CHAPTER 203: CHAPTER 203: HOLDING HANDS

Zhou Li belongs to the petite type, but she has all the curves she should have, and they are full and upright, so Li Jing always thought her figure was quite nice.

Although not as extreme as Zhang Xinxin, it’s rare among ordinary girls.

Of course, Li Jing only unexpectedly learned this information this morning.

Apart from not crossing the final line, under the influence of the dream, Li Jing had taken advantage of everything possible, which caused the earlier awkwardness and apology.

If Zhou Li chose to call the police, Li Jing couldn’t escape being labeled as "indecent assault."

However, Li Jing was unaware that all this was actually caused by Zhou Li’s own small actions.

So even though Li Jing crossed the line, Zhou Li didn’t blame him much in her heart, because she knew that if she hadn’t secretly embraced him, none of this would have happened.

Compared to Li Jing’s nervousness, Zhou Li was actually calmer.

What concerned Zhou Li more was not Li Jing’s actions, but his attitude and thoughts.

A moment later, after Zhou Li hugged Li Jing tightly, she got up and put on her clothes again, then softly said to the still eyes-closed Li Jing, "You can open your eyes now."

Hearing this, Li Jing slowly opened his eyes and saw Zhou Li, already dressed, calmly, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the matter was over, yet a few traces of guilt lingered in his heart.

Li Jing’s feelings for Zhou Li were quite complicated.

On one hand, he naturally had good feelings towards Zhou Li, who liked him and had a particularly attractive appearance and figure.

But on the other hand, Li Jing knew Zhou Li was a single since birth, never having been in a relationship, and because of her reserved and quiet personality, she didn’t have any close male friends.

Thus, Li Jing felt protective towards such a clean girl and didn’t want to hurt her easily.

He clearly knew he was not a decent guy and couldn’t promise her anything, nor would he define any fixed relationship, so he could only maintain a normal friendship distance as much as possible.

But evidently, this ordinary morning had closed the distance quite a bit, possibly even exceeding the bounds of a regular friendship.

Earlier, while hugging Zhou Li, Li Jing felt the skin’s closeness and soft touch and almost gave in to impulse.

Although rationality ultimately prevailed, Li Jing realized he had developed different feelings towards Zhou Li.

As for what Zhou Li thought of him, Li Jing didn’t know, but he figured it was unlikely to return to the state before last night completely.

After Li Jing had dressed again, he glanced at Zhou Li beside him, who had already applied makeup, and perhaps due to the awkward incidents earlier, he opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.

"What’s up, you seem shyer than me now."

On the contrary, having gone through the earlier situations, perhaps breaking through the last barrier in her heart, Zhou Li seemed brighter in front of Li Jing.

"Nothing, just afraid you might feel resistant to me."

Li Jing explained.

He spoke the truth; before understanding Zhou Li’s thoughts, he didn’t know what kind of attitude would be appropriate for interacting with her next.

"Resistant? Why resistant?"

Zhou Li didn’t quite understand Li Jing’s meaning but guessed it might be related to the earlier situation and laughed, "Don’t worry, I’m truly fine now."

Speaking so, she looked out the window, "Let’s go downstairs for breakfast first, and since we’re in this county, why not take a look around? What do you think?"

Hearing this, Li Jing was taken aback. He originally planned to check out directly and return to the highway to continue driving but hadn’t expected this change of plans.

But due to the remnants of guilt in his heart, Li Jing agreed to the suggestion and went to the door to take the room card, saying, "Alright, I’ve never been here either, strolling around might be nice."

"Then let’s go!"

Seeing Li Jing agree, Zhou Li’s eyes immediately formed into crescent-shaped smiles, appearing especially joyful.

After walking out of the room together with Li Jing, she stealthily reached out and held onto Li Jing’s hand.

Li Jing was surprised, not expecting her to become so proactive.

He turned to glance at her, only to see Zhou Li looking forward, naturally, as if nothing had happened.

Only her flushed ears betrayed her inner feelings, far less calm than her outward appearance.

Could it be that this morning’s events broke through the last barrier in her heart, making her decide to fully open up?

Li Jing speculated silently; understanding this point, he stopped being shy.

Since Zhou Li willingly chose this, Li Jing wouldn’t refuse.

He reversed his grip, holding her slender hand tightly, saying, "Let’s go, I’ll take you to walk around this street."

Feeling Li Jing’s warm hand, Zhou Li’s expression slightly changed, but she quickly broke into a bright and happy smile, raised her head towards Li Jing’s face, and nodded vigorously:

"Mm!!"

...

In the morning, the thin mist had not yet entirely dissipated, with threads of chill sneaking in through the collar.

Once she stepped out of the hotel, Zhou Li couldn’t help but huddle her neck, clutching Li Jing’s arm, snuggling a bit closer.

Seeing this, Li Jing simply embraced her, slowly walking along the street.

Compared to Tianhai, this county town’s New Year atmosphere seemed more intense.

Branches on the streets of the county were already adorned with red lanterns.

Stores along the street, one after another, pasted festive red couplets, and many entrances were also hung with red lanterns.

Lanterns gently swayed in the breeze, adding some vibrant celebration to this winter.

Although the roads were not wide, and the sidewalk had tiles broken by electric bikes, while walking on this county town street, both Li Jing and Zhou Li felt a leisure and ease absent in Tianhai.

"Unexpectedly, having stayed in Tianhai for long, the small-town charm suddenly feels delightful."

Hearing Zhou Li’s voice beside him, Li Jing chuckled, "People are like that, they tend to envy what they don’t have.

In a small town, people yearn for the hustle and bustle of the big metropolis. But once settled in a large city, they start missing the warmth and leisure of a small town."

"Yes, people are never satisfied."

Zhou Li nodded, then looked up at Li Jing’s profile and said with emotion, "But walking down the street with you like this, I’m already very satisfied."

Upon hearing this, Li Jing was slightly moved but didn’t respond, fearing that his reply might lead to a heartfelt confession from her.

Seeing Li Jing remain silent, a trace of disappointment flashed in Zhou Li’s eyes, but she quickly added, "So walking the street with me, are you happy?"

Li Jing knew the continuous questioning meant that if he didn’t respond, he might genuinely hurt her feelings, so he nodded and replied sincerely: "Happy."

Zhou Li seemed not entirely satisfied with Li Jing’s answer and asked further, "And satisfied?"

Li Jing turned to look at Zhou Li’s sincere and slightly longing eyes and solemnly stated:

"If I said deeply satisfied, it would be a lie. But at this moment, I feel comfortable and leisurely walking with you, and spending the whole day doing this doesn’t bother me—that’s truly my feeling."

Meeting Li Jing’s deep gaze, Zhou Li’s pupils slightly trembled, then she turned her head forward again and quietly said:

"Thank you, hearing your answer already makes me very happy."