The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

Lost in thought, Xu Nian had unknowingly returned to her neighborhood.

He shook his head, leaving his bad mood downstairs.

Don't think about it too much. Xu Xi has grown up and will take good care of herself.

Moreover, Wen Yao and the others also applied to Yuncheng University.

Having so many friends around allows us to look out for each other.

As for myself, I'll be delivering meals for a few extra hours every day from now on.

When you're so tired that you just collapse into bed as soon as you get home, you won't feel lonely.

That's perfect, my sister's expenses will increase even more when she goes to university.

I need to earn more money so that my younger sister can't only envy other people's pretty dresses.

He climbed the stairs step by step, illuminated by the dim hallway lights, took out his key from his pocket, turned the lock, and opened the door to his home.

Pushing open the door, I saw many unfamiliar shoes laid out on the ground.

There are both men and women, but they are not myself or my sister.

Xu Nian frowned in confusion.

"Brother, you're back!"

Xu Xi took light, quick steps to the door, carefully bent down, and took the vegetables from her brother's hands.

She was both surprised and delighted when she saw the fresh whole chicken.

How did my brother know that I'd been craving spicy chicken for a long time?

"Xiaoxi, do we have guests over?"

Xu Nian rubbed her fingers, which were a little numb from being squeezed, and pointed to the shoes on the ground.

"Xu Nian, it's me."

Wen Yao appeared behind Xu Xi with a smile.

"We're here too!"

In the living room, Qi Yu, sitting on the sofa, called out to Xu Nian at the door.

Beside him, Zhao Lin was holding his hand and politely nodded to Xu Nian.

"Hey? You guys are here! I just finished grocery shopping. Let's all get together tonight."

Xu Nian hurriedly put on an apron, intending to go to the kitchen to cook and entertain the guests.

"No need, Brother Xu Nian, we finished eating before we came."

Wen Yao waved to Zhao Lin and Qi Yu, who stood up and walked over together, surrounding Xu Nian with Xu Xi.

"What...what's going on here?"

Xu Nian raised an eyebrow, suddenly feeling somewhat at a loss.

His mind raced, trying to recall what special day it was.

First, let's rule out his birthday, because it was already celebrated two days ago. Xu Xi made a huge cake by hand, and it tasted amazing.

"Xu Nian, I heard you want to open a restaurant on the food street next to Yunnan University, is that right?"

Xu Xi pulled him to a chair at the dining table and sat him down, her two small, pink hands pressing on his shoulders, as if worried that he might try to run away.

Wen Yao, Qi Yu, and Zhao Lin sat opposite Xu Nian, looking at him seriously as if they were interviewing a new employee.

"Um... I had considered this before, but I gave up after considering some issues."

Xu Nian answered truthfully, then turned to look at Xu Xi behind him, asking her with his eyes what was going on.

Xu Xi just smiled and said nothing.

"We're here today to help you solve your problem."

Wen Yao cleared her throat and continued.

"We've all tasted Xu Nian's cooking; he's definitely a master chef. Everything he makes tastes delicious, so there's no problem with the flavor."

"As for opening a store, my family runs a small supermarket, so I can help you with all the procedures and formalities involved."

"I know a little about renovation and design, so I can help if you need to renovate."

Zhao Lin said with a smile.

As the daughter of a once-leading construction family in Yuncheng, even without formal training, she had acquired some knowledge about interior design through exposure.

"Uh... I don't know much, but could you help Brother Xu taste the new dishes and see if they're good?"

Qi Yu scratched his head and chuckled.

Zhao Lin glared at him, then reached under the table and pinched his waist hard.

"Cough cough cough... I have a mouth, I can help Brother Xu promote his business!"

"Thank you for your kind offer, but I'd better not. I don't have much savings and I don't plan to risk opening a shop. If I lose money, I can't afford it."

Xu Nian shook his head with a wry smile, feeling a touch of warmth in his heart, while patting Xu Xi's small hand on his shoulder with a hint of reproach.

Without a doubt, it must have been Xu Xi, that little girl, who invited them here.

It's such a hassle that I brought up something so casually and got so many people involved to give me advice.

Wen Yao smiled, took a black bag out of her bag, and placed it in front of Xu Nian.

Upon opening the bag, one finds a stack of bundled banknotes.

"Brother Xu Nian, here is 10,000 yuan. Consider it my investment. Once you make money, just treat me to a meal. If you lose it, just consider it as me not winning the lottery and you don't have to pay it back."

"And mine too!"

Qi Yu also took out a bundle of banknotes, about the same thickness as Wen Yao's.

"Brother Xu, I've relied on you a lot these past few years. If I can help you in any way, I certainly won't shirk my responsibility."

Zhao Lin, who was beside him, remained silent and handed over her own portion as well.

A total of 30,000 yuan was neatly stacked in front of Xu Nian.

Xu Xi went into her room and took out the box where she kept her savings from under the bed.

The small tin box that started out has now been replaced by a wooden crate.

This is all the money Xu Xi has earned from part-time jobs over the past two years, plus the living expenses her brother gave her, and the remaining amount.

At first glance, the money appears to be a mix of small and large sums, making it difficult to determine the exact amount, but it is certain that it is more than ten thousand.

"Brother, you are never alone. I am behind you, we are behind you, we are all behind you."

"Brother Xu Nian, let's rent that noodle shop. No matter what problems we encounter, there's strength in numbers, and we can help you overcome them!"

"Yeah, Brother Xu, it's too dangerous to run a food delivery business on the street. There are cars coming and going everywhere. Recently, there have been more and more elderly people driving cars that don't follow traffic rules at all. If you can just open a shop and make money peacefully, you shouldn't take the risk anymore."

Xu Nian's expression changed several times, showing shock, emotion, disbelief, and incredulity.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't utter a word.

Tears welled up in his eyes when his younger sister brought out her secret stash of money.

After more than ten years of working in society, in order to make a living, I have done all sorts of jobs, from carrying bricks and hauling loads from buildings to scavenging for scraps and working on assembly lines... doing the most tiring work and earning the hardest money.

He longed to escape this kind of life and have a stable career.

With virtually no ability to withstand risks, coupled with a lack of education, even when the steps are right in front of them, they lack the ability and courage to climb them.

And now, so many friends are willing to help him and help him reach this level.

If you still hesitate because of worries, you would be letting down all this hard work.

"Thank you... thank you all, I will pay you back!"

"What do you mean 'repay'? Consider it our food expenses. Brother Xu probably doesn't mind having an extra table of freeloaders every lunchtime, hahaha!"

"You're dreaming! I'll keep you here to wash dishes!"

Xu Nian smiled and turned her head away, not wanting anyone to see her tears.

Seeing that her brother had finally made up his mind, Xu Xi rubbed her heart and breathed a long sigh of relief.

Brother, we finally don't have to be apart anymore...

......