Chapter 67: Childhood Ties

Lin Zheng Ran saw her eyes welling with tears, thinking they wouldn’t spill over, but then he grabbed Lily’s arm. She was still crying, yet she forced a smile, staring at him with teary eyes.

“Quick, explain yourself… explain!”

Lin Zheng Ran felt awkward, wondering what kind of people he knew: “Explain what? I’m the one who wants an explanation. What were you just muttering about?”

Lily looked at him with red-rimmed eyes, sounding hurt: “Explain what, you big idiot? I want you to explain, you big dummy, you stupid fool.”

“Keep that up?”

“I won’t!” But she didn’t dare.

Seeing Lin Zheng Ran staring at her, Lily added: “Anyway, I clearly saw her proposing. You two—” She poked his arm. “Let go of my hand first so I can lay out the facts and see how you explain this.”

Lin Zheng Ran released her hand.

Lily used her hands to act out the scene, mimicking Heqing’s actions—tying the scarf and kneeling on one knee.

“When I arrived, I saw you two like this, then like that, and then that way. Finally, she knelt on one knee, and you said you’d go to the civil affairs bureau this week to get married. You can’t deny it, right?”

Lin Zheng Ran let out a confused “Huh?”

Though Lily’s description was vague, maybe because he’d known her since childhood, he vaguely understood.

Basically, she meant she’d witnessed a proposal scene.

Lin Zheng Ran wanted to ask: “Never mind that your story is so abstract no one else gets it—what do you mean we’re going to the civil affairs bureau to get married? Do you think middle school kids can even do that?”

Lily started to respond but suddenly froze.

She blinked at him with wide eyes, tears still flowing: “Wait, I think you have to be over twenty to get married. So why would you say you’re going to get a license?”

Lin Zheng Ran couldn’t help but flick her forehead.

Lily yelped and clutched her head, stopping her tears: “Hey, big idiot, why’d you hit me?”

Lin Zheng Ran glanced at her with disdain: “Were those wild ideas you just spouted actually what you heard? Or did you just make them up in your head?”

“Emmmm,” she mumbled from her throat.

“It was all in my head.”

Lin Zheng Ran flicked her forehead again. Though it didn’t really hurt, it was enough to reset her mood. She pointed at his scarf: “There you go hitting me again! So how do you explain wearing that scarf? It’s from Heqing, right?”

Lin Zheng Ran said, “Oh, this.” He teased: “Fine, you’re not wrong. Everything you heard was true.”

Lily’s eyes widened, and she started pounding him with little fists:

“Liar, liar, liar! I didn’t hear anything—it was all my imagination! You two aren’t together! And at your age, how could you get married? Tell me what really happened. I don’t believe you’d go back on your word. My big idiot isn’t like that!”

Lin Zheng Ran caught her flurry of punches and calmly said: “I’ll say this once: Heqing’s clothes got dirty, so she washed them at my place. Then I walked her downstairs. That’s it.”

Lily’s fists stopped, and suddenly she was beaming without any transition.

She put her hands behind her back and grinned: “Oh, so that’s what happened! You should have said so earlier, big idiot!” Her face lit up: “I knew you, though not great in many ways, are always honest and never lie to me. I trust you completely.”

In Lily’s mind, Lin Zheng Ran might flirt around, but he’d never lie.

And if reality clashed with what he said,

then in her view, what he said was true, and reality was wrong—stemming from that elementary school theft incident where she decided only her big idiot was someone she could trust unconditionally.

In terms of trust, both Lily and Heqing gave Lin Zheng Ran their full faith, thanks to growing up as childhood friends.

Suddenly, a car pulled up at the residential area’s entrance, and the driver’s window rolled down.

The driver was a pretty woman in her thirties.

“Lily? What are you doing here? I’m heading to the studio to record, want a ride?”

Lily turned at the sound, wiped her tears with her arm: “Zhang Jie! Sure, I was planning to go too.”

She didn’t forget to introduce, completely dropping her suspicions about Heqing.

“Zhang Jie, let me introduce—this is Lin Zheng Ran, my childhood friend.”

Lin Zheng Ran smiled: “Hello, Zhang Jie.”

Zhang Jie replied: “Handsome kid, I think I’ve seen you at the studio before. Didn’t you used to tag along with Lily to pick up stuff or watch her record songs?”

Lin Zheng Ran nodded: “Yeah, I’ve gone a few times.”

Zhang Jie chuckled: “Childhood sweethearts—how nice. Want me to drop you both off?”

Lily giggled shyly.

“Thanks, Zhang Jie.” She turned to Lin Zheng Ran: “Big idiot, coming along?”

Lin Zheng Ran said, “Let’s go,” and they both got in the car, heading to the Child Star Studio.

Once they arrived, since Lily had to record anyway, she went straight to the recording room.

Lin Zheng Ran sat in the lounge area below, arms crossed, listening to her sing.

The moment Lily stepped on stage, her singing talent kicked in, but today, because of earlier events, her voice was a bit off.

The sound engineer asked: “It started fine, but why does Lily’s voice sound different now? A little hoarse. Want to take a break? Let someone else go first.”

Lily held the microphone, knowing it was from crying earlier.

“Okay, I’ll rest and try again later.”

She set down the microphone and glanced down, spotting two girls chatting up Lin Zheng Ran, asking for his number.

“Hey, handsome, which school are you from? You’re so cute—what’s your phone number?”

“Yeah, what’s your number? Are you here to help someone practice singing?”

Lin Zheng Ran had no interest in these thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girls: “I don’t have a phone. I’m here for her—the one on stage.”

Jealous, Lily waved her fists and hurried over.

The girls saw her and exchanged looks, disappointed: “Oh, you’re with Lily? Guess that’s it. Wait, does Lily have a boyfriend?” They chatted as they left.

Lily overheard and blushed but didn’t deny it.

Boyfriend…

She walked up to Lin Zheng Ran: “Big idiot, what were you doing?!”

Lin Zheng Ran: “Just sitting here listening to you sing. This studio always has new faces coming and going, and old ones leaving fast.”

Lily hummed: “Yeah, a lot of people sing for a bit, don’t get famous, and quit. The studio doesn’t have much backing, and the singers here don’t make much money anyway.”

She added quickly: “Wait, that’s not the point! How come every time you sit here, girls hit on you? Are you that good at attracting them? I mean, I admit you’re handsome and capable, but…”

Lin Zheng Ran: “But what do their requests have to do with me? Besides, I wasn’t planning to give out my number.”

Lily sat beside him, pouting: “Well, that’s more like it—you’re acting proper for once.” She noticed the handmade scarf around his neck, her eyes sparkling at its fine craft:

“What’s with that scarf? Is it from Heqing?”

He looked down: “Yeah, she said it’s a winter gift. But I’ve worn it all afternoon and it’s too warm. I’ll put it away in a box when I get home.”

Lily heard it was just a winter gift and, though jealous, realized it wasn’t a confession.

She remembered wanting to invite him to the zoo.

Lin Zheng Ran asked: “Weren’t you trying to tell me something yesterday? I saw you with some flyer?”