Before heading home, Han Wenwen teased Xiao Heqing a bit more.
Xiao Heqing blushed and pretended to be angry, prompting Han Wenwen to chuckle and coax her back into a good mood.
"By the way, He Qing, what's the name of the school you're applying to? My uncle is taking me on a trip up north this year, so I figured I could drop by and check it out."
"I haven't asked him yet. I'll ask him tonight when I get back."
"Let me know once you find out! See you tomorrow. Bye-bye, He Qing."
"Bye-bye, Wenwen."
As the night deepened, Xiao Heqing wolfed down her dinner without even tasting it, then grabbed her mother's phone and hurried into her bedroom to make a call.
Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but at that exact moment, Jiang Xueli happened to be over at Lin Zhengran's house. She was just about to leave when she saw Mrs. Lin's expression as she answered the phone. "Hello? Is this Qingqing? Ranran is currently..."
Lin Xiaoli looked at Jiang Xueli walking toward the door, then turned to her son with a helpless smile. "Ranran... it's Qingqing calling."
"Oh, tell her to wait a minute. I'll walk Jiang Xueli downstairs and call her back later." He looked completely nonchalant, forming a stark contrast to the awkwardness on his mother's face.
Lin Xiaoli nodded. "Alright, I'll let Qingqing know." She relayed her son's words exactly as he said them. Having had a great day, Xiao Heqing didn't overthink it and happily agreed, "Okay, Mrs. Lin! I'll just wait for him."
Lin Zhengran stepped out the door and looked in confusion at a certain someone who had spaced out. "Let's go, Jiang Xueli. I'll walk you downstairs, and we can talk about your audition registration on the way."
Jiang Xueli cast a glance at Mrs. Lin, who was speaking to the mysterious girl on the phone, before murmuring an acknowledgment and following behind Lin Zhengran. She grew increasingly curious about who this girl was and why she contacted this big idiot so frequently.
Over a year had passed since that farcical incident in the fourth grade.
Since He Qing's departure, Lin Zhengran hadn't encountered many extraordinary events. Yet, as fate would have it, Miss Jiang—a girl who loved to sing—had coincidentally popped up by his side.
A year ago, upon discovering Jiang Xueli's passion for singing and noticing her frustration over a musical bottleneck, Lin Zhengran had simply asked, "You seem to be struggling terribly with this. Want me to teach you?"
Jiang Xueli had been stunned at first, then clutched her stomach in laughter. "Teach me what? Do you even know how to sing?"
Lin Zhengran hadn't argued. Instead, during that day's music class, he did something rare—he sang a song. While not entirely professional, as a Transmigrator who had self-taught some vocal skills in his past life, his performance was impressive enough that the teacher praised his vocal technique and natural talent.
This simple and direct demonstration left Jiang Xueli dumbfounded and made Lin Zhengran somewhat famous across several classes.
After class, Jiang Xueli sought him out, her eyes blank with shock. "You actually sing so well... I had no idea."
"There's a lot you don't know," Lin Zhengran pointed out. "So, do you want to learn from me or not? If you do, nod your head and promise to follow my lead from now on. If not, then forget it. I won't force you."
Jiang Xueli caught onto a specific phrasing. "F-follow your lead?" Her face flushed red, but putting aside her usual pride, she nodded. She truly loved singing. "F-fine! If a big idiot like you actually has real skills, then teach me! I'll follow you for the rest of my life!"
Just like Xiao Heqing had done back then, she held out her pinky finger, and Lin Zhengran sealed the promise with a pinky swear.
The system's voice chimed in right after.
[You have successfully bound your fortune with Miss Jiang. From now on, whenever Miss Jiang trains, you will receive double the training feedback. Furthermore, due to the effects of your level-twenty skill, when you impart training methods to her, she will gain double the training speed.]
After binding their fortunes, Lin Zhengran spent his free time over the next year—during class breaks, after school, and on weekends—teaching Jiang Xueli how to improve her vocals and how to compose songs. They didn't bother keeping a low profile anyway; rumors about them were already flying everywhere.
Moreover, thanks to the system's feedback, every time Jiang Xueli took a step forward in her progress, Lin Zhengran advanced twice as much. Whenever she hit a wall, he was able to provide the most crucial guidance.
Beyond shocking her, this caused Jiang Xueli to develop a sliver of unacknowledged admiration for him. "How do you know so much about music? I feel like if I had met you earlier, I'd probably be a star by now. Since I started learning from you, my progress has been explosive..."
Lin Zhengran flicked her forehead. Seeing her wince in pain, he retorted, "It's not too late now. I recently looked into a place called Child Star Studio in our town. They accept applicants aged twelve and up, which means junior high students can apply. Their agents and operations are all very professional. If you really want to enter this industry, you should give it a shot when the time comes."
Jiang Xueli felt like he truly had everything planned out for her. The words he had spoken back then—"I think you have what it takes"—hadn't been a joke.
Excited, she blushed and asked the same question she always did. "I really do love this field, but are you sure I can become a singer? Everyone says it's an incredibly difficult path. Do you really think I can do it, you big idiot?!"
Lin Zhengran replied with unwavering confidence, "Why wouldn't you? Even if you couldn't do it on your own, don't you have me teaching you?"
Some words held a destructive power even Lin Zhengran couldn't anticipate. Hearing that, Jiang Xueli knew right then and there that she was doomed to fall for this idiot for the rest of her life. Saying something like that to a girl... she had no idea how she was supposed to like anyone else when she grew up.
Now, a year later, that brought them to the present day.
Winter days were short, and the streetlights had already flickered on. Jiang Xueli's ponytail bounced with every step as she followed Lin Zhengran down the stairs.
"We'll be starting junior high in half a year," Lin Zhengran said. "I've been checking that studio's posts recently and noticed they're currently scouting child stars at various schools. They occasionally sit in on school galas. The junior high we're going to happens to be on their observation list, so I think the freshman welcome gala in six months will be your best opportunity to show off what you can do."
He looked back at her. "Your parents were never too opposed to you studying music to begin with. Once the studio actively invites you, they definitely won't say no."
Jiang Xueli nodded. "Yeah!"
The two of them walked under the neighborhood streetlights. Leading the way, Lin Zhengran continued, "For the next six months, I won't teach you any new techniques. Our main focus will be improving your live performance skills and solidifying the vocal methods you've already learned. For a kid, having a strong stage presence and not getting stage fright is a massive bonus."
"Mhm."
Suddenly, a vein popped on Lin Zhengran's forehead. He whipped around and gave Jiang Xueli a hard knock on the head. "What do you mean, 'mhm'?! Why are you spacing out? Did you even hear a word I said?!"
Jiang Xueli clutched her head defensively. "I heard you! I'll definitely study hard! When have I ever not taken it seriously?"
"Then what's with that look on your face?" He cast a disdainful glance at her jealous expression.
Her face puffed up with annoyance as she turned her head away with a hmph. "It's nothing. I just wanted to ask... who was the girl who called you just now? Was her name Qingqing?" She muttered under her breath, "Why is she always calling you... What's your relationship with her?"
Lin Zhengran told the truth. "She's my childhood friend. She transferred schools a while ago, but we still keep in touch."
"Huh?!" She looked utterly baffled. "Childhood friend? Aren't I your childhood friend?! I've known you since the first grade!"