Chapter 321 - 182: Shen Yuan: You Have to Be Nicer to Me
Shen Yuan turned to look at Li Zhi and gave her a small smile.
With the young lady focused on soothing them, Old Shen soon arrived at the animal hospital.
They arrived at the animal hospital just in time for their appointment.
Shen Yuan had chosen the most highly-rated animal hospital in Jiyang.
For him, there was no other choice.
After the young woman at the front desk confirmed their appointment, she quickly led Shen Yuan into an examination room. Li Zhi followed them inside.
Zhang Yuyan and Old Shen, however, didn’t go in, waiting outside instead.
Inside the examination room, the veterinarian gave each of the kittens a quick check-up. Once Shen Yuan had paid, the vet took the cats away for a full examination.
"You can wait in the lobby. I’ll come get you when the results are ready. It should take about half an hour."
With that, the vet carried the cat carrier into the back of the hospital.
Watching the two little ones disappear from sight, Li Zhi’s anxiety spiked.
"Shen Yuan..."
The young lady tugged on Shen Yuan’s school uniform, worry written all over her face.
Shen Yuan gently placed his hand over hers. "It’s okay," he soothed. "It’s just an examination. It’s a good opportunity to see how they’re doing."
Li Zhi gave a small nod. "So, do we wait here, or...?"
"Let’s go out to the lobby. There’s no point sitting in here for half an hour."
Li Zhi murmured in agreement.
’At that moment, the young lady seemed completely adrift.’
Stepping out of the examination room, Shen Yuan saw Old Shen and Zhang Yuyan sitting in the lobby.
"Dad, Mom."
Seeing the two of them, Zhang Yuyan asked, "Did they go in for it?"
Shen Yuan shook his head. "They’re getting an examination. We have to see if they’re healthy enough for the surgery first."
"Mm."
After her brief acknowledgment, Zhang Yuyan’s gaze shifted to Li Zhi.
’The young lady was still clutching Shen Yuan’s school uniform, her face etched with concern.’
’Normally, Li Zhi would never have done something so intimate in front of their parents.’
’But right now, her worry for the two little ones overshadowed everything else.’
Zhang Yuyan didn’t say a word about Li Zhi’s behavior.
’It was clear the beautiful young lady was genuinely worried about the two little ones.’
’Shen Yuan, on the other hand, seemed perfectly composed.’
"Have a seat. Don’t just stand there."
Shen Yuan nodded and found a place to sit with Li Zhi.
The moment she sat down, the beautiful young lady started searching for post-neuter care instructions for cats on her phone.
Seeing this, Shen Yuan ignored the fact that his parents were right beside them and took her hand.
"It’s okay, I’ve already taken care of everything. I’ve prepared a small blanket to keep the carrier warm, and the crate at home is ready too. We’ll keep them in the crate during the day, and at night, when I get home, I’ll let them out for a walk under my supervision."
Li Zhi looked up at Shen Yuan. His thorough preparations managed to disperse some of the gloom that had settled over her heart, giving her a tangible sense of support to lean on.
Though worry still knitted her brows, looking into Shen Yuan’s earnest eyes made Li Zhi feel a little more grounded.
"Thank you."
"What’s there to thank me for? I’m their dad, after all."
Hearing this, Li Zhi lowered her head slightly.
The young lady murmured softly, "Then I’m not doing a very good job as their mom..."
Shen Yuan squeezed her hand, leaned in, and whispered in her ear, "Then you’ll just have to be nicer to me from now on."
At his words, Li Zhi’s anxious thoughts about the kittens were momentarily derailed by his seemingly simple suggestion.
A blush instantly bloomed across the beautiful girl’s cheeks. A mix of shyness and vexation, she whipped her head around to glare at Shen Yuan.
Her clear eyes looked like they were about to shoot sparks. She bit her lower lip, a vivid picture of mingled shame and anger.
’Normally, she would have already chewed him out, but when her gaze met his, she swallowed the rebuke that was on the tip of her tongue.’
She gave the back of his hand a sharp, irritated pinch. Keeping her voice to a low hiss, she said resentfully, "For the kittens’ sake, I’m not going to yell at you right now!"
Hearing this, Shen Yuan just chuckled, squeezing her hand a little tighter.
Li Zhi didn’t resist, letting Shen Yuan hold her hand just like that, right in front of Zhang Yuyan and Old Shen. He even rested their clasped hands on his lap.
In less than half an hour, the door to the examination room swung open again, and the vet walked out holding a chart with the test results.
"Are San Geng and Naonao’s parents here?"
Shen Yuan and Li Zhi immediately stood up.
Under the watchful eyes of Zhang Yuyan and Old Shen, Shen Yuan led Li Zhi by the hand into the examination room.
Old Shen blinked in confusion. "So they’re not even trying to hide it anymore?"
The words were barely out of his mouth when Zhang Yuyan tapped her husband’s arm. "What do you know? They’re too busy worrying about those two little ones to think about anything else."
Old Shen nodded slightly. "That’s good, too."
’As for what was so good about it, Old Shen couldn’t have said for sure himself.’