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

Chapter 211 Shen Yuan decides to confess his feelings on New Year's Eve (Part 2 combined, bonus chapter)
Abruptly interrupted by A-Jie's shout, a look of intense helplessness flashed across Shen Yuan's face.

He took a deep breath, turned around and bared his teeth at Ah Jie, who had caused the trouble. His face was full of disgust and accusation that Ah Jie had ruined his plans.

"Who wants you to buy it! Get lost!"

This almost furious retort was filled with annoyance, but even more so with a sense of helplessness at having their sweet moment interrupted.

Li Zhi, whose hand was being held tightly by Shen Yuan, naturally heard these words as well.

The girl's eyelashes, which had been lowered in shyness, lifted slightly, and Shen Yuan's frustrated and irritated expression came into clear view.

The panic and embarrassment ignited by the stares just now seemed to have found an outlet, and were mostly diluted by this sudden banter.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Li Zhi quickly pulled back the hand that Shen Yuan had been secretly holding and hid it under the table.

Her cheeks, which had been flushed and burning just moments before, were still tinged with redness, but the helplessness she felt had been forcibly suppressed.

The girl quickly turned her face away, leaving only a slightly puffed-out cheek and a soft hum with a hint of a smile.

"idiot..."

This familiar, disdainful curse acted like a switch, signaling the complete shattering of the ambiguous and alluring atmosphere that had just been created.

The air began to flow again, and the lively, boisterous atmosphere of a youth gathering seemed to return.

Shen Yuan looked at Li Zhi's profile, which was pretending to be calm, and glared at A Jie. He silently mouthed "You just wait," and in the end, he could only touch his nose in frustration.

That little bit of budding desire to continue was forcibly nipped in the bud.

He Zhiyu clutched her chest, feeling both regretful for A-Jie's meddling and the loss of a chance to observe their sweet interactions up close, and incredibly satisfied with Li Zhi's vivid and proud reaction after successfully "escaping." Her eyes sparkled again.

Shen Yuan's gaze refocused on Li Zhi's hand protecting the ice cream, but he quickly shifted his attention to the hot pot and the system task in front of him.

confession?

The task the system threw out at this critical juncture was like throwing a boulder into his already turbulent heart.

How does Xiang Lizhi express her feelings?
It seems that my 35-year-old self has also reached this point.

Or rather, because that night that hadn't yet ended had reached a point where it was time to sound the horn and lay bare one's innermost feelings.

Li Zhidu has already gone through that, and you're still acting all coy. You're not human.

Again.

Shen Yuan, you fucking deserve to die!

This refers to the 35-year-old Zhong Deng.

Shen Yuan clicked his tongue inwardly, but his thoughts drifted away unconsciously.

How to confess my feelings? When to confess? Where to confess?

Is it better to meticulously plan a grand and ceremonial confession, or to simply say it naturally in the midst of ordinary daily life, like taking her hand?
The system says the reward "depends on the confession process," and the ambiguous wording is tempting—it could be a new powerful skill, or some unexpected gift.

But the next second, Shen Yuan's gaze swept over the words Li Zhi had said to him on the steps of Faxi Temple.

The thought about the system rewards was like a stone thrown into the ocean, barely causing a ripple before quickly sinking.

To hell with the mission rewards!
Shen Yuan abruptly interrupted this plan.

Rewards are always just something that comes along incidentally.

He has been desperately focused and enduring exhaustion all this time in order to shorten the distance between himself and Li Zhi's agreed 650-point mark.

It was so that I could stand beside her with dignity, and receive her approval and satisfaction, not for any extra benefits the system might bestow upon me.

The appearance of the system's confession task was just a coincidence, as it broke through the thin veil of paper that he himself was about to tear down.

He gave a "mission" the name of something he had long desired and been passionate about.

The core of this mission was his own strongest inner impulse.

It simply reminded him that it was time to take that step.

But the real reward for confessing your feelings is always just one.

That was Li Zhi nodding in agreement.

It was receiving her affirmative response, it was spending every dawn and dusk together in the long future, it was being able to hold the hand he cherished so dearly, and not some external thing from the system.

The girl sitting next to him right now, who blushes at him, glares at him, and silently defends him when others tease him, is the only treasure he is chasing and protecting with all his might.

Confessing his feelings to her was an inevitable consequence of his overflowing emotions, the pinnacle of his heart's desire, and its significance far surpassed any additional gift.

So, the reward depends on the process?

Then let nature take its course.

The result of confessing one's feelings is itself the greatest and only reward.

But the words came back again.

Why are you so nervous?
Just imagining that scene makes me nervous!

—Everything around me seemed to have been silenced, leaving only the thunderous pounding of my own heart in my ears.

Looking into Li Zhi's eyes, his Adam's apple bobbed nervously, and the words that had been churning in his heart a thousand times were finally about to break free of their shackles.

"Li Zhi, I..."

and then?
Shen Yuan could even clearly foresee that he might slur his words or clumsily stumble over his words at that moment.

The most crucial and emotionally stirring moment is the brief, almost frozen, blankness that occurs after she hears those words.

The girl's lips were slightly parted. What kind of light was in those eyes that were always filled with anger or calm scrutiny?
Will she widen her eyes in surprise, or will she purse her lips into a slight smile, like she did with that gentle tap on her chin?

Or, like countless times before, a familiar "idiot" will be uttered, followed by a flying kick?

Just imagining her going from silence to contemplation, and then to the moment she was about to speak after listening, Shen Yuan felt an indescribable burning sensation instantly sweep over his entire body.

This almost made him restless.

That brief wait was far more disorienting than facing the most difficult final question in an exam.

After eating and drinking their fill, everyone reluctantly put down their chopsticks. The soup in the copper pot on the table was almost gone, with only a few bits of residue and a few bubbles bubbling in the broth.

The cold air seemed to be dispelled by the hot lamb spine hotpot, and the warmth from the full stomach made everyone feel a little lazy.

"Let's go, let's go digest our food!"

Ah Jie slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and quickly began to put on his coat.

"I'm so tired of sitting here. The wind seems to have died down a bit. Let's go for a stroll in the mall and see if there's anything fun to do."

“Okay,” Yang Ze stood up. “It’s cold standing outside, but it’s warm inside the mall.”

"I second that," Chen Mingyu agreed.

Zhuo Peipei and He Zhiyu naturally had no objections.

Li Zhi picked up a tissue and wiped her mouth, glancing at Shen Yuan beside her.

Shen Yuan had already stood up and took the coat that was draped over the back of the chair for Li Zhi.

After paying the bill, the group pushed open the heavy, windproof curtain of the lamb spine hot pot restaurant and were instantly enveloped by the chill of the outside.

But unlike when they arrived looking listless after class, everyone now had food in their stomachs, their faces flushed with the satisfaction of a meal, and they were noticeably more energetic.

"Hiss—it's still cold!" A-Jie shrank his neck, but his voice no longer carried the previous dejection; instead, it was filled with the vitality of someone digesting their meal.

They walked along the commercial street toward the shopping mall not far away.

Pedestrians still hurried along, and the bleakness of winter remained, but as they passed a boutique on the street corner, they made a new discovery.

"Hey? This shop has a Christmas tree in its window?" He Zhiyu exclaimed in surprise, pointing to the shop entrance.

Everyone's gaze followed. They saw that the shop window no longer displayed ordinary trinkets, but instead was adorned with twinkling, colorful strings of lights, wrapped with a circle of lush artificial pine branches.

A few sparkling glass balls and red ribbon bows are scattered on the pine branches.

Bathed in light, it exudes a warm and fairytale-like atmosphere.

"Oh right, next Saturday is Christmas!"

Ah Jie looked around and said, "Actually, it's not just here; the surrounding area seems to be decorated as well."

After walking a few steps further, they saw a coffee shop with cute snowflake stickers and a simple line drawing of a reindeer wearing a Santa hat on its glass door.

There was even a small snowman decoration wearing a red hat placed at the entrance of the store. Although the material looked a bit cheap, it was very eye-catching in the winter street scene.

The closer you get to the mall entrance, the more festive decorations you'll see.

Although the overall setup is not yet complete, Christmas elements have already begun to appear, like budding flowers, scattered throughout the city.

He Zhiyu excitedly pulled Zhuo Peipei to take pictures, while A-Jie also excitedly pointed at various decorations and commented on whether they looked like the real thing.

Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu remarked that they had been studying so much that they couldn't remember anything else.

Christmas decorations must have appeared well in advance.

But they had absolutely no recollection of it.

The winter chill seemed to be somewhat alleviated by the gradually intensifying festive atmosphere, and the faces of pedestrians on the street seemed to show more relaxed smiles because of the bright colors.

Shen Yuan walked beside Li Zhi, and neither of them really participated in A Jie and the others' exaggerated comments.

Shen Yuan's gaze swept over the flashing colored lights, across the snowflake stickers on the glass, and finally landed on Li Zhi's profile beside him.

The girl's nose was still slightly red from the cold, and her long eyelashes cast a soft shadow under the lights at the mall entrance.

She seemed curious about the decorations as well, her gaze lingering on the carefully prepared festive elements, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Looking at Li Zhi's quiet profile illuminated by the soft glow of the colored lights, and watching the festive atmosphere gradually spreading through the mall, Shen Yuan's heart was once again gently struck by the thought that had been swirling around for the duration of a meal.

Christmas……

Warm, romantic, and filled with a fairytale-like sense of anticipation...

The streets were filled with couples, and the air was thick with sweetness...

Exquisite gifts in the shop window, twinkling colored lights on the trees...

And... that system prompt about confessing your feelings...

What if it were a night with lights like a sky full of stars, what if it were Christmas Day when you confessed to her?

Wouldn't it be better than being in the cold wind outside the classroom or next to a noisy hot pot restaurant?
Will the long-cherished feelings, when spoken at that particular moment, make Li Zhi's beautiful eyes shine with a light more dazzling than colored lights?

This thought, like the string of colorful lights in a shop window, suddenly lit up in Shen Yuan's mind, accompanied by a clear electric current and a slightly hot temperature.

He subconsciously touched his nose, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. He shifted his gaze from Li Zhi's face to the bright and warm entrance of the mall ahead, but a complex light, a mixture of tension and anticipation, but even more so, an extremely cautious expression, welled up deep in his eyes.

As the group merged into the flow of people at the mall entrance, the warm indoor air instantly enveloped them, dispelling the last trace of chill from the outside.

A huge banner with holiday promotion information hung from the top of the massive shopping mall atrium, and life-sized gold and red gift box decorations were placed on both sides of the entrance.

A tall, artificial Christmas tree stands with its frame erected in the central area, and staff are busy hanging colorful lights and decorative balls on it.

Just as the group was looking at the Christmas decorations and feeling sentimental...

Yang Ze clicked his tongue and said in a rather unromantic way, "It is beautiful, but what does it have to do with us? Whether it's Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, we seniors still have to attend classes as usual. We don't even get a day off."

He rubbed his hands, which were red from the cold outside, and said, "I'm already grateful that the school gave me such a long holiday. Christmas? That's for first and second-year high school students."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, precisely splashed on Shen Yuan's heart, which had just been slightly warmed by the festive atmosphere and his anticipation.

I was just thinking about that night, filled with lights, gifts, and romance, under the Christmas tree…

How can I bring myself to say it...?

Christmas?

Yang Ze's words echoed in his mind like an alarm bell.

Yes!

He suddenly woke up with a start.

Christmas is next Saturday, which is a regular school day! There's absolutely no way senior high school students will get a holiday!
Forget about holidays, even leaving school early is a luxury!

Who knows, Old Zhou might even give a full-day exam one of those days...

No matter how beautiful or bustling the shopping mall is, at most they'll just glance at the lights in the shop windows on their way home from school.

Where can you find a fairytale atmosphere under starlight? Where can you find a warm and romantic moment alone?!
Oh no, by the time they got out of school, the mall lights were already off!

That Christmas confession idea that just came to mind, seemingly illuminated by colorful lights and filtered through a fairytale lens...

"call out--"

Shen Yuan could almost hear the sound of Yang Ze's words ruthlessly popping the soap bubble in his mind.

pat!

Gone.

That idea, which had just begun to take shape and carried a hint of vague anticipation, vanished before he could even fully visualize the scene in his mind.

Like smoke scattered by the cold wind, or foam accidentally crushed at the entrance of a shopping mall.

A distinct sense of absurdity and frustration instantly gripped him.

Shen Yuan subconsciously touched the back of his neck, looked away, and awkwardly tried to hide his momentary daze, as if he had just been struck by a thunderbolt.

Just as this sense of disappointment spread, and my cold fingertips touched my skin, the warmth of the heater seemed to turn chilly.

A more specific and realistic date, like a lightning bolt piercing through the gloom, suddenly struck his mind!
No holiday for Christmas? Yeah, high school seniors don't get to celebrate Christmas.

But what about after Christmas?

The week after next! New Year's Day!

Shen Yuan's heart skipped a beat, then, as if fueled, it pounded violently against his chest.

We'll have a holiday for New Year's Day! Three days off!
And the eve of New Year's Day is New Year's Eve!
New Year's Eve!
That night was filled with the ritualistic feeling of the transition between the old and the new!
That city will be illuminated by even grander lights at night!
There will be a countdown in the square, fireworks may light up the night sky, and shopping malls will stay open until the early hours of the morning...

Most importantly, it's vacation time! I'm free!

Time, time that truly belongs to them!

A confession on New Year's Eve...

In the countdown clock?
Amidst the dazzling lights and hustle and bustle?

Or perhaps it was during the quiet moments of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new that only the two of them stood side by side?

Countless possibilities emerge in an instant, far more anticipated than a fleeting glimpse of a Christmas window display from which one cannot participate!

The feeling of utter frustration that had just hit rock bottom was replaced by a more genuine excitement.

The traces of defeat on her face, which had been splashed with cold water by Yang Ze, had not yet completely faded, but the corners of her mouth had already begun to twitch upwards involuntarily.

A stubborn light rekindled in Shen Yuan's eyes.

New Year's Day...New Year's Eve...that's it!

　Two extra chapters today, 30 chapters remaining.

　　I could have done more, but I spent some time washing the cat this morning...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)