Only After I Was Reborn Did I Realize That I Had Childhood Sweethearts Chapter 455: An Idle Day

The band’s first performance at the livehouse wasn’t very satisfactory—this was sothing the band mbers had anticipated. After all, they still needed more practice and refinent.

But what troubled Xia Yuan the most at the mont was Liu Xiaoyu’s personal condition.

Feeling that her own performance had been terrible, Liu Xiaoyu was hit hard by the debut and refused to continue serving as the lead vocalist no matter what.

“Xiaoyu really… it’s okay, I don’t think there was any problem at all! Can you reconsider it, please… Mhm mhm… I’ll wait for you to rest for a few days, we’re not in a rush with band practice or anything.”

After hanging up the phone, Xia Yuan threw herself face-first onto the bed in her bedroom, kicking her feet in the air. At that mont, i Fang knocked gently on the door and asked:

“YuanYuan, I’ve boiled the hot water for you—do you want to soak your feet now?”

“Mmm… I’m coming.”

Xia Yuan rolled over with a few grunts and climbed off the bed. Wearing her pink bunny slippers, she followed i Fang to the living room.

It was already late autumn in 2015, and even in the southern city of Pengcheng, a faint chill had crept in. Concerned for the health of the “Big Three,” Liang ijuan had specially sent them dried mugwort leaves from her hotown.

This kind of foot-soaking ritual was sothing the three little ones had done together since childhood, and they were naturally attached to and accustod to the feeling.

In the living room, Lin Youxi was fiddling with a new gadget—a type of electric foot bath bucket. After sorting it out, she arranged it for Xia Yuan.

“YuanYuan, co here. Sit down and try this.”

“Ah—when did you guys buy a foot bath bucket? How co I didn’t know anything about it…?”

Xia Yuan sat in the middle of the sofa. Just as she was about to roll up her pants and take off her socks, i Fang quickly crouched down beside her to assist.

“Ah Fang, don’t always wait on like this… I feel kind of bad.”

“Do you really think he’s waiting on you? He’s just indulging in the sense of ritual, okay…”

Lin Youxi said this while connecting the foot bath’s plug to the socket and began testing the functions.

“This foot bath bucket looks way more high-end than the ones I’ve seen online. It must’ve cost quite a bit, huh?”

Xia Yuan’s feet were being gently massaged by i Fang. She half-closed her eyes in restraint and asked curiously:

“Youxi, did you only buy one?”

Lin Youxi nodded: “Mm, just bought one first to test the waters.”

“I feel like using an electric appliance that holds water isn’t very safe…”

“Which is exactly why you’re testing the waters first,” Lin Youxi smiled sweetly.

“Alright then, so what you’re really trying to do is electrocute so you can have Ah Fang all to yourself, right?”

“No way, you’re my darling sweetheart—how could I ever bear to electrocute you?”

Lin Youxi teased her while pinching Xia Yuan’s cheek. i Fang also explained from the side:

“Youxi and I just felt like YuanYuan’s really been through a lot recently. Whether it’s the back-and-forth with band practice or smoothing out team dynamics—we just wanted her to rest well at ho—”

“Eeehhh—ouch ouch ouch ouch—so painful, Ah Fang—”

“You rascal, Ah Fang! How dare you hurt our precious YuanYuan?”

As Lin Youxi spoke, she raised her foot and stepped on i Fang’s face, giving him a solid scolding.

As Xia Yuan’s feet entered the foot bath bucket, the massage components at the bottom kneaded her soles into softness, and her entire body lted into a relaxed, cozy state.

“Phew… Soaking mugwort leaves in cold weather really is heaven. Auntie Liang is so thoughtful.”

“Speaking of which, I think YuanYuan and I still call each other’s moms ‘Auntie,’ don’t we?”

Lin Youxi thought for a mont. “I think we can’t just focus on maintaining a good relationship with our own moms—we also need to build connections between each other’s moms. We shouldn’t always center things around Ah Fang’s family.”

“That is kind of an issue…”

“Boohoo, are you two going to abandon ? Not play with anymore?”

Carrying a wooden bucket, i Fang overheard their discussion and pretended to wail on the spot.

“It’s not like we’re excluding you—we just think we should also warm up our side a bit…”

Lin Youxi beckoned for i Fang to place the wooden bucket in front of her, then asked him to hand her her phone. She placed her feet on either side of the wooden bucket and picked up the phone to initiate a video call.

“You’re calling Auntie Liang—uh, Mama Liang?”

“Yup, I call ho once a week.”

Lin Youxi was a bit surprised: “YuanYuan, don’t you do that too?”

“I… usually it’s my dad who calls .”

“Don’t you ever run into awkward timing? Like, say you’re doing the do with Ah Fang, and then suddenly your dad calls—”

“Ah? My dad tends to call pretty early, usually after dinner, so that timing is okay—”

Xia Yuan stopped mid-sentence as she saw Lin Youxi’s call had connected. She imdiately quieted down. On Lin Youxi’s screen, Liang ijuan’s face appeared:

“Ah… Youxi!”

“Hi, Mom.”

Lin Youxi smiled at her mother through the screen. “Have you eaten?”

“I have, I have. What about you guys?”

“We’ve eaten too.”

As she spoke, Lin Youxi turned her phone cara toward i Fang. i Fang greeted Liang ijuan calmly:

“Hello, Auntie Liang.”

“Ah Fang’s there too… Did you get the mugwort leaves I mailed you?”

“Yes, we got them! Youxi and YuanYuan are soaking their feet in them now.”

As he spoke, i Fang turned the cara toward Xia Yuan. Xia Yuan took the phone and, a little nervously, greeted Liang ijuan:

“Hello, Auntie Lia—Mama Liang! I’m soaking my feet right now.”

She felt a bit awkward changing how she addressed her, so she quickly explained:

“Um, is it okay if I call you Mama Liang? Suddenly calling you ‘Auntie’ feels kind of distant, and we’ve known each other for so many years already…”

“Of course, of course! I’d be happy to have YuanYuan as my daughter.”

At that mont, a mischievous idea struck i Fang. He leaned across Lin Youxi, popped his head into the fra beside Xia Yuan, and said:

“Then can I call you ‘Mom’ too? Auntie Liang, would you like a son? I’ll give myself to you for free.”

“Ah? Hahaha…”

“You rotten Ah Fang, get out of here! You’re such a dog!”

Blushing, Xia Yuan shoved i Fang out of the fra. i Fang could only lie down across Lin Youxi’s lap, and she started running her fingers through his hair like she was grooming a puppy.

Naturally, Liang ijuan couldn’t see her daughter and i Fang being all lovey-dovey off-screen. She still thought Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan were the ones lovelove-ing each other.

Although she was happy the three still shared such a close bond, she couldn’t help but worry over whether she’d ever get to hold a grandchild soday.

After chatting with Liang ijuan for a while, Xia Yuan handed the phone back to Lin Youxi. i Fang obediently got off her lap and squatted down to prepare her foot soak.

While enjoying the CEO-level service from her “C-Station president,” Lin Youxi continued chatting with her mom.

“How’s Dad’s health these days?”

“Still the sa. Other than a bit of asthma, everything else is fine.”

“He’s getting up there in age, so he shouldn’t do too much heavy or strenuous work. You too, Mom. If you ever need help, I’ll hire a maternity nanny to take care of you two.”

“Oh, no no, don’t you go overboard. Your dad and I are still perfectly capable—how are we old enough to need a maternity nanny? You silly girl, always joking around.”

“Isn’t it nice to have soone take care of things? It’d save you both a lot of trouble. You guys aren’t in perfect health, and I’m so busy I can’t be there to help out…”

As Lin Youxi said this, i Fang finished soaking her feet and began drying them off. Xia Yuan, anwhile, was completely spacing out—lost in the sheer bliss of the foot bath’s massage.

Listening to her daughter’s concern, Liang ijuan could only respond helplessly:

“What are you saying? You’re just a sophomore in college. It’s not your job to take care of us.”

She shook her head and said, “Even when we’re old, we won’t need you to look after us. Just live your life well. As long as you and Ah Fang and YuanYuan aren’t fighting, we’re good.”

“We’re not. They both spoil like crazy.”

As Lin Youxi spoke, a slight blush rose to her cheeks and she wore an expression of slight restraint—because at that mont, i Fang was gently massaging the soles of her feet after the soak.

“What’s wrong, Youxi? Are you feeling uncomfortable?”

On the other end, Liang ijuan looked concerned. Lin Youxi waved her hand and explained:

“It’s nothing… just that the water’s a little hot.”

“In autumn, you should soak your feet in hotter water. Your body’s naturally weak—you’re always cold in your hands and feet. Regular foot soaks help promote blood circulation, and when your period cos it won’t hurt as much.”

“Mm mm… I know.”

Lin Youxi nodded, then laid back on the sofa and asked:

“What’s Dad doing right now?”

“This mont he’s watching TV… I’ll hand the phone to him.”

“Mhm.”

Lin Youxi watched as Liang ijuan stood up and turned the phone toward her father, Lin Guochuan, who was watching television.

“Old Lin, take a look—your daughter is video calling you.”

“Uh… mm.”

Lin Guochuan glanced at the image of Lin Youxi on the screen, his brows furrowing involuntarily:

“Are you lying down or sitting right now?”

“Lying down, of course.”

“How are you supposed to soak your feet lying down? That’s improper. Sit up.”

“Nope, not doing it.”

Even though he had been watching TV the whole ti, he had clearly heard everything about the foot soaking.

Maybe… this is what being a dad ans?

i Fang, who was busy drying Lin Youxi’s feet, was mulling over these thoughts.

And faced with Lin Youxi’s whining, Lin Guochuan seed to have no way of dealing with her. After a pause, he said again:

“Lately… how have things been in Pengcheng?”

“Sa as always.”

“Getting along okay with Yuanyuan, with Ah Fang?”

“Still getting along just as well as before.”

“Mm, that’s good then.”

“How about you? Have a lot of people co asking to borrow money again?”

“Why bring that up…”

“Bet you lent money to relatives again, didn’t you? Let guess… Third Uncle’s family? Or Big Uncle? Don’t tell you lent to You Xiaobing again…”

“No…”

“How is he, anyway? Still gambling lately?”

“He’s working at an auto repair shop now. Seems like life is going okay. Haven’t heard anything about gambling.”

“As long as he hasn’t asked you for money, that’s good.”

“No, he hasn’t borrowed.”

“Mm, that’s good then.”

Hearing her father’s reply, Lin Youxi’s tone softened slightly.

“In winter, you can go to so southern cities to spend the season. Places like Sanya are quite nice, good for your health recovery.”

“My health is just fine. You take care of yourself.”

After saying that, Lin Guochuan seed to think for a mont, his expression showing he wanted to say sothing but hesitated.

“Is there sothing else?”

“I wanted to ask if you have enough money. Anyway… don’t be too frugal, don’t shortchange yourself.”

Upon hearing that, Lin Youxi suddenly burst into a chuckle.

“Alright… I get it. Even if I weren’t, Ah Fang would take care of . Mm, let’s leave it at that.”

“Mm… you hang up.”

“I’m hanging up, okay?”

“Mm.”

Lin Youxi hung up the video call and set the phone aside. At this mont, i Fang picked up the foot basin, ready to dump the water out, but Lin Youxi stopped her.

“Wait a sec, Ah Fang. You sit, I’ll go dump the water.”

“Oh… okay.”

i Fang sat on the sofa, glancing at Yuanyuan, who was enjoying herself with a contented expression.

“This foot spa bucket feels that good? Don’t soak too long though.”

“Mm… got it! Ah Fang, dry off.”

As Xia Yuan spoke, she lifted her feet from the spa bucket and let i Fang use a dry towel to wipe them clean.

“Yuanyuan, is Xiao Yu still unwilling to return to being the lead singer?”

“Mm… she says she still needs ti to think it over. If she’s really not suited for it, then fine, but I think she’s just putting too much pressure on herself. Just like I used to be—afraid of letting you guys down. Back then, it was you and Youxi who helped open up, but I also don’t want her to be left with any regrets.”

“That’s definitely a good mindset, but you also have to be careful not to just keep pushing her to the front stage. Knowing the reason is one thing, helping her overco it is another.”

“Actually, I do have an idea… I want to let Xiao Yu—”

Xia Yuan and i Fang were halfway through their conversation when Lin Youxi returned to the living room with a steaming wooden bucket. She set it down in front of i Fang.

“Here… Ah Fang, your turn to soak your feet.”

“Uh… I-I can do it myself.”

As she spoke, i Fang reached out to take the bucket, only to have Lin Youxi dodge her hand in mock disdain.

“What, like I’m only treating you especially nice today? Haven’t I even helped you wash your hair before?”

“Well, that’s true…”

Lin Youxi carried over a small stool and sat beside i Fang. Off to the side, Xia Yuan sat cross-legged, watching Lin Youxi attentively tend to i Fang’s foot soak. Feeling idle, she suddenly thought she should do sothing too. She leaned on i Fang’s shoulders, adjusted the sofa to recline, then straddled it from behind, letting i Fang rest into her embrace and began massaging her head.

“Co to think of it, Youxi’s dynamic with her dad is quite interesting.”

“How so?” Lin Youxi tilted her head.

Xia Yuan pondered a bit. “Even though you two never say anything particularly aningful when you chat, you still seem to really enjoy tossing lines back and forth.”

“Mm… with my dad’s personality, it’s not like he ever says anything particularly interesting.”

“That may be so, but it’s still a way for you two to bond.”

i Fang chid in, “I can feel the warm, llow father-daughter affection. Our Youxi is such a filial child.”

“I only video chatted with my dad, yet here I am helping you soak your feet.”

Lin Youxi kneaded i Fang’s calves, a teasing smile playing across her face: “Does that an I’m even more filial to you, hmm? Ah·Fang·Dad·dy?”

“Aaah no no no… Don’t do that, Youxi! Today’s supposed to be a rest day!”

“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore.”

Lin Youxi spoke softly, “But my dad really is kind of boring. Compared to i Dad, he’s way off.”

“‘i Dad’… that sounds so weird.”

Lin Youxi nodded. “I think it sounds weird too. So I’ll just call him Uncle i instead. Otherwise there’d be way too many dads to call.”

“Seriously, that would make four dads.”

Xia Yuan sighed, “Among all the dads though, Ah Fang’s dad really is the most interesting one. Always spoiling Xiang Mama like that… Ah Fang’s childhood must’ve been really happy.”

“You, born with a silver spoon, are saying that to ?”

i Fang leaned back slightly. “I went through toughening-up education since I was little, okay? My dad and mom only act like that in front of you guys—they’re not as perfect as you think.”

“That’s how parents are though, no big deal… My dad’s the sa—looks suave on the outside but actually gets petty over the tiniest things. My mom is… lately even more delicate than , doesn’t seem like an adult at all—”

As Xia Yuan talked, she pinched i Fang’s cheek, a slightly annoyed expression on her face:

“Aiya, Ah Fang, stop rubbing like that—so annoying! You said today’s a rest day, but you’re not behaving!”

Xia Yuan had ant to scold her a little, but her right hand was caught by i Fang and pressed against her face for a few affectionate rubs.

“Today really is such a blissful day. I get to sleep cuddled up with my little childhood sweethearts, absorbing household-wife energy!”

“Just keep living in that dream, you…”

Xia Yuan tilted sideways, pulling i Fang into her embrace while softly humming a gentle tune. Lin Youxi continued sitting on the little stool, massaging and kneading i Fang’s legs.

It really was a blissful day.

At that mont, inside the mind of i Dog: I bust my butt fighting tooth and nail in the IF Line, can’t I at least enjoy myself here in the main line?