I'm a senior in high school, and the system says I'm going on a blind date with my childho

Chapter 170: This is how the bottom line was crossed.

After morning exercises, before they even reached the classroom, A-Jie was dragged away by Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu.

"Behave yourself! You fucking behave yourself!" Yang Ze grabbed A-Jie's neck with his arm, half dragging and half pulling him.

"Gently, gently! My neck is going to break!" Ah Jie struggled, his face turning bright red.

The two men carried A-Jie to the fence outside the classroom, and Yang Ze pinned A-Jie down on top of it.

"Jay, what happened to sharing joys and sorrows?"

Chen Mingyu crossed his arms, his eyes taunting, "Are you using this as a pretext to do something else? You even know exactly when Chairman Zhuo's relatives will be visiting? Are you showing special concern for him?"

Yang Ze nudged A-Jie with his elbow:
"That's right! Confess and you'll be treated leniently, resist and you'll be punished severely! Tell me! You've been secretly observing her for a long time, haven't you? Have you been plotting something against Zhuo Peipei all along? Hmm?!"

Ah-Jie struggled to emerge from the pupa, his face showing the urgency of someone wrongly accused and desperate to clear their name: "No! Can't you two be a little more pure in your thinking?!"

Ah Jie took a deep breath, intending to give a righteous explanation, but his tone became somewhat unsteady due to Yang Ze's restraint from behind.

"How many times have I said this?! We were deskmates for a year in the second year of high school! And we were deskmates again in the third year, in the same class! More than a year of being deskmates! Do you even understand what being deskmates for more than a year means?!"

Ah-Jie struggled to speak, "I...I'm not blind! I'm not stupid! I just...remembered it naturally! There's nothing special about it!"

At this moment, Shen Yuan leaned over and patted A-Jie on the shoulder.

"Understood! This is normal concern for classmates! It's a basic quality of a gentleman in the new era!"

The three of them exchanged glances, and each saw barely suppressed laughter in the other's eyes.

"Oh~~~" Yang Ze drawled, his smile extremely wicked, "'You just remembered it naturally'! Wow, that's a really good memory, Brother Jie!"

"Yeah yeah!"

"Get out of here! You three idiots!" A-Jie jumped up and down in anger.

"Huh? You dare to resist?"

"Smash him!"

With a command given, Ah Jie was dragged to the back door of the classroom.

"Damn it! This is what it means to care for a classmate! I did nothing wrong! I was just concerned about my classmate!"

After Aruba, A-Jie groaned and lay sprawled on the table, his posture not exactly the same as Zhuo Peipei's, but remarkably similar.

However, one is intangible, and the other is painful.

"They do look quite like a married couple."

Upon hearing Shen Yuan's comment, Zhuo Peipei and A-Jie turned to look at him simultaneously and said in unison, "Get lost!"

Shen Yuan raised his hands, smiled and nodded: "Understood, understood."

"You don't understand a damn thing!"

Seeing Ah Jie's exasperated look, Shen Yuan gave him a sly smile, then turned his attention to the test papers on the table.

I'm busy organizing my mistakes, so I don't have time to play house with you guys.

Li Bao already said that I shouldn't interfere in your affairs.

Actually, this is not a big deal.

The impact of the whole incident was limited to Shen Yuan and his small group; it didn't spread outwards at all.

Moreover, according to Shen Yuan's observation, Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu were just looking for fun.

Whether or not there was something going on between Ah-Jie and Zhuo Pei-Pei wasn't what they cared about most.

They just wanted to find an excuse to send Ajay a meal of Aruba.

If Ah Jie really shows any interest in Zhuo Peipei, Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu will definitely step in as wingmen to help him.

Of course, if Ah-Jie and Zhuo Pei-Pei really do end up together...

Then Aruba will smooth it out for him!

The third period was Lao Zhou's math class, and Shen Yuan quickly put the matter out of his mind and listened attentively to the lesson.

Shen Yuan has already digested the logical thinking enhancements provided by the system; what he needs now is Lao Zhou's explanation of mathematical knowledge.

Of course, if the system is willing to give him another boost, Shen Yuan is willing to directly acknowledge the system's leader as his godfather.

The morning passed quickly. Shen Yuan originally planned to go to the cafeteria for lunch after the morning, but his older cousin stopped him.

"Come on, come with me to get something."

Upon hearing Yang Yishui's words, Shen Yuan immediately understood what she meant.

Shen Yuanfei quickly turned to look at Li Zhi beside him: "You can eat lunch by yourself. I'm going with Sister Shui."

Although Li Zhi didn't understand what Shen Yuan and Yang Yishui were going to do, he didn't stop them.

The pretty girl nodded: "Go ahead."

Watching Li Zhi's departing figure, Yang Yishui bumped into Shen Yuan.

"Come on, stop looking. It's only been a short while since we parted. You're already reluctant to leave?"

Hearing his older cousin's words, Shen Yuan rolled his eyes at her: "What do you mean you're reluctant to part with them? Let's go, let's go, where are we going?"

"The jewelry city, huh? The goods have been delivered there."

Yang Yishui led Shen Yuan quickly toward the parking lot.

"That's pretty fast!" Shen Yuan had chosen the designs himself, which meant they needed to be redone.

"What do you think? Local resources and connections naturally lead to high efficiency. However..."

Yang Yishui glanced back at him, a barely perceptible smile on her lips: "Lunch is on you."

"no problem!"

The older cousin drove Shen Yuan to the jewelry city.

Led by her, the two stopped in front of a jewelry store with elegant decor but not particularly ostentatious storefront.

The shop owner was clearly an acquaintance of Yang Yishui. Upon seeing her, he warmly greeted her, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then took out two exquisitely packaged boxes.

Yang Yishui looked at Shen Yuan and slightly raised her chin: "Take a look!"

Shen Yuan eagerly took the box.

He opened one of them and found a simple yet elegant pearl necklace with a warm luster, just as he had imagined.

This is for my mom.

He nodded repeatedly: "Not bad, not bad, thanks Sister Shui, and please thank the boss for me too."

Yang Yishui waved her hand: "No need to be so polite, there's one more."

After putting down the necklace box, Shen Yuan opened another box.

Inside lay two exquisite pearl hair clips, almost exactly as Shen Yuan had imagined, and even more beautiful.

The lines are smooth, and each pearl is round and full, gleaming with a soft luster.

Shen Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

Yang Yishui leaned closer and clicked her tongue a few times.

"She does look quite young, so it would be perfect to give her to my mom."

Yang Yishui emphasized the word "mother" and her mischievousness almost overflowed from her eyes.

Shen Yuan grinned, completely ignoring his older cousin's words.

"I'm so grateful, I'll treat you to milk tea next week!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Yishui waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "Never mind, I'm already a little chubby."

"Wow—my sister has an amazing figure, she doesn't need to control her diet at all!"

Yang Yishui laughed and said, "Alright, alright, I won't say any more. If there are no problems, take it and go."

Shen Yuan nodded, and then Yang Yishui had the shopkeeper wrap it up.

After leaving the jewelry city, the two headed back. For lunch, they simply found a KFC and ate some hamburgers. Before returning to school, Shen Yuan also ordered a few cups of milk tea at a milk tea shop near the school gate.

By the time Shen Yuan returned to school with the milk tea, lunch break had just ended.

"Li Zhi!"

Li Zhi was doing her homework when she looked up and saw Shen Yuan handing her a cup of milk tea.

The pretty girl reached out and took the milk tea, casually asking, "Where were you just now?"

"My mom's birthday is coming up, so I asked my sister to order some things."

Shen Yuan raised the gift in his hand.

Li Zhi didn't ask what gift Shen Yuan bought, since it was for Shen Yuan's mother.

When Shen Yuan returned to his seat, he was questioned again by A-Jie, and Shen Yuan's answer remained the same.

Indeed, they are all gifts for my mother.

……

There is a physical education class on Thursday afternoon.

After the morning exercise, Shen Yuan spotted Li Zhi walking towards the gymnasium.

He quickly walked through the crowd to her side and casually nudged her arm with his elbow.

"Want to take a walk together?"

Li Zhi turned her head to look at him, her clear eyes carrying a hint of question, but then she nodded gently: "Okay."

After saying that, Li Zhi looked at He Zhiyu.

Although the young author was reluctant to leave, considering that the student council president was currently lying down in the classroom, she decided to go and keep her company. "You guys go ahead, I'll go check on Peipei."

Li Zhi nodded slightly, and then the three of them parted ways.

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi broke away from the crowd heading towards the gymnasium and instead strolled aimlessly side by side on the wide playground.

In the late afternoon of October, the running track was still warm from the sun, and the surrounding area was filled with the noise of other students' activities.

"What gift should I give Auntie for her birthday?" Li Zhi asked.

"Whatever you want, anything is fine."

Shen Yuan pursed his lips and said, "I think even if you gave my mom a black pen, she would be very happy."

"I'm asking you a serious question, don't interrupt me."

"I'm answering you very seriously."

Shen Yuan looked at Li Zhi's slightly widened eyes and reluctantly said, "Okay, okay, you can send me something fun. My mom really likes some strange little things."

"Asking you is pointless." Li Zhi shook her head. "Never mind, I'll figure it out myself. What did you give?"

"A necklace, a pearl necklace."

Li Zhi nodded without saying anything.

As they chatted, Li Zhi's gaze shifted from the distant playground to the surrounding signs.

The pretty girl paused, looked around, and said with a hint of understanding and a touch of teasing, "Shen Yuan, where are you taking me? We seem to be a bit far from the playground."

Shen Yuan didn't stop walking. He turned his head to look at Li Zhi, a matter-of-fact smile on his face: "Ah, yes, isn't this great?"

He raised his chin, pointed towards the slightly crowded playground behind him, and explained:
"Look how many people are on the playground. Besides, it's just PE class, so the teacher doesn't usually pay too much attention to the details. They don't take attendance, and it's free time."

"Let's find a quieter place to walk around. Wouldn't that be much better than being stuck in the crowds by the playground?"

Shen Yuan's tone carried a hint of encouragement.

Li Zhi gave a soft hum, slightly raised his chin, and looked toward the tree-lined path not far away.

Her lips curved upwards almost imperceptibly, but she deliberately turned her head away.

"Hmph, whatever, but don't go too far. I want to go to the supermarket for ice cream later."

Li Zhi followed Shen Yuan slowly down the quiet path leading to the back of the school, her steps light as if she were tapping to a rhythm.

The two quickly left the noise of the playground and stepped onto the deserted campus roads.

The path was shaded by tall trees, and the afternoon sun filtered through the branches and leaves, casting dappled shadows. The path was covered with scattered fallen leaves, which made a soft rustling sound when stepped on.

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi strolled side by side, initially maintaining a subtle distance. Shen Yuan would occasionally steal glances at Li Zhi's profile, which was drooping in the sunlight.

After hesitating for a moment, Shen Yuan's fingertips twitched slightly.

Just as Li Zhi looked up at the trees by the roadside, Shen Yuan took the opportunity to reach out and quietly reach for Li Zhi's left hand.

But the beautiful girl noticed instantly, and with lightning speed withdrew her arm, taking a small step back as if she had been electrocuted, while frowning and glaring at Shen Yuan.

"What are you doing?" Her voice was low, but carried a sharp warning. "Walk properly and stop thinking about nonsense! This is a school!"

Her tone clearly conveyed rejection, but her flushed ears betrayed her shyness.

Looking at Li Zhi's expression, Shen Yuan knew clearly that the possibility of them holding hands on campus was now almost zero.

Shen Yuan raised his hands in surrender: "I was wrong, I won't do it again next time."

"Hmph! You better really not dare to do it again!"

Li Zhi silently quickened his pace, leaving his back to him.

Shen Yuan caught up with her, looked at her slightly flushed neck, and couldn't help but smile.

While laughing at Li Zhi, Shen Yuan was completely unaware of how fast his heart was beating at that moment.

……

The long bell rang for evening self-study, signaling the temporary end of the day's learning.

After all, Shen Yuan still needed to continue reading after returning home.

After packing his schoolbag and carefully placing the exquisite gift box containing the pearl necklace and hair clip, Shen Yuan went to the back of the classroom to wait for Li Zhi.

The student on duty opened the classroom window, and the evening breeze dispelled the stuffy atmosphere that had filled the teaching building all day.

Li Zhi tidied up her books, picked up her schoolbag, and walked towards Shen Yuan with light movements, her black hair swaying slightly over her shoulders.

"Let's go." Shen Yuan naturally took the schoolbag, and the two of them walked side by side into the flow of students leaving school.

The surrounding area was filled with groups of two or three students heading home, their laughter and the clatter of their schoolbags echoing around them.

After walking a few steps out of the school, Shen Yuan's arm unconsciously moved towards Li Zhi's side, his fingertips tentatively gliding through the air, getting closer and closer to the back of her hand.

As if he had eyes in his hands, Li Zhi turned his head before Shen Yuan could get close and asked warily, "What do you want?"

The girl's tone carried a warning.

"Ahem," Shen Yuan was caught red-handed, his ear tips burning slightly, but he refused to back down, "Just... moving my fingers, is that not allowed?"

"Don't even try," Li Zhi bluntly exposed. "Shen Yuan, let me tell you, don't even think about pushing your luck! You want to..."

The pretty girl swallowed the words "holding hands" and continued, "Anyway, we'll talk about it back in the neighborhood! Don't even think about it outside! Don't even think about crossing the line!"

The beautiful girl took a few quick steps, and her voice drifted into Shen Yuan's ears on the evening breeze.

"You ungrateful bastard!"

Watching Li Zhi's retreating figure, Shen Yuan smiled and shook his head.

Taking bottom lines too seriously.

After catching up, Shen Yuan explained with a smile, "My fingers are really sore. I've been doing so many problems during evening self-study, of course I need to stretch them out."

A friendly smile immediately appeared on Li Zhi's face: "You want me to help you stretch your legs, right?"

“That’s not impossible…” Shen Yuan said hesitantly.

"roll!"

"okay."

After being scolded by Li Zhi, Shen Yuan became much more obedient.

The two walked silently across the street, heading towards the residential area in perfect unison.

When they passed by a late-night food stall, Shen Yuan wanted to ask if they wanted anything to eat, but Li Zhi walked past quickly without turning her head.

It seems that the feeling of being overeating yesterday still has a bit of a lingering trauma for the young girl.

Without a late-night snack, the aroma of food and the entanglement of glasses were absent; the only sounds in the air were the cool autumn night breeze and the sound of each other's footsteps.

The beeping sound of the gate recognition system rang out, and the warm yellow ground lights of the community spread out a familiar galaxy underfoot.

The noise was shut out, and the world seemed to quiet down instantly.

Without a word, Shen Yuan's footsteps had barely settled on the dappled path when his hand, which had been tucked into his pocket, eagerly reached out and, with an unwavering and unyielding air, took Li Zhi's hand, which had just relaxed and hung limply at his side.

Li Zhi's fingers curled slightly, as if startled by the intense heat and instinctively retreating, but then relaxed again under his grip.

In the night breeze, the girl let out a very soft sigh, a mixture of helplessness and a sense of foreknowledge.

"Seran".

Shen Yuan did not reply, but quietly held Li Zhi's hand.

The streetlights cast long, long shadows of the two people, and the outlines of their tightly clasped hands swayed in the light and shadow, silently proclaiming the secret understanding that belonged only to the neighborhood at night.

This tacit understanding was broken when Li Zhi discovered that the time on his phone had changed to 10:05.

"Holy crap? Let's go, let's go back right now."

The two quickened their pace almost simultaneously, with Shen Yuan gripping Li Zhi's hand tightly as they hurried toward the apartment building.

As they walked, Shen Yuan said, "I told my mom yesterday that I would ask you a question in the classroom after school. You can tell your parents today too."

The current discussion is legally termed collusion.

Seeing Shen Yuan's nervous expression, Li Zhi suddenly chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?" Shen Yuan looked at Li Zhi in confusion.

She tilted her head slightly, a smile spreading from her pursed lips to the corners of her eyes: "It's pretty funny, isn't it? Coming home late two days in a row, with the same excuse. Don't you find it funny?"

The beautiful girl blinked, her eyes gleaming with a bright, playful light.

Almost the instant Li Zhi finished speaking, Shen Yuan abruptly stopped and, using the momentum, pulled her back to his side.

Shen Yuan raised Li Zhi's hand directly into the air where their eyes met.

"An unreasonable excuse?" The boy's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice was low, but the end of his tone carried a hint of roguishness.

“Then let’s do this—” He shook their tightly clasped hands, the streetlight casting their intertwined shadows on the ground, which trembled slightly with his movement, “Let’s just hold hands and go home, and tell our families that this is our reason for coming home late?”

Upon hearing Shen Yuan's words, Li Zhi's pupils constricted sharply, and his ears suddenly burned.

She didn't even have time to curse; her other hand had already reflexively risen and, with a whooshing sound, slashed straight at Shen Yuan's arm.

"Are you crazy?!" the girl gritted her teeth and whispered, but the strength in her wrist was weak—the hand he was holding never actually moved an inch.

Shen Yuan took a light but not too hard blow, and instead grinned.

He leaned close to her suddenly warm ear, his breath hot against her skin: "Scared? Then obediently agree to my story!"

　Task: 1w/1w (Completed)

　　Reward: Subscribe aggressively (Completed)
　　I have something to do tonight, so there probably won't be an extra chapter. Maybe tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)