She Is So Hard To Get - Chapter 4
Chapter 4: Grievances
At the banquet hall entrance, Ming You’s wrist was firmly trapped by the girl and she couldn’t break free: “Say it again: let go.”
Not only did the girl refuse to let go, but she also snapped: “Ming You, what are you doing? Teacher He was considerate of you in every way for three years in high school, and she’s been patient enough. Now we’ve all graduated, and Teacher He has a new life. Can you please stop stirring up trouble?”
In those years, her Chinese score was always near the top of the grade, but never once surpassed Ming You’s, which was a source of great frustration. She had even approached Ming You privately.
Her intention was to ask for study tips, but Ming You’s indifferent attitude angered her. She’d made a fierce declaration right there, saying that one day she would make Ming You her defeated opponent.
Ming You had indeed been defeated once, but it hadn’t been a glorious victory for her.
Initially feeling triumphant, she believed she had brought glory to her class, her homeroom teacher, and herself. She stopped Ming You in the hallway, asserting herself as the victor.
However, she unexpectedly ran into her own homeroom teacher having dinner alone with Ming You outside of school that very evening. Ming You still had that spoiled, annoying air about her, and Teacher He was meticulously attending to her dining needs the entire time.
Ming You saw her but ignored her.
Only then did a classmate accompanying her relay the gossip she’d heard: Ming You’s failing Chinese score was because she had submitted a blank essay, which caused her grade to plummet—not because she wrote off-topic or performed poorly.
She left the restaurant seething with anger, not even finishing her meal.
The next day, during the grade’s paper review, the previous day’s gossip became a well-known fact, and her “victory” became a widespread joke.
This incident had always festered in her mind.
“Since you know she was patient with me, and since neither the groom nor the bride has said anything, why are you jumping in to mind other people’s business?” Ming You raised her injured hand, closed her fingers into a fist, and a single drop of fresh bl00d fell directly onto the girl’s hand: “It’s been so long, and you’re still resentful, aren’t you?”
“I…” The bl00d startled the girl into immediately letting go of Ming You’s wrist: “Are you sick?!”
“Sick?” Ming You smiled nonchalantly: “Yes, I’m sick. Haven’t all of you people always said that about me?”
“Ming You, Teacher He has no responsibility or obligation to accommodate, indulge, or coddle you. If you have any conscience as her student, you should return kindness with kindness, respect her, be grateful to her, and stop embarrassing her in front of everyone.”
“You’re absolutely right. I came here today to express my gratitude to Teacher He.” Ming You squeezed her left hand tightly again, and another drop of fresh bl00d fell: “Look, a hundred-yuan bill is red, and fresh bl00d is also red. Isn’t it festive?”
“Lunatic!” The girl cursed, reaching out to Ming You: “You’re going to lose your mind…”
“Ming You.” Yan Ningxi, who had arrived beside them at some point, intercepted the girl and grabbed Ming You’s tightly clenched hand first, commanding: “Let go.”
After the hand obediently loosened, Yan Ningxi wrapped it twice with a clean white napkin: “Hold it gently.”
The girl hid her bl00d-stained hand behind her back: “Teacher Yan, we were just playing around.”
“Teacher He told me everything. I know you meant well. Please go inside and eat now.” Yan Ningxi’s tone was flat, yet it made the girl feel an inexplicable tension and pressure.
The girl shot a warning glare at Ming You, then sensibly walked away.
Almost simultaneously, Ming You whimpered to Yan Ningxi: “Sister Yan, it hurts.”
She didn’t know what He Huan had told Yan Ningxi, whether it was good or bad, but when Yan Ningxi held her and said “Follow me” for the second time, she followed without a second thought, just as she had last night.
Throughout the entire process of treating her wound at the clinic, Ming You’s expression remained cold and indifferent, like an emotionless puppet, as if the injury wasn’t hers.
“Alright, I’ll go there this afternoon.” Outside the door, Yan Ningxi hung up her phone.
It wasn’t until Yan Ningxi returned after the call that Ming You’s expression changed. She looked at her pitifully: “Sister Yan, did I cause you trouble?”
“No,” Yan Ningxi’s denial was immediate, but the next second she became serious: “What did you do before you left the hotel this morning?”
Ming You looked uncharacteristically guilty: “Was that the hotel calling you just now to demand compensation?”
“What do you think?” Yan Ningxi’s tone was calm, but her gaze was extremely intimidating.
What could she say after the fact?
In a fit of anger that morning, the emotionally out-of-control Ming You had smashed items within sight in the room and left without completing any check-out procedures at the front desk.
If she hadn’t vented her rage by smashing things, her encounter with He Huan would have involved more than just verbal abuse.
“When I woke up this morning and found you gone, and nothing I expected had happened, I thought your standards were too high for me. I was naturally a bit dejected. Plus, I woke up cranky, couldn’t control my emotions, and smashing things was purely an emotional release.”
Ming You knew she was in the wrong. While pulling out her phone from her bag, she apologized: “How much do I owe? I’ll pay you.”
As she opened the QR code scanner, she recalled some of their conversations from the previous night and smiled: “Come on, Sister Yan, show me your QR code. The money for the broken items, and the money for the room…”
Ming You deliberately elongated the last phrase.
“It’s fine if you broke it yourself. I’ll take care of it. It’s not a big deal.”
Yan Ningxi wasn’t asking for payment; she was trying to find out if the damage was caused by a conflict with someone else at the hotel.
After all, the Ming You she had met at the bar was clearly not an easy person to cross and had a bad temper.
Yan Ningxi offered to cover the compensation. First, out of consideration that Ming You was Teacher He’s student, still in school, and not yet financially independent—she didn’t want the matter reaching her parents. Second, she felt that since she was the one who took Ming You to the hotel last night, Ming You’s actions there were tied to her.
“Okay, whatever Sister Yan says.” Ming You no longer insisted. Her gaze, however, passed through the purple scarf on the woman’s neck and landed on the spot she had rubbed and bitten last night.
She couldn’t recall what the touch had felt like.
After paying the bill, the two stood side-by-side outside the clinic. Yan Ningxi spoke in the manner of an elder: “Fortunately, the wound isn’t deep, but it shouldn’t be underestimated. Follow the doctor’s instructions when you go back. Be careful when washing your hands and face, and be sure to avoid whatever you’ve been told to avoid. Don’t let it get infected. Be responsible for your own health.”
Ming You responded obediently: “Mhm, I will.”
Inwardly, she was thinking that this woman had two faces: one reserved and silent at night, and one fussy and talkative during the day. Which one was the real her?
“Can you take a taxi by yourself?”
“No problem.”
“Be safe.”
Before getting into the car, Ming You waved at Yan Ningxi: “Thank you, Sister Yan. Goodbye, Sister Yan.”
Yan Ningxi simply nodded, saying nothing.
Inside the car, Ming You stared blankly at her bandaged palm. The pain was there, but it was far less than the pain in her heart. She took out her phone, opened a certain forum, and clicked into a post: “The Woman Who Said She Would Wait for Me to Grow Up.”
With the raw satisfaction of having vented, she typed word by word into the comment box at the bottom of the post:
The woman who said she would wait for me to grow up is wearing a wedding dress for him.
She is beautiful, he is ugly.
They are well-matched. Yes, I saw it.
In that moment, Ming You felt that writing down her feelings for He Huan and shamelessly sharing them with so many strangers was the most foolish and most ironic thing she had done in twenty years. Seeing those words again felt like being sliced open slowly.
The story between her and her had reached a final pause. And this post, which had been saved and followed by thousands of people, would never have an update again.
After the wedding banquet ended, Yan Ningxi dragged her tired body to the hotel to resolve the compensation issues, then returned to her apartment. At ten o’clock that night, she received a call from He Huan: “Yan Yan, you’re not asleep yet, are you? Can you come out for a moment?”
Yan Ningxi asked anxiously: “What’s wrong?”
“Ming You is drunk at a karaoke bar. Can you… can you please look after her for me again?”
“Send me the address.”
When Yan Ningxi arrived at the karaoke bar, Ming You was slumped over the toilet in the private room’s bathroom, vomiting. Yan Ningxi walked in and crouched beside her, gently patting her back: “Ming You? Look at me. Do you recognize me?”
The girl was violently ill, unable to open her eyes from the discomfort. She turned and leaned against Yan Ningxi’s body: “I’m sorry, Sister Yan, I didn’t listen to you. I drank.”
Yan Ningxi’s heart was pricked. She helped Ming You stand up with some effort, embracing her: “How do you feel?”
“Everywhere hurts.”
He Huan, who was forced to be a bystander, felt a sudden pang of jealousy watching the girl, who used to be obedient only to her, docilely leaning on Yan Ningxi.
She walked over, wanting to help. The moment she called out, “Ming You,” she heard the girl say: “I’m so sorry, Teacher He, for bothering you so late on your wedding night. Your husband, Mr. Jiang, is probably going to hate me…”
Ming You’s apology was interrupted by the abrupt ringing of a phone. The call was from Mr. Jiang. He Huan looked at the screen, put it on silent, and didn’t answer.
Yan Ningxi: “Teacher He, your families’ elders and relatives are both here tonight. Let’s not make Ming You’s situation an unexpected complication. You should go back first. I’ll take good care of her for you.”
He Huan could offer no help. She looked at the girl and said: “Ming You, you’re an adult. Even if you’re upset, you shouldn’t harm your body. Teacher Yan is my colleague and can be considered your senior. Please listen to Teacher Yan.”
Ming You made no response. He Huan could only say to Yan Ningxi: “I’m counting on you, Teacher Yan.”
After He Huan left, Ming You slipped into unconsciousness. Seeing a server waiting at the door, Yan Ningxi asked him: “Has the room bill been paid?”
“Not yet.”
“How much?” Yan Ningxi pulled out her phone, looking at the haphazard pile of beer bottles on the table with displeasure.
The server opened the electronic bill: “Total consumption is six hundred ninety-nine.”
After paying the bill and looking at the remaining balance shown in the text message, Yan Ningxi looked at the unconscious Ming You. Faced with the choice of taking her to a hotel or back to her own apartment, Yan Ningxi chose the latter. She didn’t want to have to pay for another round of damages.