Chapter 323 - 183: What Are You Doing, Sneaking Around
Meeting Shen Yuan’s gaze, the girl pressed her lips into a line and gave a firm nod, her eyes resolute yet gentle.
"Mhm! You too."
This small gesture and the reassurance in her eyes made Shen Yuan pause for a moment.
Looking at Li Zhi, the worry deep in Shen Yuan’s eyes instantly dissolved. The tension left his jaw, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.
Shen Yuan nodded gently. "Go get some rest. We can’t see anything from here anyway."
Li Zhi nodded and, in one smooth motion, took hold of Shen Yuan’s wrist, intending to pull him over to the large window to sit and rest.
"Come on..."
Her words trailed off as her gaze happened to drift to the side.
Shen Yuan’s parents were watching them with beaming smiles. This was especially true for Zhang Yuyan, who couldn’t hide the amusement in her eyes.
Li Zhi reacted as if she’d been scalded. A blush instantly flooded her cheeks, and she snatched her hand back from Shen Yuan’s wrist as if she’d received an electric shock, her fingertips curling awkwardly.
Seeing this, Shen Yuan felt a pang of exasperation.
’Such a perfect opportunity...’
At this thought, Shen Yuan shot Old Shen and Zhang Yuyan a look of mock reproach.
Unfazed by Shen Yuan’s glare, Zhang Yuyan waited until Li Zhi looked down before rolling her eyes dramatically at her son.
A moment later, however, Zhang Yuyan stood up and patted Old Shen on the shoulder.
"Alright, alright, you two wait here. Your dad and I will go get you some dinner so you don’t starve."
Zhang Yuyan added pointedly, "The cat is important, but so are the people."
Old Shen stood up in agreement, nodding with a chuckle.
With that, the two of them headed for the stairs, leaving Shen Yuan and Li Zhi behind.
Outside the pet hospital, Zhang Yuyan turned to Old Shen. "What should we eat?"
Shen Guohao looked puzzled. "Hm? Aren’t we buying for them first?"
Hearing this, Zhang Yuyan shot Old Shen an exasperated look. "It’s just KFC, what’s the rush? Let’s go eat our fill first. They won’t starve."
Zhang Yuyan chuckled. "Besides, don’t you think we were getting in the way back there?"
Hearing this, Old Shen nodded thoughtfully. "You’ve got a point."
The couple exchanged a smile and headed for their car.
"So, what are you in the mood for?"
"Let’s get grilled fish. It’s been a while. Oh, and you want milk tea?"
"Yes. Let’s get some for the kids, too."
"I know, I know. We’ll deal with that later. Let’s just focus on feeding ourselves first."
Meanwhile, on the second floor of the pet hospital, Shen Yuan and Li Zhi sat quietly at a table.
They were both scrolling through their phones, but their minds were elsewhere entirely.
Sunlight streamed through the massive window, outlining them in a warm, golden glow.
Shen Yuan stared down at his phone, but his thumb hadn’t swiped the screen in a long time.
His mind had already drifted back to the moment Li Zhi had grabbed his wrist, and the image of her fingertips hastily retreating.
At the memory, an imperceptible smile lifted the corners of his mouth.
Gradually, the only sounds were the faint noises from downstairs and the other couple, who were also waiting for their pet to wake up from anesthesia.
Shen Yuan set his phone down on the table and turned to Li Zhi, who was sitting beside him with her head slightly bowed, just as lost in thought.
"Li Bao." His voice was soft, laced with a gentle smile as it broke the silence.
Hearing Shen Yuan call her name, Li Zhi immediately looked up.
A flicker of wariness appeared deep in the pretty girl’s eyes.
Li Zhi knew Shen Yuan all too well. She had a very clear idea of what he was about to do.
Sure enough, as she watched, the smile in his eyes deepened, turning mischievous. "A moment ago... you were the one who held my hand, right?"
His words were like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, sending ripples through Li Zhi’s heart.
Even though she had been bracing herself, her fair cheeks still visibly flushed a deep crimson the moment he spoke.
Even the tips of her ears turned pink, and the blush threatened to spread down her slender neck.
"Who—who held your hand!" Li Zhi quickly refuted him. "I... I was trying to grab your sleeve! Who... who knew your arm was so short..."
As she spoke, her fingers unconsciously tightened around the edge of her phone. Her attempt to look composed, paired with her beet-red face, was incredibly cute.
Seeing the laughter in Shen Yuan’s eyes, Li Zhi abruptly shot to her feet.
"I’m going to check on the surgery."
With that, Li Zhi practically fled toward the observation window, leaving behind a flustered, retreating figure. She fixed her gaze on the operating room with renewed focus, as if nothing had just happened.
Shen Yuan watched her shy retreat and couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle.
The last vestiges of worry he had for little San Geng’s surgery were now completely replaced by something softer and brighter.
Shen Yuan picked his phone up again, and his thumb finally began to scroll across the screen, a smile lingering on his lips.
However, Shen Yuan’s Concentration didn’t last long.
Standing before the glass window, Li Zhi’s gaze fell upon the small shape on the operating table, covered by a sterile drape. Seeing the doctor working in an orderly fashion, she began to relax.
After a moment of unconscious focus, her gaze, as if pulled by some invisible force, drifted away from San Geng under the surgical lamp.
It slowly moved to the left, landing on the boy sitting at the table, head bowed over his phone, a smile still playing on his lips.