Chapter 351 - 190: You’re So Greedy, Shen Yuan
The two of them walked out of the apartment. The hallway was empty and quiet, and the elevator indicator showed it was still slowly descending on a lower floor.
Someone had clearly gone down just ahead of them.
’Guess we’ll have to wait.’
The downsides of living on a high floor were pretty obvious.
Li Zhi rearranged her long hair; she’d really let it get wild this afternoon.
They say a guy’s heart skips a beat when a girl ties up her hair in front of him, but Shen Yuan was mostly fine.
He’d seen Li Zhi tie her hair up in front of him so many times that he was a little immune to it.
But at that moment, Shen Yuan leaned in a little closer, lowered his voice, and asked tentatively, "Li Bao, can we hold hands on our way out today?"
Li Zhi glanced at him sideways, her tone light but laced with mock disdain. "Hey, hey, we just left the apartment. Can’t you wait even a second? Don’t push your luck!"
With that, she decisively pulled her hands into her sleeves. "Didn’t you get enough hand-holding this afternoon? You’re so greedy, Shen Yuan."
Shen Yuan chuckled.
’Whatever. If she won’t let me hold her hand, she won’t.’
With that thought, Shen Yuan watched the elevator indicator show it was starting to ascend and swung the backpack in his hands onto his back.
But before he could sling Li Zhi’s backpack over his front, a sweet, peachy scent suddenly washed over him.
Li Zhi had suddenly stepped forward and gently wrapped her arms around his waist.
The girl’s soft voice sounded from his arms.
"This is a tip for carrying the backpack."
The moment she finished speaking, Li Zhi quickly pulled back, giving Shen Yuan no chance to react.
The hug had come out of nowhere, carrying the lingering warmth of the afternoon. It was just a brief touch before she quickly pulled away, like the brush of a feather.
Shen Yuan was stunned by the sudden embrace, his fingers unconsciously tightening on the backpack strap.
Before Shen Yuan could say anything, a DING sounded.
"Hurry up, the elevator’s here."
The girl’s figure vanished into the elevator. Shen Yuan, still dazed, nodded and stepped in after her.
The elevator descended, the space inside the metal box so quiet they could hear each other’s faint breathing.
Shen Yuan leaned against the wall, his gaze glued to Li Zhi. The girl, however, feigned nonchalance, staring at the indicator lights, but a hint of pink on her earlobes betrayed the slight flutter in her heart.
They stepped out of the building entrance, and a cool evening breeze swept over them.
They were running a little late today. The streetlights had already flickered on in the twilight, stretching their shadows long across the ground.
They walked side by side toward the school, not speaking a word, but the thrum of excitement in Shen Yuan’s heart had yet to subside.
That hug had been too brief, like a fleeting cloud you couldn’t grasp.
And it wasn’t just the hug just now, but yesterday’s as well. Li Zhi’s surprise attacks and sudden retreats left Shen Yuan with no time to react at all.
As they left the residential complex and waited for the red light, Shen Yuan couldn’t help but turn to look at Li Zhi, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice. "Li Bao, next time you give a tip, could you maybe give me a heads-up? Or at least give me a little more time to enjoy it."
Li Zhi stopped in her tracks, the corners of her eyes crinkling up. "Oh? Are you complaining that the tip was too stingy?"
She poked his arm lightly with her fingertip. "It’s just a tip. How long did you want to enjoy it for? I’m telling you, don’t get too greedy."
"Nope, can’t do that. I’m a greedy person." Shen Yuan shook his head, the corners of his lips turning up. "You gave it so unexpectedly, without even leaving me time to react."
"Hmph. So I’m just supposed to let you be insatiable?"
Li Zhi huffed, turning around with her hands behind her back. Just then, the red light turned green.
The girl quickened her pace toward the school gate. "If you keep nagging, you won’t get any more in the future!"
Shen Yuan chuckled and hurried to catch up.
...
Evening in Class 15 was also a scene bustling with vibrant energy.
Li Zhi and Shen Yuan arrived at school a little late. By now, pretty much everyone was in the classroom, aside from the few who were always late.
Ah Jie, Yang Ze, and the others were in the hallway, talking with a few guys from the neighboring Class 14 about how they’d spent the long holiday.
Just then, two familiar figures appeared at the end of the hallway, walking side by side.
Ah Jie’s words came to a sudden halt. It was as if someone had hit his pause button. He jabbed his elbow hard into Yang Ze’s side.
Yang Ze grimaced from the jab and was about to complain when he followed Ah Jie’s gaze and froze, his mouth hanging slightly open.
"HISS—"
At once, the boys from Class 15 all sucked in a sharp breath.
The guys from Class 14 looked at Ah Jie and the others in confusion.
"What’s up?"
Ah Jie shook his head quickly. "Nothing, nothing."
Saying this, Ah Jie quickly scurried to the side with Yang Ze and the others.
"Something’s off. Something is, like, a million percent off."
"Those two are usually so early. Why are they so late today?"
At this thought, Sun Xiansheng suddenly sucked in a breath. "Hiss... You don’t think they... went on a date, do you?"
Chen Mingyu, standing to the side, didn’t say anything, but he adjusted his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses glinting with insight as he nodded with great certainty.
In an instant, wide, silent, goofy grins spread across the boys’ faces.
The boys’ strange pause and focused stares were like a physical searchlight.
Shen Yuan keenly sensed something was up. He looked over and met the teasing, "I-get-it, I-get-it" gazes from Ah Jie and the others.
Shen Yuan let out a dry laugh and mouthed two words: "Zhuo Peipei."
Ah Jie instantly stopped smiling.
He couldn’t manage even the slightest smile.
Seeing Ah Jie’s expression, Yang Ze immediately started teasing him. "Jie, why aren’t you smiling anymore? Were you born without a sense of humor?"
"Get lost! Just get lost!" Ah Jie fumed.
As soon as Shen Yuan and Li Zhi returned to the classroom, many pairs of eyes fell directly on them.