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

Chapter 257: Is This the Legendary Button Pop?

  After the 3Q War^[1], Tencent began to reassess its all-platform strategy. In 2011, Tencent CVC was officially established, starting with an initial capital of 5 billion yuan (est. $700M). However, rumors suggested that only 20 people were managing this huge amount of wealth. Every member of Tencent CVC had experience with major projects and held degrees from world-class universities, making them the elites of the elite.

  In his previous life, Mei Fang had no chance of interacting with people of this caliber. Even though his current status and wealth in the internet industry were nothing to scoff at, the thought of meeting with such high-level figures still made him a bit nervous.

  Mei Yue, the designated accompanying member, would definitely be present. Mei Fang also specifically consulted with Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan for their opinions before the meeting.

  Lin Youxi responded straightforwardly: “If Ah Fang wants us to go, then we’ll go together.”

  “I feel the same way as Youxi… Although we might not be able to help you and Sister Yue Yue much, if having us there would make you feel more at ease, Ah Fang, then we’d be happy to accompany you,” Xia Yuan added.

  After careful consideration, Mei Fang decided to bring Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi to the meeting. Although they weren’t particularly interested in business negotiations, gaining some insight into the perspectives of high-level figures could be beneficial for their future roles in management.

  The meeting with the senior executives of Tencent CVC was scheduled to take place at Lin Xi Technology’s office building. To welcome these important clients, Mei Fang wore a business-style white shirt that he had prepared in advance. Looking at himself in the mirror, he couldn’t help but feel like he had “combed his hair to look like an adult.”

  Ever since Xia Yuan had become a popular internet idol, Liang Meijuan no longer found it surprising whenever Mei Fang and his group accomplished something remarkable. As long as they weren’t scammed, didn’t break any laws, and didn’t let it affect their studies—though it seemed like it was indeed affecting their studies now, she didn’t dare ask too much—Liang Meijuan was just shocked to see Mei Fang dressed up so sharply:

“Oh my… Ah Fang looks like a little adult now, quite like your father… No, maybe more like Yuan Yuan’s father…”

  If she had said he looked like his own dad, Mei Fang might have felt a bit offended, but being compared to Xia Xun was more than welcome.

  Uncle Xia is the handsome, serious type, still looking quite dashing in his forties, and truly a perfect match for Teacher Yu.

  Just like me and Yuan Yuan now, hehe.

  As Liang Meijuan looked at Mei Fang, who was growing more mature by the day, she smiled, but there was also a hint of bittersweet emotion.

  Now that Xia Yuan had become a famous singer, her interactions with Mei Fang had become even bolder. Parents are always sensitive to these things, and seeing so many small details, Liang Meijuan had already figured out the general situation.

  Yuan Yuan is probably already dating Ah Fang.

So this day has finally come…

  Although the three weren’t raised by Liang Meijuan from childhood, after three or four years, they had developed a strong bond, especially since she’s been taking care of them since high school.

  As a mother, she naturally hoped that Mei Fang would end up with her daughter, but she found it equally hard to choose between Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan.

  Fortunately, their friendship didn’t fall apart because of Xia Yuan and Mei Fang getting together. Lin Youxi also didn’t show any signs of being heartbroken or lonely.

  But that might just be on the surface.

I know my own daughter well enough…

  So while waiting for Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi to finish getting ready, Liang Meijuan gently reminded Mei Fang:

“Ah Fang… what do you think of Youxi’s recent academic performance at school?”

  “How is she…? I think she’s doing very, very well.”

  Mei Fang felt a bit guilty, “Why is Auntie suddenly asking this?”

  Liang Meijuan continued warmly:

“You grew up together, so you should know that Youxi has always been a bit of a closed book, someone who keeps her thoughts to herself. She might only share with you and Yuan Yuan. Now… um, does she still talk to you?”

  “Yes… she does.”

  “That’s good.” Liang Meijuan smiled and nodded, “The bond between the three of you is precious. No matter what happens in the future, Auntie sincerely hopes you can always stay close and not leave anyone behind, especially you, Ah Fang. Remember, both Yuan Yuan and Youxi revolve around you.”

  “That definitely won’t happen, Auntie, don’t worry!”

  Mei Fang breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that Liang Meijuan was worried he might be neglecting Lin Youxi by getting too close to Xia Yuan, rather than discovering the secret of Lin Youxi sneaking into his bed at night!

  Mei Fang’s intimate moments with Lin Youxi had been shifted to nighttime, typically around 11 o’clock.

  She would only stay in Mei Fang’s room for half an hour, and nothing inappropriate happened beyond cuddling and kissing. Xia Yuan was aware of this, as occasionally they would both sneak in together, just as they had done during the summer vacation.

  Mei Fang talked with Liang Meijuan for a while about Lin Youxi, but Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi were still nowhere to be seen.

  Knowing the importance of Mei Fang’s meeting today and seeing him frequently checking the time, Liang Meijuan grew anxious too.

  “I’ll go hurry them up… why are they taking so long… they shouldn’t be.”

  “Oh, it’s not that urgent——”

  Just then, the door to the master bedroom opened, and Lin Youxi was talking to Xia Yuan.

  “Is it really okay like this… isn’t it too tight?”

  “It’s fine, it’s fine… I’ll just tuck in my tummy a bit.”

  Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi appeared in front of Mei Fang, dressed in formal attire, and exchanged glances with him.

  Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan, dressed in their business attire, had fully transformed into elegant urban office ladies. Lin Youxi exuded a mature and sexy aura, while Xia Yuan appeared gentle and charming, especially with the fullness of her cleavage emphasized by her blouse, making it hard for anyone not to take a second look.

  When they saw Mei Fang’s outfit, they were equally stunned. Xia Yuan even swallowed nervously and said, “Ah Fang, your outfit today is really… really something.”

  “Something? What do you mean by that? But speaking of which…” Mei Fang asked, hands on his hips, “Isn’t your shirt too tight? And that pencil skirt, it also looks uncomfortably tight.”

  And my Yuanbao’s cleavage is for my eyes only!

  Liang Meijuan, standing nearby, also voiced her concern, “Isn’t this outfit a bit too mature for you, Yuan Yuan?”

  “It’s okay, it’s okay, Auntie. We know what we’re doing. It’s how we’re supposed to dress… I’m okay, I can walk just fine. Look, look…”

  Xia Yuan had barely taken a few steps when she suddenly felt the inner fabric tear. Before she could react, it was too late.

  Pop!

  The button on Xia Yuan’s shirt flew off, hitting Mei Fang right in the face!

  Whoa… Is this, the legendary “button pop” trope?

Thank you, anime gods!

  Xia Yuan sat down, covering her chest with a jacket, and looked like she was about to cry. Meanwhile, Mei Fang, holding his nose, pretended not to mind and teased, “Maybe you bought the wrong size…”

  “We bought this last year. We thought we might need it for formal occasions, and it fit just fine back then…”

Lin Youxi sat beside Xia Yuan and comforted her, “It’s okay, at least it popped at home. You can still change into something else.”

  “This is my only business outfit…” Xia Yuan muttered. “Maybe I should just not go? Youxi, you can go with Ah Fang. I’ve already embarrassed myself before even stepping out the door. Who knows how much worse it’ll be when we get there… I don’t want to embarrass Ah Fang.”

  Seeing his beloved Yuanbao so upset, Mei Fang’s water balancing skill was immediately activated:

“How could Yuan Yuan possibly embarrass me? If anything, you’d make me look good! You’re now the most famous among the three of us. Come along with us.”

  “But I don’t have anything else to wear——”

  “Now that I think about it, we’re still students. Students should wear casual clothes that suit their style. Besides, we’re working for a young internet company, so there’s no need to go for a business look.”

  Lin Youxi questioned, “But won’t it seem like we’re not taking the meeting seriously if we don’t dress formally?”

  “The higher-ups at Tencent probably don’t care about such details. Besides——”

  Mei Fang held Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan’s hands and smiled, “In this round of financing, we at C Site actually hold the upper hand. If we take things too seriously, they might think we’re easy to pressure and try to lowball us.”

Translator's Notes: