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

Since elementary school, Mei Fang, Lin Youxi, and Xia Yuan have had a habit of celebrating each other’s birthdays together.

However, Lin Youxi and Mei Fang’s birthdays are close, both falling in February. To avoid overlapping birthday celebrations, Mei Fang only celebrates his birthday according to the lunar calendar.

However, Mei Fang’s official lunar birthday falls on the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, the day before New Year’s Eve. So, he always celebrates his birthday a few days earlier, choosing a suitable day.

This year, he discussed celebrating his birthday with Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi together on New Year’s Day.

These days, Xia Yuan has also been pondering over Mei Fang’s birthday gift.

“Ah Fang, what birthday gift do you want this year? I feel like I’ve given everything in the past few years. A piggy bank, wind chimes, a mug, gloves, um… Since we’re in middle school now, should I give something different?”

“It’s okay if you don’t give me anything… I don’t really mind.”

“That won’t do! I’ve given something every year, how can I not give something this year?”

Xia Yuan pinched Mei Fang’s shoulder, “How about… I give you a scarf?”

“She beat me to it!”

Xia Yuan was a little sulky, “I forgot to ask her when we were playing games yesterday. It turns out she had already decided what to give and didn’t tell me…”

“If you really want to give it to me, I don’t mind having more scarves.” Said Mei Fang while he was focused on writing code, “I’ll just switch between them when the other scarf needs to be washed.”

“Then… will you wear mine first or Youxi’s?”

“…”

Mei Fang was silent for a while, “I’ll wear the one that looks better first.”

“You stinky rascal, you’re quite picky!”

Xia Yuan playfully knocked on Mei Fang’s head, “I’m telling you… don’t look at these dense codes today, it’s so boring to do that even on vacation. When Xiaoya finishes her homework and Youxi finishes eating, the four of us can play Monopoly together.”

“You probably shouldn’t count on that.”

Mei Fang shook his head, “She definitely won’t finish her homework today. My mom said she won’t let her play with us if she hasn’t finished her homework.”

“How is that possible? I just checked Xiaoya’s winter break homework. She only has two pages of math problems left to do, just a few connect-the-dots and arithmetic problems, she’ll finish them in no time. It seems like they’re memorizing multiplication tables now. Why do second graders have so much pressure?”

Rip—

While Xia Yuan and Mei Fang were discussing, the sound of tearing paper came from the living room.

“You have so much confidence in Xiaoya, why don’t you go see what she’s doing now.”

“…”

Half-doubtfully, Xia Yuan went out of the study to the living room to find Mei Ya and saw her repeatedly rubbing a ruler on her hair. When Xia Yuan appeared, Mei Ya happily waved at her.

“Sister Yuan Yuan, I’ll tell you a secret, but don’t tell anyone—actually, I’m a magician!”

Xia Yuan has always been very patient and caring towards Mei Fang’s younger sister. Seeing Mei Ya in high spirits, she happily joined in, “Wow, Xiaoya, are you really this amazing? Can you show it to your sister Yuan Yuan?”

“Watch closely, I’ll only perform it once, don’t let my brother and others know.”

Mei Ya held up a ruler that had been rubbed against her hair, “This is my super magic wand. As long as I infuse it with magic, it’ll be like this…”

Mei Ya extended the ruler towards the pieces of paper on the coffee table, and the pieces of paper were all lifted up by the ruler.

“What an amazing magic!” Xia Yuan applauded, “As expected of our Xiaoya, you’re really incredible—you’re truly a magician!”

“Hahaha!”

Hearing Xia Yuan’s praise, Mei Ya couldn’t help but laugh and put her hands on her hips, “Sister Yuan Yuan, you’re really easy to fool! You actually believed I am a magician. This is just a common static electricity experiment—you must have learned about it. Weren’t you paying attention in class?”

Xia Yuan was speechless, unable to say a word.

I was just playing along with you…

Xia Yuan wiped her sweat, “Well, since we’ve finished the experiment, can you do your homework now?”

Mei Ya shook her head, “This is also part of our homework, oh, it’s our natural science homework.”

“Since when has natural science become winter break homework?”

“Stop listening to my sister’s nonsense.”

Suddenly, Mei Fang appeared and grabbed Mei Ya’s ear, “You’re willing to do anything except homework, huh? I don’t know who you take after… hmm, maybe after your dad.”

“Wuuu, brother is so mean, Sister Yuan Yuan, help me!”

“Let go of Xiaoya, you’re hurting her. Do you hear me?”

Xia Yuan hit Mei Fang a few times, and when Mei Fang refused to let go, Xia Yuan grabbed his ear, and only then did Mei Fang release his grip.

“You always bully your sister, you should guide her properly to do her homework.”

“Yeah, big brother is a big silly pig.”

Mei Ya pulled down her lower eyelid and stuck out her tongue at Mei Fang. Mei Fang responded with an indifferent expression, “If she doesn’t finish her homework, then mom will scold me for being irresponsible as an older brother. Well, I’m used to being scolded and don’t feel like making an effort anymore.”

“Why are you, as an older brother, so impatient? Hmph, let me guide Xiaoya in her studies, I guarantee she’ll be obedient.”

“Okay! Sister Yuan Yuan, teach me! Let’s go inside and do our homework!”

Mei Ya took Xia Yuan’s hand and ran towards the bedroom to do their homework.

Meanwhile, Mei Fang stretched and turned on the TV, grabbed some oranges from the fridge, covered himself with a thick blanket, and lay on the couch watching TV.

The show currently airing was “My Own Swordsman”^[1]. Although Mei Fang had watched it a hundred times in his past and present lives, he still found it very entertaining even on the 101st time.

An hour later, Mei Fang almost fell asleep while waiting for the commercials to end, when finally the bedroom door opened.

“Brother! I finished my homework!”

“Ah Fang, look!”

Mei Fang was shaken awake by Xia Yuan and Mei Ya.

“You can check my homework now! I’m done. Impressive, right?” Mei Ya wiped her nose and handed her notebook to Mei Fang.

Mei Fang frowned as he scrutinized the homework and then looked up at Mei Ya, “Did you do this by yourself?”

“Of course!” Mei Ya replied without any change in her expression.

However, Xia Yuan beside her was already guiltily turning her head away.

“Then let me test you… What is 3 times 7?”

“Um…”

Mei Ya furrowed her brow and made a contemplative sound, while Xia Yuan whispered beside her, “Multiplication table, multiplication table!”

“Oh, right… one times one is one, two times three is six, three times three is nine, four times five is twenty, three times five is fifteen, three times six is eighteen, three times seven… three times seven…”

Mei Ya shouted loudly, “I won’t be wrong this time, it’s twenty-four!”

Slap!

Mei Fang saw Xia Yuan facepalmed.

“Show me your palms! I’m going to spank them! Letting your sister Yuan Yuan do your homework, huh?”

Mei Fang picked up a ruler from the side, ready to discipline this mischievous little sister.

“Wuuu, I won’t dare anymore, big brother, spare me, I promise to do my homework properly next time, wuuu——”

At this moment, Xia Yuan also interjected, “Ah Fang, you can’t physically punish such a young child! It’s normal for Xiaoya to be a bit playful at her age… she will understand the importance of studying next time…”

“Ah? You dare corrupt my sister and still have the nerve to say that. Show me your palms too! Take off your gloves!”

Knowing she was in the wrong, Xia Yuan stood obediently and reluctantly extended her small hands. Mei Fang lightly spanked her palms three times.

“Brother, you’re so biased… you hit me so hard, but you hit Sister Yuan Yuan so lightly… hmph, I don’t like you anymore!”

“If you don’t like me, why don’t you find another brother? I hit you harder because I’m your brother, we are family, and family members can be disciplined this way.”

“Does that mean Sister Yuan Yuan is an outsider? You hit her so lightly!”

Mei Ya tearfully said to Xia Yuan, “Sister Yuan Yuan, please don’t become my brother’s wife in the future, he’s always so harsh to his family, it’s really disappointing!”

“Um, um…” Xia Yuan rubbed her sore hand and nodded, “Sister Yuan Yuan understands!”

“Huh?”

Mei Ya switched from crying mode to her usual self in a second, she whispered to Xia Yuan, “Sister Yuan Yuan, don’t take it too seriously, I was just joking. My brother’s spanking doesn’t really hurt, I just made a fuss. You can still be his wife.”

“Oh, I see…” Xia Yuan looked a bit embarrassed and looked away.

“By the way… it’s almost two o’clock, why hasn’t Youxi come over yet? We agreed to play Monopoly together!”

“I’ll call and ask.”

Mei Fang walked towards the location of their landline phone.

Translator's Notes:

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!