Chapter 118: She didn't know what she would lose this time

Shen Li was wearing a soft off-white sweater, her hair tips hanging down slightly, covering a small patch of skin on the back of her neck. Her whole person exuded a bit of gentle softness, looking not as cold as before. She took a dozen milk cartons, completely unaware of the footsteps behind her.

Xie Qin stood silently behind her, hands in his black pants pockets, his posture upright. Then he leaned down, his warm breath slowly approaching her ear, and he deliberately blew a breath.

That warm breath brushed against her sensitive earlobe unexpectedly. Shen Li was startled and turned her head. The movement was so fast she didn't have time to think, and her soft lips brushed against his cheek. It wasn't a deliberate touch, just a light graze for an instant, but the subtle sensation carried a scorching temperature.

She stared blankly at Xie Qin, who was close at hand, bumping into his pitch-black eyes, which carried a bit of imperceptible laughter. "What are you doing?"

The air was filled with sudden ambiguity. Seeing it was him, Shen Li's lips curled into a faint arc. "Buying milk."

"Finished buying?"

"Yeah, I want this." Shen Li bought a dozen Li Zi Yuan, and after hesitating when she bumped into Xie Qin here, she also bought two bottles of yogurt.

Xie Qin saw her holding so much and raised his eyebrows, his eyes scanning her up and down. "Just these? Do you want anything else?"

Shen Li shook her head: "Enough."

"Alright then." Xie Qin took them from her hands and walked to the cashier to pay.

Clerk: "Do you want a plastic bag?"

Shen Li: "No need."

The clerk looked at the two of them and saw Xie Qin's eyes, which seemed to be electrifying everyone he saw, and his deep, affectionate gaze. Her face felt a bit unnaturally hot. "Forty-five in total. Who's paying?"

Xie Qin stood idly, looking down at Shen Li beside him. "I'm just a gigolo who eats soft rice; I don't have any money. My partner will pay."

Shen Li smiled and took out cash from her wallet to pay.

Zhang Zixin saw the person walking out of the convenience store and Xie Qin carrying things in his hands, feeling a bit curious: "Why buy so much milk?"

As she spoke, she saw Shen Li give the dozen Li Zi Yuan to Qiao Lang.

This action left the people on the side confused.

Xie Qin, beside them, stared at her back, his eyes narrowing. Just as Shen Li gave it away, he reached out and grabbed Shen Li by the collar, pulling her back.

Shen Li stepped back a few steps, returning to Xie Qin's side, and looked up to meet his questioning and somewhat unhappy gaze.

The possessiveness in Xie Qin's heart was all drawn out. "Can you pay attention? Your partner is still here, and you're flirting with another man. What's that supposed to mean?"

Then he said leisurely.

"It hasn't been long; can you... pay attention to the boundaries?"

Qiao Lang held the dozen milk cartons, not feeling embarrassed, and even said politely: "Thanks."

Zhang Zixin, who had just finished coaxing Xu Zhouyuan, watched this scene and felt it was quite fun.

The milk Qiao Lang had just gotten hadn't even warmed up when it was taken away by Zhou Mingyu, who opened it, and several people divided it up, one bottle each, with the extra one stuffed into his pocket.

Shen Li blinked a few times and told him: "He wanted to buy milk but didn't bring money, so I just bought it for him."

Xie Qin maintained a questioning attitude and glanced at Qiao Lang.

Qiao Lang, subconsciously sensing something, smiled and showed his phone. "Out of battery."

Indeed, none of them, except Xie Qin, would carry cash.

This doubt was dispelled a bit.

Xie Qin: "Remember to pay it back."

Qiao Lang: "Sure."

It was almost time for class, and Xie Qin accompanied her, walking slowly at the very back on the way back to the classroom.

"Didn't see the message I sent you? You didn't even report to me when you woke up." Xie Qin accused her of her irresponsible attitude. "I've discovered that you're the type who forgets what you said as soon as you finish saying it."

Shen Li: "Sorry, I forgot."

She finished the quiz, and when she came out, she met Qiao Lang. She had originally intended to do what she did last time—buy him milk as a bribe, a condition for him to keep her secret.

She didn't expect he would appear, so she didn't have time.

Xie Qin stared at her: "Why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?"

Shen Li tilted her head, took a sip of milk, her long eyelashes trembling slightly as she suppressed her emotions. She didn't want to talk about this, so she simply shifted his attention: "This doesn't taste good, here."

Seeing her skilled and unhesitating action, Xie Qin looked down and laughed: "Giving me what doesn't taste good? Treating me like a trash can?"

Shen Li thought he was disgusted because she had drunk from it. She pointed to the bottle mouth, her tone faint, not looking at him: "Can't waste it. I've drunk from here; you just drink from here and don't touch it."

These small actions hidden in the details, perhaps even Shen Li herself hadn't noticed. When she was with Xie Qin, all her habits had subconsciously become a dependency.

In fact, whether Shen Li was eating or buying snacks, she wouldn't really try to buy new things. She was afraid they wouldn't taste good, so she stubbornly always bought the same ones until she got tired of eating them, until she didn't want to eat them anymore.

Sometimes, even if she occasionally wanted to try a new snack flavor, even if it didn't taste good, she would force herself to finish it.

However, this time, she bought this bottle of milk, a flavor she hadn't tried herself. After drinking it and feeling it didn't taste good, she subconsciously wanted to give it to him. She hadn't considered these actions; they were hidden in a way even she hadn't noticed.

Before, if Xie Qin touched her, she would be disgusted.

This time...

Xie Qin felt like he had been completely accepted.

He curled his lips, took it, and was in a very good mood. Shen Li heard him laugh.

Xie Qin finished the rest of hers.

On the way back to the classroom.

Shen Li's phone rang a few times. She immediately took it out and noticed a series of messages sent.

"They went to Su Shi during the National Day, and your sister went too."

"She stayed at the teacher's wife's house for a few days, probably asking about your whereabouts. And... as far as I know, Shen Zhaozhao also participated in this mathematics competition."

Meaning...

They would meet sooner or later on the day of the finals.

As for where she was.

... They wouldn't care.

They wouldn't care why she left, why she was hiding from them.

Even if she disappeared completely.

No one would care about her.

She was redundant.

When she was very young, Shen Li had felt it.

When she understood in her heart and admitted that they favored Shen Zhaozhao, she had already accepted this fact.

Finally, Liang Jingze sent another message: "Planning to keep hiding?"

Shen Li glanced at the message. She didn't reply again, and the bad mood also radiated from her.

Every time she thought of Shen Zhaozhao's existence, she would be afraid.

She didn't know what she would lose this time... ===== CHAPTER 119 =====