This was no simple joke, no reassuring touch. He just wanted to pull her warm, soft body into his arms and create a small space with his embrace, a world that belonged only to them.
He wanted to completely block out the overwhelming shyness and the unspoken, simmering tension in the air.
The slender, pale nape of her neck was just inches away, tempting Shen Yuan to lower his head and transmit all his feelings, his very heartbeat, to a distance where Li Zhi could feel them.
"Li Zhi…"
The young man's gaze was locked on the bundle of blankets she was hiding under, a dryness in his throat stopping him from saying what he wanted to say next.
Perhaps it was nervousness, or perhaps it was fear.
But soon, a sudden impulse tore through all his reservations.
Shen Yuan parted his lips, his voice a bit hoarse.
"Can I… hug you?"
The tightly wrapped bundle of blankets went rigid. The tip of her ear, the only part of her exposed, was already bright red and trembled violently.
