Chapter 31: Holding Hands

Chapter 31: Holding Hands

8:00 PM.

Chen Shouyi quickly replied to a text from Zhang Xiaoyue, only for his phone to freeze again.

Frustration twisted his face. He couldn’t stand this piece-of-junk phone anymore. It had crashed multiple times while he was browsing online earlier, which he could grudgingly tolerate—but now, even sending a simple text made it freeze?

Enough was enough. No more mercy.

He pulled out the SIM card, crushed the phone in his grip, and tossed it into the trash. Glancing at the Shell Woman, who sat motionless like a doll while engrossed in cartoons, he hesitated but ultimately decided against bringing her along.

After all, there was a phone store nearby. It wouldn’t take long.

He stepped out, shut the door behind him, and headed straight downstairs.

In record time, he bought a mid-range phone.

But when he returned, he froze.

Several police officers stood at the hotel entrance.

Had they discovered the Shell Woman?

His heart pounded violently, yet his expression remained calm as he walked toward the hotel with practiced nonchalance.

The past month had thrown him into bizarre, mysterious, and dangerous situations—experiences most people would never face in a lifetime. Just earlier, he’d killed two barbarians. His mental fortitude was far beyond that of an ordinary teenager.

"Hold it. What’s your business here?" an officer suddenly called out.

Chen Shouyi forced an earnest demeanor. "I’m a student at Dongning No. 5 High School. I’ve been staying here to prepare for the Martial Apprentice Examination. My family thought I’d sleep better away from home."

The officer gave him a once-over. No wonder the kid carried an unspoken intensity. His tone softened slightly.

"Let me see your ID."

Chen Shouyi patted his pockets, swiftly pulling out his wallet to hand over the ID.

"Go ahead."

As he stepped inside, six or seven disheveled men and women were being herded out by police, looking thoroughly humiliated as they squatted in the lobby. Many were already pale-faced, desperately dialing numbers to call in favors.

"Dad! I got caught by the cops—"

"No, no, it’s not what you think! It’s that thing… Don’t tell Mom, please—"

...

"Babe, I’ve got a last-minute business trip."

"Yeah, super urgent. Leaving right now… You know how the boss relies on me. Can’t function without me. Might be two or three days. Or five or six."

"Noise? I’m on the street!"

...

So it was a vice raid.

Watching their pitiful state, Chen Shouyi felt no schadenfreude.

If rooms were being checked, his wouldn’t be spared.

Anxiety gnawed at him, but his steps stayed steady.

On the second floor, he spotted three figures outside his door: a hotel staff member and two officers.

The staffer held a spare keycard, poised to unlock it.

Chen Shouyi’s pulse spiked. He quickened his pace.

Reaching them, he stayed silent, forcing composure as he stood nearby.

The more he spoke now, the more his nerves would show—and suspicion would follow.

At this moment, the door opened, and one of the older policemen leaned in, giving a quick glance around. Seemingly finding nothing amiss, he turned to Chen Shouyi and asked, "Is this your room?"

"Yes, I live here!" Chen Shouyi hurriedly showed his room key.

The policeman took it, checked the number, and after confirming it matched, gave him a deliberate look before remarking, "Nice Barbie doll."

Chen Shouyi forced a dry chuckle in response.

The two officers didn’t seem suspicious and soon moved on to the next room.

Once they were gone, Chen Shouyi quickly pushed the door open and stepped inside. His eyes immediately landed on the Shell Woman, dressed in a princess dress, sitting motionless on the pillow, completely absorbed in the cartoon playing on the screen. It was as if the earlier disturbance hadn’t fazed her at all.

At a glance, she really did look like a Barbie doll.

Chen Shouyi let out a long sigh of relief. He didn’t know whether to praise the Shell Woman for her "outstanding acting" or scold her for her complete lack of vigilance.

Only then did he notice the dampness on his back—his shirt was soaked with cold sweat.

...

Fortunately, it had just been a false alarm. Still, this hotel didn’t feel very secure.

He reminded himself silently that he needed to be more careful from now on. No matter where he went, he had to take the Shell Woman with him.

Then, remembering Zhang Xiaoyue’s messages, he quickly pulled out his new phone and saw two unread texts:

"What are you doing?"

"Why aren’t you replying again?"

Chen Shouyi broke into a nervous sweat and hastily typed out a reply:

"Sorry, my phone broke earlier. I just went out to buy a new one!"

But even after ten minutes, there was still no response.

A pang of disappointment hit him. He scrolled through his contacts, his finger pausing over a familiar name. After hesitating for a moment, he pressed the call button. The line rang five or six times before it connected.

"Hello?"

No answer came—just the faint sound of breathing and background noise.

The atmosphere grew awkward. This was the first time they had ever spoken on the phone since knowing each other, and neither knew what to say.

After a long pause, Chen Shouyi finally spoke up:

"I’ve been busy these past few days preparing for the Martial Arts Apprentice Assessment. I only have free time at night."

"I’m not anyone important to you. You don’t have to explain yourself to me. Reply if you want, don’t if you don’t," Zhang Xiaoyue said softly.

Though her tone carried a hint of irritation, her voice remained gentle and quiet.

At that moment, Zhang Xiaoyue was out shopping with her best friend, covering the phone’s receiver, her cheeks flushed.

Chen Shouyi pretended to have a sudden realization. "I get it now!"

"Get what?"

"I just realized you’re a really pragmatic person," Chen Shouyi said.

Zhang Xiaoyue, dodging her friend’s teasing, felt a flare of anger. That wasn’t exactly a compliment for a girl.

"Chen Shouyi, care to explain how I’m being pragmatic?"

"Aren’t you just my class monitor? The moment I mentioned taking a leave from school, you immediately drew a clear line between us. Isn’t that pragmatic?" Chen Shouyi said, skirting around the real issue.

"Fine, even if that’s the case, we’re still just class monitor and student," Zhang Xiaoyue replied, pressing her lips together in a smile.

"Shouldn’t a class monitor care for her classmates with the warmth of spring?"

"How do you want to get closer?"

"Like..."

"Like what?" Zhang Xiaoyue's heart pounded uncontrollably as she asked softly.

"Where are you right now?" Listening to her slightly hurried breathing, Chen Shouyi felt an unprecedented surge of impulse.

"Shopping!" Zhang Xiaoyue replied, then added, "With an old junior high school classmate of mine."

"Give me the address. I’ll come right away."

...

Chen Shouyi hung up the phone, excitement bubbling inside him. He clenched his fist in triumph.

Glancing at the Shell Woman, who was still engrossed in the cartoon, he felt a pang of guilt. For the sake of his own happiness, he’d have to let her down.

He grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. Before she could protest, he silenced her complaints with a small glass bead. Then he scooped up the delighted Shell Woman, tied her up with a rope again, and sealed her mouth.

...

Cheng Juan waited until Zhang Xiaoyue hung up, her eyes wide with surprise. "Xiaoyue, confess—when did you and Chen Shouyi start getting cozy?"

She was a seven-out-of-ten beauty, but her excellent figure made up for it. Even a loose short-sleeved T-shirt looked tight on her, as if it was about to burst.

"Cozy? That sounds awful! We’re just friends!" Zhang Xiaoyue covered her flushed cheeks, pouting.

"Just friends? Then why are you blushing? Should I mimic your tone just now? I want to see who this guy is that’s charmed our former class belle."

"Don’t you dare say anything weird later!" Zhang Xiaoyue protested, flustered. She had never been so drawn to a boy before, and her heart was a mess of uncertainty.

"So you’re the one making moves?" Cheng Juan gasped, even more curious now. She wanted to see what kind of extraordinary guy could captivate Zhang Xiaoyue like this.

Soon, the two of them saw Chen Shouyi approaching.

Cheng Juan’s first impression of him was his flawless skin, followed by an air of steadiness—unusual for someone their age. It was the kind of presence she usually only saw in older men.

But the one truly surprised was Zhang Xiaoyue. Only she knew just how much Chen Shouyi had changed. Still, she kept her thoughts to herself, as always.

Cheng Juan, oblivious to being a third wheel, bombarded him with questions:

"Are you in the same class as Xiaoyue?"

"Are you applying to a martial arts academy?"

"Why are you carrying a briefcase?"

Chen Shouyi nodded at some and answered others, like explaining the briefcase.

Luckily, before long, Cheng Juan was called away by a phone call, leaving the atmosphere suddenly quiet.

"She’s always like that—a bit blunt," Zhang Xiaoyue murmured after a moment.

Today, she wore a white blouse and a black pleated skirt, revealing slender legs like lotus roots. Her slightly youthful face still carried a faint blush, making her look sweet and charming.

"She’s fine, but I prefer quieter types. My little sister is already noisy enough."

"You have a sister? You never mentioned her."

"You never asked."

The two walked aimlessly while chatting quietly, as if a restless volcano was suppressed in their hearts, their words deliberately restrained.

Unconsciously, they drew closer. Chen Shouyi caught the faint fragrance emanating from the girl and noticed her small hand, seemingly within reach. He could almost hear his own heart pounding violently in his chest, his palms growing slightly sweaty.

His hand kept reaching out, only to quickly withdraw.

Again and again.

Finally, he gently took Zhang Xiaoyue's hand.

Zhang Xiaoyue immediately stiffened, weakly struggling for a moment before lowering her head, her cheeks flushing red.