Chapter 151: Weekend Bonds and Hidden Paths

[These past two days, you and the Demonic Cult Enchantress planned to challenge the Yan Luo Treasure Tower for cultivation. This tower, said to be forged by an ancient demon lord, holds immense pressure within, and its top floor contains treasures and top-grade spells that greatly enhance one’s abilities. But unexpectedly, you and the Demonic Cult Enchantress only made it past two levels before the tower’s powerful pressure overwhelmed you.]

[The Demonic Cult Enchantress felt so unwell and weak from it that you had to take her back to your residence to rest and recover, planning to try again another day. Back home, under the moonlight, you two shared your hearts, embraced, and talked intimately, now as Dao companions.]

[This was your first real entry into the Yan Luo Treasure Tower, though you didn’t clear it. Still, the intense pressure strengthened your body, and your spiritual energy link with the Demonic Cult Enchantress grew even clearer over these two days.]

[You gained five points in strength, three in energy, and an increase in spiritual cultivation.]

Another weekend arrived, and on Saturday morning, Lin Zheng Ran got up from his dormitory and headed to the washroom to brush his teeth and wash his face.

Although living with those three little girls always led to random adventures, he never expected that even a simple shopping trip with Han Wenwen would count as tower climbing in the system’s eyes.

And according to the system, after visiting those hundred places, there should be some mysterious big reward.

Lin Zheng Ran couldn’t help but wonder what it might give him.

Clearly, next time he was alone with Wenwen, he’d have to keep shopping around.

While washing up, a message popped up on his phone.

It was from Jiang Jingshi.

Jiang Jingshi: “Zheng Ran, are you up yet? When are you planning to come to the company?”

Lin Zheng Ran replied: “I’ll definitely be there before nine.”

“Okay, but I have something come up this morning, so I might be late. You go ahead and chat with Zhang Jie about Lily’s stuff first, then I’ll show you our new company this afternoon.”

“No problem.”

The Zheng Shi Company paperwork went through faster than Lin Zheng Ran expected.

Jiang Jingshi was exceptionally skilled at handling external business; what took others a month or even half a year, she wrapped up in just a week.

Her talent in that area was truly unmatched.

Lin Zheng Ran returned to his dormitory to change clothes, and then a message from Lily came in.

“Zheng Ran? Are you up?”

It was barely past seven in the morning. Because yesterday after evening study, Lily had asked about meeting up today, and Lin Zheng Ran said around eight.

So, she woke up early and took on the role of his alarm.

This time, instead of replying, Lin Zheng Ran just called her directly.

It startled Lily in her dormitory; her phone jumped in her hand before she quickly answered and headed to the balcony to talk. “Hello? Zheng Ran? Why did you call out of the blue?”

Lin Zheng Ran: “Don’t tell me you’re already ready to go.”

Lily hesitated, glancing toward the boys’ dormitory while scratching her face. “Of course not. You said eight, right? I just woke up.”

Lin Zheng Ran sighed and grabbed his things: “Every time I set a meetup with you girls, you all seem to get ready an hour early. Now I’m tempted to push the time back on purpose.”

Lily thought to herself that it was because she wanted to see him sooner—even if he woke up five minutes early, she’d get to see him that much faster…

As for what the others thought, Lily wasn’t sure, but girls in love probably all felt the same way.

In winter, staying in bed seemed less important than seeing Lin Zheng Ran.

Or rather, nothing mattered more than that, except maybe extreme situations.

Lin Zheng Ran said on the phone: “If you’re ready, let’s head downstairs. We can grab some breakfast and meet at the playground.”

Lily perked up at the idea, grinning with her little tiger teeth showing. “Great! I’m all set. See you at the playground entrance!”

With that, she excitedly put away her phone and dashed down from her dormitory, her ponytail bouncing with every step.

Lin Zheng Ran knew she’d been ready ages ago, so he headed down too and made his way to the playground entrance.

Lily, with her quick steps, got there first. From a distance, Lin Zheng Ran spotted her at the entrance, fidgeting like she was humming a tune, her low twin tails catching the morning light with a hint of gold.

Her hair was longer than Han Wenwen’s or Heqing’s— theirs barely reached past their shoulders, while hers went down to her slim waist.

Today, she wore blue jeans paired with a gray-and-white wool sweater that hugged her figure nicely and looked really cute.

Any outfit on her seemed to spark with energy.

Spotting Lin Zheng Ran approaching, she waved one hand eagerly, as if to say, ‘I’m right here!’

When he reached her, she stepped forward to meet him.

“Zheng Ran, you’re up early!”

Lin Zheng Ran asked curiously: “Shouldn’t you have been up even earlier? What time did you get up?”

Lily clasped her hands behind her back, her face giving away that she was fibbing—she’d actually woken up around four or five.

It wasn’t the alarm; just thinking about seeing Lin Zheng Ran made her wake up early, and once up, sleep was impossible. She’d just lie there, tossing and turning, excited about the day.

“Oh, around six-thirty, then brushed my teeth and washed up, and it was seven.” Her voice shifted, like she wasn’t used to lying.

Lin Zheng Ran smoothly tapped her forehead.

Lily yelped and clutched her head: “Ouch! Why’d you hit me for no reason?!”

“You can’t lie to save your life. Your eyes wander every time, and you won’t even look at me.”

Lily stubbornly glanced away, blushing: “No way~”

She thought, did she even need to lie? Truth was, she could barely meet his eyes normally without feeling shy.

Lin Zheng Ran, amused by her, commented: “But this outfit of yours is new to me—it’s actually pretty cute.”

Lily’s face turned even redder, stammering: “It’s… it’s alright. Just regular clothes, nothing special.”

Though she looked secretly pleased.

Lin Zheng Ran laughed: “Yeah, no big difference, but you make it look so lively because you’re adorable.”

Lily felt her cheeks burn; when had this guy gotten so smooth with words?

Yet it felt so genuine from him. “Okay, enough of that. I’m not that cute.”

Trying to return the compliment, she said shyly: “You’re looking sharp today too.”

Lin Zheng Ran glanced at his clothes: “Is this any different from last week at school?”

Lily had no response: “Not really.”

In her eyes, he always looked good—no matter what he wore, since her affection was already maxed out.

Lin Zheng Ran started toward the school gate: “Let’s go. We can grab breakfast outside while it’s still early.”

“Okay!”

Lily hurried after him.

They joined the stream of couples heading home or out to the city for the weekend, leaving the campus behind.

Between the school gate and the street with food stalls stood a big crossroads.

While waiting at the red light, Lily kept her hands behind her back, silent, but her mind was a whirlwind.

It had been two weeks since that movie night and when she’d had cramps, and he made her that warm brown sugar drink.

A whole half-month.

Back then, it felt like they were really together—they’d even held hands.

But since then, with Heqing and Han Wenwen around at school, life had slipped back to normal for the four of them.

Eating together, classes, hanging out—it was all good, but Lily hardly got any alone time with Lin Zheng Ran anymore. Instead of their relationship growing, it felt like it was fading.

Too ordinary. And the New Star List stuff had distracted them, so even their chats were all about that, not anything couple-like.

Other couples talked about sweet, personal things, but they just discussed songs and rankings.

Could this even work? Weren’t relationships supposed to be nurtured, especially when it’s new?

Her thoughts raced until she noticed a couple arguing loudly by the roadside early in the morning.

The girl shouted: “What have you been up to this week? You don’t reply to messages, and I have no idea where you are!”

The guy seemed defensive but got heated too; they didn’t seem to go to the same school: “I’m studying! I’m busy too. Do you think I’m just playing around? I need to finish so I can make time for you! Isn’t that for us?”

“I’m not saying don’t study—I know you’re trying! But I never see you, man! How are we supposed to date like this? Are you thinking of breaking up again?!”

“Fine, let’s break up! Who cares? We won’t see each other ever again!”

“Yeah, break up then!”

They stormed off in different directions, and passersby overheard it all—some sighed, some smirked.

But Lin Zheng Ran figured those two wouldn’t actually split; high school romances were often fleeting, but that heated argument over not seeing each other? With those lovey-dovey looks? It screamed making up later.

He saw it as them showing off their affection. Breakups didn’t happen like that.

Lily, though, froze at their words. Wasn’t that just like her and Zheng Ran’s situation lately? Always around but caught up in their own things. Would he want to break up?

They’d only been together half a month, and now this? Wait, why ‘again’?

No, no! She couldn’t let that happen! Eight years of waiting, and they finally got together—who knew what she’d been through? She’d fight to the end before giving up!

She needed to spark some conversation… “Zheng Ran?”

Lin Zheng Ran looked at her curiously: “What’s up?”

Lily wasn’t sure what to say; they chatted easily in a group, but alone as a couple, words escaped her.

Spotting the blinking traffic light, she blurted: “Zheng Ran, look at that streetlight—isn’t it looking old?”

Lin Zheng Ran eyed it: “It seems pretty new to me.”

Lily: “.”

She blinked: “Really? Last night when we passed the school gate, I thought it was brighter than now. Maybe it’s worn out.”

Lin Zheng Ran was baffled: “That’s because it was night then, no other lights around, so the red and green ones stood out. Now it’s daytime, so they don’t.”

Lily swallowed awkwardly: “Oh, is that how it works?”

What was she even saying? This made her sound clueless!

Lin Zheng Ran watched her, wondering what storm of thoughts led to questioning the streetlight.

The light turned yellow, and as Lily moved to cross with the crowd, Lin Zheng Ran grabbed her hand.

“Hold on.”

A car sped through the school entrance, drawing curses from everyone.

It startled the students about to cross.

Especially the Gate Guard Grandpa, who yelled the loudest: “Driving like a maniac at the school gate? In a hurry to meet your maker, you reckless kid!”

The old man cared deeply and had quite the mouth when riled.

Lin Zheng Ran warned Lily: “Why rush across on yellow? Weren’t you watching the cars?”

Seeing his serious expression—which was rare—she apologized quickly: “Sorry, sorry… I was distracted.”

Lin Zheng Ran flicked her forehead, a bit harder this time.

Lily winced but stayed quiet.

Lin Zheng Ran: “Distracted while crossing the street?”

“Won’t happen again,” she mumbled, not daring to rub her forehead.

Only then did he lead her forward by the hand.

Lily followed, head down and annoyed, until she noticed their linked hands and zoned out for a moment.

When had he grabbed her hand?

Her cheeks flushed as she trailed behind him.

Lin Zheng Ran glanced back.

Lily jumped, tense: “I really get it now. Next time, I’ll wait for no cars before crossing!” She stared at him with wide, sincere eyes like a promise.

Lin Zheng Ran exhaled and turned back.

“As long as you learn from it.”

Lily relaxed a bit.

Though he rarely got mad, that look just now had scared her.

Once across, she eyed their still-joined hands and stepped up to walk beside him, adjusting her grip so their fingers intertwined.

A smile spread across her face.

Looks like breaking up wasn’t on the table after all.

“Let’s break up,” Lin Zheng Ran said suddenly.

Lily’s smile froze; she turned rigid, tears welling up until she spotted a new shop in the distance called ‘Divide Potato Bar,’ with a subtitle: official potato chip store.

Lin Zheng Ran: “Didn’t know we had a spot like this near school for snacks. Want to try some?”

Lily blinked at him, her heart settling back. “After breakfast, maybe. Get one pack to try.”

Lin Zheng Ran agreed: “Sounds good. Let’s get steamed buns for breakfast—that place ahead has great ones.”

“Yeah!”

They reached the bun shop and ordered three baskets of soup dumplings: two beef and one pork.

Lily sat across from him, grabbing chopsticks and pickled veggies.

While waiting, she kept glancing at Lin Zheng Ran.

He was flipping through some company files Jiang Jingshi had sent earlier on his phone.

Lin Zheng Ran asked: “Why keep staring? Your mind’s been all over the place since morning, hasn’t it?”

“Huh?” Lily was caught off guard. “No, I’m not thinking about anything.”

“Not thinking anything, yet you spaced out waiting for the light?”

She broke into a sweat, feeling uneasy.

Lin Zheng Ran put his phone down and got serious, though he couldn’t read her every thought—he knew her overthinking was legendary: “What did Wang Jie say to you lately?”

Lily responded and pulled up her chat to show him: “You can check. Wang Jie said since I’m first on the New Star List, she wants me to come in today to talk about shooting a personal MV for ‘You Are My Star.’ And maybe set up a team or something later?”

Lily knew the studio’s limits; it was small, and a team sounded like hype: “But I think it’s all talk. I’ve known those people for years, but I’m not that close. Working with them might hold me back, and I bet you wouldn’t agree either.”

Surprisingly, Lin Zheng Ran disagreed: “Actually, this time it’s real, and I think it’s time you got a team. It doesn’t conflict with going solo. As a singer, you need both individual performances and group tracks—it’s all part of the journey.”

“Really? But…” Lily was confused: “Didn’t you say before that the studio folks aren’t on your level? If I team up with them, it could drag me down.”

“Yeah, I did say that before.”

That was then; now things had changed. With him as the boss, any resources from the music company would go to her. Plus, Jiang Jingshi’s team was involved, and her singers, with the right support, were top-notch. He could handpick the best and guide them personally to form a strong group with Lily.

Lin Zheng Ran handed back her phone: “We built the basics before; now it’s time to step on stage. Form a team, release new songs, shoot MVs—the whole process. I figure in less than half a year, you’ll be skyrocketing to fame and even touring.”

Lily trusted him completely, even if she doubted others: “A tour?”

Seeing his confident look, she felt thrilled yet nervous. Tours were every singer’s dream: “Can I really do that? I’ve only done a small town competition so far.”

“Absolutely. With the resources, your skills alone could make you big, let alone now. Just believe in yourself—or if not, believe in me.”

Lily bit her lip, gazing at him earnestly.

The hot soup dumplings arrived.

Lin Zheng Ran picked up his chopsticks: “Let’s eat first.”

Lily nodded and grabbed hers, popping a dumpling into her mouth.

Lin Zheng Ran noticed her hair: “Hey, isn’t it time for a trim? Your hair’s gotten really long.”

Lily looked down at her twin tails reaching her waist and smoothed them: “Yeah, it’s a bit long. If we’re not too busy today, I’ll find a salon tonight to cut it shorter.”

Lin Zheng Ran dipped his dumpling in chili oil: “I’ll go with you tonight.”

Lily looked at him in surprise and dipped hers in the same dish, shyly: “Alright.”

Then Lin Zheng Ran took another bite.

Lily chuckled: “You’re eating so fast—slow down, will you? It’s making me anxious just watching.”

Lin Zheng Ran: “I’m fine. I’ve always been like this since I was a kid.”

Lily sighed: “True, you’ve always scarfed food down. I told you it’s not good for you, but you never listen. That habit never changed.”

Lin Zheng Ran reached for a napkin, and Lily automatically handed him a couple of sheets.

She asked: “But are the beef ones really that great? You’ve eaten them for years.”

“You’ve had the pork ones for years too, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, so I don’t get what makes beef so special—it’s kinda chewy.” She grabbed one from his basket, tried it, and nodded: “See? Still chewy and not as good.”

Lin Zheng Ran watched her chew with puffed cheeks and remembered their elementary school days, when she’d always snatch his food.

Grinning, he took one from her pork basket to try.

Verdict: “Pork’s alright, but beef’s better for dumplings.”

Lily huffed: “What do you know about dumplings, you big dummy? Pork’s the best!”

Among their group, no one knew Lin Zheng Ran better than Lily, and vice versa.

He caught those little things sometimes, but she never minded; their bickering went back to day one, the purest childhood sweethearts who’d never been apart.