Chapter 63: A Gentle Promise

Ah?… She felt shy.

We have a dryer at home. We can wash your clothes along with mine—they’ll dry in no time.

Xiao Heqing nodded slowly, her attention fixed on the second half of his words.

Lin Zheng Ran turned to leave, but as she tried to follow, she suddenly winced in pain and nearly fell. She caught herself on a nearby bench just in time.

Lin Zheng Ran glanced back. “What’s wrong?”

Xiao Heqing looked down at her ankle. “It just started hurting out of nowhere. I have no idea why.”

He made her sit and checked it, kneeling down to pull her sock down a bit. Xiao Heqing watched him shyly.

He saw that the spot from her previous injury was red and swollen again. Lin Zheng Ran looked up. “What happened?”

“How did you twist your ankle again today? And in the same spot?”

Xiao Heqing had no clue. It hadn’t hurt before.

She stammered, “I-I don’t know. Maybe when I saved that little dog and fell? But it really didn’t hurt just then.”

Seeing Lin Zheng Ran’s stern expression, she quickly apologized. “I’m so sorry… Please don’t be mad. I’m just a bit clumsy, you know. Go ahead and scold me if it helps.”

He recalled how she used to scold herself for being scatterbrained as a kid.

Turning his back to her, he crouched down. “Climb on. I’ll carry you home and get some medicine on that.”

Xiao Heqing was thrilled but hesitant, waving her hands quickly. “No, no, I’m too dirty—all mud. I can walk; I’ll just go slow.”

Lin Zheng Ran looked back at her.

It made her go pale, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I-I can…”

“Get on.”

“But I’m really dirty.” She didn’t dare argue with Lin Zheng Ran, especially when he added, “You can wash this jacket for me later, right?”

With that, Xiao Heqing carefully climbed onto his back, still apologizing. “Sorry, Lin Zheng Ran, I got your clothes all muddy…”

He told her to hold onto his neck, and she managed to free one arm to wrap around it.

Lin Zheng Ran stood up, supporting her legs as he headed home. She weighed less than a hundred pounds, and with his unusual strength, it was effortless.

She asked quietly, “Am I too heavy? Are you getting tired?”

“Why are you chattering so much?”

“Wuu…”

As they passed the kindergarten Xiao Heqing had gone by earlier, they both glanced over.

Lin Zheng Ran said, “So?”

She nodded guiltily, knowing what he meant.

He carried her across the street, drawing curious looks from passersby. At the kindergarten entrance, little boys and girls chased each other, playing. Xiao Heqing felt her heart race.

Lin Zheng Ran pretty much knew what those kids were up to:

“I really don’t get you little girls with all your daydreams. But I’m not interested in middle schoolers.”

Xiao Heqing froze, then her eyes welled up with tears.

Not interested? What does that mean? Did I just get rejected? But I didn’t even confess— I haven’t said anything yet!

As Lin Zheng Ran started to say more, he heard her sniffling.

“Are you crying?”

“N-no, I’m not… Wuuu.” She bit her lip, tears brimming. “I’m not crying, wuuu.”

Lin Zheng Ran said, “Crying won’t help. Lean your head forward.”

“Ah? Okay.” She stretched her head out as far as she could. “Then what?”

“Put the hand you’re using to hold my neck on your forehead and flick yourself hard.”

“Oh, alright.” Xiao Heqing, still sobbing, placed her hand on her forehead and flicked it hard. She yelped in pain and nearly cried again. “Ouch, that hurts—I hit myself too hard!”

Lin Zheng Ran thought it was ridiculous that she went all out on herself. “Good, that’s what you get for not learning. Do you remember what you said as a kid? Why did you start Taekwondo?”

Tears in her eyes, she answered pitifully, “I remember. I wanted to get strong, so I could protect you if anyone bullied you and grow up to be someone capable.”

Lin Zheng Ran asked, “Have you done that? Do you think you’ve grown up?”

“N-no.” In front of him, she was completely honest. “Lately, I’ve even slacked off on Taekwondo, and I keep making you mad…”

Xiao Heqing clutched the box in her hands tighter.

“So, you’re still a kid and yet you’re letting your mind wander?”

Lin Zheng Ran kept walking, holding her legs, and after a pause, he added,

“If you win the town’s Taekwondo competition next year, I’ll grant you one small wish as a reward.”

Xiao Heqing blinked. A small wish?

Lin Zheng Ran continued, “By the way, we’ll be sixteen when we start high school, right?”

She replied, “Yeah, we’ll be sixteen in high school, and eighteen by graduation… Mom says that’s when I’ll really be a grown woman.”

At first, she answered casually, but then it hit her, and she perked up, blushing as she murmured to herself,

“Wait—a grown woman?! Once I’m in high school, I’m not a little girl anymore; I’ll be a big girl!”

Remembering his earlier words, she gathered her courage. “Lin Zheng Ran, you’re not… not into girls, are you?”

He was baffled. “What? Of course I am! I’m not planning to become a monk or anything. What are you thinking?”

Xiao Heqing lit up with a smile. “Really? So if you don’t like little kids, and if I win the competition next year, get strong, and stop being a little girl by high school, then…” She paused, her quick mind rephrasing it carefully. “You won’t leave me, right? You promised back in kindergarten that I’d always follow you.”

“Yeah, I said that back at the kindergarten, and it still holds.”

Xiao Heqing beamed through her tears, giggling. “Really!” But then her face went blank, and she blinked dumbly.

Wait…

So does that mean… did I just succeed or fail at confessing?

Emmm, and I don’t think I even confessed…

This is so weird.