Only After I Was Reborn Did I Realize That I Had Childhood Sweethearts - Chapter 238: The Promise from Seven Years Ago

“The promise from seven years ago?” Mei Fang asked curiously, “Seven years ago… that would be 2005. Weren’t we in the third or fourth grade back then?”

“Fourth grade. It was the year Yuan Yuan and you ran away from home, and also… the year you accompanied me to see my mom’s grave. It was also the year you were preparing to move to Baizhou City.”

“So many things happened that year? I barely have any memory of it.”

Mei Fang scratched his head, “So… what happened that year?”

“That year, just before Yuan Yuan’s birthday, I lost the music box I had planned to give her as a birthday present. It was something I saved up my pocket money for a long time to buy for Yuan Yuan.”

Lin Youxi explained to Mei Fang, “But my family was going through a tough time, and my uncle had just borrowed money from my dad. I didn’t want to trouble my dad, so I made a time capsule by hand overnight as a replacement, intending to give it to Yuan Yuan as a birthday gift.”

“Was there a time like that?!” Mei Fang was surprised, “Why didn’t you ask me for help?”

Lin Youxi gently pinched Mei Fang’s cheek, “Actually, we weren’t that close in elementary school. I was always hanging out with Yuan Yuan, and back then, Ah Fang was just a substitute to get rid of my boredom when Yuan Yuan wasn’t around.”

“That makes me a bit sad…”

“Things changed after you accompanied me to see my mom’s grave.”

Lin Youxi continued, “Later that year, Yuan Yuan’s birthday was celebrated at Weijiawei with many friends from your class. It was the fried chicken restaurant in Baimei County that imitated KFC and McDonald’s, remember?”

“Ohh, that time… I remember.”

Having a birthday party at a burger or fried chicken restaurant was the most prestigious thing in elementary school, and only county young princesses like Xia Yuan could host such an event.

“At that time, everyone gave Yuan Yuan beautiful and exquisite birthday gifts, but mine was the only one that was simple.”

Lin Youxi spoke softly, “I didn’t really want to take it out then. In the end, Yuan Yuan noticed me awkwardly hiding the gift and asked me about it. Only then did I give it to her, and she seemed very happy, which put me at ease.”

The birthday gift Lin Youxi gave to Xia Yuan, called the “Time Treasure Box,” was a popular handcrafted toy among girls when they were young. It originated from a popular fairy tale book at the time.

A girl would put her wish into a special “Time Treasure Box.” According to the story, the wish placed in the box would come true on the same day seven years later.

“So, you and Yuan Yuan had this kind of thing between you two, and I never knew… No wonder Yuan Yuan mentioned that she had many childhood keepsakes at home and wanted to create a memory museum with us.”

Mei Fang scratched his head, “So, what wish did Yuan Yuan put in the box?”

“Actually, I don’t know… The wish only counts if Yuan Yuan puts it in herself, and if she tells anyone, it won’t come true.”

While preparing breakfast, Lin Youxi chatted with Mei Fang, saying, “I gave it to her on her birthday, so the wish should come true on her birthday seven years later. That’s why I said I wanted to leave Yuan Yuan with an unforgettable birthday.”

“I guess she probably forgot about it after all these years.”

“As long as I remember, that’s enough.”

“You have a really good memory; no wonder you’re such a super academic achiever.”

Lin Youxi carried the breakfast to the kitchen, and Mei Fang followed her to set the table. Lin Youxi then gave Mei Fang another kiss.

“Hold your compliments. Help me think of a good gift for Yuan Yuan first, and I’ll reward you later.”

Mei Fang sighed, “Picking a birthday gift is really tough. We’ve known each other for so many years; is there any birthday gift we haven’t already given?”

Simple yet warm birthday gifts have been given: scarves, hats, gloves, mugs, stuffed animals, wind chimes, hand warmers—these are just everyday things.

More valuable gifts have also been given: MP3 players, watches, phones—these have been given occasionally.

As for more thoughtful and meaningful gifts, they haven’t been overlooked either: like the poem Mei Fang “wrote,” the pair of bracelets with engraved names from Lin Youxi, and the wish coupons Mei Fang once gave to Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi—they were also given as birthday gifts several times before.

“It’s true; we’ve known each other for so long that we’ve already given each other all the gifts we could think of…”

Lin Youxi smiled, “Actually, I do have some ideas in mind. If you can’t come up with anything better, why don’t we go with my plan?”

“So, what were you originally planning to give Yuan Yuan as her 17th birthday gift?”

Lin Youxi grinned, “I was planning to give her my departure.”

“Huh?”

…

A week later, on Xia Yuan’s birthday.

This was her first birthday without her parents around.

But she didn’t feel lonely.

After all, a girl has to grow up.

And today is my 17th birthday!

However, according to the Chinese way of counting age^[1], I’m now 18, so I’m basically a full-grown adult now.

What’s more, I still have my two closest childhood sweethearts with me——

…

As Xia Yuan stretched lazily, she instinctively reached out to find Lin Youxi, who usually clung to her while they slept.

Hmm?

Xia Yuan opened her eyes slightly, a trace of confusion and puzzlement in her gaze.

I should be waking up pretty early today… How did Youxi get up even earlier than me?

Is she already preparing breakfast?

Although today is my birthday… there’s no need to be so busy, hehe…

At this moment, Mei Fang’s voice came from outside the door.

“Yuan Yuan, you’re awake, right? Can I come in?”

“Sure… come in.”

Mei Fang gently opened the door, revealing himself with his hair slicked back like an adult. It was obvious he had carefully prepared for Xia Yuan’s birthday. He was holding a bouquet of pink flowers, which looked like roses.

“Happy birthday, Yuan Yuan!”

Xia Yuan looked at Mei Fang with a calm expression and then softly uttered a few words.

“…Get out.”

“Huh, you don’t like this look?”

Do I look that bad?

Xia Yuan covered her face and mumbled to Mei Fang, “Who celebrates someone’s birthday so early in the morning?! And look at me, I’m all messy—I haven’t even had a chance to get ready!”

Oh, so she’s not upset that I look bad—she’s upset that she does.

“That’s exactly why I’m here today.”

Mei Fang, reassured, walked into the room, placed the flowers on the nightstand by Xia Yuan’s bed, and then smiled at her. “Today, I’m here to help our little birthday girl get all dressed up.”

Translator’s Notes:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_age_reckoning↩︎

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