Chapter 74: Whispers of Festive Moments

After chatting with Xiao Heqing for a while, Lin Zheng Ran hung up the phone.

He closed his eyes again, ignoring the little fox beside him, but she kicked his leg lightly with her paw in annoyance.

Lin Zheng Ran: “What’s your problem now?”

Han Wenwen turned back with a laugh, staring at him. “Oh, yes, I just hate seeing you on the phone with Brother Zheng Ran.”

Lin Zheng Ran pulled the blanket over her eyes. “If you don’t like it, don’t look. Just settle down and take your nap.”

Han Wenwen fell silent for a moment, then slowly pulled the blanket away from her face and studied Lin Zheng Ran’s sleeping form.

She pursed her lips, and even though he was just talking to Xiao Heqing, Han Wenwen felt a twinge of jealousy.

Seeing him asleep, the little fox gently touched his hair with her finger, but he brushed her hand away.

A few days passed, leaving just two days until the New Year.

Today, Han Wenwen and Lin Zheng Ran headed to the supermarket to buy vegetables and meat, since Han Wenwen had a strange love for chicken.

Maybe she was a fox spirit in a past life—who knows—but as soon as she saw anything related to chicken, this little fox would stare longingly.

She’d freeze in place, practically drooling.

So, with the New Year approaching, Lin Zheng Ran went with her to buy an old hen along with some red dates, goji berries, and Chinese yam to make chicken soup.

As they passed the supermarket shelves, Han Wenwen spotted a small bag of flour and stopped.

She tugged on Lin Zheng Ran’s clothes: “Brother Zheng Ran… should we make dumplings for the New Year? Just a little for the two of us.”

Lin Zheng Ran blinked. “Well, we should, but do you know how? I don’t.”

Han Wenwen smiled: “I don’t either, but we can learn.” She looked at him with a playful pout, shaking his clothes. “Come on, let’s buy it. It won’t go to waste.”

Lin Zheng Ran shook his head. “Why are you acting all cute? If you want to buy it with your own money, go ahead—it’s not expensive.”

Han Wenwen blinked, then realized. “You’re right. How about I hand over my video account to you, Brother Zheng Ran? You can handle all the earnings, and I’ll ask you for money when I want to spend.”

“You’re bored, aren’t you? I don’t see the point in that.”

Han Wenwen poked at her lips with a finger as if it were obvious. “That way, if I spend too much, you can scold me, and I can keep acting cute to get what I want.”

Lin Zheng Ran couldn’t help but tap her on the head.

“I’m not playing along with your nonsense. If you want to buy it, hurry up. If not, let’s go.”

Han Wenwen rubbed her head—it didn’t really hurt—and huffed. “Brother Zheng Ran just doesn’t get girls at all. Or maybe he gets them too well.”

In the end, Han Wenwen bought that small bag of flour along with some side ingredients, planning to make dumplings for the New Year.

With just twenty-four hours left until the New Year.

Tonight at midnight, the new year would begin.

Early the next morning, Han Wenwen was up and about.

She gathered her long hair into a loose bundle over one shoulder and neatly arranged the ingredients on the side.

She found a big cardboard box somewhere, broke it open, and laid it on the floor with a blanket on top.

That way, they could sit on the floor to make dumplings.

She tested it out by sitting down—it felt fine—so she leaned against the bed and started watching videos on her phone about how to make dumplings.

As usual, Lin Zheng Ran came over to Han Wenwen’s place and gave a quick knock.

“Brother Zheng Ran?”

Lin Zheng Ran hummed in response, used his key to open the door, and saw she was already sitting on the floor with the ingredients all set up.

Han Wenwen glanced up from her phone. “Brother Zheng Ran, next time you come, just use the key and come in—no need to knock.”

“That’s just being polite.”

Han Wenwen mumbled while looking at her phone, “You don’t need to be polite with me. Do whatever you want here— I don’t mind.”

Lin Zheng Ran huffed and sat down on the floor without another word.

Han Wenwen straightened up and held her phone in front of his face. “Look, I found a few videos on making dumplings. I’ve pretty much got it down. Want to check them out, Brother Zheng Ran?”

Lin Zheng Ran took her phone. “I’ll just glance at it quickly.”

One look was enough, and he handed the phone back to Han Wenwen.

The little fox exclaimed, “Did you memorize the steps already, Brother Zheng Ran?”

“I memorized them, but whether it’ll work out in practice is another story.”

“What a sharp mind—you’re so smart. I wish I had that.” She said, praising him.

The two of them worked on rolling out the dough and shaping the dumplings with their hands. Maybe because Lin Zheng Ran was good at everything he tried,

this task that needed practice made him a bit clumsy at first.

It had Han Wenwen covering her mouth in laughter. “Looks like Brother Zheng Ran needs a girl around the house after all. Otherwise, learning all these little things would be such a hassle.”

Lin Zheng Ran shot her a look.

As Han Wenwen shaped the dumpling wrappers, she asked,

“I always think I’m good at reading people. In my eyes, Brother Zheng Ran is going to make a ton of money someday. If you really become a big boss one day,

could I be your secretary? I’d follow you around all day, handling the little details?”

For once, Lin Zheng Ran didn’t reject it right away and thought for a moment.

His hesitation made Han Wenwen’s smile fade a bit.

Lin Zheng Ran said seriously, “If that day comes, I’ll consider it. A secretary’s job looks simple but involves a lot, and not just anyone can do it well—but you’d be perfect for it.”

Han Wenwen’s face turned a shade pinker, her invisible fox tails seeming to wag as she replied earnestly,

“Really?! It’s a deal then? When you make it big, I’m your only secretary. And don’t worry, I know the job means being totally loyal to the boss—I’ll always have your back.”

She gave a teasing, meaningful look: “From now on, I’m all yours, Boss Lin.”

Lin Zheng Ran cut her off: “Enough joking around. Let’s get back to wrapping these, or we won’t have dinner tonight at this rate.”

“Whatever you say, Brother Zheng Ran—your wish is my command.”

After bustling around for half the day, around noon, Lin Zheng Ran got a few calls in a row.

The first was from Xiao Heqing, just casual chat, and Han Wenwen wrapped dumplings nearby with a hint of jealousy on her face.

The second was from Lily, which was rare—she said some proud words that sounded like New Year greetings—and Han Wenwen sat there, cheeks puffed up in jealousy.

Then, surprisingly, another call came from a strange girl.

From what she said, she seemed to be a classmate from middle school who got his number and wanted to ask how he was spending the New Year.

Occasionally, girls who had a crush on Lin Zheng Ran would track down his contact through others to talk to him—this wasn’t the first time.

Han Wenwen had seen it before, but today was her most jealous day yet, as it was just the two of them; she wrapped the dumplings with extra force in her irritation.

Finally, the last call showed on the phone as Lin Zheng Ran’s mom, Lin Xiao Li.