Her sudden honesty left everyone in the classroom momentarily speechless. Even some of the boys and girls who had been jeering earlier stood there in stunned embarrassment. No one had actually expected Jiang Xueli to admit it.
After all, everyone was only teasing them for fun. No one seriously thought that booing and shipping two people meant they actually liked each other, let alone that they would end up together. They were just kids, but Jiang Xueli's blurted confession changed everything.
Not only was she mortified, but now the entire class knew. From now on, no one would probably ask, "Disciplinary Committee Member, do you really like Lin Zhengran?" Instead, it would become, "Disciplinary Committee Member, are you two going to get married when you grow up?"
Jiang Xueli's face was as red as a boiled lobster. Practically radiating steam, she dashed back to her seat, buried her head in her arms on the desk, and covered her ears.
Only Lin Zhengran seemed simultaneously surprised and completely unfazed. When the others looked over to gauge his reaction, he was just flipping through his book with a blank expression, acting as if nothing had happened at all.
Meanwhile, far away in the South, Xiao Heqing had been sneezing all day. Her mother asked if she had caught a cold. Xiao Heqing said no, genuinely confused as to what was going on. Little did she know, a thief had already sneaked into her backyard.
Two days later, Saturday finally arrived.
Incidentally, due to a casual inquiry, Jiang Xueli had discovered that Lin Zhengran lived just one street away from her own home. They actually lived incredibly close to each other.
The two of them met up on Saturday, planning to head to Jiang Xueli's house so he could see her so-called treasure.
Passing by a vending machine, Jiang Xueli stopped and asked Lin Zhengran what he wanted to drink.
Lin Zhengran spread his hands. "I didn't bring any money."
Jiang Xueli was speechless. "My treat!"
Lin Zhengran asked for a Mizone.
Jiang Xueli muttered an acknowledgment, dropped some coins in, and retrieved the drinks. As she bought them, she grumbled, afraid Lin Zhengran might get the wrong idea. "It's not that I want to treat you. I just happened to have money in my pocket, and I'm afraid you'll die of thirst."
"I didn't even ask," Lin Zhengran replied. "Saying all that is totally unnecessary. It just makes it seem like you specifically wanted to buy me a drink."
Furious, Jiang Xueli chucked the bottle at him. "You're overthinking it!"
Lin Zhengran caught it and thanked him.
Walking side-by-side along the road, Jiang Xueli felt that she was getting closer and closer to him. "Lin Zhengran, don't take what I said in class last week to heart." She lowered her head shyly, not wanting him to see her blushing face. "I really don't like you. I just panicked and shouted whatever came to mind."
Lin Zhengran twisted the cap off his drink and gave a nonchalant "Oh." Then he added, "I know."
Jiang Xueli waited for a long time, but Lin Zhengran didn't say another word.
Her shyness quickly turned into anger. With her cheeks puffed out indignantly, she kicked Lin Zhengran hard in the calf.
Lin Zhengran scolded her, "Why did you kick me? Are you crazy?"
"What do you know, you blockhead?! No, you are a blockhead!" She stopped in her tracks, embarrassed and furious. "Idiot, absolute idiot! Even if I didn't mean it that way, I still said I liked you in front of all those people! Don't you have anything to say about it?!"
Lin Zhengran watched her throw a fit, wondering why an eight- or nine-year-old girl had so much inner drama. All she ever thought about was romance. "You're the one who told me not to take it to heart. What kind of review am I supposed to give?!"
"You! You!" she sputtered. "Just wait to die a bachelor! Anyone who likes you must have something wrong with their head!"
Lin Zhengran wondered if she was insulting herself. Retaliating an eye for an eye, he delivered a light sideways kick to her behind, causing a thoroughly flustered Jiang Xueli to cover her butt and glare at him in embarrassment.
"What are you looking at?" Lin Zhengran said. "I'm just returning the favor. Besides, don't make such sweeping insults. There are plenty of people who like me."
Jiang Xueli bit her lip, looked away, and scoffed. "Give me a break. Who would ever like you?"
"Enough nonsense," he urged. "Hurry up and take me to your house to see that so-called treasure. That's the only reason I helped you out."
Jiang Xueli patted her behind, feeling that he was saying one thing but meant another. He had clearly helped her first and then asked for the treasure. He obviously hadn't helped her just for that.
She hurriedly chased after him. "Don't walk so fast, wait for me!"
Following her into her home, Lin Zhengran arrived at Jiang Xueli's bedroom. This was the second girl's room he had ever been in.
There didn't seem to be much difference between them; the room was intensely pink. Stuffed animals were scattered across the bed. It seemed girls really were all the same when it came to things like this.
Lin Zhengran sat on Jiang Xueli's bed and watched her fidget nervously. After a long moment, she finally asked, "How does my room look? I purposely tidied it up yesterday when I knew you were coming. Don't you dare say it looks bad; I spent a long time cleaning."
Lin Zhengran offered some empty flattery. "It looks great, really great."
Even though she knew he was just humoring her, Jiang Xueli couldn't help but feel happy. She carefully took out a book pieced together from magazines and newspapers from her drawer.
"Look, this is my treasure. I spent a long time putting it together. I've been collecting this stuff for years."
Lin Zhengran took it and flipped it open.
[You successfully helped Miss Jiang clear her name. She has gifted you her personal Cultivation Heart Method for you to study. This heart method was hand-crafted by Miss Jiang, gathering the strengths of a hundred schools. Although it is not an ultimate Cultivation Technique, it is still considered top-tier!]
[You carefully examine the Cultivation Technique. Gained: Charm +4, Strength +4, Physical Strength +1, Level +2.]
[Nearing breakthrough to the major milestone of Spiritual Qi Level 30.]
It had directly increased his level by two? This was the first time a reward had been this good.
Looking closely at the pieced-together book, Lin Zhengran realized it was actually a comprehensive encyclopedia of musical knowledge. Not only did it feature various musicians, but it also included incredibly detailed sections on how to sing, vocal techniques, song breakdowns, and the like.
Seeing Jiang Xueli's sheepish expression, Lin Zhengran felt a wave of confusion. "You like singing?"
Jiang Xueli stuttered, though she tried to keep her attitude strong. "Y-Yeah, so what?"
"Nothing. I just had no idea you liked singing. After all, you've never sung before."
She clenched her small fists. "Who just sings in front of other people for no reason?! People would think I'm crazy."
"Can you sing something for me?"
Jiang Xueli grew shy. "I... I don't usually sing in front of others. But if you really want to hear it..."
Lin Zhengran nodded. "I really do want to hear it this time." He stared at the massive compilation in his hands. "If you put this much effort into putting all this together, I'm genuinely curious about your skill level."
Jiang Xueli was momentarily dazed by his sudden seriousness. She stood up. "Alright then, what do you want to hear? I'm not doing this because I want to, I'm only singing because you want to listen. Don't blame me if it sounds terrible."
"Whatever you want, just don't sing a nursery rhyme."
"Got it."
Jiang Xueli took a deep breath, adjusted her voice, and began to sing.
Lin Zhengran's eyes widened in surprise. He truly hadn't expected Jiang Xueli to have such a beautiful voice. For someone so young to have such a high level of skill—it sounded practically identical to the original artist. Combined with her sheer passion, she might have a limitlessly bright future ahead of her.
In the evening, when Lin Zhengran headed home, Jiang Xueli offered to walk him out.
"Do you ever think about becoming a pop star in the future?" he asked.
Jiang Xueli admitted it would be a lie to say she had never thought about it, but the goal was just too grandiose. The more she studied it, the more she realized how difficult it was. "My mom says this industry isn't for ordinary people. I know my own skill level well enough. Just singing for fun is good enough for me."
Lin Zhengran looked ahead. "It might be a tough path, but I think you have a real chance. It'd be a shame to give up at such a young age."
Jiang Xueli found his support utterly unbelievable. She had fully expected him to bicker with her like he usually did. "R-Really? Do you really think so?"
"Yeah, from the bottom of my heart. I genuinely think you can do it."
At that moment, Jiang Xueli felt like there were butterflies swarming in her stomach. She instinctively clenched her small hands behind her back. Suddenly, she burst into a giggle, stepped right in front of him, and said with complete seriousness:
"Lin Zhengran, if there really are no girls willing to marry you in the future! I... I suppose I wouldn't mind marrying you!"
She pointed at Lin Zhengran, her tsundere nature shining through as she emphasized, "But I wouldn't be marrying you because I like you! I'd just be taking pity on you! I'm only saying this because I'm afraid an idiot like you won't be able to get a girl, do you understand?!"