Chapter 69: Together Forever

Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Together Forever

It was late by the time they finished recording the song.

Jiang Xueli’s singing ability gave everyone high hopes for next year’s town competition. They felt the studio might just be able to make a name for itself.

Jiang Xueli walked home with Lin Zhengran, her hands clasped behind her back.

It gets dark quickly in the winter. The passing cars on the street were the only things keeping the area from being completely silent.

"Big dummy, I heard that girls have a huge growth spurt in high school. Do you think I’ll get really tall? Even taller than you?!"

Lin Zhengran glanced at Jiang Xueli’s bouncing pigtails. She was a little taller than He Qing. "You’re thinking too much. I’ll still grow, but I doubt you’ll get much taller."

"Huh? Why?! But I’m only five-foot-four! I’ve grown a lot over the past few years."

"Haven’t you taken biology? The three years of middle school are when girls have their biggest growth spurt. You still develop in high school, but it’s probably not your height that’s growing."

"Not my height? Then what is it?" She genuinely didn’t understand.

Lin Zhengran rolled his eyes at her. "Look it up in a book."

"Tch, so stingy. You think you’re the only one with good grades? I’m a good student too, you know. I’m always at least above average." Jiang Xueli stole a glance at Lin Zhengran’s profile and muttered, "Although... you’re still better, I guess."

Maybe it was true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, because Jiang Xueli always thought he was insanely handsome, no matter the time or place.

It was just that sometimes he tried too hard to act cool, to the point where he didn’t seem like a kid at all.

Out of the blue, she suddenly spoke up. "These past few years of middle school have gone by so fast. Winter break is in a week, and next year will be our last year, ninth grade. To be honest, ever since I graduated from elementary school, I’ve actually been pretty scared."

"Scared?" Lin Zhengran asked, curious.

Jiang Xueli turned her head away, too shy to look at him. "I’m just scared that the world will be different from what I imagined when I was a kid."

Lin Zhengran hummed softly but didn’t say anything more.

Jiang Xueli turned to face forward again, her eyes on the pavement ahead. ’I know what I’ve really been afraid of these past two years.’

’I was afraid that when He Qing came back, my relationship with him would change. I was afraid that cute He Qing would steal my big dummy away.’

’I was afraid he’d never spend time with me again, that he’d forget all about me. But...’

"But after what you said this afternoon, I feel a lot more at ease." ’From now on, I won’t doubt myself or think I’m the loser. Because I heard with my own ears how much I mean to you.’

’If even your sincere words can’t give me confidence, then I really am pathetic.’

"From today on, I’m going to believe that I can win. I won’t ever let the thought of losing cross my mind again."

Jiang Xueli’s thoughts and words weren’t connected. Some she spoke aloud, while others she continued in her heart.

To an onlooker, it would have sounded jumbled.

But no matter what she was saying, Lin Zhengran wasn’t the type to pour cold water on someone who was getting fired up.

"Good luck."

Hearing those two words, Jiang Xueli’s heart began to race. She bit her lip, feeling as if steam were rising from the top of her head.

When they reached the intersection, she said goodbye to Lin Zhengran. "Big dummy, see you at school tomorrow! And don’t forget what you promised me today! If I win the competition next year, you have to take me to the zoo and to a movie!"

"Don’t worry. I always keep my word."

Jiang Xueli waved with a smile and crossed the street, and Lin Zhengran turned to head home as well.

But as the girl with the pigtails reached the other side of the wide intersection, she didn’t keep walking.

Instead, she stopped and looked back at Lin Zhengran, who was already some distance away. She shouted:

"Big dummy! Don’t forget the pinky promise we made at school..." She deliberately waited for a large truck to approach, timing her next words to be drowned out by the noise. Before Lin Zhengran could turn around, she yelled:

"We’ll be together forever!"

Lin Zhengran turned and looked toward the girl across the street.

But Jiang Xueli was already gone, having vanished down the street, making it seem as if she hadn’t been the one who had just shouted.

The noise from the passing truck would have made it impossible for an ordinary person to make out what she had yelled.

Except, Lin Zhengran... was no ordinary person.

He had heard it, loud and clear.

He let out a long breath with a smile and continued on his way home.

Lin Zhengran had actually figured this out when he was very young. Once he used the system to sign a contract with one of these so-called "immortal maidens," there was no way to break it.

That was why he never signed a contract with just anyone. After all, once the red string of fate was tied, it was nearly impossible to sever.

[He Fairy and Miss Jiang were recently trapped by the bottleneck of a Heart Demon, causing their cultivation to stagnate. Had this continued, their minds would have descended into chaos, leading to Qi deviation and a permanent end to their cultivation path—the fall of a genius. Fortunately, with your help, they have both overcome their Heart Demons and broken through to a higher realm of cultivation.]

[As a reward, He Fairy has gifted you the Guangxi Embroidery Silk, which she crafted herself. This is a supreme Immortal Treasure, created by an Immortal Disciple using their Lifebound Spirit Rhythm. Obtaining it will permanently increase your Qi fortune, cultivation speed, and various other abilities.]

[Miss Jiang’s Qi Fortune Link with you has grown stronger, granting your future cultivation speed another considerable boost.]

[You have received a massive boost: Spiritual Qi Level +3, Cultivation Speed Doubled, Strength +5, Energy +5, Charm +5, Physical Strength +7.]

[Your current Spiritual Qi Level is 48.]

[Your current stats are:]

[Strength: 58] [Upon reaching 50, you unlock the special ability: Retain muscle mass without exercise.] [Unlocked]

[Energy: 55] [Upon reaching 60, you will unlock the special ability: Go seven rounds in one night without fatigue.]

[Physical Strength: 63] [Upon reaching 70, you will unlock the special ability: Double Physical Strength, Triple Endurance for all activities.]

[Charm: 55] [You have unlocked the Double Favorability ability.]

[You have successfully unlocked the special ability wherein your physical strength will not decline from lack of exercise. Furthermore, your body will no longer be afflicted by any illness; disease can no longer affect your health.]

On his way home, the system’s voice rattled off a long list of notifications in his mind.

He could feel the boost to his various stats.

He was also surprised by the ability he’d unlocked for reaching 50 Strength.

The system hadn’t explicitly mentioned the immunity to disease, or at least it hadn’t been obvious. He’d thought the ability was just about not losing strength, so this was a pleasant surprise.

’Looks like I won’t even need a blanket when I sleep anymore,’ he thought. ’It’s not like I can get sick.’

’Then again, it’s more comfortable with one. Might as well use it.’

As his figure gradually disappeared down the street, Jiang Xueli was hiding around the corner of a building at the intersection.

Her chest heaved with nervous breaths, and she pressed a hand hard against her mouth, her face flushed red.

Her hands were trembling with excitement.

Her phone suddenly rang, scaring her so badly that her heart nearly leaped out of her throat. She frantically fumbled in her pocket for it.

Thankfully, it wasn’t Lin Zhengran.

It was her mom.

She answered the phone. "Hello? Mom? What’s up?"

"Nothing’s wrong," her mom said. "I was just wondering why you aren’t home yet. Dinner’s almost ready."

Jiang Xueli quickly replied, "Oh, right, I’m heading back now! I’m already on my way."

She quickly hung up and happily hurried home.

But after Jiang Xueli had also left, no one saw that on another street, a certain fox who was out shopping was staring in surprise at her retreating figure.

That moment was enough to blow Han Wenwen’s mind for the rest of the day. "Is that what a tsundere is really like? She actually just yelled it out loud on the street..."