Chapter 64: Fang Yifan: Yingzi, just hold your ground, I'll say only this, and from now on, I'll let it go entirely!

Fang Yifan was lost in his own thoughts as he walked to school with his cousin, Lin Leier. Upon arriving at the school gates, the scene that always irritated his eyes appeared once again.

Ahead of them was He Chen, flanked by a group of people walking in formation. Leaving aside Ruan Liuzheng, Lin Miaomiaozhi, and Qian Siyi on the left, the people on the right turned out to be none other than his good buddy Qiao Yingzi and his goddess Huang Zhitao.

His good buddy Qiao Yingzi was chatting and laughing merrily with He Chen as they walked. This was hardly the first time! In fact, it could be said that this had completely replaced his own past routine of constantly hovering around the two girls, laughing, joking, and throwing his arms around their shoulders. It had now become the new normal.

In an instant, his emotions exploded, and he shouted loudly, "Yingzi!"

Everyone immediately turned around. Seeing the furious expression on Fang Yifan's face, Qiao Yingzi's expression darkened at once. She had no idea what kind of drama this childhood friend of hers was trying to pull this time, but in front of He Chen, she really didn't want to be misunderstood.

However, seeing that Fang Yifan's eyes were red and his expression looked very wrong, her heart softened. She told the others to go on ahead and stayed right where she was to wait for him.

Naturally, the rest of the group weren't so oblivious, so they continued walking toward the teaching building. Huang Zhitao glanced back as she walked, feeling somewhat worried about her close friend. Then she took another look at He Chen and, noticing his playful expression, couldn't help asking, "He Chen, what are you smiling at?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone turned to look at him in unison.

"Didn't you guys feel it?" He Chen smiled. "Didn't that scene just now have a strong *Dream of the Red Chamber* vibe? Fang Yifan is Jia Baoyu, calling out to Lin Daiyu and saying, 'You just wait there. I know you won't pay me any mind, but I have just one thing to say: from now on, let's wash our hands of each other and part ways'—"

"You know, you really hit the nail on the head!" Qian Siyi clapped in admiration. He had gotten precisely that feeling just now.

He Chen was truly different; he always managed to reference classic, iconic moments, and yet they fit the situation so perfectly. He didn't know whether to praise He Chen for his sharp perception or marvel at the enduring nature of classics.

"Fang Yifan is no Jia Baoyu!" Huang Zhitao quickly denied it. She certainly didn't want her best friend to be cast in the role of Lin Daiyu.

That would not only hurt her friend's feelings and send her mind wandering, but it might also drag her into the melodramatic mess of *The Dream of the Red Chamber*. She had no desire to be mistaken for Xue Baochai! Even though she actually quite liked Xue Baochai, she had zero wish to be linked to Jia Baoyu—otherwise known as Fang Yifan.

"Is that so?" He Chen asked with a playful smile. "I actually think there's quite a bit of flavor to it, whether you look at family backgrounds, his personality, habits, and style, or the dynamics between you guys—"

"Family background? How is that even possible!" Knowing what He Chen was about to say, Huang Zhitao quickly interrupted, refuting the very first point. "Fang Yifan's family is just middle class, and his mother always insists they're just an ordinary family. There's simply no way they can compare to the top-tier nobility of the Jia family in *The Dream of the Red Chamber*, where a single family boasted two dukes."

"You're wrong!" He Chen corrected her teasingly. "In *The Dream of the Red Chamber*, Grandmother Jia herself explicitly says, 'Families of medium standing like ours.' The so-called medium-standing families are just today's middle class, aren't they? As for the modesty of claiming to be an ordinary family, well, you just take that with a grain of salt. If you actually took it literally, that would just be impolite."

"..." Huang Zhitao was left speechless.

To be able to attend Chunfeng High School, and have two children from the same family enrolled there besides, just how many could truly be considered ordinary households? Coupled with their expenses on food and clothing, the Fang family could be considered quite a well-off middle-class household. A well-off middle class matching up with Grandmother Jia's humblebragging in *The Dream of the Red Chamber* about her family being of medium standing... well, it actually barely worked.

And Fang Yifan's obsequious, eager-to-please nature, along with his daily routine of hovering around girls, really did make him quite like Jia Baoyu...

Over there, Qiao Yingzi had taken the initiative to stay behind and wait for Fang Yifan. As he approached, she asked with displeasure, "What kind of madness are you acting out now?"

"Why do you guys always end up walking together lately? Don't you know he's my enemy?" Fang Yifan complained bitterly. "And you're chatting and laughing with him all day long. Do you really have that much to talk about?"

"Our two apartment complexes are just separated by a street, and we go to the same school. Is it really that strange to run into each other on the way?" Qiao Yingzi retorted unhappily. "As for chatting, we both love the sea of stars, so discussing stargazing and moon-watching together—is that strange? Why would I talk to him instead of you? You don't even like stargazing! Besides, we also talk about math and physics—is that something we could discuss with you? As for whether he's an enemy or not, why don't you just behave yourself? Which of the conflicts between you two hasn't been deliberately provoked by you, only for you to end up getting the short end of the stick?"

"Whether it's stargazing, math, or physics, you could totally talk to me about those too... I might be a little weak in those areas, but I have my genius-panda cousin Leier! He's the top student in the entire school. Isn't he much more worth discussing things with than that He Chen?" Fang Yifan protested indignantly.

"And as for the conflicts, you know full well I'm always the one getting the raw deal! As a childhood friend, not only do you not help me, you don't even comfort me afterwards. Are you still my good buddy from childhood? Have you completely forgotten all the nice things I did for you back then?"

"..." Seeing Fang Yifan in a rage, Qiao Yingzi felt a pang of guilt mixed with a strange, uncomfortable sensation. She was terrified that Fang Yifan would actually take imitating Jia Baoyu to heart and blurt out something like: *'We used to eat at the same table and sleep on the same bed... But now who would have expected that you, miss, have grown up with grand ambitions and no longer hold me in your eyes, instead keeping that outsider Zhitao and the unexpected arrival He Chen in your heart, while leaving me neglected for three or four days...'* She quickly cut him off.

"Alright, Uncle Fang is getting out before National Day anyway, and our two families will definitely get together then. We can talk about whatever you want then, okay? Class is about to start! Do you have any actual business? If not, hurry up and get to the classroom!"

"Of course I have business!" Hearing that the two families would definitely have a dinner gathering before National Day, Fang Yifan felt a surge of happiness and couldn't help smiling. "I remember you saying before that your mother was under a lot of pressure and couldn't sleep, and that your family keeps some sleeping pills on hand, right? Give me some!"

"What for?" Qiao Yingzi looked at Fang Yifan with a mixture of shock and suspicion. "Are you planning to threaten me with suicide?"

As someone who was currently under immense pressure herself, that was the very first thought that crossed her mind, which went to show what kind of thoughts usually occupied her brain...

Unfortunately, Fang Yifan wasn't that sharp and failed to pick up on the dangerous subtext inadvertently revealed by his childhood friend and buddy. He explained with a beaming smile, "I'm asking for Leier. Lately, he's been suffering from intense homesickness and can't sleep for nights on end. As his cousin, seeing it with my own eyes and feeling it in my heart, I'm really worried."

"That doesn't sound right, does it?" Recalling the usual demeanor of Lin Leier, her fellow academic prodigy in the same class, Qiao Yingzi was somewhat doubtful. "Besides, don't rush to take pills. Have you ever heard of calming herbal soup? It's the secret recipe unique to your mom and my mom!"

"No way! The medicinal effect of that Chinese herbal medicine is too slow. Young Master Lin's condition is already critical! Just give me a few pills, I'm begging you!" Fang Yifan pressed his hands together and kept pleading around Qiao Yingzi until she grew impatient, stopped thinking too much about it, and finally agreed.

By the time they reached the teaching building, they went their separate ways to their respective classrooms.

Seeing that his plan had succeeded, a smug smile crept up the corner of Fang Yifan's mouth, and he felt deeply satisfied with the scheme he had just thought up on the spur of the moment.

Isn't it just a matter of having a geographical advantage? When all was said and done, his biggest disadvantage right now was that he didn't live in Shuxiang Yayuan.

As long as he found a way to move over there, he could restore his brotherly bond with Qiao Yingzi and resume hovering around his goddess to chase away the flies for her.

He could also block that bastard He Chen from getting close—it was practically killing three birds with one stone!

Brilliant!