Damn it, I'm surrounded by childhood sweethearts
Chapter 769 518: A Girl's Heart (Part 2)

"Qingfan, is there something special about this date?" Lin Wanning raised her hand to ask, like Superman shooting out a ray.

"201314, love you for a lifetime!" Xiao Ruawen reacted first, clapping her thigh as she said.

Everyone suddenly realized why they had to wait another fifty thousand years if they missed it, because it meant "I love you for a lifetime."

Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi exchanged glances. The two of them had originally planned to confront Xu Qingfan during their sophomore year, but plans couldn't keep up with change and it happened more than a year earlier.

Although they've confronted him now, Xu Qingfan still hasn't confessed in person. Even saying "I love you" hasn't happened, so they don't consider it a real relationship.

[Should we confess separately or together?]

[Qingfan must confess to us!]

The two of them simultaneously looked at Xu Qingfan, giving a meaningful glance.

Xia Xiaoxiao was also looking at Xu Qingfan. Back in middle school, the urgency given by Wanning led to her giving him her first kiss somewhat haphazardly.

[Why can't this stupid dog just confess to me proactively?]

Xia Xiaoxiao slightly pursed her lips, hesitating whether to make the stupid dog confess on that special day. By then she would be sixteen, not considered young love anymore.

As for her confessing to Xu Qingfan, never in a million years!

...

As it approached evening study time, everyone returned to their own classes.

On both Xu Qingfan's and Xiao Ruawen's desks, there was a bottle of Wang Zhenlong herbal tea. Despite being called "herbal" tea, it's a drink consumed all year round by people in Hong Kong.

"He Caiting bought it, saying it's to prevent the heat from eating KFC, so that the class rep won't have trouble with her voice the next day while singing," Wu Shichong explained before they could even ask.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingfan instinctively turned to look at He Caiting, who happened to be looking at him too.

Xu Qingfan smiled and nodded, and after a slight daze, she quickly smiled and nodded back.

"Just in time, I've been feeling a bit overheated lately." He twisted open the cap and downed the herbal tea in one go.

Xiao Ruawen did the same, frowning as she finished drinking her herbal tea.

It seems the more beneficial the food is to the body, the worse it tastes. Herbal tea is no different; it's been bitter since they were kids.

After finishing her herbal tea, Xiao Ruawen patted Xu Qingfan's arm. Xu Qingfan seamlessly handed her his water bottle.

After drinking quite a bit of water intermittently to neutralize it, the bitter taste on the tongue finally faded away.

"Aren't you grown up yet? You still drink herbal tea like a kid." Xu Qingfan tightened the bottle cap again, smiling.

Sharing a water bottle is pretty normal for them. Sometimes, if Xiao Ruawen eats something she doesn't like, she passes it to Xu Qingfan after taking a bite.

"Hey, when we go onstage tomorrow, do we just sing, or should we start with a cool introduction?" Xiao Ruawen ignored his teasing and addressed everyone.

"Sure, 'Holding the sun and moon, picking the stars; no one like me in the world. Hello everyone, we are Dream Team, Class 16 of Grade 11!" Wu Shichong instantly played into his inner nerd with a presentation.

"Haha..."

Xu Qingfan and Xiao Ruawen said nothing, but Wang Xuan and Chen Qi, who had been eavesdropping, stifled their laughter with puffed cheeks.

"Isn't it cool?"

"Don't like it? I've got another one: 'The day the broken sword is reforged is the day the Knight returns!'

"When yin and yang reverse, I'll dye the sky blue with my demonic blood!"

"Thirty years east of the river..."

"Stop, stop, stop!" Xu Qingfan hurriedly interrupted his incantations. How many web novels must he have read to bring out lines like "Don't bully the poor youth"?

"Isn't it cool?" Wu Shichong felt good about himself and continued to ask.

"Let's not pay attention to him. He's been bewitched by online novels," Lai Chenglang pushed him aside and shared his idea, "I think we can do this. Since the song is called 'All Choose C', when we go on stage, I'll ask, 'Qingfan, you always score first in exams, do you have any secret tips?'

Then, Qingfan, you say there's no secret, just that for the questions you don't know, you choose C. Finally, the class rep will say 'Always Choose C' for everyone."

"How about it, isn't my idea better than Wu Shichong's?"

Xu Qingfan shook his head repeatedly, but Xiao Ruawen's eyes lit up.

"I think it's doable," Xiao Ruawen said as she patted his shoulder and nodded frequently.

"I don't think so. It's too cheesy." Xu Qingfan shook his head and said.

"Right, right, mine is better, holding the sun and moon, picking the stars, isn't it cool to talk?" Wu Shichong immediately replied.

"How is it cheesy? I think it's quite cool!" Lai Chenglang, seeing that the class rep agreed with him, felt confident.

"I also think it's pretty good, but unfortunately, Qingfan wasn't as... stellar in this quarterly exam and only ranked second," Xiao Ruawen added.

"You guys definitely don't find it cheesy because you're not the ones saying it!"

"Change it to this: I'll say there's no secret, just study well and make progress every day, then one of you can say the secret is all the ones you don't know, choose C. That way, I'll fit in."

The three of them completely ignored Wu Shichong, turning on their microphones to communicate.

"Oh my god, Qingfan, you're so pretentious!" Xiao Ruawen sensed the "classy" essence, giving his shoulder a playful punch.

"That works too, I'll ask first, then you answer, and Wu Shichong, that jerk, can chime in, and finally, the class rep can say 'choose C' for everyone."

Since He Caiting hadn't switched on her microphone, Lai Chenglang completely forgot she was there.

"For what I know, Qingfan's secret to topping his class?"

"It might not be as cool as mine, but it'll do."

Wu Shichong didn't mind being ignored, quickly joining the conversation again.

"I think it's doable. After Wu Shichong shares what he knows, we can all shout 'choose C' together, including Caiting," Xiao Ruawen didn't forget the other person there and said.

Everyone gave a thumbs up, this opening line received approval.

"Are you nervous?" Xu Qingfan pressed down on her still-shaking left leg.

"Nah, just a bit excited." Xiao Ruawen stopped her leg from shaking and took his smelly hand.

"You get nervous, class rep? A web star with millions of fans, right?" Lai Chenglang said in surprise.

"I said I'm not nervous, I'm excited, excited!"

"Alright, maybe a little bit of nerves." She playfully stuck her tongue out.

"Class rep, haven't you performed on stage during elementary or middle school? I did a solo performance of 'Glory Days' with guitar on New Year's in middle school, the chime rings back home~"

Wu Shichong mimicked playing the guitar and sang Beyond's Glory Days.

"Maybe it's because this stage is bigger, over three thousand people in the audience," Xiao Ruawen smiled, knowing full well why she was nervous.

Since a long time ago, she realized that she genuinely loved the feeling of singing on stage, the surge of the crowd, the blood-rushing excitement was addicting.

But whether it was her parents, grandparents, or her maternal grandparents, none of them wanted her to be "idle and unambitious." They wanted her to study well and in the future take a government position or become a teacher, doctor, as those are considered respectable careers.

One of the main reasons Xiao Ruawen felt nervous was because she wanted to prove to her family that she was truly talented at singing, that it wasn't a disgraceful or unrespectable career.

When you feel pressured in your heart, it's natural to feel nervous.

"Why be nervous? We're singing an original song, nobody in the audience would know if it's good or bad," Xu Qingfan patted Xiao Ruawen's head, guessing part of what was on her mind.

"Mm." Xiao Ruawen leaned towards him, putting aside the fact that Qingfan is a flirt, he's still very reliable.

[Actually, mom and dad aren't wrong. If it weren't for Qingfan writing songs for me, I'd just be an ordinary high school girl. Anyone could become famous with such an original song.]

Xiao Ruawen suddenly recalled the scene from middle school when Qingfan stood up for her and fiercely confronted her aunt.

[But so what? Qingfan is writing songs for me to sing!]

She suddenly linked arms with Xu Qingfan's, softly saying, "Qingfan is the best."

Xu Qingfan just smiled and comfortingly patted her hand.

...