Chapter 71: Little Fox’s New Year

Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Little Fox’s New Year

In the noisy school, students eagerly awaiting the winter break bustled back to their dorms, packing their belongings into bags of all sizes in preparation for the journey home. Many parents were already parked at the school gates, waiting to pick up their children.

Although each class had let out at slightly different times, Lin Zhengran, Han Wenwen, and the rest of their group still met up before heading to the dorms together.

Along the way, Xiao Heqing, walking to Lin Zhengran’s right, asked her best friend, "Wenwen, are you still not going back this winter break? Are you going to stay in the North with your uncle again?"

Han Wenwen nodded with a bright smile. "Yeah. My uncle has been busy with some business ventures these past two years. If I went back by myself, I’d be all alone at home, so I have to tag along with him."

Xiao Heqing let out a soft sound of acknowledgment. "Then I guess I have to go back by myself again. Let’s keep in touch over the phone, okay? If you end up coming back halfway through the break, just tell me, and I’ll go to the station to pick you up."

"Okay! Thanks, Qingqing. If I return to the South, I’ll call you right away." Lying seemed to be second nature to Han Wenwen; she didn’t even bat an eye. Lin Zhengran simply shot her a glance, choosing not to interrupt the two best friends’ farewells.

Jiang Xueli nudged Lin Zhengran’s arm. "You big idiot, my mom said our whole family is going back to our hometown this afternoon to visit. The studio is on holiday anyway, so I probably won’t be back for a dozen days or so."

Lin Zhengran looked at her curiously. "Your hometown? Got it. Have fun there over the next couple of weeks. We’ll resume training when you get back."

Jiang Xueli smiled and nodded. "I’ll call you when I’m on my way back!"

That afternoon, after the four of them had packed their luggage, Lin Zhengran, Jiang Xueli, and Han Wenwen headed to the station to see Xiao Heqing off. Afterward, Jiang Xueli headed home to join her parents for the trip to their hometown.

By dusk, only Lin Zhengran and Han Wenwen were left standing at the station.

Lin Zhengran asked, "When do you plan on telling He Qing that you’re never going back to the South?"

Han Wenwen gazed at the spot where the high-speed train had long since departed. "Probably after I’ve earned enough money to completely support myself. That way, Qingqing won’t worry about me. Otherwise, if I told her right now that I’m living alone, with her gentle personality, she’d cry her eyes out. She’d definitely try to make me move in with her family or offer me money."

Her fox-like eyes drifted toward Lin Zhengran. "I don’t want to accept charity, especially not from Xiao Heqing. She’s my best friend. If I accepted her handouts, our friendship would be tainted. We wouldn’t be equals anymore."

Lin Zhengran looked back at her. He thought that she was truly far more mature than others her age.

The Little Fox smiled radiantly. "Of course, I can never fully repay my debt to you, Lin Zhengran. The only thing I can do in return is try my best to satisfy whatever requests you might have in the future. I might even consider offering myself to you."

Lin Zhengran was used to her teasing jokes. Instead of taking the bait, he began walking out of the station. "Do you still have money on hand?"

Han Wenwen fell into step beside him. "A little bit. Once school started, I couldn’t post gaming videos as often, so my income took a hit."

Always adept at reading the room, the Little Fox took the initiative. "How about I treat you to dinner tonight, and you help me move my luggage? I have so much stuff; it’ll be hard for me to carry it all by myself."

"Works for me."

"What do you want to eat?"

"Chicken stew."

"We’re on the exact same page."

[You have consumed the Demon Sect’s Red Blood Chicken Soup. Physical Strength +1.]

That evening, Lin Zhengran and Han Wenwen moved her school belongings into her rental apartment. After dinner, he bid the Little Fox farewell and headed home.

Han Wenwen waved goodbye to him from the doorway.

In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, every household began stocking up on holiday supplies, shopping, deep cleaning, and pasting spring couplets to welcome the new year with a fresh look. However, Han Wenwen had never done any of these things. Having grown up living under someone else’s roof, she had always been a mere spectator.

In the past, guests would always visit her uncle’s house during the holidays. Han Wenwen would hide in her room every time, doing her best to avoid the living room so she wouldn’t cause any trouble for her uncle, ensuring no guest would ever ask, "Oh, you have another child in the house?"

Ten days remained until the New Year.

That morning, Han Wenwen woke up, took a hot shower, and specifically dressed up in nice clothes and shoes to go down to the supermarket and stock up on snacks for the apartment. This was her first New Year living independently.

On the street, she saw children running around in brand-new clothes. She saw pedestrians on their phones, telling their families that their companies had just let them out for the holidays, and overheard snippets of conversations about what kind of spring couplets to buy. The lively atmosphere truly created a sense of revelry to mark the end of the old year.

She went to the mall alone. Pushing a shopping cart, she watched the bustling crowds of people buying their New Year’s supplies. Some little kids, upon seeing a beautiful older girl like Han Wenwen, would stand there dumbfounded and mutter, "That lady is so pretty."

Every time, Han Wenwen would bend down with a bright smile, pat their heads, and compliment them, "You’re so cute."

Standing in front of a shelf, Han Wenwen poked her lips with a finger. Doing holiday shopping for the first time left her feeling a bit lost. "What am I supposed to stock up on for the New Year? Ingredients are probably unnecessary since there’s no fridge in the rental. I’ll just buy some snacks."

She picked out some of her favorite snacks and instant noodles, knowing that the town’s supermarket would be closed during the holidays. She needed to make sure she didn’t starve to death during those few days. She added some deli food and fruit to her cart before heading to the checkout counter.

The cashier handed her the receipt. "That comes to three hundred and seventy-three."

Han Wenwen was thoroughly shocked by the price. She thought to herself that the holidays were indeed the holidays—the prices of everything had skyrocketed. The fruit, in particular, was nearly three times its usual price. Her little nest egg was taking a massive hit. It pained her heart terribly.

Carrying the large pile of food back home, she stored the snacks in a box, washed the fruit, and sliced up some of the deli meat for her dinner that night.

When a person is busy, they don’t have time to think about much. It’s only after the busyness fades. Han Wenwen lay on her bed alone, staring out the window at the sky, where occasional streaks of fireworks flashed by.

Only then did she sigh, "I guess there isn’t really much to be busy with. After all, I’ll probably just be watching the fireworks alone at home again this New Year."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK. Someone knocked on the door.

Han Wenwen knew exactly who it was. She quickly got up and hurried over. Opening the door, she found Lin Zhengran standing there, just as she had expected.

Lin Zhengran walked in carrying some fruit of his own. Spotting the fruit on her table, he looked curious. "You bought fruit? If I had known, I would have brought something else."

Han Wenwen responded blankly. "Yeah. I wandered around the supermarket to stock up on some New Year’s supplies."

"New Year’s supplies?" Lin Zhengran sat on the bed. Catching sight of the box overflowing with potato chips and biscuits nearby, he looked surprised. "That’s a lot of snacks. Are you planning to eat these for actual meals? What else did you buy?"

Han Wenwen closed the door. "Not much else. I was mainly worried about running out of food when the supermarket closes for the holidays, so I bought a bit extra." She sat down beside Lin Zhengran.

Lin Zhengran spoke casually. "Don’t you have a small stir-fry pan? Two or three days before the New Year, I’ll go with you to buy some ingredients. Things don’t spoil as easily in the winter. We can just cook here when the time comes. Three dishes and a soup should be plenty."

Han Wenwen was stunned. "You’re not eating at home for the New Year?"

"Of course I’m eating at home. But you’re definitely going to film a New Year’s video, right? That’s when traffic is highest all year—how could you miss out on that? Just in case you mess up the filming, I’ll have a quick bite at home and then come over here to watch you edit the video. Earning money is still the priority."

Han Wenwen fixed her fox-like eyes on him. For some inexplicable reason, her heart fluttered. She had lost count of how many times her heart had inexplicably skipped a beat for Lin Zhengran.

She tilted her head, gazing at him with a radiant smile. With her high emotional intelligence, how could Han Wenwen not realize that he was only coming over to keep her company so she wouldn’t be lonely?

"Mhm. I’ll wait for you here, then. We can eat together."

Outside the window, another small cluster of fireworks bloomed in the sky.