Chapter 329: A Preschool Encounter - Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten

Chapter 329: A Preschool Encounter The delivery station is always crowded, but in the morning, there are fewer students. Lin Zhengran walked through here alone, arriving at the spot where Jiang Jingshi had dropped her ring the previous day. Taking advantage of the absence of others, he squatted down to look at the dark and dirty drain. Indeed, there was no sign of the ring. But he extended his hand, gathering spiritual energy. The ability to manipulate objects with spiritual energy was quite convenient, although spending time with several young girls often meant he had little need for such abilities. Sometimes, even a mere glance was enough to prompt action. A certain fox might curiously ask, "Does Brother Zhengran want a drink? I'll fetch it for you!" Or when they went out to play, He Qing always knew to carry half a bottle of mineral water in her bag. If he mentioned wanting to buy water, she would just hand it over directly. Thus, the frequency of Lin Zhengran using this ability had diminished since he first acquired it. Nowadays, he rarely had reason to use it. In the muddy drain, Lin Zhengran imagined the characteristics of a diamond. A diamond ring hidden in the silt seemed to be drawn by an invisible force. With a swish, it broke free from the grime and flew into Lin Zhengran’s palm. He held two rings. Looking at the two diamond rings in his palm, Lin Zhengran thought it was a surprising bonus. One was the delicate ring Jiang Jingshi often wore, and the other, smaller, though likely not inexpensive for an average person, resembled a wedding band. Lin Zhengran casually found a restroom and rinsed the rings under the faucet. Both rings regained their sparkling appearance. He returned the unfamiliar ring to the lost and found. "Teacher, this looks like a diamond ring. I found it at the drain's entrance. Not sure which teacher lost it before." The teacher at the lost and found exclaimed in surprise, recognizing it: "Isn't this the wedding ring someone lost a week ago?! They searched for a long time and couldn’t find it. Thank you, student! Leave a phone number, the owner might want to thank you." Lin Zhengran replied, "No thanks needed, as long as it's returned. I'm leaving." The teacher at the lost and found mused, "A good student indeed." Walking along, Lin Zhengran looked closely at the remaining ring belonging to Jiang Jingshi, noticing for the first time the small, strange characters engraved inside: "Love at first sight." Even though Lin Zhengran had often seen Jiang Jingshi wearing this ring, he had never noticed these four small words engraved inside. "Love at first sight," he wondered, did it mean Jingshi had liked him from their first meeting? Recalling their initial meeting outside the high school gates over instant noodles, Lin Zhengran found it odd. At that time, Jingshi seemed wary of him, at most curious—very different from the way she looked at him now. Additionally, he remembered their conversation after an intimate evening in Jiang Jingshi's bedroom. She often mentioned he was mean to her, though Lin Zhengran didn’t recall such behavior. Continuing on, he pondered whether high school wasn’t their first meeting after all. With the system enhancing his memory, it shouldn't be wrong. Suddenly, a vague memory flashed across his mind. In his mind, a girl with a face slightly resembling Jiang Jingshi yet with a completely different personality, somewhat like a young He Qing, asked uncertainly, "Is this really the right way?" Memories surfaced where, indeed, he had replied rather sternly, "Stop asking so much, just follow me! With me, you’ll find your way out. You're quite brave to wander around alone in unfamiliar places at such a young age." She quietly murmured, "You’re so fierce." "In what way am I fierce?!" Lin Zhengran countered. The little girl shrunk back, thinking he was fierce everywhere, but because she got lost in the community, she obediently followed nonetheless. In that moment, Lin Zhengran paused, puzzled about the timeline of this memory. Could the little girl have been Jingshi? Reflecting on it, he had never paid attention to this before. With a renewed gaze at the ring in his hand, Lin Zhengran blinked as a thought occurred to him. He pulled out his phone to call Pan Lin. Answering the call, Pan Lin spoke respectfully, "Hello, President Lin? What brings you to call me?" Lin Zhengran replied, "I have something to ask. Is the ring on Jingshi's hand custom-made?" Pan Lin responded, "Yes, but it was custom-made several years ago by a highly skilled craftsman." Lin Zhengran nodded in acknowledgment. "I see. Could you also buy some raw materials for diamond rings and send them to me? A lot. Also, I have another question: Jingshi knew me before, didn’t she?" Pan Lin hesitated, her tone suddenly unsure because Jiang Jingshi had warned her not to reveal certain things: "What do you mean, President Lin? I'm not sure I understand." Lin Zhengran pressed, "Come on, don't play coy. I suddenly remembered today that I might have met Jingshi many years ago, right? As Jingshi's close secretary, you would know this, wouldn't you?" "Hehe..." Pan Lin chuckled helplessly, "You finally remembered. President Jiang has been waiting for you to recall. Yes, she met you a long time ago, back in preschool." After a brief discussion with Pan Lin about the events, the memory of their younger selves clearly reemerged. Although Lin Zhengran had an exceptional memory, he wouldn’t deliberately record every trivial aspect of daily life, such as every person seen or meal eaten since childhood. Of course, if he tried hard enough, he could remember most things. Pan Lin, after recounting the past, asked personally, "Has President Jiang been happy these days since attending school, meeting you daily?" "Hmm, we see each other every day." Over the phone, Pan Lin expressed satisfaction, as if her long-anticipated couple finally coming together, "That's wonderful." Ending the call, Lin Zhengran pocketed the ring. In the morning class. Lin Zhengran awaited Pan Lin’s package, feeling the envious looks from the three girls while he taught. Han Wenwen lay on the table, her fox-like eyes gazing meaningfully at him, "It's one thing to miss dinner, but rumor has it that Brother Zhengran didn’t even return to the dorm last night." He Qing, with her innocent almond-shaped eyes, blinked, "Did you spend the night at the instructor's house, Lin Zhengran?" Jiang Xueli turned her head, huffing, "You philanderer, Zhengran!" Lin Zhengran helplessly looked at the distant blackboard. Even in an open relationship with four girlfriends, where each knew the other’s existence, jealousy seemed unavoidable. Habitually, Lin Zhengran raised his hand and gave three students' heads a light knock. They settled down slightly. Outside the classroom, Jiang Jingshi watched the scene with a smile, yet she too felt a pang of jealousy. He seemed so good to the three of them. Looking at the platform, Lin Zhengran spoke, "I need to tell you something, all three of you. In a few days, Jingshi will come to live with us." The three girls, holding their heads and blushing, replied in unison, "What?" With varied expressions, their thoughts were easy to guess. (End of Chapter)