Chapter 30: The Fox’s Curious Gaze

Junior high life began.

But in the month before Heqing arrived, Lin Zheng Ran’s junior high life felt odd because a fox-like girl was constantly watching him.

The first time was on the first day of school, after they were assigned seats; while he was bored and reading a book, he noticed his deskmate Han Wenwen propping her cheek with one graceful hand.

She stared at him openly, and it went on all morning.

Lin Zheng Ran asked if she needed something.

Han Wenwen shook her head lightly and smiled, “Nothing at all.” But right after, she’d jot down in her little notebook:

[Though it’s not very obvious, Lin Zheng Ran does notice other girls’ gazes.]

She wrote without any hesitation, and he saw every word clearly.

Lin Zheng Ran: “…”

Then, a week later, when the class elected a class monitor, Lin Zheng Ran’s good grades and handsome looks sparked whispers and blushes among the girls.

Han Wenwen would spot that and note it down.

[Lin Zheng Ran has excellent grades and is really popular with girls.]

The homeroom teacher asked Lin Zheng Ran, “Lin Zheng Ran, how about you take on the role of class monitor for our class?”

Lin Zheng Ran declined firmly, and Han Wenwen quickly added to her notebook:

[But he doesn’t like to show off; he’s got a great personality and would survive a long time in a novel.]

Lin Zheng Ran: “…”

There were many similar incidents, even during meals; though she never sat with Lin Zheng Ran,

she always positioned herself one or two tables away, eating slowly while her fox-like eyes darted toward him.

She’d see him eating with Lily and then scribble something down.

[He doesn’t seem picky with food, and he’s just as open to girls’ tastes—basically an omnivore (though this is up for debate; maybe he just likes girls with ponytails).]

One time, Lily asked curiously while eating, “Big dummy, what’s up? You’ve been eating differently these past few days.”

Lin Zheng Ran sighed, feeling a bit worn out.

“Why the sudden sigh?! Did something happen?” Lily thought she might have annoyed him.

After about half a month of this, the strange routine finally ended one day when Lin Zheng Ran was staring out the window, lost in thought.

It was the last class on Friday.

As Han Wenwen was writing, she realized her little notebook was filled after dozens of pages.

She finally put down her pen, a bit dazed: “I didn’t expect to fill it up so quickly.”

Lin Zheng Ran perked up and asked, “Finished? Does that mean you won’t have to watch me anymore?”

Han Wenwen tilted her head and smiled sweetly: “Yeah, it’s done. Thanks for letting me observe you every day, Lin Zheng Ran. If you’d tried to avoid me, it would’ve been a hassle to record everything.”

Lin Zheng Ran didn’t recall ever agreeing to that.

Lin Zheng Ran said helplessly, “I figure even if I told you not to, you wouldn’t listen, right?”

Han Wenwen nodded slowly: “Yep, but if you said that, I wouldn’t do it so openly.” She put a finger to her cheek, acting cute: “I’d just note it down in secret, where you couldn’t see.”

Lin Zheng Ran: “…”

Han Wenwen stacked her hands on the desk and leaned her soft upper body onto it, like a lazy fox spirit: “By the way, aren’t you curious why I’ve been watching you every day? Or why I stare at you like some obsessed girl?”

“Not at all curious. I just hope that once you’re done, we can go back to minding our own business. Do you know how many guys have been glaring at me for the past twenty days because of your every move? It’s like I stole their dream girl or something.”

Han Wenwen glanced around at the boys in the class and saw that her actions had turned Lin Zheng Ran into public enemy number one among them.

She smiled apologetically: “Sorry about that.”

The dismissal bell rang, and Han Wenwen tucked her little notebook into her pocket and stood up: “After observing you, I realize Lin Zheng Ran is really different from other boys—mature and handsome. In my book, you’re nearly perfect.” She complimented him and left the classroom.

The other students were eager to head home after school.

Lin Zheng Ran watched Han Wenwen go and listened to the girls in the classroom gossiping about her, thinking that despite her quirky personality, she was a loyal friend to Heqing.

That silly girl really lucked out with a friend like her.

That Friday evening, the dorm was quiet except for the dorm supervisor and a couple of out-of-town students staying over the weekend.

Han Wenwen was one of them; she ate dinner alone in the cafeteria, then fetched a basin of hot water, drew the curtains, and enjoyed a comfortable hot bath in her dorm.

After drying her hair and body, she draped a towel over her shoulders and sat on the bed, flipping through her little notebook:

“Given his personality, it might be tough for Xiao Qingqing to get together with him in junior high. He seems easygoing but actually has strong principles, huh?”

Han Wenwen lay back on the lower bunk: “I guess so. If he didn’t have principles, when Xiao Heqing saw him last time, the two alone all night would’ve led to something…”

She stared at the ceiling, recalling the day a month ago when Xiao Heqing and Lin Zheng Ran had met separately by bus.

After Xiao Heqing tearfully complained about other girls around Lin Zheng Ran,

that night, the two best friends discussed it and decided to strike first under Xiao Heqing’s determination!

Of course, this was all Han Wenwen’s idea; Xiao Heqing wasn’t bold enough to suggest it herself. Back then, Han Wenwen sat on the bed looking at Heqing:

“Qingqing, even though other girls are around him, you two have that childhood sweetheart bond, and he came all that way to see you, which means you’re more important! We need to make the first move and not just wait around.”

Heqing’s eyes were red: “Not wait around… but I still have a month before I can go to school up north. It’ll be ages before I see him again.”

Han Wenwen hugged her pillow thoughtfully:

“You have a while, but don’t forget about me. I start school normally. Just give me his name and a photo, and I’ll observe him for you. I’ll note all his habits so you know how he’s changed over the years and can plan your approach!”

Heqing felt a bit more confident from her best friend’s words and asked for details: “But… how will you observe him? That sounds hard.”

Han Wenwen’s fox-like eyes twinkled as she tapped her cheek in thought: “It’s a bit tricky, but as your best friend, I can handle it. Just provide the name and photo, and I’ll figure it out.”

Xiao Heqing nodded, thinking they couldn’t delay; the next day, she found a childhood photo of Lin Zheng Ran and gave it to Han Wenwen:

“Wenwen, I only have his photo from when he was little, but after seeing him yesterday, I think he still looks a lot like his younger self. You should recognize him when you see him.”

Han Wenwen took it eagerly; as her best friend, she had always been curious about Heqing’s childhood sweetheart but never asked until now.

But when she looked at the photo, her fox-like eyes widened in surprise.

Xiao Heqing said, “His name is Lin Zheng Ran.”

The boy in the photo overlapped with the one she’d seen at the bus stop that day.

Han Wenwen looked up with a sly smile: “Got it. Leave it to me—I won’t let you down, Qingqing!”