Xu Qingfan walked ahead, cheerfully rating each class. But when Xiao Ruawen came near, he immediately put on a serious face, pretending to look full of disappointment.
Xiao Ruawen believed it and felt an inexplicable sense of guilt rising within her.
But really, it wasn't herself who should feel guilty. She was just sticking to her promise to her friend, so how could she be at fault?
However, feelings aren't like computer programming where one plus one equals two.
Xiao Ruawen knew she hadn't done anything wrong, but seeing Xu Qingfan's disappointed eyes, she couldn't help but feel her heart twist.
On one side is Brother Fan, who took care of her growing up, on the other is her best friend from childhood to now. No matter whom she let down, her conscience would be tormented.
[If only I hadn't been so foolish back then to agree with Xiaoxiao...]
Xu Qingfan didn't know that Xiao Ruawen had so much inner drama. Anyway, he just kept playing cat and mouse, waiting for the right moment to gradually win her over.
After clearing the third and fourth floors, the two soon arrived at the second-floor classes.
Lin Wanning hadn't gone to the restroom during the break and was sitting alone quietly in the classroom.
When she saw Xu Qingfan and Xiao Ruawen coming in from the front, the girl's previously vacant eyes lit up, "Brother Qingfan!"
"And me too, why didn't you call me, Wanning!" To hide her nervousness, Xiao Ruawen deliberately went to chat with Lin Wanning.
"Hehe~ Ruan Wen." After interacting with Xu Qingfan's eyes, Lin Wanning then turned her gaze to Xiao Ruawen.
"You two chat first, I'll go record the scores for the next class." Xu Qingfan said with a smile.
"Okay!" Lin Wanning nodded obediently, like recording it could turn her nod into an emoji.
After Xu Qingfan left, Xiao Ruawen relaxed and leaned back against Zhang Yiyi's chair, saying, "Phew~ Wanning, how much longer until your foot heals?"
Lin Wanning tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said, "Brother Qingfan said I need to do rehab exercises slowly after removing the cast. It might be healed by New Year, perhaps."
"Wanning, why do you always say 'Brother Qingfan said this, Brother Qingfan said that,' don't you have your own opinion? Can't you stop mentioning him?" Xiao Ruawen, feeling a bit impatient, pinched her right cheek.
Lin Wanning opened her small mouth, her expression seemingly saying: Do you hear what you're saying?
"Why can't I say Brother Qingfan, huh? I just like to say it!" She retorted a bit rebelliously.
Xiao Ruawen just wanted to vent her emotions towards Brother Chou Fan, without any other intention. She hung her head and said, "Alright, alright, I'm just kidding. Wanning, say whatever you want."
"Say what you want to say, what are you guys talking about?" Xu Qingfan happened to come in from the back door at that moment and caught their conversation.
Before Xiao Ruawen could make up an excuse, Lin Wanning blurted out, "Ruan Wen told me not to always say 'Brother Qingfan said,' 'Brother Qingfan said.' Brother Qingfan, take a guess whether I'll say it or not?"
After that, she even playfully blinked her eyes.
Xiao Ruawen felt embarrassed by Brother Chou Fan's gaze, unable to face him, and wanted to lower her head to fiddle with her fingers, her sight obstructed by her hair.
Realistically, Xu Qingfan did understand her little thoughts, but he did not tease Xiao Ruawen further. Instead, he said to Lin Wanning, "Don't you want to go to the restroom, Wanning? Why are you here all alone?"
Lin Wanning was about to say she had already gone last class, but the sudden urge, like a June rain, caught her off guard.
"I'm waiting for Brother Qingfan and Ruan Wen to take me, haha!" She said, crossing her arms and stretching them out with a smile.
With Lin Wanning around, the plan to win over Xiao Ruawen couldn't continue, so he nodded and agreed, "Sure, since Ruan Wen is here, it's more convenient."
When Xu Qingfan pushed Lin Wanning out of the classroom, Xiao Ruawen stood up silently and followed.
"Brother Qingfan, I clearly just went to the bathroom last class, it's so strange." Lin Wanning said.
"Did you drink too much water?"
"No, I only drank a little."
"In winter, it's less likely to sweat, so it's easier to need the restroom, I read it while doing exercises." Xiao Ruawen said, wiping her mouth.
"Oh~ so that's it, Ruan Wen, which exercise did you see it in?" Lin Wanning tried to recall but couldn't.
Xiao Ruawen's expression turned slightly awkward as she said, "The biology golden notes had a knowledge expansion, not in a particular exercise."
The school's workbook, Century Golden Guide, always had a section at the bottom of every page that included statements or knowledge expansions.
Like the magnesium and zinc compounds in the chemistry workbook undergoing a replacement reaction, your magnesium stole my zinc; or on the geography book, always heading west, passing the sunset line, passing the dateline, returning to the day I first knew you.
"Hehe~ so Ruan Wen, you like to read it too." When studying, Lin Wanning often loved flipping through the workbook's blank spaces.
The three chatted while walking, reaching the accessible restroom downstairs when the radio calisthenics in the playground had reached the eighth section.
After opening the door with a key, Xu Qingfan stood by the door and said, "You two go ahead, I'll wait outside."
"Do you plan to go inside if you don't wait outside?" Xiao Ruawen gave Xu Qingfan an annoyed glance.
After the two went in, they quickly locked the door from inside.
Xu Qingfan leaned against the wall, staring off at the lab building, pondering: [What excuse should I use next time to trick Ruan Wen over?]
Unlike Xia Xiaoxiao and Wu Lingyu, who had frequent opportunities to be alone, at home or at school, Xu Qingfan rarely had the chance to be alone with Xiao Ruawen.