Damn it, I'm surrounded by childhood sweethearts

"Xiaofan, are you really dating Ruan Wen? Why didn't you tell Auntie earlier!" After getting over the initial shock, Zhao Yuemin was even a little pleasantly surprised.

"You're dating someone?" Yao Jinping also looked at him full of suspicion.

"Ah, but didn't Xiaofan say just the day before yesterday that he wasn't planning to date in high school? Was he lying to Auntie?" Lin Jing also asked.

Xu Qingfan felt a headache coming on; this trouble-loving aunt was going to be the death of him sooner or later!

When he looked helplessly at Zhang Chunxue, she was still smirking, as if enjoying the show.

"Oh, Mom!"

"Those rumors at school are fake, Auntie, why did you believe them? They're all fake, fake!"

Xiao Ruan Wen didn't even care about the freshly peeled shrimp in front of her as she hurriedly explained.

But the more flustered she acted, the more suspicious Zhao Yuemin became.

"Mom doesn't believe you; Mom wants to hear it from Xiaofan himself," she said.

"Ugh, I... Oh, come on!" Xiao Ruan Wen looked frustrated, like she had a bitter truth she couldn't tell.

She glared at Xu Qingfan, signaling with her eyes: Honey, hurry and say something! (crossed out), it should be Brother Chou Fan, hurry and say something!

After the initial panic, Xu Qingfan gradually calmed down. He even felt a bit mischievous, thinking: Why not just go along with it and admit it?

"Why is Xiaofan not saying anything? Could this really be true?" Wen Wanqing looked at her daughter and then at Xu Qingfan, surprised.

Well, he got Q-ed.

Xu Qingfan had no choice but to be honest: "I'd love to date Ruan Wen, but look at how disgusted she seems, Auntie. Do you think I have a chance?"

He looked at Zhao Yuemin.

"Hehehe~ Auntie is rooting for Xiaofan. You'll definitely have a chance!" Maybe she was amused by Xu Qingfan's antics, or she just liked what he said; either way, Zhao Yuemin was very happy.

Xiao Ruan Wen stole a glance at Xia Xiaoxiao and found that she seemed to be looking at her. She immediately put on a serious face and said, "No need to look, Brother, you don't have a chance, OUT!"

"Who told you to talk?"

After getting slapped by Zhao Yuemin, Xiao Ruan Wen immediately shrunk into a ball.

"So Xiaofan actually likes Ruan Wen, huh? My daughter Wanning is going to be so disappointed." Wen Wanqing placed her hand on Lin Wanning's head, and the girl immediately pouted, looking like she was about to cry.

"It's okay! Hahaha, then I'll just be with Wanning instead." Xu Qingfan chose to express his true feelings in a joking manner.

"No objection from Wanning, no objection from me." Wen Wanqing thought he was joking and laughed along.

"Mom, I agree, agree, agree!" Lin Wanning immediately chimed in, playing along.

The mothers burst into laughter, Wen Wanqing lowered Lin Wanning's raised hand and gently tapped her palm, saying, "Be more reserved, my silly daughter."

"Heehee~ Mom, I'm not silly!" Lin Wanning laughed cutely, resembling someone who happily counted money after being sold.

Once the laughter subsided, Xu Qingfan seriously explained, "I don't know who started the rumors on the forum about me, Xiaoxiao, and Ruan Wen. We're already quite famous at school, so it spread quickly. We didn't take it seriously; the clean are clean."

For what Xu Qingfan said, Zhao Yuemin, Wen Wanqing, and Li Meijuan all believed him.

Only Yao Jinping was half-believing, and Zhang Chunxue believed less than ten percent.

"Did you tell the teacher? Those people are really bad," Li Meijuan expressed concern.

"Auntie has already told the teacher; it's been resolved," Xu Qingfan lied to prevent Li Meijuan from worrying.

"Glad it's resolved," Li Meijuan said with a sigh of relief.

"Yes, yes, let's continue barbecuing. Ruan Wen, your skewers are about to burn!" Xu Qingfan changed the subject.

"Ah... Where are they burning!" Xiao Ruan Wen flipped them over and realized she'd been tricked by Brother Chou Fan again.

"Hahaha!" After the laughter, Xu Qingfan successfully diverted the topic.

Although Zhang Chunxue wanted to continue prying, she gave up because Xiaofan didn't want to reveal more.

...

Night had deepened, the color of the coals faded from bright to dark, and even the fireflies quietly hid in the bushes to rest, no longer glowing.

Some skewers they brought were left uneaten. What a pity, if Xiaobai had come along, they could've all been roasted for an extra meal.

Only ten minutes remained until New Year's Day.

With full stomachs and a bit of drink, the moms and girls didn't want to move, even though there were fireworks waiting for them nearby.

So Xu Qingfan went over to light the carefully arranged fireworks, quickly ran back, and the next second, the brilliant radiance lit up his eyes, as well as everyone's faces.

Xu Qingfan sat back between Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi, his arms around them, appreciating the splendid fireworks with everyone.

The multicolored fireworks rose and fell in the sky, round or flat, with quirky shapes—it didn't matter, as long as the people you love and who love you were together at that moment, everything was just perfect.

Zhang Yiyi suddenly took a small notebook out of her pocket; she hadn't written or communicated with people in it for years, but the habit of keeping a palm-sized diary in her pocket persisted.

She quickly jotted down: I like you, like fireworks going up into the air, in every little corner of my heart, small fireworks burst open, crackling inside.

After writing, she put the notebook back in her pocket, not intending to show it to Xu Qingfan.