Chapter 139

Chapter 139: The Professional Ethics of a Water Balancing Master (5000 words)

Back in his fourth year, Mei Fang had already planned to be with Yuan Yuan and You Xi forever. However, in this modern urban life, Mei Fang’s ambitions faced many obstacles.

Apart from the well-known objective factors (social opinion, family pressure, moral and legal constraints), the thoughts of the two individuals themselves were also crucial.

Firstly, Mei Fang knew that both Lin You Xi and Xia Yuan were high-spirited girls who wouldn’t quietly step back or willingly become a mistress or a side character.

Even though You Xi used to be Xia Yuan’s little follower and thought she would yield in their relationship, she was now clearly not giving up on herself.

When they were young, You Xi had told Mei Fang that she would give anything to Yuan Yuan.

However, after the event where Lin’s father remarried and entered her bed, Mei Fang realized that You Xi’s intentions had changed.

Moreover, recently, she had been aggressively pursuing him.

Overall, whether he could balance everything equally became the key point for achieving his goal.

Therefore, Mei Fang’s attitude towards Yuan Yuan and You Xi had always been to deepen his connections with both without showing any inclination.

Of course, most of these events were not deliberately planned by Mei Fang; he just happened to appear at the right time and place.

As for whether people would think he was being fickle—

Come on! We’re childhood friends! It’s normal for childhood friends to have such close relationships!

Don’t you think so?

Maybe that’s because you don’t have a childhood friend or your childhood friend has a terrible personality.

In short, Yuan Yuan and You Xi and I have such a good relationship…

If the water isn’t balanced, the one receiving less attention will feel like they aren’t the first priority and come second to the other person.

Once Mei Fang’s feelings had an order, the second person would always be in a passive or third-party mindset.

So Mei Fang treated both of them equally. Even when alone with either of them, he never said he liked Yuan Yuan or You Xi the most.

This was also because You Xi and Yuan Yuan were indeed excellent and cute enough, and Mei Fang could only understand it as a blessing from a past life.

Mei Fang also hoped that Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi would have their own stages rather than being his appendages.

Only then would they feel relied upon by Mei Fang and believe each other was outstanding, instead of silently stepping back because they thought they were better than him.

The most dangerous period was when Yuan Yuan suffered through physics during junior high school.

At that time, Yuan Yuan might have felt she couldn’t keep up with You Xi and Mei Fang, leading to self-abandonment. Fortunately, Mei Fang eventually found a new direction for all three of them to work towards.

Furthermore, Yuan Yuan and You Xi’s naturally close relationship was also a prerequisite for Mei Fang’s balancing act.

If the two didn’t know each other well, they would have to learn some manipulative tricks, which was not something Mei Fang would do. If that were the case, he would rather choose between the two.

Emotions mixed with enormous, unforgivable deceptions; no matter how much they proclaimed their love, it would seem very fake.

In summary, balancing the water was paramount. Mei Fang had spent ten years with the two of them, understanding them deeply. Yuan Yuan’s goals and intentions were completely within Mei Fang’s control.

Thus, when facing Yuan Yuan’s question, if Mei Fang inadvertently gave a biased answer, it would surely plant the seeds for future tragedy.

So Mei Fang took a deep breath and smiled, “I like beautiful things.”

“You’re not saying anything new! Is there anyone who likes ugly things?”

Xia Yuan tapped Mei Fang’s head, “Also, you can’t say someone with a good figure. You should say tall or petite.”

“Cough, cough, it was just a joke. I’m not that shallow.”

Mei Fang smiled slightly, “I prefer girls who I can talk to and share common interests with.”

“Hmm… That’s quite abstract!”

“Indeed, it’s an abstract concept. When we’re together, there’s a sense of security, not feeling awkward, and being able to be our true selves.”

Xia Yuan lowered her head in thought. Seeing this, Mei Fang continued, “If I have to give an example, being with you and You Xi feels like this.”

“Mm…”

Xia Yuan received what felt like a confession from Mei Fang, her heart fluttering as she lowered her head and smiled unconsciously.

She pushed Mei Fang gently, “Our relationship is definitely very close, after all, we’re childhood friends.”

But… she still hadn’t said who she preferred being with.

Should she ask?

But asking would force Ah Fang to make a choice.

Regardless of whether I win or lose, would You Xi think I’m destroying our agreement and hate me forever?

I like Ah Fang, but losing You Xi this way—

Seeing Xia Yuan pouting as if she might cry, Mei Fang reached out and gently pinched Xia Yuan’s cheek.

“What’s wrong?”

“Are you worried about messing up the performance at the summer camp closing ceremony?”

“No way, how could I…”

Xia Yuan held the guitar and tried to look proud, “I’m super amazing, Yuan Yuan!”

“Okay, okay, I know you’re amazing. Me and You Xi will always support you. Keep practicing!”

“Wait, wait, Ah Fang hasn’t had his energy replenished today!”

Xia Yuan put down the guitar and stood up, but then suddenly pulled Mei Fang to sit down.

“Wait, let’s change positions today. Just like this.”

“Hey, hey, we’re outside the neighborhood! Someone might see us!”

“It’s fine, no one knows us…”

Xia Yuan straddled Mei Fang and hugged him tightly.

Cough…

Mei Fang’s body started trembling again.

Aside from the balancing act, the ability to remain calm in such situations required long-term training.

While hugging Mei Fang, Xia Yuan felt a pang of guilt towards You Xi.

I promised Ah Fang to make his own choices, yet I keep running behind You Xi’s back, almost causing a big mistake.

Am I being too sneaky…

Since they started living together, Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi shared a room.

They often slept together since elementary school, so it wasn’t unusual for them. There was no need to go into detail.

After high school, while the first few days were exciting, their relationship had become more mundane lately.

There were pressures from studying and working, but Xia Yuan knew the main reason was elsewhere.

That night, after finishing work around 10 PM, Lin You Xi came in after showering and saw Xia Yuan staring at the door.

“Yuan Yuan, what are you thinking about?”

“Not much!” Xia Yuan patted the bedsheet and smiled at Lin You Xi, “Let’s go to bed.”

Lin You Xi sneezed before even getting under the covers.

Xia Yuan quickly asked, “Is the air conditioner too cold?”

“No, it’s just my old habit. You know that.” Lin You Xi smiled.

“But your nasal congestion has improved a lot. I haven’t seen you sneeze much lately.”

“Yeah… It just got better on its own.”

“That’s good. I heard surgery doesn’t help with this.”

“That’s true… So I didn’t have to—”

Lin You Xi was about to say more when Xia Yuan suddenly reached out and rubbed her stomach.

“What are you doing?”

Lin You Xi simply expressed confusion, but she was used to Yuan Yuan touching her randomly, so she didn’t mind.

“I envy you, You Xi. Your stomach is smooth, no fat at all.”

Xia Yuan muttered, “I can’t say the same. Standing is fine, but sitting makes me have a little belly…”

“Only a little. I heard some guys like girls with a bit of meat on them.” Lin You Xi smiled.

“Really? Where did you hear that from?”

“From a book. Yue Xinyi lent me a novel.”

Lin You Xi pointed to the bookshelf, “I still have a few left. She said to keep them as a memento. If you want to read them, you can, they’re interesting.”

“Okay, I’ll read them sometime!”

Xia Yuan hugged Lin You Xi again, whispering in her ear like a girlfriend, “Speaking of which, after the final exams, do you want to go shopping in the city center?”

“Sure… Can we?”

Lin You Xi thought for a moment, “Two people mean not inviting Ah Fang?”

“No, no, just us! Mainly buying clothes, so no need to call him.”

“You know, he never helps us pick clothes. He always sits somewhere sleeping, it’s boring.”

“That’s true… And asking him to carry stuff is also bad. Let him rest.”

“Yes, yes, he’s been busy lately.”

Xia Yuan blushed, remembering how she often invited Mei Fang to hug her secretly.

Lin You Xi also blushed, recalling how she often teased Mei Fang.

Both felt guilty due to their recent secret meetings, holding each other tighter.

“You Xi, let’s turn off the air conditioner. Your hands and legs are too cold, you’re freezing me.”

“Okay.”

There was no need to describe the rest of the summer camp schedule, which was essentially a routine of school, reading, and homework.

Since Jiangcheng No. 1 Attached High School mainly recruited students from county schools, aiming to synchronize their middle school curriculum, most of the content before the final exam was focused on main subjects.

Occasionally, there were movie nights on Friday evenings.

Originally expecting patriotic educational films like those from home, Jiangcheng No. 1 Attached High School dared to screen the newly released American film “Crazy, Stupid, Love” last year.

The film told a story about a boy and girl next door, exploring themes of growth and youth through their childhood and teenage years.

Simply put, it was a pure and healing coming-of-age film about childhood friends.

During the movie, Xia Yuan quietly pulled Lin You Xi to find Mei Fang. They carried chairs and snuck to the back to watch, with Bingbing covering for them.

After a week of intense preparation, everyone faced the most important class placement exam.

For the trio, this exam was no longer critical; they participated based on their usual abilities.

Three days after the class placement exam, the closing ceremony of the 2011 Jiangcheng No. 1 Attached High School summer camp for county students was held in the school’s grand hall.

The ceremony was mainly hosted by the senior students from the 2010 grade, dressed in elegant and beautiful gowns. They introduced the various splendid programs with professional voices.

It was somewhat unexpected for Mei Fang that almost all the programs were prepared by the seniors from the 2010 grade.

But it made sense. The county students were unfamiliar with each other and busy preparing for the class placement exam.

There weren’t many participants with personal talents like Xia Yuan.

During the rehearsals, Xia Yuan, seeing the seniors’ professional and magnificent performances, felt a bit nervous. Luckily, the final result was good.

But just before Xia Yuan was about to perform, she left the dressing room after getting ready.

She found Mei Fang and Lin You Xi who had already cheered her on.

Now dressed in a long tie blouse resembling a sailor suit from Sakura Country, paired with a plaid skirt, white knee-high socks, and red lace-up shoes, Xia Yuan looked enchanting to Mei Fang.

She grabbed Mei Fang’s hand, her eyes shimmering with a pleading look beneath the sparkling eyeshadow, her red lips pursed, clearly looking for more encouragement.

Ah, wanting it again?

Before Mei Fang could decide, Lin You Xi pushed him from behind.

“Go on, I’ll cover for you.”

Mei Fang no longer hesitated, pulling Xia Yuan to a dark corner backstage for a quick hug.

“It’s okay… Your original work, and you’ve practiced so much. Your talent, You Xi and I have witnessed. You’re not worse than them. Go for it.”

Xia Yuan didn’t speak, just hugged Mei Fang tightly for a while before letting go.

She returned to her position, hugged Lin You Xi for a bit, then went back to the dressing room to wait for her turn. Hugs among girls never caused gossip.

Together, they watched Xia Yuan enter, finally putting their minds at ease.

Mei Fang and Lin You Xi stood in the front row of the hall, waiting for Yuan Yuan’s appearance.

“You Xi, does the camera still have battery?”

“Not much, just waiting for Yuan Yuan to perform.”

The digital camera in Lin You Xi’s hand was the top-of-the-line Olympus E-P3 from 2011. Of course, Mei Fang had bought it for her.

She didn’t know Mei Fang’s habit of buying expensive items, but after using it, she learned to take photos seriously.

“We’ll record only Yuan Yuan’s part and upload it to C Station.”

“Do we need to recommend her in the best spot? I can arrange it.”

“Not for now,” Mei Fang smiled at You Xi, “You know, Yuan Yuan doesn’t like cheating. We can just add some weight to her in the ‘As You Like It’ section…”

Just as Mei Fang spoke, Lin You Xi stared at him for a while, then took out a tissue from her pocket, wiping Mei Fang’s neck.

Mei Fang was confused, and Lin You Xi showed him the lipstick mark on the tissue, expressionless.

“!!”

Oh no, the balancing act is in trouble!

Mei Fang pretended to be shy, scratching his head, “Hey, I was just talking to Yuan Yuan and didn’t notice this. Must have gotten smudged…”

Then Lin You Xi did her favorite mischievous action from childhood, whispering in Mei Fang’s ear,

“If Yuan Yuan can do it… then I can too, right?”

“Ah… That’s a bit strange… But, why not…”

After some vague responses, Mei Fang finally agreed to Lin You Xi’s suggestion.

No matter how skilled a water-balancing master was, they always had to face this sad reality:

Most of the time, they could only add water to keep things balanced; spilling water would only chase away the girls.

Gradually adding water, sooner or later, you’d face the situation where the water was almost full, threatening to overflow.

And the outcome at that point depended on whether you truly managed to balance the water throughout the long race.

“What is youth? What is the taste of youth?”

“Youth is full of challenges, imagination, and passion!”

“The next performer is truly remarkable because she is a new student from the summer camp!”

“She will showcase her talent and hard work with a captivating performance of youthful storm!”

“Now, please enjoy the original song and solo guitar performance by Xia Yuan from Class 6 of the summer camp — ‘In That Not-Too-Distant Place,’ ‘Lanshan Memory!'”

Under the enthusiastic applause, Xia Yuan walked onto the stage holding her beloved guitar.

After a gentle bow, she looked at Mei Fang and Lin You Xi waving at her.

She smiled brightly and began her first performance at Jiangcheng No. 1 Attached High School.

Although she hadn’t been feeling well lately, her condition was actually pretty good. This chapter is packed with content, and it’s 5000 words long.

(End of Chapter)