The long journey from Jiangcheng to Pengcheng was exhausting, yet Mei Lijun remained in high spirits the entire time, while Mei Fang seemed somewhat gloomy.
After extensive group chat discussions with Lin Youxi and Xia Yuan about Lin Youxi’s intention to “dump” him, Mei Fang pulled Lin Youxi aside for a talk during a rest stop.
“So… you’re saying we should publicly announce our breakup before starting college?”
“Late August would be the ideal timing. We can claim we’re prioritizing our careers and becoming each other’s exes.”
Lin Youxi patted Mei Fang’s shoulder. “You don’t seem too happy about this.”
“Getting dumped by my girlfriend isn’t exactly a mood booster.”
Mei Fang rested his chin on his hand, sighing. “And I feel like I failed at balancing things between you two. It’s frustrating.”
“Y-Yeah… This makes the time I spent publicly dating Ah Fang a few months longer than yours. Taking over right after would make me feel guilty too.”
“‘Taking over’? What are you ‘taking over’…?”
“Th-That’s not what I meant!”
Xia Yuan pouted. “So you’re saying all three of us should return to being single?”
“Exactly. Don’t you think our relationship has been too… dull lately? Think about how romance unfolds in typical love stories.”
Lin Youxi placed a hand over her heart, gazing dramatically at the sky as she explained:
“A destined encounter, love at first sight, the bickering phase of a tsundere couple, the sweetness of new love, misunderstandings, trials and tribulations, revelations, reconciliation, and finally—after overcoming hardships together—a happy ending. That’s what a memorable romance should look like.”
“Youxi… you’re 19 already, yet you sound like a lovestruck schoolgirl.”
Xia Yuan rolled her eyes. “I’m way past that phase. I’d rather go out for a nice meal with Ah Fang than deal with all that drama.”
“Seems like what you really want to ‘eat’ isn’t food, but little Ah Fang—”
“I-I never said that!”
Xia Yuan flushed red, then turned to Mei Fang. “We know each other too well at this point. It’s not easy to recapture that ‘new relationship’ feeling… Right, Ah Fang?”
Mei Fang stroked his chin. “I think what Youxi means is she wants to roleplay—to immerse ourselves in a romantic narrative, like those in novels, and re-experience the sweetness of falling in love. If I’m understanding correctly.”
Lin Youxi kissed Mei Fang’s cheek in approval.
“As expected of my Ah Fang. You get it immediately.”
“W-Wait, I still don’t understand. How exactly does this work…?”
Xia Yuan scratched her head. “We’re public figures now. Pretending not to know each other seems unrealistic.”
“Rather than explaining the appeal, maybe showing you would be better.”
Lin Youxi elaborated, “When we start college, Ah Fang and I will be publicly broken up. Given that, it’d make sense for us to act awkward and distant around each other, right?” New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on ɴovᴇl(ꜰ)ir(e).nᴇt
“But for an ex-couple to reconcile, there needs to be a catalyst, doesn’t there?”
Lin Youxi continued, “The process of going from exes back to lovers is where we rediscover romance. So we can’t just announce we’re back together abruptly—we need to establish our roles first.”
“For example, my character could be someone who broke up with Ah Fang to focus on our careers. Though we parted ways, there’s lingering affection. As colleagues who can’t avoid each other, subtle hints of unresolved feelings keep slipping out…”
“You could write a web novel or galgame with this level of detail.”
Mei Fang shook his head. “The settings are so elaborate.”
Inspired, Xia Yuan eagerly chimed in:
“Then my character could be… a glamorous star who’s secretly insecure, convinced you two are the better match, which led to our breakup.”
“Not bad. Interesting.” Lin Youxi applauded.
“Now that Youxi and Ah Fang have split, I worry he’ll be heartbroken, so I comfort him. As we reminisce, old feelings resurface, and I… start wanting Ah Fang for myself again.”
“Exactly! Doesn’t that sound fun?”
“Then Ah Fang, torn between his ex and former ex, finally realizes I’m the one he truly loves after certain events unfold. We publicly reunite, while Youxi watches tearfully as the losing heroine… Sounds hilarious, haha!”
A question mark appeared above Lin Youxi’s head. “Who said the roleplay has a predetermined ending…?”
“Huh? Wasn’t the next cycle supposed to be my turn?”
Xia Yuan scratched her head. “We agreed—one year for you, one year for me, taking turns breaking up and reconciling. That way, our parents would gradually accept the three-way relationship.”
“The original plan was indeed like that. But if the outcome is fixed, we’re just acting. Where’s the romance in that? It’d seem forced to outsiders too.”
Lin Youxi took Xia Yuan’s hand. “Since we’ve already decided to stay together forever, why not make a game out of ‘winning’ Ah Fang back? Doesn’t that sound exciting?”
After some thought, Xia Yuan grasped the concept. “Oh! So it’s like a galgame—we compete to see who can ‘conquer’ Ah Fang first, right?”
Lin Youxi nodded. “Now Yuan Yuan gets it.”
“Hey, don’t dump this dilemma on me!”
The master balancer Mei Fang protested. “My love for you two is absolutely, completely equal!”
“Ah Fang, it’s just a game. Why so serious?”
Xia Yuan pinched his cheeks. “Just like we have our roles, you’ll have yours too. You make decisions based on your character’s logic. As long as it feels authentic, it’s fine.”
Lin Youxi added, “Ah Fang is essentially the referee. But if your choices break immersion—like suddenly accepting my confession out of nowhere—we’ll punish you properly.”
Youxi… what goes on in that little head of yours…?
But recapturing that romantic spark…
It wasn’t a bad idea for maintaining their three-way bond.
Admittedly, while their constant affection was joyful, lately it had lacked depth, feeling more like primal instinct than true romance…
After some consideration, Mei Fang joined in:
“One condition, though—this stays lighthearted. Roleplay only in public or at school, and know when to stop. At home, we behave normally…”
Lin Youxi began groping Mei Fang while sweetly adding, “And of course, Ah Fang must still fulfill his… husbandly duties. Wouldn’t want you ‘exploring’ elsewhere during this game…”
“As if I would! What kind of man do you take me for?”