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

Chapter 284 Stand Together
Time slipped into the early morning of the following day.

The elevator in the apartment building was humming softly.

"Ding."

The elevator doors opened, and Shen Yuan stood in the hallway with one hand in his pocket, exuding the fresh scent of early morning. He was holding his schoolbag strap in his other hand, clearly waiting for Li Zhi to go to school together.

Upon hearing the elevator, Li Zhi, who had just stepped out of her home, paused for a moment before walking over as if it were a natural occurrence.

"Good morning." Shen Yuan's voice was slightly hoarse, as if he had just woken up.

"Good morning," Li Zhi replied softly, habitually looking down to fiddle with the red string on her wrist.

The elevator descended smoothly, and the only sound in the small space was the operation.

Shen Yuan's gaze naturally fell on the girl beside him.

The morning light filtered through the gaps in the carriage, gently illuminating her lowered brows, her delicate eyelashes, and...

Ok?
Shen Yuan's gaze suddenly froze for a moment.

Li Zhi's cheeks seemed to look healthier than usual, not with the blush of embarrassment from yesterday, but with an even, natural, soft glow.

Upon closer inspection, the extremely subtle differences were visible on the already clear and fair skin.

Her lips weren't a pale pink devoid of color; they seemed to have an added touch of translucency and softness, close to her natural healthy lip color.

Shen Yuan's eyebrows twitched very slightly, but he didn't immediately point it out.

Until the elevator "dinged" and arrived at the first floor.

In the slightly cool morning air at the entrance of the building, Shen Yuan naturally slowed his pace and walked alongside her, speaking with a casual smile: "Hey, Teacher Li."

"Hmm?" Li Zhi turned her head to look at him, the morning light falling evenly on her face.

Shen Yuan's gaze swept carefully over her face, and the smile in his eyes deepened, carrying a hint of amusement and understanding.

"You slept especially well last night?"

Li Zhi subconsciously touched his face: "...I'm alright. What's up?"

The girl's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible tension, and her eyes flickered slightly.

“Oh,” Shen Yuan drawled, a smile curving her lips into a shape that made her heart race, “It’s nothing, I just feel…”

He paused, leaned slightly towards her, and lowered his voice, as if he had discovered some incredible little secret.

"...Li Bao looks especially beautiful today? Hmm, she seems...particularly radiant?"

The word "sparkling" made Li Zhi's heart skip a beat!
Her cheeks flushed instantly, starting from her ears and spreading to the cheeks that Shen Yuan had just been "observing closely."

The carefully crafted even sheen was instantly replaced by a genuine blush.

"Shen Yuan!"

Li Zhixiu growled angrily, like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, quickly turning her head to avoid his gaze, and unconsciously quickening her pace.

"What nonsense are you spouting! If you're out of your mind, go wash your face!"

She hurried forward, trying to escape his all-knowing gaze, while inwardly screaming in frustration: How could he! So! Quickly! figure it out!
I only applied a tiny bit of sunscreen!
And... that new tinted lip balm I bought...

The color looks so natural...

As Shen Yuan watched her increasingly flustered and embarrassed back, and her earlobes that were exceptionally red and translucent in the morning light, a dull tremor ran through his chest.

As Li Zhi walked ahead, he couldn't help but think of what had happened that morning.

My mom made me get up early, using the excuse that "graduation photos should look beautiful" to coax me into letting her do my makeup.

Xu Chan's makeup skills are quite good; if she weren't familiar with Li Zhi, she might not be able to tell at a glance.

But Shen Yuan was different; he was too familiar with him.

……

The morning sunlight, carrying the warmth unique to early summer, slanted through the windows of Class 15 and shone on the neatly arranged desks.

The classroom was filled with a fresh scent unlike any other, a mixture of floral water and a subtle powdery fragrance.

The fatigue from the final sprint to the college entrance exam seemed to be somewhat alleviated by the sense of ritual of taking photos, and an irrepressible sense of anticipation and excitement filled the air.

"Oh my! Peipei!" He Zhiyu was the first to exclaim, her clear voice cutting through the air.

As if she had discovered a new continent, she moved closer to Zhuo Peipei, who had just put down her schoolbag, and looked her up and down with blinking eyes.

"You...did you draw your eyebrows? Tsk tsk tsk, you look much more energetic!"

Zhuo Peipei's face flushed instantly. She subconsciously raised her hand to cover her face, then playfully pushed He Zhiyu away, saying, "Get lost! What nonsense are you talking about! I just washed my face this morning!"

"Wash your face clean?" He Zhiyu didn't believe her at all, and pointed at her eyes with a grin, "Then why are your eyelashes so distinct and curled? Don't tell me they were set by the dew! Does morning dew affect makeup?"

Several girls gathered around and laughed good-naturedly.

Laughter is contagious.

A short-haired girl who wasn't usually very talkative nudged her deskmate and whispered, "Hey, look at Li Zhi... why does her skin look so radiant? What kind of nice stuff is she using?"

Li Zhi, who originally wanted to hide behind a pile of books and pretend to be focused on reading notes, did not expect that the "battle" would suddenly spread to him.

She looked up and met He Zhiyu's bright eyes, which were studying her intently.

"Li Bao!" He Zhiyu moved even closer with a mischievous smile, almost touching Li Zhi's face, his gaze lingering on her delicate features.

"Hehe, don't play dumb! There's a tiny, really natural line at the corner of your eye! Tell me! Did you secretly wear eyeliner?"

She extended her index finger, as if to touch the corner of Li Zhi's eye.

Li Zhi suddenly shrank back, his clear eyes widened, and his cheeks flushed red.

"Nonsense! I didn't! It's He Zhiyu, your glasses are reflecting light!"

"Reflection? Reflection can create such a beautiful arc?" He Zhiyu shook his head exaggeratedly, with an expression that said, "I saw through you a long time ago," and looked at the short-haired girl who had just spoken and Zhuo Peipei, who was watching the show with a smile, as if trying to form an alliance.

"Don't you think so? Li Zhi's eyes are especially watery today!"

Zhuo Peipei immediately nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, Zhizhi, with your looks, wearing makeup today is a bit much!"

Li Zhi's cheeks burned from their teasing, and she could only glare fiercely at He Zhiyu: "He! Zhi! Yu! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear up your exam paper!"

She reached out as if to cover He Zhiyu's mouth.

"Oh dear, you got caught!" He Zhiyu nimbly dodged, laughing heartily.

"You still care about the exam papers, so you haven't gone crazy over taking graduation photos! But... Zhizhi, you look so good, who are you taking them for?"

That hit the nail on the head.

Li Zhi was speechless for a moment.

"Ouch!"

No wonder she looks so radiant today!

"you!!"

Li Zhixiu was so angry she wanted to crawl into a hole. Just as she was about to retaliate, she was interrupted by the sharp-eyed Zhuo Peipei.

"Wait!" Zhuo Peipei suddenly pointed at He Zhiyu's lips.

"Zhiyu! Stop laughing at Zhizhi! Did you secretly put on some lipstick color too?"

Her eyes gleamed, as if she had found an even bigger weakness.

He Zhiyu's smile froze on her face instantly, and she hurriedly tried to deny it: "I...I didn't! You're mistaken! That was breakfast I ate this morning..."

"puff--"

The girls around them laughed even harder, and the air was filled with the unique atmosphere of gossip and banter among young girls.

One by one, the "little secrets" of who applied a little too much foundation, who drew their eyebrows but forgot to trim stray hairs, and who secretly used lipstick and was caught were revealed, accompanied by more jokes and playful banter.

Just then, the preparatory bell rang, but the crisp sound of the bell did not seem to immediately quell the noisy atmosphere in the classroom, which was filled with the scent of perfume.

The girls frantically rummaged through drawers for books to use for their morning reading, pointing at each other's lingering hints of mischief on their faces, their eyes crinkling with laughter. The warm sunlight bathed their young faces and spilled onto the pages of the books, ready for a new day of study.

This day began with a hearty laugh filled with shyness and anticipation, recording this clumsy attempt at "beauty" in our youthful years.

The bell for the end of the long break had just rung, and the classroom was briefly lifting up from the piles of test papers, brewing a moment of noise and relaxation.

Senior high school students have already canceled morning exercises, so they should make the most of every minute to study.

The students on duty had just finished wiping the blackboard clean, and the dust was still dancing in the morning light when a few girls in the front row huddled together, discussing going downstairs to buy some snacks to fill their stomachs.

Just then, that familiar figure appeared at the door right on time.

Old Zhou pushed up his glasses and his gaze swept across the entire classroom like a searchlight. His low but penetrating voice instantly silenced all the newly emerging chatter and movements.

"Stop dawdling! Hurry up!"

He paused for a second, then reiterated the most crucial requirement as if he had emphasized it countless times.

"Put your school uniform on!"

"Line up! Time to take graduation photos on the playground!"

"Om-!"

The classroom, which had just fallen silent, was instantly ignited again!
The atmosphere, which had been somewhat relaxed and weary, was completely shattered by the instruction to "take graduation photos."

The screeching sounds of desks and chairs scraping against the ground filled the air, and almost every student was filled with excitement.

"Damn it! Let's go!" A boy in the back row shouted, sounding a bit like he was being urged to finish his homework.

"Tsk, Lao Zhou's timing is damn precise!" came a low grumble from the other end, sounding quite used to it.

"Hurry up, Mr. Zhou! Rong Jie, fix your hair again—"

While complaining, Zhou Shaojie quickly combed his hair a few times with his ten fingers, and the resentment on his face from being forced to stop rest was replaced by the novelty of taking a picture.

But before he could finish his narcissistic speech, Chen Mingyu and Yang Ze, who were nearby, grabbed his arms on either side with a grin.

"Hey Jay, that's enough! If you keep going like that, all you'll be seeing is your bald forehead!"

"Hahahaha!"

There was a roar of laughter all around.

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan's lips curled up slightly. He deftly zipped up his school uniform jacket and habitually turned his gaze to Li Zhi.

The girl was looking down and tugging at the slightly wrinkled hem of her school uniform when, as if noticing his gaze, she suddenly looked up.

The moment their eyes met, Shen Yuan naturally reached out his hand to her.

His palms were outstretched, his knuckles clearly defined, displaying the clean and crisp demeanor unique to a young man.

The morning light fell into his smiling eyes, like a handful of crushed gold.

"Let's go to the playground."

His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through Ah Jie's howling protests as he was being carried away and the surrounding noise.

Without hesitation, Li Zhi placed her hand into his palm.

"Hurry up, hurry up, what's the rush!"

Shen Yuan didn't say anything more. He just led the cat, which always seemed to get angry, and strode towards the door against the pushing and laughing crowd.

"Quiet! Hurry up and put on your school uniform and line up! What are you dawdling for?"

Old Zhou, standing by the podium, adjusted his glasses. His powerful voice carried a strong sense of pressure, like a splash of cold water, finally cooling down the overly noisy classroom a little.

"Hurry up, hurry up, line up, line up!"

The class leaders started shouting to maintain order.

The entrance instantly became crowded. Chen Mingyu and Yang Ze, who had just been laughing and joking about carrying A-Jie away, were pushed and shoved forward by the people surging up from behind.

"Ouch! Why are you pushing?"

"Ah Jie, walk by yourself! Stop lingering!"

The tall and burly Chen Mingyu had to let go of one arm, and A-Jie immediately began to dramatically fix his hair.

"Brother Jie, my hairstyle can't be messed up! Don't you guys understand the importance of ritual?!"

The air in the classroom was filled with a mixture of tension, excitement, and the fresh scent of the morning, along with the smell of ink from books.

The girls were still walking and quickly checking each other's school uniform collars to make sure they were turned up properly. Some of them secretly touched the corners of their mouths with their fingers or pursed their lips.

He Zhiyu, arm in arm with Zhuo Peipei, still had a lingering smile on her face, and was whispering as she reminisced about the "makeup drama" that had just happened.

Shen Yuan held Li Zhi's hand and slowly moved to the door with the flow of people.

Li Zhi felt the warmth of Shen Yuan's hand enveloping her, and subconsciously touched her slightly flushed cheek with her other hand.

Old Zhou had already walked to the front of the corridor, moving slowly yet with an invisible driving force.

He walked along, glancing back every now and then, watching over his flock like a shepherd.

The long queue stretched forward like a flowing stream along the familiar corridor of the teaching building.

Outside the teaching building, the early summer morning breeze, carrying the scent of fresh grass, caressed my face.

The tree-lined path leading to the playground is flanked by camphor trees that have just sprouted new leaves, which gleam with a tender green luster in the morning light.

Guided by Mr. Zhou's steady figure, the Class 15 students walked towards the playground at varying paces.

The group finally stopped in front of an open space where several rows of tiered metal frames for taking graduation photos had already been set up.

Old Zhou turned around, facing the students he had taught for three years or one or two years, and cleared his throat.

"Alright, everyone's here. Now, line up by height! Taller people in the back, shorter people in the front. Boys and girls are the same, so hurry up and find your seats!"

He habitually pushed up his glasses, his gaze sweeping over the still somewhat restless students, and emphasized, "Hurry up, be more efficient!"

The crowd immediately began to stir, with everyone looking at each other and pulling on the classmates next to them to compare their heights.

Ah Jie stood out prominently in the boys' group with his head held high, while Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu continued to shove and push him around with smiles.

Before Shen Yuan and Li Zhi were ready to step onto the shelf, they heard a shout from the crowd.

"Hey—Shen Yuan! Li Zhi! You two stop dawdling! Stand together now!"

It's Zhou Shaojie!

He was winking at the two of them.

That shout was like lighting a fuse.

He Zhiyu immediately responded: "That's right! Stand together!"

"Yeah, Zhizhi, you're so tall anyway, you can just stand next to me!"

Chen Mingyu, Yang Ze, and several other mischievous boys also joined in the commotion.

"Oh—! Shen Yuanli, stand together!"

"Stop queuing, stop queuing, just lock in the best middle seat!"

"That's right! Hurry up and go up there to make room for everyone!"

Laughter erupted, and the focus of the entire Class 15 instantly turned to the two of them.

The air was filled with good-natured teasing and the jeering atmosphere unique to teenagers.

Old Zhou stood to the side with his arms crossed, his face expressionless, as if he hadn't heard the obvious jeers. His gaze behind his glasses was calm and unwavering.

However, the slight upturn of his lips betrayed a subtle hint of tacit approval.

He adjusted his glasses and urged again, his voice calm and even: "Alright, alright, hurry up and find a place to stand! Wherever you stand doesn't matter, just get moving!"

(End of this chapter)