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

Chapter 243 Going home? Going home to which?

Shen Yuan held Li Zhi's hand, the warmth of his palm dispelling the chill of the winter night.

The two walked briskly along the village paths.

Soon, Shen Yuan saw Yang Yishui's familiar car parked in the shadows outside the courtyard.

Shen Yuan pulled Li Zhi closer, a hint of smugness on his face, and gestured toward the trunk of the car.

"Sisters! Open the door!"

Yang Yishui and her younger cousin were playing on their phones in the car when they saw the two arrive, and their faces immediately lit up with a teasing expression.

"Yo--"

She deliberately dragged out her words: "What kind of 'strategic materials' are you trying to retrieve so late at night?"

The rear hatch unlocked with a "beep" and slowly rose.

Li Zhi curiously peeked out, and was instantly stunned by the sight before him, his eyes widening in disbelief.

The rear seats and the entire trunk space were almost completely filled with colorful fireworks boxes!

Fireworks of all types, sizes, and fancy names were piled high, so numerous and dazzling that it was almost exaggerated, resembling a small festive arsenal.

Shen Yuan turned his head to look at Li Zhi's face, which lit up with surprise, and raised his chin slightly.

"Like it?"

Li Zhi looked at the fully loaded trunk, then at Shen Yuan, and immediately nodded.

The pretty girl clung to Shen Yuan's arm, saying in a sweet, cloying voice, "I love you, brother is so good~"

Sitting in the driver's seat, Yang Yishui was caught off guard by this incredibly sweet address, which sent a shiver down her spine.

"Alas--!"

She let out an exaggerated, drawn-out scream and rubbed her arms, which instantly broke out in goosebumps.

"This is so sour! Shen Yuan! Do something about your Li Zhi!"

Zhao Yueyang, sitting in the back seat, buried his head in his knees and crossed his arms, looking as if he had suffered a severe emotional trauma.

"Waaaaah... Bro! No couple is innocent when a dog dies! I was still in the car!!"

Shen Yuan's ears burned slightly, but he couldn't help but smile and raise an eyebrow at them triumphantly.

"Tsk, enough nonsense! Keep being sour!"

Yang Yishui got out of the car and warned Shen Yuan, "I'll report you to the Political Education Department later!"

"Using public office to settle personal scores!"

"I call this selflessness! As a teacher, I..."

Before Yang Yishui could finish speaking, Shen Yuan stopped her.

"Stop! I got a 665 on my final exam while dating, and Li Bao got a 701 on her final exam while dating."

Looking at the young couple in front of her, Yang Yishui said angrily, "Damn it! So what if you get good grades!"

"Wow! That's really amazing."

Yang Yishui rubbed her arms and shivered dramatically, then rolled her eyes at the night sky.

"Fine! I deserve to owe you all. What can I do? I'm your teacher."

Despite her complaints, she deftly moved to the trunk, bent down, and pulled out two Gatling gun-shaped fireworks, stuffing them into Zhao Yueyang's arms.

Zhao Yueyang couldn't wait to light the Gatling gun, and the orange-red flames shot into the dark blue night sky with a sharp whistle.

The fireworks exploded with a series of dazzling sparks, illuminating the boy's excited face.

Yang Yishui leaned against the car door, watching her little cousin's exaggerated cheering, and shook her head with a smile.

Not far away, Li Zhi was holding two thin fairy wands.

Tiny sparks sizzled and bloomed at her fingertips, golden specks dancing like a string of flowing little stars.

The warm firelight illuminated her profile, softening her features, and her long eyelashes cast small shadows in the dancing light.

Her lips curved unconsciously, her eyes focused and bright as she chased the spark that burst forth and then vanished, completely immersed in that tiny yet dazzling light.

That pure joy and elfin charm were especially captivating under the soft glow of the sparkler.

Shen Yuan stood a few steps away from her, a smile unconsciously playing on his lips, his gaze fixed on her.

The leaping sparks outlined her focused and serene profile, like a lively and warm silhouette painting.

A thought struck him, and almost silently he took out his phone from his pocket, held his breath, and quietly raised it.

The screen lit up instantly, and the brief light caught Yang Yishui's attention. She smiled slightly but didn't say anything to disturb her.

The camera carefully framed the girl smiling amidst the sparks of light, completely absorbed in the tiny world of fireworks, unaware of her surroundings.

Shen Yuan's fingertips hovered above the shutter button, and his heart felt as if it had been scalded by a spark from a fairy wand, both warm and tingling.

He pressed down lightly.

"Crack!"

A crisp shutter click suddenly rang out amidst the bursts of fireworks, exceptionally clear.

The screen lit up instantly, and the brief light caught Yang Yishui's attention. She smiled slightly but didn't say anything to disturb her.

The camera carefully framed the girl who was smiling in the spotlight.

She was so engrossed in her little world of fireworks that she didn't even realize it.

"Hey! I caught you! Taking pictures of the fairy!"

Yang Yishui's teasing voice followed the sound of the shutter clicking. She leaned against the car door, a knowing smile on her face, and waved her phone at Shen Yuan.

"Hey kid, are you even good with your skills? Need a professional?"

Caught red-handed, Shen Yuan frantically tried to put down his phone, his ears quickly turning red.

"Who's taking pictures of me?! I'm taking pictures of fireworks!"

He made a blatant attempt to deny his guilt, but his gaze drifted towards Li Zhi, whose cheeks were also flushed.

The sparkler in Li Zhi's hand was just about to go out with a "sizzling" sound.

She turned to look at Shen Yuan caught red-handed, then at Yang Yishui, who was enjoying the spectacle, and stomped her foot in embarrassment and annoyance: "Sister Shui! You need to do something about him!"

“Sure!” Yang Yishui readily agreed, striding over to the two of them and extending her hand. “Give me your phone!”

Shen Yuan instinctively gripped his phone tighter: "What?"

"What are you doing?" Yang Yishui raised an eyebrow, looking completely matter-of-fact. "I'm taking a proper picture of the two of you! What's the point of taking a candid photo? If you're going to take a photo, you have to do it openly and honestly!"

She glanced at the young couple, their faces flushed like ripe apples in the light and shadow, and winked mischievously.

"Since it's already been officially announced, what's there to be shy about!"

"This is a rare opportunity! The backdrop is perfect, and there are still fireworks. Hurry up, hold hands, and get closer!"

Li Zhi bit her lower lip and quickly glanced at Yang Yishui, who was grinning mischievously, and Shen Yuan, whose eyes were full of expectation.

Although the beautiful girl's face was still red, her body honestly moved closer to Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan felt her approach and was overjoyed. He immediately reached out and held Li Zhiwei's slightly cool hand tightly.

"That's right! That's more like it!" Yang Yishui nodded in satisfaction, opened her phone's camera, and said, "Ready? Look at the camera!"

Under Yang Yishui's direction, Shen Yuan and Li Zhi snuggled together, using the last faint light from the fireworks set off by Zhao Yueyang not far away and the sparklers in their hands.

Both of them turned their gaze to Yang Yishui's phone camera.

With a click, the photo was captured.

Yang Yishui looked at her phone screen with satisfaction, raising an eyebrow: "Tsk, this composition is good! Let's do it again!"

She got excited and, like a professional photographer, started directing: "What are you standing there for? Change your pose!"

"Shen Yuan, crouch down and put your arm around Li Zhi's waist!"

"Li Zhi, don't look down, look up at the camera!"

"Hey, right! This angle makes your face look smaller! Li Zhi, why don't you try putting your arm around Shen Yuan's neck?"

Shen Yuan obediently did as she was told, and Li Zhi, though her ears were still burning, cooperated with a shy smile, letting Yang Yishui do as she pleased.

The two changed from standing side by side in a slightly awkward manner to a more intimate embrace, side hug, and Li Zhi leaning lightly on Shen Yuan's shoulder... Every time the shutter was adjusted and pressed, it drew praise from Yang Yishui.

"Tsk, amazing! This one is incredible! Li Zhi's little eyes..."

"This shot looks so natural! You two are so inseparable..."

Just as Yang Yishui was preparing to have the two try a "literary photo" with their backs to back and their faces turned to the side.

"What? I want to take pictures too!"

Zhao Yueyang, holding the empty firework tube that had just been set off, suddenly darted over.

His face was smudged with firework ash, his eyes sparkling with excitement at the spectacle, a far cry from the bitter resentment he had felt earlier when forced to copy vocabulary words.

"I want a photo too!"

He yelled and prepared to run over, shouting, "Sis! Take a picture of me! Make it look cool!"

"Zhao Yueyang, what are you doing causing trouble!"

Yang Yishui stepped forward, grabbed her younger cousin by the back of his collar, and lifted him out like a chick.

"I'll put you in charge of lighting! Look, this one's about to go out, put it back on!"

She shoved a new fairy wand into Zhao Yueyang's hand and then pushed him aside.

"You just hold it up high and be my fill light! Don't block my face!"

"Oh……"

Zhao Yueyang pouted a little aggrievedly, but still obediently stood slightly to the side, trying his best to hold up the burning sparkler.

The flickering golden starlight did indeed cast a soft, dancing halo over them, illuminating Shen Yuan's smiling profile and Li Zhi's upturned lips.

Yang Yishui raised her phone again: "Okay, ignore him, you two continue gazing deeply into each other's eyes... oh no, look at the camera, look at the camera!"

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi exchanged a smile in the flickering light and shadow, and leaned slightly closer to the camera in tacit agreement.

The shutter clicked again, freezing the unspoken warmth between the two amidst the fireworks and starlight of the night.

Shen Yuan's smiling gaze shifted from Yang Yishui's camera lens, then inadvertently fell on Li Zhi's profile illuminated by the firelight.

The girl's lips curved into a soft smile, as if they were filled with honey.

Li Zhi noticed his gaze and turned to meet his eyes.

Their eyes met, and the flickering firelight shimmered deep within his eyes, outlining the boy's clear yet gentle features.

It's this profile, those slightly pursed lips when she's focused...

Li Zhixin's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and a blurry yet clear image crashed into her mind without warning.

In the same village on a winter night, a younger person, outside the courtyard gate on New Year's Eve.

Little Shen Yuan, with her nose red and frozen, stubbornly looked up at the light shining through the crack in her window.

The image of myself in the picture is probably also leaning against the window, looking at him through the cold glass.

Li Zhi had never felt so clearly the burning expectation in those eyes, which pierced through the innocent days of childhood and quietly overlapped with the light and shadow before her eyes.

She pursed her lips, swallowing back the smile that welled up in her mouth, only letting a deeper curve appear in her eyes.

"Alright!" Yang Yishui put down her phone with satisfaction and deftly began to look through the "spoils of war" she had just taken. "Hmm, this one's not bad... the lighting in this one is amazing..."

She swiped her fingers quickly across the screen to filter, a professional yet teasing smile on her face.

"Tsk tsk, Shen Yuan, you little rascal..."

While she complained, her fingers flew across the screen, tapping the phone's built-in photo editing app and quickly getting to work.

"Come here, let me adjust it for you..."

Zhao Yueyang glanced at the two people who were immersed in memories and eye contact, then looked at his sister who was looking down and starting to edit photos. The sparkler he was holding up went out with a "sizzle," leaving only a wisp of smoke.

The occasional sound of firecrackers still drifted from the distant villages, echoing softly in the empty, cold winter night, becoming their gentlest background noise at that moment.

As her fingertips slid across the screen, light and shadow shifted between her focused brows, carefully transforming those real, loving moments into sweeter fragments of memory.

"It's done!"

Yang Yishui suddenly raised her head, a smug, mischievous smile on her face, as if she had completed a remarkable work of art.

She walked straight up to Shen Yuan and shoved her phone into his arms: "Here! Save the pictures! With my skills, you can post ten nine-grid photos!"

The light from the screen illuminated Shen Yuan's eyes.

Clicking on the photos taken by Yang Yishui, one after another, the photos come into view.

The lighting and shadows have been carefully adjusted, the colors are more saturated and warmer, and the fireworks are more dazzling.

The two of them cuddled together, looking exceptionally intimate and natural under the soft light. She even playfully added cute sticker borders to the corners of one or two of the photos, creating a pink, bubbly atmosphere that practically overflowed from the screen.

"Tsk..." Shen Yuan chuckled, his eyes shining brighter than fireworks in the sky. "It's alright, barely usable."

"Don't be so ungrateful when you get such a good deal!"

Yang Yishui rolled her eyes at him without any politeness, then her gaze swept over his lit screen and Li Zhi, who was curiously crowding around him, and she immediately perked up.

She pointed at her phone screen, her fingers flying across the screen: "Look! This composition! This atmosphere! That intense, almost palpable gaze! Hurry up and post this on your WeChat Moments! Such great material for showing off your love, how could I not share it after all this hard work?"

As she spoke, she excitedly pulled out her phone, her finger already itching to tap the entrance to her WeChat Moments, her eyes full of mischievous anticipation.

"Stop dawdling! Hurry up! I'm waiting to be the first to like this!"

The air of the cold night seemed to warm up because of my older cousin's eager urging.

"Don't make trouble."

Shen Yuan finally looked away from the photo, his voice tinged with a helpless smile, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.

"I haven't even thought of the copy yet, how can it be so fast?"

His fingertips swiped across the screen, his gaze moving back and forth across the photos, as if he were carefully considering a word or phrase that could do justice to them.

The seriousness with which he wrote it made it seem like he was writing a college entrance exam essay.

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Zhi tilted his head and leaned over Shen Yuan's arm.

A mischievous glint flashed in the girl's clear eyes as she grabbed Shen Yuan's sleeve.

"Hey—send it to me!"

Li Zhi's voice was clear and crisp, with a hint of undeniable domineering authority.

"Send me all the photos! I'll pick them! I'll think of the captions! I'll definitely come up with something a hundred times better than yours!"

In the darkness of the night, the girl's ears were still slightly red, but her eyes were filled with confidence and eager excitement.

"I'll make you cry!"

Shen Yuan was taken aback: "Who's crying!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Yishui, who was admiring his "masterpiece," suddenly caught the word "cry," his ears perked up instantly, and his eyes shot towards Shen Yuan like searchlights.

"Wait a minute!"

She darted back between the two, her gaze sweeping over Shen Yuan's face with the excitement of discovering a new continent.

"Crying? Who's crying? Shen Yuan, are you crying?!"

She spoke as if she had discovered some earth-shattering secret, raising her voice several decibels with undisguised, exaggerated curiosity.

"When did you cry? Why did you cry? Tell me quickly!"

Yang Yishui excitedly nudged Shen Yuan with her elbow, her gossip-loving spirit burning brightly.

"Were you excited when it was officially announced? Or were you two doing something sneaky that moved my Li Bao to tears? Oh my god! Such a big surprise... cough, how come I only found out about such a big thing now!"

Zhao Yueyang, who was standing next to him, was also intrigued and immediately moved his face closer, his eyes gleaming with a "seeking scoop" light.

"Yeah, bro! Why are you crying? Let me hear it too!"

Shen Yuan's handsome face instantly fell, and the good mood he had just been enjoying the photos was instantly overshadowed by embarrassment.

He glanced quickly at Li Zhi, whose cheeks were slightly flushed and whose eyes held a mischievous smile as he looked at him, clearly remembering how he had cried in the classroom that day.

"Tsk!" Shen Yuan reached out and flicked Yang Yishui's forehead lightly.

"Stop making a scene! It's not true!"

Then he shoved Zhao Yueyang away, who was almost touching his face.

"What nonsense are you asking, you little kid!"

Shen Yuan's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment and anger.

"Ow!"

Yang Yishui rubbed her forehead where she had been flicked, muttering in annoyance, "What's wrong with talking? Share your 'growth journey' with me! I'll help you analyze your emotional fluctuations..."

"Let's go!"

Without saying a word, Shen Yuan waved his hand to shoo people away, trying to dispel this scene that was giving him a headache.

"You two, go do what you're supposed to do! It's so cold, go home and enjoy the air conditioning!"

He seemed to want to separate the two light bulbs through his actions.

Yang Yishui nimbly took a step back, dodging Shen Yuan's urging, pursed her lips, and dragged out her words.

"Ha—stingy! So stingy!"

She shook her head while looking at Shen Yuan with an expression that said, "I've seen plenty of people like you."

"So what if you cried? What's there to be ashamed of? I won't laugh at you... I'll just share it with your mom at the next parent-teacher conference. Tsk, so protective, you stingy Shen Yuan!"

Although Yang Yishui was still complaining, she couldn't help but laugh when she saw the young couple, one covering her mouth and chuckling, and the other pretending to be fierce and chase people away.

She pulled Zhao Yueyang, who was still trying to "struggle," towards the car not far away, calling out to Shen Yuan's back as they walked.

"Alright, alright, I'm not in your way anymore! Go have some alone time! You'll have to treat me to milk tea later! Zhao Yueyang, I'm off! I'm going home to tell my aunt about Shen Yuan crying!"

"Coming, coming!"

As my older cousin left with my younger cousin, the winter night seemed to instantly return to its previous tranquility.

The occasional sound of firecrackers could be heard from distant villages.

Shen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, glanced helplessly at the departing car, and looked down at Li Zhi, who was still secretly smiling in his arms.

The last firework exploded in the night sky, its golden light falling on the boy's slightly reddened ears and the girl's mischievous eyes.

The wind swept past the two figures embracing, and Li Zhi buried her face deeper into Shen Yuan's warm neck, absorbing the warmth from each other.

The faint smell of gunpowder lingering in the air now seemed to have taken on a sweet scent.

Shen Yuanhuan tightened his grip on Li Zhi's back.

He lowered his head, his voice unusually deep and gentle in the quiet night, carrying a hint of barely perceptible expectation: "Shall we go?"

Li Zhi looked up at him, her eyes still brimming with laughter, the blush of embarrassment she had felt from Yang Yishui's teasing had not yet completely faded.

She responded softly, "Mmm."

Shen Yuan took her hand, their fingers intertwined.

The warmth of their palms pressed together quickly dispelled the chill of the night wind, and he held her fingers firmly in his hand.

They did not walk towards the open space where the smoke had dissipated, nor did they wander aimlessly along the village paths.

Shen Yuan, holding Li Zhi's hand, walked with a clear direction, heading straight towards his own courtyard.

The brightly lit courtyard of the Li family cast long, warm yellow shadows behind them.

"Hey!"

Li Zhi was pulled along for a few steps, then paused slightly, gently tugging at Shen Yuan's hand, and asked in confusion, "Where are we going?"

She gestured with her chin in the direction Shen Yuan was walking.

That was the warm light shining from the doorway of Grandpa Shen's house; clearly, the adults in Shen Yuan's family were still chatting animatedly.

Shen Yuan didn't stop walking, but turned his head to look at Li Zhi, a slightly mischievous yet completely frank smile curving his lips.

"Go home."

Li Zhi was taken aback.

Come back home?

The word "go home" came out so naturally, yet Li Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

She looked up at Shen Yuan's well-defined profile, his eyes, which were exceptionally bright and deep in the night, reflecting the scattered lights of the distant village.

Come back home?

Which home to go back to?

Is it his grandfather's house, just a few steps away, brightly lit?
Or perhaps further away, to her grandparents' house, which she had just slammed shut behind her? Or maybe...

This thought made her cheeks burn even hotter. The "home" he spoke of... could it be...?

That space that belonged only to Shen Yuan?

It's New Year's Eve, and all the adults are out, but aren't you in a bit of a hurry?!

A jumble of thoughts surged up, and the shyness of being under the gaze of adults seemed not to have dissipated, but it surged again because of this ambiguous word.

Her slender fingers unconsciously curled slightly in Shen Yuan's warm palm.

"Go back to...go back to where?"

With a hint of nervousness and embarrassment, Li Zhi quickly glanced at the bright window of Shen Yuan's grandfather's house before shifting her gaze back to Shen Yuan's face, her voice slightly lowered.

"Your grandfather's house? Or my grandfather's house? Or..."

The second guess was a bit too hot to handle, so she stopped herself in time.

She simply stared straight at Shen Yuan with those beautiful eyes, and the blush that had finally subsided on her face seemed to be making a comeback.

That idiot Thran, always like that, can throw her into a panic with just a single sentence.

However, Li Zhi had no idea that his words had caused Shen Yuan to crash.

"——!!!"

Shen Yuan's steps froze in an instant.

The words "Go home" that had just slipped out were instantly turned into a boulder hanging in mid-air.

His heart started pounding wildly the moment Li Zhi uttered "or..."

"Back to where?"

"Your grandfather's house?"

"My grandfather's house?"

Every question mark from Li Zhi struck a nerve, and when the last syllable fell, that meaningful "or..." fell.

Shen Yuan's brain was like an overloaded circuit board, instantly emitting smoke, short-circuiting, and going completely black!
The third option!

How could she... how could she dare?
At this time, in this place, to mention that location in such a flippant tone?!

Shen Yuan's eyes widened at this moment, staring intently at Li Zhi's face, which seemed to be frozen in place, as if under a spell. The face was filled with the message, "That's exactly what you're thinking."

[Oh my God...]

All that remained in Shen Yuan's mind was this deafening thunderclap.

How could she... how could she do such a thing... such a thing...

He racked his brains but couldn't find the right words to describe Li Zhi's boldness at that moment.

A jumble of complex thoughts raced through his mind like bees in a commotion.

Did she do it on purpose?
She must be incredibly embarrassed to be blushing like that!
But why bring it up in this particular case?!
What exactly comes after that "or"?
Is this my room?!

On New Year's Eve, it was just her and me in my room; our parents didn't get home until very late...

At that moment, Shen Yuan had only one thought in his mind.

—It's over! I'm probably going to be completely controlled by this vixen!
The sounds of adults chatting and laughing, and the occasional sporadic sound of firecrackers drifting in...

All sounds were instantly pulled back and blurred, turning into a noisy, meaningless white noise.

Shen Yuan stood frozen in place, like an old robot whose power had been suddenly cut off.

His world crashed completely when Li Zhi uttered an unfinished "or...".

Li Zhi stared at Shen Yuan's eyes, which seemed to scream, "My God, what indecent things are you saying?!" and his stiff, almost detached posture...

A few seconds of deathly silence.

The confusion that appeared on Li Zhi's face because of Shen Yuan's crash was like a spark thrown into boiling oil, which was ignited in an instant!

"...!!!"

An incredibly clear realization, with tremendous force, crashed into her mind.

That's it! The egg is dead!
It was my own... misinterpretation!

Shen Yuan, this straightforward and somewhat foolish "Selan," had no idea about the complicated things he was thinking about!

When he said "go home," he meant it literally—go back to his grandparents' house!

Or at most, he just wanted to take me to see his grandparents' antics one more time!
And myself...

The place that had just been swirling in my mind, full of alluring implications…

boom--!
An unprecedented feeling of embarrassment erupted like a volcano, instantly shooting from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head!

His cheeks suddenly turned into a raging inferno, burning fiercely!

The beautiful girl felt as if she were being roasted over a fire, and even the tips of her ears turned so red that they looked like they were about to bleed.

Oh my god! What did I just say?!

Li Zhi let out a silent scream in her heart, her toes curling and digging fiercely inside her boots, wishing she could dig a hole in the ground and bury herself in it.

She instinctively tried to raise her hand to cover her face, but her fingers trembled as she gripped Shen Yuan's sleeve tightly, as if grasping at the last piece of driftwood in despair.

Shame, indignation, frustration, and utter disgrace... all these emotions intertwined violently, instantly filling her beautiful eyes with a thick layer of moisture, almost making her cry.

She abruptly lowered her head, no longer daring to look Shen Yuan in the eye.

Ruined!
Society is dead!!!

I made a huge fool of myself in front of that blockhead!

Li Zhi's cheeks burned completely, like a ripe red apple radiating astonishing heat in the cold winter night, so ashamed that she couldn't lift her head at all.

In the midst of this silent stillness, a hand gently lifted her chin, the warm touch of the fingertips caressing the edge of her alarmingly hot cheek, slowly raising her deeply buried head.

Shen Yuan finally forced himself to restart from the shock of the system crash. Looking at the face before him, flushed with the color of the sunset, all his chaotic and complicated thoughts were instantly overwhelmed by a clearer impulse.

The soul that had been startled by Li Zhi's bold idea just now quietly landed.

Shen Yuan's fingertips applied very light pressure, forcing Li Zhi to look up at him.

Her clear, panicked reflection was mirrored in the boy's deep eyes.

Shen Yuan's Adam's apple bobbed silently, his voice low and deep.

"Zhizhi..."

Why is your face so hot?

Asking questions knowingly!

Li Zhi glared at him, both embarrassed and annoyed.

Shen Yuan's lips curved into a slight smile: "It's so cold... how about..."

He carried a kind of intense, unyielding expectation:
"Shall we go back?"

"boom--!"

Those four words were like sparks splashed into boiling oil.

It was like a key, instantly shattering all the over-conceptions she had just made up.

That's the place he was referring to!
A space just for the two of them!

No further words are needed.

Li Zhi buried his face low, his throat seemingly choked by immense shame, and in the end, only a muffled, almost inaudible nasal sound escaped from his collar.

"Um……"

Shen Yuan's heart pounded deafeningly at the promise.

He tried to suppress his surging joy, wrapped his arms around her, and gently rubbed his chin against the top of Li Zhi's head.

"Then...should I ask Sister Shui to take us back?"

He loosened his embrace slightly, looked down at her still flushed cheeks, and unconsciously stroked her slightly cool knuckles with his fingers.

She bit her lower lip and nodded gently: "Okay."

But then, as if remembering something, the pretty girl quickly added, "Wait a minute..."

Shen Yuan looked at her with a puzzled expression, but she took a deep breath and her gaze involuntarily drifted towards her brightly lit courtyard.

"I...I need to go and tell my parents and grandparents first." Li Zhi's voice was soft, with a hint of pleading, as if she was trying to convince herself to muster her courage.

"Just tell them... just tell them that Sister Shui took us out to play!"

She paused, turned her face away, and muttered softly, "...We can't just slip away like this, can we?"

Although they will all go back, by the time Lao Li gets home, it will be at least late at night.

It's not even 9 o'clock yet...

Shen Yuan gazed at her earnest and adorable expression, his heart melting uncontrollably.

He loosened his grip on her hand: "Okay, I know. I'll take you there first, and then we'll go to my house."

Let Yang take the blame; I'll just buy her a couple more cups of milk tea later.

Li Zhi took a deep breath, as if to muster the courage to step into a small "battle".

Shen Yuan escorted her all the way to the gate of the courtyard before stopping.

“Go ahead, Li Bao,” Shen Yuan’s voice was deep and gentle, “I’ll wait for you here.”

Li Zhi nodded and turned to walk towards his brightly lit courtyard.

Her heart was still pounding in her chest, partly from the anticipation of being alone with Shen Yuan, and partly from the nervousness of facing her family's scrutiny.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, a warm atmosphere, accompanied by the laughter and chatter of family members, greets you.

She stood in the entryway, feeling the gazes cast upon her from the living room.

Her cousins ​​had a mischievous smile in their eyes, and her grandparents were also watching her with smiles.

The heat that had just subsided on Li Zhi's face suddenly flared up again.

She steeled herself and looked directly at Ms. Xu Chan, who was sitting on the sofa, and Mr. Li, who was holding a teacup and seemed to be watching the news on TV.

“...Dad.” Li Zhiqing cleared his throat, trying his best to keep his voice normal.

Upon hearing this, Lao Li put down his teacup and turned his gaze towards him gently.

His gaze was as peaceful as the night sky, yet Li Zhi felt that he had already seen through everything and was simply waiting for her to speak.

“Um… Sister Shui said,” Li Zhi felt her voice was a little unsteady, and she quickly organized her thoughts.

"She took Shen Yuan and me to the city to play. We set off fireworks, and there's nothing else to do here..."

Old Li's gaze lingered for a moment on the tips of her ears, which were red from nervousness.

Li Zhi's heart was practically in her throat.

"Ah."

After a long while, Lao Li finally laughed. His smile was gentle and ordinary, with a sense of understanding and indulgence.

Like a gentle breeze brushing across the water's surface, it didn't pierce the thin layer of window paper.

“Okay,” Old Li put down his teacup, his voice as calm as ever.

He paused, his gentle eyes looking at Li Zhi, and continued in a natural tone, "Then... remember to come home early."

"Oh, I see!"

Li Zhi nodded heavily, his cheeks still burning, but the tension in his heart caused by lying quietly eased because of Lao Li's tolerance.

A warm current surged into my heart, mixed with relief and a touch of deeper shyness.

"Then I'll head out first!"

After saying goodbye to his grandparents, Li Zhi left the house.

The beautiful girl turned around and pushed open the courtyard gate with almost no touching the ground, plunging herself back into the cold night with a soft "bang".

As soon as Li Zhi stepped out the door, he saw Shen Yuan waiting at the door.

When Shen Yuan saw Li Zhi come out, he immediately reached out his hand to her.

The girl naturally placed her hand in Shen Yuan's hand, their fingers intertwined.

"Let's go find Sister Shui."

Shen Yuan easily fooled Shen Yuan's family.

The moment Ms. Zhang Yuyan saw Li Zhi, she immediately pulled out a large red envelope.

Shen Yuan looked at the thickness; it was definitely not the amount meant for an ordinary junior!

It's more like it's for the daughter-in-law!
It was more than what he was given!

Shen Yuan admitted that he was jealous.

Yang Yishui, on the other hand, watched with great interest.

"I feel like even going to the political education office won't help now."

In the car, Yang Yishui looked at Shen Yuan sitting in the passenger seat and couldn't help but tease him.

Shen Yuan rolled his eyes at his older cousin: "Drive carefully."

"Hey! You're making me take the blame and you're yelling at me, huh? Damn it, Shen Yuan, I'm going to explode!"

Yang Yishui said fiercely, "I'll tell Li Zhi's dad later!"

"No, no, no! Sis, I was wrong! I was really wrong! I'll buy milk tea, lots and lots of milk tea!" Shen Yuan immediately backed down.

"Not enough milk tea! Send a red envelope! 200!"

"Okay, okay! 200 it is!"

Shen Yuan sent Yang Yishui a 200 yuan red envelope without hesitation!
Are you kidding me? Does Shen Yuan think he's short of 200 yuan?

With Brother Tongzi around, it's just a matter of two hundred yuan!

Ok……

Wait, has Tongzi disappeared recently?

Well, let's give it a holiday for the New Year.

"It's turned around!"

Shen Yuan readily handed the red envelope to Yang Yishui, his voice carrying a hint of arrogance.

Two hundred yuan is nothing.

Before Yang Yishui's voice could even finish recording the payment, a very soft cough suddenly came from the back row.

"Ahem——"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear inside the carriage.

Shen Yuan subconsciously turned his head to look in the direction of the sound.

In the back seat of the car, Li Zhizheng sat upright, tilting his head slightly to look at the hazy streetlights outside the car window.

Her cheeks seemed to appear even more radiant in the neon lights outside the window, and her delicate jawline was taut with a barely perceptible curve.

Shen Yuan's gaze instantly caught the slender fingers resting on the seat, whose knuckles were unconsciously curling slightly.

The fingertips dipped slightly into the soft seat fabric and then released, revealing a subtle hint of the owner's emotions.

Shen Yuan's heart skipped a beat.

Oh wow?

Is Li Bao...jealous? Or...envious?

Shen Yuan's thoughts instantly became clear.

A knowing smile flickered in the boy's eyes.

Tsk, isn't that easy to handle?
Without saying a word, his fingers flew across the phone screen.

A few seconds later.

A crisp, personalized notification sound rang out from the phone in Li Zhi's hand.

The girl's shoulders stiffened almost imperceptibly, and she subconsciously glanced down at the screen.

On the screen, a WeChat red envelope with a cute little heart emoji and the note "Li Bao's Special Offer" suddenly popped up from [Shabi Seran].

That soft cough, like the most vibrant punctuation mark in the night, was gently erased by the transfer notification that came with its own personalized response.

Li Zhi accepted the red envelope and his eyes widened immediately.

520? !
What the hell are you...

Li Zhi wanted to teach Shen Yuan a lesson on the spot, but considering that Yang Yishui was present, he decided against it.

The pretty girl silently picked up her phone and sent Shen Yuan a red envelope.

Shen Yuan's phone vibrated. He looked down and saw a red envelope message from Li Zhi pop up on the screen.

Shen Yuan's eyebrows twitched, and he almost held his breath as he clicked on the button.

The moment the numbers appeared, Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow!
521.

The return gift for 520 is 521.

It has one more piece than him, and it's a little more intense.

It was more like a silent and solemn response than his coaxing "special supply."

Shen Yuan put down his phone and, without being childish, added a few more yuan to send the red envelope back.

He slowly raised his head and turned to look at the beautiful girl behind him.

Outside the car window, the streetlights flashed by like a flowing galaxy, dappling the carriage.

A series of warm yellow lights suddenly swept across Li Zhi's profile.

The girl maintained her posture of tilting her head to look out the window, but the lines of her jaw conveyed a forced composure.

However, in those fleeting rays of light, Shen Yuan clearly saw that the corners of her slightly pursed lips curved into a tiny arc.

The light and shadow flashed by, hiding the sweetness that betrayed her feelings back into the night.

The weight of "521," along with that fleeting glimpse of cunning, was deeply imprinted on Shen Yuan's heart.

……

The car came to a smooth stop at the entrance of the familiar residential area.

The warm yellow glow of the streetlights enveloped the entrance to the residential area, while the crisp winter night air carried the faint smell of firecrackers drifting from afar.

"We've arrived! Your Excellencies~"

Yang Yishui turned her head to the side, her voice full of teasing, a standard "auntie smile" on her lips.

The older cousin's eyes darted back and forth between Shen Yuan and Li Zhi: "Go down slowly, don't break your year-end bonus."

The cold air outside rushed in through the open car door.

Li Zhi subconsciously shrank his neck and pulled up the collar of his down jacket.

"Thanks, sis! Put the milk tea on your tab!" Shen Yuanli replied readily, unable to suppress the smile on her lips.

Just as Li Zhi was about to get off the car, Yang Yishui followed after him with a smile and a word of advice.

"Hey, Shen Yuan, slow down, it's dark and the road is slippery..." She paused deliberately, her tone full of mischief, "...Safety first!"

The second sentence was clearly pointed, and Li Zhi's cheeks, which had just calmed down, instantly flushed red again.

"Sister Shui!!" The pretty girl scolded him in embarrassment and annoyance, and quickly jumped out of the car.

Seeing this, Shen Yuan got out of the car and turned to Yang Yishui, asking, "What are you going to do later?"

"None of your business! I'm going to find a cute puppy!"

Shen Yuan rolled his eyes at Yang Yishui: "Don't worry about getting bitten by a dog."

Yang Yishui immediately raised two middle fingers: "Get lost!"

Shen Yuan slammed the car door shut with a "bang" in response.

The car immediately restarted, its red taillights drawing a striking line across the street before quickly merging into the distant lights of homes and the festive neon signs, leaving only the faint hum of the engine fading into the cold air.

At the entrance of the residential compound, only Shen Yuan and Li Zhi remained, standing side by side.

The cold night wind ruffled a few strands of hair from Li Zhi's cheek. Shen Yuan turned to look at Li Zhi, and naturally took Li Zhi's slightly cool hand, their fingers intertwined.

"Phew—finally... I'm home."

Li Zhi exhaled a small puff of white breath and turned to look at Shen Yuan: "Yes, we're home."

(End of this chapter)