【As a reward for helping select a weapon, the Demon Cult Maiden used an exclusive secret technique on you. You gained 1 Strength, 1 Stamina, and 1 Endurance.】
【However, she seems to be paying more attention to you lately. Whether this is an opportunity or sothing else remains uncertain.】
By late afternoon, Lin Zhengran woke up feeling well-rested.
Han Wenwen had long since finished the massage and was now lounging beside him, gazing at his sleeping face with the deep affection of a girl in her pri.
As soon as Lin Zhengran opened his eyes and turned his head, she instantly snapped back to her usual playful deanor, greeting him with a bright smile. “Awake now, Lin Zhengran?”
Curious, he asked, “What ti is it? Didn’t you sleep?”
“I just woke up too.” She checked her phone. “It’s a little past three. How was your nap?”
“Not bad at all.”
He had to admit, Han the Little Fox had so serious skills.
After a bit of tidying up, the two left the apartnt and headed downstairs.
Lin Zhengran recalled the system’s earlier ssage and had indeed noticed a subtle shift in Han Wenwen’s behavior recently.
“You and He Qing aren’t scheming sothing again, are you?”
Her eyes twinkled with amusent as she covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. “Lin Zhengran, you really do know everything, huh? Little Qingqing does have a big plan coming up.”
“A big plan?” He had no idea what that silly girl was up to this ti. “What kind of plan?”
Han Wenwen brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze aningful. “I can’t tell you the details, but… it’s sothing that takes a lot of courage.”
That only made it sound more ridiculous.
At the apartnt complex entrance, Han Wenwen waved him off. “I’m heading back to school to keep Qingqing company. Take care on your way ho.”
Lin Zhengran nodded. “You too.” Then, he turned and left.
Han Wenwen stood there for a long mont, waving until his figure disappeared from sight. Her fingers gently brushed her lips before she finally turned back toward school.
Over the past few days, He Qing had been obsessively picking out scarf yarn online, debating colors and styles with Han Wenwen for hours.
Eventually, the two best friends agreed that gray would suit a certain soone’s wardrobe the best.
A few days later, the yarn finally arrived. Clutching the package like it was a battle flag for an epic showdown, He Qing dragged it back to the dorm. Soon, her bed was completely covered with balls of yarn and knitting needles.
Han Wenwen sat on her own bed, stunned. “You bought this much?”
He Qing frantically flipped through a knitting guide, muttering to herself. “I don’t know! I thought it was just yarn and needles, but there are so many extra tools…”
One of the yarn balls rolled off the bed and bounced across the floor.
“Ah! Why did it fall?!” She quickly scooped it up, patting off the dust.
Han Wenwen, amused by her adorable panic, picked up the instruction manual and murmured as she read, “Knit for an hour a day… should take about a month and a half to finish.”
She looked up in surprise. “That’s a long ti! By then, we’ll already be on winter break.”
He Qing, still untangling her yarn, huffed, “It’s fine. I already did the math. If I do two hours a day and use weekends wisely, I can finish in under two weeks. Otherwise, it won’t be ready until after the break, and that’d be pointless.”
Han Wenwen hugged her knees. “Little Qingqing, you’re really putting in the effort for this confession.”
Blushing, He Qing lowered her head.
From that night on, she diligently carved out ti to practice knitting, especially in the evenings and on weekends when Lin Zhengran wasn’t around.
She even hid under her blanket, secretly working on the gift stitch by stitch.
Knitting wasn’t exactly her forte.
In fact, Han Wenwen mastered it before she did, while He Qing constantly fumbled with the instructions.
“Ugh! Why did I ss up the pattern again?!” she groaned, realizing she had to unravel it again.
Still, practice made perfect, and she gradually improved.
The only downside? Ti was running short.
More than once, Han Wenwen woke up at night or went to the restroom early in the morning, only to find He Qing still knitting away under the covers.
“Qingqing, you’re still at it?” she whispered.
Startled, He Qing peeked out, then smiled sheepishly. “I just want to finish sooner.”
Determined, she turned back to her stitches.
Sotis, she got so sleepy that she nearly nodded off, only to slap her own cheeks and pep-talk herself awake. “No sleeping! I have to finish in ti.”
Han Wenwen sighed in admiration. She really had it bad for Lin Zhengran.
That Saturday, it was Lin Zhengran’s scheduled training session with He Qing at the Taekwondo center.
When he arrived, he saw her sparring with an older girl a few years her senior, exchanging blows with rapid precision.
Yet, sothing was off.
The usually invincible He Qing was struggling.
She barely lasted a few rounds before she was panting, drenched in sweat.
Then, as if confirming his suspicions, she botched a kick and twisted her ankle mid-movent.
With a yelp, she collapsed onto the mat.
Lin Zhengran and the coach imdiately rushed over.
Her sparring partner also looked concerned. “Qingqing, are you okay?! You’ve been off your ga lately…”
Embarrassed, He Qing forced a laugh. “I’m fine! Just a little mistake, don’t worry—I can keep going.”
She tried to stand, but Lin Zhengran crouched down and said firmly, “Don’t move. Let check.”
He Qing avoided his gaze.
The coach examined her ankle, relieved to find it was just a minor strain. “You scared for a second there. But honestly, your form has been off since last week. Take a break for now and put so ointnt on that.”
He Qing hesitated. She didn’t want to rest—if she missed this session, she’d have to wait three more weeks for the next one, and by then, it’d be winter break.
Waving her hands, she protested, “I’m fine, really! I just slipped.”
The coach, however, was having none of it. “You’ve been ssing up your movents for days now. Today you even got injured. Go rest. Let your brother here take you to change and apply dicine.”
At that, He Qing froze.
Brother?!
Sneaking a glance at Lin Zhengran, she suddenly found herself too embarrassed to lift her head.
In the changing area, He Qing sat on a bench, dressed in her snow-white Taekwondo uniform, one foot bare as Lin Zhengran pulled out the ointnt.
She stayed silent, knowing full well she was about to get scolded.
Though his voice wasn’t particularly harsh, his words rang loud in her ears.
“What’s going on?”
She shrank into herself. “…Nothing, I just kicked a little too high.”
Lin Zhengran raised an eyebrow. “Too high? I noticed your form was weak the mont you stepped on the mat. You had no strength, your reflexes were slow, and that last kick—”
He Qing fidgeted, her small hands clutching the hem of her uniform. She looked down at her bare foot, lips pressed tightly together, like a child resigned to being reprimanded.
Lin Zhengran sighed, recalling Han Wenwen’s cryptic words from earlier in the week.
“What have you been up to lately?”
“…Huh?” She turned red, startled that he might’ve figured it out. “N-Nothing…”
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