Chapter 112: Aren’t I Yours?

Chapter 112: Chapter 112: Aren’t I Yours?

This time, the two didn’t take the bus. While there had been plenty of empty seats on Saturday morning, taking it back to school in the afternoon would mean being packed in like sardines.

Lin Zhengran hailed a taxi for the ride back. As they waited for the car, Xiao Heqing suddenly asked, "Can I discuss something with you? I want to give four thousand of the prize money to my mom and grandma. Is that okay?"

Lin Zhengran glanced at her. "Of course. It’s your money, you can spend it however you want."

Xiao Heqing smiled and nodded. Out of the eight thousand remaining after their celebratory meal, she took out four thousand and slipped it into her pocket. She then handed the remaining four thousand in cash to Lin Zhengran.

"Here, the rest is for you."

Standing on the street, Lin Zhengran looked at her in confusion. "Why are you giving it to me?"

"Have you forgotten?" Xiao Heqing asked as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I told you before that I would give it to you. You’re the one who taught me taekwondo, after all. How could I have won on my own?

"Back in middle school, we agreed that if the prize for this tournament was two thousand, I’d give half to my mom. Out of the remaining thousand, I’d give you nine hundred to spend, and Wenwen and I would use the last hundred to buy snacks." Swallowing hard at the mention of snacks, she continued, "But things are different now. I’m your... girlfriend now, right? So I might as well give it all to you. If I ever want to buy something to eat later, you can just give me a little pocket money."

Lin Zhengran stared at He Qing helplessly. "So this is my money now? I don’t want it. Just keep it and spend it yourself. You fought hard for two days to win this."

Xiao Heqing looked at him with clear, uncomprehending eyes. "What do you mean ’mine’ and ’yours’? Even I am yours, aren’t I? So naturally, my money is your money, and your money is still your money." She leaned a little closer to him, pushing the wad of cash forward. "Just take it. A girl is supposed to give her money to her boyfriend. I can’t hold onto money anyway. If I keep this much cash, I’ll just spend it all on snacks. Hurry up and take it."

She poked Lin Zhengran’s hand forcefully with the cash, trying to shove it into his palm as she looked up at him with aggrieved eyes. "If you don’t take it, I won’t be able to sleep tonight. I really can’t be trusted with money."

Lin Zhengran was so amused by her silly antics that he didn’t know what to say. He had no choice but to accept the cash. "How about this: I’ll hold onto this money for you. Whenever you need it or want to ask for it, I’ll give it to you."

Xiao Heqing finally beamed when she saw him take it. "Okay! Since you’ll be the head of our household in the future anyway, what you say goes."

In her innocence, Xiao Heqing had never even considered the possibility of them breaking up. Ever since she rested her head on his shoulder last night—or perhaps even earlier—she had been envisioning a distant future where they built a family together.

She watched bashfully as Lin Zhengran put the money away. "Um... Lin Zhengran, could you give me a hundred back? I want to buy some snacks when we get back to school so I can celebrate the good news with Wenwen."

Lin Zhengran pulled out two hundred-yuan bills and handed them to her. "So wouldn’t it have been better if you just gave me thirty-nine hundred just now? Besides, what can you even buy with a hundred? Here, take two hundred."

Xiao Heqing, however, clung stubbornly to her own set of logic. "How is that the same?! If I kept it before giving it to you, that would be stealing from our household funds! If you give it to me, that means I asked my boyfriend for it. It’s different. Plus..." She eyed the bills in Lin Zhengran’s hand and pulled out just one. "I can’t spend this much. Just give me a hundred. Hurry up and put the rest away to spend on yourself."

She giggled. "As long as you don’t buy things for other girls, you can buy whatever you want. Boys need to treat themselves well too~"

The taxi arrived. Xiao Heqing happily slipped the hundred yuan into her pocket, already imagining all the snacks she would buy once they got back to school tonight. A hundred yuan could buy a lot.

Lin Zhengran and Xiao Heqing got into the car. During the ride, she called her mother to tell her all about how she had competed and won the championship.

Over the phone, Mrs. He checked in on her daughter before exclaiming in disbelief, "You really won? And took first place?"

He Qing smiled sheepishly. "Mm-hmm, really! I even got prize money."

"Prize money, too? How much?"

Lowering her voice to hide the discrepancy, Xiao Heqing glanced at Lin Zhengran beside her and said, "Six thousand! But since I won’t be going back to the taekwondo studio in town anymore, I spent two thousand treating everyone there to a meal just now. As for the remaining four thousand, I’ll bring it to you the next time I come home for the holidays."

Hearing this, Mrs. He was delighted. "It’s only right to treat them to a meal. But wow, the championship prize is that high?! You don’t need to give it to me. You fought hard to win this, just keep it for yourself."

Xiao Heqing’s cheeks turned pink. "It wasn’t this much at first, but they increased it later. Also, I don’t want to spend it myself. I’d rather give it to you so you and Grandma can buy something good to eat."

Mrs. He knew her daughter’s temperament well and truly felt that her little girl had grown up. However, she still refused the money. "How about this, Qingqing: Mom won’t take your money. You save it yourself, and next time you come home, buy something for your grandma and tell her you bought it with your championship prize money. She’ll definitely be thrilled."

Xiao Heqing hummed softly. "Do you really not want it, Mom? Okay then, I’ll use this money to buy things for you and Grandma."

The mother and daughter chatted for a little while longer before Xiao Heqing joyfully hung up the phone. She repeated the conclusion to Lin Zhengran. "Mom said it’s fine if I just buy her something."

Lin Zhengran gave a nod of acknowledgment.

Looking at the passing scenery outside, Xiao Heqing figured they still had a while before reaching the school, so she shimmied closer to Lin Zhengran. She rested her head on his shoulder for the remainder of the ride.

Half an hour later, the driver parked at the school gates. Lin Zhengran and Xiao Heqing got out and headed toward the academic buildings. Since they were early and still had some time before class, the two strolled leisurely side by side through the campus, with Xiao Heqing recounting more details of today’s tournament.

She acted completely natural at first, until her fair, delicate hand accidentally brushed against the back of Lin Zhengran’s. She trembled slightly, looking up at him with a flushed face. The conversation came to a sudden halt.

Lin Zhengran kept his gaze forward, but Xiao Heqing shyly lowered her head, realizing something. The golden sunset on the horizon made the blush on her cheeks look even more beautiful than usual. Thinking back to her wish, she murmured, "Lin Zhengran... about what I said yesterday..."

Suddenly, she felt someone grasp her hand. Her eyes widened as she looked down at their intertwined fingers.

"Does this count as fulfilling your wish?" Lin Zhengran asked.

Xiao Heqing’s face flushed as red as a ripe tomato; she felt so hot that steam might as well have been billowing from the top of her head. Her petite, fair hand responded to Lin Zhengran’s grip, lacing her fingers through his as they strolled across the campus. "Mm... it’s fulfilled."

She thought to herself, "His hand is so big... so warm... I didn’t know holding hands could feel this nice."

"Are you heading to the supermarket first later, or are you going to find Wenwen?"

Startled, Xiao Heqing flinched and instinctively tightened her grip on his hand, her heart hammering against her ribs. She hurried to answer. "I’ll go find Wenwen first... I want to go grocery shopping with her."

"Alright."

The two arrived near the girls’ dormitory.

"I’ll drop you off here," Lin Zhengran said. "Head on up."

Xiao Heqing turned to gaze at his profile. Reluctant to part, she didn’t really want to leave. Then, a sudden idea struck her.

Stepping right in front of Lin Zhengran, she didn’t know where she found the courage, but she bravely held onto one of his hands, stood on her tiptoes, and grabbed his shoulder with her other hand to plant a feather-light kiss on his neck.

"I like you," she said in a sweet, timid voice.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she bolted away with a furiously blushing face, waving at Lin Zhengran from a distance. "I’m going back to my dorm! Bye-bye!"

Too embarrassed to utter another word, she didn’t dare look back at him again.