Damn it, I'm surrounded by childhood sweethearts

Zhang Yiyi stared at Lin Wanning, then thought of Yu and eventually could only helplessly shake her head.

"After that, Xiao Xiao, Ruan Wen, Yu, and I went downstairs to have breakfast together, and then we just played downstairs. Later, when it was almost twelve, I said I wanted to wake Brother Qing Fan up. Yu said we could call him, but after many tries, nobody answered the phone!"

Although Lin Wanning's storytelling was all over the place, Zhang Yiyi still understood and roughly had this outline in her heart:

[After getting up, Yu didn't find me in the room. After searching the whole house and still not finding me, she guessed I was in Brother's room. Despite not knowing what she was thinking, she still decided to cover for Brother and me.]

Zhang Yiyi also remembered the emotion Wu Lingyu showed when she called Xu Qingfan: anger, grievance.

And the sudden calmness she demonstrated after discovering the truth, understanding.

"Assuming Yu doesn't know about our affair, but just from the fact that she covered for Brother and me, it first of all shows that Yu definitely doesn't want our relationships to break down!"

"Mm-hmm!" Lin Wanning wholeheartedly agreed.

"Yu took Xiao Xiao and Ruan Wen away, but left Wanning behind. I guess there are three reasons."

"First of all, of course, is that Yu understands Wanning's personality and knows it would be difficult to drag you away."

"Mm-hmm!"

"Secondly, I guess Yu thinks Wanning is a bit clueless and thought it wouldn't matter even if you found out, because Brother and I could definitely fool you."

"Huh?" Lin Wanning felt a bit offended by that, but didn't speak up.

"The last point, of course, is my own speculation, but Yu leaving you behind alone might be to test whether Wanning knew anything."

If Wu Lingyu were here, she would be shocked and speechless, as Zhang Yiyi was precisely on point, echoing her own thoughts at the time.

Lin Wanning felt her brain was gaining new knowledge, and her scalp tingled.

"What if Yu knows?" she continued to ask.

"If Yu knows, then there are two possibilities. The first is that she found out by chance, the second is that brother confided in her, treating her like a confidante, and told her about our affair," said Zhang Yiyi.

"That doesn't make sense, duck~ Brother Qing Fan doesn't know that I'm in cahoots with Yiyi!" Lin Wanning raised doubts.

"Hmm..."

Zhang Yiyi pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Then there's a third possibility."

"What is it?" Lin Wanning looked hopeful.

"Yu wants to join us!" Zhang Yiyi said with conviction.

Lin Wanning's pupils dilated, and then, dilated some more.

"If it's Yu... if it's..."

Zhang Yiyi knew what she wanted to say and interrupted, "Don't rush, I'll inquire with Yu this afternoon, and then we can decide."

"Phew~"

"Mm!"

Hearing that they didn't need to decide right away, Lin Wanning breathed a long sigh of relief and nodded in agreement.

The brief ten-plus minutes had brought such an intense brainstorm that Lin Wanning still felt a tingling on her scalp.

"Should we tell Brother Qing Fan about the affair between Yiyi and me?"

"And about Yu covering for us, what did Brother Qing Fan say, duck?"

Zhang Yiyi shook her head, still for the same reason, they couldn't satisfy the bad brother so easily!

"Don't tell for now. As for Yu's matter, I wanted to ask in the bathroom, but I'm not sure if brother felt guilty. As soon as I asked, he opened the door and pushed you out, Wanning."

The two discussed in the room for a long time until they were called downstairs for lunch, and they arrived belatedly.

As for whether Wu Lingyu really wanted to join Wanning and Yiyi's big family, that would have to wait until the afternoon to find out.

...

The eight-person dining table was completely full, and Xu Qingfan, without a chair, could only sit on a red plastic stool.

"Eat more dishes!"

"This osmanthus fish weighing five pounds is freshly caught from the reservoir; the flesh of cold-water fish is especially firm."

"Thank you, Auntie."

Unlike at Xiao Ruawen's house, here, the ones being furiously served dishes were the five young girls.

Xu Aiguo originally had his chopsticks over the fish belly, but after hearing words like "five pounds" and "reservoir," he silently changed course and picked up the nearby stewed goose.

"It feels like Xiao Fan's cooking has a real wok hei." Lin Jing picked up a piece of snow pea and cured meat, ate it with some rice, and then took it to her mouth.

"Don't know, maybe it's because I like to use white wine when I cook." Xu Qingfan smiled lightly, and without leaving a trace, moved a shrimp that was peeled in his bowl to Wu Lingyu.

Wu Lingyu then moved the shrimp into her bowl, which had just run out of soup. It was full of dishes Xu Qingfan had served her, but Yu hadn't eaten a single bite.

Zhang Yiyi took everything in, and while eating, she didn't forget to think: [Brother made Yu angry, Yu is very angry, so she hasn't forgiven Brother.]

Similarly, Xiao Ruawen was constantly paying attention to Zhang Yiyi's every move, and she only started to relax when she noticed that Yiyi seemed to have forgotten about last night's incident.

The meal seemed harmonious on the surface, but underneath, turmoil swirled.

...

After the meal.

"Alright, today we'll do some cleaning. You all go and rest," Yao Jiping said, shooing away a few who wanted to help in the kitchen.

"Take a good break. We have to go back to school for classes in the afternoon," Lin Jing said with an equally warm smile.

"Hehe~ Then, Auntie, we'll go preview our lesson for tomorrow morning!"

"Yes, yes, yes, preview the lesson!"

"Lesson, preview!"

After Xiao Ruawen took the lead, the others quickly echoed her sentiment.

Xu Qingfan shook his head helplessly. He couldn't find a moment to apologize to Yu!

What's more, he had no idea how to apologize properly.

"Do you know where you went wrong?"

"I know."

"Where did you go wrong!"

"Uh...."

See, if he had to improvise a little drama, Wu Lingyu would probably get even angrier.

Xu Aiguo craved a cigarette, grabbed his phone, cigarette pack, and wallet, and stood up to leave, "I'm going to swing by the store."

"Be careful not to get heatstroke, we've got the air force package for fishing this afternoon," Xu Qingfan said to him just as he was about to leave.

Xu Aiguo shot him a glare and muttered "no respect for elders" before heading out the door.

The two elders, one playing mahjong and the other fishing, usually just had to simply oversee the shop's business. Their lives were enjoyable, and both their mindset and appearance seemed to grow younger with each day.

Xu Qingfan was pleased that the elders were conducting themselves this way; it was best if they did not interfere with his life at all.

Hopefully, in a few years when the two-child policy is relaxed, he could get a little sister or something like that.

"Brother Fan, what do you want to watch? You keep changing channels!" Xiao Ruawen snatched the remote control from his hand, switching back to "The Legend of Zhen Huan" that she had just glimpsed.

Xu Qingfan wasn't actually trying to watch anything; he had just been a bit distracted and channel surfing was a subconscious action.

"Ah?"

"Isn't this 'The Legend of Zhen Huan'?"

Seeing Deng Chao's wife on the screen, he blurted out.

Xiao Ruawen, holding half a Kyoho melon, paid him no attention. After all, the three large characters for "The Legend of Zhen Huan" were there on the screen; no more needed to be said.

Xu Qingfan, on the other hand, felt awkward to explain: in my past life, I used to see fan creations of this drama on the small broken station all the time, who would have thought this drama was actually from 2011!

"Brother Qing Fan, here's some watermelon for you!" Lin Wanning shared half of her watermelon with him.

A Kyoho melon of over a pound, when cut in half, was just right to hold and eat after a meal.

"Thank you, Wanning," Xu Qingfan said, taking the watermelon and looking back at Yu who had just come out of the kitchen.

Wu Lingyu, upon noticing Xu Qingfan's gaze, immediately averted her eyes.

However, Zhang Yiyi, walking shoulder to shoulder with Yu, smiled at Xu Qingfan and gave him an 'OK' gesture.

Although baffled, Xu Qingfan nodded and returned the smile.

"Move over a bit!" Xia Xiaoxiao patted Xu Qingfan's shoulder and squeezed in between him and Xiao Ruawen.

Xu Qingfan obediently made room, his eyes still on Wu Lingyu and Zhang Yiyi.

He had thought the two would sit next to Lin Wanning, however...

Wu Lingyu and Zhang Yiyi silently circled around and headed upstairs together.

Xia Xiaoxiao and Xiao Ruawen were both engrossed in the television and didn't notice.

Lin Wanning noticed, but she said nothing; she most likely knew all along.

Xu Qingfan noticed as well, but at this moment, even if he had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare ask the two what they were planning to do upstairs.

Unease churned in the heart of this deceitful man.

[Please, let nothing go wrong...]

...