Chapter 11: Childhood Ties

It’s Saturday, so Dad Lin Ying Jun is home.

He heard the knock and checked; it was Xiao Heqing.

Today, Xiao Heqing wore a pretty white dress with her ponytail reaching her shoulders.

She looked up with big, sparkling eyes, clearly dressed up like a little swan: “Uncle, is Lin Zheng Ran home? I’m here to see him.”

Lin Ying Jun smiled and opened the door wide: “It’s Qing Qing. Come on in, Lin Zheng Ran is resting in his room.”

“Thank you, Uncle.”

Hearing he was resting, Xiao Heqing tiptoed to his bedroom door, not daring to knock loudly, just calling softly: “Lin Zheng Ran? Lin Zheng Ran? It’s Heqing. I need to talk to you.”

Lin Zheng Ran was lying on his bed flipping through a book: “Come in, just remember to close the door.”

“Uh!”

Xiao Heqing quietly opened the door, saw him on the bed, and gently shut it behind her.

She stood beside him, hands clasped in front, as honest as ever.

Lin Zheng Ran turned his head, puzzled.

Xiao Heqing stared at him eagerly, lips pursed: “I have two things to ask you and one to tell you—three things in total.”

“That many? Just say it.”

Xiao Heqing looked down, slowly building up to the question she’d been holding onto for days: “Last week at the school sports event, I heard someone say you and your class monitor are a couple…”

Lin Zheng Ran kept a straight face: “Yeah, that’s what they’re saying. So what?”

His casual response made Xiao Heqing’s heart ache suddenly. Her eyes turned red, and she almost cried as she asked, choking: “Is it true? Do you really like a girl?” Tears started falling one by one.

Lin Zheng Ran sighed and closed his book, sitting up to tap her head hard: “Why are you crying?! You cry every time in front of me! Of course it’s not true! Do I even need to think about it?”

Xiao Heqing clutched her head, but hearing it was false, the pain vanished and so did her tears. Her big eyes lit up again: “It’s not true?”

Lin Zheng Ran crossed his arms, sitting cross-legged on the bed: “Do you really think I’d like you kids?”

He meant it—before his rebirth, he was twenty-eight, and no guy that age would go for a seven- or eight-year-old girl.

He just found them all chattering annoyingly.

Lin Zheng Ran explained: “That rumor started from some incident in class, and sure, others can believe it.” He glared at Xiao Heqing: “But I have to spend time every week teaching you Taekwondo and hang out with you all the time—yet you believe it too? No brains at all!”

After his scolding, Xiao Heqing felt happier.

A smile crept onto her face, but in front of Lin Zheng Ran, she didn’t dare show it, mumbling: “I didn’t believe it. I knew it was just people talking nonsense.”

“Then why were you crying?”

Xiao Heqing blushed and looked down, scolding herself: “Because I have no brains; it’s all empty up there.”

Lin Zheng Ran: “.”

Lin Zheng Ran: “You’re pretty self-aware. What’s the second question?”

Knowing he didn’t like any girl, Xiao Heqing grew bolder: “The second question ties into the third thing I want to say. Can I tell them together?”

With his okay, Xiao Heqing shared about her grandma.

“My grandma’s been sick and not doing well. Mom has to go back to take care of her, so…” Her voice dropped: “So, I’ll be transferring schools next month. I might not come back until middle school.”

Lin Zheng Ran hadn’t expected something so big, but he’d sort of anticipated it. After all, Aunt He always went home during breaks to care for her mom for a month, so he knew Grandma hadn’t been healthy.

They were bound to go back eventually.

That’s why Lin Zheng Ran had been teaching Xiao Heqing to speak up since kindergarten—to avoid her getting bullied after transferring.

He patted the bed, signaling her to sit.

Xiao Heqing carefully sat beside Lin Zheng Ran, gazing at him with reluctance.

Lin Zheng Ran chuckled: “Transferring is great. Now that you’ve learned Taekwondo, no one but me can pick on you anymore. Won’t that make you happy?”

Xiao Heqing shook her head: “Not happy.” She looked down again, fiddling with her hands: “I’d rather you pick on me every day. I don’t mind it.”

Lin Zheng Ran didn’t reply right away and flicked her forehead again. Xiao Heqing quickly covered her head.

“You really have something wrong with your head! Not like normal people!” Lin Zheng Ran frowned, leaning back against the headboard: “Anyway, I’m basically your teacher and your childhood friend. Once you switch schools, don’t embarrass me—don’t let anyone bully you.”

Xiao Heqing nodded: “I won’t. Not many boys can beat me now. I’m strong.”

“I know you’re strong, but you get bullied because of your temper. If someone troubles you, get angry when you need to. You won’t start fights, so just focus on protecting yourself.”

Xiao Heqing nodded vigorously, on the verge of tears again.

Even without much sense, over the years she’d figured out why Lin Zheng Ran always made her do naughty things in kindergarten.

But that hint of tears vanished with one look from Lin Zheng Ran.

And he asked about the second thing.

Xiao Heqing said: “My grandma found out about my Taekwondo lessons. I told her I’d win a championship for her this New Year, but with the transfer, I can’t. So, I want you to teach me more this month to see if I can win early. Plus, the coach said the champion gets to pick a prize, and I want that.”

Lin Zheng Ran agreed without much thought: “Sure, since you’re leaving soon, I can help with that. I’ve got some new insights anyway, so you can win easily.”

He hadn’t expected to use his new knowledge so quickly. Without double the teaching speed, getting Heqing a dojo championship half a year early would have been tough.

Xiao Heqing trusted him completely—once he promised, he never broke his word.

[Heqing received a message to return to the sect. It not only asked about your relationship with Miss Jiang but also requested that before she leaves, you teach her more about cultivation fist intent. Though there might not be any benefits this time, you accepted and plan to share everything in this month.]

Miss Jiang? That was odd.

From that day in the bedroom chat onward, in their final month, Lin Zheng Ran made time to teach Xiao Heqing Taekwondo as much as possible.

Every evening after school, during lunch breaks, or on weekends, they were together.

Lin Zheng Ran guided her carefully and analyzed everyone in the Taekwondo dojo who could beat her.

Xiao Heqing listened and learned seriously, without slacking off.