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

Everyone had a great time playing on the grassland by the Mulan Heaven Lake in the morning. Whenever there were activities calling for volunteers, Xiang Bingbing and Xia Yuan were always the first to eagerly raise their hands to participate, not missing a single event.

And when activities involved close contact, Xia Yuan would invariably bring Mei Fang along. This kind of behavior, seemingly aimed at asserting ownership, became particularly frequent after the punishment game, where Mei Fang completed 10 push-ups with Lin Youxi sitting on his back.

This small punishment game was the only activity Lin Youxi participated in during the morning’s team-building event. Her relaxed and content demeanor while resting her hands on Mei Fang’s back starkly contrasted with her usual serious and formal attitude, revealing the queenly temperament of Class 5’s class monitor.

Thanks to the interactions between Xia Yuan, Lin Youxi, and Mei Fang, the students of both classes forged strong friendships while enjoying the show. They bonded over their comments about the trio’s frustratingly sweet “childhood sweetheart” relationship.

After the lively morning, everyone had an outdoor barbecue on the grassland by the Mulan Heaven Lake. The diligent Class Monitor Lin Youxi showcased her secondary skill as a cook. Although there were four grills available, most students gathered around Lin Youxi, eagerly waiting for food.

Feeling sorry for his childhood sweetheart being exposed to too much smoke, Mei Fang took over Lin Youxi’s grilling duties. As they chatted and laughed over the barbecue, the group wrapped up their meal, cleaned up, and then rested for a while before preparing for the afternoon hiking activity.

Led by their class monitors, the students of Classes 3 and 5 began their mountain climbing journey. Following their agreement, Xiang Bingbing carried Mei Fang’s large guitar at the front. At this point, Lin Youxi could finally set aside her responsibilities as class monitor and start enjoying the hike.

The group also stopped to take photos at the Smart Spring.

“Smart—Spring… Does it mean drinking this water will make you smarter?”

“This spring water won’t give you a stomachache. When I was in Shennongjia, I drank spring water every day. Springs like this are always so clear and sweet.”

Ignoring everyone’s warning, Xiang Bingbing cupped a handful of the spring water and took a sip.

“Bleh…! This spring water tastes awful! It’s so bitter!”

Mei Fang shook his head with a smile. “Tourist spots here are definitely different from your nature reserve over there…”

From behind, Liu Xiaoyu called out, “There’s a shouting spring over here. They say the louder you shout, the higher the fountain sprays. Wanna try it out?”

“I’ll give it a go!”

Following Liu Xiaoyu, Xia Yuan approached the shouting spring and shouted towards the water, “AH—FANG—”

The spring did seem to rise, making Xia Yuan excitedly call Lin Youxi and Mei Fang over to see.

“Why are you shouting my name?” Mei Fang tapped Xia Yuan’s head.

“Because I like shouting your name, so what?!” Xia Yuan pouted.

Meanwhile, Lin Youxi smiled and added, “There seems to be a legend here that if you shout out the name of the person you like, the higher the water column sprays, the more that person likes you.”

“Wh-why are you saying this now? I want to shout again!”

Just as Xia Yuan finished speaking, a loud voice from Xiang Bingbing rang in her ear.

“AH—FANG—”

Xiang Bingbing’s shout made the fountain burst into a spray several meters high, splashing some nearby boys. They waved their fists and cursed at Xiang Bingbing, who cheerfully waved back at them.

…

Lin Youxi, Xia Yuan, and Mei Fang were left speechless by Xiang Bingbing’s antics. Finally, Lin Youxi coughed a few times and corrected herself, “I might have gotten my information wrong. The legend is probably about a different spring with the same name.”

Mei Fang clapped from the side and agreed, “Well put, that’s most likely the case.”

The glass bridge was the only paid experience of this hiking trip.

As the boys confidently pushed each other across the mountain glass bridge for the first time, many girls were so scared that their legs went weak, clinging to Xiang Bingbing’s shirt as they cautiously moved forward with their eyes closed.

…

Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi, one on each side, curiously watched as Mei Fang rubbed his temples.

“Ah Fang, why aren’t you moving forward?” Xia Yuan’s call startled Mei Fang. He quickly put his hands in his pockets and looked into the distance.

“Me? I’m… I’m enjoying the distant view. It’s really nice.”

“I’ve heard this from you before. If you’re afraid of heights, just hold your big sisters’ hands. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Xia Yuan tried to pull Mei Fang’s hands out of his pockets, but he stubbornly refused to let her. Lin Youxi, with her hands behind her back, teased, “If you wet your pants from fear while walking, it won’t be worth it.”

“Yeah, bed-wetting king.”

“Hey! You two… are so annoying. There’s nothing I can’t handle. Watch me walk across it in no time.”

With his head held high, Mei Fang stepped onto the glass bridge, while Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi watched his every move.

One step, two steps, three steps, four steps.

Five—steps.

Six, six, six——

Ahead, Xiang Bingbing and the others were having a great time making a ruckus and Mei Fang suddenly felt the glass walkway shaking. Instinctively, he glanced down at the transparent path below and was so frightened that he grabbed whatever was on either side for support. As a result, he ended up grabbing something icy cold on one side and something soft and squishy on the other.

Mei Fang held onto Lin Youxi’s hand with one hand, while Xia Yuan let out a shy “Aah” and gently pushed Mei Fang’s hand away.

“Ah Fang, you pervert! Where are you grabbing?”

“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Mei Fang apologized nervously with his eyes closed.

Xia Yuan had always seen Mei Fang as strong, reliable, and proactive, but she also liked it when he occasionally showed his weak and timid side. She didn’t really dislike Mei Fang’s action just now, so after playfully scolding him, she linked her arm with his, saying, “Alright, let’s finish crossing this glass bridge together. Don’t look down.”

“If you must look at something,” Lin Youxi whispered in Mei Fang’s ear, “you can look at me or Yuan Yuan.”

Alas, there’s no way around it; they really like it when I act this way…

Mei Fang always appeared very timid when it came to some of the more thrilling high-altitude activities. He might have been a bit scared at first, but after getting familiar with them, he was basically just playing up this persona for show.

Incidentally, it could also help deepen the feelings between childhood sweethearts, so why not?

Hehe, not bad… that’s just like me…

Mei Fang was feeling quite proud of his amazing balancing act when suddenly, Xiang Bingbing shouted his name loudly from the direction of the opposite mountain. He opened his eyes and saw the vast, beautiful landscape of the motherland. His legs nearly went weak, almost making him sit down on the ground like a duck.

Mei Fang’s cowardly behavior elicited a lot of laughter, with students letting out cheerful laughs.

Liu Xiaoyu, who had been walking behind Xia Yuan and the others, watched Mei Fang interact with his two childhood sweethearts, and she felt much more at ease.

She had always known that Mei Fang had a deep bond with Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi, but she had rarely seen them interact with Mei Fang in such a couple-like manner. They were usually very close, but it felt more like family intimacy rather than romantic.

However, from what she saw earlier when Mei Fang was alone with them, it seemed more like a romantic relationship.

Whether Mei Fang ended up with Xia Yuan or Lin Youxi, Liu Xiaoyu could bless and accept it. However, if he was secretly “dating” one while hiding it from the other, and concealing things from both of them, that would become an unforgivable act of a scumbag.

But now it seemed that those intimate interactions she thought were reserved for lovers could also be displayed openly even in front of other people.

Since holding hands or whispering to each other doesn’t seem to matter, it might indeed just be a habit between childhood sweethearts.

So maybe… I really am overthinking things?

As Liu Xiaoyu continued walking along the glass bridge, she unconsciously glanced down at her right hand, which Mei Fang had held earlier during the human knot game.

Hmm…

After a long climb to the top, Xiang Bingbing was the first to reach the summit.

“Finally——”

Xiang Bingbing put down the guitar and took a deep breath, “So this is the legendary Mulan Heaven Lake?!”

…

“This lake is only at a slightly higher altitude, but you’re telling me it’s ‘heaven lake’?”

“NO! This isn’t nearly as beautiful as the mountains and waters of our Shennongjia. I climbed this high just to see this?! Huhu…”

“You shouldn’t have high expectations for the tourist destinations in cities next time, so you won’t be disappointed.”

Mei Fang patted Xiang Bingbing’s back to comfort her. “Mulan Heaven Lake was just a bonus; we came here for camping and to watch the sunrise.”

“Yes, yes, for camping, for camping!”

The weight of the tent equipment was astonishing. Before renting, Mei Fang and the others had arranged with the store to have the equipment transported up the mountain for free via the cableway. After meeting with the store staff, everyone started setting up the tents and collecting sleeping bags under the staff’s guidance.

For many students, setting up a tent was a novel experience, and they were enthusiastic and cooperative, regardless of gender. By the time the tents were up, everyone was nearly exhausted.

“Phew… Are we really spending the night on this desolate mountaintop? What about the bathroom?”

Lin Youxi explained, “There’s a public restroom to the east, and there should be shops nearby selling food and drinks. Boiling water is provided for free, so you can go there if you need to.”

“I want to go! I’m starving after this long walk, I want some instant noodles!”

“Let’s go get some hot water together!”

“Is it appropriate to get hot water without buying anything?”

“But things are probably insanely expensive up here.”

“That’s true… I didn’t bring much money.”

Xia Yuan, Lin Youxi, Xiang Bingbing, and Liu Xiaoyu were assigned to the same tent. After they finished setting up, Xiang Bingbing took the instant noodles she had brought and went to get hot water. The hot water in Xia Yuan’s thermos had also been emptied.

“Let’s go get some hot water too! And maybe buy something.”

“I’ll stay here.” Lin Youxi, looking a bit tired, waved her hand. “I’m a little exhausted, so I’ll rest for a bit.”

“Then let Ah Fang stay with you. He doesn’t have anything to do.”

Xia Yuan asked Mei Fang to stay and keep Lin Youxi company. With nothing else to do, Mei Fang went to their tent to sit and chat with her. In the small, enclosed space, Lin Youxi unceremoniously leaned on Mei Fang’s shoulder to rest.

After a while, Lin Youxi slowly stood up. Her movement woke up Mei Fang, who had also been dozing off.

“…What’s up? Are you going out?”

Lin Youxi nodded. “I want to get some fresh air outside. Will you come with me?”

“Sure, let’s go.”

Mei Fang walked along the lakeside of Mulan Heaven Lake with Lin Youxi, both remaining mostly silent. After they had distanced themselves from the campsite, Lin Youxi turned around with her hands behind her back and looked at Mei Fang.

“Did you have fun today?”

“Uh… it was more tiring than fun.”

“You played so many games with Yuan Yuan, yet you still say that.”

There was a hint of annoyance in Lin Youxi’s tone, and Mei Fang immediately understood that she was referring to her lack of participation in the morning’s team-building activities.

“If you want to play too, next time we can all play those team-building games together. It can be pretty fun within our studio.”

“Mhm… that’s fine, but it seems so far off.”

Lin Youxi smiled as she walked closer to Mei Fang. “I… want it right now.”

Mei Fang, of course, knew Lin Youxi wasn’t talking about team-building games this time. Feeling a bit guilty, he looked around and realized there really was no one nearby; Lin Youxi had led him quite far away.

“So, were you just pretending to be tired?”

“That depends on what we’re doing.”

As she spoke, Lin Youxi wrapped her arms around Mei Fang’s neck.

“When it comes to climbing, my stamina is pretty much used up.”

“But… for this…”

Lin Youxi pressed closely against Mei Fang and then cupped his cheek with one hand.

“My face is all sweaty and a bit dirty.”

“So is mine.”

Lin Youxi leaned in towards Mei Fang’s lips, her lips brushing against his. With practiced ease, she initiated a tender kiss.

Facing the crystal-clear blue lakeside of the heaven lake, she engaged in intimate contact with Mei Fang. As Mei Fang enjoyed Youxi’s advances, he gradually got into the mood, interlocking his fingers tightly with hers.

Lin Youxi’s passionate attack was relentless. Mei Fang felt a bit breathless but wanted to give Lin Youxi the best experience possible. So he didn’t stop but instead held her even tighter, maintaining that slight feeling of breathlessness.

However, just as Mei Fang and Lin Youxi were being intimate, another girl happened to witness the scene by chance.

“Xiaoyu, why were you standing on that slope for so long? Did you see something interesting?” On the way back to the tent, Xiang Bingbing curiously asked Liu Xiaoyu.

“I… I was just looking at the scenery.” Liu Xiaoyu, feeling guilty, tucked her messy hair behind her ear. “The view of the heaven lake is pretty nice.”

“Did you see a couple kissing?” Xia Yuan teased from the side. “This place seems perfect for couples to get intimate.”

Liu Xiaoyu shook her head frantically, “No, no, no! I didn’t see anything.”

What…what should I do now?

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