Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten-Chapter 240: You’ve Been My Girlfriend All Along

After Lin Yingjun and Lin Xiaoli left, Lin Zhengran sat in his room, picked a slice of apple from the fruit plate his mom had brought, popped it into his mouth, and asked Jiang Jingshi,

“What do you want to eat?”

Jiang Jingshi instinctively wanted to say she didn’t want anything — she had never liked eating when visiting someone else’s home.

But just as the words reached her lips, she realized — she was at his house.

She glanced at a piece of apple. “I’ll have an apple.”

Lin Zhengran picked up a slice with a toothpick and handed it to her.

Jiang Jingshi took it with a soft “thank you,” nibbling at the apple delicately and gracefully, looking every bit the perfect guest.

Watching her eat, Lin Zhengran noticed how refined she was — her posture elegant, her movements gentle — like she was born noble.

But it was precisely this kind of deep-seated grace that made things between them still feel a little formal.

Even though their relationship wasn’t what it used to be, Lin Zhengran could tell she was still cautious around him, striving for perfection.

Lin Zhengran started, “About the gifts in the living room—”

Before he could finish, Jiang Jingshi’s phone rang.

Out of respect, she glanced at the caller ID, declined the call, and said apologetically,

“Sorry, go ahead.”

Lin Zhengran said casually, “You can take the call first.”

Jiang Jingshi shook her head.

“It’s fine. You’re more important than a phone call...”

She wanted to say the person in front of me is much more important than some random call, but meeting his gaze made her too shy to finish.

She simply said softly, “You talk first.”

Lin Zhengran didn’t insist and casually glanced at her phone.

Seeing his look, Jiang Jingshi gave in awkwardly. “Alright then, I’ll just take the call quickly.”

She answered, and after hearing what was said on the other end, her expression changed to anxious surprise.

“Broken leg? Did you call a doctor? Okay, I understand.”

After she hung up, Lin Zhengran asked what had happened.

Jiang Jingshi said, “Yuan Yuan seems to have fractured her thigh.”

“Yuan Yuan? Who’s Yuan Yuan?”

“She’s the cat from the cat café — the one that was really clingy with you? Remember? You even said you’d met her before.”

That jogged Lin Zhengran’s memory — it was the cat he met when he and Han Wenwen first encountered each other. Later, Jiang Jingshi adopted her from the café.

“Yeah, I remember now.”

“They said she fell from a climbing rack and got her leg stuck. She’s getting old, not as sturdy as younger cats anymore.”

Lin Zhengran got up. “I don’t have anything urgent today. Let’s go check on her.

Since the cat café called you directly, it must mean Yuan Yuan’s really important to you. Plus, I haven’t seen her in ages.”

Jiang Jingshi nodded and stood up too.

The reason Yuan Yuan was so important... was mostly because Lin Zhengran said he’d known that cat before.

For her, Yuan Yuan was a reminder of him.

She asked worriedly, “Are you sure it’s okay? I don’t want to mess up your plans.”

“No worries. I’m not that busy.”

The two of them left the room together.

As they walked out, Lin Zhengran asked, “By the way, why is the cat called Yuan Yuan?”

Jiang Jingshi said, “She didn’t have a name before. After you visited the café that time, I thought she and you were connected by fate, so I named her Yuan Yuan.”

“No wonder. I thought I didn’t recognize the name.”

Passing by the mountain of gifts in the living room, Jiang Jingshi asked,

“Should I take those back? They were meant for Uncle and Auntie anyway. And it’s not really that much, right?”

Lin Zhengran thought for a moment.

“Just leave them. I’ll talk to my parents about it tonight.”

She let out a sigh of relief. “Okay.”

Downstairs, Pan Lin, who had been waiting, hurried over when she saw them coming.

“President Jiang, President Lin!”

After Jiang Jingshi explained they were heading to the cat café, Pan Lin quickly had the driver pull the car around.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the café.

Three staff members stood there looking guilty, with the store manager practically bowing in apology.

“I’m so sorry, President Jiang! It’s completely my fault for not watching Yuan Yuan properly!”

Normally, Jiang Jingshi might have been upset.

Three people couldn’t take care of one cat properly?

But with Lin Zhengran here, she just asked calmly,

“Forget it. How is she now?”

The manager replied, “The doctor said it’s a right leg fracture. They’ve treated it already.

It’s just that because Yuan Yuan is older, recovery might be slower. We’re really sorry, President Jiang!”

Jiang Jingshi frowned slightly at him, and the poor manager turned pale with fear.

In the end, she just waved it off.

“Go back to work. Learn from this.”

They all apologized again and scattered to their tasks.

Jiang Jingshi and Lin Zhengran walked over to where Yuan Yuan was lying.

The little cat seemed to recognize Lin Zhengran, letting out a soft meow and nuzzling weakly against their legs.

With his Master of All Things ability, Lin Zhengran could roughly assess the cat’s condition — he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

Pets really did have much shorter lifespans than humans.

He first met this cat back in middle school, when she was still climbing trees and being mischievous.

Six years later, she was visibly more fragile.

The little cat glanced at Lin Zhengran, then at Jiang Jingshi, then let out another soft meow, her eyes filled with joy but also some confusion.

Thanks to his ability, Lin Zhengran could vaguely understand what she was feeling.

It was as if she was saying, You two are together now? What about the big fox sister who saved me back then? You don’t want her anymore?

Lin Zhengran smiled helplessly, patted her head, and answered with his eyes: We’re together too.

Satisfied, the little cat lay down contentedly.

Jiang Jingshi, even though she couldn’t understand, could tell something had just passed between them.

“What just happened?” she asked.

Lin Zhengran smiled.

“Nothing. She’s not young anymore, but thanks to you, she’s been living a good life here.

Apart from the fracture, she’s perfectly healthy.”

Jiang Jingshi found it incredible. “You can diagnose cats too?”

Lin Zhengran looked at her and said, “I know a little.”

“A little? You know way too much.”

Yuan Yuan curled up and fell asleep.

Lin Zhengran and Jiang Jingshi walked around, checking on the other cats.

Looking at the café’s decor, Lin Zhengran asked,

“Did you renovate this place?”

Jiang Jingshi nodded. “Yeah, there were some areas I didn’t like, so I made a few adjustments.”

She suddenly thought of something, her voice dropping slightly.

“By the way... when we were at your house, you called me ‘Jingshi’ for the first time.”

Lin Zhengran gave her a puzzled look.

Jiang Jingshi explained shyly,

“When Auntie couldn’t remember my name, you said it — ‘Jingshi.’

That’s my nickname. Only my parents call me that.”

From her expression, Lin Zhengran could tell she really liked it.

“You like it when I call you that?” he asked.

Jiang Jingshi blushed.

“Honestly, I’m fine with whatever you call me.

‘Jiang Jie’ is fine too... it’s just...

To outsiders, it might sound a little distant.

Like there’s a big age gap between us, even though there really isn’t.”

Lin Zhengran laughed.

“I only called you that because you kept calling me ‘Zhengran little brother.’

Every time we met, it was ‘little brother this, little brother that.’

If I didn’t call you ‘Jiang Jie,’ wouldn’t it seem rude?”

Jiang Jingshi didn’t know what to say.

She had totally miscalculated back when they first met at the supermarket.

She mumbled to herself, “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have called you that...”

Lin Zhengran chuckled.

“Since you like it, I’ll call you Jingshi from now on.”

He paused and called her softly,

“Jingshi.”

Jiang Jingshi stared at him blankly, her cheeks flushing deep red.

Just hearing him say her name made her heart flutter.

She said softly,

“Then I won’t call you ‘little brother’ anymore.”

She thought for a second.

“How about... I call you Zhengzheng? Zhengzheng?”

Lin Zhengran nodded. “Sure.”

Jiang Jingshi smiled, pursing her lips.

“It feels like we’re so much closer now.”

But when she saw him still staring at her, her heart raced.

Finally, she asked the question that had been on her mind.

“Zhengzheng... so, does that mean I’m your girlfriend now?

Are we officially together?

Do you... like me?”

Lin Zhengran reached out and gently pulled her into his arms.

He gazed down at her.

“What do you think?

If I didn’t like Jingshi, why would I do all those things?

Ever since the day we hugged in the car, Jingshi has already been my girlfriend.”

Jiang Jingshi’s beautiful peach blossom eyes sparkled with joy.

She bit her lower lip, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“You know... I’ve been waiting so long for you to say that.

Of course I’m your girlfriend.

I’ve liked you for a long time.”

She rose onto her tiptoes, her alluring red lips brushing closer.

Lin Zhengran wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her.

This time, it wasn’t just a light peck.

He could feel her true tenderness through the kiss.

Even her smiling eyes glistened with tears of happiness —

a dream she had held onto for so long had finally come true.