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

Chapter 237: A Seventeenth Birthday Gift

The scorching sun of June in Jiangcheng was unbearable, but it was July that truly tested one’s endurance. The outdoor temperature was so high that it could practically turn Xiang Bingbing into steam.

For the first time, the boarding students found themselves yearning to stay in the classroom, absorbed in their studies. After all, attending classes in an air-conditioned room was a wonderful experience.

The school only started using the air conditioning in late June, and it would stop by the end of August, primarily catering to the needs of second and third-year students. The first-year students, however, were lucky enough to enjoy their summer break without any make-up classes—an exclusive privilege for students at Jiangcheng NOHS.

After completing their final exams on July 3rd, the students officially finished their first year and entered their summer vacation, becoming pre-second-year high school students.

Their summer break homework included not only written work but also various social practice activities. For those involved in clubs, the activities were quite diverse, so staying in Jiangcheng offered plenty to do.

Mei Fang, Xia Yuan, and Lin Youxi had no intention of returning home for the summer. However, Liang Meijuan was somewhat tempted to go back home. When she learned that the trio wasn’t planning to return, she felt a bit torn. Lin Youxi noticed her mother’s hesitation and suggested that the three of them could take care of themselves in Jiangcheng.

When this proposal was communicated back home, it naturally aroused the vigilance of Mei Fang’s mother, Xiang Xiaoxia.

She called Mei Fang and gave him a stern lecture, urging him to spend more time with his family and help supervise his sister’s homework.

But Mei Fang understood what his mother was really concerned about.

On one hand, he sent Mei Ya a high-end model aircraft that she had been coveting for a long time to gain his sister’s support. On the other hand, he called on his sister Yue Yue, who was currently working in Jiangcheng as a ‘freelancer’, to take Liang Meijuan’s place in looking after the three of them.

Under the combined persuasion of Mei Yue and Mei Ya, Xiang Xiaoxia finally relented, though she still gave Mei Fang plenty of verbal warnings and parental advice over the phone.

It’s not like I’m trying to do anything inappropriate, Mom.

I just haven’t finished making this game yet. I need to use this time to get Cloud Journey released…

Mei Fang had set the official release date for Cloud Journey as August 25th.

Unlike Reigns and Life Restart Simulator, which were relatively simple to produce, this was a major indie game production. It would elevate Ximilu Studio from a small studio to a recognized indie studio within the industry.

Cloud Journey had been in development for nearly a year since the project was initiated last year. For an indie game, especially one developed part-time, the timeline wasn’t particularly long, but as high school students, they didn’t have much time left.

Unless Mei Fang revealed his identity as the owner of C Site, there was no way he and his companions could convince their parents to let them continue their game development under the pressure of college entrance exams—an almost impossible task.

Moreover, Mei Fang and Lin Youxi had also committed to participating in the NOI (National Olympiad in Informatics) during their second year, leaving them with little time to focus on anything else.

Although Mei Fang still had many cards up his sleeve, given his cautious and conservative nature, and the fact that he was still just a high school student, he preferred to keep certain things hidden for as long as possible.

After bidding farewell to Lin Youxi’s mom, Mei Yue came to the apartment where Mei Fang and the two girls lived the next day. Part of her visit was to fulfill her role as a temporary guardian, for which she even had a video call with Xiang Xiaoxia.

On the other hand, Mei Yue also gave Mei Fang an update on the progress of establishing their company privately.

Under Mei Fang’s instructions, Mei Yue was in the process of registering two companies simultaneously. The first, and the larger of the two, was the C Site, with the proposed name “Lin Xi Technology.” The second was Ximilu Studio, with the proposed name being “Ximilu Games.”

“The registration materials for both the C Site and Ximilu Studio have already been submitted. We should receive the business licenses within a month. After that, I’ll need to find an office space… Is it okay if we house both companies in the same location? Managing them separately would be quite a hassle.”

“No problem. Just finalize the budget, and I’ll allocate the funds to you.”

During her report, Mei Yue couldn’t help but ask her cousin, “So, the name ‘Lin Xi Technology’—does that imply that you intend to eventually hand over the entire C Site to Youxi?”

“Uh… Is there an issue with that? From both an external and internal perspective, Youxi can be considered the founder of the C Site.”

Although she had once been puzzled by this, Mei Yue had always assumed that Mei Fang and Xia Yuan were in a relationship.

“I know you all are close, but this is still a business matter. Even between siblings, accounts are kept clear; you two are just childhood sweethearts.”

“What do you mean, ‘just childhood sweethearts’…”

Mei Fang shook his head with a smile. “Ever since we started C Site back in middle school, I’ve said that the website is a gift for her. In the future, she will naturally be the one to manage it. If we don’t even have this level of trust, then Youxi and I shouldn’t be together.”

Mei Fang had enough trust in his childhood sweetheart, whom he had grown up with. Besides, his entrepreneurial endeavors were more about realizing his self-worth than making money, as he already had a safety net with Bitcoin. However, to Mei Yue, the C Site was a massive enterprise worth millions, something beyond the reach of most people. She found it hard to understand why he would completely hand it over to Lin Youxi.

“Of course, I understand your concerns… But you really don’t need to worry about that. Up until now, I’ve been the one handling all external capital operations for the three of us, and they trust me completely, even with their finances.”

“As for the issue of share distribution when the company goes public, I plan to have Youxi hold some shares on my behalf. If I don’t give her any shares, she’ll just be a high-ranking employee without any real standing on the board, leaving me to make all the decisions. That would be exhausting.”

“You really do know quite a lot for someone your age… Since you’ve got it all figured out, I won’t say anything more.”

Mei Yue originally wanted to point out that Mei Fang’s relationship with Lin Youxi might not always stay as good as it is now, especially when he and Xia Yuan eventually go public with their relationship. Given Lin Youxi’s strong-willed personality, she didn’t seem like the type who would quietly offer her blessings. If things ended badly, with them going their separate ways on bad terms, it could severely impact the company’s future.

However, the future is uncertain. For all she knew, her cousin might realize after a while with Xia Yuan that he prefers Lin Youxi, and end up with her instead. No one can predict such things.

Nominally, Mei Yue was there to take over from Liang Meijuan and take care of the trio’s daily lives. However, in reality, this “guardian,” apart from going out to handle some things, mostly just ate, drank, and slept. She barely did any housework—cooking was left to Lin Youxi, cleaning to Xia Yuan, while Mei Fang took on the heavy lifting and errand-running, as well as being the one to spend money.

The trio, however, thoroughly enjoyed this way of life.

At the same time, for Mei Fang and Lin Youxi, the approach of summer vacation always meant preparing for a special day: Xia Yuan’s birthday.

Xia Yuan’s lunar birthday is on the 13th day of the 6th month, which often falls during the summer break, allowing them to celebrate freely. This year was no exception.

Early in the morning, before Xia Yuan and Mei Yue were up, Mei Fang got up to find Lin Youxi already busy in the kitchen, so he went over to see what she was making.

“What delicious treat are you making today? Can I have a taste? I’m a bit hungry.”

“Hmm… Try this first.”

As Mei Fang leaned in, Lin Youxi slipped something into his mouth, cupped his cheeks, gave him a sweet good-morning kiss, and then pushed the treat into his mouth.

“Is it good?”

“Delicious, delicious—it’s a candied date!”

Mei Fang wasn’t surprised by Lin Youxi’s advances, as this kind of thing had been happening regularly since Liang Meijuan left. He licked his lips, savoring the taste, while Lin Youxi, busy with the eggs in the pan, asked him:

“So, what are you planning to get Yuan Yuan for her birthday this year?”

“Well… I haven’t really thought about it. I figured I’d just do what I usually do.”

“But this is Yuan Yuan’s 17th birthday. If you don’t put some thought into it, she’ll be really upset.”

Mei Fang was puzzled. “It’s not a milestone like 16 or 18—what’s so special about turning 17? We both had simple birthdays this year, and you’re 17 too.”

“It’s not about me. Yuan Yuan’s birthday is different—it’s something she and I promised each other.”

Lin Youxi explained, “I promised Yuan Yuan a long time ago that I’d give her the most unforgettable 17th birthday gift. So I hope you can help me with this and give her a gift too.”

“A long time ago? How come I, her childhood sweetheart, never heard about this… When did you make this promise?”

Lin Youxi smiled softly at Mei Fang. “It was a promise we made seven years ago.”