Chapter 360: The Weekly Ritual - Pretending to Cultivate in Kindergarten

## Chapter 360: The Weekly Ritual It was a little after nine in the morning, and the atmosphere over breakfast was subtly charged. The four women were lost in their own thoughts, maintaining an inexplicable silence. Breakfast was a nutritious seafood porridge prepared by He Qing. While sipping the porridge, Lin Zhengran could feel the four women occasionally casting furtive glances his way. He finally asked, echoing a question he had posed upon arriving home: "Why do you all keep looking at me like that?" In unison, they shook their heads like rattling tambourines. "Nothing, nothing," they chorused. Lin Zhengran glanced at the generous chunks of sea cucumber in his porridge. "When did you get these sea cucumbers? They taste pretty good." He Qing explained, "This morning. We figured you must have been exhausted since you didn't come back last night, so we decided to make you something nourishing." Her words carried a faint hint of jealousy. The sentiment was shared by the others, except for Jiang Xueli, who silently nudged the few pieces of sea cucumber from her bowl into Lin Zhengran's. "Zhengran, you take more. I don't need it." Lin Zhengran paused, unsure how to respond. After breakfast, with nothing pressing on his schedule, Lin Zhengran planned to read on the couch for half an hour before accompanying Lily to her music practice. The women sat with him on the couch, two on each side, some watching TV, others on their phones, the volume kept low to avoid interrupting the pillar of the household. But watching TV or fiddling with their phones was merely a guise; they exchanged knowing glances among themselves. Eventually, they decided to let Han Wenwen take the lead. Han Wenwen put down her phone, covered her face shyly, her invisible fox tail seemingly wagging. "Brother Zhengran, can we discuss something with you?" Lin Zhengran turned a page in his book. "What is it? Just say it." Han Wenwen looked over at Jiang Jingshi, who cleared her throat. "Zhengran... we've been living here for over a week now, and life is slowly getting back on track. I think it's time to discuss the things we should be doing weekly." "Hmm? Things to be done on a weekly basis?" Lin Zhengran looked up at the four women, their faces tinged with blush. Suddenly, he understood what they were hinting at, as each seemed reluctant to meet his gaze. Still, he feigned ignorance: "What exactly do you mean?" Jiang Xueli interjected with a slight pout, "It's about important matters! You see, Zhengran, even though college life isn't as hectic as high school, we do sometimes stay up late. It's not great for our health, so we need some compensatory nourishment. We were just discussing whether it might be a good idea for you to have a nutritious meal every day." "Ah, nutritious meals, is it?" Lin Zhengran nodded, "That sounds doable. I do enjoy them." Jiang Xueli pressed her lips together, toying with her twin braids, "Yes... but since you're getting your nourishment, shouldn't we girls also... need some nourishment?" She stumbled over her words. Lin Zhengran kept his innocent demeanor, "Of course, then we could all have a nutritious meal together." "What nutritious meals!" Jiang Xueli retorted hurriedly, "That's not exactly what I meant. I mean!" Unable to find the words, she sought help with her eyes from the others. Han Wenwen, her fox-like eyes blinking, raised a slender finger to steer the conversation. "Ah! Such things as nutritious porridge are fixed preparations. When we make it, it’s meant specifically for Brother Zhengran, so it won’t have the same effect on us girls." They all nodded in agreement. Lin Zhengran, however, countered, "Wenwen, did you forget I know medicine? If you want to make nutritious porridge, I can certainly help you create something beneficial for both men and women." Han Wenwen blinked, realizing she had indeed forgotten about his medical knowledge. Breaking in, Jiang Jingshi remarked earnestly, "Oh Zhengran, I just remembered, our makeup expenses each month add up significantly, especially with the expensive brands I used before. I never realized how much it tallied up to until recently. Seems like we could save money here." The other three nodded eagerly. "Yes, we want to save money!" Lin Zhengran chuckled, "Jingshi, you... don't seem to wear makeup that frequently anyway. And spending on a few cosmetics is nothing to fret over. Plus, isn't it natural for girls to buy some beauty products?" Lin Zhengran waved his book mildly, "Just like me. I spend a lot on books." Jiang Jingshi nibbled her lower lip, "We're just thinking about saving where we can. Books aren't a place to skimp on, but cosmetics could be, especially when they're not good for our skin." She peeked bashfully at Lin Zhengran, "Isn't that right, Zhengran?" "If you're asking me, I'd say there's no need to cut back. And high-quality cosmetics won't harm your skin—I’d rather you have the best." Jiang Jingshi looked at him with a hint of playful frustration. He wasn’t taking the bait. With the conversation reaching an impasse, He Qing stood up from the couch, clenching her small hands in front of her, her face flushed. "I think there's no need to beat around the bush with Lin Zhengran anymore, let's just say it directly!" With all their eyes on her, He Qing gathered her courage and faced Lin Zhengran: "Lin Zhengran, the truth is... we ladies also have a strong yearning for such things, no, not just a yearning, a deep desire! Because we all like you! We all want to with you... We want to be with you!" The moment He Qing uttered those words, everyone was stunned. Their eyes widened in shock, faces flushed, flustered by He Qing’s directness and transparency. Softly, yet boldly, He Qing shut her eyes and declared, "Plus, Wenwen mentioned this morning that being with you improves our skin, and as girls, we can't resist anything that enhances our skin! So we were discussing, apart from any little individual escapades, shouldn't there be at least two or three... scheduled... engagements every week? You decide the number, but there has to be some! Otherwise, we're stuck thinking about it all the time and can't focus on anything else! What do you say, Lin Zhengran? Of course, you could also make any requests of us, we're all willing!" Finishing her confession, Lin Zhengran was left staring, astounded at He Qing. Silence descended over the living room. Deathly quiet. Each and every one of the girls covered their faces, heads hanging, too mortified to face anyone. Although they were dating, having such a frank discussion about the frequency of intimate encounters was embarrassing beyond words, leaving them wanting to find a hole to hide in. Lin Zhengran chuckled, appreciating He Qing's bravery. The veil was lifted, and there was no room for pretense: "Well, such things are always welcome. It's, after all, a fundamental part of life—it's a great thing." His perspective on the matter only deepened their embarrassment. Lin Zhengran continued, "According to my thinking, apart from any private escapades or whenever the mood strikes me, let’s not limit ourselves with specific numbers. Why don't we designate a day each week for each person, and how many times we engage on that day would depend on how we feel? How does that sound?" Though still embarrassed, the women eagerly nodded—it was their suggestion, after all. They bobbed their heads like chickens pecking rice. Jiang Xueli glanced at him through one eye, hesitantly asking, "Then shall we start today? Who’s up for today and how do we rotate? We couldn’t just make a board for you to pick, could we?" Han Wenwen eyed Lin Zhengran, feigning jealousy. "If you’re picking from a board, Brother Zhengran might as well be an emperor from ancient times!" Lin Zhengran's face turned pale with embarrassment. "I'm not interested in that, let's draw lots." Moments later, Lin Zhengran tore a piece of paper into four sections. "Today’s is just a trial; we’ll make proper ones later for the weekly draw. Choose a slip." The four of them quickly grabbed a slip each, nervously opening them to check for markings. Lin Zhengran asked, "Who got it?" Jiang Jingshi raised her hand, her face reddened, and said softly, "It's me today..." He Qing, Jiang Xueli, and Han Wenwen looked on enviously as Lin Zhengran stood up, taking Jiang Jingshi's hand. "Come on, I'm in the mood now thanks to your talk. Don’t bother calling us for lunch." The others watched as the pair ascended to the second floor, mouths agape in a mix of jealousy and surprise. Jiang Jingshi followed Lin Zhengran, biting her lower lip in silent glee as they made their way upstairs. (End of Chapter)