They Dumped Me—Now They’re Reincarnated and Obsessed? - Chapter 4
After P.E. class, the atmosphere in the classroom turned oddly tense.
Yan Yaru strolled in, chatting and laughing, but when she saw Mei Jian sitting at her desk, her eyes lit up—then froze in shock.
“…Mei Jian?”
Without even looking up as he highlighted a passage in his textbook, Mei Jian replied, “The homeroom teacher asked us to switch seats. I’ve already moved your things. You’re up front now, sitting next to Chen Chang.”
“…” Yan Yaru turned to look behind her.
Mei Jian’s previous desk mate had been Chen Chang, the class’s P.E. rep. He had thick eyebrows, dark skin, and a blunt personality. His obvious crush on the class darling Yan Yaru was well known—and not well received. The smart students ignored him, the troublemakers looked down on him. He was the classic straight-laced middle kid stuck between cliques.
Now, Chen Chang’s face was flushed with excitement. He sat frozen in place, not daring to look at Yan Yaru, but his giddy mood was palpable to the entire class.
Yan Yaru frowned. “Why the seat change?”
“Ask the homeroom teacher.” Mei Jian pushed up his glasses and smiled. “I’m just following orders.”
Annoyed, Yan Yaru moved to the front. Chen Chang lifted his chair to make room for her and cast Mei Jian a quick, grateful glance.
Mei Jian raised his eyebrows and gave a subtle nod. Step one, complete.
First, he needed to build a good environment—conducive to studying.
Next, he’d personally tutor her, one-on-one, and help her tackle her academic weaknesses.
Finally, the two of them would ace the college entrance exams, both get into the prestigious universities his parents dreamed of, graduate with honors, pursue master’s degrees, stay on as faculty—and then, get married.
The blueprint was already drawn in Mei Jian’s mind.
As long as he pulled this off, his parents would have no objections this time.
Before Yan Ze could even adjust to the new timeline, Mei Jian planned to seize the initiative—step by step—until Xie Tingxue was fully nurtured under his guidance.
Mei Jian removed his glasses and spun them between his fingers.
“…I should change these,” he murmured.
Back then, plastic black frames were all the rage. Caught up in trends, his younger self had chosen this exact pair. Now, with a more refined aesthetic, he realized how much the glasses dulled his image.
Yan Ze had used carefully crafted appearances to seduce Xie Tingxue. Mei Jian scoffed.
This time, he’d dismantle every one of Yan Ze’s supposed advantages.
At sixteen, girls were easily drawn to appearances—and Mei Jian, who knew Tingxue well, believed he had the upper hand.
He handed her a textbook with highlighted key points and said, “Give me all your math notes and quizzes.”
Xie Tingxue obediently passed them over, mumbling, “…Thank you.”
“I mean it,” Mei Jian said. “From now on, I’ll be your tutor.”
“But next period is English…” Xie Tingxue hesitated.
“I know,” he replied. “Ignore the lesson. I’ll make a personalized study schedule for you after class.”
During English class, Mei Jian flipped through her math exams and zeroed in on her weak points.
“Algebra,” he muttered.
This semester marked the start of 3D geometry. Tingxue had picked it up quickly—she’d even scored highest in the last targeted quiz. But it wasn’t promising.
She only topped the class because the test hadn’t included any algebra yet.
Algebra was her Achilles’ heel—she just didn’t seem to “get” it.
Mei Jian scribbled a list of focus areas.
When the teacher began their usual “train” translation activity, tension spiked.
Xie Tingxue grew nervous, heart pounding. She was afraid Mei Jian wouldn’t pay attention and might get called out.
She peeked at his notes—and froze. She couldn’t read his handwriting.
It looked like… the kind of elegant, flowing cursive adults used—beautiful but unreadable.
As the line of students approached their turn, she nudged him.
Mei Jian didn’t look up—still drafting her study plan.
“I’ve gotten used to computers,” he muttered. “Handwriting feels so slow…”
“Mei Jian,” the English teacher called, voice like a ghost. “Stand and translate this sentence.”
He looked up, translated it flawlessly, then added—in perfect, polished English:
“I don’t mean to be arrogant, but today’s lesson is far too easy. I have more pressing matters to attend to. I promise I won’t disrupt the class. From now on, I’ll get perfect scores—including the essay and listening sections. If I don’t, feel free to punish me then.”
The teacher stood frozen like an icicle. It took her a while to thaw, cheeks red, and she finally stammered back in English: “Remember your promise.”
The classroom was dead silent.
Xie Tingxue gnawed on her fingernail, internally screaming like ten thousand Tarzans—Mei Jian is so cool!
She looked at him with admiration and awe.
After class, Yan Yaru leaned over his desk, starry-eyed. “Mei Jian, you’re amazing!”
Chen Chang turned and added, “Damn, Old Mei, you’re definitely winning next month’s English competition for our class!”
Mei Jian chuckled. “You’re all so childish.”
He’d always been good at English, even in high school, and had once competed at the national level. But his true breakthrough came during his academic career—writing papers, applying for promotions, teaching abroad. His current level was miles ahead of anything in this classroom. It felt like a game developer watching someone play through the tutorial.
Now, he was back in “tutorial village,” ready to execute his perfect plan to raise Xie Tingxue.
Some of the top-performing boys clapped him on the back, half-joking, half-jealous.
Mei Jian just smiled. “So, this is what it feels like to be the star.”
He enjoyed the attention, even if he thought it childish.
Suddenly, a shriek came from the back door.
“Ahh!! It’s Yan Ze!”
“It’s really him! So hot! I’m dying!!”
“Ahh!! He’s coming this way!”
“Shh! Shh! Don’t scream, he’s here!!”
Mei Jian took a deep breath, fighting the surge of profanity that rose in his chest.
Yan Ze didn’t enter. He stood at the rear door, swarmed by adoring girls.
“Brother Ze is here~”
“Looking for our Yan Yaru?”
“Yeah. Call her out,” he said.
Through their squeals, Yan Yaru rolled her eyes and stepped out, smiling despite herself.
“Yaru!! Please let me be you in my next life!”
“I want to know Yan Ze too!!”
She waved them off. “Take my place then. He’s annoying.”
Still grinning, she stepped outside. Before she could say a word, Yan Ze said:
“I heard from Feng Fei—you used to sit next to Xie Tingxue?”
“What are you up to?”
“I like her,” he said bluntly. “So, keep an eye out. If any guy in your class tries anything with her, tell me.”
Yan Yaru stared. “…You’re playing her?”
“F**k off—” he choked and swallowed the curse, scowling. “I’m serious. She’s my girlfriend.”
“…Since when?”
“Seven years from now.”
Yan Yaru: “Are you insane?”
“I’ll make it worth your while. Next time your mom comes over for mahjong, I won’t mention you smoking at school or cruising with the sports school guys.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t sit next to her anymore.”
“…Is her new seatmate a guy or a girl?”
“A guy.” Yan Yaru paused, then muttered, “It’s Mei Jian. Old Veggie just switched us.”
Their homeroom teacher, surnamed Cai, was nicknamed “Old Veggie.”
Yan Ze’s face turned pale with rage. “That scumbag.”
He shoved open the door and strode in. When he saw Xie Tingxue sitting beside Mei Jian, his eyes burned with jealousy.
The warning bell rang.
The nearsighted geography teacher pushed up his glasses. “Who’s that at the back door? Class is starting! Back to your seat!”
Yan Yaru shoved Yan Ze out. A boy from Class 7 shut the back door behind him.
Yan Ze: “…”
Just then, the chemistry teacher walked by and slung an arm around his shoulder. “Yan Ze, giving up on school already? What’d you score on this test?”
Yan Ze recalled the sheet he’d gotten earlier and mumbled, “…Twenty?”
The teacher sighed. “Last month’s test was just chemical equations. Even if you’d just memorized them, you wouldn’t have scored that low…”
“Wait.” Yan Ze paused. “Class 7… that’s a liberal arts class?”
“Huh?” the teacher blinked. “Yeah.”
“F**k!” Yan Ze exploded. “I thought he was a genius! Turns out he’s just in the easy track! Anyone can memorize stuff! Just wait—I’m switching classes!”
The teacher scoffed. “Memorize the formulas first. What class would even take you?”
Yan Ze replied bitterly, “I’m not trying to cause trouble. I just want a new place to nap.”
Later in chemistry, after a lesson that might as well have been in ancient Greek, he was finally free.
Fueled by thoughts of Xie Tingxue, he stumbled over to Class 7, lurking in the shadows by the back wall, brooding like a lovesick ghost.
Mei Jian was gone. Tingxue, the class monitor, was going row by row collecting homework.
As soon as Yan Ze laid eyes on her, he melted, smiling like a fool.
Then a round-faced girl with a messy corn-silk hairstyle entered the room.
Back then, girls often wore their uniforms sloppily—half on, half off—and had expressions full of disdain, with more white in their eyes than black.
As she approached, Tingxue said quickly, “Hand in your homework.”
The girl rolled her eyes theatrically and dug lazily through a desk drawer full of snacks.
After a long wait, still no notebook.
Tingxue moved to another row.
The girl slammed the drawer shut, stood up, and snapped, “What’s your deal? Gonna take it or not?!”
Expression blank, Tingxue walked over and took the workbook.
The girl grabbed it back and smacked Tingxue on the head. “You f**king deserve it!”
Tingxue set down the stack, eyes reddening. “Li Yuyang, what did I ever do to you?!”
“Who the f**k are you glaring at, b1tch?!”
Tingxue was about to speak when she felt a rush of heat beside her. Everything blurred.
Next thing she knew, Yan Ze had grabbed Li Yuyang by the collar and slammed her into the wall.
She shrieked in terror.
Radiating fury, Yan Ze growled, “Who did you call a b1tch?”
She whimpered incoherently.
He kicked the wall beside her. “Say it again, I f**king dare you! What’s with this half-assed outfit? Want attention? Take it off! You want to act trashy? Do it outside! Say one more word about her, and I’ll wash your
damn mouth out with soap!”
Li Yuyang trembled uncontrollably, terrified.
Tears spilled down Tingxue’s cheeks.
She had imagined this moment a thousand times—but never dared to believe it would actually happen.
Mei Jian stormed in, veins bulging, and shoved Tingxue behind him. “Yan Ze, are you serious? They’re kids! You’re how old?!”
Yan Ze turned slowly, eyes narrowing. “Mei Jian, you’d just stand there and let her get bullied? Fine. You can. But I can’t. I’m a man. I don’t care if I’m three or a hundred—if anyone touches my girl, I’ll f**king end them.”
Some students helped Tingxue back to her seat.
Yan Ze watched her go, heart aching.
He touched the white phone in his pocket and remembered the vile comments people posted about her online.
His rage hadn’t faded. His voice was low and cold: “Listen up. Xie Tingxue is under my protection. Anyone who says another damn word about her—I’ll rip out your tongue.”
His tone turned deadly. “I mean it.”
Before Mei Jian could stop him, the damage was done.
Mei Jian’s face was stone cold. Several hot-blooded boys from Class 7 also looked angry.
Yan Ze had just made himself a very public enemy.
Mei Jian laughed in exasperation. “You really are a f**king problem, Yan Ze.”
Mei Jian, having realized he’s been given a second chance, quickly laid out a rational, well-thought-out roadmap with clear challenges, anticipated personality dynamics, and set a strategy that could win over everyone.
Yan Ze? Uh… yeah… he’ll figure out the plan later. For now? Whoever dares hurt her, gets wrecked.