Only After I Was Reborn Did I Realize That I Had Childhood Sweethearts Chapter 427: Ah Fang Needs Exercise

Because they had co to realize that their youth was passing by as fleetingly as a white steed glimpsed through a crack in the wall, Xiang Bingbing and Liu Xiaoyu had resolved to properly grasp and cherish the remaining ti while they were still young and full of vitality.

Actually, ever since i Fang had publicly declared their three-person relationship dynamic, the way everyone interacted with i Fang had undergone very noticeable changes.

And within this process of interpersonal adjustnt, Liu Xiaoyu and Xiang Bingbing could be said to represent two completely opposite extres.

Xiang Bingbing was utterly devoid of any sense of appropriate boundaries. She frequently engaged in overly intimate behaviors with i Fang that completely lacked proper discretion, only sowhat restraining herself after being sternly lectured by Lin Youxi.

Liu Xiaoyu was obsessively concerned about maintaining boundaries with i Fang. She almost never allowed herself to be alone with i Fang, and her deliberate avoidance and withdrawals sotis gave people the impression that she had ulterior motives she was trying to hide.

But now both of them had clearly recognized that the ti they could spend together with i Fang would only grow increasingly scarce. Within these limited remaining monts, they should strive to create and preserve as many beautiful mories as possible.

Even if they couldn’t be together romantically…that would be perfectly fine.

And since they had already properly adjusted their ntal positioning, Xiang Bingbing and Liu Xiaoyu no longer agonized over issues of interpersonal boundaries. They would simply interact as normal good friends would.

Thus, Xiang Bingbing took the initiative to send i Fang a ssage:

[Ah Fang, do you have ti next Monday? I want to invite you to co watch my basketball exhibition match! We’re playing against Zhongshan University from the neighboring city of Yangcheng! I can arrange VIP seating for you through the school!]

When i Fang received Xiang Bingbing’s ssage, he was currently in the middle of giving both Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan a full-body aromatherapy massage. Seeing his phone light up with the notification, he gently patted Xia Yuan’s bottom (which was currently facing upward as she lay on the massage table).

“Bingbing is inviting to her basketball ga. Can you reply ‘yes’ for ? My hands are covered in massage oil right now.”

“Aiya…I was just about to fall asleep because this feels so nice, why do I have to be the one to do it…let Youxi reply to the ssage.”

“If I’m the one who replies, then I’ll just tell her we can’t go,” Lin Youxi said lazily, keeping her eyes half-closed in relaxation. “I’ll say we have…other plans.”

“What plans? We don’t have any company etings scheduled for Monday…what would we possibly be busy with?” Xia Yuan tilted her head in confusion as she looked at Lin Youxi.

“Busy having Ah Fang ‘do-re-mi’ with us~” Lin Youxi’s lips curled into a mischievous smile. “Should I phrase it exactly like that when I reply to Bingbing? That we’ll be busy with our musical scales practice?”

“W-w-wait! Don’t actually say it like that! I still want to go watch!”

Xia Yuan imdiately snatched the phone from Lin Youxi’s grasp and sent a voice ssage to Xiang Bingbing:

“Okay okay! We’ll all be free then! The three of us will definitely co cheer for you together!”

After sending the voice ssage, Xia Yuan and Xiang Bingbing exchanged a few more animated stickers and emojis. Their conversation continued until i Fang – moving like an overly affectionate caterpillar – crawled on top of Xia Yuan and began demonstrating his interest in “studying the fundantal musical note ‘do’” (do-re-mi), forcing her to finally put down the phone.

After the initial shock of their unconventional relationship had faded, the trio were no longer treated as rare exotic creatures when seen together on Pengcheng University’s campus. People would still occasionally glance their way when they passed by, but that was the extent of it. Whereas before people couldn’t resist secretly taking photos, nowadays no one even had the urge to snap pictures anymore.

Of course, this normalized treatnt was perfectly fine for the three protagonists. It ant they could finally enjoy a relatively peaceful university life.

During the limited ti i Fang spent imrsed in campus activities, he would occasionally check in on Zhang Ming’s ga developnt progress.

The project Zhang Ming was currently working on had been nad “Salty Fish Survivor” by i Fang. It was conceptually inspired by the bizarrely addictive “Salty Fish Three Kingdoms” art style combined with gaplay elents from the wildly popular idle ga “Vampire Survivors.”

The current mobile gaming market was oversaturated with strategy-based card gas and endless runners. The general public’s understanding of roguelike gas was still quite shallow, mostly limited to dungeon crawlers like “The Binding of Isaac.” There was enormous untapped potential in the mobile roguelike space.

i Fang had previously provided Zhang Ming with seed funding under his personal na, hoping Zhang Ming could build his own team. Half a year later, Zhang Ming hadn’t disappointed – he’d ford a ga developnt club with seven dedicated mbers.

Among them were three of i Fang and Zhang Ming’s dormmates, including the Persona 5 enthusiast Li Guidong whom they’d t during orientation.

“Regarding these build designs – aning the different gaplay strategies and character builds players can experint with – these are the archetypes I’ve planned so far. What do you think?” Zhang Ming pointed at his design docunts.

“The rotating sawblade combined with ricochet chanics is quite innovative,” i Fang remarked while reviewing the docunts. “But is your current team technically capable of implenting these systems?”

“That shouldn’t be a problem at all,” Zhang Ming replied confidently. “Our team includes Xu Jingwei – he won a gold dal at the National Olympiad in Informatics. The technical implentation will be rock solid. You know him, right? He also attended Jiangcheng’s prestigious Shi Yi High School.”

“Now that you ntion it, I think I rember him from our NOIP competition days…” i Fang rubbed his chin in thought. “Wait, wasn’t he the guy who considered Youxi his biggest rival for the NOI competition? Because she got the highest score in our school during the provincial NOIP round.”

“Yeah, he complained to about that actually,” Zhang Ming chuckled. “Said it was such a waste that Lin Youxi didn’t participate in the national NOI training camp in the end, right?”

“That training camp would’ve taken nearly half a year. Both Youxi and I thought it sounded boring, plus we didn’t want to leave Yuan Yuan all by herself…oh right, now I rember this Xu Jingwei guy clearly!”

mories ca flooding back to i Fang. “This dude actually challenged to a duel once! Sent a formal challenge letter and everything! Said Lin Youxi shouldn’t sacrifice such an amazing growth opportunity just for so silly romantic entanglent with .”

“Did you end up going through with the duel?” Zhang Ming asked curiously.

“I completely forgot about it honestly,” i Fang admitted sheepishly. “I think Youxi had asked to go see a movie with her that day instead.”

“Please don’t remind him about that embarrassing incident…” Zhang Ming facepald.

“Anyway, I’m seriously impressed you managed to recruit soone of his caliber! You’ve really grown into quite the charismatic leader, haven’t you?” i Fang gave Zhang Ming an approving pat on the shoulder.

“We’re just a bunch of people who genuinely want to make gas together,” Zhang Ming shrugged modestly. “You of all people should understand how that kind of dynamic forms, right?”

i Fang nodded quietly in agreent.

Their conversation was repeatedly interrupted by Zhang Ming’s constantly buzzing phone. At first Zhang Ming tried ignoring it, but after the fifth consecutive vibration, he finally gave in and checked the ssages.

When i Fang caught a glimpse of the contact na, his eyebrows shot up in surprise:

“Isn’t that Yuan Yuan’s roommate? Yang…Yang Xiaomo, right? The one with those ridiculously long legs? Dude, you’re moving up in the world! Shouldn’t you be capitalizing on this golden opportunity?”

“It’s not just Yang Xiaomo who blows up my phone like this…”

Zhang Ming opened his WeChat contacts to reveal an entire category labeled “Girls” containing dozens of female contacts with attractive profile pictures. i Fang’s jaw dropped.

“Holy shit! After breaking up with Lu Xueqing, you’ve turned into an actual player? What the hell? I don’t get it – I’m definitely better looking than you! How are you attracting all these girls?”

“Are you seriously this dense?” Zhang Ming gave i Fang an exasperated look. “It’s entirely because of my status as your only close male friend! Don’t you realize these girls have all figured out that directly targeting you is pointless with those two goddesses guarding you?”

He dramatically gestured at i Fang. “So now the standard playbook for any girl hoping to beco ‘Mrs. Station Master’ is to get close to first as a stepping stone! I’m basically your human shield at this point!”

Seeing Zhang Ming’s aggrieved expression, i Fang quickly raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry sorry! But you know I don’t need any backup options – my taphorical fish tank is only big enough for two rmaid princesses. You should really release all those other fish back into the ocean, don’t you think?”

“You want to just delete all of them?”

“Unless…you’ve actually developed real feelings for one of them? But let warn you – these girls are all professional gold diggers. Listen to your old buddy Ah Fang – you’re too naive and trusting. You ever read ‘I Really Didn’t Want to Rebirth’? There’s this character Wang Zibo who’s exactly like you – a total simp who keeps getting played by toxic won.”

“I’m nothing like that! And don’t you dare ntion Lu-“

Zhang Ming visibly bristled at the ntion of his ex-girlfriend’s na. i Fang, despite being Zhang Ming’s boss at Yuanxi Entertainnt, knew better than to press further on such a sensitive topic.

“Alright alright, I believe in you! Just don’t go breaking your own heart again, okay? I’m only teasing you because I care.”

“You call this teasing? This is straight-up character assassination!” Zhang Ming sighed heavily. “Though I will admit Yang Xiaomo is…different from the others.”

“How so? Now you’ve got curious.”

“She’s actually a music composition major, so when she kept trying to get close to , I figured why not ask if she wanted to collaborate on ga developnt?”

“And she agreed?”

Zhang Ming nodded. “She’s officially part of the team now…seems genuinely interested in ga design too.”

“That’s perfect! She’s got the sa musical background as Yuan Yuan. Might actually help you finish the ga faster.”

After finishing his discussion with Zhang Ming, i Fang headed to his next class. When it ended, he went to et up with Lin Youxi at their predetermined location.

He spotted her from afar – she was leaning against a tree, scrolling through her phone. When she noticed i Fang approaching, her usual cool expression lted into a warm smile. She waved him over, but as i Fang jogged the short distance, he found himself embarrassingly out of breath.

Lin Youxi pulled out a handkerchief and began dabbing the sweat from his forehead. “Look at you, getting winded from such a short jog. And here I thought only carrying Yuan Yuan to bed wore you out this much…are you feeling under the weather today?”

“It’s…just from last night’s…extracurricular activities…” i Fang panted.

As he caught his breath, he noticed the laces on Lin Youxi’s stylish leather boots had co undone. “Hey, your shoelaces are untied.”

“I know, husband~” Lin Youxi lifted her foot and extended it toward i Fang. “Would you mind tying them for ?”

Lin Youxi had never been good at tying shoes as a child. While she’d eventually learned the skill as an adult, this little ritual had beco one of their shared nostalgic habits. Without hesitation, i Fang knelt down and began tying the laces.

“You…honestly…sotis I think people are wrong about Yuan Yuan being the spoiled one between you two. Between your dad and stepmom pampering you at ho, and now indulging you like this…Miss Lin Youxi, you’ve beco quite the spoiled young lady yourself, haven’t you?”

“Whether they spoil or not doesn’t matter,” Lin Youxi said softly as she watched i Fang’s deft fingers work. “As long as you’re the one loving , that’s enough.”

Suddenly, while i Fang was still kneeling, Lin Youxi stepped forward and swung one leg over his shoulders, plopping herself down in an impromptu piggyback ride.

“Giddyup, Ah Fang horsey! Onward!”

This uncharacteristically playful display from the normally composed and dignified Lin Youxi drew startled looks from passing students. i Fang’s ears burned with embarrassnt.

“Hey now, what’s gotten into you today? Since when does the great Lin Youxi act so mischievously in public? Aren’t you worried about damaging our reputations?”

“What’s there to worry about?” Lin Youxi wrapped her arms around i Fang’s head, completely unfazed. “Childhood sweethearts turned forr lovers can interact however they want. It’s nobody else’s business~ Heehee!”

Her carefree laughter was interrupted when she spotted Xia Yuan approaching in the distance. She waved enthusiastically, causing i Fang to wobble under her shifting weight.

Xia Yuan arrived slightly out of breath, hands on her knees as she recovered. “What…are you two…thinking? Putting on this kind of display…right in the middle of campus! Do you want to…trend on CStation again?”

“Would that be so bad?” Lin Youxi countered, still perched on i Fang’s shoulders. “There’ve been so many rumors lately about our relationship falling apart. Wouldn’t so viral photos of us being affectionate put all that nonsense to rest?”

“Now that you ntion it…I guess you’re right…” Xia Yuan’s expression softened. Then she sidled up to i Fang and whispered in his ear: “But Ah Fang…if you’re going to be fair about this…tonight I want…”

She bit her lip shyly before continuing: “I want my turn riding the Ah Fang horse too.”

“You only care about being fair when it benefits you, don’t you?” i Fang groaned in mock exasperation.

The trio eventually made their way to the basketball arena where Xiang Bingbing’s exhibition match was being held. Despite being a student at the university, i Fang’s status as CEO of Yuanxi Entertainnt ant he received treatnt far beyond that of an ordinary attendee.

The event staff had gone completely overboard – not only had they prepared special courtside VIP seating, but soone had even hung an enormous banner that read:

[Warm Welco to the Esteed Leadership of Yuanxi Entertainnt Group for Their Valuable Guidance and Inspection]

It was the exact type of cringe-inducing, overly formal greeting typically reserved for visiting governnt officials – the kind of middle-aged bureaucrats who showed up just to collect appearance fees and free banquet als!

i Fang could only laugh awkwardly at the absurd display.

The match itself featured Pengcheng University’s nationally ranked won’s basketball team against their rivals from Zhongshan University. When Xiang Bingbing erged from the locker room in her team uniform, her towering 1.9m fra imdiately drew everyone’s attention.

Spotting i Fang in the VIP section, she broke into an enormous grin and waved excitedly like an overjoyed child.

Ah Fang actually took ti out of his busy schedule to watch my ga! I’m going to dedicate this victory to him!

Filled with renewed determination, Xiang Bingbing took to the court with unmatched energy. Her incredible height advantage – most female basketball players averaged around 1.7m – combined with her surprising agility made her the undisputed star of the match.

Perhaps it was her musical training that enhanced her coordination, but Xiang Bingbing moved with exceptional grace for soone her size. Her powerful slam dunks and devastating blocks quickly beca the highlight of the ga, earning her team a decisive victory.

[Author’s Note: Friendly recomndation – check out “Entering the Unscientific” by bestselling author Newbie Angler! This forr child prodigy from USTC’s Special Class for the Gifted Young turned sci-fi writer/tea entrepreneur brings unparalleled authenticity to his stories!]