Damn it, I'm surrounded by childhood sweethearts

Wu Lingyu was facing the door and almost had a heart attack when Xia Xiaoxiao suddenly came in.

"I wasn't... Wasn't doing anything," Yu's heart pounded, thankful that she had just fled; otherwise, she'd still be in Brother Fan's arms.

"What could we possibly do? Yu said she wanted to use the bathroom, and I said I was in a hurry and asked to go first," Xu Qingfan added.

He didn't dare turn around at that moment, given his unmistakable size. After a brief explanation, Xu Qingfan quickly made himself scarce.

Xia Xiaoxiao watched his retreating back and just pursed her lips slightly, asking no further questions.

The girl had also acted on a sixth sense, suspecting Xu Qingfan and Yu might do something bad while she was away, so she quietly opened the door, hoping to catch them in the act.

However, judging by the two's reactions, it didn't seem like they had done anything after all.

"There's a bathroom upstairs too," Xia Xiaoxiao muttered under her breath before she walked over to Yu and pulled her back to sit down on the sofa.

Wu Lingyu let out a silent sigh of relief, sitting up straight and staring blankly at the TV drama.

"Huh?"

"Yu, why is your hair still wet? Didn't he dry it for you?" Xia Xiaoxiao noted Yu's clumped hair and asked curiously.

"Ah... We were just discussing what to eat tomorrow, got talking, and forgot about drying my hair." Yu was getting more skilled at lying since picking up bad habits.

"Hmm."

Xia Xiaoxiao nodded slightly and then said, "Yu, didn't you want to go to the bathroom? If it's urgent, you can use the one in his room upstairs."

"No need, I just wanted to look in the mirror in the bathroom, no rush," Wu Lingyu said with a smile, shaking her head.

[It seems I was overthinking it. Yu doesn't seem like a child who would lie.]

Xia Xiaoxiao pretended to throw away trash to sneak a peek at the bin and, finding no suspicious crumpled papers, her sense of caution began to slowly dissipate.

Another seven or eight minutes passed, and the sound of a toilet flushing came from the bathroom.

After Xu Qingfan came out, Xia Xiaoxiao looked at him with a puzzled expression, "What took you so long in there?"

"Hey~ I found an interesting video, and after finishing it, I came out," Xu Qingfan said, tossing the paper towel he used for drying his hands into the trash can and squeezing himself between the two women on the couch.

To his left was the faint fragrance of Xia Xiaoxiao's Dark Fragrance, and to his right was Wu Lingyu's sweet osmanthus scent. The rogue dog, Kun'er, was quickly gearing up for action again.

[I should have sat farther away; this is like playing with fire!]

Xu Qingfan picked up the remote to change channels but kept flipping, failing to find a TV show he wanted to watch.

Xia Xiaoxiao snatched the remote from his hand and quickly switched to Star TV, which was replaying "Home Tutor" lately.

"Cough... By the way, what did Auntie talk to you about just now? If it's not convenient to say, forget it." Xu Qingfan looked for a distraction with a random topic, and he was genuinely concerned.

Wu Lingyu also turned her gaze in their direction upon hearing this.

"It's nothing." Xia Xiaoxiao's pupils dimmed slightly and she continued, "It's about my grandparents again. My grandfather fell from a tree last year and his health has been declining day by day."

"Did Auntie ask you to visit them more when you have time or to call them more often?" Xu Qingfan inquired.

Xu Qingfan knew about Xia Xiaoxiao's grandfather falling from a tree while trying to pick lychees; it seemed absurd, him being of such an advanced age and yet attempting to climb a tree, ultimately falling down.

"Yeah." Xia Xiaoxiao nodded, "I do care about them, but whenever I remember how they treated my mom when we were kids and helped that person, I just don't know how to express it."

For the first time, she shared her inner thoughts with the two of them.

Xu Qingfan patted her shoulder and didn't remove his hand after patting, "Don't give yourself a guilt trip; it's not your fault. Besides, they still have another grandson to keep them company, and we visit every year, don't we?"

Xu Qingfan didn't quite like Xia Xiaoxiao's grandparents, anyway. He didn't believe the couple's love for Xiaoxiao was greater than for their own grandson.

Why put pressure on Lin Jing and talk pretentiously about missing Xiaoxiao?

It was nothing more than trying to assuage their own guilt and the fact that Xiaoxiao was indeed outstanding and brought them face.

"Then I'll carve out an additional twenty minutes each week to make a phone call to them. What do you think?" Xiaoxiao asked for Qingfan's opinion, a rare vulnerability in her expression.

"Pretty good." Xu Qingfan smiled at her.

Xia Xiaoxiao smiled lightly, feeling better with the support of her naughty dog.

"By the way, it's been many years for you, haven't you thought about going back?" she asked, turning her concern toward Xu Qingfan.

"After so many years without receiving a single caring text message, why bother going back? I'm too lazy to," Xu Qingfan shrugged, casually putting his other hand on Yu's shoulder.

"Brother Fan, what are you guys talking about?" Wu Lingyu turned her head to listen, only to grow more confused as she listened.

Yu normally went back to her hometown for New Year, so over the years, she wasn't aware of Xu Qingfan and his grandma's situation.

After Xu Qingfan explained briefly, Yu was deeply shocked.

"How could they do that!" Wu Lingyu exclaimed indignantly on behalf of Yao Jiping.

"Who's telling you? I almost didn't make it."

"Good thing Auntie didn't listen to them." Realizing this, Wu Lingyu felt a chill, "So, Brother Fan, it's been eleven years since you were five that you haven't gone back?"

"Yeah, that's why I say don't waste your energy on people who don't love you."

"Let's stop talking about them and focus on the TV. Rokudou Haise is about to appear."

All three redirected their attention back to the television. Xia Xiaoxiao bit her lower lip, contemplating Xu Qingfan's last words.