Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten

Jiang Xueli and He Qing watched as the class monitor waved her arm, erasing the chalk marks on the blackboard.

When their gazes met again, they suddenly burst into laughter.

They both understood—despite neither of them being the type to act straightforwardly, in this matter, neither was willing to take a step back. That left only one option: to see who would emerge victorious in the end.

He Qing was the first to speak:

"Jiang Xueli, let’s clean the blackboard first."

The other nodded. "Alright."

Each of them grabbed a new eraser and started wiping the board from opposite sides. Chalk dust flew into the air.

Their speed gradually increased from slow to fast.

He Qing pursed her lips, her gaze unusually determined. Jiang Xueli bit her lip, her twin ponytails swaying with her movements.

Inwardly, He Qing and Jiang Xueli both declared at the same time: I will win!

And so, the silent battle for Lin Zhengran officially began that day—and lasted for a whole month.

For the next month, the battle raged on.

Every morning, whether at the dormitory entrance or after class, Lin Zhengran would find He Qing and Jiang Xueli waiting for him—at the exact same time.

Not only were their actions perfectly in sync, but they also started bringing him snacks. The choices were even strategically different.

Mealtime was another battlefield.

Under Han Wenwen’s subtle eye signals, He Qing would gracefully place a piece of food into Lin Zhengran’s bowl and gently say, "Lin Zhengran, you should eat more meat. Junior high boys need to grow strong."

Jiang Xueli, blushing but stubborn, huffed, "Idiot, I don’t have much of an appetite today, so I’ll just give you my meat. Otherwise, it’d go to waste."

Seeing the move, He Qing countered softly, "I’ll give you some vegetables too. They’re good for you."

Not to be outdone, Jiang Xueli immediately fired back, "I have no appetite at all today, so just take all of mine."

Lin Zhengran watched as their chopsticks moved at lightning speed, his plate stacking up like a small mountain while theirs remained empty.

Finally, he snapped, his face darkening. "What the h*ll is wrong with you two?! How am I supposed to eat like this?! Are you guys even eating at all?!"

On the side, Han Wenwen leisurely chewed her food, enjoying the show.

Their tactics continued to escalate. On weekends, they each claimed portions of Lin Zhengran’s time.

But as the battle wore on, Han Wenwen, an outsider to the fight, started noticing a shift. The scales of victory were tipping.

She propped her head on one hand, watching as Jiang Xueli crossed her arms, pouting after getting scolded.

"I already gave it to you! How am I supposed to take it back now?! Idiot, always yelling!"

Meanwhile, He Qing, having been scolded, quickly apologized. Seeing Lin Zhengran displeased, she hurriedly retrieved the food she had given him, repeatedly saying, "I’m sorry, I’m sorry, don’t be mad."

Chewing on a piece of skewered meat, Han Wenwen mused to herself: This is why tsunderes always end up losing. Their personality is flawed. They refuse to be straightforward, so they never truly win.

And sure enough, her prediction held true.

Jiang Xueli’s stubbornness made her unwilling to admit anything outright. As a result, she repeatedly let prime opportunities slip away—opportunities that He Qing, though not loud, was at least honest enough to take.

In the end, even though their strengths seemed evenly matched, He Qing was the fresh contender, while Jiang Xueli had already spent four years practicing music with Lin Zhengran, seeing him almost every week.

But now, He Qing had taken over more than half of that time.

And so, by the end of the month, this battle—fought without a single bullet—was nearing its conclusion.

It was a Saturday morning, three weeks before the Freshman Talent Showcase. The event should’ve happened earlier, but the town’s middle school had a habit of delaying things, dragging it out until now.

Jiang Xueli needed more practice time to impress the talent scouts from the music agency.

Meanwhile, He Qing had also enrolled in the town’s Taekwondo Center after returning and had encountered a formidable opponent—so she needed Lin Zhengran to help her train.

That morning, the four of them gathered before heading home.

Han Wenwen clung to He Qing’s arm and smirked, "So, Lin Zhengran, who are you going to spend the weekend with this time? Jiang Xueli or Little Qing?"

She asked the question openly, in front of both girls.

Both of them looked at Lin Zhengran.

But Lin Zhengran simply said, "I can’t spend every weekend with you two, right? This week, I’m just going to stay home and sleep. Taking a break."

Jiang Xueli’s reaction was immediate. She turned her head, arms crossed. "If you’re resting, then rest. It’s not like I need you to be there. The competition is still far away, I can practice by myself."

He Qing, on the other hand, asked, "Are you feeling tired? Then rest up. But… can I visit your house to meet your parents? I can even give you a shoulder massage or something." She waved a hand. "Don’t worry, I won’t be a bother."

Han Wenwen’s eyes flickered toward Jiang Xueli, curious about her reaction.

Jiang Xueli froze.

That one sentence left her at a loss for words.

Lin Zhengran shrugged. "Do whatever you want. I’m not practicing today. I’m just gonna sleep."

He Qing smiled and nodded. "Okay, I promise I won’t disturb you." Then she turned to Jiang Xueli. "Jiang Xueli… do you want to come too?"

Jiang Xueli scoffed, "Who… who would want to go? That idiot just said he’s resting. Unless he really needs a shoulder massage, who would even bother?"

But the moment she said it, she regretted it.

Lin Zhengran, carrying his backpack, walked out of the school gate. "Best if none of you come."

He Qing, Han Wenwen, and Jiang Xueli watched as he left.

He Qing turned to Jiang Xueli once more. "Are you really not coming?"

Jiang Xueli forced a smile. "No. I have other things to do today. Besides, I don’t know how to give massages. You go ahead."

He Qing gave her a bright smile, waved goodbye to Han Wenwen and Jiang Xueli, and ran after Lin Zhengran.

"Lin Zhengran, wait for me! I need to stop by the store first. Should I buy some bananas for your dad?"

As the two figures disappeared into the distance, Han Wenwen turned to Jiang Xueli.

"This weekend isn’t like the others," she said. "It’s not about practice—it’s a chance to be alone with him. The perfect time to grow closer. Are you really going to let He Qing take this opportunity? If you had insisted, I doubt Lin Zhengran would have refused."

Jiang Xueli stared at them, then at Han Wenwen.

"Aren’t you supposed to be on He Qing’s side? You’re her best friend. Why are you worried about me?"

Han Wenwen tilted her head and smiled. "We’re all friends. Just thought I’d ask." She waved. "I’m heading back to the dorms. See you next week."

Jiang Xueli stood there, suddenly feeling drained.

How many times had she given He Qing a free pass?

If this keeps up, I’m going to lose… No, I will lose…

She pulled out two movie tickets from her pocket.

They were for tomorrow—her birthday.

But just as Han Wenwen had said, tsunderes could only play their game when the other person took the first step. They were incapable of making the move themselves.

Unless—at the critical moment—they chose to take that step.

Jiang Xueli clutched the tickets and slowly walked home.

"Idiot… idiot… idiot…"