I'm in Senior Year, and the System Says I'm Going on a Blind Date with My Childhood Sweetheart

The shuttered internet cafe, the still-open pool hall, the photo studio with old pictures on display, and deep in the Old Street, the backyard of an old house draped in flowering vines.

A smile appeared on Shen Yuan’s face as he listened to the joyous laughter of children in the Old Street.

Each generation has its own Old Street.

But the Old Street that belonged to Shen Yuan existed only in his memories.

"Come on, come on! Shen Yuan, Li Zhi, stand over here!"

Yang Yishui directed Shen Yuan and Li Zhi into the backyard, which was covered in flowering vines.

Li Zhi was actually a little reluctant to take a picture with Shen Yuan. But in reality, Eldest Female Cousin had already taken a photo with him and another with her.

So, following that order, it was now time for her and Shen Yuan to take a photo together.

’How devious of you, Yang Yishui!’

Li Zhi reluctantly stood next to Shen Yuan.

Vines climbed the faded, blue-brick wall, their gnarled branches weaving a flowing canopy over the arched trellis.

Countless nameless flowers were still in bloom, even in late September.

Light purple petals, fully opened, swayed gently in the morning breeze above Shen Yuan and Li Zhi’s heads.

Dappled light filtered through the gaps in the vines and leaves, scattering across their sweatshirts like dancing flecks of gold foil.

"Shen Yuan, move a little to your left."

At the sound of Yang Yishui’s voice, Shen Yuan glanced at Li Zhi, then took a step closer to her.

Yang Yishui tapped the screen to focus. A satisfied smile spread across her face as she looked at the two of them in the viewfinder.

Old vines wound around the arched trellis, with light purple flowers blooming above their heads.

After framing the shot, Yang Yishui suddenly said, "Hey, don’t you two think this trellis looks like a Magpie Bridge?"

Morning light filtered through the vines, sprinkling fine golden motes on the ends of their hair as the petals trembled in the breeze.

The moment the words "Magpie Bridge" hung in the air, their gazes both drifted up, tracing the vines toward the canopy above.

The specks of light filtering through the trellis shattered into tiny stars in Shen Yuan’s pupils, while the line of Li Zhi’s upturned jaw was bathed in a soft, mother-of-pearl glow.

Perhaps it was the brush of clothing that stirred the air, or perhaps a heart beating too fast startled the slumbering morning breeze.

The warm, golden dawn light filtering through the trellis wove a moving web across their faces. Shen Yuan’s bobbing Adam’s apple and Li Zhi’s trembling lashes formed a curious chord amidst the motes of light.

As they brought their gazes down, two pairs of eyes, full of the morning sun, suddenly met. In that instant, the dust motes suspended in the air seemed to congeal into a river of stars.

Their crossing glances seemed to spin invisible threads through the fragrant air, silently linking the faint sheen of sweat on her nose to the subtle slide of his throat.

A flush bloomed from an ear, creeping down a neck.

As the flower shadows swayed, Shen Yuan suddenly felt a tightness in his throat, as if filled with morning mist. His fingertips unconsciously began to fiddle with the seam at the hem of his sweatshirt.

It was as if he were trying to knead the memory of their entangled gazes into the cotton’s interwoven threads.

The blush that began at Li Zhi’s ears had already spread down her neck to her collarbone. A mote of light filtering through the trellis landed right on the tip of her flushed nose, like a single star fallen from the Milky Way.

Shen Yuan’s hand hovered uncertainly at the edge of his pocket before he finally made a loose fist, bringing it to his lips to let out a soft cough.

"This stupid trellis needs fixing."

His mumble was thick and nasal, but it couldn’t hide the slight, granular tremor in his voice, like shifting sugar.

The tips of Li Zhi’s hair swayed quickly in the morning breeze.

"Mm!"

She dipped her chin in a hasty arc, like the leaf of a startled sensitive plant. Her flushed ears flickered in and out of sight behind wisps of her hair, like ripe cherries on a branch, being pushed by the wind to hide deep amongst the green leaves.

Yang Yishui said nothing, simply capturing the entire scene on video.

Watching the sweet, awkward scene unfold between the young couple before her, Yang Yishui’s knuckles, wrapped around her phone, trembled slightly as she held back her laughter. The crinkles at the corners of her eyes spread like unfurling flower petals.

’If these two actually get married,’ Eldest Female Cousin thought, ’I’d better get a seat at the head table.’

’And I’ll play this video on a loop at their wedding!’