Chapter 70: Childhood Bonds

Han Wenwen carried her purchases back to the dormitory.

She saw Heqing on the balcony stretching, her ponytail giving the sweet girl a look of determination and poise.

Heqing lifted one leg high against the wall, over her head, and slowly pressed down at an angle.

“Wenwen, you’re back? Did you go record a video today?” Heqing quickly greeted her best friend.

Han Wenwen closed the dormitory door and nodded, “Yeah, I spent the day at the rental house and picked up some dinner on the way. Heqing, why are you exercising in the dorm today?”

Heqing lowered her leg, “Just getting the blood flowing. I’m preparing for next year’s Taekwondo competition. Since starting junior high, I feel like my progress has slowed compared to before. I haven’t improved much in over a year, so I can’t afford to slack off anymore.”

She went out to wash her hands and came back, “Otherwise, next year’s competition will be tough.”

Han Wenwen sat curiously on the bed edge, her fox-like eyes watching as Heqing sat beside her:

“Oh? That’s interesting. What do you mean by slacking off this past year? Are you saying Heqing got distracted by Lin Zheng Ran and stopped practicing Taekwondo?”

Han Wenwen stared at her meaningfully, covering her mouth with a smile, “So, what have you two been doing on weekends? Don’t tell me you haven’t been practicing at all and just snuck off for dates?”

Heqing blushed and helped unpack the boxes, “Of course we practiced! It’s just… oh.” She said shyly,

“Wenwen, you know what I’ve been thinking about every day. Ever since Lily showed up, I’ve been so distracted that’s why I haven’t been improving.”

Han Wenwen: “So, does that mean you’re not worried about her anymore?”

Heqing handed her the chopsticks, “More like, I’m not scared anymore.”

Han Wenwen looked at her best friend and took the chopsticks, “Heqing, did you confess to Lin Zheng Ran today? What did he say? You didn’t say it yesterday, so you didn’t back out today, right?”

“Not today…” Heqing bit her lip, a bit torn but honest with Han Wenwen,

“I guess I did confess. As for what he said, Wenwen, you know Lin Zheng Ran doesn’t like junior high girls. They’re too young for him, so of course he turned me down. Isn’t that obvious?”

She said it confidently, without a hint of sadness, even turning it into a question.

Han Wenwen sat there, stunned.

Slowly, her red lips parted: “Ah?”

The little fox rarely understood what Heqing was saying.

Heqing continued, gripping her chopsticks to explain:

“Didn’t Lin Zheng Ran tell us before? You know too, Wenwen. He doesn’t like middle school girls because they’re too young and he’s not interested. So why would he agree? A junior high girl confessing? No way!” She said with a laugh, grinning wide.

But her smile made it worse than if she hadn’t smiled at all.

Leaving Han Wenwen even more confused.

“What are you talking about…” she whispered, “So if you knew he wouldn’t agree, what’s the point of all this confessing you’ve been doing for the past couple of weeks?”

Heqing pursed her lips, her voice soft and sweet:

“Well, that was because after starting junior high, Lily appeared, and I was afraid he’d be taken by someone else. I wanted to get closer to him. Your strategy didn’t help much, Wenwen, so I went for it to build our connection.”

She stared at Han Wenwen, who looked short-circuited, and explained:

“But I was out of my mind back then! I totally forgot something important! I only remembered it today when I went to Lin Zheng Ran’s house! That is, he and I…” She said word by word, full of joy:

“We’ve been a couple all along! I didn’t need to confess! Or rather, confessing wouldn’t help because we’re already together, so it’s pointless!”

Han Wenwen: “.”

Han Wenwen: “Ha?”

No one knew what was going through the little fox’s mind—or maybe nothing was.

After all, Heqing’s words made sense individually, but together, Han Wenwen couldn’t grasp it.

Heqing said excitedly, “We got together when we were really little! Back in kindergarten’s senior class, we promised to never part. He hasn’t forgotten, and neither have I, so… you get it, Wenwen? I’ve been wrong all along!”

Heqing said shyly, “What I should focus on isn’t worrying about who he likes, but making sure he doesn’t stray or play around. I just need to make him like me more than any other girl!”

The dormitory fell quiet, with only the faint sounds of students passing by downstairs.

Han Wenwen blinked and suddenly burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.

She couldn’t stop.

Making Heqing blush furiously, “Why are you laughing, Wenwen? Am I wrong?”

Han Wenwen waved it off, “No, no, I finally get what Heqing means. You’re right this time. Remember when you first told me about girls around him in the south? We talked about whether Lin Zheng Ran might like someone else?”

Han Wenwen pieced together Heqing’s thoughts and slowly stopped smiling, murmuring to herself in serious analysis:

“If he might like others, that means he likes you originally. So back then, we worried that if you weren’t around, he’d move on. In other words, you two have been together all along.”

Heqing nodded shyly, “Yeah, that’s what I think.”

The two friends’ bizarre wavelengths finally connected.

With that, Heqing suddenly brimmed with determination:

“So from today, my goal changes! I won’t care about what Lily does. I’ll focus on improving myself, show him I’m not a kid anymore, and build our connection! Do things that couples should do!”

“It’s been ages since I’ve seen Heqing so fired up.” Han Wenwen pulled out two cans of soda from the box, smiling as she handed one to Heqing, “Let’s celebrate you two being together all along. Cheers!”

Heqing opened her soda and clinked it with Han Wenwen’s, “Cheers!”

The two friends took big sips.

Heqing added, “Oh, Wenwen, when I went to Lin Zheng Ran’s house today, he said that if I win the town’s Taekwondo championship next year, he’ll grant me one wish. What do you think I should wish for?”

Han Wenwen perked up, biting her finger, “Well, since you’re already that close, we don’t need to beat around the bush anymore.” She leaned in and whispered something to Heqing.

Heqing’s face turned bright red, “Ah? That wish would make me so shy… but it sounds pretty good.”

As the evening wore on, their fun discussion wrapped up, and the busy day ended.

Over the next week, both Heqing and Lily were full of drive, each focused on their own things and excited for next year, especially the high school life to come.

A week later, during final exams, Lin Zheng Ran made time to tutor Han Wenwen, and thanks to his dedicated help this semester, she achieved solid mid-tier results.

Another week passed, and the school officially announced winter break, with the new year approaching.

The school officially announced winter break, with the new year approaching.