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

Chapter 209 Under the Desk, Two Hands (1 words)

The elevator doors slid open silently, and a cold, white light poured out, illuminating the corridor on floor 19A.

Li Zhi stepped into the sedan chair first, her head slightly lowered, a faint blush remaining on her cheeks from being caught red-handed, but it was mostly concealed by her forcedly cold expression.

She clutched the two cans of hot milk that her father had handed her tightly in her hand.

The touch on her fingertips made her recall more clearly the warmth that had been suddenly withdrawn from the stairwell—and the shame and anger of having her secret desire exposed by her father.

Shen Yuan followed closely behind, his steps slightly unsteady.

He barely dared to look at Li Zhi, his gaze drifting across the gleaming metal walls of the elevator, feeling as if he were being roasted over a fire.

Old Li's knowing yet discerning smile was like a tangible burn mark branded onto his back, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.

The door closed slowly behind me, making a soft sound, shutting out the corridor lights and...

Old Li's vision seemed to have a tangible presence.

In the small, enclosed space, the air seemed to freeze for a second.

Only a faint buzzing sound and the two people's somewhat rapid breathing remained.

The metal door was completely shut.

Almost at the same time, a "death ray" filled with shame and anger suddenly pierced towards Shen Yuan!

Li Zhi suddenly turned around, her beautiful eyes now staring intently at Shen Yuan, filled with clear anger and a trace of barely perceptible lingering fear.

The guilt of being caught holding hands by her own father only truly exploded after the elevator doors closed.

"Shen Yuan!!!"

Li Zhi's voice, sharp and forceful, was like a thin whip: "Why were you in such a hurry to grab my hand just now?! Huh?!"

She recalled the sudden approach in the stairwell, the tight grip, and her momentary reluctance to struggle...

And then, of all people, my dad caught me red-handed right in front of our own house!

This is all the fault of this idiot in front of me!
Shen Yuan was taken aback by the sudden accusation and instinctively shrank back.

He looked back at Li Zhi's fiery almond-shaped eyes, and the anxiety of being caught, mixed with the grievance of being accused as an "accomplice," surged up in his heart. Without thinking, he subconsciously muttered aloud:
"Then...then you agreed, didn't you..."

This sentence sounded particularly clear in the quiet elevator car.

Shen Yuan's voice wasn't loud, but in the confined space and under Li Zhi's intense attention, every word struck Li Zhi's nerves like a pebble thrown into a lake.

"Shh-!"

Li Zhi's cheeks instantly turned bright red!
"You idiot! How dare you say that?!"

The girl's screams of extreme shame and anger erupted along with her actions!
Like a cat whose tail has been stepped on and its fur standing on end, Li Zhi reacted faster than her brain, raising her foot and kicking Shen Yuan's shin hard!
The movements are crisp, clean, and powerful; they are a killer move that has been practiced countless times.

"Ow!!!"

Shen Yuan cried out in pain as a sharp pain shot through his shinbone. He grimaced and quickly pulled his leg back to avoid the impact, his back slamming against the cold metal wall of the elevator car.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Li Bao! Stop! Stop!!"

Li Zhi was not about to give up. She glared at him angrily and then kicked him again.

"You deserve to be kicked! It'll stop you from being such a jerk all the time!!"

Shen Yuan grimaced and feigned pain, then pitifully accused him.

"Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! It's exam day! If you break it, I won't be able to take the exam!"

Shen Yuan's move seems to have worked temporarily.

Li Zhiyang's raised foot stopped in mid-air.

The girl coldly stared at the idiot in front of her, who wore a pained mask and was trying to "morally blackmail" her.

The sharp anger in those bright eyes subsided slightly, but in its place was an extremely cold smile.

When Shen Yuan saw that smile, his heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition instantly enveloped him.

Li Zhi didn't kick him again. Instead, he withdrew his foot and looked at him with his arms crossed in a relaxed posture.

The girl held two cans of hot milk in her hands, looking at Shen Yuan's "I'm doing this all for the exam" expression with a smile.

"Just right."

These two words were crystal clear, landing lightly in the quiet elevator, yet exploding in Shen Yuan's mind.

Just right?

Just what?
meaning is……

Did I kick him so hard that he'll fail to get 650 on the test?
Exactly...

Could we just pretend we never said that casual "hmm" at the stairwell?
Seeing his expression freeze instantly, Li Zhi raised her delicate chin slightly with satisfaction, and her icy smile curved into an even deeper arc.

"Ding--"

Arrived at the first floor.

The elevator doors slid open silently again, and the chilly morning air from outside rushed in.

Li Zhi glared at Shen Yuan, then took light steps and walked out first without looking back.

Shen Yuan: "..."

He stood frozen in place, as if he could hear the sound of his own heart breaking, and felt a faint chill.

These days are truly...

There's no way to pass!

Shen Yuan shook his head and sighed, then followed Li Zhi.

The streets in the neighborhood were bitterly cold in the early morning.

With his back to Shen Yuan, Li Zhi walked quickly and hurriedly, the hood of his coat swaying gently with each step.

Shen Yuan followed closely behind, hands in his pockets.

A silence fell between them, with only the rustling of their footsteps on the fallen leaves clearly audible in the crisp winter air.

They walked stiffly for a short distance, and when they were almost at the gate of the residential area, Li Zhi, who was walking ahead, paused almost imperceptibly.

The girl turned her head and looked at Shen Yuan angrily.

Seeing the beautiful girl's angry expression, Shen Yuan subconsciously smiled.

"What a joke!"

As soon as Li Zhi finished speaking, he took out a can of hot milk from the pocket closest to Shen Yuan.

"Take it!"

The girl's voice was short and cold, almost in stark contrast to the heat emanating from the jar.

"Oh." Shen Yuan responded honestly, and then reached out to take the milk.

But before he could even touch the milk, Li Zhi's scolding rang out again.

"Switch to the other hand."

Shen Yuan glanced at his outstretched hand. Was there something wrong with it?
However, Shen Yuan quickly realized that something was wrong.

His outstretched hand was on Li Zhi's side.

In this way, each person can warm their hands with a can of hot milk, and then they can hold hands with the other person using their free hand.

You truly are worthy of your title, Li Bao.

Your arrogance is actually quite adorable.

Shen Yuan's facial muscles tensed up as he tried to suppress a laugh, but he obediently pulled his other hand away from Li Zhi and used the hand on the outside instead.

The moment my fingers touched the warm milk can, the warmth hadn't even had a chance to seep into my palm.

Almost at the same instant, the hand he had just withdrawn naturally pierced through the slightly chilly morning air and precisely caught Li Zhi's cool fingertips hanging by his side.

As soon as Li Zhi's fingers left the warm milk jug, they were suddenly enveloped tightly by a palm that was just as warm, and even gently squeezed.

"You idiot! You think kicking me wasn't enough?!"

Li Zhi glared at Shen Yuan almost reflexively.

Shen Yuan didn't respond to her comment. Instead, he weighed the milk jug in his hand and a bright, slightly ingratiating smile spread across his face.

"The milk is quite warm, which is perfect for drying your hands."

As he spoke, Shen Yuan unconsciously rubbed the back of Li Zhi's hand with the pad of his thumb, trying to dispel the last bit of coldness from her fingertips.

Li Zhi turned her face away from him, trying her best to maintain that disgusted expression, her eyes fixed on the exit of the residential area ahead.

Li Zhi sighed deeply in his heart, with a hint of resignation.

never mind--

At least this guy isn't completely hopeless.

The girl pursed her lips, and the hand that Shen Yuan had been holding tightly in his palm quietly loosened its grip, eventually settling in quietly like a little bird that had found a warm nest.

The two walked side by side, hand in hand, steadily making their way towards the school.

All the way from the quiet tree-lined path in the neighborhood to the streets where there were almost no other people besides students and breakfast restaurants, those two hands never let go.

Until the familiar area of ​​people at the school gate came into view.

When groups of students appeared in front of them, the sense of privacy that belonged to their little world was gradually squeezed out by the surrounding reality.

Li Zhi's fingertips moved slightly in Shen Yuan's palm, no longer a subconscious attachment, but a clear signal.

"We've arrived at the school gate."

Shen Yuan said "Oh," and although he was somewhat reluctant to let the warmth dissipate, his rationality returned clearly.

He loosened his grip slightly, and Li Zhi quickly withdrew his hand.

The girl quickly slipped her hands into the large pockets of her coat, as if she were doing something completely ordinary.

Shen Yuan curled his fingers, feeling the lingering warmth in his palm and the sudden cool breeze, and pulled out a smile that was a mixture of satisfaction and a hint of lingering enjoyment.

What the two of them were completely unaware of was that on the other side of the road, a figure suddenly froze in place.

He Zhiyu's smile vanished, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

She looked at Li Zhi's hand, which he quickly withdrew and put into his pocket, with disbelief, and at Shen Yuan's satisfied smile beside him.

The young author blinked.

Is this the benefit of waking up early?
He Zhiyu swallowed hard, then a big, silly grin spread across his face.

I've got some sweet moments!

He Zhiyu stood across the street, his silly grin still on his face, but his feet had already moved uncontrollably toward the two of them.

She jogged across the zebra crossing, her schoolbag bouncing on her shoulder, her deliberately raised voice carrying a barely concealed excitement: "Zhizhi! Shen Yuan! Good morning!"

Li Zhi turned his head upon hearing the sound, but his eyes narrowed sharply the instant he met He Zhiyu's gaze.

No, there is a problem.

The author's excessively bright eyes clearly revealed what she had seen.

He Zhiyu's initial excitement gradually vanished when she saw Li Zhi's gaze.

By the time He Zhiyu was fully in front of Li Zhi, the smile on the young author's face had vanished.

"Hehe, Zhizhi..."

Before He Zhiyu could say anything, Li Zhi looked at her and warned, "Just pretend you didn't see anything, understand?"

The young author shrank his neck and nodded repeatedly.

At this moment, Shen Yuan realized that He Zhiyu must have seen him holding hands with Li Zhi.

Seeing the author's timid appearance, Shen Yuan decided to give up.

I actually quite enjoy reading "The Stealer," but the updates have been getting slower and slower lately.

While admitting defeat, He Zhiyu glanced at Shen Yuan.

Seeing Shen Yuan's teasing expression, the young author suddenly realized something.

Shen Yuan also found out that he had written "The Stealer in His Own Hands"!
Seeing He Zhiyu's wide eyes, Shen Yuan gave a big smile.

it is more than words.

Looking at the two silent people, He Zhiyu suddenly realized something.

These two should have known for a long time that I was the author of "The Stealer," but they never exposed me.

This……

These two are so cunning...

He Zhiyu felt speechless.

But... does this mean these two won't be sneaking away from me to eat candy anymore?!
Thinking of this, He Zhiyu instantly transformed into a sugar figurine.

So be it, you're cunning, but let me enjoy the sweet moments!

He Zhiyu composed herself, looked at Shen Yuan and Li Zhi who had already gone far away, and quickly followed.

"Hey, wait for me, Zhizhi!"

……

The examination room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; the only sound was the scratching of pens on paper.

Shen Yuan lowered his eyes and stared at the math monthly exam paper in front of him.

When the exam papers were handed out, Shen Yuan had already glanced at the questions.

Generally speaking, the difficulty of the questions is definitely lower than that of the joint entrance exam, but it may also be because the school teachers saw that the school's math scores dropped so much in the last joint entrance exam.

So I used a tiny bit less force.

However, for Shen Yuan... it's not a big problem.

Although it's impossible for him to score an exaggerated 140 or higher, Shen Yuan felt that scoring around 120 would be no problem.

The effort I've put into doing practice problems day and night for the past two weeks has not been in vain.

With his fingertips lightly tapping the table, Shen Yuan's mind gradually sank into the exam paper in front of him, and the [Focus] ability quietly activated.

Almost instantly, a strange sense of detachment enveloped Shen Yuan.

The subtle yet noisy background noise in the examination room was separated by a thick layer of frosted glass, instantly losing its power to disturb the mind, becoming blurred and distant, and turning into insignificant noise.

Instead, the exam paper in the center of my field of vision was unusually clear.

In fact, during the weekly test, Shen Yuan had already discovered that the focus skill was not only very useful when studying, but even more useful when taking exams!
With just a little concentration, you can quickly get into exam mode and start solving problems with Kuku.

All the tension vanished instantly, and Kuku solved the problem.

There's absolutely no need to worry about underperforming in the exam.

Time slipped away silently amidst the scratching of the pen.

Multiple choice questions, fill-in-the-blank questions, problem-solving questions... the questions were conquered one by one.

Shen Yuan's handwriting is steady and fluent, and the calculation steps on the draft paper are clear and organized.

Although the train of thought does not leap like lightning, it is like a tenacious stream, steadily and powerfully moving forward along the established riverbed.

Finally, he completely derived the steps for the last problem, and the answer was clearly written on the answer sheet.

Looking at the test paper in front of him, Shen Yuan did not lose focus, but began to carefully check and verify the answers.

"bell--"

The sharp ringing of the exam bell shattered the still air in the exam room!
Shen Yuan put down his pen and silently let out a sigh of relief.

He raised his hand, his knuckles stiff from holding the pen for so long and straining, his palm even damp with a thin layer of sweat.

The tense lines of the shoulders and neck slowly relaxed, and the deep fatigue after intense concentration, like the receding tide, slowly but irresistibly washed over the limbs and bones again.

However, before long, this feeling of fatigue was slowly suppressed by Shen Yuan's vigorous energy.

By the time the proctor finished collecting the exam papers, Shen Yuan had already suppressed most of his fatigue.

As Shen Yuan picked up his transparent file folder and stepped out the door, a familiar figure rushed through the crowd and approached him.

"Yuan!" Zhou Shaojie exclaimed excitedly, his eyes shining brightly.

Zhou Shaojie and Shen Yuan took the same exam in the same room for this monthly exam.

The two left the examination room together and returned to the classroom. Zhou Shaojie kept asking Shen Yuan how the exam went.

There was no other reason than that he had witnessed Shen Yuan's learning process over the past two weeks.

In A-Jie's perception, this was beyond exaggerated; it was somewhat terrifying.

Who has such intense studying every day?!
Therefore, Zhou Shaojie was also quite looking forward to seeing how Shen Yuan would perform on the exam.

This is practically a "wild dog's road to revenge" story!

A-Jie couldn't wait to discuss the answers to the math problems with Shen Yuan, and Shen Yuan was happy to do so as well.

After all, A-Jie's math scores are well-known in the class, and by exchanging math answers with A-Jie, you can generally get a rough idea of ​​his score.

As long as you don't forget what your math answer was, it's fine.

When the two returned to the classroom, Li Zhi was already sitting in his seat.

All I can say is that Li Bao's exam seat in this monthly exam was chosen by fate.

Shen Yuan placed the items on the table and glanced at Li Zhi's desk. There was no name on the label, but Shen Yuan knew clearly that this was Li Zhi's examination room number.

She didn't need to do anything after the exam.

"Shall we go eat?" Shen Yuan asked Li Zhi.

Li Zhi nodded.

Shen Yuan turned to look at A-Jie: "Let's go, stop talking, let's go eat."

A-Jie was taken aback, then immediately invited Yang Ze and the others to have dinner together.

The corridor was packed with students who had finished their exams and were heading to lunch, and the noise was deafening.

In the depths of winter in December, the sky was already completely dark by five o'clock in the evening.

The inky darkness of night swallowed the sunset early, and the crisp chill seemed to seep through thick clothes and into the very bones.

The school path outside the corridor gleamed coldly under the streetlights, and the bluestone pavement seemed to be covered with an invisible layer of thin ice.

The group wrapped their coats tighter and hunched their shoulders as they joined the flow of people heading to the cafeteria.

As soon as she stepped out of the teaching building, He Zhiyu hissed from the cold and buried half of her face in her scarf.

Yang Ze stomped his foot hard: "Damn, it got dark way too fast, and it's freezing cold like an ice cave!"

"I feel like my soul is about to freeze away!" A-Jie exaggeratedly rubbed his arms and jumped up and down, his voice broken by the wind.

"This damn weather! The classroom isn't even heated!"

"It all relies on self-heating, okay?"

Walking on the school road, Shen Yuan took advantage of the dim light to reach out to Li Zhi's hand next to him.

Just as my fingertips touched her slightly cool skin, I tried to slip them into the large pocket of her coat.

"Slap!" A crisp and loud slap suddenly rang out, and Shen Yuan's hand took a solid hit.

Shen Yuan winced and withdrew his hand, looking at the girl beside him with a wronged expression.

Li Zhi remained expressionless, as if she hadn't delivered that swift and ruthless blow.

Seeing Shen Yuan's expression, the girl raised her delicate chin even higher, her beautiful eyes containing a hint of anger and an extremely clear warning.

"You idiot, if you reach out again, I'll break your claws and freeze them into icicles to hang up and watch!"

Yang Ze and A Jie's complaints seemed to stop for a second.

Shen Yuan reluctantly stuffed his reddened hand into his pocket, pouted, and muttered under his breath.

"Can't we even hold hands to warm up a bit...?"

In the end, Li Zhi gave them an even colder glare and a disdainful snort. The group grumbled about the damn cold weather, exhausted from the exams and eager to get to the cafeteria for hot food.

Their figures blended into the elongated silhouettes of the crowd under the dim streetlights and the rising chill on the school path, while the wind carried more complaints about the biting winter and the noisy footsteps rushing towards the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was brightly lit.

A thick layer of condensation formed on the huge glass windows, blocking out the cold wind and locking in the warmth and aroma of the food.

"Hiss—I'm alive again!" A-Jie let out a long, exaggerated sigh of relief and rubbed his frozen face.

"This awful weather is unbearable. Sister Li, you can just sit down. Let that brat Shen Yuan go and queue up, that'll be fine!"

Shen Yuan rolled his eyes at A-Jie.

Ever since Li Zhi named A-Jie's sweet story "Silent Reading," A-Jie has been completely captivated.

Shen Yuan patted A-Jie on the back: "Do you need to tell me? Go line up! If you're late, your sister Li will beat you up if she gets hungry!"

A little while later, Shen Yuan and A-Jie brought over dinner.

"Let's get started!"

Although the cafeteria is sheltered from the cold winds, the food still gets cold very quickly if you eat slowly.

Yang Ze took a big gulp of hot soup: "Yuan, how's math going?"

Shen Yuan nodded: "The difficulty level seems alright? It's better than the last joint exam. The exam went quite smoothly."

As he said this, Shen Yuan glanced at Li Zhi beside him, seemingly unintentionally.

But Li Zhi didn't respond; he just ate his meal in silence.

He Zhiyu, who was eating her meal, took small bites, her big eyes darting back and forth between the two of them. She was trying to suppress a smile, pretending that she didn't know anything, but in reality, she was overjoyed.

Zhuo Peipei glanced at He Zhiyu, feeling that he had been secretly eating alone behind her back lately.

Just then, Chen Mingyu's voice rang in everyone's ears.

"Speaking of which, next Saturday is Christmas, right? I can see the atmosphere is starting to get festive outside. What are your plans?"

Ah Jie chuckled: "What plans could there be for Saturday? School won't be closed, and there won't be any events."

Shen Yuan nodded: "You might as well pray that Lao Zhou doesn't schedule an exam for you on Saturday."

"hiss--"

The air I inhaled that day was exceptionally cold.

Yang Ze, who was standing nearby, immediately chimed in, "By the way, isn't the New Year's Eve party the week after next?"

When the New Year's Eve party was mentioned, their eyes lit up.

The annual New Year's Eve party was quite lively.

It's not that it's particularly exciting, but it's mainly fun.

Watching familiar classmates and teachers perform their talents, and seeing their unique sides, is what makes it interesting.

"Speaking of the New Year's Eve party, it has become a regular event for Sister Shui to go singing every year."

Upon hearing this, everyone present nodded in agreement.

Yang Yishui is 28 years old and has been working for 5 years. She has been singing at the New Year's Eve party for 5 years.

When I first entered the workforce, I was full of enthusiasm, but now I realize that I must have been out of my mind to sign up for that job.

The response was so enthusiastic that I now have to sing it every year.

Yang Yishui felt like she was about to be included in the admissions brochure.

"What a pity," A-Jie sighed, "We're in our final year of high school now, so it's not our turn to sign up for shows or anything like that."

The New Year's Eve gala program requires rehearsals, but where would the senior high school students find the time to rehearse?

So now it's all about the first and second years of high school.

Of course, senior high school students can also apply for programs, but they are basically rejected at the homeroom teacher's first round.

Unless your performance impresses your homeroom teacher, you're likely to survive until the end.

Therefore, it is a general consensus that senior high school students will basically not have any performances at the New Year's Eve party.

However, besides the entertaining programs, the most important reason for the New Year's Eve gala is the New Year's Day holiday.

What's the point of being a senior in high school? Isn't it just to have a break and catch your breath?

Ah Jie sighed, "I really miss the feeling of being on stage back then, it's just a pity that Lao Zhou won't let me go."

Yang Ze turned to look at A-Jie, his gaze icy.

Noticing Yang Ze's gaze, A-Jie gave an awkward smile, shrank back, and remained silent.

Shen Yuan blinked.

At this moment, Zhuo Peipei explained, "I don't know if you remember, but last year A-Jie and Yang Ze went up and performed a crosstalk routine, and it was quite well received."

Shen Yuan thought about it for a moment, and it seemed that there was such a thing.

"But do you know what? Ah Jie improvised a part on the spot. If Yang Ze hadn't been quick-witted, it would have been an accident."

"Isn't that quite effective?"

Before Shen Yuan could even begin to wonder, Yang Ze spoke up angrily.

"Holy crap [beep], this bastard completely went off-script for the rest of the time! He even interacted with the audience, you know that?!"

Shen Yuan remembered that such a thing had happened.

The initial results were actually quite good.

But for the person involved... this is quite distressing.

If Yang Ze hadn't often joked and acted crazy with A-Jie, he really wouldn't have been able to keep up.

"Ah Jie, you deserve to die! I suggest we find an iron pillar after dinner and freeze him to death!"

"Hey, hey, hey! That happened last year!" Ah Jie exclaimed anxiously.

Shen Yuan snorted coldly: "A gentleman takes his revenge even after ten years!"

"What does this have to do with you! Yang Ze has already taken his revenge!"

"Report it again."

"roll roll roll!"

Ah Jie looked at Shen Yuan with a look of disgust.

The night outside the window was dark and cold.

The noise from the cafeteria gradually faded away, and the group quickly returned to the classroom, braving the chill.

The classroom, which had just been ventilated, wasn't very warm, but it was much better than outside.

Shen Yuan had just settled into his seat, the chill still lingering between his fingers, when he subconsciously glanced at Li Zhi beside him.

The girl had just sat down, and was clearly still feeling the cold in her hands and feet.

Li Zhi rubbed his palms together slightly, then placed his hands on his knees, trying to dispel the chill.

The classroom lights were bright and glaring, illuminating the profile of her focused face.

Shen Yuan withdrew his gaze, a gentle tickle running through the depths of his heart.

He casually flipped through the notebooks on the table, but quietly lowered his body, almost lying face down on the table.

With the shoulder slightly turned to the side, a small, concealed space is created.

Using the tabletop as cover, a hand reached very slowly into the small patch of darkness beneath it.

The fingertips first touched the cold air, and then accurately captured Li Zhi's slightly cool fingers folded on his knees.

Upon contact, Li Zhi's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

The fingertips instinctively want to dodge, a habitual defense mechanism when suddenly touched in public.

However, just a second before her fingertips tried to escape, Shen Yuan's warm palm enveloped her even more firmly.

With the unique, burning heat of a young boy, it completely covered her slightly cold fingertips and the back of her hand.

The warmth almost instantly and forcefully drove away the chill that clung to every inch of skin.

Li Zhi's body tensed up even more, and her lips unconsciously pursed into a stubborn straight line.

Shen Yuan could feel the tightness and slight trembling of the skin on the back of her hand, as well as the resistance that tried to pull away but eventually softened in the warmth.

Shen Yuan didn't speak, nor did he even look up at Li Zhi's expression. He simply maintained his posture of hunching over the desk, resting his cheek on his other arm, facing the desk in front of him, as if he were dozing off.

Only the hand under the table, tightly enveloping the girl's left hand, silently conveyed his unspoken declaration.

Beneath the mountain of books on the desk, in a corner unknown to anyone, only two hands are tightly clasped together, dispelling the chill and whispering secrets hotter than the fire in the stove.

Li Zhi's tense fingertips finally relaxed slowly in the continuous warmth, and she even placed her other hand on top of them.

No one saw it anyway.

The most important thing is to keep yourself warm.

I don't want to shake hands with Shen Yuan.

Warmth seeped through their pressed palms, dispelling the last trace of chill.

"That's about enough..." the girl thought.

Her right hand, hidden under the table, twitched slightly, and she gently poked Shen Yuan's hand, which was tightly wrapped around her, with her fingertips.

no response.

The figure lying prone remained motionless, its shoulders steady, even the slightest rise and fall of its breath was deliberately slowed, like a rock in deep meditation.

Li Zhi looked at Shen Yuan and smiled slightly.

The next second, Shen Yuan pulled his hand back, hissing and growling incessantly.

Shen Yuan rubbed his hands together, looking at the red marks on his thumb and forefinger, and stared at Li Zhi in surprise.

His eyes were full of questions.

"So heavy-handed?"

Li Zhi glared back defiantly.

"Who told you, you idiot, to refuse to let go?"

Shen Yuan pointed at Li Zhi without any confidence, then turned his gaze back to his own exam paper.

Seeing Shen Yuan's submissive expression, Li Zhi's lips seemed to curve upwards for an extremely brief moment, a curve so subtle that only she herself knew it.

She didn't look at him again, and lowered her head, her pen tip falling on her draft paper again.

The woman's shoulders and neck relaxed again, and only the soft sound of writing was the best resonance at this moment.

Under the lights of evening self-study, boys and girls were immersed in their books at two desks side by side.

Outside the window, the chill deepened; inside, their silent perseverance and companionship remained.

The soft rustling of writing flowed like a melody through the quiet winter night.

Before we knew it, evening self-study was coming to an end.

The incandescent light bulb emitted a slight hum, and the almost stagnant atmosphere of concentration in the classroom was quietly broken by a subtle, imperceptible sense of movement.

First, the rustling sound of paper turning gradually became more frequent, replacing most of the scratching sound of pen nibs, as if it was doing a final check for the final sprint.

Then came the occasional, deliberately hushed conversations, like bubbles rising from the bottom of water.

How did you calculate this problem?

"Shall we walk together later?"

"Hey, wanna grab some late-night snacks at the cafeteria later?"

The stationery was carefully put back into the pencil case, and the sound of the backpack zipper rang out.

A barely suppressed yawn came from the desk behind me, causing the chair to shift slightly.

The entire space was filled with an accumulating energy, transitioning from absolute silence to a noisy prelude filled with anticipation.

The air was filled with the rustling sounds of people packing their things and the relaxed breaths of students as their studies were about to end.

It was as if it was building up to its climax.

"Ring ring ring—!!"

The sharp and loud school bell rang out like a spell breaking free of its restraints, piercing through this layer of self-control!
“School’s over!!”

Almost at the very last note of the bell, Ah-Jie's signature raspy voice was the first to explode, accompanied by a crisp "smack" as a book was slammed onto the desk.

The cheer was like a boulder thrown into a lake, instantly igniting the entire classroom!
"Alas! Let's retreat!"

Yang Ze quickly stuffed his science review materials haphazardly into his backpack, zipping the zipper all the way down with a screeching sound.

"I'm retreating first!"

"Let's go! It's freezing!"

"Late-night snacks at the cafeteria?"

"Nonsense! We've been waiting forever! We're starving!"

"Come on—!"

"Hurry up, what are you dawdling for! If you're late, it'll be gone!"

Various sounds mingled together, instantly filling the entire space like a floodgate being opened.

As soon as the door opened, the lingering atmosphere of an evening study session immediately dissipated from the classroom.

Figures moved about, and hurried footsteps clattered through the narrow passageway, stirring up gusts of cold wind.

As usual, Li Zhi did not urge Shen Yuan.

However, Shen Yuan had just finished solving a difficult chemistry problem and was just coming out of his focused state.

Shen Yuan let out a long sigh, seemingly relieved of some of his fatigue by the noise.

"Let's go."

After Shen Yuan packed his schoolbag, the two got up and left the classroom.

The chill of December, like a predatory beast, instantly gripped everyone's skin.

The wind, like a knife wrapped in ice shards, pierced through collars and sleeves without hindrance, causing people to instinctively shrink their necks.

As soon as she stepped out of the classroom, Li Zhi couldn't help but shrink her neck and subconsciously buried her chin deeper into the soft velvet edge of her collar, as if that would block out a bit more of the chill.

As Shen Yuan stepped out of the classroom, he sensed the movement of the beautiful girl beside him.

Seeing Li Zhi's timid appearance, Shen Yuan's hand, which was originally casually in his pocket, naturally reached out from the side and precisely grabbed Li Zhi's hand before he could put it in his pocket.

Their skin suddenly touched.

Shen Yuan immediately felt the coldness emanating from Li Zhi's hand.

Li Zhi's eyes widened suddenly.

It was one thing that there weren't many people yesterday! But now there are so many people in the hallway, how dare this idiot!
Just as Li Zhi was about to say something, Shen Yuan gently tugged at her and led her forward.

"gone."

There was no reason, not even the excuse of "warming hands".

Li Zhi followed beside Shen Yuan, wanting to break free, but...

So warm...

The girl instinctively lowered her head, not daring to look at Shen Yuan at all.

A surge of warmth, a feeling of overwhelming shyness, emanated from the hand that was connected to Shen Yuan's.

But the small hand that was being clenched, in the warmth of the embrace, gradually loosened its grip, and finally quietly let him hold it, drawing on the only source of heat to dispel the chill of the winter night.

And so, amidst the surging, cold vortex of people, and under the cover of the clamor, the two walked out of the school gate against the tide of people heading home.

The wind at night in winter is more biting than during the day, chilling you to the bone.

The cold in the South is the kind of cold that seeps into your body through your clothes.

Under the dim streetlights at the school gate, figures quickly dispersed, each heading in their own direction home.

The aroma of food from the night market stalls seemed to have been frozen, becoming much fainter.

Shen Yuan tightened his grip on Li Zhi's hand and simply put Li Zhi's hand into his pocket.

He turned his head and looked at Li Zhi's slightly red nose and tightly pursed lips, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.

He slowed his pace, his voice slightly hoarse, reaching Li Zhi's ears clearly:

"Is it still cold?"

Li Zhi was struggling to resist the oncoming cold wind when he heard this, and instinctively wanted to stubbornly reply, "I'm not cold."

—Just like countless times before.

She had just opened her mouth when the brief yet incredibly vivid scene from last night in the neighborhood unexpectedly flooded her mind.

The image of Shen Yuan pulling her tightly into his arms without saying a word.

That solid warmth, which seemed to evaporate the chill from her very bones, instantly revived in her memory, as clear as if it were happening again right now.

The comforting warmth that dispels the chill, the fleeting yet cherished sense of security in that embrace...

That hidden sense of dependence and shyness seemed to cling to me again.

But this is at the school gate!

Li Zhi instinctively wanted to refuse.

But just then, she felt a weight on her shoulder!
Shen Yuan didn't even wait for her reply before letting go of her hand and raising his arm with perfect ease, mimicking the position from last night!

An arm swept across Li Zhi's back, and the palm landed steadily on her other arm!
Then, he slightly tightened his arms, and a huge and warm feeling of strength instantly came over him, and he once again pulled her even tighter into his firm embrace!
It's like tucking a shivering kitten in the cold wind into the warmest spot next to a stove.

Shen Yuan lowered his head, his chin brushing against Li Zhi's long hair.

He slightly bent over, looked at the beautiful girl in his arms, and gave her a "praise me" look.

"Tsk, look at you, you're so cold you can barely speak!"

"I knew you were still cold!"

"Look how thoughtful I am, you don't even have to say anything."

The tone was so self-assured, as if what had just happened wasn't an intimate gesture at all, but rather as natural as handing over a cup of hot water.

This...this idiot!!!
Li Zhi suddenly looked up and met Shen Yuan's excessively bright eyes.

The girl couldn't wait to stomp on him right now and push him away.

However, the deep-seated longing for warmth within her body entwined her limbs like vines, rendering her unable to move.

All the struggles were defeated by the comfort of being enveloped in warmth.

In the end, under Shen Yuan's gaze, Li Zhi could only bury his face even deeper into his collar and even put on his hood.

It was as if this would shut out Shen Yuan's hateful smiling face.

"Let's go."

No sooner had Shen Yuan finished speaking than a muffled thud, filled with shame and anger yet utterly helpless, struck Shen Yuan's heart solidly through the thick fabric of his clothes.

"Sand dollar!"

The wind was still howling, and pedestrians hurried past.

Unbeknownst to anyone, in this little world of just the two of them, the girl's heart pounded wildly with shyness, yet was silently soothed by that domineering yet heartwarming temperature.

Shen Yuan felt the weight and warmth in his arms, and his smile deepened. The fatigue from the evening self-study seemed to be dispelled at this moment.

The two remained close together as they walked step by step through the chilly winter night.

　No extra update today, it's my wife's birthday, I'll update tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)