Chapter 120: Blushing Encounters

The quiet atmosphere made the sounds of cars passing downstairs and the loudspeaker of the auntie selling fried dough sticks at the residential area entrance stand out sharply.

In the bedroom, Lily’s eyes widened slowly; she’d imagined all sorts of things Lin Zheng Ran might say today.

But this remark shattered the boundaries of her imagination.

“What about it?” Lin Zheng Ran asked. “Isn’t that normal?”

“N-normal?!” Lily stammered. “Did I hear that right, you idiot? What did you just say? You actually claimed we’re both yours!” Her eyes still red, she clenched her small fists and squeezed her eyes shut in protest.

“You heard me right; I said it.”

“No! Say it again if you dare! What did you just say?”

“I said you’re both mine.”

“Say it again!”

“I said you’re both mine.”

Lily stared at Lin Zheng Ran, her face flushed with surprise, unable to believe anyone could be so shameless.

“You actually said it again! How can that work? You can only choose one between me and Heqing. Who has two girlfriends? I’ve never even heard of it!”

Lin Zheng Ran sat on the bed, perfectly serious. “Really? Are you sure you’ve never heard? It’s all over TV.”

She recalled seeing it in dramas, so she switched tactics. “Well, I might have heard, but!” Lily hugged the blanket shyly, curling up.

“No, this is too outrageous. Who does that? And you call yourself no idiot—only an idiot would say something like this. Idiot! Blockhead!”

As she spoke, her stomach twinged again, and she clutched it in pain.

Lin Zheng Ran handed her the cup helplessly.

“Why get so worked up? You have to make your stomach hurt again, don’t you? Take another sip.”

Lily looked at him curiously, thinking how he could be so gentle yet so infuriating; she didn’t know what to say.

But seeing it was the red sugar water he’d made himself, she slowly brought the cup to her lips and took a tiny sip.

It was a bit hot, so she didn’t drink much.

Lin Zheng Ran blew on the steam. “Try it again.”

Lily gazed at his lips shyly and took another sip, swallowing; it was still very sweet.

Her heart fluttered wildly.

But that flutter made her feel something was off; she closed her eyes and buried her head in her knees again.

“Even if you’re this nice to me, I won’t agree. This is just wrong. I could say yes to anything else, but not this. Idiot Zheng Ran! How can you be so fickle?”

She peeked at Lin Zheng Ran’s reaction, but he seemed completely at ease.

“How can you be so calm? Say something!”

“What else is there? I said it simply: you’re both mine.” Lin Zheng Ran replied with conviction.

“What’s with that serious look? My point is, it’s too straightforward! Normally, for something this wild, you’d need some excuse—something that makes me have to say yes!”

Lin Zheng Ran set the cup down and answered sincerely:

“I won’t do that because I don’t like forcing or deceiving people, especially girls. True feelings can’t be forced, just like when I taught you to sing back then.

I said I’d only teach you if you truly wanted to follow me and improve. Wasn’t that what I said? Same principle.”

“Yes,” Lily remembered that day from childhood. “That’s what you said, and that’s what I agreed to, but…” She gripped the cup tighter, savoring the sweetness of the red sugar water.

“Girlfriends are different, though. I do like that you never lie to me.”

She glanced aside and murmured, “Unless you’re really set on this, I won’t agree. But if you are, then I guess I can’t stop you.”

“You’re giving in so quickly.”

“What giving in?” Lily realized suddenly and hugged her head. “Ah! How did I agree?”

As she said it, the blanket slipped again; she quickly grabbed it, too embarrassed to speak.

“What choice do I have? You know I’ve liked you for years! Even knowing you’re so fickle, I’m still by your side every day! But…”

She balled her fists and demanded, “Tell me, do you even have what it takes to handle two girls? Having two girlfriends is a hassle—dealing with jealousy and fights, you’d have to soothe us both!”

Lin Zheng Ran: “I know; I’ve known from the start.”

“You!” Lily buried her head in her knees, sighed, and felt speechless. “I have nothing left to say. You’re the idiot; do what you want. I’m just a fool for being so obsessed with you—I must be sick.”

Lin Zheng Ran handed her the cup again. “Have a couple more sips and lie down. Even if the pain’s gone, your period will still be rough for a couple of days.”

Lily looked at him, pursed her lips, took the cup from his hand, and drank it all down.

With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she eyed him. “Wait, is this what you planned all along? To have us both and not let go of anyone?”

Lin Zheng Ran took the cup. “Of course; I’ve never changed my mind.”

“You really are!” Lily’s small fists pounded his arm quickly. “You’re impossibly fickle!” As she hit, she lost her balance and leaned her face against his arm.

But she didn’t pull away; instead, she rested her forehead there and bit her lip, sniffing quietly.

Lin Zheng Ran was surprised. “What’s wrong now?”

Lily shook her head and whispered softly, word by word:

“Nothing. Even though you’re so fickle and bold about it, I feel a little happy inside. Maybe because you’ve been this way for so long, I’m used to it. What matters most is that you still care about me.”

Lin Zheng Ran: “It’s not ‘still’—both you and Heqing have always been important to me. I’ll always care, no matter what, even when you say one thing and mean another, making conversations tricky.”

Lily suddenly felt a tsundere shyness and huffed, her heart itching from his words.

She lay back down, pulling the blanket over herself for protection, her face red as she asked, “By the way… have you seen everything you shouldn’t today? I’ve dropped this blanket so many times.”

Lin Zheng Ran thought about those moments and said honestly, “No, I didn’t see anything. At most, I glimpsed your shoulder.”

“Impossible!” She knew he never lied, but she pressed on, “Really?”

“Really, because you’re so petite.”

“Petite?” Lily caught on and swatted at him again. “Are you saying that’s small too? So even if the blanket drops, you can’t see!”

“It’s fine; small can be cute.”

“I really hate you!”

She huffed and turned away. “I don’t need you to stay, but since you’re my boyfriend now, it’s okay if you do. I want to sleep and wake up to see you here.”

“Okay, I was here to talk about the competition anyway, so I’m not leaving.”

Lily’s lips curved into a happy smile. “And it’s so warm in here; you don’t need that jacket. You can toss it over me to cover up.”

She closed her eyes, meant it as a thought, but it slipped out. “That way, I can fall asleep with your scent around me.”

Lin Zheng Ran noted she had a few little quirks.