They Dumped Me—Now They’re Reincarnated and Obsessed? - Chapter 2

After the school broadcast of “Where the Peach Blossoms Bloom” ended, the students returned to their classrooms for self-study in preparation for the afternoon classes.

Xie Tingxue walked alone across the empty playground, dragging two large bags of dormitory trash. She tossed them into the garbage station and rubbed her slightly reddened nose.

The school followed a five-day boarding schedule, with students staying on campus during weekdays. Each dorm room had six girls, and most dorms assigned daily chores in rotation according to bed numbers.

But in Xie Tingxue’s dorm, the room leader, Li Yuyang, had a different system:

“We each take a day, and as for you, Xie Tingxue—you’re not doing nothing. You can handle cleaning during the lunch break and help out with our daily duties.”

Xie Tingxue had objected, “Isn’t it better to rotate by bed like the others?”

Li Yuyang replied in a sarcastic tone, “I’m not even putting you on full duty—just a little cleaning during lunch, and you’re still complaining? What, think you’re some kind of princess? If you’ve got the heart but not the strength, why not ask the homeroom teacher to switch your dorm? You’re good at reporting people, aren’t you? Unbelievable… shameless.”

The issue was never officially resolved. The rest of the girls simply followed Li Yuyang’s arrangement. Conveniently, they all ignored the trash left behind after lunch.

Before the National Day holiday, the school conducted a surprise inspection after lunch. Dorm 201, where Xie Tingxue stayed, landed on the blacklist for failing to take out the trash.

The homeroom teacher called all six girls in for a talk.

Li Yuyang said, “It was Xie Tingxue’s job, but she’s never taken out the trash.”

Xie Tingxue interrupted, “Mr. Cai, I think the chore arrangement in our dorm isn’t fair.”

But the teacher responded, “So you think it’s unfair, so you just don’t do it? Is what Li Yuyang said true? It’s been a month since school started—have you ever done your share of chores?”

Li Yuyang cast a sideways glance at her and raised her voice:

“She even told people she wasn’t feeling well, so I gave her the easiest task. But she hasn’t done it even once.”

The homeroom teacher sighed.

Li Yuyang muttered under her breath, “She even goes crying to the boys, like someone’s bullying her or something…”

Their teacher—a young man who had only recently graduated—wasn’t attuned to the social politics among girls. He didn’t want to dig deeper, and after a moment of silence, said,

“From now on, no matter how duties are assigned, no one is allowed to slack off. That’s final.”

Just like that, with one sentence, the matter was settled: Xie Tingxue became solely responsible for lunchtime trash every day.

Gradually, the others began throwing their trash in the bin after lunch, while still keeping things tidy in the evening.

—

After taking out the trash, Xie Tingxue checked her watch. The minute hand was nearing the 2.

She had set her watch five minutes fast when school started—meaning it was now 1:05.

Five minutes left before the prep bell. She could still make it!

Xie Tingxue broke into a run, then stopped to catch her breath, cold sweat soaking her back.

She had a heart condition. In her first year of high school, her mother had even brought a doctor’s note to school, exempting her from PE class and physical fitness tests.

Everyone in her Year 1 class had known that. But after splitting into arts and sciences for Year 2, her heart condition was spun into something else by Li Yuyang—who twisted it into:

“She’s just pretending to be weak.”

Before one PE class, Li Yuyang—seated in the back row—mocked her indirectly, joking and giggling with a few girls from other classes. They exaggeratedly mimicked her:

“Oh teacher, my chest feels tight, can you rub it for me…”

Chen Chang, the PE class rep, couldn’t stand it anymore. He stood up and slammed the desk.

“Enough! That’s too far!”

The girls just laughed harder. Li Yuyang rolled her eyes and said mockingly,

“See that? Boys fall for this stuff every time…”

The boys in the back row whistled and egged them on.

One of the punks sneered, spinning his textbook,

“Chen Chang, who the hell do you think you are? Nobody was talking to you.”

Another laughed and mocked,

“What’s the matter, Chen Chang? You trying to be the good son-in-law to a mother-in-law who’s standing naked on the street?”

The girls’ cackles grew even sharper.

Chen Chang’s face turned crimson. He lunged forward but was held back by classmates.

“Let it go. They’re not worth it.”

They tried to comfort Xie Tingxue, too.

“Don’t bother with them. They’re not worth your time. You’re a good student—don’t stoop to their level.”

Xie Tingxue sat stiffly in her seat, the laughter around her cutting like knives. She felt both furious and helpless.

The minute hand ticked closer to 3.

Xie Tingxue had just reached the school building.

She shook her head, pushing those memories away.

Clear your mind. You’re not like them. You’re going to study hard, get into college, and take Mom away from here!

She rounded a corner and gripped the stair railing, climbing while quietly catching her breath.

A tall, slender boy in a white shirt stood still at the landing, staring down at something in his hand.

Xie Tingxue slowed her steps and glanced over.

Was that Yan Ze from Class Ten?

Yan Ze—the notorious ringleader of the underachievers who spent their days slacking off and stirring up trouble.

Not my crowd.

Xie Tingxue raised that mental warning sign and cautiously tried to slip past him.

He was holding something white in his hands, something that looked like a large MP4. He seemed absorbed in it, and when he heard footsteps, he instinctively stepped aside.

Xie Tingxue withdrew her gaze and tried to pass as quietly as possible.

But just then, Yan Ze looked up and caught sight of her.

He froze, then called out,

“Xie Tingxue?!”

His voice trembled with excitement and barely-contained frustration.

Xie Tingxue was so startled she couldn’t move.

He knows my name?!

Being recognized by a delinquent like him definitely wasn’t good news.

A chill crawled up her spine. Her hands and feet went cold. Her mind raced.

Did Li Yuyang team up with Class Ten’s gang to get back at me?

Yan Ze took two strides up the stairs—and suddenly pulled her into a tight hug.

Through the thin fabric of his shirt, she could feel his heartbeat—fast and burning hot.

Xie Tingxue’s face went pale. Her mind blanked out for a second before she gasped and shoved him away.

“What are you doing?! I—I’ll tell the teacher!”

But Yan Ze held onto her arm tightly.

He gave a faint smile, his meaning unclear. He swept his bangs aside. His peach-blossom eyes shimmered red, like he was drunk.

Xie Tingxue froze.

Was he… crying?

There were unmistakable tear streaks clinging to his lashes.

Yan Ze stared at her for a long time. His gaze burned into her, leaving her breathless.

Just as she was stunned, he suddenly let out a snort:

“…So old-fashioned.”

Then he reached out and pinched her cheek.

“What’s this? Baby fat? Hm… so soft.”

His unexpected action made Xie Tingxue tremble. She tried to pry his fingers off her face.

Yan Ze’s eyes crinkled as he smiled, half his usual roguish charm returning.

“You don’t wear ponytails often, huh? Looks pretty cute…”

As he spoke, Yan Ze reached for her ponytail.

Xie Tingxue jerked away from his hand and took several steps back, both angry and afraid. She looked like a startled cat, tense and alert, and snapped, “Get away from me! Psycho!”

She turned and hurried upstairs, but at the stairwell landing, Yan Ze suddenly rushed up behind her and grabbed her into another hug.

He felt like a big, warm teddy bear. His fuzzy head nuzzled against her cheek as he exhaled softly by her ear and murmured,

“Shhh—don’t move. Just let me hold you… a little longer.”

He closed his eyes and breathed evenly, as if this embrace grounded him.

Xie Tingxue’s heart nearly stopped. Her face went ghostly pale. As soon as she came to her senses, she trembled and stomped hard on the top of his foot.

“Hiss—” Yan Ze inhaled sharply in pain, but even then, he chuckled.

“I just remembered… even though we were classmates, at this point in time…” he winced and laughed through the pain, “you probably don’t know me yet. No wonder…”

“I do know you!!” Xie Tingxue forced herself to stay calm, blinking away her tears as she glared at him. “You pervert! If you touch me again, you’ll be expelled!”

Seeing her red eyes and angry little outburst, Yan Ze chuckled lowly,

“This must be a dream. A dream I’m having in my sleep… just so I could see you again.”

“Psycho!!”

Apparently, “psycho” was the strongest curse Xie Tingxue could muster—she kept using it again and again.

This time she yelled it. Then, with tears in her eyes, she bolted down the stairs, heading straight for the administrative office to report him.

She didn’t care if his gang retaliated later. Today, she had to report this. He had hugged her—no, groped her!

She angrily wiped her tears away, only for Yan Ze to chase her down again.

He stepped in front of her. “Tingxue, don’t go. I’m scared this really is just a dream. And if I wake up, I’ll never…”

BAM!

Xie Tingxue kicked him right in the crotch.

Yan Ze doubled over, about to cry from the pain, but still managed a twisted grin.

“Damn… turns out you were this spicy back in high school, huh? Careful—one more kick like that and I won’t be the one mourning for the rest of my life.”

Tears welled up in Xie Tingxue’s eyes from sheer frustration, but she still snapped furiously,

“Why do guys like you even bother coming to school if you’re not going to study?!”

“I was really happy to see you,” Yan Ze said softly, reaching out to wipe her tears. “Truly… maybe that’s why I had this dream. Because I couldn’t bear to leave you.”

Xie Tingxue dodged his hand and fled up the stairs—only to bump into someone at the landing.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—” she began, flustered.

“Tingxue?” A warm voice said as a hand gently grasped her wrist.

It was Mei Jian. His expression was complicated.

Hearing that familiar gentleness, Xie Tingxue nearly cried. It felt like finding a lifeline. She could barely speak through her tears.

“Mei Jian! He… he’s a pervert…”

Mei Jian looked up and saw Yan Ze standing on the stairs above them, face dark. He narrowed his eyes, then gave Xie Tingxue a soft smile and handed her the books in his hands.

“It’s fine. Take these back to the classroom for me.”

“Mei Jian…” she looked at him with concern. “Be careful. I don’t know what’s wrong with him—he’s not acting normal…”

“I’ll be fine,” Mei Jian smiled reassuringly.

Hugging the books tightly, Xie Tingxue lowered her head and cautiously walked past Yan Ze, heading back upstairs.

As she passed, she risked a glance at him. Yan Ze looked like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he simply curved his lips into a quiet smile.

The sunlight was blindingly warm.

Xie Tingxue quickly averted her gaze and sped up.

After turning the corner, she stopped and quietly peeked back from behind the staircase.

Yan Ze stood straight and tall. He didn’t look at all like the lazy troublemaker she’d imagined him to be.

“Mei Jian… or should I say, Associate Professor Mei,” Yan Ze said slowly.

“So nothing’s changed, has it, Superstar Yan?” Mei Jian replied coolly.

“Ah… good. That means this isn’t a dream,” Yan Ze muttered. “Because if it were… there’s no way you, of all people, would show up and ruin it.”

Mei Jian smirked. “If you’re going to talk to yourself, Yan, at least lower your voice. Or better yet, grab a mirror and ask yourself who Tingxue sees as the real scumbag now.”

Yan Ze’s eyes darkened. “Since this isn’t a dream, then maybe I should beat the crap out of this annoying ex-boyfriend first!”

Xie Tingxue’s skin prickled with anxiety.

She couldn’t understand everything they were saying, but it was clear—they were not getting along. What should she do? Mei Jian had just been targeted by Yan Ze… what if they really fought?

“Hey! You two boys! What are you doing here instead of being in class?! Which homerooms are you from?!” A voice bellowed from the hallway.

The class bell had rung.

Mei Jian’s lips curved into a faint smirk. He leaned closer and said quietly,

“Watch this, Yan Ze.”

The voice came from a balding, middle-aged man with slicked-back hair—one of the school’s deans. Yan Ze recognized him instantly.

“…Sh1t, the Mediterranean guy?”

The “Mediterranean” (a cruel nickname referencing his balding scalp) clearly heard that. His face darkened as he stormed over, grabbed Yan Ze by the ear, and dragged him down the stairs.

“Yan Ze! You again! If you don’t want to study in the classroom, come stand in the admin office, let’s go!”

Yan Ze gritted his teeth. “Damn it, you—”

“Still swearing?” the dean snapped. “Great! Here—take this box of chalk and write that exact swear word a thousand times under the flagpole. Let’s go!”

Then, turning to Mei Jian, the dean barked,

“And you—what are you standing around for? Get to class!”

Mei Jian nodded calmly. “Yes, sir.”

Yan Ze glared at him viciously.

Mei Jian smiled and silently mouthed: See you around, Superstar Yan.

Yan Ze: “You—!”

The dean squinted at him. “Hmm?”

Only then did Yan Ze remember:

This was a school where academic performance meant everything.

And right now, the odds were not in his favor.

Yan Ze cursed under his breath.

“Fine, Mei Jian… you win this round!”