Chapter 53: He Qing’s Decision |
The next morning, Han Wenwen lay on her bed wearing denim shorts and an off-shoulder top, scrolling through her video stats.
"Lin Zhengran, how does this video algorithm work? My previous videos barely got any views for over ten days, but yesterday, my new one suddenly exploded! It's about to hit a million plays!"
Lin Zhengran, having kicked off his shoes, sat on her bed and explained,
"As long as the video quality is good, the platform will occasionally push some traffic your way. The key is whether you can hold onto it. If you keep up the quality, your fanbase will keep growing. But if it’s just a one-hit wonder, you’ll only make some quick cash."
After finishing his explanation, he noticed Han Wenwen propping up her face with both hands, staring at him with sparkling admiration.
This little fox had done this in class before—resting her chin on her hands, gazing at him with a teasing look, as if she just wanted to mess with him.
If it were any other guy, they’d probably be flustered beyond words, stammering under her gaze.
But Lin Zhengran just gave her a weird look.
"You’ve been on the internet for so long, and you don’t know how video algorithms work? Also... is it just me, or are your clothes getting shorter at home?"
"I didn’t really understand video stuff before, but I looked it up last night, so now I do."
Lin Zhengran was speechless. "Then why ask me?"
Han Wenwen squinted her eyes playfully, smiling.
"Because I just wanted to talk to the amazing Lin Zhengran~ I actually realized how impressive you were back when Jiang Xueli performed. You taught Xiao Qingqing Taekwondo, you taught Jiang Xueli how to sing, and now, you’re insanely good at games too."
She admitted without hesitation, "I know how bad I was before. That’s why I never considered making money from gaming. But in just one month, my improvement has been insane. If things keep going like this, won’t I become a little rich lady soon?"
Lin Zhengran simply looked at her.
Han Wenwen finally answered his second question.
"Oh, I dress like this because it’s hot. Besides, girls always wear comfy clothes at home. No one likes wearing heavy, bulky dresses indoors."
"But I’m still here."
Han Wenwen blinked innocently. "So what? Does that mean Lin Zhengran would have improper thoughts just because I’m dressed like this? I remember you once said you wouldn’t be interested in girls our age. Does that mean..."
She bit her lip and stared at him teasingly.
"Lin Zhengran, were you lying before?"
Lin Zhengran regretted even bringing it up. He handed her phone back.
He still didn’t react much, but Han Wenwen blushed slightly and softly added, "Oh, and don’t worry—I wouldn’t wear this outside. It’s just for you to see."
Her voice was sincere, completely different from her teasing tone earlier.
Lin Zhengran glanced at her, then grabbed his backpack. "Hold out your hand. I got something for you."
"Huh? What is it?" Han Wenwen obediently held out her hand, a little nervous and curious. "Is it a gift? But today isn’t a special occasion."
Lin Zhengran placed a math and Chinese textbook in her hands.
Han Wenwen looked confused. "Textbooks? What’s this for?"
Lin Zhengran smiled innocently. "Obviously, it’s for studying. You’ve made money now, but we still haven’t started studying like we planned."
Han Wenwen, the honorary representative of academic struggles, froze.
This was her ultimate weakness.
She gave a stiff smile, tilting her head. "But there are still a few days before school starts. Shouldn’t we be making more videos?"
Lin Zhengran nodded. "Of course we could—unless you don’t want to go to college with He Qing."
Han Wenwen immediately slumped over, hugging her knees.
Sad fox mode activated.
"I’m not happy~ I suck at studying. I’m not even as good at it as I am at games."
Lin Zhengran, full of confidence, pulled out a few worksheets and handed them to her.
"Relax, with me here, this will be easy."
Han Wenwen stared at him.
Well… when I’m alone with Lin Zhengran, even studying seems kind of fun.
"Fine, fine. Let’s study."
For the last few days of summer vacation, Han Wenwen and Lin Zhengran put their gaming videos on hold. Since they had already recorded a bunch, they only needed to upload one every few days to stay active.
The rest of the time was dedicated to intensive studying.
To Han Wenwen’s surprise, everything felt different with Lin Zhengran teaching her.
Her problem-solving process became crystal clear, and her memorization speed skyrocketed!
Even though He Qing had always been a top student—ranking in the top five of their class—Han Wenwen had never improved much under her tutoring.
But Lin Zhengran’s explanations, while seemingly the same as He Qing’s, somehow just clicked in her brain, as if her mental circuits had finally connected.
Every time she had a breakthrough, she gasped in amazement.
"Ohhh! So that’s how you do it! I get it now! Lin Zhengran, you’re amazing! You explain things even better than the teachers!"
After a few days, Lin Zhengran gave her a mock test.
Han Wenwen bit the tip of her pen, carefully filling in the answers.
When Lin Zhengran graded it, he was genuinely surprised.
"Not bad. 65 points—way better than your previous 30."
Han Wenwen could hardly believe it.
She had never felt smart when it came to academics. But now?
Her eyes widened with excitement. "Really?! Lin Zhengran, you’re incredible! With you, everything just works!"
Happy days always pass quickly.
And just like that, summer break ended.
Everyone was promoted to the next grade.
When He Qing returned from the south and reunited with them, a new romantic battlefield was set to begin.
The four of them went to check the class assignments.
To their surprise—
He Qing and Jiang Xueli were still in the same class.
And Han Wenwen and Lin Zhengran?
Also still deskmates.
The little fox was over the moon.
Meanwhile, He Qing and Jiang Xueli exchanged subtle glances.
Surprisingly, neither of them made a move immediately.
One Saturday, He Qing sat in the dormitory, holding Han Wenwen’s recent mock exam results in both hands, utterly shocked.
"Wenwen… since school started, your grades have improved so much! You’ve scored above 80 multiple times now!"
Han Wenwen sat on the bed with her, thinking, It’s all thanks to Lin Zhengran.
She linked arms with He Qing and smiled.
"I told you, I’d go to high school with you. How could I break my promise?"
"I don’t know how you did it, but I can tell you’ve been working really hard."
He Qing took a deep breath, her petite chest rising and falling.
She looked like she was about to make a major decision.
Han Wenwen tilted her head. "What’s wrong? Why are you so quiet all of a sudden?"
Then, He Qing stood up, her expression unusually serious.
She bit her lip, clenched her small fists, and shut her clear, almond-shaped eyes for a moment—gathering her courage.
"Wen… Wenwen, I’ve made up my mind! I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. And seeing how hard you’ve worked made me realize—I can’t keep hesitating. I can’t drag this out any longer! Otherwise, more and more girls will keep showing up around him!"
She opened her eyes, her voice firm.
"I’ve decided… I’m going to confess to Lin Zhengran at the end of this semester! I want to be with him!"
Han Wenwen’s smile froze.
Her pupils trembled.
"...What?"