The school beauty's four boyfriends 15
While Qi An'an was waiting for dinner, the old lady next door brought over several dishes.
She felt that Qi An'an was all alone and had no one to keep her company. After hearing the noise from the kitchen, she left with a smile, muttering, "Good, good, being young is great."
A short while later, she returned with a stack of red envelopes, distributed them to all five boys, and left satisfied.
After closing the door, Qi An'an began to open the red envelopes, pulling out a crisp fifty-yuan note. Yan Xingcun followed suit and also took out a fifty-yuan note.
Yan Xingcun stuffed the money back into the red envelope and handed it to her, saying, "It's for the meal."
The three of them didn't even look at it before giving it to her.
Qi An'an refused, saying, "You should accept what Grandma Qin gave you."
Looking towards the kitchen, she asked, "Is the food ready?"
"..."
The four looked at each other. "No."
Some dishes look quite simple in the recipe, but for some reason, they are so difficult to make when you actually try them.
A perfectly good plate of shrimp turned into a dark brown color after being stir-fried, and tasted sour and salty—it was a complete culinary disaster.
"It's alright. Grandma Qin brought some food. Wash your hands and bring out whatever you can eat."
"……Um."
They responded softly, looking somewhat dejected, and slowly walked into the kitchen.
Before long, the small round table was piled high with strange and unusual dishes, but the steamed crab looked the best.
The cured pork was fried until it turned black, and the green strips were indistinguishable as either garlic sprouts or watercress. The plate of green vegetables was a mix of yellow and green, and I had no idea what kind of sauce had been added...
Qi An'an silently placed her chopsticks on the plate of chicken that Grandma Qin had brought over.
Yan Xingcun, sitting to her right, noticed her actions and, completely disregarding her well-being, placed a piece of braised pork that had been stewed until it was charred black on her plate. "Try it."
Qi An'an looked at him, "..." You want to poison me?
Yan Xingcun received her expression feedback and said lightly, "That's right, this is almost burnt to a crisp, you'd better not eat it."
Wei Lin's face immediately darkened, and he looked at him as if he wanted to kill him.
He made the braised pork!
Yan Xingcun then picked up a dark brown shrimp.
Even from a distance, Qi An'an could smell the sour odor. Was vinegar added? Why would vinegar be added?
Her eyes were filled with rejection.
Yan Xingcun said in a calm tone that was infuriating: "Someone put vinegar in beer instead of vinegar. It tastes a bit strange, but it's still edible. What's with that expression?"
Qi An'an: "..."
Mo Sinian gripped his chopsticks tightly, his face expressionless.
His gaze fell on the plate of lettuce. "An'an, try this green vegetable."
Qi An'an's lips stiffened. "What's yellow?"
Mo Sinian glanced at Yan Xingcun and said quietly, "Oh, you'll have to ask him then."
Yan Xingcun was stabbed by his own boomerang, but his expression didn't change at all. He confidently said, "It's my specially made sauce."
Facing the skeptical looks from the crowd, he emphasized, "It's delicious."
Qi An'an: "Oh."
Before she could even start, Wei Lin pointed to the pot of soup and said, "An'an, let me ladle some soup for you."
Qi An'an gripped her bowl tightly. "What kind of soup is this? Why is it purple?"
Ji Yu: "..."
Ji Yu was cooking some kind of old duck soup, but the soup was a strange purple color, and you could vaguely see carrots in it.
His lips twitched as he slowly said, "I didn't have enough ingredients for the soup, so I threw in some leftover purple cabbage that I saw in the fridge."
That thing is called purple cabbage, right? Anyway, it turns purple the moment you touch it.
He asked Mosinian before putting it in, and Mosinian had no objection.
Who knew that what would turn out to be such a strange pot of stuff?
He tried to save face, saying, "I've tasted it, it's very sweet."
"I can do it myself." Qi An'an picked up the soup spoon and scooped out a small half spoonful of soup.
Under the watchful eyes of four people, she gave up her life.
The purple soup was indeed a little sweet, but also a little astringent, with a perfect balance of saltiness. She breathed a sigh of relief and gave Ji Yu a thumbs up, "It tastes good."
This was the least hurtful answer she could give.
Ji Yu smiled, picked up a soup spoon and poured some soup for her, saying, "Then drink more."
Qi An'an was on the verge of tears: "..." Can't you tell I was just being polite?
Ji Yu was amused, but the other three kept serious faces and stared at her with expectant eyes.
Yan Xingcun: "Eat green vegetables."
Wei Lin: "This braised pork is quite good."
Mo Sinian: "Shall I peel some crab meat for you?"
Qi An'an nodded silently, "...Okay."
She now deeply regrets letting them in.
Xiao Hei said coolly, "Stomach, are you alright?"
Qi An'an tried them all and found that they weren't as bad as she thought, and were even edible.
However, the leftovers on the table were all prepared by them; everything Grandma Qin brought was completely finished.
Several teenagers took over the task of washing the dishes. Qi An'an sat on the sofa and suddenly looked at the closet behind the TV, her expression changing slightly.
Xiao Hei's voice, as if the sky had fallen, rang out, "An'an, someone has tampered with the camera."
The TV in the house is a rather old model, about 32 inches, and it's quite bulky. There are also many decorative items on the wall cabinet.
One of the cameras was installed inside the eyeball of one of the chubby babies.
She had originally covered it with a dust cover, but at some point, the cover was pulled aside.
At the same time, Qi An'an heard Xiao Hei's frustrated voice—the mission progress had reached zero.
Qi An'an clicked her tongue and looked towards the kitchen.
The sounds of fireworks and firecrackers came from all directions, while inside the house, there was a jumble of pots and pans clattering together, accompanied by the lively banter of the teenagers.
She picked up her phone and saw that Wang Ruoyun had several missed calls.
Sensing that she seemed very anxious, Qi An'an went to the small balcony and called her back.
"mom--"
The moment the call connected, a barrage of insults erupted on the other end: "You want Yan Xingcun to spend New Year's Eve with you? Are you crazy? Qi An'an, I've told you, his mother isn't easy to talk to. She even came to me, and you just ignored me? Don't you even know what time it is? The Yan family is having a family banquet today, so many people are watching him, and you want him to accompany you? Are you being any more dramatic?!"
Qi An'an moved her phone away a little.
Even through the phone, you could still feel Wang Ruoyun's fury.
She waited until the other person finished speaking, and was about to reply, when her phone was taken away.
She turned around abruptly and saw Yan Xingcun standing behind her with a cold face, his wet hand gripping her phone.
He spoke directly to the other side, "I came here of my own accord, why are you blaming her? If you're angry, take it out on someone else, why are you criticizing her?"
After saying that, he hung up the phone without any politeness.
Seeing the girl staring at him with wide eyes, looking listless, he raised his voice slightly, "You're angry if I yell at her?"
Qi An'an shook her head, "Do you want to go back first?"
“No need, I don’t go home every year.” He turned his head away, frowning slightly, and added, “Don’t worry, no one will bother you.”
“Hmm.” Qi An’an nodded innocently, “I’m not afraid of your mother. She can’t hit me, can she? I didn’t do anything, right?”
Yan Xingcun's gaze returned to her face, and he said irritably, "Are you sure you didn't do anything?"
She had so much fun tonight; she even took a picture with the four of them just now.
Is this something a human being would do?
She had no idea how much they treated her—
Yan Xingcun's gaze gradually hardened, complex emotions spreading in his eyes, and he felt a surge of energy lingering in his chest, unable to dissipate.
Qi An'an's gaze passed through Yan Xingcun and landed on Ji Yu, whose expression was unclear, not far away.
Are you getting ready to leave?
No one spoke for a moment.
They should leave; it's almost ten o'clock, and their families are urging them to go. But the thought of her being alone in this cold, cramped room while others celebrate the New Year with great joy makes them feel uncontrollably sad.
Mo Sinian walked over, wiping his hands, his tone somewhat stiff, "I have nothing else to do tonight."
Wei Lin glanced at him sideways, "I'm free too."
Yan Xingcun and Ji Yu didn't speak, but judging from their expressions, they seemed reluctant to leave.
Qi An'an sighed and said, "It's boring staying here with me. You guys should go back quickly. I want to go to sleep early."
"Shall we go set off fireworks?" Yan Xingcun suddenly asked.
Upon hearing this, Qi An'an's eyes lit up slightly, a glint that was quickly noticed by the boys.
Before she could respond, Ji Yu interjected, "I know a great place to set off fireworks. My driver is here too, let's go."
Faced with four pairs of equally eager gazes, Qi An'an's heart sank once again, and she nodded.
Okay, okay, go ahead.
Setting off fireworks.
Ji Yu's car was still there. After he pulled Qi An'an into the car, he was about to ask the driver to lock the doors, but Yan Xingcun squeezed in just in time.
Ignoring Ji Yu's dark face, Yan Xingcun said to the driver, "Happy New Year, thank you for your trouble."
They were quite polite.
The driver was all smiles, but Ji Yu and the two people blocked outside the car were enveloped in a thick aura of resentment.
Finally, Wei Lin and Mo Sinian hailed a taxi and followed.
Qi An'an looked at the empty passenger seat, "...How about I sit in the front?"
"Sit here." Yan Xingcun put his hand on her shoulder and pressed her back against the chair.
The driver glanced back and looked at Ji Yu for advice. There was indeed no need for the three of them to squeeze into the back.
Ji Yu said in a low voice, "That's fine."
The driver nodded and started driving.
Qi An'an was quite energetic at first, but once the car started moving, she couldn't help but feel sleepy.
Soon, her head started nodding, like an irregular pendulum.
Just as Yan Xingcun raised his hand, he saw Ji Yu make the same movement.
Their eyes met, and they suddenly froze, as if by unspoken agreement.
Qi An sat upright, her head tilting slightly due to drowsiness, but she quickly straightened it again, showing great resilience.
Xiao Hei circled around her head, then gently bumped her, pushing her head toward Yan Xingcun.
Unsurprisingly, Qi An'an leaned on Yan Xingcun's shoulder. She felt her mind finally had a place to rest, and she slept more peacefully.
Yan Xingcun glanced at Ji Yu sideways, a slight smile curving his lips.
However, Ji Yu had no sense of martial ethics at all. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Qi An'an's arm, pulling her toward him.
Qi An'an was startled and woke up to find herself almost leaning on Ji Yu, with her arm still in his hand.
"Ji Yu?"
Yan Xingcun glared at Ji Yu, his gaze as cold as a venomous snake.
"So sleepy?" Ji Yu's expression softened slightly, and he even smiled as he looked at Qi An'an. "We're almost there."
Qi An'an pulled her hand back and rubbed her eyes. "It's probably because I didn't take a nap."
She then looked at Yan Xingcun on the side and saw that he was sitting upright, close to her.
The car was dimly lit, and she couldn't see his face clearly, but she sensed that he seemed to be in a bad mood.
She rubbed her neck and yawned again. "Little Black, what happened just now?"
Xiao Hei, keeping his merits hidden, leaned on her shoulder and said, "It's nothing. An'an was dozing off and her head was leaning towards the mission target, so Ji Yu pulled you over."
Qi Anan: "..." Childish.
The driver wiped the sweat from his forehead, and the polite smile on his lips became very stiff.
Being young is great; you can take risks and try new things.
This can also lead to arguments.
Guided by Ji Yu, the group arrived at a relatively remote village.
The roads are straight and clean, and each household has a small garden. Right now, every household has its doors open, and groups of children are setting off fireworks by the roadside, creating a strong festive atmosphere.
The two cars quickly stopped by the river. The driver helped unload the fireworks and sparklers from the trunk. Perhaps because he hadn't touched these things for many years, his face was beaming like a chrysanthemum.
Back in the day, to woo his wife, he even drove half an hour to take her to see fireworks, but...
The driver looked at the four busy teenagers and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
Four people are chasing one, that's too intense, and the other guys don't seem to be any worse off than the young master.
The young master's marriage is in jeopardy.
The driver immediately became worried.
The wind by the river was cold, and it felt like a knife scraping against her face. Qi An'an found a stone stool and slowly sat down like a clumsy penguin.
Wei Lin glanced at her and couldn't help but chuckle, "Didn't you say you were here to set off fireworks? Why are you sitting down?"
Qi An'an: "I'm tired."
Mo Sinian passed by, pulled the hood of her coat over her head, and reminded her, "Don't get cold."
Wei Lin pursed his lips, scanning Qi An'an up and down, feeling that he should do something, so he reached out and symbolically tightened her scarf.
Qi An'an: "..."
Yan Xingcun took out a lighter, lit a sparkler, and came up to her. "Want one?"
The light from the fireworks illuminated his delicate features, adding a touch of warmth, and even his eyebrows and eyes exuded a sense of doting affection.
Qi An'an shifted her gaze from his face to the sparkler, and happily reached out her hand, "I want another one."
Yan Xingcun gave a light snort, "Take it first."
Ji Yu was moving the fireworks when he saw this scene. He walked over and stuffed a bunch of sparklers into her hand, saying, "They're all yours."
"Thank you..." Qi An'an was stunned for a moment, then quickly hugged him tightly.
Yan Xingcun placed another lit sparkler in front of Qi An'an, his tone slightly sour, "Do you still want this one?"
Qi An'an nodded, "Yes!"
She had no choice but to hand out all the sparklers she was holding, saying, "Come on, everyone, this is fun!"
In her memory, she only touched sparklers when her grandparents were alive. In the years since, living alone, she has no holidays and naturally no fireworks.
Tonight, she finally fulfilled a long-cherished wish.
Her smile was so genuine, her eyes reflecting the light of the fireworks, that it deeply moved everyone. They all suppressed their sharp edges and dissatisfaction with each other, and quietly took the sparkler from her hand.
"You're quite good at spreading your love evenly." Yan Xingcun played with the sparkler in his hand, then sat down on a stone stool next to him, his long legs slightly bent, not in a hurry to light the sparkler.
Qi An'an ignored him, focusing on using the remaining embers to light another sparkler. "Stop being so sour. The atmosphere is just right, and you're ruining it with your sourness."
Yan Xingcun: "..."
"Yan Xingcun, if you don't want it, give it to me." Ji Yu pretended to take away his fairy wand.
Yan Xingcun dodged his hand and said ambiguously, "You wish."
Ji Yu loosened his knuckles and continued to move closer to him, saying, "It was originally mine."
Yan Xingcun lifted his eyelids and looked at him warily. "Oh, your name is written on it?"
While the two were confronting each other, Wei Lin and Mo Sinian took Qi An'an away from them and started taking pictures.
This area along the river was clearly newly built, and there weren't many people there, only a few scattered villagers waiting to set off fireworks at dawn.
Qi An'an took out a selfie stick, placed it on the ground, and called to the two people on the stone bench, "Yan Xingcun, Ji Yu, come and take a picture!"
The two boys turned their heads together, and the girl was waving in their direction. Even though she was covered by a scarf and hat, her bright smile was still clear, more dazzling than the fireworks in her hand.
"They're here."
"They're here."
The two spoke almost simultaneously and strode towards Qi An'an.
Just then, someone in the village set off fireworks, which bloomed in the sky behind the two of them. Qi An'an thought the scene was quite beautiful, so she took out her phone and snapped several pictures of them.
After Yan Xingcun and Ji Yu noticed her actions, they immediately moved away from each other, not wanting to be in the same frame at all!
Qi An'an looked slightly regretful and turned the camera to focus on Mo Sinian and Wei Lin, who were lighting sparklers.
...Although the mission progress was zero, she was very happy tonight.
He turned to look for Xiao Hei.
Xiao Hei was sticking to the nearly burnt-out fairy wand in Yan Xingcun's hand, looking as if it wanted to swallow the flames whole.
She looked at its foolish appearance and silently looked away.
She felt that the scene was strangely familiar, but she had never experienced it before.
It was probably a scene hidden in her original memory.
At dawn, thousands of fireworks lit up the sky. Qi An'an braved the cold wind and excitedly filmed several videos. She also sent the sparklers she hadn't finished lighting to the children who came to join in the fun.
In about twenty minutes, the dark blue sky gradually returned to tranquility, and the air seemed to still retain the unpleasant smell of fireworks.
Qi An'an followed the boys back to the car, keeping her head down and looking at her phone.
Yan Xingcun leaned closer to take a look. "What exactly are you doing?"
But then she saw a photo of him and Ji Yu on her phone screen!
He immediately felt unwell.
He said, "Delete it."
Qi An'an raised her eyes, glanced at him quickly, and silently added a New Year's filter to the photo. "I'm going to post this on my WeChat Moments..."
Yan Xingcun was slightly taken aback.
Ji Yu, with the same look of disgust, asked: "...Moments?"
She never shares these things on her WeChat Moments, let alone their photos.
There have always been rumors about her and them. If she posts this on her WeChat Moments, won't those idle people go crazy with gossip?
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