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

Chapter 285 Graduation Photo

Old Zhou's words seemed to veil the boiling, clamoring heatwave.

Although it wasn't explicitly stated, the subtle tacit approval implied in "it doesn't matter where you stand" provided Shen Yuan and Li Zhi with the best excuse to act.

Li Zhi's cheeks flushed a thin layer of red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

She instinctively wanted to retort, her mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out.

The girl glanced at Shen Yuan beside her, her eyes shining with an astonishing light.

Shen Yuan wore his usual lazy smile, but there was a clear glint in his deep eyes.

The boy reached out and grasped the girl's wrist.

He ignored the surrounding noise, his gaze sweeping calmly over the familiar faces, filled with composure and pride.

The warmth of my fingertips seeped through my school uniform to my slightly cool wrist, carrying an irresistible force yet being incredibly gentle.

Without the slightest hesitation, he led her straight to the tall metal staircase.

The surrounding crowd seemed to be like the sea receding, automatically making way for them.

Shen Yuan walked steadily, her broad shoulders slightly turned to the side, blocking any possible crowding or bumps in front of her, like a silent barrier protecting her.

Li Zhi was drawn to him, and the blush on her cheeks deepened.

Her gaze followed the two footsteps as they stepped onto the cold metal pedal.

The stairs made a soft creak underfoot, one step after another, gradually fading away from the hustle and bustle of the ground and drawing closer to the clear early summer sky.

Shen Yuan maintained just the right amount of guidance throughout.

As she needed to lift her foot to climb the slightly higher step, the hand holding her wrist slid down imperceptibly, firmly gripping her palm and giving her an upward push.

Shen Yuan led her upstairs, carefully holding her in his arms.

The last step was easily climbed, and the morning breeze suddenly became a bit crisper, blowing the hair on my forehead.

Shen Yuan paused slightly, leading her to the top step of the stairs.

The sunlight poured down without any obstruction, enveloping their figures standing side by side.

Shen Yuan's shadow was stretched long by the sunlight, completely enveloping Li Zhi beside him, carrying an invisible protection.

The noisy laughter of the students on the steps below seemed to come from a distance, becoming muffled as it reached my ears.

He naturally took a small half-step forward, his broad shoulders almost embedding Li Zhi in front of him.

The girl lowered her head slightly, her hair almost touching his chin.

The early summer breeze carried a hint of warmth, ruffling the fine downy hair on her forehead and wiping away the thin layer of sweat that had risen at her temples from climbing the stairs.

The boy lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on Li Zhi's pretty face.

The "freshness" he had exposed in the morning was now fully revealed under the bright sunlight, adding to its captivating vibrancy.

Noticing his overly focused gaze, Li Zhi tilted her head slightly in embarrassment, revealing her bright red ear tips.

Her fingers unconsciously began to entwine around Shen Yuan's fingertips.

The girl's gaze swept over the shadows of the sycamore branches beside the playground, then fell back onto the cold metal steps beneath her feet.

Shen Yuan's lips silently curved upwards into a smile.

He moved very slightly, his elbow close to Li Zhi's side, the fabric of his school uniform almost imperceptibly brushing against the outside of her arm, bringing a slight warm touch to her skin.

This tiny movement went unnoticed by anyone below, but it caused the girl beside him to momentarily lose her rhythm in her heartbeat.

The two stood quietly at the highest point, basking in the sunlight and breeze.

Amidst the noisy background below, He Zhiyu, A-Jie, and the others were still laughing and jostling for seats, with occasional glances of blessing or envy peeking upwards.

The boy was tall and upright, the girl was slender and beautiful, and they stood very close together.

This creates a silent yet frozen moment of youth, waiting for the camera shutter to capture this scene eternally.

The image is captured in the moment before the shutter freezes.

The line below was basically set up, and amidst the bustling crowd, Zhou Shaojie, sporting his specially styled black hair, stood on tiptoe and craned his neck.

The boy's gaze swept past the crowd and precisely landed on his homeroom teacher, Mr. Zhou, who was standing at the edge of the field, calmly observing everything.

A-Jie grinned broadly, raised his arm high, and waved it vigorously in Lao Zhou's direction. His hoarse, excited voice echoed through the slightly warm air of the playground in early summer.

"Old Zhou—! Old Zhou—! Don't just stand there! Come and sit down!"

The shout had a youthful quality that drew laughter from the other students nearby and drew everyone's attention to the composed figure.

Old Zhou's gaze, behind his glasses, swept over precisely, meeting A-Jie's face, which was filled with eager expression.

His face still wore that helpless expression that was neither a smile nor a frown, and the corners of his mouth habitually turned down, as if he were scolding this kind of "shout-shout" and lack of manners.

Under the watchful eyes of dozens of people, Lao Zhou strolled unhurriedly to the front of the row of metal tiered seats, the one reserved for the homeroom teacher.

He ignored the students' barely suppressed murmurs and giggles, simply adjusted his glasses, and sat down upright on the small stool in the center of the front row.

"Quiet! Don't look around!"

Even after he sat down, he didn't forget to maintain order in a calm voice.

At this moment, the teachers, with relaxed expressions different from those on the podium, walked over in twos and threes.

As familiar faces appeared, enthusiastic greetings rang out from the students in the queue.

"Hello teacher!"

"Teacher Wang, over here!"

The atmosphere became more lively and relaxed.

The teachers smiled and waved in response, then found their seats and took their places in turn.

When English teacher Yang Yishui and Chinese teacher Zhou Ruolan appeared at the entrance, the atmosphere in the queue seemed to instantly ignite into a small climax.

"Sister Shui!!" He Zhiyu was the first to excitedly call out in a low voice.

"Sister Lan! Sister Lan!"

Several girls in the front row also cheered with joy.

My older cousin, with a sharp and capable demeanor mixed with a gentle smile, greeted her classmates warmly.

Zhou Ruolan wore her signature gentle smile.

Compared to the lively welcomes for other teachers, the cheers for these two teachers were noticeably more enthusiastic, reflecting genuine affection.

Many boys in the back row craned their necks and stood on tiptoe to look over, their faces filled with pure joy.

They walked one after the other to the teachers' seating area and were immediately greeted with the brightest smiles and the most enthusiastic gestures of guidance.

Yang Yishui's gaze habitually swept over her students.

Looking at those faces brimming with youthful energy, her gaze inadvertently swept over the top of the tiered shelf and landed on the two figures standing side by side.

She paused almost imperceptibly.

In the sunlight, the boy's tall, straight back almost completely enveloped the slender girl in his shadow, their posture intimate and natural.

A knowing yet mischievous smile curved Yang Yishui's lips, her smile carrying a hint of the understanding that came with being her "cousin." Her gaze was fixed on Shen Yuan, and then—she tilted her head slightly, raising her hand very naturally towards the top of the tiered shelf, her slender index finger pointing precisely and subtly from afar, the fingertip silently pointing at the boy bathed in sunlight.

Even from a short distance, Shen Yuan clearly caught his older cousin's movements as she was locked onto his eyes, which were filled with a teasing smile.

The boy, his thoughts exposed, showed no embarrassment whatsoever. Instead, he grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth, and chuckled at the familiar, beautiful face below.

As if drawn by Shen Yuan's "hehe," or perhaps attracted by the beautiful couple on the steps, more people's eyes were drawn to him.

Standing next to Yang Yishui, Zhou Ruolan smiled and followed the direction of Yang Yishui's finger, focusing precisely on Shen Yuan and Li Zhi, who were standing side by side on the top floor.

Zhou Shaojie cupped his hands to his mouth and silently mouthed "Oh—" upwards, his eyes brimming with the excitement of stirring up trouble.

Countless smiles, whether silent or boisterous, converge to form a warm and inviting backdrop.

At the top of the ladder, bathed in focused gazes and the early summer sun, Li Zhi gently twisted the fabric of Shen Yuan's school uniform at his waist.

The boy's smile deepened, tinged with smugness, meeting everyone's gaze as if silently boasting that his entire world stood beside him.

Just then, the photographer standing behind the tripod spoke up.

"Come on, students! Look here—!"

The photographer's voice, slightly hoarse yet penetrating, resonated clearly amidst the noisy atmosphere.

He raised one arm, palm up, gesturing towards the camera.

"Quiet! Follow instructions!" Old Zhou's deep voice, like an anchor, instantly silenced the noise below.

All the laughter, playfulness, and whispers seemed to have been paused.

Dozens of eager young eyes instantly turned in the same direction, converging on that small camera lens.

The laughter that had just subsided lingered in the air.

Shen Yuan held Li Zhi's wrist tightly, only turning slightly to the side, and the two naturally looked at the brightly lit camera in front of them.

The photographer quickly scanned the entire viewfinder, focusing on the key points at the highest point, especially the boy and girl standing side by side very close to each other.

After confirming that everything was correct, he nodded in satisfaction.

The photographer cleared his throat, his voice loud and commanding: "Alright! Everyone, at your feet! Listen to my command—"

"Keep smiling! Keep your back straight! Tuck your chin in slightly..."

"Yes, that's it! Excellent!"

He pointed his finger at the camera, giving a clearer indication.

"Look closely at the center of the camera—here!"

"I'll count to three, two, one, and then all the students will shout 'Cheese!'"

As the word "one" faded, shouts of "Cheese!" suddenly rang out from the crowd!
The voice initially sounded hesitant and tentative, but was quickly overwhelmed by a collective burst of courage and excitement.

Dozens of voices came together, some loud and cheerful, some hoarse with the changes of adolescence, and some shy whispers from the girls in the front row.

The moment the word "three" fell, Shen Yuan leaned slightly towards Li Zhi.

The boy shouted "Cheese!" loudly, his lips curving into a carefree and bright smile.

Li Zhi was infected by the sound, and the blush on her cheeks appeared even more vivid in the light before she pressed the shutter.

The echoes of the voices lingered in the air, and everyone's face was frozen in a forced, triumphant smile.

The moment when they all looked at the camera with their brightest eyes—

"Crack!"

The shutter clicked crisply and briefly.

Dozens of young faces burst forth with vibrant energy in the early summer morning light.

Some people grinned, revealing the gleam of their braces; others nervously gripped the shoulders of the students in front of them; and several tall boys in the back row huddled together, their shoulders pressed against each other.

All the blue and white school uniforms were tinged with a pale golden glow, and a vibrant energy seemed to burst forth from the boys and girls.

In that moment captured forever in the image, amidst the radiant smiles and upright postures of the crowd, the two figures at the highest point hold a secret unique to them.

The figures of the students in the front row cleverly concealed Shen Yuan's naturally drooping hair.

The girl's fingertips curled in his palm, conveying a silent warmth.

Li Zhi's chin seemed to be facing the camera squarely, and her lips curved into a sweet, sunny smile, but her shoulders relaxed unconsciously, leaning dependently on the broad and sturdy shoulders of the boy in front of her.

The slight incline was extremely natural.

That smile was sweeter than honey, as if it contained all the brightness of this morning and youth, silently yet clearly proclaiming the peace of mind and joy brought by the person beside her.

A gentle breeze ruffled the stray hairs on her forehead and brushed past their tightly clasped fingers beneath their sleeves.

Click!Click!
The photographer snapped a few more crisp clicks as he took a few more photos of this united and lively class in their final group portrait before graduation.

The sunlight bathed every young, vibrant face in a warm, golden glow.

"Alright! Students, you've worked hard! We're done shooting!" The photographer straightened up, looked at the camera screen with satisfaction, and announced loudly.

"oh--!"

The crowd erupted in a cheer of relief, and the tense smiles that had been building for a while relaxed, transforming into more genuine, slightly playful laughter.

The tense atmosphere that had been building up instantly dissipated, replaced by the relaxed, noisy atmosphere of the event ending.

"Aze, why were you so nervous just now?" Ajie shouted with a loud laugh, immediately drawing a burst of laughter.

"I think you're standing the most upright!"

Yang Ze leaned close to his ear and teased him, "Aren't you happy standing next to Zhuo Peipei?"

"You!" A-Jie fell silent.

Old Zhou had already stood up, his usual seriousness softening somewhat. He looked around, a relaxed smile on his face, and pushed up his glasses.

"Alright, are you all done sitting there like idiots? Once you're done filming, hurry back to the classroom and stop chattering around here."

Even so, he did not rush to hurry up, but simply made way for the students behind him to get off.

The teachers also stood up with smiles, chatting with each other or whispering a few words to the students next to them.

"Let's go," Shen Yuan said softly to Li Zhi, the warmth of his palm passing over to her.

Li Zhi responded softly, "Mmm." Shen Yuan released his hand from her wrist, but his body remained naturally protective of her, and they began to move down the steps with the flow of people.

Li Zhi followed him down the highest step, feeling a slight vibration from the metal plate beneath her feet.

As they passed the middle level, He Zhiyu gave Li Zhi a knowing look, while Zhuo Peipei secretly smiled at Shen Yuan, earning her a feigned angry glare from Li Zhi.

Stepping onto the ground, the solid feel dissipated the slight heat and sticky atmosphere that had accumulated on the metal frame.

The crowd dispersed and regrouped like a stream, walking in twos and threes towards the teaching building.

Their steps were sometimes fast, sometimes slow, and their laughter was more relaxed than when they arrived. The air was filled with the ease and lingering aftertaste of having just completed an important ceremony.

Some people were still discussing their expressions when the photos were taken, while others were already looking forward to seeing how the photos would look after they were developed.

The long line of people stretched along the tree-lined path in the sunlight, eventually returning to the teaching building overwhelmed with practice problems. Each person now bore an unforgettable memory of this early summer morning.

(End of this chapter)