“Lin Zhengran! I’m late!”
At the school gate, Lin Zhengran turned around to see Little He Qing running toward him in a hurry.
A thin layer of sweat had ford on her forehead from rushing. She slowed down as she reached him, panting slightly, her voice full of apology.
“I took a little extra ti tidying up my dorm… I ca down a few minutes late.”
She tugged at the hem of her skirt.
In truth, He Qing rarely wore skirts like this—ones that fully exposed her calves and even showed a little bit of her thighs.
She always felt a little embarrassed wearing them.
But in high school, almost every girl dressed like this because it really did look good.
And honestly, their skirts were even shorter.
Lin Zhengran glanced at her smooth, jade-like legs.
“You’re not late. I just ca down early. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear sothing like this before.”
“Huh?” He Qing tugged at her skirt again, looking down at her legs.
“This is actually my first ti wearing it. Last ti I went shopping with Wenwen, she saw this skirt and told I had nice legs and that it’d look good on . So I bought it… just to show you.”
She hesitated, then explained further.
“The skirts that are popular now are really short—they only go halfway down the thigh.”
She gestured at her own thigh to demonstrate.
“But Wenwen and I both bought slightly longer ones… because we didn’t think we could pull off the super short ones.”
Then, shyly, she asked in a soft voice,
“…Does it look bad on ?”
Lin Zhengran casually replied,
“The length you two picked is just right. Any shorter would be unnecessary. And yeah, your legs do look really fair.”
He Qing’s face turned bright red.
She lowered her head, unsure of what to say.
“…R-really? As long as you like it…”
—
A few minutes later, the bus arrived.
Lin Zhengran and He Qing scanned their passes and boarded together.
Whenever they took the bus ho, He Qing always insisted on finding a two-seater in the back.
Because if they sat there, Lin Zhengran would always let her sit on the inside.
That way, she could be close to him.
Their thighs would touch.
And with the way the bus swayed, she could get away with leaning against him completely naturally.
They found a seat and sat down.
As the bus started moving, Lin Zhengran asked curiously,
“Last night, I suggested we take a taxi, but you weren’t happy about it. Why?”
He Qing nodded and explained,
“Well… taxis are expensive.”
Then, she mumbled softly—so softly that even she wasn’t sure if she had heard herself properly.
“…And every ti we take a taxi, you either sit in the front or too far away from … I don’t like that.”
Lin Zhengran frowned slightly.
Realizing what she had just said, He Qing quickly waved her hands in a flustered panic.
“I an—it’s the sa either way! And since there aren’t a lot of people taking the first morning bus back to town, a taxi isn’t necessary!”
Lin Zhengran didn’t really care either way.
If there were seats on the bus, it didn’t matter to him.
If not, he’d just take a taxi.
Since this girl was happy, that was what mattered.
Of course… he had heard her previous words.
—
As the bus swayed, He Qing kept sneaking glances at her thighs.
Every ti the bus shook, her leg would brush against his.
Every little touch sent a hint of shyness across her face.
This—this was the best part about taking the bus.
The constant swaying made it so easy to end up pressed against him.
And sotis…
The bus made a sharp turn.
He Qing lost her balance and—bam!—her head landed directly on Lin Zhengran’s shoulder.
She stayed there for a mont before straightening up again.
Then, she placed her hands in her lap, clasping her fingers together.
Her heart was racing.
Even things like this could happen?
Bless the almighty bus.
—
An hour later, they arrived back at their hotown and stepped off the bus.
Compared to the city, the traffic here was far lighter.
On the roadside, a vendor was selling roasted sweet potatoes.
The rich aroma drifted into the air, and He Qing caught a whiff from far away.
Her stomach grumbled.
She hadn’t eaten breakfast yet.
Quietly, she took out her phone and checked how much money she had left for the week.
She had just enough to buy one.
She hesitantly suggested, “We’re not in a rush to go ho, right? Can I buy a sweet potato?”
Lin Zhengran nodded. “Go ahead.”
He Qing quickly ran over.
“Boss, how much for a sweet potato?”
“The big ones are seven yuan, the small ones are five,” the vendor replied, pointing out the size difference.
She only had six yuan left.
“I’ll take a small one, please! But can you pick a really sweet one?”
“No problem. This one should be good.” The vendor handed her a perfectly roasted sweet potato.
As soon as He Qing took it, her stomach rumbled again.
She carefully peeled back the skin, revealing the steaming, golden flesh inside.
Bringing it to her nose, she took in the delicious scent before extending it toward Lin Zhengran.
“You haven’t had breakfast, right? I peeled it for you. It slls so good.”
She smiled brightly.
“I’ll hold it so it doesn’t burn your hands.”
Lin Zhengran raised an eyebrow.
“This is for ? Didn’t you buy it for yourself?”
He Qing responded naturally, “I bought it for you.”
She puffed out her cheeks slightly.
“I already spent all my money this week, so I could only afford one. But since you didn’t eat breakfast either, I figured you should have it first. I’m not craving it or anything.”
As she spoke, she subconsciously licked her lips.
The ultimate foodie move.
Lin Zhengran: “…”
He sighed and pushed the sweet potato back toward her.
“You eat it. I’m not hungry. If I was, I would’ve bought one myself—I still have money.”
He Qing blinked at him.
“You’re not craving it? But it slls so good…”
“I’m really not. It’s just a sweet potato.”
She clutched the warm snack in her hands, still hesitating.
“…But it doesn’t feel right eating it all by myself. How about… you take one bite first? Then I’ll eat the rest. That way, it’s fair?”
Her big, expectant eyes stared at him.
“…Good things should go to you first. If you don’t eat, I won’t have an appetite either.”
Lin Zhengran knew how persistent she could be.
Without further delay, he opened his mouth.
He Qing imdiately understood and brought the sweet potato to his lips.
Lin Zhengran took a small bite.
He Qing’s eyes sparkled.
“Is it good?”
“It’s good. Now you eat.”
“Okay!”
Only after he had eaten did she feel justified in eating.
She swallowed hard before taking a huge bite herself.
The heat made her huff and puff, but she still chewed happily.
“Mmm! It’s so sweet! Do you want more?”
“No, you enjoy it. And slow down—aren’t you burning your mouth?”
She humd in response, stuffing another bite into her mouth.
Sotis, rules were ant to be broken.
—
Back at Lin Zhengran’s house, Lin Yingjun was watching TV on the couch.
Seeing his son return with He Qing, he greeted them casually.
“You two ca back together?”
He Qing, feeling a little shy, greeted politely, “Hello, Uncle.”
Lin Zhengran glanced at his dad.
“I’m taking He Qing out for a bit. We’ll be back later. Oh, and—she’s staying over tonight.”
Lin Yingjun nodded, then paused.
“…Little Qing is staying over?”
He Qing froze.
Her face turned red as she looked at Lin Zhengran in shock.
Lin Zhengran t their questioning gazes.
“What, do you want to go back to school? Fine, suit yourself.”
He Qing stamred.
“I… I… I don’t want to go back…”
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