zhi.
"Li—Zhi—!!"
At that moment, Li Zhi couldn’t hold it in any longer.
The beautiful young woman was curled up in her chair, burying her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook violently as her silvery laughter, no longer possible to suppress, spilled out from between her fingers and the irrepressible smile she couldn’t hide.
"Ha... haha... *pant*... W-What? I didn’t do a thing!"
The young woman was laughing so hard she could barely breathe, her voice trembling as she forced an innocent tone.
As she spouted this nonsense, the young woman struggled to lift her head.
Upon seeing the results of her prank, Li Zhi found it even harder to contain her smile.
She gave up the act and just laughed out loud.
Watching her laugh so hard she trembled, the urgency Shen Yuan felt suddenly vanished.
Shen Yuan gazed at Li Zhi, who was still curled up in her chair laughing. The corner of his mouth twitched, and his eyes held a mix of helplessness and a fond, wry smile.
He fell silent for a few seconds before finally letting out a soft sigh, as if silently processing this sudden farce.
A moment later, under Li Zhi’s watchful eye, Shen Yuan slowly rose to his feet.
The young woman immediately grew wary. Her body tensed instinctively, and her fingers gripped the armrests of her chair.
Just as Li Zhi thought Shen Yuan was about to come settle the score, she saw that he only shot her a look of utter resignation before turning and heading for the room’s bathroom.
Li Zhi froze. After watching Shen Yuan’s figure disappear into the bathroom, she hesitated for a moment before tiptoeing over and peeking around the half-open door.
Inside, Shen Yuan was bent over the sink, washing his face. Amid the sound of rushing water, he splashed his face hard with cold water. Droplets trickled down his jawline, dampening his collar.
Li Zhi leaned against the doorframe, watching as a sly smile crept back onto her lips.
Shen Yuan scooped up more cold water and splashed it on his face.
As he looked up, his gaze fell on the mirror, and he immediately saw the young woman leaning against the doorframe, watching him.
The motion of his hands froze. In the mirror, Shen Yuan’s eyes met Li Zhi’s.
A bead of water trickled down his cheek, hung for a moment from his chin, and finally dropped into the sink.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression a mixture of lingering resignation and a hint of imperceptible indulgence.
"Seen enough?"
He spoke to Li Zhi’s reflection, his deep voice husky with moisture, and asked grumpily, "Having fun?"
Hearing Shen Yuan’s question, Li Zhi nodded emphatically, her face beaming with the joy of a successful prank.
"Mm-hmm. I even took a picture."
As she spoke, she pulled her phone from her pocket and waved it triumphantly in front of him.
Shen Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly at her words, but at the same time, a flicker of curiosity sparked within him.
"Let me see how good it turned out."
Hearing this, Li Zhi blinked, seemingly surprised by his reaction.
But soon enough, the smile on Li Zhi’s face grew even wider. She unlocked her phone, tapped open the photo, and handed it to Shen Yuan.
After splashing his face one more time, Shen Yuan glanced at the photo on the phone.
Seeing himself in that state, the corner of Shen Yuan’s mouth twitched. It looked like he was trying to suppress a laugh.
After a brief silence, Shen Yuan looked up to meet Li Zhi’s gaze, his low voice laced with a hint of mock scrutiny. "Li Zhi, would this be considered deliberate retaliation on your part?"
Li Zhi put her phone away, another laugh bubbling up. Instead of answering directly, she pulled back toward the doorframe, her eyes full of mischief as she watched him.
"Yep! It’s your fault for taking such an unflattering picture of me yesterday. This is my revenge. What’re you going to do about it?"
Hearing Li Zhi’s smug and defiant confession, Shen Yuan didn’t get angry as she had anticipated.
To her surprise, he simply raised an eyebrow. The last traces of resignation in his eyes were replaced by a mischievous amusement.
"Oh, really?" Shen Yuan’s voice dropped, his deliberately slow tone hinting at playful malice.
"Just you wait. The next time you’re fast asleep during a nap, I’ll draw tally marks on your face. You’ll see."
Hearing his threat, Li Zhi’s eyes went wide. She immediately aimed a kick at him.
"Get lost, you creep! Clean out all that junk in your head!"
"Then delete the photo from your phone first."
Li Zhi quickly clutched the phone to her chest. "No! I didn’t make you delete your picture yesterday! Why should I have to delete mine? If you’ve got the guts, come and take it!"
Seeing the triumphant way the young woman guarded her phone, a barely perceptible, wicked smile touched Shen Yuan’s lips.
He didn’t immediately try to grab the phone. Instead, with a flick of his wrist, he sent the icy droplets from his still-wet right hand flying swiftly, but not forcefully, in Li Zhi’s direction.
Instantly, a few chilly droplets flew from Shen Yuan’s fingertips, splashing squarely onto Li Zhi’s face.
"Ah!!"
The cold shock made Li Zhi cry out and flinch away instinctively.
The next second, a flicker of flustered indignation flashed in her wide eyes.
"Shen Yuan!"
Before she could finish, Li Zhi saw Shen Yuan raise his hand again.