I have few friends, but many childhood sweethearts.

Chapter 133. A Day Without Adults

I slept for a long time.

When Xu Qingfan opened his eyes again, the bedroom with the curtains drawn was already bright with daylight.

The first thing he noticed when he woke up was the strange feeling in his hand. His right arm had been pressed stiffly by Xia Xiaoxiao's pillow all night.

Xia Xiaoxiao was lying on her side with her back to him, still fast asleep.

Xu Qingfan only realized after waking up that the two of them were sleeping in a rather intimate position.

Because they were sharing a pillow, the two were almost touching each other. His left arm had somehow wrapped around Xia Xiaoxiao's lower abdomen, and his hand had also very indecently slipped inside the little girl's pajamas, covering her navel.

Xu Qingfan carefully pulled his hand out, picked up the alarm clock on the bedside table, and saw that it was almost three o'clock in the afternoon.

When I was a child, I always seemed to sleep a lot, often sleeping for twelve or thirteen hours at a time. But as I grew up, my biological clock would naturally wake me up after seven or eight hours of sleep.

He got up, dressed, and squatted by the bed to watch Xia Xiaoxiao sleeping for a while.

I must say, she's quite pretty with her quiet demeanor.

Xu Qingfan took out a camera from the cabinet and took a few photos of Xia Xiaoxiao without makeup.

Because the flash was left on, the continuous glare woke the little girl from her deep sleep.

"What are you doing?" Xia Xiaoxiao asked lazily, opening her eyes a crack.

"I'll take an ugly picture of you!"

"Oh." Xia Xiaoxiao tucked her head under the covers, turned around, and continued sleeping.

"Get up, it's three in the afternoon. If you're still not up by the time I finish brushing my teeth, I'm not going to wait for you to eat." Xu Qingfan patted Xia Xiaoxiao in the blanket.

"It's so late?" Xia Xiaoxiao poked her head out from under the covers, picked up the alarm clock, and sure enough, it was 2:55.

After Xu Qingfan went out to brush his teeth, Xia Xiaoxiao kicked the blanket off, changed her clothes, and then folded the blanket for him.

[I slept for so long.] Xia Xiaoxiao was surprised at how long she could sleep as she returned home.

"I'm still so tired even after sleeping for so long." Xia Xiaoxiao yawned wearily and took out her keys to open the door.

Last night, after lying down, Xia Xiaoxiao kept thinking about her parents. She didn't fall asleep until almost five o'clock. If Xu Qingfan hadn't woken her up, she probably could have slept until dinner.

The sun was still very bright at three o'clock. After washing up, the two went out together and stood in the bustling street, lost in thought.

"Xu Qingfan, what are we going to eat?" Xia Xiaoxiao asked him, rubbing her rumbling stomach.

What to eat, that is the question.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, there are already fewer shops open. In addition, it's 3 p.m., which is neither too early nor too late, so many shops will choose to rest during this time and resume business at 5 p.m.

"Kid, would you like to know about McDonald's coupons?" Just as Xu Qingfan was about to speak, a young woman in a pink McDonald's uniform walked up to him, took two coupons out of her bag, and handed them to him.

"Oh, thank you," Xu Qingfan said instinctively.

After everyone left, he handed one of the papers to Xia Xiaoxiao, "Let's go eat McDonald's, see what you want to eat?"

The prices are still the same as I remember: medium fries with a sundae are 9.5 yuan, spicy wings with Orleans roasted wings are 12.5 yuan, and a spicy chicken burger with small fries is 14 yuan.

A small flyer held a magical power in Xu Qingfan's childhood in his previous life. He treasured it like a precious gem, taking it out to look at in his spare time and agonizing over which food to choose based on the pictures on the flyer.

He tore apart the squares of varying sizes that were divided by dotted lines, and hid the small pieces of paper in his books and cabinets. Although he never used them, whenever he encountered staff handing out KFC or McDonald's coupons on the street, he would still excitedly run up to ask for one.

"Xu Qingfan, I want a grilled chicken leg burger and Orleans roasted chicken wings!" Xia Xiaoxiao said after reading the order.

"You love Orleans so much, I'll make it for you at home next time."

"What you make isn't as good as McDonald's!"

"That's not necessarily true. If I buy fresh chicken wings, they'll definitely taste better than McDonald's. How can their frozen chicken compare to mine?"

As a local, even a child knows what it means for chicken to taste like chicken, and that chicken made with fresh ingredients is always the best.

[It would be so delicious to make Orleans roast chicken with freshly slaughtered free-range chicken!] Xia Xiaoxiao thought to herself.

"Let's do it first!" she said, though she was still unwilling to admit defeat.

"I don't have an oven at home, but I'll show you my skills next time I go back to the countryside!" Orleans roasted chicken is simply marinated with a packet of Orleans seasoning powder, and the method is no different from that of kiln-roasted chicken.

"When is the next time?" Xia Xiaoxiao asked.

"Next time is next time, how would I know when?" Xu Qingfan replied nonsensically. His parents hadn't even come home yet, how would he know when he would go to Chuxi Village again?

"Cut~"

When the two arrived at McDonald's, although it was past lunchtime, the restaurant was still quite crowded.

After queuing for a few minutes, Xu Qingfan, carrying a tray, and Xia Xiaoxiao, carrying two cups of cola, went up to the second floor one after the other.

The two found a seat by the window, and he skillfully squeezed the extra packet of ketchup onto his spicy chicken burger.

Xia Xiaoxiao picked up a French fry and put it in her mouth, then bent down and took a sip of cola. "Xu Qingfan, what are we going to do later?"

"Catch the goldfish, play video games at Sunshine Park, or play computer games at home. You can choose one."

Xia Xiaoxiao pursed her lips, showing no interest whatsoever. "I want to play with fire!"

"Pfft~ Woman, you want to play with fire?" Xu Qingfan laughed.

"What the heck? Xu Qingfan, what did you say?" Xia Xiaoxiao couldn't catch Xu Qingfan's lame joke and frowned at him.

[Trying to look cool again? So annoying!]
"If there's no fire to play with, we'll set a fire on the mountain and then go to the police station at the foot of the mountain. After we finish eating, let's go home first and call your mom and my parents. We'll go to Lin Wanning's house for dinner tonight!" Xu Qingfan tapped Xia Xiaoxiao's head and made his decision.

"Oh!" Xia Xiaoxiao was visibly unhappy.

Last night, Xu Qingfan was still playing Bubble Fighter when Lin Wanning suddenly popped up a video call request on his QQ. He immediately clicked to answer, regardless of whether he was winning or losing the game.

Xia Xiaoxiao watched the two video chat while sulking, and occasionally responded with a cold laugh when Lin Wanning mentioned her.

After learning that Xu Qingfan and Xia Xiaoxiao's parents were not home, the little girl was envious for a long time. This sense of freedom without adult constraints is something every child dreams of.

Fortunately, Lin Wanning went to bed at 10 p.m., and the video call only lasted for a little over half an hour. After agreeing to have dinner together at Lin Wanning's house the next afternoon, the call finally ended.

What was supposed to be a gaming session alone with Xu Qingfan, that stinky pig, suddenly saw more than half of it gone. Xia Xiaoxiao herself couldn't say whether playing games with Xu Qingfan until 3 a.m. last night had that factor in it.

The two devoured the hamburgers, fries, and chicken wings on the table in just over ten minutes. "Wipe your mouths, we're leaving now," Xu Qingfan said, pointing to the ketchup on Xia Xiaoxiao's lips.

"Humph~"

Even when they're out together, Xia Xiaoxiao still listens to him. After Xu Qingfan got up, Xia Xiaoxiao also got up, grabbing his clothes and following behind.

After eating and drinking their fill, the two soon returned to the Lotus Courtyard.

As Xu Qingfan picked up the landline to call Yao Jinping, he realized his mother had already called him more than a dozen times; she was probably still asleep and hadn't heard him. He immediately called back, and the call was quickly answered.

"Hey, Mom."

"Have you eaten? Why didn't anyone answer my calls earlier?"

"I ate early. Xia Xiaoxiao and I got up especially early today. We went to the library to read and do our homework first thing in the morning." Xu Qingfan lied without batting an eye.

Xia Xiaoxiao blushed as she listened. [He clearly slept until 3 PM and just ate lunch. Xu Qingfan is such a big liar!]
"Mom, where are you now? When are you coming home?" Xu Qingfan asked, taking over the conversation.

"It won't be that fast. It'll probably take two or three days for them to get back. We're in Changsha. Is Xiaoxiao there? Can you let Xiaoxiao answer the phone?"

Xu Qingfan put the phone on speakerphone and gestured for Xia Xiaoxiao to speak.

"Auntie, I'm here."

“It’s Xiaoxiao. If that brat Xu Qingfan does anything naughty at home, remember to call your aunt and I’ll put your mom on the phone.”

Hearing what his mother said, Xu Qingfan just pursed his lips speechlessly.

"Hmm!" Xia Xiaoxiao smiled smugly and glanced at Xu Qingfan.

Lin Jing's account was largely the same, mostly consisting of things like telling Xia Xiaoxiao to be careful and lock the door at night, but she didn't mention anything about looking for Xia Guofu.

After saying goodbye, Xu Qingfan helped hang up the phone. Xia Xiaoxiao looked like she had a lot of questions to ask, but the call had already been disconnected.

"Don't worry, your mom and dad will definitely make up." Xu Qingfan reached out and pinched her little face, and the little girl, unusually, did not resist.

It's said that women have a sixth sense, and Xia Xiaoxiao always felt that her mother's trip would bring back a bad ending.

Similarly, Xu Qingfan didn't really have much confidence in saying this; the voice he heard in the restroom of the Yanjing shopping mall last time felt like a thorn stuck in his throat.

[Could it be that the timeline changed because he persuaded the adults to buy crayfish wholesale?] he wondered to himself.

It's often said that men become bad when they have money, and that's actually quite possible.

After putting on her schoolbag, Xia Xiaoxiao dejectedly followed Xu Qingfan out the door.

Because she was in a bad mood, the little girl didn't even want to ride her bike anymore and just sat on the back of Xu Qingfan's bicycle, lost in thought.

"Hey!" Xia Xiaoxiao leaned her cheek against his back and sighed in disappointment.

Xu Qingfan didn't know how to comfort her, so he silently rode his bicycle, and the two soon arrived at Bi Gui Garden.

When I arrived at Lin Wanning's house by bike, Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi were playing with the new guard dog at the door.

"Brother Qingfan, come and see!" Upon seeing Xu Qingfan and Xia Xiaoxiao arrive on their bicycles, the two little ones eagerly pushed them to the puppy.

"Xiaobai can count! Brother Qingfan, I'll show you!" Lin Wanning said excitedly, "Xiaobai, what is 1+1?"

"Woof woof!" the fluffy white-furred Tusong rural dog barked loudly.

"Look, Brother Qingfan, look!" Lin Wanning pointed at the puppy proudly and showed off, "What is 4 minus 2, Xiaobai!"

"Woof woof!" Little White barked twice more.

"What is 10 minus 8, newbie?"

"Wang Wang!"

"Impressive, right!" Lin Wanning patted the dog's head and then turned back to the two of them with a grin.

Xu Qingfan finally understood. The dog would bark twice when called by its name. "What is 8 divided by 4, Xiaobai?" he asked, mimicking the gesture.

The little white dog just glanced up at him and then put its head back into Lin Wanning's palm.

Xu Qingfan:
"Hahaha~" Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi pointed at Xu Qingfan, who was looking embarrassed, and laughed so hard they almost fell over. Even Xia Xiaoxiao, who was originally in a low mood, suddenly smiled.

"What is 8 divided by 4, Xiaobai!" Lin Wanning repeated.

"Woof woof!" the puppy responded enthusiastically.

"Ningning, ask it what 1+2 equals." Xu Qingfan squatted down and patted the dog's head, saying to Lin Wanning.

"No, Brother Qingfan, Xiaobai can only calculate numbers with an answer of two!" Lin Wanning said to him sincerely.

“It’s obvious that it only barks twice,” Xia Xiaoxiao said, squatting down to pet the dog’s head.

"Woof woof woof!" No sooner had the words left his mouth than Little White barked three times in a row, as if to prove himself.

Xia Xiaoxiao was so frightened that she sat down on the ground.

"Little White, don't scare people!" Lin Wanning angrily smacked its head. The little white dog whimpered and looked at its little master with a pitiful expression.

"It's okay, it was my own carelessness." Xia Xiaoxiao patted the dog's head and stood up again.

Girls do like cute, fluffy little animals. If it were a teddy bear instead, Xia Xiaoxiao would probably avoid it like the plague.

"Come on, go inside and say hello to your parents," Xu Qingfan said, standing up as well.

"Ok!"

The four entered one after the other, and Lin Qiaoshan and Wen Wanqing came out of the kitchen to give the two red envelopes.

Happy New Year, you're another year older.

"It's been so long since Xiaoxiao has visited our home!"

"Happy New Year, Uncle! May you be rich and prosperous! May you stay forever eighteen, Sister!" Xu Qingfan happily accepted the red envelope from Wen Wanqing. He had been looking forward to this red envelope since he turned eighteen.

"Happy New Year, Uncle and Auntie," Xia Xiaoxiao said somewhat awkwardly.

Having a childhood friend like that is so embarrassing!
"Hey~ play at home for a while, dinner won't be ready for another hour." Wen Wanqing was very pleased to be called "older sister" and patted the two little heads with satisfaction.

"Ok!"

After the four children sat around and played two rounds of Monopoly, it was soon time for dinner.

Xu Qingfan and Xia Xiaoxiao didn't eat much at McDonald's. They only ordered a small portion of fries and shared a pair of Orleans chicken wings, so they weren't too full for dinner.

"The last time we ate together at home was when you were transitioning from kindergarten to primary school. It's like the blink of an eye, and you're already in second grade," Wen Wanqing said with a smile, looking at the four little ones who insisted on sitting side by side.

"Ningning remembers, Brother Qingfan said that we should toast to everyone being able to go to the same elementary school!" Lin Wanning swallowed the food in her mouth and raised her hand to say.

"Let's celebrate meeting Yi Yi and many new classmates! Cheers!" Xu Qingfan raised his glass.

"cheers!"

The crisp sound of glass colliding echoed in the living room, along with the cheerful laughter of everyone.

(End of this chapter)