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

Mei Fang and Lin Youxi bought the entrance tickets for the livehouse online, and the taxi stopped on a bustling, noisy street.

It was about 7:30 in the evening, and at this time, the nightlife of Pengcheng was just starting. The lights were gradually coming on, and the dazzling lights illuminated the entire block. The constantly flowing streets reflected the prosperity of the night market. For Mei Fang, who in his past life was only busy working from home to office, this was a rare experience.

The bar, named "Life," had already gathered a number of fashionable men and women outside. They sat on the outdoor seats, drinking, chatting, and enjoying the breeze. The large screen outside was playing some trendy DJ music.

The live event wasn't very large. The entrance was like an underground passageway, with a poster for the day's performance stuck to the side of the door. However, there was only one security guard guarding the door, and the entrance seemed a bit narrow, which made Mei Fang feel a bit uneasy.

Mei Fang and Lin Youxi went over to open their phones to check their tickets, only to be told they needed to verify their tickets at a stall to the side. It turned out that the tickets for the performance were split into different channels, and each ticket had different divisions and activities.

Mei Fang had bought his ticket from his own C-Station channel, which included a list of the bands performing today. However, the poster mainly featured the main band of the night—Tiramisu's anime-style characters, and Yi Xia Band's logo was just a Summery team emblem (this was a style the four of them had come up with).

"So, only three bands are performing tonight…"

"The C-Station's mascot's band is even in such a small corner. Ugh, it's so tragic. Don't you think so, Wu Wu?"

Lin Youxi mocked Mei Fang while pretending to cry. Mei Fang seemed pretty indifferent. "Well, no one knows it's YuanYuan, and sometimes, when you're too famous, you can't really show your strength. I think it's fine this way."

"After all, there's still the foundation of the first two albums."

Mei Fang gestured, "It's like now I'm the producer ofJourney of the Clouds, called the Son of Light. Even if my next work,The End of the Lily, is terrible, with my fame, it'll easily sell over 100,000 copies."

"But on the flip side, ifThe End of the Lilydoesn't match the quality ofJourney of the Clouds, it'll be constantly criticized, just like what happened withFGO—forgetting your original intention, being corrupted by money, and so on… Do you remember?"

"That's also an issue with the previous works, butFGOwas just a money-making thing. My core fans will still understand. But if you ask whether they have expectations of my quality, then yes, they probably do."

Lin Youxi looked at the people coming and going around them. "So, I think it's already incredible that YuanYuan released her third album. The single was a huge success. Now, we'll see if the new album can support our boyfriend who randomly spend money outside."

"I-I don't randomly spend money! These are all amazing projects!"

"Is that so?"

Lin Youxi smiled and said, "I saw the game you invested in on that crowdfunding platform. Some of them don't even have a demo; it's just concept art, and even that doesn't look impressive. You just invested money… What's going on? Does our Station master have the ability to predict the future?"

As she said this, Lin Youxi moved closer to Mei Fang's cheek, her long-awaited fifteen years' worth of questions about his possibly being from another world caught Mei Fang off guard:

"Well… I saw their concept and thought it would be a game with market potential. I've been making games since I was in elementary school. Surely I have some insight?"

"Indeed, indeed…"

Considering Mei Fang's demonstrated abilities, it was generally hard for normal people to think about the possibility of him being from another life. However, if it was Lin Youxi, who had been with him for so many years, there were things that she couldn't figure out at the time, but now, thinking back, Mei Fang definitely had some subtle slips. Lin Youxi's memory had always been terrifyingly good. Perhaps it had triggered something for her.

Mei Fang hadn't intended to tell anyone that he was reincarnated. After all, there was no point in saying it. It might even make YuanYuan and Youxi feel like their relationship was being manipulated, which could create a sense of betrayal.

Mei Fang had put in a lot of effort behind the scenes to prevent YuanYuan's tragedy and to bring redemption to Lin Youxi, as well as to help Guo Yun and Peng Xue. His only regret in this life was toward Liu Xiaoyu.

Anyway, such unclear matters were better left to rot in his stomach…

Just as Mei Fang was deep in thought, Lin Youxi suddenly slapped his butt.

"Why are you zoning out? Let's go in and grab a spot."

"Alright, let's go check it out."

Mei Fang and Lin Youxi were checked for bringing drinks into the livehouse. The venue didn't allow outside alcohol, as the drinks and snacks at the bar were a major source of income besides the ticket sales.

The two climbed up the stairs into the livehouse. The sudden cold air made Lin Youxi unconsciously lean a bit closer to Mei Fang. The dim lighting was mixed with flickering neon lights.

The livehouse wasn't very big—about 200 square meters. There weren't many seats inside, and most were on the edges. The concert stage was at the end of the venue and was covered by a curtain. From below, you could see the sound equipment inside, but no one was there yet, and there weren't many people in the audience.

Since it was a small venue, the number of people was within Mei Fang and Lin Youxi's expectations. Although the scale was small, the atmosphere was pretty good, giving off a sense of underground idol vibes.

If it were the 18-year-old Mei Fang from his previous life, he would probably love this atmosphere!

Now, Mei Fang just felt a bit sad.

Our YuanYuan, such a big star and national idol, is actually performing on such a shabby stage?

Damn it!

In two months—no, within one month—I, Mei Fang, will definitely fill YuanYuan's concert to the brim!

At this point, Lin Youxi grabbed Mei Fang's hand and said, "There seems to be another floor above. Should we go check it out?"

"Let's go, let's see!"

So, hand in hand, Mei Fang and Lin Youxi went upstairs.

Compared to the cramped first floor, the second floor's railing gave a much more open view. However, because it wasn't close to the stage, there was a sense of distance. Moreover, leaning over the balcony didn't feel comfortable. Fortunately, there was a VIP room at the end of the second floor, one of the few places where you could sit and watch the performance, with a good view.

Mei Fang asked about the VIP room's entry conditions. The waiter said you needed to spend at least 1000 yuan to get in.

Lin Youxi thought for a moment and gently said to Mei Fang, "The things here are definitely overpriced. It's not worth it. Let's not watch from here."

Mei Fang and Lin Youxi went downstairs and found a spot near the stage by the wall. By now, more and more people were arriving to watch the concert.

"Let me see… Is YuanYuan's band the first to perform? Are they warming up the stage for their debut? That sounds pretty stressful."

"Don't you trust YuanYuan's ability?"

"How could I not?" Lin Youxi shook her head. "If the lead singer is YuanYuan—Lin Wanwan, I wouldn't be worried at all."

"That's true… But with Xiaoyu, I always feel like she can't really heat things up…"

Mei Fang thought for a moment, "But don't be too pessimistic. After all, the four of them have practiced together for so long. It's not just about their coordination, but they should be really familiar with the knowledge of the band now—"

Just as Mei Fang was complaining, a woman, standing out from the crowd, appeared and walked toward them.

"How… how do I get in… Excuse me, excuse me!"

In a hurry, Xiang Bingbing passed by Mei Fang and Lin Youxi, causing Lin Youxi to quickly pull Mei Fang against the wall, give him a passionate kiss, and avoid Xiang Bingbing's death glare.

"Ha… Did Bing Bing just arrive? There's only 20 minutes left!"

"Well, it's good enough that she can make it."

"You're really not worried about them?"

"Why should I be worried about them? They're all women who have taken our love from YuanYuan."

"Ah…"

"Don't you think so? This band feels like YuanYuan's Crystal Palace, replacing us to fulfill YuanYuan's dreams…"

"Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit…"

Because if she wanted a song to go viral and have a solo concert, Mei Fang could just open his mouth and rely on her. However, Xia Yuan always had this unyielding spirit, hoping to take charge of some things herself.

"Right, YuanYuan's Crystal Palace. Otherwise, YuanYuan should be here with us, lying in my arms or in yours, eating sunflower seeds and watching TV…"

"We have plenty of time for that…"

Mei Fang smiled and said, "I think this is good too. She can fulfill her dreams before graduation."

"That's what you think."

"What about you? Isn't it the same…"

"AI technology is indeed my interest, but more than that, I want to help you get out of some of the tedious work. It can improve the efficiency of the games you make, so you can finish the works you like and are satisfied with even faster."

"Ugh, Youxi, don't say that, or I'll cry—"

"What Youxi? I'm Xia Zaizao!"

Lin Youxi said as she pinched Mei Fang's nose.

As the performance time approached, the crowd began to surge forward. The row of spots in front of the stage had been completely occupied by the audience. Mei Fang and Lin Youxi didn't dare get too close and only leaned against the wall, waiting for the performance to start.

Behind the curtain, the four of them were busy setting up the equipment. The keyboard was being connected to the power socket, the microphone adjusted to the position of the keyboardist, and then the drummer's full set of percussion instruments.

It could be noticed that the drummer's output position was separated by soundproof glass, partly to gather the echoes and partly to avoid affecting the guitarists and bassists in front.

As the curtain slowly rose, the large screen inside displayed the YiXia band logo. The band members, wearing neat traditional-style school uniforms, entered, and the crowd below immediately erupted into polite applause. Lin Youxi also cheered along.

"What's wrong? Not going to cheer for your little wife? YuanYuan will cry."

"Stop teasing, they're all my big wives."

The water-bearing Mei Fang didn't give Lin Youxi a chance to take advantage, then followed suit and cheered from the side.

The band made their debut by singing directly, and the first song was a difficult English song, "Jumpy Star."

【Jumpy Star】

【Why the white snow】

【Only beautiful things dance】

This English rap song left a deep impression on Mei Fang because it came from the famous rhythm game "Deemo," a beautifully crafted music game that left a lasting impression on him.

Aside from the game's breathtaking aesthetic and the subtle hints of its plot, the songs chosen were all Mei Fang's favorites, so he often shared them with Xia Yuan to play.

Now thinking about it, YuanYuan's choice of this song as a practice track might have been somewhat influenced by him.

However, the overall style of this song is relatively gentle and slow, which made it seem a little lacking in passion as the opening for a live house performance…

Mei Fang noticed this issue and saw that few of the audience members were tapping along with Liu Xiaoyu's voice.

The song was mainly piano-based, and having Liu Xiaoyu as the lead vocalist and keyboardist was a good choice, but as an opening track, it was a bit underwhelming…

Mei Fang thought about the reasons for this. They might have considered some more intense death metal tracks, but for Liu Xiaoyu, it might have been too difficult to handle, so they abandoned trying some other songs.

Hmm…

So, is this the reason why I didn't want to come early for the first performance?

Probably because it was their first appearance, combined with the fact that they almost arrived late, the back-row's Xang Bing Bing was clapping along but out of sync with the front-row trio. When Peng Xue noticed something was wrong, she started to slow the tempo down, while only Xia Yuan continued to follow the rhythm of Liu Xiaoyu's keyboard, which caused a bit of confusion. Some seasoned music fans in the audience started shaking their heads.

…

In any case, the first song of the four was barely finished with a somewhat synchronized ending.

In the somewhat quiet atmosphere, the audience hadn't realized the song had ended yet, and it was Mei Fang who started clapping first to lead the audience in applauding YiXia band for their performance.

"Hello, Life's friends! Um… we're YiXia band Summery, just formed last month! Our name is derived from the concept of summer memories, and we hope all four of us can remember the story of forming the band this summer. I'm the lead vocalist and keyboardist, Xiaoyu… Um—"

"This is our guitarist, Wan Wan."

"Hello, I'm Wan Wan. Hope everyone supports YiXia band Summery! Sending hearts!"

Xia Yuan was still full of energy as usual and didn't seem to mind the previous mistakes—at least it appeared so.

This appearance, with YuanYuan's idol aura, quickly calmed the atmosphere, and it was clear the audience was also captivated by YuanYuan's opening.

"This is our bassist, Xiao Xue, and this is our drummer, Bing Bing—"

As the lead vocalist, Liu Xiaoyu worked hard to introduce her band members. Her slightly dry introduction felt a bit like reading from a script.

Fortunately, the audience was very friendly, and there were scattered claps after each introduction.

However, overall, the band's first performance was still quite disappointing…

After the performance, Liu Xiaoyu immediately expressed her opinion.

"The lead vocals should be you, YuanYuan… I… I really can't do it."