Chapter 450 - 214: The So-called Sense of Ritual

Chapter 450: Chapter 214: The So-called Sense of Ritual

Shen Yuan caught Li Zhi’s warning glare. Far from backing down, he just gave her an innocent look and raised his eyebrows, his face practically begging to be punched.

He Zhiyu glanced back and forth between Shen Yuan and Li Zhi. Both of them looked a little flustered and annoyed.

But the laughter in Shen Yuan’s eyes was impossible to hide, and it was obvious Li Zhi was just using a fierce act to cover up her shyness. ℴ

And their answers were so in sync, perfectly dodging the main question, that she instantly knew what was going on.

"Oh..."

He Zhiyu drew out the syllable. She feigned being intimidated by Li Zhi’s fierce tone, but the corners of her mouth secretly curled up, and the light in her eyes shone even brighter.

A non-denial was as good as a confession!

The little author’s shipping radar was going crazy.

There was definitely something going on between these two!

Something huge. Something off-the-charts sweet!

Inspiration flooded her mind. Her future writing would flow as if divinely inspired!

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi knew exactly what He Zhiyu was thinking.

But they couldn’t give her a straight answer to her question.

After all, Shen Yuan had never actually confessed his feelings.

Their relationship existed in a state of unspoken agreement.

It was just that neither of them had said the words to make it official.

As for who would be the one to break the silence, it certainly wouldn’t be Li Zhi.

The bell for the morning study session rang at just the right moment, like a pardon, finally breaking the tense, charged atmosphere.

But the air, still thick with sweet, restless gossip, and the lingering blush on their cheeks as they sat down, all signaled that the morning’s drama was far from over.

Li Zhi forced herself to open her English textbook, but her fingertips unconsciously tightened on the edge of the page.

He Zhiyu’s casual question was like a pebble tossed into the lake of her heart, sending endless ripples across the surface she was desperately trying to keep calm.

She lowered her head slightly, and a few stray strands of hair fell across her forehead, perfectly concealing the surreptitious glance she stole at the person beside her.

Shen Yuan was lazily propping his head up with one hand, his fingers tapping an unconscious rhythm on the desk. His gaze was fixed on his open textbook, as if the little commotion from moments ago had never happened.

The light traced the youthful line of his profile. His usual carefree demeanor, however, now gave Li Zhi a strange, prickly feeling.

’This idiot... when is he finally going to say it?’

They’d already reached the point where they could hold hands in school in front of the entire class. And the unfinished business in the stairwell last night was just as mutually understood.

But he was still holding back that final, crucial phrase—the one ritual that would solidify all this ambiguity and intimacy.

Li Zhi blinked.

’Then again,’ she suddenly wondered, ’if Shen Yuan really did confess, what would I do?’

Li Zhi’s fingertips unconsciously traced the edge of the page. The cold winter morning light filtered through the window, casting a small, dancing spot of light on her fingers.

A scene suddenly flashed into her mind—

The boisterous New Year’s Eve crowd faded into a colorless tide, leaving only the warm, golden glow beneath the square’s countdown clock tower.

Shen Yuan stood amidst the flashing neon lights, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously. His usually nonchalant eyes were focused, intense, and the white puff of his breath nearly brushed her eyelashes.

"Li Zhi, I..." His voice was swallowed by the sudden CRACK of fireworks.

As the sparks filled the sky and reflected in his eyes, the hand gripping her wrist tightened, pulling her into his embrace with an all-or-nothing force.

The rest of his words, left unspoken, burned against her earlobe. "Will you..."

Li Zhi instantly shoved the image from her mind.

’No, no, I absolutely can’t think about this!’

’What the hell am I thinking!’

Li Zhi shook her head, forcing herself to get a grip.

She buried her burning face in the crook of her arm, yanking her English textbook over with a RUSTLE to cover her head.

The thick textbook formed a small pillbox on her desk, but it couldn’t hide the blush spreading from the tips of her ears to the nape of her neck.

In his peripheral vision, Shen Yuan saw what she did. His face was a mask of confusion.

When the bell signaling the end of the morning study session rang, the classroom quickly filled with cheerful chatter.

"Yuan, speaking of which, isn’t Christmas Eve coming up?" Ah Jie’s voice sounded beside Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan nodded. "What about it? Planning to take the night off from your practice tests?"

Ah Jie rolled his eyes at him. "You’re so damn unromantic!"

"And giving someone a Peace Fruit is your idea of romance?" Shen Yuan chuckled.

"Tsk," Ah Jie said, looking at Shen Yuan with disdain. "You just don’t get it. It’s about the confession! Tons of people confess their feelings on Christmas Eve."

"You planning to confess to someone?"

Ah Jie immediately flushed beet red. "Hey, hey! Don’t go making stuff up!"

"Look at you, so pathetic."

Shen Yuan scoffed and casually flipped open a book on his desk, his tone laced with light-hearted mockery.

"Besides, about this whole Christmas Eve confession thing... when would you even do it? After class? Or wait until after the evening study session ends?"

"We’re not first or second-years who get a holiday break."

"Besides, using an apple as your confession prop... I mean, it’s not the worst idea, but it’s still a little..."

Shen Yuan’s face twisted into a conflicted expression.

Ah Jie nodded in agreement.

Shen Yuan spoke at a volume that was neither too loud nor too soft, but just loud enough for those nearby to hear.

Li Zhi lifted her gaze, feigning nonchalance, as her eyes quickly swept over Shen Yuan’s profile.

In her clear eyes, which reflected the classroom lights, a flicker of doubt and curiosity appeared.

’So not on Christmas Eve?’

’Is he planning to do it on New Year’s Eve, then?’

’He wouldn’t drag it out all the way to Chinese New Year, would he?’

The thought swirled in her mind for a moment before sinking like a stone in a deep pond, leaving only the faintest ripple behind.