Only After I Was Reborn Did I Realize That I Had Childhood Sweethearts
Chapter 138: The Professional Qualities of the Water Balancing MasterEver since his fourth grade, Mei Fang had already planned to be with Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi forever. However, in modern society, Mei Fang’s ambitions faced many obstacles.
In addition to obvious factors (public opinion, family pressure, morality, and legal constraints), the thoughts of the other two individuals involved were also crucial.
Firstly, Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan, whom Mei Fang knew, were both ambitious girls. It was impossible for either of them to quietly step aside, or willingly become a third party.
Even though Lin Youxi used to be a follower of Xia Yuan, thinking that she would compromise in matters of love, it was now evident that she had not given up on her intention.
Lin Youxi had once told Mei Fang when they were children that she would give way to Xia Yuan in anything.
However, after the incident involving her father remarrying, Mei Fang realized that Lin Youxi had changed her mind.
Not to mention the recent situation where she had been on offensive, constantly hinting on him.
In general, whether or not Mei Fang could find a balance or a compromise could be reached was the key point in achieving his goal.
So, Mei Fang’s approach towards the two has always been not to express any biased affection while gradually deepening his bond with both of them.
Of course, most of the events that happened here were not intentionally orchestrated by Mei Fang. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time.As for whether it would make people think he was emotionally fickle…
Oh please! We’re childhood sweethearts! It’s normal to have such an intimate relationship between childhood sweethearts!
Right? Maybe it’s because these people don’t have childhood sweethearts, or maybe their childhood sweethearts have terrible personalities?
In short, Yuan Yuan, Youxi, and I have such a good relationship…
If the balance were not maintained, the party that received less attention would feel that they were not the first in his heart, but ranked behind the other person.
Once Mei Fang set a hierarchy, the second person would always be in a passive position or have a third party mentality in their relationship.
That’s why Mei Fang had always treated both of them equally. Even when he was alone with either of them, he never said things like “I like Yuan Yuan the most” or “I like Youxi the most.”
Of course, this was also because Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan were indeed outstanding and lovely. Mei Fang could only understand it as his rebirth’s blessing.
Mei Fang had also hoped that Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi could have their own stage, rather than being his followers.
Because only in this way would they feel that Mei Fang actually relied on them, only in this way would they feel that they were both excellent, instead of thinking that one was better than the other and choosing to quietly step aside.
The period when Xia Yuan was tormented by physics in middle school was the most dangerous period.
At that time, Xia Yuan might have felt that she couldn’t keep up with Lin Youxi and Mei Fang and gradually gave up on herself. Fortunately, Mei Fang eventually found a new direction for the three of them to strive together.
In addition, the close relationship between Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi was a prerequisite for Mei Fang to maintain the balance.
If the two were not close with each other, then, a scumbag tactic was the only option for Mei Fang, such as playing both sides. However, he would never do such a thing. If he were to do so, he would rather choose between them.
When relationship is mixed with significant and unforgivable deception, no matter how much a person proclaimed their genuine love, they would only appear extremely hypocritical.
In summary, achieving a fair balance was of utmost importance. Mei Fang had spent 10 years with both of them and had a deep understanding of them. He was fully aware of Xia Yuan’s motives and intentions.
Therefore, when faced with such a question from her, if Mei Fang inadvertently gave an answer that leaned more towards one side, it would undoubtedly sow the seeds for a potential tragedy in the future.
So Mei Fang took a deep breath and smiled, “I like someone who is good-looking.”
“That’s a given! Is there anyone who doesn’t like someone who is good-looking?” Xia Yuan knocked on Mei Fang’s head. “Also, you can’t just say someone has a good figure. If you have to say, you can say someone is tall or petite.”
“Cough cough, just now was just a joke. I’m not that much of a petty person.”
Mei Fang smiled faintly. “I prefer girls I can have a good conversation with, who share common interests.”
“Hmm… That’s a bit abstract!”
“Because it is indeed an abstract concept. When I’m with her, I can feel a sense of comfort, without any uncomfortable feelings, and I can freely be my true self.”
Xia Yuan lowered her head, pondering. Mei Fang continued the conversation.
“If I were to give an example, it would be when the three of us are together. That’s when I feel this way.”
“Um…”
Xia Yuan received an answer from Mei Fang that was close to a confession in a certain sense. She couldn’t help but feel a flutter in her heart and smiled, lowering her head.
She pushed Mei Fang playfully. “Our relationship is definitely good, after all, we’re childhood sweethearts.”
But… Ah Fang still didn’t say who he prefers to be with.
Should I directly ask? But if I do so, wouldn’t I be forcing Ah Fang to make a choice?
Regardless of whether I win or lose, would Youxi feel that I’m breaking our agreement and resent me for the rest of her life?
I like Ah Fang very much, that’s for sure, but if I were to lose Youxi in this way, I——
Seeing Xia Yuan pouting, almost on the verge of tears, Mei Fang reached out and gently pinched her cheek.
“W-What’s wrong?”
“I can tell you’re a bit absent-minded. Are you worried about messing up the performance at the summer camp’s closing ceremony?”
“No, of course not…” Xia Yuan held onto her guitar, trying to force a proud expression. “I’m the super talented Yuan Yuan after all!”
“Okay, okay, I know you’re super talented. Youxi and I will always support you. Keep practicing!”
“Wait, wait, I haven’t replenished my Ah Fang’s super energy today!”
Xia Yuan said and put down her guitar, then stood up. Mei Fang was about to stand up as well when Xia Yuan suddenly pushed him down to sit down.
“Wait, let’s change our position today. Um… just sit like that.”
“Hey, hey, we’re outside the apartment! Isn’t it inappropriate if someone sees us?”
“It’s okay, nobody knows us here…”
While Xia Yuan was talking, she directly straddled Mei Fang, then leaned against him.
Cough…
Mei Fang’s body started to tremble slightly.
In addition to the skill of balancing, the ability to stay composed while being approached like this would also require years of training.
While Xia Yuan and Mei Fang were in close contact, a sense of guilt for Lin Youxi emerged in her heart.
We agreed to let Ah Fang make the choice on his own, but I keep sneaking around behind Youxi’s back, and it almost led to a big mistake.
Is what I’m doing a bit despicable…
Since they started living together, Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi now shared the same room.
The three of them often slept together in elementary and middle school, so for them, it was nothing out of the ordinary and didn’t require much explanation back then.
However, after living together in high school, apart from the initial excitement, their relationship became quite ordinary recently. Of course, there was the dual pressure of studying and work, but Xia Yuan was well aware of other contributing factors.
It was close to 10 p.m. when Lin Youxi finished showering and blow-drying her hair. Upon entering the room, she saw Xia Yuan lost in thought, facing the direction from which she had entered.
“Yuan Yuan, what are you thinking about?”
“N-Nothing!” Xia Yuan patted the bed and smiled at Lin Youxi, “Let’s go to bed!”
Before Lin Youxi got into bed, she sneezed softly.
Xia Yuan immediately asked with concern, “Is the air conditioning too cold?”
“It’s fine. It’s an old habit, you know.” Lin Youxi smiled faintly.
“But your rhinitis has improved a lot compared to before. I hardly see you with a runny nose these days.”
“Mhm… it naturally got better for no reason.”
“It’s good if you didn’t need surgery. I heard that surgery doesn’t really cure it.”
“That’s true… so in the end, I didn’t——”
Just as Lin Youxi was about to respond, Xia Yuan suddenly leaned over and started rubbing her stomach.
“Suddenly…what are you doing?”
Lin Youxi expressed her confusion, but she was used to Xia Yuan touching her casually, so she didn’t mind.
“I envy you, Youxi. Your figure is so good, and your stomach is so smooth, without any excess fat.”
Xia Yuan muttered, “I can’t do it. Even though I look fine standing up, I have a little belly when I sit down…”
“It’s just a little bit. I heard that some guys actually prefer girls with a little more meat,” Lin Youxi smiled faintly.
“Really? Where did you hear that, Youxi?”
“I read it in a book. Yue Xinyi lent me some novels before.”
Lin Youxi pointed to the books on the side shelf. “I still have a few of them. She said I could keep them as a memento. If you want to read them next time, you can take a look. They’re quite interesting.”
“Mhm, I’ll read them when I have time!”
Xia Yuan hugged Lin Youxi and leaned in, adopting a coquettish pose like a girlfriend, whispering in her ear:
“Speaking of which, after the final exam, should we go shopping together in the city center?”
“Um… Okay.” Lin Youxi thought for a moment, “But when you say ‘together,’ do you mean without inviting Ah Fang?”
Xia Yuan pursed and nodded her head. “Yeah, just the two of us! It’s mainly for buying clothes, so we don’t need to invite him.”
“Think about it, when we used to go shopping with him, when it came to trying on clothes, he never helped us pick, he would just find a place to sit and nap. It was so boring.”
“That’s true… and it’s not good to ask him to carry things for us. Let’s give him a day off to rest…”
“Yeah, after all, he’s been working hard lately.”
Xia Yuan blushed slightly as she remembered her sneaky moves and the intimate moments with Mei Fang, feeling guilty.
“Mhm, that’s true…”
Not just Xia Yuan, Lin Youxi also remembered the sneaking around and teasing Mei Fang, blushing slightly out of guilt.
Both felt a sense of guilt for their actions during the day and hugged each other even tighter.
“Youxi, let’s turn off the air conditioning. Your hands and legs are too cold. I’m almost frozen by you.”
“Mhm… alright.”
The subsequent schedule at the summer camp didn’t need to be elaborated on. It mainly consisted of attending classes, reading, and doing homework day after day.
Since most of the students at Jiangcheng NOHS’s summer camp mainly admitted through special county exam, the aim was to synchronize the knowledge learned by each student in their respective middle schools, focusing on the main subjects before the final exam.
Only a few times did they have activities that could be considered summer camp events, such as movie nights on Fridays.
Originally, they thought they would be watching an educational film with patriotic themes, but Jiangcheng NOHS boldly screened the newly released American film, Flipped[1].
The movie revolves around the story about a boy and a girl next door and the “war” between them during childhood and adolescence, expressing reflections on personal growth.
In simple terms, it was a youth film about childhood sweethearts, with an innocent and heartwarming story.
During the movie screening, Xia Yuan secretly pulled Lin Youxi and quietly approached Mei Fang. The three of them sneaked to the back with chairs and watched the movie, with Xiang Bingbing covering for them.
After that, they entered a busy week of exam preparation, leading up to the most crucial test of the summer camp—the class placement exam. However, for the three of them, this exam wasn’t particularly important. They took the exam according to their usual skill levels without any pressure.
Three days after the placement exam, the closing ceremony of the 2011 special county students’ summer camp of Jiangcheng NOHS was held in the school’s auditorium.
The ceremony was mainly hosted by senior students from the 2010 batch, who wore gorgeous and beautiful dresses as they took the stage, presenting various impressive performances in a professional manner.
To Mei Fang’s surprise, almost all the performances in this closing ceremony were prepared by the senior students from the 2010 batch.
Upon careful consideration, it was understandable since the special county students were not familiar with each other and were busy preparing for the placement exam. There weren’t many participants like Xia Yuan who had personal talents to showcase.
During the rehearsal days leading up to the event, after witnessing the professional and spectacular performances of her seniors, Xia Yuan initially felt quite nervous. Fortunately, the final effect turned out quite well in the end.
Just as it was about time for Xia Yuan to go on stage for her performance, she left the dressing room.
In the crowd outside, she found Mei Fang and Lin Youxi, who was already ready to cheer for her..
At this moment, Xia Yuan was already dressed in a long-collared tie shirt resembling a sailor uniform from Japan, with a plaid skirt and white knee-high socks paired with small red shoes.
It was a charming appearance that was unforgettable for Mei Fang.
She grabbed Mei Fang’s hand, her glittering eyes shadowed by a slightly tense look. Her bright red lips were pursed, clearly anticipating greater encouragement.
Oh… Does she want “that” again at this moment?
Before Mei Fang could make up his mind, Lin Youxi pushed him from behind.
“Hurry up, I’ll cover for you two.”
So Mei Fang no longer hesitated and went with Xia Yuan to a dark corner of the backstage for a hug.
“It’s okay… Your performance is original, and you’ve been practicing for so long. Your talent is witnessed by both Youxi and me. You’re definitely not inferior to them. Come on!”
Xia Yuan didn’t say anything, she just held Mei Fang tightly for a while before letting go.
After returning to their original position, she also hugged Lin Youxi for a while before going back to the dressing room to wait for her entrance. Hugging among girls never caused any controversy.
The two of them watched Xia Yuan left, finally felt a sense of relief.
Mei Fang and Lin Youxi stood in the front row of the auditorium, waiting for Xia Yuan’s appearance.
“Youxi, the camera still has battery, right?”
“I barely took any photos. I’m just waiting to record Yuan Yuan’s performance.”
The digital camera in Lin Youxi’s hands was the top-of-the-line Olympus E-P3 from 2011, and of course, Mei Fang had paid for it for her to use.
Lin Youxi was unaware of Mei Fang’s tendency to buy expensive things, but after receiving the camera, she had studied photography techniques for a while.
“Let’s just record Yuan Yuan’s performance and upload it to C Site.”
“Do you want to give Yuan Yuan the best exposure and recommendation? I can arrange it in advance.”
“Not necessary for now,” Mei Fang smirked at Lin Youxi. “You know, Yuan Yuan doesn’t like cheating. Let’s just give it a higher visibility on the ‘You May Also Like’ category…”
While Mei Fang was talking, Lin Youxi stared at him for a moment before taking out a tissue from her pocket and leaning toward Mei Fang, gently wiping his neck a few times.
Mei Fang was still clueless of what she’s doing until Lin Youxi, with expressionless face, showed him the lipstick mark on the tissue.
“!!!”
Oops! I, the Water Balancing Master[2] am in trouble!
Mei Fang pretended to be very shy and scratched his head. “Uh, I was just talking to Yuan Yuan back there and didn’t notice this. It must have been an accidental rub——”
At this moment, Lin Youxi suddenly made a mischievous move she used to love as a child—she leaned in close to Mei Fang’s ear and whispered softly:
“Since Yuan Yuan can rub… can I rub too?”
“Uh, well… that’s a… strange thought… haha… but I guess it’s fine…”
After a series of ambiguous responses, Mei Fang eventually agreed with Lin Youxi’s suggestion.
No matter how skilled Water Balancing Master was, he would always face this sad fact: most of the time, he could only add water to balance it out, but randomly splashing water would only make the girls angry.
As he kept adding and adding water, one day he would inevitably face a situation where the water was filled to the brim, about to overflow.
And at that moment, the outcome would depend on whether he had truly succeeded in keeping the water level balanced throughout this long effort of balancing the water.
“What is youth? What does it feel like to be young?”
“Youth is full of challenges, full of imagination, and also full of passion!”
“Now, the next performer is truly remarkable because she is a new student from the summer camp!”
“Through her talent and hard work, she will present us with a youthful performance that full of charm!”
“Please enjoy the original song and guitar solo performance by Xia Yuan, a student from Class 6 of the summer camp, titled A not Far Away Place and Remembrance of Lanshan!”
Amidst the enthusiastic applause, Xia Yuan walked slowly from behind the curtain to the front of the stage, holding her beloved guitar.
After giving a slight bow to the audience, she looked down at Mei Fang and Lin Youxi in the audience, waving at her.
She revealed a radiant smile and began her first performance on the stage of Jiangcheng No.1 High School.
Translator's Notes:
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