Chapter 18 - Deeply In Love With You [Quick Transmigration]

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

And, as I said before, if you wish to read ahead, you can head over to my Patreon to get early access to all the translated chapters.

If you’re able to provide me with the Raws of the Novels I need, you'll be the first person to receive my translation of them. You’ll also gain instant access to up to 30 advanced chapters for the novel of your choice.

For more details, you can check out the Raw Provider new page. 

Reward

 

 

"How do I look today?" the elderly woman asked, smoothing her collar. "I won't embarrass you, will I?"

 

"Not at all," Zong Que replied. "You don't need to worry."

 

"That's good. It's my first time attending a parent meeting… What should I say to your teacher?" She still seemed a little nervous.

 

"Say whatever you like," Zong Que said as he helped her up the steps. "The teacher's very kind."

 

"Mm, alright." She took a deep breath when they reached the classroom door.

 

The homeroom teacher stood at the front of the class, greeting parents and confirming identities as they came and went.

 

Zong Que had been involved in more than a few fights in the past, and it wasn't his first time having a guardian called in. Naturally, the homeroom teacher recognized him. But when he saw the elderly woman hesitating at the door, he still welcomed her warmly. "Hello, you must be Zong Que's grandmother?"

 

"Yes, yes, that's me," the old woman replied with a cheerful smile.

 

In the past, being called to school always meant trouble. She'd come in fear that her grandson might be expelled. But this time—it was different.

 

"Please, have a seat. The meeting will begin shortly," the teacher said kindly. "Zong Que, help your grandmother to her seat."

 

"It's fine, I don't need help," the old woman said with a relaxed smile. "Where's your seat?"

 

"Over here," Zong Que led her to it.

 

Before they arrived, Lin Heng's mother had been sitting in Lin Heng's seat, and Lin Heng himself had taken Zong Que's.

 

Seeing them approach, both mother and son stood. Lin Heng gave Zong Que a small smile, then gently helped the old woman to sit. "Grandma, please sit here."

 

"Oh, alright, alright." She shuffled over and, noticing the elegance in Mother Lin's attire, hesitated slightly before greeting her. "Hello."

 

"Hello," Mother Lin said, helping her pull out the chair. "I'm Lin Heng's mom. Please, have a seat."

 

"Lin Heng's mom?" The old woman pulled at her collar, careful not to brush against the other's clothes. As she sat down cautiously, her eyes lit up with surprise. She turned toward Lin Heng with delight. "So you're the little class rep Zong Que's been talking about, the one helping him study?"

 

Mother Lin smiled at her son, then said, "It's only natural for classmates to help each other."

 

"Our Zong Que really owes a lot to Lin Heng," the elderly woman said, clearly moved. "I heard he always ranks first in the grade—so impressive."

 

"Oh, not always. He's just usually in the top three." Mother Lin smiled. "But there's no need to be so polite—Zong Que's helped Lin Heng quite a bit, too."

 

While the adults chatted, Lin Heng turned slightly and whispered with a small smile, "Little class rep?"

 

"I didn't add the 'little,'" Zong Que replied.

 

"Still sounds kind of cute," Lin Heng said, glancing around and grabbing four disposable paper cups before heading to the water dispenser at the back. "Come help me carry these."

 

Zong Que followed, watching as Lin Heng operated the machine.

 

As the water gurgled into the cups, Lin Heng turned and smiled. "Your grandma seems to think quite highly of me. You must talk me up a lot, huh?"

 

"I only speak the truth," Zong Que said.

 

The corners of Lin Heng's lips twitched upward, unable to suppress a smile. "So in your heart, your evaluation of me is pretty high."

 

"You're excellent," Zong Que said simply, taking two of the cups and turning to go.

 

Lin Heng paused slightly, staring at the water that was filled a little too full. He took a deep breath.

 

This guy is really something...

 

Zong Que placed the two cups in front of the adults. Lin Heng brought his own over and handed the last one to Zong Que.

 

As Zong Que accepted it, he noticed the slight redness at Lin Heng's fingertips. "Did you burn yourself?"

 

"The cup's just a little too full. But it's nothing," Lin Heng replied, gently blowing on the surface before taking a sip. The warmth seemed to spread from his stomach to his whole body.

 

While the parents' meeting took place, the students had their own assembly—not only to announce awards but also to share plans for the upcoming holiday.

 

First High had an excellent track record for college placements. At the end of each semester, beyond just a certificate, various national and private scholarships were awarded based on academic achievement.

 

The auditorium was dim, save for the well-lit stage. After a brief speech from the principal, it was time for the long-awaited awards ceremony.

 

Grades would be announced back in the classrooms after the ceremony concluded.

 

"Now, we'll begin the awards ceremony. The first-prize recipients are: Lin Heng from Class 6, Zhang Yue from Class 4, and Liao Yan from Class 6."

 

There were three recipients of the first prize, and though the names were read in order, the ranking wasn't explicitly stated.

 

Music played as the three students walked up under the eyes of the crowd. Along with applause, a low murmur of discussion rippled through the hall.

 

"Three first prizes, and Class 6 took two—damn impressive."

 

"Those two from Class 6 never leave room for anyone else. I'm getting used to it."

 

The award wasn't just a certificate—each first-prize winner also received a scholarship worth 8,000 yuan from the school.

 

Beneath the lights, the three stood. Lin Heng accepted his award with calm grace, saying a quiet thank you. The other two, though visibly more reserved in their movements, followed suit and also offered thanks—glancing at Lin Heng as they did.

 

"Second prize goes to: Wang Ran from Class 7, Xue Qiang from Class 16…"

 

The second prize was awarded to those ranked fourth through tenth in the grade, with a scholarship of 5,000 yuan.

 

Those who excelled academically couldn't help but look forward to it. When Lin Heng returned with his certificate, quite a few students leaned over to sneak a look.

 

"First in the whole grade. If I could bring that home, my mom would practically worship me," one student said with envy.

 

"…Niu Hui from Class 21, Li Cheng from Class 27, Wang Yang from Class 6…"

 

Names were read one after another, students heading up in turn. As Lin Heng retrieved his certificate, the announcer on stage hesitated for a moment.

 

"Class 6… Zong Que."

 

The final name on the second-prize list—placing tenth in the entire year at a school as competitive as First High.

 

The auditorium fell silent for a breath, then erupted.

 

"Zong Que?!"

 

"Did they read that wrong?"

 

"Wasn't he ranked at the bottom before? He must've cheated!"

 

"Bottom of the class? That was ages ago. He broke into the top hundred last time. Still, no one expected him to shoot up this fast."

 

"Congratulations." Lin Heng recovered from his surprise in just a second, pulling back his desk to clear a path. "Go on."

 

Zong Que stood, and nearly every gaze in the room landed on him—curious, disbelieving, even suspicious. But the eyes of the boy beside him held nothing but joy.

 

The light on the stage was intense, making it hard to see the crowd. The principal handed him the award personally, offering a few words of encouragement. "Keep up the good work."

 

As he stepped off the stage, Wang Yang threw an arm around his shoulders with a grin. "Que-ge, that was wild—how many people did you just leap over?"

 

Others might not have known, but he did—how much effort Zong Que had put in. The countless filled notebooks, stacks of practice questions, even the way he summarized sample problems from past exams.

 

While Wang Yang spent his weekends playing, Zong Que was grinding through exercises with Lin Heng. That rank—he'd earned it.

 

"You're impressive too," Zong Que replied.

 

"Me?" Wang Yang snorted, then frowned as a thought hit him. "Wait—don't tell me you're planning to beat me next time?"

 

Zong Que didn't answer directly, only patted him on the shoulder. "Mm. Work hard."

 

Wang Yang: "…"

 

The certificates all looked about the same—only the printed numbers differed.

 

When Zong Que sat back down, a few students glanced his way. One even leaned in, asking, "You improved so much—how'd you do it?"

 

"Practice," Zong Que answered.

 

"Let me see your certificate," Lin Heng said, reaching out as Zong Que settled in.

 

"Mm." Zong Que handed it over.

 

The golden certificate read "Second Prize." One tier below Lin Heng's own. Zong Que thought that next time, he'd shorten the gap. But Lin Heng held it like it was a rare treasure.

 

"You've actually overachieved your goal," Lin Heng said, looking at the calligraphy across the page with unhidden delight, a swelling sense of pride in his chest.

 

Even more than when he had won first place himself.

 

After all, this was someone he'd helped raise from the ground up—his… cub? That didn't sound quite right.

 

"Mm. What do you want as a thank-you gift?" Zong Que asked.

 

Lin Heng looked up, still caught off guard. "You hit your goal—don't you want a reward?"

 

"I was doing it for myself," Zong Que replied.

 

"That's true." Lin Heng mulled it over, heart skipping a beat at the thought forming in his mind. "But I want to give you something. So, what would you like?"

 

That way, he'd have a justified reason to give Zong Que a gift.

 

"Five-Three*," Zong Que said after thinking.

 

[T/N: "五三" (wǔ sān) is most likely referring to the famous Chinese exam prep book series 《五年高考三年模拟》, commonly abbreviated as "五三." The name translates to "Five Years of Gaokao, Three Years of Mock Exams." It's a widely used study resource among Chinese high school students preparing for the Gaokao (college entrance exam).]

 

"Pick something else—who asks for Five-Three as a reward?" Lin Heng raised an eyebrow and turned slightly toward him. "Wait, you weren't planning to give me a Five-Three as a thank-you gift, were you?"

 

Zong Que looked at him in silence. "You don't like it?"

 

That was the moment Lin Heng confirmed—he really had zero romantic instincts. "No, I don't."

 

"Then what do you like?" Zong Que asked.

 

You.

 

The word flickered across Lin Heng's mind. He turned his gaze away and said instead, "Anything except books. As long as it's something you put effort into, I'll like it."

 

"Alright," Zong Que replied.

 

"And you? Do you really only want a Five-Three? This is a rare chance to ask for a reward." Lin Heng curled his fingers slightly, trying to maintain a calm tone as he looked at him.

 

"The same as your answer," Zong Que said.

 

Lin Heng gave a soft laugh. "Alright then."

 

The parent-teacher conference ended a bit earlier than scheduled. By the time the students were dismissed, many parents were already waiting outside.

 

Some left the school together, others returned to the classrooms to discuss their grades.

 

Zong Que glanced around but was suddenly pulled by the arm through the crowd by Lin Heng. "Don't worry—my mom hates the sun, so she's definitely waiting in the classroom. Grandma too."

 

"Mm," Zong Que responded, keeping pace with him.

 

As Liao Yan exited the auditorium, he caught sight of the two of them walking away quickly. His fingers clenched around his certificate, and after hesitating for a second, he called out: "Lin Heng!"

 

Lin Heng paused and turned around. When he saw who it was, he asked, "What is it?"

 

Liao Yan stopped in front of them. His eyes flicked to Zong Que before he said, "Can we talk privately for a bit?"

 

Lin Heng glanced at Zong Que, then looked toward the small garden nearby. "We'll talk over there. Wait for me a minute, Zong Que."

 

"Alright," Zong Que replied.

 

As Lin Heng walked off, Liao Yan hesitated before following, his posture straight and tense.

 

[Host, do you want me to livestream the conversation?] 1314 chimed in.

 

[No need.] Zong Que picked a shady spot nearby and waited patiently.

 

This was something Lin Heng could handle on his own. There was no danger, and as a friend, he ought to respect that.

 

Last Chapter | TOC | Next Chapter

 

❧ Join Bella Novels' Newsletter by clicking here ↫ and
receive an email for each New Update -͙✧˖*°࿐