Only After I Was Reborn Did I Realize That I Had Childhood Sweethearts

The K-series train clattered along, and even the soft-sleeper compartment felt a bit bumpy. Unable to sleep well, Xia Yuan ended up squeezing between Mei Fang and Lin Youxi in the middle of the night to rest.

When the train whistle announced their arrival, the groggy group stepped off at Shennongjia Station, the westernmost stop in Hubei Province, urging each other to keep track of their luggage as they disembarked.

"Haah…" Rubbing her eyes, Xia Yuan drowsily clung to Mei Fang's shoulder, clearly still half-asleep. He patted her head gently while Xiang Bingbing, having set down her luggage, turned to address everyone:

"Welcome to Shennongjia! This is our only train station—super small, right?"

"Y-Yeah… really tiny…"

"Though the station's small, the forest area is huge! Look over there!"

Following Xiang Bingbing's pointing finger, they saw endless emerald-green mountains stretching into the distance. The sky was just beginning to brighten, tinged with a reddish-orange horizon that radiated vitality.

"Whew… The air here is really fresh. I feel completely refreshed."

Guo Yun stretched a few times after standing up. For her, traveling with friends her age was a first-time experience, so she was especially excited. Meanwhile, Liu Xiaoyu was busy snapping photos with her phone. Mei Fang asked, "How much longer from here to your place, Bingbing?"

"Th-Three more hours?!"

The pampered Xia Yuan clearly wasn't used to such a long, bumpy trip, but she didn't want to admit her own frailty. She tugged at Lin Youxi as a shield. "Youxi gets carsick easily. Maybe we should rest here a bit before heading out?"

"R-Rest now?"

Xiang Bingbing hesitated. "My family's preparing a big lunch for everyone. If we're late, it'll be a shame… Youxi, can you hold out?"

"I'm fine. I've gotten used to traveling and don't get carsick as easily anymore."

Lin Youxi smiled. "We can go straight there."

Youxi! Traitor!

Xia Yuan stammered, at a loss for words, and quickly looked to Mei Fang for help.

Seeing his wife in distress, Mei Fang was happy to step in. "How about we get a hotel room first to freshen up? Showing up all disheveled wouldn't be polite. Plus, we should buy some gifts before visiting—it's rude to go empty-handed."

"Right… We totally forgot about gifts earlier."

Guo Yun and Liu Xiaoyu nodded. Liu Xiaoyu added softly, "Let's stay here a bit longer. Bingbing, what do your parents like?"

"No need for anything fancy! Just some milk or fruit is fine. My family's really easygoing—they don't care about formalities!"

Xiang Bingbing patted her chest confidently, but before she could say more, her stomach growled loudly.

"Hehe… I'm starving… Let's grab breakfast near the station first. I know a good place!"

"Hotel first! Rest a bit."

Normally, Xiang Bingbing would stay at budget-friendly hostels, but with "Boss Mei" footing the bill this time, everyone got an upgrade.

Bingbing, not being part of Mei Fang's business ventures, was tight on funds. Mei Fang, noticing her discomfort, had already declared he'd cover all trip expenses to avoid conflicts over spending differences—a common issue among traveling friends. For Mei Fang, as long as Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi had fun, money was no object.

At the nicest hotel near Shennongjia Station, Mei Fang booked two rooms for everyone to freshen up. Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi, hand in hand, headed to shower together. Before entering, Lin Youxi extended an invitation:

"Ah Fang, won't you join us?"

Mei Fang waved her off. "Nah, that'd be inappropriate."

"Then you'll miss your chance for the next few days…"

Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan stepped into the bathroom, handing their clothes to Mei Fang.

Lin Youxi whispered with a smirk, "If you're quick, you can…usethese while we're showering."

"Usewhat?!"

Mei Fang lightly smacked her head in mock scolding, making her giggle as she and Xia Yuan disappeared behind the shower curtain.

With their clothes in hand, Mei Fang was about to toss them into the laundry basket when he spotted Lin Youxi's thigh-high stockings. Unable to resist, he picked them up for a sniff—

Knock knock.

Startled, Mei Fang hurriedly dropped the stockings and rushed to the door.

"Coming, coming!"

He opened it to find Liu Xiaoyu.

"Are Yuan Yuan and Youxi busy…? Oh, they're showering?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I wanted to borrow a hair tie or scrunchie. Yun Yun and Bingbing don't really use them, but Yuan Yuan and Youxi probably have some."

"They do… Want to ask them? I'll step out—"

Hearing the noise, Xia Yuan peeked out from the shower. "There's a hair tie in my handbag. You can grab it yourself, or Ah Fang can get it for you."

"Ah Fang can do it."

Liu Xiaoyu glanced at Mei Fang, looking a bit flustered. He nodded. "I'll go get it…"

As he rummaged through Xia Yuan's bag, he muttered in amazement, "How does this tiny bag hold so much stuff? It's like magic…"

Meanwhile, Liu Xiaoyu's gaze drifted to the thigh-highs on the table, her mind conjuring inappropriate scenarios. She mumbled, "Girls are just like that…"

"Ah… This one, right? Found it—"

Just as Mei Fang handed over the hair tie, something clattered to the floor.

Plop.

It was a notorious little box—condoms.

Mei Fang swiftly snatched it up and stuffed it into his pocket. Liu Xiaoyu immediately averted her eyes, pretending she hadn't seen anything. Once the awkward moment passed, Mei Fang handed her the hair tie.

"Th-Thanks…"

Liu Xiaoyu grabbed it and hurried off.

Left alone, Mei Fang sat on the bed, listening to the shower sounds like background music. When Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi finally emerged, wrapped in towels like royal robes, they immediately began bossing their childhood friend around:

"Ah Fang, grab my clothes!"

"Mine too. Pick whichever you like."

"Like? I like all of them."

Mei Fang fetched their outfits and handed them over. "Dry off properly, or you'll catch a cold."

"Got it, got it! Help me with the buttons first—I can't reach them!"

"You manage just fine normally. Such a spoiled princess."

Mei Fang grumbled but obediently fastened Xia Yuan's buttons, then planted a loud kiss on her shoulder.

"Nom.Gonna eat you up."

"Eek! Ah Fang, you perv!"

Xia Yuan shuddered and rubbed her shoulder. "You left a mark!"

"Don't exaggerate. Andyou'recallingmea perv?" Mei Fang frowned. "Why'd you even bring condoms on this trip?"

"J-Just in case! I thought Youxi might get…in the mood!"

Lin Youxi, drying her hair, chuckled. "My 'mood' isn'tthatunpredictable. We'll be hiking and swatting mosquitoes in Shennongjia—who'd have energy for that?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Besides, if wereallyneeded them, we could just buy some here. It's not like they'd be fake, right?"

"So youwerethinking about it!"

After a quick breakfast near the station—Xiang Bingbing's recommended noodles and hand-pulled pork strips—the group headed to a supermarket for gifts. Hearing Bingbing had many younger siblings, Mei Fang even bought toys for them, making the usually carefree Bingbing flustered.

"You didn't have to spend so much… This is really too much—"

Xia Yuan reassured her, "It's fine! You rarely come home, and once you're in college, visits will be even rarer. Think of it as keepsakes for your siblings."

"Mm… Okay."

Xiang Bingbing nodded. "But I'll pay you back someday!"

Lin Youxi smirked. "If you want to repay us, you can work for our company this summer—for free."

"Room and board included? If so, I'll do it unpaid!"

"Room and board included."

Lin Youxi's devilish grin made Mei Fang and Xia Yuan shoot her disapproving looks.

Youxi's totally exploiting the naive!

"Kids! Your big sis is back!"

As soon as Xiang Bingbing stepped off the bus at the village entrance, a swarm of little siblings rushed to surround her.

"Bingbing jie!"

"Bingbing jie, hug!"

"Bingbing jie brought so many snacks and toys!"

"Is this a remote-control car?!"

"Let me play! I know how!"

"Hey, none of that! Greet our guests properly first!"

The older middle-school-aged sister and the youngest siblings quickly bowed to Mei Fang's group. Meanwhile, the two 10-year-old brothers kept fighting over the remote control until Xiang Bingbing bonked them on the heads, forcing them to behave.

"Hello, handsome gege and pretty jiejies!"

Xiang Bingbing introduced her siblings: second sister Xiang Taotao, twin brothers Xiang Yanyan and Xiang Jiangjiang, and the youngest, Xiang Guoguo. The names amused everyone.

"Bingbing, your family's names are so cute, haha!"

"But they're all so tiny compared to you."

Xiang Bingbing, carrying little Guoguo, grinned. "True… but they haven't hit their growth spurts yet! If they drink enough milk, they'll be as tall as me."

"No way! We don't wanna be as tall as you—your legs don't even fit on the bed, and you always hit your head on doors! Hahaha—"

The twins' cheekiness earned them another smack from Bingbing, leaving Mei Fang impressed by their resilience.

While hugging Guoguo, Xiang Bingbing felt something poking her from the little one's pocket.

"Guoguo, what's in your pocket? Let jiejie see."

"Xi."

Guoguo handed over a small red envelope—a traditional weddinghóngbāo. Xiang Bingbing was stunned.

"Someone got married nearby? How come I didn't know…"

Her second sister, Taotao, now in middle school, hesitated before answering, "It's… from Rou Rou jiejie's engagement."

"Rou Rou?"

Xiang Bingbing looked shocked. "Xiao Ran? She just took the college entrance exam with us this year! How is she already getting married?"

"She dropped out at the start of the year… It's… complicated. Jiejie, you should ask Mom and Dad."

"I will… Wait, no—I need to get you guys home first."

"Bingbing…" Mei Fang asked cautiously, "Is this Xiao Ran a close friend?"

Guo Yun added, "Is she… the childhood friend you mentioned earlier?"

Xiang Bingbing nodded, her expression troubled. "Xiao Ran and I grew up together. She's not even 19 yet—how can she be getting married?"

In rural areas, early marriages for girls who struggled academically weren't uncommon due to lingering gender biases. While Mei Fang wasn't surprised, he knew this was personal for Bingbing. "It sounds like it's just an engagement for now. Let's go home, talk to your parents, and figure things out."

Lin Youxi agreed. "Legally, you can't marry under 20 here anyway. Since it's just an engagement, there might still be room to intervene. Get the full story first."

With a heavy heart, Xiang Bingbing led everyone to her house. Her mother, a kind-faced woman of average height, warmly welcomed them.

"Auntie Xiang, hello!"

"Oh, hello, hello!"

"We brought some gifts—please accept them."

"Aiyo, you didn't have to… So polite!"

"Where's Uncle Xiang?"

"He's a forest ranger—can't leave his post easily. Tomorrow, Bingbing can take you to visit him in the reserve."

But Bingbing was in no mood for sightseeing. As soon as the pleasantries ended, she cornered her mother.

"Mom, what's going on with Xiao Ran? Why is she getting married this year? Why didn't anyone tell me?!"

"Ah… It's her family's business. We didn't want to upset you before your exams."

"Why did she drop out?! Did her dad force her?"

"Partly… but she also felt she couldn't keep up academically. It's complicated—we can't interfere."

"But I'm not an outsider to her! I need to talk to her. I'm going now."

"Aiya, your friends just got here! At least eat first—"

"It's fine, Auntie," Mei Fang interjected. "We had a late breakfast. Let Bingbing go—she won't enjoy the meal otherwise."

Xia Yuan patted the agitated Bingbing. "Want us to come with you?"

Xiang Bingbing took a deep breath. "N-No… I'll go ask and come back. Sorry, you guys can start without me."

"We'll wait," Mei Fang said gently. "It'd be awful if you missed the meal because of us. We'll help however we can."