Xia Xia sat on the bench in front of the dormitory building.

Jiang Zhizhou withdrew his gaze from the two people under the palm tree in the distance. “Hasn’t Xie Huai told you before?”

“He has,” Xia Xia lowered her eyes. A caterpillar crawled across the blue brick ground beneath her feet, and she nudged it with her toe.

“Xie Huai said he had more than ten ex-girlfriends. The shortest relationship lasted three days, the longest a month,” Xia Xia glanced at Chen Manxi. “I wonder if she was in the one-month relationship?”

Jiang Zhizhou said, “Xie Huai’s relationship with her didn’t last more than two weeks.”

“Two weeks?” Xia Xia didn’t believe it. “But she doesn’t act like it.”

Chen Manxi’s behavior was far too familiar, showing none of the awkwardness or embarrassment typical of meeting an ex. When she took off her sunglasses to talk to Xie Huai earlier, her face was animated, her delicate features full of pride and confidence. Though she didn’t say it aloud, Xia Xia could sense what she was thinking.

—In Chen Manxi’s heart, even after all this time, she still held a special place in Xie Huai’s heart, one that no other woman could compare to.

Xia Xia couldn’t understand where this confidence came from.

She only knew that looking at Chen Manxi’s expression made her angry. She wished she could turn into a cat and use her claws to scratch up that face.

“Though it was only two weeks, she was indeed different from the others,” Jiang Zhizhou said. “Other girls actively pursued Xie Huai, but Chen Manxi was the one who pursued her.”

…

According to Jiang Zhizhou, Xie Huai’s popularity at school was far greater than what he himself claimed. Girls who liked him and had crushes on him weren’t just from their school but from other schools too. Every evening, groups of girls from other schools would gather at the school gate to catch a glimpse of him.

That New Year’s Day, when First High School held an evening performance in the auditorium, Xie Huai’s class’s dance performance had to be canceled due to damaged costumes. While the teachers and class representatives were frantically trying to solve the problem, Xie Huai and his friends happened to be returning from playing basketball, each holding a bottle of soda, drenched in sweat.

A girl in the last row of the auditorium was quietly sobbing. Xie Huai passed by and casually asked, “Why are you crying?”

The girl explained that without the performance, their class would lose activity points, and the classmates who had spent half a month preparing wouldn’t get their points either.

After hearing this, Xie Huai laughed carelessly, “Is that all?”

He tossed his basketball to a male classmate nearby, and after the host’s introduction, he picked up an electric guitar from the stage and went up still wearing his basketball jersey.

The evening’s festive atmosphere reached its peak after Xie Huai took the stage.

Without any preparation, Xie Huai performed impromptu. He forgot the lyrics halfway through a love song, laughed it off, and switched to singing a children’s song instead.

After getting off stage, he playfully sweet-talked the teachers into giving the activity points to the girls who were supposed to dance.

Someone recorded his singing performance and posted it on the school forum. Still sweaty from basketball, holding an electric guitar and singing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” in his clear voice, that irreplaceable youthful charm was like an intoxicating drug—everyone who saw it went crazy.

When students from Second High School saw the video, that evening more than ten girls climbed over the wall to watch Xie Huai during evening study hall, only to be caught and sent back by the disciplinary director who had gotten wind of it.

…

Jiang Zhizhou continued: “Whether Xie Huai was playing basketball, soccer, going to the cafeteria to eat, or swimming at the pool—wherever he appeared, he was either surrounded by girls or receiving admiring glances from them.”

“No wonder,” Xia Xia began to understand the source of Chen Manxi’s pride.

At that perfect age of youth, any girl pursued by someone like Xie Huai would have their vanity satisfied to the fullest extent, regardless of how much love was involved. No surprise Chen Manxi still couldn’t let go after all these years. If it were Xia Xia, she might have walked around with her tail held high too.

Xia Xia asked, “How did Xie Huai pursue her?”

Jiang Zhizhou replied, “You won’t want to know.”

Xia Xia’s clear eyes fixed on him: “Senior, you’d better tell me. If you don’t, I’ll ask Xie Huai directly, though I can’t guarantee I’ll stay as calm as I am now after hearing it from him.”

The sunlight was scorching.

The UV rays were strong in the southern city. Afraid of getting tanned, Chen Manxi took out a hat from her bag and put it on.

“Xie Huai,” she lowered her hat brim, “after all these years, you’ve changed a lot.”

Xie Huai observed her gestures and expressions, and replied bluntly, “You haven’t changed at all.”

Chen Manxi responded with an “Oh?” “Do you mean my appearance or my temperament?”

She was dressed head to toe in luxury brands, with logos prominently displayed on her clothes and handbag.

Xie Huai glanced at them and smiled mockingly without saying a word.

“I never expected you to be Xia Xia’s boyfriend now. When you came to Hai City last time, why didn’t you come to see me?” Chen Manxi’s voice was earnest. “Even if we broke up, we were still classmates, right? Meeting up and catching up is only natural. Xia Xia wouldn’t mind.”

Xie Huai raised an eyebrow: “Xia Xia might not mind, but I do.”

Chen Manxi hesitated, then asked, “You couldn’t be…”

She wanted to ask if he had been thinking about her all these years, but stopped herself, feeling it would be too presumptuous.

Though Chen Manxi didn’t finish her sentence, Xie Huai could tell what she was thinking.

“I have indeed been thinking about you,” he said with an unchanging expression. Though these words should have been tender, they carried a cold edge. “I’ve forgotten the names of all those other girls from before, but you’re the only one I remember.”

Chen Manxi’s lips parted slightly in surprise.

She instinctively looked back at Xia Xia, who had just finished talking with Jiang Zhizhou and was also looking their way.

Chen Manxi felt somewhat guilty, but more than that, she felt the confidence that comes from being favored. When she was with Xie Huai, what she never lacked were envious, jealous, and resentful glances from other girls. The more intense those emotions in their gazes, the more thoroughly her vanity was satisfied.

She raised her eyebrows and met Xia Xia’s gaze, but halfway through, she heard Xie Huai say:

“After all, you’re the only person I’ve ever met who broke up with me the day after my father went bankrupt and committed suicide, immediately got together with my sworn enemy, and then came to flaunt it in front of my arm in arm with him.” Xie Huai said coldly, “Chen Manxi, how could I possibly forget you even if I wanted to?”

Chen Manxi: “…”

As Xie Huai recalled the past events, his brow darkened with traces of violence and irritation.

He instinctively reached to touch his Buddhist prayer beads, wanting to calm himself by rolling them, only to remember they were with Xia Xia.

He looked back and saw Xia Xia watching him, as she simultaneously moved her foot, crushing the fragile caterpillar beneath.

Though Xie Huai was quite insensitive, at that moment he still felt a sense of foreboding.

Chen Manxi: “Xie Huai…”

Xie Huai interrupted her: “That Spring Festival, my father gave me 188,888 yuan as lucky money. When you said you had nothing to wear, I gave you my card to use. Three days later, when the card came back to me, there were only 8 yuan left.”

“188,888 yuan—did you buy out an entire clothing store and donate it all to poor mountain regions?”

Chen Manxi: “……”

“I won’t hold the past against you, just stay away from me.”

“As you said, I have changed a lot over these years. Today I’m in a good mood so I’m letting you leave, but next time we meet, don’t blame me for making you pay back the money.”

Xie Huai spoke calmly, showing no intense emotions: “Also, stay away from Xia Xia.”

Chen Manxi’s face alternated between red and white, overwhelmed with embarrassment. She asked, “Why?”

Xie Huai: “Are you still with Sun Feng?”

Chen Manxi turned away: “We broke up long ago.”

Xie Huai glanced at her Hermès handbag: “Well, Sun Feng couldn’t afford these things anyway.”

He said coolly: “Stay away from Xia Xia. Don’t corrupt her.”

Jiang Zhizhou asked: “Are you close with Chen Manxi?”

Xia Xia stood up to push her suitcase: “We shared a dorm room at Hai University, but we weren’t close. She rarely came back to the dorm, spending most of her time skipping classes to be with her boyfriend.”

“She has a boyfriend?”

Xia Xia nodded but didn’t tell him that Chen Manxi’s boyfriend was a married man in his forties with children.

Xie Huai walked over and reached for Xia Xia’s suitcase. “You didn’t even tell me you were back. Have you eaten?”

Quick as lightning, Xia Xia slapped his hand away with a crisp smack.

Xie Huai pulled his hand back in pain. “Xia Xia, what’s wrong with you?”

He rubbed his hand and held it up to her eyes, whining, “Look at this yourself, you made it all red!”

Chen Manxi heard this and bit her lip.

Even though she considered herself special in Xie Huai’s heart, she had never seen him act this way with any girl before.

In high school, Xie Huai was still in his adolescence. Rather than having sweet romantic relationships, he preferred hanging out with boys, only including her when there were many people together.

When Chen Manxi once asked Xie Huai to go shopping with her, she only received the teenager’s reluctant words.

“Don’t like shopping, it’s tiring.”

“You can just sit in a store and wait for me, help me carry my things, I can’t carry them myself.”

“Won’t carry them,” Xie Huai was even more unwilling, “Too heavy.”

Chen Manxi held his arm: “Xie Huai, just come with me, please, please—”

Xie Huai pulled his arm away, saying impatiently: “It’s so hot, can you stop being clingy? Here’s the card, go buy things yourself.”

…

Back then, she thought this was just Xie Huai’s nature, that he didn’t like hanging out with girls. She never imagined she’d one day see Xie Huai being so attentive to another girl, with his every action and even his gaze expressing affection.

The way he whined to Xia Xia was like a puppy wagging its tail with its tongue out.

Chen Manxi had come with high hopes, only to be left awkwardly standing there.

Her eyes stung. Not wanting to watch anymore, she put on her sunglasses and turned to leave.

Xia Xia asked coldly: “Aren’t you going to chase after her?”

“Why would I chase her?”

Xia Xia dragged her suitcase into the building, the wheels making a rolling sound as they crossed the tile gaps.

Xie Huai blocked her path: “Is it heavy? Let me carry it.”

Xia Xia avoided his hand, and the typically insensitive Xie Huai finally noticed something was wrong with her mood.

With a strong self-preservation instinct, he said: “Even though she’s an ex, we weren’t close. If you don’t believe me, ask Zhizhou, we only dated for… how many days was it?”

“Oh really?” Xia Xia sneered, “Not close? Then why did you buy Häagen-Dazs for her entire class? Not close? Then why did you arrange 990 candles and 1,999 roses under the teaching building for her? Not close? Then why did you have your family driver block her residential complex entrance with four cars just to make her go to school with you? Not close? Then why did you read a love letter instead of a self-criticism report at the flag-raising ceremony?”

“Do you think I’d believe you weren’t close? Get out of my way right now, leave!”

Xie Huai: “…………”

He was stunned for a moment, then turned around and shouted: “Jiang Zhizhou, get your ass over here!”

Jiang Zhizhou made a quick escape.

Xia Xia ignored him and carried the heavy suitcase upstairs by herself.

Xie Huai took a few quick steps and snatched the suitcase from her hands.

Xia Xia raised her eyebrows, about to speak, but Xie Huai cut her off.

“If you’re angry, be angry. If you want to scold me, scold me. Why make things difficult for yourself?”

“I’ll carry this, you take a rest. You can scold me all you want.”

He carried Xia Xia’s suitcase to the dormitory entrance.

Xia Xia stood at the door, her pretty face stern.

After delivering the luggage, Xie Huai didn’t leave. He reached out and pinched Xia Xia’s face: “Has your anger subsided?”

Xia Xia said: “No.”

“What Jiang Zhizhou said is true, I did do all those things,” Xie Huai frowned and thought, “And even more, but I had my reasons.”

“When Chen Manxi first transferred here, it caused quite a stir. Sun Feng from Second High School had his eye on her…”

According to Xie Huai, Chen Manxi transferred to Hai City First High School in her second year due to her parents’ work. Because of her beautiful appearance, attractive figure, and fashionable style, she became the talk of several surrounding schools as soon as she transferred.

The boys in Xie Huai’s class loved to peek at the new transfer student through the back window of the neighboring class after lessons, while Xie Huai was the only one who stayed in the classroom bouncing his basketball.

The turning point happened that evening.

After school, Xie Huai walked to the school gate, where his family’s chauffeur had parked the Rolls-Royce.

Sun Feng from Second High brought his gang over.

The boy said boastfully: “Xie Huai, I’ve got your school beauty.”

Xie Huai asked: “Which school beauty?”

Sun Feng’s lackey said: “Chen Manxi, the new transfer student. The boss gave her a two-thousand-yuan watch, and she accepted it. In a few days, we might have to call her sister-in-law.”

Xie Huai had no interest in this.

—He had seen many beautiful women, and Chen Manxi really couldn’t attract his special attention. Besides, a two-thousand-yuan watch was nothing to him. The watch he wore was bought by Xie Zhisheng, with a diamond-studded dial worth four hundred thousand.

Xie Zhisheng had said: “You’re still young, don’t wear anything too expensive to show off. When you go to university, I’ll get you a better one.”

Seeing no reaction from him, Sun Feng deliberately provoked: “Are there no real men at your First High? Can’t even keep your own school beauty, need us Second High guys to take care of her.”

The lackey said: “That’s right, I heard First High guys are all sissies, their school girls don’t like to find boyfriends within the school.”

…

“That Sun Feng had a grudge against me and challenged me to fights every week. Just last week we fought, he brought two lackeys against me alone, and I lost. If he had just called me a sissy I would have let it go, but he said all the guys at our school were sissies…” Xie Huai was full of righteous indignation, “How the fuck could I let that slide?”

Xia Xia: “…………”

“This wasn’t for personal desire, it was for the school’s honor,” Xie Huai argued vigorously. “Chen Manxi was very clever, playing between me and Sun Feng without committing to either. Everyone knew I was pursuing her. If I didn’t do something dramatic and she ended up with Sun Feng, where would that leave my face?”

Xia Xia was so angered she could barely breathe, almost having a heart attack.

Seeing her still cold-faced, Xie Huai continued explaining: “I admit I did those things, but they were all just matters of spending money. The only passionate love letter I read at the flag-raising ceremony, even that was copied from the internet by Jiang Zhizhou, you can ask him.”

“Don’t be angry with me anymore. How could I have known I’d meet you back then?” Xie Huai’s voice softened, “I fucking wish I could go back in time and beat up my past self, but can I? You’re judging my present self for past actions, that’s not fair to me. Didn’t you have Ping Jiapeng before?”

“Are you bringing up old scores with me?” Xia Xia asked, “Since you mentioned Ping Jiapeng, let’s do this.”

“We’re not dating yet anyway, so to be fair, for every ex-girlfriend you’ve had, I’m going to date that many boyfriends from now on. When we have the same number of exes, neither of us will need to dwell on the other’s past, and then we can be together. How does that sound?”

Xie Huai: “…”

“What kind of joke is this? My dozen or so exes combined weren’t as memorable as your one Ping Jiapeng, right?”

“So you’re saying you disagree?” Xia Xia asked calmly, “Then there’s another solution.”

“From now until I’m not angry anymore, you’re not allowed to come near me, not allowed to talk to me, not allowed to touch me. I need some quiet time.”

Xie Huai asked: “What will make your anger go away?”

“Simple,” Xia Xia said, “Do everything you did when pursuing Chen Manxi for me. You’re different now from before, I won’t ask for anything else. Since you could read a love letter to Chen Manxi at the flag-raising ceremony, why don’t you read one to me in front of all the teachers and students at South University?”

Xie Huai: “…”

“If you can do this, my anger will subside. How about it?”

After speaking, Xia Xia carried her suitcase into the dormitory and slammed the door shut.

Xie Huai stood outside the door, vaguely remembering something Xia Xia had said that night at the Hai City hotel.

—”Someday you’ll be kneeling in front of me begging me to accept you, don’t cry when that time comes!”

It was just a joke back then.

But now, it had become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Xie Huai was dumbfounded.