They Dumped Me—Now They’re Reincarnated and Obsessed? - Chapter 31
After the seat rearrangements, Old Cai gave high praise to the students who had shown significant progress in the recent exams—especially Yan Ze and Feng Fei.
Feng Fei, who had never been praised before in his life, nearly exploded on the spot. His face turned beet red, and his legs wouldn’t stop shaking. His new deskmate—a studious girl who looked down on underachievers—shot him an icy glare that instantly froze him in place.
Caught between fire and ice, Feng Fei wanted nothing more than to stand up and beg the teacher to please stop praising him.
Yan Ze, on the other hand, handled it far better. In his past life, praise and admiration had followed him out of school gates—he’d been flattered by media outlets to the point of being deified, and not once had he blushed. Compared to that, Old Cai’s praise wasn’t even close to embarrassing—it actually felt good.
After all, the fruits of one’s own labor always taste sweetest. And the satisfaction wasn’t superficial—it was solid, with weight.
Old Cai continued, “We’ll be holding a parent-teacher conference this Saturday. I’ll be notifying your parents to attend.”
Yan Ze’s smile faded. He turned to glance at Xie Tingxue.
She was listening intently. At least on the surface, she showed no signs of unease.
Old Cai added, “There are two more announcements.”
Everyone perked up. Usually when the teacher said that, it meant one of two things: either the school was collecting money again, or some new event was about to happen.
Sure enough, Old Cai said, “First, the small thing: starting today, the water room will have hot water. Be careful when bringing it back to your dorms—no burns, understood? I trust you’re all old enough not to scald yourselves. No horsing around in the water room. Line up properly for hot water. Got it?”
The class mumbled in unison, “Got it…”
“The second thing,” Old Cai suddenly broke into a wide smile, his voice booming with excitement: “This Thursday and Friday—two full days—we’re holding the annual Sports Meet!”
The entire class erupted in cheers.
No wonder—it explained the cheering they had just heard from other classes out in the hallway.
For academically overloaded high school students, a two-day break from classes for sports? It was practically a national holiday.
“Chen Chang, you’ll hand out the sign-up sheets later. We’re a small class, so everyone should try to sign up for at least one event. And about the girls’ 3000 meters and boys’ 5000 meters…”
The excitement died instantly. Shoulders slumped and heads dropped across the room.
“Let’s start with the boys’ 5000. No volunteers?” Old Cai scanned the room. “Are you sure?”
Yan Ze raised his hand.
Xie Tingxue bit the tip of her pen and stared at him wide-eyed.
Yan Ze smiled and raised his hand even higher. “I’ll run the 5000.”
Mei Jian let out a long breath and also raised his hand. “Count me in.”
Old Cai was stunned. Feng Fei, his bl00d running hot from the enthusiasm, almost raised his hand too—until he cautiously asked, “Uh, Teacher… just wondering… how many laps is that?”
Old Cai, rubbing his hands together with excitement, answered, “Twelve laps!”
To have students voluntarily sign up for the grueling long-distance events—Old Cai felt a rush of pride like never before!
But…
Old Cai continued, “We only need two entries per class. Mei Jian, sign up for a different event. Yan Ze and Jin Zhenyu, you two run the 5000. Sound good?”
Jin Zhenyu was a transfer student from a sports school, and the entire school was counting on him to bring in wins.
Yan Ze’s expression subtly shifted. Jin Zhenyu said nothing but quietly straightened up in his seat.
Mei Jian didn’t look like the kind of student who could run a 5000-meter race. But maybe he just wanted to challenge himself mentally. So, when he raised his hand to volunteer, Old Cai didn’t find it all that strange.
He had Chen Chang jot down the names, then added, “Next up: the 4×100-meter relay. Any boys from our class want to sign up? You’ll be timing yourselves during Wednesday’s PE class.”
Mei Jian: “I’m in.”
Yan Ze: “Me too.”
And just like that, the two of them were at it again.
It was funny. Even if they understood how pointless the competition was—how immature it seemed—there was something about two male rivals, especially in matters of physical ability, that made these silent contests inevitable.
Of course, Yan Ze’s motivation was simpler: he just wanted to hear Xie Tingxue cheering for him, to have her hand him a towel and a water bottle after his run.
Chen Chang, as the class’s PE monitor, was automatically on the relay team. He jotted down three names and said, “We need one more.”
Feng Fei shot his hand up. “Me, me, me!!”
Xie Tingxue turned around in surprise. Feng Fei was practically falling out of his seat, hand stretched out like a rocket. “I’m in! I’m fast!”
He was fast—years of brawling had trained him well. Plus, even Mei Jian had admitted he had quick reflexes and a sharp mind.
Yan Ze grinned. “This’ll be fun.”
Xie Tingxue couldn’t sit still.
Three out of the four members of the ” Good Rabbits Growth Alliance” had stepped up. In that moment, she too wanted to rise and say, “I want to sign up.”
But she stayed seated, cheeks a little red.
Mei Jian leaned toward her and said gently, “Join us during PE on Wednesday. You can help us time the runs—get some fresh air.”
Xie Tingxue nodded and gave him a grateful look.
“Xie Tingxue, you’ll be in charge of our cheering slogans, blackboard poster, and spirit messages,” Old Cai added. “Let’s all rally behind Class 7!”
________________________________________
Wednesday, PE Class.
Old Cai showed up too. The relay team practiced their first run, with Xie Tingxue timing them.
Old Cai handed her the stopwatch, cupped his hands to his mouth, and shouted, “Come on, boys! Let’s show our colors—Class 7! We shine the brightest!”
Xie Tingxue’s eyes widened as she fought back a laugh, cheeks puffed up adorably.
Chen Chang assigned positions. “I’m first leg, then Mei Jian, Yan Ze… and that, uh, Fei something—you’ll be fourth. We’ll run it once and then finalize positions later.”
The others had no objections.
Class 7 shared PE with Science Class 2. After a brief discussion, the two classes decided to hold a friendly showdown.
The whistle blew—Chen Chang took off like a rocket.
Mei Jian was second. He rotated his wrists and ankles, heart rate climbing.
At Yancheng University, both the 5000m and the 100m were required for physical fitness exams each semester. Failure meant forced remedial training—and it went on one’s permanent record.
He was confident in his stamina. Besides, this body was in its prime.
Chen Chang charged in, a body length ahead of Class 2’s runner. Mei Jian took the baton and launched forward.
Girls on the sidelines cheered. Mei Jian couldn’t help but smile.
Damn, this feels good!
He rounded the bend. Yan Ze was up next.
“Take it!” Mei Jian shouted.
He pressed the baton into Yan Ze’s palm. Yan Ze bolted forward like the wind.
The girls screamed even louder—cheers mixed with shrieks.
Mei Jian caught his breath, smiling to himself.
“That guy…” he muttered, rotating his ankle as he walked off the track.
Class 2’s third runner was gaining fast.
Yan Ze handed off to Feng Fei.
Xie Tingxue gripped the stopwatch, watching intently, barely daring to breathe.
“Ahhh! He’s catching up!” Yan Yaru screamed. “Big Fei, come on!! If you hold out, I won’t blame you for standing me up anymore!!”
The girl beside her laughed. “Wait—you two had a date?!”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Class 2’s last runner overtook Feng Fei.
Yan Yaru’s face turned dark. “Damn it.”
Feng Fei gritted his teeth, sprinting so hard his face nearly distorted in the wind.
The race was reaching its climax—final sprint coming!
Class 2’s runner crossed the finish line first—Feng Fei was just half a step behind.
Xie Tingxue stared, stunned. Mei Jian quickly realized what was happening and reached over to stop her stopwatch for her.
Old Cai, who had been bouncing excitedly just moments ago, was now clutching his chest in regret. Once all four boys had gathered, he tried to comfort them: “I just found out—the last runner from Class 2 was an athletics student. Let’s switch our final runner to Jin Zhenyu.”
Chen Chang said, “But Jin Zhenyu’s already signed up for three events.”
Old Cai called Jin Zhenyu over to ask what he thought.
Zhenyu pointed straight at Yan Ze. “Then I’ll switch with him.”
Old Cai’s heart sank.
Right… these two don’t exactly get along, do they?
Yan Ze: “…”
What’s with this dumb oaf? Got a personal vendetta or something? Why is he always targeting me?
Feng Fei quickly jumped in, “I’ll switch out! I’m not that fast anyway!”
Old Cai hesitated. From a team performance perspective, if there was tension between the handoff runners, it could tank the whole race. But in terms of speed and ability, Yan Ze was clearly the better choice—tall, long legs, built for sprinting. Feng Fei, with his shorter stature, had to take twice the steps to cover the same ground.
Plus, when Yan Ze ran, the energy around the track just lit up—and atmosphere mattered at these school events.
Old Cai stood there like a human scale, weighing both options, torn.
Suddenly, Mei Jian spoke up with the authority of a seasoned coach. “Feng Fei switches out for Jin Zhenyu. Yan Ze and I will switch positions. Our relay order: Chen Chang first, then Yan Ze,
then me, and finally Zhenyu. Any objections?!”
Jin Zhenyu was momentarily stunned. “No objections,” he replied instinctively.
But as soon as he realized what just happened, he was thoroughly annoyed.
Who the hell does this guy think he is, acting like the captain?!
Mei Jian: “Good. Then let’s aim to place in this event. Can we work as a team?”
Yan Ze let out a snort-laugh.
Girls on the sidelines started chanting, “Go, Class 7!”
Chen Chang was fired up. “Let’s win this! We can’t let everyone down!”
Old Cai was so excited he was trembling. “Class 7, go go go!!”
Feng Fei got reassigned to long jump.
Unaware of Xie Tingxue’s participation status, he came back to ask, “Xie, what event did you sign up for?”
“I signed up for the cheerleading event.” Xie Tingxue made a pumped-up motion and smiled. “I’ll cheer you guys on!”
“You didn’t sign up for anything else?” he asked.
“Nope. I’m in charge of writing our class cheers.”
“That’s so boring,” Feng Fei complained. “You should at least sign up for something! Participation is what counts!”
Xie Tingxue looked a little persuaded. Blushing, she said, “I’m not fast. I can’t jump high either…”
“But you can jump rope, right?” Feng Fei said. “Come on, let’s sign you up!”
Grabbing her by the arm, he dragged her toward Chen Chang. “Class PE rep! Xie Tingxue wants to sign up for the jump rope relay!”
Yan Ze’s ears perked up. Instantly, he raised his hand. “Me too!”
A co-ed event? Fantastic!
Mei Jian gave him a look. “…You do realize jump rope comes right after the 5000-meter race, right?”
Yan Ze smirked. “After running 5000 meters, I can still jump 5000 more!”
“Yeah, sure,” Mei Jian rolled his eyes. “When you collapse in front of everyone, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Showboating has limits, Yan Ze. Take that as friendly advice.”
Yan Ze beamed. “I want to show off in front of my girlfriend. What’s it to you?”
Mei Jian snorted, “You trip over your own feet and turn into a wet noodle in front of her, that’d make my day.”
Yan Ze just grinned. “You don’t get it.”
A girl like Xie Tingxue wasn’t someone who fell for appearances.
He knew exactly what he was doing. Exhausting himself in front of her, running 5000 meters and still jumping rope afterward—he was going to look stubborn, dedicated, and tragic. With how soft-hearted she was, she’d have to fall for him a little more.
The more miserable, the more charming. That’s how the dramas worked.
In his heart, Yan Ze made a victorious fist pump. Using all the knowledge he’d gained from romance novels, he’d once again outmaneuvered straight-laced, serious Mei Jian in emotional strategy.
He could already tell: Mei Jian was the type to care too much about appearances. The kind of guy who would never cry or show vulnerability in front of a girl. That would be asking for his life.
Yan Ze muttered, “Guys like you are the easiest to beat.”
Mei Jian didn’t respond, but didn’t deny it either.
Their quiet showdown ended, and their gazes naturally fell—at the same time—on Xie Tingxue. More precisely, on her arm, which was still being held high by Feng Fei.
Feng Fei was practically waving her around. “One for Xie Tingxue! And Yan Ze too! Oh, Yan Yaru, you want in too? Sure, add her!”
Chen Chang was thrilled. When he heard Yan Yaru was also joining, he could barely keep from grinning ear to ear. “You know what? I’m one of the rope turners—me and Jin Zhenyu.”
Feng Fei was still holding Xie Tingxue’s arm up in the air. “Did you write it down yet? Did you?!”
Mei Jian and Yan Ze in unison: “Is something wrong with this guy?!”
Yan Ze yelled, “Feng Fei, let go of her already!”
Old Cai stood there watching the whole chaotic scene unfold, smiling like a proud grandpa.
—
That Wednesday, during the final evening study hall, Xie Tingxue finished painting the class’s motivational poster. Just as she was about to write the entry slogan, Old Cai chimed in:
“Use this one: United in heart, striving for glory—Class 7, invincible in battle!”
Mei Jian couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.
He’d never noticed before, but now it was obvious: most homeroom teachers were barely out of college themselves. Probably still chasing manga updates at home. This kind of burning passion? Definitely the work of a certified chūnibyō (eighth-grader syndrome).