Chapter 326 Room - Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten

The footsteps drew nearer, revealing Lin Zhengran speaking on the phone with someone. His clear, crisp voice carried a hint of affection, evidently talking to a girl: "Mm, the three of you should go ahead and pack your things this afternoon. I'm out now, and as for dinner, I won't be heading back to campus tonight, so there's no need to wait for me." Jiang Jing Shi couldn't hear the voice on the other end, but it seemed someone was objecting to Lin Zhengran's words. He smiled, "Alright then, if there's nothing else, I'll hang up. Bye-bye." In the dormitory, the three young ones heard that Lin Zhengran was with Teacher Jiang that afternoon; they exchanged looks, knowing there was no use feeling jealous. Meanwhile, as Jiang Jing Shi approached, her face was joyful, albeit tinged with a trace of jealousy. Seeing Lin Zhengran hang up the phone, she gently asked, "Zheng Zheng, who were you talking to?" Lin Zhengran was forthright: "Those three little ones. They were asking if I would be back at school for dinner tonight, but I really want to try your cooking today, so I won't go back for dinner." Jiang Jing Shi was taken aback; Zheng Zheng never concealed anything from her, not even at school. It seemed that, even in her presence, he never intentionally avoided anything. She nodded, "I'll cook for you tonight." Noticing Jiang Jing Shi's slightly wounded expression, Lin Zhengran realized what might be on her mind. Applying for this allow-off-campus living was also his intention to clarify things about He Qing and the others to Jiang Jing Shi. "Shall we go to where you're staying?" he said. Walking side by side, Jiang Jing Shi still had half-frame glasses perched on her nose. Possibly due to their clothing style, from a passer-by's perspective, it indeed gave off the impression of a teacher walking with a student. Of course, once off-campus, nobody paid attention to such things. Passing by a clothing store, a pure white dress in the glass display caught their eyes. It was strikingly elegant yet simple and high-end. Lin Zhengran mused aloud, "Jing Shi, do you often wear dresses when attending events?" Jiang Jing Shi's expression returned to normal, nodding, "Yes." She glanced at the display with a smile, "But most of the time at events, I wear blue dresses." "Blue? That's a color I hadn't considered. You don't usually wear blue." Jiang Jing Shi explained: "Because I'm often attending with Qian Qian, and she typically wears black and white. If I wore white too, even if the styles are different, it would feel repetitive. So I opt for blue, and I quite like it." She chose blue to avoid repeating with her sister—Jiang Jing Shi certainly dotes on Jiang Qian. "Do you have any pictures? I'd love to see." Jiang Jing Shi took out her phone, "Let me find some." After scrolling for two minutes through thousands of photos, she shook her head, "It seems I didn't save them." "Alright, but your phone has so many photos? It took quite a while to look through them." Her cheeks flushed pink, "Many of them are work photos." In truth, only a third were work-related; two-thirds were photos of Lin Zhengran himself. She even had pictures of him from kindergarten, which Jiang Jing Shi had asked Pan Lin to find from Lin Zhengran's files, and some were from Lin Xiaoli receiving them recently. Since Lin Xiaoli started working, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had been chatting cheerfully on WeChat and phone. Looking at the dress in the display case, Jiang Jing Shi wondered, "Still, white looks even better. It has a bridal quality." She dreamily added, "When Zheng Zheng marries me in the future, can I pick a big wedding dress, like those princess dresses?" "Of course you can." Jiang Jing Shi, pleased with his agreement, teasingly narrowed her eyes, "Then I'll thank Student Lin Zhengran." Lin Zhengran played along, "No need to thank me, Teacher Jiang." Arriving at the rental where Jiang Jing Shi was staying, the apartment was significantly spacious, appearing around 170 square meters at a glance. The place was not particularly tidy. Although it was not dirty, it was slightly cluttered with numerous company documents on the living room's coffee table. Entering the room, Jiang Jing Shi slipped off her heels, revealing her pink-clad feet. From a nearby cupboard, she fetched men's slippers and placed them by Lin Zhengran's feet: "The room is a bit messy. I haven't had the time to tidy up. If I'd known you were coming yesterday, I'd have tidied up earlier." "It's already quite clean. I know how busy you usually are, Jing Shi." She smiled modestly, "I chose a slightly smaller place this time. What do you think?" Small... Lin Zhengran chuckled, thinking that this place, near 200 square meters, couldn't be called small. Jiang Jing Shi continued, "I thought a smaller place would feel cozier when I rented it, but living alone, creating that coziness is harder than expected." "I've noticed you haven’t been sleeping well. What time are you going to bed now?" he asked, looking at her face. Jiang Jing Shi was unsure of how to respond. Seeing Lin Zhengran with those three girls every day indeed affected her mood. "Not sure, sometimes around nine, sometimes around midnight." "Nine? When you say sleep, do you mean just lying down? Does lying in bed count as sleep?" She paused, slowly nodding, "Mm, that's what I mean." He exhaled deeply. They didn't linger in the living room. Lin Zhengran and Jiang Jing Shi went straight to the bedroom, where the bed was as messy as the living room coffee table. The bedspread sprawled irregularly across the mattress, with documents and files scattered about. A frequently used laptop sat on the nearby desk. They sat on the bed in silence. In silence, the proximity made conversations seem redundant. A silent exchange kept them close, with one hand holding the other. Caught under his gaze, Jiang Jing Shi's mature, sensitive face displayed a youthful shyness. Lin Zhengran observed her attire thoughtfully, "Teacher, may I kiss you?" Jiang Jing Shi only blushed more at his words. From her lips, a warm breath escaped, "Of course you can... not just kisses. Lin Zhengran can do anything to the teacher." "Anything? What do you mean by that?" Her eyes shyly avoided his, shimmering with vulnerability. She wondered why she'd said that, softly replying, "Lin Zhengran, must you tease your teacher like this?" With a broad smile, he slowly leaned closer. Their lips met. Jiang Jing Shi's other hand rested gently on his chest. As the atmosphere grew, they lay on the bed. Looking at each other, her evasive gaze was now more direct, openly voicing her feelings and desires. "Tonight, I'll cook dinner for you, so please stay. Keep me company, will you?" (End of Chapter)