Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten

The two of them stood at the entrance of the apartment complex, looking at each other.

The twin-ponytailed girl slowly pressed her lips together, her heartbeat drowning out all other sounds around her. At this age, when feelings were just beginning to bloom, some things left a deep imprint.

She looked up at him, eyes shimmering.

"You... how do you know today is my birthday? I don't remember telling you."

Lin Zhengran answered casually, "Are you seriously that dumb? Who do you think has been helping you practice singing all this time? Who’s been checking the requirements for the Children's Talent Agency whenever they update? Of course, I know your personal details. Otherwise, how would I know you just turned twelve?"

Without waiting for her reaction, he continued, "Besides, I was planning to call you at noon. I went to the mall yesterday and picked out a birthday gift for you. If you're not in a hurry, I’ll go upstairs and get it now."

"A gift? You even prepared a birthday gift for me..." She murmured like a mosquito, her face visibly lighting up with happiness, the whole world around her turning dreamy and unreal.

Her brain completely stalled for a good ten seconds before she finally cupped her mouth, hunched her shoulders, and stared at him with shy, sparkling eyes.

When she saw Lin Zhengran turning to head upstairs, she grabbed the hem of his shirt, waving her arms in a panic, completely overwhelmed by emotions.

Lin Zhengran turned back. "What don't you understand?"

Jiang Xueli was now all smiles, her hands hovering near her flushed cheeks as she glanced away.

"I just feel like... something doesn’t add up. If you've always known my birthday, then how come, after all these years of knowing each other, we've never celebrated together? Doesn’t that contradict what you just said?"

"Oh, that?"

Lin Zhengran wasn’t quite sure how to explain.

For guys, birthdays basically stop being a thing after turning eighteen.

At least, that was how it had been in his previous life. Especially for someone like him, who had no parents and no one to remind him after graduation, birthdays had become insignificant—even after transmigrating, he still saw them as the smallest of small matters.

"I don’t know if you’ll get it, but for me, birthdays aren’t that important, so I don’t really care about them."

"Not important?" Jiang Xueli knew this guy was weird, so she believed him, but something still felt off.

"Then, if you always forgot birthdays before, why didn’t you forget this year? You even went out of your way to buy me a... a gift..."

She fidgeted, fingers nervously twisting behind her back, biting her lip as if imagining something.

"Could it be that now that we’re in middle school, you think we’re grown-ups, and this year has some special meaning...? I'm telling you, I'm not that easy to fool... I mean, I am a girl, after all... at the very least... hehe..."

Lin Zhengran, seeing her start to act all self-important, immediately shattered her fantasy with a flick to the forehead.

"What are you heh heh-ing about?!"

Jiang Xueli snapped out of it instantly and frowned. "Why'd you hit me?!"

Lin Zhengran explained, "I'm giving you a gift this year because last year, when my parents celebrated my birthday, you gave me something too."

At that, Jiang Xueli suddenly remembered.

Last year, she had gone to find Lin Zhengran to hang out, only to stumble upon his parents celebrating his birthday. She had panicked, hurriedly bought a gift, and asked his mom to give it to him on her behalf.

Lin Zhengran continued, "Of course, if you really want a special meaning, there is one. This year is your first step into the music industry, so consider this a little encouragement gift."

Jiang Xueli clenched her small fists again, then suddenly blurted out, "Y-You… you idiot!"

Lin Zhengran, confused, knocked her on the head again. "What’s with the yelling? You crazy? I give you a gift and you start shouting? You don’t want it or something?"

Jiang Xueli, embarrassed and angry, gritted her teeth. "Who said I don’t want it?! You already bought it—of course, you have to give it to me! I was yelling because…"

She pouted. "Girls' thoughts aren’t for you to guess…"

She thought to herself, I knew this idiot wouldn't suddenly have an epiphany. I even thought he was going to confess… I got all nervous for nothing… I didn't even know how I’d answer—wait, pfft, I mean, how I’d reject him.

And in the end? This was it?!

Lin Zhengran ignored her and turned back toward the stairs.

"Wait here, I’ll grab it. And since it’s your birthday, I’ll humor you and watch that movie with you."

Seeing this, Jiang Xueli quickly followed, grinning from ear to ear. "I’ll go with you!"

"No need. Isn’t it annoying to go up just to come back down again?"

"What’s it to you whether it’s annoying or not? I want to go." She huffed and hopped after him.

Before long, Lin Zhengran handed her the gift he had bought the day before.

The package was pretty big.

"Wow, this is huge! What is it? Can you tell me?" Jiang Xueli hugged the gift like a treasure.

"Just open it and see. It’s a pair of over-ear headphones."

"Really? That’s perfect—my old ones were about to break. I’ll just use these from now on."

Honestly, it didn’t matter to her what he got. If he had given her a rock, she probably would’ve said, "My balcony was missing a rock—great choice!"

Jiang Xueli carefully cradled the gift. She said she’d take it home first since carrying it to the movies would be inconvenient.

Lin Zhengran reminded her she could open it now—if she didn’t like it, the store said they could exchange it.

But Jiang Xueli hugged it tightly. "Nope. I want this one."

After dropping off the gift, Jiang Xueli and Lin Zhengran headed to the theater.

On the way, Jiang Xueli was extremely nervous.

After knowing this idiot for so many years, this was the first time they were going to the movies alone together.

She was so anxious she could barely walk straight.

Lin Zhengran noticed her strange expression. "Did you not sleep well last night? You look like you’re both hyper and sleepwalking."

Jiang Xueli, flustered, denied it immediately. "No! I slept great! Super well!"

But barely three minutes after they sat down in the theater with their popcorn, Jiang Xueli fell asleep.

She clutched the bucket and curled up in her seat, completely knocked out. The extreme excitement from earlier had drained what little energy she had left.

Lin Zhengran had no idea what this girl had been up to last night.

As she dozed off, her head tilted onto his shoulder. He didn’t wake her.

It was her birthday, after all.

She didn’t sleep for long, but it was a sweet, deep sleep.

Only when the movie ended and Lin Zhengran shook her awake did Jiang Xueli clutch her head in regret.

"I-I fell asleep?! I fell asleep while watching a movie with you?! I didn’t see a single thing! Then what was all my agonizing over last night even for?!"

Luckily, Lin Zhengran suggested they grab a meal together, which cheered her up. She grudgingly agreed.

After spending the entire day together, when they finally parted, Jiang Xueli even went home to cut him a big slice of cake.

"Idiot, this is your reward for keeping me company today."

Lin Zhengran accepted it as the system's voice chimed in. "Thanks. Happy birthday."

Jiang Xueli smiled shyly, waved goodbye at her apartment entrance, then turned around, balancing on the curbside like a tightrope.

"Idiot… idiot… idiot…"

She took a few more steps before hopping down, her twin ponytails bouncing along with her as she skipped back home.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star…" she hummed cheerfully, stretching out the words, "How I wonder… what you are~"