Chapter 265: How About We Go to Ah Fang-’s House for the New Year?
After concluding the company's annual gathering held in Jiangcheng, the yearly season of separation for the trio had once again arrived.
Having spent so much time with his childhood sweethearts, Mei Fang didn't really feel much about these farewells anymore, especially since he had too much work to keep him occupied.
However, Xia Yuan, who was in the midst of a passionate relationship with Mei Fang, saw things differently. She pulled Lin Youxi and Mei Fang together to make some calculations:
"Although we agreed at the beginning to determine our relationship time by school terms, if we go by that, I'm always in the first semester, and the first semester is shorter than the second."
Xia Yuan continued, "Plus, this year we only started dating in late October, and we're supposed to break up at the end of the semester when January has just begun. Calculating this way, Ah Fang and I have been only dating for less than 3 months. Not to mention that Ah Fang has to return to Baizhou City at the beginning of the year, so there are two weeks when I can't be with Ah Fang..."
Mei Fang and Lin Youxi listened quietly to Xia Yuan's tearful complaints. Mei Fang couldn't help but shake his head and say, "If you put half as much effort into your math problems as you do into this, you wouldn't have done so poorly on your finals-"
Xia Yuan immediately interrupted, mumbling that Mei Fang shouldn't say any more.
"Ahhh-stop talking! I'm different from you two, and I've been totally focused on Ah Fang lately. I haven't been studying at all."
Lin Youxi shook her head, "That's no excuse for scoring so badly. My mind has also been on Ah Fang, and I still got first in the class."
"No, you can't compare me to yourself like that..."Mei Fang chimed in to support Xia Yuan, "Let's put aside the matter of Yuan Yuan failing her math test for now. I do think she has a point. Even though we haven't publicly announced our relationship on social media, breaking up so soon might cause a backlash. I don't mind if people criticize me, but Yuan Yuan's reputation could also be affected."
"In that case, why don't we adjust the terms of our previous secret agreement?"
Lin Youxi thought for a moment and continued, "Let's set a time limit of one year. Ah Fang will belong to Yuan Yuan in our second year, and to me in our third year. How does that sound?"
"You're so great, Youxi!"
A very touched Xia Yuan hugged Lin Youxi, showering her with affection. Lin Youxi, enjoying the attention, acted with a loving and indulgent expression.
While hugging Xia Yuan, Lin Youxi asked Mei Fang, "Speaking of which, ever since you moved to your new house, we haven't visited yet. I was thinking, since Yuan Yuan and I don't have much to do at home before the New Year, and you said your house is quite spacious now, could we stay at your place?"
Mei Fang was taken aback, "Huh? Stay at my place... Can you even convince your families to agree?"
"I talked to my mom about it last night. She said it's fine as long as Yuan Yuan goes too."
Xia Yuan had been pondering how she would get through the two weeks without Mei Fang, but when she heard what Lin Youxi suggested, she quickly perked up.
"Oh right! I've moved recently too, so it's not convenient to hang out with Youxi and Xiaoxue anymore."
"But... it's rare for us to come home..." Mei Fang scratched his head with some reluctance. "I think it would be better if you two spent more time with your parents."
"Ah Fang, what are you trying to say-" Xia Yuan frowned, putting her hands on her hips in a frustrated stance. "Are you getting tired of spending time with us?"
"What? No way I'd get tired of that!"
Mei Fang pinched her cheeks playfully to calm her down. "I just thought Uncle Xia, Uncle Lin, and Teacher Yu haven't seen you two in a while. They must be missing you."
"We can always video call them, it's not a big deal."
Xia Yuan continued to grumble. "Besides, Youxi and I video chat with our parents all the time, but we hardly ever get to see Uncle Mei and Aunt Xiang. Don't they miss us too?" RАŊŎ𝐛Ês̈
Lin Youxi chimed in, whispering in Mei Fang's ear, "Weren't you planning to finally tell your family about your company? If we're there with you, it'll be easier for them to accept."
"That's true... My mom is quite fond of you two."
Originally, Mei Fang had planned to confess about his business during the New Year when he and his family returned home to Baimei, but if he could get it over with as soon as he arrived at Baizhou, it would save him a lot of trouble.
"But isn't it a bit late to bring this up now? My dad's already on his way to pick me up... How am I supposed to explain this to him?" Xia Yuan asked.
Mei Fang understood Xia Yuan's father's temperament well enough to know how to handle him.
"No worries, here's what you should say..."
After Mei Fang explained his plan, Lin Youxi offered her thoughts.
"That's a good start, but I don't think it's enough."
Although Xia Yuan's father usually came across as an easygoing dad, he did have his limits. "You'll need to do this and that as well if you really want to convince Uncle Xia to let Yuan Yuan visit your house."
Xia Xun, who hadn't seen his daughter in a while, happily drove to Jiangcheng to pick her up.
His daughter had become famous online, and now, whenever Xia Xun went out, people referred to him as the "celebrity's dad." Though he always acted calm and collected, inside, he couldn't have been more proud.
Since childhood, Xia Yuan had loved music, and seeing her achieve such success wasn't just a result of her talent, but also of the early education Xia Xun had provided as her father.
His phone was filled with all of Xia Yuan's videos and songs, and whenever he missed his daughter, he would take them out and watch or listen to them.
But he also knew that his daughter was at an age where she was just beginning to experience romantic feelings, and her affection for boys would naturally outweigh her affection for him as a father.
If he seemed too eager to hold onto their bond, still expecting her to be his LittLe cotton jacket, he'd come across as childish. So, on his way to pick her up, he had prepared himself for the possibility that she might act a bit distant.
However, when he arrived at the entrance of the residential complex, he was surprised to see his daughter standing in the cold wind, waiting for him.
Recognizing his car's license plate, Xia Yuan excitedly waved at him.
Xia Xun pulled over and was about to get out to ask how she was doing when Xia Yuan suddenly ran up and threw her arms around him in a big hug.
"Dad! Long time no see!"
After hugging him tightly, Xia Yuan playfully patted Xia Xun's back hard. "You look so much chubbier than you do in the video calls! What's going on?"
"Uh... well..."
Xia Xun scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. "Actually, your mom's cooking has gotten way better than before."
"Wow! Really? I'm definitely going to have to try it when I get back."
Xia Xun nodded, then turned his attention to Mei Fang, whom he had been pretending not to notice this whole time. Mei Fang stepped forward to greet him. "Hello, Uncle Xia."
Xia Xun nodded at Mei Fang, then asked Xia Yuan. "So, where are Youxi and Sister Meijuan? Did they head back earlier this year?"
"Ah, no... They're not in a rush to go home today. I actually wanted to go to the mall first, buy some local specialties and gifts for Mom. Dad, could we leave a bit later?"
"That's no problem... just don't be too late."
Xia Xun glanced over at Mei Fang, thinking that he was probably going to end up being the designated carrier for all the shopping bags again.
But just then, Mei Fang spoke to Xia Yuan briefly before turning to him. "Uncle Xia, why don't you accompany Yuan Yuan to go shopping? I won't disturb you both."
Xia Xun was a little confused. "What about you, Mei Fang? Where are you going?"
Xia Yuan quickly responded, "Ah Fang's going to the mall with Youxi and Aunt Meijuan."
"If you're all going to the mall, why not just go together? I can drive you there."
"No need, Uncle Xia!"
Mei Fang scratched his head with a smile. "Youxi actually wants to buy some clothes for her dad, and I promised to help her pick."
"Oh... I see."