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

After winning the exhibition match, Mei Fang was the first to congratulate Bingbing.

"Congratulations, Bingbing! That dunk during the game was really cool, just like something out of a manga!"

"Ehehe… I just got lucky. It's not usually that easy for me to dunk."

In the past, Xiang Bingbing would have proudly puffed out her chest when Mei Fang praised her, but now she just scratched her head shyly, showing clear growth in her attitude.

The minimum height required to dunk is generally around 1.8 meters, but in reality, dunking relies more on arm span and jumping ability. Xiang Bingbing's dunk today demonstrated terrifying explosive power that even professional basketball players envied.

"But still, it was really amazing! The hoop must be over 3 meters high, and you just jumped right up. I'm so jealous of you."

Xia Yuan, standing nearby, was exhilarated by Xiang Bingbing's outstanding performance. "Even if I were as tall as you, I doubt I could jump that high. Can this be trained?"

"Just keep exercising. A good way to improve your jumping ability is jump rope—it strengthens the explosive power of your calf and Achilles tendon muscles."

"Where's the Achilles tendon?"

As Xiang Bingbing demonstrated, Mei Fang leaned in to look, but she suddenly pushed him away.

"No, Ah Fang, don't get too close to me."

Xiang Bingbing wiped the sweat off her face with a towel. "I'm all sweaty and smelly."

"No way, I don't smell anything."

"Yeah, Bingbing just smells like sweat—the good kind."

"Anyway… no means no. Ah Fang, you can't get too close to me."

In a panic, Xiang Bingbing spotted Lin Youxi watching from the side. "I—I'm just worried Youxi might misunderstand!"

"Huh? Me… misunderstand what?"

Lin Youxi smiled. "Are you afraid I'll suspect you still have lingering feelings for our Ah Fang?"

"N-no… that's not what I meant… it's just—"

Xiang Bingbing's face turned red as she scratched her head. "Xiaoyu often scolds me for having no sense of boundaries. She says back when you guys weren't dating, it was fine, but now if I keep acting so casually around Ah Fang, YuanYuan and Youxi might start disliking me."

"Haha… Xiaoyu overthinks things. Youxi and I aren't the jealous type, right, Youxi?"

"No, I'm actually very jealous."

"Youxi!" Xia Yuan puffed her cheeks and stomped her feet in frustration.

"Just kidding, YuanYuan, don't be so tense."

Lin Youxi shook her head with a smile. "When I asked Bingbing before if she liked Ah Fang, it was just out of curiosity. I wasn't forcing you to keep your distance. We trust you—otherwise, we wouldn't let you keep calling him 'Ah Fang.'"

"Even though that sounds like reassurance, I don't feel happy at all…"

"I actually think Bingbing is pretty amazing now—even a little enviable."

Mei Fang chimed in, "You've kept up your basketball training at a high level, started learning music theory, and even picked up the drums quickly… Mostly, you're always so energetic, radiating positivity."

"I-I'm not that great!"

Xiang Bingbing blushed from Mei Fang's sudden praise. She almost gave him a light pat on the back but stopped herself, remembering Liu Xiaoyu's warnings.

"Honestly, I think it's just because I have more free time. I don't have a job, so I'm not as busy as you guys."

…

Xiang Bingbing's words hit the "Mei-You-Yuan" trio hard—Lin Youxi had to oversee C Station operations regularly, Xia Yuan prepared weekly for VTuber streams, and as for CEO Mei Fang, his busy schedule went without saying.

On top of that, Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan also attended board meetings with Mei Fang, juggling assistant and secretarial work with exhausting daily schedules.

Seeing the three of them visibly deflate, Xiang Bingbing realized her mistake and quickly backpedaled. "D-don't be like that! If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know!"

Lin Youxi suddenly perked up. "Now that you mention it… Ah Fang hasn't been exercising much lately. His abs are barely visible now."

"With the cats at home, it's hard to work out there, and the school gym draws too much attention… But playing basketball for exercise sounds perfect, doesn't it?"

"B-basketball?"

"Want to play? Want to?"

Xiang Bingbing's eyes lit up. "If you want to learn, I'll teach you!"

"I'm terrible at basketball… I'd rather go rollerblading."

Mei Fang thought of his past-life "golden finger", but his current rollerblading skills were embarrassingly rusty.

"Rollerblading's boring—it doesn't even count as exercise. Basketball's way better. I want to play too."

Xia Yuan added, "Actually, I chose basketball for my PE elective this semester. They said we'd be tested on the three-step layup, so I need to practice!"

"PE class? Have you even gone once this semester?"

"That's exactly why I need to practice…"

Xia Yuan clung to Mei Fang's arm, pleading. "Come on, Ah Fang, play basketball with me! You're the best—just keep me company, okay? I'll make it up to you tonight."

"You… Ugh, fine, if you're going to say it like that…"

Mei Fang rubbed his nose and nodded. "Alright, let's do it."

"Great!"

Ever since meeting Mei Fang, Xiang Bingbing had always been the one learning from him. Now, finally having a chance to shine, she was determined to prove her reliability.

Before heading to the court, she took extra care with her appearance.

In high school, she never wore makeup, but after starting college and hanging out more with Xia Yuan and Liu Xiaoyu, she'd picked up some basics from her roommates.

To maintain a good impression today, she applied light makeup—some concealer and foundation to cover recent breakouts.

…I'm actually kinda pretty.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Xiang Bingbing suddenly felt a pang of melancholy. Her smile faded into quiet resignation.

But compared to YuanYuan and Youxi… I'm still way behind.

Ever since declaring on Shennongjia's Golden Summit that she "didn't want to lose touch with everyone," her mindset had subtly shifted.

At first, it was just a vague feeling.

But when Lin Youxi asked if she had feelings for Ah Fang, everything suddenly crystallized.

Maybe it wasn't just about staying connected to everyone—

It was about staying connected to Mei Fang.

She'd wondered: If she'd been Mei Fang's childhood friend too, would she have stood no chance at all?

Height… height…

Would Ah Fang care about my height?

It's my fault—I even said before that I'd never date a guy his height…

Xiang Bingbing had been Mei Fang's actual high school deskmate. They'd shared nearly two years of classes together.

In that time, they'd been through a lot—

Field trips, copying homework, sports festivals, even delivering love letters…

Oh, and swimming lessons!

Remembering how roughly she'd taught Mei Fang to swim, she felt equal parts amusement and regret.

Had Ah Fang and YuanYuan been dating back then?

Why did I act like that with him…?

Her cheerful, carefree personality was her natural exterior, but her deeper desires had begun seeping through unconsciously.

Sigh…

Standing too long—my legs are sore.

Rubbing her fair thighs, she grabbed the basketball from under her bed, dribbled a few times to test the grip, then headed to the court.

(TL: Author, why must you torture us with these unrequited love stories 😭😭)

With summer approaching, they'd agreed to play early at 7-8 AM. By dawn, Xiang Bingbing was already there, warming up when a familiar voice called out.

"Hey, you really woke up this early?"

"Didn't I @ everyone in the group chat?"

Xiang Bingbing turned around—only to see a yawning Mei Fang alone.

"Where are YuanYuan and Youxi?"

"Youxi said she had company stuff today, so she's not coming. She's also taking care of the cats. She'd only be watching anyway. YuanYuan's still asleep—I told her to rest more. Let's play first."

Mei Fang rubbed his hands. "Honestly, I haven't played basketball in years. I need to warm up first—it'd be embarrassing if YuanYuan saw me fumble."

"Ahaha! Ah Fang actually cares about pride?"

"I'm the CEO of Yuanxi Entertainment. If people saw me fail a three-step layup, it'd be humiliating."

"You just care about looking bad in front of YuanYuan."

Xiang Bingbing dribbled. "How do you want to play? Just casually, or practice for the PE test? Usually, it's three-step layups and set shots."

"Never mind that—just pass me the ball—"

"Here."

Before Mei Fang finished speaking, Xiang Bingbing hurled the ball straight into his chest. He caught it perfectly but winced in pain.

"T-too hard? I'll go softer next time."

"Nah, it's fine. That was just right."

"Ah Fang, still as stubborn as ever."

Xiang Bingbing grinned.

"You've changed a lot compared to before, though."

Mei Fang smiled. "You've actually learned to be considerate."

"Was I really that oblivious before? We helped each other out!"

"Either way, it's a good change, haha."

Once Mei Fang had the ball, he started dribbling, holding, and attempting set shots—due to his past-life height and poor physique, he'd never been into basketball. But watching others play with skill had always made him envious, so he'd taken basketball as an elective in college.

"Watch your stance. Set shots rely heavily on form. Shoot a few more, release at the peak, aim for the square on the backboard—yeah, just like that!"

Xiang Bingbing caught the ball and passed it back precisely. "Keep shooting to get a feel for it."

"Got it, Coach!"

Under Xiang Bingbing's guidance, Mei Fang reviewed basic basketball techniques—her specialty. She explained everything clearly, and most importantly, she no longer mocked him for being bad like she used to.

Mei Fang was enjoying himself too. Thanks to his post-rebirth training, his physique was far better than before. In his past life, he'd tire quickly, but now he could keep up.

His main issue was being out of shape—but that was inevitable when he spent nights drowning in…distractionswith his two wives.

At least he was focused during practice.

"The three-step layup is just these movements—got it now?"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's play for real."

"Play for real?"

"Exactly."

Mei Fang pointed at himself, then at Xiang Bingbing. "You vs. me. Let's see who's better."

"Uh, Ah Fang, are you serious…?"

Though Mei Fang had decent fundamentals, Xiang Bingbing felt almost insulted. Her competitive side flared up:

"Little Fang, you brat! You learn a few tricks from your master and suddenly think you can challenge the star player of the university team?"

"I'm not saying we play fair."

Mei Fang held up one finger. "Here's the deal: I win if I score just once. You need to score ten. What, scared, Coach?"

Xiang Bingbing smirked arrogantly. "Ten? I could spot you a hundred, and you still wouldn't score."

"Alright, if you're so cocky—just wait and see!"

"You start."

Following Xiang Bingbing's cue, Mei Fang began dribbling, ready to attack.

He weaved back and forth, but Xiang Bingbing, crouching slightly, easily intercepted his first reckless drive to the right and scored effortlessly.

"1–0!"

"Whoa! How are you so fast? Playing against you is totally different from watching!"

"Of course." Xiang Bingbing started getting carried away. "And this is just the beginning!"

What followed was essentially Xiang Bingbing's solo showcase. Every time Mei Fang tried to drive, she stole the ball with ease.

Instead of rushing to score, she toyed with him—dribbling between his legs, faking him out with pump fakes, nailing long-range threes. Each score came differently, and soon it was 9–0.

"Phew… giving up yet? I thought the mighty CEO of Yuanxi Entertainment would put up more of a fight!"

"Damn it! Bingbing, don't get too smug. No matter how good you are, you'll slip up eventually."

Panting heavily, Mei Fang kept dribbling, drenched in sweat. Xiang Bingbing almost felt bad bullying him.

Hah…

Seeing him struggle so earnestly is kinda cute.

She knew Mei Fang was just playing around, but there was a determined edge to it—she couldn't figure out why…

Opening!

While distracted, Mei Fang suddenly mimicked her earlier move, bouncing the ball between her legs and sprinting past her.

But Xiang Bingbing saw it coming. She spun around—just as Mei Fang crashed into her.

Oof…

Their height difference made the collision awkwardly intimate, with Mei Fang ending up pressed against her.

Flustered, Xiang Bingbing hesitated, while Mei Fang chased the loose ball and went for a three-step layup.

She could've easily blocked him, but in that split-second, she just… watched.

Swish.

Mei Fang scored, pumping his fist triumphantly and grinning at her.

"See? Told you I could do it!"

"…"

Such a child, Ah Fang.

Xiang Bingbing picked up the ball, tucked it under her arm, and pouted. "Ah Fang, you traveled during that layup."

"No way! Bingbing, as the team's star player, you're the authority here. Losing one point isn't a big deal—don't be a sore loser…"

"But youdefinitelytraveled!"

"Did not! I'd be a dog if I lied!"

Their bickering continued, playful and lively, even as they reenacted the move.

Then, Xia Yuan's voice rang out.

"Ah Fang! I'm here!"

She arrived with drinks, gasping at Mei Fang's soaked state. Pulling out a towel, she began wiping his face.

"You've only been playing a little while—how are you this exhausted…?"

"It's just hot today."

As Xia Yuan fussed over Mei Fang, she smiled at Xiang Bingbing. "Bingbing, did you absolutely destroy him?"

"Ah… well—"

Xiang Bingbing glanced at Mei Fang, then shrugged. "Not really. Ah Fang even scored on me once."

"Wait, seriously? You must've gone easy on him! Ah Fang's never played basketball—no way he scored on you."

"H-hey, I've got athletic talent, okay?"

"I don't believe it. Show me."

"Ididshow you. I'll teach you myself."

"Score on me first! At least I've been to basketball class."

"You said you never went!"

"Uh, well—"

Ah…

I see.

Watching Mei Fang and Xia Yuan's affectionate banter, Xiang Bingbing finally understood why he'd tried so hard earlier.

Wanting to be someone your loved one can rely on…

That's what it feels like, huh?

For once, she didn't interrupt their moment, only stepping in to demonstrate techniques when needed.