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

Chapter 213 Li Zhi Decides to Take the Initiative (1 words)

Shen Yuan's face was tense, and his thumb even subconsciously pinched the edge of the phone, as if he wanted to press the number representing victory into the screen.

Li Zhi, standing next to him, remained hooded, his pen hovering above the open workbook for a long time, as if waiting or stubbornly resisting something.

An eerie silence hung between the two.

It was neither the heaviness of post-exam life nor the clamor of wish fulfillment, but rather a tacit understanding that remained taut, with no one attempting to pluck the first note.

Just then, a furry head suddenly peeked out from Shen Yuan's side with a loud shout, carrying the warmth of a midday nap—it was A-Jie.

"Yuan! Yuan! How many points?! Stop hiding it! Tell me!"

Ah Jie's loud voice instantly broke the silence around them. His face was full of eagerness and gossip, and his entire upper body was almost pressed against Shen Yuan's desk.

Ah Jie's sudden appearance and barrage of questions were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.

Shen Yuan's arm trembled from the sudden attack, and he almost dropped his phone.

He instinctively wanted to cover the screen, but seeing Ah Jie's impatient look, he found it a little funny, and his feigned composure cracked.

"Tsk!" Shen Yuan raised his hand with a look of disgust to push away A-Jie's big head that was too close.

"I'm keeping it hidden because I'm afraid your Dao heart will collapse if you see it."

"Dao Heart Collapse?"

Ah Jie chuckled lightly: "My Dao heart is steadfast, how could it be shaken by a mere demon like you? Let me see it!"

Shen Yuan showed the phone screen to A-Jie, who stared at it intently for a moment, and then...

"Holy shit! Holy shit!"

Ah Jie's loud exclamation seemed to flip a switch, and Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu, who were already listening intently, immediately gathered around.

How much?

"What are you yelling about!"

Upon seeing the scores on Shen Yuan's phone, the two of them couldn't help but react.

"Fuck!"

"Nima!"

The small corner was instantly filled with exclamations of amazement and teasing.

Seeing the incredulous looks on their faces, Shen Yuan could no longer maintain his forced composure, and a smug smile bloomed on his face, though he still tried to keep up appearances.

"Hey, keep it down, keep it down! Basic operation, don't be silly!"

"663? How the hell did you get that score?"

"Wow, Lao Yuan! This is the story of a wild dog's comeback!"

In the heart of this small, bustling scene, only Li Zhi, standing next to Shen Yuan, felt a barely perceptible slackening in his shoulders beneath his hood the moment A-Jie called out the exact score, as if the last tiny doubt in his heart had finally settled.

The girl's pen, which had been hovering over the exercise book, finally fell, unconsciously drawing a faint mark on the paper.

No one saw the sunset glow, more magnificent than the winter sun outside the window, quietly rising on her face, which was completely shrouded in the shadow of the hood.

No one saw her fingers, hidden beneath her thick sleeves, curl slightly.

While responding to A-Jie and the others' teasing, Shen Yuan couldn't help but steal glances at the small figure beside him who seemed isolated from the surrounding hustle and bustle.

That promise of "650 points"... was really kept.

Shen Yuan thought to himself, his smile deepening, carrying a warmth that only he himself understood.

After the minor commotion over the results subsided, the noise gradually faded away like the receding tide.

A-Jie, Yang Ze, and Chen Mingyu sighed a few times and returned to their seats with mixed feelings.

The classroom returned to a stifling atmosphere of discussion, but the two people in the corner were enveloped in an even stranger silence.

Shen Yuan still wore a victorious smile, but when he turned back and his gaze fell on the figure beside him, the urge to see her exact reaction was replaced by a strange panic.

He opened his mouth, and the usual terms of address rolled around in his throat, but it was as if something was stuck in his throat, and he couldn't spit them out.

650 points! He achieved it again! And with an even higher score of 663!
He truly crossed it.

This should have been a moment to ask questions with confidence, but for some reason, in this situation, those words felt incredibly heavy.

He intended to poke her arm with his fingertip as usual, or deliberately lower his voice to call her name.

But seeing Li Zhi completely hiding himself in the small shadow created by the hood, isolating himself from the outside world and also isolating himself.

Shen Yuan felt a slight tug at his heart; it wasn't discomfort, but an unprecedented sense of helplessness.

Li Zhi, who was under the hood, felt his cheeks burning hot, and even the tips of his ears were burning.

The score of 663 hit her right in the heart.

The thin layer of ice she had wrapped in rules seemed to shatter silently at that moment.

The girl pressed her lips together tightly, trying to maintain her usual calm, but found that her heart was beating so fast that it was completely out of her control, pounding like a drum in her chest.

She could clearly feel Shen Yuan's warm and emotional gaze falling on her, making her feel more at a loss than ever before.

She didn't even dare to raise her hand to tidy up any stray hairs that might slip from her forehead, afraid that any slight movement would attract his more focused gaze.

Li Zhi wanted to turn his head and, as he had done countless times before, break the strange atmosphere with a dismissive "idiot" or a feigned indifference.

But when he thought about what he had said on the stone steps of Faxi Temple, and the promise he had made, he remembered it.

Li Zhi couldn't bring himself to say it.

reject?

Although she thought she could use yesterday's excuse to cover it up, Li Zhi felt she couldn't bring herself to say it.

And wouldn't Shen Yuan be sad if I refused?
Previously, when Shen Yuan hugged her or held her hand, Li Zhi would blush and struggle in disgust, but deep down she clearly had a habit and tacit consent.

But now... that silent declaration permeated between the two of them, pushing them into a completely new critical point.

This, in turn, left them all feeling lost and confused.

That effortless banter and tacit understanding seemed to suddenly lose its effectiveness at this moment.

Neither Shen Yuan nor Li Zhi dared to be the first to break the silence.

Making an opening seemed more difficult than ever, because this thin layer of paper, almost transparent, was as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Just as the thick silence was about to freeze over the two of them, perhaps sensing a bit of oppression, Li Zhi finally moved.

She gently pinched the brim of the loose hood, as if removing a layer of protection, and slowly lifted the hood that covered most of her face, letting it fall back down.

As she moved, soft strands of hair fell loosely, revealing her smooth forehead and delicate little ears.

In an instant, Shen Yuan's gaze was drawn to him by an invisible thread, unable to look away.

Those ears, bathed in the bright sunlight of the classroom, were now bright red.

From the pale white auricle all the way to the delicate ear tips, there was a breathtakingly pinkish hue.

Shen Yuan's breath hitched.

That slight sense of helplessness vanished the moment she saw the rosy tips of his ears, like an ice crystal thrown into hot syrup, instantly dissolving.

It was a feeling that made him even more tender than the score of 663.

She was shy.

Shen Yuan naturally knew why Li Zhi was shy.

This gave him a sweet sense of certainty more than any number on a report card.

As if sensing something, Li Zhi suddenly turned his head.

Shen Yuan's lips curled upwards uncontrollably, and his eyes shone brightly, as if they were filled with shattered stars.

Seeing that barely concealed expression, Li Zhi felt as if she had been burned by that intense gaze, and her embarrassment intensified. She immediately pretended to glare fiercely at him.

"What are you looking at!"

But at this moment, those rosy cheeks and wide-open eyes, in Shen Yuan's eyes, only evoked a more intense feeling—

sweet.

Shen Yuan's barely concealed smugness spread across his face. He leaned forward slightly, his voice low and soft, carrying a tentative undertone that only the two of them could hear, breaking the thick silence:

"Li Bao, that... 663. It's written in black and white on the report card, you see?"

Li Zhi suddenly gripped the pen tightly under his fingertips, his heart burning as if scorched by Li Zhi's warm breath.

Under Shen Yuan's gaze, Li Zhi opened his mouth.

However, what Shen Yuan heard first was not the words from Li Zhi, but the school bell.

"Ring ring ring—!!!"

The sharp and urgent school bell rang out suddenly throughout the classroom, like the arrival of a savior!

The voice was like a gust of wind, instantly dispelling the deadly ambiguity and pressure.

Li Zhi felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and his tense shoulders suddenly relaxed.

The burning breath that had been stuck in his chest seemed to have finally found an outlet.

My heart, which had been pounding so hard it felt like it was about to explode, began to calm down, albeit at a somewhat disordered pace, thanks to the rhythmic ringing of the bell.

"Class is starting!"

Li Zhi hurriedly turned her head away, forcibly focusing all her attention on the teacher who was slowly walking towards the podium, as if the upcoming lesson was the only thing that could save her from this scorching situation.

Shen Yuan was startled by the ringing of the bell. He smiled helplessly, but also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

The slightest misunderstanding was temporarily sealed away in my heart by the sudden ringing of the bell.

Alright... consider yourself lucky.

Shen Yuan thought to himself, but his gaze unconsciously fell on Li Zhi's still pink earlobe.

The bell stopped ringing, and the teacher began the lesson.

The noise in the classroom was suppressed, but the turmoil between Shen Yuan and Li Zhi, which had just been forcibly suppressed by the bell, was waiting for the next opportunity to surge.

However, to Shen Yuan's surprise, he did not get another opportunity in the following period of time.

After the first class ended, before he could even speak, he heard Li Zhi next to him say that he was going to the toilet.

Before he could say anything, Li Zhi pressed down on his back and forced his way out.

She didn't even dare to look back at Shen Yuan's face. With her head down, she hurriedly pushed back the chair and slipped out the back door as if fleeing, her figure quickly disappearing into the crowd surging out of the corridor.

Shen Yuan stared at the figure disappearing through the doorway, his mouth agape, frozen in place.

He scratched the back of his head, feeling a lump in his throat, neither able to get up nor down.

When the bell rang for the end of the second period, Shen Yuan reacted much faster.

As soon as the bell rang, he turned around and met Li Zhi's slightly raised gaze.

The girl quickly moved away as if she had been burned.

"I'm going to my office; I have some questions to ask." Li Zhiqing cleared his throat, trying to keep his voice steady.
Before Shen Yuan could respond, the girl's slender waist brushed against his back and slipped away.

Shen Yuan watched her disappearing figure through the door, his expression helpless.

Is there any problem that you, Li Zhi, haven't figured out yet?

The third time get out of class ended, Shen Yuan stood up almost as soon as the teacher said class was over, his tall figure completely blocking Li Zhi's only way out.

Before Li Zhi could even get up, a shadow loomed over him.

The girl paused, "You..."

"What are you going to do this time?" Shen Yuan asked Li Zhi.

"I..." Li Zhi opened her mouth, but finally found a reason: "Going out for some fresh air!"

"it is good!"

Shen Yuan stepped aside.

Watching Shen Yuan step aside, Li Zhi felt as if his feet had taken root.

Shen Yuan stepped aside, and she no longer dared to run away.

Seeing the girl's body no longer tense, Shen Yuan slowly sat back down.

At this point, both those in the front and back rows noticed the unusual behavior of the two men.

Ah Jie, Chen Mingyu, and Yang Ze exchanged a glance, then quickly stood up.

"Oh dear, why do I suddenly need to pee?"

"Yeah, yeah, let's go, let's go to the bathroom!"

The three of them quickly slipped away, arms around each other's shoulders.

As for He Zhiyu, the young author felt at a loss when he saw that his two deskmates had run away.

So what should she do?
If you leave, you won't get to eat the candy.

If you don't leave, you'll be showing a lack of common sense.

In the end, the young author chose a compromise.

She went to find Zhuo Peipei to enjoy the sweetness from a different perspective.

Shen Yuan looked at Li Zhi and asked softly, "663 points, is it really that hot to handle?"

When the words reached Li Zhi's ears, the girl's heart trembled.

Is it too hot to handle?
It was really hot to the touch.

Li Zhi looked at Shen Yuan.

The girl bit her lower lip, a crescent-shaped white mark falling onto her lips, hinting at the inner turmoil she was experiencing.

However, soon, a familiar expression appeared on Li Zhi's face.

That was her usual look of disdain.

Li Zhi frowned slightly: "Is 663 points very high? Was the test very difficult? Overall, it's just barely passable."

Before she could finish speaking, the blush she had barely managed to suppress with a look of disgust was now spreading even more wildly from her ears, instantly staining her entire neck.

Under Shen Yuan's gaze, her fair skin was tinged with rosy hue, like a red plum blossom suddenly blooming in the snow, making even the winter sun outside the window pale in comparison.

The girl quickly turned her head away, but her bright red earlobes and taut jawline betrayed her forced composure completely.

Just then, Shen Yuan seemed to catch a barely audible hum in his ear.

The voice was low and indistinct, like petals crushed by the evening breeze, yet it clearly carried a sweet warning, striking straight into Shen Yuan's heart.

"If you dare to drop below 650 points in the final exam... you're dead!"

Shen Yuan's lips could no longer be suppressed and turned up wildly, like a stream rushing forth after the ice melts in spring.

To him, this warning sounded sweeter than any solemn oath.

He gazed at the lingering pink glow on the girl's stubborn profile.

"Tsundere..."

Li Zhi suddenly froze, and the lingering blush on his neck shot straight to the top of his head with a "boom".

That clear whisper was like a needle pricking her sensitive nerves, instantly piercing through her carefully constructed facade.

She suddenly turned her head and glared fiercely at Shen Yuan, her wide eyes exploding with sparks of shame and anger.

Li Zhi wanted to curse Shen Yuan as an idiot as usual, but his voice seemed to be stuck in hot syrup, and only a short, urgent breath escaped:

"you shut up!"

Before she could finish speaking, she turned around as quickly as if she had been electrocuted, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and buried her head tightly.

The girl's long, loose hair completely obscured her flushed cheeks.

His whole body was taut like a fully drawn bowstring, his shoulders stiff and motionless, only the hand holding the pen betrayed his chaotic thoughts.

Looking at her back, which was almost shrinking into the back of the chair, Shen Yuan clearly sensed that the word "tsundere" was the last straw.

This thoroughly humiliated and enraged the usually aggressive kitten, leaving it wanting nothing more than to crawl into a hole in the ground.

The curve of Shen Yuan's lips was more dazzling than the winter sun outside the window.

Shen Yuan was happy, but He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei, who were standing to the side, were not.

I can't get any candy!
There's absolutely nothing to eat!

What are you two whispering about?

All He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei could see was Li Zhi's blushing face and the way she glared at Shen Yuan later.

Then it was gone.

What exactly did Shen Yuan say that made Zhizhi react like this?
He Zhiyu became anxious.

The feeling of standing by the melon patch but missing out on the sweetest melon is a hundred times worse than not eating any sugar at all.

The young author slumped listlessly on Zhuo Peipei's desk, angrily pounding his thigh with his fingers.

Even if she's killed by Shen Yuan's gaze next time, she'll stay glued to the spot until the very end!

When A-Jie and the other two returned, Li Zhi had already hidden himself under his hood.

Ah Jie and the others knew something must have happened, but they didn't dare to ask.

Now, Li Zhi practically has "Don't bother me" written all over his head.

As for asking others...

Forget it, didn't you see that He Zhiyu looked completely bewildered?

The next period is a self-study period, and if no teacher comes, everyone can do whatever they want.

As long as you don't fly, it doesn't matter whether you wear a hat or not.

Shen Yuan looked at Li Zhi, who had completely transformed into an ostrich, and stopped teasing him.

If we keep teasing her, Li Bao is going to explode.

The self-study session ended in a tense yet strangely tranquil atmosphere.

The bell finally rang, breaking the whispers in the classroom.

Shen Yuan took a deep breath, turned to the side, looked at Li Zhi who was still trying to hide himself in his hood, and asked softly, "Going to the cafeteria later? What are we eating?"

Li Zhi's shoulder twitched slightly, as if he hesitated for a second, before pulling down the edge of his hood to reveal his slightly flushed profile. He tried to keep his voice calm: "...Anything is fine."

"That's good." Shen Yuan couldn't help but smile slightly as he stood up. "Let's go."

Li Zhi didn't get up immediately. She quickly organized her books and pencil case on the table, as if it were something more important than eating. She even aligned the books and the angle of the desk.

After Li Zhi finished doing this, perhaps he himself felt it was a bit outrageous, and then he secretly glanced at Shen Yuan.

When she noticed Shen Yuanzheng looking at her with a half-smile, the girl quickly lowered her head and stood up.

Shen Yuan smiled slightly and walked out of his seat, while Li Zhi slowly walked out as well. The two walked almost side by side, but with a small, subtle space between them, one after the other, towards the classroom exit.

Without needing to say a word, He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei exchanged a glance and tacitly got up from their seats, following Shen Yuanli a few steps behind.

Behind the two little sugar figures were A-Jie, Yang Ze, and Chen Mingyu.

The group deliberately kept a distance, leaving an invisible space for the two people in front.

Under the watchful eyes of several people, just as Shen Yuan stepped out of the classroom and Li Zhi was about to step out, Shen Yuan suddenly stopped.

He turned around, and with a slightly surprised look in Li Zhi's eyes, he reached out and grabbed her slightly cool wrist, then slid down to hold her fingers.

Li Zhi's fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly.

Just as she was about to speak, she heard Shen Yuan's voice.

Why are your hands so cold?

The girl's tightly pursed lips remained silent, but she allowed her hand to be enveloped in warmth, and her curled fingertips quietly relaxed.

In that instant, Zhuo Peipei, A-Jie, and the others following behind froze.

Zhuo Peipei covered her mouth and gasped, her fingertips digging tightly into He Zhiyu's sleeve as if trying to confirm the reality of the scene before her.

Meanwhile, A-Jie, Yang Ze, and Chen Mingyu stood frozen in place, forgetting even to breathe.

Shen Yuan, who usually makes Li Zhi furious with just a few words, was holding her steadily at this moment, and she didn't even struggle at all!

what?
Their minds were in complete confusion.

Ah Jie swallowed hard, squeezing out a few words in a breathy voice: "Damn! These two... they've evolved?"

What plot point did I miss?

Yang Ze stared at the tightly clasped fingers, feeling his worldview crumbling.

No, no!
Why are you so skilled!

Looking at the reactions of the others, He Zhiyu was unsure whether he should reveal his discovery.

Actually, these two have been holding hands for a while now!

For the others, the progression of Shen Yuan and Li Zhi's relationship was too abrupt, like a skipped-frame film that only showed the result but hid all the foreshadowing.

They tried hard to recall the silent period during the self-study class, but they couldn't connect their earlier avoidance with their current openness.

As you walk through the corridor, the school's streetlights are already on.

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi walked on the school's cement ground. He tightened his grip on her fingers and pulled her closer.

"Are you still cold?" he asked softly, his gaze falling on the trembling strands of hair on her cheek.

Li Zhi looked up at Shen Yuan and asked, "I said I'm not cold anymore, are you going to let go?"

Shen Yuan gave a dry laugh.

Let go? Are you kidding me?

Although this wasn't the first time they'd held hands on campus, it was the first time they'd done so openly and openly on campus outside of dismissal time!

Although it was already dark, weren't there still so many people watching?
Why is Li Zhi wearing a hat?
……

The path from the teaching building to the cafeteria seemed much shorter than usual.

Shen Yuan held Li Zhi's hand openly and honestly, the warmth of his palm undeniably enveloping her slightly cool fingertips.

Li Zhi let Shen Yuan lead him, and was led forward at a slightly faster pace.

The moment he stepped into the cafeteria, Shen Yuan didn't let go of his hand; instead, he adjusted his posture more naturally.

As they approached the queue, He Zhiyu and the others behind him saw Shen Yuan bow his head and ask Li Zhi a question before the two parted ways.

It was obvious that one person was getting food while the other was reserving seats.

At this moment, Ah Jie and his two companions exchanged glances with He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei. Then, He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei quickly followed Li Zhi, while Ah Jie and his two companions went to arrest Shen Yuan.

Just as Shen Yuan was queuing, three figures approached him from behind.

"Yuan!!" A-Jie's low voice carried an unquestionable sense of judgment as he placed one hand on Shen Yuan's shoulder, his gaze burning as if he wanted to burn a hole in Shen Yuan's face.

"Come on, brother, tell me the truth!"

Chen Mingyu flanked from the other side, his face filled with intense curiosity: "What was that just now? Huh? Tell me what it was?"

Yang Ze crossed his arms and stood in front of Shen Yuan without saying a word.

Surrounded by the three, Shen Yuan actually laughed.

He first disgustedly shoved A-Jie's hand away: "Take your hands off me, you're pressing on my shoulder, is this a place you can touch?!"

"What 'what'? It's just holding hands, so what? The road is so dark and crowded, what's wrong with me holding my Li Bao's hand?"

"Ahhhh!"

Ah Jie instantly covered his ears, feeling as if the words "my Li Bao" were flying through the air.

If this had been said before, Ah-Jie would have just laughed it off, but now, he can't stand it.

"I can't stand it! This bastard is shameless!"

Ah Jie felt so sore that his teeth were about to fall out.

"Don't fucking change the subject! You've already led Li Zhi astray?"

Shen Yuan rolled her eyes and said matter-of-factly, "Nonsense! Would I do that if she wouldn't let me hold her hand? She just slapped me when she wouldn't let me!"

He glanced around at the three people's shocked and "tortured" faces: "Besides, it's perfectly natural for me to hold my childhood sweetheart's hand, what's it to you?"

After saying that, Shen Yuan's smile widened even more: "I'm not just holding your hand now, I've been holding your hand since I was a child, from childhood to adulthood."

"Hold!"

The three of them greeted each other at the same time.

Ah Jie rubbed his arms, seemingly unable to stand it: "So cheesy! It's too cheesy! We're in the cafeteria, bro! Be mindful of your manners!"

Yang Ze looked constipated, feeling that his pure heart had been tainted.

Chen Mingyu shook his head in anguish: "It's over, it's over, this child is beyond saving."

Meanwhile, at an empty table a little further away, the atmosphere was equally heated.

Just as Li Zhigang was about to sit down, He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei sat down on either side of her like a gust of wind, their four eyes shining like searchlights, staring intently at her.

"Zhizhi!!"

Zhuo Peipei's voice trembled as she suppressed her excitement, her small hands gripping Li Zhi's arm tightly: "Just now! Shen Yuan! Did he hold your hand? Huh? Openly! In front of everyone!"

Zhuo Peipei felt like she had been consuming so much sweetness for so long, and suddenly a huge sugar brick fell from the sky, making her so happy she almost fainted.

Li Zhi looked at Zhuo Peipei and blinked: "Why are you so agitated?"

Zhuo Peipei was taken aback: "Shouldn't we be excited?"

Upon hearing Zhuo Peipei's words, Li Zhi subconsciously looked at He Zhiyu.

Didn't you tell Peipei?

Now it was Zhuo Peipei's turn to be dumbfounded.

What expansion is this?

Zhuo Peipei looked at He Zhiyu, only to see the young author with a sheepish grin on his face.

Zhuo Peipei immediately realized what was going on.

You're trying to eat all by yourself, aren't you?!
Under their gazes, He Zhiyu shrank back and told the truth.

"Actually... actually, Zhizhi and Shen Yuan had already been holding hands for a while, but that was outside of school."

Zhuo Peipei was still shocked by He Zhiyu's act of eating alone, and her face was full of heartache.

He Zhiyu looked at the president, covered his head, and said weakly, "This...this is what they threatened me with. They threatened me not to tell anyone."

Zhuo Peipei took a deep breath, but quickly realized what was happening.

"Huh? Outside the school? Oh!? No wonder I felt something was off between you two! Turns out there's been something going on all along!"

Logically speaking, it's perfectly normal for two people to hold hands while dating.

Some people want the whole world to know when they're in a relationship, but Li Zhi and Shen Yuan are clearly the very low-key type.

But why was it suddenly "publicized" today?
Zhuo Peipei thought of the scene from this afternoon.

"So you were talking about public matters this afternoon?"

"what?"

Li Zhi blinked.

Seeing Li Zhi's bewildered expression, Zhuo Peipei couldn't help but ask, "This afternoon, during the break after the third period, Shen Yuan cornered you in your seat. What were you two whispering about?"

Upon hearing Zhuo Peipei's words, it was as if that voice reappeared in Li Zhi's mind.

"Tsundere..."

The pretty girl's face flushed red again.

"Alright, alright, stop talking! Eat first! If you ask again, we're done!" came the girl's command, which sounded fierce yet tinged with obvious shyness, coming from inside the hood.

He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei exchanged a glance and burst into suppressed laughter.

Looking at Li Zhi, the ostrich who had buried his head in his fluffy fur, the smiles on their faces were brighter and warmer than the lights in the cafeteria.

Not far away, Shen Yuan was carrying two trays and walking towards them.

Ah Jie and Yang Ze each had two plates in their hands, clearly indicating that they had brought He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei's plates together.

The three surrounded Shen Yuan, continuing to criticize his shameless act of abandoning the organization.

Hearing these sounds, a barely perceptible smile appeared on Li Zhi's lips.

Perhaps because it was now "public," Li Zhi was no longer as shy as before.

By the time evening self-study session arrived, Li Zhi had completely accepted the situation.

She has now tacitly approved of Shen Yuan holding hands with her at school.

As for their relationship...

Li Zhi didn't feel that there was any progress between Shen Yuan and her.

She only agreed that we could hold hands at school!
snort!
……

The classroom was brightly lit during evening self-study, but the girl's thoughts had already drifted far away.

The pen in her hand hovered above the exercise book, the ink droplets quietly spreading into a small blue stain, yet she was completely unaware of it.

Li Zhi's fingertips unconsciously traced the edge of the paper.

The scenes from the afternoon kept flashing through my mind—

After running away for an entire afternoon and dodging two interrogations, when he finally cornered her in her seat for the third time, Li Zhi felt her heart pounding so loudly it almost drowned out the noise of the classroom.

Shen Yuan's casual "arrogant" was like a pebble thrown into a still lake, making her ears burn and almost causing her to flee in panic.

So shameful.

She quietly bit her lower lip.

When did Li Shao get forced into such a sorry state by just one sentence?

What's even more infuriating is that the smile on that guy's lips clearly showed his certainty of victory!

It was as if they could see through her struggles under the rules and were just waiting for her to walk into their trap.

But the rules are set by oneself.

The phrase "I won't date someone who scores below 650" was originally a casual, harsh remark, but now it has become a noose around my neck.

A surge of resentment suddenly rose within me.

The embarrassment and anger that I had been forcibly suppressing while stuck in my seat finally boiled over at this moment.

Laugh at her for being arrogant?

A thought broke through the fog, emerging with a defiant determination.

Let Shen Yuan experience what it's like to have your heart skipped a beat when you're caught off guard.

Thinking about this, Li Zhi even began to imagine that scene.

The windowpane reflected her slightly gleaming eyes, and a hint of slyness crept onto the corners of her mouth.

hum!

Just you wait, you idiot Shen Yuan!
This time, it's your turn to take the challenge.

The clock ticked softly, and the night outside the window was so thick it seemed impossible to see through.

Li Zhi cast his gaze at the swaying shadows of the trees outside the window, his heartbeat quickening, yet also overwhelmed by an unusual excitement.

She suddenly began to anticipate Shen Yuan's expression.

The bell rang as scheduled to signal the end of the last period of evening self-study.

That familiar clamor once again swept through the teaching building.

Shen Yuan didn't activate his Focus skill this time; he should probably take a day off!
He quietly packed his schoolbag, but his peripheral vision seemed to be glued to Li Zhi.

Li Zhiye slowly packed his schoolbag.

The people in the classroom did not leave immediately; many were still sitting in their seats.

After Li Zhi handed the schoolbag to Shen Yuan, the two walked out of the classroom as usual.

The chill of the winter night had not yet seeped into the classroom.

Shen Yuan was still thinking about holding hands with Li Zhi when they went out later when a soft, slightly cool hand suddenly reached out from behind and accurately found Shen Yuan's hand hanging at his side.

The next second, those slender fingers, with an irresistible force, squeezed through his fingers and, with a strong yet slightly trembling grip, tightly grasped Shen Yuan's hand!
The moment they clasped hands, the grip tightened abruptly.

Shen Yuan could even feel the fingernails digging into the back of his hand due to tension, causing a slight stinging pain.

But the pain was immediately and completely covered by the sudden surge of scalding warmth in his palm.

Just as Shen Yuan was shocked by this sudden initiative and hadn't even turned his head to look, Li Zhi's tall figure had already quickly moved to the side and approached.

The girl took his hand, stood on tiptoe slightly, and her eyes, which shone with triumph under the classroom lights, suddenly drew closer, meeting Shen Yuan's astonished gaze.

Li Zhi's lips curled into an extremely flamboyant yet slightly devilishly cunning smile as he spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Hey, you idiot Shen Yuan..."

A warm breath brushed against Shen Yuan's neck, and the smugness in the last syllable seemed to be soaked in honey gently seeped into his ear.

Is it too hot to handle?

The moment she finished speaking, a radiant smile suddenly bloomed in her eyes, like the warm winter sun melting the last frosty layer.

With an undeniable intimacy, she took his hand and leaned in with a smug smile, leaving Shen Yuan standing there dumbfounded.

Immediately, before Shen Yuan could fully recover from this sweet yet arrogant surprise attack, the beautiful girl quickly suppressed her overly arrogant smile, raised her chin slightly, and resumed her usual aloofness.

"gone!"

Li Zhi tugged at Shen Yuan's arm to bring him back to his senses.

The tightly clasped fingers, and the lingering warmth and breath on his ear, clearly demonstrated that what had just happened was no illusion.

The crowd that had not yet dispersed from the classroom seemed to have been put on pause.

He Zhiyu's hand, which had just stood up to grab her schoolbag, froze in mid-air. Her mouth was agape, and her eyes, wide like copper bells, were fixed on the two people at the back door of the classroom.

Her mind went blank for a moment, and then it felt as if a thousand screaming chickens were exploding in her head at the same time.

What kind of scene is this?
The image of Li Zhina taking two quick steps forward to grasp Shen Yuan's hand, then tiptoeing closer to Shen Yuan, played repeatedly in He Zhiyu's mind.

The bright starlight in the girl's eyes cannot be faked.

Li Zhi's current appearance is exactly how He Zhiyu imagined the male and female protagonists falling in love when he wrote "The Stealer" time and time again.

He Zhiyu's face turned bright red at a visible speed, her fingers trembled uncontrollably, and in the end she could only cover her mouth tightly, forcibly suppressing the scream that was about to burst out.

The torrent of happiness was about to overwhelm her.

This is exactly what she wanted to see!

initiative!

And it was Zhizhi who took the initiative!
Ahhh! ! !
Fortunately, the others had already gone home; otherwise, if Ah Jie had seen this scene, he would most likely have dragged Shen Yuan back and given him a good beating.

Of course, it's highly unlikely they'll be caught.

Li Shao glared at him, and A-Jie immediately cowered.

But this scene was still incredibly impactful for the rest of the students in the classroom.

In an instant, various indescribable gasps and dumbfounded expressions silently spread throughout the classroom.

Is this still the Li Zhi they know?
As for Shen Yuan, he felt as if he were walking on clouds, his feet light and airy. The only real thing was the slight coolness in Li Zhi's hand and the feeling of her gripping it tightly.

Li Zhi's smug and provocative "Is it hot?" exploded in his mind like fireworks, the sweet sparks making his internal organs feel numb.

Shen Yuan's mind was now blank, with only one thought buzzing around him.

She started it!

Moreover, it happened after school, in front of so many people, and he held my hand in such an intimate way.

Shen Yuan's face wore an expression that was somewhere between a silly grin and extreme shock. He stood there dumbfounded as Li Zhi pulled him toward the door.

His heart pounded in his ears, making him dizzy.

As for Li Zhi, after taking those two steps, his feigned composure almost reached its limit.

The girl's cheeks were frighteningly hot; you didn't even need to look to know they must be incredibly red.

She could only desperately lower her head, wishing she could shrink her entire face into her collar, while her other free hand gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her fingertips turning white from the effort.

She tried to straighten her back and walk briskly forward without looking to the side, attempting to project an air of composure.

What are you looking at! It's just holding hands, what's the big deal!

However, the unconcealable blush on the girl's ears and the slightly stiff lines of her shoulders and neck betrayed her overwhelming shyness.

Li Zhi cautiously turned her head to look at Shen Yuan. Under the light, she could clearly see Shen Yuan's almost dumbfounded gaze fixed on her face.

The plan can be considered a great success.

Shen Yuan was so shocked by his own attack that his computer crashed.

But this made her heart flutter even more.

Go now!
Leave this suffocating space!
The two rushed out of the classroom at a subtle speed, leaving behind a room full of frozen astonishment and a silent, boiling gossip.

Those tightly clasped fingers, under the classroom lights, became the most dazzling sight, and a silent declaration.

(End of this chapter)