I have few friends, but many childhood sweethearts.

Chapter 419. This eye patch is a bit strange.

The next day.

"It's over, it's over, Brother Qingfan is doomed!" Xu Qingfan was shaken awake from the bed by Lin Wanning.

He opened his eyes a crack and slowly saw that Lin Wanning, Zhang Yiyi, Xia Xiaoxiao, and Xiao Ruanwen were all gathered around his bed.

Recalling what happened after he confided in Xiaoyu last night, Xu Qingfan was instantly jolted awake.

He subconsciously touched the space beside him, only to find it empty. He then remembered that Wu Lingyu had already been carried back to her room by him last night.

Xu Qingfan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had almost thought that Xiaoyu was still in bed. The four of them had come to catch her in the act.

"What? You're not allowed to say such unlucky things so early in the morning." He got out of bed and casually flicked the girl on the forehead.

"Waaah~ Brother Qingfan, we overslept, we missed the sunrise." Lin Wanning covered his forehead and pointed to the brightly lit window with his other hand.

"Yeah, Fan-ge, did you and Xiao-yu both oversleep today? Your alarm clock was still ringing when we came in."

"Big brother, you lazy pig."

"He was probably up late playing on his phone again last night!"

The four girls didn't seem dissatisfied. After all, they had all overslept, so how could they possibly blame Xu Qingfan and Wu Lingyu?
Xu Qingfan patted his forehead, leaned on Lin Wanning, and fell asleep immediately: "How about we skip the sunrise and go see it next time we go to Mount Tai? Let's go back to sleep, okay?"

"Oh no!" the four exclaimed in unison.

They went to bed early last night, and they're full of energy at six in the morning!
"Brother Fan, get up quickly and take us to pick sugarcane!"

"Brother Qingfan said yesterday that he was going to go fishing!"

"Brother, wake up!"

"I can't afford it!"

No matter how the others responded, Xu Qingfan remained silent until Lin Wanning heard a soft snore beside her ear. Then she lowered her voice and whispered, "It seems like Brother Qingfan has fallen asleep again."

The four of them looked at each other in bewilderment, wondering whether Xu Qingfan had gone to steal chickens or pet dogs last night, and why he was still so sleepy even after sleeping for eight hours.
Xu Qingfan, who was already asleep, naturally couldn't answer. He hadn't stolen any chickens or dogs last night; he had only stolen some perfume and jade.

The four women had no choice but to cover him with the blanket again and silently leave the room.

Soon, the four of them arrived at Wu Lingyu's room.

Almost identical to Xu Qingfan, Xiaoyu was also fast asleep in bed. The only unusual thing was that the object covering her eyes was a pink bra.

"Pfft~ Haha cough cough cough." Xiao Ruanwen was instantly amused. Afraid of waking Xiaoyu, she could only laugh silently.

Lin Wanning, Zhang Yiyi, and Xia Xiaoxiao were also a bit confused. Normally, Xiaoyu would sleep fully clothed, but now she had not only taken off her pajamas, but also removed her last two pieces of clothing.

Wu Lingyu, who usually pays so much attention to her image, actually behaved like this. Something's not right, very not right!

They had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it.

Xiao Ruanwen, feeling playful, pounced on the bed and removed the "eye mask" that Xiaoyu used to block out the light.

The light and external noise woke Wu Lingyu up as expected.

She slowly opened her eyes and first saw Xiao Ruanwen waving her underwear in front of her, then Xia Xiaoxiao, Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi behind her.

"what!"

Wu Lingyu thought she was in Xu Qingfan's bed and was instantly startled awake.

The four of them were also startled by Xiaoyu's reaction, especially Xiao Ruanwen, who was so frightened that she jumped right off the bed, her head almost hitting the ceiling.

"Did Xiaoyu have a nightmare?" Zhang Yiyi asked with concern.

"Don't be afraid, Xiaoyu, you're already awake!" Lin Wanning reassured her.

“Dreams are always the opposite, dreams are always the opposite,” Xia Xiaoxiao said as she came to the bed and hugged Xiaoyu, who was still in a daze.

"Oh my god~ I was almost scared to death by Xiaoyu, how come she reacts the same way as Fan Ge when he wakes up!" Xiao Ruanwen patted her heaving chest to calm herself down.

Listening to the four people's words of comfort, Wu Lingyu gradually came to her senses.

[This seems to be my own room?]
Realizing this, she gradually calmed down, and the scenes from last night resurfaced in her mind.

[I felt so tired but also so comfortable at the time, so I fell asleep in Fan Ge's arms, I think. Fan Ge must have carried me back, hehe]
A blush slowly rose on Wu Lingyu's cheeks, but it came quickly and went even faster.

She suddenly felt a chill in her chest, and when she looked down, she discovered a pair of lively and adorable white rabbits exposed to the air.

"Ah~"

Wu Lingyu immediately burrowed back into bed, burying her head under the covers, too ashamed to show her face.

"Hehehe~ Xiaoyu, you only just noticed? I just saw that one looks bigger than the other, let me check!" Xiao Ruanwen mischievously reached into the blanket.

"Ruan Wen, no!"

"Let me see!"

"Ruan Wen, no!"

"Let me see!"

"do not want!"

"Hahaha"

The two women were making a ruckus in bed, and early in the morning they could enjoy the most beautiful scenery.

The five of them had been completely honest with each other many times before, so Wu Lingyu wasn't too shy. Besides, this level of intimacy didn't even compare to one percent of what she had with Fan Ge the night before.

"Xiaoyu looks so good today, her cheeks are rosy." After getting dressed again, Lin Wanning leaned closer to observe her closely.

“Mm,” Zhang Yiyi echoed.

"You know what, I think so too. Xiaoyu seems full of energy, unlike Fan Ge, who looks like he hasn't slept all night!"

Upon hearing about Xu Qingfan's condition, Wu Lingyu smiled broadly and asked with concern, "Brother Fan, haven't you gotten up yet?"

"She's asleep again!" Xia Xiaoxiao pouted.

"Maybe Fan has been too busy with work these past few days," Wu Lingyu said guiltily, trying to defend him.

Xu Qingfan's reason for feeling so weak—how could she not know? She knew better than anyone!
"That's true. We've been taken care of by Brother Fan since we were little. We're all the same age. While our peers are still chasing stars and playing games, Brother Fan is already managing a company."

Xiao Ruanwen still admired Xu Qingfan very much in her heart.

"Because he's Brother Qingfan!" Lin Wanning said with pride, taking it all for granted.

"Ok!"

The five girls smiled at each other.

Xu Qingfan was still sleeping, so the five of them's plan to go out and have fun was naturally ruined. Fortunately, the villa was big enough that there were still many things to do at home.

"Wake up! Breakfast includes steamed buns, fried dough sticks, egg pancakes, dried vegetable porridge, dumplings, and noodles. If you want any, Grandma will cook them for you."

Lai Manyao got up very early, not because of their arrival; she usually gets up at the crack of dawn. However, the sumptuous breakfast was indeed prepared for them.

"Thank you, mother-in-law!"

"We can just eat these, they all look so delicious!"

"Yeah!"

The five girls, beaming with joy, provided Lai Manyao with invaluable emotional support.

"Okay, just make yourself at home. Tell Grandma what you want to eat." Lai Manyao nodded kindly. "I love anything Grandma makes!"

"That's right!"

"My mother-in-law's cooking is even better than what hotel chefs make!"

"Correct!"

Lin Wanning and Xiao Ruanwen said that Wu Lingyu, Xia Xiaoxiao and Zhang Yiyi acted as eye-coverers, which made the old lady laugh heartily.

"I'll roast a goose for you all at noon. They're all grain-fed geese." Lai Manyao left the kitchen with a smile, preparing to pick out a big, fat goose from the chicken coop to butcher.

It is very common in rural areas to enclose chickens, ducks and geese together in an iron fence.

The five of them sat on the steps of the courtyard, eating their breakfast. The sun had not yet risen, and the early morning temperature was very pleasant.

Looking up, there are blue skies and white clouds; underfoot, there are dried vegetables and dried longans that my grandmother has been drying.

Wu Lingyu's eyes lit up as she stared at the dried longan on the winnowing basket. This was good stuff; she would take some with her when she left.

[Make soup and tea for Brother Fan!]
"By the way, does anyone know what kind of vegetables are used to make dried vegetables? I eat them often, but my family always just buys them ready-made," Xiao Ruanwen asked casually.

Lin Wanning and Zhang Yi exchanged a glance. Although they weren't completely ignorant about grains, they really didn't know such a detailed thing as what kind of vegetables to use for drying vegetables.

"Chinese cabbage."

"Little cabbage".

Xia Xiaoxiao and Wu Lingyu answered one after the other, and after finding that their answers matched, they smiled at each other.

“Oh, it’s bok choy,” Xiao Ruanwen closed her eyes and imagined what dried bok choy looked like. “It does look quite similar, but I can’t taste the bok choy flavor.”

She was chewing on a dried vegetable at the moment, and there was a basis for her statement.

None of the four knew how to answer Xiao Ruanwen's question, so they simply remained silent.

Fortunately, Xiao Ruanwen was just saying it casually and didn't take it to heart. She then asked, "Are we waiting for Brother Fan to wake up naturally? And what should we make for breakfast?"

"Let Qingfan sleep a little longer!" Wan Ning, the thoughtful little girl, immediately said.

"Yeah, Fan-ge is too tired." Wu Lingyu nodded in agreement. How could she not know whether Xu Qingfan was tired or not?

Since both of them have said so, there's no need to discuss this topic any further.

"How about we continue playing hide-and-seek?" Xiao Ruanwen suggested.

"Why don't we help Grandma kill the goose?" Zhang Yiyi raised her hand and pointed into the distance.

The four turned to look and saw Lai Manyao grabbing the wing of the big white goose as it returned.

The big white goose was making a huge fuss, and Grandma even slapped the disobedient goose twice.

Seeing this, all five couldn't help but laugh and exclaimed in unison, "Great!"

Xu Qingfan slept until almost 11 a.m. before finally waking up naturally.

"Ha~"

He yawned and got out of bed, looking around. The room where the four women had gathered was now empty.

Thinking back to how the four of them had come to conduct a surprise inspection that morning, Xu Qingfan couldn't help but admire his own resourcefulness.

Even though he was so tired last night, he still managed to resist his sleepiness and reluctance and carried Wu Lingyu back to his room.

Thinking about the consequences of not doing so, he couldn't help but feel uneasy about the outcome.

"Hey Hey."

Xu Qingfan leaned against the headboard when suddenly someone inexplicably started laughing. Anyone with experience would know at a glance that they had eaten meat.

Yes, vegetarian meat is still meat!
Taking advantage of the moment when he was undisturbed, he mentally reviewed what he had gained last night.

First and foremost, Xiaoyu didn't mind his insatiable greed, even though it was limited to the five of them. That was enough to excite Xu Qingfan.

[If we use Xiaoyu as a starting point, is there a chance to persuade Wan Ning and Yi Yi?]
[I don't think the chances are high.]
Xu Qingfan quickly shook his head. He said the same thing: the Qing Dynasty had been gone for over a hundred years, and he was no longer the emperor. How could Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi possibly accept sharing a husband?
Last night, if Wu Lingyu hadn't said, "Would Brother Fan not want me?", Xu Qingfan wouldn't have dared to gamble. After all, Wan Ning and Yi Yi wouldn't be as open about their cards as Xiao Yu.

[It's still so difficult. Xia Xiaoxiao already has that problem with her father. If I were to expose it, she would be furious, and might even have to go abroad to study earlier than planned!]
Xu Qingfan was a believer in fate. After all, such an absurd thing as rebirth had happened to him. If he still called himself an atheist, what else could he be but an idiot?
Therefore, the more this is the case, the less he wants Xia Xiaoxiao to study abroad. It would be best if she didn't even have to go abroad. Better safe than sorry.

"Let's keep this from Xiaoxiao for as long as we can. At worst, we can just give her back the same old story she told me in her past life," Xu Qingfan muttered to himself.

But believe it or not, you really shouldn't say it!

If Xia Xiaoxiao confesses her feelings to him when he graduates from high school, Xu Qingfan will say, "I don't plan to date during my four years of college."

Doesn't that sound amazing?

[Since you treated me like that in my past life, I'm bound to collect some interest, Xia Xiaoxiao!]
Having made up his mind about Xia Xiaoxiao's matter, only Xiao Ruanwen remained. To be honest, he hadn't made much progress with Xiao Ruanwen so far.

However, Xu Qingfan was not worried. The two still had a year to sit at the same table. Once something was in his bowl, it couldn't escape!

[I should ask Xiaoyu how she plans to handle Wan Ning and Yi Yi's situation when I have the chance.]
The man's smile suddenly froze, and a nameless sense of guilt welled up in his heart.

[Ugh, I'm such a dog!]
"Snapped."

He gave himself a big pat on the back: "If you can't even bear this much guilt, how can you talk about giving them a home!"

Human nature is so complex. Xu Qingfan felt that it wasn't so bad to feel guilty. At least it could constantly remind him: You owe these five people. You can't be too greedy. Five is enough!
He suddenly remembered the movie "Goodbye Mr. Loser" titled "Just Once".

[Could we change it to five times if there's a chance?]
Five times is enough, and I'll show you the world forever!
"Brother Qingfan, you're awake!"

"Good morning, brother!"

"Brother Fan, there are still steamed buns!"

"You still know to get up."

"Haha, Fan-ge, you can really sleep!"

When Xu Qingfan came downstairs, he saw five girls helping Lai Manyao pick vegetables in the living room.

"So diligent! My mother-in-law likes girls who are quick and efficient." Xu Qingfan smiled and waved to them.

"What time is it? These girls finally come back, and they don't get up until the sun is high in the sky!" Lai Manyao said angrily.

"My cousin is Lazybones! My cousin is Lazybones!" Yao Zixin shouted, pointing at Lazybones on the TV.

"What is cousin? Say it again!" Xu Qingfan walked over as if to hit him, but Yao Zixin immediately hid in his grandmother's arms.

"Hehehe~ My cousin is the Big Bad Wolf!" With Lai Manyao backing him up, he sneered.

“Then you must be Fat Tiger when he was a kid!” Xu Qingfan raised an eyebrow and turned to leave.

Yao Zixin was stunned. At such a young age, he had never heard such insults before, and he immediately burst into tears, crying, "Waaah, Grandma, I'm not Fatty Tiger! I'm not!"

"No, no, Zincie isn't." Lai Manyao didn't know anything about Fat Tiger or Fat Cat; he naturally had to spoil his grandson who was crying.

"really?"

“It’s fake, you are Yao Zixin, you are Fat Tiger when he was a child!” Xu Qingfan saw that his tears had stopped and turned around to say.

"Waaaaah, Grandma and my cousin are bullying me!"

"Yao Zixin is..." Under Lai Manyao's glare, he fled into the kitchen.

"Hahaha!"

(End of this chapter)