They Dumped Me—Now They’re Reincarnated and Obsessed? - Chapter 7

Yan Ze’s plan to thoroughly crush Mei Jian… died during geography class.

Before class, Yan Ze boasted, “Geography? Isn’t it just local customs and travel trivia? I’ve been to a lot of places—shouldn’t be a problem.”

During class, the geography teacher casually drew four intersecting lines on the board—a simple pound sign. And yet, the freakishly smart front-row students instantly deduced the local time, named the capital city, and pinpointed its exact location.

Yan Ze was stunned. “…Is this some kind of sorcery?”

Fortune-telling? Divination? Clairvoyance? What the hell?

Yan Ze: Utter defeat.

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During the afternoon break, Yan Ze went to the cafeteria for water. He twisted open a bottle and downed half of it. As he turned, he spotted Xie Tingxue nearby.

Caught off guard, he hesitated, then trailed behind her slowly on the way back to the academic building.

Xie Tingxue must have noticed—she picked up her pace.

Yan Ze cursed under his breath. “What is this nonsense?!”

He caught up and grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her beside the water boiler room. Amid the swirling steam, he slammed his palm against the wall, boxing her in.

“What are you avoiding me for? You don’t want to see me?”

Xie Tingxue was scared stiff but refused to show weakness. “Back off!”

Yan Ze: “Wow… that phrasing is so dated.”

Xie Tingxue snapped, “Don’t think I won’t call the teacher!”

Lowering his voice, Yan Ze asked seriously, “You don’t like me?”

His expression was earnest, his tone low and dejected.

Xie Tingxue was caught off guard but quickly slipped back into her guarded stance and shouted, “Keep dreaming! You think you’re handsome or something?! You’re so annoying!”

“Ten years later… that’s not what you’ll say,” Yan Ze murmured, looking at her. “Tingxue, what don’t you like about me now?”

“You’re a poor student,” she said without hesitation. “Who likes someone who can’t study?”

“No wonder…” Yan Ze’s gaze softened.

Mei Jian was right. Right now, Xie Tingxue didn’t know how to interact with people. If it really were ten years ago, maybe nothing would’ve ever happened between them. Even if he had fallen for her and confessed, his pride would’ve been crushed by words like these.

Yan Ze slowly let his arm down and stepped back—but he was smiling.

“What a little girl…” he muttered. “Xie Tingxue, I might not be good at school, but I’ve got a good heart. Maybe… try adjusting your standards and give someone like me a chance?”

Blushing, Xie Tingxue let out a huff, turned, and fled.

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Back in the classroom, Xie Tingxue’s heart was still pounding.

Mei Jian was chatting casually with the students around him. He was incredibly knowledgeable—every break, people naturally gathered around to listen to him talk. The vibe was warm and lively.

When he saw her return, he turned and smiled, “My mom called—she said she asked the housekeeper to leave today.”

“Really?!”

“Don’t worry about her anymore. My parents will take care of things. If that man shows up again, they’ll call the police. They’re not letting him in.”

Xie Tingxue wiped away a tear. “Please thank Uncle and Auntie for me!”

The students around her had also softened their attitudes.

“It’s okay, Tingxue. Everything will be alright!”

“Mei Jian already told us…” Yan Yaru gently took her hand and smiled. “That’s great—his parents forgave your aunt, and she won’t lose her job! The people bad-mouthing her just because she’s a housekeeper… ugh, they’re the ones with no morals!”

“Mei Jian’s amazing…” someone sighed.

Yan Yaru added, “I’m really jealous. Mei Jian tutors just for you. I asked him questions and he didn’t even help me…”

Mei Jian’s smile twitched slightly.

He was now convinced—anyone who becomes a celebrity in the future must have something wrong with their brain. Yan Yaru talked like a patient with severe brain fog… honestly on par with Yan Ze.

When Yan Ze entered from the front door, Xie Tingxue quickly pulled her hand away and avoided his gaze.

Seeing everyone surrounding Mei Jian, Yan Ze let out a mocking “tsk.”

Yan Yaru turned with her hands on her hips. “Hey, Yan Ze! What are you tsking about?!”

The other girls looked on with awe and envy.

So cool… Yan Yaru knows both school hotties so well!

Yan Ze retorted, “Don’t be so desperate to insert yourself—I wasn’t even ‘tsk’ing you.”

Yan Yaru snapped, “Just wait, I’m telling my godmother you sleep through class!”

Yan Ze had no interest in bickering with her—he found these childish squabbles incredibly boring.

He replied, “Sure. Keep lying and your nose will grow. Keep it up and you won’t even need plastic surgery for that Korean nose job.”

Yan Yaru turned red with rage, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “You—you’re disgusting! Yan Ze, you… jerk!”

Yan Ze closed his eyes and tuned her out.

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After a full day of observation, jealousy boiled inside Yan Ze.

Between Xie Tingxue and Mei Jian sat a notebook—used for passing notes and academic discussion.

Yan Ze had timed it. Nearly every class, Mei Jian and Xie Tingxue used that notebook to interact. Constantly.

Mei Jian was using this method to deepen their bond. Meanwhile, Yan Ze was isolated in the back row, forced to watch helplessly.

Fuming, Yan Ze picked up his pen to write Xie Tingxue a full page warning her not to be fooled—then angrily ripped it to shreds.

He felt powerless.

Staring at her from afar, his heart ached like a husband being shut out by a wife who had lost all memory of him.

He recalled the time he had taken on a second male lead role in a school romance drama. Xie Tingxue had been thrilled—she said it was based on a beloved high school romance novel that every girl had read.

In that story, the second male lead was a top student, deeply in love with the heroine but never confessing. Unlike the bold and mischievous male lead, the second lead was the reliable older brother type, caring for the heroine in every quiet way.

“Yeah… when we’re young, we like those bold, handsome types,” Xie Tingxue once said. “But when we grow up, we realize—someone who silently supports and heals you, who shares your dreams… that’s the one worth trusting.”

Yan Ze sighed.

No matter how he looked at it, Xie Tingxue clearly liked guys like Mei Jian.

He doodled on his textbook, his heart in disarray.

Not just disarray—he had no plan. No direction.

He was scared.

This school was Mei Jian’s turf. And truth be told, Yan Ze knew nothing about 16-year-old Xie Tingxue.

If he was being honest with himself… he had just gotten lucky last time.

Mei Jian had walked away from her. That was the only reason Yan Ze got his chance.

But now, judging by Mei Jian’s behavior, he wouldn’t be making the same mistake again.

Which meant…

Yan Ze stared blankly at his book, feeling a chill crawl down his spine.

This can’t go on. I have to fight back. I need to get on the same playing field and change her mind—fast!

He stood up and walked out of the classroom.

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“You want to change seats?” the homeroom teacher asked, surprised. “To where?”

“Somewhere near the front—first four rows,” Yan Ze replied. “Top students can learn no matter where they sit, right? But for underachievers like us, being up front might actually help. Easier for you to manage, too.”

The teacher nearly laughed out loud.

Yan Ze said seriously, “I’m just giving you constructive advice. You want our class average to improve, don’t you? Ignoring students like me… isn’t that neglect of duty? Teachers aren’t just here to lecture.”

Another teacher across the room chuckled, “Yan Ze, if only you put that kind of thought into studying. Your homeroom teacher wouldn’t be so stressed.”

Yan Ze insisted, “Either way, I want to switch seats. I think my reasoning is fair.”

The homeroom teacher scoffed, “What, you think you can call the shots now? Why don’t you become the homeroom teacher then? We change seats based on monthly test rankings. Letting you switch would be unfair to the others.”

“No favoritism,” Yan Ze replied flatly. “Mei Jian asked to switch, and you let him.”

“He was ranked first. Why don’t you try getting first?”

Another teacher quipped, “If you get first place, then you can talk.”

“Grades, huh?” Yan Ze narrowed his eyes. “How exactly do you assign seats in Class 7?”

“We read off the rankings. When your name’s called, you enter the room and pick your seat. The better your rank, the earlier you go. Naturally, top students get the front-center seats. You can’t expect to claim a prime seat with bottom-rank scores. Is that fair to the hardworking kids?”

Yan Ze was silent.

So basically—the higher your score, the earlier you get to choose.

With his ranking at the bottom, he probably only had a back-row seat left.

“…What’s Xie Tingxue’s rank?” he asked.

The homeroom teacher raised an eyebrow, sensing his motive. “Why should I tell you that?”

“Top ten?” Yan Ze asked without changing expression.

The teacher smirked, intrigued. “Even if she is, you’ll never catch up.”

That hit like a punch to the gut.

Yan Ze paused. “…True. But she’s not my target. Honestly, my target is Mei Jian. What’s his rank?”

Another teacher joined in, “What was Mei Jian’s rank in the last monthly exam?”

The homeroom teacher beamed. “Third in the entire grade.”

Yan Ze took another hit.

“Oh… so he’s not even listed in class rankings anymore,” he mumbled.

The gap between them was massive.

The teacher waved the test results in her hand. “The current seating is based on the last placement exam. I’ve got the latest results here—we’ll rearrange seats after evening self-study.”

Yan Ze blinked, suddenly hopeful. “So, the seat assignments will be updated soon?”

The homeroom teacher grinned. “Don’t get excited. You transferred in without a test record—your seat won’t change. You’re staying in the back row.”

“But I have test results,” Yan Ze argued. “Use my science scores as stand-ins for liberal arts. Rank me based on that?”

The teacher grinned like a cat. “And where’s this confidence coming from?”

The other teachers laughed.

She added, “Your total score from six subjects doesn’t even beat Mei Jian’s Language Essay Part B. Whether we count it or not, you’re still dead last. I was being kind not entering your score at all.”

Yan Ze: “…”

Now he remembered—he’d only guessed the multiple choice on science, barely did any language, skipped the essay, guessed all of English, and left math blank.

Total score? Not even 100.

Yan Ze was filled with deep regret. He wanted to curse his past self.

I only have myself to blame—but that doesn’t help now.

The teacher tapped his shoulder with the rolled-up sheet. “So, you do want to study now?”

“I’m thinking about it,” Yan Ze said, full of swagger. “That Mei Jian guy pisses me off. I don’t like him being number one. I want a shot at beating him.”

Mostly, he couldn’t stand the way Xie Tingxue looked at Mei Jian with those admiring eyes.

The teacher nodded. “Alright then. At least you’ve got the right mindset. Let’s aim for breaking into the bottom ten next month!”

Yan Ze: “…” Who are you calling bottom ten?!