Chapter 600 - 243: Why Don’t You Stay Here Tonight?

Chapter 600: Chapter 243: Why Don’t You Stay Here Tonight?

A warm pressure came from their intertwined fingertips. Shen Yuan led Li Zhi, his steps light as they walked into the brightly lit entrance of the apartment building.

The motion-sensor light flickered on, dispelling the chill from outside.

They walked to the elevator bank, and soon the doors opened with a DING.

They were the only two people in the spacious metal enclosure.

Shen Yuan pressed the button for the 19th floor, 19A.

The doors slid slowly shut, completely sealing off the outside chill. In the suddenly pronounced silence, the elevator began its smooth ascent.

The four mirror-like walls clearly reflected their figures, leaning against each other.

The beautiful girl tilted her head slightly, resting it on his shoulder. The blush on her cheeks hadn’t fully faded, and her eyes still shimmered with the romance and warmth from their walk.

The young man’s gaze was lowered, resting on the small whorl of her hair. The corner of his mouth was turned up in a contented curve as his fingers gently caressed her knuckles and palm.

The air in the small space seemed to grow thick and tender.

Li Zhi could feel the steady beat of his heart near her ear. Her caressed palm tingled as if a faint electric current was passing through it, and even her neck, tightly wrapped in her turtleneck, seemed to be growing warm.

She secretly lifted her lashes, glancing at the reflection of his deep, focused eyes in the metal wall before quickly looking down again, the curve of her lips deepening.

A faint CLICK, and the elevator car jolted slightly.

They had arrived at the 19th floor.

The doors slid open silently, revealing a hallway laid with light-colored tiles.

The window at the end of the hall let in the scattered lights from the other buildings in the complex. But on this floor, only the soft glow from the elevator bank and the voice-activated hall lights were on.

Shen Yuan, still holding her hand, stepped out of the elevator naturally.

The heels of their shoes made light, crisp sounds against the tile floor. The voice-activated lights above them dutifully stayed on, illuminating the familiar corridor leading to their doors.

Two doors stood silently in the light and shadow, like two silent gateways to different worlds.

Shen Yuan lowered his gaze to Li Zhi beside him. He didn’t let go of her hand, his thumb unconsciously tracing a light circle on the back of it.

He could feel her knuckles curl slightly in his palm.

The young man’s gaze lingered on her lips for a moment. With a hint of playful expectation, as if asking a question he already knew the answer to, he asked softly:

"Which way?"

His voice was exceptionally clear in the empty, quiet hallway, stirring the silent air.

It was as if his blunt question had prodded at the secret shyness that had been swirling inside her the whole way home. The heat that had just subsided on her cheeks flared up again.

She quickly shot Shen Yuan a glare, her eyes filled with deep bashfulness.

The girl tightened her grip on Shen Yuan’s fingers, her gaze drifting toward the number plate for 1901.

With her head slightly bowed, as if steeling herself, the girl said clearly in a low voice:

"To your place..."

She paused, as if remembering some extremely important reason, then immediately looked up, her tone becoming a bit more light and confident:

"It’s the New Year, after all. As San Geng and Naonao’s mom, I should keep them company."

This was the only perfect, shameless excuse she could voice at that moment.

But then, Li Zhi quickly changed the subject, as if she had just remembered something else she needed to do.

The girl added quickly, her eyelashes fluttering.

"But I’m going to my place first. There’s something I need to do."

Shen Yuan squeezed her palm and nodded. "Okay, I’ll wait for you here."

Li Zhi immediately let go of Shen Yuan’s hand and reached into the pocket of her down jacket, fumbling for her keys.

Shen Yuan’s eyes followed her back as she stood before her own door, unlocked it, and entered her apartment.

The familiar silence of the apartment greeted her.

The warm motion-sensor light in the entryway came on, then slowly faded out.

Li Zhi didn’t turn on the main lights, using only the glow from the entryway to tiptoe through the hall.

The heartbeat she had just managed to calm seemed to start acting up again, thrumming wildly in the solitary space.

However, the chill of the room helped cool her heated cheeks considerably.

The beautiful girl took a few steps to her bedroom door, grasped the cold metal handle, and twisted it gently.

CLICK.

The door opened, welcoming her into the small space that was hers alone.

She closed the door behind her but didn’t lock it, leaning back against the door panel for a moment.

In the darkness, she could vaguely make out the outline of her desk and the shape of her bed.

Outside the window, the occasional flash of a stray firework cast fleeting shadows on the wall.

In the silence, the nervousness she had suppressed in front of Shen Yuan, along with the secret anticipation of their impending time together, crawled over her skin like a fine, silent electric current.

Li Zhi took a deep breath, walked a few steps to the wall, and unerringly switched on the desk lamp.

A warm yellow halo immediately spilled out, enveloping her in a gentle circle of light.

The light danced on the curve of her slightly red ear.

This small circle of light seemed to give her a greater sense of security than the overhead light would have.

Li Zhi didn’t linger in front of the mirror. Her gaze drifted to the solid wood wardrobe standing quietly in the corner.

She walked over to the wardrobe and stood before it.

Gazing at the plain, simple wardrobe door, she finally reached out with a bit of newfound resolve and gently pulled one of the doors open.

RUSTLE...

The faint sound of clothes brushing against the cabinet was exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

The contents of the wardrobe were revealed in the light. Neatly hung clothes gleamed with a soft luster, and an elegant scent—a mix of a wardrobe sachet and her fabric softener—wafted out.

Li Zhi’s eyes slowly roamed over the dazzling array of clothes, a solemnity in her selection that she herself hadn’t noticed.