Chapter 378: Lily's Ring - Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten

Chapter 378: Lily's Ring Lin Zhenran saw that Lily was genuinely lost in the moment. Her breath was hot. So, he pulled the small blanket from the bed and draped it over her back. The guitar stood alone against the bedside, its owner having abandoned practice for over two hours. As luck would have it, these two hours were uninterrupted, allowing for an uninterrupted romantic atmosphere. The only interruption had been half an hour earlier, when He Qing called from downstairs, "Lin Zhenran? I'm going shopping with Sister Jiang, we'll be back soon." And that was it. Later, in the half-afternoon light of the music room’s single bed. The small blanket covered both of them. Lin Zhenran stared at Jiang Xueli, who had undone her double pigtails, her hair cascading down her neck and shoulders. Her golden hair gave Lily a very different look, avoiding his gaze. "You dummy… why do you always like to stare at me like that? It makes my heart race." "I mainly didn't expect you to be so enthusiastic today, taking the initiative like that..." "Ah!" Jiang Xueli quickly covered Lin Zhenran's mouth, her face flushed. "Don’t say it, don’t say it!" With his mouth covered, he mumbled, "No one else is here." Jiang Xueli was embarrassed. "Even so, you shouldn't bully people like this! Didn't He Qing say that girls have needs too? Of course, we have times when we're more interested!" Lin Zhenran removed her hand. "More interested? Does that mean there are times when you're less interested?" Jiang Xueli paused, blinking, feeling guilty. "When you're not around, we're less interested. When you are, we're more interested." Lin Zhenran was speechless. So it meant their interest was only high, never low. He shifted to lie flat, staring at the ceiling. "Having more girlfriends is really something. You all come up with new things every day, though since living together, my free time has dwindled." Jiang Xueli didn't know how to respond to the first part, questioning the "new things." She bit her lip and called him a dummy, but then moved closer, resting her face on his shoulder. "What do you mean by less time?" "Literally, since implementing this drawing-lots system and with you sneaking around like today, I spend at least forty-two hours a week doing this." "Forty-two hours?" Jiang Xueli was curious. "Only forty-two hours? That seems little." Lin Zhenran turned to give Lily a playful flick on the forehead. Jiang Xueli winced and held her head. "You hit me again! I swear I'm short because of you!" Lin Zhenran laughed. "Can't blame me for that." Jiang Xueli huffed but then asked with concern, "But forty-eight a week means about six hours a day on average. We spread it out, so it doesn't seem much, but are you okay physically? I think you’re doing fine, but if you feel pressured, we’ll supplement more, but don't reduce the time.” She pouted, “You’re the one with so many girlfriends." Lin Zhenran hugged Jiang Xueli’s shoulders, smiling. "You all should know best how I’m doing. Besides, this benefits me too, so I quite enjoy it." Embarrassed by his words, Jiang Xueli blushed. Who wouldn’t enjoy it? "What benefits are you talking about?" "Various." After spending intimate moments with these girls, as their health and mental condition improved, Lin Zhenran received an equivalent boost in spiritual energy. A mutually beneficial situation. Of course, the main thing about these activities wasn’t the mutual benefit, but the joy and emotional refinement they brought. Lin Zhenran stroked Jiang Xueli’s loose blonde hair, staring at her adorable and slightly tsundere face. “Has the Mercury retrograde lifted?” Jiang Xueli blinked. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “I guess it has.” Now she felt entirely comfortable, though lacking strength. Jiang Xueli snuggled against Lin Zhenran, whispering joyfully, "Thinking back, perhaps things weren’t that bad recently. Last time I hurt my elbow, and you noticed when I put on a band-aid. You comforted and petted me, and I actually felt good that you cared for me, this dummy, on your own." She continued, “Then my parents’ factory ran into trouble, which seemed bad, but with you there, it was solved immediately. You don’t know, ever since that day, my parents keep messaging me to check on you and thank you, to ask about us.” She chuckled, “I think when we graduate, if you propose, even if you have many girlfriends, my parents won’t refuse. You really saved our family this time. Without your help, I don’t know what would have happened.” She reached up to touch Lin Zhenran’s face. “And today, I got juice on myself. It seemed unlucky, but it led to us having a secret moment. It’s not a bad deal.” They exchanged smiles. Jiang Xueli realized, “Maybe my bad luck lately wasn’t so bad after all. In hindsight, it all seems like good things, just wrapped in unpleasant processes. I could go through it a few more times." "Looks like your bad luck has truly ended." Jiang Xueli chuckled twice. After a moment’s silence, Lin Zhenran spoke slowly, "Lily, I have a gift for you." "A gift? What kind of gift?" "In my pants pocket, get it out and see, it’s especially for you." Curious, Jiang Xueli sat up, holding the blanket to cover her body. She picked Lin Zhenran's pants off the floor and took out a small, exquisite box. Her naive curiosity prompted her to open it without a second thought. Silence was instantly broken as her lively eyes widened in shock, her face turning visibly red. "Ahhhh! What is this?" Still reacting with surprise. Lin Zhenran was speechless. "Why are you yelling? It’s so noisy." Jiang Xueli’s lips trembled. Turning, she held the item up, questioning, "W-what is this? Why would you give me something like this?" "What do you mean by something like this?" Lin Zhenran took out the ring from the box, the diamond ring sparkling perpetually. "This is the engagement ring I wanted to give you. I made it myself, okay?" Jiang Xueli leaned back, incredulous. "E-engagement ring... did I hear you right!" Lin Zhenran sat up as well, speaking earnestly, "Engagement, Lily." "Um! I’m here... what do you want to say..." The intense excitement made Jiang Xueli’s mind blank, her words incoherent, almost childlike. "Are you saying you want to marry me? I-I’m telling you, you big dummy! Even though we’re together, I won’t agree so easily!" She stammered, "I-I’d agree only because I wouldn’t want you to be sad if I refused, not for any other reason!" Lin Zhenran chuckled and countered, “Not because you’re afraid I can’t find a girlfriend? That’s what you said when we were little.” Jiang Xueli buried her face in embarrassment, shouting with her eyes closed: "It’s all the same! These are just excuses! But if I agree to you, you must cherish me! You can’t keep bullying me!" "Okay." Jiang Xueli bit her lip, glaring at Lin Zhenran, then extended her hand sharply. "Okay, what, okay, dummy! Blockhead! Put it on me already!" At this moment, Jiang Xueli was unusually honest. Lin Zhenran slipped the ring onto her ring finger, Jiang Xueli staring at it in awe before emotions overtook her, tearing up immediately. Lin Zhenran embraced her in comfort; girls are always the same at times like these. "There, there." (Chapter end)