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

In the evening, a torrential downpour was falling in Lanshan District.

Since today was Friday, traffic in the entire tech park was almost at a standstill.

After a busy day, Mei Fang and several colleagues bid each other farewell at the bus station and boarded the bus. The crowded bus was filled with passengers whose fatigue was written all over their faces.

Mei Fang squeezed his way in and got to a spot inside. A wet umbrella next to him splashed water all over Mei Fang's body.

At that moment, the bus's advertisement screen displayed information about the Pengcheng Blueberry Music Festival.

Mei Fang glanced at the unfamiliar names of the singers on the music festival's lineup, and at that moment, the bus finally started moving. Mei Fang held on tightly to the swaying handrail.

His fate swayed just like it.

The traffic jam caused Mei Fang to get home half an hour later than usual. When he dragged his tired body into the house, it was pitch black inside.

Mei Fang gently called out You Xi's name and then turned on the lights in the living room.

There was also a pair of pink cat slippers.

Mei Fang quickly tidied himself up, picked up the cat slippers, and walked towards the bedroom without turning on the light. Instead, he went to the wardrobe.

"I found you."

Mei Fang gently opened the wardrobe, allowing the light to spill into the gloom.

His lover, Lin Youxi, was curled up in the corner of the wardrobe, her messy hair falling over her face as she hugged her knees, trembling.

She looked like a frightened little cat, burying her head and closing herself off from the world.

"It rained heavily today, that's why I'm late…" Mei Fang softly patted Lin Youxi's shoulder, but she only shivered in defiance, acting as though she was ignoring him.

Although he had had a tiring day at work, Mei Fang still patiently comforted Lin Youxi, and finally, she slowly lifted her head.

Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying for a long time.

"You've grown tired of me."

"That's not true."

"It's fine to admit it!"

When Mei Fang reached out his hand, Lin Youxi glared at him, her lips trembling:

"If I had never met you, it would have been better."

"I used to be fine on my own for so many years."

"Why did I turn into who I am now?!"

I've hurt him again.

Always saying such hurtful things.

And then—

I just want to see it, to see his face show disappointment.

That way—

But no, it didn't happen.

Mei Fang once again disappointed Lin Youxi—

He didn't show disappointment. His hand only paused in mid-air for a moment.

Then, Mei Fang reached out to Lin Youxi's face, gently wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes.

At that moment, Lin Youxi couldn't hold back her emotions anymore, and in Mei Fang's embrace, she collapsed into his arms, her body trembling uncontrollably.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Ah Fang!"

"That wasn't… wasn't what I truly meant."

"I know… I know."

Mei Fang held Lin Youxi close, embracing her as if she were a child, gently patting her back.

"You were just having a mood disorder flare-up, right?"

Mei Fang gently combed Lin Youxi's hair, wiped her tear-streaked face, and then busied himself in the kitchen, making dinner for Lin Youxi. After they finished eating, Mei Fang took Lin Youxi for a walk outside, then gave her medicine.

Lin Youxi lay in Mei Fang's arms for a while, and her uneasy and anxious emotions clearly calmed down a lot. She even chatted with Mei Fang a bit.

Seizing the opportunity, Mei Fang asked Lin Youxi about the reason for her condition today:

"Wasn't it much better recently? Why did you suddenly feel unwell today?"

"I was fixing the last few bugs inWhite Plum Time, but I just couldn't fix them…"

Lin Youxi nestled in Mei Fang's arms, holding her forehead, "Ah Fang, I feel like my memory has gotten worse, I fixed bugs a few days ago, but today I made the same mistake again…"

"Didn't the doctor say when you went to the hospital that the medicine you're taking might have some side effects? You just need more rest for now."

"But we promised the players that the game would officially launch next month! Everyone's been looking forward to it, I don't want to let them down…"

"But you can't force yourself. I'll be heartbroken."

Mei Fang gently pressed Lin Youxi's shoulder, "The development of the program is almost finished, 80 to 90 percent done. I can ask my colleagues at the company to help with the bugs. Xu Ge is also very supportive of our work, so he's okay with it."

"Like this…"

Lin Youxi hummed, sinking deeper into Mei Fang's embrace, lost in thought.

"By the way, the work that brought us together,White Plum Time, is finally nearing completion…"

"That sounds a bit melancholic."

Mei Fang smoothed out Lin Youxi's hair, "I won't allow you to leave me."

"I don't want to leave you either, Ah Fang. Without you, I wouldn't be able to live."

Lin Youxi lifted her head and gave Mei Fang a kiss, to which Mei Fang responded:

"Since this opportunity is so rare, before the game officially launches, let's do something with a bit of ceremony… like going out on a date again?"

"Sure, where do you want to go for the date?"

Lin Youxi, whose mood disorder was rare to show signs of interest, said brightly, "How about a drink at Qing Bar? I'm in the mood for some alcohol."

"You're still taking medicine, and you want to drink?"

Mei Fang patted Lin Youxi's head, "Let's go to the beach. I'll book a holiday hotel by the sea, a room facing the ocean, a springtime room."

"Good, good! It'll be great to go and relax, maybe it'll help with my mood disorder symptoms…"

Lin Youxi stroked Mei Fang's cheek, "Shall we shower together tonight?"

"Yeah, let's shower together. I'll keep you company." Mei Fang nodded.

While pushing through the final stretch of the game version, Mei Fang and Lin Youxi were also preparing for this special date.

Mei Fang booked an expensive beach hotel suite for the occasion. Lin Youxi bought a vibrant beach skirt with colorful little designs.

They chose a day when the weather forecast predicted continuous sunny days, arranged their itinerary, took a day off from work, and then set off together with their bags.

After a long drive, they arrived at the seaside hotel. Just as Lin Youxi was about to change into her beach skirt and head to the beach, the sky suddenly darkened, and the previously clear weather was gone.

Heavy rain began to pour outside, and lightning flashed in the sky, with the thunder roaring from the distant sea.

…

Lin Youxi leaned against the transparent floor-to-ceiling window, silently watching the rain outside.

Mei Fang lightly patted her back from behind.

"We have two and a half days of vacation. It will definitely clear up tomorrow. It's fine to rest today, and tonight there's a bonfire party!"

"I'm not upset about that… I'm just remembering something from my childhood."

"What's that?"

Lin Youxi whispered, "Just like how it's described inWhite Plum Time, when I was in kindergarten, I was quite the troublemaker, and the teacher didn't like me. I was also scared to be alone with the teacher, but my dad was busy at the construction site, especially when it rained… so I was really scared of thunder and rain."

"Now that you mention it, you're still afraid of thunder and rain."

Mei Fang hugged Lin Youxi from behind, "But it's fine now, because you have me, right?"

"Mmm, as long as I have Ah Fang, I'm fine!"

Lin Youxi squeezed Mei Fang's hand and leaned back into his embrace.

At that moment, the Bluetooth music in the hotel room was playing a song calledSunny Day.

The next morning, when they woke up, the sky was indeed clear and bright.

After having breakfast at the hotel's buffet, Lin Youxi and Mei Fang strolled hand in hand along the beach. Lin Youxi took off her beach shoes, handing them to Mei Fang to carry, leaving footprints in the sand with every step. Mei Fang held her shoes with one hand while taking photos with his phone.

"Ah Fang! Stinky Ah Fang! Did you turn on the beauty mode or not?!"

"You Youxi doesn't need beauty mode to look good, 360-degree no-dead-angle beauty."

"Stop using sweet talk as an excuse for being lazy!"

Lin Youxi and Mei Fang chased and played on the beach. Lin Youxi ran ahead while Mei Fang chased after her.

While running, Mei Fang suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, and his pace slowed down.

He called for Lin Youxi to stop, as he could no longer continue running.

At that moment, Lin Youxi turned around, hands on her back, and looked at Mei Fang's crouched figure, playfully sticking out her tongue and making a silly face:

"Can't do it, huh? Stinky Ah Fang, weren't you so cocky yesterday? Fishy fishy! Lala!"

"You… don't you dare get cocky—"

Mei Fang pressed his hand against his chest, laughing weakly at Lin Youxi, but the pain was too intense, and it made it impossible for him to respond properly to her teasing.

Just as he was getting anxious about how to hide his condition, he suddenly felt a cold sensation on his back.

When he lifted his head to look at Lin Youxi, she was staring up at the sky.

Rain had started falling again.

Mei Fang and Lin Youxi ran back to the hotel in the rain. As soon as they entered the room, Lin Youxi switched into herEmpress New Clothesmode, and while messing around, she accidentally spilled the contents of Mei Fang's pocket.

"This is…"

Lin Youxi bent down and picked up something that had fallen out of Mei Fang's pocket: a square jewelry box.

Mei Fang scratched his head awkwardly, "I was planning to give it to you at the bonfire party, but now that it's ruined…"

"Haha, I knew it… you're not planning to give me a wedding ring or something, right?"

"Open it and see."

Mei Fang watched Lin Youxi, his expression unreadable.

Lin Youxi slowly opened the jewelry box, first surprised, then took out what was inside.

It was a pendant in the shape of a paper crane, with several delicate sapphires embedded in its structure.

"What… is this?"

"A half-anniversary gift."

"How can we even commemorate a half-anniversary?"

"Isn't that how mobile games are now?"

"Ugh, devious pay-to-win planners!"

Lin Youxi teased Mei Fang while carefully taking off the pendant, unhooking the clasp, and handing it to Mei Fang.

"Help me put it on, Ah Fang."

Lin Youxi faced the mirror, while Mei Fang put the necklace around her neck.

"How does it look, is it pretty?"

"Hmm, it looks better with clothes on…"

"Are you saying I don't look good without clothes? Or is it because my skin is sagging… you're disgusted with me?"

"Of course not… it's perfect for me."

Mei Fang hugged

Lin Youxi tightly and rested his chin on her shoulder.

Lin Youxi's eyes flashed with joy as she hugged Mei Fang tightly, leaning her head against his chest:

"Let's live happily, together forever. It'll always be us."

Mei Fang smiled. "Yes, together forever."

Shan Youlinxi: [Tomorrow is the official release date ofWhite Plum Time. It's been a tough year for everyone!]

Xiaoxiao Luoyu: [Celebration.jpg]

Yao Yuan de Yun: [Celebration.jpg]

Shan Youlinxi: [Thank you to Xiao Yu for painting us this story! I cried when I finished reading, it's so sweet! Your promotional tweets for the Peach Game also brought in a lot of free traffic for us!]

Shan Youlinxi: [And Yun Yun's art design, it's really cute and beautiful, especially the female protagonist's design, exactly how I imagined Yuan Yuan would look as she grew up, hehe!]

Shan Youlinxi: [Also, thanks to @Penglai de Xue for the music, I really like it, the subtle sad style fits perfectly with the tone of the story, haha!]

Penglai de Xue: [I'm busy, will tell you guys when I get off work. It's definitely going to sell well!]

Xiaoxiao Luoyu & Yao Yuan de Yun: [Yeah, it's definitely going to sell well!]

Lin Youxi had finished sending her message when Mei Fang walked from the bedroom balcony to the living room, standing behind Lin Youxi, massaging her shoulders.

"What are you looking at?"

"I'm making a concluding statement, thanking everyone for their hard work during this time."

"Mm, sounds good…"

Mei Fang nodded, "Our Lin Youxi is finally starting to look like a producer."

"What? You've always been the producer! I'm just the one who writes the code."

"I'm the one you hired to write the documents, okay?"

"Well, in the end, it's still me fulfilling your needs, right?"

"Are we talking about the same thing here?"

"Whether it's daily life or work, it's basically the same!"

Lin Youxi patted her cheek, stood up, and asked Mei Fang for a hug.

"Ah Fang."

"What's up?"

Lin Youxi tilted her head up from Mei Fang's chest.

"I want to sleep early tonight, let's check the sales tomorrow!"

"Mm, okay… I'll follow your lead."

Lin Youxi and Mei Fang washed up early and got ready for bed. It was rare for the two to rest without exercise that night, but Mei Fang held Lin Youxi tightly.

"Are you… especially clingy tonight, Ah Fang?"

Lin Youxi mumbled, "It's so hot."

"Just bear with it, I'm feeling insecure tonight."

Mei Fang just held onto Lin Youxi, clutching her cold, icy hand.

"I'm afraid that once my game is released, my Youxi will leave me."

"Haha, you're thinking too much."

Lin Youxi snuggled in Mei Fang's arms.

"Even though we met because of this project, to commemorate Yuan Yuan's encounter…"

"But for me now, you, Ah Fang, are more important."

"Really… I'm more important than Yuan Yuan?"

Mei Fang was a little surprised, "You used to say Yuan Yuan is irreplaceable."

"She is irreplaceable, but the meaning you and she hold for me is different. Yuan Yuan was the only light in my childhood, but you are my everything now."

"Mm… I guess it's like this: if you and Yuan Yuan were both in danger and I could only save one, I would choose to save Yuan Yuan, and then—"

"And die with me, right?"

"Ah, how did you know…"

Mei Fang said as he hugged Lin Youxi even tighter.

"It's simple to do… I'm the planner, Youxi's planner."

"Your life belongs to me now, from now on, I will plan everything for you."

"Haha… Ah Fang, you have such a strong sense of control."

"However, I really like this kind of planned life."

If it could last forever…

Even on a release day like this, because it was a workday, Mei Fang still had to go to the office.

Luckily, she was still in his arms.

He and Lin Youxi shared a good morning kiss before getting up to wash up and catch the early morning train to work.

It was a clear, sunny day.

It really wasn't a day fit for working.

What day is suitable for working?

Haha.

As an experienced planner, Mei Fang was very clear about the final outcome ofWhite Plum Time.

For a niche work like this, with almost no commercial promotion, it was hard to become a bestseller.

The only chance was player-generated word of mouth.

But that was very dependent on luck.

One couldn't force it.

But it indeed was the bridge that connected Lin Youxi and him.

Yuan Yuan…

Mei Fang rested his chin on his hand at his workstation, pondering about the impression of that girl.

The girl, once blurry in his memory, had now become almost clear because ofWhite Plum Timeand her connection with Lin Youxi.

The innocent smile of the girl from back in the day seemed like it was just yesterday, to the point where Mei Fang, experiencing the game himself, felt a bit melancholic.

Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi, were they both childhood sweethearts I missed out on…?

—Meanwhile.

Lin Youxi packed everything she owned, holding a large suitcase, standing in front of the living room door, then double-checked everything.

Clothes, jewelry, the couple's toothbrush cup, slippers, pajamas, a photo of them on the coffee table, even the saved game files from the console.

At that moment, Lin Youxi's phone buzzed with a text message reminder.

[Reminder: Your flight zh4833 to Modu will depart in 3 hours. Please make sure to arrange your time accordingly.]

Then there was the contact information…

But not right now—

Lin Youxi carried her suitcase to the airport.

She didn't say goodbye to anyone.

At the airport waiting lounge, she took a deep breath.

She skillfully blacklisted Mei Fang's phone number, his WeChat, and all other forms of contact.

Then she blacklisted everyone who could possibly be linked to Mei Fang.

Except for Liu Xiaoyu.

Then she opened her banking app and started transferring money.

[Your bank card 63327****6075 has successfully transferred 243,000 yuan to *Fang's account. Remaining balance: 2305.3 yuan.]

When transferring, Lin Youxi playfully left a note:

[Wife Fund]

Phew…

That should be fine.

Lin Youxi checked her phone for the new offer she had received from Modu.

She was going to start a new life over there.

A new life without Mei Fang.

My life is already ruined, but his life will be better without me.

Of course, the time immediately after the separation was definitely going to be painful…

But with her there…

Lin Youxi sent all the messages she had prepared for Liu Xiaoyu.

When Liu Xiaoyu video-called her, she rejected it and also blacklisted her.

Doing this really made it seem like I gave Ah Fang to her…

Oh well, I'm crazy, so doing something ridiculous can be understood—

Without realizing it, Lin Youxi's tears started to fall in large drops.

No matter how hard she tried to wipe them away, even when she looked up, the tears would still slide down her face.

Why am I doing this?

Why am I pushing someone who loves me so much, and whom I love so much, to someone else?

Forget it…

It doesn't matter.

After boarding the plane, everything about Pengcheng, everything about him, would no longer have anything to do with me.

Just like this.

Mm…

As Lin Youxi lowered her head to rub her eyes, a tissue suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Here, wipe your tears."

"Or… let me help you wipe them."

Lin Youxi looked up in disbelief and saw that her whole world appeared in front of her exactly when she needed it the most.

Though his tone was calm, the sweat dripping from his forehead showed he had rushed over as fast as he could.

"How did… how did you know I was here?"

Mei Fang wasn't angry. He smiled as he spoke to her.

"I told you, no matter where you go, even if you flee to the ends of the earth, I'll find you."

Mei Fang knocked on his temple, "It's not just you who's crazy, you know."

Lin Youxi seemed to remember something after hearing Mei Fang's words, and she then undid her shirt collar, revealing the blue sapphire pendant Mei Fang had given her recently.

"Did you put a tracker inside the pendant… Only… only in the pendant, right?"

Mei Fang didn't directly answer Lin Youxi's question. Instead, he softly said, "I know, you can't bear to throw away my things."

Mei Fang gently wiped away the tears from Lin Youxi's eyes, helped her wipe her nose, and then handed her a brand-new small jewelry box.

"Open it and have a look."

Lin Youxi trembled as she opened the jewelry box.

Inside was a ring.

Mei Fang carefully took the ring out of the box, then knelt down, gently holding Lin Youxi's hand and making a request.

A small crowd had gathered, but Mei Fang wasn't shy at all. Instead, he continued his confession to the one he loved.

"My dearest Lin Youxi, I formally invite you to marry me!"

"Anyway, you'll never be able to leave me in this life."

"I hope you will marry me and give me your whole life."

The crowd cheered and clapped in response.

However, Lin Youxi didn't intend to give them the ending they were expecting.

"No…"

Lin Youxi smiled and shook her head, then shook her head vigorously, finally shedding tears once again.

"I don't want to…"

"I will never…"

"I will never marry you."