Damn it, I'm surrounded by childhood sweethearts

"What do you mean 'what'? Hurry up and tell me!"

Seeing Xu Qingfan hemming and hawing, Xiao Ruawen waited with anticipation mingled with a hint of nervousness.

"I... um." Looking into the girl's eyes, Xu Qingfan ultimately nodded in admission.

"What 'um'? Be more specific!" Xiao Ruawen grabbed his collar, her gaze firmly fixed on Brother Chou Fan's eyes.

"It's just... after being together so much, of course, I've grown fond of you all too, I'm not really sure myself if this counts as liking someone."

Xu Qingfan still had the habit of holding back when he spoke, mainly because he never thought Xiao Ruawen would ask him this question, so he hadn't thought ahead about how to answer.

Xiao Ruawen had never thought Xu Qingfan would answer like this, and somewhat dazed, she said, "Then... Then Xia Xiaoxiao, but you kissed Xia Xiaoxiao!"

"Brother Fan, you like Xia Xiaoxiao more, right?" She gripped Xu Qingfan's collar more tightly once again.

Xiao Ruwan didn't understand why she was acting this way, she just really wanted to hear Xu Qingfan admit it himself that he liked Xia Xiaoxiao more.

Because, in that case, she would feel a sense of relief.

"I... I don't know either, maybe that's the case, but both of you hold equally important places in my heart." The scoundrel was a bit scared by the obsessive aura emanating from her, answering feebly.

"Scumbag!"

"Brother Fan the scumbag!"

Xiao Ruawen let go of the collar she had been gripping and cursed emphatically.

From the girl's perspective, it was clear that Brother Chou Fan already had Xia Xiaoxiao in his bowl, yet he was still saying everyone was equally important to him; what else could that be if not the behavior of a scumbag?

Fortunately, the place they were in was relatively secluded, with no one around to see them; otherwise, after those two shouts of "scumbag," it would be hard for Xu Qingfan to escape getting a bad reputation.

Instead of feeling any shame in the face of Xiao Ruawen's scolding, the scoundrel's face bore an expression of sadness and disappointment.

"So this is what you think of me, Ruan Wen?"

"Is this really what you think of me, Ruan Wen?"

"I understand now."

Xu Qingfan hung his head, defeated, as if his soul had been momentarily sucked away, appearing utterly disconsolate.

"Is it not the case?" Xiao Ruawen, thrown by the scoundrel's sudden barrage of three questions, weakly retorted.

"Eh!"

"If that's what you think, Ruan Wen, then I don't have anything else to say."

"Just assume it's what you think it is."

Xu Qingfan shook his head in disappointment and turned to walk away.

"It's not..." Xiao Ruawen stood there motionless, just watching his retreating back.

"Hey!"

"You come back here!"

"Brother Chou Fan, get back here and explain yourself clearly!"

Xiao Ruawen, completely confused by him, chased after him feeling both wronged and angry, and grabbed the back of his collar.

"What do you mean by 'assume it's what you think it is'? Is it not the case?"

"If there's something I don't know, then just explain it clearly!"

"What kind of man acts this way, Brother Fan?"

She said in a fury.

Xu Qingfan was almost ready to sing Jay Chou's "What Kind of Man" on the spot, but thankfully he held back.

"You're not wrong to think that way."

"I know that anything I say now will sound like an excuse to you, but since you asked, Ruan Wen, let me just say it."

The scoundrel shook his head dejectedly, took her hand, and started speaking as they walked.

"Say it!" Xiao Ruawen only glanced at her hand being held, then quickly dismissed it from her mind.

"Haven't you always been asking me why we weren't in the same class in high school?"

"Now I can tell you, I originally wanted us to continue being in the same class during high school, but one thing changed my mind."

"What?" Xiao Ruawen frowned slightly.

"It was after that incident with Xiaoxiao; I realized then that I couldn't clearly tell if I liked Xiaoxiao a bit more or if I liked any one of you four more."

"That's why I thought we should be in different classes during high school. I felt that maybe after spending some time apart, I would find my answer."

"I was supposed to let you guys live at the school while I alone commuted, but then Wanning was against it, so I thought I'd take it step by step."

"So now, when you ask me if I like Xiaoxiao more or Ruan Wen you more, honestly, I don't know myself."

"Do you understand what I mean?"

The scoundrel held the girl's hand tightly, looking at her with sincere eyes.

When Brother Chou Fan said, "or if I liked Ruan Wen you more," the suffocating frustration in Xiao Ruawen's heart seemed to vanish all at once, leaving only confusion and panic.

[Brother Fan said he likes me, Brother Fan likes me, likes me...]

Seeing Xiao Ruawen had yet to react, Xu Qingfan continued, "I know, from your perspective, Ruan Wen, I am indeed a scumbag."

"But I have also really been trying, trying to correct my behavior, trying not to go astray."

"I don't know if I can keep my true self in the future, but at least I've been constantly trying; isn't that the case?"

Xu Qingfan started to get anxious, why wasn't Xiao Ruawen reacting!

He pushed further: "Of course, loving all five of you at the same time, that's the undeniable truth, and I'm not denying it right now."

"If you, Ruan Wen... if because of this you hate me, despise me, and therefore want to sever ties with me, I would have nothing to say..."

"Who said I hate you, who said I want to cut ties with you!" Xiao Ruawen finally snapped out of it, her shout scaring a few sparrows off a telephone pole.

"When did I ever say I wanted to cut ties with you, Brother Chou Fan, what are you imagining!"

"You just said you didn't want to destroy the friendship of our group of six, and now at the first sign of trouble, you want to give up, is that really your attitude?"

The girl glared at him, a mix of hurt and anger in her eyes.

"Ah!"

"So, Ruan Wen, have you forgiven me?" The dog of a man's eyes lit up anew, his hands gently cupping Xiao Ruawen's delicate wrists.

"Hmph!" Xiao Ruawen huffed air through her nostrils and rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed.

Xu Qingfan knew now was not the time to say this and continued with even more effort, "Ruan Wen, I didn't lie to you, I swear every word I said is true, couldn't be truer."

Joy flashed across Xiao Ruawen's face. If every word was true, did that mean his affection for her was also true?

"Who knows if it is or not." The girl withdrew her hand and turned away, refusing to look at him.

"It definitely is, no matter what the future holds, I don't want to ruin the friendship the six of us have had for so long because it's the most precious thing to me."

Xu Qingfan came to stand in front of her.

Xiao Ruawen pursed her lips, seemingly accepting Brother Chou Fan's words.

[If I were Brother Fan, with Xiao Xiao, Yu, Wanning, Yiyi, all of them being so great, I'd like them all too...]

[As for myself, hmph~ I'm gentle, considerate, knowledgeable, beautiful, kind, and talented; a stunner that makes fishes sink and birds fall, the moon shy, and flowers embarrassed. How dare Brother Fan not like me!]

"I've kept these words in my heart, but now that I've told you, Ruan Wen, I feel so much lighter." Seeing Xiao Ruawen daydreaming again, the dog of a man continued his sly coaxing.

What does "I've kept it in my heart and only told you" mean? If not that your place in my heart is special, different from everyone else's!

"It's great that you can understand me, Ruan Wen." Xu Qingfan tried to reach for Xiao Ruawen's hand again, but this time, she dodged it promptly.

"Hmph!"

"I understand, but that's beside the point!"

"But one thing, Brother Fan, you better listen closely!"

Xiao Ruawen's gaze slanted, her eyes looking down on him like he was trash if just previously her look was one of disdain.

In an instant, Xu Qingfan felt like he was being stared at by the abyss and didn't dare pull any more tricks, standing up straight.

"Let me tell you, Brother Fan!"

"I only see you as an older brother, and if I like you a little, it's the way a sister likes her brother!"

"Don't you dare project any of your sly ideas onto me!"

"Got it?"

Xiao Ruawen felt that at this moment, her words should be accompanied by the BGM—The Sister is The Queen, Radiating Confidence!

"Got it... got it." Xu Qingfan meekly nodded his head in response.

"Good if you understood!"

"Let's go, back to class!"

Xiao Ruawen turned and walked away, her departure signalled by a flick of her sleeve for Little White (not really)... Xu Qingfan to follow.

Even though Xiao Ruawen treated him like a dog, Xu Qingfan wasn't angry at all; on the contrary, he was very happy at this moment.

Of course, of course, it wasn't because Xu Qingfan had any weird fetishes but rather because he knew Xiao Ruawen was just reluctant to admit her feelings outright.

[It's the thrill of the contrast I play with!]

Gazing at Xiao Ruawen's retreating, graceful figure, the dog of a man was genuinely elated.

He replayed the words he had just uttered in his mind—they were indeed all true, without a single lie!

Loving all five of them was true, splitting up classes was true, and the ongoing effort to rectify his behavior—to find a way for everyone to get along harmoniously—was also true!

[I really am too honest!]

...

Xu Qingfan and Xiao Ruawen's meal and heart-to-heart took up two hours.

When they returned to class, the day had gradually darkened.

The test papers that had been on Xu Qingfan's desk were now gone, seemingly taken by curious classmates.

Nearly half the class was seated, each person holding either their own or someone else's test papers.

"Brother Fan, I borrowed your math paper to make corrections; do you want it now? I'll give it back to you." As Xu Qingfan was about to sit down, the girl from the neighboring group waved at him.

"No problem, just give it back when you're done... ouch!" Xu Qingfan smiled and shook his head at her, but before his smile could take shape, he felt a sharp twist on his arm from Xiao Ruawen beside him.

"Ahem, I'll give it back when I'm done, not lending it to anyone else." Although the female classmate found Xu Qingfan's expression odd, she didn't say anything further.

"Brother Fan, did you solve the last multiple-choice question in the physics exam? I asked a lot of people, and no one got it right."

"Brother Fan, how many points did you get in Chinese? Can I see your essay?"

"Can I be the second to borrow your math exam paper, Brother Fan?"

Several classmates who were too shy to help themselves came running over.

"I'll take the Chinese paper; take the rest," Xiao Ruawen said to everyone, pointing at the remaining papers after taking the Chinese test paper from his desk.

"Thank you, class president!"

"Thank you, class president!"

"Thank you, sister-in-law!"

In the midst of the chaos, someone shouted "Thank you, sister-in-law," causing Xiao Ruawen's face to turn red with embarrassment.

Xu Qingfan silently gave a thumbs up: [The more you talk, the better!]

When the crowd dispersed, Xiao Ruawen leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Remember what I just said, Brother Fan!"

"Don't get any funny ideas about me!"

Suddenly turning around, Xu Qingfan caught Xiao Ruawen off guard; his rosy lips grazed her cheek, leaving a faint trail of saliva.

"What are you doing!" Xiao Ruawen quickly leaned back, nearly touching Brother Chou Fan's lips.

Xu Qingfan gave her a smile, and before she could erupt in anger, he said, "Understood, little sister."

It took a long while before Xiao Ruawen muttered softly, "Good that you understand..."

...