I have few friends, but many childhood sweethearts.

Chapter 530. Enemy Retreats, We Advance: A Quiet Strategy

Xu Qingfan walked ahead, cheerfully giving scores to each class. But when Xiao Ruanwen walked up to him, he immediately put on a stern face and pretended to be disappointed.

Xiao Ruanwen believed it to be true, and a strange sense of guilt rose in her heart.

But the one who should be held responsible is not herself. She was just keeping her promise to her sisters. What did she do wrong?

But feelings are not like code programming, where one is one and two is two.

Xiao Ruanwen knew in her heart that she had not done anything wrong, but when she saw the disappointment in Xu Qingfan's eyes, she couldn't help but feel heartbroken.

On one side is Fan Ge, who has taken care of her since childhood, and on the other side is her best friend since childhood. No matter which side she wrongs, her conscience will be tormented.

So annoying!
[If only I hadn't been so foolish back then, and hadn't agreed to Xiaoxiao's request.]
Xu Qingfan had no idea that Xiao Ruanwen had so much inner turmoil. He just kept advancing when the enemy retreated and retreating when the enemy advanced, and continued to conquer her little by little.

After sweeping the third and fourth floors, the two quickly arrived at the classroom on the second floor.

Lin Wanning didn't go to the toilet during the long break and was sitting alone in the classroom.

When she saw Xu Qingfan and Xiao Ruanwen enter from the front, the girl's previously unfocused pupils instantly lit up. "Brother Qingfan!"

"What about me? Why didn't Wan Ning call me!" To cover up her guilty conscience, Xiao Ruanwen deliberately went to chat with Lin Wan Ning.

"Hehe~ Ruan Wen." After exchanging glances with Xu Qingfan, Lin Wanning turned his gaze to Xiao Ruan Wen.

"You guys chat for a bit, I'll go register the scores for the class next door first," Xu Qingfan said with a smile.

"Mmm!" Lin Wanning nodded obediently; it could be recorded and turned into an emoji.

After Xu Qingfan left, Xiao Ruanwen leaned back in Zhang Yiyi's chair and said, "Phew~ Wanning, how long will it take for your foot to heal?"

Lin Wanning tilted his head and thought for a moment, then said, "Brother Qingfan said that after the cast is removed, we will need to do rehabilitation training slowly, and it may not be until the New Year that we will be fully recovered."

"Wan Ning, why do you always say what Qing Fan said? You have no opinions of your own. Can't you just stop talking about him?" Xiao Ruanwen pinched her right cheek with a look of exasperation.

"what?"

Lin Wanning opened her mouth slightly, her expression saying: Do you want to listen to what you're saying?
“Why can’t I say ‘Brother Qingfan’? I like to say it!” she retorted defiantly.

Xiao Ruanwen just wanted to take this opportunity to vent her feelings about Brother Fan, she didn't mean anything else. She hung her head and said, "Okay, okay, I was just joking, Wan Ning, just say what you want to say."

"What do you mean, 'say whatever you want'? What are you talking about?" Xu Qingfan happened to come in through the back door at that moment and heard everything clearly.

"without"

Before Xiao Ruanwen could even brush it off, Lin Wanning spoke up: "Ruanwen told me not to keep saying 'Brother Qingfan, Brother Qingfan,' and guess whether I'll say it or not?"

After she finished speaking, she winked playfully.

Xiao Ruanwen felt that her little secret had been seen through by that stinky Fan Ge, and she was too ashamed to face him. She wanted to lower her head and play with her fingers, but her view was blocked by the cluster of breasts.

In reality, Xu Qingfan saw through her little secret. He stopped teasing Xiao Ruanwen and instead said to Lin Wanning, "Wanning, don't you want to go to the bathroom? Why are you alone in the classroom?"

Lin Wanning was about to say that he had already gone to urinate in the last class, but the urge to urinate came suddenly, like rain in June.

"I'm waiting for Brother Qingfan and Ruanwen to take me to the duck restaurant!" she said with her arms crossed and outstretched.

With Lin Wanning by his side, his plan to win over Xiao Ruanwen could no longer proceed. He nodded in agreement, "Okay, it's convenient since Ruanwen is here too."

As Xu Qingfan pushed Lin Wanning out of the classroom, Xiao Ruanwen silently got up and followed behind.

"Brother Qingfan, I clearly went to the bathroom just last class, this is really strange," Lin Wanning said.

"Did you drink too much water?"

"Since there were no ducks, I just drank a few sips of water."

“It’s not easy to sweat in winter, so metabolic waste accumulates, making it easier to go to the toilet. I saw that when I was doing biology problems,” Xiao Ruanwen said, wiping her mouth.

"Oh~ I see. Ruan Wen, in which question did you see the duck?" Lin Wanning thought about it seriously, but really couldn't remember.

Xiao Ruanwen looked slightly embarrassed and said, "It's not the 'Knowledge Extension' section under the Biology Gold List."

The workbooks used at their school are called Century Golden List, and at the bottom of each page, a paragraph or a knowledge extension is printed.

Like the displacement reaction between magnesium and zinc compounds in a chemistry workbook (Mg + ZnSO4 = Zn + MgSO4), your magnesium stole my zinc;
Or perhaps it's from a geography book: keep heading west, cross the twilight line, cross the International Date Line, and return to the day you first met.

"Hehe~ So Ruan Wen, you like watching ducks too." When Lin Wanning was slacking off while studying, her favorite thing to do was flip through the blank pages of her workbook.

The three of them walked and chatted, and when they arrived at the accessible toilet downstairs, the broadcast gymnastics on the playground had already reached the eighth section.

After Xu Qingfan took out his key and opened the door, he stood at the doorway and said, "You guys go in, I'll wait outside."

"Ok!"

"You want to go in if I'm not waiting outside?" Xiao Ruanwen said, giving Xu Qingfan a reproachful look.

After the two went inside, they quickly locked the door from the inside.

Xu Qingfan leaned against the wall, gazing at the laboratory building in thought: [What excuse should I use to lure Ruan Wen over next time?]
Unlike Xia Xiaoxiao and Wu Lingyu, who often have opportunities to spend time alone together, Xu Qingfan rarely has the chance to be alone with Xiao Ruanwen, whether at home or at school.

Hearing the sound of the toilet flushing, he stood up straight again and patted the dust off his back.

"Brother Qingfan, shall we go eat some tea eggs?" Lin Wanning waved her little hands, shaking off the water droplets as she came out.

"Then eat!" Xu Qingfan wiped her hands on his school uniform pants to dry them, that's how school uniforms are used.

"Buy one for Xiaoxiao too." Xiao Ruanwen's words had a hidden meaning.

Xu Qingfan pretended to understand her warning, his bright smile froze on his face, and the fleeting disappointment was noticed by Xiao Ruanwen, who had been observing him all along.

Xiao Ruanwen clenched her fists secretly, and her heart began to clench again.

We agreed last week that if Xu Qingfan won first prize in the performance, he would treat everyone to dinner.

After Xu Qingfan ordered Pizza Hut for the last class, as soon as the school bell rang, Wu Shichong and Lai Chenglang volunteered to run errands and immediately rushed out of the classroom.

They walked slowly to the cafeteria, and when they arrived, the two of them were already waiting at the entrance.

Wu Shichong shook the two large bags he was carrying and said, "Brother Fan, why did you buy so much? There are seven of us, we can't possibly finish it all, can we?" This dinner was a team-building event for their group, which included six members plus He Caiting.

"If you can't finish it, you can take it back and share it with everyone," Xu Qingfan said.

Their customs here are still very pure. They don't think that packing leftovers for roommates is disrespectful. On the contrary, if a roommate eats high-end food, they will even call you godfather.

Of course, it can't be too outrageous. If you only pack the potatoes for stewed pork ribs with potatoes, or only pack the vermicelli for steamed scallops with vermicelli, then you're really making a fool of people.

The cafeteria was already packed on the first floor at this hour. Xu Qingfan pointed to the convenience store and said to the group, "Ruan Wen and I will go to the convenience store to buy drinks. You guys go upstairs and grab some seats."

Without waiting for Xiao Ruanwen's objection, he forcefully took her hand after he finished speaking.

Many onlookers at the entrance recognized the two and became excited upon seeing the scene, calling out to their friends as quietly as possible.

He Caiting noticed the embarrassed and annoyed look on Xiao Ruanwen's face. She seemed to be thinking about something and said, "Brother Fan, I'm not feeling well these days and can't drink cold drinks."

Xu Qingfan gave him an "OK" sign, and seeing that no one else had any special requests, he pulled Xiao Ruanwen into the convenience store.

"Fan-ge is really brave, daring to hold the squad leader's hand in public." Wu Shichong said immediately after they separated.

"Perhaps Brother Fan has a clear conscience," Wang Xuan subconsciously tried to defend Xu Qingfan.

"What did Brother Fan say? Are he and Xiaoxiao dating?" He Caiting missed the gossip during the morning reading session, so she took the opportunity to ask the others.

"No, my brother Fan said they agreed that when he goes on stage to give her flowers, Xia Xiaoxiao will kiss him." Wu Shichong patted Lai Chenglang and said indignantly, "Damn it, why didn't anyone agree with me? I really want to kiss her too!"

"You should reflect on yourself. Renfan holds hands with you all the time, are you still on your phone? Are you still there?" Lai Chenglang said, trying to kill him.

"Damn it, shut up! How would I know what's going on? I can understand her asking me about Brother Fan, but she keeps asking about the class monitor. Do you think she likes me but is too embarrassed to say it directly?" Wu Shichong said, utterly bewildered.

"Maybe she likes the class monitor," He Caiting said casually, unaware of the unspoken message between the two.

"How could that be? How could a girl like another girl? Sister Caiting, you must be joking." Wu Shichong immediately denied it.

"I don't know about that." He Caiting shrugged and then asked, "Is it true that Fan Ge and Ruan Wen are dating, as mentioned on the forum?"

Before Wu Shichong could even answer, Wang Xuan immediately said, "That's impossible. Ruan Wen told me that she only feels for Fan Ge as a brother, and it's impossible for her to be in a relationship with him."

[The feeling of having a brother. Isn't that even more exciting?] He Caiting was lost in thought and didn't respond to her anymore.

After the five of them found a place to sit down, Xu Qingfan and Xiao Ruanwen returned shortly afterward, carrying drinks in their hands.

"Here, Coke, Sprite, Fanta, aloe vera juice, choose whichever you want." He placed the drinks on the table, and bought red date-flavored hot milk for He Caiting.

"Thank you, Brother Fan!"

Pizza Hut's pizzas and snacks are delicious, but the drinks are really disappointing—expensive and unpalatable.

"Haha, class monitor, we were just talking about Wu Shichong and the class monitor from the next class. She always asks Wu Shichong about you." Since eating is always accompanied by conversation, Lai Chenglang casually remarked.

"Why are you asking me?" Xiao Ruanwen felt quite confused.

Xu Qingfan was stunned on the spot, as if he had been awakened from a dream by those words!
He said that he felt like he had forgotten something for a while, but now he remembered that the class monitor (a girl) from the next class had confessed to Xia Xiaoxiao in his past life.

"Maybe she likes Ruan Wen." Xu Qingfan could only hint at this much.

"How can you say that, Brother Fan? How could a girl possibly like another girl? What a joke!" Wu Shichong rolled his eyes, indicating that his joke was not funny at all.

It's hard to reason with a damned devil. Xu Qingfan ate in silence, thinking to himself: "She'll behave herself the day she asks you for help to deliver a love letter to Ruan Wen."

After the event, Xu Qingfan and Xiao Ruanwen walked home together.

It was a rare moment of solitude, but Xiao Ruanwen was constantly on guard, keeping at least three meters away from him even when walking. If Xu Qingfan showed any sign of getting close, she would immediately speed away.

Xu Qingfan looked at her amusedly and said, "Is it fun?"

"Why are you playing if it's not fun!"

"what!"

When Xiao Ruanwen turned around to glare at him, she wasn't looking where she was going and accidentally bumped into a lamppost.

"You're still laughing!" Seeing Xu Qingfan still mocking her, Xiao Ruanwen was furious.

"Hahaha, it's funny but you won't let me laugh, oh my... Okay, okay, I won't laugh anymore, I won't laugh anymore." After Xiao Ruanwen grabbed his ear, he raised his hands in surrender.

"I've never seen anyone as infuriating as you!" Xiao Ruanwen probably laughed at her own stupidity. After rubbing her forehead where she had been bumped, she was too lazy to maintain any safe distance from him.

"It's your own fault for not watching where you're going." Xu Qingfan also wanted to rub it for her, but after his hand was pushed away twice, he finally succeeded on the third try. "It's nothing serious, the bump will go away after your nap."

A warm feeling welled up in Xiao Ruanwen's heart. She stood there with her hands in her pockets, letting him blow on her "wound".

Xu Qingfan took her hand again and they continued on their way. For the rest of the journey, neither of them spoke.

When they were almost at the school gate, the two tacitly separated their hands, pretending that nothing had happened.

"Oh~ Only Xiaoyu is here?" Xiao Ruanwen jogged over, using her running to hide the blush on her face.

“Ruan Wen, Brother Fan.” Wu Lingyu nodded. “Xiao Xiao and Wan Ning are probably still having their celebration party.”

"By the way, everyone in our class is talking about what happened on the forum. I hope it didn't affect you guys?" Wu Lingyu looked at Xu Qingfan, also suspecting that he might have posted the thread.

Xu Qingfan understood his gaze and glared back: "I don't know who made up this up, saying that Ruan Wen and I kissed in the laboratory building. I almost believed it myself."

Xiao Ruanwen pinched him quietly, then hugged Xiaoyu from behind and said, "What impact could it have? Anyway, I'm upright and have nothing to fear, right, Xiaoyu?"

The five of them had a heart-to-heart talk last night, and Wu Lingyu understood the unspoken meaning in her words.

“Well, Brother Fan isn’t a hundred-yuan bill,” Wu Lingyu said, echoing her words from the previous night.

"That's right, that's right, Xiaoyu, let's stay away from him!" Xiao Ruanwen pulled Xiaoyu to a corner to whisper.

"What are you plotting? Can't you tell me?" Xu Qingfan shouted.

"Get away from me, don't eavesdrop!" Xiao Ruanwen brandished her fist.

Xu Qingfan just wanted to laugh when he saw it, but when his eyes met Wu Lingyu's, he thought to himself: You probably haven't seen Infernal Affairs!
[I'll ask Xiaoyu about it later.]
(End of this chapter)