After witnessing Han Wenwen's lifestyle, Xiao Heqing finally realized that the gap between two people could indeed be vaster than the gap between humans and dogs.
Though they seemingly shared the same routine of going to school and coming home, their actual experiences were worlds apart.
Out of the blue, Han Wenwen asked, "By the way, when we were talking about whether anyone had ever confessed their feelings to you, why did you freeze for a second? Did you think of someone? Is there a boy you like?"
Xiao Heqing blushed too hard to answer, stammering in a complete fluster.
Han Wenwen let out an understanding smile. "Alright, pretend I didn't ask. Let's eat." She had, of course, seen right through her.
That night, when Xiao Heqing returned home, she told Lin Zhengran all about the rare events of the day.
In truth, she secretly hoped for bizarre things to happen every day just so she could call Lin Zhengran. Otherwise, she wouldn't have any excuse to call him—she couldn't exactly say she just missed him.
Leaning against the headboard of her bed that evening, Xiao Heqing sat bathed in the glow of her desk lamp. Dressed in her little white pajamas, she held her mother's phone and chatted with a certain someone.
"Lin Zhengran, let me tell you, I helped a female classmate today. She's really pretty and has a lot of boys chasing after her, and then... we had lunch together."
Xiao Heqing wanted to share every single detail, but feeling that gossiping about a classmate wasn't very nice, she picked and chose her words.
As a result, Lin Zhengran was utterly baffled. "Keep going."
Twirling her ponytail around her finger with her free hand, Xiao Heqing replied, "There is no 'keep going.' That's it."
Lin Zhengran was speechless. "..."
Xiao Heqing was equally quiet. "..."
Then she broke the silence. "What have you been up to lately? Are you still going to school and coming home all by yourself?"
"Pretty much, though sometimes there's someone else," he replied.
"Huh?" She blinked in confusion. "A girl?"
"Yeah, female."
Xiao Heqing's expression instantly fell. Her eyes grew red and teary as her imagination ran wild. In a split second, she pictured this mysterious girl eating with him, walking home with him, practicing Taekwondo with him on weekends, and even cuddling with him during afternoon naps.
But then she heard Lin Zhengran add, "My neighbor went on a long trip recently and left her little female dog at our house. It keeps following me whenever I head home."
Startled, Xiao Heqing clutched her chest and broke into a relieved smile through her near-tears. "So it's just a puppy! What about besides the puppy?"
"No one else. Oh, wait, there is."
"Who?!"
"My parents."
Xiao Heqing breathed another sigh of relief. Every time she chatted with Lin Zhengran, she felt like she was bouncing between heaven and hell. She murmured softly, "Then, once I'm back, I'll walk to and from school with you... Oh, right, Lin Zhengran, I have a question for you."
She remembered the question Han Wenwen had asked her earlier that day, which had made her want to ask Lin Zhengran the exact same thing.
Before fourth grade, little kids didn't really have a deep understanding of the word "like." But from fourth grade onward, the word seemed to pop up with increasing frequency.
"Lin Zhengran, I'm a little curious. Over the past two years, has... has any girl confessed to you?"
"The things you're curious about are getting weirder by the day," he replied bluntly. "Yes."
Xiao Heqing knew it! Her tone grew tense. "I knew it... Have there been a lot?"
"Not many. You know I don't like chatting with little girls. I find it annoying, so I have zero interest in them."
He Qing thought, "I'm a little girl too. Does he find chatting with me annoying? But annoying or not, I don't care. I'll annoy you all I want..."
Of course, she wouldn't dare say that out loud, lest she get scolded.
Xiao Heqing continued twirling her hair with her small hand, examining her split ends as the conversation lulled for a moment.
Lin Zhengran asked, "We've chatted long enough today. Nothing else, right? I'm going to hang up."
"Wait, there is! Don't hang up yet!" Xiao Heqing racked her brain for something else to say. "Let's talk a bit more... just a little bit. The chicken cutlet rice at the cafeteria today was really good..."
"Is that so? Bring me a portion if you get the chance then."
"Okay."
"Okay, my foot. Didn't you say your cafeteria's menu changes every day? Who knows if they'll even have chicken cutlet rice again. Besides, who hasn't eaten chicken cutlet rice before?"
Xiao Heqing sneakily stuck out her tongue, looking perfectly happy despite being scolded.
Although Lin Zhengran had shared some updates about his life with Xiao Heqing that night, there was one thing he hadn't mentioned. After all, Xiao Heqing didn't know the person involved, and he himself still hadn't figured out the full story.
Early the next morning, Lin Zhengran packed his schoolbag and casually checked his status panel.
Two years had passed, and Lin Zhengran was once again nearing the level thirty bottleneck. However, it was true that the higher the level, the slower the progression.
[Today's weather is overcast, with possible rain. You are engaged in daily cultivation.]
[Current Spiritual Qi Level: 28]
[Your Total Attributes are:]
[Strength: 8]
[Energy: 9]
[Physical Strength: 13]
[Charm: 11]
[Strength Evaluation: Unrivaled in the Newbie Village.]
"Ranran, it's time for school. The weather is bad today, do you need to bring an umbrella?" Lin Yingjun asked as he put on his leather shoes.
Lin Zhengran walked to the entrance and opened the door. "I have one at school, so there's no need."
After his dad drove him to the elementary school, Lin Zhengran entered the classroom and glanced at an empty seat near the door. It was Jiang Xueli's desk; the two of them were still in the same class.
She hadn't arrived yet.
Mornings in the classroom were always a cacophony of noise, which only died down when Jiang Xueli, sporting twin tails, walked through the door. Some students looked at her and abruptly stopped talking.
Jiang Xueli, who used to always be so fierce and bossy in class, now looked as if she had lost half her life as she met everyone's looks of disgust. She returned to her seat.
She was no longer the disciplinary committee member, having been stripped of the position just two days ago. The reason stemmed from a bizarre incident that had occurred in the class.
The famously honest-to-a-fault class monitor, who had never once violated a rule, had secretly brought a cell phone to the classroom, only for it to go missing on the very first day. The following day, the class was organizing a small fundraiser. When the vice monitor collected the money, they found that half of it was missing.
The teacher was furious and demanded that whoever took it return it immediately. At the time, Jiang Xueli had taken the lead in sniffing out the thief, personally inspecting everyone's schoolbags one by one.
Yet, in the end, the missing items were found in her own bag. Not only did they find the money, but they also discovered the stolen cell phone shoved deep inside her desk cubby.
Jiang Xueli had panicked immediately. Seeing everyone's shocked expressions, she scrambled to explain, "I didn't steal it! I'm the disciplinary committee member, how could I steal everyone's money?! I didn't take this phone, either!"
The class was half-skeptical, at least until her deskmate, Jiang Xiao, stood up and accused her. "Jiang Xueli did take the money. I saw her when I came back to the classroom at noon."
Jiang Xueli stared at her deskmate in utter disbelief, her eyes trembling.
The classroom erupted into an uproar of furious whispering. Everyone looked at her differently now. The teacher revoked Jiang Xueli's position and notified her parents about the incident.
[Miss Jiang has been proven to have stolen silver taels and a Treasure Sword. You have some history with her and have noticed certain anomalies, but this matter is quite troublesome. To help or not to help represents two entirely different paths of fortune.]