Chapter 297 - 174: I... Can I Hug You?
In the end, he couldn’t stand to let her overheat.
The arms wrapped around Li Zhi slowly relaxed their hold.
She felt the restraint loosen, followed by the faint sound of rustling fabric.
The next second, her head popped out from a gap in the blanket, like a swimmer finally breaking the surface for air.
Li Zhi’s hair was a little messy, a few mischievous strands clinging to her temples and beet-red cheeks.
The girl’s face was flushed crimson. A scalding blush spread from her cheekbones all the way to the tips of her ears. Even her delicate nose and slightly parted, gasping lips were drenched in the vibrant hue.
Tiny beads of sweat even dotted her forehead and temples. A few damp strands of hair clung to her flushed skin and the side of her neck, adding an extra layer of allure.
Her damp, misty eyes shot up, stealing a quick glance at Shen Yuan, who was just inches away.
Li Zhi gasped for fresh air, her lips parting and closing in rapid succession, as if she had just woken from a feverish dream.
But even so, she still found a moment to curse Shen Yuan.
"Idiot! You almost suffocated me!"
At Li Zhi’s words, a fond smile suddenly bloomed on Shen Yuan’s face.
Shen Yuan’s gaze fell upon her face, which was so shockingly red it looked like she might pass out at any moment. His Adam’s apple bobbed silently.
The sight of her gorgeous, "steamed" face did nothing to cool the fire in his eyes. Instead, it smoldered, settling into a deeper, darker shade.
He just watched her quietly, watched her struggle to catch her breath, flustered and steaming from the heat.
That flush was too vivid, too captivating.
"...Li Bao."
Hearing Shen Yuan, Li Zhi looked up to see a smile on his face. Gently, but firmly, he said, "You’re so beautiful."
Li Zhi’s breath hitched, as if she had been scalded by his blunt words.
Shen Yuan had told her this many times before, but perhaps it was the atmosphere, because Li Zhi actually felt a little shy.
The girl whipped her head to the side, but her chin lifted unconsciously, the damp hair at her temples failing to hide the sudden flush of pride.
A mumble escaped her throat, the smug lilt in her voice impossible to conceal. "Stop spouting nonsense, you idiot, Shen Yuan."
"I’m saying you’re beautiful!" Shen Yuan repeated.
At his insistence, Li Zhi tilted her head back and let out a loud "Hmph!"
"I don’t need you to tell me!"
Shen Yuan shook his head, his tone firm. "Yes, I do."
"Whatever!"
A brief silence fell over them once more, leaving only the sound of Li Zhi’s faint gasps.
She raised a hand to wipe the fine beads of sweat from her forehead and temples. The sensation of damp hair clinging to her fever-hot cheeks was particularly distinct.
The stuffy heat that had built up under the blanket now felt even more sticky and unbearable.
The girl could feel her underwear, slightly damp with sweat. Her delicate nose twitched, as if she could smell the stuffy warmth from the blankets still clinging to her skin.
The memory of that suffocating yet heart-pounding embrace hadn’t faded, but it was now partially overshadowed by the physical discomfort of her sticky skin.
Li Zhi’s delicate brows furrowed. Her already flushed face seemed to take on a shade of irritation from her growing impatience.
She abruptly threw back a corner of the blanket covering her legs, her movements a mixture of urgency and annoyance.
"You jerk, Shen Yuan! This is all your fault!"
"I’m boiling! You made me break out in a sweat under that blanket. It’s so sticky and gross, I hate it!"
"And it stinks! When was the last time you aired out this blanket?!"
The girl’s voice was filled with complaint, yet it was still tinged with a soft, nasal quality that hadn’t quite faded. Hearing it only made Shen Yuan’s smile widen.
As she spoke, Li Zhi pushed herself off the bed and scrambled away, escaping the intimate cage that had made her heart race and her body break out in a hot sweat.
"I’m going home!"
She spoke quickly, as if she had found the perfect excuse.
"I feel so gross, I need to go take a shower."
Before the words were even out of her mouth, her feet, clad in pure white cotton socks, had already shot out from under the still-warm blanket, her toes urgently searching for the slippers by the bed.
Shen Yuan’s gaze followed her every move. He saw the damp strands of hair at her temples still clinging to her crimson cheeks.
The young man pushed himself up on his knees, his voice still raspy. "Yeah, a shower sounds like a good idea."
Shen Yuan walked Li Zhi to her front door. The two of them fell into a comfortable silence during the short walk.
They had only taken a couple of steps from Shen Yuan’s front door when she came to a halt.
"Hey..."
Li Zhi didn’t turn around. Her muffled voice seemed to melt straight into Shen Yuan’s heart. "...Remember to come over for dinner later."
Shen Yuan hummed his assent.