Chapter 343 - 187: How About I Give You a Little Massage?
Her smooth, delicate skin, rising and falling with her quiet breaths, looked especially... captivating.
Shen Yuan’s grip on the pen unconsciously loosened, his gaze fixed on the face that made his heart clench.
The mischievous thought of getting revenge, which had just filled his mind, seemed to have been instantly melted away by the overwhelmingly beautiful sight.
’Forget it...’
He sighed silently to himself, his expression a complex mixture of lingering mischief and a sudden surge of gentleness.
’Drawing something on such a pretty face, even as a joke, would feel like... a kind of destruction.’
In the end, he quietly pulled the pen back.
That small desire for revenge ultimately couldn’t overcome the cherished feeling in his heart, one he hadn’t even taken the time to properly identify himself.
He simply watched the sleeping girl, the playful glint in his eyes gradually settling into a gentle gaze he himself hadn’t even noticed.
The afternoon sun cast shimmering flecks of gold on Li Zhi’s lightly trembling eyelashes.
Just as Shen Yuan’s gaze lingered, those tightly shut eyes shot open without warning.
Their eyes suddenly met!
There wasn’t the slightest hint of grogginess in Li Zhi’s eyes.
She hadn’t been asleep at all. She was just waiting to catch Shen Yuan red-handed, her fingertips even curled in preparation to grab his wrist.
But what she saw instead was the boy staring at her intently.
Though he was holding a pen, he wasn’t making any trouble. His deep eyes reflected only her. The triumphant, mischievous smirk from before was completely gone, replaced by a quiet tenderness that was enough to make one’s heart skip a beat.
"..."
The air suddenly froze.
Li Zhi’s gaze shot downward, locking onto the tip of the pen hovering in Shen Yuan’s hand.
Her eyes suddenly curved into a smile, as if she’d found incriminating evidence. She pointed a finger at the gel pen in his hand.
"Hah!"
"What are you doing with that pen! You were trying to get back at me, weren’t you? Planning on drawing on my face?"
Shen Yuan snapped back to his senses and quickly explained, "I just finished my homework. Is there a problem with holding a pen?"
The girl caught his subtle panic, and her smile deepened.
"Oh? Is that so? Don’t people usually put their pens down right after finishing their homework? How come you’re still holding it?"
Her eyes sparkled, and she said with conviction, "Admit it, Shen Yuan. You were just trying to get revenge on me! But I caught you!"
After a brief silence, Shen Yuan chuckled and admitted, "Yeah, I was going to. But then I changed my mind."
"Oh?" Li Zhi tilted her head, a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "Why?"
Shen Yuan’s gaze fell on her face. His fingertips unconsciously stroked the pen as he said gently, "Because I realized that drawing anything on it... would be like defiling a work of art."
"Eww—"
Li Zhi’s face instantly scrunched up, as if she’d tasted something incredibly sour.
She gave an exaggerated shudder and rubbed her arms vigorously.
"So gross, so gross."
"It sounds so weird coming from you, Shen Yuan! Stop it!"
Shen Yuan chuckled. "How is it gross? Our Li Bao is the goddess of Jiyang Middle School’s entire freshman class, you know."
Hearing this, Li Zhi rolled her eyes at Shen Yuan.
"Hmph. Like a subhuman who can’t even score a 650 has any business caring about ’gods’ and ’goddesses.’"
The corner of Shen Yuan’s mouth twitched, but he quickly smiled and said to Li Zhi, "Well, what if I’m the one who thinks that?"
The warm sunlight fell on the boy’s smiling face, and his soft-spoken words carried an unprecedented seriousness.
Li Zhi’s heart skipped a beat.
Her fingertips unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes. She shot Shen Yuan a fierce glare, her tone a strained attempt to maintain her usual haughty demeanor.
"Hmph... So what! Y-You idiot, you only scored a 650 once! Don’t get so full of yourself!"
With that, Li Zhi pushed Shen Yuan away. "I’m tired. I’m going to go rest!"
With that, Li Zhi walked into the bedroom and sat down in her familiar chair.
Shen Yuan followed her into the room.
Watching the pretty girl sitting in the chair, Shen Yuan was suddenly struck by an idea and silently made his way over.
He reached out, grabbed the back of the chair, and slowly pushed it toward the bed.
Li Zhi didn’t do anything to stop him.
The wheels made a faint RUMBLE on the floor, stopping only when the back of the chair rested against the soft edge of the mattress.
"If you’re tired, you should lie down on the bed for a bit."
"No way," Li Zhi replied, turning her head with a light hmph.
"You’ve slept on it before."
"That’s exactly why I don’t want to. It stinks!"
Shen Yuan didn’t press the issue. "Alright, well, you can rest for a bit then."
With that, Shen Yuan sat down on the edge of the bed beside her.
Their eyes met in a moment of tacit understanding.
The air in the room seemed to grow quiet and warm from their silent gaze.
His Adam’s apple bobbed almost imperceptibly. A hint of hesitation and uncertainty entered his eyes, and his voice softened unconsciously.
"Uh, you said you were tired just now? Do you want me to... give you a little massage?"
Li Zhi seemed startled by his suggestion, her body, which had been leaning against the back of the chair, instantly straightening up.
Suddenly, the words she’d spoken that morning at the entrance to Shen Yuan’s home echoed in her ears.
"Master Shen..."
"What am I supposed to do if I get tired from all the homework?"