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

Chapter 276 Li Zhi's Birthday Gift

"Happy birthday!"

As the words fell, a left hand came into view.

A bright red string adorned her well-defined wrist, tracing a precise arc smoothly in front of the camera.

The fingertips of the left hand rested firmly and powerfully on the outer contour of the girl's right hand.

A perfectly closed heart, formed by the arms of two people, is instantly captured in the center of the frame.

Two arms, entwined with red rope, touched intimately together, forming a complete and loving heart shape.

The soft morning light danced on this crimson hue, spreading warmth in the cool morning air, silently conveying an invisible bond and warm blessings.

"Love you."

The last thing left on the screen was the bright red countdown number "45" on the banner, and a heart-shaped hand gesture outlined in the dim morning light.

That silent, flowing sweetness, that unwavering expectation of heading towards the future together, permeated the entire morning scene, lingering for a long time.

Looking at the video in front of him, A-Jie, who was resting at home that night, exploded.

"Beast! Beast!"

The message notification sounds in the class group chat were going off like crazy.

Ah Jie's anger seemed to burn through the data cable even through the screen.

【Jay】: "[Frustrated][Frustrated][Frustrated] @Shen Yuan! Shen Yuan!!! You son of a bitch!!"

[Jay]: "I can't believe I keep seeing you showing off your love while I'm just scrolling through videos!! Damn! Is there no place for me to survive on the internet anymore?"

[Yang Ze]: "Please send me the learning materials before I leave the internet."

[Chen Mingyu]: "Please send me the study materials before I leave the internet."

[Sun Xiansheng]: "Please send me the study materials before I leave the internet."

[Shen Yuan]: "Please send me the study materials before I leave the internet."

After A-Jie's outburst, the class group chat instantly became lively, with various emojis and teasing messages popping up one after another.

Shen Yuan put down his phone.

The screen's faint light went out, leaving only the warm yellow glow of the desk lamp in the room.

The noise seemed to be temporarily shut out.

The boy looked down, his gaze falling on his left wrist.

That vibrant red is quietly wrapped around my wrist.

My fingertips unconsciously traced the texture of the woven silk threads, feeling warm and soft to the touch.

This was tied on by Li Zhi himself.

This very morning, still damp with morning dew and warmed by the girl's body.

The teasing in the group chat was still going on, and A-Jie's accusations were still ringing in his ears, but at this moment, all Shen Yuan could see was a thin red mark on his wrist.

It is like a gentle sunset glow, or a silent burning flame.

As his fingertips caressed the smooth surface of the red rope, a silent smile spread across the boy's eyes, brighter than any symbol in the group chat.

It's a birthday present.

It is also a promise leading to the future.

The lights were dim, illuminating the boy's focused profile and the striking red on his wrist.

With a slight thought, Shen Yuan's fingertips swiped across the silent phone screen. Almost without hesitation, he tapped on that familiar profile picture and pressed the video call request.

A notification sound rang in Li Zhi's room, and after a short wait, the screen lit up.

The image flickered, revealing a blurry figure of a girl. Li Zhi had clearly just emerged from the misty steam.

Under the warm light, her jet-black hair was dripping wet, with a few strands playfully clinging to her smooth neck and moist cheeks.

She was wearing a soft, pale yellow cotton nightgown, loose and comfortable, with a faint pinkish tinge of residual water from her shower visible at the neckline.

She was holding a hairdryer in one hand, and it seemed she had just pressed the switch; the whirring sound of the airflow hadn't even fully started yet.

The phone notification sound clearly interrupted her actions. She turned her head somewhat hastily, her wet eyes showing a hint of confusion from just emerging from the shower and a slight surprise at being disturbed, as she looked at the screen.

The screen clearly showed Shen Yuan's face, also illuminated by the lamplight. He seemed to have just taken a shower, his hair was a little messy, and he had a smile on his lips.

The red string tied to his wrist looked particularly vibrant in the dim light of the phone screen.

Li Zhi paused for a second, then tucked her wet hair behind her ear, revealing her reddened earlobes. Her misty eyes looked at Shen Yuan through the screen.

"Hey," Li Zhi's voice was slightly nasal, a little muffled and soft, as if he had just come out of the bath.

"You idiot... what are you doing so late at night?"

As she asked the question, her gaze unconsciously drifted to the corner of the screen, where she could see Shen Yuan wearing the same red string, echoing her own.

The blush on her cheeks, caused by the steam, seemed to deepen.

Shen Yuan on the other side of the screen did not answer immediately, but just stared at her quietly.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment, with only silent signals being transmitted in the air.

Then, he spoke in a low voice, deeper than usual, carrying the sincerity and longing he couldn't hide when he was alone.

"What not to do?"

"I just miss you."

Simple words brushed against Li Zhi's heart like a feather.

That subtle shyness and the languor after the bath were instantly replaced by another warm current, filling the space little by little.

Her fingers tightened their grip on the phone almost unconsciously.

Shen Yuan looked at her slightly widened eyes and her cheeks that instantly turned a deeper blush, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he added in a low voice, as if confirming his feelings.

"I want to hug you."

The boy on the screen had a burning gaze, and his low, husky voice and the directness of "I want to hug you" made Li Zhi's heart flutter, and a blush spread from her cheeks to her neck.

She could sense the familiar emotion in Shen Yuan's words, and for a moment, the girl's heart raced.

She quickly turned her head slightly to avoid his overly focused gaze, but she couldn't bear to hang up.

Her gaze fell on her own wrist, which was also tied with a red string, and her fingertips caressed the soft silk thread.

My heart felt warm, yet I was also a little flustered by his thoughts.

She cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound calm.

"You idiot... Stop thinking about that!"

Li Zhi puffed out her cheeks slightly, her watery eyes looking intently at the boy on the screen, and lightly tapped him with her fingertip across the screen.

"Hurry up and go read your book! You need to be aware of the situation!"

On the other side of the screen, Shen Yuan watched Li Zhi's charmingly naive appearance, which was trying to appear calm. The satisfied smile on his lips deepened, but it quickly faded.

"Li Bao..." Shen Yuan's voice trailed off, tinged with a wronged accusation, "Today is my birthday!"

He deliberately waved his wrist, adorned with a red string, in front of the camera; the vibrant red seemed particularly innocent at that moment.

"It's my birthday! Can't you... can't you say something nice to comfort me? You're either an idiot or reading a book..."

The boy's handsome features were all furrowed, as if he had suffered a great injustice.

Li Zhi was taken aback by his long string of accusations, and her cheeks turned even redder.

“...idiot,”

She muttered something under her breath, but the disgust in her voice had lessened considerably.

Seeing his genuinely "hurt" expression, the girl finally softened.

She bit her lower lip, her eyes darting around, trying to suppress that familiar shyness, and spoke softly to Shen Yuan on the screen, her voice carrying a hint of awkward coaxing.

"Okay, okay... Alright, I got it."

She paused, seemingly mentally preparing herself, her fingers unconsciously twisting the edge of her pajamas.

“…Shen Yuan,” Li Zhi took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound more natural, his clear eyes carrying a subtle helplessness and indulgence.

"...Happy birthday. Okay?"

"Hmph," Shen Yuan snorted, seemingly dissatisfied, but the triumphant smile in his eyes was almost impossible to hide, and he continued to feign grievance.

"Not sincere enough..."

Li Zhi glared at him, feeling both annoyed and amused by his shameless and overbearing behavior, yet also somewhat helpless against him.

As she looked at the boy on the screen, a thought almost slipped out of her mouth.

"That……"

Li Zhi's voice carried a hint of resignation, yet it softened slightly.

"Mommy, can you hug me?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the air seemed to freeze for half a second.

Li Zhi was completely bewildered.

She never intended to say that!

Looking at his cheeky yet childishly spoiled manner, I had a brain fart... how did that sentence just pop into my head?!
Before the words were even finished, and before Li Zhi could even react to what he had said, Shen Yuan's mind was still blank, but his lips seemed to have been triggered by an instinctive switch.

Subconsciously, a simple and clear syllable slipped out without thinking.

"it is good."

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried a sense of taken-for-granted obedience and a barely concealed eagerness.

The two people in the video looked at each other through the screen.

Li Zhi's cheeks flushed crimson like a sunset. She snapped back to reality, her clear eyes filled with panic and immense shame.

She pointed at the boy on the screen.

"Shen Yuan! You!!"

Shen Yuan on the other side of the screen also recovered from his initial shock, and his brief stunned silence was replaced by a smile that suddenly spread across his lips.

"What did I do wrong? It's not like I haven't called out before."

Shen Yuan wore a smug, mischievous smile, and even deliberately moved closer to the screen, as if afraid that Li Zhi wouldn't be able to see the "what can you do to me" expression on his face.

Looking at his self-righteous act of getting the better deal, Li Zhi felt an itch in his teeth.

She rolled her eyes in annoyance, her clear pupils wide open, the whites of her eyes clearly visible, her disdain almost piercing through the screen and smearing Shen Yuan's face.

"Sand dollar!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a strong sense of annoyance, as if she were saying, "I can't be bothered with you."

After rolling her eyes, the girl seemed to have thought of something. She raised her chin slightly, and her eyes flashed with a hint of scrutiny.

She stretched out her finger and lightly tapped on the screen where Shen Yuan's grinning face was displayed.

"Instead of wasting time being glib," Li Zhi tilted his head slightly, his voice containing a hint of reminder, a touch of teasing, and a deeply hidden expectation.

"You should think about it carefully."

She deliberately dragged out her words, watching as the smile on Shen Yuan's face gradually froze, replaced by a hint of bewildered curiosity, before slowly uttering her own words.

"What should I get you for my birthday?"

Shen Yuan on the screen was slightly taken aback, and then a wicked glint instantly appeared in his deep eyes.

"This..."

With undisguised hints and anticipation, Shen Yuan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his voice became even more ambiguous.

"How about... I offer myself to you? And Teacher Li can personally sign for it?"

After he finished speaking, he deliberately waved his wrist, which was adorned with a red string, in front of the camera.

Looking at the handsome face on the screen that seemed to say "Come and receive your gifts" with a hint of smugness, Li Zhi was both amused and annoyed by his undisguised shamelessness.

Instead of immediately cursing or turning away in embarrassment as usual, the girl's clear eyes shifted slightly, her beautiful eyes curving into an extremely pretty arc, and the corners of her lips also turned up.

That smile, so cunning and lively, was like a little fox, instantly lighting up the entire screen.

Li Zhi nodded slowly, her long eyelashes fluttering, her tone as relaxed as if she were saying, "Okay, it's settled then."

"Sure." Her voice was crisp and decisive, even carrying a touch of innocent cheerfulness.

Shen Yuan's eyes lit up instantly on the other side of the screen, and his smile widened rapidly, his triumphant excitement almost overflowing.

However, before he could even finish expressing his "expectations for what's to come," Li Zhi's next words completely shut him down.

Li Zhi maintained that sweet yet sly smile, her delicate chin slightly raised, as if announcing an incredibly thoughtful arrangement, and added crisply.

"I'll prepare two sets of carefully selected practice questions for you to do intensive practice tests."

Her voice remained clear and melodious, like the tinkling of a spring, but the content was incredibly vicious.

Li Zhi's smile remained unchanged as he continued to describe the "surprise" slowly and deliberately, word by word.

"I guarantee you'll make the most of this 'gift' I'm giving you, from head to toe, from morning till night, without sleep!"

As she spoke, her slender fingers gestured in front of the camera as if she were flipping through a book and doing exercises, her eyes sparkling with a bright yet mischievous light.

"How is it, Shen Yuan?" Li Zhi blinked her shimmering eyes, her smile as sweet as poison coated in honey.

"Isn't my gift plan thoughtful?"

"6."

Immediately, Shen Yuan leaned back sharply, as if trying to get as far away as possible from the terrifyingly sweet-smiling figure on the phone screen.

He subconsciously raised his hand to block in front of him, making a slightly exaggerated "defensive" gesture.

His handsome features were filled with lingering shock as he blurted out to Li Zhi, "I'm scared!"

His voice carried a genuine wail, and a helpless smile spread across his lips.

"Teacher Li, I surrender!"

In the video footage, Li Zhi's eyes, which were originally as cunning as a fox, now seemed to be filled with shattered starlight.

Seeing Shen Yuan's exaggerated "surrender" gesture, she could no longer contain her smugness.

Her delicate nose twitched slightly, and she gently bit the inside of her lower lip with her pearly teeth, trying to suppress her smile. But the corners of her eyes revealed a mischievous glint and a hint of triumph.

"Humph~"

A soft hum, carrying the air of a victor, escaped her lips, light and gentle, like a cat's paw lightly scratching at one's heart.

Her chin was slightly raised, revealing her gracefully shaped neck, and her fair skin shimmered with a pearly glow under the light.

His expression was just like that of a little fox who had just played with its favorite toy and was now beaming with pride, waiting to be praised.

Then, as if she suddenly remembered something important, she quickly raised her slender index finger and pointed it in front of the camera, so close that you could even see her pink fingertip.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with undeniable seriousness, and her little face conveyed the solemnity of "Here comes the important part."

"Hey! Shen Yuan~" She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, making it sound like a blatant reminder, but the smugness on her lips became even more obvious.

"Now! Right now! Immediately! Stop your nonsense and stop rambling on!"

The girl widened her eyes slightly, trying to put on a serious expression, but her sparkling pupils and slightly upturned lips betrayed her joyful and expectant mood.

"Prepare carefully and attentively!"

She spoke each word clearly and distinctly, her voice as crisp as the clinking of glass, emphasizing the importance of each syllable. Her fingers even tapped on the screen, as if she were poking Shen Yuan's forehead through the screen.

"—My birthday present!"

The mischievous smile in Li Zhi's eyes sparkled like starlight.

Her smug little thoughts seemed to have been fully satisfied. She gently withdrew her index finger, which had been pointing at the screen, and playfully touched her lower lip with the tip of her finger, as if savoring the sweetness of this victory.

After a moment, she seemed to remember something, her eyes sparkling.

"But..."

The girl's voice became soft and gentle, with a hint of meaningful ambiguity.

If, I mean if—"

Li Zhi's gaze fell on the red string on Shen Yuan's wrist that was connected to her own, and her tone contained a subtle, conditional exchange that only the two of them could understand.

"If your gift is satisfactory enough."

Her clear eyes peered through the screen into Shen Yuan's gaze, which had changed in response to her words, and a slightly arrogant smile curved her lips.

"Maybe, because you behaved well that day..."

The girl's voice was even softer, with a casual tone as if she were talking about tomorrow's weather, yet it accurately conveyed the core information.

"I can... consider it when the time comes..."

The words were left unsaid, leaving much to the imagination.

She quickly looked away, her fingertips unconsciously twirling the ends of her wet hair, as if the words she had just uttered were merely casual remarks.

But the slightly trembling eyelashes and the faint blush that spread across her cheeks revealed that the girl's state of mind was not as calm and serene as it appeared.

On the other end of the screen, the look of utter despair and hopelessness on Shen Yuan's face quickly faded away like a receding tide.

When he heard Li Zhi's incredibly tempting words, "I'll consider it," the lifelessness in his eyes was instantly ignited, shining with an astonishing light!

"Li Bao!"

Shen Yuan's voice carried an undeniable certainty, each word distinct and clear, striking Li Zhi's eardrums:

"--I promise!"

"I'll make you happy!"

Every word seemed to be imbued with magic, carrying the fearlessness and fervor of a young man who dared to pluck the stars and the moon to offer to her, as if it were not only a promise, but also an absolute declaration of the grand "surprise" that was about to arrive.

Even through the screen, his gaze seemed to transcend the distance, locking onto Li Zhi's misty eyes.

His voice carried a lazy yet confident tone, with a light, rising lilt at the end.

"Our birthdays are just around the same time, don't you think I'd wait until you ask before scrambling to plan ahead?"

He tilted his head slightly, his eyes gleaming with confidence.

Immediately, Shen Yuan's gaze seemed to be drawn to something, and he slightly shifted his gaze away from the screen, his smile deepening, carrying a hint of barely perceptible doting and pride.

He seemed to remember something, glancing down at the table as if a cozy little secret was hidden there.

"Don't worry." The boy lowered his voice, as if sharing a treasure about to be revealed, his voice filled with mystery and a confident ease.

"This time, it's definitely a path you'd never expect."

Looking at Shen Yuan's confident smile on the screen and listening to his deliberately mysterious promises, Li Zhi felt a slight burning sensation in her ears.

His confident demeanor was reflected in her clear eyes, and that familiar embarrassment quietly melted away, mixed with an irrepressible anticipation.

"Humph~"

A soft, coquettish hum rang out, and the girl raised her chin slightly with a demure air.

"Idiot...playing tricks."

She took a soft breath, her voice deliberately slowed, carrying a hint of feigned disdain and an undisguised curiosity.

"Well then—I'll wait and see."

The moment the words left his mouth, his fingertips moved with lightning speed, striking the bright red hang-up button in the center of the screen.

"beep--"

A short, abrupt sound indicating the end of a video call played on the phone.

The screen went dark instantly, and Shen Yuan's smiling image was swallowed by the black screen.

The room was filled only with the warm yellow glow of the desk lamp and the deep darkness of the night outside the window; it was so quiet that you could hear your own heart pounding in the air.

……

In the following time, Shen Yuan began preparing Li Zhi's gift.

The gift Shen Yuan prepared was the same as Li Zhi's—simple, yet not exactly simple.

Because the two partners Shen Yuan chose were not very cooperative.

"Hey! Nao Nao, don't move!"

Shen Yuan reacted quickly, grabbing the transparent inkpad and preventing it from being ruined by his good daughter.

But the small noise woke up Sangeng, who was licking his fur on the scratching post on the other side.

The white head raised warily, its eyes looking at Shen Yuan sitting at the table.

Shen Yuangang had just positioned the main card and was about to adjust the angle of the Nao Nao paw print card.

"Meow?"

When Daddy touched its paw with his finger, Nao Nao instinctively tried to move its little paw pads away.

"Don't move, don't be naughty, lift your paws a little, and Daddy will put the paper down..."

Before she could finish speaking, the kitten had already knocked over the inkpad with a "smack".

Before Shen Yuan could pick it up, a head popped up.

Shen Yuan was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Okay, okay...you go first."

Shen Yuan scooped up Sangeng and pressed the kitten onto his lap.

Just as he rearranged the rubbing tools, Sangeng suddenly turned around and escaped from Shen Yuan's grasp.

Shen Yuan's hand, frozen in mid-air, and Nao Nao's curious head, both froze in this unexpected situation.

Meanwhile, the proud Third Watch had already gracefully landed on the windowsill, leaving only a cold backside and a proudly twitching tail tip for the man and the cat.

It's as if it's silently declaring: Humble humans, don't touch the cat's claws.

The boy sighed deeply, with utter helplessness, but a bitter smile crept onto his lips.

Well, it seems that the cooperation between these two "special members" is a bit more "unique" than I imagined.

"Wait, if I can't handle this by myself, I can always find someone else."

Soon, Ms. Zhang Yuyan arrived at Shen Yuan's room.

Upon hearing her son's request, Zhang Yuyan immediately perked up.

"Come here, Mom will get your things ready for you, you hold on."

"Meow?"

"Meow-"

The small, unexpected setbacks along the way of preparing the surprise only made the anticipation feel more real.

This carefully planned gift, with the cat's "guest appearance," is undergoing a winding and complicated process of taking shape.

Looking at the two paw print rubbings, each with a different shape, placed side by side, Shen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes filled with even greater satisfaction.

"Alright, now for the most important thing..."

He picked up another inkpad and placed it on the paper. Almost without hesitation, the boy pressed his thumb down.

Clear fingerprints were immediately imprinted on the paper.

Shen Yuan deliberately made his thumbprint slightly crooked.

In this way, when Li Zhi's thumb lands in the reserved spot next to him, it will naturally fit together—

The two thumbprints will perfectly meet to form a full and lovely heart shape.

Imagining the moment when the two people's fingerprints are pieced together to form a heart, a sweet feeling quietly flows in my heart.

The boy smiled silently, and the little expectation he had reserved for Li Zhi became the sweetest and most secret lingering feeling in this quiet night.

(End of this chapter)