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

Chapter 289 Li Zhique's Pair of Shoes
The heat on Li Zhi's cheeks had not completely faded when the sound of the door closing shut out the faint scent of soap wafting from Shen Yuan in the hallway, and also shut out the palpitations brought about by the heart-pounding little incident just now.

She leaned against the cold door, took a deep breath, and tried to calm the blush that remained on her face. Her fingers unconsciously touched the corner of her mouth, as if she could still feel the tingling sensation brought by Shen Yuan's hot breath.

Just as I turned around to change my shoes, I saw Ms. Xu Chan sitting on the sofa under the warm light of the living room, but her posture was completely different from her usual leisurely look at recipes or browse her phone.

She leaned forward slightly, her hands folded on her lap, her eyes sparkling. As soon as she saw Li Zhi enter, she immediately stood up abruptly.

"Zhizhi! You're back?" Xu Chan's voice carried an barely suppressed excitement as she quickly approached, her face beaming with a mysterious smile. "Quick, come here, come here!"

She waved to Li Zhi, her gesture revealing a little girl's joy.

"Mom?" Li Zhi was a little bewildered by her mother's unusually excited appearance, and the shyness that had been lingering in her heart was replaced by curiosity.

As she bent down to change her shoes, she looked at her mother with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong? Why are you being so mysterious..."

"Hey, don't ask yet!"

Xu Chan's smile deepened, her mouth almost reaching her ears. Before Li Zhi had fully changed into her slippers, she couldn't help but reach out and gently pull her arm, leading her briskly toward the sofa.

Li Zhi was amused by her mother's inexplicable excitement and became even more curious. She barely managed to put on her slippers and let Xu Chan pull her to sit down on the sofa.

Xu Chan blinked mysteriously, then suddenly bent down and dragged a huge white bag out from behind the sofa. The bag had an exquisite gold-stamped logo printed on the edge and looked very heavy.

Xu Chan quickly unzipped the bag and carefully took out a dress from the dust bag.

Under the lights, the off-shoulder cut perfectly showcased the girl's slender collarbone, and the black satin clung to her figure like flowing darkness.

The smooth curves from the chest to the waist are delicately outlined, as if a second skin was tailor-made for the body.

The gown suddenly bursts open below the waist, with a magnificent fishtail skirt cascading down in layers, the satin pleats shimmering with a subtle pearlescent sheen in the light and shadow.

As Xu Chan gently lifted her skirt, it swayed gracefully like deep ripples, the train adorned with tiny crystals that refracted starlight-like fragments in the warm light.

Li Zhi held his breath instantly!
The black gown seemed to be illuminated by the living room lights, its flowing satin resembling a secluded lake under the moonlight, and its sparkling crystals shimmering with a cold, glamorous light like shattered diamonds. It was so luxurious that it didn't seem like an everyday garment, but rather a work of art.

"This...this is..."

Li Zhi felt her voice stuck in her throat, her eyes wide open, her pupils reflecting the gorgeous outline of the dress.

The faint blush on her cheeks was instantly replaced by shock, replaced by an unbelievable, burning heat that rushed straight to her brain.

She gasped instinctively, leaning back slightly, as if stunned by the sudden beauty and unable to get any closer.

A voice inside me is screaming.

Coming-of-age ceremony! My God, this...this is just too...too beautiful!

Looking at the stunned expression on her daughter's face, Xu Chan felt a surge of anticipation and pride that had been building up all day.

She couldn't wait any longer to hear Li Zhi fully express his shock, so she stepped forward and, with irresistible excitement, shoved the dress into Li Zhi's arms.

"What are you waiting for, my little darling!"

Xu Chan's eyes lit up, her voice urgent, filled with the excitement of wanting to see how her daughter would look in the clothes. She had already placed her hands on Li Zhi's shoulders, half-pushing and half-hugging her towards the bedroom.

"Go quickly! Put it on and show it to Mom! Hurry! Mom promises, this is absolutely the perfect battle outfit for Zhizhi! The effect will be amazing! Go try it on!"

Li Zhi stumbled a step after being pushed by her mother. The heavy fabric in her arms and the urging force on her shoulder finally brought her back to her senses, but her face still showed a mixture of great shock and utter disbelief.

The beautiful girl's mouth was slightly open, and she was completely dazed, as if she were walking on clouds. She was then pushed and coaxed into her bedroom by Xu Chan.

The bedroom door clicked shut, cutting off the bright light from the living room, leaving only the desk lamp emitting a warm and soft glow.

"Quickly, take off your school uniform first!" Xu Chan seemed to have transformed into a decisive stylist. "You have to be careful when putting on this skirt. There are hidden buttons and ties in the back. If you can't do it by yourself, Mom will help you."

Li Zhi was still a little dazed. Like a puppet, he slowly took off his school uniform at Xu Chan's urging and casually draped it over the back of the chair.

My heart was still pounding in my chest, not yet calmed by the spectacular impact of what I had just experienced and by my mother's passionate enthusiasm.

She looked down at the cool, silky black satin in her hand, barely daring to apply any pressure with her fingertips, afraid of wrinkling this overly exquisite "work of art."

“Come on, lift up the skirt and put it over your head.”

Xu Chan's voice was filled with excited guidance.

She couldn't help but laugh as she watched her daughter being so careful, her movements even a little stiff and clumsy.

Li Zhiyi put the dress on from her head.

A slight shiver ran through me as the cool satin fabric glided over my neck and shoulders.

As the skirt falls, an unprecedented sense of fit and weight washes over you, as if you are instantly enveloped in an elegant and strange atmosphere.

"Slow down, slow down, watch your hair... Yes, that's it! Stand still!" Xu Chan went around behind her daughter, lowering her voice and speaking with complete focus.

She carefully adjusted the back neckline of the dress to perfectly showcase Li Zhi's slender and beautiful collarbone.

Li Zhi could clearly feel her mother's cool fingertips gently touching her back, carefully adjusting the neckline of her off-the-shoulder top and smoothing out every tiny wrinkle.

Next comes the complex process behind it all.

Xu Chan leaned forward slightly, her breath falling on the back of Li Zhi's neck, her fingers deftly and skillfully manipulating the hidden clasp.

With a few soft "clicks," the feeling of being restrained at the waist became just right.

Next, there's the part about the cross frenulum.

Xu Chan's movements were meticulous and nimble. While carefully tightening the ribbon to accentuate her slender waist, she also comforted her daughter: "Don't inhale, relax. It will be uncomfortable if it's too tight... Hmm, this is just right. It shows off your figure without constricting you."

With a mother's tenderness, Xu Chan's fingers deftly moved behind her daughter's waist, skillfully tying a knot that was both sturdy and beautiful.

The cool touch of her fingertips seeped through the delicate satin onto her skin, raising a fine layer of goosebumps.

Li Zhi stood quietly, feeling her mother busy behind her. The burning sensation on her face was still there, but it was replaced by a nervous anticipation.

at last……

"All right!"

Xu Chan finally straightened up, took a step back, and her tone was filled with undisguised amazement, satisfaction, and smugness.

She gently patted her daughter's back, her voice softening as if she were handling a carefully crafted work of art.

"Now, Zhizhi, turn around and take a look?"

With a hint of uncertainty and a heart full of anticipation, Li Zhi held her breath, slowly turned around, and looked at the dressing mirror in the wardrobe.

The sight reflected in the mirror made her breath catch in her throat!

The soft light spilled onto the unfathomable black satin, giving it a sophisticated and mysterious sheen.

Her perfectly fitted off-the-shoulder top showcased her beautifully shaped neck and delicate collarbones, making her as elegant as a swan.

The gown's cut from the chest to the waist was flawless, perfectly outlining her youthful, graceful curves and amplifying her unique charm that straddled the line between innocence and maturity. The waist cinched abruptly, before the magnificent fishtail skirt flared out at her ankles, the satin swaying gracefully with each subtle turn, shimmering with the shifting light.

The girl in the mirror, having shed her school uniform and youthful innocence, is breathtakingly beautiful.

Exquisite and aloof, with an indescribable dazzling brilliance.

She stared blankly at herself in the mirror, almost unable to believe that the glamorous and dazzling figure was her.

The blush on her face deepened, but this time it was a mixture of shyness and amazement at the beauty of her own transformation.

She subconsciously reached out her finger, her fingertip carefully touching the cool satin surface, as if to confirm whether the stunning reflection was real.

"Oh my god..." Li Zhi couldn't help but exclaim softly, his voice trembling with disbelief.

"pretty……"

"What do you think? Mom has good taste!"

Xu Chan's voice was full of pride and excitement as she looked at her radiant daughter in the mirror with satisfaction, as if admiring a finely crafted treasure.

Her gaze swept over her daughter's swan-like slender neck and rounded, delicate shoulders, then settled on the flowing, undulating skirt, and her smile grew even more satisfied.

But soon, Xu Chan's brows furrowed slightly as she habitually did, as if she were checking a nearly finished painting to see where the finishing touch was needed.

“However,” Xu Chan said with the certainty that she had a perfect look in mind, “it still feels like it’s missing a little bit… something.”

She gestured in the air with her fingertips, adding:

"The neckline is a bit bare, so I need to add a delicate necklace to tone down the black and brighten the complexion... I also need earrings, which should be small, exquisite, and sparkly."

Her gaze shifted downwards: "I can't keep wearing slippers, can I? I need to wear a pair of pretty and stable high heels. The heels can't be too high, but they have to be there to elongate my proportions and make me look more elegant..."

Finally, she thought to herself, "...Add a thin white shawl, made of good quality. If all these little details are included, then it will be perfect!"

Li Zhi's gaze unconsciously fell on the corner of the wardrobe.

Looking at her glamorous yet seemingly still-missing self in the mirror, and recalling her mother's earlier nagging about high heels, an image unexpectedly flashed clearly through her mind.

Those shoes she had almost forgotten, tucked away at the bottom of some shoebox...

"……High heel……"

Li Zhi's voice suddenly rang out, but her eyes gradually brightened: "Mom, I think I have high heels now."

Xu Chan was about to continue her "accessory theory" when she was taken aback by what she heard. She looked at her daughter and asked, "Hmm? You have one? When did you buy it? Let me see?"

It wasn't that Xu Chan didn't believe it, but her daughter's life revolved around school and doing practice problems, and she rarely made purchases, let alone high heels for such a formal occasion.

Even if there were any, they were mostly bought for her by Xu Chan, but Li Zhi didn't wear many of them.

Li Zhi pursed her lips, not answering immediately, but walking to the wardrobe with a hint of hesitation in her movements.

The girl took a deep breath and reached out to take out a shoebox.

Xu Chan curiously leaned closer.

Li Zhi had already opened the lid.

Lying in the dust bag was a pair of simple black high heels!
The girl carefully took them out; under the light, the matte black leather gleamed with a restrained luster.

The shoe upper has no superfluous decorations, and the slender heel height is just right, neither too exaggerated nor too lacking in height, yet it perfectly supports one's height and presence.

Li Zhi placed them on the cold floor.

"Mom, help me up."

Xu Chan steadily supported Li Zhi's hand.

The girl, supported by her mother's hand, stepped onto the cool surface of the shoe, her slender ankles perfectly supported.

With a soft click, the heel landed securely in the curved enclosure.

Xu Chan very naturally helped Li Zhi put on his shoes.

The two held their breath and looked up at the mirror.

Ripples instantly spread across the smooth mirror.

The slender heels silently elongated the girl's figure, and the fishtail skirt suddenly draped down in a graceful arc.

The black satin folds that once trailed on the ground now lightly covered the instep, like dark waves kissing the crescent-white reef.

The crystals that had been sleeping in the hem of her skirt suddenly awoke, refracting tiny starlight as she changed her posture, converging at her ankles into a faint, shimmering halo of light.

"Wow..." Xu Chan's exclamation lingered on her lips.

The figure in the mirror is slender yet well-proportioned, with a smooth curve from the tapering waistline to the extending toes, as fluid as the meticulous lines of a master painter's brushstrokes.

Those minimalist high heels seemed made for an evening gown; the dark leather and black satin melted into a deep lake in the light and shadow.

Xu Chan's fingertips traced her daughter's taut spine, and two similar eyes in the mirror simultaneously shone with surprise.

"It's like it was tailor-made for me."

She smiled and tucked a stray hair behind Li Zhi's ear, but paused abruptly when she touched her daughter's burning hot earlobe.

"Tell me honestly, when did you hide these shoes? Your mother had no idea you had such a treasure."

The girl's eyelashes in the mirror suddenly trembled.

The subtle sound of the dust bag falling onto the carpet brought back a flood of memories pierced by the brilliance of crystal.

On the breezy evening street, Shen Yuan's palms were damp with sweat as he covered her mouth.

Her heart pounded like a drum outside the closed door, and the boy's burning gaze in the moonlight... These high heels, bearing her panic for the first time.

She opened her mouth, and a sweet and sour taste, like lime sparkling water, spread between her teeth.

Li Zhi pursed her lips, her gaze softening as she looked at the shoes, her voice as light as a feather: "...It was...it was a gift from Shen Yuan...last year..."

Xu Chan paused almost imperceptibly on the hand that was supporting her, then let out a knowing "Oh—" with a lingering, meaningful tone.

The mother in the mirror turned her face to the side, a mischievous smile curving her lips upwards, her eyes full of undisguised teasing laughter as she looked at her daughter's blushing ears.

"Oh—it was sent last year..."

She dragged out the words, her tone dripping with a mocking sarcasm.

"The timing of the delivery was quite perfect."

(End of this chapter)