I have few friends, but many childhood sweethearts.

Chapter 8. Lin Wanning's Gift
ha~
"Why do kindergartens have to start at 8 a.m.?" Xu Qingfan complained listlessly, slumped over the table.

Last night, he was recalling the 2014 college entrance exam questions and didn't fall asleep until after 1 a.m. He felt as sleepy as a sleeping husband in a Japanese adult film.

Hearing the noise around him, Xu Qingfan unknowingly fell asleep on the table.

"Someone is looking for you, wake up!"

He slept for a long time, and in his dream, Xu Qingfan returned to the night Xia Xiaoxiao said goodbye to him.

The next moment, he was sitting on the rooftop of the high school campus again, the setting sun stretching his shadow long, and his favorite song, "Waiting for You After Class," played over the loudspeaker.

Suddenly, Xu Qingfan felt someone push him from behind, and the feeling of weightlessness pulled him back to reality from his dream.

"what!"

Xu Qingfan shuddered and sprang up from his desk like a carp leaping out of its shell.

Xia Xiaoxiao was clearly startled by his sudden outburst, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

"What are you doing? Someone's looking for you!" She glared at Xu Qingfan, then pointed towards the door.

Xu Qingfan rubbed his eyes and turned his head to look. Lin Wanning was carefully hiding behind the door, peeking at him with half her head sticking out.

Kawaii!!!
In his previous life, he was a pure love god of war, so he had a good impression of Lin Wanning, who looked very much like Xiao Liuhua.

After Xu Qingfan came out, he took Lin Wanning's hand and led her to the stairwell, asking with concern, "Are they still bullying you?"

The little girl shook her head and handed the toilet paper she was holding to Xu Qingfan, with a bow tied on it carefully.

"This is for you, thank you."

Can I open it?

Lin Wanning scratched her face shyly and said, "Mmm."

After untying the bow, the rolled-up paper automatically unfolded due to the reaction force, revealing a colorful painting to his eyes.

The scene depicts what appears to be Class B classroom, with three monsters with animal heads and human bodies lying on the ground. A little boy wearing a cloak and holding a sword has one foot on the pig-headed monster.

It was so vivid and lifelike that Xu Qingfan burst into laughter.

"Is this me?" he asked, pointing to the little boy.

Lin Wanning shifted her gaze from the painting to his face and nodded shyly.

"Thank you for the gift, I like it very much."

Little Wan Ning is so adorable! Uncle must have saved the galaxy in his past life to have such a daughter!
[Is it safe for me to park my will-o'-the-wisp downstairs?]
Xu Qingfan couldn't help but have wicked thoughts.

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Lin Wanning's smile immediately brightened.

"Yes, my dad asked me to invite you to our house." The little girl extended her index finger and rhythmically tapped it against her chest.

"Okay, when?" He mischievously tugged at the tuft of hair on Lin Wanning's head.

The little girl pouted and looked at him reproachfully. "Sorry, I couldn't help it."

Lin Wanning raised his hand and touched his ahoge (cowlick). [There's nothing to touch. I don't know why Mom and Dad like to pluck it so much, he does too!]
"It's okay, my dad said you can come anytime you're free."

"How about this afternoon?" It's Friday today, and Xu Qingfan asked, remembering that he needed to go back to the countryside for two days this weekend.

"Sure!" Lin Wanning exclaimed with delight.

After agreeing on a time, the two returned to their respective classes.

In the last music class, Ms. Xiaoyu continued to lead the class in rehearsing Peninsula Iron Box.

The intrusive sound made him abandon his plan to continue sleeping, and he picked up the printed review materials to look at them.

Opening a print shop seems like a good idea.
Even before his rebirth, printing shops were always a highly profitable business.

I didn't ask before I paid, and when I asked about the price after I paid, it was two yuan per card. Take it or leave it, that's always been the price!

When you encounter some unreasonable bosses, they might even say sarcastic things like, "It's been two yuan a sheet of paper for so many years, how is it expensive? Don't talk nonsense. Sometimes you should look for the reasons within yourself. Have your wages increased over the years? Have you been working hard?"

He had once read a report that a place called Xinhua monopolized more than 90% of the printing business in the country. If he really wanted to get into this business, he could go to Xinhua to buy a used machine.

Just as Xu Qingfan was staring at the photocopied A4 paper, lost in thought, his deskmate Xia Xiaoxiao was glancing at his desk drawer with barely perceptible eyes.

Inside were paintings that Lin Wanning had given him, and after a while, Xu Qingfan inevitably noticed them.

[This little girl really cares about me!]
He felt a sense of satisfaction, like his childhood sweetheart was jealous of him.

Sometimes he was quite confused. Didn't the two of them have a good relationship when they were young? How did they end up going abroad?

Xu Qingfan had recalled it countless times, but he still couldn't figure out what caused the two of them to drift apart.

Having been given a second chance at life, Xu Qingfan has come to understand many things.

The idea that love can overcome mountains and seas is just a lie in movies.

Actually, it's enough to have seen the flowers bloom; why bother about who they belong to?

"Here! Take a look." He took the painting out of the drawer and handed it to Xia Xiaoxiao.

"What's so interesting about it?" The little tsundere said she wouldn't look at it, but her hands obediently took the painting.

A look of surprise crossed the little girl's face. Lin Wanning's drawing skills were clearly the result of practice. Even a middle school student might not be able to draw such a good three-dimensional figure with colored pencils.

Xia Xiaoxiao felt inexplicably disappointed. First, Xu Qingfan easily solved the most challenging problem on the math test, and then Lin Wanning's lifelike drawing skills made her feel like she was no longer the smartest child in kindergarten!
"Here you go." Xia Xiaoxiao slumped dejectedly onto the table.

Xu Qingfan looked puzzled.

[Hmph! Mom said a temporary lead doesn't mean anything. Keep it up, Xia Xiaoxiao, you're the best!]
Suddenly, Xia Xiaoxiao sat up straight with renewed energy and snatched the printed documents from Xu Qingfan's hand to look at them.

Xu Qingfan: "???"

(End of this chapter)