Volume 1: When I Was Young Chapter 2: Joyful Enemies

  "Ah?" The sound of Xia Lixia's anxious cry came from beside her ear, and she felt a chill run down her spine. She quickly turned around to see that Xia Zhi and Xia Fei, the two brothers, had already stood up and were preparing to leave.

  The back door of the auditorium was locked, and the hiding place where she and Xia Liqiu were hiding was the only entrance to the entire venue. It would be a bit difficult not to be discovered. Zhan Rourou wrinkled her small nose, and the idea had already been conceived in her mind. She simply pulled Xia Liqiu up: "Later when asked, just say it was all my idea."

  It seems like a waste of words, because with Xia's gentle and elegant personality, it's impossible for her to do something so out of character - she just got used to it, whenever there was anything that belonged to the "bad kid" category, she would habitually take it upon herself. After all, she and Liqiu had been inseparable since they were kids.

  The friendship between the Xia and Zhan families dates back to three generations ago. The two old men were known to have started making revolution when they were just a few years old, and their feelings had been tested through numerous trials of gunfire and rain.

  Having gone through eight years of anti-Japanese war and three years of civil war, as well as the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, they were expecting to enjoy a happy life in New China. However, the special historical background led the two brothers onto different paths in life.

  Xia's old master was a solitary figure, with no family or relatives. He had a smooth and successful career, rising to the position of Commander-in-Chief of one of the country's seven major military regions.

  The old master of the Jiang family, because he came from a landlord's family and had a strong and straightforward personality, refused to cut ties with his family members and became a sacrifice of that era. Although there was so-called rehabilitation later on, Master Jiang had already let go and lived a peaceful life as an ordinary citizen.

  The difference in status did not affect the relationship between the two old men, especially after Xia Lao Ye retired. The two old men would often play chess and walk birds together, and their absolute authority also influenced the interactions of the younger generation. Although they no longer had the emotions of the older generation, at least they were equal and not affected by the current family situation. Xia Lao Ye's eldest son, Xia Hongming, was in Beijing, with a hint of taking over his father's business, a standard red second-generation, with boundless prospects. His second son, Xia Hongjun, did not follow in his father's footsteps, but instead turned to the business world, relying on his excellent background and connections to accumulate considerable wealth, successfully labeling the three siblings of the Xia family as rich second-generation.

  Looking back, after experiencing setbacks, Warlord's father was so traumatized that he forbade his son from entering politics; and with a straightforward and fiery personality that hated evil, it wasn't suitable for doing business either. Their only son, Warring States, opened a martial arts gym, and the whole family lived a comfortable and happy life, which wasn't bad at all.

  The third generation of the Zhang family also has three children. The eldest sister, Zhang Zong, is 28 years old and already married. The second son, Zhang Yi, is 21 years old and currently studying abroad. Only Zhang Ruo remains at home.

  Compared to his elder brother and sister's calm and introverted personality, Zhan Yan, as the youngest, is outgoing and strong-willed, which has earned him the appreciation of both old men. He is also the only one in the two families who can withstand the old man's temper.

  To put it bluntly, I'm a tough nut to crack, with thick skin, and since I was young, I've been getting into trouble and being scolded a lot.

  "Summer brother!" Warbler led the bewildered Xia Liqiu out of the darkness, suddenly appearing in front of the two brothers from the Xia family. She looked up at Xia Zhi, who was more than a head taller than her, and ignored the guy with a similar build and face next to him. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she smiled: "Hey, how did you get out? I heard there's a dance party here, and I wanted to check it out, so I begged Autumn to bring me along. Can I?"

  Xia Zhi glanced at her bewildered little sister and the little shadow that had been following her since childhood, and couldn't help but sigh. She patted Xia Dou's head, which didn't feel as soft and smooth as Li Qiu's. The short hair was a bit prickly: "Dou, it's late, you guys should be in bed now. You still have class tomorrow morning."

  "I don't know who's been hiding at the door for so long." Xia Fei Han glanced at his sister and then glared at Zhan Yu Yu, who was innocently pretending to be cute.

  After all these years of experience, at such an important moment, how could Xia Zhi Bian be so calm? As expected, a glance around and the figure of that bean sprout was discovered. If it weren't for Li Qiu's face, he would have let them hide like this and wouldn't have kindly reminded Xia Zhi to leave.

  "Hey, Non-cool brother, have you had too much to drink and your eyes are blurry?" War Bouquet's face didn't change, still smiling brightly, but in her heart she scolded Xia Fei Han until he was covered in dog blood. She didn't like him, why did he always interfere with other people's business, every time ruining the good impression she had of Xia Zhi Gege. "Hey, for your safety and others', please don't drive after drinking." As soon as she thought of this, War Bouquet's eyes lit up, and her way of addressing him changed: "Fei Han Gege, how about I help you drive your beloved car back home?"

  Xia Fei Han's super cool Ducati, she has been drooling for a long time! Super handsome and invincible! Even if Xia Fei Han is annoying, as soon as he puts on his helmet and sits on the bike, he can instantly eliminate all kinds of disgust and return to being a handsome guy with a cool ride.

  "Get out." Xia Fei Han was covered in goosebumps from being yelled at, and without hesitation took a step back to avoid her flattering smile. How could there be a girl who was shameless to this extent, scolding her as if she hadn't heard anything, yet still smiling and trying to get close to him.

  "I knew it." Just a simple "cut" and I knew this was the outcome. The war-torn face quickly collected its smile, not wasting any expression, just knowing that emotions were being wasted.

  "Alright, you two, not again." Xia Zhi sighed: "Stop messing around, DouDou, it's time for you to head home too. By the way, how did you guys get here?" Glancing at Xia Liqiu who was hanging his head in guilt, Xia Zhi rubbed his temples in a headache: "DouDou, don't tell me you rode your little bicycle all the way here with Liqiu."

  Like Xia Fei Han, Zhan Li Li also likes to play with vehicles, but the level of play is different. Xia Fei Han modified motorcycles, while Zhan Li Li modified bicycles. Her invincible wind and fire wheel can be called a fighter among bicycles, without a back seat, if you want to bring someone, stand behind and hold the rider's shoulder, it's thrilling and dangerous.

  "Bean sprouts!" Xia Fei Han's eyes were extremely icy, and he spat out the three words with gritted teeth.

  Li Qiu is the darling of the family, and in view of Ping's meticulous care and accompaniment to Li Qiu, he doesn't mind her daily mischief, but this does not include Li Qiu's life safety. Since seeing that broken toy, he has repeatedly warned Xia Zhi and others not to take such dangerous actions. Does she dare to defy him?

  Moreover, Li Qiu... cannot imagine the cold of summer, like a little princess, Li Qiu, in the back seat of a small rascal's war chariot, the princess skirt fluttering in the wind... not! one! bit! beautiful!

  "No way, how could I let Li Qiu do something so dangerous!" Fortunately, the two people's worries did not come true, and Zhan Zhan's words firmly denied their speculations.

  Xia Zhi and Xia Fei Han simultaneously let out a sigh of relief, but before they could even fully exhale, they heard Zhan Zhu Zhu laughing and adding a sentence that made them both jump in fright:

  "It was Li Qiu who brought me here on his bike."

  Digression

  Shameless fan's plea, collect me, collect me...