Chapter 239

Chapter 239: The Birthday Gift at Seventeen

In Jiangcheng, June was scorching hot, but July was truly unbearable, with temperatures outside capable of turning ice into steam.

Boarding students had never been more eager to stay in the classroom for intensive studies than they were now, as attending class with air conditioning was a delightful experience.

The classrooms only started using air conditioning by late June and stopped by late August, essentially serving the sophomores and those preparing for their senior year.

Freshmen did not need to attend extra classes during summer, a privilege exclusive to the students of Jiangcheng No. 1 High School.

Everyone officially ended their freshman year after completing final exams on July 3rd, entered summer vacation, and became sophomores-to-be.

Apart from the homework assigned in notebooks, there were numerous social practice activities for the summer. If one had participated in clubs, the activities could be quite varied. Thus, if one chose to stay in Jiangcheng, there were plenty of things to do.

Mei Fang, Xia Yuan, and Lin You Xi naturally had no intention of returning home for the summer, but Liang Meijuan had some desire to go back and visit. Upon learning that the trio didn’t plan to return home, she felt somewhat conflicted. Lin You Xi noticed her mother’s thoughts and proposed that the three of them could take care of themselves in Jiangcheng.

This proposal naturally raised an alert with Mei Fang’s mother, Xiang Xiaoxia.

She called Mei Fang and sternly advised him to spend more time at home to help his sister with her homework.

But Mei Fang knew what his mother was concerned about.

On one hand, he sent his sister Mei Ya a high-end model kit she had long desired, earning her support. On the other hand, he summoned Yue Yue, who was currently working as a “freelancer” in Jiangcheng, asking her to replace Liang Meijuan in taking care of the three.

Under the dual efforts of Mei Yue and Mei Ya, Xiang Xiaoxia finally relented but still gave Mei Fang many verbal warnings and advice over the phone.

It wasn’t just to be intimate, Mother.

I haven’t finished this game yet; I need to release “Journey in the Clouds” during this time…

Mei Fang had set the official launch date for “Journey in the Clouds” as August 25th.

Unlike the simpler productions of “Monarchy” and “Life Reboot Simulator,” this was a large-scale independent game that would elevate Simulacrum Studio from a small workshop to a reputable studio within the industry.

“Journey in the Clouds” had been in development for nearly a year since its inception. As an independent game project and part-time operation, the development period wasn’t overly long. However, as high school students, they had limited time left.

Unless they revealed their identities as the C-Station administrators, convincing their parents to continue supporting their game development under the pressure of college entrance exams was virtually impossible.

Moreover, both Mei Fang and Lin You Xi had planned to participate in the National Olympiad in Informatics (NOI) in their sophomore year, leaving no time for anything else.

Although Mei Fang had many cards up his sleeve, given his cautious and steady nature, he intended to keep them hidden until necessary.

After bidding farewell to Liang Meijuan, Mei Yue came to Mei Fang’s neighborhood the next day to fulfill her role as a temporary guardian, even video calling Xiang Xiaoxia.

Additionally, Mei Yue separately reported to her cousin Mei Fang about the progress of setting up the company.

At Mei Fang’s instruction, Mei Yue was now applying to register two companies simultaneously. First was the largest C-Station, named Lin Xi Technology. Second was Simulacrum Studio, submitting under the name Simulacrum.

“The materials for registering C-Station and Simulacrum Studio have been submitted, and we should receive our business licenses within a month. I also need to find an office space… Is it okay to start both companies together? Otherwise, managing them would be troublesome.”

“No problem, you can determine the budget first, and I’ll allocate it to you.”

When Mei Yue asked her cousin, “Does ‘Lin Xi Technology’ mean you plan to eventually hand over the entire C-Station to You Xi?”

“Well… Is there any issue with that? You Xi is the founder of C-Station, both externally and internally.”

Although Mei Yue had once questioned this, she believed that Mei Fang and Xia Yuan were in a relationship.

“I know you guys are close, but this is a business matter. Even brothers settle accounts clearly. Moreover, you’re just childhood friends.”

“What do you mean by just childhood friends…”

Mei Fang shook his head and smiled, “Since we started C-Station in junior high, I’ve said it’s a gift for her, and she will naturally manage it in the future. If we don’t trust each other, then You Xi and I shouldn’t live together.”

Mei Fang trusted his childhood friend deeply, especially since he pursued his career to achieve self-worth, with big money already secured.

However, in Mei Yue’s eyes, C-Station was a massive enterprise worth several million assets, something beyond ordinary people’s imagination. Entrusting it entirely to Lin You Xi seemed unreasonable.

“Of course, I understand your concerns… But don’t worry too much. Before we go public, I handle all external capital operations, and they fully trust me. All the money is managed by me.”

“As for dividing shares after going public, my idea is to let You Xi hold some shares. If she doesn’t get any shares, she would just be my high-level employee, without substantive status in the board meetings. That would be exhausting.”

“You’re so young and knowledgeable… Since you understand it clearly, I won’t say more.”

Mei Yue originally wanted to say that her relationship with You Xi couldn’t remain so good, especially after she and Xia Yuan went public. Given You Xi’s strong personality, she wouldn’t silently bless their relationship. If it ended in a breakup, it would certainly impact the company’s future.

But the future was uncertain. Perhaps after some time with Yuan Yuan, Mei Yue might find You Xi more appealing and decide to be with her. Such matters were unpredictable.

In name, Mei Yue took over Liang Meijuan’s role in taking care of the trio, but in reality, she mostly spent her days eating, drinking, and sleeping. Household chores were mostly done by Lin You Xi, cleaning by Xia Yuan, and Mei Fang handled heavy lifting and expenses.

However, the trio enjoyed this lifestyle.

For Mei Fang and Lin You Xi, every summer meant preparing for a special day—Xia Yuan’s birthday.

Yuan Yuan’s lunar birthday was on June 13th, which often fell during summer break. This year was no exception.

Early in the morning, before Xia Yuan and Mei Yue woke up, Mei Fang found Lin You Xi busy in the kitchen when he got up. He walked over to observe her.

“What are you cooking today? Can I taste it? I’m a bit hungry.”

“Hmm… Try this.”

Lin You Xi put something in her mouth while Mei Fang leaned in, then gently held his cheek, giving him a sweet morning kiss before placing the food in his mouth.

“How does it taste?”

“Tasty, tasty, it’s honey dates.”

Mei Fang wasn’t surprised by Lin You Xi’s actions, as such moments occurred frequently after Aunt Liang Meijuan left. He licked his lips and savored the taste, while Lin You Xi continued to tend to the frying eggs in the pan.

“Speaking of which, what gift do you plan to give her for her birthday this year?”

“I haven’t decided yet, just like before.”

“But it’s Yuan Yuan’s seventeenth birthday. If you don’t prepare carefully, she might be very sad.”

Mei Fang was puzzled, “It’s neither the legal age of 16 nor the coming-of-age 18. What’s so special about seventeen? We both had simple birthdays this year, and you turned 17 too.”

“It has nothing to do with me. It’s mainly Yuan Yuan’s birthday. This is a little agreement between us.”

Lin You Xi explained, “I promised Yuan Yuan to give her the most unforgettable seventeenth birthday gift, so I hope you can help me and deliver the gift together.”

“Before? I haven’t heard about this… When did you promise her?”

Lin You Xi smiled slightly, “Seven years ago.”

(End of Chapter)