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

Chapter 196 Perhaps this is what a tournament-type player is like.

The bell rang to signal the end of evening self-study, and the noise in the laboratory building reached its peak instantly, before quickly dissipating on the path leading to the school gate.

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi packed their things and walked side by side on the cement road, which was illuminated by streetlights, creating a play of light and shadow.

Neither of them brought their schoolbags or any study materials.

I have an exam tomorrow, so I'll rest and recharge today.

The air on an autumn night is cool, and inhaling it makes one feel exceptionally refreshed.

The lights of the shops on both sides of the street, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, stretched and shortened the shadows of the two people.

The familiar late-night snack vibes still lingered on the street, but neither of them went to buy anything.

Before the exam, it's best to stick to eating home-cooked meals or the school cafeteria.

If I get food poisoning, where should I go to complain?

Shen Yuan kicked away a small pebble on the road and casually broke the silence: "A-Jie told me during evening self-study today that he wants to go for a stroll around West Lake after the exams."

Shen Yuan turned his head and glanced at Li Zhi's clearly defined profile under the streetlight.

Li Zhi didn't stop walking, letting out a soft snort: "If you want to see, go with him."

Shen Yuan cleared his throat, rolled his eyes, and continued in a different direction: "Speaking of which, why is the break for this year's joint entrance exam longer?"

"I don't know. How would I know what the school arranged?" Li Zhi replied indifferently.

After a brief silence, Shen Yuan tried to start the conversation again, his tone more cautious than before, with a clear sense of probing: "Um... Li Bao..."

Li Zhi glanced at Shen Yuan and snorted softly.

The girl paused slightly, standing still under the dim streetlights. She turned her head, her eyes, which seemed exceptionally bright in the night, staring directly at Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan's heart skipped a beat when she looked at him, and he subconsciously avoided her gaze, just like when a teacher catches him doing something wrong in class.

The streetlights illuminated Li Zhi's face, and a knowing smile seemed to grace the corners of her lips.

"Shen Yuan."

"Ok?"

"Stop with your little schemes and focus on your exam."

Being so bluntly pointed out, Shen Yuan was momentarily at a loss for words.

But Shen Yuan was still unwilling to give up, stubbornly muttering, "Just asking... Can't I ask beforehand? It'll be too late to ask after the exam..."

"Too late?" Li Zhi scoffed softly. "Do you think you have enough time? Who said I agreed to go out?"

"Then...then..." Shen Yuan was speechless for a moment.

"What?! How many times have I asked that?"

Li Zhi resumed his steps, his voice returning to its usual calm: "The exam will definitely be more difficult than the last monthly exam. Consider your score and see if you can bring this up."

"..."

Shen Yuan was once again accurately hit in his weak spot.

Academic performance is always a Damocles' sword hanging over him and Li Zhi, despite the many private agreements they've made.

Shen Yuan glanced at his task and sighed deeply.

Brother Tongzi, it seems your mission this time will have to be put on hold for a while.

After such a long period of silence, the first thing that happens is this troublesome task...

Okay, now it's hard to do the tasks by myself.

I imagine that doing this task would be quite easy for me around the age of 35.

I'm so envious.

Shen Yuan glanced at Li Zhi's back, and then heard the beautiful girl's voice coming from ahead.

"What are you doing standing there? Are you trying to annoy me before the exam so I'll underperform?"

"Don't dare."

Shen Yuan shook his head repeatedly, then quickly caught up with Li Zhi: "I promise you! I will be completely focused on the exam for the next two days and give it my all! I won't mention going out to play at all."

"What's the point of making promises to me? Are you studying for my sake?"

Hearing Li Zhi spout such classic phrases, Shen Yuan chuckled: "Otherwise what?"

Li Zhi took a deep breath, just as he was about to start criticizing, when he heard Shen Yuan speak.

"Hey, are you yelling at me now just to make me feel bad and perform poorly on the exam?"

Upon hearing Shen Yuan utter a phrase he himself had said, Li Zhi immediately took a deep breath.

The girl coldly raised her eyes, a hint of mockery flashing in her clear eyes under the streetlights, and a barely perceptible smirk curving her lips.

"Heh, quite intelligent, learning to speak so quickly?"

Shen Yuan's expression froze. Just as he was about to explain, Li Zhi's small fist landed on his chest, and a muffled groan rang out.

Well, it didn't hurt much.

"You son of a bitch, just beat him up to vent your anger."

Li Zhi glared at Shen Yuan: "After the college entrance exam, I'm definitely going to get a physical exam. If I find any nodules, I'll kill you first!"

"This doesn't need to wait for the college entrance exam; it seems like I can check it myself. Let me check..." Shen Yuan said, taking out his phone.

"roll!"

Shen Yuan chuckled: "Just kidding, just trying to lighten the mood."

"I'm starting to suspect that you carved your own brain sulci."

"Don't doubt it, the genes themselves etched it."

Li Zhi pursed her lips: "That's really true, the skills are terrible."

After saying that, Li Zhi suddenly couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

Shen Yuan couldn't help but laugh at Li Zhi's inexplicable sense of humor.

After laughing twice, Shen Yuan met Li Zhi's gaze and said seriously, "I will prepare for the joint entrance exam seriously. After the exam, would you do me the honor of taking half a day or a day to go out and have some fun?"

Seeing his unusually serious and determined demeanor, Li Zhi fell silent for a moment at this sudden and solemn promise.

Her eyelids were slightly lowered, and her long eyelashes cast small shadows under her eyes.

"Didn't I tell you? If you keep bothering me like this, I really won't agree to it anymore."

The girl gave a barely audible hum and then quickened her pace to walk forward.

Seeing this, Shen Yuan quickly strode to catch up and then grabbed her hand.

Li Zhi was stunned. Just as she was about to struggle, she realized that they were almost on the road opposite the residential area.

"Forget it, it's only a dozen or so steps away," the girl thought to herself.

Seeing that Li Zhi did not refuse, a subtle smile appeared on Shen Yuan's face.

"We'll start holding hands as soon as we leave the classroom after school, and sooner or later, we'll be able to hold hands openly and legitimately at school."

Hmm... never mind that.

The political education department will give them a scolding if they catch them.

Of course, criticizing Li Zhi is impossible.

The only one who will be criticized is Shen Yuan.

Although they might only exchange a few words, Lao Zhou might separate their seats out of politeness.

This is what Shen Yuan finds most unacceptable.

You can complain all you want, but you can't separate the seats.

……

"Ding!"

The elevator opens on the 1th floor.

As Shen Yuan and Li Zhi stepped out of the elevator, the crisp autumn air crept into their collars, making them shiver involuntarily.

As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, Li Zhi spoke, her voice exceptionally clear in the quiet neighborhood: "How did you sleep last night?"

She didn't turn her head, her gaze fixed straight ahead, as if asking a casual question, yet with a hint of seriousness that was almost imperceptible, like she was checking the preparations for an exam.

Shen Yuan nodded: "I slept soundly, I almost dreamed about you."

He forced a smile, trying to lighten his tone, but when he met Li Zhi's slightly sidelong glance, he guiltily fell silent.

Li Zhi snorted lightly, not stopping her steps, her school uniform sleeve brushing against Shen Yuan's sleeve: "Then do your best on the exam."

She paused, and as she turned her head, the morning light traced the lines of her slightly taut jawline. Her voice lowered by half an octave, "Don't look dejected when you estimate your score."

Shen Yuan choked and replied sullenly, "Fine, fine, Li Bao is right to teach me a lesson."

Shen Yuan really didn't dare to fail the exam.

Who knows if I really fail the exam, or even the neighborhood matchmaking perk will be lost?

Oh no, I mean, a handshake.

They walked through the cool morning air into the laboratory building, and the moment they stepped into the temporary classroom, Shen Yuan subconsciously paused.

There were far more people in the classroom than he had expected.

The seats that are usually barely full just before class starts are now sparsely occupied by more than two-thirds of the students.

No one was chatting or joking around; a silent tension filled the air.

Most people had their heads down or were quickly flipping through books and notes, their pens scratching on the white paper.

Or perhaps they're frowning, staring at a difficult problem, their fingers unconsciously tracing patterns on the table.

Some people closed their eyes, seemingly reciting knowledge points silently, muttering to themselves.

The occasional laughter and chatter that should have been there were completely replaced by this oppressive atmosphere, leaving only the sound of turning pages, writing, and the occasional whispered questions.

Even the most active students during breaks were now quietly sitting in their seats.

The electronic clock above the blackboard in the laboratory classroom ticked silently; there were less than three hours until the first exam was scheduled to begin.

Shen Yuan's heart skipped a beat. A city-wide joint exam…

It's clear that although Jiyang Middle School is the best high school in Jiyang, such a formal setup still puts a lot of pressure on individual students.

For Shen Yuan, who was in the honors class for the first time, this was the first time he had ever seen such a scene.

Everyone in Class 15 was like a wound-up precision instrument; even the air seemed to become heavier, filled with a tense atmosphere as if a storm was brewing.

Damn, these kinds of people are always laughing and joking around, but when it comes to important moments, they all become incredibly cunning!

Leaving aside Ah Jie, who is completely useless at English, even Sun Xiansheng, who usually makes trouble with him, has already arrived in the classroom.

He's a boarding student!

It's 6:10 now. You opened your dorm room at 6:00?! Did you finish breakfast in 10 minutes?!

Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu were even less willing to talk about it. When do they usually come here?
I've been getting up earlier than him every day lately!

Thinking of this, Shen Yuan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"It's alright. Luckily, Li Bao is there to urge me to study, otherwise I'd probably still be at the bottom of the class in the honors program."

Li Zhi seemed to have anticipated all of this, his expression remained unchanged as he walked straight to his seat.

Her movements were quick and light, attracting little attention, as if she had become accustomed to studying in this atmosphere.

Shen Yuan hurriedly followed, glanced around the unusually silent classroom, and then glanced at Li Zhi's profile, which still appeared focused and calm among the many people buried in their studies.

He took a deep breath of the air, thick with the smell of paper and ink and an invisible pressure, and silently sat down beside her.

Outside the window, the cool autumn morning sunlight streamed in.

Instead of bringing warmth, the silent turning of the pages and the focused expressions on their faces clearly reflected the heavy, tense atmosphere that hung over the entire classroom.

The first subject was Chinese, so naturally, the morning self-study session was also Chinese.

The hands of the wall clock quietly slid past 7:10, and the air was filled with the soft sound of reciting ancient poems.

Shen Yuan caught a glimpse of Li Zhizheng flipping through his classical Chinese notes, his drooping eyelashes casting a straight shadow in the morning light.

Around eight o'clock, the front door of the classroom was suddenly pushed open.

Class monitor Xu Ziqiong stood in the halo of light, her short hair slightly disheveled by the wind, and she tightly held a stack of brand-new admission tickets in her hand.

She strode up to the podium and tapped the table lightly: "Now, we're handing out the admission tickets! Those whose names have been called, come up and get them!"

The sound of turning pages in the room suddenly stopped, and dozens of eyes were fixed on her hand.

Xu Ziqiong efficiently called out the names in order of student ID numbers.

“Li Zhi”.

The girl whose name was called stood up, walked to the podium, and received her admission ticket.

When Li Zhi returned, Shen Yuan looked curiously at the admission ticket in Li Zhi's hand.

It has to be said that the girl's looks are still unbeatable even in the worst-case scenario of a school student ID photo taken from a bad angle.

Li Zhi keenly noticed Shen Yuan's gaze, and suddenly turned to him while holding the admission ticket in her fingers.

The pale white paper reflected the clear outline of her ID photo under the light.

The girl turned her head to the side and asked in a low voice, "Is it pretty?"

Shen Yuan nodded subconsciously, his gaze still fixed on the photo: "Beautiful."

Li Zhi's lips curled up almost imperceptibly, but her fingertips deftly put the admission ticket back into the drawer, and she casually said, "You'd be better off reading more books!"

Shen Yuan touched his nose and muttered softly, "That's how it is..."

While Shen Yuan was still reminiscing about Li Zhi's student ID photo.

"Shen Yuan!"

Shen Yuan snapped back to his senses and quickly stepped forward.

After receiving his admission ticket, Shen Yuan immediately glanced at his photo.

Yes, he's still as handsome as ever.

After the admission tickets were distributed, class monitor Xu Ziqiong reminded everyone again: "After the exam, please hand in your admission tickets. Don't lose them."

The time to enter the examination room was drawing closer, but the classroom remained shrouded in silence, with only the scratching of pens on paper and the soft rustling of pages turning.

Occasionally, someone would get up to go to the toilet to relieve themselves, intending to take care of everything before the exam to avoid any embarrassment during the test.

The electronic clock above the blackboard never stopped, and when the numbers jumped to 8:15, a rapid ringing sound resounded throughout the entire campus, as if instantly tearing apart the tense silence.

The bell sounded like countless tiny needles piercing everyone's eardrums. For a moment, everyone in the classroom, who had been looking down, froze for a second before bursting into a commotion.

The students, as if startled awake, began to pack up their stationery.

After putting their stationery and exam admission ticket into the transparent file bag, someone was the first to stand up.

Li Zhi stood up, the hem of her school uniform stirring a slight breeze with her movement. She glanced at Shen Yuan, her voice low but exceptionally clear.

"Do your best on the exam." She paused, tapping the table lightly with her fingertips. "Good luck."

Shen Yuangang stuffed his exam admission ticket into his pocket and looked up to meet her gaze.

He forced a smile and said, "Okay, Li Bao, I'll do my best."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a head popped up from the side.

Yang Ze grinned mischievously and said, "Ah~ Yuanbao, could you cheer me on too?"

"Get out! I feel disgusted just looking at you! I'll write in your essay later that you messed around with Nantong at school!"

Upon hearing this, a burst of laughter erupted from one corner of the classroom.

Although the group chatted and laughed, they didn't linger.

The corridor was soon crowded with students rushing to the examination room. The sound of their footsteps was chaotic and muffled, like a gathering before the sounding of war drums, completely shattering the silence of the laboratory building.

The morning light slanted in through the window, illuminating the tense yet resolute faces.

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi's shadows briefly intertwined at the corner of the corridor before disappearing into the corridors leading to different examination rooms.

"Do your best on the exam."

"I know, I know!"

Shen Yuan withdrew his gaze and turned to walk towards his examination room.

His exam room was Class 108 on the second floor of the first-year high school building.

Shen Yuan's pace was slower than most of his classmates who were rushing around; in fact, it could be described as leisurely.

The pressure of the Chinese exam wasn't actually that great; Shen Yuan could even say he wasn't worried at all.

Just perform normally.

The exam room number was posted on the side of the door. Shen Yuan glanced at it casually to confirm that it was correct, and then strolled to the corridor next to it.

You can't go in yet.

As more and more people arrived, the two proctors finally came.

Holding two file folders, his expression was serious.

As the proctor pushed open the door to enter the examination room, Shen Yuan took the opportunity to glance at him.

Only thirty silent desks remained in the classroom.

They were arranged in a standard exam formation according to the requirements of the examination room: five rows and six columns, each row perfectly aligned as if measured with a ruler.

The desktop was wiped clean, reflecting the cool morning light. The books and notes that were originally scattered on it had been completely cleared away, leaving only a thin layer of dust that was clearly visible in the light.

Each table corner has a prominent white seat number label, like name tags on the chests of rows of soldiers standing in neat formation.

The bare metal legs of the table support the smooth surface of the desk, and the chair is placed under the desk with its back against the edge of the desk, creating a unified and subtle geometric feel.

The entire space appeared unusually solemn due to its uniformity and vast emptiness, even somewhat strangely spacious.

The familiar environment was completely reshaped, becoming a pure, emotionless examination container.

Thirty sets of tables and chairs were arranged quietly, silently waiting for their owners to begin this, the next, or the one after that intellectual contest.

Shen Yuan lazily rubbed the tips of his shoes and looked at the scene in the classroom. For some reason, the tension he felt when he saw the classroom full of students buried in their studies downstairs had strangely lessened.

"Perhaps this is what makes a big-game player!"

Thinking of this, Shen Yuan couldn't help but smile.

8 points.

The bell shattered the silence, sharp and urgent, once again echoing throughout the entire campus.

The sound was shorter and more forceful than the previous signal bell, as if urging every student still in the corridor to take immediate action.

Shen Yuan was startled by the sudden noise, but quickly regained his usual leisurely demeanor.

A proctor walked out of the examination room and stood solemnly at the door. The tall, thin male teacher cleared his throat and announced in a loud voice: "Entry is now beginning! Please line up, have your admission tickets ready, and enter in turn."

As if by magic, the crowd instantly formed a long, crooked line in the corridor.

Shen Yuan mingled in the middle, calmly following behind the group.

When they reached the door, the proctor carefully checked the photo on the admission ticket against the candidate. Shen Yuan handed over the "still handsome" ID, and the tall, thin teacher glanced at it and nodded slightly.

Then another female teacher, holding a black detector, quickly scanned Shen Yuan's head.

In reality, this can be described as just going through the motions.

How could a real college entrance exam be completed with just a quick scan?
This is just to let students get used to it in advance.

After there were no further questions, the proctor waved his hand, signaling Shen Yuan to enter the examination room.

Shen Yuan strode into the classroom, found his seat, and lazily pulled out a chair and sat down.

The metal chair legs scraped against the ground, making a slight but clear swishing sound.

The moment his bottom touched the chair, he instinctively leaned back, pulled a pen from his file folder, and casually placed it on the clean table.

Once seated, he looked around.

The other students gradually sat down, occasionally taking a deep breath or adjusting their pens, and a silent countdown filled the air.

Shen Yuan wasn't in a hurry. He glanced at a wisp of cloud drifting past the window and pondered possible directions for his Chinese composition topic.

(End of this chapter)