Chapter 239 – My Youxi Level Is At 0 Today

“What do you mean by ‘dress up’?!” Xia Yuan, her face flushed, shouted at Mei Fang. “You want to help me change clothes? I won’t let you take advantage of me for nothing, stinky Ah Fang!”

“Uh, when I say dress up, I mean helping you with your hair, or something like that… Where did your mind go?”

Mei Fang’s explanation made Xia Yuan pause for a moment before she angrily punched him a few times.

“Y-Your words were too misleading! You did that on purpose, didn’t you?!”

“Haha… You caught me.”

Mei Fang teased her a little, then prepared to leave the room. “Shall I go outside and wait for you to finish changing?”

“Where are you running off to? You said you’d take care of me, so do it properly…”

Xia Yuan muttered, urging Mei Fang, “Help me open the wardrobe and pick out something nice for me to wear today.”

Following Xia Yuan’s instructions, Mei Fang opened the wardrobe, revealing a collection of beautiful clothes.

“When did you buy so many clothes… I feel like I’ve never seen you wear most of these.”

“What do you mean… You just don’t pay attention.”

Generally speaking, girls wouldn’t casually show their wardrobes to guys. After all, there might be some clothing items inside that are not meant to be seen by others and are only for personal wear and appreciation

But a guy they like is, of course, an exception.

Mei Fang carefully took out a black chiffon dress from the wardrobe and showed it to Xia Yuan.

“This one looks like a formal dress. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear it.”

“That’s night dress, you dummy… Can’t you tell how thin it is? Besides, it’s Youxi’s night dress.”

Xia Yuan twirled her hair in embarrassment. “My clothes are on the right side, Youxi’s are on the left. Make sure you don’t grab the wrong ones.”

“Can’t I choose from Youxi’s clothes?”

“What the heck are you saying?!”

Xia Yuan blushed and grumbled, “You’re acting so weird this morning. And where did Youxi go? Is she making breakfast?”

“Ah… Youxi? Since it’s your birthday, she plans to surprise you.”

“I see…”

Finally, Mei Fang and Xia Yuan decided on a pure white silk dress. Xia Yuan had Mei Fang find matching socks and place them on the bed.

“Then turn around and stand over there.”

Xia Yuan added, “And no peeking.”

“Alright, alright…” Mei Fang raised his hands and turned his back to her.

If she doesn’t want me to see, why not just have me wait outside?

Instead, I have to stay here and listen…

As Mei Fang was thinking to himself, he suddenly noticed a full-length mirror that was placed at an angle, reflecting Xia Yuan, who was just taking off her sleepwear and about to undo her strap. He quickly called out and instinctively covered his eyes.

“W-Wait! Yuan Yuan, hold on, the mirror! Move it first.”

“…”

Mei Fang heard Xia Yuan’s bare feet pattering on the floor behind him, followed by the sound of her moving the mirror.

“It’s okay now.”

He waited until Xia Yuan poked him in the back before he felt safe enough to turn around.

“How do I look? Is it pretty?”

Xia Yuan held the skirt of her dress and twirled lightly in front of Mei Fang.

“Beautiful, beautiful, like a little princess.”

“I’m already a big princess now.”

Xia Yuan walked over and sat down at the dressing table. “You can help me do my hair now.”

“Okay… sure.”

Mei Fang walked behind Xia Yuan, picked up a comb, and gently started brushing her long hair.

“By the way, I was the one who taught you how to do hair, wasn’t I? Do you remember?”

“Of course, I remember. It was back when we used to play house. We made Youxi our model, and you guided me step by step on how to style different hairstyles.”

Mei Fang, Xia Yuan, and Lin Youxi had a very happy childhood together. Mei Fang also learned a lot of knowledge and skills from Xia Yuan and Lin Youxi that only girls would know. This gave him a significant advantage over other boys, as he fully understood girls’ preferences, knew how to take care of them, and could be described as a natural-born gentleman.

“So, what kind of hairstyle do you want today?”

“One that Ah Fang likes,” Xia Yuan said, squinting her eyes with a smile at Mei Fang in the mirror.

“There are so many I like…”

Mei Fang thought for a moment, “Since we have plenty of time today, let’s try them all.”

Mei Fang styled Xia Yuan’s hair in various ways: a ponytail, a bun, a side ponytail, braided hair, and finally settled on twin tails.

“If I had known you wanted such a simple hairstyle, do you regret starting with the braids?”

“Haha, not really.”

After finishing Xia Yuan’s hair, Mei Fang let her tidy up a bit before getting up.

“Is Sister Yue Yue awake? What are we having for breakfast?”

“Sister Yue Yue left early for work today. We’re having scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast for breakfast.”

“Wow, that sounds good. Did Youxi make it? Is that the surprise?”

“I made it.”

“Oh… On second thought, it’s just a simple bacon sandwich, right?”

“It feels like you’re treating me differently.”

“Hmph.”

Xia Yuan and Mei Fang happily enjoyed their breakfast together, just the two of them. It was rare for Xia Yuan to have such one-on-one time with Mei Fang, so she didn’t waste the opportunity. She playfully demanded that he feed her, and Mei Fang was more than happy to oblige.

“What’s the plan after breakfast?”

“First, we’ll go shopping at the mall, then have lunch together, watch a movie in the afternoon, and come back to celebrate your birthday.”

Xia Yuan took a bite of the scrambled eggs Mei Fang fed her. “So, is Youxi waiting for us at the mall?”

“Nope.”

“I get it, I get it, it’s a surprise.”

Xia Yuan made an “OK” gesture at Mei Fang, then grabbed her bag and happily headed out with him.

This plan that Ah Fang came up with really feels like a couple’s date.

In the past, when the three of them went out together, Xia Yuan would always hold onto Lin Youxi, so Mei Fang never had the chance to walk with one on each side. Instead, he walked off to the side like a bystander or a third wheel.

But today, Xia Yuan could fully cling to Mei Fang’s arm, indulging in their sweetness.

“Ah Fang, Ah Fang, that dress is really nice.”

“Wow, those earrings are so beautiful!”

“If you want, I can buy them for you. But when did you get your ears pierced? I didn’t know.”

“Of course, I haven’t had them pierced. Just because they’re pretty doesn’t mean I have to buy them. You just don’t get it.”

When Xia Yuan got tired from shopping, they found a dessert shop to rest. After her recent bout with gastroenteritis, Xia Yuan had been avoiding cold foods, so she only ordered a small piece of mango pancake.

“Mmm… this is so good!”

Xia Yuan, resting her chin on her hands, excitedly exclaimed to Mei Fang, “Youxi would definitely love this. It’s a shame she couldn’t come with us this time.”

“Don’t just keep talking about Youxi, let me have a taste too.”

“Okay, okay…”

Xia Yuan then fed Mei Fang a bite as well.

Later, they went out for steak at a fancy Western restaurant and critiqued the violinist playing there.

Then, Xia Yuan and Mei Fang watched a movie together. The movie, though not highly rated, was the kind of romantic film that couples often watch. The acting was so poor that even the emotional scenes didn’t move Xia Yuan much, but the sweet interactions later on were worth watching.

During one of these moments, as Xia Yuan was absorbed in the movie, Mei Fang leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss.

After their sweet moment, Xia Yuan and Mei Fang enjoyed the rest of their date, happily bouncing back home. However, just as they reached the door, Xia Yuan suddenly stopped Mei Fang.

“Wait! Let me open the door.”

She grabbed the doorknob, then turned to smile playfully at Mei Fang. “So, you sent me out of the house on purpose so you could decorate it and give me a surprise when I come back, right? Youxi must have gone all out, making it all fancy and showy…”

“Well, not exactly…”

Mei Fang gave a reluctant smile, but Xia Yuan still didn’t believe it. “You’re still trying to fool me, huh! Keep acting, go on——”

Xia Yuan opened the door and instinctively shielded herself, but there was no one at the door waiting to shower her with confetti or shout “Happy Birthday.”

“……”

However, the living room was indeed decorated, and on the coffee table sat a beautifully crafted birthday cake.

“I knew there would still be a surprise, but it seems like you guys didn’t communicate well.”

Xia Yuan ran into the kitchen to check, then went to the bedroom and other rooms, but couldn’t find any sign of Lin Youxi.

“She’s really not here…”

Xia Yuan’s eyes were full of disappointment as she found Mei Fang and asked, “So, what’s Youxi’s surprise? Where did she go?”

“Well…”

“Stop teasing me. If you keep this up, I’m really going to get mad, okay?”

At this point, Xia Yuan was clearly not in the mood for jokes. She looked at Mei Fang with a very serious expression.

“Did I do something wrong to make Youxi unhappy? Or does she think she’ll upset me somehow? I don’t know… The point is, you and Youxi have always been there for my birthday, and I can’t imagine celebrating without Youxi this year.”

Her voice trembled as she spoke. Mei Fang hadn’t expected such a strong reaction from Xia Yuan, and he felt like he had made a mistake. He quickly sent a message to Youxi, then moved closer to comfort Xia Yuan, saying, “Youxi isn’t mad at you. She thought since today is your birthday, you might be happier if I spent the day with you alone.”

Xia Yuan, her eyes red, listened to Mei Fang finish, “Do I look like I’m happy right now? Hm?”

“…”

Xia Yuan seemed upset, complaining in a tearful voice, “Lin Youxi is such a big dummy… I’ve said before that I don’t like others always giving in to me! Why does she always assume she knows best?”

As Xia Yuan spoke, she pulled out her phone, ready to call Lin Youxi. But before she could, Mei Fang hugged her from behind, gently comforting her while saying:

“Don’t be mad, don’t be mad. Do you remember the time capsule Youxi gave you seven years ago?”

“The time capsule…”

Xia Yuan’s thoughts spun, eventually returning to that summer in the fourth grade.

“I remember… It was a birthday gift from Youxi, the one where I put a wish inside, and the wish would come true seven years later——”

“Do you remember what wish you put inside?”

“Um…” Xia Yuan thought for a moment and mumbled, “It’s been so long… I’ve forgotten, but it was probably something like hoping everyone would stay happy and safe, right?”

“So… Youxi has remembered this all along?”

“She doesn’t know what wish you made, but today is the day the time capsule’s wish is supposed to come true. That’s why she wanted to give you an unforgettable birthday. We thought about it for a long time and finally came up with this plan. The decorations at home, the breakfast, the movie choices—many of these ideas came from Youxi. But honestly, Youxi really wanted to spend your birthday with you too. If what you wish for is for the three of us to be together every year, she can come over right away.”

“Right now?” Xia Yuan mumbled, “I… I haven’t seen Youxi all day. My Youxi level is at zero today! I really want to see her right now.”

“Of course you can. Just close your eyes first.”

Mei Fang helped Xia Yuan cover her eyes.

“Then, count down from ten.”

“Ten—nine—eight—seven—”

As Xia Yuan counted down, Lin Youxi emerged from the master bedroom. She first fixed her hair, smiled, and waved at Mei Fang, then walked over to Xia Yuan.

“Three—two—one—”

When Mei Fang released his hands, Xia Yuan opened her eyes and immediately received a big hug from Lin Youxi.

“Happy birthday, Yuan Yuan.”

Xia Yuan tightly hugged Lin Youxi in return.

“Were… were you at home all along? How come I couldn’t find you…”

“I hid in the closet after finishing the decorations.”

“Why would you hide there? And, could you even fit?”

“Want me to show you later?”

“Let’s—let’s celebrate the birthday first!”

Xia Yuan celebrated her 17th birthday with the blessings of Mei Fang and Lin Youxi.

After this year, they all agreed that they wouldn’t exchange birthday gifts anymore—just being together was the best birthday gift.

That night, Xia Yuan held Lin Youxi tightly, as if she didn’t want her to leave. The girls chatted closely, enjoying their time together.

“By the way, what wish did you put in the time capsule back then?”

“I really don’t remember… It was probably something like wishing we’d always be good friends.”

Xia Yuan mumbled, and Lin Youxi, still smiling, didn’t press further. Instead, she asked:

“By the way… Do you really not enjoy being alone with Ah Fang?”

“I didn’t say I don’t like it… It’s just… um…”

“Does a little competition make things more fun?” Lin Youxi smiled. “It seems you enjoy the feeling of sneaking around a lot.”

“N-no I don’t… I’m not that weird.”

At that moment, Lin Youxi suddenly leaned in close to Xia Yuan’s ear and whispered softly:

“Actually, I really hoped you could spend some good time with Ah Fang today. I even prepared some ‘safety measures’ for you two—they’re on the bedside table, you know?”

“Wha—what are you talking about, Youxi?! That’s too much!”

Meanwhile, far away at the Xia family home, in the drawer full of miscellaneous items in Xia Yuan’s room, sat an old time capsule treasure box.

Inside the time capsule was a small note, with a wish Xia Yuan had sealed seven years ago——

【Seven years later, we should all be high school students. By then, I want to be Mei Fang’s girlfriend.】