Chapter 446 - 213: I’m Not a Tsundere

Chapter 446: Chapter 213: I’m Not a Tsundere

She simply pressed her forehead back against his chest and grumbled, her voice muffled by his clothes, "...You have no say in this!"

This time, however, the arms wrapped around his waist pulled him even tighter.

A new silence settled over the hallway, leaving only the distinct sound of their heartbeats beneath the motion-sensor light.

They held each other tightly, and time itself seemed to stretch, sweetened by the moment.

The cold winter night was shut out beyond the apartment building, leaving only their mingled breaths and the reassuring warmth radiating from each other in the entryway.

After a while longer, Li Zhi stirred in Shen Yuan’s arms, her voice slightly muffled.

She looked up. The blush hadn’t faded from her face, but her eyes were much clearer now. They held a barely perceptible clinginess, mixed with the sober realization that she had to go.

"I really... really have to go back..."

Her voice had a pouting, nasal quality, and her fingertips were unconsciously tugging at the hem of his jacket. She kept her gaze lowered, not daring to meet his eyes.

"It’s late..."

Shen Yuan didn’t let go immediately, instead looking down to gaze at the girl in his arms.

The cold, white light of the sensor lamp clearly outlined her slightly raised jawline. Her smooth forehead still bore the faint marks from where she had pressed against him.

Her beautiful eyes glistened, reflecting the light and his shadow, while her long lashes cast small, trembling shadows beneath them.

Perhaps because the earlier excitement hadn’t fully subsided, her cheeks were still flushed and her small nose was slightly wrinkled. Her lips, which usually held a hint of coolness, were now slightly parted like a budding flower, their color more vibrant than usual.

This angle, this complete dependence and unabashed shyness, hit Shen Yuan with overwhelming force.

A powerful, unprecedented urge suddenly swept over him!

The impulse was more intense than when he had first held her hand, more direct than when she had thrown herself into his arms just moments ago.

’Just one kiss.’

The thought appeared in his mind with such clarity, driven by a primal force that made his heart feel like it would pound out of his chest.

All the sweet palpitations and the overflowing intimacy of the moment seemed to concentrate into this sudden, explosive desire.

His gaze was uncontrollably fixed on her soft lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed, the arm around her back tightened unconsciously, and his body subtly tilted forward.

Li Zhi seemed to notice the instantaneous change in his gaze and his breath. The suddenly intensified stare made her stiffen slightly.

Her lowered gaze shot up, crashing right into the depths of Shen Yuan’s turbulent eyes.

The undisguised desire there made her cheeks burn even hotter, and her breath hitched.

She seemed to guess what he was thinking, and a hint of panic immediately entered her already shy eyes.

The girl’s body instinctively grew a little rigid, and her fingers, clutching the corner of his jacket, curled even tighter.

Their eyes met, and the air seemed to freeze.

Shen Yuan could see the surprise in Li Zhi’s eyes, and her recoil.

This sudden escalation of intimacy had clearly exceeded the girl’s expectations for the moment.

The desire, so close it was almost a physical touch, was pinned in place by the frozen air and the sudden panic in the girl’s eyes.

Shen Yuan clearly felt the tempestuous impulse within him, like a torrent about to crash against a reef, only to be cut off at the last second by a surging wave of restraint.

’Now isn’t the time.’

She wasn’t ready yet, and her momentary shock was like a bucket of cold water, dousing his rash impulse.

He couldn’t scare her, much less be so forward in this environment.

Shen Yuan took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the turmoil inside him.

He gently rubbed the top of Li Zhi’s head with his chin, his deep voice a little hoarse from suppressed emotion.

"Mmm... I know."

His reply was vague, as if the intense clash of a moment ago had never happened, but the thunderous beating of his heart, pressed against her, could not be concealed.

The arm wrapped around her finally, slowly, loosened its grip, the movement full of lingering reluctance.

Li Zhi was able to take half a step back, her cheeks as red as ripe cherries. Even her small earlobes hadn’t been spared.

The girl shot Shen Yuan a quick, incredibly complex glance—a mixture of shyness, panic, and perhaps a flicker of a thrill that even she hadn’t yet processed.

Then she immediately lowered her head and mumbled something unintelligibly—he couldn’t tell if it was "idiot" or something else. She turned and practically fled toward her own door, quickly and quietly unlocking it before slipping inside.

With a soft CLICK, the hallway was left with only Shen Yuan and the violent pounding of his own heart.

He raised a hand to touch his chin, where he could almost still feel the soft texture and warmth of her hair. On his lips and tongue, however, was the lingering, dry taste of regret.

’A moment ago, I really, really wanted to kiss her.’

The thought was like a stone tossed into a silent lake, sending endless, unceasing ripples across the surface of his heart.

Once he was home and had closed the door, he found that Zhang Yuyan had already turned on the heat in his room. His two cats were lying comfortably on the comforter.

The warmth of the room immediately enveloped him, but it did nothing to dispel the burning heat in his heart or the increasingly clear sense of frustration.

"Idiot!"

Shen Yuan cursed himself under his breath, not knowing if he was cursing the impulse he failed to suppress, or the damn restraint he showed afterward.

Shen Yuan threw himself heavily onto his bed. The soft mattress bounced a few times, but it couldn’t bounce away the churning regret in his heart.