They Dumped Me—Now They’re Reincarnated and Obsessed? - Chapter 19.1

The beer bottle shattered—glass shards scattered and flew in all directions.

The splinters cut across Yan Ze’s skin, and the base of the bottle struck his head, splitting the skin open. Bl00d began to stream down instantly, covering one of his eyes.

On anyone else, this would have been a horrifying scene. But Yan Ze, ever conscious of appearances, even when blindsided by a beer bottle, managed to maintain his composure. He lifted a hand gracefully to wipe away the bl00d.

Thankfully, the bottle hadn’t been full.

Crimson droplets stained his crisp white shirt. He staggered slightly, then regained balance, squinting at Xie Tingxue with a pale smile. His lips were tight, eyebrows faintly furrowed—it was clear the smile cost him effort, but the effect was still convincing.

At the very least, he had preserved his dignity.

Can’t scare the girl, right?

Even if his head was bleeding and his heart was cursing in pain, on the outside, he had to resemble a charming vampire duke—elegant and alluring, even while drenched in bl00d.

If the moment allowed, Yan Ze would probably have thrown in some polished English in a posh London accent, kissed her hand, and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll handle this.”

Unfortunately, the enemy was still at his back—and he was missing a rose.

After flashing Xie Tingxue that smile, Yan Ze spun around and delivered a powerful kick to the boy who had ambushed him. The movement was smooth, fluid, almost artistic.

He positioned himself in front of Xie Tingxue protectively and studied the attacker.

He looked familiar… Yes, he was the same athletic school kid they had clashed with in the internet café a few days ago.

“Revenge?” Yan Ze asked coldly.

But what deep grudge could this guy possibly hold? At most, they had argued over a gaming seat and exchanged a few insults during a match.

Yan Ze, who’d spent a decade being wild and reckless, almost forgot that teenage boys—bored, hormonal, and directionless—often treated minor spats like bl00d feuds. Once a line had been crossed, even in a game, the other party became a mortal enemy to be destroyed on sight.

Yan Ze muttered, “…Damn punk.”

You can do anything—as long as you’re willing to pay the price.

That was a line from the first TV drama he ever starred in.

He usually forgot his lines as soon as the scene ended, but for some reason, that one popped into his head now.

From the neighboring room, Jin Zhenyu walked out, still holding a half-full beer bottle. He whistled and clapped.

“Now that’s a man!”

The boy who had attacked Yan Ze clutched the wall and climbed to his feet, slurring, “Brother Jin, I avenged you! Brothers, let’s finish him off!”

Yan Ze’s smile froze. Is this karma finally catching up with me?

Seventeen was such an awkward age—and he’d wasted nearly all of his. Now that he was back, maybe this was fate’s way of making him repay everything he’d squandered in his ignorance.

Every dumb decision from his past life now stood in line, invoices in hand, demanding payment.

God, how envious he was of Mei Jian at that moment.

Students like Mei Jian, who simply studied when they were supposed to study, only ever had grades to worry about.

Good kids lived such smooth lives. Their biggest dilemma might be whether to obey their parents.

But if you gave up on academics during the only years meant for learning, time would come back to punish you with cruel reality. Being a good kid was so damn easy. Mei Jian had it way easier than he ever did.

With half his face bloodied, Yan Ze couldn’t help but envy him.

At least Mei Jian wouldn’t get bashed in the head with a beer bottle after hugging Xie Tingxue—and wouldn’t have to let her see him this disheveled and violent.

This was not a good look for him.

Xie Tingxue reached out to help Yan Ze, but as soon as her fingers brushed him, she collapsed by his feet, stunned and helpless.

Yan Ze froze for a second—then remembered: Xie Tingxue faints at the sight of bl00d.

“Mei Jian!!” Yan Ze scooped her up and shouted down the hall, “Mei Jian! Mei Jian! Get your ass out here and take her!”

Then he picked up the beer bottle and wiped the bl00d from his face.

With a quick flick, he smashed the bottle against the wall and held the jagged end in his hand.

He barked furiously, “What?! You think fighting is fun?! Who else wants some? Do you even know how ridiculously pathetic you all look right now?!”

Xie Tingxue stared blankly at the bloodstained shirt, as if trapped under glass. Her ears filled with the roar of her own bl00d, heart pounding violently in her chest.

Thump-thump—thump-thump—

One of the boys lunged past Yan Ze and reached for her. She screamed.

In a blur of white shirt, Yan Ze shoved the boy against the wall, pressing the jagged glass to his throat, demanding something with a chilling stare.

Two hands pulled Xie Tingxue away.

“Xie Tingxue! This has nothing to do with you—come with me!”

It was Mei Jian.

Xie Tingxue looked back at Yan Ze, pointed at him—but no words came out.

She finally stopped walking and tugged on Mei Jian’s sleeve, dazed. “That’s… Jin Zhenyu…”

The boys had broken into a brawl. Shards of glass flew everywhere. Mei Jian, seeing her still frozen in place, shouted anxiously,

“Xie Tingxue!! Get out of here! Don’t worry about them!”

Yan Ze heard that from across the hall. He whipped his head around and roared,

“Mei Jian! Don’t you dare yell at her!!”

Feng Fei burst out of the room, jumping into the fight and grabbing Jin Zhenyu with a snarl.

The staff finally sprang into action, rushing to break it up, yelling,

“Enough! We’ve called your school and your parents!”

Yan Ze turned and saw Mei Jian and Xie Tingxue still standing there. Furious, he shouted,

“What are you waiting for?! This has nothing to do with you perfect students! Get out!”

No way in hell was he letting Xie Tingxue see him like this—violent, brutal, unrecognizable.

Mei Jian’s jaw tightened. He dragged Xie Tingxue outside.

The moment fresh air filled her lungs, Xie Tingxue began to come back to herself. Still dazed, she whispered,

“Mei Jian?”

“Breathe normally!” Mei Jian said sharply, gripping her shoulders and shaking her. “You’re okay. Are you dizzy?”

She took deep breaths, trembling as she clutched his shirt. Her eyes were red.

“Were those vocational school boys? Are they trying to hurt him? I saw Jin Zhenyu… Why are they fighting?”

Mei Jian gently squeezed her hand, trying to soothe her.

“It’s okay. Are you alright? Can you see me clearly?”

He remembered during a class health check, after a bl00d draw, Xie Tingxue had gone back to her seat only to collapse onto her desk. She got back up quickly and brushed it off, but when people asked, she acted like nothing happened.

Most of the class didn’t know what real bl00d phobia looked like. Since she never actually fainted on the floor, they privately accused her of faking it.

Even Mei Jian had doubted her—until one day when he cut his hand while cooking and asked her for a band-aid. He turned around to find her sitting dazed on the floor. That was when he finally believed it.

“The security guards are there now,” Mei Jian said softly. “Yan Ze will be fine… Are you okay? Do you want to go to the hospital?”

Xie Tingxue shook badly, inhaling deeply, trying to calm herself.

In addition to her fear of bl00d, she had a deep fear of conflict and violence, born from her family and father. She never showed it openly—but her body reacted instinctively, beyond her control.

She whimpered softly, her mind in chaos.

Mei Jian froze for a second, then gently wiped the tears from her face.

Chen Chang arrived, dragging Yan Yaru, and asked Mei Jian what they should do.

When Yan Yaru saw the concern in Mei Jian’s face as he spoke to Xie Tingxue, her brows furrowed. She snapped,

“What are you crying for, Xie Tingxue?! They weren’t even fighting you! Girls like you crying all the time are so annoying…”

“She’s not feeling well!” Mei Jian’s voice rose. He snapped,

“Shut up!”

Yan Yaru had never been yelled at like that. She froze, then clamped her mouth shut, looking furious.

Mei Jian quickly realized he had lost his temper.

He was too agitated.

His weekend was supposed to be calm and orderly. Instead, it had spiraled into childish fights, bl00d, and chaos.

His study plan?

What study plan? Everything was out of control now. These high schoolers were completely irrational.

Yes, he was a university professor—a management professor, no less. But the students he taught were the best of the best.

These kids? He didn’t understand them at all. He’d never dealt with their world, past or present. He didn’t even know why the hell they started fighting.

The world of “bad students” was utterly foreign to him. And that lack of control was driving him mad.

“This ends here,” Mei Jian said firmly. “I’m taking Xie Tingxue to the hospital. Then we’re going home. You all should head home too—d0on’t get involved in this anymore. Especially you.”

He turned to Yan Yaru.

Yan Yaru glared back, eyes wide, defiant.

Mei Jian said coldly,

“There wasn’t a fight at the restaurant, but now there’s a fight here. Part of it is Yan Ze’s fault—he had it coming. But don’t think you’re blameless. This whole mess, big or small, involved you. Stay home this weekend. No more wandering around. If your parents can pick you up from school next week, let them. Understand?”

Yan Yaru bit her lip.

“Who are you to boss me around?!”

Mei Jian softened his tone, speaking like a concerned adult:

“Don’t make your parents worry. Head home now, alright?”

Yan Yaru’s expression eased significantly.

Chen Chang, still a bit out of the loop, asked with disappointment,

“So… are we still doing group study tomorrow?”

Yan Yaru snapped, throwing a fit:

“Go study by yourself!”

With that, she stormed off.

Chen Chang stood frozen, face flushing red and then paling in embarrassment.

Mei Jian said,

“Chen Chang, walk her home. Some of the guys in that fight probably know her too. Make sure she gets home safely.”

Snapping out of it, Chen Chang clapped Mei Jian on the shoulder and said,

“You’re solid, man.” Then he chased after her.

Mei Jian watched the two of them get into a taxi before letting out a long sigh.

Turning back to Xie Tingxue, he asked gently,

“Feeling better? Let’s go home, okay?”

Xie Tingxue tugged on his sleeve and asked,

“What about Yan Ze? Shouldn’t we—”

“That’s his business,” Mei Jian cut in, voice laced with irritation.

“It has nothing to do with you. You shouldn’t be involved.”

“But they were…” she began.

“There’s security there. They’ll inform his parents. Let’s go.”

“But he was hurt… He’s bleeding…”

“Are you a doctor? Or his parent? Can you stop them from fighting or make them go home and behave?” Mei Jian snapped.

“I said we’re going home. Did you even finish your homework?”

Xie Tingxue was stunned for a long moment before nodding with red eyes,

“No.”

“Then go home and finish it,” Mei Jian said sternly.

“Do the second math paper tonight and give it to me.”

Mei Jian didn’t know how the KTV brawl ended, but he couldn’t just ignore it.

Knowing Yan Ze’s temperament, anything involving him was bound to spill over onto them eventually. Mei Jian didn’t trust his judgment, so later that night, after hesitating about calling, he was surprised when

Yan Ze called him first.

“It’s me,” Yan Ze said.

So he’d gotten Mei Jian’s number first. Mei Jian scoffed.

“Talk.”

“Is she okay?”

“She’s fine,” Mei Jian replied, then added, slightly begrudging,

“But whether she’s okay or not has nothing to do with you. How did things end on your side?”

“They called the parents,” Yan Ze said simply.

“It wasn’t entirely my fault this time—”

“Trying to pin it on a girl?” Mei Jian interrupted coldly.

Yan Ze let out a soft laugh.

“Relax… I wasn’t talking to you. I was asking about her. Don’t flatter yourself.”

Mei Jian fell silent for a while.

Yan Ze continued,

“I get it—you want her to be a good student, to keep her life simple. Actually, so do I. Mei Jian, most people don’t get it, but I do. Every adult will eventually give one heartfelt piece of advice to a kid: ‘Study hard.’”

Mei Jian let out a dry chuckle.

“Wow. Didn’t think you’d ever figure that out.”

“No need to be sarcastic,” Yan Ze replied.

“I’ve seen her struggle. To me, she’s always been cultured and knowledgeable. When I was acting in historical dramas, the lines I found awkward and hard to memorize—she could tell me all the stories behind them. So many stories.”

“Is that all?” Mei Jian asked.

“If you’re done, I’m hanging up.”