Damn it, I'm surrounded by childhood sweethearts

"Ah, is, is it?"

"Has it been that long..."

Xia Xiaoxiao suddenly felt at a loss, her usually intelligent brain as if it had regressed.

"When I was in elementary school, I was always bullied. One day, after I learned about Brother Fan helping Yiyi, I started to fantasize. I wished I had a Brother Fan too, to chase away the people who bullied me and my mother.

Thinking about it as I fell asleep, and still thinking about it when I woke up. Maybe I thought about it too much, and guess what? Brother Fan really did appear in my life and chased away the villains."

Tears welled up in the corners of Wu Lingyu's eyes as she continued, "Back then, I genuinely didn't know if this was considered liking him. All I knew was that seeing Brother Fan would make me happy all day, and when I couldn't see him, I would miss him."

"For a very long time, I didn't know whether I liked Brother Fan more or was more grateful to him."

"But after ten years, I think I've figured it out. I like Brother Fan, very, very much!"

Wu Lingyu spoke calmly, but Xia Xiaoxiao's heart was in turmoil.

"I..." Her throat felt as if it were blockaded by a gun barrel, making it impossible to speak.

"I actually know I'm not good enough for Brother Fan, so I've never thought about marrying him. As long as I can stay by Brother Fan's side in the future, just like now, that would be enough for me."

Wu Lingyu smiled wryly, an indescribable sense of relief in her smile.

This time, Xia Xiaoxiao was truly rendered speechless, her scalp tingling!

"Xiao Xiao, can you promise me not to tell Brother Fan about this? I don't want to make it hard for him."

It was still Wu Lingyu talking to herself, and as she talked, she began to sing Liang Jingru's "Nuannuan": "To love someone is to hope for their betterment, warmth from the bottom of your heart, you are more important than myself~"

Xia Xiaoxiao's throat was dry, her lips white from biting them; she just didn't know what to say at this moment.

From the perspective of a good friend, she should encourage Lingyu to bravely pursue her happiness;

But from the perspective of a romantic rival, she hoped Lingyu really meant what she said, that she never aspired to marry Xu Qingfan.

Difficult, so difficult!

"Hmm."

A simple "hmm" was all Xia Xiaoxiao could muster with all of her strength.

"I've always been afraid to share my feelings with others. I'm afraid that once Brother Fan starts dating someone else, he won't want me anymore. It's good that you don't like Brother Fan, Xiao Xiao."

Wu Lingyu looked at Xia Xiaoxiao with a relieved expression, as if to say: At last, I've found solidarity.

Xia Xiaoxiao: This hits too close to home.

"Yeah, Lingyu, don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Xia Xiaoxiao waved her hand, no longer wanting to run, turned off the treadmill, and walked away.

"Heh."

Watching Xia Xiaoxiao's crestfallen departure, Wu Lingyu couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

[This way, in the future when it comes to reasoning, I can have a hold over Xiao Xiao.]

[I can tell Wan Ningyi and the others!]

Wu Lingyu took out her cell phone, gleefully composing a message.

[I have to tell you guys...]

...

Noon.

The fragrant lamb stew was heating on the electric stove, the bubbling soup on the surface chased away the chill.

"Turn on a fan, it's getting a bit hot." Xu Qingfan was sweating profusely from eating, with only one piece of clothing left on him.

"We haven't even started to cool down yet, it's of course hot if we're having hot pot this early." Lin Jing laughed, picking a water chestnut for Xia Xiaoxiao's bowl.

"Xiao Xiao, are you not feeling well? You seem to have no appetite."

Xia Xiaoxiao shook her head: "No, thank you, Mom."

It wasn't that she had a poor appetite, she was in a poor mood!

Wu Lingyu stole a glance at Xia Xiaoxiao, feeling a tiny bit guilty, but only a tiny bit.

"Maybe it's too hot, that's why I don't feel like eating. Auntie, I'll go turn on the air conditioner," she said as she got up.

"What are you doing, you were the one who said you wanted water chestnuts this morning. Now that we've made them, you're not eating, how capricious." Once Xu Qingfan returned to his seat, he used his chopsticks to snatch the water chestnut from her bowl.

"I, when did I say I wasn't going to eat them!"

"I was just waiting for it to cool down a bit. Give me back my water chestnut!"

Xia Xiaoxiao grabbed Xu Qingfan's hand and bit into the water chestnut on his chopsticks.

"Hmph~"

Indeed, with an added competitor for food, her appetite improved.

Xu Qingfan didn't mind her saliva and continued to eat.

"Brother Fan, do you have anything to do this afternoon?" Wu Lingyu asked after sitting back down.

"Not really, why?" Xu Qingfan thought for a moment and answered.

"I saw on QQ Space that Yan Tower is now open; I want to go have a look."

"Go ahead, it's good for you to get out more instead of always staying at home," Lin Jing agreed.

"You mean the Yan Tower across the river? Xiaoxiao and I took pictures there when we were little. Let's go and see," Xu Qingfan agreed.

Xia Xiaoxiao reminisced for a moment and, after recalling the event indeed took place, continued to keep her head down and eat.

"I know, I've seen them," Wu Lingyu said with a slight smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

...

At Wu Lingyu's request, the three took a car to Yan Tower Changhong after lunch.

The tower has eight stories and was built in the second year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty.

Years ago, due to the wooden stairs becoming worn out from age, it hadn't been redeveloped.

Revisiting the old site, many of the tower's original structures had been replaced with cement.

At this time in the afternoon, there weren't many people; the three of them didn't encounter many tourists as they climbed the tower – after all, the locals rarely visited this shabby Yan Tower.

After reaching the top, the high winds blew their clothes fluttering. Wu Lingyu squinted her eyes, allowing the noisy wind to mess up her fringe.

"Whew~ When I was little I didn't dare to look down; now it actually doesn't seem so bad," Xu Qingfan clung to the handrail, still feeling a little scared.

Xia Xiaoxiao simply raised her phone to take pictures and chose the good ones to send to their group.

Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi had plans that afternoon, and Xiao Ruawen had to return to the countryside, so only the three of them came.

Wu Lingyu returned to Xu Qingfan's side and lightly rested her head on his shoulder.

"When I was very young, Dad once said he would take me to climb this tower across the river. I remember asking him if there was a White Lady in the tower."

"But a few days later, Dad fell ill. By the time we thought of coming here, the tower was off-limits to tourists."

Wu Lingyu squinted her eyes toward the opposite shore, where home lay.

"Now you see, there's no White Lady in the tower, but there is a female demon that eats intestines."

He said the latter sentence in a voice only the two of them could hear.

Wu Lingyu's face instantly turned red, and with great annoyance, she slyly elbowed Xu Qingfan.

Seeing Xia Xiaoxiao finish taking photos and turn back, the two quickly stopped their little antics.

"When we have time later, let Uncle bring Yu here again," Xia Xiaoxiao, unaware of their flirting, consoled Yu.

"Mm, mm!" Wu Lingyu nodded obediently.

[Poor little Yu. When I'm with that rotten dog, Yu can stay if she wants to...]

Xia Xiaoxiao sighed softly, her heart softening.

...

Nighttime.

[Yu, are you asleep?]

[What are you doing, Xu Qingfan?]

Xu Qingfan held two mobile phones in his hands, one his and the other Yu's.

[I just turned off the lights and am about to sleep; what's up?]

[What am I doing? I'm playing on my phone.]

He operated both phones, responding to Xia Xiaoxiao.

[Mm, well, goodnight, Yu.]

[Why are you still up so late?]

After replying to Wu Lingyu, Xia Xiaoxiao also responded to Xu Qingfan.

[Why do you have so many why's?]

[Goodnight, Xiaoxiao.]

Xu Qingfan replied using his own phone, then switched to Wu Lingyu's phone to reply.

After reading Xu Qingfan's message, Xia Xiaoxiao didn't reply right away, but after reading Wu Lingyu's message, she felt at ease.

[Both Yu and the stinky dog are online; then there's no problem!]

Xia Xiaoxiao's lips curled into a light smile, and finally she replied to Xu Qingfan, [Hmph, go to sleep!]

"Fooled Xiaoxiao," said Xu Qingfan as he put away his phone, looking at the Yu in front of him.

"Mm," Wu Lingyu murmured in reply, her voice muffled.

The scoundrel put down the phone, closed his eyes, and earnestly enjoyed the treatment from Jing Kun.

...