Xin You is eight years old this year. His parents are divorced, and since he still needs a guardian, he has to split his time between their two families.
His parents are busy with work and don't have much time for him. Fortunately, both homes have a childhood-friend neighbor who can keep him company.
Every time Xin You comes home, he spends ages talking about his childhood friends.
Childhood friend number one.
"His parents are musicians, and everyone says he'll inherit their talent, but he secretly told me he can't hear... The strange thing is, he really likes listening to me talk. I found out later that when he isn't wearing his hearing aids, my voice is the only one he can hear."
Childhood friends number two and three.
"They're twins. One of them got lost when they were little and was only found recently. It's so sad. They don't seem to get along very well, either. They only let me play with one of them, and everyone else can't tell them apart... I think they're easy to tell apart."
Childhood friend number four.
"His body often hurts for no reason. His parents are really amazing doctors, so I don't know why they can't cure him. And he never smiles. I was kind of afraid of him... But once I accidentally touched his hand, and he stopped hurting. It was so strange!"
*
The childhood friends all adore Xin You, and Xin You adores them too.
But Xin You has one little problem.
His childhood friends are too possessive and competitive. Even though they don't know one another, each has tearfully asked him the same question:
"Who's your very best friend in the whole world?!"
Xin You doesn't want to hurt their feelings, so he sheepishly twiddles his fingers.
"You're my only childhood friend, so of course you're my very best friend in the whole world."
This conversation went on for a long time, until the childhood friends all firmly believed him.
In fact, everyone in their respective circles knew that the wealthy young heirs had a precious childhood friend they'd grown up with.
That precious friend was called Xin You. No one was allowed to provoke or lay a finger on him. He was the wealthy young heirs' first love and the one who got under their skin.
The heirs often sighed:
"What would he do without me?"
"He only has me, and I only have him."
"Hmph, who could possibly compare to the bond he and I share?"
"He and I have a connection no one else could ever have."
A few mutual friends occasionally noticed that Xin You's name came up a little too often...
The mutual friends could sense a storm brewing, but didn't dare say a word.jpg
Then, with Xin You's coming-of-age ceremony approaching, he decided to personally send invitations to his childhood friends' phones. But by accident...
He added all his childhood friends to one group chat.
*
When they were little, Xin You's childhood friends all knew that his parents were divorced.
Every time Xin You went to stay with the other side of his family, his childhood friends would watch him leave and think in unison:
"Sigh, I'm his only childhood friend. If there's no one to play with him, will he get lonely?"
Years later, the childhood friends finally met at Xin You's coming-of-age ceremony.
Xin You stood in the middle, introducing them: "...This is my best friend, and this one is also my best friend..."
The childhood friends almost crushed the sparkling wine glasses in their hands.
Looking at the people who were so close to Xin You, they silently cursed each other with their eyes:
Damn it, you goddamn newcomers.
Xin You: panicking.jpg
P.S. Before the story begins, the childhood friends' character settings may change as long as the central premise is kept intact.
Theme: Companionship is the longest-lasting declaration of love.
