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

Chapter 178 Li Zhi buried himself in the blankets again.

The moment Shen Yuan was grabbed by the collar by Li Zhi, he froze like a cat being grabbed by the scruff of its neck.

Meeting the girl's icy gaze, Shen Yuan shook his head violently: "No! Absolutely not! Li Bao, you're innocent!"

Shen Yuan quickly raised his hands, his eyes frantically scanning Li Zhi's questioning face, and gave an awkward smile.

"That's good, that's good."

Li Zhi's fingertips did not loosen their grip, but a barely perceptible curve flashed across his eyebrows.

The girl's face still wore a kind smile, her warm breath brushing against Shen Yuan's face: "Oh? Is that so?"

At this moment, He Zhiyu, who had already tidied up, watched the tense little drama unfold between her childhood sweethearts with a sweet smile on her face.

I got to ship them again, so happy!

Shen Yuan nodded repeatedly, trying to make his eyes appear incredibly sincere: "In my eyes and in my heart, there is only you, Li Bao!"

Seeing his desperate attempt to explain, the girl's eyes held a hint of smugness and amusement, and the cold curve of her lips softened slightly.

Seeing her expression shift slightly, Shen Yuan thought there was a chance for things to turn around, and his eyes immediately lit up.

"Li Bao?"

Li Zhi smiled sweetly, pulled Shen Yuan close, and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "You'd better be!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan's pupils dilated suddenly, and his heart felt as if it had been clenched tightly!
At that moment, Shen Yuan's mind went blank, as if it had gone completely empty.

What does this mean? What does "you'd better be" mean?

Li Zhi…she responded!
It wasn't questioning, it wasn't mocking, it even carried a hint of... tacit agreement?
This response, sweet yet icy, left Shen Yuan even more at a loss than a direct question.

Shen Yuan had no idea that Li Zhi would react this way.

A feeling of disbelief and intense heart palpitations instantly overwhelmed his thoughts.

Before Shen Yuan could even sort out his thoughts, the beautiful girl in front of him suddenly retreated, casually straightening his disheveled collar.

"Okay, time to go home!"

After saying that, Li Zhi stood up and tossed the schoolbag to Shen Yuan.

"I'm leaving!" The pretty girl said indifferently before turning and walking out of the classroom.

The pearl hair clip shimmered in the light as she turned, illuminating Shen Yuan's blank face.

Where Shen Yuan couldn't see, Li Zhi's lips curled up slightly, and a faint pink blush spread across her earlobes.

Shen Yuan grabbed his schoolbag and quickly followed Li Zhi.

Shen Yuan, carrying both of their schoolbags, jogged a few steps to catch up with Li Zhi, and walked side by side with her on the familiar route home from school.

Under the night sky, Li Zhi walked very fast with his long legs, but in fact he did not shake off the people beside him.

Furthermore, the girl even intentionally or unintentionally walked side by side with the boy.

The two walked side by side without exchanging a word.

Shen Yuan was still carrying a backpack on both the front and back, with his hands on the backpack in front.

After walking for a while, Shen Yuan's thoughts were still lingering on Li Zhi's words, "You'd better be," and he felt as if he were being scratched by a kitten's claws.

He stole a glance at the pretty girl's beautiful profile, mustered his courage, and cleared his throat casually.

“Li Zhi”.

Shen Yuan's voice trembled slightly, his fingers nervously rubbing the strap of his backpack: "Were you serious when you just said that?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Shen Yuan felt as if his heart was being gripped by an invisible hand. His gaze secretly shifted from Li Zhi's earlobe to her cheek, waiting for any subtle change.

Li Zhi paused, turning her head slightly to look at Shen Yuan.

"fake."

The pretty girl gave a soft hum, her tone carrying her usual little quirks, but the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up slightly.

After saying that, she quickly took a few steps forward, trying to create some distance.

"Moreover,"

The girl's voice drifted on the wind, carrying a deliberately indifferent tone, "Who you, Shen Yuan, like, who you have in your heart... I have no say in that!"

Shen Yuan stood there, stunned, watching Li Zhi's retreating figure as he walked quickly forward. The feeling of being scratched by a cat's claws suddenly turned into a warm current.

Taking a step forward, Shen Yuan quickly caught up with Li Zhi.

"What if I like you?"

Li Zhi abruptly stopped, turned around abruptly, a hint of panic flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly covered by a layer of coldness.

A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, like cherry blossoms just beginning to bloom, dyed by the morning glow.

Although her shyness was suppressed, it leaked out from her slightly trembling lips and evasive gaze.

"What do I care? Who told you to like it!"

The girl's voice was deliberately raised, but the last note trembled as if it had lost its strength, like the sound of a bell shattered by the evening breeze.

As soon as she finished speaking, Li Zhi abruptly turned her face away, her slender fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.

Without looking at Shen Yuan again, she hurried forward.

Shen Yuan stood still, his gaze following Li Zhi's hasty retreat, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his lips.

The smile was light and smug, like a triumphant cat that had stolen a taste of honey.

A surge of warmth welled up in my heart, filling my chest and almost overflowing.

With that thought in mind, Shen Yuan no longer hesitated. He took a step forward and jogged after him once again.

Her schoolbag swayed slightly, but her steps were as light as if she were walking on a spring breeze. In the blink of an eye, she was back beside Li Zhi, walking side by side with her.

Seeing Shen Yuan catching up out of the corner of her eye, Li Zhi turned her head away and gave a soft hum.

However, before Li Zhi could change her mood, she felt a light scratch on the back of her hand.

The beautiful girl suddenly turned around and glared at Shen Yuan.

Under the streetlights, her wide-open almond-shaped eyes shimmered with a hint of anger, while the blush on her earlobes crept up to her neck: "We're not even in the neighborhood yet! Don't you want your paws anymore?"

Shen Yuan still felt the cool touch of her hand on his fingertips. Instead of stopping, he took advantage of the situation and rubbed his knuckles against her tense knuckles.

"Hey, look!"

Shen Yuan pointed to the other side of the road: "You'll be in the neighborhood soon after you cross the road. There aren't many people on the road at this hour."

Li Zhi's eyes involuntarily darted away from Shen Yuan's smiling gaze, and a barely perceptible tremor leaked out beneath his forced composure.

She took two steps forward, feigning fierceness, and said in a deliberately raised but weak voice, "Don't even think about holding hands with me if there's no one around! It's absolutely not allowed outside the residential area!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a warm hand suddenly covered her cool hand, its five fingers firmly slipping between hers and clasping hers tightly.

"Shen Yuan! You..." Li Zhi exclaimed in surprise, instinctively trying to pull her hand back.

But Shen Yuan didn't wait for her to break free. He smiled triumphantly and pulled her towards the road with a slight force.

The light danced in his eyes, reflecting the youthful slyness: "Enough talk! The light's green, let's go!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already taken her hand and strode towards the entrance of the residential area across the zebra crossing.

The sudden turn of events caused the girl's heart to skip a beat and pound violently against her chest.

Her cheeks instantly burned, the blush spreading all the way to the tips of her ears and the sides of her neck, so hot that she could barely open her eyes.

This wasn't the first time the two had held hands, or even the first time they had held hands outside the residential compound.

But for some reason, Li felt as if he were in a "public" setting.

The girl tried to pull her fingers away, but Shen Yuan's five fingers, firmly clenched, held her trembling heartbeat and futile resistance in place.

The struggle at her fingertips gradually weakened.

Li Zhi sighed resignedly, his tense hands relaxing as he obediently stepped into the rhythm of Shen Yuan's pace.

The streetlights cast long, thin shadows of the two intertwined figures. Li Zhi hid behind Shen Yuan, her lips pressed tightly together, filled with shyness.

Shen Yuan led Li Zhi across the road.

As soon as he crossed the road, the girl's harmless voice rang in Shen Yuan's ears.

"Let go..."

Hearing that soft, sweet voice, Shen Yuan not only didn't let go, but instead smiled and tightened his fingers, locking her hand firmly in his palm.

Li Zhi was immediately filled with shame and anger. She lightly pinched the back of his hand with her fingertips and muttered under her breath, "Pervert..."

Despite this, Li Zhi showed no further signs of struggle.

She simply let Shen Yuan lead her into the residential area.

The streetlights in the neighborhood were much softer than those on the roadside, casting a warm yellow glow. The shadows of the two people stretched out and intertwined on the ground, and were pulled forward by their clasped hands.

Holding Li Zhi's hand, Shen Yuan couldn't suppress the smile on his lips.

"Laugh! Keep laughing! You pervert!"

Li Zhi angrily pinched Shen Yuan's tiger's mouth again, this time really hard, making Shen Yuan wince in pain.

"I'm not laughing anymore, I was wrong, I was wrong."

Seeing Shen Yuan's pleading expression, Li Zhi finally loosened his grip.

The two walked quietly side by side for a short distance.

Li Zhi, who had been keeping his head slightly lowered, suddenly seemed to remember something important.

“Shen Yuan,” Li Zhi looked up at the boy beside him, “we need to go back early today, it’s getting late.”

Changing seats today took up a lot of time.

Shen Yuan sensed the seriousness and slight anxiety in her tone. He turned his head to look at the profile of her face, which was bathed in the soft glow of the streetlight, and his eyes brightened.

The boy said in a teasing tone, "My parents went on vacation, and no one's home. It's okay if we go back a little later."

Li Zhi stared at him suddenly, her cheeks seemingly flushed with a thin layer of red in the light.

Her almond-shaped eyes widened, filled with obvious embarrassment and anger, and her voice unconsciously rose slightly:

"What does it matter to me if you have no one at home?! I... I have family at home! My parents are waiting! You, you pervert! What are you thinking!"

The girl's angry tone carried her usual arrogance and barely concealed panic, and the word "pervert" seemed to be a common weapon to cover up her shyness.

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Zhi seemed startled by his own raised voice, or perhaps embarrassed to look at Shen Yuan's smug expression any longer.

Li Zhi quickly lowered her head, tugged at Shen Yuan's hand, and muttered, urging, "Let's go quickly!"

Seeing her like this, Shen Yuan's smile deepened. "I understand."

He tightened his grip on that slender hand, quickened his pace obediently, and walked with Li Zhi toward the apartment building.

The evening breeze swept through the neighborhood, and the faint sounds of a young boy and girl talking could be heard in the night sky.

"Actually, I changed seats today, so it's okay to go back a little later."

"Get out! You pervert!"

……

Shen Yuan gently closed the door behind him, and in an instant, a heavy silence enveloped him in the foyer.

The ambiguous atmosphere that had filled the journey, a mixture of the peach scent from the girl's hair and the lingering echo of his own heartbeat, was suddenly diluted by the empty, cold silence of his home.

Shen Yuan went straight to the bedroom.

"crunch-"

The bedroom door was pushed open, and before the lights were turned on, the starlight in the night sky outlined the general shape of the room.

Shen Yuan's gaze almost instinctively fell on his bed.

The place was still a mess.

The moonlight silently slid across the quilt, casting faint shadows on the messy folds.

The bedding had not been smoothed out and still looked as messy as it had not long ago.

However, unlike before, there's now a cat in the bed.

As soon as Shen Yuan opened the door, he saw a ball of white fur crawling out of his bed.

Shen Yuan reached out and turned on the room light.

The light instantly dispelled the shadows in the room and made the mess even clearer, but the glaring light did not dispel the ripples in my heart.

"Meow~"

Hearing the kitten's meow, Shen Yuan bent down and picked up Sangeng.

"You naughty kitty, did you miss me?"

Just as Shen Yuan was about to bring his face close, Sangeng raised his hind paw and pressed it against Shen Yuan's face, refusing the human's approach.

Hey! You stinky cat!

After leaving the bed at midnight, Shen Yuan found Nao Nao by the bedside and took a deep drag on her.

"Kittens are so cute."

Shen Yuan looked at Nao Nao in his hand, paused for a moment, and then said with certainty, "Your mother is still cuter."

If Sangeng and Naonao knew what Shen Yuan was thinking, they would probably ask him if he was an idiot.

How can you compare a kitten to its mother?
How could a kitten possibly compare to its mother?!

After playing with the cats for a while, Shen Yuan put them down and let them roam freely.

Watching the two kittens frolicking in the room, Shen Yuan couldn't help but feel a sense of silence.

How do you say that?

Oh right, all the excitement belongs to them, while I have nothing.

Shen Yuan's hand landed on the quilt.

Stroking the collapsed vortex, Shen Yuan let out a soft sigh after a long while.

The melancholy in my chest, though not heavy, was exceptionally clear, like a pebble thrown into a still lake.

The ripples spread silently, echoing in the suddenly quiet bedroom.

Shen Yuan shook his head: "What are you thinking about? Take a shower first."

After saying that, Shen Yuan stood up and walked towards the bathroom.

At the same moment Shen Yuan gently closed the door, Li Zhi leaned against the cold metal door, let out a long sigh, and the surging heat in his chest seemed to finally find a small outlet.

"You're back? Why did it take you so long today?" Xu Chan poked her head out from the living room and asked with concern.

"Ah... um! Today is Sunday, and we need to change seats after evening self-study."

Li Zhifei answered quickly, his voice very calm.

Xu Chan nodded, seemingly believing her daughter's words.

"Um, I'm going back to my room now."

After saying that, Li Zhi slipped back to his bedroom.

As the door lock clicked shut, Li Zhi felt completely at ease.

Under the warm white light, everything on the desk, bookshelf, and bed was neatly arranged.

However, at this moment, the girl's heart, pounding with excitement, could hardly find peace.

Li Zhi sat down at the desk, his fingertips still retaining the touch and warmth of Shen Yuan's tight grip, as if the heat from Shen Yuan's palm had not completely dissipated.

Li Zhi glanced at the time.

10 points.

I'm getting home later and later.

They walked around the neighborhood a little longer.

As a result, once I left, I almost forgot the time again.

The beautiful girl let out a long sigh and let out a soft snort: "It's all that bastard Shen Yuan's fault! I can't let him get away with it next time."

As soon as she finished speaking, Li Zhi raised her hand and took off the hair clip from her head.

The pearlescent sheen under the lamplight resembled a frozen halo around the moon.

She looked closely, her fingertips gently tracing the cool metal base and the smooth pearl.

The usual arrogant exterior quietly peels away when she's alone, revealing her softest and most authentic self.

The girl no longer needed to deliberately purse her lips to maintain a cold smile; instead, a small yet extremely sweet smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.

Li Zhi lowered her head slightly, staring intently at the hair clip in her palm, as if she could glimpse Shen Yuan's smiling face through the shimmering pearls.

But the moment Shen Yuan's smiling face appeared before her, her arrogant facade vanished instantly.

"Hmph! You idiot Shen Yuan! Don't think that just because I gave you a hair clip you'll be nice to me!"

Li Zhi opened the card box and gently put it back.

After closing the lid, Li Zhi picked up the test questions spread out on the desk, took a deep breath, and tried to bring his mind back to the questions in front of him.

Falling asleep came quickly.

Li Zhi lay in his bed, the softness and texture he was used to, but now it inexplicably made it hard for him to fall asleep.

In the darkness, the girl turned over, turned her head to one side, and curled her legs up, but the vague discomfort did not disappear.

It's like something's not quite right.

Li Zhi turned over, this time with a larger movement, which made a slight rustling sound of the blankets.

I still feel uncomfortable.

This quilt...why doesn't it look like...that quilt at all?
Where exactly did the problem lie?
A nameless irritability and an indescribable feeling intertwined.

Finally, after another failed attempt to adjust his posture, Li Zhi, somewhat defiantly, suddenly pulled the saddle upwards.

The girl buried her head and shoulders in the blanket.

Just like... just like how she wrapped herself up like a small cocoon on Shen Yuan's bed.

Feeling completely buried in the blankets, Li Zhi finally felt more comfortable.

When she calmed down, Li Zhi thought of the hug she had with Shen Yuan through the blanket.

Her ears turned bright red, and Li Zhi buried her head even deeper.

But this feeling also has a special kind of comfort.

Enveloped by this feeling, the girl gradually fell asleep in bed.

On the other side of the wall, Shen Yuan was also not sleeping well.

"Axi..."

Shen Yuan also tried several sleeping positions in the dark.

Whether lying on his back or on his side, the area beneath him, where the two had once played and where the girl's body heat and fragrance lingered when she left, now seemed to possess a stubborn attraction, drawing his senses in.

That feeling of being clearly filled and then suddenly feeling empty is amplified infinitely in the still of the night.

Shen Yuan tossed and turned in frustration, making the blankets even more disheveled.

Consciousness is torn between drowsiness and churning memories.

Just as Shen Yuan was about to bury his head in the pillow in his frustration after turning to his side again, he suddenly stopped.

Almost without thinking, his arm groped in the darkness, pulling the fluffy, soft blanket closer and precisely wrapping around one of its corners.

Then, as if following a hidden instinct, he buried his face deep into the folds of the fabric.

Her body curled up in an extremely affectionate posture, nestling herself into the soft embrace of the blankets.

This is no longer an unconscious embrace in a dream, but a clumsy imitation and stubborn attempt to hold onto the warmth that was briefly possessed after waking up.

The familiar posture reappeared, bringing a strange sense of comfort and slightly relieving the restless, stagnant feeling in my chest.

Although the girl's body temperature had long since dissipated from the blankets, it seemed that simply wrapping herself tightly in this position brought a sense of peace and contentment, allowing her to drift into a deep sleep.

Shen Yuan lay on the cool bedding, took a deep breath, and seemed to still be able to catch a trace of the almost dissipated fragrance.

"Fine, so be it, he's a pervert..."

He closed his eyes resignedly, his arms tightening around the blanket.

After Shen Yuan fell asleep, Sangeng and Naonao quietly jumped onto the bed.

After sniffing around for a moment, the two little ones lay down in a spot next to the blanket.

Sensing the familiar scent, the two kittens licked their fur on the bed, making soft purring sounds.

(End of this chapter)