Li Zhi watched him in silence. A faint red imprint remained on her cheek, the last vestiges of sleep completely gone. Her heart felt a soft pang, an incredible tenderness mixed with a deep, unshakeable ache.
'This fool… He's so exhausted…'
Her gaze flowed like water over his taut profile, settling on the dark circles under his eyes—a testament to his hard work.
The thought was like a gentle breeze, softly tugging at her heartstrings.
She watched the smooth lines flowing from his pen, as if she could hear his unyielding stubbornness in the scratching of its tip.
'Forget it.'
The thought barely lasted a second before she decisively crushed it.
Her fingertips unconsciously tightened on the edge of the practice exam booklet, its paper slightly wrinkled from where she'd been resting her head.
Her bright eyes returned to Shen Yuan's focused profile, and that fleeting moment of softness was immediately replaced by another, stronger emotion.
Trust.
