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

Chapter 210 [That Night, Li Zhi Did Not Leave] (1 words)

The journey home on a cold night ended in the warmth of snuggling and gentle playfulness.

On a new day, the winter sun shone with a cold brightness, slanting through the classroom's frosty glass windows.

The morning's science exam had just ended, and its afterglow still lingered in the air.

The door to the examination room was pushed open, and a rush of cold air from outside, along with the smell of ink from the exam papers, rushed out.

Shen Yuan and Zhou Shaojie walked out of the classroom with light steps, completely ignoring the students who were still immersed in checking answers or frustrated with the questions, and headed straight for Class 15.

Inside classroom 15, Li Zhi was sitting in his seat, resting his chin on one hand and twirling a pen in the other.

The ballpoint pen flew deftly across the girl's slender fingers, while she gazed listlessly out the window.

However, Li Zhi soon heard a familiar sound.

She looked up and met Shen Yuan's incredibly bright eyes.

The light that danced within it was confidence and a determination to succeed.

Shen Yuan pulled out a chair next to Li Zhi with a "thump" and sat down, his movements swift and even a bit arrogant.

He leaned forward slightly, getting closer to the girl, a wide, undisguised smile spreading across his face. Even his voice was a few decibels higher than usual, filled with certainty.

"Li Bao!" Shen Yuan looked into her eyes, his tone resolute, "It's a sure thing! This time it'll be 650 points, just you wait and see!"

The winter sun shone brightly on his raised eyebrows and confident smile, as if adding a radiant glow to his certainty.

The composure and sense of control he had during the exam seemed to still linger at his fingertips.

At this moment, Shen Yuan was filled with almost inflated confidence in his past promises.

The cold wind outside the window seemed to be somewhat dispelled by his powerful confidence.

Looking at the guy in front of him who had suddenly become so "arrogant," Li Zhi felt a familiar hint of disdain instantly well up in his eyes.

Her brows furrowed slightly as usual, as if she wanted to say something to dampen his enthusiasm.

But when Li Zhi's gaze swept over Shen Yuan's radiant face, he immediately thought of how diligently Shen Yuan had been working over the past two weeks.

The words of cold water I wanted to pour out ended up as a soft hum.

"Hmph, you idiot..."

Li Zhi deliberately lowered his voice, as if he only wanted himself and Li Zhi to hear it.

She raised her right hand, holding the pen, with remarkable ease, and poked Shen Yuan's arm resting on the table with the pen tip as if in dissatisfaction, but the force was as light as a feather.

The girl did not hold back her affirmation.

"It wasn't a complete waste of effort."

Li Zhi's lips curved upwards almost imperceptibly, then he quickly pursed them back, but his voice carried a very subtle hint of pride.

This restrained yet slightly arrogant acceptance, tinged with a girlish pride, sounded like heavenly music to Shen Yuan's ears.

Like a piece of honey, it was precisely poured into his burning heart, and the sweetness exploded instantly, flowing into every part of his body.

Shen Yuan's eyes suddenly lit up, and his already confident and flamboyant smile bloomed uncontrollably on his face like a lit firework.

A surge of immense joy welled up inside him, making him almost want to jump for joy like a child who has just received a beloved toy.

Shen Yuan laughed happily, and his body swayed accordingly.

That overwhelming joy was overflowing, and even his voice trembled with lingering excitement.

"hey-hey……"

Looking at Shen Yuan's appearance, Li Zhi gave a soft snort.

"You idiot, your laugh is so stupid."

But the girl showed no disgust on her face; instead, her eyes shone with a bright smile.

"Okay, I'm going to eat now, I'm hungry!"

"Alright, alright, let's go eat! How can I let my Li Bao go hungry!"

"Yue—!!!"

An extremely exaggerated retching sound exploded almost right next to Shen Yuan's ear.

Ah Jie whispered in Shen Yuan's ear, his face contorted with a mixture of bitterness and extreme disgust, and he patted his chest with an air of seriousness.

"Damn it! It's time to eat, why did you feed me something sour?!"

Chen Mingyu rubbed his arms, as if they were covered in something sticky: "Damn, I'm getting goosebumps all over! Can we even eat this? Damn it!"

Ah Jie chimed in, "Exactly! They have absolutely no sense of public morality!"

Zhuo Peipei said to A-Jie, "Why is it public morality? Why not maternal morality? Be careful, or you'll get your little sweet potato stuck in your head!"

Ah Jie touched his nose and chickened out.

Seeing Ah Jie's appearance, Shen Yuanfei quickly mocked, "Coward!"

"You're not much better!"

Both of them actually knew what they were talking about.

Shen Yuan was mocking A-Jie for being cowardly in front of Zhuo Peipei, not for being publicly shamed on Xiaohongshu.

As for A-Jie, he was naturally mocking Shen Yuan for being cowardly in front of Li Zhi.

However, unlike A-Jie, Shen Yuan could say it with a clear conscience.

How did I become a coward?

Shen Yuan puffed out his chest: "I'm just showing respect to Li Bao. Li Bao is so great! She tutors me with my homework and supervises my studies. My progress is inseparable from Li Bao!"

Yang Ze, standing nearby, rolled his eyes, looking utterly disgusted, and complained to Chen Mingyu, "Damn... I'm numb, I'm totally numb!"

Chen Mingyu patted Yang Ze on the shoulder sympathetically: "You'll get used to it, bro. This bastard's skin is as thick as a city wall."

He Zhiyu, on the other hand, was completely immersed in his own world.

She cupped her burning cheeks, her big eyes curving into crescents, her shoulders trembling slightly as she tried to suppress a laugh.

Looking at Shen Yuan's undisguised doting tone and Li Zhi's proud yet sweet response.

He Zhiyu felt as if the sugar jar in her heart had been completely overturned, and she was so sweet that she felt like she was bubbling over.

She screamed silently in her heart: "Ahhh!!! This is exactly what I wanted to write! The 'stealing from the master' lap is so sweet!!! Yes, yes, yes! This is exactly how it should be!!!"

The young author felt like a connoisseur who had obtained the first-hand, top-secret candy, and was so happy he almost fainted.

……

After finishing their meal, the group poured out of the cafeteria and were instantly enveloped by the cold outdoor air.

"Hiss—" A-Jie suddenly shrank his neck, gripping his collar tightly with both hands, his face almost buried in it.

His dejected air was more glaring than the chill outside; the smugness he displayed after the science exam had vanished without a trace. His steps were sluggish, his shoulders slightly hunched, and he kept muttering to himself.

My heart is colder than this awful weather.

Ah-Jie's voice was filled with obvious despair, a stark contrast to his usual joking tone.

Yang Ze patted him on the back sympathetically, while Chen Mingyu had an expression that said he was used to it.

In stark contrast was Shen Yuan, who was walking ahead.

The boy was tall and straight, his steps carrying the relaxed and confident air that comes with finishing an exam.

The cold winter wind seemed unable to shake his inner confidence.

Under the lights, he had an almost ostentatious smile on his lips, and his eyes were surprisingly bright.

"Brother Jie, calm down, it's no big deal." Shen Yuan's voice was clear and cheerful, with obvious joy and even a hint of teasing that made him want to punch someone.

He turned his head to face the light, his smile becoming even brighter: "Oh, it's just that you didn't do well on the English test. Anyway, it's not your first time, you should be familiar with it by now."

A-Jie responded to Shen Yuan with an internationally friendly gesture.

Li Zhi walked quietly beside Shen Yuan, listening to the boys' playful banter. The girl's bright eyes did not show the usual disdain or mischievousness, but instead clearly reflected his flamboyant profile.

That vibrant, confident radiance pleased Li Zhi greatly. She seemed to nod her delicate chin very slightly before quickly turning it back.

Zhuo Peipei noticed the difference in A-Jie's and Shen Yuan's states and shook her head with a smile.

He Zhiyu covered her mouth and chuckled, her big eyes darting back and forth between Shen Yuan and Li Zhi, clearly secretly picking up candy again.

In the darkness of night, the shadows of a group of teenagers were elongated by the dim streetlights.

The cold wind blew through the bare branches, howling above their heads, but it could not dispel the two completely different emotional fluctuations in the crowd.

As the group returned to the teaching building, Shen Yuan thought of Li Zhi's little hands, which were red from the cold, when they passed by the office on the third floor.

"You guys go back first, I'll go borrow something from Sister Shui."

After saying that, Shen Yuan turned around and pushed open the slightly ajar door of the teachers' office without waiting for anyone's reaction.

The office was lit up, filled with the mixed smells of warmth and paper ink.

There was no one at the homeroom teacher Lao Zhou's seat; Yang Yishui, the older cousin, was engrossed in scrolling through her phone.

Hearing the noise at the door, Yang Yishui looked up and saw Shen Yuan. A hint of confusion appeared on her slightly tired face.

"what?"

Shen Yuan had a clear goal and went straight to Yang Yishui's desk.

With his sharp eyes, he immediately noticed that Yang Yishui had a coat covering her knees, and underneath the coat, the shape of a hot water bottle was clearly protruding.

Shen Yuan looked at Yang Yishui with a fawning smile, but his movements were as fast as lightning.

Before Yang Yishui could even have a bad feeling, she felt a chill on her leg as Shen Yuan had already taken away her hot water bottle.

"Hey you!"

Caught off guard, Yang Yishui instinctively tried to protect her hot water bottle, but it had already fallen into Shen Yuan's hands.

Shen Yuan, clutching the warm heat source, ignored his older cousin's astonished gaze and spoke rapidly: "It's freezing in the classroom! Your office has air conditioning, why are you using a hot water bottle! What a waste of resources!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already slipped out of the office door like an eel.

Yang Yishui was left in the office staring in astonishment at the empty space above her knees.

The hot water bottle she just filled hadn't even been warm for ten seconds...

"Your mother..."

Yang Yishui clenched her fist.

If the office air conditioning were working, would she even need a hot water bottle?!
Damn Shen Yuan!
You're just using someone else's flowers to present to Buddha, aren't you?

No, I'd feel wronged.

Yang Yishui took out her phone, found Zhang Yuyan's contact in her contacts, and quickly dialed the number.

"Auntie! Shen Yuan is bullying me!"

My older cousin went to complain.

However, Shen Yuan was completely unaware of this.

Even knowing that his older cousin would complain, Shen Yuan would probably still snatch the hot water bottle from Yang Yishui.

Go ahead and sue him. He didn't steal it for himself; he stole it for Li Zhi!

He felt sorry for his Li Bao, whose little hands got cold while he was studying during evening self-study.

Ms. Zhang Yuyan, you can decide for yourself whether to freeze Yang Yishui or freeze Li Bao.

Shen Yuan clutched the hot water bottle that still radiated Yang Yishui's body heat and walked briskly back to the classroom door.

He took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and walked straight to his seat, facing a dozen pairs of slightly curious eyes that hadn't fully recovered from the cold.

Li Zhi was already seated, preparing to begin the final preparations before evening self-study.

She looked up and saw Shen Yuan striding over, clearly holding a pink plush hot water bottle in his hand.

That style is definitely Yang Yishui's.

Before Li Zhi could fully grasp the situation, Shen Yuan had already taken his seat.

Without any hesitation, and without caring about the gazes that suddenly focused on him from A-Jie, Yang Ze, Chen Mingyu and others.

Shen Yuan shoved the warm hot water bottle directly into Li Zhi's hands.

"Here, keep it warm."

His movements were decisive and swift, with a peculiar openness. His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the people nearby to hear clearly.

Li Zhi's hand was suddenly shoved into a heat source, and she looked at Shen Yuan with a blank expression.

Oh~~~~~!

Sure enough, Ah Jie was the first to let out a strange cry, dragging out the last syllable long and irritating.

Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu immediately followed suit, making exaggerated "whoosh" sounds, while Zhuo Peipei and He Zhiyu couldn't help but cover their mouths and chuckle.

The students in the classroom were immediately drawn to the commotion, and their attention and the atmosphere instantly became ambiguous and gossipy.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Yuan! You..."

Ah Jie spoke sarcastically.

However, his teasing remark was cut short by Li Zhi's subsequent reaction.

The pretty girl gave a rude look to A-Jie, Yang Ze, and Chen Mingyu, who were egging her on. Her eyes were like ice shards, full of clear warnings and a chilling demand to shut up.

"You can do all the questions? You've finished correcting the tests? You have a lot of free time, don't you? Do you want me to give each of you a few questions?"

Li Zhi looked at A-Jie: "Go copy the vocabulary words! I'm going to check them during the third period of evening self-study tonight, so be prepared."

The girl gripped the hot water bottle tightly in her hand, feeling the warmth through the fuzzy outer shell.
When that gaze landed on A-Jie, he felt like he was about to be personally cared for by his older cousin, so he quickly shrank back and awkwardly lowered his head to pretend to read his textbook.

Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu also fell silent instantly, quietly opening their books in unison.

The noisy corner instantly fell silent.

He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei exchanged a glance, having witnessed Shen Yuan's forceful act of offering warmth, and then seeing Li Zhi's undisguised protective stance.

Their eyes lit up instantly, and the little voices in their heads were already jumping around like crazy.

"Ahhhhh!!! Protecting her husband! This is blatant protection! Zhizhi is so upset! She feels sorry for Shen Yuan being teased! So sweet! So sweet! This is too much!!!"

……

There is no long holiday after the monthly exam.

The school plans to combine the long holiday with the New Year's Day holiday.

Anyway, the original long holiday is less than 30 hours in total, but with the New Year's Day holiday combined, it's like having an extra day off!

Depend on!
Is that how it's calculated?!
But the miserable senior high school students had no choice but to follow the school's arrangements.

The monthly exams were held on Saturday, and classes continued on Sunday.

All I can say is, good job, school leaders! They'll kill your horse later.

On a winter midday, the sky outside the window was a little brighter than usual.

Sunday's daytime sunlight, penetrating the winter's chill, sparingly cast a few rays of warmth.

The bell finally rang, signaling the end of the last class of the morning, bringing with it a rare sense of relief from the weekend.

The echoes of the bell were still lingering when the teacher announced "get out of class dismissed," which was followed by cheers in the classroom.

The exhaustion from another day seemed to float in the air, mingling with chalk dust and a cold atmosphere.

Many people stood up, stretched, and let out a series of relieved groans.

Amidst this somewhat dejected collective sigh, A-Jie peeked out and looked at Yang Ze.

“Ah Ze.”

There was no trace of the dejection he had shown in class earlier; now his face was filled with excitement and a strong craving for hot food.

"Want to join us for the get-together?"

Yang Ze's eyes lit up. Anyway, Sunday afternoons were spent either playing games at internet cafes or sleeping at home, so he could totally accept any kind of gathering or dinner!
"go!"

He didn't even ask A-Jie what he wanted to eat.

A-Jie then turned to look at Shen Yuan and Chen Mingyu.

"Hey guys! Ladies! Want to go out for a get-together? There's a new lamb spine hot pot place that just opened on the shopping street, it's absolutely authentic!"

Ah Jie spoke in a roundabout way, taking in both Zhuo Peipei and He Zhiyu.

Clearly, he was speaking to everyone.

"hot pot?!"

Chen Mingyu's eyes lit up instantly, and his previously listless expression immediately became lively: "Lamb spine hotpot is great! Let's go! Let's eat! If we don't eat some meat soon, I'll really starve."

Zhuo Peipei smiled and nodded: "That sounds good. We do need something warm to warm ourselves up."

Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow; he was indeed somewhat tempted.

In the dead of winter, a meal of lamb spine hot pot is both warming and nourishing!

Wow, just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

Shen Yuanfei quickly turned his head to look at Li Zhi beside him, only to see that the beautiful young man was already looking at him.

Before Shen Yuan could say anything, Li Zhi nodded.

"Listen to you."

Shen Yuan chuckled.

He Zhiyu immediately clenched her little fist excitedly, her big eyes quickly scanning between Shen Yuan and Li Zhi.

His face practically screamed, "There's bound to be candy when we eat hot pot!"

She nodded vigorously: "Go, go, go!"

"Don't bother taking your backpack. You just finished your exams yesterday, so take a break!"

"Whatever, whatever, you decide what you're going to do after you finish eating!"

"Internet cafe?" The thought had barely crossed A-Jie's mind when Chen Mingyu slapped him on the shoulder and then pulled him close.

Chen Mingyu lowered his voice and said, "What's wrong with your brain? You went to an internet cafe while Zhuo Peipei was here? I thought you only invited us because you wanted to see Zhuo Peipei!"

Ah Jie gave an awkward smile.

He hadn't really thought that far ahead.

He simply wanted to eat lamb spine hot pot.

Yang Ze, standing nearby, clearly felt that A-Jie had invited them because he wanted to find an opportunity to be with Zhuo Peipei, so he tried to smooth things over.

"That silly kid is ignorant, don't bother with him. After we finish eating, we can go shopping at the mall next door or something. Why go to an internet cafe? He's so stupid."

The group quickly packed up, and the other students in the classroom also left one after another.

The cold corridor seemed to warm up a bit because of the teenagers' joyful gathering.

The direction of the commercial street seemed to light up a hope to dispel the chill. The steaming hot pot of lamb spine drove away the fatigue of class and dissatisfaction with the school leaders, becoming the warmest thought on this cold Sunday noon.

They poured out of the classroom noisily, their footsteps echoing in the empty teaching building, carrying with them an eagerness for food and a longing for a short rest, blending into the slightly chilly midday sun of winter.

The newly opened lamb spine hot pot restaurant on the commercial street was bustling with activity and full of lively atmosphere.

A huge copper pot sits in the center of the table, its milky white broth bubbling and boiling.

The aroma, mingled with the rising steam, wafted into my nose, instantly dispelling the chill brought from outside.

When they sat down, the group deliberately and "accidentally" squeezed Ah Jie and Zhuo Peipei together. He Zhiyu was sandwiched between Li Zhi and Zhuo Peipei, looking completely oblivious.

As for Li Zhi's side, it was naturally Shen Yuan.

Several people sat around a table, watching the pot bubble and simmer, the unique aroma of mutton filling the air.

The boys and girls who were just complaining of being hungry were now staring longingly at the rolling chunks of meat in the pot, eagerly reaching out with their chopsticks.

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi were not averse to mutton; in their hometown town, mutton bones were a famous dish.

Shen Yuan still remembers when he was a child, he would go out with his parents to eat lamb bones at one or two in the morning.

Just outrageous.

Of course, Li Zhi was also there at that time.

"Let's eat!" Chen Mingyu couldn't wait to pick up a large piece of lamb spine, not caring that it was hot, he blew on it a couple of times and started eating.

It was so hot it made him grimace.

"You're hopeless!" Yang Ze rolled his eyes at him, but quickly picked up a piece himself, sighing contentedly, "In this awful weather, this is the only thing you can eat! It keeps you warm!"

Just as Ah Jie was about to pick up some meat, Yang Ze bumped his leg. Reminded of this, he quickly scooped a piece of meat for Zhuo Peipei next to him: "Here, Pei-jie, eat first."

Zhuo Peipei smiled and nodded, then whispered, "Thank you, you should eat some too."

Li Zhi ate the lamb spine that Shen Yuan had picked up from her bowl in small bites. Although her movements weren't exactly elegant, they were still quite ladylike.

As He Zhiyu ate, her eyes sparkled as she scanned the table, especially noticing the subtle interactions between Shen Yuan and Li Zhi.

It made the little sugar jar in her heart keep shaking.

After a few bites, with a warm feeling in his stomach, Ah Jie leaned back contentedly and took a big gulp of his iced cola.

Ah Jie smacked his lips, looking at the lively aroma emanating from the wok on the table and the familiar faces around him, and suddenly felt a surge of emotion.

"Iced cola is the perfect drink in winter."

"Cold drinks, of course, are for eating when it's cold."

Li Zhi was the first to agree with what A-Jie said.

The pretty girl looked at Shen Yuan and said matter-of-factly, "See? What did I tell you? Winter is for eating ice cream!"

Shen Yuan rolled his eyes in exasperation.

When we were ordering, Li Zhi wanted ice cream, but he refused.

You should eat this all year round!

This was originally a sarcastic remark, but Li Zhi nodded in agreement: "Hey, everyone heard it, it was Shen Yuan himself who said that I can eat it all year round."

"Eh!"

Shen Yuan was about to retort when he saw Li Zhi tilting his head slightly to look at him.

Those eyes were wet at that moment, and their eyelashes fluttered with an unusual softness.

She unconsciously tugged at Shen Yuan's sleeve and shook it gently, even her complaints were drawn out in a soft tone.

"Please, you didn't buy me anything when we went to Hangzhou last time. I haven't had any in ages."

The entire table suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

After a moment of silence, the others all showed expressions of disbelief.

Until, Zhuo Peipei suddenly covered her mouth, her shoulders trembling suspiciously.

He Zhiyu's pupils dilated instantly, and he frantically pinched his thigh under the table.

Li Zhi is being cute!
She actually acted coquettishly towards Shen Yuan in front of so many people!
A-Jie, Yang Ze, and Chen Mingyu suddenly felt they couldn't eat the meal anymore.

Shen Yuan felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing his heart.

He looked at Li Zhiwei's slightly puffed cheeks and drooping eyes, and that pitiful look felt like a feather tickling his heart.

All the words of rebuttal rolled around in my throat, finally turning into a resigned sigh: "...I give up."

Shen Yuan took out his phone and scanned the QR code on the table to order food.

"Let me tell you, you can only have the small portion."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Zhi shook his clothes again and looked at him with that pitiful expression.

Shen Yuan felt that a small portion was already his bottom line, and he couldn't let this guy get away with it.

Just as Shen Yuan was about to refuse, Li Zhi said softly, "It's a large portion~ Let's eat together."

Shen Yuan took a deep breath; he couldn't refuse.

"Go, go, go."

A triumphant gleam suddenly appeared in Li Zhi's eyes, and his pitiful expression vanished instantly, leaving only an uncontrollable sly smile on his lips.

Ah Jie, watching what had just happened, exclaimed, "Damn! Yuan, you... hiss—"

He was about to imitate Li Zhi's tone when Yang Ze, who was quick-witted and agile, slapped him hard on the back of the hand.

Yang Ze warned in a low voice, "Shut up and eat your meat! You want to die?!"

After saying that, Yang Ze quickly buried his head in his rice, but his shoulders twitched slightly suspiciously, clearly trying to suppress a laugh.

Chen Mingyu's eyes swept back and forth between Shen Yuan and Li Zhi with a meaningful look.

I'm so envious.

As for the two sugar figurines, they're all gone.

Is it true that Li Zhizhen can't eat ice cream?
She can buy it whenever she wants; one ice cream is more than enough for her living expenses.

But in fact?
When Shen Yuan wasn't around, Li Zhi rarely mentioned going out for ice cream.

Li Zhi only mentions ice cream when Shen Yuan is present.

If Shen Yuan rejects him, Li Zhi will get angry at Shen Yuan.

You can't tell at all that she's angry.

The soup in the copper pot was still bubbling and boiling, and the rising warmth carried the boys' unrestrained laughter and playfulness against the glass window.

Shen Yuan watched Li Zhi scooping ice cream with small bites. The way she unconsciously licked the milk foam off her lips made the winter chill fade into background noise.

Shen Yuan suddenly had a strong craving for ice cream.

After everyone finished their first round of eating, while waiting for the food in the pot to cook, Ah Jie suddenly clicked his tongue.

"Wow, time really flies."

Ah Jie's voice sounded exceptionally clear amidst the bubbling of the copper pot.

"It feels like just yesterday I was sunburnt and peeling during military training, and I was giving orders on stage at the New Year's Eve party for second-year high school students. It feels like I've only been a few years since the start of my senior year. And now... this semester is almost over? And the new year is just around the corner?"

His words were like a pebble thrown into a hot soup that had just calmed down.

Yang Ze put down his chopsticks, looked around at everyone, nodded, and spoke with a slightly dazed tone.

"It's really fast, they're working non-stop."

Chen Mingyu nodded: "Especially after the first round started, it was a whirlwind of activity, with test papers and review every day, making my head buzz."

"Indeed, I'm exhausted."

Everyone thinks that way.

"Speaking of which... I'll be stepping down next semester."

Zhuo Peipei smacked her lips: "Finally, I can take off this title of association president."

"Have you found a new candidate?" A-Jie asked tentatively.

Zhuo Peipei nodded: "Yes, she's a junior from Class 16 of the second year of high school. She's quite nice."

"Congratulations! We'll throw you a retirement ceremony when you step down."

"roll roll roll!"

Listening to their conversation, Shen Yuan subconsciously glanced at Li Zhi beside him.

The calm and serious profile reflected in the steaming hot pot reminded Shen Yuan of the events that had occurred over the past few months.

He was slightly lost in thought.

My life trajectory changed from the day in August when the system appeared while I was expelling corpse energy behind the classroom.

They reconnected with Li Zhi, added each other back as friends, and started going home together again.

The changes in these few short months have been as rapid as if an accelerator button had been pressed.

From initially mocking each other, she now sweetly asks for ice cream and defends him when others tease her.

The girl went from being full of disdain at the beginning to... well, that hasn't changed; she still finds fault with it from time to time.

Their relationship has gone through many twists and turns, and has now reached a point that even they often find unbelievable.
Shen Yuan exhaled softly, watching the white steam from the pot gradually dissipate into the air, as if witnessing a hazy and beautiful dream.

From this perspective, Shen Yuan suddenly felt as if he were in a scene from fragments of memory.

In an instant, a few faded images flashed before my eyes, but then disappeared one by one.

The mist of memory has been shattered by the present moment.

To be honest, I don't know what Brother Tong has been doing lately, being so well-behaved.

35-year-old Shen Yuan has no idea what he's doing. Hurry up and trigger the mission, you bastard!

Perhaps it was because Shen Yuan's insults were rather harsh, but the moment this thought arose, the system's voice rang in Shen Yuan's mind.

"Ding!"

[As summer approaches, during a gathering with your high school classmates, you are suddenly asked about Li Zhi. They've heard that you've recently reconnected with him.]

Looking at these familiar faces, you recall the day you and Li Zhi went to Hangzhou together. Li Zhi's smile was especially captivating that day.

Time may not diminish beauty, but you and Li Zhi are not young anymore, and you both understand each other's feelings.

That night, Li Zhi did not leave.

Although nothing has happened, you feel it's time to express your feelings to Li Zhi.

Go confess your feelings to her and announce your victory. Reward: Depends on the success of your confession.

Shen Yuan:? ! ! !

what? !

That night, Li Zhi didn't leave?!
Shen Yuan trembled violently, his mind went completely blank!
That night?!
That day?!

Me at 35... and Li Zhi at 35?!
A rush of scalding blood surged to the top of his head.

Shen Yuan felt his fingertips go numb as a tremendous sense of absurdity and an indescribable, intense shock overwhelmed him!

no……

What the hell are you...

Why should you?!

Damn it!
Shen Yuan, you fucking deserve to die!

Oh, nothing happened...

Then you are truly useless.

Shen Yuan subconsciously glanced at Li Zhi beside him.

What would have happened to me if Li Zhi hadn't gone back that night?

Okay, I'm useless too.

Shen Yuan looked at Li Zhi beside him, and suddenly... he completely understood.

He got it.

Why did nothing happen on the night I turned thirty-five?

Why is it that at this moment, when I'm eighteen, imagining that scene of being alone with her, my heart is pounding like a drum, yet I also clearly foresee my own fate?

This is not cowardice, nor is it indifference.

Quite the opposite.

Because of this girl in front of him, from her babbling infancy to her vibrant presence by the desk, her image has long been deeply imprinted on the texture of his life.

She was my childhood sweetheart, a chance encounter, a hidden flutter in my heart and a tacit understanding, and the person I, at 35, still know best after all the ups and downs.

She is not a fleeting landscape, nor a flower to be casually picked.

She was the irreplaceable treasure that Shen Yuan held in the deepest part of his heart, clumsily and reluctantly in his palm.

It was the self-control that made him reluctant to part, even when he clearly wanted to continue holding hands or hugging, but had to let go at the door of his home or by the school road.

Her simple "hmm" could light up his whole world, and her coquettishness was the source of his motivation to compromise without any principles.

It was also the reason why he was willing to continue to focus and face the overwhelming fatigue, just to catch up with her and stand proudly by her side.

She is Li Zhi.

It is precisely because of this deep appreciation, because of the certainty of the weight and enduring nature of this affection, and because of the knowledge of her uniqueness in my life, that I cherish her so much.

That's why, at thirty-five, he chose absolute restraint in the face of immense temptation and anticipation.

At this moment, eighteen-year-old Shen Yuan looked at the girl in front of him, a girl he knew to the core, and at the cute little bit of milk foam on the tip of her nose. His clear understanding of her transcended time and space.

If I ever had the chance, I would do the same.

It's not that I don't want to, or that I can't, it's because I'm too serious about it, and I care too much.

A resigned smile flashed across Shen Yuan's face.

Whether he's eighteen or thirty-five, Shen Yuan is probably just a useless person now.

He could almost see himself that night, his future self probably holding his breath and instinctively rolling to the corner of the sofa.

Then, all night long, I listened to my own heart pounding like thunder, staring at the ceiling until Li Zhi finally fell into a deep sleep with steady breathing.

While Shen Yuan was lost in thought, he didn't notice that the conversation at the dining table had gradually quieted down.

The conversation at the table continued with the topic of the future, but just then, a subtle silence, like a crack in ice, quietly spread from the corner.

He Zhiyu was chewing meat, and habitually raised her bright eyes to look between Shen Yuan and Li Zhi. Suddenly, she stopped, her mouth so full that she forgot to chew.

The girl tilted her head in confusion at first, then the light in her big eyes suddenly surged!

It was as if a searchlight had discovered a hidden treasure!
He Zhiyu's unusual behavior seemed to be a signal.

Sitting next to her, Zhuo Peipei, who was talking to A-Jie, inadvertently glanced in the direction of He Zhiyu's frozen gaze. The moment her eyes met Shen Yuan's, it was as if a pause button had been pressed.

Immediately afterwards, Zhuo Peipei's lips began to uncontrollably stretch upwards.

Chen Mingyu, who was sitting opposite Zhuo Peipei, noticed the change in atmosphere almost simultaneously.

Chen Mingyu turned to look at Shen Yuan, then exaggeratedly nudged Yang Ze with his elbow.

Ah Jie also noticed the strange behavior of the people around him and looked in the direction they were looking.

The conversation about the passage of time at the dinner table gradually faded away.

A powerful and peculiar field of attraction formed around Shen Yuan.

Almost everyone's eyes were now focused on the boy who was lost in thought.

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes fixed on Li Zhi beside him.

He watched with such focus and undisguised expression that it was as if the whole world consisted only of the girl's slightly puffed-out cheeks as she ate her ice cream.

That heavy gaze, carrying a tenderness that even Shen Yuan himself was unaware of, was clearly exposed to everyone's sight.

Li Zhi, who was focused on competing with the ice cream, suddenly realized that everyone's eyes were on Shen Yuan standing to the side.

The girl subconsciously turned to look at Shen Yuan, but before she could utter the word "idiot," her movements froze instantly.

The fingers gripping the ice cream scoop tightened unconsciously.

Looking into Shen Yuan's gentle gaze, Li Zhi's long eyelashes trembled in panic.

"What...what are you looking at!"

Li Zhi's voice was so low it was like a mosquito's hum, carrying a hint of embarrassment and annoyance at being caught red-handed.

The girl quickly lowered her head, trying to hide her burning cheeks, but Shen Yuan's gaze seemed to be fixed on her, making her even more uncomfortable.

In a moment of desperation, the toe of his little boot peeked out from under the table and gave Shen Yuan's shin a light kick.

"Ok?"

Shen Yuan felt a sharp pain in his leg and suddenly came to his senses.

Li Zhi's shy and flustered expression, along with her coquettish warning, was like a sweet breeze, instantly pulling him back from his deep inner analysis and the shock of the system.

He blinked, and saw that Li Zhi's cheeks were flushed, her expression a mixture of anger and charm.

Shen Yuan naturally noticed A-Jie and the others' gazes, but he didn't want to pay them any attention at the moment.

Under the table, Shen Yuan secretly reached out and held Li Zhi's hand, then looked at the ice cream next to Li Zhi.

"Didn't we agree to order a large portion and share it? How come you ate so much by yourself?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhi immediately retorted, "What do you mean by stealing food? I clearly ate it openly and honestly! You were the one who didn't tell me you wanted some. If you had told me, would I have given it to you?"

Shen Yuan's smile deepened, and he suddenly leaned closer: "Now I want to eat it, will you give it to me?"

Li Zhi instinctively shielded the ice cream with her hand.

"It's...it's just the last bit!"

"What should we do then?" Shen Yuan looked determined to get his ice cream.

But just then, Ah Jie, who was sitting opposite him, suddenly spoke up.

"Yuan! I'll buy it for you! Please! Let the child go!"

Ah Jie couldn't take it anymore.

The people at my table are eating here, and we were just talking about how fast time flies.

But then, these two childhood sweethearts started having an ambiguous relationship.

Yeah, how long have they been together?

At most, it's been from the first year of high school until now.

But how long have these two been around?!
Do you even know what "childhood sweethearts" means?

These two have been together for 18 years, from when they were just learning to speak until now.

In the eyes of A-Jie and his friends, they actually saw the changes in Shen Yuan and Li Zhi over the past few months.

The changes are too great.

Even Shen Yuan, that "wild dog," scored 650 on the exam.

For Shen Yuan, he can also see 17 years in the past.

For 17 years, the two have had no time together at all.

For 17 years, Li Zhi lived a lonely life.

Time flies, 17 years have passed in the blink of an eye.

　There will be another chapter later

　　
　
(End of this chapter)