Summer was approaching, and the evening breeze carried a hint of warmth.
The two of them stood on the street, locking eyes. As the little girl's twin tails fluttered in the wind, the atmosphere inevitably grew a bit strange.
However, upon hearing her words, Lin Zhengran simply pressed a hand to the top of her head and continued walking forward. "I have no idea. Besides, do you even know what it means to get married, saying you're going to marry me?"
Jiang Xueli swatted his hand away. "Who says I don't know?! Doesn't it just mean marrying you and having babies?"
Lin Zhengran looked back at her in disbelief, only to see her looking utterly embarrassed as she added, "But I'm only marrying you out of pity, so I can only have one baby with you. Don't expect too much."
He couldn't be bothered with this girl. Anyone who took a kid's words seriously was a loser.
Seeing him walking further and further away, Jiang Xueli chased after him. "Hey! Slow down! Do you seriously have no reaction to what I just said?! You big idiot!"
When they arrived at Lin Zhengran's home, his dad opened the door. Since it was the weekend, both of his parents were home.
"Ranran is back?" Lin Yingjun opened the door after hearing the knock, only to spot Jiang Xueli standing behind his son.
This wasn't Jiang Xueli's first time at Lin Zhengran's home. Ever since she discovered they lived close to each other, she had visited about three or four times.
Jiang Xueli greeted him, acting reserved and shy. "Hello, Mr. Lin. I'm here to walk Lin Zhengran home."
Lin Zhengran thought to himself, "Walk me home if you want, but who actually insists on walking someone right to their doorstep?"
His dad, Lin Yingjun, was usually a very easygoing guy, but right now, as a parent, he felt a little awkward. "Hello, Li."
The reason for his awkwardness was that his wife was currently on the phone in the living room. Hearing her son return, Lin Xiaoli ran over with her phone in hand. "Ranran is back? Perfect timing, Qingqing is on the phone for you! Hurry up and answer... answer it."
As she held the phone and noticed Jiang Xueli at the door, her anxious expression turned blank, her mind completely short-circuiting.
Half-confused, Jiang Xueli continued her greetings. "Hello, Mrs. Lin. I came to walk Lin Zhengran home."
Lin Xiaoli glanced at her husband, and Lin Yingjun glanced back at his wife. Lin Xiaoli offered an awkward yet polite smile. "Hello, Li. Have you had dinner yet? Would you like to eat with us?"
"No thank you, Mrs. Lin. I haven't done my homework yet, so I need to go back and finish it." Jiang Xueli looked at Lin Zhengran. "I'll be heading home then. See you next week, Lin Zhengran." She waved her hand and bid farewell to his parents as well.
Lin Zhengran nodded. "Be careful on your way back."
"Got it."
Lin Zhengran stepped inside and took the phone from his mom. "Hello? What are you calling me for this time?" he asked as he made his way to his bedroom.
Before heading downstairs, Jiang Xueli noted the tone Lin Zhengran used on the phone.
Qingqing... It was a girl's name. Why did it sound somewhat familiar? Was it a classmate from school?
She slowly walked down the stairs. In a daze, realization suddenly dawned on her as she recalled something from around first or second grade.
There used to be a female classmate who always followed Lin Zhengran around!
Later, that girl had disappeared. Did she move away? Or transfer schools? But if it was either of those, why would they still be in contact after separating? Could she be a relative? A sister?
Her footsteps slowed. As she walked down the stairs, her twin tails bounced with every step, her mind seemingly lost in thought.
Lin Yingjun and Lin Xiaoli quietly poked their heads out the front door.
They called out in hushed voices, "Li, stay safe on your way back! You're welcome to come over and play anytime."
Hearing this, Jiang Xueli paused, then turned back shyly. "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Lin! I'll come hang out with Lin Zhengran again when I have the chance! Goodbye!"
With that, she quickly hurried downstairs.
Lin Xiaoli nudged her husband with her elbow. "How awkward was that?! Why didn't you give me a heads-up?"
Lin Yingjun looked helpless. "How was I supposed to know the little girl would walk our son right up to the door? I never got that kind of treatment when I was a kid. Did Qingqing hear you?"
"She definitely heard. I was on the line with her."
The couple sighed in unison.
"Why do I suddenly get the feeling that our son's future marriage prospects are going to be a massive headache?" Lin Yingjun remarked.
Lin Xiaoli shook her head and sighed. "I feel the same way. Both Li and Xiao Heqing seem like such wonderful girls, and..." She looked at her husband. "Ranran is only in elementary school..."
After entering his bedroom, Lin Zhengran closed the door. On the other end of the line, Xiao Heqing asked, "Lin Zhengran, did you just get back? Did you go out to play today?"
"Yeah, I wasn't home this Saturday."
Xiao Heqing let out an "oh" and carefully asked, "I might have misheard earlier, but... was that a girl's voice?"
Lin Zhengran plopped down on his bed, acting perfectly natural. "A classmate. I wanted something of hers, so I did her a favor. I just went to her place to get it."
"Oh..." Xiao Heqing murmured, her expression unreadable through the phone. "Then why did she walk you home?"
Lin Zhengran rolled his eyes dismissively. "How should I know? I didn't accept her gift, so maybe she felt bad about it. Anyway, what's up? Spit it out."
Hearing that Lin Zhengran's tone sounded no different than usual, Xiao Heqing felt a little relieved.
"Oh, I recently made a good friend! It's the girl I mentioned to you last time, the one who looks like a Little Fox. Even though a lot of boys chase after her, she's actually really nice and always helps me out. I even found out we're neighbors! Now we go to school, head home, and eat together every single day..."
Spotting his water cup on the desk, Lin Zhengran decided to head to the living room for a refill. However, the moment he stepped out, he saw his parents—who had been watching TV—suddenly bolt upright in their seats.
His mom even asked with feigned concern, "Ranran, is everything okay between you and Qingqing? You guys didn't argue, did you?"
"Huh?" Lin Zhengran poured his water. "Why would He Qing and I argue?"
Two months passed by in the blink of an eye.
Upon entering the fifth grade, he finally broke through the level thirty threshold of Spiritual Qi.
[After another period of cultivation, you have successfully broken through the level thirty threshold. A new hidden ability has been unlocked, making you even more invincible in the Jianghu.]
[The new ability is the Attribute Cap—once each of the four attributes reaches a certain threshold, a qualitative transformation effect will be acquired.]
[Your current attributes are as follows:]
[Strength: 13] [Upon reaching 50, you will gain the special ability of possessing muscles without needing to exercise.]
[Energy: 15] [Upon reaching 60, you will gain the special ability of going seven times a night without feeling fatigued.]
[Physical Strength: 19] [Upon reaching 70, you will gain the special ability of doubled Physical Strength and tripled endurance in all activities.]
[Charm: 20] [Upon reaching 40, you will gain the special ability of earning double the affection from others through your words and actions.]
The extra effects listed after these numbers were probably the so-called Attribute Cap, right?
However, just glancing at them, Lin Zhengran couldn't shake the feeling that these descriptions weren't quite decent...
Another year passed.
Sixth grade, the final year of elementary school, had finally arrived. Today marked a special occasion in the small town in the South.
It was the Heart Connection Festival. Legend had it that on this day, as long as one tied a red wishing thread onto the Heart Tree, heaven would arrange a good match for those who were single, while couples would be blessed with a lifetime of happiness.
Because of this, Xiao Heqing had specially invited her best friend, Han Wenwen, sneaking behind the adults' backs to tie red threads together for the Heart Connection Festival today.