Chapter 348: A Secret That Isn't Really a Secret - Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten

Chapter 348: A Secret That Isn't Really a Secret “Would you mind moving in a bit, He Qing? I can ask you the questions right here,” Fang Meng said. “Oh, sure! But can I see the goods first? Could I get a sneak peek at those photos?” “Of course.” Fang Meng pulled out her phone and found several extremely rare class photos of Lin Zhengran, showing them to He Qing and Jiang Xueli. The photos featured Lin Zhengran teaching, writing on the blackboard, among others. He Qing and Jiang Xueli were captivated by the sight. They couldn't help but remark, “These are genuinely rare photos!” He Qing quickly nestled in, obediently and earnestly ready to respond, completely focused. “Alright, Fang Meng, you can begin!” Fang Meng sat down next to He Qing with her notepad: “My questions are quite simple. He Qing, what's your favorite food? What are your sleep and wake-up times? What's your favorite color? What do you do when you're bored?” He Qing thought these questions were exactly like what Lili had described, like an obsessive fan’s survey. Fang Meng added, “Don't worry, your answers won’t be shared with anyone except Qian Qian. A girl's privacy is important, and you can skip any questions you don't want to answer. Just be honest with the ones you choose.” He Qing nodded, “Alright, I’ll answer them one by one.” Several minutes later, Fang Meng closed her notebook, having recorded He Qing's responses: “Thank you for your answers. The deal is done. I'll send you the photos now.” “Thank you.” He Qing quickly took out her phone to receive the photos, but while observing the transfer, the naturally curious He Qing couldn't help but ask Fang Meng a question herself: “Fang Meng, I have a question for you too.” “Go ahead. I’ll answer whatever I can.” “Why do you have all these photos of Lin Zhengran saved on your phone?” “Hmm?” Fang Meng was momentarily stunned, looking up at He Qing. “I know Jiang Qian really likes Lin Zhengran, but as her close friend, it wouldn’t make sense for you to have so many photos of him. Unless…” Fang Meng interjected, “I’m Qian Qian’s assistant, and sometimes I’m responsible for taking class photos, so they end up on my phone.” He Qing blinked her youthful apricot eyes: “Is that so? But that doesn't seem right. I’ve taken photos of classmates too, and while I have some saved, you have a lot of individual shots—just Lin Zhengran, no one else. Even as Jiang Qian’s assistant, it’s unusual for a girl to have so many solo pictures of a boy on her phone, right? What about you, Lili?” Fang Meng was speechless. Jiang Xueli, listening nearby, admired He Qing’s keen observational skills. She replied, “I certainly wouldn’t either.” He Qing continued, “See, and even if you took those photos before, you could've deleted them, right? You mentioned Jiang Qian already has the photos, so why keep them? Unless you want to save them for yourself and look at them from time to time.” “I just—” “You just what?” Fang Meng tried to come up with an excuse, but she couldn’t… “Fang Meng…” He Qing looked at the struggling Fang Meng, covering her mouth. A blush of realization spread across her face as she guessed, “Do you also like Lin Zhengran? Does Jiang Qian know about this?” “Qian Qian, she—” “Jiang Qian doesn’t know, does she?” He Qing lowered her voice, turning to Jiang Xueli, “Lili, is this the secret you mentioned about Fang Meng?” Jiang Xueli chuckled, the truth apparent: “Indeed it is.” Fang Meng's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Was her fondness for Lin Zhengran really that apparent? Had Jiang Xueli and He Qing always been this astute? Why could everyone figure it out so easily? A moment later, Fang Meng brought two drinks from the bar, placing them in front of the two girls. She shyly muttered, “Please, have these drinks. I hope you won’t tell Qian Qian about this. Keep it a secret for me, and I’ll keep your secrets too.” Soon after, with her notebook in hand and cheeks still red, Fang Meng left the tea shop. He Qing watched her leave: “So Fang Meng also likes Lin Zhengran. Does that mean all the girls around him do?” Jiang Xueli leaned back, crossing her arms: “What can you do when Zhengran’s practically like an incarnate charm? What girl could resist such an outstanding guy? Flirtatious Zhengran.” He Qing turned around, “Another rival in love, it seems.” “It doesn’t really matter; Fang Meng’s in Jiang Qian’s camp anyway. We’ve always been wary of those two, and we’ll continue to be. However…” Jiang Xueli slyly asked, “Can you send me those photos too?” He Qing giggled and nodded, “Of course.” With that, Jiang Xueli quickly joined He Qing, both eagerly exchanging and admiring the photos. “Wow, Zhengran looks so handsome in this speech picture! Look, Lili!” “He indeed does. Zhengran just photographs so well! Every picture is perfect! And this group photo is amazing too!” “What are you two looking at?” Han Wenwen suddenly appeared, bending over to see what her friends were up to. He Qing spotted her, “Wenwen, you’re back!” Han Wenwen, carrying a few small packages, smiled and said, “I bought some things for you two, according to your preferences. Here, this is for Lili, and this is for you, Qing Qing.” She handed the items to Jiang Xueli and He Qing. The two peeked inside the packages. All new lingerie. Jiang Xueli was surprised, “This brand is quite expensive, right? Thank you.” Han Wenwen waved it off, “No need to thank me, we’re sisters after all.” After secretly kissing Zhengran for quite a while this afternoon, Han Wenwen felt she had already gained a lot. He Qing said, “We were just looking at some rare photos of Lin Zhengran. Wenwen, do you want a set?” “Really? Photos of Zhengran? Let me see!” She joined them eagerly, checking out the personal shots she hadn’t seen before: “So handsome! Send them to me quickly! How did you get these photos?” Jiang Xueli replied, “That’s a long story. We’ll tell you all about it.” “What’s the lively chat about?” Lin Zhengran approached from a distance. All three girls hurriedly hid the photos. In unison, they said, “Nothing much!” After class that afternoon, Lin Zhengran led the three of them away from school to spend the night at the villa. He Qing, Jiang Xueli, and Jiang Jingshi had been staying at the villa for a week, but Han Wenwen and Lin Zhengran had not yet officially slept there. Tonight would be the first night they’d all sleep in one bed. (End of this chapter)