I'm a senior in high school, and the Emperor Development System has arrived!

Chapter 125 Junior, don't expect your senior to take the blame for the trouble you've caused.
Chen Zhou's palms were warm and dry, his fingertips gently gripping Jiang Yutong's fingers, the pressure neither too light nor too heavy, yet it made her heart pound.

This isn't just holding hands; it's absolute capture and control!

His palm was like a scorching furnace with a binding force, locking his hand firmly inside.

Jiang Yutong recalled certain images, and her fingertips trembled slightly, as if she had been gently pricked by an electric current. The tingling sensation spread from her fingertips to her wrists, and then burned all the way to her ears.

Her mind went blank, and she could only hear her own rapid breathing.

Jiang Yutong never imagined that holding hands would feel like this—

His knuckles pressed against hers, their temperatures mingling, and even the pulse could be clearly felt.

Time seemed to stretch out, each second like it was broken down into countless frames:

The feeling of the wind blowing through his hair, the faint scent of laundry detergent on his cuffs, and his heart pounding uncontrollably.

"Your heart is beating fast, class monitor."

Chen Zhou suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with amusement:

"So nervous?"

Jiang Yutong then realized that her heartbeat was incredibly loud, almost bursting out of her chest.

She instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but Chen Zhou held it firmly.

"do not move!"

He whispered:

"Only twenty seconds have passed."

Chen Zhou's thumb unconsciously rubbed against the back of her hand, the calluses on his fingertips brushing against her delicate skin, sending a slight shiver through him.

Jiang Yutong's breath hitched, her eyelashes trembled slightly, but she didn't dare to look up at him.

"Thirty seconds."

Chen Zhou reminded her softly, his voice carrying a hint of amusement, his warm breath brushing against her ear.

Jiang Yutong stared intently at the ground, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest.

She had never been so close to anyone before, and she never imagined that her first time holding hands would be under such coercion.

Time passes little by little.

Just as Jiang Yutong was getting used to his body temperature, Chen Zhou suddenly let go of her hand and smiled faintly:
"Okay, time's up."

Jiang Yutong subconsciously curled her empty fingertips, a strange sense of loss welling up inside her, which she forcibly suppressed.

She turned her face away, her ear tips flushed red.

"Is it okay now?"

Chen Zhou, hands in his pockets, smiled slyly:
“Okay, no one will know your identity as ‘White Peach’ until noon tomorrow.”

Jiang Yutong was taken aback—

Is it only valid until today?
What about tomorrow? What about the day after tomorrow? Am I supposed to keep being threatened by him?
She clenched her fists, her knuckles turning slightly white, and was about to retort when she saw Chen Zhou suddenly put away his playful expression and raise his hand to rub the back of his head.

"How was your acting, class monitor? Not bad, right? Don't be nervous, I was just kidding."

Jiang Yutong's expression faltered slightly:
"What's the meaning……"

Chen Zhou's lips curled up slightly:

"Didn't you say you were planning to start a new book? I was just thinking of helping you find some 'exciting' inspiration?"

Jiang Yutong froze, blinked, and was momentarily incredulous.

Chen Zhou shrugged, his tone light:
"A young female writer experiences a heart-pounding storyline—how about that, pretty thrilling today?"

"you"

Jiang Yutong was speechless for a moment, her cheeks burning:

"This kind of joke isn't funny at all."

"But it works, doesn't it?"

Chen Zhou tilted his head to look at her, and smiled:

"So, tell me, do you have any inspiration?"

Jiang Yutong bit her lower lip.

She had to admit that the racing heart she felt earlier had indeed given her new creative ideas.

"It seems like it is."

Chen Zhou nodded in satisfaction:

"As a die-hard fan of Bai Tao, I can say that I have completed my mission for today."

Jiang Yutong then realized what was happening, her cheeks flushed even redder, and she glared at him, embarrassed and annoyed.
"You! Your acting is so convincing!"

She raised her hand and slapped his chest:
I thought you really were...

Chen Zhou caught her wrist with lightning speed, raising an eyebrow and smiling:
"What is this? A beast in human clothing who uses his shady secrets to coerce a beautiful young writer?"

Jiang Yutong was speechless, and after a long pause, she finally managed to squeeze out a sentence:
"More or less!"

—But the scene just now was so vivid; perhaps it could be included in a new book.
She pursed her lips and stole a glance at him, only to see Chen Zhou staring at her with a mischievous smile in his eyes.

She immediately turned her face away, pretending to adjust her cuffs to hide her burning ears.

"but……"

Chen Zhou suddenly became serious and grabbed Jiang Yutong's wrist:
"White Peach, if you don't cooperate with this fan's insistence on more updates, I don't mind revealing your secret to the public~"

Seeing Chen Zhou's serious expression, Jiang Yutong realized that he was not joking.

However, it was still within her acceptable range.

This feeling is simply that the online performance a few days ago was moved offline by Chen Zhou.

Whether it's the sense of experience or the thrill, the real thing far surpasses the virtual one.

Jiang Yutong looked at Chen Zhou and said softly:

"Okay... I'll listen to you, my die-hard fan."

Chen Zhou snorted and then released her wrist.

But just then, a strong gust of wind suddenly struck, and Jiang Yutong's long, loose hair danced in the wind.

Chen Zhou glanced at the weather and said:

"It looks like it's going to rain, Squad Leader Jiang, shall we head back?"

Jiang Yutong nodded, obediently agreeing:

"it is good."

However, at this moment——

With a loud bang, the iron gate was slammed shut by the wind.

Jiang Yutong's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively grabbed Chen Zhou's sleeve.

"Don't panic."

Chen Zhou's voice was soft, yet it inexplicably reassured her:
"I'll go take a look."

He walked to the door and pushed it, but it didn't budge.

Jiang Yutong bit her lower lip, her nails unconsciously digging into her palm.

If they were discovered alone on the rooftop...

She dared not imagine what her classmates would say.

"What should I do now?"

Jiang Yutong leaned closer, frowned as she looked at Chen Zhou, and her voice carried a hint of panic:
"The door can only be opened from the inside."

Chen Zhou remained calm. After realizing he couldn't open the door, he leaned lazily against the wall, hands in his pockets.

"What's the rush? We still have plenty of time for lunch break. If we don't see us in the afternoon, our classmates will definitely ask the homeroom teacher to look for us."

"But."

Jiang Yutong bit her lip:

"If someone sees us here alone..."

"What are you afraid of?"

Chen Zhou shrugged and said with a nonchalant laugh:
"We haven't done anything shameful."

Jiang Yutong glared at him, but couldn't refute him.

She walked to the railing, looked at the distant playground, and tried to calm her still somewhat erratic heartbeat.

"Speaking of which, the class monitor..."

Chen Zhou suddenly asked:

When did you find out I was following your book?

Jiang Yutong glanced at him, her tone indifferent:

"I knew that from the fact that you joined the book club."

What were your feelings at the time?

Chen Zhou pressed on with great interest.

Jiang Yutong suppressed a laugh and pretended to be calm:

"I'm a little nervous, afraid that my classmates will find out I wrote something suggestive."

After a pause, she added:
"Later it felt a little exciting, but I got used to it eventually. Anyway, you're quite an interesting person."

Chen Zhou chuckled softly, his voice deep:

"Don't be obsessed with me, I'm just a legend."

Jiang Yutong ignored his nonsensical ramblings, hesitated for a moment, her heart pounding with anxiety, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes: "...So do you think it's strange that I write borderline fiction?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhou said incredulously:
"How is that strange? It's absolutely hot, Thai pants!"

Jiang Yutong was taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing, her eyes crinkling into crescents.
"What kind of adjective is that?"

Chen Zhou smiled, but quickly became serious again, looking directly at her:

"Actually, I've been reading online novels since elementary school, and I always vote for my favorite works every day. I also often vote for them with monthly tickets."

"Later, I got tired of reading many novels. I even tried writing one in junior high school and barely got a contract, but I gave up because of my studies."

He paused, his voice gentle:
"So no matter what you write, I really admire your ability to balance studying and writing. In my heart, Bai Tao will always be the best!"

Jiang Yutong felt a warmth in her heart and was about to say something when laughter suddenly came from outside the door:
"Quick, there's no one here!"

Someone's coming up?
Chen Zhou reacted quickly, grabbing her wrist and practically dragging her behind the water tank.

The water tank is not large, just over two or three cubic meters.

Only two people could barely squeeze in from behind.

In the cramped space, her back was pressed tightly against his chest, and she could even feel the rise and fall of his breathing.

"Don't make a sound."

His breath tickled her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

Jiang Yutong held her breath, her heart pounding like a drum.

Chen Zhou's hand gently protected her shoulder, the scent of hormones lingering around her nose.

Too close.
She was so close that she could count the fine hairs on his cheek.

Judging from the conversation, they are a young couple.

The couple pushed open the door and entered; the boy had his arm around the girl's waist, and his voice was cloying.
"There's no one here, want a kiss?"

Jiang Yutong's whole body stiffened.

She could feel Chen Zhou's hand tightening silently, his thumb gently stroking the inside of her wrist, as if to soothe her.

This action reminded her of the "holding hands" from earlier, and her ears started to burn again.

The girl playfully pushed him away:
"Stop fooling around, what if someone's there?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Who would go up to the rooftop at this hour?"

The boy didn't think much of it and leaned down to kiss her.

Jiang Yutong was stiff all over and dared not move.

Chen Zhou silently tightened his grip on her wrist, his fingertips gently stroking it, as if to comfort her.

Just then, a mosquito buzzed in and landed precisely on Jiang Yutong's face.

She instinctively slapped—

"Snapped!"

The crisp sound was particularly jarring on the quiet rooftop.

"Who's there?"

The boy looked up alertly, his gaze sweeping towards the water tank.

Jiang Yutong's heart was about to jump out of her throat.

She felt Chen Zhou's body tense up instantly, and his arms wrapped around her without her noticing, as if he wanted to hide her in the shadows.

"No, don't go there."

The girl grabbed the boy's arm, her voice trembling:

"What if it's a teacher?"

Time seemed to freeze.

Jiang Yutong could feel Chen Zhou's breathing become lighter and slower, his chest pressing against her back, rising and falling.

The distance was too close; close enough that she could smell the faint scent of laundry detergent on him, mixed with a hint of sweat.

The boy hesitated for a few seconds, but was eventually pulled away by the girl.

Only when the footsteps completely disappeared did the two of them breathe a sigh of relief.

"call--"

Jiang Yutong then realized that her palms were sweaty and her legs were weak.

Chen Zhou was the first to step out of the hiding place. When he looked back at her, his eyes held a mischievous smile:
"Was the material you just presented exciting enough, Mr. Jiang?"

She glared at him, but couldn't help laughing too:
"How dare you say that!"

"Let's go."

Chen Zhou looked at the open iron gate, turned back and smiled at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes:

"Next time you're looking for inspiration, remember to bring mosquito repellent."

Jiang Yutong glared at him, but couldn't help but smile slightly.

……

Chen Zhou stood in the corridor, slurping up fried noodles. The lunch break bell had already rung twice.

Before Jiang Yuyan entered the classroom, he quickly finished the last few strands of vermicelli.

Just as I was about to throw the takeout box into the trash can outside the classroom, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of my eye.

Jiangxia.

She even wore her hair in a small ponytail today, the ends swaying gently with her steps.

Chen Zhou felt a little curious and subconsciously called out:
"Lao Xia!"

Jiang Xia paused, her profile appearing particularly aloof in the sunlight.

She merely glanced at Chen Zhou, her eyes filled with a detachment he had never seen before, before turning and walking upstairs without looking back.

Chen Zhou's hand, holding the trash, froze in mid-air.

Something is wrong, so wrong.

Jiang Xia would never treat him like this—

I didn't wait for him to go to school this morning, and now I'm completely ignoring him.

He squinted, watching Jiang Xia's figure disappear around the corner of the stairs, then suddenly pushed up his non-existent glasses and activated [Insightful Insight]:
[Jiang Xia: I will never forgive you for what you did with Lu Mi last night!]

Chen Zhou almost choked on his own saliva.

That's it!

He couldn't help but rub his forehead. No wonder Jiang Xia was acting so strangely today; it turned out that Lu Mi had seen him sleeping in his bed last night.

No wonder he was nowhere to be seen this morning, and he didn't wait for me to go to school. He was ignoring me just now.

The case is solved. Everything is solved.

Shaking his head, Chen Zhou hummed a song and strolled back to the classroom.

As he passed Jiang Yutong's seat, she was engrossed in writing something. Upon noticing his gaze, she immediately covered her notebook with her arm, her ears turning red.

He raised an eyebrow and smiled, not disturbing her work.

The first class in the afternoon is math.

After class, Chen Zhou went to the door of Class 2 and knocked on the window next to Jiang Xia's seat.

"what?"

Jiang Xia's voice was eight octaves lower than usual.

Chen Zhou leaned closer and twitched his nose:

Can you smell anything sour?

Jiang Xia frowned:

"what?"

"It smells like vinegar."

Chen Zhou's eyes crinkled with laughter:

"The smell of someone spilling a jar of vinegar."

Jiang Xia's face flushed red, and she gripped the pen tightly in her hand:

"I do not know what you're talking about."

Chen Zhou's voice was calm and even, yet it contained a hint of teasing:
"I mean, someone's jealous."

Jiang Xia gently turned his head to the side:
"I want you to manage."

Chen Zhou exclaimed and laughed, saying:
"I knew it! Let me guess again..."

He pretended to be deep in thought, then suddenly realized something and said:
"You're definitely jealous of Lu Mi!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia trembled, then turned her head, her gaze fixed on Chen Zhou, tears glistening in her eyes.

"You know you still ask?"

Chen Zhou suddenly faced another dilemma:

"But all I can think of is that you're jealous of her, but I don't know why you're jealous of her..."

Jiang Xia snorted:
"Asking knowingly."

Chen Zhou sighed, a playful smile appearing at the corner of his mouth:
"Maybe... I should ask Lu Mi to find out the truth?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Jiang Xia's eyes as she looked at him.

Chen Zhou just smiled faintly.

Junior, you caused this mess yourself, don't expect your senior to take the blame!
(End of this chapter)