Chapter 169: Bonds and Banter

After finishing breakfast, Lin Zheng Ran headed out and asked Fang Meng, “I’ve got to step out for a bit today. Are you heading back or staying?”

Fang Meng wiped the table and replied, “I’ll head back once I’m done cleaning up.”

Lin Zheng Ran reminded her, “I already wiped the table.”

“I’ll make it even cleaner,” she said, continuing to wipe.

Lin Zheng Ran didn’t press further and left. He had a haircut appointment that morning and needed to tutor Han Wenwen and Lily.

With the college entrance exams approaching, Lin Zheng Ran felt no fear, but Han Wenwen and Lily, busy with their side gigs, were bound to fall behind on studies.

Luckily, with Lin Zheng Ran helping, the two still held strong positions and could aim for top universities without issues.

Soon, he went downstairs.

But as soon as he stepped out of the residential area, he spotted Han Wenwen and Lily waiting at the gate. Those two little ones had shown up early for him.

One stood with hands behind her back, glancing around, while the other charmingly scrolled her phone, exchanging laughs now and then.

Lin Zheng Ran was surprised. “What are you two doing at the gate?”

Both girls looked up at Lin Zheng Ran and stepped forward.

Lily hadn’t changed much over these high school years—at least not in looks or build, as far as Lin Zheng Ran could tell.

But perhaps from all the recent videos and stage appearances, her presence had grown more polished.

Plus, among the three, Lily had the slimmest legs, their shape becoming even more striking—it was an odd way her body had developed.

“Zheng Ran, we’ve been waiting forever.”

Lily recalled that night after her first visit to Zheng Shi Music for a haircut. Even after all this time, those events lingered in her mind, leaving her full of longing.

“Didn’t you say last night you’d get a haircut today? I remembered that one time you went with me for mine,” she said, her cheeks flushing slightly. “So, I figured I should come along this time too.”

Lin Zheng Ran frowned. As far as he remembered, it had been ages since he’d accompanied her to the hair salon. “That was back in first year of high school, right?”

Lily protested, “Yeah, but who cares how long ago it was? I’m your girlfriend, so what’s the big deal with tagging along for your haircut?”

“Fair enough.”

Lily tossed her head aside.

Han Wenwen, listening to their chat, smiled sweetly, though her fox-like claws clenched into fists.

The moment Lily said ‘girlfriend,’ jealousy hit Han Wenwen again.

As the saying goes, women are made of water, but Han Wenwen was made of pure vinegar.

Lin Zheng Ran asked Han Wenwen, “So, you’re here early for the same reason?”

Han Wenwen smiled. “Oh, I’m not Lin Zheng Ran’s girlfriend. It’s just that he’s been helping me with tutoring lately, so I thought I’d join for the haircut.”

If she didn’t tag along, leaving Lin Zheng Ran alone with Lily would just hand them an opportunity.

This was Lin Zheng Ran’s rest day, theoretically free from anyone, and on this special weekend, she wouldn’t let him be alone with other girls.

Lily, standing nearby, chimed in to Han Wenwen,

“Han Wenwen, you don’t really need to come. Staying home for a lazy morning sounds nice. Anyway, Heqing and I are already with him, so you don’t have to watch over Lin Zheng Ran like in middle school.”

Lily thought that without Han Wenwen, she could link arms with Lin Zheng Ran at the salon, whisper a few words, maybe even share a hug or a quick kiss if the mood hit—but with Han Wenwen there, none of that would happen.

Han Wenwen waved innocently and said to Lily with a smile, “Oh, it’s not about watching anyone. That’s not a thing.”

Lily felt exasperated, thinking this woman’s words were totally unreliable—she was probably sent by Heqing to keep her from getting too close to Lin Zheng Ran.

After all, with Heqing away this week, it was easy for her to sneak some time.

Lin Zheng Ran, leading the way, walked up to the two. “Alright, you two, since you’re here, let’s all head to the hair salon. Afterward, we’ll go to Lily’s place for your tutoring.”

“Okay,” both girls said in unison.

The haircut and tutoring session felt more routine than usual—a triangle is always the steadiest shape, after all.

So, when Lin Zheng Ran was with them, the three could hardly do much else.

During Lily’s tutoring, she might sneak in a light kick under the table when Han Wenwen stepped out to the restroom, or throw in a stubborn tease with her signature pout.

And Han Wenwen would seize her chance when Lily was away, quickly hugging Lin Zheng Ran and stealing a peck.

By afternoon, Lin Zheng Ran, Lily, and Han Wenwen hopped into a taxi back to school.

But during the ride, they noticed

Fang Meng was in the taxi too.

At first, she sat in the passenger seat with a mask and hat on, and the three thought she was just a random carpooler.

Halfway through, Han Wenwen sniffed the air and recognized the familiar scent.

She asked curiously, “Wait, is that you, Fang Meng? Jiang Qian’s close friend?”

Fang Meng, surprised, took off her mask and turned back. “How did you know it was me?”

The three realized it really was her.

Han Wenwen smiled. “I smelled it. Who knew?”

Fang Meng blinked. “Smelled it?”

The little fox added, “Every girl has her own unique scent, you know.”

Fang Meng didn’t quite get it.

Lin Zheng Ran asked, “What are you doing here?”

Fang Meng glanced at Lin Zheng Ran, sandwiched between the two girls, then looked ahead. “Just a coincidence—we’re carpooling.”

Lin Zheng Ran paused, skeptical.

He noticed the driver looked familiar, like one from the Jiang family.

Then Fang Meng added, “By the way, I’m not Jiang Qian’s best friend. I’m just her assistant.”

Lily, not thinking much of it, said, “Assistant? But you two seem so close—it feels like more than just boss and employee.”

Fang Meng answered flatly, “It’s really just that.”

“Hmm, okay then.”

Han Wenwen’s eyes sparkled with curiosity and doubt.

Watching Fang Meng’s expressionless face in the passenger seat, something felt off to her. Was Fang Meng from this town?

That didn’t seem right—if she was, why hadn’t they crossed paths in years? But if not, how did they end up carpooling?

“Fang Meng, do you live in this town?”

Fang Meng replied, “No, I came early to meet a friend, so we just happened to cross paths.”

“A friend?”

“Yeah, a male friend.”

Han Wenwen was taken aback. “You have a boyfriend?”

Fang Meng clarified, “I mean a male friend.”

Han Wenwen’s fox eyes narrowed. “Dropping that one word changes things a lot.”

She fell silent, but her sharp instincts kept buzzing, until she slowly turned to Lin Zheng Ran.

A wild, illogical thought hit her: Was Fang Meng’s male friend Lin Zheng Ran?

Lin Zheng Ran caught Han Wenwen staring and asked, “Why are you looking at me?”

Han Wenwen’s lips curved into a smile that wasn’t quite friendly. “Nothing…”

She decided to ask Lin Zheng Ran about it later. It seemed unlikely, but a brainy girl like Fang Meng might catch his eye—who knew? She still remembered that old limit of seven girlfriends and wasn’t letting her guard down around any pretty girls until then.

During their talk, Fang Meng glanced back at Han Wenwen from the passenger seat, a bead of sweat on her forehead, thinking this girl gave off an oddly dangerous vibe.

Half an hour later, the taxi reached the school, and Fang Meng followed the three toward the teaching building.

They headed to the same class.

Jiang Qian, the second miss, was already there, sitting elegantly and flipping through a book.

When Lin Zheng Ran and Fang Meng entered, he didn’t pay much attention at first.

But as he passed, Jiang Qian greeted him, “You’re here?”

Lin Zheng Ran responded, then noticed Jiang Qian and Fang Meng weren’t as inseparable as before.

Fang Meng just gave Jiang Qian a quick hello before sitting at her desk, glancing at her briefly before returning to her book—there was a subtle emotion in her eyes.

On Tuesday morning, the homeroom teacher held a class meeting, urging everyone to buckle down with exams so close.

They could also start thinking about university goals.

After class, the teacher called Lin Zheng Ran and Jiang Qian to the office separately.

In the office, the teacher smiled at Lin Zheng Ran: “With your grades and all your outstanding achievements, any university is within reach. Do you have any preferences? Domestic or abroad—we’ll support you as much as we can.”

Lin Zheng Ran thought of those three and realized college was just another life experience for him now—not really about learning.

The teacher went on, “I’d like to recommend Stanford personally, if you’re interested.”

But Lin Zheng Ran shook his head and stated his choice, leaving the teacher shocked. “Are you sure? It’s a top domestic university, but if you want something better, you could definitely aim higher.”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

The teacher sighed, thinking geniuses were on another level—places others dreamed of might mean little to Lin Zheng Ran. “Well, university is just a stepping stone. What makes life exciting isn’t these small things, though to most, it’s not small at all.”

After Lin Zheng Ran left, Jiang Qian went in next.

The teacher asked about her aspirations, but she dodged the question: “I wanted to ask, which university did Lin Zheng Ran choose?”