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

Xia Yuan and Mei Fang took advantage of the time between after they were admitted to Jiangcheng NOHS and before the start of the summer camp to complete their guitar lessons in the first half of the year. After that, they didn’t play the instrument together much, but in fact, Mei Fang had been trying to write his own music during his free time.

Of course, when Mei Fang said he was writing music, he was actually just transcribing famous songs from his past life into guitar tabs, while Xia Yuan was genuinely working on original compositions.

In addition to A not Far Away Place, Mei Fang had previously given Lin Youxi the birthday gift of Remembrance of Lanshan. With Lin Youxi’s permission, Xia Yuan and Mei Fang worked together to complete the composition.

This way, Xia Yuan could perform and sing two songs at the summer camp’s closing ceremony.

Since deciding to sign up for the closing ceremony performance, Xia Yuan had been actively preparing and practicing.

However, now that she was no longer living in her family’s own small villa, the sound insulation in this apartment building wasn’t great, and playing guitar would be quite disturbing to their neighbors. For practicing outside of school, Xia Yuan chose a pavilion within the residential community.

As soon as she finished the weekend assignments, Xia Yuan would go downstairs to practice outside, while Mei Fang and Lin Youxi were busy with the development of two different games and the C Site app.

The early versions of the development engines had lower version numbers and many convenient features were not implemented yet, making it quite challenging for most programmers who had just started using these development software.

But fortunately, Mei Fang and Lin Youxi were both programming experts with 10 years of experience. Because of Mei Fang’s familiarity with programming languages from his past life, they avoided many detours. Moreover, Mei Fang did the planning and implemented the features himself, so the development progress was quite fast.

“Alright! I just need to wait for the character list from Zhang Ming and Yue Xinyi, and it’ll be done…”

Mei Fang stretched and yawned. Seeing Lin Youxi diligently coding on the other side, he rested his chin on his hand and stared at her for a while.

In their previous life, Lin Youxi and Mei Fang had a slight connection, but it was limited to passing each other in the hallway.

Compared to the vague memory of a cold and aloof temperament, the current Lin Youxi still had an expressionless face most of the time, but she didn’t give off that cold feeling anymore.

Of course, on the surface, it wouldn’t be accurate to describe her temperament as cute, but if one had to describe it, it was reserved and serious. But underneath this surface, she had a gentle side. A blessing that only Mei Fang, Xia Yuan, and their families and friends could enjoy.

When Mei Fang snapped back to reality, he realized that Lin Youxi had also been staring at him.

“What are you thinking about?” Lin Youxi asked, slightly puzzled. “Did you finish writing the code?”

“I was just thinking… It’s been a long time since we played games together since we started programming, right?”

“Indeed… It’s been a while since we played,” Lin Youxi nodded and smiled slightly. “But coding is also enjoyable, you know? Seeing the characters we type out become a thing that brings happiness to everyone gives a sense of accomplishment.”

“It seems like you really love this job…”

“By the way, speaking of which, can we really put the games we develop in the newly added game section of C Site? Will there be any related restrictions or something?”

“That’s not a problem. It’s still early.”

“Early?”

“Mhm… Just trust me.”

The requirement for local game license was proposed in the 1990s, and games without licenses were considered illegal publications and not allowed for commercial profit.

But for a long time, this policy was more or less ignored.

The era where games without licenses couldn’t be released actually started in 2016. That year, over 30,000 games were submitted for approval, and almost every game was approved.

As for what happened afterwards, let’s not talk about it for now.

Mei Fang reminded Lin Youxi, “These two new games are intended to be released on PC, Android, and iOS platforms. Don’t forget to handle the differences in interfaces.”

“I’ve recorded that in the work log. But, our business model this time is pay-to-play. Will Chinese players really buy our games?”

It was now 2011, and expecting players to have good payment habits was like wishful thinking. Mei Fang was well aware of this.

“We don’t need to expect high sales. There will definitely be a lot of cracked versions. Charging a symbolic price of one and six yuan should be enough.”

“Our main goal is to establish the reputation of Ximilu Studio and increase its visibility so that we can have a sufficient user base for our future large-scale games.”

“Besides, the iOS version of our games will be available on the App Store. If they sell well, we can expect some revenue from them.”

“And, in addition to our own games, we can also help publish the games of other game development studios. Given the current traffic level on C Site, those smaller studios should be willing to have their games released on our platform.”

After hearing Mei Fang’s detailed plan, Lin Youxi finally felt relieved. “In that case, C Site can finally start making money and compensate for the financial maintenance pressure caused by the bandwidth upgrades.”

“That’s true…”

Mei Fang stood up and stretched his arms. “Staring at the computer for a long time can cause nearsightedness. Let’s take a break and relax our eyes, shall we?”

“Okay.”

Lin Youxi followed Mei Fang to the balcony outside the living room. The August sunlight was dazzling and beautiful. Mei Fang and Lin Youxi looked into the distance, gazing at the scenery afar.

“I can see the school directly from here.”

“Looking at it this way, Jiangcheng NOHS is really big…”

“That’s true.”

Mei Fang leaned against the balcony and looked around. Lin Youxi approached and asked, “Ah Fang, are you looking for Yuan Yuan?”

“She should be in that pavilion over there practicing her performance… But she cannot be seen here, huh?”

Mei Fang squinted his eyes and looked for a while, finally seeing a guitar sticking out of the pavilion.

“Ah, I see it! She’s really over there! Let’s go down together later and watch Yuan Yuan——”

Mei Fang was about to call out to Lin Youxi to join him, but he suddenly felt a pinch on his waist from behind. Mei Fang reacted instinctively and jumped up, startled. “W-What was that all of a sudden?”

“I just wanted to try and see if your waist is still as ticklish as before.” Lin Youxi smiled with her hands behind her back. “I remember when you were little, your waist was always especially ticklish. Just a slight touch would make you jump. Now it seems like nothing has changed.”

“Hah… That’s impossible! I was just startled because you suddenly scared me from behind. Of course, I would jump.”

Mei Fang was quite unconvinced. “Try it again now, and I guarantee I won’t move at all.”

“Then turn around first.”

“Like this? Why do you like doing things from behind…”

Mei Fang raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and turned his back to Lin Youxi, waiting for her to launch another attack.

Lin Youxi placed her hand lightly on Mei Fang’s left waist, but she didn’t have the intention of pinching hard.

What is she trying to do?

Just as Mei Fang was wondering, Lin Youxi’s right hand directly slipped into his clothes and gently pinched the flesh on his waist.

Even though it was summer, Lin Youxi’s hand was still cold, and the icy touch made Mei Fang jump up again and move aside.

“You’re so despicable! You said you would only pinch my waist.”

“I didn’t say I would only pinch your waist, did I?”

Lin Youxi smiled faintly. “I just wanted to verify if your waist is still as ticklish as before.”

“Ah… Fine, let’s do it one more time.” Mei Fang nodded. “I am mentally prepared now. I won’t move no matter how you touch me!”

“Alright then, we’ll see.”

Mei Fang leaned against the railing, waiting for Lin Youxi’s round three attack.

Honestly, this little game inexplicably made people feel very ambiguous. It was obvious that their actions were quite flirtatious.

Of course, when Mei Fang, Lin Youxi, and Xia Yuan were still little, they played much more provocative games than this. At that time, they were just playing around as kids and didn’t think much of it.

But now they were already high school students…

Mei Fang squinted his eyes, looking troubled, as he thought about it. This time, Lin Youxi directly used both hands.

“Are you trembling?”

“What’s wrong with trembling? It’s because your hands are so cold.”

“Ah Fang, you feel so warm.”

“It’s summer, so it’s naturally hot. You’re the… strange one.”

“You’re trembling again.”

Lin Youxi leaned against Mei Fang’s shoulder and lightly pinched his waist, sticking close to him.

She enjoyed this position, while Mei Fang had been enduring it the whole time.

“Okay… It’s almost enough, right?” Mei Fang couldn’t hold on any longer.

“Mhm…”

Lin Youxi slowly released her embrace, “You’ve made some progress compared to before, albeit barely.”

“What do you mean by ‘barely’…”

Mei Fang was dissatisfied and said, “I didn’t move at all! This was my normal reaction. If you don’t believe me, let me try it on you. You might be more exaggerated than me.”

Mei Fang originally just wanted to scare Lin Youxi, but Lin Youxi’s response was quite calm:

“Sure, let’s give it a try.”

Ah, she’s serious!

Lin Youxi stood in front of Mei Fang and waited for him to make a move. After hesitating for a while, Mei Fang timidly reached out and lightly pinched Lin Youxi’s waist through her clothes, but Lin Youxi showed no reaction.

“I don’t feel a thing.” Lin Youxi yawned.

Her words suddenly triggered Mei Fang’s competitive spirit: “You forced me into this…”

Mei Fang reached his hand in and placed it on Lin Youxi’s waist.

There was hardly any excess fat on her waist, but Mei Fang didn’t hold back. He started to tickle her, causing Lin Youxi, who had always been composed and steady, to finally tremble.

“Don’t hold back, just laugh if you want to! Look, everyone is ticklish, not just me——”

Mei Fang kept taunting Lin Youxi, he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

Just as Mei Fang was waiting to enjoy the sight of Lin Youxi breaking down, they heard noise coming from the bedroom. Lin Youxi acted decisively, raising her foot and stomping on him hard. Mei Fang winced and immediately let go.

At that moment, Liang Meijuan, who had just finished her nap, walked from the room to the living room. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, noticing the two silent figures on the balcony.

“Are you two the only ones here? Did Yuan Yuan go to practice again?”

“Y-Yes.”

“On such a hot day, she might get heatstroke…”

“I’ll go get a popsicle from the fridge for her!”

Mei Fang grumbled as he went to the fridge to fetch a popsicle. When he looked back at Lin Youxi, she was already sitting in front of the computer, coding, returning to her usual composed and calm demeanor.

…

Did I bully Youxi too much just now?

If that’s the case, she might not want to go down with me anymore to watch Yuan Yuan practice.

Mei Fang took a popsicle and went under the pavilion in the community to find Xia Yuan. When he saw her, Xia Yuan was completely immersed in her own music world, playing guitar with her eyes closed and humming softly.

Mei Fang didn’t want to disturb her, so he quietly approached the pavilion and listened to her humming.

After Xia Yuan finished playing a song, Mei Fang immediately applauded.

“When did you arrive? You didn’t even say anything.”

“I didn’t want to disrupt your rhythm. Take a break and have a popsicle to cool down.”

Xia Yuan smiled and took the popsicle from Mei Fang. “You’re the one who cares about me the most, Ah Fang!”

Mei Fang watched Xia Yuan eat the popsicle, his gaze fell on her fingers.

“Speaking of which, it was quite tough on the fingers when I first started learning how to play guitar. Look, I still have a bit of callus here.”

“But it seems like you take good care of your hands, how do you do it?”

Xia Yuan smiled and replied, “Actually, we’re considered fortunate. After all, the guitars we bought weren’t cheap, and their strings are coated, so they cause less damage to our fingers.”

Xia Yuan continued, “And if you practice for a long time, the calluses on your fingers will shift from the outer layer to the inside. Look, my calluses are now on the inner layer.”

“Really?”

“Don’t believe me, touch it and see.”

Xia Yuan sat next to Mei Fang, extending her hand. Mei Fang placed Xia Yuan’s hand on his lap and gently rubbed her fingers.

“Oh! I can actually feel it, it’s a bit rough.”

“Because the skin on my fingers and the calluses have become one, so it doesn’t affect me.”

“I see… Does it happen the same way when you were learning guzheng?”

“Learning to play guzheng requires wearing finger protectors, so it’s different…”

“Oh, I see.”

Xia Yuan’s popsicle was almost finished, and her hand was still being played with by Mei Fang.

Stinky Ah Fang… How long does he plan to keep playing with my hand?

Of course, Xia Yuan didn’t directly ask him to stop. She was enjoying this time alone with Mei Fang.

“So, the time for you to perform on stage will be after the National Day at the Golden Autumn Art Festival?” Xia Yuan asked.

“You’ve even composed your own songs?”

“Mhm…” Mei Fang nodded guiltily. After all, he copied it completely.

“Do you mind if I see it?” Xia Yuan threw the popsicle stick into the trash can and tidied her hair. “I can give you some advice.”

“I’d like to handle this on my own… After I finish the final product, I will play and sing it in front of you and Youxi first. You can evaluate it, and if you think I sing terribly, then I won’t embarrass myself on stage.”

“Ah Fang’s singing is not terrible at all! Your voice used to be a bit high-pitched because your vocal cords hadn’t fully developed, but now your voice is deep and charming.”

Xia Yuan said seriously, “You haven’t sung in front of us yet, so why don’t you give it a try?”

“That’s why I’ll try it out when the time comes, in front of you and Youxi.”

“Mhm, that’s good then…” Xia Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and then pinched Mei Fang’s hand. “Is my hand that comfortable? You’ve been squeezing it for so long, stinky Ah Fang.”

“Oh… I forgot because you didn’t say anything.”

Mei Fang scratched his head and smiled, “You continue practicing. I won’t disturb you anymore.”

“Are you going home?”

“Mhm…” Mei Fang nodded.

He then thought for a moment, “If you want, I can accompany you. I’ve finished all my tasks for today.”

“If you have nothing else to do, then stay with me. You’ve been with Youxi for so long, and I feel lonely practicing guitar alone.”

“Um… sure, I’ll stay with you.”

Xia Yuan looked at Mei Fang sitting next to her, and a sinful thought crossed her mind.

Even though we agreed to let Ah Fang choose by himself and not confess to him, essentially, the agreement is just to not confess directly to Ah Fang.

So, even if I ask Ah Fang indirectly, there shouldn’t be any problem…

It… doesn’t go against the agreement, right?

With that in mind, Xia Yuan tucked her hair behind her ear, smiled, and asked Mei Fang: “By the way… what kind of girl does Ah Fang like?”

Mei Fang responded almost immediately, “We’re still high school students, it’s still early to start dating.”

“Why do you always bring up this matter? We’re all grown up now, we must have preferences for the type of girl or boy we like, gentle ones, lively ones, petite ones, tall ones… and so on.”

The more Xia Yuan spoke, the quieter her voice became. In fact, she was already starting to regret asking this question.

W-What if Ah Fang’s preferred type is more like Youxi than me… then, wouldn’t I just…

Despite that, Xia Yuan forced a smile and approached Mei Fang: “It’s okay, we’re the best childhood sweethearts, I will definitely keep this secret and won’t tell anyone.”

“It’s not about that…”

Mei Fang rubbed his chin, feeling troubled, “This question, it’s a bit difficult for me to answer…”

Xia Yuan looked at Mei Fang’s distressed expression, and a dreadful thought slowly emerged in her mind.

C-Could it be that…

Because we are childhood sweethearts, he has never had any thoughts about me or Youxi at all?

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