Han Wenwen felt guilty. "Anyway, Qingqing, I think you should just ask Lin Zhengran yourself. Otherwise… I don’t think you’ll be able to sleep tonight."


    He Qing nodded fervently on the other end. "Mm-hmm! I was thinking the same thing. I’ll call him tonight and ask him properly. Thanks, Wenwen, I feel so much better after talking to you."


    felt better, but Han Wenwen felt more anxious than ever.


    "Don’t overthink things. Lin Zhengran definitely wouldn’t do something like that. Anyway, I’ve got some things to take care of, so I’ll hang up now, okay?"


    "Bye, Wenwen!"


    "Bye, Qingqing!"


    As soon as the call ended, Han Wenwen let out a deep breath of relief.


    But then, she forced a stiff smile and turned to the person next to her.


    "Lin Zhengran, if Qingqing calls you tonight, can you tell her you’re at my place? Otherwise, she’s definitely going to be mad at me."


    "I’m not an idiot. But…"


    Lin Zhengran handed her breakfast. "Speaking of He Qing, last time on the track, you said that once we enter high school, you won’t see me or He Qing anymore. Was that how you felt?"


    Han Wenwen took a bite of her meat bun.


    With her stomach no longer empty, she felt much more at ease.


    "Mm. I can’t even handle making money and studying at the same time, let alone balancing both. And once Qingqing starts high school, she’ll definitely make new friends. Same goes for you."


    She suddenly started chewing with a bit of jealousy.


    "You’ll get a , deskmate. Who would still remember a little fox that used to sit beside you? You’ll definitely forget me. Even the strongest friendships need effort to maintain."


    Lin Zhengran hummed. "That’s true."


    Han Wenwen shot him a glare, then dramatically turned away.


    "Hmph! I you were the type to abandon friends for beauty. You’re far from being a good man!"


    Lin Zhengran sighed. For some reason, that sentence felt really weird.


    "But didn’t you also say He Qing is your friend? Don’t you think it’s a shame to just let go like that?"


    Han Wenwen clenched her fists, her tone lowering.


    "Of course, it’s a shame. Qingqing is my best friend. If I could, I want to go to school with her."


    She turned to Lin Zhengran, her voice soft.


    "But… what can I do?"


    Before she could react, Lin Zhengran suddenly reached out his hand.


    Han Wenwen blinked in confusion. "What’s this for?"


    Lin Zhengran’s tone was serious.


    "When I taught Jiang Xueli and He Qing, I followed a process. The condition was that they had to be and about following me for life. Only then did I agree to teach them.


    "If you’re willing, I told you before—I can teach you how to make money while improving your grades."


    Han Wenwen instinctively found it amusing, covering her mouth with a sly smile.


    "That sounds really interesting. What do you mean by ‘willing to follow you for life’? And just by following you, my grades will improve? I’ll actually make a lot of—"


    She cut herself off mid-sentence.


    Because when she met Lin Zhengran’s gaze, she realized—


    He wasn’t joking.


    For once, he was completely serious.


    Her smile faded, and her fox-like eyes quivered slightly.


    "Lin Zhengran… are you serious?"


    "What do you think? I’m only offering once. If you’re not willing, forget it—I’m already busy enough as it is."


    The moment he finished speaking, Han Wenwen placed her hand in his palm without hesitation.


    "As long as that means making money with you, or even if it means belong to you—I’m fine with either."


    She smiled at him, her delicate fingers intertwining with his, their hands clasped together.


    Her expression was mischievous, as if she was teasing him, making it impossible to tell if she was joking or not.


    But knew.


    She meant it.


    She was willing to follow Lin Zhengran no matter what. The cunning expression was just a mask.


    And Lin Zhengran knew she meant it too.


    Because the system only responded when someone followed him.


    [System Notification]


    [Special Event]


    +1 Spirit Level+3 Strength+3 Stamina+3 Endurance+3 Charisma


    [New Level 40 Skill Acquired – "Something From Nothing"]


    Hearing the system’s voice, Lin Zhengran’s interest was piqued.


    Originally, he had just wanted to link his fortune with Han Wenwen’s.


    But not only did it directly boost his level, it even granted him a cashback skill.


    He had planned to start making money after entering high school.


    Now, he had saved himself a lot of time.


    Lin Zhengran glanced at Han Wenwen, who looked carefree but was secretly blushing.


    "Then it’s settled."


    Han Wenwen withdrew her hand, her face slightly red.


    "Okay."


    Even though they had made a deal, Lin Zhengran wasn’t in a hurry to start training her.


    After all, this little fox was still recovering from a fever.


    It wouldn’t hurt to let her rest for a couple of days first.


    Lin Zhengran returned home, and as expected, He Qing called him.


    Her tone was cautious, probing.


    "Lin Zhengran… where were you last night? I called, and Auntie said you weren’t home. She said you spent the night at a classmate’s place… I was a little worried about you."


    Lin Zhengran lay on his bed, holding the phone.


    "What’s there to worry about? I was just hanging out with a classmate."


    "H-Hanging out? Doing what?"


    "Huh?"


    "No! I mean…"


    On the other end, He Qing was sitting on her bed, nervously tracing circles on her knee. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "C-Can I ask… was it a guy or a girl? Do I know them?"


    Lin Zhengran answered without thinking.


    "It wasn’t a girl. What are you even imagining?"


    Technically, he wasn’t lying.


    After all, foxes weren’t "girls"—they were "vixens."


    "I wasn’t imagining anything!" He Qing let out a huge sigh of relief.


    She never doubted Lin Zhengran, but hearing it from him made her feel at ease.


    "Oh, since it wasn’t a girl, then it’s fine! Hehe~ What are you doing now? Let’s chat for a bit! I went to the supermarket with Mom today…"


    That night, He Qing happily chatted away with Lin Zhengran.


    She might’ve been timid, but when it came to calling , she was bolder than anyone.


    Meanwhile, back in the rental apartment, Han Wenwen lay alone in bed, still feeling a little warm.


    Her pale hand gently stroked the pillow where Lin Zhengran had slept the night before.


    "He actually stayed with me the whole night…"


    Her face turned hot.


    "I think I’m falling for Lin Zhengran more and more.


    "And just thinking about him talking to Qingqing right now…


    "I’m even a little jealous."