Shocking! The school heartthrob who was adopted by a wealthy family is actually a heiress!

Chapter 340 We're Not Breaking Up (New)
Shen Yanci gently brushed her hair with his fingertips, tucking a stray strand of hair that had been ruffled by the wind behind her ear: "Thank you for telling me all this, for trusting me, and for not giving up on me."

He spoke very slowly, and the tears in his eyes shimmered slightly under the streetlights, like scattered stars falling into the water.

"My girlfriend has already done enough," he said, looking at her and negotiating. "How about I take on more responsibility from now on?"

Qin Zhao felt as if a feather had gently brushed against his heart, causing a subtle, tingling sensation.

She curled her fingers, raised her hand, her fingertips almost touching the corners of his slightly moist eyes, and gently nodded: "Don't cry."

Shen Yanci raised his head, both amused and exasperated, his Adam's apple bobbing as he let out a low, hoarse chuckle: "There's sand in it, it keeps blowing into my eyes."

Qin Zhao clasped his hands together and held them up in front of him, forming a small barrier: "I'll shield you."

Shen Yanci let out a soft sigh, a sound that seemed to be both crying and laughing, as if she had suddenly lost her strength. The sigh contained too many indescribable emotions.

He lowered his head and pulled the person into his arms.

The waves pounded tirelessly against the embankment, but could not shake the shadows that were embracing each other.

She stayed in his arms for a while, then suddenly stared at Shen Yanci for two seconds, catching the water droplets that had stopped on his chin with her fingers: "There is indeed a lot of sand, your tears are all cloudy."

Shen Yanci, who had applied concealer before coming: "..."

They strolled slowly along the riverbank.

Shen Yanci glanced at her sideways: "Is there anything I can do?"

Qin Zhao paused for a moment: "Just stay with me."

Shen Yanci's eyes darkened slightly: "Okay."
-
Since Qin Zhao confessed, the two of them seem to have returned to a subtle ambiguity.

There are no problems when we get along normally, but when it comes to intimate contact, the boundaries become clearer than before.

He would ask her beforehand if he wanted to hold her hand. If he accidentally bumped into her, he would subtly create some distance and observe her expression.

Shen Yanci was very tactful, and this tact was like a needle, which, while reassuring, stirred up an indescribable emotion in Qin Zhao's heart.

One day, Qin Zhao finished his homework in the library during evening self-study before going on a date with Shen Yanci.

They walked to the tree-lined path behind the library. Qin Zhao said, "I'm a little hungry."

She turned to look at him: "I'll treat you to a late-night snack—"

Shen Yanci was so focused on looking at her that he didn't notice the step that was a step shorter than the one he was on, and he unexpectedly missed a step.

Losing his balance, he pushed Qin Zhao forward a few steps, his lips brushing against her eyelids.

"..."

Afraid of bumping into her, he put his arm around her shoulder, and their bodies were very close.

Shen Yanci's Adam's apple bobbed, and he quickly steadied her, then, remembering something, he distanced himself again: "Sorry."

His voice was a little strained, and he hesitated to touch her, even though he wanted to: "You lost your balance, are you alright?"

Qin Zhao pursed his lips and shook his head.

Shen Yanci curled his fingers slightly: "What did you just say you wanted to eat?"

"Night snack."

Qin Zhao glanced at Shen Yanci, who was half an arm's length away from him, and lowered his eyelashes.

In the car.

Shen Yanci glanced at the silent Qin Zhao: "Is there anything you'd like to eat?"

Qin Zhao didn't have any particular cravings. She looked out the car window at the brightly lit convenience store on the street corner and said, "Let's have oden."

Shen Yanci found a parking spot, and they sat side by side on a high stool by the window.

Qin Zhao held the paper cup of oden, taking small bites of the hot lucky bag, the rising steam blurring her profile.

Shen Yanci sat quietly beside her, watching her eat. The food was a little hot, and she blew on it while tentatively taking a bite.

The lucky bag contained soup, and Qin Zhao got burned.

She was about to grab a tissue, her hand still on the cup, when she caught a glimpse of white out of the corner of her eye.

She paused, noticing Shen Yanci's hand holding a tissue suspended in mid-air.

He frowned, stopped moving, and instead handed her a tissue: "A tissue." Qin Zhao looked at the tissue in her palm, then at Shen Yanci, who was keeping his distance from her, and for some reason asked, "Aren't you going to wipe me?"

Shen Yanci lifted his eyelids slightly.

Qin Zhao pursed his lips slightly, and used his free hand to hold the cup on the table: "I don't have hands."

Shen Yanci moved closer, his warm knuckles quickly wiping the soup from the corner of her lips through the tissue. His gaze lingered on her lips for less than half a second before he quickly looked away.

"Alright." His voice was a little hoarse as he sat back down, his gaze returning to the deep night outside the window.

Qin Zhao lowered his eyelashes and looked at the oden: "Shen Yanci."

"Ah."

"You, you don't need to be so careful." Qin Zhao finished speaking, pursed her lips, picked up the skewer, and poked at the fish roe in the bowl. "Just treat me normally like before."

Shen Yanci looked at her for half a second, then suddenly dragged out his words: "Stop being so narcissistic. I just think yours looks tastier, and I'm wondering whether I should take it from you."

"..."

He glanced at her and said, "I want to eat fish balls."

Qin Zhao found the curry fish balls in the bucket and handed them to him.

Shen Yanci had already opened his mouth on his own, staring at her with a somewhat expectant look.

Qin Zhao fed it to his mouth.

Shen Yanci took a bite, but before the smile on his lips could even appear, he hissed and started rapping because he was burned.

"..."

Qin Zhao was initially a little worried and told him to spit it out. But later, seeing Shen Yanci grimacing as he ate, he found it quite funny.

Shen Yanci raised an eyebrow, his mouth still making a tongue-twisting motion, his voice muffled: "Still laughing?"

Qin Zhao smiled even more broadly.

The embarrassment in Shen Yanci's eyes melted away, and a smile appeared in her eyes.

Qin Zhao was a little full after eating. After returning home, he and Shen Yanci took a walk hand in hand downstairs in the residential area.

Her phone rang; it was Lin Shi.

She answered the call: "Brother."

Lin Shi: "What are you doing?"

Qin Zhao: "Let's take a walk."

Lin Shi: "With whom?"

Qin Zhao paused for a moment: "What's wrong?"

Lin Shi chuckled, "Why do I feel like the dog you're walking now looks so much like your ex-boyfriend?"

"..."

Qin Zhao looked around and spotted Lin Shi wearing a baseball cap at the bend about fifty meters away.

"..."

He looked at their clasped hands and clicked his tongue: "Make your ex-boyfriend's dog paws get off your hands."

Qin Zhao glanced at Shen Yanci, squeezed his fingers reassuringly, and walked towards Lin Shi: "Why are you here?"

Lin Shi's expression softened slightly, and he crossed his arms: "I'm afraid the dog will bother you."

Qin Zhao tugged at him and whispered, "Brother, we haven't broken up."

Lin Shi: "Then let's divide it now."

"..."

Qin Zhao felt uneasy, but forced himself to explain, "We're not breaking up."

She said, "Everything has been explained clearly."

Lin Shi scoffed, "Explained it clearly? Clear about what? Clear that he's not right for you. A grown man who can't even take care of his girlfriend. You have to coax him. What's the point of having a man like that?"