Chapter 514 - 227: Off With His Head

Chapter 514: Chapter 227: Off With His Head

How sweet?

How was she supposed to describe it?!

It was... It was...

’It’s over.’

The last clear thought in Shen Yuan’s mind wailed in despair: ’Li Bao is a bad girl now.’

’But I think I like her even more.’

Seeing Shen Yuan instantly fall back into a daze, Li Zhi finally couldn’t help but burst out laughing with a PFFT.

Her shoulders trembled with laughter, her eyes twinkling with a brilliant, smug light.

The beautiful girl reached out a finger and affectionately poked Shen Yuan’s burning cheek.

"Idiot!"

That single poke was like hitting his reset button. Shen Yuan jolted back to his senses, an unintelligible sound escaping his throat. "Uh..."

Li Zhi pulled her hand back, the scorching heat of his cheek still lingering on her fingertip. The smile on her face slowly faded, replaced by a gentle yet slightly triumphant expression.

"Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you~"

The beautiful girl’s tone was light, as if she were soothing a large, flustered dog, but a hint of seriousness was beginning to surface in her eyes.

She straightened up slightly, picked up the practice exam book lying open on the desk, and tapped the cover twice. PAT. PAT.

Her clear eyes refocused on Shen Yuan’s face. Though a lingering mirth still swam in their depths, her expression had turned serious.

"Time to study, brother."

She paused, her voice dropping a little. "Don’t forget... our promise."

After saying this, the mischievous glint in Li Zhi’s eyes didn’t completely fade. Instead, it was tinged with the cunning of a victor.

She stopped looking at Shen Yuan’s face, which was red enough to drip blood, and his dazed eyes. She elegantly withdrew the hand that had poked his cheek, and then—

The beautiful girl sat down primly in her own seat.

She casually adjusted one of her pigtails that had swayed with her movement, making sure the small pearl hair clip was perfectly visible.

Then, as if she couldn’t hear the agonized howls that had yet to subside around her, her fair fingers very naturally flipped open the practice exam workbook on her desk.

Her straight back curved with concentration, instantly dispelling all traces of flirtation and mischief.

Her nonchalant composure and the sudden return of her studious aura made her seem like a completely different person from the coquettish girl who had asked "How sweet am I?" just seconds before. Yet, the transition was incredibly smooth.

And at the same time—

"WAAAH—Shen Yuan, you dog! Surrender your life!!!"

Like a wild beast breaking free from its chains, Ah Jie let out a tragic, furious roar and lunged from his seat.

Together with an equally indignant Yang Ze and a tragically-faced Chen Mingyu who was just joining the commotion, they formed an encirclement.

In almost the same instant that Li Zhi settled into her seat, three pairs—no, more—of hands clamped onto Shen Yuan’s shoulders and arms like iron pincers, grabbing and pulling. They even tried to lift his legs.

Ah Jie threw himself around Shen Yuan’s neck from behind, straining to drag him out while letting loose accusations as if denouncing a class enemy.

"Out! You have to come out and explain yourself! You monstrous sinner! Let’s go, let’s go! Don’t even think about getting out of this alive until you give us an explanation!!!"

"Heaven won’t stand for this! Brothers, drag Shen Yuan out and execute him!!"

"Let’s go, let’s go! We can’t let this animal Shen Yuan stay next to Sister Li anymore!"

Shen Yuan was still lost in the extreme sweetness of Li Zhi’s "brother" and the fatal blow of her being a "bad girl." His mind was a complete mess, and he had no time to react.

He felt his body go light, his feet about to leave the floor. All he could do was let out a few futile, unintelligible sounds.

"Huh?"

"Hey?! Wai-wait! Let me make my case!!"

Like a lamb being dragged to the slaughter by a pack of indignant hounds, he was powerless to resist as he was forcibly hauled from his seat, headed straight for the "execution ground" of the classroom doorway that led to the hall.

The classroom door was slammed open to the soundtrack of Shen Yuan’s "ARGH UGH AHHs" and the "dragon roars" of Ah Jie and the others’ accusations.

A wave of clamor surged out the door along with the departing Shen Yuan.

The door slowly swung shut behind them. The cool air of the hallway, carrying everyone’s "denunciations," completely swallowed up Shen Yuan, who was still struggling in a daze.

Inside, Li Zhi kept her head down, her long eyelashes casting a focused shadow on the workbook. The faint, almost imperceptible smile on her lips quietly deepened a fraction.

The moment Shen Yuan was dragged from the classroom, He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei, who sat at the desk in front, could no longer contain their burning desire for gossip. They whipped their heads around, their eyes shining as they focused on Li Zhi.

"Zhizhi—!"

He Zhiyu excitedly lowered her voice, but it couldn’t hide her fervent enthusiasm.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! You, you, you... Spill it! What was all that just now?! And that ’brother’!!!"

"You two... what earth-shattering thing happened between you two over the New Year’s holiday?! Are you even the Zhizhi I know anymore?!"

Zhuo Peipei also nodded vigorously, her eyes full of curiosity. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Zhizhi, what you did today was so... so sweet! Shen Yuan was completely dumbstruck!"

Li Zhi’s hand, which had been flipping through the workbook, paused slightly.

She lifted her eyes. Beneath her thick lashes, her gaze swept over the two faces that practically screamed, "Give me the gossip!"

The sly little smile that hadn’t yet faded from the girl’s lips quietly deepened.

She let out a soft "Hmph," tinged with a matter-of-fact smugness and a little pride.

Li Zhi looked at the two of them, a smile suddenly blooming on her lips.

The girl leaned forward slightly and crooked a finger at the impatient He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei, beckoning them closer, her eyes glittering with the promise of a shared secret.