Chapter 34 Chapter 34: Rain Soaked the Sky – Part 4
Xu Yecheng picked up a piece of the cold appetizer—apparently raw fish, though it didn’t look like salmon—and popped it into his mouth. At that exact moment, someone at the table made a remark, and Xu Yecheng absentmindedly poured himself a glass of beer. But he hadn’t controlled his breath properly, and the wasabi hit him full force.
A sharp, searing spiciness shot up his nose. Instantly, tears welled in his eyes and spilled over.
Zheng Wenxuan froze at the sight of Xu Yecheng blinking back tears. “Babe Cheng, what’s wrong? Why… why are you crying…?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, every pair of eyes at the table turned toward Xu Yecheng.
“Got choked by wasabi,” Xu Yecheng muttered, his hand trembling slightly as he gripped the beer bottle.
“You two are really close, huh?” Liu Xianlin teased. “Calling him ‘babe Cheng’ already?”
Zheng Wenxuan suddenly realized he’d slipped up. He coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment. “It’s just a dad’s loving nickname for his son—don’t you get it?”
“Aww, it’s fine!” another guy chimed in with a grin. “We’re all cool with it. What era do you think this is? Not some old-fashioned, closed-off society.”
“Exactly!”
The girls at the table giggled along.
Xu Yecheng felt utterly mortified.
He rarely ate wasabi—so of course he had no tolerance for it.
But worse than that? He’d just embarrassed himself in front of his *ex*. That stung deeply, even if no one else at the table—except Ji Qingying—knew about their past.
Everyone raised their glasses. Xu Yecheng stood too and downed his beer in one go.
His verdict? Not as good as that little green bottle he sometimes bought. This one tasted bitter—really bitter.
Though the table was laden with what could only be described as genuine delicacies, Xu Yecheng had no appetite.
“How did you two get together, He Shen?” a girl beside Ji Qingying asked—likely one of her roommates. “We’d love to hear your love story~”
Xu Yecheng watched as He Xiaohan smiled faintly. He took a slow, unhurried sip of beer, his movements smooth and composed.
“Well…” He Xiaohan began, his voice softening slightly, “Qingying must’ve already told you all about it in your dorm, right?”
The moment he said that, Ji Qingying’s cheeks flushed pink—clearly caught off guard, as if he’d just revealed something private.
He Xiaohan set his glass down. “It’s exactly as she described. Nothing more to add.”
“Ohhh, so that’s how it was~”
“I actually saw rumors about Senior He on the school forum before… Are they true?” another girl asked tentatively.
He Xiaohan smiled warmly. “Don’t call me ‘senior’—just use my name.” He paused briefly, then added, “Yes, it’s true. That’s who I used to be.”
He reached over and gently took Ji Qingying’s hand. “But Xiao Ying deserves someone better—and she gave me a chance to change. I won’t let her down.”
As he finished speaking, his eyes flicked toward the curious girl—but this time, there was a subtle chill in his gaze.
Across the table, Xu Yecheng sat utterly bewildered.
Is this some palace intrigue drama? Or am I just imagining things?
In that instant, Ji Qingying looked flustered—more than Xu Yecheng had ever seen her during their relationship. Her face was flushed, eyes shimmering with a kind of bashful happiness he’d never witnessed before.
“Aww, that’s so sweet! Wishing you two eternal love!” Zheng Wenxuan beside Xu Yecheng cheered.
He Xiaohan’s eyes drifted almost imperceptibly toward Xu Yecheng’s face—lingering for a beat before turning away.
“Yeah, forever and ever~”
Everyone echoed the blessing and raised another toast. Xu Yecheng followed suit.
“Thank you all for the good wishes,” He Xiaohan said politely, still smiling gently.
After everyone sat back down, Liu Xianlin chimed in, “Now, what about the birthday boy’s love story? We wanna hear yours!”
Zheng Wenxuan scrunched up his face like an angry Spanish fighting bull. “My love life? Total garbage… Nothing worth telling.”
“Come on! Just tell us—we’re dying to know!”
Zheng Wenxuan sighed dramatically, his expression suddenly solemn and deeply nostalgic.
“Back in kindergarten… I was actually kissed by a girl once.”
“Ooooh~!” The group erupted in playful cheers.
“What happened after? Did you two end up together?”
Zheng Wenxuan exhaled heavily, eyes filled with regret.
“Sadly, I was too young and dumb. Thought she was gross—slapped her right back. Looking back now… man, I’m a piece of shit.”
“You broke a little girl’s pure heart…” Liu Xianlin said mournfully—though the corners of his mouth kept twitching upward.
“Don’t dwell on the past, Brother Xuan!” another guy lifted his glass. “Here’s to you—may you find love soon!”
Xu Yecheng sat stiffly beside them, forcing a smile. He felt completely out of place in this cheerful banter.
“My love story’s seriously boring,” Zheng Wenxuan said, setting his glass down. Then he turned to Xu Yecheng. “How about you, Yecheng? Tell us yours—I’m curious.”
All eyes swiveled to Xu Yecheng.
He froze. His face burned with embarrassment.
“My love life… no comment,” he murmured quietly.
He Xiaohan gave a faint, unreadable smile—but Xu Yecheng kept his head down and didn’t see it.
“Oh… uh…” Zheng Wenxuan immediately sensed something was off. “Let’s… talk about something else. That topic’s too sensitive.”
Hearing that, Xu Yecheng just sank deeper into silence.
He hadn’t eaten much during the meal, though everyone else seemed to be having a great time. After dinner, Zheng Wenxuan suggested going karaoke. Xu Yecheng hated noisy places like that—so he told Zheng he wasn’t feeling well from drinking too much and left early.
He wandered to a nearby noodle shop to fill his stomach, ordering a simple bowl of noodles. By the time he stepped back outside, it was already around 8 p.m.
The restaurant was a bit far from campus. Xu Yecheng considered walking back—taking a taxi would cost money, and he figured the walk might do him good. Lately, he’d been feeling kind of weak, after all.
But halfway through the long stroll, he was already regretting not just grabbing a cab.
He entered the campus gate, turned left onto the quiet path through the small grove—and suddenly heard the soft, muffled sound of a girl crying.
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