Chapter 36 Chapter 36: Give Him a Taste of His Own Medicine! Part 1
Xu Yecheng followed Ji Qingying onto the track field. She walked ahead in silence, and Xu Yecheng trailed beside her, his heart restless and uneasy.
Was there still a chance for them?
A jumble of thoughts flooded his mind.
"Qingying..." he called her name softly—but the moment the word left his lips, he instantly regretted it.
"Hmm? What is it?" Ji Qingying responded, her voice still tinged with a slight nasal tone, as if she'd been crying.
Xu Yecheng took a deep breath, his nerves tightening.
"Can you... come back to me? If I did anything wrong before, I can change..."
"Yecheng," Ji Qingying's voice softened slightly, "thank you for comforting me."
"Oh... you're welcome," Xu Yecheng replied. Hearing those words, a wave of disappointment crashed over him.
So that’s a rejection, then...
Well, it was fine. He’d half-expected her to say no anyway.
He really was too ordinary.
"I need some time to think," Ji Qingying added after a pause. "My mind's all tangled up right now."
"But Yecheng... you really are good. You understand me better than He Xiaohan—that piece of trash—ever did."
Xu Yecheng froze for a moment. His earlier disappointment began to lift, replaced by a glimmer of hope.
There might still be a chance.
Maybe Qingying would come back to him after all...
He watched her retreating back, a quiet sense of anticipation stirring in his chest.
He didn’t want to keep drifting through life like this—lost and numb. It didn’t matter to him if Qingying had been hurt by He Xiaohan. His feelings for her wouldn’t diminish.
She was just a victim—someone He Xiaohan had deceived and used.
As this thought crossed his mind, the image of He Xiaohan’s smug, careless grin flashed before his eyes, and anger flared anew in his chest.
How dare he treat someone Xu Yecheng cherished so carelessly?
The more he thought about it, the more furious—and helpless—he felt.
"Thanks... I think I’ll head back to the dorm to rest," Ji Qingying said.
"Sure. It’s nothing," Xu Yecheng replied. She gave him a small wave and walked off toward the dormitory building.
Standing there, watching her leave, Xu Yecheng was suddenly overwhelmed by nostalgia.
Back when they’d been together—during that one precious month—this was exactly how they’d say goodbye every night after his shift at the convenience store. She’d walk him partway, then turn toward her dorm, just like now.
He’d wanted to ask about He Xiaohan, but Qingying still seemed emotionally fragile, and he didn’t dare push.
Alone on the track, Xu Yecheng’s thoughts churned in chaos.
That day at the store counter—He Xiaohan had handed her that little box right in front of him.
Now he finally understood: He Xiaohan was nothing but a heartless manipulator.
He’d dumped Qingying simply because he’d already gotten what he wanted—once the thrill was gone, he tossed her aside like trash.
Xu Yecheng clenched his jaw, his anger surging again.
The person he held most dear had been trampled on so carelessly.
It wasn’t fair—none of it was.
He walked back to the dorm alone, fists clenched.
A little later, He Xiaohan and the others returned. Zheng Wenxuan’s face was flushed, but Liu Xianlin and He Xiaohan looked perfectly composed.
Xu Yecheng’s eyes swept over He Xiaohan, sharp with barely concealed hostility. He Xiaohan seemed to sense the glare and glanced back, puzzled.
"Brother Cheng, you okay? Still not feeling well?" He Xiaohan asked with exaggerated concern.
What a faker...
Xu Yecheng was instantly repulsed.
"I’m fine," he replied curtly and turned back to his screen.
"Feeling better, my sweet Cheng?" Zheng Wenxuan called out after washing his face in the bathroom.
"Yeah," Xu Yecheng answered, eyes still fixed on the video—unaware of the faint smirk curling He Xiaohan’s lips.
"Man, it’s a shame you weren’t there today—it just didn’t feel the same without you," Zheng Wenxuan sighed.
"Sorry," Xu Yecheng murmured, guilt creeping into his voice.
"Don’t sweat it!" Zheng Wenxuan waved it off and plopped into his seat. "By the way, He-ge, did you patch things up with Ji Qingying?"
At this, Xu Yecheng’s fingers froze over his keyboard. A sly glint flickered in He Xiaohan’s eyes.
"We broke up," He Xiaohan shrugged nonchalantly. "It got boring."
"Huh?!" Zheng Wenxuan and Liu Xianlin both gaped in unison.
His words short-circuited their brains.
"But I thought you said you were just having a little spat?"
He Xiaohan let out a theatrical sigh. "Couldn’t win her back, I guess."
Xu Yecheng bit down hard, refusing to look at He Xiaohan—but he could already picture that infuriatingly indifferent expression, that fake innocence plastered across his face.
His rage boiled over again.
"Anyway, I never really liked her. Better off splitting up—no point dragging things out."
Zheng Wenxuan’s face fell with mild regret. "But... she’s the department’s top beauty..."
"In my book, there’s no such thing as ‘beauty rankings’—just people I’m into and people I’m not."
Xu Yecheng almost laughed out loud.
What a despicable excuse. Ruin someone’s heart, then act like she was never worth your time?
What a piece of trash.
He wanted to scream, to throw something—but Liu Xianlin and Zheng Wenxuan were here. Ruining the mood would only make them uncomfortable. And if he spoke up now, he’d be breaking his promise to Qingying. She was already overwhelmed—he couldn’t add to her burden.
Zheng Wenxuan, knowing He Xiaohan’s usual attitude, simply accepted it. "Well, love’s complicated. If you don’t feel it, ending it is probably for the best."
"Hope you find your true love soon, He-ge," Zheng Wenxuan added with a shrug.
He Xiaohan chuckled. "True love? I can find that anywhere. Once I decide someone’s my true love, she just... is."
Zheng Wenxuan and Liu Xianlin exchanged confused glances.
"Bro, can you speak in plain terms? I’m lost."
He Xiaohan’s eyes slid past Xu Yecheng’s rigid back before answering slowly, "Pick a girl. Treat her like she’s my one and only. As long as I believe she’s my true love—then she is."
Liu Xianlin scrunched his face in disgust. "Isn’t that just... being a simp?"
"Different strokes," He Xiaohan said with a helpless shrug. "Love isn’t black and white—but outsiders always think they see things more clearly."
What He Xiaohan didn’t know was that Xu Yecheng, desperate to calm himself, had already turned up his video volume to drown out the world.
Staring blankly at the screen, all Xu Yecheng could think about was slamming his fist into He Xiaohan’s smug face.
After a few steadying breaths, he pulled off his headphones. Behind him, He Xiaohan sat quietly reading. Xu Yecheng glanced down, spotted his fallen meal card on the floor, bent to pick it up—and as he opened his drawer to put it away, his eyes fell on the mask tucked inside.
His gaze went hollow.
——
Here it is! Tomorrow won’t be so late—expect a chapter at noon and another in the evening~
Alright 👍
damn bro still cannot move on😭😭