Chapter 326 - 183: What Are You Doing, Sneaking Around
Looking at where they were pressed close together, Shen Yuan couldn’t help but smile.
With one following the other, they returned to their original spot in just a few steps.
Li Zhi stopped beside the chair. After letting go, she irritably jutted her chin toward the seat. "Sit."
Shen Yuan did as he was told and sat, looking up at Li Zhi who stood before him. Outside, the soft orange glow of the sunset gilded the tips of her fine hair with a faint golden edge. It also softened her pretty face, which she was trying to keep stern.
The window reflected the outline of her silhouette, as well as the young couple behind her who were secretly watching them.
After a few seconds of silence, Li Zhi walked around the chair and sat down beside Shen Yuan.
Before Shen Yuan could even admire the beauty of her side profile, Li Zhi grabbed a handful of his collar.
With a flex of her arm, Li Zhi yanked Shen Yuan toward her. She then stuck out a finger and began poking him repeatedly in the chest.
"You big baby! Honestly, Shen Yuan, how childish can you be?!"
Her cheeks were flushed red with embarrassed anger, but her clear eyes reflected the brilliant sunset glow from outside. "I’m warning you!"
Li Zhi deliberately lowered her voice, the end of her words trembling with indignant shame. "Don’t. Let. It. Happen. Again!"
Shen Yuan nodded profusely. "Got it, got it."
Despite his words, the mischievous glint in his eyes didn’t fade in the slightest. Annoyed, Li Zhi slapped his hand, making Shen Yuan grimace in pain.
By the time the two of them stood up again, Naonao was already out of surgery.
As she watched Naonao being steadily wheeled away, Li Zhi finally relaxed completely.
"Now we just have to wait for him to wake up."
After leading Li Zhi back to her seat, Shen Yuan sat down and suddenly felt a slight weight on his shoulder.
"Let me lean on you for a bit. I’m a little tired."
Without a word, Shen Yuan silently adjusted his posture to let her rest more comfortably against him.
The overhead light illuminated the look of pure relief on her face as she closed her eyes.
The tension from the cat’s surgery finally dissipated. This moment of tranquility was like a safe harbor.
Shen Yuan glanced down at his phone, then at Li Zhi resting with her eyes closed on his shoulder. A sudden thought popped into his head.
’Take a picture.’
The moment the thought occurred to him, Shen Yuan knew he wouldn’t be able to resist it.
Shen Yuan carefully checked on Li Zhi out of the corner of his eye.
Her long eyelashes cast a small, serene shadow beneath her eyes.
Her breathing was even; she had clearly drifted off into a light sleep.
Shen Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. He quietly unlocked his phone and held his breath. He raised his arm with excruciating slowness, trying not to let the slightest movement of his shoulder wake the girl resting there.
He stealthily aimed the phone’s camera at their two figures, huddled close together.
As his gaze swept across the phone screen, the softest of smiles uncontrollably touched his lips.
In the center of the frame, her peaceful, sleeping face rested securely on his shoulder.
The side of Li Zhi’s face was pressed against his shoulder, and a few loose strands of her hair hung down, catching the soft light.
Her lips, usually pressed tight, looked exceptionally soft in her relaxed state. The worry had finally vanished from between her brows, leaving only complete tranquility and dependence.
Shen Yuan glanced at Li Zhi, then gently tapped the shutter button with his fingertip.
He shot a quick glance at the photo he’d taken, the smile in his eyes nearly overflowing.
Feeling that a single photo wasn’t enough to commemorate this rare, tender moment, Shen Yuan’s finger once again tapped the screen, wanting to capture the beautiful instant one more time.
He silently raised the phone again, angling the screen just right to capture her profile and the way she leaned against him.
Shen Yuan sneakily snapped another picture.
Then, just as Shen Yuan was trying to find another angle, he suddenly saw her eyes flutter open on his screen.
"What are you fidgeting for...?"
As her slightly groggy eyes opened, her gaze fell directly on Shen Yuan’s phone screen.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment.
The only things left in the air were the faint glow of the phone screen and the image of their gazes meeting on it.
Before Li Zhi could say a word, Shen Yuan quickly pressed the shutter button.
In an instant, the tranquility on her face was washed away by a rising tide of bashfulness. A blush spread rapidly from the base of her ears across her entire face, even turning her delicate earlobes bright red.
She jerked her head up from his shoulder!
"Shen Yuan!!"
Li Zhi’s voice wasn’t loud. It held a trace of sleep-roughened hoarseness, but it was mostly filled with embarrassed rage.
Shen Yuan gave a sheepish laugh. The awkwardness of being caught red-handed made his own face flush.
"Heh heh, I was just... documenting the moment."
"Documenting what! Delete it! Delete it right now!"
Without a moment’s hesitation, Li Zhi reached out to snatch his phone, her face burning hot.
But Shen Yuan was faster, immediately hiding the phone behind his back.
"No, come on, it’s a good picture! I’ll just keep it for myself, I swear I won’t leak state secrets!"
Before he could finish, Li Zhi’s hand had already found its way behind him, pinching the soft flesh of his side with a strength born of pure, humiliated rage.
"Give me the phone! You dumbass!"
"Hiss—"
Shen Yuan sucked in a sharp breath from the pain. "Ow, ow, ow! Here, take it, take it!"
Before he’d even finished speaking, he’d stuffed the phone into her hand, even thoughtfully unlocking it for her.
Still fuming with embarrassment, she jabbed her finger straight to the photo gallery.
The first thing she saw was the photo of her own sleeping face, completely defenseless as she rested on Shen Yuan’s shoulder.
The golden edge of the sunset from outside the window outlined her lowered eyelashes. Her scattered strands of hair were dyed a pale gold, and her lips, relaxed, showed a softness she’d never seen before.