Chapter 9, Regarding the Matter of No Longer Calling Her Sister

Mina laughed and said, "Now that you mention it, I realize that when did you start calling her Fan Fan instead of Sister Fan Fan? Didn't you used to call her Sister just like I did?"

We have just arrived as well Mina said

For some time after that day, he would dream of her at night, though these were certainly not pleasant dreams. Sometimes, such fantasies were not even confined to his dreams. Since then, he no longer called her "Sister Fanfan," perhaps because he felt that fantasizing about a friend was far less sordid than fantasizing about an older sister

Xu Haibo took a deep breath, propped his elbow on the car window, and ran his fingers through his hair

I will help you. Mina continued to tease him

I didn't say anything to her; I was just trying to gauge the situation for you. Rest assured, I definitely won't speak carelessly; I know what I'm doing. Moreover, we have known each other for so many years, so even if something were to be said, it wouldn't be awkward. If it turns out well, that would be great; I would gain a girlfriend for free. Sister Fan Fan is wonderful, full of vitality.

He got into the car and settled into the passenger seat, unwrapped a piece of candy, and put it in his mouth. In fact, he did not like eating candy, except for the cherry-flavored ones

Xu Haibo turned back to take a glance and saw Xu Ruofan walking back with a plate. He whispered a warning: "If you say one more word, I will go tell your father that you are dating a boy and reveal everything about you and Shang Tao."

What are you doing? Are you introducing me to a boyfriend?

Are you not done yet

The next morning, while Mina had not yet checked out, she changed into her swimsuit, hoping to swim for a while longer. To her surprise, she found that Xu Haibo had arrived at the swimming pool even earlier than she had, and she had no idea how long he had been swimming there.

He quickly got up, excusing himself for not wanting to stoop to her level and walked away. He was unsure if she had noticed his flustered and awkward demeanor at that moment. Later, seeing her act as if nothing was wrong and continue to joke with him, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that it was fortunate it wasn't summer.

Xu Haibo retorted: "What do I have to feel guilty about? I simply do not want to mess around with you."

Xu Ruofan stuffed a piece of candy into his hand, then turned back to her own car. He kept watching her and saw that when she got into the car, she also gave Xu Ruocheng a piece of candy, saying something similar to what she had said to him: "Peach flavor, specially picked for you"

Seeing that he did not respond, Xu Ruofan simply grabbed his hand and placed two candies in his palm: "These are the two cherry-flavored ones I got from the front desk. I didn't even dare to eat them myself, specially brought them for you. How about it, this is for you."

Xu Haibo felt a bit embarrassed and replied, "Have you taken the wrong medicine? Why must you insist on pairing us together?"

When she speaks to her boyfriend, she is likely to be sweeter, with a hint of shyness, and she will definitely be clinging to his arm, leaning against him. How would that person react? He would probably kiss her on the lips, and if it were him, he would likely do just that. Other boys would probably do the same.

Xu Haibo wanted to say that he did not want to listen and dismissed her, but upon hearing her say the word "clarify," he wore a smile full of ambiguous meaning, vaguely feeling that it was related to Xu Ruofan having a boyfriend. This matter was simply her teasing him, wasn't it

He thought that if Xu Ruofan really had a boyfriend one day, she would surely remember that person's preferences with great care, meticulously selecting the favorite candies from a large assortment of fruit candies. At that time, would she just forget about him

"What about age? Do you prefer someone older than you or younger?" Mina pressed on.

Being two years older makes her my sister; we are the same age, and I have always called her Fan Fan Jie without feeling any awkwardness. What you said is not a valid reason at all; it simply reflects ulterior motives.

So who do you think is beautiful? Sister Fanfan

What worries do I have to bear

"Aren't we good sisters? You can choose first," Mina said. "I have a classmate who is particularly suitable for you; he is two years younger than you. I wonder if you would consider him."

Isn't this handsome enough? Is your taste a bit too high? Mina provoked Xu Ruofan with her words

"That is because you have never seen someone truly handsome." Xu Ruofan, without any doubt, took out her phone and opened a selfie taken a couple of days ago with An Ran and Fang Zhe to show Mina. "Look, this is the heartthrob of our school; this is what true handsomeness looks like."

Xu Ruofan shook his head: "He is slightly thinner, and being too handsome makes me feel insecure"

Mina immediately retracted her smile: "Are you threatening me? How uninteresting, really, you have no sense of humor."

As Xu Haibo was about to get into the car, he was suddenly called to a halt by Xu Ruofan, causing his heart to flutter a couple of times

Mina pointed to her eyes and said, "The eyes of the masses are sharp as snow."

Feeling somewhat flustered due to Mina's teasing, Xu Haibo felt a bit guilty in front of Xu Ruofan and did not dare to look at her directly for a moment, instead focusing on eating his meal.

Mina stared at Xu Haibo for a while and playfully said: "Are you feeling enlightened now?"

Xu Ruofan glanced and said: "Generally, not considered a handsome guy."

Are you a woman

Then why don't you keep it for yourself

Mina said with a smile: "Seeing you so distracted, I specifically came to clarify something for you. Do you want to hear it?"

What is it? Xu Haibo felt increasingly uneasy

I feel sad every time I play ball, I play ball every day, what is there to be surprised about

Although he was accustomed to the playful banter with Xu Ruofan, at this moment, Xu Haibo suddenly felt a bit displeased upon hearing her words. He lowered his head and muttered to himself, wondering why he was considered merely acceptable, when in fact, many people pursued him.

Xu Haibo swam over, and before he could speak, he heard Mina laughing and saying: "I have heard of drowning sorrows in wine, but what kind of method are you using to drown your sorrows?"

Mina smiled: "I care about you. Fan Fan is quite attractive, and the most crucial thing is that she has a good figure. If she weren't so picky, how could she still be single? However, there are plenty of handsome guys in college. If there is a boy she finds appealing, he would definitely pursue her. Why are you going to play basketball late at night to vent your frustration?"

What are you thinking about? Mina had no idea when she brought a plate and sat down across from him, startling Xu Haibo.

After Xu Ruofan returned, Mina did not continue the previous topic during the meal. After finishing the meal, several families gathered in the lobby to settle the bill. Xu Haibo deliberately avoided Mina and Xu Ruofan, but seeing the two of them whispering together made him uneasy, unsure if Mina would say anything to Xu Ruofan.

"Stop it," Xu Haibo said, "I warn you, just have a little banter with me here, don't go over to Fan Fan and talk nonsense."

Is that so? Xu Ruofan was indeed attracted attention and went to get food while holding a plate

Indeed, there are many handsome single gentlemen around me who are just the right amount of attractive

I have undergone surgery, and now I have keen eyesight. Haven't you noticed that I no longer wear glasses? Am I more beautiful now?

Xu Haibo clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect and said, "Can I call you sister? Please spare me." After saying this, he pushed off from the bank and jumped onto the shore, adding, "If I can't provoke you, I can avoid you. You can play by yourself."

What about Sister Jingjing? Aren't you also calling her sister all the time now? Why does Sister Fanfan go from sister to just Fanfan

Xu Haibo remained expressionless and did not respond, pretending to be unwilling to engage with her, concealing the embarrassment of having his hidden feelings exposed

I will ask Sister Fan Fan later if there are any boys pursuing her

His change of address for her from "Sister Fan Fan" to "Fan Fan" occurred during his middle school years, due to a small, awkward secret that he is not very willing to recall

Due to Mina's teasing, he felt somewhat flustered. He and Xu Ruofan were truly too familiar with each other; they had known each other since he could remember, having grown up together like siblings.

"Is it really this early?" Xu Ruofan sat down next to Xu Haibo, "It seems I am the latest one."

Xu Ruofan smiled and said, "He is passable to look at."

Xu Ruofan pointed at An Ran, who was beside Fang Zhe, and said: "This is his girlfriend. A couple of days ago, when we were staying at a farmhouse in the mountains, we happened to be in the same courtyard as them."

As Xu Ruofan walked away, Xu Haibo turned back and quietly said to Mina: "Can you please stop messing around? There was originally nothing going on, and now you've made everyone feel so awkward"

I don't think so; only Shang Tao thinks you are beautiful

Later on, as she faced a heavy academic workload in high school, the two were no longer in the same school and could not meet and play together as frequently as before. Each of them developed new circles of friends, and this old matter gradually became sealed in his memory. He never considered whether he liked her, believing that those difficult-to-voice little secrets were merely normal psychological and physiological responses associated with entering puberty, common mistakes made by all boys who are just beginning to experience adolescence.

After settling the bill, everyone accompanied each other to the parking lot, bidding farewell to one another before getting into their cars and leaving

Is it just that you have 500 degrees of nearsightedness?

Alternatively, if that person happens to also like cherry flavor, when she finds two pieces, will she give one to each of them, or will she run up to that person and stuff both candies into his hands, laughing and saying: "Cherry flavor, especially saved for you"

"What were you doing last night?" Mina said, "Playing basketball alone in the middle of the night, feeling sad, aren't you?"

Sister Jing is five years older than me, she is only two years older than me

Mina smiled at Xu Haibo's back, then made a graceful leap and jumped into the swimming pool

Indeed, he is playing with him, Xu Haibo glanced at Mina for two seconds before lowering his head to eat.

That was a matter from childhood, now we are all grown up, and you still call her sister

He and Xu Ruofan grew up playing together, accustomed to joking and roughhousing without much restraint. Their parents likely viewed them as siblings, and some of their slightly intimate actions did not seem unusual to them, leading to little intervention. During middle school, there was an incident when they were playfully wrestling; he pinned her down on the bed, and as she struggled and twisted her body, it resulted in... He had a physical reaction.

Uncertain whether it was due to Mina's slap or her words that startled him, Xu Haibo choked slightly and coughed several times. Taking the opportunity to drink water, he signaled her with his eyes to quickly shut her mouth and stop talking. Mina pretended not to see, while Xu Ruofan thought Mina was joking and chuckled along.

Mina laughed: "Who is embarrassed? Sister Fanfan is not embarrassed, it's just you who is embarrassed. By the way, if you weren't feeling guilty, what is there to be embarrassed about?"

Hey, Sister Fanfan! Over here!

She walked to the edge of the swimming pool and waved her hand at Xu Haibo

Mina thought for a moment, glanced at the guests dining in the hall, selected a relatively decent-looking man, and quietly pointed him out to Xu Ruofan, saying: "There is a handsome guy over there"

You are just watching the excitement of the situation without caring about the trouble it may bring

Mina sat by the pool and said with a smile, "There is no one else here, so just quietly tell me, do you have feelings for Sister Fanfan? When you were young, you always liked to stick close to her. I heard yesterday that she has a boyfriend now, so you must be feeling a bit sour inside, right?"

Mina smiled and asked, "Do you like boys of this type, like your campus heartthrob?"

A few adults gathered together, eating and chatting. Xu Haibo did not join the lively conversation; instead, he found a corner for himself, eating while lost in thought.

Xu Haibo did not have time to speak when Xu Ruofan had already walked over. He could only take the opportunity to glare at Mina while turning his back to Xu Ruofan, signaling her not to act recklessly. Mina squinted and smiled at him, reassuring him, "Don't worry, I won't cause any trouble"

Mina hurriedly said, "I think so too, being too handsome is not acceptable, but being not handsome is also not acceptable. One must look pleasing to oneself, it should be just the right amount of handsomeness." As she spoke, she pretended to think for a moment, then patted Xu Haibo and said, "Haibo is about right, just handsome enough, has a good figure, a bit silly, very safe."

I am straightforward

Check-out at 12:00, everyone packs their luggage and goes to the buffet restaurant for lunch

Xu Ruofan walked over to Xu Ta and said: "Reach out."

Mina's eyes also lit up, and she nodded in appreciation, knowingly asking, "Don't tell me this is your boyfriend?"

Mina glanced at Xu Haibo and said, "From this photo, Haibo actually looks quite handsome."

Mina suddenly called out loudly, and Xu Haibo turned around to see Xu Ruofan approaching their table with a plate in hand

Xu Haibo found Mina's increasingly absurd remarks hard to bear and quickly interrupted to say to Xu Ruofan: "I think a new batch of grilled oysters just came out, don't you want some?"

Mina discerned Xu Haibo's thoughts and smiled, saying: "Sister Fanfan has never mentioned to me that she has a boyfriend; I don't know whether she does or not. I just said it casually."

Xu Haibo knew that Xu Ruofan did not give him the candy solely for him, and that Mina and Mi Yue probably had some as well. He also understood that she did not like cherry flavor at all, and there was certainly no notion of "not wanting to eat it." It was merely a casual remark about having bought it. However, he still felt quite pleased in his heart.