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

On the second day of staying as a guest at Mei Fang and Lin Youxi's home, Liu Xiaoyu was at the company brainstorming draft ideas forWhite Plum Time, when she suddenly received a call from Mei Fang.

It had to be said—Mei Fang truly was a man who valued a sense of ritual. After agreeing to Lin Youxi's request, he formally extended an invitation to Liu Xiaoyu to join the copywriting and planning team, and even brought up the matter of remuneration and subsequent bonus distribution.

"This… the payment really doesn't matter… Whatever you guys think is fair is fine. I wanted to join you because I love the story…"

"No, no, no… this is something we should make clear. A lot of studios end up with internal disputes because of uneven splits after a project becomes popular… Of course, I know you're not that kind of person, but it's still better to discuss the contract and workload in advance."

"Mm, I got it…"

Just like that, Liu Xiaoyu became, in the true sense of the word, the third official member of theWhite Plum Timeproject team.

The reason it was described as "in the true sense" was because before her, there was already one outsourced art staffer, Guo Yun, and Peng Xue, who had provided some music pieces.

With her entry into the copywriting role, Liu Xiaoyu was added to the original four-person project group chat. She sent a sticker to greet everyone, and Mei Fang almost simultaneously sent a welcoming emoji, while Lin Youxi typed out a celebratory message:

【Welcome, welcome! We have another new member joining us!】

【Classmate Liu Xiaoyu will be responsible for the game's narrative scriptwriting from now on, and will also assist with some art-related tasks. She'll be working with [@Distant Cloud], so I hope everyone can get along well.】

Distant Cloud: 【Alright, alright. Looking forward to working together!】

Falling Rain Xiaoxiao: 【Hello, hello! Hope we can work well together!】

Forest on the Mountain: 【Wow, you guys—Cloud, Rain, and Snow—what kind of fated connection is this? It's like we were destined to meet and make a game together, hahaha!】

Falling Rain Xiaoxiao: 【It really is… such a coincidence, hahaha】

Her interactions with the project team members were going quite smoothly…

This was Liu Xiaoyu's first time seriously working on a game together with others. Though the team was small, the conversations were genuinely fun.

All of a sudden, an image surfaced in her mind—of that boy once brimming with passion, confidently talking in front of her about wanting to become China's very own Kojima x-san, Miyazaki x-san, and Jenova Chen.

She couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and pride.

You're still chasing your dream, huh?

Even now, you haven't changed.

Those names she once didn't recognize had now become household names in her professional field.

But their reunion had been postponed until a distant ten years later. It couldn't help but feel a bit sentimental…

Liu Xiaoyu let out a soft sigh, then turned off her phone, gave a squeeze to the peach-shaped stress ball she used to decompress, patted her cheeks, and returned to her game editing work.

During her manic episodes, Lin Youxi had been making every effort to push forward with the development ofWhite Plum Time. Whenever Mei Fang handed her the requirement documents at night, she would stay up all night working on them, and by the next day, she'd already be pestering him for new tasks.

"Come on… I still want… new requirements… Come satisfy me~"

"If only our company's programmers had your kind of energy…"

"You can give me your company's requirements too, I'll do the programming work for them—free of charge."

"Our boss doesn't even pay you a salary. Wouldn't it be better to rest more with that time?"

"I'm really full of energy right now, I don't want to rest at all——"

Lin Youxi clung to Mei Fang, refusing to let go. Mei Fang cuddled with her for a bit, then cupped her cheeks and gave her forehead a gentle kiss.

"Alright, I have to go to work to support you now."

"Go a bit later today… Just ask for one hour off, okay… darling~"

"Again… again today?"

Mei Fang was a bit surprised.

"Do you dislike me now?" Lin Youxi giggled. "Or are you saying I've worn you out?"

"My waist is kinda sore though…"

"Then let's see how you're feeling. If you're not up for it, we'll skip it?"

Looking at Lin Youxi's cheerful expression, Mei Fang really couldn't bear to rain on her parade.

"Then I'll apply for a shift adjustment first——"

"Yeeheehee~"

Lin Youxi laughed as she tackled Mei Fang, then held his hand tightly after he finished operating his phone.

……

It wasn't until the afternoon that Mei Fang rushed to catch the bus to work. Sitting on the bus, he stared at his phone, his eyes fluttering open and shut, almost nodding off like a pecking chicken.

Whew…

Mei Fang scratched his head, stuffed the phone into his pocket, looked out the window at the scenery, and his eyes slowly closed again.

Patients with bipolar disorder experience an inexhaustible surge of energy during their manic episodes. Their mental and physical vigor can reach a point where they can stay awake all night and still remain alert and exhilarated.

Lin Youxi's mind had recently been full of wild, fantastical ideas. Her online shopping cart had become a frenzy of purchases, many of which seemed completely useless—she had truly taken spendthrift behavior to the extreme.

Though she was still spending her own money at this stage, for Mei Fang lately, whether it was economically, physically, or in day-to-day life, keeping pace with Lin Youxi was something that could only be achieved by pushing the limits of his own endurance.

And the appearance of Liu Xiaoyu at this time could truly be described as a huge help—at least when it came to the development ofWhite Plum Time.

Although Liu Xiaoyu didn't have prior experience in game development, she was an industry game news editor and had absorbed a wealth of development case studies. Plus, Mei Fang had already explored the structural framework for the story script in the early stages, so all she needed to do was plug the story outline into it.

At Lin Youxi's invitation, Liu Xiaoyu would now meet up weekly with the two of them for dinner, to discuss story outlines, future plot developments, and current user experience flow, among other topics.

"I think in the elementary school arc, the emotional thread is centered on the friendship among the three characters, and the overall story leans toward reminiscing about childhood. Once they enter middle school, the narrative will likely begin to shift its focus to the protagonist, because the female lead and second female lead in elementary school are actually closer to each other than to the male lead."

"But as they gradually enter adolescence and their secondary sexual characteristics begin to appear, everyone starts to develop curiosity about the opposite sex. The female leads' friendship with the male lead will also start to change subtly, and there will be feelings of a love triangle developing… I wonder if you two are okay with me writing it like that?"

"You mean… YuanYuan and I will fight over Ah Fang?"

Even during their dinner meetings, Lin Youxi would still cling to Mei Fang's arm—whether it was to stake her claim in front of Liu Xiaoyu or simply out of habit was unclear. But this sweet dynamic had gone on for a long time now.

Yet in Mei Fang's eyes, there was still only indulgence—no sign of annoyance.

"Y-Yeah… that's the general idea…"

Liu Xiaoyu scratched her nose. "I know it sounds like a bit of a clichéd drama trope, but I think it's the most reasonable way to portray it. Plus, by that point in the game, the players are probably expecting something like that. Even if we're an indie game, we still need to include some appealing content…"

"Hahaha, I'm not saying it's bad. I think it's quite interesting… I just haven't thought about it—if I really were the second female lead in the story, would I fight YuanYuan over Ah Fang."

"Just call him the protagonist… don't use my name."

Mei Fang reminded her, "You're just the second female lead's prototype—you're not actually her."

"Alright, alright, I get it… You're always so serious—this is just brainstorming."

Lin Youxi tugged on Mei Fang's arm and said: "Let's not talk about our feelings right now—if you put yourself in the shoes of the protagonist, would you prefer the lively, cheerful, a little clumsy but earnest and brave first female lead, or the outwardly introverted, inwardly deeply attached to you and the first female lead, seemingly slow-witted but actually emotionally sensitive and fragile second female lead?"

"As the protagonist… both have things that draw me in. The first female lead is wonderful, but I'd probably feel more heartache for the second female lead."

"See? You told me not to project myself into the story, but here you are doing it yourself."

Lin Youxi pouted and lightly knocked Mei Fang on the head. "I don't believe you don't like such a cute and silly first female lead."

"I just… I just thought the graveyard part was really sad and touching, so I'd probably support the second female lead being with the male lead."

Liu Xiaoyu chimed in from the side: "Yeah, that part in fourth grade really hit me. I think I'll write a similar scene later in the middle school arc. The 'mother's grave' can serve as a narrative device to advance the emotional connection between the male lead and the second female lead…"

"I think that sounds great."

Lin Youxi nodded. "Because that part of the story written by Ah Fang was actually adapted from what I told him orally. I really did go to the cemetery alone when I was in elementary school."

"So it was adapted from a true story… no wonder it felt so genuine and full of real emotions."

Liu Xiaoyu said softly, "You're just a small girl, is it really okay for you to go there? You went with Yuanyuan, right?"

Lin Youxi froze for a moment upon hearing this, then forced a smile at Liu Xiaoyu:

"No."

"I went by myself."

"To visit my mom… and Yuanyuan."

"S-Sorry, I'm so sorry…"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiaoyu immediately covered her face, revealing an expression of deep guilt. "I… I didn't even know that Yuanyuan had already—"

"It's okay, it's okay! As long as my experience hits you right in the feels, that's all that matters! That way you'll be able to write the most moving script, hahaha! Right, Ah Fang?"

Lin Youxi tugged on Mei Fang's arm, then squinted her eyes with a smile as she looked at him.

Mei Fang gave Lin Youxi a gentle smile, then reached out to pinch her cheek.

Lately, when Mei Fang was discussing the storyline with Lin Youxi and Liu Xiaoyu, he often seemed distracted, sometimes even resting his chin on his hand and dozing off. Lin Youxi didn't seem to mind much, while Liu Xiaoyu looked a bit worried:

"Mei Fang… I think you really need to get some rest. You really look exhausted."

"Mm… I know."

"You could drink a cup of hot milk before bed or something, avoid strenuous activities, and make sure you're getting proper nutrition."

Lin Youxi nodded in agreement from the side. "Xiaoyu, do you have any good wellness recipes to recommend? I'll make them for Ah Fang."

"Sure, I'll send them to you later…"

As everyone chatted, time unknowingly slipped into the late night. Mei Fang, now dozing off in exhaustion, had completely run out of energy. Seeing this, Liu Xiaoyu didn't say much more.

"That's it for today's sync, I think… Mei Fang looks like he's about to pass out."

"Yeah… he really needs to get some proper rest tonight."

Lin Youxi patted Mei Fang's head. "Let's go, Ah Fang. Let's go home."

……

Something feels off.

But… I can't put my finger on it.

Even though Liu Xiaoyu felt a bit suspicious in her heart, she was a girl who understood boundaries and wouldn't interfere in a couple's private life, so she didn't continue to ask and just said her goodbyes.

"When you get home, remember to give me a call. Ah Fang and I will be worried about you."

"Okay, don't worry. I live close by."

……

Lin Youxi and Mei Fang went home together. At this point, Mei Fang had somehow regained a bit of energy. While changing shoes and grabbing towels, he turned to ask Lin Youxi, "So… are we still showering together tonight?"

"Let's continue doing it together. I don't want to be apart from you."

"Mm… okay."

Lin Youxi stood on tiptoes, patted Mei Fang's head, her face glowing with happiness.

That night, when Mei Fang fell into a deep sleep, the manic-phase Lin Youxi remained wide-eyed.

The faint glimmers of light outside the window shone into the room, illuminating Lin Youxi's still-spirited face.

It seemed this was going to be another sleepless night.

Lin Youxi stared at Mei Fang's face for an hour.

Then she lay on her stomach with her back to him for an hour.

Then she held Mei Fang's hand and played with it for an hour.

She squatted in the corner and played on her phone—another hour gone.

She went to the living room, turned on the desk lamp, opened Liu Xiaoyu'sYesterday's Love Song, and read for another hour.

The sky had already begun to lighten.

Lin Youxi still had not the slightest trace of drowsiness.

She was lying on the sofa reading a novel, and whenever she came across a certain scene, she would subconsciously swipe her phone and open the chat with 【Xiaoxiao Rainfall】.

She typed out a very, very long message to Liu Xiaoyu.

But just as she was about to send it, Mei Fang's almost pleading, wagging-his-tail kind of voice suddenly echoed in her ears.

……

Lin Youxi deleted everything she had typed to Liu Xiaoyu.

Then returned to bed.

Maybe her movements were a bit loud when she got in, because Mei Fang slightly opened his eyes at that moment.

"Did I… fall asleep just like that?"

Mei Fang rubbed his eyes and sat up. At this moment, Lin Youxi dove into Mei Fang's arms without saying a word.

But Mei Fang seemed like he was already used to this and gently stroked Lin Youxi's long hair, his voice filled with apology:

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I didn't keep you company tonight."

"It's okay. You need a proper sleep."

"I'm the one who let you down."

"I chose this myself."

Mei Fang gently patted Lin Youxi's shoulder, then hugged her and whispered in her ear.

"Do you… want to do it now?"

"Not today. I can… endure it for now. I want to go study Xiaoyu's wellness recipes."

Lin Youxi whispered into Mei Fang's ear, "Oh, right, Ah Fang."

"What is it…"

"Now that the project team has so many people, let's find a time to do a team-building activity, okay?"

"Team building?"

"Mm, just to strengthen everyone's bond. Let's all go to KTV and hang out together… I feel like singing."

"Didn't seem like you were into singing before—"

"I just suddenly feel like singing. Is that not allowed?"

"Sure, of course it's allowed."

Mei Fang said with a warm smile, "Then let's go sing together."

Author:

Wuwu, a bug occurred, so I missed the update.

Tomorrow there'll be another Chapter 23, then we'll return to the main storyline.

Lately I've really been knifed by this story. Damn, it's too painful.

(TL: You….)

(End of this chapter)