Damn it, I'm surrounded by childhood sweethearts

After getting home, the reason for their long absence was easily dismissed with the excuse of buying shaved ice.

As for why the lips were so swollen?

"Um... the spicy chicken wings were really too spicy," Xu Qingfan said.

...

In the spacious kitchen, Xu Qingfan was guiding several girls in preparing the lunch, but Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi had stealthily slipped away at some point.

It was only after they made it to the second-floor balcony and locked the door that Lin Wanning eagerly bumped her thumbs together, winking frantically at the girl.

Zhang Yiyi’s face showed an expression that was a mix of coyness and shyness, as she bashfully nodded her head in acknowledgment.

Lin Wanning’s eyes instantly widened with excitement, her hopping and jumping likely an expression of happiness for her good friend’s successful kiss.

"Hehe~ Kissing is magical, isn’t it? I told you Brother Qingfan is so amazing!" she whispered into the girl’s ear.

Zhang Yiyi blushed and nodded, her lovely eyes expressing emotion as she lowered her voice, "When we were in the bathroom, we even bumped into an auntie and Xiao Xiao’s mom. It was so scary."

"Ah? Then what happened, was the auntie angry?" Lin Wanning was shocked, then immediately panicked because it was she who had instigated Yiyi to kiss, and it would be so unfair if Yiyi got into trouble because of it!

Luckily, Zhang Yiyi immediately shook her head: "Sister and I were inside the bathroom, the auntie and the others were talking outside, they didn’t know it was us."

"Phew~ that’s a relief, that’s a relief. Yiyi, why can’t you just say everything at once? You scared me to death!" Lin Wanning pouted a little aggrieved.

Zhang Yiyi’s face broke into a smile upon seeing her expression, squeezing the girl’s cheek, "Alright, thank you Wanning!"

"Hehe~ What are you saying? Brother Qingfan is ours, Wanning kissed him, so Yiyi of course has to kiss him too. It’s only fair that way!" After saying that, Lin Wanning even planted a kiss on the girl’s lips, showcasing a triumphant demeanor.

Zhang Yiyi was startled for a moment, then quickly cast a reproachful glance at her: "Girls shouldn’t be kissing each other like that."

"Why not? Brother Qingfan is someone Wanning likes, Yiyi and mom like him too, and it’s okay to kiss someone you like!" Lin Wanning instantly turned into a little fan, hugging her and after thinking for a moment added, "Dad is someone Wanning likes, too, but Dad can’t be kissed!"

Thank goodness Lin Qiaoshan wasn’t around to see his leaky little cotton-padded jacket—or he would’ve definitely fainted in the bathroom.

Zhang Yiyi didn’t say anything more because she knew that Wanning was just that kind of person—a little sunshine, the little angel who healed her childhood traumas.

As for brother, he was the irrational one who kicked away her shadows, leading her through thorns by the hand like a great hero.

Thinking of how she had brought her brother to his knees, a sly smile surfaced on Zhang Yiyi’s face. She leaned toward Lin Wanning and whispered secrets.

That afternoon, what exactly the two discussed remained a mystery to outsiders, but Lin Wanning’s eyes seemed to have stars installed in them, growing brighter and brighter.

...

Even though buying groceries had taken up quite some time, Xu Qingfan—who was skilled at making quick dishes—still managed to whip up a hearty meal before two o’clock in the afternoon.

As long as the kitchen was well-equipped and tasks were allocated sensibly, preparing a table full of dishes didn’t really take that long.

However, the green bean-stewed pork trotters and sweet and sour pork that Xia Xiaoxiao and Xiao Ruawen had specially requested would have to wait until dinner.

This noon meal marked the first time the six of them had sat down together for a proper meal since moving into their new home, and it required the necessary sense of ceremony.

Xu Qingfan opened a bottle of red wine from the wine cabinet and poured a small cup for each girl after letting it breathe.

Having followed Zhang Chunxue in her travels north and south over the years, he still didn’t care for alcohol, but his taste had gradually developed.

His conclusion was that bad-tasting wines were expensive, the slightly more palatable ones were essentially fruit vinegar, and the truly awful ones were the worthless cooking wines.

"We’re going to have separate evening self-study sessions tonight, so here’s to a smooth new semester for all of us. Cheers!" Xu Qingfan raised his glass and said.

The five girls stood up, their glasses clinking melodically in the room.

"Cheers!"

Xu Qingfan drank his first, but the five girls, as though they had agreed upon this earlier, none of them took a sip.

"Huh~ why aren’t you drinking?" He asked confusedly as it dawned on him.

"Because Brother Fan you made a decision without considering our opinions, so you have to drink five glasses," Xiao Ruawen said as she set down her glass, holding up five fingers.

"Brother Qingfan was too naughty this time, I’m mad!" Lin Wanning followed, pouting in complaint.

"Making an unnecessary fuss," Xia Xiaoxiao said with her arms crossed and a schadenfreude expression.

"Brother has to accept punishment!" Zhang Yiyi stated, already handing her cup to him.

Since it was just low-alcohol red wine, and one glass was just a gulp, drinking ten glasses really wouldn’t be a big deal.

Wu Lingyu pursed her lips, struggling not to speak up in Brother Fan’s defense.

Xu Qingfan smiled helplessly, "Okay~ I’ll drink five glasses then. Does that mean you’ll forgive me for this?"

"Hehe~ then let’s forgive Brother Qingfan!" Lin Wanning said, wrinkling her nose adorably.

"But you still have to be at our beck and call!" Xiao Ruawen immediately remembered what Brother Fan had promised that morning.

"Right!"

"Hahaha..."

With one voice, the five girls’ laughter soon flooded the entire room.

Watching their joyful faces, Xu Qingfan’s helplessness turned into a bitter smile.

If only they could continue to live in harmony like this in the future, not to mention just drinking five glasses of wine, if it meant they could spend their lives driving luxury cars and living in mansions, he would be more than willing.