Chapter 3: Childhood Secrets and Surprises

Stepped out of the school gate.

Lin Xiao Li greeted the two kids with a bend and a smile, asking, “School’s out! How were Ran Ran and Qing Qing at school today? Did you have fun?”

Little Heqing nodded first, saying, “It was fun,” then asked, “Auntie, where’s my mom?”

Her mom spoke like she was coaxing a child, patting Little Heqing’s head. “Little Qing Qing, your mom’s working late tonight, so she couldn’t come. How about Auntie takes you home for dinner at my place?” She held out a finger.

“Auntie bought big shrimp today! It’s delicious! And your mom already said it’s okay!”

The disappointment of Mom not showing up faded with thoughts of shrimp. Heqing, always tempted by food, bit her lip and glanced at Lin Zheng Ran, worried he might not like the idea.

Lin Ying Jun opened the car door and said, “Ran Ran, you and Qing Qing sit in the back. Everyone hop in quick—traffic’s about to get bad.”

Their mom called out and waved them in. Lin Zheng Ran headed to the back seat first and saw Little Heqing still standing there. He asked, puzzled, “Come on, what are you waiting for?”

Little Heqing murmured in response, a faint joy on her face, and quickly climbed in to sit beside Lin Zheng Ran.

On the way home, their mom in the passenger seat opened a pack of snacks and handed it to Lin Zheng Ran and Heqing. “Here, Ran Ran and Qing Qing, have some chocolate.”

Lin Zheng Ran remembered the system and took it, but heard no sound at all.

He wondered why it wasn’t triggering now.

Not a big fan of sweets, he passed the snacks to Heqing. “You eat them.”

Little Heqing was surprised, and their mom Lin Xiao Li was even more so. She smiled meaningfully, “Oh? So Ran Ran and Qing Qing are that close? You’re even sharing your snacks with her?”

Lin Zheng Ran looked out the window. “I just don’t like them.”

Their mom chuckled, covering her mouth, thinking her son was naturally tsundere. “Really? What kid doesn’t love snacks?”

Heqing didn’t overthink it and asked nervously, “You’re not eating any?”

“No, you go ahead.”

Little Heqing held the snacks, staring at them without opening, though she swallowed hard.

Lin Xiao Li whispered a reminder, “Qing Qing, if you’re not eating now, wrap them up for later. If Ran Ran says he doesn’t want any, he really won’t.”

“Mm.” She snuck a glance at Lin Zheng Ran and whispered, “Lin Zheng Ran, I’ll show you my stuff when I get home.”

Lin Zheng Ran agreed, and only then did Little Heqing dare to tuck the chocolate into her pocket.

Back home, Little Heqing dashed to her door with her backpack, punched in the code, and opened it.

Heqing came from a single-parent home, with her mom often working late, so she usually got back on her own.

Lin Xiao Li called out, “Qing Qing, we’ll yell when dinner’s ready.”

“Okay, I’m just grabbing something!”

Little Heqing dropped her backpack and went to her room, found a box of candy, then headed to the closet floor, lying down to reach under it.

After grabbing a small box, she wiped off the dust and bit her lip reluctantly, but decided to give it to Lin Zheng Ran because of what happened today.

Hugging the two boxes, she went to Lin Zheng Ran’s house, where Lin Xiao Li and Lin Ying Jun were already cooking in the kitchen.

Little Heqing seemed naturally afraid of Lin Zheng Ran, standing in the doorway of his open bedroom, watching him sit on the bed sorting things, too scared to enter.

She just stood there quietly. “Lin Zheng Ran, I brought the stuff.”

Lin Zheng Ran replied and kept sorting, assuming she’d come in, but after waiting, he saw her still at the door, staring at him.

She didn’t move an inch.

“Why are you just standing there?”

Little Heqing hesitated, afraid to enter his room without permission and too nervous to speak, so she kept her head down in silence.

Lin Zheng Ran patted the bed. “Come sit here. Give me the stuff, then close the door.”

“Okay.”

Little Heqing did as told: sat down, handed over the items, then got up to shut the door and stood there zoning out.

She even followed his words in the exact order he said them.

Lin Zheng Ran wasn’t the type to get angry easily, but now a vein twitched on his forehead.

He walked over, gently pinched her cheek, making her whine in protest.

“What are you doing standing there? Go sit on the bed!”

“Sorry, sorry!”

“You make it seem like I’m always picking on you, when you’re the one stressing me out all the time.”

She felt wronged. “I didn’t.”

Lin Zheng Ran went back to the bed and opened the box of candy.

[Jackpot! It’s a whole box of tonic pills! Though not top-tier quality, there’s plenty, and for someone just starting out in cultivation, these are great treasures. If you take them all and absorb properly, leveling up several grades in half a year is no problem!]

He thought back to the chocolate their mom gave earlier. Was it only things from Heqing that the system counted as treasures?

“How did you get these candies?”

Heqing answered, “Mom gives them to me. Whenever I don’t finish, I save a few in case I need them later.”

Lin Zheng Ran opened the flatter box, probably the ‘big chocolate’ she mentioned earlier.

Inside, he found a solid block of dark chocolate with whole nuts, but it looked spoiled from sitting too long.

[Black Blood Paste: High quality, but degraded by the environment—now useless.]

Lin Zheng Ran was about to say it had expired, but saw Heqing’s reluctant expression, her small hands clenched tightly in worry.

“Don’t want to give it to me?” he asked curiously.

Little Heqing looked up. “No, it’s not that… it’s just…” Her voice dropped low. “This is the only thing Dad ever gave me. If you want it, could you leave me a tiny piece?”

Lin Zheng Ran teased, “What if I don’t give you any? Not even a bit?”

“Just a little piece is fine. I don’t need much.”

“What if I say no—just keep it for myself and throw the rest away?”

Little Heqing gazed at Lin Zheng Ran, her eyes welling up with tears.

“If you’re throwing it away, can I at least pick it up?”

Lin Zheng Ran felt awkward and handed the chocolate back. “Don’t cry! I don’t want it anyway. Keep it for yourself. But as payment for saving you.” He waved the candy box.

“This box isn’t enough. Next time your mom gives you candy, share some with me. And you have to listen to me from now on, got it?”

Little Heqing brightened up instantly, no longer teary, and carefully packed the chocolate away, hugging it close.

“Deal! I’ll share half my candy with you from now on and do what you say!”

Lin Zheng Ran nodded. “Alright, that’s settled.”

[You’ve chosen to temporarily partner with the fairy, and this inexperienced fairy has agreed to listen to you—maybe because taking gifts softens people. You plan to teach her about the world’s dangers during this time, since you know it won’t last long. This could help her on her cultivation path in the future.]