Chapter 341

Chapter 341: If Alternate Ending – Destiny Preordained: Fang and Xi Part 2

After making the decision with Lin You Xi to develop a game about life in Bai Mei County, Mei Fang’s daily routine began to shift slightly.

— He became busier than ever before.

Why did I agree to this on a whim…

Mei Fang sat in front of his computer screen, recalling what had happened a month ago on Valentine’s Day—

He stayed late at work as usual, then bought some food from the convenience store downstairs. There he met an old classmate from Bai Mei County.

This classmate was also his high school alumni, kindergarten classmate, and someone in the gaming industry like him, one being the main programmer and the other the main planner.

This perfectly timed coincidence led Mei Fang to talk more with her.

Such an encounter should have been enough, but Mei Fang inexplicably got into her car, went to her house, and started discussing game design ideas until dawn.

That night, Mei Fang and Lin You Xi decided on the name and genre for their game, planning to develop a simulation and cultivation game titled “Bai Mei County Time.” Players would play as a local teenager growing up in Bai Mei County, from childhood ignorance to adulthood.

Games like these had existed on Steam before, such as “Chinese Parents” and “Perfect Day,” which could be considered childhood nostalgia games.

However, Lin You Xi believed that due to touch interaction limitations, there wouldn’t be a realistic feel. She wanted to develop a pixel-style RPG game with a large map to explore, as she wanted to recreate all her memories.

Though Mei Fang joined Lin You Xi’s development plan as a planner, the title of producer still belonged to Lin You Xi. After several discussions and confirmation of feasibility, they decided to follow Lin You Xi’s approach.

Of course, while they were collaborating, Lin You Xi made it clear about profit distribution:

“You’re helping me complete my development plan, so you’re essentially working for me. I can pay you a monthly salary, but since I need to keep funds for outsourced art, I can’t give you too much…”

“It’s okay, I’m interested in this project anyway… And it’s just part-time. If you insist I need compensation to feel secure, then I want 10% of the net profit.”

“This game might end up losing money, so you won’t get anything then.”

Lin You Xi smiled at Mei Fang, “Isn’t a stable monthly salary of ten thousand yuan very attractive?”

You mean a little bit of money is actually ten thousand yuan?

No wonder you’re the main programmer for Penguin!

Mei Fang regretted not accepting directly. Although he was the main planner, his salary was only around twenty thousand yuan in his small company. This part-time job offered so much more, which was really appealing.

But if this money could be used to hire outsourced help, it would be great…

Mei Fang thought for a moment and nodded, “At our age, we should think about doing something meaningful!”

Because the two companies were close by, Lin You Xi usually invited Mei Fang out for lunch and dinner to discuss the previous day’s system planning implementation.

Lin You Xi’s gaming experience wasn’t as deep as Mei Fang imagined. Apparently, she started playing games in college, which made it harder for Mei Fang to introduce games to her.

However, Lin You Xi played and analyzed the games Mei Fang mentioned the next day, discussing their excellent designs and interactive logic with him.

They talked enthusiastically because they were eating in the public cafeteria in the office building. Over time, their conversations naturally drew the attention of colleagues.

“Why, isn’t Fang going out to eat with us anymore? Is something going on?”

“Cao, haven’t you noticed yet? Fang has been eating with the beautiful woman from Penguin every day!”

“Oh, really? It’s like an iron tree blooming. I thought Fang had no interest in women.”

“He’s not interested in women, is he interested in you? She’s just picky… Oh, Fang’s new girlfriend is really beautiful.”

“But Fang doesn’t look too good lately, must be tired.”

“With such a beautiful girlfriend and working so hard, he must be exhausted! Haha…”

Mei Fang didn’t have time to deal with his friends’ gossip as Lin You Xi’s progress was rapid. His planning proposals were submitted and implemented quickly, followed by detailed discussions.

“Ah… This… Is like this…”

Two weeks of intensity was manageable, but his regular workload was heavy. This back-and-forth made him drowsy, nearly falling asleep at work.

“Fang, look at this modification according to the plan, we — Fang?”

Mei Fang snapped out of it under his subordinate’s urging and rubbed his eyes.

“Fang, have you been sleeping badly lately? You look so sleepy.”

“Yeah… A bit insomniac.”

“Working under constant pressure isn’t good; why don’t you take a couple days off?”

“We haven’t iterated the version yet, where’s the time to rest? I’ll take a half-day break at most.”

“Fang, you’re pushing yourself too hard; your girlfriend will worry.”

“Stop it, I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Fang, you’re not young anymore and you’re still shy? Hahaha!”

Mei Fang knew they were talking about Lin You Xi.

She was indeed a dazzling and pitiful girl. Mei Fang just wanted to finish the game with her.

Right after finishing his work, Mei Fang received a message from [Shan You Lin Xi].

[Can we test the shop system today? Come over to my place and develop it? I’ll treat you to dinner.]

She seemed very enthusiastic.

Mei Fang, thinking about the package he needed to release, gritted his teeth and messaged Lin You Xi:

Mei: [Sorry, I can’t today…]

Lin: [Another overtime?]

Mei: [Yes, I need to release a package, and there are many bugs left to fix.]

Lin: [What bugs? Let me see, I can help fix them.]

Mei: [That might not be appropriate…]

Lin: [Don’t trust my skills?]

Mei: [Of course not!]

Lin: [Then you’ve lost interest in this project.]

Mei: [No way! I’m just a bit tired recently…]

Lin: [Alright, take a rest today. We won’t eat together.]

Is she angry?

She must be angry!

How do you console a girl when she’s upset?

This is the super female prodigy from Bai Mei High School, can’t just brush her off…

Without dating experience, Mei Fang didn’t know how to handle this. But with too much work on hand, he couldn’t consider Lin You Xi’s feelings. He could only focus on his current job.

By the time he finished work and fixed the bugs, it was already 3:30 PM. It took him an hour to get home by taxi, during which he thought about messaging Lin You Xi but hesitated and didn’t send it.

When he got home, Mei Fang took a shower and fell asleep immediately. When he woke up the next day, it was already 11 AM.

He didn’t have to work in the morning. Mei Fang washed up, cooked some noodles, and then picked up his phone to check WeChat messages to Lin You Xi, sending her a message.

[I just finished work… Do you want to have lunch together? Let’s discuss the system from yesterday.]

…

Then, Mei Fang saw a red exclamation mark.

[Message sent, but rejected by the recipient.]

[???]

[Message sent, but rejected by the recipient.]

Mei Fang suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Did he get blocked by Lin You Xi because he was careless yesterday?

It’s just because of overtime… I have plenty of my own things to do.

Mei Fang thought Lin You Xi was overreacting, but he didn’t interact much with girls. Plus, her background made her fragile and sensitive, so he reluctantly called Lin You Xi.

The line kept ringing, but it didn’t disconnect.

Didn’t you notice?

I’ll call back later…

Mei Fang felt a bit bitter. He really had a lot of work, but Lin You Xi couldn’t understand him.

She was only focused on her game, and maybe he was just a tool to her, not important.

If not for his talent as a planner and his familiarity with Bai Mei County, this project could be done by anyone else.

But at his age, feeling jealous over this is pretty embarrassing.

Forget it, let’s not talk about this.

While commuting by subway, Mei Fang called Lin You Xi again. This time, the call didn’t go unanswered; it was cut off right after the first ring.

[I’m sorry, the user you are calling is busy.]

What does that mean?

After all the hard work over a month, we were chatting happily every noon and evening. How could she turn so cold so quickly?

Are all girls this difficult to communicate with?

Or is it just Lin You Xi?

No wonder she’s single all this time… She really has a bad temper!

But Mei Fang, though angry, was reluctant to give up on the game he had worked on for a month. He hadn’t experienced such joy in pursuing his dreams in a long time. So, he decided to find a way to contact Lin You Xi.

He sent her a message.

[Yesterday was my fault… I know you care about this game, but please understand me. Our team is preparing for the product launch and needs to work overtime. I have no choice.]

[I love the game you want to make, and I really want to finish this project with you.]

[Forget it… Just calm down… I feel the current pace is too fast. Contact me when you’re ready.]

Damn!

Mei Fang felt increasingly like a clingy dog, his frustration growing stronger.

After so many years in society, he should know better… In the workplace, no one indulges your bad temper unless you’re the boss or CEO…

But, she’s been alone all these years, even without someone to drink with, and she’s been this way since high school… I should have prepared myself for this…

Just as Mei Fang was trying to make amends, Lin You Xi sent another message.

[Just pretend I’m dead.]

…

What?

Hey, what does she mean by that?

Let me pretend she’s dead and stop bothering her?

Just because I seemed less enthusiastic about the game?

She’s too sensitive and difficult to deal with!

Mei Fang’s fondness for Lin You Xi dropped to rock bottom. If this woman was so hard to talk to, completing the project would be difficult. The sunk cost wasn’t too high, so it might be a good time to pull out.

…

That’s what it is.

During work in the afternoon, the image of the woman drinking alone at the bar on Valentine’s Day, looking both beautiful and sorrowful, lingered in Mei Fang’s mind.

Frankly speaking, in the past month, he had developed feelings for her.

Lin You Xi was exceptionally talented, working on games with intense dedication. Her programming skills were extraordinary, surpassing the combined efforts of all programmers in his company.

Of course, this was only regarding work.

In real life, Lin You Xi wasn’t difficult to get along with. She and Mei Fang had an instant connection, often laughing together. Sometimes, she would tease Mei Fang a bit, and occasionally she would call herself his older sister, contrasting sharply with her usually aloof demeanor…

But, her temper was too unpredictable.

Should he wait until she calms down before contacting her?

After leaving work early, Mei Fang waited downstairs in the office building, hoping to bump into Lin You Xi. He even checked the convenience store but didn’t see her.

…

If only he knew her friends.

But, given her situation, besides Xia Yuan, her childhood friend, she probably doesn’t have many close friends…

Looking at the brightly lit convenience store nearby, Mei Fang’s mind involuntarily recalled her appearance and presence.

…

Sigh…

Even if I’m seen as a stalker, I accept it…

Some things need to be clarified clearly.

Mei Fang took a taxi and sent a text to Lin You Xi.

[I came to your place to talk things through. Let’s settle this properly, okay? Don’t leave the game unfinished.]

…

There was no response.

Mei Fang didn’t dwell on it and directly took a taxi to Lin You Xi’s place.

Her house was close to the company, just a 10-minute drive, but Mei Fang was eager to see her.

Let’s clarify everything. If we’re not continuing the project, give me a clear answer and explain the reasons!

Lin You Xi lived in an old neighborhood from the 2000s, but the facilities were complete. Mei Fang took the elevator to her floor and knocked on her door, but there was no response.

Coincidentally, a delivery man passed by and rang the neighbor’s door. This gave Mei Fang an idea.

So, Mei Fang knocked again and called out softly, “Hello, your delivery is here.”

Sure enough, a voice came from inside.

But it was slow.

Mei Fang held his breath, waiting for another meeting with Lin You Xi.

The door opened.

Lin You Xi appeared in front of Mei Fang, wearing a pink one-piece pajama and looking disheveled and exhausted.

Lin You Xi looked surprised upon seeing Mei Fang.

But after a brief moment, Lin You Xi extended her hand towards Mei Fang.

“Where’s the delivery? Give it to me.”

“You really took me for a delivery guy!”

Mei Fang teased Lin You Xi, who then laughed awkwardly, “I had a fever today and didn’t go to work.”

“Oh…”

The atmosphere became awkward again. Mei Fang wanted to enter but wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to disturb her.

But, if he didn’t ask face-to-face, he would regret it…

So, he cleared his throat and asked Lin You Xi gently,

“Why did you delete me? I’m really hurt.”

“Only hurt?”

Lin You Xi shook her head at Mei Fang with a smile, “Aren’t normal people supposed to get mad and ignore me?”

“Maybe I’m not normal?”

“That makes us quite similar.”

Lin You Xi smiled and opened the door for Mei Fang, “Anyway… come in first and let’s talk.”

Mei Fang entered the house, scratching his head, and asked Lin You Xi,

“So, why did you say those things? Are you not planning to work on the game with me anymore?”

“In fact, I forgot to take my medicine recently and felt like an old illness was about to flare up, which might scare you.”

“Medicine?”

“Yes, exactly.”

Lin You Xi picked up a box of lithium carbonate from the table and showed it to Mei Fang, then smiled, “Actually, I have a mental illness, bipolar disorder. I spent over two months in a psychiatric hospital last year before they released me.”

Tonight still has Chapter 3, don’t worry.