After Backstabbing The Villain, The System Allowed Me To Enter The Book Again - Chapter 25

Qi Yi arrived early at the alley behind the library, as agreed.

Few people ever passed through here. On the mottled wall were clumsy carvings of names and phrases. He vaguely recalled that once, a boy had carved the name of his crush here, only for her to stumble upon it by chance. They soon confessed to each other and became a couple. Ever since, this wall had been dubbed the “Wishing Wall” by the students.

Some of the carvings were so old or scribbled so wildly that they were illegible, while others, etched within the past couple of years, could still be deciphered. As Qi Yi waited, he idly read them one by one.

After a while, he shook his head. All of them were love-obsessed nonsense—prayers for secret crushes to succeed, or wishes for everlasting love. Utterly boring.

Then, suddenly, his gaze froze on one corner of the wall.

Lowering his head with a faint smile, he still shook it again, though this time with a trace of indulgence.

Su Zihan came hurrying up. Qi Yi checked the time—it was perfectly punctual. He schooled his expression, lifted his hand in greeting. Her eyes lit up, her face relaxed, and the tension between them eased somewhat.

“That day, I went too far with my words,” Qi Yi took the initiative to apologize.

“It’s fine, I was a bit impulsive too.” Su Zihan tucked her loose hair behind her ear. “Let’s make peace.”

Qi Yi nodded. “Of course. That’s what I should’ve said. Is this what you wanted to tell me today?”

“Not only that.”

She paced a few steps down the alley, then came back, her eyes sincere, full of concern for him. “There’s something I’m not sure I should tell you.”

“Go ahead.”

“This pendant—it’s yours, isn’t it?” She pulled it from her pocket and handed it to him.

Qi Yi took it instinctively, recognizing the familiar circular charm. He had seen it hanging from Shen Huaixin’s schoolbag. Whenever they crossed paths, he would hear the faint clink of jade against fabric with each of her steps.

He knew the girl’s heart was less than pure, hiding her feelings while flaunting them in plain sight. But he hadn’t disliked it.

“How did it end up with you?” Qi Yi frowned, sensing something off.

“I happened to pick it up, thought I should return it to you.” Su Zihan paused before adding, “She probably dropped it by accident.”

Qi Yi looked puzzled. “You could’ve just given it back to her. Or asked a teacher to pass it along…”

But as he spoke, he replayed her words carefully and felt something strange. His expression darkened. “Where did you find it?”

Su Zihan stayed silent.

“…Don’t tell me—it was in the trash?” Qi Yi ventured.

Under his unwavering gaze, Su Zihan’s expression flickered. After a pause, she gave the slightest nod. His chest sank as though something heavy had been dragged into it, a dull ache spreading inside.

Yet he didn’t fully believe it at once. He knew Su Zihan’s character—she wasn’t one to lie. But maybe there was some misunderstanding. He wanted to confirm it, but confronting Shen Huaixin directly in front of Su Zihan felt inappropriate.

Su Zihan, on the other hand, looked full of concern. “Why don’t you ask Shen Huaixin about it? Maybe what I found was a fake. Someone could’ve bought a copy because they liked hers—it’s possible, right?”

Her openness made Qi Yi feel ashamed of his earlier suspicions. He pulled out his phone and dialed.

“Hello, Shen Huaixin? …Yeah, it’s Qi Yi. The pendant on your bag… right.”

“You lost it? Accidentally? When?”

“…Alright. Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

He hung up. His face was calm, but inside, he had already pieced together most of the truth. Thinking back to what he had seen after the arts performance, he felt Shen Huaixin might really have… shifted her affections. After all, she had been silently pursuing him without response, chasing him fruitlessly—perhaps it was natural she would turn her attention elsewhere.

Not to mention, he hadn’t arrived in time that night, leaving her in danger. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this failure weighed heavily between them.

Shen Huaixin discarding the pendant was her way of quietly drawing a line between them. For him, that was… a good thing.

“…”

“Qi Yi?” Su Zihan’s voice pulled him back. She frowned softly and clasped his hands between hers, the pendant lying between their palms. “I know it hurts to see a gift you gave thrown away.”

Hurt?

Qi Yi disagreed. How could he possibly be hurt by something like this?

Su Zihan looked into his face, speaking earnestly. “Shen Huaixin really has poor taste. That fool Shen Chumo can’t compare to you. But maybe it’s better this way—since she doesn’t like you anymore…”

“No.” Qi Yi stiffened, as if pricked by a thorn. He tugged her wrist and drew her toward the corner of the Wishing Wall, pointing at the carvings. “Look what she wrote. How could she possibly have moved on?”

Both of them froze.

Realizing himself, Qi Yi quickly let go of her wrist, muttered an apology, and strode off.

Su Zihan remained rooted, staring at the wall. Etched there were the words:

Xin Xin ♥ Qi Yi 99

Qi Yi was stunned by his own jealousy.

It was hard to believe those words had left his mouth—jealous over Shen Huaixin of all people. Had he lost his mind? How could he forget her endless pestering, her attempt to buy his affection with a bank card, even the way she had driven another girl to drop out after giving him a love letter?

And yet… he paused mid-step, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

He had to admit it—he did care about Shen Huaixin. Even learning she had discarded the pendant, his first reaction hadn’t been anger, but a dull, hollow ache. And now, as he headed toward her classroom, it wasn’t to demand an explanation.

He walked slowly, torn with hesitation.

If he lowered himself to approach her, wouldn’t she be smug? Or perhaps this was her scheme all along—throwing the pendant along Su Zihan’s path, knowing she would tell him, to make him jealous and restless.

Whatever the case, she had succeeded.

Just then, a baby-faced girl passed by. Qi Yi quickly called her over and asked her to tell Shen Huaixin that he was waiting outside, with something to say to her alone.

The girl’s eyes lit up, her expression suggestive, and she skipped into the classroom. Moments later, a chorus of teasing voices rang out.

Shen Huaixin soon appeared. Dozens of dark heads leaned out the windows, whispering and giggling. Qi Yi frowned—this atmosphere made it feel like he was about to confess publicly.

He gestured for her to walk with him. Watching her in profile, her delicate features seemed painted with careful strokes. When she turned to meet his gaze, her eyes were clear and confused—none of the bashfulness or fluster of a girl summoned by her crush, only simple puzzlement.

She truly was beautiful. The thought struck Qi Yi hard. If someone confessed to her, it wouldn’t be surprising. Even if it wasn’t him, it would be someone else.

He’d seen how her singing video had stirred waves online, its popularity already outshining the school belle contest. Many students who had never heard of her were now curious. The tide of opinion around her was shifting.

Before, people had called her a bully, a slacker. Now words like beautiful and talented were beginning to replace them.

Without realizing, his thoughts had aligned with Su Zihan’s. Though their reasons differed, both reached the same conclusion: that video of Shen Huaixin should never have been uploaded.

Shen Huaixin slowed her steps, then turned back. “We’re far enough from the classroom now. What is it you want to say? Something about Su Zihan?”

“No.” Qi Yi paused, then looked at her. “It’s about you.”

She blinked in surprise, then muttered after a moment’s thought, “I don’t think I’ve caused any trouble lately, have I?”

Qi Yi couldn’t hold back a laugh. Shaking his head, his gaze softened slightly as it settled on her.

“Do you still like me?”

“…Huh? Mm-hm.” Shen Huaixin nodded firmly.

Qi Yi wasn’t surprised. From passionate pursuit to quiet restraint, even if she truly wanted to move on, feelings wouldn’t vanish so quickly. At the very least, she would still carry some hope. They said, “In youth, one should never meet someone too dazzling.” This was exactly that.

He relaxed, and magnanimously declared, “Alright. I can give you a chance.”

“…”

“…?!”

Shen Huaixin was utterly dumbfounded. Putting the pieces together—was this the kind of “chance” she thought it was? Wait, wasn’t the male lead supposed to be with the heroine? How had he veered off to the so-called villainess?

【Shen Huaixin: Oh great Thunder God, how do I respond to this? Do I stick to the persona? If I do, then I’ll have to say yes!】

【System: …】

【Shen Huaixin: I get it. He’s trying to make the heroine jealous, isn’t he? They are in a cold war… but what if this backfires?】

【System: …】

【Shen Huaixin: What do I do? Say something, System!】

【System: Figure it out yourself.】

If she accepted, the male and female leads’ romance would collapse—zap. If she refused, her persona would collapse—zap. The legendary “electrotherapy paradox” had arrived.

Seeing the system shirk responsibility, Shen Huaixin grew frantic. She hesitated, afraid of making the wrong choice and causing irreparable damage to the leads’ relationship.

Honestly, Qi Yi’s risky move was childish—and thoughtless about the harm it might cause to another girl.

What had she ever done to offend him, to deserve such a deathtrap of a question? The more Shen Huaixin looked at him, the more hateful he seemed, her teeth grinding with anger.

Her burning stare made Qi Yi clear his throat and turn away awkwardly. Was she really that besotted?

Her expression was so intense it seemed she wanted to devour him whole. He even saw her swallow—was she drooling over his body now? He had only said he’d give her a chance, and she’d already imagined the wedding and babies?

Qi Yi frowned. “So? What’s your answer?”

“Nothing…” Shen Huaixin bit the bullet. Since she’d be shocked either way, she might as well choose the lesser pain. She drew a breath and said, “Actually, I—”

“Xin-jie—!”

From not far away, Shen Chumo waved, running over.

Shen Huaixin lit up with joy, seizing the excuse. She mumbled an apology to Qi Yi and hurried to join him.

Qi Yi didn’t press further. Today had brought enough revelations—both of them could use time to cool their heads. He’d already confirmed his place in her heart was unshakable. That was enough for now.

But when he glanced sideways, his eyes met Shen Chumo’s. The boy stood in the sunlight, his gaze dark and fathomless, stripped of the usual childishness. His expression was blank, but a chilling sharpness radiated from him.

Qi Yi’s eyelid twitched. For the first time, he wondered if he had underestimated him.

Most people saw Shen Chumo as smart yet socially awkward, a little slow with humor and slang, not quick with subtleties.

But his eyes now betrayed a growing possessiveness toward someone he considered his own.

To Shen Chumo, Shen Huaixin was special too. Of that, Qi Yi was certain.

Yes… too.