Chapter 38.1 - To Shakespeare (1)
Her wildly pounding heart gradually calmed. She stopped and looked at him. The midnight chill made her teeth chatter.
Once again, they stared at each other, clueless and silent—just like that rainy day. This time, across a narrow street.
She remembered the look in Ye Zhanyan’s eyes at that moment: full of unwillingness and resentment. She hadn’t understood it then.
But now, in Sheng Huainan’s gaze, there was only gentle pity and sorrow.
Luo Zhi suddenly had the urge to run over and cover his eyes—Don’t look at me like that, with pity.
She had always feared pity. Especially from him.
“Why?” she asked. Why.
“I had dinner with a few seniors from the student council. We stayed late. I happened to see you, and I was worried about a girl walking alone at night, so I followed you quietly.”
That’s not what I meant. She shook her head but didn’t press further. Judging by Sheng Huainan’s expression, even if she asked, his answer would be something evasive like: ‘Why what?’
“Well, thank you then.” Luo Zhi felt both cold and exhausted. Her knees were weak. She didn’t want to keep going in circles.
“Can I ask you a question?” Sheng Huainan’s tone left no room for refusal.
“Go ahead.”
“You like me, don’t you?”
Luo Zhi looked up at him in disbelief.
“It’s better if you don’t lie,” Sheng Huainan added, still looking at her.
“What do you mean?” she asked quietly.
“Nothing much. I just think you owe me the truth, don’t you?”
Luo Zhi didn’t know if it was the wind or anger that made her tremble.
But she lacked the courage to deny it. She had told many lies—but he shouldn’t know that.
“What are you trying to say exactly?”
“We shouldn't beat around the bush. If you don’t like me, or if you have no hopes or interest in me, then you shouldn’t be so defensive around me. Just say it outright.”
Luo Zhi straightened her back. “So you don’t need to hear it from me. You’ve already reasoned it out. Even if the answer isn’t what you want.”
“You…”
“I—” Luo Zhi took a deep breath. “I like you. It’s true.”
She finally said it. The words “I like you” that had circled in her head for so long were forced out at last, by the cold impatience in his eyes on a chilly night in early winter in Beijing.
But when she said it, the expression in Sheng Huainan’s eyes was full of disappointment and reluctance.
“You should’ve guessed already,” Luo Zhi laughed coldly. “If I didn’t like you, when you held my hand, I would’ve slapped you. Why didn’t I?”
There was a long silence. Then Sheng Huainan asked quietly, with a complicated expression, “So… you want to be my girlfriend?”
Luo Zhi didn’t show any of the reactions he had expected—no shock, no anger, no confusion, not even joy.
She just frowned slightly, eyes full of sadness. What kind of stupid question is that? He was playing with her. He was really toying with her.
She lifted her head and smiled sweetly.
“Do you want to marry me?” she asked.
