Only After I Was Reborn Did I Realize That I Had Childhood Sweethearts Chapter 323: The Color of Happiness

The morning after their hot spring soak, i Fang awoke feeling miraculously refreshed—his once-tender back now light and painless.

Guess Dad’s technique had rit…

Faint childhood mories surfaced of being his father’s practice dummy. Carefully shifting Xia Yuan’s drooling head from his shoulder, he tried disentangling himself from Lin Youxi’s octopus grip—only for her to cling tighter.

Stubborn…

Leaning close, he whispered a threat in her ear:

“Mom’s coming. Get up.”

Instead of reacting, Lin Youxi sleepily murmured, “YuanYuan…Aunt Xiang’s coming…up…”

“!”

Though still half-asleep, Xia Yuan bolted upright at the ntion of i Fang’s mother, scanning the room wildly before making a beeline for the wardrobe.

“I’ll hide in—”

“Hide what?” i Fang caught her wrist. “Youxi was joking!”

“Ahhh! Youxi you jerk!”

As Xia Yuan raised a fist to puml Lin Youxi, the latter rely nuzzled deeper into i Fang like a contented cat. “Not my fault. Ah Fang started it.”

“Then I’ll hit Ah Fang!”

Her “punches” dissolved into gentle pinches—which, after yesterday’s scrubbing ordeal, registered more as pleasurable massage than punishnt.

“Harder. Can barely feel it.”

“Looking down on ?!”

Even at full strength, i Fang remained unfazed. “Perfect! Now just a tad more—”

“Pushy much?”

When Xia Yuan escalated to digging into his freshly exfoliated back, i Fang finally yelped. “No fair! You saw what Dad did to !”

“Not stopping until you beg! Call Mommy!”

“Never! I’ll never surrender to the likes of you!”

“Tsk tsk…Baby Ah Fang needs to learn his place!”

Pinning him down, Xia Yuan prepared her final assault—when the door clicked open. Both froze.

“Having fun, Brother? YuanYuan-jie?”

i Ya’s giggling face peeked in. Relief flooded them.

“Out! No barging in!” i Fang shooed her.

i Ya pocketed her hands smugly. “Just warning you—Mom and Dad are coming to check on you—”

“YaYa! Save us!”

Under dual pleading, she skipped off to intercept their parents. Watching this, Lin Youxi smiled, reminded of childhood mischief.

At the resort’s ski slopes that afternoon, Xia Xun’s conspicuous absence drew constant complaints from Xiang Xiaoxia toward i Lijun, who bore the scolding like a chastened schoolboy while Teacher Yu diated.

“Our families are getting along so much better,” Xia Yuan observed happily. “Another step toward our threeso dream.”

“Mm.” Lin Youxi nodded. “When I video-called my parents last night, they were fascinated by our trip. Next ti, all three families should vacation together.”

“Yes! Just no more back-scrubbing—poor Dad suffered enough.”

I suffered too! i Fang thought miserably as he juggled ski instruction for five people—a burden ant to be shared with the absent Xia Xun.

“Teacher Yu, lean forward—knees bent, poles up—yes!”

“i Ya! Falling beats collisions—snow doesn’t hurt!”

“Mom! Don’t drag YuanYuan—she’s barely—see?!”

“Dad! NOT THAT LIFT—IT’S BLACK DIAMOND—ARE YOU INSANE?!”

His crisis managent peaked when Teacher Yu, having dropped her poles for a photo, went careening downhill screaming.

“Ah Fang! Rescue mission!”

Launching into pursuit, i Fang guided her to a safe stop.

“S-sticks stay in hand! That was dangerous!”

“I just wanted YuanYuan to photograph for her father…” Teacher Yu pouted. “Got carried away.”

“Never pose mid-slope!”

As i Fang lectured, Teacher Yu suddenly giggled.

“How nostalgic— scolding you about humility in elentary school, now reversed.”

“Lifelong learning applies to teachers too,” he grinned.

Her expression softened. “You’ve rembered my lessons well.”

A weighted pause.

“Though so knowledge…isn’t easily applied,” i Fang admitted.

Teacher Yu’s eyes twinkled knowingly. “Even separated, YuanYuan still loves you. That hasn’t changed.”

“I may not guarantee much now…but I’ll always cherish YuanYuan.” His voice steeled. “Please never doubt that.”

“Oh, I trust my star student’s character.” Her smile turned enigmatic. “Maintaining such harmony among you three is…remarkable.”

“After everything we’ve been through, this closeness is hard-won.”

“True friendship—romantic or otherwise—is rare.” She patted his arm. “Treasure every soul who truly understands you.”

As Xia Yuan cautiously skied toward them, Teacher Yu added softly, “YuanYuan ntioned your one-year pact with Youxi. This separation may help you all reevaluate relationships…valuable growth.”

With that, she linked arms with i Fang. “Now, Professor i, escort this elderly student back up?”

Her playful grin sent his heart skipping—until a distant thud revealed Xia Yuan faceplanted in the snow.

Despite chaos, the vacation ended joyously. On New Year’s Eve, three families gathered in the villa watching countdown specials, erupting in cheers as fireworks painted the sky at midnight.

2014 had arrived.

i Fang’s 18th birthday approached—marking twelve years since his rebirth.

Have I lived up to a reincarnator’s potential?

No cheat codes, just lottery and Bitcoin windfalls early on. He’d pursued passion over endless wealth, embracing imperfect but fulfilling hustle.

And when he looked at Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan—their eyes reflecting kaleidoscopic fireworks—he saw the answer.

That radiance…must be the color of happiness.

Snow fell lightly as they bid farewell to their parents the next morning.

“Look! Big flakes—a blizzard’s coming!” Xia Yuan caught so excitedly.

“Should remind them to drive carefully,” Lin Youxi noted.

“Cold year ahead.”

i Fang grinned. “Good thing we’ve got human heaters.”

Lin Youxi smirked. “I’m cuddling YuanYuan. She’s warr.”

“Sharing is caring! She’s yours but also mine.”

“How shaless…right, YuanYuan?”

But Xia Yuan stood motionless, staring at lting snow in her palm.

“Sothing wrong?” i Fang asked gently.

“It’s just…I wonder how Xiaoxue is doing…”

i Fang updated her: “Her cousin’s band is thriving in Chengdu—their folk songs are everywhere. She’s definitely eating well.”

“But she hasn’t contacted since our ‘breakup.’” Xia Yuan sighed. “We used to share everything…now it’s just ‘I’m fine’ texts. Feels distant.”

“Don’t overthink. You’ll reconnect when she visits.” i Fang squeezed her shoulder. “Best friends forever, right?”

Xia Yuan nodded firmly as snowflakes dusted their hair.