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

In her previous life, Mei Fang's paternal cousin Mei Yue had once been abandoned by her boyfriend and thereby fell into massive debt. Afterward, unable to accept such a blow, she developed hysteria, becoming muddled and half-crazed every day.

But in this life, Mei Fang made Mei Yue sever ties with that boyfriend early on, turning him into a tool for her career, laying an important foundation for the creation of Yuanxi.

Although the circumstances between her past and present lives had undergone a great change, her cousin's tendencies in matters of love remained obvious—

Her cousin was a love-brained person: she generally wouldn't get involved in relationships, but once she did, she would fall deeply; in addition, she had a thing for mature uncles, liking handsome and mature older men. Before, during her first encounter with Xia Xun, she had been charmed by him.

Of course, at that time, Mei Yue had misunderstood Xia Xun as the father whose wife had passed away (Mei Fang had once told her that his childhood sweetheart's mother had passed away early), so she developed improper thoughts toward him. Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, she didn't take things further.

However! However!

Feelings of heartfelt affection for someone are emotions that someone like Yueyue-jie, a love-brain, simply can't hide.

After Xia Xun drove to the home of Uncle Mei Lixiong, the Mei family warmly received him together—

And Mei Yue, who had carefully dressed herself, appeared very poised and proper at the dining table, as if she were a different person altogether.

Ever since the three-family meeting, Mei Lijun had been very afraid of the possibility of losing his daughter-in-law, so in daily life, he treated Xia Xun and Lin Guochuan with great enthusiasm.

This time, when Xia Xun came over for dinner, he was pulled to sit side-by-side with him, and the two looked quite close.

"Come on, Old Xia, try my sister-in-law's cooking—her braised fish is absolutely top-notch, I'm telling you—"

"Mm…"

When Mr. Xia Xun came over for dinner, he seemed a bit downhearted.

His mood was like a continuous drizzle, carrying a faint air of melancholy and sorrow.

["Go find somewhere to eat by yourself."]

Such heartless words were actually spoken to him by his beloved daughter Xia Yuan, whom he had cherished for twenty years.

Our Yuan Yuan wasn't like this before! It's all because of that brat Mei Fang…

If it had been the Yuan Yuan from before, she would've said—

"Daddy, you came home and there's no food? Then let Yuan Yuan cook for you, okay!"

"Yuan Yuan is a little grown-up now, and as Daddy's good baby, she'll definitely feed Daddy until he's all full!"

Even though that was from Yuan Yuan's kindergarten days, it was still the most beautiful memory in Xia Xun's life.

No matter what, our Yuan Yuan shouldn't—and couldn't—say something so heart-chilling.

The frown of contemplation on Xia Xun's face emitted a kind of intangible world-weariness. Mei Yue, while eating, would now and then glance subconsciously at Uncle Xia Xun's angular, chiseled face.

Wow, this is way too handsome…

As Mei Yue was gazing at Xia Xun with a bit of infatuation, Mei Ya was also staring at her cousin Mei Yue in disbelief.

Though young, Mei Ya was smart and cunning beyond her years. Mentally, she was far more mature than children her age. With innate talent and all the useless 2D tricks she had learned from her brother's C-Station, she was an expert in creating and playing with memes.

To think her cousin's crush was on the dad of her younger cousin's childhood sweetheart—that's such juicy content, and it happened right in front of her! If she posted this to C-Station, it'd definitely rake in a wave of traffic!

Mei Ya's current dream was to rely on her own talent—plus a tiny bit of help from her older brother—to become one of C-Station's Top 100 creators.

But about the idea of getting help from her brother, Mei Fang had already made it clear it was a no-go. Mei Fang said he would only ever make things better when you already succeeded, never offer a shortcut. Only if Mei Ya earned enough influence by herself and was selected into the Top 100 would he allow her to reveal she was the station master's little sister.

In truth, Mei Fang was someone who cherished his public image greatly. He could give his sister any amount of money, buy her anything she wanted.

But if Mei Ya wanted to use his fame and power to shortcut her way to stardom, Mei Fang would absolutely not allow it.

After all, revealing her identity also meant that his behavior and speech would reflect a sort of official stance. Mei Ya was still only twelve or thirteen—not mature enough for that level of responsibility.

At the dinner table, Mei Yue kept playing the role of a cheerful and lively good-jiejie, constantly putting food in Yuan Yuan's bowl, trying to attract Xia Xun's attention.

"Here, Yuan Yuan, eat a bit more of this."

"Okay okay, but if you keep stuffing me I won't be able to eat anymore… You and Xiang Mama both keep putting food in my bowl, I can do it myself, you know."

Seeing that his daughter looked a bit embarrassed, Xia Xun immediately picked up his bowl to offer it toward Xia Yuan:

"If you can't finish—"

But just as Xia Xun lifted his bowl, Xia Yuan transferred the food from her own bowl into Mei Fang's. Mei Fang looked at it with disdain: "You're not eating all this? Why are you so picky?"

"I-I'm not not eating, I just wanted you to try it too."

Saying that, Xia Yuan actively fed Mei Fang, and now that the three-person strategy had changed, the single dog Mei Fang showed no hesitation in displaying closeness in front of everyone. He let Xia Yuan directly feed the food into his mouth.

Watching his daughter being all lovey-dovey with Mei Fang, Xia Xun felt an indescribable sorrow in his heart.

Even during the time when Mei Fang and Xia Yuan were dating before, they had been very reserved in front of the parents. How come now they seemed even more intimate and uninhibited?

[Snow drifting—north wind wailing]

In his ears echoed his favorite sad song. And just as he was about to draw his bowl back, Mei Yue reached out and said, "Uncle Xia, did you want some soup? I'll get you some."

"Uh… okay, sorry to trouble you."

"No trouble at all!"

Mei Yue took Xia Xun's bowl, properly scooped a big bowl of soup, and handed it back to him.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome!"

Xia Xun glanced at Mei Yue a few times, then asked, "Have we met somewhere before?"

"Ah?"

Mei Yue was a little disappointed hearing that. "Um, um! That time when you visited the Jiangcheng studio, I was there—I was the one who—"

Mei Fang explained from the side, "Yueyue-jie is our HR director at Yuanxi Huyu, and also oversees finance. Back when I was too young to legally start a company, Yueyue-jie was our company's legal representative."

Upon hearing this, Xia Xun was quite moved. "HR and finance are both very important positions. For Yuanxi Studio to reach such a scale now, being able to manage all that is no small feat."

"Ehehe… actually I'm just doing what's within my responsibilities. These past few years I've focused entirely on work and improvement. After all, Yuanxi Studio doubles in size every few months—if I can't keep up, I'd have already been kicked off the list of partners by little Fang."

"But let me say this—once you reach a high executive level, you don't necessarily need top-tier execution ability. What matters more is organizational and managerial skill, and your credibility within the team. After all, no one can do everything personally, and there are always parts you won't fully understand."

"Yes, you're absolutely right. Using people is more important than doing everything yourself. Little Fang, you should listen more too. Don't always lead teams yourself to make games. Broaden your perspective, and develop more revenue streams."

"I'm a bit different."

Mei Fang retorted, "I lead teams to make games because I like it. I want to fulfill my dreams. Just making money is boring—I'm not interested in money."

"Pfft."

At this time, Jack Ma's famous quotes hadn't yet been made public, so when Mei Fang suddenly blurted something like that, Mei Yue burst out laughing. "You, a group CEO who started a business in elementary school, telling me you're not interested in money?"

"Aiya, money really is a small thing. What I'm pursuing now is self-actualization. Not being interested doesn't mean I won't make money… Running a company this big takes constant funding and constant profit to have a future, right?"

"It's good that you understand that…" Mei Yue sighed as she spoke. "Don't forget, Uncle Xia invested so much in you—don't let down his expectations of us."

"Of course not. Uncle Xia is our angel investor—I've always been deeply grateful." As he spoke, Mei Fang picked up his cup and stood up to face Xia Xun:

"Come, Uncle Xia, we haven't had a meal together in a while. Today I toast you a cup—we're all driving today, so let's substitute tea for wine."

Xia Xun had always been someone who cared a lot about face. Seeing Mei Fang take the initiative to propose a toast, he was just about to accept it and say a few words, when he suddenly noticed Xia Yuan also standing up beside him, holding up her wine glass:

"Dad, I also—"

"Yuan Yuan, sit down, sit down!"

Before Xia Xun could darken his face, Xiang Xiaoxia had already grabbed Xia Yuan.

"You're not even married yet, what are you doing joining Mei Fang to toast your dad? This is inappropriate."

"Ah, I—I started a company with Ah Fang, and Dad gave us support, shouldn't we thank him together?"

"Aiya, Yuan Yuan, don't be so adorable!"

Xiang Xiaoxia pulled Yuan Yuan aside and spoke in a low voice, "Here in our Baimei County, the only occasion where a daughter should toast her father is during her wedding, do you understand?"

"Ah? R-Really?"

"That's exactly how it is…"

So Xia Yuan sat back down with a flushed face. Xia Xun watched his daughter's dazed expression, and a surge of mixed emotions welled up in his heart.

Yuan Yuan was already completely moving to the rhythm of that Mei Fang kid.

But how could she also be involved with Youxi?

Could it be… that this was a kind of compromise from unrequited love?

Xia Xun took a small sip of tea, his manner serene and composed like light clouds and a gentle breeze. That calm and distant demeanor thoroughly captured Mei Yue's heart.

Beside her, Mei Ya grinned as she watched Sister Yueyue fall into a lovestruck daze. With a child's mischievous temperament, she suddenly stirred the pot and cheerfully said:

"Right, right! Uncle Xia Xun, why didn't Aunt Yu come today?"

Xia Xun explained: "Yuan Yuan's mom went to have dinner at her teacher's house."

"Then, why didn't she bring you along?"

"I was still busy discussing business at that time. They had already started eating, so it wasn't convenient for me to go."

Mei Ya nodded. "Oh oh, I see. I thought—"

"Thought what?"

"I thought it was because Uncle Xia Xun is too handsome, and Aunt Yu was afraid her colleagues would fall for you—"

Mei Yue, struck right in the heart by her younger cousin, blushed with embarrassment. But beside her, Xiang Xiaoxia erupted in rage.

"Mei Ya? Who taught you to say such things? How can you be so disrespectful! What's wrong with your mouth? Go rub it against the wall a few times! You're not afraid I'll beat you, huh?"

Seeing Xiang Xiaoxia raise her fist, Mei Ya immediately shrank back in fear and dove into Sister Yuan Yuan's warm embrace.

"Ah I'm sorry Mama, I was wrong, I'll never dare again, next time if I say nonsense again you can beat me!"

At this moment, Mei Lijun followed along with his daughter's words and started examining Xia Xun from top to bottom. "But seriously, Old Xia, you do look pretty handsome and youthful. What's your secret to maintenance? Your hair volume is also very healthy."

"Yeah yeah! I'm really curious too!"

Now that things had gotten to this point, Mei Yue dropped all pretense. "I really think Uncle Xia has such great temperament, just like those handsome uncles with a story from Japanese dramas. Looks so world-weary and melancholic, yet also very manly!"

Mei Yue's obsession with Xia Xun contrasted sharply with her indifference toward other men, which left her parents quite dumbfounded. However, Xia Xun appeared rather indifferent and simply explained:

"Actually, I don't do any special maintenance. I just pay attention to using facial cleanser, and I don't stay up late. If I had to say—my partner often helps buy skincare products for me and makes sure I use them. Also, dietary control, focusing on health maintenance, low oil and low spice…"

Xia Xun listed off Yu Ling's care for him like he was counting family treasures. As he spoke, even Xia Yuan at the side seemed a bit dazed listening.

"So Mom actually takes such good care of Dad! I had no idea. I only knew Mom's cooking is terrible, and Dad always accommodates her."

"…Your mom's cooking isn't exactly terrible. It's just light."

Xia Xun explained: "Because I have a bad stomach. When I was younger, I often had stomach problems, so she cooked lightly for me. It might not taste very flavorful…"

"It feels very…"

Listening to Xia Xun talk about his relationship with Teacher Yu, Mei Yue suddenly felt somewhat melancholic. "It feels very loving. I'm really envious."

"That part is indeed true. My parents have always had a great relationship."

Earlier, Mei Fang had said that Sister Yueyue might have a crush on her dad, but Xia Yuan hadn't taken it to heart at all.

There's no need to!

After all, her dad really was handsome. Even back in her childhood, many classmates envied Xia Yuan for having such a good-looking father. Occasionally, both she and her mom would hear gossip and rumors about Xia Xun having affairs.

But Mom, Yu Ling, always trusted Dad completely. Aside from the occasional business trip, Dad came home almost every day to eat the meals Mom made.

Such a mutually respectful and loving relationship had lasted to this day, and it was exactly her parents' beautiful love that gave Xia Yuan the drive to pursue a faithful, once-in-a-lifetime relationship herself. Her eyes were still glued to her childhood-chosen partner—Mei Fang.

"My dad and mom met in college. They could've gone to a better place like Jiangcheng to develop their careers, but since Mom wanted to come back here and be a teacher, Dad stayed with her and came back to Baimei County."

Xia Xun couldn't hold it anymore: "Alright, Yuan Yuan, let's stop talking about this. No need to say all this in front of so many people…"

"Eh… Dad, are you embarrassed! Hahaha! You're already over forty, how can you still get shy? Dad, that's so embarrassing! Hey Sister Yueyue, you haven't seen my mom before, right? Let me show you our family photo."

Listening to Xia Yuan talk about her parents' romantic history, watching her share photos of their family of three with Mei Yue—especially seeing Teacher Yu's elegant, refined demeanor, her sweet and healing smile, and her vast, ocean-like kindness—Mei Yue's mood shifted from melancholy and regret to a kind of acceptance.

Her gaze landed on Yuan Yuan, who was vividly and vividly recounting these stories.

Even with a touch of makeup, her face still displayed a kind of clarity, purity, and innocent sweetness.

To raise such an angelic and beautiful girl, her parents must have been extremely outstanding and exceptional people.

I… I'll just…

sigh, let nature take its course then…

Seeing the expression on Sister Yueyue's face, Mei Fang figured that his cousin probably understood the situation and would retreat knowingly.

But he also started to worry a little about her future happiness.

Just at this moment, Mei Fang's phone rang—it was his precious Youxi calling.

"Hello? Youxi? Are you done accompanying Uncle Lin for his checkup?"

"Mm… Ah Fang—"

On the other end of the line, Lin Youxi sounded a bit hesitant. Hearing her voice wavering, Mei Fang asked:

"Have the results come out? Is there something wrong?"

"Yes… the doctor said the nodule in the lungs shows signs of growth, possibly malignant, and suggested we undergo a minimally invasive surgery to remove the nodule—that means lung surgery."

"Then do it. Since it's minimally invasive, it shouldn't leave a big wound."

"But the doctor also said we could observe it for another six months conservatively. But my dad wants to keep observing. I want to recommend surgery, but I'm also afraid of the risks. Even if it's minimally invasive, it still means hospitalization and surgery…"

"Then let's do this. I'll look into it first. Then we'll go to a major hospital for a second opinion to confirm it. This is serious, we can't just rely on the doctors here in Baimei County. I'll ask someone to help connect with doctors at a big hospital, okay?"

"Mm… then, you—"

"Mm, I'll come over now. I'll go be with you."