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

Chapter 259 She's getting worse and worse.
Old Zhou looked at the students below the podium and nodded in satisfaction.

He paused deliberately for a few seconds, then his voice pierced the quiet air again, emphasizing each word: "Also, just to let you know."

His steady gaze swept over each focused face.

"The date for the first mock exam has been set for the end of this month. Everyone should take it seriously."

The simple words fell like a stone thrown into ice; the sound of pages turning in the classroom suddenly stopped, and even A-Jie's slightly contorted movements froze in place.

There are 117 days left until the college entrance examination.

The bright red countdown numbers on the blackboard seemed to take on a more concrete and somber shape at that moment.

Old Zhou said no more; those two words, "identical," were enough to resonate in everyone's hearts.

February already has a few fewer days off.

All things considered, there are only three weeks left until the first mock exam.

"First mock exam."

Looking at everyone in the audience, Lao Zhou slowed down his speech and emphasized the weight of each word.

"It's more than just an exam. It's your first real, full-scale simulation before you head to the college entrance exam battlefield."

His finger pointed heavily at the countdown clock.

"117 days, time waits for no one. The mock exam is your first major review!"

"It will accurately expose your knowledge gaps and skill deficiencies, like a mirror that reveals hidden problems, making vague issues clear."

"Those theorems you thought you mastered but forgot in the exam, those points lost due to poor time management, those silly mistakes made because of nervousness..."

Old Zhou's speech quickened again, carrying an undeniable force.

"The results of the first mock exam are the key coordinate map for you to adjust your strategy and correct your course in the next hundred days or so! It tells you where the high ground is, where the low ground is, where you need to attack hard, and where you can hold your ground!"

His gaze swept over Li Zhi, Shen Yuan, and every other classmate.

"Don't get cocky if you do well on the test! It's just a mock exam. Don't panic if you do poorly! The problems it exposes are precisely the valuable points for future scoring!"

Old Zhou's gaze finally settled on the three seemingly burning numbers on the countdown clock.

"The final battle will begin in 117 days. The first mock exam is the call to arms! Get into your best form and, starting now, enter the final fight!"

"Do you understand?"

"Understood!"

The scattered responses were quickly overwhelmed by more resolute voices, coalescing into a heavy sense of determination in the classroom.

Under pressure, a more focused flame was ignited.

Old Zhou sensed the heavy atmosphere spreading in the classroom, as if his words of encouragement were still hanging in the air. He paused deliberately for a moment, his gaze sweeping over every tense face once more.

His tone shifted to a plain and calm one, as if parting a thin layer of mist.

"Alright, that concludes the pep talk for the mock exam. Everyone, perk up, get into the right mindset, and classes will start normally at 10 o'clock."

He glanced at the wall clock, and the students breathed a sigh of relief, quickly tidying up their textbooks and pencil cases on their desks, their movements light yet rhythmic, reflecting a renewed focus.

The heavy atmosphere in the classroom quietly dissipated, as if we had returned to the usual classroom routine.

After Lao Zhou left, Shen Yuan slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

The tense atmosphere in the classroom immediately eased, and the rustling of turning pages and conversations resumed, but the invisible pressure from the mobilization still lingered in the air.

The boarding students started grumbling as they carried their belongings to their dorm rooms.

"Is there anyone who can help me?!"

"Let's go! I haven't gotten to my dorm yet!"

Hearing the clattering sounds from the classroom, Shen Yuan subconsciously turned his head, his gaze passing through the gaps in the stack of books and landing on Li Zhi beside him.

Just then, Li Zhi also looked up at him.

An impulse surged into my heart.

Shen Yuan leaned forward slightly, getting closer, his voice not loud, but carrying an unprecedented clarity and certainty that penetrated the surrounding sound of turning pages.

"I will definitely catch up with you in these 117 days!"

The declaration was resounding and carried an undeniable sense of challenge, like a heavy stone thrown into a lake, making Li Zhi's heart leap.

The girl rolled her eyes at Shen Yuan, whose eyes were filled with determination.

“Sand coin Shen Yuan”.

Without thinking, Li Zhi raised his hand almost simultaneously, his fingertips applying a light but firm pressure as if venting his anger, and precisely pinched Shen Yuan's ear, which was inches away from his!

"What are you daydreaming about so early in the morning! You think you're something special just because you passed the 665 exam once?"

She widened her beautiful eyes, her fair cheeks flushing slightly from his approach and his overly confident declaration, but her words were anything but gentle.

She pinched his earlobe and twisted it slightly, as if punishing his arrogance.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!!"

Shen Yuan's head turned slightly under Li Zhi's hand.

Li Zhi snorted softly as he watched Shen Yuan's silly antics.

The next moment, the beautiful girl quickly leaned close to Shen Yuan's ear and added a sentence. Her voice was not loud, but every word clearly hit Shen Yuan's eardrums as they vibrated.

"If you're so capable, make sure your mock exam score stays above 665 and doesn't drop! If you really can... hmph... I, I'll... help you one more time."

The last few words seemed to be stuck in his throat, and the sound suddenly lowered and became blurred, leaving only a lingering, suggestive ending.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Li Zhi realized they were inappropriate, and her fair cheeks instantly turned bright red.

She released her grip on Shen Yuan's ear as if she'd been electrocuted, and abruptly turned around.

The girl grabbed the brand-new science mock exam paper from the table and spread it out forcefully. Her head was lowered, and her slender fingers gripped the pen tightly, as if she was about to poke a hole in it at any moment.

"Leave me alone! Time to practice my problems, Seran..."

Shen Yuan remained frozen in place, still in the position of being thrown away.

The words "I'll help you one more time" that just lightly landed in my ears felt like sparks splashing into an oil drum!
The boy only felt a slight tingling sensation where his earlobe had been pinched, but his heart exploded with a "boom" after hearing those five words!
Blood rushed to his brain, and the scene of Li Zhi helping him during the winter break seemed to replay before his eyes.

Whether it's the beautiful girl's fingers holding the pen at this moment, or...

Shen Yuan's gaze shifted downwards again, landing on Li Zhi's feet hidden in snow boots.

He could even hear the roar of his own blood rushing through the silent classroom, amplified infinitely.

"hiss--"

Shen Yuan gasped sharply and sat up straight instantly.

He tensed his jaw and quickly raised his hand to rub his burning earlobes, trying to suppress the raging fire that Li Zhi had personally stirred up.

He turned his head to look at Li Zhi, who was completely engrossed in the science exam paper.

That brat... she's getting better and better at it!

Shen Yuan silently screamed in his heart, grinding his teeth, but he couldn't suppress the wildfire of excitement and... damned anticipation.

I'll give you a kiss if you do well on the final exam, and now this... this is even more...

use……

Shen Yuan's throat tightened and he didn't even dare to fully visualize the scene in his mind. The mere suggestion of "helping you once" made him instantly lose his composure.

Using this as a catalyst for learning?

This is blatant cheating!
This is hardly a problem that cannot be resisted.
This is basically... forcing him to study like crazy!
He stared intently at the math exam paper in front of him, trying to concentrate on the pile of symbols, but what lingered in his mind was Li Zhi's promise, spoken with a hint of shyness yet clear in her voice, and her eyes during the winter break...

"Hold……"

Shen Yuan squeezed out a single word almost inaudibly through his teeth, a bittersweet grit of teeth.

How can this be considered not daydreaming?
This was Li Zhi personally turning his daydream into a honey that drove him crazy, so sweet it made him dizzy and so hot it burned him, leaving him with no choice but to aim for a score of 665 or higher!

He suddenly grabbed his pen and took a deep breath of the cold, stale air in the classroom.

Shen Yuan quickly focused his attention on the exam paper in front of him, trying to drown out the deafening heartbeat in his chest and that... gritted-teeth happiness with the sound of his pen scratching the paper.

At this moment, Zhou Shaojie, who was recovering from the "dark, twisted crawling" state, happened to catch a glimpse of Shen Yuan's unusual focus.

Shen Yuan sat upright, his brows furrowed, his gaze fixed intently on the brand-new math exam paper. His pen moved swiftly, radiating an aura of "Don't bother me while I study."

Ah Jie instantly forgot the bitterness in his heart, his eyes widened, and his face was full of disbelief.

Damn it?

Did Yuan'er take the wrong medicine today?

You're already this strong right after coming back from vacation?
Then A-Jie's gaze fell on Li-Zhi, who was standing to the side.

Li Zhi is catching up on homework too?!

He rubbed his eyes hard to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

Then, a huge question suddenly popped into his mind, almost making him blurt it out.

Holy crap?! These two guys didn't even touch a single word of their winter break homework?!
What the hell is this operation?!

A-Jie opened his mouth, and a shocking guess appeared in his mind—they wouldn't be spending the entire winter break being all lovey-dovey, would they?

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and his curiosity instantly overwhelmed all other emotions.

He glanced around, sneakily moved closer to Shen Yuan, and subtly nudged Shen Yuan's lower back with his elbow, asking in a low, teasing voice.

"Hey! Yuan'er! You and Young Master Li..." A-Jie slyly gestured towards Li Zhi's direction.

"You two didn't really...you really spent the whole winter break just hanging out like that, without doing a single word of homework?"

Upon hearing A-Jie's voice, Shen Yuan flicked his wrist and yanked the math exam paper in front of him off the table with a "whoosh".

The test paper landed precisely on the winter break physics paper spread out in front of A-Jie with a "smack".

"Look!"

Shen Yuan's voice was low, carrying a hint of anger from being "encouraged," as he tapped his knuckles on the fresh ink.

"Is this—winter break homework?" The tone was calm, yet carried a crushing sense of authority that struck straight to the soul.

Ah Jie lowered his head.

Okay, no.

In an instant, the fire of gossip was extinguished by a bucket of ice water.

Looking at the math problem in front of him, and then at Shen Yuan's "die if you stand in my way" gaze, A-Jie's curiosity was shattered.

He shrank back, moved his neck slightly, and muttered an admission of defeat: "...Fine, fine, you're the top student, you get to decide. Sorry to bother you!"

Ah Jie quickly turned around, afraid that Shen Yuan would catch him doing practice problems.

But it was clearly too late.

"and many more!"

Shen Yuan grabbed A-Jie's shoulder.

Ah Jie's body, which had just turned around, suddenly stopped.

Before he could even complain, Shen Yuan's face suddenly loomed large in front of him! A-Jie immediately shrank back, trembling.

Shen Yuan's deep gaze was fixed on A-Jie's slightly guilty eyes, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

"Brother Jie, I have a question for you..." His voice was deliberately slow, carrying a subtle sense of pressure, yet it sounded like casual conversation between friends, only the content went straight to the point.

"...How's your book, 'Silent Reading,' coming along?"

Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked meaningfully, "Zhuo Peipei, what 'special' reaction did she have to your 'profound' literary works?"

Ah Jie's face instantly turned a deep liver color.

He glanced quickly to the side, noticing that President Zhuo Peipei was enthusiastically discussing a sweet story with He Zhiyu.

"Cough! Brother Yuan!"

Ah Jie swallowed hard, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace. His eyes darted around, but he dared not look at Shen Yuan again, much less glance in that direction.

His voice, barely audible, was squeezed from his throat, tinged with obvious panic.

"He's...he's still writing! Please...please don't...don't ask here! Brother! Dear brother! Have mercy!"

Shen Yuan looked at A-Jie's quail-like posture, feeling both amused and annoyed, and straightened him up a bit.

His gaze inadvertently swept over Zhuo Peipei, who was enthusiastically discussing some details of a sweet romance novel with He Zhiyu.

A thought flashed through his mind, and Shen Yuan simply raised his chin in that direction.

"Hey, Zhuo Peipei." The boy released his grip on A-Jie's hand, his voice not loud, but clear enough to travel through the corridor.

The former president, who was gesturing out a plot idea, stopped talking when he heard the voice and turned to look at them together with He Zhiyu.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Shen Yuan?" Zhuo Peipei pushed up her glasses, her expression calm.

Shen Yuan's gaze fell on her, carrying a hint of verification and scrutiny, and he asked directly, "Um... you've stepped down from the position of president of the 'Kanjali Association,' right?"

Zhuo Peipei paused for a moment, seemingly surprised that he would specifically ask this question.

She nodded readily: "What's wrong? Are you urging me to update?"

Shen Yuan shook his head: "Don't rush her, her writing isn't as sweet as Li Baotian's!"

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Peipei spat at Shen Yuan and pushed up her glasses frame with her fingertips.

"Oh? You talk like you've actually tasted it?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhuo Peipei suddenly seemed to be stung by her own words, and her eyes, which had been sparkling with gossip and teasing, suddenly froze.

The smile on her lips froze instantly, and her fingertips unconsciously gripped the corner of the table.

The air seemed to be sucked out for a moment.

Zhuo Peipei's pupils contracted sharply in shock, and her gaze behind her glasses shone like a searchlight on Shen Yuan's face.

After saying "You talk as if you've actually tasted it" out of his mouth, Shen Yuan didn't feel embarrassed at all!

She opened her mouth, and a gasp of surprise almost burst out of her throat.

"Ouch—! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!!"

A heart-wrenching gasp ripped through the silence!

Li Zhi swiftly reached out, her slender white fingers precisely clamping down on Shen Yuan's slightly red earlobe, and twisting it fiercely!
"Idiot! Have you finished your practice questions and you're just chatting here?!" The anger and embarrassment in Li Zhi's eyes almost set Shen Yuan ablaze.

"Sit up straight! Pick up your pen!"

She forcefully pulled upwards with her fingertips, forcing Shen Yuan to straighten his spine and grimace, crushing his previous smugness.

"Wrong! Wrong! Li Bao, let go! I'll do my practice problems! Right now!"

Zhuo Peipei's scream was abruptly choked back.

She watched as Shen Yuan rubbed his bright red ears and picked up his pen, making a rustling sound as he scribbled on the math test paper.

Then look at Li Zhi's tense little face.

Zhuo Peipei turned to look at He Zhiyu.

"By the way, what were you going to say just now?"

The young author blinked: "Oh, Shen Yuan just kissed Li Zhi's cheek in front of me, and Li Zhi asked him to kiss her."

The young chairman's throat tightened.

Yaoshou!
Why didn't I see that scene just now?
Meanwhile, Shen Yuan was rethinking the problem in front of him when a familiar voice rang in his mind again.

"Ding!"

After you and Li Zhi confirmed your relationship, your parents started asking you about your plans for the future.

"You two are not young anymore. Your parents think it's time for you to start thinking about marriage."

You involuntarily glance at the woman beside you. Ms. Li Zhi looks at you and jokingly asks when you plan to propose and how much dowry you'll prepare.

You took her hand and told her it wouldn't be too late. But at the same time, you also thought of a possible scenario.

The stable but predictable salary at a public institution, while considerable, meant that the savings he had accumulated over the years in his small county town were probably less than half a year's salary for Li Zhi.

What should you do next?

[1. Choose a side hustle to earn extra income. Reward: 5 yuan in start-up capital for your side hustle.]

[2. Living off a woman; stability is everything. Reward: 2000 yuan per month.]

Shen Yuan frowned as he looked at the system panel in front of him.

Goodness, Brother Tongzi has been holding back all winter break, and now he's done something big!
A side hustle? 50,000 yuan in start-up capital?
Or... is he living off a woman? Two thousand a month?
Shen Yuan opened his mouth, making a meaningless hissing sound from his throat.

He was still feeling the surge of excitement brought on by Li Zhi's words, "I'll help you one more time."

All he could think about was how to work hard in the "117 days" and "get a score of 665 or higher on the mock exam" in order to catch up with the girl next to him.

As a result, this nonsensical system completely undermined him!
Marriage? Dowry?
How does the salary of a public sector employee compare to Li Zhi's income?

How did we jump to the ultimate choice between marriage and a means of making a living?
These two options are still... so absurd?

Fifty thousand yuan in start-up capital is a lot.

But now that I've started a side business, the time... is almost up until the mock exam and the college entrance exam!

Can he spare the energy?
As for living off a woman... two thousand a month?
Shen Yuan subconsciously raised his hand and rubbed the base of his ear, which still seemed to retain the warmth of Li Zhi's fingertips.

Just thinking about the phrase "living off a woman"...

Don't tell me! Don't tell me!
At two thousand a month, you can catch up with the startup capital in two years.

Moreover, it's stable, and can even be considered as receiving retirement benefits early.

Shen Yuan is not 35 years old now!

He's only 18!
How long can he receive 2000 a month?
A dizzying sense of absurdity mixed with reality instantly gripped him, leaving Shen Yuan staring blankly at the blank answer area in front of him, momentarily completely bewildered.

However, the dizziness lasted for less than three seconds.

Shen Yuan's gaze was fixed on the glaring "2000 yuan per month" option, and an even stronger surge of emotion suddenly exploded from his chest.

It's not a desire for money, but rather being provoked by this blatant "retirement" option!

"Damn it!" Shen Yuan spat into the void at the option.

"Retirement?! I'm only eighteen! Thinking about that?"

The image of Old Zhou pointing to the countdown clock and shouting "Charge!" flashed through his mind instantly.

His passion hadn't cooled, and his ambition was about to ignite, but the system's sudden dose of cold water about a comfortable life decades later only fueled his rage.

"Fifty thousand! I want this one!" Without the slightest hesitation, Shen Yuan resolutely chose the first option.

To hell with a comfortable retirement, he needs ammunition!

It is the first cornerstone for launching your own ideas and pursuing the future!
He's only eighteen. He has the energy and ambition to fight and create, instead of lying down and relying on someone to support him—even if that person is Li Zhi!
What nonsense about living off a woman for retirement? To hell with that!

[Selection Confirmation: 1. Choose a side hustle to generate additional income. Reward: 5 yuan in start-up capital for your side hustle.]

The system notification sounded in my mind.

Fifty thousand yuan, an absolute fortune for Shen Yuan at this moment, quietly slipped into his pocket.

Shen Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing the momentary disorientation brought on by this unexpected windfall.

Anyway, the system didn't specify what side hustle this money should be used for.

Actually, after the system reminded him, Shen Yuan did have an idea about side hustles.

He doesn't have the brains for writing novels.

Instead, they filmed videos.

It's not that video where he bends his index finger in front of the camera.

With the college entrance exam just around the corner, I can take some photos of myself and Li Zhi during these countdown days.

Themes raced through my mind: Li Zhi's profile as he buried himself in his work, the bright red countdown on the blackboard, the heavy pressure in the classroom, and the subtle interactions between couples...

If you post this, wouldn't it look pretty real?

Shen Yuan became more and more engrossed in his thoughts, his pen hovering over the math paper, the handwriting on a derivative problem blurring into an abstract doodle.

He didn't even notice that the sound of pages turning next to him had stopped.

Just then, a familiar, sweet scent suddenly wafted over.

Li Zhi suddenly leaned forward and flicked his forehead with her slender white fingertips. The force was not great, but it was very effective.

The beautiful girl looked at him coldly, her warm breath carrying a frustrated anger, and precisely pierced his eardrum.

"Shen Yuan!" The girl's voice was low, like a frost-covered blade.

"You can't even solve this basic question? I bet you got lucky with your 665! Is your brain made of mush?"

Shen Yuan snapped back to reality, his thoughts drifting into the idea of ​​a short video abruptly pulled back by Li Zhi's voice.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and the spot on his earlobe where her breath had brushed against burned. He wanted to argue, "I'm just brainstorming a big side business plan," but when he looked up and met Li Zhi's wide-eyed stare, all his excuses got stuck in his throat.

"No, it's not burnt..." He instinctively tensed his back and grabbed his pen. "It's...it's just one last step, isn't it?"

Li Zhi sneered, poking his head with her fingertip: "Just one step away? I stared at you for a full two minutes! Are you using a mock exam as a draft? Are you daydreaming about the college entrance exam?"

She leaned closer, her voice tinged with sadness: "Are you starting to dislike me? Are you getting bored with my reward? Sigh—men..."

Looking at her deliberately pitiful expression, Shen Yuan helplessly reached out and patted her head.

“瞎想啥呢？”

As he spoke, Shen Yuan leaned close to Li Zhi's ear and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Actually, I was thinking about what happened yesterday."

A thin blush quietly spread across Li Zhi's cheeks.

She turned her face away and gave a muffled hum: "Thran!"

The beautiful girl buried herself back in the mock exam, but the feigned sorrow she had shown earlier had vanished without a trace.

Shen Yuan smiled at Li Zhi, took a deep breath, and focused his attention on himself.

Put aside any side hustles for now; the core goal remains the same—to score above 665 in the mock exam!

(End of this chapter)