The Ex's Tears Are So Hot - Chapter 6

When the group of people saw who had arrived, they stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief.

“Wait… you’re—Xie Zhixin?!”

“Oh my god, no way!”

Xie Zhixin wore a black mask that concealed the lower half of her face, leaving only his sharp eyes visible—eyes that now glinted with icy intensity.

She stood half a head taller than Guan Jinnian, her broad shoulders squared as she stepped in front like a protective barrier, shielding him completely from the hostile crowd.

“I’m warning you,” she said, voice steely and commanding, “stop what you’re doing and leave now. If not, I’ll call the police.”

“But we’re your fans,” someone cried, their voice full of grievance. “Why are you defending him?”

“Yeah! We’re only doing this for you. How can you yell at us?”

Xie Zhixin didn’t budge. “Being fans doesn’t give you the right to harass others.” As she spoke, she pulled out his phone. Then, turning to the girl holding hers, she added coldly, “Whether you’re filming or streaming, let me make this clear: every rumor you’ve seen about Guan Jinnian online is false. We’ve already filed legal complaints, and we’ll pursue every last one of you who spreads lies.”

The group wasn’t as bold as they had seemed. The moment she started dialing, they panicked and scrambled to flee.

Guan Jinnian stared blankly at the man standing in front of him.

He had rarely seen Xie Zhixin act this assertively.

In his memory, Xie Zhixin had always clung to him gently—sweet, clingy, easily moved to tears. Even back when they first met, though she was cool on the outside, she was soft at heart.

But now… this side of her, flaring with anger and fire, was completely new.

“Why did you just stand there and let them record you?” Xie Zhixin turned, both angry and distressed. “Why didn’t you fight back?”

“There were too many of them,” Guan Jinnian replied, somewhat helplessly.

Noticing his disheveled appearance—his clothes rumpled from being shoved—Xie Zhixin’s expression softened. She dropped her head, resting it lightly on Guan Jinnian’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, voice thick with guilt. “This is all because of me…”

He sounded like a kicked puppy, leaning close for warmth and comfort.

Guan Jinnian instinctively raised his hand to comfort him, but midway, he paused, unsure.

Before he could decide whether to pull away, Xie Zhixin straightened and met his gaze directly.

Feeling awkward under the intensity of that look, Guan Jinnian avoided eye contact and asked, “Why did you come?”

“Because I wanted to see you,” Xie Zhixin replied, lowering his voice meaningfully.

That deep, husky tone sent a jolt through Guan Jinnian—too familiar, too dangerous. It triggered all sorts of memories, some of which he would rather not think about.

His ears started to flush, and he instinctively stepped back to create space.

Just as he was about to say something, his mother’s voice rang out from behind them.

“Nianzi! Are you alright?” She came hurrying over, visibly relieved to see her son unharmed.

Turning around, Guan Jinnian saw not only his mother, but a small crowd—villagers, some holding sticks and tools.

Xie Zhixin was alarmed, instinctively moving in front of him protectively. He looked just about ready to dial the emergency number.

Guan Jinnian stopped him, leaned out and asked, “Mom, what’s going on?”

“Yuzi saw you surrounded and came running back to tell us. We all came to help. Thank goodness you’re okay.”

Yuzi, his little cousin of barely six, must’ve witnessed the confrontation and sounded the alarm.

Guan’s mother then turned to look at Xie Zhixin and asked, “And this is…?”

As soon as Guan Jinnian called her “Mom,” Xie Zhixin stiffened slightly. Straightening his posture, he gave her a warm and polite smile.

“Hello, Auntie. I’m Jinnian’s ex-boyfriend.”

“He’s just a friend,” Guan Jinnian said at the same time.

Their responses overlapped.

The villagers exchanged puzzled glances.

Xie Zhixin’s polite expression froze. He turned sharply to look at Guan Jinnian, his eyes practically shouting: Even the title of ‘ex’ is too much now?

“Wait… ex-boyfriend?” Guan’s mother repeated, slightly stunned.

“Let’s head back. We’ll talk at home,” Guan Jinnian said, weary.

Back at home, after a long and exhausting explanation, Guan’s mother finally understood what had happened.

She wiped her tears as she listened, heart aching for her son and the abuse he’d endured online.

Xie Zhixin stood and bowed deeply. “I’m truly sorry, Auntie. All this trouble Jinnian’s facing—it started because of me. I promise to take care of it. I won’t let him go through this again.”

“It’s not your fault,” she said, patting her chest. “Those online people are horrible. My son would never be like what they’re saying.”

“They’ll be held responsible. I won’t let them get away with it,” he assured.

Guan Jinnian remained silent through all this.

“You’re both good kids. If there are misunderstandings, talk them through. You never know what can be resolved unless you try.”

“Xiao Xie, you’ll stay for dinner tonight, right? I’ll prepare the guest room. You two catch up.”

She left them alone after that.

The room fell quiet, the only sound their soft, uneven breathing.

Then, Xie Zhixin finally asked the question that had lingered in his mind for a long time: “Jinnian… can you tell me why we broke up?”

“Wu Zhaoyan,” Guan Jinnian replied after a pause.

“Who?” Xie Zhixin looked confused.

Guan Jinnian studied him carefully. When he saw genuine surprise on his face, he realized the misunderstanding might really not be his fault.

But instead of feeling relief, he just felt… numb.

“So you didn’t agree to that actor’s couple marketing?”

“No,” Xie Zhixin said seriously. “They approached me, but I turned them down. It must’ve been Lin—he probably went ahead without telling me.”

“Sounds like him,” Guan Jinnian agreed.

Xie Zhixin’s eyes lit up with hope. “So it was just a misunderstanding. Does that mean we—”

But Guan Jinnian looked away, his silence stretching too long.

The light in Xie Zhixin’s eyes dimmed.

“It wasn’t about him,” Guan Jinnian finally said, his voice low. “And it wasn’t about the media stunt, either.”

Xie Zhixin blinked, confused.

Guan Jinnian sighed, exhausted. “Let’s just… let it end with dignity.”

Xie Zhixin seemed like he wanted to say something, but held back.

“You should go back. Don’t you have filming to do?” Guan Jinnian didn’t meet his eyes.

“I’m not leaving,” Xie Zhixin said stubbornly, tears gathering. “Auntie said I could stay tonight—you can’t throw me out.”

Guan Jinnian looked at him and almost gave in. As usual, his resolve softened. So he let it go.

Knowing he had the upper hand, Xie Zhixin immediately made his eyes redder, sniffling like a pitiful child.

Just then, Guan’s mother reappeared. “Xiao Xie, what do you like to eat? I’ll make something special tonight.”

Immediately, Xie Zhixin wiped away his crocodile tears and smiled brightly. “Anything’s fine, Auntie. I’m not picky.”

The switch was so fast it was dizzying.

Guan Jinnian sighed, unable to watch this shameless performance any longer. He fled to his room, closing the door before Xie Zhixin could follow.

He pulled out his phone to check the message he’d gotten earlier—it was from Lin Shen.

[Lin Shen]: Badminton tonight?

He declined.

[Lin Shen]: Feeling down? Want to grab a drink?

[Guan Jinnian]: No, not convenient. My ex is here.

[Lin Shen]: Xie Zhixin? He’s at your house??

[Lin Shen]: I HAVE to come over. I’ve never seen a top star in real life. 😭

[Guan Jinnian]: …Come if you want.

[Lin Shen]: I’ll bring an appetite. Tell Auntie I’m staying for dinner~

Guan Jinnian passed on the message to his mom, who was in the kitchen.

“Mom, Lin Shen’s coming over. Make a bit more rice.”

She glanced over. “Oh? You two dating now?”

That caught him off guard. Before he could reply, Xie Zhixin walked in just in time to overhear.

He didn’t say anything, but his expression turned instantly sour.

“No, just friends,” Guan Jinnian clarified quickly, but Xie Zhixin’s frown only deepened.

“I’ll help Mom,” he said quickly and escaped again.

Xie Zhixin tried to follow, but was kicked out of the kitchen.

Left with nothing else to do, he opened his laptop, placing it so he could sneak glances at Guan Jinnian while working on damage control.

Evening came, and Lin Shen arrived, bounding into the courtyard like a kid at a theme park.

The gate was opened by none other than Xie Zhixin.

Guan Jinnian came out to greet him, only to see the starstruck look on Lin Shen’s face.

“You look ridiculous,” he said flatly.

“Speak for yourself,” Lin Shen retorted. “You don’t know what it’s like to see a celebrity in the wild.”

Guan Jinnian rolled his eyes. “This is Lin Shen, my friend.”

At once, Xie Zhixin’s expression darkened.

He eyed Lin Shen up and down with the icy wariness of a dog guarding its territory.