Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten

He Qing carried two bunches of bananas and made her way to Lin Zhengran’s house.

After four years, she finally returned to this familiar place, her heart filled with nervous anticipation. When she knocked on the door, she found that Lin Zhengran’s home hadn’t changed much.

Although some appliances and minor details had shifted, everything still felt so familiar.

On the sofa, Lin Yingjun and Lin Xiaoli were watching TV. When they saw a girl at the door, their first reaction was to assume their son had brought home another admirer. But once they recognized her, they were so shocked they couldn't even speak.

"Hello, Uncle, Auntie…" He Qing greeted them shyly.

Hearing her voice, Lin Xiaoli, in particular, was stunned. The little girl who used to be so shy, barely reaching their thighs, had now grown into a sweet and beautiful young lady, standing at 1.5 meters tall. She couldn’t help but exclaim:

"Wait… is this really Qingqing?! Little Qing, I haven’t seen you in so many years! You’ve grown so pretty!"

Lin Yingjun also straightened up and marveled, "It really is Qingqing! You’ve gotten so tall!"

Feeling a little embarrassed, He Qing handed over the bananas. "Uncle, Auntie, it’s been so long. I brought these for you. They’re not expensive, but it’s a small token of my gratitude. Thank you for taking care of me when I was younger."

He Qing smiled, slightly embarrassed. "I remember…"

Lin Xiaoli examined her closely and clicked her tongue in admiration. "Qingqing, you’ve really grown into a beauty. Do you and Zhengran spend a lot of time together now?"

He Qing shook her head slowly. "Not really, Auntie. We’re in different classes, so we don’t see each other often. But we do eat together and walk home after school."

Lin Xiaoli nodded. "That’s still good. You know, ever since you left, Zhengran kept thinking about you every day, always hoping you’d come back." She turned to her son. "Isn’t that right, Zhengran?"

He Qing’s eyes widened in surprise, curious if it was true.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhengran had just come inside, busy changing his shoes before heading to the bathroom to wash his face. He hadn’t heard a single word of their conversation.

"Huh? Mom, what did you say?" he asked, confused.

Lin Xiaoli didn’t bother repeating herself. Instead, she leaned closer to He Qing and whispered, "See? He just said 'huh.' That’s basically the same as nodding."

He Qing turned red and was left speechless.

She didn’t know if Lin Zhengran had actually missed her… but she definitely missed him. She had waited years for this moment.

Lin Zhengran finished washing his face and headed to his room, acting just as he always did when he got home.

Lin Xiaoli gestured for He Qing to follow.

He Qing let out a quiet "Mm" and walked after him.

As they entered the room and closed the door, Lin Xiaoli and Lin Yingjun exchanged knowing glances and chuckled.

"Qingqing turned out so beautiful. Who would’ve thought they’d meet again after four years?"

Lin Yingjun nodded. "Girls change so much as they grow. Their fate is definitely something special."

Inside his room, Lin Zhengran flopped onto his bed without hesitation.

He Qing hesitated for a moment before offering, "So… do you want to rest? I can give you a massage. It’s really relaxing."

Lin Zhengran, eyes closed, muttered, "Go ahead."

Hearing his approval, He Qing’s face lit up with joy. She quickly shook her head like a little rattle drum. "It’s no trouble at all! I used to massage my grandma all the time. I’m really good at it!"

Biting her lip, she hurried over and sat beside him, her small hands gently kneading his shoulders.

Seeing He Qing again after so many years made Lin Zhengran’s parents especially happy. At lunch, they even prepared a full table of dishes, chatting and laughing with He Qing as if no time had passed.

Like when they were kids, He Qing still quietly placed the first shrimp she peeled onto Lin Zhengran’s plate, keeping only the head for herself.

And just like when they were kids, Lin Zhengran frowned. "Why are you giving me your food? Are you picky or something?"

He Qing lowered her voice nervously. "I’m not picky… I just wanted you to have it first."

Hearing their little whispers, Lin Zhengran’s parents burst out laughing. "This feels just like when they were in kindergarten! They used to huddle together and chat all the time back then too."

In the afternoon, after lunch, Lin Zhengran said he needed to go out to buy something. He Qing tagged along.

Curious, she asked, "What are you getting? Do you really need to go all the way to the mall?"

Lin Zhengran replied casually, "A birthday gift for someone. She got me something last year, so I should return the favor. Also, my mom told me to pick up some snacks for you."

That Saturday, He Qing spent the entire day with Lin Zhengran. When they finally parted ways, she walked home with a bright, happy smile.

Across the street, in another residential complex, a girl in casual shorts sat cross-legged on her bed, strumming a guitar.

Her long twin ponytails draped over her chest, swaying gently as her fingers plucked the strings.

Normally, the soft pink hues of her room made it look dreamy and charming. But tonight, Jiang Xueli couldn’t find any joy in it.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star… how I wonder what you are…"

She played the melody slowly, her voice gentle but melancholic.

Through the window, she couldn’t see anything but other apartment buildings.

Yet in her mind, she could vividly picture a certain idiot sitting in his bedroom, chatting and laughing with a certain girl.

A knock came at her door. It was her mother’s voice.

"Xueli, are you busy?"

Jiang Xueli answered, "Mom, what’s up?"

Her mother laughed from outside. "Tomorrow’s your birthday. Are you planning to go out, or do you want to celebrate at home with us?"

Jiang Xueli paused.

"I’ll think about it. We can decide tomorrow night, no rush."

Her mother didn’t press further. "Alright. I have the afternoon off, so you can decide later."

"Thanks, Mom."

As her mother’s footsteps faded, Jiang Xueli plucked her guitar strings absentmindedly.

Then, suddenly, she flopped onto her bed, her twin ponytails draping lifelessly across her chest.

"Idiot… what were you doing with He Qing all day? Probably having the time of your life, huh? Even getting a massage?"

She huffed. "What kind of guy lets a girl massage him anyway? Just sleep longer, problem solved!"

She placed her guitar aside, her bright eyes staring into the distance.

That night, Jiang Xueli barely slept.

She lay in bed, holding two movie tickets in one hand and her phone in the other.

Tossing and turning, sitting up and lying down, she hesitated over and over again.

She wanted to call Lin Zhengran.

She wanted to invite him to the movie.

She even typed out a message:

[Idiot, do you know tomorrow’s my birthday? It’s not like I need you to celebrate with me, but I happen to have two extra movie tickets. Want to go? Otherwise, they’ll just go to waste…]

But she flushed red and immediately deleted it.

"This sounds way too much like a confession! Anyone would misunderstand!"

She buried her face under the pillow, escaping reality.

"Why hasn’t humanity invented dream messaging yet? If I could just tell him in a dream…"

But then she muttered, "Even if I could, I’d still be too embarrassed to say it…"

The next morning, birds chirped outside her window.

With dark circles under her eyes, Jiang Xueli still sat there, staring at her phone and the two tickets.

From the living room, her mother called, "Xueli, we’re heading to work! If you go out, don’t forget your keys!"

She finally snapped out of it.

"It’s morning already?! What the heck was I even doing all night?!"

Gritting her teeth, she glared at her phone.

"No! I have to send it! If I don’t, I’ll really lose!"