Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten

After Pan Lin left the office, Jiang Jingshi smiled and led Lin Zhengran to the private kitchen specially built for him at the company.

It was actually Lin Zhengran’s first time visiting this kitchen. It was located on the third floor of a smaller building behind the main office. The first two floors were designated for employees to cook and eat, since the company didn’t have dorms yet. Only the General Manager’s and Vice General Manager’s offices had their own private bedrooms.

The kitchen on the third floor wasn’t very large, but it was refined and well-equipped.

When Lin Zhengran walked in and saw the shiny cooking utensils, along with the collection of wines and tableware stored in the cabinets, he couldn’t help but remark, “Jiang-jie really does have a kitchen wherever she goes.”

Jiang Jingshi took off her blazer and hung it on the wall, revealing a soft, white fitted shirt underneath. Her fair, delicate neck looked especially elegant.

Her figure was beautiful—nothing overtly eye-catching at a glance, but everything about her was perfectly proportioned, giving her a kind of classic, graceful silhouette.

“Well, it’s a hobby,” she said. “Speaking of which, what’s your hobby, Zhengran? I still don’t know.”

“Reading.”

“Hm?” She was taken aback.

Jiang Jingshi laughed. “That’s a pretty unusual hobby... common but uncommon. No wonder you’re good at everything.”

In his previous life, Lin Zhengran had loved reading all kinds of random books—novels, unofficial histories, encyclopedias, and even borderline inappropriate ones. He didn’t care for academic books, but he could get hooked on the strangest reads. He read so much that he’d forget half of it.

But in this life, thanks to the System treating reading as a form of cultivation, he’d started reading constantly. Not only could he cultivate by doing it—it was genuinely enjoyable for him now.

Jiang Jingshi was just about to start cooking when her phone rang again. Her expression turned a little annoyed. Normally, calls from Jiang Corporation didn’t bother her, even if they were tiring.

But today was different. She didn’t want to waste her precious time dealing with work—especially not work she couldn’t handle together with Lin Zhengran.

“Not answering?” he asked.

She looked at the phone and then at him, apologetic. “Sorry, Zhengran. Give me just a moment.”

She stepped aside to answer, giving instructions to whoever was on the line. After a few minutes, she added firmly:

“I have something important going on today. Unless it’s absolutely urgent, don’t call me again for now. Handle the client issues on your own. I’m hanging up.”

She returned, tied on her apron, and resumed cooking.

Lin Zhengran sat nearby on a stool. “Has it always been this busy over at Jiang Corporation?”

“Mm. I’m in charge of PR, after all. The company constantly needs me to attract investment or expand the client base. Most clients are easy to deal with, but the ones from other provinces can be a pain. They usually call me when they don’t know what to do.”

She let out a sigh.

“Not gonna lie, Jiang Corporation’s performance has actually been on a slow decline these past few years. Ever since the rise of the internet, a lot of the company’s old products just don’t have a market anymore. The only reason it hasn’t been obvious is because of the new projects I brought in.”

She added, “Of course, this isn’t some big secret. The internet’s wiped out a ton of old industries—especially for small individual businesses. Most of them can’t make money anymore.”

“So now that your focus has shifted here,” Lin Zhengran said, “the decline on that side’s become more noticeable, and they’re giving you even more work to make up for it. Feels like I dragged you over here.”

Jiang Jingshi paused, then turned with a smile. “Wasn’t I the one who pulled you in? I’m the one who asked to work with you, remember? How did this turn into you stealing me away?”

Lin Zhengran didn’t say anything more—they simply exchanged a look.

Then he suddenly sniffed the air. “Hey, the pan’s gonna burn.”

Jiang Jingshi snapped out of it and quickly flipped the food, a bit flustered.

Not just from almost burning the dish—but because what Lin Zhengran said had hit home. Especially from her parents’ perspective, it really did seem like she had been “poached,” since the general manager of this new company wasn’t her—it was Lin Zhengran.

But... she thought back to something from their childhood. Maybe it was just her personality. No matter how capable she was as a woman, she still wanted to follow the man she liked... instead of the other way around.

As he watched her back while she cooked, Lin Zhengran suddenly asked, “Jiang-jie, did we meet when we were kids?”

Her pupils widened, a blush creeping across her cheeks.

She froze for a moment, spatula in hand, then slowly resumed stirring.

Without turning around, she said softly, “Why do you ask? Did you remember something?”

Lin Zhengran recalled the countless pretty girls he’d met as a kid—too many to keep track of. And girls looked so different after growing up. It was nearly impossible to match a grown woman with a childhood encounter.

“It’s just a feeling,” he said. “You’ve been so kind to me from the very beginning. You said it was because you admired me, or because I was Jiang Qian’s classmate. But honestly, I’ve always had this faint feeling—maybe we met before?”

Jiang Jingshi’s lips curved gently. She spoke in a very quiet voice:

“You mean I’ve been too nice to you? You probably won’t believe it, but this is me being... already quite restrained.”

The last four words were barely audible—most people wouldn’t have caught them.

Then her voice grew louder, as she tried to shift the topic away. She didn’t want to emphasize that one childhood encounter.

If she really did end up with Lin Zhengran someday, she hoped it would be because he liked who she was now. That way, their childhood meeting could truly be called fate.

Otherwise... it would just be a twist of fate—close, but no real connection.

“Whether we met before or not,” she said, “what really matters is the future. That’s what’s most important.”

Lunch was soon ready. Lin Zhengran sat at the table in the private dining room, genuinely impressed.

Her dishes weren’t just delicious—they were plated like gourmet restaurant meals.

At the liquor cabinet, Jiang Jingshi asked, “Drink or soft drink?”

“Mm, I’ll skip the alcohol.”

As she reached for a bottle of soda, her steps faltered.

Lin Zhengran quickly stood up to catch her. “Careful!”

She stumbled slightly into his arms, face flushed. She steadied herself by holding his arm.

“I’m fine... my head just suddenly felt fuzzy. I don’t even know why…” Why do I keep falling into his arms? It’s like I’m doing it on purpose... but...

Lin Zhengran supported her gently. “Sit down and rest. Let me check.”

“Mm... that’s not necessary. Probably just sleep deprivation.”

“It’s just a quick check of your pulse. Don’t worry.”

They sat at the table, and Lin Zhengran took her wrist.

Blushing, she asked, “Nothing serious, right? Every time I think about how you even know how to check pulses, it blows my mind... you’re too talented.”

Lin Zhengran didn’t answer right away. Instead, he slowly looked up at her, brows furrowed.

This time was different—his All-Knowing Mastery skill had reached Level 2.

“Jiang-jie, is there any history of hereditary illness in your family? Specifically heart or vascular conditions?”

Her eyes widened in shock.

“What?”