Damn it, I'm surrounded by childhood sweethearts

In the few minutes Xu Qingfan and Wu Lingyu were chatting, Xiao Ruawen had bombarded him with over 99 messages.

However, Brother Chou Fan had vanished off the face of the earth, not replying to a single one.

"Hah, ignoring me, are you, Brother Fan?" Xiao Ruawen was so angry her chest swelled, and she directly made a video call.

The scumbag, who had just bid Yu a good night, felt it was about time to reply to Ruan Wen when her video call popped up with a duang.

Xu Qingfan didn't hesitate, immediately accepting the call, only to be greeted with a faceful of face wash attack.

"Dead Brother Fan, Brother Chou Fan, you dare ignore me!"

"I curse you to have instant noodles without seasoning pack, go to the toilet without tissue, and a stuck tab on your soda can!"

Xiao Ruawen hadn't realized the call was already connected, still grumbling about Brother Chou Fan's misdeeds.

After enjoying her beautiful profile for a while, Xu Qingfan interjected, "You know I'm listening, right?"

"Ah~"

"Why wouldn't you talk when you answer the call!"

"And what's this about lubricant, Brother Fan, you better explain yourself!"

Startled by his sudden voice, Xiao Ruawen picked up her phone again and glared into the camera at Xu Qingfan.

Deprived of the beautiful hemisphere from the low-angle view, Xu Qingfan leaned back, quickly bringing his upper body into the frame.

"Was just brushing my teeth," lied the scumbag without batting an eye.

"Humph~ Couldn't you brush them later!"

"Get to the point, what's with the lubricant, Xiao Xiao never told me about that."

Xiao Ruawen pouted, seemingly accepting his excuse.

Xu Qingfan, after hearing her out, couldn't help but let a mischievous smile form on his face, but he quickly suppressed it.

"Xiao Xiao didn't tell you, then I guess I shouldn't either, it wouldn't be right to tell you secretly," said Xu Qingfan with typical green tea bitchiness.

Xiao Ruawen clenched her fist, her expression saying: If Brother Fan you still don't get it, I might have to teach you a lesson with some punches.

"Fine, fine, I'll tell you, I'll tell you." Xu Qingfan felt uneasy under her gaze and didn't dare to push his luck further.

"It's like this, you remember the moving banquet, right..."

Blah blah blah, the scumbag spun the same story he had told Xia Xiaoxiao to Xiao Ruawen.

After patiently listening, Xiao Ruawen couldn't take it anymore and asked, "What does you buying lubricant to help Wanning take off her shoes have to do with Xiaoxiao?"

"Aiyah~ Ruan Wen, don't be in such a hurry, I haven't finished yet!" Xu Qingfan immediately responded.

"..."

Xiao Ruawen felt her fist getting even harder.

"It's another matter with Xiaoxiao, she found that bottle of lubricant in my drawer later and then came to my room at night to strangle me..."

The scumbag went on and on, barely keeping Xiao Ruawen from falling asleep. She heard none of the juicy details she was looking forward to.

"Hah~ are you done, Brother Fan? If not, I'm going to sleep," yawned Xiao Ruawen, rubbing her temples.

"Aiyah~ Ruan Wen, why can't you be a little more patient and let me finish?"

"Get to the point, I'll get to the point this time!"

Xiao Ruawen reopened her eyes, maintaining her patience to continue listening.

But again, Xu Qingfan didn't focus on the gist, instead talking about Lin Jing's misunderstanding of him with Xia Xiaoxiao.

Xiao Ruawen had had enough, finding the story as dry as old bones with none of the saucy details she craved!

"Goodbye!" She said and reached out to hang up the call.

"Brother Chou Fan, definitely screwing with me!"

"If the day after tomorrow Auntie stirs things up asking who Brother Fan likes the most, I'll definitely stoke the fire too!"

While Xiao Ruawen grumbled, it was Xu Qingfan's turn to send a video call request.

After a moment's thought, she ultimately decided to accept it.

"I was just about to give you the context of the story!"

"Why can't you just let me finish speaking!"

Xu Qingfan started with a round of accusations.

"Then hurry up and speak already!" For the first time, Xiao Ruawen found it torturous to chase the gossip.

"Just now, Xiao Xiao, she returned the bottle of lubricant she took, saying she couldn't use it by herself."

Xiao Ruawen's pupils dilated, but seeing Brother Fan had no follow-up, she quickly pressed, "And then? And then?"

"What else? That's it, she's gone back to her place to sleep now, and that bottle of lubricant is still in my room." The scumbag shrugged.

Suddenly switching demeanor, he added righteously:

"Ruan Wen, you also think she was hinting at me, right? But I've really reformed, I absolutely won't touch such things without making a decision first!"

"Xiaoxiao usually sleeps here on Fridays and goes home on Saturdays. I'm guessing she's a bit upset because I rejected her."

"Ruan Wen, what do you think I should do?"

Xiao Ruawen finally got a tantalizing piece of gossip, her feelings indescribable at the moment.

[I can't believe Xiaoxiao was so forward, she told me before that it was because Brother Fan forced her...]

[Did Xiaoxiao lie to me before?]

[Xiaoxiao wouldn't lie to me, right...]

"Ruan Wen?"

"Can you hear me?"

"Is it lagging?"

Seeing no reaction from Xiao Ruawen, Xu Qingfan waved his hand in front of the screen.

"Ah... oh, oh."

"Brother Fan, I know what you did, and I think you did the right thing, that's the Brother Fan I know."

"Yep, I support you."

Xiao Ruawen's eyes didn't blink, trying to prove she wasn't lying.

While speaking, she had already switched out of the chat with Brother Fan and opened the chat with Xia Xiaoxiao.

[Xiao Xiao, are you going to sleep at Brother Fan's house tonight, or at your own home?]

"Ruan Wen, I'm really happy that you feel that way."

"If Xiao Xiao could think like you... eh, forget it... let's not talk about this."

The scumbag put on a sorrowful expression.

Unfortunately for him, Xiao Ruawen was too busy chatting with Xia Xiaoxiao to notice.

[I'm sleeping at home, Ruan Wen, what about you?] Xia Xiaoxiao just so happened to want to check her phone before going to sleep.

[Xiao Xiao, didn't you say last week that it's been a long time since you gave Brother Fan a reward... why are you sleeping at home?]

"Mmm-hmm, Xiao Xiao is actually very nice."

Xiao Ruawen replied to Xia Xiaoxiao while keeping up pretenses with Qingfan, who's on the video call.

"Eh~ I'm just afraid that always refusing like this will make Xiao Xiao suspicious."

"Ruan Wen, do you think I should be clear with her?"

Xu Qingfan was still oblivious to Xiao Ruawen's preoccupation as he waited for her to respond and continued speaking.

[When I was walking home from school this afternoon, Xu Qingfan held my hand. I asked him what kind of relationship we had, and he said it was a couple's relationship, but I denied it.]

[Then, in the evening, he asked me again about whether I plan to date in high school or college. I'm not planning to date in high school, and he asked again, so I carelessly answered that I don't plan to prepare.]

[But I explained it to him this evening. I said that I just don't plan to date in high school, but if it's suitable in college, then I would consider it, otherwise I wouldn't.]

[Ruan Wen, are you reading this?]

"Ruan Wen, are you listening?"

Xia Xiaoxiao quickly sent the details of tonight's events to her, and as soon as Xiao Ruawen saw the latest message, she hurriedly typed a reply.

[I'm here, I'm here, I'm helping you analyze, wait a moment, Xiao Xiao.]

"I'm here, I'm here, I'm helping you analyze, wait a moment, Brother Fan."

Responding to both, Xiao Ruawen continued typing and said, "Brother Fan, I think since you are already that close with Xiao Xiao and she likes you so much, it's too crappy to just say it outright. Actually, you shouldn't be so fickle. It's best to just marry Xiao Xiao on the spot!"

[Xiao Xiao, I think since you're already that close with Brother Fan, he must like you a lot too, so there's no need to hurry this moment. High school is definitely too early. As for college, I think by the third or fourth year when coursework isn't so heavy, then it's okay to establish a relationship then!]

Xiao Ruawen was playing both sides, attacking on behalf of Xia Xiaoxiao with Xu Qingfan, and defending on behalf of Xu Qingfan with Xia Xiaoxiao.

Xu Qingfan was momentarily speechless, why on earth was Xiao Ruawen not playing by the book all of a sudden? Shouldn't she be saying, "Brother Fan, it's good that you can think this way, I support your idea"?

"Okay, then, thanks Ruan Wen, I'll think about it."

[Third or fourth year, huh? Thanks, Ruan Wen, I'll think about it.]

"Yes, you should think about it." Xiao Ruawen ended her chat with Xia Xiaoxiao and returned to the video call with Brother Chou Fan.

"So, next time Xiao Xiao hints at something more overtly, Ruan Wen, do you think I should refuse?" Xu Qingfan asked again.

"Uh... this... that's something you'll have to figure out on your own, Brother Fan, I don't know, hmph!"

If it had been before, Xiao Ruawen would have immediately said "refuse," but since she had just been chatting with Xia Xiaoxiao, the scales were now tipping slightly more toward Xiao Xiao.

[What did Xiao Xiao do wrong this time? It's all Brother Chou Fan's fault!]

If Xu Qingfan knew that his manipulations that night hadn't helped him break the plastic sisterhood between Xia Xiaoxiao and Xiao Ruawen, and had instead made Xiao Ruawen's feelings lean even more toward Xia Xiaoxiao, he'd probably only regret having played it too cunning.

"Eh~ Ruan Wen, you're right, it's all my fault!"

"If I had just refused Xiao Xiao on the rooftop, none of this would have happened."

"But I really didn't want to destroy our friendship; now, I can only blame myself for being bewitched."

A wave of self-blame from Xu Qingfan, as expected, garnered Xiao Ruawen's sympathy once more.

[Right, Brother Fan is actually quite innocent; he just didn't want to ruin our friendship. How can I blame him entirely?]

"Alright, stop it, Brother Fan. I'll keep Xiao Xiao at bay for you, at the very latest by sophomore year!"

"By sophomore year at the latest, Brother Fan, you must resolve all the issues!"

"Do you hear me?"

Xiao Ruawen may have softened, but she ultimately kept her guard up. While telling Xiao Xiao about waiting until junior or senior year, the deadline she gave Brother Chou Fan was sophomore year, at the very latest!

"Okay, Ruan Wen, I promise you."

"By sophomore year at the latest, I will resolve everything!"

Xu Qingfan declared on the spot.

The scumbag had long since come to a resolution in his heart; who said he definitely had to resolve Xiao Xiao's matter by sophomore year?

[If I can't solve the problem, can't I just get rid of the person who brought up the problem?]

"That's more like it. If you have any more problems related to Xiao Xiao, just come to me, Brother Fan. That's it, it's almost midnight, I need to sleep now!"

"Goodnight!"

After finishing her words, Xiao Ruawen hung up the call, tossed her phone aside, and flung herself onto the soft bed like a cannonball.

"It's not even my issue, so why do I feel more exhausted than the two of them..."

[It's all Brother Fan's fault!]

[Xiao Xiao...]

A seed of resentment quietly took root in the girl's heart.

...