Chapter 508 - 226: Li Zhi: Which is Sweeter, the Strawberry or Me?

Chapter 508: Chapter 226: Li Zhi: Which is Sweeter, the Strawberry or Me?

He could already picture himself sitting bolt upright before a desk in the Li family’s study, like an elementary school student, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

But hey, it was better than not being able to be with Li Bao.

Shen Yuan’s gaze subconsciously drifted to the test papers spread across his desk, the thick stack of practice exams waiting to be done, and the error correction notebook that was a testament to his diligence and progress.

"Perfect!"

Shen Yuan steeled himself, a do-or-die glint in his eye as he thought, ’This is the perfect chance to let Old Li see for himself! To see clearly! To see what Li Bao and I are really doing when we’re together!’

A scene seemed to materialize before his eyes—

In the Li family’s bright and spacious study, he and Li Zhi were buried in a mountain of books and an ocean of questions.

He scribbled furiously, working through exercises, brow furrowed as he tackled difficult problems. Li Zhi would be sitting quietly to the side, either reading a book or grading the test paper he had just completed.

Sunlight streamed through the window, spilling onto the desk. The only sounds were the RUSTLE of a pen tip gliding across paper and the occasional hushed voice discussing key points of a problem.

The atmosphere was serious and diligent—a purely academic environment, through and through!

There wasn’t the slightest hint of romance in the air!

"That’s it!"

Shen Yuan slapped his thigh. The lingering disappointment over Li Bao’s "restricted" reward going up in smoke instantly transformed into soaring morale and the sense of mission of a man possessed by the spirit of the class study monitor.

He felt this was a golden opportunity.

A chance to prove to his future father-in-law, with irrefutable evidence, that when he, Shen Yuan, was by Li Zhi’s side, he was absolutely there for the pure purpose of studying!

His motivation instantly maxed out.

Shen Yuan shot toward his desk like an arrow and began deftly packing his school bag.

Test papers? Had to bring them—the more, the better! They would show the sheer volume of his schoolwork and the extent of his diligence!

Practice exam collections? Bring the whole set to prove the intensity of his grind!

The error correction notebook? The most important of all! This was ironclad proof of his hard work; every single page was a response to Li Zhi’s strict tutoring!

All his academic gear was stuffed into the already bulging bag.

He pulled the zipper shut with a clean, decisive WHIZ.

Shen Yuan took a deep breath, hoisted the bag onto his shoulder, his face a mask of solemn determination, as if he were about to head into a battlefield—the "examination hall."

’Alright, then!’

’Let’s go!’

’Time to use the practical actions of grinding problems and studying to righteously conquer that fortress known as my future father-in-law at Li Bao’s house!’

Shen Yuan took another deep breath. Like a warrior shouldering a sacred mission, he hoisted the bulging backpack onto his shoulder and strode out, pushing open his bedroom door.

In the living room, Zhang Yuyan was leaning against the sofa, scrolling through her phone.

Hearing the noise, she looked up and immediately saw her son’s "fully-armed" appearance and his face, which was filled with a strange, tragic heroism.

"Oh?" Zhang Yuyan raised an eyebrow, drawing out the syllable with an all-knowing, teasing tone.

"Going off to battle... again?"

She deliberately stressed the word "battle," her eyes crinkling with amusement.

Shen Yuan faltered for a moment. The "weight-of-the-world" expression on his face almost cracked, replaced by a flash of flustered embarrassment at being caught. His cheeks grew slightly hot.

But he quickly straightened his back, forcing a self-righteous expression. "Ahem, Mom! I’m going to Li Zhi’s house to do homework! We’ll review together, it’s more efficient! Li Bao is waiting for me!"

He enunciated the words "do homework," "review," and "more efficient" with extra clarity and volume, as if afraid she wouldn’t understand.

The smile on Zhang Yuyan’s face deepened. Seeing her son trying to act calm while even the tips of his ears were turning red, she nodded knowingly.

"Ooooh—"

"Doing homework, huh? That’s great, that’s great! Homework is good!" She suppressed a laugh and waved her hand. "Go on, go on. Behave yourself, and don’t keep... Li Bao waiting."

Shen Yuan choked on his mom’s final, heavily stressed "Li Bao." He felt like the "study warrior" aura he had just pumped himself up with had been punctured.

He quickly gave a mumbled reply and half-ran toward the entryway.

He forcefully twisted the cold metal doorknob. With a faint CLICK, the chilly morning air of winter rushed in, dispelling the warmth by the door.

Shen Yuan stepped out of his house. The door shut behind him with a BANG, cutting off his mom’s teasing gaze that made his hair stand on end.

Just one step away was the security door to Li Zhi’s apartment.

He stood at his own doorway, his gaze drawn irresistibly to that familiar door, which now felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds.

The hallway was silent; he could even hear his own accelerating heartbeat.

The backpack on his shoulders was heavy, filled with the "ammunition" he had prepared.

He subconsciously tightened his grip on the backpack strap, his knuckles turning white.

The heroic spirit to go into battle still swelled in his chest, but the cold reality of the air and the door right in front of him allowed a sense of trepidation—the kind that comes from meeting the parents—to spread rapidly through him.

He could almost feel Old Li’s sharp, scrutinizing gaze from behind the door.

Shen Yuan took a silent breath in and slowly let it out, trying to calm his inexplicable nervousness.

He mentally rehearsed what he should say after entering, what expression he should wear.

Should he maintain the look of a serious, diligent student? Or should he start with a polite greeting to "Uncle" and "Auntie"?

’On the bright side, what if it’s Li Zhi who opens the door?’

With hesitant steps, Shen Yuan finally crossed the narrow landing between their apartments and stood before the door to Li Zhi’s home.

He stared at the small doorbell button beneath the apartment number, and his heart gave two uncontrollable, forceful thumps. THUMP-THUMP.

Shen Yuan raised his hand. It froze in mid-air for a moment before, steeling himself, he finally brought it down.