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

Under Xiang Bingbing's guidance and influence, Mei Fang and Xia Yuan had recently become obsessed with basketball over the past week.

At first, whenever they had free time, they would head to the school basketball court to play.

Initially, Xia Yuan wore very sporty sleeveless basketball jerseys, but after a few rounds on the court, her conservative yet stern husband Mei Fang ordered her to put on a jacket.

His reasoning was that it would "dazzle his eyes and affect his performance," and it might also attract unwanted attention from lecherous male college students.

Later, even with a sports jacket on, Xia Yuan still drew crowds—so many that even female students came to watch Mei Fang and Xia Yuan, uploading videos to C Station that trended. This left Mei Fang and Xia Yuan quite troubled.

Eventually, through Xiang Bingbing's connections, CEO Mei used his "money power" to secure a VIP membership at Peng University's gymnasium. With the social influence of Yuanxi Entertainment's president, Mei Fang and the others gained access to a private indoor basketball court whenever they wanted.

The private court even had air conditioning, so they no longer had to worry about heat or prying eyes.

Now, Xia Yuan could freely let her "waves surge" on the court without restraint.

Beyond their usual workouts, Mei Fang remained deeply invested in his company's growth.

While playing at the gymnasium, he donned a rarely seen pair of overalls.

He was about to stir up a massive wave of attention.

Xia Yuan, of course, was baffled by his strange outfit: "Ah Fang, is this… appropriate basketball attire? Like you always say, this is so abstract."

She tugged at her Gudako [FGO protagonist] costume. "Even for promotional purposes, you should at least wear a Master's uniform like me, right?"

"You don't understand. This is to commemorate my lost youth."

Xia Yuan crossed her arms, pouting in confusion. "You're only 21 this year—what 'lost youth' are you talking about? Did Youxi and I hold you back or something?"

"That's not what I meant… Here, let me show you."

Mei Fang parted his hair into a mature middle-parted style and called out to Lin Youxi, who was holding a DV camera in the stands:

"Youxi, start recording!"

"Is this angle okay?" Lin Youxi looked slightly hesitant. "I'm not a professional photographer—I might not do it well."

"No problem, just shoot it casually. It's a life vlog—the more down-to-earth, the better. People will love seeing me goof off."

Lin Youxi gave Mei Fang an OK sign. "Ah Fang, I'm ready."

She loved watching her Ah Fang act like a kid having fun—to her, these were precious memories.

So, Mei Fang began greeting the camera:

"Hello, esteemed viewers! I'm Fang Bao, a 'trainee CEO' who's been running a company for two and a half years. I love singing, dancing, rap, coding, and basketball. Next, I'll perform a rap dance song I composed in a burst of inspiration. Music!"

He snapped his fingers, then dramatically shed his jacket and launched into a dance based on his past-life meme-infested memories—a performance so ingrained in his mind that even the "original creator" would be awestruck.

Meanwhile, Xia Yuan followed Mei Fang's instructions and played the song he had casually composed.

Abandoning his usual aloof CEO persona, Mei Fang transformed into a meme warrior. In Lin Youxi's DV footage, Xia Yuan's trembling, rolling laughter was clearly audible:

"Ahahaha—Ah Fang, what kind of weird dance is this? So embarrassing, oh my god!"

Despite his wife's mockery, Mei Fang fearlessly lost himself in the dance.

As he moved, he rapped awkwardly, swaying passionately until his overalls slipped down.

At the climax, Mei Fang had Xia Yuan bring out a prop board prepared by the marketing team. Then, dressed in her Gudako outfit, she joined him on camera:

[15 Days Until FGO Official Launch]

"All Masters, are you ready to embark on your journey to Chaldea and explore Human Order? If you haven't pre-registered yet, hurry up! Pre-register now to unlock a launch-exclusive 4-star Servant of your choice and tons of Saint Quartz rewards!"

"Save—pfft… save humanity's future—Human Order… pfft haha… Long live the Human Order! Ahahaha!"

By now, Xia Yuan was a seasoned on-camera personality with excellent presence. Her unintentional laughter added fantastic comedic effect, elevating Mei Fang's performance to new heights.

After this video was uploaded, the first half—Mei Fang's "two-and-a-half-year trainee CEO dance"—inevitably became a timeless meme in the 'absurd humor' community.

But the second half, featuring Mei Fang's dead-serious promotional face and Xia Yuan's barely contained giggles, was immortalized as reaction memes, rivaling even future classics like Bao Longxing and Leopard Head's "I'll take it all!"

Down-to-earth Mei Fang never stopped people from joking about him—as long as it wasn't personal attacks or harmful content, he allowed uploaders to freely share and parody his antics.

This grassroots marketing saved Yuanxi Entertainment millions in promotional costs, leaving Uncle [senior exec] and Cousin [another exec] declaring "we've won big" after reviewing the financial reports.

Though Mei Fang had long-term VIP access to the gymnasium's basketball court, it felt wasteful for just two people.

So, he invited Liu Xiaoyu and Zhang Ming to join them—aside from Xiang Bingbing.

Unfortunately, Zhang Ming was busy polishing a demo and stood up his boss Mei Fang, which led Mei Fang to a startling realization:

"Wait… other than Zhang Ming, do I even have any other male friends my age?"

"Ah Fang, you're not an ordinary person anymore. Making friends is naturally harder now."

Xia Yuan pondered. "Take your roommates, for example—even if you wanted to get closer, they'd still treat you differently knowing your status."

Liu Xiaoyu was also curious: "Don't you have business meetings all the time? None of those bosses could be friends?"

"Uncle handles most external networking. I only step in for major project signings."

Mei Fang scratched his head. "And you know how it is—most bosses in my industry are at least in their 30s or 40s. It's rare to meet someone my age."

"Rare? More like nonexistent!"

Xia Yuan smiled. "It's fine, Ah Fang. Friends are friends, regardless of gender."

"Exactly! I treat Ah Fang like one of the guys anyway…"

Xiang Bingbing patted Mei Fang's shoulder. "Warmed up enough? Let's play!"

"OK, OK, I'm going. Go easy on me!"

"No problem!" Xiang Bingbing cracked her knuckles eagerly. "Time to show you what it means to be dominated by Bingbing!"

"Hey, were you even listening to me?!"

Thus, Mei Fang and Xiang Bingbing engaged in an intense one-on-one, while Liu Xiaoyu and Xia Yuan practiced set shots and three-step layups at the other hoop—skills they needed for their PE exams.

But Lin Youxi always just sat in the stands, sometimes taking photos of Mei Fang and Xia Yuan, sometimes fetching water for everyone. She solely handled logistics, which worried Xia Yuan:

"Youxi, don't you want to play with us? You just sit there every time—isn't it boring?"

"It's fine. I like it this way."

Lin Youxi shook her head and continued photographing Xia Yuan, who happily posed with a peace sign.

So, Xia Yuan and Liu Xiaoyu kept practicing their shots while chatting.

As the friendliest and most cheerful in their circle, Xia Yuan had a unique charm that drew people in. In elementary school, Lin Youxi was her only close friend; in middle school, Peng Xue joined; and in high school, Liu Xiaoyu became part of her orbit.

Since high school, Liu Xiaoyu had often stayed by Xia Yuan's side. Though not as fiercely loyal as Peng Xue, their friendship was still deep and open.

Today was also the day Liu Xiaoyu had invited everyone to dinner, so after basketball, they cleaned up and headed to her reserved restaurant.

"By the way, Xiaoyu's treating us today—didn't Yue Xinyi say she was coming too?"

"She's on her way. Last call, she said she'd meet us at the gym—"

As soon as Liu Xiaoyu spoke, someone walked through the gym doors—

Yue Xinyi, arriving for the gathering.

With glasses on, Yue Xinyi looked much more docile, but after glancing around and greeting everyone, her sharp tongue resurfaced:

"Damn, is this Mei Dog's harem? Still as glamorous as ever."

Xia Yuan couldn't help scolding her: "What harem? Don't talk nonsense, Xinyi."

"True, two are missing—one got held back a grade, the other's out of town."

Yue Xinyi rested her chin on her hand, feigning annoyance. "Tch… I feel kinda redundant here. Maybe I should leave."

"Hey, Xinyi, don't go!"

Liu Xiaoyu grabbed Yue Xinyi before she could "escape." "You came all this way—at least stay for dinner."

"Obviously joking. I'm definitely staying to have fun."

Yue Xinyi then called out to Mei Fang and Xiang Bingbing on the court. "Hey, you two! Stop playing and go shower. I'm here—let's eat!"

"Don't worry, Xinyi. I've got it covered—we'll shower at the restaurant."

"The restaurant has showers? What kind of place is this…?"

"You'll see. It's a large-scale hydrotherapy club."

"C-club?!"

Yue Xinyi was stunned.

"Xiaoyu, you seem so conservative, yet you're into this? A girl taking us to a club for dinner? Is this some kind of… party? I have zero interest in Mei Dog! Don't drag me into this!"

"N-no, it's not like that! Hydrotherapy clubs are just upscale relaxation spots—nothing shady. My dad took me as a kid, and I've been with roommates too. The vibe's great."

Hydrotherapy clubs are more common in coastal regions—large complexes offering leisure, entertainment, wellness, and massage services. They cater to family vacations, corporate retreats, and friend gatherings, usually charging entrance fees that include perks like buffet meals, free snacks, private theaters, and reading lounges.

Higher-end venues even have dedicated restaurant floors.

As CEO of Yuanxi Entertainment, Mei Fang couldn't go too low-key. Liu Xiaoyu had carefully selected Luohu District's most luxurious hydrotherapy club for their outing.

After packing up, Mei Fang's group headed to the parking lot. Liu Xiaoyu stopped Yue Xinyi and Xiang Bingbing:

"Let's wait at the campus gate. I'll call a ride."

"No need. I've got a car."

Yue Xinyi twirled her keys—a four-ringed emblem glinting—revealing her newfound wealth.

"Wow! Xinyi, you bought a car? And an Audi? You're loaded!"

"Even as a trainee without a formal title, I'm still C-site's operations lead—a top contender for Yuanxi's future COO. Of course I can afford this."

She downplayed her achievements, though Liu Xiaoyu and Xiang Bingbing, who'd been in less demanding roles at Yuanxi Music, hadn't realized how much she'd taken on.

Now studying marketing while handling operational decisions, Yue Xinyi was young but seasoned—a founding C-site member with sharp instincts, backed even by the current ops head, Feng Ling.

Mei Fang always rewarded early contributors generously. Yue Xinyi had stood by him during C-site's toughest times and was among his most trusted friends.

Her competence matched her position, and her salary surpassed what most peers could imagine.

Thus, Yue Xinyi and Mei Fang drove separately to Luohu's premier hydrotherapy club—"Harbor No. 9."

Author's Note:

"Lately, monthly votes and comments have been scarce… Do you all not love me anymore? Wuwu… If you can, please vote more and subscribe—but most importantly, talk to me! Otherwise, I'll die of loneliness… Wuwu… Even scolding me is fine!"

(TL: ????)