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

Chapter 298 Good luck on the college entrance exam!

On a tree-lined path in the early morning, Shen Yuan and Li Zhi walked side by side on the way to school.

Li Zhi stared down at the dappled shadows cast by the trees at her feet, but the passionate memories of last night in the room kept surging uncontrollably...

Her ears suddenly burned intensely, and she quickly turned her face to the other side, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the strap of her schoolbag.

Shen Yuan keenly noticed her flushed earlobes, a mischievous smile spreading across his eyes. He deliberately slowed his pace, moving closer to her side: "Li Bao, what are you thinking about that makes your face so red?"

"Shut up!" Li Zhishu kicked his shin in annoyance and quickened her pace to rush forward.

As they walked along the tree-lined path, their steps unconsciously turned towards the laboratory building.

Patches of sunlight filtered through the camphor tree leaves and fell on the gray-white walls, while the countdown clock for the college entrance examination hanging in front of the building glaringly displayed "1".

Shen Yuan stopped in his tracks and suddenly sighed, "Tomorrow I really will have to go into the examination hall."

Li Zhi stared at the number, the wind ruffling the stray hairs on her cheek. After a moment of silence, she softly replied, "Mm."

Amidst the cicadas' chirping at dawn, the countdown clock stood like a silent dividing line, separating the vibrant youth from the unknown battlefield.

"It's so fast..."

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi stepped into the classroom of the experimental building.

The door hinges creaked slightly, breaking the silence of the corridor.

The classroom was brightly lit, the air was slightly stagnant, and filled with the dry smell of paper and ink.

Unlike the vibrant morning world outside, the interior exuded a somber atmosphere, as if a battle was imminent.

Students in twos and threes each occupied their own small space.

The final countdown was deeply ingrained in everyone's hearts, forging a more focused yet more isolated tranquility.

Shen Yuan's gaze swept across the familiar scene, finally landing on Li Zhi beside him.

Almost simultaneously, Li Zhi also turned his head slightly.

Their eyes met, and no words were spoken. His deep eyes reflected her image, and her clear eyes held his gaze.

In the silence, they both understood the complex emotions in each other's eyes that needed no words to be spoken.

Nostalgia for the time spent side by side, solemnity for the upcoming unknown battlefield, and a last bit of warmth from the companionship compressed to the limit by a shared goal.

All emotions lingered for only a moment in the exchange of glances, like ripples quickly subsiding after a stone is thrown into deep water.

The two did not speak, but nodded slightly in perfect unison.

Then they each went to their seats.

Shen Yuan pulled out a chair and sat down, making a slight sound.

He stretched out his long arm, pulled out the most rumpled physics error notebook from under the table, and spread it open with a "whoosh".

Li Zhiye had already sat down at the next table, his back straight, his slender fingers brushing over the carefully compiled notes and outlines on the table, his gaze calm and focused as he concentrated on the book.

Like anchors returning to their positions, the two instantly immersed themselves in the deep sea of ​​their own studies, becoming, along with everyone else in the classroom, silent islands sailing through this vast ocean of questions.

The soft rustling of pages turning filled the air, like the only and most solemn bugle call on the final leg of the journey of youth.

The last day before the college entrance examination.

In the classroom of Senior Three (15), the fan spun tirelessly overhead, emitting a low hum, trying to stir up the stagnant air. The swirling breeze brushed the edges of the book pages, but could not dispel the deep concentration that had seeped into the bone.

Shen Yuan rested his chin on one hand, his gaze sweeping over the spread-out math mock exam paper, his pen tracing a smooth path across the draft paper.

After a moment, he turned his head very naturally and gently nudged Li Zhi, who was sitting next to him, with his elbow.

“Teacher Li,” he lowered his voice, pointing his chin to a certain part of the problem, “isn’t this solution a bit too fast between the two steps?”

Li Zhi was concentrating on brainstorming for his essay when his train of thought was interrupted, and his clear eyes glanced over with a hint of displeasure.

She glanced at where Shen Yuan was pointing, and her slender white fingertips deftly traced a formula on a certain line of the test paper.

"Idiot. What's wrong with it?" Her voice wasn't loud, carrying her usual slight arrogance, but the end of her tone rose slightly.
"Use your own brain and be less dependent."

Ah Jie, who was standing to the side, quietly stretched and his bones made a slight clicking sound.

Ah Jie seemed to be tired of studying and prepared to chat with Yang Ze in the front row.

But as soon as he reached out his hand, he saw a familiar figure appear at the classroom door.

Ah Jie quickly withdrew his hand.

Old Zhou glanced at A-Jie's actions and gave him a slight glare.

But he didn't say much, and instead wandered around the classroom silently.

Time flows slowly amidst the turning of pages and the rustling sound of pen nibs across paper.

Everyone tacitly understood that this was the last period of orderly routine before the college entrance examination.

The lunch bell rang.

The crisp and melodious sound seemed to activate the pause button.

The stagnant air seemed to break through the ice, and the classroom instantly came alive.

"Let's go! To the cafeteria!"

"Let's eat!"

"Wait for me!"

Almost without needing any extra words, Shen Yuan, along with Li Zhi and his best man and maid of honor, squeezed out of the classroom and rushed downstairs.

The sun was shining brightly, and the tree-lined path leading to the cafeteria was dappled with light and shadow.

The tension on the road lessened, replaced by an unspoken... sense of regret.

"Tsk, Brother Jie, I'm going to challenge myself to eat two bowls of rice today! To recharge for the college entrance exam!" A-Jie waved his arms, full of heroic spirit.

"That's the only time you can eat," Chen Mingyu retorted coolly.

"Nonsense! People need food to survive, don't you understand? Even students need to eat their fill before taking the college entrance exam! You agree, Yuan?" A-Jie tried to rally allies.

Shen Yuan walked beside Li Zhi, his hand seemingly casually brushing against Li Zhi's fingertips. Hearing this, he lazily replied, "Yeah, eat more."

Her gaze drifted to Li Zhi beside her, a faint smile on her face.

Li Zhi gave a light hum, but his feet tacitly followed the others toward the familiar cafeteria door.

Stepping into the cafeteria, a familiar wave of heat hits you.

Shen Yuan's hand brushed against Li Zhiwei's cool fingertips, his gaze sweeping over the throng of people before landing on the familiar stall.

Shen Yuan paused slightly and turned his head to look at the girl beside him.

"Beef rice bowl?"

Li Zhi turned her face, her clear eyes meeting his smiling gaze, and the corners of her mouth instinctively curved into a familiar arc.

Without any hesitation, she gently nodded her delicate chin, and the tip of her ponytail swayed neatly behind her shoulder with the nod.

"Ah."

Shen Yuan watched as Li Zhi focused on eating, the rising steam spreading across her slightly lowered eyelashes.

She chewed the beef soaked in sauce in small bites, her cheeks puffed out slightly, and even the tip of her nose was bathed in warm light.

Shen Yuan looked at Li Zhi's earnest eating and the gentle smile in his eyes deepened.

He suddenly leaned closer, his voice lowered with a hint of mischief, gently brushing into Li Zhi's ear:

"Tsk, doesn't it taste as good as the food we had at Zhejiang University last time?"

He paused, meeting Li Zhi's upturned, watery eyes, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
"Want to eat together again next time I go to Zhejiang University?"

Li Zhi stopped chewing abruptly.

Her beautiful eyes widened suddenly for a moment, then she let out a clear "Heh".

The next second, the girl raised her elbow without hesitation and bumped into Shen Yuan's arm that was pressed against her.

"Get lost, you idiot!"

Li Zhi rolled her eyes in annoyance, but there was a hint of sweetness in her eyes that she was hiding.

She poked the beef in her bowl hard: "Last time you took me to Zhejiang University, you ate beef rice bowls. Are you out of your mind?! Can't you come up with something else?"

Before he could finish speaking, a furry head popped out from the side.

Zhou Shaojie gripped the edge of the table, his eyes wide open, and his voice instantly rose eight octaves.

"Holy crap?! Zhejiang University?! When did you two sneak off there behind the organization's back?! Tell me the details! You have to tell me the details!"

Shen Yuan didn't even bother to lift his eyelids. With his well-defined knuckles, he slapped A-Jie's face, which was close by, with a light touch but an undeniable look of disdain, pushing A-Jie's gossipy face back to its original position.

"Go eat your food and stop asking questions."

This attempt to cover up the truth immediately ignited a powder keg.

"Alas--!"

He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei were the first to hiss, drawing out their syllables as if they had agreed beforehand, their eyes gleaming with the excitement of discovering an affair.

Chen Mingyu chuckled softly, his shoulders swaying, while Yang Ze couldn't help but push up his glasses, a stern smile clearly visible behind his lenses.

Several pairs of eyes, like searchlights, were fixed on Shen Yuan and Li Zhi, their disdain mixed with an overwhelming sense of jeers. The air instantly filled with a knowing, saccharine stench.

Li Zhi's ears turned red from the sudden attack.

Although the girl's cheeks remained flushed, several small arrows with icy shards suddenly shot from her eyes, slicing through the jeering crowd with a "whoosh" and finally striking the instigator, Zhou Shaojie, squarely in the face.

His eyes were fierce and bright, carrying a hint of shame and anger, but more so a warning.

"What are you looking at! Eat your food!"

Li Zhi's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a stern aura that overpowered the low laughter and hisses.

The moment the words left his mouth, the entire dining table fell silent.

Zhou Shaojie felt a chill on the back of his neck, and his neck suddenly shrank down as if it were spring-loaded. He instinctively used his rice bowl to cover half of his face.

He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei, who were standing nearby, immediately fell silent. The two of them shrank their heads in unison, and Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu also lowered their heads slightly.

The group that had been making a ruckus just moments before suddenly seemed to have been muted. They all lowered their heads, the soft tapping of chopsticks against bowls and plates became more frequent, and all that remained was a focused expression of people eating their rice.

Shen Yuan watched as these guys were subdued by Li Zhi's few words, and a slight smile crept onto his lips.

He slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on the girl's profile beside him, where the warning had not yet faded.

Those deep, focused eyes silently conveyed, "Well done."

Li Zhi caught that burning gaze out of the corner of his eye.

The girl's slight sense of pride instantly overwhelmed her lingering embarrassment.

Her fair neck was slightly raised like a proud swan, and her delicate chin was raised with a subtle yet clearly visible curve.

As evening fell, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the teaching building in a warm golden light.

The tense atmosphere of studying during the day has faded, and the campus appears empty and quiet.

Just like the previous hundred days, Shen Yuan arrived at the banner that read "Countdown to the College Entrance Examination".

The camera was set up as before, aimed at the banner.

A silent solemnity filled the air, a final, earnest treatment of this hundred-day-long ceremony.

Ah Jie's face still held a lively expression, trying to dispel the heaviness with exaggerated movements.

But when he raised the drink in his hand and looked at the camera, there was a subtle hint of lingering affection and emotion hidden behind his smile.

Chen Mingyu and Yang Ze stood to the side, and they both raised their beverage cans in unison.

He Zhiyu and Zhuo Peipei stood close together, while Shen Yuan and Li Zhi stood side by side in the middle.

Li Zhiwei leaned her head slightly towards Shen Yuan, her delicate profile appearing exceptionally soft in the evening light. She looked at Shen Yuan's phone screen with a sense of accomplishment and a hint of reluctance.

Their eyes were deeper and more determined than usual, as if they wanted to imprint this final moment into their minds.

There was no extra communication, and the playful banter and arranging of scenes that had occurred during the previous transition videos were gone.

Shen Yuan's deep and clear voice broke the silence, like a command to begin a ceremony, or a final declaration.

"come on!"

The moment the words were spoken, several people almost simultaneously raised their beverage cans towards the camera.

Sunlight shines through the shimmering liquid, refracting into colorful specks of light.

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, young faces simultaneously uttered the words that had been repeated a hundred evenings before, yet now held profound significance.

"come on--!!!"

A loud, short, yet powerful voice broke the silence of the evening.

This is no longer just a slogan, but the culmination of a hundred days and nights of unwavering support and the most fervent encouragement for the upcoming battle.

……

The bell for evening self-study had rung, and the classroom was silent except for the rustling of pages turning and the soft sound of pens scratching across paper.

The night outside the window was as dark as ink, and the halo of streetlights in the distance shone through the glass onto the desks, lengthening the shadows of the students bent over their desks.

Tomorrow is the college entrance examination. This invisible pressure is like a thin veil, making it hard to breathe, yet a strange calm arises in the gaps of exhaustion.

The bell rang for the end of get out of class.

In a classroom at Jiyang No. 2 High School, Wang Hao, a senior high school student, rubbed his sore eyes and subconsciously took out his phone.

He knew this was wrong, but his stiff nerves needed some release.

With a light tap of the fingertip, the screen lights up, and the familiar TikTok interface pops up.

He had intended to casually watch a few funny videos to briefly escape the cage of studying, but an update notification suddenly caught his eye.

@zhizhideyuan posted a new video: "#GoForItGaokao# Final sprint, on the road of youth, let's rush to the battlefield together!"
Wang Hao's thumb hovered for a moment, a slight thought crossed his mind, and then he clicked on it.

The video's cover features a familiar countdown banner, with beverage bottles appearing in the video under the golden light of the setting sun.

Wang Hao's heart skipped a beat.

The video did not end there.

The familiar cheers didn't ring out; instead, the entire scene suddenly changed.

The scene instantly returned to the familiar banner under the teaching building.

But the number on the banner was no longer "1", but instead—"100".

There were no words spoken, only a pair of hands clasped together.

Immediately afterwards, the scene seemed to be fast-forwarded!

The bright red numbers on the banner began to jump at an astonishing speed: "99", "98", "97"... Each change of numbers was accompanied by a change of the image in the viewfinder.

Changes in beverage bottles, changes in the weather.

The posture of the figures standing, the moment of clinking glasses, the angle at which they are raised, all subtly change in the repetition of day after day, and the expectation in their smiles gradually settles into determination.

The numbers jumped around rapidly: “50”, “49”, “48”...

Time is compressed into the afterimage of turning pages in a book.

“30”, “29”, “28”... The atmosphere of summer intensifies in every frame.

"10", "9", "8"... The feeling of the final sprint is palpable even through the screen.

The pace of the changing numbers slowed down near the end, and finally, the image suddenly froze back to the sunset that Wang Hao had initially seen—the background numbers had become a huge "1".

Just then, the camera seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, suddenly and smoothly pulling back.

The edges of the frame are stretched open—the pillars of the corridor slide past, the shadows of the window frames sweep by, and more figures surge into the frame like a tide.

The figures of all the students in Class 15 have quietly filled the background of the picture!
Dressed in neat school uniforms, they sat in the classroom, some with their arms around their classmates' shoulders, others with their fists clenched. The usual playful expressions on their faces had long since faded, leaving only pure, burning excitement.

Dozens of eyes followed the camera closely, their gazes filled with recognition, resonance, and unspoken understanding.

Like a silent command—

At this moment, all the students in Class 15 raised their arms high, and countless clenched fists gathered in the sunset light to form a forest symbolizing strength and hope!
The young faces were ignited with an almost burning heat by the presence of their last companions, their eyes gleaming with an unwavering determination forged through the long hundred-day journey.

Their lips parted, their chests resonated, and a cry that had accumulated throughout their youth, all their struggles and hopes, was transformed into the simplest yet most powerful syllable, like a torrent bursting through a dam, instantly exploding in front of the quiet teaching building at dusk.

"come on--!!!"

This wave of sound, gathered from everyone, was far louder, deeper, and more powerful than any before, possessing the ability to transcend time.

It was no longer just a promise between a few people, but a resounding battle cry, unique to the youthful spirit, uttered by an entire class standing shoulder to shoulder before facing the most important battle of their lives!

The sound echoed in the corridor, silencing the last cicadas chirping from the treetops. With an indomitable sharpness, it crashed into the camera lens and into the most passionate part of the hearts of every witness outside the screen.

—That was the final vow made by a group of people as they headed to the battlefield on the road of youth!

"High school seniors, gather here! I burst into tears after reading this. It's the last day, let's all meet at the top!"

"A senior who graduated three years ago passing by, good luck to all the juniors!"

"You are not alone in this fight! All test takers in the comments section are joining forces—victory in the college entrance exam is assured!"

"A high school senior saw this late at night and was really inspired by your video! Let's go!"

"Office workers give a tearful thumbs up, youth is truly wonderful! May you all perform exceptionally well in your exams and achieve top results!"

Shen Yuan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he turned his head to look at Li Zhi.

Shen Yuan chuckled and, before turning off the screen, turned the phone towards her and waved it.

The last comment on the screen, which was pinned to the top, shone brightly:
"When young people stand side by side, everything is possible."

……

In a room in Jiyang, Yang Yishui stared at her phone screen and muttered curses under her breath.

"Damn it, it's one thing to edit videos for yourself, but you also have to edit videos for that idiot Shen Yuan!"

The older cousin gave a soft hum, but as she watched the increasing number of likes and comments on the video, a sense of pride rose in her heart.

"You brat, better do well on your test!"

(End of this chapter)