Xia Yuan sat in the passenger seat of her father's car. She rested her chin on her hand, looking at the scenery outside the window, and humming along with the car music from time to time.
"Come to think of it, I haven't gone shopping with my dad in a long time."
"Ah... yes, after all, Yuanyuan has grown up."
Xia Xun still remembered that the last time he drove out with his daughter, she was either complaining about her poor taste in music, or she was looking down at her phone and being affectionate with her Ah Fang.
Even though he had seen his daughter interacting intimately with Mei Fang in a promotional video a while ago, how come their relationship seemed to have cooled a lot in just less than a few months
Xia Xun glanced at his daughter Xia Yuan and finally couldn't help asking:
"That... Yuanyuan."
"Well, what's the matter?"
Xia Xun asked casually while driving, "How are you and Mei Fang doing lately?"
"What, what's going on? It's still the same as before..."
"I see... it's fine if it's the same."
Xia Yuan tilted his head curiously and looked at Xia Xun, "Dad, why are you asking this?"
"Um... nothing."
Xia Xun continued driving.
It might be too early to ask this directly now...
Xia Xun brought his daughter to the mall. After they parked the car, Xia Yuan adjusted her clothes in front of the mirror. Xia Xun had been looking down at his phone while waiting for his daughter to get her look ready.
Xia Xun's desktop wallpaper is a photo of Teacher Yu. At this moment, his phone just received a message of special concern from his wife. The note Xia Xun gave to his wife was [Lingbao]
Lingbao: [Have you received Yuanyuan? ]
Xia Xun replied: [I got it. I am accompanying her shopping. Yuanyuan said she would bring some gifts back for you.]
Lingbao: [Wow, the child is really sensible. ]
Lingbao: [She actually wants you to accompany her to buy things, this is really rare. By the way, Fang Youxi should not have left yet, is she also with you guys? ]
Xia Xun: [No, Mei Fang went shopping with You Xi.]
Lingbao: [Shocked.jpg! Did Yuanyuan have a quarrel with them? I saw that they were always on good terms before.]
Xia Xun: [I don’t know either.]
Lingbao: [Don’t be in a hurry to ask directly. Go shopping with her first. Her personality is like that. The more you force her, the less she wants to talk. If she is really sad, she will tell you directly.]
Xia Xun: [Yes.]
Xia Xun was messaging his wife when his daughter Xia Yuan suddenly came over and took a curious look. Xia Xun quickly put his phone back.
"Who are you talking to, Dad?"
"With your mother."
Xia Xun's words made his daughter angry. "I don't believe it. He was so secretive when talking to my mother and didn't let me see it. I'm afraid he's having an affair, right?"
"What are you talking about?"
Xia Xun patted his daughter's head and said to her, "Let's go buy gifts."
Xia Yuan first wanted to buy some Jiangcheng specialties in the shopping mall.
Baimei County and Jiangcheng City are both part of Chubei Province. Jiangcheng and Baimei County are not far apart. In fact, there is not much special product to bring. The thought is more important than the practical significance.
Xia Xun pushed the shopping cart and accompanied his daughter around. Together they picked out some local specialties, such as fish noodles, sesame candies, and some braised food to take back. They didn't say much along the way.
Seeing that his daughter only bought local specialties for the New Year, Xia Xun couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to buy some snacks for yourself? Although you can buy them in Baimei County, the snacks in Jiangcheng are still richer, right?"
Xia Yuan was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then suddenly smiled and sighed:
"Dad, you know what? When I was a kid, I really looked forward to going to the supermarket, but there were a lot of things you wouldn't buy for me, saying they were junk food."
“Although those snacks are not very healthy… but seeing other students having them, I actually want to try them.”
"Well, we were a little strict with you in the past..." Xia Xun nodded, "But your mother and I don't care about it so much now."
Xia Yuan waved his hand at his father: "It's too late to talk about this now. Dad, you don't understand. Some things are meaningful and make you happy only when you get them at that age. Even if you get them now, it won't make any waves."
Fate…
Xia Xun’s sense of guilt +20.
"It was definitely your parents' fault that you didn't have a happy childhood."
Seeing his father's apologetic expression, Xia Yuan quickly patted his arm and said, "It's okay, it's okay, Dad, you don't have to blame yourself too much. In fact, I think my childhood was still very happy. Ah Fang took me to try all the places you didn't take me to and the snacks you didn't buy for me."
"I was wondering why you like that boy so much..."
Xia Xun suddenly realized after hearing this, "So he has been corrupting you since you were a child, right?"
"Dad, I don't like to hear the word 'corrupt'!"
"Uh... that's not really appropriate."
Xia Xun nodded, "Mei Fang... how should I put it?"
"What do you mean?"
Xia Yuan became excited when talking about Mei Fang. "Dad, what kind of person do you think Ah Fang is?"
"There's always an inexplicable sense of maturity... Do you still remember when he ran away from home with you before?"
"Of course I remember! I will never forget it for the rest of my life."
"Running away from home with you... Normal children can't do that, right?"
Xia Yuan nodded, "Actually, it was Ah Fang who suggested it to me that time, so I ran away from home with him!"
"Well... Actually, your mother and I had already guessed this."
"Have you already guessed it?"
Xia Yuan was a little shocked, "How did you guess that?"
"Of course, it's based on the parents' understanding of their daughter."
Xia Xun shook his head. "You have been a good kid since you were young. How could you come up with such a rebellious idea? But... it was only then that I realized your determination and was able to make the decision in the end."
Xia Xun suddenly felt a little emotional, "You also know what happened to the hotel later. Sometimes I actually wonder, if you hadn't listened to Mei Fang and run away from home, and let me continue to invest in the hotel, I can hardly imagine how we would have survived the difficulties."
Xia Yuan felt a little relieved after hearing this. "So, Ah Fang is actually our family's savior, right?"
"You could say that..."
Xia Xun’s sense of guilt +80.
"By the way... Regarding this matter, I have actually been thinking about whether I should tell you..."
Xia Yuan hesitated for a moment, then told Xia Xun about her acquaintance with Liu Xiaoyu. Xia Xun was also surprised when he heard about it:
"So you know the daughter of the Liu family..."
Xia Xun was also filled with emotion. "Liu Xiaoyu's father and I were introduced by an acquaintance, but we are not very familiar with each other. During the years when the hotel was about to collapse due to road construction, I actually asked Liu Xiaoyu's father if he needed help, but he refused. He said that our transaction was a business behavior, so he did not accept my help. He is a very principled man."
Xia Yuan nodded after listening to it, "The Xiaoyu I know is as strong as her father."
Xia Xun finished shopping in the mall and was about to check out, but his daughter paid first.
"This is a specialty I brought back. Wouldn't it be a bit unfair if I asked Dad to pay for it?"
"Do you have enough living expenses... You're just wasting money like this."
"My living expenses are two or three times that of Ah Fang Youxi... I must have saved a lot."
Xia Yuan put her hands on her waist and smiled, "Besides, I've already done such a big thing in Jiangcheng, are you still worried that your daughter has no money?"
"You are very famous on the Internet now, so be careful not to be cheated by bad people. If you don't understand something, be sure to ask me, your father."
"It's okay... All of this is handled by Afang. He not only helps me write songs, but he's also my manager. He takes good care of me, and ah—"
As Xia Yuan was talking, he suddenly realized something, and then he pretended to cough a few times, trying to change the subject with a smile.
"Why do you say that? We are fine. Dad, you are such a fool..."
Xia Yuan said this while rubbing her hair, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
Under the constant questioning of his old father, Xia Yuan finally told the truth:
"Uncle Mei and Aunt Xiang invited Youxi and I to their home to play for a few days before the New Year. Youxi's family agreed. I wanted to go too, but I was worried that you, Mom and Dad, wouldn't be lonely at home after not seeing me for so long, so I just... I couldn't make up my mind."
Xia Xun heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this.
I thought it was that kid Mei Fang who bullied you, but it turns out that’s what happened!
Although the three families used to have such a good relationship that they would not mind visiting each other and staying overnight, in the past two years, the parents of the Xia and Mei families have hardly interacted with each other, while the Lin and Mei families are very close.
Mei Fang stood up for Lin Youxi at the beginning of last year and helped fight against Youxi's uncle who had been tormenting his family. Youxi's mother, Sister Meijuan, has been taking care of the three children, and she must have been in contact with the Mei family. The two families even have some closer feelings, which can be seen from the purchase today.
Although our Yuanyuan is not as good at studying as Youxi, she is still inferior to the daughter of the Lin family in terms of appearance and personality.
What's more, she is a big star now!
Xia Xun felt that his daughter couldn't let Lin Youxi take the lead because of missing this opportunity, so he had to help his daughter make up her mind:
"If you want to go, why don't you come with us and play for a few days?"
"Can I?"
Xia Yuan's eyes opened wide, and then her tone seemed a little aggrieved, "I only have so much time to spend with you in a year, and I thought you would never let me go..."
"I definitely don't agree with you going alone, but since Youxi is going, there's no problem."
Xia Xun patted his daughter's shoulder and said, "Although mom and dad really want you to be with them, you are not a child after all. You also have the right to make your own choices and the right to pursue happiness..."
Just when Xia Xun was seriously talking to Xia Yuan about the philosophy of life, an expression of disgust suddenly appeared on his daughter's face.
"Dad... it's not that serious yet... don't talk like that, I'm embarrassed."
"What does zhong, zhong ni mean?"
"That is to say, Dad, you speak like you are reciting lines!"
"I'm just chatting with you..."
"Dad, you are quite interesting sometimes, haha..."
"What do you mean by sometimes? You are being disrespectful."
Xia Xun knocked on Xia Yuan's head and said, "I think you have been led astray by that kid Mei Fang..."
Xia Yuan covered her head and tilted her head, "Don't blame Ah Fang for everything. Is it possible that your daughter has always been like this?"
"Impossible. How can I, as a father, not know my daughter's personality?"
"hey-hey… "
Xia Yuan sat obediently in the car and looked at the scenery. The interaction with her old father somewhat brought back some childhood memories for Xia Yuan.
She vaguely remembers the time when she always pestered her father to lift her up high, asked him to take her out to play, and admired him immensely.
However, as time went by, when the object of her admiration gradually changed from her father to Mei Fang, her eyes no longer fell on anyone other than Mei Fang.
Before he knew it, Xia Yuan felt a little sad about the ruthlessness of time as he saw that his once tall and handsome father was now a little out of shape and had some gray hair on his temples.
Xia Xun promised his daughter that she could go to Mei Fang's house with Youxi to play for a while before going back, and then bring them back together after the Mei family came back for the New Year. Mei Lijun had originally planned to pick Mei Fang up the next day, but now it was a good opportunity to save trouble, so Xia Xun directly packed up Liang Meijuan and the three others and took them to Baizhou City, where there was enough space in his six-seater SUV.
On the way, Mei Fang called her parents to explain the situation. When Xiang Xiaoxia heard that Youxi and Yuanyuan would come to her house before the New Year, her voice on the other end of the phone trembled with laughter and she quickly expressed her warm welcome. Her sister Mei Ya was also very happy when she heard about it. Mei Fang could even hear her excited shouts through the phone.
Xia Xun personally sent a large group of people to the door of Mei Lijun's small villa in Baimei County. Mei Ya was there to greet them early. When she saw Xia Yuanlin Youxi get out of the car, she hugged them one by one intimately, and then each of them took their sisters' hands and led them home.
"Wow, Xiaoya, you really change every year. I can hardly recognize you now!"
Lin Youxi also chimed in, "But she gets cuter every year."
"Really... But my parents don't think so, especially my mom."
Meiya stamped her feet in annoyance. "She always says that I am getting more annoying every year."
"Nonsense... I never said that to you."
Xiang Xiaoxia also came to the yard wearing an apron and rubbing her hands to greet everyone: "Come on, come in and sit down..."
"Xiang...Aunt Xiang, we're over here to play!"
Xia Yuan took Lin Youxi's hand and came over happily to greet Xiang Xiaoxia. Xiang Xiaoxia almost couldn't call out her name for a moment.
"Wow... These two little beauties, they say girls change a lot when they grow up, they are really completely different now."
In Xiang Xiaoxia's impression, Lin Youxi has always been that shy little girl with a runny nose, but now this tall and beautiful girl with outstanding temperament is far from her memory.
However, although she would not hug herself right away like before, Lin Youxi was still as close to Xiang Xiaoxia as before. She immediately took Xiang Xiaoxia's hand, kneaded it, and squeezed it, "Aunt Xiang, long time no see."
"Yeah... it's been a long time."
Seeing this, Xia Yuan certainly didn't want to fall behind Lin Youxi, so she took Xiang Xiaoxia's arm and asked with a smile, "Auntie, I haven't eaten your cooking for a long time. What delicious food did you make today?"
"Yes, yes, we have everything. They are all your favorites!"
"Have you finished everything? If not, I can help you."
"So can I!"
"No, no, no... You are guests, why are you being so polite here?"
Xiang Xiaoxia had a small cotton-padded jacket in her left hand and another in her right hand. Not to mention how fragrant they were, they were more well-behaved and sensible than her own leaky cotton-padded jacket that made people dizzy. At this time, Xia Xun and Liang Meijuan also got out of the car. Xiang Xiaoxia hurriedly greeted them:
"Old Xia, thank you for sending the kids here. And Sister Meijuan, come in and sit down!"
"Is Director Mei not at home?"
"He's still out socializing today. Hey, why are you calling him Director Mei? That's so strange! Just call him Brother Lijun."
Although Liang Meijuan was the oldest among these adults, she was the one who spoke the least. Seeing that she was embarrassed, Lin Youxi took the initiative to pull her hand and invited her in to chat.
Xia Xun admired the Mei family courtyard renovated by Mei Lijun with great interest, "Brother Lijun's courtyard looks quite stylish."
"He... is just fiddling around. By the way, your family is living in the Imperial Garden now, right?"
“We just moved last summer.”
"Where's that house? Has it been sold?"
"These are old houses. It's hard to sell them. It's good to keep them there."
"That's what I'm saying... your house is pretty good, don't sell it if there's nothing wrong."
Today, Mei Lijun was out working and entertaining people. Xiang Xiaoxia, as the hostess, entertained the big family who came from afar. After dinner and chatting, Xia Xun said it was time to drive back to Baimei County. After repeated attempts to persuade him to stay, he decided to take Liang Meijuan home with him.
Before parting, Lin Youxi talked and laughed with Liang Meijuan along the way and reminded her of many things. She also hugged her tightly before getting in the car. Seeing Lin Youxi and Liang Meijuan go from being strangers at the beginning to being as close as mother and daughter now, Xiang Xiaoxia felt an indescribable emotion in her heart.
Xia Yuan, who always complained that her father did not pass away early enough, interacted more with Xia Xun this time. She stood on tiptoe and patted her old father's shoulder to help him brush off the dust on his shoulders.
"Take good care of yourself and mom, Dad."
"Yeah... I know, don't worry."
Xia Xun also followed suit and gently patted his daughter's shoulder. "The daughter of our Xia family is the best daughter. She will not lose to anyone. Do you understand?"
"Dad... you better leave quickly! What shameful things are you saying again!"
The interaction between Xia Yuan and Xia Xun made everyone laugh. Before getting on the bus, Xia Xun gave a warning look to Mei Fang, who was sitting next to her family and had no sense of presence.
You are still in school, it is too early to talk about dating.
I can give you some more time to think about it, Mei Fang.
If you dare to make a decision that will disappoint our Yuanyuan, I will show you how I will deal with you...
A huge chapter of 5,000 words, enjoy reading it all in one go!
My gay friend came to play with me again. I'll check back later to see if there are any updates.
(End of this chapter)