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

Chapter 305 Mom and Dad Sneaked Away

As Shen Yuan finished speaking, the air in the room seemed to become even sweeter.

The feigned interrogation in Li Zhi's eyes completely transformed into a sweet smile. She nuzzled his nose against him and snorted, "Come on! What fate? I think it's just that your skin is as thick as a city wall!"

"Oh? Then why are you still clinging to me in this city wall's embrace?" Shen Yuan deliberately tightened his arms, rubbed his chin against the top of her head, and chuckled softly with the vibration of his chest.

The blush on Li Zhi's face hadn't faded when another layer appeared. She made a move to push him away: "Who's denying it! It was clearly you..."

“Yes, yes, it’s me,” Shen Yuan interrupted, a mischievous smile on his face.

"It's because this city wall is determined to keep our Li Bao here."

The two laughed and joked, snuggling together.

“Shen Yuan,” Li Zhi suddenly spoke again, his voice soft and carrying a hint of reminiscence.

"Do you remember when school first started, you would bring chocolates to school in the morning to tempt me, and you would always take them out during the morning reading period?"

Shen Yuan laughed too, his eyebrows and eyes relaxing, revealing a bright, youthful spirit: "Of course I remember! Sister Shui's nose is even more sensitive than a police dog's; she snatched it away and startled me!"

He sighed dramatically, his tone full of nostalgia.

Li Zhi smiled, her eyes crinkling, and poked his chest with her fingertip: "Serves you right! You tempted me."

There was no blame in the girl's tone, only a sly teasing.

"Sigh, who told that little fool to complain to He Zhiyu that she wanted to eat chocolate..." Shen Yuan looked down at the girl's pretty face in his arms, his gaze softening.

"I meant I want chocolate ice cream!"

Memories flowed gently like a small stream in the quiet room.

They chatted about funny things that happened at the beginning of the semester, the nervousness they felt when their kitten was spayed, and the abstract signal drawn on the note that A-Jie was caught passing a note to Yang Yi-Shui during self-study class...

Every little detail is the most vibrant and bright color in the three years of high school.

The stories of youth whisper between the lips, making time seem to flow back to those busy yet golden afternoons.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but Shen Yuan habitually wanted to check the time.

He touched the cold phone screen with his fingertips and pressed it lightly.

The screen lit up instantly, the glaring numbers piercing the warm, nostalgic atmosphere:

21: 47.

"Almost 10 o'clock?!"

He exclaimed softly. He had been so engrossed in his memories that he hadn't even noticed how quickly time had slipped through his fingers. He hadn't realized that almost three hours had passed in a flash!
Li Zhiye followed his gaze to the screen, her bright eyes widening instantly: "Ah?!"

She subconsciously leaned out of Shen Yuan's arms, as if to confirm that she wasn't seeing things, "...We...we've been talking for this long?"

The lingering glow of the evening sun had long been replaced by the thick, impenetrable night sky, and deep blackness poured in through the windowpanes.

In the silence, one could almost hear the low hum of the air conditioner unit downstairs, and the occasional sparse traffic passing by on the distant street.

“Yes…” Shen Yuan let out a long sigh, his tone mixed with surprise and a hint of inexplicable melancholy.

He flipped his phone over, and the last light before the screen went out illuminated his slightly amused and exasperated expression.

It turns out that the seemingly endless days of high school, condensed into memories at this moment, can be so easily blown away.

He suddenly realized something, frowned slightly, and his voice carried a hint of doubt.

"Strange... It's so late, why hasn't my mom... or your parents come to call us? Usually, my mom would be urging me to come home by now, it's so quiet today."

Li Zhiye paused for a moment, then thought for a moment and guessed, "Maybe... Uncle and Aunt haven't gone back yet? Or maybe they didn't want to bother you since you were in my room?"

As she spoke, she herself seemed a little unsure, and her gaze unconsciously drifted toward the closed door.

The two fell silent almost simultaneously.

The subtle sounds that had been lingering in my solitude and memories seemed to be instantly shut out by an invisible barrier.

They held their breath and listened intently.

Outside--

A silence.

The sound of dishes being cleared from the living room? No.

The parents talking in hushed tones? No.

Is there any background noise from the TV? No.

Even the slightest sound of moving around and opening/closing the door has disappeared without a trace.

Only the distant, indistinct urban noise outside the window, and the soft, close breathing of each other, are amplified infinitely in this profound silence.

The silence was unusual, as if the two of them were the only ones left in the room.

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi exchanged a glance, both with the same confusion and a hint of barely perceptible tension in their eyes.

It's an instinctive reaction when you suddenly encounter unknown silence in an overly familiar environment.

Shen Yuan gestured for her to be quiet, then pointed to the closed door.

Li Zhixin understood, her beautiful eyes widened slightly, she nodded, and held her breath.

The two of them got up quietly from the bedside. Li Zhi followed Shen Yuan carefully, her body almost pressed against his back, afraid of making any unnecessary noise.

Shen Yuan placed his hand on the cold doorknob, his movements extremely light and slow, making almost no metallic scraping sound.

He took a deep breath and, with minimal effort, opened the door a crack.

The warm yellow light eagerly spilled out of the room, casting a narrow band of light in the darkness outside the door.

Shen Yuan and Li Zhi held their breath and squinted, peering through the narrow gap into the pitch-black living room.

Darkness, like thick ink, heavily filled the entire space.

The lively voices have vanished without a trace, leaving only emptiness.

Their parents have vanished without a trace.

Outside the door, there was utter darkness and silence.

Shen Yuan: "..."

Li Zhi: "..."

The two remained frozen in their peeping posture, their bodies stiffened at the doorway, their expressions frozen.

It was the same sense of bewilderment and confusion.

Four eyes stared wide open, filled with huge question marks, which were particularly clear in the dim light shining through the crack in the door.

Shen Yuan blinked subconsciously, then blinked again, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

He turned his head slightly to look at Li Zhi, who was standing close behind him.

Li Zhiye looked up at him blankly, her beautiful eyes filled with the same confusion as his.

Where are the people? Where are the lights? Where is the sound?
I was just tidying up outside a moment ago!
The two stood facing each other through the crack in the door, stunned for several seconds.

A silent question mark filled the air.

Shen Yuan pursed his lips and carefully closed the door again.

With a soft click, the door lock clicked shut, completely shutting out the inexplicable darkness outside.

Turning around, with their backs against the cold door, Shen Yuan and Li Zhi looked at each other's still-dazed expressions, unsure of what to say.

The warmth and sweetness of the room seemed to be somewhat shattered by this sudden "empty city" incident, replaced by a sense of absurdity tinged with amusement. They silently walked back to the bedside and sat down side by side again.

The soft mattress sank slightly.

Shen Yuan didn't speak immediately. He bent one long leg, rested his elbow on his knee, gently rubbed his chin with his fingertips, frowned slightly, and stared blankly at the corner of the desk by the window.

The deathly silence outside the door flashed through my mind.

A thought suddenly surfaced uncontrollably, carrying a complex mix of disbelief, embarrassment, and sudden realization.

He had previously only noticed his parents' unusual "leniency" tonight, but now that "leniency" seemed to have a rather clear purpose...

He suddenly turned his head, his gaze landing precisely on Li Zhi beside him.

Li Zhi was startled by his sudden movement and was about to ask, "What are you thinking about?" when she saw that the confusion in the depths of Shen Yuan's dark eyes had vanished.

Instead, there was a smile that was a mixture of understanding and a certain meaningfulness.

That smile was so complex and so familiar that it made Li Zhi's heart skip a beat, and her cheeks began to feel faintly hot again.

Shen Yuan leaned forward slightly, getting closer to her, and asked clearly in a low voice, with a hint of playfulness and blatant teasing.

“Li Bao,”

He drew out the words, his eyes fixed on her ears, which had instantly turned pink, and her eyes, which began to dart away.

"You mean... what do your uncle, aunt, and parents mean?"

Before she finished speaking, Li Zhi's cheeks flushed bright red, like a ripe peach.

Just moments ago, only her earlobes were flushed pink, but now the blush spread rapidly, burning from her cheeks all the way down to her slender neck, becoming unmistakable under the warm yellow light.

The light clearly illuminated her embarrassed expression; her beautiful eyes widened instantly, filled with the panic of having her thoughts exposed and the annoyance of being seen through.

"Shen Yuan! You—!!!"

The girl's voice was both shy and anxious, almost cracking.

She couldn't hold back any longer. Without thinking, her slender legs, filled with shame and anger from being teased, kicked Shen Yuan's shin hard!
"Who cares what they mean! Just shut up!!!"

The warm sensation coming from her ankle brought her kicking motion to an abrupt halt.

Shen Yuan's hand swiftly and accurately intercepted the slender ankle before it could fall.

His palms gently enveloped her delicate ankles, the pressure light yet soothing, leaving no room for escape.

Li Zhi's body stiffened slightly, and she stared at him with wide eyes, clearly seeing his deep, smiling pupils reflected in them.

Shen Yuan did not let go; instead, he gently rubbed her slightly cool ankle with the pad of his thumb while still in that position.

He leaned slightly closer, his deep voice carrying a hint of languor and an indescribable ambiguity, clearly reaching her ear:

"Hey, Li Bao..."

His gaze fell on the small, white foot in his palm, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice became softer and deeper.

"...It seems like it's been a while since I massaged your feet?"

His fingertips seemed to carry an electric current as he gently scraped across the sensitive skin on the inside of his ankle.

Li Zhi felt an indescribable tingling and itchy sensation coming from the ankle he was holding, which instantly spread throughout her body, causing her toes to involuntarily curl up.

"Shen Yuan!"

Li Zhi's face flushed even deeper, almost as if it were about to bleed.

She was both ashamed and anxious, and she scolded him clearly, word by word: "You...you better behave yourself! You've only just finished the exam and you're already causing trouble!"

She tried to mask her racing heartbeat and her body's honest reaction with a fierce tone, but the slightly trembling tone at the end betrayed her unease.

A low, pleasant laugh escaped Shen Yuan's throat, a laugh tinged with knowingness and mischief, like a feather tickling her eardrums.

Instead of letting go, he gently caressed her slightly cool, sensitive ankle with his fingertips, his eyes playfully fixed on her blushing earlobes and evasive gaze.

"Oh?" He drawled, a playful smile curving his lips, his voice lower and more teasing.
"Li Bao—what are you thinking about?"

Shen Yuan looked at her, embarrassed and speechless because her thoughts had been exposed, and then innocently pinched her slender ankle in his palm, speaking as frankly as a gentleman.

"I just thought you looked tired today, so I thought I'd give you a foot massage. Why... are you so nervous?"

"Shen Yuan!!!" Li Zhi was so angry at his distorted words that she almost choked. She was overwhelmed with shame and anger.

What foot massage?!
His eyes, his movements, his tone... it was clearly...!
Overwhelmed with shame, she was speechless, feeling utterly detestable the handsome face with the wicked grin before her!
"You...you bad dog!"

She could only squeeze out these words angrily, her voice filled with the exasperation of being mocked and a heavy nasal tone.

No longer caring about the ankle being held, he kicked Shen Yuan with his other free foot without thinking!

Shen Yuan reacted swiftly, his other hand flashing out to precisely catch her ankle as she made her second "attack".

Now, Li Zhi's two slender ankles were firmly held in his warm palms, unable to move.

"Hey! Let go!" Li Zhi stubbornly raised her small chin.

Looking at her puffed-up yet incredibly cute appearance, Shen Yuan's initial pleasure of teasing her was replaced by tenderness.

He chuckled softly, and instead of letting go, he exerted a little force, pulling himself slightly towards Li Zhi.

"Alright, alright, I was wrong, Li Bao." Shen Yuan's voice was tinged with laughter, yet it also clearly conveyed a sense of surrender.

He lowered his head and rubbed his chin against the top of her soft hair, like soothing a ruffled kitten.

"It was my fault. I shouldn't have teased our teacher, Ms. Li. I admit defeat."

As he spoke, he slowly released his grip on her ankle and instead wrapped his arms around her gently and firmly.

The force carried an undeniable possessiveness, yet it was also full of soothing meaning.

Li Zhi was held tightly in his arms, her cheek pressed against his warm chest beneath his school uniform. The anger and embarrassment she had felt earlier seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon.

She gave him a couple of light punches on the chest, barely a tickle, and a muffled voice came from his chest: "...You bad boy! You just like to bully people!"

"Yes, I'm a bad guy." Shen Yuan readily admitted, his deep voice ringing out above her head, with a coaxing, sticky tone.

"Then... Lord Li Bao is magnanimous and will forgive this scoundrel this time? Hmm?"

Li Zhi snuggled closer to him, not saying a word, but her tense body visibly relaxed, leaving only a soft humming sound.

The room was once again enveloped in an intimate tranquility.

Shen Yuan gently stroked Li Zhi's back, feeling her gradually calming breathing and the softness of her body.

"So... Li Bao, we agreed to travel as a couple, when are you planning to leave?"

He paused, then added, his tone revealing undisguised anticipation.

"Where would you like to go first? Qiandao Lake? Or somewhere else? Shall we leave tomorrow? Or in a few days?"

Li Zhi lifted her face from his embrace, and the warm yellow light cast shimmering golden rays in her eyes.

The girl wrinkled her delicate nose, poked his impatient brow with her fingertip, and said in a drawn-out, coquettish tone, "What's the rush—"

She suddenly cupped his cheeks in her hands, pressing his restless head down slightly, their breaths mingling as their foreheads touched: "Let's enjoy these few days..."

"Sleep until you naturally wake up in the morning, relax on the sofa and play games in the afternoon, and watch a movie together in the evening."

The girl's eyes were full of anticipation, and she poked Shen Yuan with her slender fingers: "I want to eat lots more ice cream! You can't refuse!"

Shen Yuan caught her mischievous fingers, lowered his head and bit the tip of her finger, causing the girl to gasp softly.

His chest trembled slightly with laughter: "Yes, darling. I'll do whatever you say."

(End of this chapter)