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

Li Zhi rolled her eyes and muttered, "But that’s my money!"

Shen Yuan quickly waved his hands dismissively. "Don’t be so stingy," he said with a laugh. "We can split it. Besides, we can even do live-stream PK battles. We’d make even more money that way!"

He spoke with such conviction, as if he could already see piles of cash waving at them.

Li Zhi’s eyes lit up. "You? You’d probably get completely crushed!"

Shen Yuan, however, was undeterred. He chuckled, "So what if I lose? It’s just a marketing tactic. There’s nothing embarrassing about making money."

Li Zhi rolled her eyes at him again. "If I actually get into a good school," she said peevishly, "I won’t have time to bother with any PK battles with you!"

Shen Yuan, however, was unfazed. "But there’s always a ’what if,’ right?" he said with a smile. "What if you don’t get in?"

Li Zhi was instantly annoyed. She huffed, "Hmph! So you’re jinxing me now, are you!"

Seeing her reaction, Shen Yuan quickly put on an apologetic smile and changed the subject. "Hey, by the way, assuming you got a high enough score, what do you think would be a reason for you *not* to go to Qingbei?"

Hearing this question, Li Zhi didn’t answer immediately.

Shen Yuan didn’t press her for an answer, and they walked on quietly on the way home.

After two or three minutes, their surroundings grew quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing in the air.

Shen Yuan’s mind was wandering when he suddenly heard Li Zhi’s voice, soft and close to his ear.

"Probably... something that would force me to stay," Li Zhi said, her tone calm and seemingly devoid of emotion.

Shen Yuan snapped out of his daze and glanced at Li Zhi. "For instance?" he asked.

Li Zhi thought for a moment before answering, "Zhejiang University’s offer was just too good."

Hearing this, Shen Yuan was stunned for a second before the corners of his lips curved upward and he let out a soft laugh.

He thought that while the reason was a bit blunt, it wasn’t without merit.

After all, most people would be tempted by such a generous offer.

"Well, you’d definitely have to stay then," Shen Yuan said with a laugh.

Li Zhi nodded, then turned to look at Shen Yuan.

A flicker of curiosity crossed her eyes. "What about you? What’s your goal?"

The question caught Shen Yuan by surprise. He was silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"If you’d asked me that before, I would’ve said a teaching or engineering school, something like that. But if you ask me now, all I can say is, I’m still leveling up."

Shen Yuan stared at Li Zhi intently, his voice taking on a teasing tone. "Maybe—and I’m just saying *maybe*—I’ll end up at the same university as you and continue to annoy you to death!"

At his words, Li Zhi rolled her eyes. "Same kindergarten, same elementary school, same middle school, same high school. Haven’t you had enough?"

A brilliant smile spread across Shen Yuan’s face. "To annoy you to death."

Li Zhi decided she was done talking to Shen Yuan.

"Whatever!"

Li Zhi tossed her head, her ponytail tracing a graceful arc through the air, and strode off toward the residential complex.

But Shen Yuan could clearly see the corners of her lips curve into a slight smile.

’Such a tsundere.’

...

The elevator slowed to a stop on the 19A floor. With a soft DING, the doors slid open.

Shen Yuan stepped out of the elevator and looked at Li Zhi, who was standing in front of her door. A smile touched his lips as he asked, "Want to come over to my place later?"

Hearing this, Li Zhi hesitated for a moment. Her gaze fell on Shen Yuan, and she seemed to be contemplating something.

Seeing her hesitation, Shen Yuan quickly added, "The break just started; no need to be so intense. We still have three days. It won’t be too late to do our homework together tomorrow."

As Li Zhi listened to Shen Yuan, the hand reaching for her keys paused. She scuffed the toe of her shoe lightly on the doormat, seeming to hesitate.

She happened to glance over and saw Shen Yuan’s hand, stuffed in his pants pocket, unconsciously fiddling with his keys. The soft clinking of metal was unusually clear in the quiet hallway.

"Fine."

She suddenly lifted her chin, the ends of her hair flicking over her shoulder as she pointed a slender index finger at Shen Yuan.

"But we have to start our papers at eight o’clock sharp."

Shen Yuan heard this and was about to open his mouth to protest, but Li Zhi quickly cut him off.

"Don’t even think about making excuses, or I’m not coming!"

Her voice carried a clear warning.

Hearing that, Shen Yuan immediately swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and adopted a look of compromise.

"I know, I know. But... where are we doing the homework?"

Li Zhi hooked a finger through her keychain, swinging it idly. The keys clinked together, making a crisp JINGLE.

She tilted her head slightly, and her ponytail slid forward, its ends brushing against her pale collarbone like a spring breeze rippling across the surface of a lake.

Under the hallway light, Li Zhi’s almond-shaped eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint.

"At your place, of course. And remember to have my ice cream ready."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Li Zhi unlocked her front door.

Before closing it, she flashed Shen Yuan a sweet smile.

Watching her smile, Shen Yuan thought, ’My childhood sweetheart is totally evolving into a femme fatale.’

’That’s kind of terrifying.’

Shen Yuan gave a small shudder, then went back to his own apartment.

His mom and dad weren’t home from work yet, so Shen Yuan was the only one there.

"Children, your father has returned!"

The moment he returned to his room, Shen Yuan’s voice sent two furry children scrambling around in a fit of parkour.

"Daddy has some good news for you. Your mommy is coming over later."