Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten-Chapter 265: A Formidable Alliance

After spending three full hours making out while enjoying the view,

Jiang Xueli and Lin Zhengran finally came down from the mountain.

On the picnic blanket, He Qing and Han Wenwen were snacking when they saw the two coming back.

They quickly greeted them.

Little He Qing: “Lin Zhengran, Lili, you’re back?”

Han Wenwen smiled and waved.

Jiang Xueli walked with her hands behind her back, head lowered, cheeks red, utterly embarrassed.

She had let the team down. She’d betrayed her sisters’ trust. But… what could she do?

Lin Zhengran answered, “We’re back. Have you two started setting up the tent?”

Han Wenwen gave an “eh” and looked behind her at the mess of tent poles scattered everywhere. She covered her face with one hand and acted cute. “We started! I was following the manual with Xiao Qingqing to piece together the frame, but the rest…”

Little He Qing picked up, “The rest is hard to figure out. The tent won’t stay stable. Even with the frame up, it just collapses.”

Lin Zhengran sighed. “Let me take a look.”

He went over to inspect the half-assembled mess they’d created.

Jiang Xueli wanted to follow Lin Zhengran and help with the tent,

But Han Wenwen yanked her back with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Lili~? Where are you going? Aren’t you tired from the hike? Come sit down, have some water and rest.”

Jiang Xueli gave an awkward smile. “I’m actually not tired. I’ll go help Zhengran with the tent?”

Little He Qing frowned and whispered, “What are you saying, Lili? Sit down!”

Jiang Xueli couldn’t escape and gave in. “Alright…”

The three girls sat together, chatting away. Lin Zhengran glanced at them but didn’t intervene.

At this moment, Jiang Xueli sat quietly, a far cry from her pre-lunch confidence.

He Qing and Han Wenwen looked at her little chick demeanor and could already sense how things had turned out.

Little He Qing secretly checked that Lin Zhengran wasn’t paying attention, then asked in a whisper, “So how’d it go, Lili? What did you and Lin Zhengran talk about? Did it work?”

Jiang Xueli gave a crooked grin. When she mentioned going from seven to six earlier, Zhengran had said, "It’s something I can consider."

But whether that “can consider” meant success or failure… she leaned toward failure.

But she couldn’t deny it: the moment Zhengran said those words,

Even if she had ten times the guts, she wouldn’t have dared to push further.

Zhengran was just too scary.

“P-probably failed… haha.”

Little He Qing sighed, disappointed. “Ah? You failed?”

Jiang Xueli gave a noncommittal noise, then clarified:

“But it’s not like I got nothing! Zhengran said seven is just the maximum. It doesn’t mean he will have seven. It could mean six, or five… even just the three of us isn’t impossible! So I think it’s…”

She muttered, “It’s not that bad… not too many.”

Han Wenwen blinked her fox-like eyes. “Didn’t I say that exact thing at lunch? Lili, have you been converted? You’re totally not the same as earlier.”

“I have not been converted!” Jiang Xueli pouted. “I just… just… ugh!”

She clutched her head and shut her eyes.

“This mission is way too hard! You all think too highly of me! You want me to destroy the world? That I might be able to do. But change Zhengran’s mind? No way!”

Han Wenwen and Little He Qing both let out long sighs.

Seeing they’d already accepted reality, Jiang Xueli whispered, hugging her knees shyly:

“By the way… um… I’ll voluntarily take the ice bucket punishment when we get back. I did go beyond hugging with Zhengran. I’m sorry.”

“What?!” He Qing was shocked and a little jealous. “Didn’t we agree—no intimate stuff?!”

Han Wenwen had guessed as much. The look on Lili’s face earlier said it all.

Now she was both jealous and bitter. “Lili has to punish herself three times!”

Jiang Xueli lowered her head and didn’t argue. “I betrayed the team. I’ll accept the three penalties.”

Before long, the Three Little Ones rallied again. Han Wenwen and He Qing did rock-paper-scissors. freewebnσvel.cѳm

This time, Little He Qing won.

Some things can only be understood by being in the thick of them. The moment she won, He Qing felt a huge pressure descend on her.

Han Wenwen gave her a firm look. “You’ve got this, Xiao Qingqing! We’re counting on you!”

Even though Jiang Xueli had failed, she now looked resolute. “You got this, He Qing! If you win, we’ll treat you to a big feast—and I’ll throw in dessert!”

Little He Qing glanced over at Lin Zhengran, still fixing the tent,

Then closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She said softly but firmly, “Alright. I’m going in.”

She slowly got up from the picnic blanket, slipped on her shoes, and walked toward Lin Zhengran.

In that moment, Han Wenwen and Jiang Xueli’s eyes widened.

Somehow, they felt like they were watching a general marching toward certain death in a hopeless battle,

Facing the enemy alone with glory and dignity.

Jiang Xueli whispered in awe, “What a powerful aura…”

There she stood, Little He Qing, with a spear in hand and a look of fearless determination as she stepped before the enemy.

She sweetly said, “Lin Zhengran, let me help you with the tent.”

Han Wenwen and Jiang Xueli’s dramatic vision shattered.

Han Wenwen tilted her fox-like head and sighed. “You think Xiao Qingqing can pull this off?”

Jiang Xueli analyzed seriously, “He Qing might act all obedient around Zhengran usually, but maybe this time we’ll get a miracle? The weakest one often turns out to be the key to victory.”

Lin Zhengran glanced at the girl beside him. Yep—just as Lili said, these three little girls were going to come to him one by one.

After responding to He Qing, he looked back at Han Wenwen and Jiang Xueli.

“Wenwen, Lili—come over here.”

The two girls got up and walked over.

“I’ll teach you three how to set up a tent. Pay attention,” he said.

The three girls nodded earnestly.

After just a short lesson, they improved quickly. After all, with the pact in place, their learning speed was boosted threefold—no joke.

With her besties’ help, Little He Qing soon secured a chance to be alone with Lin Zhengran.

Han Wenwen said while working on the tent,

“Brother Zhengran, you’ve been working hard all day. Take a break. Lili and I are getting the hang of it. Xiao Qingqing, go get Brother Zhengran some water.”

Little He Qing caught the encouraging looks from her sisters and nodded. “Okay.”

Lin Zhengran didn’t refuse and followed He Qing back to the blanket to drink some water.

Not long after, no one knew what excuse she used—

But He Qing ended up walking off toward the mountain with Lin Zhengran.

Han Wenwen gave them a meaningful glance, then continued working with Lili on the tent.

Once again—familiar stream, familiar cliff.

Little He Qing was being super obedient, her small hands fidgeting in front of her.

She didn’t speak. Didn’t move.

When Lin Zhengran walked, she followed.

When he stopped, she stopped too.

Standing at the cliff, gazing out at the view, Lin Zhengran suddenly said,

“Repeat after me: You’re a pig.”

Little He Qing blinked, and without thinking, replied, “You’re a pig.”

They locked eyes. A moment later, she realized what she said and panicked, waving her hands.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! I’m a pig, I’m a pig!”

Lin Zhengran thought, Yep. He Qing is definitely not like Lili.

He patted her head. “Why apologize? I told you to say it.”

He Qing blushed.

He leaned against a tree and asked curiously,

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

He Qing stood in front of him, cheeks flushed. “I... I want to say…”

She couldn’t get it out. It was so hard!

Lin Zhengran patted the spot in front of him. He Qing understood and asked quietly, “Can I sit on your lap?”

“Sit with your back against me.”

With his okay, she obediently leaned into his lap,

Knees bent.

“Go on, say it.”

Her hands fidgeted on her knees, fingers tapping nervously. His arms were so comfortable.

She finally remembered Wenwen and Lili’s trust in her.

She couldn’t let them down!

She gathered all her courage, turned slightly, and looked at Lin Zhengran with a determined gaze. “I want to say—!”

But as soon as their eyes met, her resolve evaporated in under half a second.

“I want to say… you can do whatever you want. I’m really obedient. Whatever you say goes.”

Lin Zhengran patted her head, trying not to laugh. “Wanna kiss?”

Little He Qing blushed. The spirit of the mission in her heart resisted for just one second.

“…Yeah.”

Their lips met in a gentle kiss.

He Qing half-turned, wrapping one arm around Lin Zhengran’s neck.

Quietly enjoying the moment, heart pounding faster and faster.

And just like that, they cuddled for another three hours.

The plan? Completely forgotten.

The only thought in her mind:

“Lin Zhengran… I’m sneaking into your tent tonight. I can’t sleep alone.”