Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten-Chapter 21: I’m Just Taking Pity on You!

The sudden honesty left the entire class speechless.

Some of the boys and girls who had been teasing just for fun also stood there, blushing in embarrassment.

No one actually expected Jiang Xueli to admit it.

After all, the whole point of teasing was just for amusement. No one really believed that just because someone was teased about liking someone, they actually would, or that they'd truly end up together.

They were just kids, after all. But Jiang Xueli’s unexpected outburst…

Not only did she embarrass herself to death, but she also made the entire class mature overnight. From now on, no one in the class would ask, “Discipline Officer, do you really like Lin Zhengran?”

Instead, the new question would be:

“Discipline Officer, will you two get married when you grow up?”

Jiang Xueli’s face was as red as a cooked shrimp. She ran back to her seat, steaming, covered her ears, and buried her head on the desk.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhengran looked both surprised and unsurprised at the same time. While the others glanced at him to see his reaction, he simply flipped through his book as if nothing had happened.

On the same day, far away in the south, Little He Qing kept sneezing. Her mom asked if she had caught a cold.

Little He Qing shook her head. “No, I don’t think so… I don’t know what’s going on.”

She had no idea a thief had broken into their house.

—

Two days later, Saturday finally arrived.

By the way, thanks to a casual question, Jiang Xueli had recently discovered that Lin Zhengran’s house was just across the street from hers.

It turned out they lived so close to each other.

So on Saturday, the two of them met up, planning to check out the so-called "treasure" at Jiang Xueli’s house.

When they passed a vending machine, Jiang Xueli stopped and asked, “What do you want to drink?”

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on freёwebnoѵel.com.

Lin Zhengran spread his hands. “I didn’t bring money.”

Jiang Xueli rolled her eyes. “I’ll treat you!”

Lin Zhengran said he wanted a Pulse drink.

Jiang Xueli responded with an “okay,” inserted the coins, and mumbled as she bought the drink, “It’s not like I want to treat you or anything. I just happen to have money in my pocket and don’t want you dying of thirst.”

“I didn’t even ask, so why are you explaining so much? Now it really feels like you’re going out of your way to buy me a drink.”

Annoyed, Jiang Xueli threw the bottle at him. “You’re overthinking it!”

Lin Zhengran caught it and casually said, “Thanks.”

As they walked side by side, Jiang Xueli felt like the distance between them was shrinking.

“Lin Zhengran, about what I said last week in class, don’t take it seriously.” She lowered her head shyly, not wanting him to see her flustered expression.

“I don’t actually like you. I just blurted it out in the moment.”

Lin Zhengran twisted open the bottle and took a sip. “I know.”

Jiang Xueli waited.

And waited.

But Lin Zhengran never said anything else.

Her embarrassment slowly turned into anger. Her cheeks puffed up, and she kicked his calf hard.

“Ow! What the heck? You crazy?” Lin Zhengran scolded.

“You’re such a blockhead! No, you’re the biggest blockhead!” She stopped in her tracks, frustrated. “Idiot! Big idiot! Even if I didn’t mean it that way, I still said I liked you in front of the entire class! Don’t you have anything to say about that?!”

Lin Zhengran looked at her acting all dramatic.

Where did an eight- or nine-year-old girl even get this much emotional baggage? Why was she always so hung up on love and relationships?

“You literally just told me not to take it seriously. What kind of reaction do you expect?”

“You—! You—! Ugh! You’re definitely going to end up single for life! Anyone who likes you has to be brain-dead!”

Lin Zhengran thought for a second.

Wait, wasn’t she basically insulting herself?

So he retaliated, giving her a light kick on the butt.

Jiang Xueli gasped, covering her behind and glaring at him, completely flustered.

“What are you looking at? I was just returning the favor,” Lin Zhengran said casually. “And don’t insult so broadly—there are plenty of people who like me.”

Jiang Xueli bit her lip, turned her head away, and huffed. “Yeah, right. Who would like you?”

“Enough chit-chat. Just take me to your house already. I only agreed to help you because of that so-called ‘treasure.’”

Jiang Xueli dusted off her clothes, thinking: Hah, liar. You helped me first and only asked for the treasure later. Clearly, you weren’t doing it for the reward.

She quickly caught up with him. “Hey, don’t walk so fast! Wait for me!”

—

At Jiang Xueli’s house, Lin Zhengran entered her bedroom.

This was the second time he had ever stepped into a girl’s room.

It didn’t look much different from the first one—pink everywhere.

Stuffed animals were scattered on the bed.

Yep. Girls really were all the same when it came to their rooms.

Lin Zhengran sat on Jiang Xueli’s bed, watching her fidget restlessly. After a long pause, she finally asked, “So… how do you think my room looks? I cleaned up especially for today, since I knew you were coming. You better not say it looks bad—I spent ages tidying up.”

Lin Zhengran immediately flattered her. “It looks great.”

She knew he was just humoring her, but she still felt happy inside.

Carefully, she took out a book from her drawer—a handmade compilation of magazine and newspaper clippings.

“Here, this is my treasure. I spent years collecting and putting it together.”

Lin Zhengran took it and flipped through it.

【You successfully helped Miss Jiang clear her name! In gratitude, she has gifted you her personal cultivation manual. This technique is a masterpiece, compiled from countless sources! Although it’s not an ultimate-grade technique, it’s definitely top-tier!】

【You carefully study the manual: Charisma +4, Strength +4, Stamina +1, Level +2】

【You are about to break through to Spirit Level 30!】

Two whole levels?!

This was the best reward he had ever received.

Taking a closer look, Lin Zhengran realized that this "cultivation manual" was actually a comprehensive guide to music!

It contained information on musicians, singing techniques, vocal exercises, and song breakdowns—all incredibly detailed.

He glanced at Jiang Xueli, who looked a bit embarrassed.

“You like singing?”

Jiang Xueli hesitated, then stubbornly raised her chin. “Yeah, so what?”

“Nothing. I just never knew. You’ve never sung in front of anyone before.”

She clenched her little fists. “Who randomly sings in front of people? They’d think I’m crazy!”

“Sing for me?”

Jiang Xueli hesitated. “I… I usually don’t sing in front of others. But if you really want to hear…”

Lin Zhengran nodded. “Yeah, I do. If you put this much effort into collecting all this, I’m curious about your skill.”

Surprised by his seriousness, Jiang Xueli stood up. “Fine. What do you want to hear? I’m not singing because I want to. You’re the one who asked, so don’t complain if it sounds bad.”

“Anything’s fine. Just not a nursery rhyme.”

“Got it.”

She took a deep breath, adjusted her voice, and started singing.

Lin Zhengran’s eyes widened.

He seriously didn’t expect her to be this good. At her age, her voice was already incredible—almost identical to the original singers. With this level of talent and passion, she had a bright future ahead.

—

That evening, as Lin Zhengran headed home, Jiang Xueli walked him to the door.

“Ever thought about becoming a singer?” he asked.

Jiang Xueli admitted she had, but the industry was tough. “My mom says it’s not something just anyone can succeed in. The more I study, the more I realize how hard it is.”

Lin Zhengran looked ahead. “It is hard, but I think you’ve got a shot. It’d be a waste to give up so young.”

Jiang Xueli was stunned.

She had expected him to mock her, not encourage her.

“R-Really? You really think so?”

“Yeah. I genuinely do.”

Her heart skipped a beat.

Then, suddenly, she burst into laughter, stepped in front of him, and declared with a serious face:

“Lin Zhengran! If you really can’t find anyone to marry you in the future… I—I guess I could marry you!”

She pointed at him, blushing furiously.

“But! It’s not because I like you! I’m just taking pity on you! I just think you’re such a blockhead that you’ll never get a girl, got it?!”