Damn it, I'm surrounded by childhood sweethearts

When they left the cafeteria, the sun was just beginning to set in the west.

Xiao Ruawen was gripping Xu Qingfan's clothes, dragging him along on a seemingly aimless stroll.

The campus was unusually quiet in the evening, with insects and birds chirping eagerly, while the slanting rays of the sun filtered through the leaves, casting a myriad of mottled light patterns on the ground.

"Gaze at the sky by dawn, observe the clouds by dusk, my thoughts linger on you as I walk..." Xiao Ruawen looked up at the sky, muttering to herself.

Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, she turned her head to the side and asked, "Cough cough... Brother Fan, when do you plan to confess your love to Xiaoxiao? What's the situation between you two now?"

Xu Qingfan: ???

"What's filling your head? We're still in high school, still students. Dating would be puppy love!" Xu Qingfan replied righteously.

Xiao Ruawen: ???

[Come on, Brother Chou Fan! Why didn't you mention you were a student when you took Xiaoxiao to the rooftop?]

Xiao Ruawen couldn't help but laugh at his shamelessness, giving the scoundrel a jab with her elbow.

"So high school is a no-go, how about college then?"

"Brother Fan, are you planning to be with Xiaoxiao in college?"

Undeterred, she continued to press for an answer.

Xu Qingfan sneaked a peek at her, puzzled why Xiao Ruawen was suddenly bringing this up.

[Could it be Xiaoxiao's idea?]

[Xiaoxiao wants to establish a relationship but is too shy to say it directly, so she sent Xiao Ruawen to scout ahead?]

"Even as a college student, I am still a student, my mom won't allow me to date early," he deflected once more.

"Come on, Brother Fan, where's your face?"

"You're going to throw away your face, eh!"

Xiao Ruawen's eyes widened, her chest heaving with indignation.

"Look, you're getting agitated again."

"Watch out for the car!" Xiao Ruawen was about to say something more, but Xu Qingfan pulled her back onto the sidewalk, cutting her off.

A few seconds later, a car drove by on the main road.

"So what then, Brother Fan, don't you tell me you don't like Xiaoxiao, and don't give me any of that rubbish about college and still being a student!" Xiao Ruawen was still fuming, hands on her hips, blocking Xu Qingfan's path.

"I do like her... but..."

"If you like her, that's that. What's with the 'but'?" she interrupted, hearing Brother Fan was about to add a 'but'.

Xiao Ruawen couldn't quite identify the feeling in her heart at that moment, one second she was happy for Xia Xiaoxiao, but the next, she felt an indistinct discomfort.

"Then I have a question for you," Xu Qingfan said, looking her straight in the eyes.

Xiao Ruawen stared back defiantly for a few seconds before shying away from his gaze.

"Go ahead," she said.

"Did Xiaoxiao tell you to ask me?" Xu Qingfan inquired.

"Ah?" Xiao Ruawen's shock flashed across her face, but she feigned composure, "So what if she did, what if she didn't?"

Xu Qingfan put his hand on her shoulder, guiding her to keep walking.

"This matter is complicated, let me explain it to you slowly," he said.

The scoundrel was about to spin his yarn.

"Out with it!" Xiao Ruawen looked around, somewhat worried that Xia Xiaoxiao might suddenly appear again.

"I'm not quite sure if Yu and Yiyi like me, but Wanning does, Ruan Wen, you should be able to see that, right?" Brother Chou Fan looked at Xiao Ruawen askance.

"So what if I can?" Xiao Ruawen turned away, refusing to look at him.

[Of course, I can tell that not just Wanning, but Yu and Yiyi like you too, you Brother Chou Fan!]

[Otherwise, Xiaoxiao wouldn't need my help!]

She thought to herself.

"So here's the problem, if I start dating Xiaoxiao, do you think Wanning will feel hurt?" Xu Qingfan continued.

Xiao Ruawen felt something was off but before she could object, the scoundrel spun another lie.

"Truth be told, I care more about our friendship among the six of us than about all that lovey-dovey stuff. I can live a lonely life if I must, but I hope our friendship will last forever."

"What do you think, Ruan Wen?"

Xu Qingfan's gaze was earnest as he looked at Xiao Ruawen.

"I... I... I... Huh?" Xiao Ruawen pointed at her own nose, dumbstruck.

[Could it be that I'm the one misunderstanding things?]

Brother Chou Fan sighed and continued, "I really didn't want to say these things because it's quite unfair to Xiaoxiao."

"You know that!" Xiao Ruawen was worked up again, baring her teeth at Xu Qingfan.

"But why do I still say it?" Xu Qingfan patted her shoulder, "Ruan Wen, you know Xiaoxiao's personality better than I do, so these are things I can't discuss with her."

"So you can discuss them with me!" Xiao Ruawen was getting frustrated, feeling caught between helping Xiaoxiao and not helping.

"Isn't that what you asked for?" Xu Qingfan said leisurely.

"You, you, you... Brother Chou Fan!"

"So since you care so much about me... our friendship, why did Brother Fan still go up to the rooftop with Xiaoxiao?"

Xiao Ruawen pointed at the scoundrel's nose and interrogated him.

Her emotions felt strange; she should be angry right now, but her heart couldn't help feeling a twinge of something she was reluctant to acknowledge... excitement?

"Well... at that time I didn't know what Xiaoxiao was up to, and since Xiaoxiao seldom takes the initiative, if I rejected her, she'd be heartbroken."

"That makes sense... not!" Xiao Ruawen put herself in his shoes for a moment; if she were Brother Fan, she probably wouldn't refuse Xiaoxiao either.

"So, what now?"

"So, if Wanning drags you up to the rooftop, if Yu drags you to the rooftop, if Yiyi drags you to the rooftop, you won't refuse them, right, right!" Xiao Ruawen demanded, still heated.

[I almost let Brother Chou Fan sweet-talk me again.]

"Why aren't you talking? What's the matter?" Seeing Brother Chou Fan guiltily lower his head, Xiao Ruawen became even angrier.

Xu Qingfan thought to himself: [You do have a keen eye.]

But of course, he couldn't possibly answer like that. After a moment of silence, the dishonest man finally spoke: "The first time was an accident, and the second time was indeed my fault. After all, the first time I did that kind of thing, it was like Ruan Wen's first time playing League of Legends—it was kind of addictive."

"You..."

"Let me finish what I have to say!" Seeing Xiao Ruawen about to curse again, he hurriedly cut her off.

"I've been reflecting deeply on my mistakes recently, so from now on, I won't go up to the rooftop with Xiaoxiao, or cough cough with anyone else."

"I'm done talking."

Xiao Ruawen opened her mouth and then closed it again, ultimately choosing not to speak.

She actually believed what Xu Qingfan had just said; the most easily proven point was that it had indeed been a long while since Xia Xiaoxiao talked to her about Brother Fan.

But.

Could the things that had already happened be so easily treated as if they never occurred?

Standing in Xia Xiaoxiao's shoes, Xiao Ruawen felt Brother Chou Fan's actions were extremely excessive.

But standing on the friendship (bold) of the six people, she felt that it was understandable for Brother Fan to think this way.

[So annoying!]

[If I had known, I wouldn't have asked. Why the heck did I pry!]

Xiao Ruawen agitatedly shook her head, unaware that her loose hair brushed Xu Qingfan's face.

Xu Qingfan helped her tie up her hair, the scent of shampoo mixed with her unique girlish fragrance intoxicating.

[I'm sure that my words just now were enough to destroy the alliance between Ruan Wen and Xiaoxiao. Damn it, I'm such a dog.]

Xu Qingfan complimented himself in his mind, and then whispered in Xiao Ruawen's ear: "Ruan Wen, you'll keep my secret, won't you?"

"If Xiaoxiao found out about what I'm thinking, she would definitely be heartbroken."

"Sigh~ It's all my fault for not being able to control my desires," he added.

Xiao Ruawen felt her scalp tingle; what could she say, what could she possibly say now?

"What do you think?"

"Damned Brother Fan, Stinky Brother Fan, Bad Brother Fan, Cheap Brother Fan!"

Xiao Ruawen angrily punched his shoulder, really hitting him hard.

"Ouch... stop hitting, stop hitting, I really know I was wrong," the dishonest man pleaded.

"Hmph!"

"I won't meddle in you two's affairs from now on!"

Xu Qingfan's eyes lit up, but before he could speak, Xiao Ruawen's 'but' had already come first.

"But!"

"Brother Fan, you have to remember what you said yourself—you said it's for my... for our friendship. If you go back on your word in the future, I will never forgive you!"

Xiao Ruawen crossed her arms and looked at him with a disgusted expression.

"No way, no way. Ever since I was young, aside from you guys, have you seen me talk more than ten sentences to anyone else?" Xu Qingfan raised his hands in surrender.

"That was before; who knows what you might do in the future," Xiao Ruawen pouted and walked ahead of him.

Xu Qingfan let out a long sigh of relief; this thunderstorm named Ruan Wen had finally passed.

Of course, the other two big storms were still a long way to be dealt with.

"I didn't do it before, and I'm even less likely to do it in the future!" He quickened his pace to walk side by side with her again.

"It wasn't Xiaoxiao who asked me to ask, I just wanted to know on my own."

"Today's affair can't be mentioned to Xiaoxiao!"

Before Xu Qingfan could even hint, Xiao Ruawen had already said it herself.

"Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know."

"I'll figure out a way to deal with Xiaoxiao slowly. If worse comes to worst, we just won't fall in love until after we graduate from college," Xu Qingfan said leisurely.

"Hmph~ just take it easy yourself!" Xiao Ruawen rolled her eyes at him.

"Alright, alright, let's stop talking about this. The boat will naturally straighten at the bridgehead, and maybe by then Yu Yiyi and the others will meet someone they like, and the problem will resolve itself," Xu Qingfan put his hand back on her shoulder.

[That's right, I am that person!]

[If the six of us stick together and live our lives well, everything will indeed resolve itself!]

Xiao Ruawen glared at him and suddenly remembered a saying she had heard on TV.

[To see Brother Fan is to err your whole life.]

Xiao Ruawen didn't answer, Xu Qingfan didn't say anything more, and they walked on in silence.

But suddenly.

"No, no, Brother Fan, there's one question you haven't answered yet!"

Xiao Ruawen quickened her pace and stood in front of him.

"Hmm?" Xu Qingfan gave her a puzzled look.

"Brother Fan, you admitted that you like Xiaoxiao, but you haven't said whether you like Wanning, whether you like Yu, Yiyi... and also... also me."

When she came to herself, Xiao Ruawen's gaze momentarily flickered away, but she quickly met Xu Qingfan's eyes again.

Xu Qingfan was momentarily stunned by the question; he thought he had already navigated through the troubles, but there remained a big issue at the end.

"Hurry up and answer!" Seeing Brother Fan remaining silent for a long time, Xiao Ruawen urged.

The dishonest man broke out in a sweat and slowly began to speak:

"I..."

...