Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten-Chapter 209: Adorable Lily

Just then, Lin Zhengran’s phone rang.

Jiang Xueli had woken up in the hotel room after sleeping for over an hour, only to find that Lin Zhengran was nowhere to be seen. Being in an unfamiliar place, waking up alone made her panic, so she immediately called him.

Lin Zhengran glanced at the caller ID and answered.

Jiang Xueli anxiously asked, "Hello? Zhengran, where did you go? Why aren’t you in the room?"

Lin Zhengran was still stroking Han Wenwen’s hair. The little fox, though a bit jealous, felt secretly proud after what had just happened.

While Lin Zhengran was on the phone, she slowly sat up and leaned closer to him.

"I’m out buying water," Lin Zhengran replied. "There wasn’t any left in the room. I’ll be back soon."

"Buying water? Oh, okay… then hurry back."

"Mm, I’ll be there in three minutes."

Just as he spoke, Han Wenwen bit down gently on his ear.

Lin Zhengran tightened his grip around her waist and said to Lily, "Alright, I’m hanging up now."

After ending the call, he turned to the fox. "What are you up to this time?"

Han Wenwen smiled mischievously. "Nothing~ Just checking if Zhengran gege is still fired up."

"You really know how to stir things up."

Lin Zhengran pulled her into another kiss.

After a while, Han Wenwen blushed and asked, "I didn’t get the chance to ask earlier… was it good?"

Lin Zhengran smirked. "What do you think? My Wenwen is amazing."

That little compliment filled her with pride. She thought to herself that now that things had progressed to this point, Zhengran gege was clearly no longer the reserved type.

Before, he wouldn’t even hold her for too long, but now, his arm stayed around her waist the entire time. The difference seemed subtle, but to her, it meant everything.

Lin Zhengran said, "I’m heading back to Lily. Take your time getting home."

The little fox nodded obediently.

She walked him to the door, waved him off, and watched as he headed up to the second floor.

A flicker of jealousy crept into her heart again.

She returned to the room and sat in the spot where Lin Zhengran had been lying. Leaning against the headboard, her long hair cascaded over her shoulders.

Her body had no energy left.

She lightly touched her lips with her slender fingers—it felt like she had chewed too much gum.

A little exhausted, yes…

But at the same time, there was a deep sense of satisfaction, like savoring a perfect meal.

Lingering, unforgettable.

"I’ve never seen Zhengran gege make that expression before."

She recalled the moment when his brow had relaxed, her heartbeat quickening.

"So cute… Every little thing I did made his expression change, and his eyes were only on me."

Her hand slid to her thigh, and she slowly closed her eyes.

"If we had more time today… I definitely would’ve had Zhengran gege all to myself."

She let out a soft sigh.

Her mind wandered.

"Zhengran gege… Zhengran gege… Wenwen wants you… I’ll do whatever you want me to do…"

——

Walking out of the first-floor room, Lin Zhengran felt a sense of ease.

That past hour had relieved some of the tension he had unknowingly accumulated over the years.

He went to the front desk and bought two bottles of water.

By the time he returned to the second-floor room, Jiang Xueli was still sitting on the bed, wrapped in a blanket, lost in thought.

She had just woken from a dream—one she wouldn’t dare speak of.

A dream where she and Zhengran… were doing things in a secluded forest.

The sound of the door opening startled her.

"Zhengran? Is that you?"

Lin Zhengran walked in, placing the water bottles on the nightstand. "Yeah, you’re awake?"

Jiang Xueli, her twin tails slightly tousled, let out a breath of relief when she saw him.

But as she recalled her dream and the events before she fell asleep, she could still feel a certain warmth lingering in her palms…

His warmth.

"Yeah, I’m awake. What time are you picking up He Qing?"

Lin Zhengran lifted the blanket and sat down beside her. Checking his phone, he replied, "It’s 3:20 now. Probably before 4. I’ll take a cab there."

He explained, "Even though He Qing arrives around six, the high-speed rail station is in the city center, so it’ll take me about an hour to get there."

Jiang Xueli nodded blankly.

Only twenty minutes left…

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Lin Zhengran noticed her staring at him. "What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Jiang Xueli snapped out of it and quickly looked away. "I-I wasn’t looking at you!"

Sitting on the bed, Lin Zhengran recalled how she had fallen asleep during their movie and asked curiously, "Lily, you’re kind of amazing, you know? Every time we watch a movie together, you end up dozing off. Does that happen when you’re watching at home too?"

Jiang Xueli huffed.

"Of course not! I can watch movies just fine with my parents at home! Even in class, when teachers played movies, I never fell asleep!"

"That makes it even more interesting."

Jiang Xueli pouted. "Who knows… Maybe I get too nervous when I’m with you, and then when the movie starts, I relax too much and just fall asleep…"

She quickly added, "Of course, that’s just a guess! I don’t actually know why it happens!"

Even though they didn’t get to watch the movie this time either, the fact that Zhengran had taken her somewhere special like this still made her heart warm.

And the memory of their kiss… was still vivid in her mind.

She clenched her fists slightly.

Just then, she felt Lin Zhengran’s hand gently touching her twin tails.

She froze. "Z-Zhengran, what are you doing?"

"Nothing." He casually replied, "Just feeling your hair. I have to say, Lily, your blonde hair looks really good. I used to imagine what you’d look like with this color, but seeing it in person… it’s way cuter than I thought."

Her face turned bright red. "Is it really that nice? You’re exaggerating!"

Lin Zhengran didn’t answer directly.

Instead, he simply said, "I’ve told you before, haven’t I? In my eyes, you’re the cutest girl. You’re always loud and full of energy, but every time you walk or turn your head, your twin tails bounce up and down. It’s fun to watch."

Jiang Xueli pursed her lips, then turned her head away. "Tch! You make it sound like I’m some hyperactive kid."

After a pause, she mumbled softly, "But… as long as you like it, that’s all that matters."

"Mm?"

Flustered, Jiang Xueli squeezed her eyes shut and blurted out—

"I said, as long as you're happy! I mean, I dress up every day just for you, you big idiot! If you think it's cute, I'll keep tying my hair like this. If you don't like it, I'll change it. Either way… either way… I'm your girlfriend, so whatever makes you happy."

Lin Zhengran chuckled softly and patted her head dotingly. "That good to me, huh?"

Jiang Xueli lowered her head slightly and muttered, "When have I ever been bad to you… idiot…"

She really liked the way Zhengran stroked her hair—it felt comforting. But… she also kind of wanted to kiss him again, like they had before she fell asleep.

After all, Zhengran was about to go pick up He Qing.

If she didn’t kiss him now, once He Qing arrived, she’d probably be staying at Zhengran’s place, right? Who knew when the next chance would come?

But how was she supposed to ask for a kiss? Should she just say it outright? That’d be so weird…

Her eyes landed on the bottle of water on the nightstand, and suddenly, an idea popped into her head.

"Z-Zhengran… are you thirsty?"

Lin Zhengran absentmindedly played with her twin tails, enjoying how silky smooth they felt. "I’m fine."

Jiang Xueli looked up at him. "What do you mean 'fine'? Didn't you go out to buy water because you were thirsty? That means you must be thirsty. Here, let me open a bottle for you."

She reached for the water but realized Zhengran still hadn’t let go of her hair. Left with no choice, she awkwardly leaned forward, letting him continue playing with her twin tails while grabbing the bottle.

She tried to twist it open but found the cap surprisingly tight.

Lin Zhengran reached over. "Here, I got it."

He effortlessly twisted the cap open, but just as he was about to take a sip, Jiang Xueli suddenly snatched the bottle away.

"Wait! Let me drink first!"

She raised the bottle and took a big gulp.

Lin Zhengran stared at her, puzzled. What was this girl up to now?

Her face flushed red as she mumbled, "You know… mineral water doesn’t have any taste, it’s so bland. So, you could taste it through a kis—"

Before she could finish, Lin Zhengran suddenly pulled her into his arms.

"I don’t know what you’re trying to say, but with how red your face is, I can already guess. Just kiss me yourself."

Jiang Xueli stared at him blankly.

Zhengran’s expression… it almost seemed like he was reminiscing about their last kiss, like he hadn’t had enough.

Did that mean… he missed it too?

Her lips gently brushed against his, then she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning in completely as their lips met again.

But just as she reached out with her other hand to hold onto him…

Her fingers touched the bed where she had been lying earlier.

The sheets felt a little damp.