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

Although Lin Youxi refused Mei Fang's proposal, she was still brought back to his home by Mei Fang.

During this period, there was no resistance, and no signs of rejection were shown.

Mei Fang carefully placed Lin Youxi's belongings back where they originally were, then picked up Lin Youxi's phone, re-added her WeChat friend, gave her a bath, and fed her anti-depressant medication.

While handling Lin Youxi's phone, Mei Fang accidentally saw an offer from Modu [Shanghai] HR asking when Lin Youxi could join the company.

Mei Fang did not directly refuse them but informed them that he needed a few days to consider.

He returned the phone to Lin Youxi, and during this time, neither of them said much to each other.

After crying at the airport, she now seemed like a doll, completely at Mei Fang's mercy. No matter what Mei Fang said to her or joked about, she seemed lifeless, responding only with simple "mmhm" or "ahh," as if her soul had been drained away.

In a certain sense,Bai Mei Timeindeed became her obsession.

An obsession with shamelessly continuing to live with Mei Fang.

And once this obsession was fulfilled, Lin Youxi no longer had any burdens or attachments. There was no need to force herself to "harm" Mei Fang.

Mei Fang took care of Lin Youxi and helped her settle down to rest. After watching her slowly fall asleep, he sighed in relief and sat on the living room sofa.

He lowered his head, opened the proposal ring he had carefully prepared, and then covered one eye, rubbing it.

His lips parted, trembling, releasing heavy and urgent breaths, and his vision blurred again with tears.

At that moment, Mei Fang's phone suddenly vibrated.

It was a call from Liu Xiaoyu.

Mei Fang stood up, opened the door, and squatted outside while answering the call.

"What's wrong?"

"How's Youxi…? She said she wanted to leave, sent me many messages, but hung up when I called. She wouldn't run away alone after finishing the game, would she?"

"It's okay, it's nothing serious," Mei Fang said softly. "Her depressive symptoms just flared up. She's already back. Sorry for the trouble."

"No, no! How could it be trouble? As long as she's okay… Can I go check on her?"

"Not yet, I'll take care of it."

"Mm… you…"

Liu Xiaoyu recalled the messages Lin Youxi had sent her. "Take care of yourself too. If you need help, don't hesitate to contact me."

"There's no problem. I've gotten used to it already."

"Anyway… don't push yourself, Ah Fang," Liu Xiaoyu said seriously. "I'm a friend to both you and Youxi. If you're troubled, I'm happy to listen."

"…"

Mei Fang paused, then gave a wry smile before commenting.

"She said that before meeting me, her symptoms had never been this severe."

"Sometimes I really think that it's me who caused her to end up like this."

"Don't self-blame like that! Those were just things she said in the heat of her depressive state! The look in her eyes when she loves someone is obvious, even I can see how much she loves you…"

"I'm not doubting whether she loves me. I know she definitely does," Mei Fang said, thinking for a moment before continuing, "I just think… now that I look back, maybe this love has become a burden on her mind."

"Mei Fang!"

Liu Xiaoyu suddenly called out his name, interrupting him. "You were scared by what Youxi said while in a depressive episode! Didn't you tell us before that what a person says during a depressive episode isn't their true feelings? Why are you suddenly doubting yourself?"

"Your relationship has come this far, and you can't back down now. This isn't the Mei Fang I know, the one who's always been forward-thinking. You've always chased your dreams, and now they're coming true, right?"

After Liu Xiaoyu finished speaking, she realized she had overstepped, but there was no way to take the words back now.

Mei Fang remained silent for a moment, then gave a low hum of contemplation, finally letting out a long breath.

"Mm, you're right. Xiaoyu, thank you for reminding me."

His voice sounded much more composed than it had before. "It's good to talk to you again. It feels like we're back to being the kind of friends who can talk about anything."

"Mm… yes, yes, that's it. You're just too proud and stubborn. If you have a burden, you need to talk it out. You can talk to anyone, like me, or Xiaoyi. Anyone, just get it off your chest, and you'll feel better."

"It's mainly that I feel more comfortable talking to you. It's hard to talk about these things with anyone else."

"Of course. I studied psychology in college, so I naturally have this kind of approachable nature, haha…"

"I still think you're the same as you were ten years ago, you haven't changed."

"How could I not have changed? We've gotten old…"

Liu Xiaoyu kept Mei Fang company, chatting about things from high school, and eventually, the conversation shifted to Mei Fang's best friend from high school.

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen Zhang Ming in a long time. Have you been in touch with him?"

"Him? We kept in touch for the first two years after graduation. But then, he went to Huaxing for grad school and, three years ago, he was sent to Wukonan for a posting. After that, I haven't seen his WeChat updates."

"Wukonan? Isn't that where there's a war going on?"

Liu Xiaoyu sounded worried. "He hasn't updated in three years. Did he change his account? He should have at least updated his Moments."

"I don't know about that…"

Just as Mei Fang was talking, he heard some movement from inside the house. "I'll talk to you later, Youxi seems to have woken up. I'll go check on her."

"Mm-hmm! Go ahead. Spend more time talking to her. Once she gets through this depressive episode, it will be fine. I studied this in school, and bipolar disorder symptoms are like this. Although hers is the most difficult Type I, as long as she keeps taking her medication and maintains mental health, she'll get through it soon."

"Mm, thanks for the kind words. I'll hang up now."

"Bye."

Liu Xiaoyu hung up the phone, looking at the more than half an hour call time, her mood was somewhat complicated.

Lin Youxi's messages had revealed a lot of things and secrets to Liu Xiaoyu.

From Lin Youxi's perspective, she saw things about her and Mei Fang that Liu Xiaoyu hadn't known before.

So in her conversation with Mei Fang, Liu Xiaoyu had an advantage in understanding Lin Youxi's heart.

But… was that really fair?

Lin Youxi had sincerely expressed a desire for Liu Xiaoyu to be with Mei Fang. This was not something she would have said under any mental breakdown, because she admitted that without bipolar disorder, she would never have said something like pushing Mei Fang onto someone else.

Although her words were filled with rebellious and extreme possessiveness, that was just Lin Youxi's personality.

Liu Xiaoyu didn't hate the way Lin Youxi expressed herself.

But she also had no intention of accepting the offer that Lin Youxi had pushed onto her.

Mei Fang is your responsibility to take care of, not mine!

What do I have to do with this?

Liu Xiaoyu pursed her lips, forcing herself to smile sweetly.

Anyway, I'm already like this…

After the failure of the grand proposal operation, the relationship between Mei Fang and Lin Youxi was overshadowed by a thick veil of doubt.

In the intermittent moments of recovery, Mei Fang could still feel Lin Youxi's surging love.

But now, she no longer had that enthusiasm.

Not that she was indifferent to Mei Fang.

Rather, it was a numbness where she seemed not to care about anything at all.

The recent medication might have this kind of effect… no need to overthink it.

Mei Fang took two days off to accompany Lin Youxi at home and observe her.

Although Lin Youxi had become less talkative, she still kept some habitual affection.

When they watched TV together, she would unconsciously hold Mei Fang's arm.

At night, she would tightly hug Mei Fang as they slept.

And she would still want him at times.

But it was that kind of selfish wanting, which Mei Fang always tried his best to satisfy.

That night, as Mei Fang helped Lin Youxi wash her feet, he casually mentioned returning to work the next day.

"The project iteration version requires me to go to the company. Tomorrow, I need to go to work and earn money to support you. Will you abandon me like last time when I go to work tomorrow?"

Lin Youxi shook her head.

"You really won't, right?"

"Mm, I won't run around anymore."

After Lin Youxi softly said that, she nodded.

"Alright then…"

Mei Fang finished wiping Lin Youxi's feet, then made a hugging gesture. Lin Youxi, very familiar with it, wrapped her arms around Mei Fang's neck, allowing him to princess-carry her back to the bedroom.

The three-day sales of "White Plum Time" were less than 1000 copies. This result can be said to be colder than cold.

Although there were dozens of comments on Sbeam, most of them were positive or complaining about the lack of content, the scale combined with a price tag of 24 yuan made it simply not profitable.

It couldn't even cover the outsourcing expenses for Guo Yun's first character.

Even though there are many issues within the industry, an independent game with this kind of early-stage sales could be said to have flopped terribly.

Moreover, Mei Fang had been busy accompanying Youxi recently, so no one had really mentioned the matter of"White Plum Time".

Lin Youxi didn't escape like Mei Fang had feared, but she was no longer the person she used to be. This made Mei Fang very worried.

Mei Fang had also taken Lin Youxi to the hospital. The doctor said it was a normal effect of the medication, but also reminded Mei Fang to be cautious and avoid causing her too much psychological stress.

Psychological stress…

Is it because of my proposal to her that caused her to become like this?

Mei Fang really wanted to know the answer, but he couldn't ask Lin Youxi directly about it, as it might repeatedly cause her psychological stress. That was not the outcome Mei Fang wished for.

…

No matter what, let's focus on rehabilitation for now.

Thinking positively, Mei Fang would treat this time of taking care of Lin Youxi as raising a daughter.

It felt like raising a daughter.

A daughter with a quiet personality, not good at speaking.

Lin Youxi almost always obeyed Mei Fang's requests without resistance. Though she rarely spoke, occasionally she had her own thoughts. Apart from what she wanted, she would also express her opinions on the meals Mei Fang prepared for her.

If she liked the meal, she wouldn't say anything, just eating heartily;

But if the food didn't suit her taste, she would deliberately turn her head to show her displeasure. Mei Fang would have to coax her before she would eat a little.

However, her face was really hard to show any expression, no matter who was around.

Mei Fang wasn't in a hurry to talk to Lin Youxi about why she had become the "three-no girl" lately. He hoped time could heal some of her wounds.

That evening, Mei Fang received a call from his mother, Xiang Xiaoxia.

Before Mei Fang proposed to Lin Youxi, he had actually discussed the idea with his parents. Of course, at that time, it was just to inform them. What he didn't expect was that Xiang Xiaoxia fully supported her son's decision, and the understanding and recognition from his parents made Mei Fang feel relieved, which was why he acted the way he did that day.

Now, Xiang Xiaoxia was waiting to see if she could officially confirm her daughter-in-law, so she called to ask Mei Fang about the progress.

"Mm… Mom."

"You're asking about the last thing? It didn't work out."

"Mm… It's not a breakup. We're still living together."

"I'll take good care of her. She gave me all her savings."

"Mm, I will take good care of her, don't worry."

"Have you been taking her out? Mm… We have. We plan to go shopping tomorrow since it's the weekend."

Mei Fang looked at Lin Youxi, who was engrossed in watching her favorite comedy anime, then hung up the phone.

"Youxi, um… I want to discuss something with you."

Lin Youxi, still watching the anime, stretched her hand inside.

"Ah, no… not that, I'll talk about it later."

Mei Fang gently pulled Lin Youxi's arm and said softly, "Tomorrow is a holiday. Do you want to go shopping with me? You haven't been out for a long time."

"Mm."

Lin Youxi nodded, then looked back at Mei Fang. "What do we eat, Ah Fang?"

"What do you want to eat?"

"Anything, it's fine."

Lin Youxi responded.

"Pick something. Otherwise, when I order, you'll complain it doesn't taste good."

"Then let's eat barbecue."

Lin Youxi nodded, "I want to eat meat."

"Alright, then we'll eat barbecue!"

Though Lin Youxi had a poker face, Mei Fang felt like she had become a completely different person, yet her emotions were much more stable than before.

In fact, it seemed that she no longer had any emotions at all. She had adopted a completely "let it be" attitude, with only food still sparking some desire.

But Mei Fang could pamper her and wait. At least now, she wouldn't run away anymore. That was a good thing, wasn't it?

Mei Fang, with a fatherly attitude, took Lin Youxi out to stroll around. They visited a mall to look at clothes, read books, and watched a comedy movie. Lin Youxi watched seriously but didn't laugh at all, as if happiness was something for others.

Eventually, they had the long-awaited barbecue. Mei Fang did the grilling, while Lin Youxi ate. Occasionally, she would even pick up a piece for Mei Fang to eat. To outsiders, it looked like the everyday affectionate routine of a couple.

After finishing the barbecue, Lin Youxi rubbed her stomach and looked very happy. She grabbed Mei Fang's hand and shook it, as if pleading for something, then pointed her gaze toward something ahead.

"Ah Fang, look."

"Look at what?"

"You've become like a little student now—"

Lin Youxi let go of Mei Fang's hand and immediately dove into the crowd. Mei Fang, worried she might run away again, rushed to chase after her. In his haste, he accidentally bumped into a burly man. Before Mei Fang could speak, the man grabbed his collar.

"Didn't your mother teach you to apologize if you bump into someone?"

Mei Fang didn't immediately respond, but the pain from his collar being grabbed showed on his face. Just then, Lin Youxi rushed over and kicked the burly man. The man released Mei Fang, who collapsed to the ground, coughing non-stop.

Lin Youxi, panicked, crouched down beside Mei Fang, staring at him.

No…

I can't let her see this… I can't cause her more stress…

Mei Fang, holding back the pain, didn't clutch his chest, struggling to stand with Lin Youxi's support.

At that moment, the burly man grew angrier.

"I'm telling you, don't pretend, huh? If you don't stand up, I'll beat you until you can't stand, do you believe it?"

The man raised his fist to strike Mei Fang, but before the punch could land, Lin Youxi had already moved in front of Mei Fang to protect him.

In a split second, the man's wrist was grabbed by a bystander.

"What the hell are you doing…"

The man's tone wavered as he recognized the face of the person holding his wrist.

"Don't interfere in my business!"

"He's really in pain, not pretending. If you hit him, one of you will end up in the hospital and the other in jail, you believe it?"

"I didn't do anything to him! He just fell down! What does it have to do with me?"

Wait a minute, that voice sounds…

Mei Fang struggled to lift his head and saw a face that had changed drastically since the past—his old friend Zhang Ming, now with a hardened, warrior-like expression.

His face was rugged, with a noticeable scar under his stubble. His eyes were calm yet resolute, carrying an aura of strength that commanded respect.

At this moment, Mei Fang, unable to focus on his heart pain, looked utterly stunned.

Damn, is that Zhang Ming?