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

Chapter 224 The Duties of a Girlfriend
The next morning.

The winter sun peeked through the gaps in the curtains, lazily spilling onto the floor.

Shen Yuan woke up groggily from his dream, his consciousness not yet fully returned. All the sweetness and excitement of last night surged up like a tidal wave, instantly overwhelming him.

The subtle touch of Li Zhi's kiss on his cheek still lingered, making his ears involuntarily heat up again.

He almost reflexively reached for his phone on the pillow. The screen lit up, showing that it was just past eight o'clock.

With a swipe of his fingertip across the screen, he quickly tapped the pinned contact, a silly smile on his face, and skillfully typed out a line of text.

"Good morning [sun emoji], is Mom up yet at midnight?"

Shortly after the message was sent, Li Zhi replied.

Good morning, Dad! It's past midnight!

Then another message popped up:
Li Zhi: "Are you reading? Never mind, you must have just gotten up. You behaved terribly today!"

Shen Yuan looked at the screen, his smile deepening. He could imagine the girl on the other side of the screen, just woken up, her face still flushed, but deliberately giving a fierce look.

He replied quickly with his fingers flying across the keyboard:

Shen Yuan: "I couldn't sleep last night, all I could think about was Li Bao kissing me."

The reply was a few seconds slower this time, as if the person on the other end was organizing their thoughts or suppressing a smile.

Li Zhi: "Hmph! You idiot Seran!"

Li Zhi: "You'd better study and do your homework properly today."

As Shen Yuan looked at Li Zhi's instructions, he seemed to see the beautiful girl with her chin slightly raised and a hint of warning in her eyes.

His gaze involuntarily drifted to the calendar lying quietly on the desk.

The day circled in red and marked "Final Exam" has become clearer and more important than ever before.

"665 points..."

Shen Yuan muttered something under his breath, the fighting spirit that had burned for the "reward" last night was reignited.

He took a long breath and slowly exhaled, then sat up in bed with a somersault.

A new day has begun, and in order to be able to openly and legitimately return that stolen kiss on the cheek, and also to live up to that expectant "boyfriend" call.

Shen Yuan is really going to fight this hard!
The goal is 660 points on the final exam... no, 665 points!
After washing up, the cool water splashed on my face, finally dispelling some of the lingering sleepiness.

But that little bit of joy that arose because of someone was like a small spark, warming my chest.

Shen Yuan casually wiped his face, water droplets dripping down his chin. Just as he reached for a towel, his phone in his pocket vibrated twice.

His heart skipped a beat, and he pulled out his phone almost instantly.

On the lit screen, the name pinned to the top caught my eye.

Li Zhi: "Silly bastard, I'm off to my maternal grandfather's house."

With his fingertips hovering above the screen for a few seconds, before the water droplets on Shen Yuan's face had completely dried, a sense of loss quietly crept over him.

On the first morning of the new year, the excitement of waking up and still basking in the sweetness of last night was largely dampened by this simple sentence.

Yesterday, in the warm room on New Year's Eve, the warmth of our bodies cuddling, the heartbeat in my ear, and that unexpected yet captivating kiss on my cheek...

It was as if everything was veiled by a thin gauze, temporarily pushed away by the words "Grandpa's house".

"Okay," he replied, his fingers flying across the keyboard.

After thinking for a moment, he couldn't help but add a few more words, with a hint of probing and anticipation: "Let me know when you arrive."

After sending the message, he stared at the screen for a moment.

The message had just been sent when a new notification suddenly appeared on the screen:

Li Zhi: "You idiot Shen Yuan! Aren't you going to see me off? [Angry cat emoji.jpg]"

Shen Yuan stared at the familiar angry cat emoji on the screen, and paused for a moment.

There was simply no time to type, so Shen Yuan used voice-to-text conversion.

"Okay, Li Bao! Coming right away! Wait for me!!!"

The reluctance and the initial sense of loss were instantly banished, replaced by an eagerness to be summoned and a subtle excitement.

Shen Yuanfei ran quickly to the bedroom, opened the wardrobe, and grabbed a black down jacket at random.

They didn't care whether the socks matched or not; they just did it on the bed.

The door was opened too forcefully, and the doorknob slammed against the wall with a dull thud, startling Sangeng, who was sleeping in bed, and he immediately raised his head.

Shen Yuan didn't even have time to comfort the frightened cat. He rushed to his own security door, flung it open, and a gust of cold wind blew in.

Just as he opened his own door, he heard a clear sound of a door opening and hushed conversation coming from across the hall.

In the deserted hallway, the motion-sensor lights turned on.

Warm, cozy light streamed out from inside the door, illuminating the two families who appeared at their respective doorways at the same time.

Shen Yuan's hair was a bit frizzy, the zipper was only half-zipped up, and his coat was loose and baggy, making him look somewhat disheveled and rushed.

Meanwhile, the Li family was standing in the stairwell.

Old Li was wearing a thick coat and carrying a suitcase. Xu Chan stood beside him, bending down to adjust her scarf.

A little behind the two of them, Li Zhiqiao stood there.

When she saw Shen Yuan, a glint flashed in the beautiful girl's eyes, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, but she quickly suppressed it.

She even deliberately looked away slightly, as if she were looking at the other end of the corridor.

When Lao Li saw Shen Yuan, a brief look of surprise flashed across his eyes, which then turned into understanding, and finally settled into scrutiny.

His gaze swept over Shen Yuan's slightly disheveled appearance, then slowly moved to his own daughter.

Although Li Zhi deliberately kept a straight face, Old Li is Old Li after all, how could he not know what his daughter was thinking?

How could Shen Yuan possibly appear here by such a coincidence?
"Shen Yuan? Are you going out too?"

Old Li's words were clearly tinged with personal emotion.

"Um……"

Shen Yuan's Adam's apple bobbed, the words "Send Li Zhi" stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered.

"Ding!"

The crisp sound of the elevator arriving suddenly shattered the silence of the hallway.

Without waiting for Shen Yuan's reply, Lao Li pulled Xu Chan into the elevator. The couple turned around and saw their daughter frozen in place.

Li Zhi suddenly exclaimed "Oops!" and then touched his head: "Mom, I forgot something!"

Before her parents could react, the beautiful girl had already nimbly spun around and touched the front door: "You guys go down first, I'll be right there!"

As the elevator doors slowly closed, Lao Li's furrowed brows were partially obscured by the metal partition.

The motion-sensor lights suddenly went out, leaving only two people in the dimly lit hallway.

Before Shen Yuan could speak, Li Zhi opened his front door.

The pretty girl turned to look at Shen Yuan: "What are you standing there for?"

Shen Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly understood her intention!
Li Bao is creating opportunities for him!
Although she was saying she was getting something, it was clearly just a few minutes of alone time!
A warm current carrying immense joy surged into Shen Yuan's chest, dispelling the disappointment he had just felt and the chill in the stairwell.

Almost without thinking, he lifted his foot to follow her, wanting to step into her house, even if it was just to breathe the same air in the same room for one more second.

However, just as his front foot stepped onto the doormat at Li Zhi's house, and his back foot was about to step into the warm light shining through the open door, he was about to step into Li Zhi's house.

"Hey!"

Li Zhiqing's sharp voice rang out, carrying a hint of "Are you stupid?" disdain and an almost imperceptible smile, clearly echoing in the dimly lit stairwell.

She was still standing on the edge of the shadows in the entryway, her gaze passing over Shen Yuan and looking towards the elevator. She raised her delicate chin slightly towards the elevator button area.

"What are you thinking! Who let you in, Thran!"

The girl's reproachful voice was exceptionally clear in the silence, carrying a familiar hint of petulance.

She raised her finger and pointed to the elevator panel at the end of the corridor, where a faint indicator light was flashing. Her fingertip traced an invisible arc in the dim light.

"Go! Press the elevator button for me, so we can save some time when it comes up."

Shen Yuan's step froze in mid-air, his entire body stuck in the middle of the threshold, maintaining an awkward posture of wanting to go forward but stopping.

The joy and eagerness on his face suddenly froze, mixed with the embarrassment of having his little thoughts exposed and a hint of bewilderment at his plan falling through.

"what?"

He was like a machine that had suddenly stopped, his gaze somewhat vacant as he looked in the direction Li Zhi pointed towards the elevator waiting to be summoned in the distance.

My mind felt like it was filled with a jumble of thoughts.

So... it wasn't meant for him to go in.

"Oh...oh oh!"

Shen Yuan realized what was happening and quickly stopped, his face burning.

He gave a couple of awkward, dry laughs to cover up his embarrassment at his own presumptuousness, shrinking back instantly like a punctured balloon.

"I'll go right now! I'll go get it done right now!"

He hurriedly agreed, then quickly turned around and awkwardly jogged towards the elevator buttons.

In the dim light, only a tall figure remained, but it inexplicably looked somewhat "wronged".

Watching him obediently run off, Li Zhi silently curved her lips into a smile. In the dim light cast by the entryway light strip, she looked like a cunning yet satisfied little fox, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

Stupid Shen Yuan.

You think you can sneak in with such a simple trick?
There are no doors!

Li Zhi did indeed forget to take something.

When the beautiful girl stepped out of her house, Shen Yuan noticed that she had a pearl hair clip in her long hair.

It's the one I gave myself.

Upon seeing the hair clip on Li Zhi's head, Shen Yuan's face broke into a bright smile.

The little bit of "grievance" in my heart disappeared instantly.

Of course, that's not the point.

She gently closed the door behind her, and with a soft "click" of the latch engaging, the light inside was completely shut out, leaving only the cold motion-sensor lights and the chill of a winter morning in the hallway.

Shen Yuan saw Li Zhi turn around to face him.

The beautiful girl stood still, her small face slightly raised, her clear eyes reflecting Shen Yuan's somewhat dazed image. There was no trace of her usual fierceness or disdain in her eyes, but rather a gentle and undisguised expectation.

Without uttering a word, the hand hidden beneath the sleeves of the oversized down jacket twitched, and then both arms naturally opened towards Shen Yuan.

In the dim light, the girl's slender figure stood in front of the tightly closed door, her arms fully outstretched towards him.

This silent invitation is far more direct and clear than any words.

Shen Yuan had no time to think and a smile spread across his face.

What could be more exciting and fulfilling for him than this moment?
He strode up to Li Zhi in one big step, his movements as fast as the wind, with an almost urgent air, and opened his arms without hesitation.

Beneath the cold down jacket fabric was the girl's warm body temperature.

He pulled his arms close and lowered his head to rub his cheek against Li Zhi's.

Li Zhi buried his face deep into the soft, fluffy fabric of his down jacket.

The girl's breathing quickened slightly, and her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. This silent embrace lasted for what seemed like centuries in the chilly stairwell, yet it was also incredibly brief.

The elevator's "ding" broke the tranquil warmth.

Li Zhi stirred slightly in his arms and finally raised her head.

She didn't immediately break free, but looked at him closely with her still-watery eyes, her voice muffled in the collar of her down jacket, carrying a kitten-like intimacy and dependence:

"Duh...the elevator's here."

"Let Uncle Li and Aunt Xu wait a little longer."

Li Zhi looked at Shen Yuan in disbelief and reached out to tap his forehead.

"Then I think you want to die."

Shen Yuan chuckled: "Just kidding, I'll take you down."

The pretty girl's voice suddenly lowered, coming from inside her down jacket, carrying a matter-of-fact intimacy: "Otherwise what? Isn't it your duty to take your girlfriend downstairs? You stupid boyfriend."

These words struck a chord with Shen Yuan, instantly replacing the reluctance he felt at parting with sweetness.

"Obligation? Heh!" Shen Yuan grinned, holding Li Zhi tightly, leaning down slightly, his eyes burning as he looked at the blushing girl in front of him, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, and said in a low voice.

“I’d be more than happy to accept this obligation. But… Li Bao,” he deliberately dragged out his words, a sly glint in his eyes, “if we’re talking about obligations… then what about your obligations as a girlfriend? Hmm? You can’t just enjoy the benefits, can you?”

The boy's eyes lingered on her face, a wicked smile playing on his lips, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Li Zhi instantly understood the implication in his eyes, her face flushed even more, and she even paused for a moment.

Just as the flames of shame and anger were about to ignite, they transformed into another kind of power when she saw Shen Yuan's expectant and silly look.

"Selan! What kind of dirty thoughts are going through your head again!" She stood on tiptoe without any politeness, her fair fingertips jabbing heavily into Shen Yuan's forehead, pushing him back half an inch.

The beautiful girl raised her chin slightly, her clear eyes flashing with a familiar arrogant light, and asked decisively, "My duty?"

She paused, then announced clearly, word by word: "It means I'll supervise you to study hard and get a score of 665! If you don't, you... you're finished!"

……

The basement at this moment.

Old Li stood at the elevator entrance with a helpless expression.

Xu Chan, standing to the side, smiled and looked at him: "How about it? Do you understand how my dad felt back then?"

Hearing this, Old Li sighed, "That brat..."

"Okay, okay, see, the elevator's come down now? We didn't stay in there for too long."

Old Li stared at the descending elevator, his gaze sharp.

"Do you think that kid Shen Yuan might be inside?"

Xu Chan rolled her eyes at Lao Li: "What do you think?"

The answer is obvious.

"Ding!"

The elevator doors opened, and Shen Yuan's figure came into Lao Li's view.

Shen Yuan subconsciously straightened up, the natural intimacy he had shown when saying goodbye to Li Zhishi instantly vanishing, as if frozen by the cold air in the underground parking garage.

Old Li's gaze swept over Shen Yuan's still-unstable breathing and slightly disheveled clothes, finally settling on that young yet somewhat stiff face.

Eyes facing each other.

A fleeting moment.

There were no words spoken, but a tacit, heavy atmosphere filled the air.

Old Li's eyes were complicated, containing understanding, scrutiny, and a hint of indescribable... displeasure.
He frowned slightly, and the tight lines at the corners of his mouth were clearly visible.

Shen Yuan felt his breath catch in his throat, and his Adam's apple bobbed nervously.

In front of his future father-in-law, especially after having just "abducted" his precious daughter, the young man's guilt and awe were amplified countless times by this silent eye contact, as if an invisible string on the back of his neck had been instantly tightened.

He even forgot to move his feet.

Just as the silence was about to crush Shen Yuan, a small hand suddenly grabbed Lao Li's arm.

"Hey! Dad—! What are you looking at! Let's go!" Li Zhi's clear voice, filled with obvious urging, instantly broke the deadlock.

Li Bao tugged hard at Lao Li's sleeve, half complaining and half forcefully pulling his father, who was still rooted to the spot, out of the way.

"Come on, come on! Stop dawdling!"

She didn't even dare to look at Shen Yuan again, and quickly pulled Lao Li towards the car.

"Humph!"

Old Li then withdrew his gaze, which had seemed to possess him, and let his daughter pull him toward the car.

He gave Shen Yuan one last, deep look, his gaze meaningful yet tinged with a hint of helplessness.

Shen Yuan wanted to say something, but...

I have a feeling that if I speak up, Lao Li will kill me.

In the end, Lao Li was dragged and pushed by Li Zhi towards the car parked not far away.

Just as they were about to turn the corner, Li Zhi suddenly turned back to look at Shen Yuan and winked secretly.

Shen Yuan smiled subconsciously, but by then, the beautiful girl had already turned her head away.

Watching Lao Li and Li Zhi's figures disappear around the corner, Shen Yuan slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

The brief eye contact they had just exchanged had caused a thin layer of sweat to break out on his back.

My heart was still pounding loudly in my chest.

Shen Yuan stood at the entrance to the empty basement and could faintly hear the sound of Li Zhijia's car starting and driving away, gradually disappearing into the air of the winter morning.

The sense of loss that had been temporarily suppressed resurfaced as the voices faded into the distance.

Shen Yuan rubbed his face. The morning air was crisp and cold, carrying the chill of winter. He realized that his stomach was indeed a little empty.

The tension of saying goodbye, coupled with the weariness of waking up early, made me desperately need some warm comfort.

Instead of going straight home, he skillfully navigated the neighborhood and headed towards the breakfast shop on the street corner.

In the rising steam, the familiar aroma of cooking and food quickly dispelled the loneliness of the early morning.

He ordered himself a bowl of hot soy milk, a freshly fried dough stick, and two baskets of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).

The warmth of the food spread from my stomach, as if soothing the empty reluctance in my heart.

After eating and drinking his fill, Shen Yuan didn't forget his parents.

He knew that Comrade Lao Shen and Ms. Zhang Yuyan were definitely still sleeping.

I gently pushed open the door, and sure enough, the living room was quiet.

He placed the breakfast for his parents on the dining table, then knocked on the master bedroom door.

"Mom! Breakfast is on the table!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Yuan quickly ran back to his bedroom.

Disturbing someone's peaceful sleep is immoral, even if it's just waking them up for breakfast.

A warm, familiar breeze wafted over me.

The room remained as it had been the night before; the blankets on the bed were still unmade, and the projector sat quietly to the side, as if there had been traces of him and her cuddling just moments before.

Sangeng and Naonao were fast asleep in bed.

They hibernate.

Shen Yuan walked by, waking the two kittens, and then went back to his study, his gaze sweeping over his schoolbag.

Last night's events flooded back into his mind, and Li Bao's cunning yet expectant eyes seemed to be watching him right before his eyes.

But Shen Yuan didn't start reading the book immediately; instead, he opened the system.

The moment Li Zhi nodded in agreement, Shen Yuan's mission was complete.

But Shen Yuan completely forgot about the system at that moment.

【mission completed! 】

Go confess your feelings to her and sound the victory horn! (Completed)

[Evaluation: A successful confession.]

[Rewards: 1. 5 yuan. 2. High energy (intermediate level)]

[High Energy (Intermediate): Your energy consumption is reduced, while your energy recovery is increased.]

You chose to confess your feelings at home.

[You prepared a memorable moment just for the two of you, but the moment those words, more than ten years overdue, were uttered, Li Zhi lost control of her emotions, tears streaming down her face.]

Seeing Li Zhi's tears, you didn't say much, but simply hugged her.

Seeing Li Zhi's tear-streaked face, you gently wiped away her tears and kissed her.

Li Zhi didn't push you away.

Shen Yuan's eyes lit up when he saw the reward from Brother Tongzi.

"Wow, that's a lot of money."

5 yuan!
That's quite a lot for a silly kid!

Shen Yuan didn't spend much, and with the system's rewards coming in bits and pieces, he had already saved up quite a bit of money!

For Shen Yuan, being able to improve his energy to the intermediate level was also a good thing.

It's easy to imagine that he'll be working himself to the bone during the upcoming final exams.

The intermediate level of boundless energy has come at just the right time!

However, apart from that, Shen Yuan's face fell after reading the entire system message.

Why! !
what? !

Second Austrian!

Why is it that Zhongdeng can personally get there?
No, Li Dabao, you're being way too forward!

She dared to let him kiss her right after she confessed her feelings!

Shen Yuan didn't even dare to imagine what he, as Zhongdeng, would do next!
"The adult world is too treacherous."

Shen Yuan leaned back in his chair, indignantly saying, "I want to be an adult too!"

However, Shen Yuan was still quite gratified when he thought that the two people in the system who would be 35 years old in the future had also made a good start.

"Your merits are immeasurable, Shen Yuan."

Shen Yuan sat in his chair with a smile on his face.

However, after a brief moment of relief, Shen Yuan picked up his schoolbag.

"Alright, Zhongdeng is Zhongdeng, and I am me."

"Homework, homework! Perfect timing, let's try out the effects of the 'energetic' skill!"

Shen Yuan bent down, his gaze falling on the exam paper, and quickly became focused.

　I'm not feeling well today; I've had a headache all day, so that's all.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)