Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten

On the way, Lin Zhengran asked her, “Where are you now? Didn’t you say you got on the bus a long time ago? Report your location to me.”

Little He Qing had just managed to hail a taxi and hesitated, stammering, “I… um… um…”

Lin Zhengran’s expression turned speechless as he realized something. “Why are you stuttering? Don’t tell me you just lied to me and haven’t even left yet…”

Afraid that he would get mad, Little He Qing quickly explained, “I left, I left! I already got in the taxi! I’m almost at the station.”

“He Qing! Are you actually lying to me now?! You told me you got in a taxi hours ago, and you’re still not at the station?! Does your house happen to be hundreds of kilometers away from the station?!”

His yelling startled He Qing, making her quickly move the phone away from her ear. She closed one eye cutely as if bracing for impact, then comforted him after he finished scolding her.

“Don’t be mad, okay? I only lied because I was afraid you wouldn’t want to meet me… Uh, by the way, how do I buy a ticket when I get to the station? I’ve never done it before.”

Lin Zhengran: “….. Just wait until you get there. I’ll deal with you then.”

There was no other choice now. He could only guide her step by step. “Don’t hang up the call. When you arrive, find the front desk clerk and tell her you need a ticket to…”

Of course, there were a few hiccups along the way—like her panicking over buying the wrong ticket or not knowing how to respond to staff inquiries. But thanks to Lin Zhengran’s help, nothing major went wrong.

Finally, at 4:30 PM, she arrived at Xinchun Bus Station.

Following the crowd, He Qing stepped off the bus, looking around at the unfamiliar yet beautiful city. This was her first time traveling alone after getting her ID card. Even though it wasn’t too far, it was still a significant experience for her.

“Lin Zhengran? I’m at Xinchun Bus Station. Are you here yet? Where are you?” She clutched her phone, standing off to the side while scanning the crowd.

Lin Zhengran reminded her, “Don’t wander around. After getting off, go stand at the service counter and wait for me. Stand under the security camera, and I’ll come to you. I’ll say it again—don’t run around. There are a lot of people.”

“Okay, I got it. Don’t worry, I’m really obedient,” He Qing said as she walked to the service desk, growing more excited.

She glanced at the reflective glass doors in the distance, using them as a mirror to fix her hair. Thinking her ponytail looked messy after the long trip, she carefully re-tied it.

Feeling satisfied with her appearance, she checked the desserts in her backpack. Everything was perfect. Now, all that was left was to wait.

A few minutes later, Lin Zhengran, who had arrived at the station much earlier, finally called, “I see you. Look to your right. Hang up the phone.”

Hearing his voice, He Qing turned her head.

Her mind went blank.

In her memories, Lin Zhengran had always been a small kid. Even though he was strong in her eyes, he was still just a child.

But four years had passed. Both of them had grown a lot during their teenage years. The person standing before her now—this tall, handsome young man—looked nothing like the boy she remembered.

He was at least half a head taller than her.

His outfit was simple—just a T-shirt and long pants—but his presence was commanding. His bright, confident gaze still had the same intensity, making it hard not to feel shy when meeting his eyes.

He Qing fidgeted with her fingers, her face growing redder the longer she looked at him. Slowly, she lowered her head.

Even though he was annoyed at how reckless she had been, Lin Zhengran couldn’t help but be surprised when he first saw her.

The little kitten-like He Qing from before had now grown into a beautiful young lady. She was slender, about 150 cm tall, with a delicate and sweet face. Her pure almond-shaped eyes only made her look even more innocent.

At first glance, she had the aura of a first love straight out of a romance novel.

As they got closer, He Qing bit her lip and whispered shyly, “L-long time no see… Lin Zhengran.”

Lin Zhengran took a deep breath, then slowly raised his hand—

And knocked her on the head several times, thud, thud, thud, thud

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” He Qing yelped.

With every hit, she seemed to shrink lower until she finally crouched on the ground, hugging her head like a scolded puppy.

“‘Long time no see’ my ass!” Lin Zhengran snapped. “Do you even realize how far apart we live?! You’ve never traveled alone before, and yet you dared to come all this way without even knowing how to buy a ticket?! If I hadn’t guided you, would you even know where you are right now?!”

Crouching, He Qing hugged her head and whimpered, “Stop scolding me… I know I was a little impulsive this time, but I just really wanted to see you. Besides, with you guiding me, I knew nothing would go wrong. And anyway… you still came, didn’t you?”

“I only came because you told me you were already on your way! What else was I supposed to do?! If I didn’t come, you’d just end up crying to me every day about how much you missed me and how miserable you were! And now, you even dare to lie to me?!”

“I won’t lie to you ever again,” He Qing said, pouting. Even though she was being scolded, she actually felt incredibly happy. It had been so long since she was last yelled at in person like this.

She was so pleased that she even stuck out her tongue playfully—

Only to get another flick on the forehead from Lin Zhengran.

“Ow~” He Qing whined.

“You’re even sticking out your tongue now?! Are you even listening?!”

She pursed her lips and cautiously looked up. “Don’t be mad… It’s been years since we last saw each other, and you’ve gotten so tall and handsome. I almost didn’t recognize you. But seeing how fierce you are, I knew it was definitely you.”

Lin Zhengran: “....”

He let out a long, deep sigh, wondering why he even knew someone like her.

Self-mocking, he muttered, “I could’ve just told Aunt He to keep an eye on you and stop you from running around. Even if you got on the bus, she could’ve made you turn back. That would’ve been much safer. But instead, I somehow ended up coming all the way here myself. I must’ve lost my mind.”

He Qing smiled happily, but the moment Lin Zhengran shot her a glare, she quickly covered her mouth—just like when they were kids.

“…Forget it. What’s done is done. Let’s eat first.” Lin Zhengran extended a hand. “Come on, you must be hungry after traveling all day. Let’s find a place to eat, then figure out where to stay tonight.”

Beaming with joy, He Qing grabbed his hand and stood up, her head already filled with happy little bubbles.

“What do you want to eat? There are plenty of options at the station.”

“Anything’s fine. I’ll eat whatever you eat.”

“Let’s just get some noodles. There’s a noodle shop over there, and it’s not too crowded.”

“Okay!”

As they walked together, He Qing carefully snuck glances at him, studying how much he had grown.

So handsome… She smiled unconsciously.

Lin Zhengran caught her staring and raised an eyebrow. “Why are you smiling at me like that?”

Snapping out of it, He Qing quickly put on a serious face and shook her head. “Nothing! I wasn’t smiling at anything.”

Lin Zhengran looked at her thoughtfully before casually remarking, “It’s been a few years, and I didn’t expect you to grow up looking this pretty.”

Her face instantly turned red as her mind went completely blank.

Lin Zhengran continued, “By the way, we won’t be able to head back tonight. What did you tell Aunt He? She’d never agree to let you stay out overnight.”

“I told her I was sleeping over at Wenwen’s. If my mom calls tonight, I prerecorded a message for Wenwen to play as a cover.”

Lin Zhengran was speechless. “So you really didn’t learn a single good thing in these past years, huh?”

“Not true…” He Qing explained, “I know girls shouldn’t stay out alone, but I’m with you, so I’m not scared… Besides,” she blushed and mumbled, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes, “isn’t that right?”

Lin Zhengran froze.

Just what kind of nonsense had her best friend been teaching her?!

There was no other choice—he had to knock some sense into her again.

“Right? Right what? What nonsense are you trying to say?!”

He Qing clutched her head, feeling wronged. “I didn’t say anything! I really didn’t think of anything this time!”