Chapter 442 - 213: I’m Not a Tsundere

Chapter 442: Chapter 213: I’m Not a Tsundere

They ran all the way down the stairs and burst out of the academic building.

The cold night wind hit them the moment they were outside, scattering the clamor from within the building but doing nothing to cool the fiery heat on Li Zhi’s face.

Beneath the halo of the school’s dim streetlights, her cheeks were flushed crimson, her heart pounding like a war drum.

But Li Zhi didn’t loosen her tight grip on Shen Yuan’s hand in the slightest. On the contrary, her nervousness made her squeeze it even tighter.

Her fingers tightened unconsciously, as if she were afraid of pulling away herself.

The campus path was deserted and still, with only the cold winter wind whistling past their ears. But in that moment, all Li Zhi could feel was the heat radiating from their joined hands and the inescapable mix of shyness and determination welling up inside her.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm a heart that felt ready to leap from her chest. The moment they were alone, her carefully constructed composure shattered.

The courage she’d summoned in the classroom moments ago now receded like the tide, leaving only nervous uncertainty and bashfulness in its wake.

Meanwhile, Shen Yuan was slowly coming to his senses in the cool evening breeze, recovering bit by bit from the initial shock.

He turned his head, his gaze intense as he stared at the figure beside him. She had her head lowered, trying to shrink into her collar, and the crimson tips of her ears were especially striking against the pale skin of her neck.

Shen Yuan truly hadn’t expected Li Zhi to make such a bold move.

The heart-stopping scene from a few minutes ago replayed in his mind, over and over.

Her wrist, with its familiar coolness, had pressed against his palm. Her fingers had then resolutely pushed between his, lacing them together in a tight grip.

It was completely unexpected, yet carried an undeniable resolve.

But what had truly made him feel weightless was the flash of slyness and shyness that had crossed her clear eyes.

When she’d stood on her tiptoes to look up at him, her chin had brushed his shoulder, her warm breath caressing his cheek.

Her slightly provocative question, "Too hot to handle?", sent a tiny jolt of electricity through him with every word. The tingling sensation instantly shot through his entire body.

Shen Yuan knew perfectly well this was her response to his words from the afternoon.

This intimacy and affirmation, offered so proactively by her, was like a sudden burst of fireworks in the winter night—dazzling and unforgettable.

Shen Yuan couldn’t help but tighten his fingers, gripping her small, now slightly damp but incredibly warm hand even more securely.

The frantic drumming in his chest was more than just the aftermath of their run; it was the wild ecstasy of having his feelings returned.

They walked in silence for a moment. Feeling the night wind grow more piercing, Shen Yuan turned his head and asked Li Zhi softly, "Are you cold?"

His fingers twitched, and he subconsciously wanted to pull her into his arms.

Li Zhi sensed his intention. She deliberately tilted up her flushed face, her eyelashes fluttering as she teased, "What’s wrong? Is my hand too hot for you?"

Hearing Li Zhi’s teasing, Shen Yuan met her flushed cheeks with a low chuckle.

"Burning. Of course it’s burning."

Shen Yuan deliberately drew out his words, his gaze burning as he stared into her eyes. "Someone’s hand is so hot it’s getting sweaty."

His words shattered Li Zhi’s pretense of calm.

Flustered, the girl’s entire face felt like it was on fire, and a blush crept up her neck.

Under Shen Yuan’s gaze, Li Zhi whipped her head away in exasperation to glare at a bare sycamore tree by the road, forcing out a defiant rebuttal.

"I’m just hot! Can’t I sweat a little to cool down?"

She bit her lip, trying to maintain her cool demeanor, but the corners of her mouth twitched irrepressibly, leaving her with an expression torn between wanting to glare at him and wanting to laugh.

She could only resort to futilely digging her nails into Shen Yuan’s palm to vent her frustration.

Shen Yuan felt her small act of protest, chuckled, and deliberately tightened his grip on her hand.

"Fine, of course it’s fine!"

As he spoke, Shen Yuan leaned close to her blushing ear, his voice dropping to a low whisper. "But next time you need to cool down... remember to give me a heads-up."

Li Zhi’s ear twitched. She shot him an indignant glare. "A heads-up for what? So you can get a fire extinguisher?!"

The moment she finished speaking, a brilliant smile lit up Shen Yuan’s face.

"A fire extinguisher is no fun."

As if to prove his point—or perhaps just driven by the sweetness overflowing in his heart—Shen Yuan tightened his fingers, enveloping Li Zhi’s hand, and began to gently swing it back and forth.

The motion was slight, imbued with a sort of boyish glee, swinging back and forth, back and forth, as if their joined hands had become willow branches swaying in the wind.

"Is this a little cooler?"

Beneath the night sky, the swinging of their clasped hands created a small breeze. It felt cool against their palms, but also created a tingly, ticklish friction.

Li Zhi was taken aback by this sudden, childish display. The slight jostling of their joined palms made her heart skip another beat.

She turned her head, her clear eyes glaring at Shen Yuan.

"You moron, Shen Yuan!"

she grumbled under her breath, trying to pull her arm free without putting any real force into it.

"Hey..."

Li Zhi kept her expression taut, trying hard to look disgusted, but she couldn’t quite stop her lips from curling upwards. It finally dissolved into a petulant question: "Aren’t you being a little childish?"

But despite her words, the girl had no real intention of stopping him.

Her arm remained a little stiff, as if she were forcing herself to hold still in an attempt to appear more mature.

But her fingers, clasped tightly with Shen Yuan’s, honestly began to relax their resistance as they felt the silly, stubborn rhythm of his swinging.

"What’s childish about it? This is called youthful fun."

Then, when Shen Yuan gave another tentative swing, he felt a slight answering sway from their pressed palms.

In the end, Li Zhi’s slender wrist, reluctantly yet very honestly, began to swing gently in time with the movement of Shen Yuan’s arm.