Chapter 43: Someone Has Too Many Fated Connections

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Someone Has Too Many Fated Connections

It wasn’t raining in the small town in the South, but the weather was freezing cold.

Han Wenwen, bundled up in a down jacket and scarf, went alone during the New Year to the ancient tree at the heart of the Heart Connection Festival grounds.

Although it wasn’t the day of the festival, there were still people around.

Colorful lights had been hung on the tree, and there was an elderly attendant in the nearby duty office.

"Grandpa, can I draw a plaque?" she asked, walking to the door of the duty office.

The attendant smiled at her words. "Coming to draw a plaque during the New Year? Did you tie your red string?"

Han Wenwen lifted the red string in her hand, which was adorned with colorful fabric. She had written the same wish as she did in elementary school; she was here to find out if the destined one granted by this tree was real.

Under the attendant’s watchful eye, she hung the red string on the tree and drew a new wooden plaque.

The attendant said, "This old tree is quite accurate. The surname I wished for back then was the exact same as my wife’s."

"Really? But I’ve done this once before. I forgot the surname on that plaque, so I came back again. I wonder if it’ll still be accurate?"

"People who are meant to be will always find each other."

Han Wenwen stared at the new wooden plaque in her hand. A puff of warm air escaped her lips, and her eyes trembled. Carved on it was still the same word as all those years ago: Lin.

A smile touched her lips.

’Looks like Lin Zhengran really is my destined one.’

’But Qingqing...’

Han Wenwen waved goodbye to the old attendant and headed back to her uncle’s house.

The entire street was ablaze with lights. Every home was bustling with activity, decorated with all kinds of lanterns, and Han Wenwen’s uncle’s house was no different.

The only difference was that unlike the lively bustle in other houses, there was no one else at home with Han Wenwen.

Her uncle had gone to spend the New Year with his girlfriend at her family’s home, and of course, he hadn’t taken Han Wenwen along.

Han Wenwen sat alone on the steps, cupping her face in her hands and holding the wooden plaque.

She muttered to herself, "Lin Zhengran sure has a lot of fated romances."

Her stomach rumbled, and she went back to her room to find something to eat, reminding herself of something. ’Speaking of which, I have to find my own place to stay for the holidays next year. If I stay any longer, my uncle’s girlfriend will definitely get upset.’

Brilliant fireworks shot into the sky at the stroke of midnight, bursting in a ceaseless, crackling display.

At that exact moment, Lin Zhengran’s phone buzzed. He had received three messages.

One from Jiang Xueli, one from He Qing, and one from Han Wenwen.

"Happy New Year, you big dummy!"

"Happy New Year, Lin Zhengran."

"Happy New Year, Classmate Lin Zhengran."

Lin Zhengran replied to all of them.

Half a month later, the new semester began.

Han Wenwen and He Qing returned from the South.

The four of them were reunited. Perhaps because of the winter break, the two of them were finally not as bizarre as they were before the New Year.

Though they still weren’t exactly normal...

Han Wenwen continued to shoulder the responsibility of being her best friend and childhood sweetheart’s monitor. Whenever the class split into groups, or during P.E. class and the like, Han Wenwen would stay by Lin Zhengran’s side, preventing other girls from getting too friendly with him.

The two of them grew more familiar with each other, and Han Wenwen seemed to be more and more relaxed in front of him.

A prime example was one time when the teacher had deskmates quiz each other on their memorization.

Han Wenwen, not being a good student, couldn’t get a single word out. So Lin Zhengran mercilessly told the teacher, "Teacher, she hasn’t memorized it."

After class, Han Wenwen glared at Lin Zhengran with her cheeks puffed out in a pout. "You’re so heartless, Classmate Lin Zhengran. You don’t know how to give a girl a break at all. Any other guy definitely wouldn’t have told the teacher that I hadn’t memorized it."

"Well, that’s a shame, because I’m not other guys," Lin Zhengran retorted. "Besides, you’re not a girl. You’re a canine, at best."

She lifted her chin haughtily. "Hmph!"

She wouldn’t have acted this way before.

In these relatively ordinary days, another two months slipped by unnoticed.

Until the day the class had a mock exam. Han Wenwen scored almost dead last, and the homeroom teacher called her into the office for a private reprimand.

The gist of it was that if her grades continued like this, she would have absolutely no chance of getting into high school. The teacher hoped she would start taking her studies seriously.

Lin Zhengran happened to be passing the office door at that moment, and he saw Han Wenwen standing there, her expression making it seem like nothing was wrong.

But Lin Zhengran, whose life experience was beyond that of his peers, could tell at a glance that she wasn’t as cheerful as she let on. She had serious worries on her mind, she just hid them very deep.

「During P.E. class later that day」

Han Wenwen sat next to Lin Zhengran, leaning against the chain-link fence at the edge of the field. She had her school uniform jacket draped over her bent legs, secretly playing on the phone hidden beneath it.

Lin Zhengran stared straight ahead. "That silly girl has finally stopped pulling her weird stunts on me. I guess you’ve run out of ideas to give her, huh?"

Han Wenwen froze for a second, then looked up and gave Lin Zhengran an awkward smile. "You knew about that, Classmate Lin Zhengran?"

"What do you think? Anyone could tell she didn’t come up with those things herself. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so bizarre every day. Her brain and her actions are completely out of sync."

The Little Fox stopped playing on her phone, a hint of resignation in her voice:

"I thought that with all the ideas I gave Qingqing, you two would at least make a little progress. Holding hands would have been nice. But it seems like it was completely useless. Qingqing even told me you’ve been getting meaner to her lately, and your relationship has actually gone backward."

Lin Zhengran didn’t have the energy for a sarcastic comeback. He and Han Wenwen gazed out together at the lush green lawn and the other students running and playing on the field.

Suddenly, she said:

"School life is pretty great. I actually hated school when I was little because I always felt so stifled. It wasn’t until I met Qingqing that I started to enjoy it. She was my first friend."

Lin Zhengran glanced at the fox beside him. "Why the sudden confession?"

A sly smile played on Han Wenwen’s lips. "Well, I am your rumored girlfriend, after all. I can make a pretty good guess at what you’re thinking. Take the look in your eyes right now, for instance."

She put on a flirtatious expression. "A look like that is basically asking, *’Han Wenwen, you fox, what on earth are you thinking?’* So, I’m just answering your question."

Lin Zhengran snorted.

Han Wenwen gave him a meaningful look, then suddenly hugged her legs and said in a mock-joking tone:

"To be honest, with my grades, I probably won’t be able to get into high school. That’s why I want to use this last year to do everything I can to bring you two together. That’s the real reason."

She gazed across the school grounds and spoke slowly. "After all, once junior high is over, I probably won’t see Qingqing again..." She paused. "And I won’t see you again either, Classmate Lin Zhengran."

"Wenwen? What did you just say?!"

Behind the chain-link fence, He Qing, who was in the same P.E. class and had been about to come over and say hello, froze when she heard those words.

Hearing He Qing’s voice, Han Wenwen whipped her head around in a panic, as if terrified she had understood the meaning behind her words.

"Qingqing?"