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

Chapter 322 Why didn't they come to practice driving?
As dawn broke, warm dappled light shone through the gaps in the curtains onto the floor.

The room was filled with a languid and intimate atmosphere. The traces left from last night and the soreness in their bodies at this moment silently told the story of a new chapter in their relationship.

Shen Yuan looked at Li Zhiwei's slightly furrowed brows and her blushing cheeks, his eyes overflowing with doting affection.

He stopped teasing her, but instead squeezed her hand tighter, while his other hand gently massaged her sore lower back.

"Okay, I'll stop teasing you."

His deep voice was hoarse from the early morning, and also carried an undisguised indulgence.

"I'll be more careful next time... Now, sit properly."

Li Zhi felt the warmth from his palm and the just-right kneading pressure, and the annoying soreness seemed to be soothed a bit.

She gave him another reproachful glance, but that look had lost its offensive power and was more like a coquettish plea.

Following his force, she carefully adjusted her posture, supporting herself on his arm as she slowly sat up straight.

Her soft, long hair cascaded down her shoulders, revealing the clear marks on her neck and collarbone.

The soft sunlight fell on the two of them, outlining their silhouettes as they nestled together.

The air seemed to quiet down at that moment, with only each other's shallow breathing and the occasional birdsong coming from outside the window.

Shen Yuan's gaze fell on Li Zhi's face.

The girl's face, just awakened, looked exceptionally beautiful in the morning light, her fair skin glowing with a healthy rosy hue.

Although she looked a little tired, her radiance, nourished by love, was undeniable.

All the excitement of last night has settled into the softest and most reassuring satisfaction in my heart.

Li Zhiye looked up at him.

Her image was clearly reflected in the boy's eyes, and there was undisguised love in them.

His hands, massaging her lower back, conveyed a silent sense of protection.

The marks left from last night, under his focused gaze, were no longer sources of shyness, but rather sweet badges, proclaiming their belonging to each other.

Last night's passionate waves have now returned to the tranquil harbor of the morning light.

No words are needed; the shared transformation and the ever-deepening bond have already taken root and sprouted in our hearts.

Their eyes met silently.

Looking at the clear reflection of oneself in the other's eyes, seeing the tenderness and peace that exists because of each other, seeing the silent understanding of welcoming the future together.

Almost simultaneously, a happy smile, like ripples spreading from a pebble thrown into a still lake, quietly bloomed on Li Zhi's lips.

Immediately afterwards, Shen Yuan's lips couldn't help but curve upwards, and the smile in his eyes was like the crushed morning light, warm and bright.

Smile at each other.

Silence speaks louder than words.

The smile melted away the shame and annoyance of last night's indulgence, leaving only a heart full of sweetness and boundless anticipation for the future together.

On the windowsill, two cats flicked their tails, the sunlight gilding them with a golden edge, as if witnessing this brand new morning that belonged to the two of them.

Meanwhile, at the driving school training ground in the suburbs, the sunlight had become quite dazzling.

As Zhou Shaojie stepped out of the training car, his feet went numb from pressing the clutch, and his eyes instinctively swept across the training field.

"Hmm?" He frowned, realizing that Shen Yuan and Li Zhi had not yet arrived.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, returned to the back seat and switched places with He Zhiyu, then asked in confusion, "Hey? Where are Shen Yuan and Li Zhi? Didn't they come to driving practice today?"

Yang Ze was looking down at his phone. Hearing this, he didn't even look up, his glasses reflecting the light: "I didn't see it."

Zhuo Peipei also shook her head: "I didn't see them this morning."

Zhou Shaojie scratched his head, and with a bit of a boastful tone, shouted directly at the coach who was standing on the sidelines smoking, "Coach! Coach!"

The coach turned around at the sound, a cigarette between his fingers, and gestured with his chin: "What's up?"

"Where are Shen Yuan and Li Zhi? They're not here today. Shouldn't they be practicing around this time?"

The coach took a drag of his cigarette, exhaled a plume of smoke, and said with a hint of nonchalance, "Oh, those two. They've taken leave."

"You took leave?" Zhou Shaojie was taken aback.

"What happened? He was fine yesterday, why did he take leave? It's so sudden! Does the coach know why?"

The coach threw his cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out, then clapped his hands: "I don't know, their skills aren't that much worse than yours by just a day or two. You should worry about yourself! Look at your reverse parking, it's like drawing a dragon!"

"Damn it..." Zhou Shaojie shrank back after being scolded by the coach and muttered under his breath.

"What are those two up to...?"

Yang Ze finally looked up from his phone screen, stared at Zhou Shaojie's retreating figure, adjusted his glasses, and casually added, "What, missing Shen Yuan?"

"Get lost! What are you thinking about! Play on your phone! Do you even know how to reverse into a parking space?!"

"You're better than me! Your reverse parking is like you're drunk all over the place!"

Yang Ze spat at Zhou Shaojie: "Someone like you, once you learn to drive, the traffic police will stop you and test you for drunk driving."

"Damn it! Yang Ze, you bastard!" Zhou Shaojie was hit where it hurt, and instantly bristled, his face turning bright red.

"Stop this pot calling the kettle black! Come on, let's see who takes longer to reverse into the parking space!"

The training ground was filled with the roar of engines, mixed with Zhou Shaojie's unconvinced shouts and the coach's helpless, loud instructions.

The sun grew increasingly intense, scorching the concrete ground, and the shadows of the camphor trees shrank into a single mass.

Sweat dripped down the teenagers' foreheads, and their worries seemed to be briefly forgotten in the heat and busyness.

At least for the two who are not present at the moment, the troubles have taken on a sweeter form.

In the room, sunlight had already covered most of the floor.

Finally, with Shen Yuan's help, Li Zhi tried to leave the bed that held so many memories of last night's romance and this morning's embarrassment.

My feet tentatively touched the soft carpet, just as I was about to take a step—

"hiss--"

A sharp, aching sensation, accompanied by an unspeakable discomfort, suddenly exploded from her waist and legs, freezing her steps in mid-air.

The girl's delicate eyebrows immediately furrowed in pain, and the tip of her small nose wrinkled as she endured the pain, gasping for breath.

"What's wrong?" Shen Yuan immediately noticed, and firmly wrapped his arms around her waist, taking most of her weight onto himself, his voice filled with tension.

"It still hurts?"

"What did you say?"

Li Zhi bit her lower lip, glared at him irritably, and her cheeks flushed even more brightly due to a mixture of embarrassment, anger, and pain.

She tried to shift her weight onto her other foot, moving cautiously with an awkward and stiff posture, each step accompanied by a hidden pain.

"It's all your fault..."

Her voice was filled with grievance and coquettishness, and she pinched Shen Yuan's strong arm hard with her fingertips as if venting her anger.

"They don't... they don't know how to care about people at all!"

The girl frowned, her voice low and urgent, filled with deep worry.

"Look at me now, I can barely walk, my back aches, my legs feel weak, and...it hurts! What if I run into my mom or Aunt Zhang when I go out later..."

The girl grew increasingly embarrassed and ashamed as she spoke, her cheeks burning hot. She suddenly gripped Shen Yuan's collar, her bright eyes glaring at him, her voice tinged with a panicked accusation:

"They'll definitely see right away that we...did something bad last night! It's all your fault! You bad dog!"

Shen Yuan winced as she pinched him, but his heart melted completely, and he let her lean against him for support as they moved.

He coaxed softly, "It's my fault, it's my fault... I'll definitely do it next time..."

"Next time?!" Li Zhi suddenly looked up, interrupting him with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. Her beautiful eyes widened even more, and she poked his firm chest hard with her fingertips.

"You need to think about what to do now, Shen Yuan! How am I supposed to go out like this?!"

Her voice was filled with obvious panic and helplessness. Her physical discomfort and the worry that her elders might see through her were intertwined, making her look like a frightened kitten.

Looking at her flustered and embarrassed appearance, Shen Yuan's eyes flashed with a mischievous smile, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper doting affection.

He held her firmly in his arms, preventing her from losing her balance due to excitement, then lowered his head, bringing his voice close to her flushed earlobe, his voice low and steady, carrying a soothing tone:

"Don't panic, Li Bao."

He paused, then gently stroked her waist with his fingertips to relieve her soreness.

"Look, isn't today Thursday?"

Li Zhi was taken aback by his question: "Thursday, so what?"

“Yes, Thursday.” Shen Yuan’s lips curled into a smile.

“On a weekday, early in the morning, my uncle, aunt, and my parents are all at work. They won’t be back until evening.”

He saw a glimmer of realization mixed with a hint of hope in Li Zhi's eyes and continued:
"So, we'll just stay in the room."

He tightened his arms around her, his voice languid.

"Anyway, it's summer vacation and you have nothing to do. You should rest and relax. You can go out later... um, when you feel better."

“But…” Li Zhi leaned against him, with most of her weight supported by him. Hearing this suggestion, she felt a little more at ease, but then she thought of a practical problem and her delicate brows furrowed again.

"Then, what about tonight?" She looked up at him, asking with a hint of dependence.

“They always come in the evening, and I always have to go out for dinner.”

The girl's voice was soft, tinged with worry.

Shen Yuan chuckled and squeezed her fingertips: "Silly. Just say we were too hungry and have already eaten, that's all."

He let go of one hand, reached for his phone on the bedside table, and waved it in front of her.

"Let's order takeout soon."

As Shen Yuan spoke, he wrapped his arm around Li Zhi's waist and gently pulled her back into his arms: "Don't worry about it. We've already been accepted, and I reckon our families are ready to leave us to our own devices now."

Li Zhi turned her head and glared at him, only to meet his smiling eyes.

"Hmph! It had better be as you say." The girl's voice carried a hint of spoiled threat, but her eyes revealed more dependence and acquiescence.

Her physical discomfort and shyness led her to temporarily accept the hiding plan.

The two spent the entire day in Shen Yuan's room.

The sunlight gradually shifted from the slanting rays of dawn to the blazing direct rays of the afternoon, and then to the gentle afterglow of dusk, silently drifting across the floor through the gaps in the curtains.

Inside the room, time seemed to be slowed down.

Li Zhi spent most of his time in bed, while Shen Yuan became his loyal servant.

He brought her a cushion to make her more comfortable, and carefully massaged her sore lower back with very light and gentle pressure.

The two snuggled together as they watched several movies, the light and shadow reflecting on their young faces, which held a secret sweetness.

Sometimes Li Zhi would lean on Shen Yuan's shoulder and whisper complaints about his grave sins, which would earn her a soothing kiss on the corner of her forehead with a low laugh.

Sangeng and Naonao jumped onto the bed in the afternoon, found a comfortable spot between their legs and took a nap, their satisfied snores filling the silence of the room.

As for food, it was naturally as Shen Yuan said – ordering takeout.

"You need to eat well to have the energy to recover."

His explanation sounded very dignified, but it earned him a glare from Li Zhi.

The food delivery arrived at my door quickly.

The aroma of food filled the room, diluting the faint, ambiguous warmth in the air.

The two quietly shared a simple dinner.

Li Zhi had a surprisingly good appetite, and Shen Yuan watched her eat in small bites with a relaxed expression.

Sure enough, around 6 p.m., the faint sounds of the door opening and my parents returning home could be heard from the living room.

Soon, Li Zhi's phone rang; it was Xu Chan calling.

"Hello, Mom?"

Li Zhi tried her best to make her voice sound normal.

"Zhizhi, where are you? Are you coming back for dinner?" Xu Chan's voice was full of concern.

Li Zhi glanced at Shen Yuan, who then mouthed something to her.

She cleared her throat and replied, "Mom, Shen Yuan and I are watching a movie in our room. This afternoon... um, we were so hungry that we ordered takeout and ate before evening. We're not hungry now, so don't call us for dinner tonight."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment.

"Oh... I see. Okay then, your dad and I will eat out. Do you want us to bring some over?"

"No need, I'm full. You and Dad eat, don't worry about me."

"Okay then." Xu Chan hung up the phone.

Almost simultaneously, Shen Yuan also received a similar inquiry from Zhang Yuyan.

He responded more naturally and smoothly, saying that the two of them were hungry in the afternoon and had eaten takeout in advance, and were now watching a movie, telling their parents not to worry.

Ms. Zhang Yuyan didn't seem to think much of it, and hung up after giving only a few simple instructions.

As the voices of her parents outside the door gradually faded into the distance, the tense atmosphere in the room finally eased.

Li Zhi let out a long sigh of relief, his body completely relaxing.

At this moment, the girl realized that after a day of rest, the annoying soreness had indeed lessened considerably.

She turned to look at Shen Yuan, and their eyes met in mid-air.

Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow at her, a hint of smug satisfaction on his face.

Li Zhi couldn't help but laugh. The embarrassment and nervousness from before had turned into a little secret between the two of them and the joy of a successful adventure after successfully getting away with it.

"Hmph! You pass." She muttered under her breath, a relieved and relaxed smile on her face.

Shen Yuan smiled and leaned closer, quickly pecking her lips, and whispered, "Of course, I can't let my wife suffer."

Shen Yuan reached out and gently pulled Li Zhi into his arms.

Li Zhi leaned against his chest obediently, listening to his steady heartbeat.

This day, from the chaos of the early morning to this peaceful embrace, was unexpectedly long but also unexpectedly reassuring.

(End of this chapter)