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

Yixia Band had performed poorly in their debut performance. The lead vocalist and keyboardist, Liu Xiaoyu, had been drowning inyuyu[TL note: internet slang for feeling downhearted/depressed], and of course, while beingyuyu, she was also driven by a strong sense of responsibility. Finally, on the fourth day of their break, she accepted Xia Yuan's invitation and attended Yixia Band's debut performance debrief meeting.

[Yixia Band Debut Performance Debrief Meeting]

Xia Yuan had spent several days making a cute and pretty PowerPoint presentation. Then she borrowed a study room in the Peng University teaching building and used the PPT to deliver the debrief presentation.

"Our first debut performance—everyone did super awesome! Let's give ourselves a round of applause first, okay? You were all really great. Xiaoyu's playing and vocals really stood out. Bingbing had a great sense of rhythm too! As for Xiaoxue—there's no need to praise her, she's Peng University's top bassist! As for me, I think I didn't perform that well, but it's all thanks to your support and encouragement, hahahaha!"

Xia Yuan smiled while trying hard to applaud everyone, but during this time, Liu Xiaoyu kept her head down. Peng Xue rested her chin on her hand and stared at Xia Yuan, and even the usually energetic and cheerful Xiang Bingbing seemed absent-minded and out of it.

"What's wrong, you guys! Don't be so downhearted. You might feel like it didn't go that well, but I think, for a debut performance, it was already really good."

"But Xiaoxue—this wasn't her first time, was it?"

Xiang Bingbing muttered from the side, "I think Xiaoxue must've been really unhappy with it!"

Peng Xue didn't directly respond to Bingbing's question. Instead, she stared straight at Xia Yuan.

"My first time was back in elementary school, you know. I even performedSwan Lakeback then…"

Xia Yuan felt a bit breathless under Peng Xue's gaze and finally nodded. "Alright, alright, I know you're talking about the school's Golden Autumn Arts Festival… I admit, that performance had great stage effects, and I really enjoyed it."

Xia Yuan paused and then said, "But if I hadn't had the lyrics written by Ah Fang, and if Ah Fang and Youxi hadn't encouraged and accompanied me, I wouldn't have been able to reach that level. I want to become that kind of support too…"

At this point, Xia Yuan's tone turned more serious:

"These past few days, I've thought about it, and I feel like there are some things I need to say to everyone in person… That is, I hope each of you has the same dream as me, not just following me around for fun. That would be wasting your time. We're very good friends, and I don't want you to see it that way."

"I hope we can reflect on our mistakes together, correct them, analyze them, and think about our next strategy together. If you feel you're not enjoying performing, you can tell me—or talk to me in private. We'll still be good friends in the future. Let's not get upset over this, okay, everyone?"

Xia Yuan lightly patted the table, then clapped her hands to encourage everyone to cheer up. Everyone gradually shifted their gaze toward her. At this moment, Peng Xue looked very surprised:

"Holy crap, our little Yuan Yuan, who's always sweet-talking and soft-spoken, actually said something so blunt. You've really grown up—I'm gonna cry!"

"Xiaoxue!"

"Alright, alright… I'm not joking anymore."

Peng Xue nodded and said: "Even though Yuan Yuan has always been that praise-happy weirdo, I think when starting a band, you really do need that kind of encouragement and support. Not to say much else, I think Yuan Yuan made a great point—doing a band should be about enjoyment. You have to enjoy it to keep doing it."

"When we first started our band back in Rongcheng, we didn't have much of a fanbase either. But those friends at the venue would support me, cheer for encores… I feel like most fans are really kind-hearted. During our debut performance, the audience was also very supportive, because they knew we put in a lot of effort…"

Peng Xue paused for a bit after speaking, then continued: "Honestly, when I decided to start a band, it was partly to chase my dream of music, and also… partly because I wanted to keep up with Yuan Yuan's pace. Even if I had that selfish motive, my main reason was still that I love music. That came first."

While speaking, Peng Xue cast her eyes on Liu Xiaoyu, who had been pressing her lips together. Before Peng Xue could call her out, she stood up herself. "I'm sorry, everyone… I know I caused a lot of trouble these past few days. Partly it was out of guilt… but also, I really did get stage fright during the performance."

"It was just stage fright?"

"Xiaoxue… let Xiaoyu finish what she's saying—"

"But… no matter what."

Liu Xiaoyu paused and said: "I do love making music. I've loved it since I was little. Just like Yuan Yuan, I learned piano as a kid, but later on I didn't have the chance anymore. I thought I'd never get the opportunity again… until Yuan Yuan invited me to work on the soundtrack together—"

At this point, Liu Xiaoyu suddenly patted her cheeks. "Okay, okay! This isn't the time to be reminiscing. I know what my problems are. But my love for music—that's a dream I've always held onto. So… um—"

The usually timid Liu Xiaoyu finally affirmed her belief: "I'll keep doing music. Not to repay Yuan Yuan or Mei Fang, but because I love it. I love the feeling of immersing myself in it. That sense of accomplishment is incomparable. I think that's the reward my love for music has brought me."

"Well said! Finally we get to hear Xiaoyu's inner voice. I think it's good that we're having this kind of open talk."

Xia Yuan was clapping enthusiastically when Xiang Bingbing, who had been sitting in the back row, also stood up:

"Since everyone's talking about what went wrong in our debut, I'll say something too… I think I was way too self-centered when playing the drums. Once I started drumming, it was like I was playingTaiko no Tatsujin[rhythm game] all by myself. I'm trying to find ways to sync better with everyone—"

"As for my original motivation to do music…"

Xiang Bingbing fidgeted a little. "Can I be honest? But if I say it, you guys might not like it."

"What's the big deal, Bingbing?"

Xia Yuan squinted and smiled: "Today's the time for everyone to be honest. Hiding stuff isn't your style anyway—you used to be such a bubbly girl…"

"I only look bubbly! I have plenty of bright sadness inside me!"

Xiang Bingbing puffed out her chest indignantly. "Like, for example, about doing music—I might not love it as much as you guys do… I just thought it was interesting, so I wanted to give it a try. Back in high school, I got really curious about Ah Fang playing the guitar because I thought it was super cool."

"And then… I actually wanted to be a guitarist, but the band didn't need that many guitarists. Then Ah Fang said drummers need to be strong, so I went to play drums instead."

"Ah… if, if you really wanted to be a guitarist—"

"It's fine, it's fine. I think being a drummer is fun too, haha!"

Xiang Bingbing scratched her head and said, "Also, I did it because I didn't want to drift apart from you guys… If you all start doing the band thing or running a company, and I'm just someone who can only play basketball or whatever, and Ah Fang wouldn't even let me be his security chief—so I ended up playing drums."

"Ah, this is… the first time I've heard that…"

Xia Yuan looked a little surprised. "If it's just because you don't want to lose connection with us, then we can still be friends and hang out together in the future—this isn't really…"

"Yeah, that's what you say, but that's not how it actually goes…"

Xiang Bingbing muttered, "You guys remember my cousin-friend Xiaoran from back home? I thought we'd be lifelong besties too, but we ended up becoming total strangers because we ran out of shared topics… It's real. Different circles just don't mix. And since I don't hate making music, I joined in."

At first, Xia Yuan felt like Bingbing's words were a bit distant, but after listening to her explanation, she suddenly realized—it all made a lot of sense.

If Youxi and I had no interest in games at all… how far could we really go with Ah Fang?

When it comes down to it, I only really like games in an average kind of way. Maybe I got so into them just because I like Ah Fang so much—love me, love my dog, right…

But Ah Fang likes music too. Could it be that he's only putting in all this effort in music because he really likes me that much?

Whoa, so Ah Fang already loved me this deeply back then—

Xia Yuan, prompted by Bingbing's words, found herself drifting into thoughts about her own boyfriend, and ended up moved by her own internal monologue. Meanwhile, Xiang Bingbing added with a flourish:

"Ah, right right, now that everyone knows, I'm not afraid of being laughed at. The truth is, I thought if I became the drummer, Ah Fang would definitely be happy, so that's why I did it, hehe…"

Xiang Bingbing brazenly revealed her wolfish ambitions in front of her teammates, which left Peng Xue and Liu Xiaoyu thoroughly shocked. Even Peng Xue, who had always seen herself as a free-spirited rebel, couldn't help but be stunned into admiration:

"Whoa, Bingbing… Even if you hadn't said it, we all pretty much guessed it already and could understand… but did you really have to say it out loud in front of everyone?"

"Ah, but isn't today the day for us to speak our true hearts? I thought that meant nothing should be kept hidden."

Xiang Bingbing pursed her lips, and then bowed apologetically to everyone:

"I'm really sorry, everyone. I've tainted everyone's pure and noble musical dreams. I joined this band purely because I wanted to make friends with you all and make Ah Fang happy, that's all…"

"Don't—don't be like that, Bingbing… it's fine! Haha! You're a real heroine."

Peng Xue gave a big thumbs-up with a carefree look on her face, but in reality, she was already feeling so guilty her whole body was trembling and she was drenched in sweat.

"Y-yeah, it's totally fine, Bingbing. It's not just you—Xiaoxue and I—"

Before she could finish, Liu Xiaoyu was pinched hard on the thigh by Peng Xue, who was beside her. The force of moral condemnation finally sobered her up before she could speak her true thoughts aloud.

"Hmm? You and Xiaoxue what?"

"I—I mean, Xiaoxue and I aren't that pure either…"

Liu Xiaoyu muttered, "L-like me, my family's kinda poor, you know. So while I'm chasing my dreams, I can also earn some money. That makes me feel happy."

"Mm, earning money is one of my selfish reasons too."

Xiang Bingbing nodded and said: "You've all seen how many younger siblings I have. I want them to live better lives too. So I think if I keep working with Ah Fang, I can earn quite a bit of money as well."

This kid… really, just too sincere, way too sincere…

Wuwu, I'm seriously gonna cry to death here!

Xia Yuan stood to the side doing her best to hold back her emotions.

Back during the team-building event, she and Mei Fang had hidden in the closet and overheard a lot of things. So she was well aware that Liu Xiaoyu and Peng Xue still harbored some lingering feelings for her Ah Fang.

But she could pretend not to know.

She wasn't like Youxi, who gave no one any leeway, because she had also once come close to becoming no different from those "loser dogs" herself—

At least for a period of time, Xia Yuan had thought this way. Ever since junior high, she had always felt that Youxi was better suited to be Ah Fang's girlfriend. She herself only managed to stay in the running thanks to Ah Fang's affection.

But once you're actually in a relationship, isn't it just a matter of who loves who more…? That kind of thinking is pretty twisted, haha.

So Xia Yuan decided to steer the discussion away and cool things down a bit, as the topic was getting a little awkward:

"Anyway, anyway, I think it's a big first step for all of us to be able to reflect so honestly on ourselves. Next, let's work together to come up with everyone's special training plans!"

"Special training plans?"

Everyone looked at each other, confused and unsure. Xia Yuan then went on to explain directly, "I think our teamwork and chemistry have reached a decent level, but if we want to push further, we each need to change some personal habits or ways of thinking."

"I've learned a lot listening to what everyone's shared just now. I think we can come up with some really good plans today! But since Xiaoyu is the lead vocalist, and as the organizer and leader of the band, plus I've got some stage experience, I've put together a special training session for Xiaoyu. I hope you'll give it your best and see it through."

"A special training plan… just for me?"

Xia Yuan nodded, then started operating the computer to switch the PowerPoint slides.

【Xiaoyu's Lead Vocal Special Training Plan—】

As Xia Yuan displayed the PowerPoint contents, she began explaining the plan to Liu Xiaoyu:

"This special training is broken into several stages, and each stage has its own tasks. For certain reasons, I won't reveal all of it right away. But the overall goal is to help you take control of the band's rhythm and become an outstanding lead vocalist."

"I… I'll do my best."

Thanks to the lingering effect of being morally condemned earlier, Liu Xiaoyu was now showing signs of near-unconditional obedience to Xia Yuan. "S-so… what's the task for the first stage?"

"The first stage is really simple. I'm sure our Xiaoyu will complete it easily."

Xia Yuan smiled with her hands behind her back as she clicked to the next slide.

"The first stage: we hope our Xiaoyu can complete at leastthree street performancesin the coming week!"

"S-street performances? By myself? I—I really can't do that… I—it's way too hard."

Liu Xiaoyu panicked and quickly waved her hands to refuse. At that moment, Peng Xue couldn't help but knock her on the head. "What do you mean you can't? You just said you'd do your best, and now you're chickening out?"

"But this is really… too hard… I just can't do it."

"What's so hard about it? I was singing on the streets back in Baimei County when I was in high school. I'm telling you, this is super easy."

"Exactly… and since Xiaoxue has lots of experience with street performing, I hope Xiaoxue will be responsible for supervising and documenting everything when the time comes," Xia Yuan said with a smile.