Damn it, I'm surrounded by childhood sweethearts

But now, Yu, Ning, and Yiyi all have their reputations, but they can't just go around bragging about it. She's just happy for a moment, what's the big deal!

...

Perhaps because it was Friday, when the three of them arrived at the entrance of the milk tea shop, there was a long queue stretching over ten meters, with many people still in their school uniforms.

"I'll go make a cup for you guys, you wait for me outside," Xu Qingfan said as he handed his backpack to Wu Lingyu and rolled up his sleeves to head into the shop.

"Forget it, we won't drink milk tea anymore, don't bother auntie's staff at work," Xia Xiaoxiao hurriedly stopped him, mainly because she was afraid the staff and Yao Jiping would gossip.

"Yeah, we won't drink it, milk tea isn't that good anyway, we might as well go home and drink juice," Wu Lingyu also held onto the other arm.

Just standing there, the three of them were already the focus of the crowd. At this moment, as they tugged and pulled at each other, they attracted even more onlookers.

After all, Xu Qingfan's handsomeness was genuine, as was the beauty of Xia Xiaoxiao and Wu Lingyu.

"Okay, okay, we'll talk somewhere else," Xu Qingfan said, not wanting to be the center of attention. He quickly left, holding onto the two girls.

"Youth looks so good," someone remarked.

"Do you think he's narrow-minded?"

"What narrow-minded... Haha, you're really something, just go up and ask if you want to know!"

A pair of young white-collar workers whispered among themselves.

Too bad Xu Qingfan had already walked away with the two girls, leaving their questions unanswered.

...

"Here, your Green Arrow gum," said Xu Qingfan as he opened the pack and handed a piece of chewing gum to each Xia Xiaoxiao and Wu Lingyu.

"Aren't you bored, going to that convenience store every week?" Xia Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes but still took the gum.

"What about that convenience store?" Wu Lingyu was about to put the gum in her mouth when she paused upon hearing Xia Xiaoxiao's comment.

"Uh... that... that..." Xia Xiaoxiao, suddenly breaking into a cold sweat, remembered that Yu was there!

"That female clerk complimented me last time, saying I looked handsome. I think she is very honest, it's a particularly good trait, so I go there to buy stuff every week," Xu Qingfan explained with a smile.

Xia Xiaoxiao quietly breathed a sigh of relief but still looked incredulous as she curled her lip.

"Ah... so that's why," Wu Lingyu clearly didn't believe it, but she also knew it wasn't the time to ask. She could just ask Brother Fan when they got home.

"Of course, why else would she keep staring at me just now, like she saw a celebrity," Xu Qingfan continued.

[Pfft—more like she saw a ghost.] Xia Xiaoxiao smiled sweetly, but only at an angle where Xu Qingfan couldn't see.

...

When they returned home, Yao Jiping and Lin Jing had just finished cooking dinner.

"Mom, Auntie!"

"Auntie!"

Xia Xiaoxiao and Wu Lingyu changed their shoes and immediately ran over.

"I made your favorite dishes."

"You've been working hard studying; put your backpacks down and come have some soup!"

When Xu Qingfan unzipped his cat-shaped bag, the little brother trapped inside meowed for a few seconds. Once he realized he was back home, he excitedly burst out and started to frolic.

"What soup is this? It smells so good," said Xu Qingfan as he picked up a bowl of soup from the table and drank it down. The temperature was just right—not too cold or too hot.

Xia Xiaoxiao and Wu Lingyu were "chased" out of the kitchen, and by the time the three of them had put away their backpacks and washed their hands, the three adults were already seated at the dining table, waiting for them.

The TV was broadcasting the news, but no one was paying attention, instead focusing on the delicious food on the table and casual conversation.

"We just went to the shop to have a look, business is booming," said Xu Qingfan after finishing a pork rib and spitting out the bone.

Yao Jiping paused mid-chew, seemingly contemplating.

After swallowing the food in her mouth, she said, "If we keep it up, we should break even by next year, recouping the money for buying the shop."

"And mom's shop?" Xia Xiaoxiao asked Lin Jing.

When buying property, Yao Jiping had finally made a wise decision, purchasing two shops. She dragged Lin Jing into buying one as well.

Each shop franchised a Good Taste Milk Tea and Good Taste Duck Neck. Due to distance protection policies, Lin Jing's shop could only franchise the then-not-so-popular Good Taste Fried Skewers.

The flagship product was the fried pork chop that Li Mei Juan used to sell. More than a year had passed, and now the chain had expanded to over a thousand stores nationwide.

"Our store's location is a bit off, so we probably won't break even until the year after," Lin Jing replied with high emotional intelligence, though the real reason was that selling fried skewers was not as profitable as selling milk tea.

"That's still pretty profitable," said Xia Xiaoxiao, who, despite never having done business, could still do simple math.

""It's a pity I don't have the energy to manage so many shops, otherwise, I'd get a loan from the bank and just open ten, twenty, or even a hundred shops at once. Imagine how much money that would make," Yao Jiping joked.

"That's why Yiyi's mom is so amazing," Lin Jing remembered the aura of a female CEO that Zhang Chunxue exuded during their New Year's gathering and couldn't help admiring her.

"I already have money in my card, no need to borrow from the bank," Xu Qingfan raised his hand to interrupt his mother's daydream.

Yao Jiping glared at her stinky brat feeling suddenly powerless.

The income Xu Qingfan made from drawing comics was still coming in, and every year it was no less than a seven-figure sum.

However, after initially spending from his card on buying a house and a car, Yao Jiping returned the bank card to him.

Xu Qingfan looked down on this trivial sum and had never used the money in it.

"I think all mothers in the world are amazing because they gave birth to us," Wu Lingyu said, and the smiles on Yao Jiping and Lin Jing's faces seemed to melt away.

"Mmm, mmm, mmm, mothers and aunties are equally amazing!" Xia Xiaoxiao gave Wu Lingyu an extra glance, wondering how suddenly Yu's lips had become so sweet.

"Being pregnant for ten months really isn't easy."

"Yeah, back in the day..."

"Auntie is truly great!"

"Yes!"

The topic was thus diverted.

...

After dinner and a shower, Xu Qingfan returned to his room to work on his documents.

Xia Xiaoxiao and Wu Lingyu, being girls, took a bit longer, but after coming out of the bathroom, they immediately went to Xu Qingfan's room.

After blow-drying their hair, the two women comfortably sprawled on Xu Qingfan's bed playing with their phones.

Xia Xiaoxiao hugged a pillow, Wu Lingyu wrapped herself in a blanket, and the bed, which hadn't been slept in for a week, quickly filled with their scents.

Wu Lingyu sneakily glanced at Xia Xiaoxiao and moved a bit away before opening that mysterious group chat.

Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi were already building up conversations in the group. After Wu Lingyu read the messages they had sent, she began to type on her screen, "Brother Fan is working, Xiao Xiao and I are in his room."

[Brother Fan's sincere working back view.JPG]

The two quickly responded to the message.

[Lin Wanning: Wow~ Brother Qingfan, Yu, take a side profile picture!]

[Zhang Yiyi: When will Brother finish his work?]

Wu Lingyu didn't get up to take a side profile picture of Xu Qingfan but instead shared some private photos from her phone with the two, which included Xu Qingfan doing sit-ups shirtless and him pensively twirling a pen captured sneakily.

Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi saved them immediately, exchanging their fan-like excitement and also sharing their private stash of Xu Qingfan's photos in the group.

Sharing one joy became threefold, and all three were glad they had formed this pact.

On the other side.

Xia Xiaoxiao was also sharing about Yu's unusual behavior today with Xiao Ruawen.

[It might be that Yu is just in a good mood today, there shouldn't be anything wrong,] Xiao Ruawen, still feeling guilty, could only respond this way.

[Is that so, well okay then,] Xia Xiaoxiao took another look at Wu Lingyu and had no choice but to accept that.

[Xiao Xiao, you haven't been looking for Brother Fan to cough cough for quite some time, I haven't heard you mention it in a while.]

Blushing at the latest message, Xia Xiaoxiao turned her head to look at Xu Qingfan, who was concentrated on his work, and made up her mind.

[Let's talk about it later,] she replied to Xiao Ruawen.

...

The night passed in a hurry.

Xu Qingfan had to leave Hong Kong early the next morning. At half-past nine, after processing the documents, he shut down his computer.

"I'm going to sleep after brushing my teeth, you guys should rest early too," he stretched and said.

"Okay, good night."

"Brother Fan, good night!"

The two with their own hidden thoughts left Xu Qingfan's room.

...