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

Chapter 271 What's in Your Head

Wednesday arrived quietly.

A silent anxiety filled the classroom.

Chalk dust swirled in the sunlight as the physics teacher tapped on the whiteboard to explain the test questions.

It's been four days since the mock exam, and there hasn't been a single word about the results.

However, judging from the overall atmosphere, it feels like it will happen within the next day or two.

After all, Lao Zhou has already started to hint at it intentionally or unintentionally, but it's unclear when he will be able to release it.

afternoon.

As He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei walked out of the cafeteria, they saw Shen Yuan leading Li Zhi towards the convenience store.

He Zhiyu's eyes lit up, and she immediately nudged Zhuo Peipei beside her with her elbow, whispering with certainty, "That guy Shen Yuan must have taken Zhizhi to buy ice cream!"

Zhuo Peipei followed He Zhiyu's gaze and watched the two figures walking side by side toward the convenience store.

The president turned around, a slight smile on his face, and asked, "What about us? Would you like one too?"

He Zhiyu shook her head hastily, rubbing her arms exaggeratedly: "No, no! Although it's springtime, it's still chilly! Eating that would be too cold!"

After saying that, she added with a hint of envy in her voice, "Zhizhi is really amazing. She can eat ice cream without batting an eye even when it's freezing cold in the dead of winter... Just thinking about it is so cool! Her constitution is just too good!"

In front of the refrigerated display case in the convenience store, wisps of cold air emanated.

Shen Yuan's gaze searched among the ice creams wrapped in frosted paper for the one that Li Zhi usually preferred.

Li Zhi stood beside him, her sleeve brushing against his arm, her eyes fixed on the freezer.

Shen Yuan suddenly turned his head, a sly smile playing on his lips, and whispered to Li Zhidao, "Hey, Li Bao, it's so cold outside, shouldn't we try to be a little cute and warm things up?"

Li Zhi immediately turned her head and gave Shen Yuan a big eye roll without any mercy. Her clear eyes were full of disdain, and she snorted out two words: "Idiot!"

But then her voice softened, her ears turned slightly red, and she mumbled almost inaudibly, "...Brother."

Shen Yuan's smile deepened; his goal had been achieved.

He reached into the freezer and took out her favorite vanilla ice cream, the cool packaging slightly frosted.

After paying the bill, Shen Yuan deftly opened the packaging and handed the spoon and ice cream to Li Zhi.

The girl took a small bite of the slightly melted tip and squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

Sunlight streamed through the window of the convenience store, outlining the silhouettes of a boy and a girl standing side by side.

After a brief, sweet moment, Shen Yuan gently nudged Li Zhi's shoulder: "Let's go, Teacher Li, it's time to go back to the classroom."

Li Zhi hummed in agreement, taking small bites of the cool, soft ice cream as she naturally followed Shen Yuan's footsteps.

Melted ice cream stains stained the corners of her lips, glistening slightly.

Shen Yuan noticed this and couldn't help but whisper a reminder: "Eat slowly, you idiot, you already have food in your mouth."

Li Zhi subconsciously stuck out the tip of her tongue to lick away the sweetness, glared at him, but her clear eyes held a hint of amusement: "Mind your own business, you idiot..."

Shen Yuan stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on her freshly moistened lips, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily.

Without warning, he leaned in, his body suddenly close to Li Zhi's, his warm breath brushing against Li Zhi's earlobe, his voice low and hoarse, filled with undisguised teasing and anticipation.

"Teacher Li, if I really get this score—"

The boy deliberately dragged out the last syllable, each word like a tiny hook, landing precisely on her eardrums, carrying a scorching heat: "How...how do you plan to help me?"

The girl paused, her fingers tightening slightly as she gripped the ice cream scoop.

Shen Yuan's question reached her ears, instantly reminding her of the scenes from winter vacation, and her own words, "I'll help you one more time," which were filled with endless imagination.

The girl's cheeks flushed bright red instantly, and the burning sensation spread all the way to her ears and neck.

She dared not look directly into Shen Yuan's eyes, which were filled with expectation and determination. She turned her face away in a panic, her delicate chin almost buried in her collar.

“…idiot!” The pretty girl was both anxious and embarrassed.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, but in the end she could only mumble something vaguely, as if that would suppress the burning ambiguity.

"We'll talk about it after you pass the exam!"

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi strolled towards the classroom, one after the other. The afternoon sun, carrying the warmth of early spring, lazily spilled onto the corridor of the teaching building.

Shen Yuan was still savoring what he had just said, a smile playing on his lips, his gaze sweeping over Li Zhiwei's slightly red ear tips.

The moment I pushed open the door to classroom 315, an unusual silence enveloped me.

Unlike the usual noisy breaks between classes, the entire classroom seemed to have been muted; you could hear a pin drop.

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi stopped in their tracks almost simultaneously.

This unusual silence was like an invisible ice film, instantly enveloping the remaining warmth between the two.

Almost all eyes were focused on the area below the blackboard at the back of the classroom—where various notices and class rules used to be posted, but now a brand new white sheet of paper was prominently displayed.

A dense crowd thronged around the back of the classroom, forming an impenetrable wall that encircled the blank sheet of paper at its core.

Only through the gaps between the throngs of people could one occasionally glimpse the densely packed black lead-printed characters and striking table lines.

"Fuck..."

"hiss……"

"What about mine?"

"Damn... my math..."

Scattered, suppressed gasps, gasps of surprise, tense inquiries, and incredulous mutterings exploded like tiny, hot sparks on the icy membrane of silence.

It was this subtle sound that prevented the entire space from freezing into a completely silent stillness, instead accumulating a tremendous pressure like the calm before a storm.

Shen Yuan subconsciously tightened his fingers, his heart skipping a beat.

He could even feel Li Zhi's aura tighten instantly beside him.

The mock exam results are finally out.

It remained there, silently and heavily, in the center of everyone's field of vision.

"Yuan! Lao Yuan!"

A loud sound came from the back of the classroom, piercing the heavy and oppressive atmosphere.

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi looked in the direction of the sound and saw an arm waving frantically toward Shen Yuan, reaching over the messy pile of books and papers.

Zhou Shaojie waved happily to Shen Yuan: "I took a picture! Come and see!"

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi exchanged a glance, then walked around the crowd in front of them and quickly headed to their seats in the back row.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! This is Lao Yuan! Young Master Li!"

Ah Jie's voice was extremely low, but it trembled slightly due to excessive excitement. As he spoke, he rapidly tapped his phone screen, his movements so fast it seemed like sparks were about to fly.

"You've received your report cards. Take a look at them yourselves!"

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi had just settled down at their desks when Zhou Shaojie's finger suddenly slammed into the screen, accompanied by a crisp "whoosh" sound—

"Ding!"

"Ding!"

Their phones beeped with new message notifications almost simultaneously.

The slight vibration was clearly transmitted through the fabric, like an invisible drumstick striking the heartstrings of the two people who were instinctively raised because of the unknown results.

Li Zhi's slender fingers suddenly gripped Shen Yuan's strong forearm.

She could feel the slight sweat seeping from her palms and the sudden tension in Shen Yuan's arm muscles.

Before they could even take out their phones to check, Ah Jie blurted out his complaints.

He extended a trembling finger and accused Shen Yuan.

"You're fucking inhuman! How the hell did your grades improve? Every test you take gets better! I'm so envious!"

"I'm going to report you! I'm going to report you for cheating on your life!!"

Ah Jie's spittle seemed about to spray out.

As soon as A-Jie finished speaking, Li Zhi's fingers, which were gripping Shen Yuan's arm, tightened suddenly, and his knuckles turned slightly white from the force.

She suddenly turned her head, her clear eyes widening as if illuminated by a bright light.

As for Shen Yuan himself, his mind seemed to go blank for a moment amidst A-Jie's frantic accusations.

He subconsciously turned his head to look at Li Zhi's shocked face in his arms, then met A-Jie's face, which was twisted with excitement and extreme displeasure...

The next second, a burst of ecstatic joy before the explosion of immense surprise ignited, like a spark that ignited instantly, suddenly shone in the depths of his eyes!

The flames were so intense, they looked straight at Li Zhi, who was also under a massive information overload in his arms.

No words were needed to urge him, and there was no room for hesitation. Almost at the same moment Ah Jie's voice fell—

Shen Yuan's hands moved with lightning speed!

The boy completely ignored the gazes still focused on him in the classroom and A-Jie's cursing, and his right hand reached into his pocket without hesitation!
Fingertips touched the cool metal frame!

With a sudden flick of his wrist, he firmly grasped the phone in his palm!

The screen lit up instantly with a fingerprint, the blinding white light suddenly illuminating the relatively dim classroom in the afternoon, reflecting his angular jawline and tightly pursed lips.

Without the slightest hesitation or tremor, Shen Yuan's fingers, with an almost brutal urgency, abruptly tapped the "chat box" icon!
Ah Jie's flamboyant profile picture was instantly pushed to the top, with a preview of the photo that had just been sent right below!

He didn't open the larger image, nor did he swipe the screen to find his name.

That's not fast enough!

The boy's thumb, burning hot, pressed heavily and firmly onto the image on the screen!

At this moment, all he needs is one answer!
An answer that could completely confirm A-Jie's roar, and instantly ignite the burning expectation in his chest and the trembling in Li Zhi's eyes!

The image unfolds with a bang under your fingertips, filling the entire narrow screen!
A white background, filled with densely packed names, classes, and numbers!
The finger is pressing on the area in the upper right corner of the table!
Sweat seemed to only belatedly seep from where the palms touched the screen, creating a slippery feel.

Shen Yuan couldn't even wait to see if every pixel of the image was clearly loaded.

His eyes, filled with urgency, were fixed like a hawk's on the slightly magnified numbers representing scores and rankings beneath his fingertips!

Whether that burning flame of expectation in our hearts can spread like wildfire, the answer lies in this very moment!

Shen Yuan scored 125 in Chinese, 127 in Mathematics, 147 in English, and 274 in Science, for a total of 673.

That crucial number "673" was like a spark ignited in an instant, striking his pupils with unmistakable clarity!
"hiss……"

Almost reflexively, a long gasp escaped from between the boy's teeth.

Li Zhi, who had been gripping his arm tightly, noticed the moment his body suddenly relaxed.

The oppressive tension seemed to be aroused by his breath, and she couldn't help but let out a very short, soft gasp.

She immediately realized what was happening. Instead of loosening her grip on his fingers, she tightened them even more, until her knuckles turned slightly white.

The girl leaned eagerly toward Shen Yuan, her delicate chin almost resting on his arm, her entire upper body squeezing into the gap between his arm and chest, her gaze fixed intently on his phone screen.

The boy's warm breath, mixed with the afternoon's warmth, enveloped her completely.

The light from the phone screen danced in her beautiful eyes.

That crucial number—a total score of 673!

She can see clearly!
A feeling of relief washed over her like warm spring water, instantly soothing her entire body and causing her tightly pursed lips to curve upwards into an extremely captivating arc.

The blush of nervousness on the girl's fair cheeks had not yet completely faded, but it was replaced by a more proud radiance.

Amidst this pride and relief, a clear sentence struck Li Zhi's mind like lightning, striking without warning.

"If your mock exam score stays above 665 and doesn't drop! If you can really do that... hmph... I, I'll... help you one more time."

That was the promise she whispered to him in the classroom, her face flushed with annoyance as she tugged at his ear!
In an instant, the proud glow on the girl's face was replaced by a blush ten times more intense!

Her fair cheeks were as if the most vibrant rouge had been splashed on them instantly, spreading from her ears all the way down her slender neck, turning a deep red that seemed to be about to bleed.

Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, the intense sound almost drowning out the humming in the classroom. She could even feel the rush of blood through her eardrums, the surrounding voices, the rustling of exam papers turning...

Everything was filtered out and blurred at this moment.

The number 673 was still there, but it seemed to have instantly turned into a blurry spot of light, and its specific outline could no longer be seen.

Countless images uncontrollably exploded in her mind, including countless more specific and even more shameful associations!

He Zhiyu was about to show Li Zhi her grades when her gaze fell on Li Zhi's face, and her gossipy nature was instantly ignited.

It's perfectly normal for Li Zhi to be happy for her boyfriend, Shen Yuan, who got a high score.

But this reaction is a bit too... intense, isn't it?
This doesn't seem like simple happiness!

Her face was so red it could fry an egg!

Moreover, she felt like she wanted to shrink into Shen Yuan's arms... What was this sudden shyness all about?

The young author's radar was spinning rapidly: something's wrong, something's really wrong! A simple push for grades shouldn't be like this...

There must be something else going on!
He Zhiyu's mind raced, and a bold guess that made her heart race instantly took shape.

Could it be that these two made some incredible bet regarding their scores in this mock exam?

Shen Yuan has achieved a certain target, and now Zhizhi has to fulfill a certain... extremely embarrassing promise?
That's why she got so embarrassed instantly!

"Whoa!"

He Zhiyu screamed silently in her heart, her gossip spirit burning fiercely, almost to the point of covering her mouth and screaming.

Her big eyes widened even more instantly, like two lit light bulbs, fixed on that rosy cheeks and almost frozen figure.

Something's up! Something's definitely up!! Ahhh, Li Bao's condition...it's so suspicious, so revealing!
She absolutely had to find out what had happened!
But in the next second, He Zhiyu clearly realized that this idea would not yield any answers.

Her face instantly fell, and the burning gossip in her eyes seemed to be extinguished by a bucket of ice water poured over her head, leaving only a dim, ashes-like residue.

"Sigh..." He Zhiyu let out a long, extremely dejected sigh, his shoulders slumping completely.

The young author's once bright and sparkling eyes were now lifelessly fixed on her phone.

Oh well, I won't get to eat candy again.

This is always the case for these two; whether their relationship progresses rapidly or they confess their feelings, it's always done secretly.

The only time I ever saw candy in person was during that official announcement.

He Zhiyu lay slumped on the table, his mind filled with only one endlessly repeating thought.

I really want to know... I really want to know what they promised each other... Waaah...

As for Li Zhi... she is in an even worse state now.

Shen Yuan was still immersed in the joy brought by "673" and the secret expectation that was about to be fulfilled, his gaze turning intently to Li Zhi, whose cheeks were as red as ripe apples.

The girl's burning heat seeped through her thin school uniform onto his arm, and he asked with a mischievous smile:

"Li Bao? What score did you get?"

His tone was tinged with smugness and mockery, clearly indicating his extreme satisfaction with his score and a desire to see Li Zhi's usual arrogant and proud academic prodigy reaction.

Li Zhi didn't dare to look at him at all. The phrase "I'll help you one more time" kept echoing in her mind, making her so ashamed and angry that she just wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it.

Upon hearing his question, she abruptly released her grip on his arm, jerking away as if electrocuted, and practically spat out two words of shame and anger through clenched teeth: "Idiot!"

After saying that, she hurriedly returned to her seat.

She grabbed the notebook of wrong answers from the table and flipped it open forcefully, as if she wanted to bury herself completely in the pages. She buried herself low, gripping the pen tightly, with only her bright red ear tips showing. Her back view seemed to say, "Don't bother me" and "I didn't hear anything."

Shen Yuan was stunned for a moment, and was both amused and exasperated by her overreaction. Wasn't this girl's reaction a bit too much?
But it doesn't matter, he had expected her to do this.

With a mischievous grin and a shrug, Shen Yuan's gaze naturally fell on the electronic report card on his phone screen, which he had just opened but hadn't had time to look at carefully yet.

His slender fingers slid rapidly across the screen, passing over the densely packed names, and precisely located the name at the very top—Li Zhi.

Then--

"What the hell?!"

Shen Yuan subconsciously gasped, his voice not loud, but filled with disbelief.

The row of numbers on the screen, so clear they were almost blinding, was:

Li Zhi: Chinese 136, Mathematics 143, English 142, Science 284, Total 705.

Shen Yuan remembered that Li Zhi's estimated score was 700 points, right?

Good grief, you're being modest, huh?
He was a little stunned by the incredible 705. After a moment of disorientation, Shen Yuan put away his phone and plopped down in the seat next to Li Zhi.

The chair made a slight creaking sound as it rubbed against the floor.

He turned to the side, his gaze fixed intently on the figure beside him who seemed to be focused on solving problems, but whose ears were still flushed.

The boy tilted his head slightly, rested his arm on the table, and supported his chin with his fingers, making no attempt to hide the light in his eyes that was a mixture of shock, admiration, and novelty.

He first carefully examined Li Zhi's delicate profile, which was flushed, and then his gaze seemed to penetrate, carrying a hint of naivety, as well as genuine confusion and incomprehension.

He stared at the girl's forehead, which was covered by her bangs, as if he could really see that its structure was unique.

"Hello, Teacher Li..."

Shen Yuan deliberately kept his voice low and soft, with a slightly hoarse, amused tone at the end.

He leaned forward slightly and asked the question that had been lingering in his mind with utmost seriousness and curiosity.

The boy paused, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as if he were carefully choosing his words.

He finally asked, word by word, with a hint of bewilderment at the upheaval in his understanding of the physical world.

"What... is your brain made of?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the head that had been buried in the notebook of wrong questions, pretending to be an ostrich, suddenly lifted up!
The blush of embarrassment and annoyance on the girl's face had not completely faded, but it had now turned into a defiant "counterattack" expression.

Her beautiful eyes widened, sparkling with anger at being teased, and she glared at Shen Yuan.

"Idiot!" Li Zhi habitually threw out this affectionate opening line.

"how about you?"

"Shen Yuan, what's wrong with your head—"

Li Zhi's voice rose slightly, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"How did your score jump from over 500 to 673 in just one semester?!"

This precise counterattack was like throwing a boulder into a calm lake!
boom!
Ah Jie, sitting next to him, instantly jumped up from his seat as if he had heard a battle horn! The lingering pain from Shen Yuan's high score hadn't subsided, and Li Zhi's question perfectly expressed his innermost feelings!

"That's right! That's right!!"

Ah Jie slapped the table and echoed.

"You beast! Lao Yuan! Confess now! Is your brain modified with alien technology?! How much did you pay for that upgrade cheat?!"

"You improved by almost a hundred points in one semester! Is that even humanly possible?! Huh?! If it were four or five hundred, that would be one thing, but you went from five hundred and seventy to six hundred and seventy?!"

Yang Ze nodded, his eyes filled with a deep sense of sarcasm, and added with pinpoint accuracy: "Agreed. Shen Yuan, confess, did you secretly cheat?"

In an instant, Shen Yuan's relaxed demeanor as he teased his academically gifted girlfriend vanished.

He became the center of the firepower that the entire clique was unleashing.

The boy's smile froze, and then, under Li Zhi's uncompromising gaze and A-Jie's overly excited accusations, he revealed a somewhat embarrassed and awkward smile.

"Ahem..." Shen Yuan cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to ease the embarrassment of being the target of everyone's attention, his eyes darting around at his companions who were staring at him.

"Well... actually, I just studied a bit harder... I did a lot of practice problems..."

His voice trailed off, his tone revealing obvious guilt.

As soon as the words fell——

"Whoa~~~~~!" A long, drawn-out jeer led by A-Jie immediately erupted in the back of the classroom, filled with undisguised contempt.

Yang Ze pushed up his glasses expressionlessly.

"Hehe, this 'little bit' is really a 'tiny bit'."

He Zhiyu joined in the scorn, puffing out her cheeks and muttering under her breath, "What a joke! Who would believe that!"

Although Zhuo Peipei and Chen Mingyu did not speak out in agreement, the expressions on their faces that clearly said "only a fool would believe that" perfectly conveyed their silent contempt.

"Humph"

Li Zhi glared at him mercilessly, but her cheeks flushed even more as she recalled the promise of certain "rewards," and the tips of her ears were almost transparently red in her hair.

This snort was less a sign of disdain for his explanation and more a way of masking the restless turmoil within him.

Shen Yuan looked at the questioning gazes of everyone, especially Li Zhi's bright, inquiring eyes that were filled with embarrassment and anger.

His smirk suddenly vanished, replaced by a look of helplessness.

He suddenly raised his hand and slammed it on the desk with a "smack," leaning forward slightly as his gaze swept over A-Jie, Yang Ze, and Chen Mingyu before finally landing heavily on Li Zhi, who was blushing beside him.

"if not?"

Shen Yuan's voice suddenly rose, carrying a sense of resignation, his eyes filled with a mocking yet earnest light.

The boy spread his hands out, as if to show his empty head.

"Then tell me, how did my score jump from over 500 to 670 in one semester?"

His gaze finally locked onto Li Zhiqing's clear eyes, his finger unconsciously pointing to his temple, his voice clear.

"Could it be because there's a Li Zhi inside my head?!"

These words were like pouring hot oil on freshly extinguished ashes!
"Whoa—!!!"

"Fuck!!!"

"My God!!!"

The entire back row area was instantly ignited! Not only A-Jie, Yang Ze, and others, but even other classmates who were listening to the gossip nearby couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Ah Jie was the first to jump up, pointing at Shen Yuan with a contorted face.

"Listen to this! Listen to this! Huh?! Is this even human speech? Damn it, getting good grades is enough to show off! And now you're spouting cheesy pickup lines! Double whammy, huh?!"

"Death to the Lord!!!"

A-Jie had completely lost his mind. He howled as he lunged at Shen Yuan, "Brothers! It's time to rise up in the name of justice and uphold righteousness! Lift him up! Aruba—!!!"

"Do it!"

Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu worked in perfect unison. With a glance, they struck out from the left and right with lightning speed, blocking Shen Yuan's arms before he could retreat!
"Holy crap! Wait! Brother Jie! Ze! Ai Muyu! Calm down! Calm down!!"

Shen Yuan's smugness and wicked smile instantly turned into terror. He tried to break free, but he couldn't hold off the three of them.

"Put me down! Damn it! You bunch of idiots! Taking revenge! Ouch—!" The protest was quickly drowned out by the screech of desks and the laughter of everyone.

Li Zhi watched as Shen Yuan was shoved toward the back door of the classroom, his face flushed red, partly from embarrassment and partly from being both amused and exasperated by the scene.

She covered her face, wanting to stop them but knowing she couldn't stop this group of "righteously indignant" guys. In the end, she could only watch her boyfriend's embarrassing figure through her fingers, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but secretly turn up slightly.

"Three, two, one! Smash him—!"

Ah Jie's voice was filled with a sense of cathartic relief, and with the command, Shen Yuan let out a muffled scream.

"Hahaha! Serves you right for showing off! Serves you right for flaunting your love!"

A-Jie and the onlookers erupted in cheers of victory, and the classroom was filled with chaotic laughter and shouts.

Li Zhi finally lowered his hand from his face, looked at Shen Yuan who was groaning and clutching his crotch after being released, and spat softly: "...Idiot! Serves you right!"

But the next second, Li Zhi remembered the agreement he had made earlier.

The girl quickly turned around, her cheeks flushed.

(End of this chapter)