Chapter 281

Chapter 281: A Night at the Xia Family (Combined)

Lin You Xi and Xia Yuan, along with Mei Fang, revisited their past times at Experimental Middle School. Satisfied with the memories, Lin You Xi bid farewell to the two as dinnertime approached.

“From now on, it’s all about your happiness, Yuan Yuan. Such opportunities don’t come often; make sure you cherish this moment.”

“What kind of opportunity? My parents are waiting for me at home…”

Xia Yuan mumbled, “And besides, what we’re doing now is against the rules. Me and Fang haven’t grown up yet, so we shouldn’t be doing this.”

“I hope you really remember that,” Lin You Xi smiled gently. “Remember how we agreed not to run away together? Yet you took Fang’s first kiss.”

“That was my fault!”

Xia Yuan blushed deeply, “I promise I won’t do anything to upset You Xi anymore, absolutely not!”

“Just kidding, Yuan Yuan. If you have those thoughts, go ahead and try.”

Lin You Xi patted her best friend’s shoulder, “Actually… I’ve tried many times, but Fang always manages to hold back. Maybe I’m just not charming enough?”

“No way! It’s just not the right time yet. We should wait until after high school…”

After bidding farewell to Lin You Xi, Mei Fang rode his bike back to the Xia family home with Xia Yuan. On the way, Xia Yuan was clearly intrigued by what Lin You Xi had mentioned about trying many times. Mei Fang then recounted all the failed attempts at intimacy from Lin You Xi, which shocked Xia Yuan—

“After reminiscing about the past, I realized that You Xi has only been around for a few years, and she has changed so much!”

“Or maybe this is her true self, while before she was too timid or constrained by her family to show it.”

Mei Fang parked the electric scooter in the parking lot near Xia Yuan’s house. Xia Yuan hugged Mei Fang’s neck and muttered, “Sometimes I worry if I cling to you too much, you might find it annoying.”

“Not really… Actually, I quite enjoy this feeling, being needed by both you and You Xi.”

“You have to say it out loud!”

Xia Yuan gently pinched Mei Fang’s nose, “So I know you like it when both of us cling to you.”

“How could you think I wouldn’t like you… You Xi is much more understanding than you!”

Mei Fang faced Xia Yuan, lifted her legs onto his lap, and carried her, running through the neighborhood. They were almost caught in an extremely awkward situation when they ran towards an intersection and bumped into Xia Yuan’s mother, Yu Ling, and the neighbor auntie, who were returning from grocery shopping.

If they had just pretended not to see each other, both Xia Yuan and Mei Fang thought. But Yu Ling warmly greeted them, “Yuan Yuan, Fang, playing in the neighborhood?”

“Oh… yes…”

Mei Fang put Xia Yuan down, and they both nodded awkwardly, greeting the adults.

“Is this your star daughter?”

“Yes, call her Yuan Yuan! This is Fang, Yuan Yuan’s friend.”

“A boyfriend, hahaha!”

“Teacher Yu, is it okay for your daughter to date early?”

“Fang and our Yuan Yuan have been childhood friends since kindergarten. They’ve always been close.”

“Oh, does that mean they’re betrothed?”

“Well… something like that, hehe…”

Teacher Yu seemed quite happy with this description. After all, she had taught Mei Fang herself for six years.

“Oh, I envy you so much… No worries about finding a partner for your daughter in the future…”

Xia Yuan and Mei Fang stood by, feeling very embarrassed. Eventually, Mei Fang found an excuse to take Xia Yuan away.

Mei Fang spent the whole day eating at Xia Yuan’s house, and except for his sister Mei Ya, no one else contacted him.

Even Mei Ya only sent some high-end model photos to her brother, hinting subtly. Her straightforward and shameless suggestion was rejected by her millionaire boss brother with the excuse that even if he had money, he couldn’t afford to spend it frivolously.

After showering at Xia Yuan’s place, Mei Fang watched TV with Xia Yuan and her mother, discussed work-related matters with Xia Xun, and gained some valuable knowledge and experience. By 10 PM, he went to bed. When he picked up his phone, he saw a message from Xia Yuan—

A selfie taken in the bathroom.

“Can’t make it over tonight, use this instead!”

In the photo, Yuan Yuan wore only a bathrobe, revealing her curvy figure, making Mei Fang admire nature’s craftsmanship. Young and vigorous, Mei Fang felt himself getting excited.

First, he saved the photo in his private album, then scolded Yuan Yuan harshly.

“Idiot! How can I sleep after seeing this!”

Just a few seconds later, the door to Mei Fang’s room opened.

Mei Fang barely made out Xia Yuan’s silhouette through the streetlight. Before he could greet her, Xia Yuan crawled into his bed.

…

Mei Fang felt his bed moving as Xia Yuan struggled to get to him. He turned on the light and saw Xia Yuan’s disheveled hair.

“Okay… Now can you sleep?”

“You’ve really got guts, coming to me here at home…”

“If You Xi can do it, so can I.”

Xia Yuan was about to boast about her achievements when they heard knocking at the door.

“Fang… Are you asleep?”

It was Xia Yuan’s mother, Yu Ling.

Xia Yuan quickly shut her mouth, and Mei Fang pushed her back under the covers. Luckily, it was winter, and Yu Ling covered them with thick blankets, so Xia Yuan was undetected.

Mei Fang wanted to pretend to be asleep, but the lights were still on, so he reluctantly answered, “Teacher Yu, is there something wrong?”

“Um… Can I come in? I want to talk to you.”

“I’m already in bed… Is that okay?”

“Yeah, I just need a minute.”

Yu Ling quietly entered the room, and Mei Fang sat up. She sat on a small stool next to his bed, looking him over.

“Teacher Yu… What is it?”

“Call me Aunt Ling, it feels a bit formal.”

“Uh… Fang and I are just boyfriend and girlfriend—”

Yu Ling smiled and shook her head, “Teacher Yu is what everyone calls me. Fang is different, you can call me Aunt Ling, like my relatives’ kids do.”

“Okay… Aunt Ling.”

Mei Fang sensed that Yu Ling had come to talk about something important, but he didn’t dare ask directly, waiting for her to bring it up.

“Fang, you know Yuan Yuan is naive and stubborn. She might easily get bullied outside. So when she decided to pursue singing, we were worried she might lose herself in the industry.”

“But fortunately, you’ve been helping her with everything. She always consults you, just like you’ve done for her all these years. I believe you and Yuan Yuan truly love each other, and I’m glad to entrust her to you…”

“You’ve been more mature and steady than Yuan Yuan since you were young, knowing when to advance or retreat. You’re a great kid, the best student I’ve ever taught…”

Xia Yuan, hiding under the covers, felt annoyed at her mother’s criticism but felt proud when her mother praised Fang.

“But, I hope… if possible, you could rely on Yuan Yuan more. She’s always wanted to be needed. Often, when you face difficulties, you handle them alone.”

“But now, as your girlfriend, even just talking to her would make her happy. And she would definitely help you, at least provide comfort.”

As Yu Ling spoke, she held Mei Fang’s hand earnestly, “The feeling of being needed is very important for Yuan Yuan. To keep your relationship strong, remember that it’s mutual support, not just one-sided giving. Otherwise, Yuan Yuan might leave you.”

“But if she leaves you, it’s not because she doesn’t like you. She might feel she’s holding you back and can’t face staying by your side.”

Mei Fang usually noticed these things, but he didn’t take them seriously. He never thought Yuan Yuan would leave him over this.

But hearing it from the future mother-in-law, Mei Fang began to reflect.

He started thinking about Yuan Yuan’s position in their trio.

Before the argument in middle school, Xia Yuan was undoubtedly the center of the trio, with both Fang and Lin You Xi revolving around her.

But now that Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi have confessed their feelings, the core of the trio has shifted to Mei Fang. To reach this point, Mei Fang has made efforts.

Indeed, he divided tasks among his girlfriends, giving Lin You Xi the website section and assigning Xia Yuan to copy songs.

But, is music really significant enough to be considered one of the three pillars of his commercial empire?

It isn’t his lifeline C-Station. Even if Xia Yuan’s career was removed, his game development wouldn’t be fatally affected.

As for her music career, Xia Yuan knows she can’t write such songs without Mei Fang’s guidance.

Even without considering mutual business support, in daily life, whatever Xia Yuan can do, Lin You Xi can also do, and vice versa. Xia Yuan lacks many skills that Lin You Xi possesses, putting her in a suppressed state.

Am I not treating them equally yet?

Today, Yuan Yuan also said something similar, but Mei Fang treated it as mere whining…

Yu Ling claimed she would only chat for a bit, but ended up dragging the conversation for half an hour.

Xia Yuan, fearing discovery, hid deeper under the thick blankets, unable to hear what her mother said, only nudging Mei Fang to finish quickly.

Only after Mei Fang finally sent off Yu Ling and turned off the lights did Xia Yuan emerge from the bed, panting heavily.

“What did your mom talk to you about for so long?”

“About you, of course.”

“About me? What could she have to say about me…”

“It was about entrusting you to me, asking me to treat you well and not let you down.”

Mei Fang said softly, “But your family really loves you.”

“Of course… whether it’s Dad or Mom.”

Perhaps, it was precisely this genuine love that prevented them from leaving her alone back then.

Certainly, although this was a distant memory, every time Mei Fang thought about it, he would tightly embrace Xia Yuan and start being intimate.

“Do you really like hugging me that much?”

“Don’t be so rough, just rub gently…”

Xia Yuan blushed, gently caressing Mei Fang. She leaned close to his ear and whispered,

“Need any help?”

“Uh-huh…”

Mei Fang buried his face in Xia Yuan’s embrace, like a baby, whining.

In this intimate interaction, Mei Fang once again realized—

How could he not depend on Yuan Yuan?

Lin You Xi gave him a sense of comradeship, but Yuan Yuan provided a warm harbor, something essential to Mei Fang.

In the future, he must show more dependence on Yuan Yuan.

He spent a warm night at the Xia family home.

The next morning, after eating breakfast at Xia Yuan’s house, Mei Fang saw a message from Lin You Xi saying she was accompanying her parents for a health check-up. Originally, Mei Fang considered joining her, but Lin You Xi predicted his intentions and preemptively refused.

Lin You Xi reminded Mei Fang to set up a video meeting to confirm the name and progress of the live streaming section. Xia Yuan had to go and bid farewell to her family and couldn’t accompany Mei Fang.

Without the comfort of her presence, Mei Fang felt life lacked meaning. He rode his bike back to prepare for hard work, only to encounter Liu Xiaoyu on the way back from Xia Yuan’s house.

Mei Fang initially intended to greet Liu Xiaoyu, but as he approached, he noticed she was walking with her head down, looking distracted, almost colliding with a lamppost. Only Mei Fang’s shout snapped her out of it.

“Mei… Mei Fang?”

She steadied herself, looking surprised, “You… You bought an electric scooter?”

“Is it that surprising?”

“I… didn’t mean it like that.”

Liu Xiaoyu mumbled, and Mei Fang didn’t press the issue, noticing her nervousness.

“Where are you going?”

“Going back home.”

“Your house is on Peach Blossom Road, isn’t it? That’s quite far.”

Mei Fang hesitated for a moment, then sent a message to the group “Three Bigs of Youyuan”.

After receiving instant affirmatives from Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi, Mei Fang asked Liu Xiaoyu, “Do you want me to drop you off?”

“No, it’s fine… I can take a taxi or bus. Or walk.”

“No problem, I’m going that way anyway. Hop on!”

Mei Fang moved forward slightly, patting the backseat of his scooter, “No need to be shy, get on!”

“No… really, no need…”

Liu Xiaoyu clearly resisted sitting on the backseat, as if it were a big deal. As she tried to avoid Mei Fang’s offer, she slipped on the icy road, landing on her behind with a painful look, obviously twisting her ankle.

Well, guess I have to carry her…

Sorry for not updating yesterday and not having time to ask for leave. Mainly, I rewrote over 2000 words to be satisfied. Yesterday was exhausting from playing Werewolf, so consider it a day off. I’ll catch up with updates.

(End of Chapter)