Chapter 107: Wish

Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Wish

It wasn’t quite late at night yet. Through the window, the lights from the neighboring houses could still be seen shining brightly. With her newly formed idea in mind, Xiao Heqing slowly sat up in bed.

Just as she was about to get up, she suddenly heard Lin Xiaoli’s voice coming from the living room. "Ranran, has Qingqing gone to bed?" Startled, Xiao Heqing froze, not daring to move a muscle.

Outside in the study, Lin Zhengran was making up the single bed. Hearing his mother’s curious question and the sound of her plopping down on his mattress, he replied, "She just lay down. She shouldn’t be asleep yet."

"Is that so? Then I’ll go check on Qingqing. This is her very first time spending the night at our house."

Soon, Xiao Heqing heard Mrs. Lin knocking on the door. Panicking, she shrank back under the covers, hastily straightened the quilt, and gripped the edge tightly with both small hands, looking like a perfectly well-behaved child.

Standing outside in her pajamas, Lin Xiaoli knocked. "Qingqing? It’s Mrs. Lin. Are you asleep?"

Qingqing pretended to be sleepy. She had a little scheme in mind: acting tired would cut the conversation short, allowing her to sneak out and find him later. "Mhm, Mrs. Lin, I’m not asleep yet. What’s wrong?"

"Nothing much. I just wanted to ask if you’re comfortable. After all, this is your first time staying over."

"I’m very comfortable," Xiao Heqing replied politely. "Also, you can just come inside, Mrs. Lin. You don’t have to stand out there."

Lin Xiaoli opened the door and poked her head in. Seeing Qingqing blinking her big eyes, they both suddenly broke into silly smiles.

Walking over, Lin Xiaoli sat on the edge of the bed. "Is the bed comfortable, Qingqing? When I got back this afternoon and heard Mr. Lin say you were staying over, I was so happily surprised."

Xiao Heqing grinned. "Sorry for bothering you and Mr. Lin. Next time I come over, I’ll bring some good food for both of you."

"Haha, you are too cute, Qingqing. There’s no need for that. Coming here is just like being at your own home. Whenever you want to stay over in the future, just do it. The worst that can happen is Ranran has to keep sleeping in the study."

Back in the study with the door closed, Lin Zhengran lay in bed reading under the sole illumination of a desk lamp. A few minutes later, he heard his mother walk out of his bedroom; she must have finished chatting with He Qing.

She turned off the living room lights on her way. "Get some rest, Qingqing. I’m going to sleep too."

Xiao Heqing’s muffled response echoed. "Okay, go to sleep, Mrs. Lin. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Qingqing."

Only the sounds of doors shutting and lights flicking off followed. Through the crack under the study door, the living room plunged into complete darkness.

However, about two minutes later, Lin Zhengran suddenly heard what sounded like a little mouse sneaking around.

It came from the bedroom where He Qing was staying. The "mouse" moved very slowly and even knew how to close the door. It even spoke in a hushed whisper, "Lin... Lin Zhengran? Lin Zhengran? Are you asleep? Are you asleep yet?"

Lin Zhengran glanced at the door, wondering what this little mouse was trying to do.

Out in the hall, Xiao Heqing waited for a reply but got none. She wanted to knock but didn’t dare, afraid that Mr. and Mrs. Lin would hear her. Noticing the gap at the bottom of the door, she inexplicably decided to lie on her stomach and speak through the crack, figuring he would hear her better that way.

Yet, the moment she dropped to the floor and whispered, "Lin—"

Lin Zhengran opened the door. At first, he didn’t see anyone. It wasn’t until he looked down that he spotted Xiao Heqing sprawled on the ground, confirming he hadn’t misheard.

"What are you doing lying on the floor like a little mouse?"

Terrified that the adults would hear, Xiao Heqing quickly looked up and pressed a finger to her lips. "SHH, SHH! Keep your voice down, or Mr. and Mrs. Lin will hear."

Lin Zhengran honestly had no idea what was going through her head. So what if they heard? It wasn’t like they were doing anything bad.

Xiao Heqing slowly climbed up from the floor and lightly patted herself down. The floor was actually very clean, having just been mopped after dinner.

She peered at Lin Zhengran nervously, fiddling with her small hands. "Can... can I come in to talk to you?"

Closing the study door again, Lin Zhengran sat on the bed and looked at Xiao Heqing standing in front of him. Just like when they were kids, she always spoke as if she were confessing to a mistake. "What do you want to talk about?"

The room was dimly lit and completely silent, illuminated only by the single desk lamp.

Looking at him, Xiao Heqing didn’t actually know what to say. She had simply wanted to come find him. "I can’t fall asleep by myself..."

"Are you scared to sleep alone?"

Xiao Heqing shook her head. "I’m not scared. You’re right next door, so I’m not scared. I just, purely... can’t fall asleep by myself."

Lin Zhengran blinked in confusion. "So? What will help you fall asleep?"

Xiao Heqing kept her head down, her thumbs nervously twiddling in circles as she stole glances at him. "I don’t know. I just can’t fall asleep alone..."

Lin Zhengran was speechless. However, he had a pretty good idea of what this silly girl wanted, so he came up with a makeshift solution. "How about you come sit under my covers for a bit? Let’s see if that makes you sleepy. Once you feel tired, you can go back to bed."

Flattered and surprised, Xiao Heqing slowly nodded. "Okay."

Lin Zhengran shifted back under the covers and lifted the side of the blanket closest to the wall. "Come sit inside, then. At least warm up your feet."

Xiao Heqing quickly kicked off her slippers and climbed into the bed. Sitting beside Lin Zhengran, she covered her lower half with the blanket.

Lin Zhengran watched the silly girl’s happy expression. "Will sitting like this make you sleepy?"

Xiao Heqing nodded vigorously. "Mhm! It will."

Ignoring her goofy demeanor, Lin Zhengran continued sitting there reading his book. Cast in the glow of the desk lamp, the contours of his profile appeared much sharper than usual.

Xiao Heqing kept staring at him until her face flushed and her heart raced. Forget being sleepy—she was only getting more and more excited. Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest.

"Lin Zhengran... did you think that older girl from today was pretty?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

Xiao Heqing opened her mouth, closed it, and hesitated for a moment before opening it again. "I mean, do you like her type more, or do you like my type more?"

Lin Zhengran studied Xiao Heqing’s brave little face. It seemed she had mustered all her courage just to ask that question.

Pondering for a moment, he kept his eyes on his book and replied, "If you’re asking about types, they’re about the same. Whether it’s a mature woman or a sweet, innocent girl, they are all the same to me. But if you’re asking about the person, I definitely like you a bit more right now. After all, you’re by my side every day."

Xiao Heqing suddenly felt as if she were floating. Her eyes widened, and her shoulders instinctively drew inward. Her small mouth fell open as she stared at him with sparkling eyes. "R-Really?" she asked in disbelief.

"Really. Why would I lie to you?"

Xiao Heqing slowly tightened her grip on the blanket and whispered, "Then I’ll answer too. I like you too..."

Lin Zhengran’s hand froze mid-page turn. He turned his head to look at Xiao Heqing’s flushed cheeks and her dizzy, empty-headed gaze. "What did you say?"

Xiao Heqing blinked. Her voice was faint, but she forced the words out. "I said, I like you."

A brief silence fell over the room. Having said it, she completely lost her composure. She clamped her hands over her burning cheeks, drew her legs up, and buried her face in her knees.

She hurried to explain, "I didn’t mean anything else by it! I was just purely stating a fact. I didn’t mean it as a confession or anything, it was purely..." Hugging her thighs, she murmured like a buzzing mosquito, "...purely just me wanting to say I like you."

Lin Zhengran let out a long breath and smiled.

Setting his book down, he asked, "If we win the championship tomorrow, what do you want for your wish? Didn’t I say last time that I’d grant you a wish? Have you thought of one yet?"

Xiao Heqing turned her head just a fraction to peek at him. Seeing that he wasn’t angry, she answered, "Mhm... I’ve thought of one..."

"What is it?"

Xiao Heqing bit her lip. "I want to hold hands... I want to hold hands with you."

The two of them locked eyes.

"Is that so? Okay."