As expected, Xu Qingqing started dredging up old grievances, listing all the times Xie Lianqing had deceived her over the years—from swindling a few dozen yuan of her New Year’s money as kids, to scolding her for being stupid when she got a math problem wrong during their middle school exams… and finally, mocking her English proficiency test score that morning.
Xie Lianqing on the other end of the call: …?
Before meeting Xu Qingqing, Xie Lianqing had been the epitome of composure and grace, unfazed by anything and never resorting to crude language. But ever since getting involved with her, the thread of his rationality constantly teetered on the brink of snapping.
When Xu Qingqing was sweet and obedient, she made him want to propose and marry her on the spot. But when she threw tantrums and acted unreasonably, his blood pressure skyrocketed, leaving him—a young man—scrambling for antihypertensive meds.
Friends joked that one day, Xu Qingqing would be the death of him.
Unaware of her boyfriend’s inner turmoil, Xu Qingqing had stormed over to confront Xie Lianqing the moment she woke up, only now processing the fright from her dream. The sensation of dying in it had felt too real—she’d been powerless as everything spiraled in the opposite direction of what she wanted.
The more she ranted, the angrier she grew, her voice gradually cracking with tears. By the end, she was bawling: "You won’t even write my paper for me, and you dare say you love me?! Break up, you jerk!!"
Hearing her sobs, Xie Lianqing snapped awake. "Qingqing?" The fury in his heart instantly dissipated—proof that there was always someone who could rein him in.
He threw off the covers and checked his watch, grabbing his coat as he headed out, phone still pressed to his ear. "I’m coming to see you now."
Though he wouldn’t actually be able to meet her—Xu Qingqing was staying on campus for finals prep, and the dormitory was locked at this hour. Still, going to her school would reassure her, and he’d wait until she calmed down before leaving.
Xie Lianqing glanced at his watch again, then at the sky. He owned an apartment near the campus, though it wasn’t as conveniently located as his current one near the office.
Xu Qingqing sniffled. "I don’t want to see you! You’re the worst!"
Newly crowned "jerk" Xie Lianqing stopped in his tracks, softening his tone. "Alright, alright. I won’t come. Just stop crying."
Xu Qingqing was a spoiled young miss—capricious, willful, and inconsiderate of others. To get her way, she’d resort to any means, even fake crying.
Yet even when her tears were an act, few could bring themselves to scold her. She was breathtakingly beautiful, her every expression worthy of a movie star. Even her crying was picturesque, a delicate mix of vulnerability and defiance.
Though he couldn’t see her now, Xie Lianqing could easily picture her—eyes red-rimmed, lashes damp, nose tinged pink as she hiccuped.
It shattered his heart.
Xu Qingqing started crying again, and Xie Lianqing patiently listened as she listed every one of his faults.
She dredged up another grievance, accusing loudly, "You even complained about my temper back then! And refused to let me copy your math homework!"
Xie Lianqing opened his mouth, then closed it.
How could she still remember something from so long ago?!
If Xie Lianqing could time-travel, his first act would be to never provoke this little tyrant again. One misstep had led to a lifetime of chaos. He sighed, apologizing out of habit. "I was wrong."
"Yes, my mistake."
"It’s on me."
Whatever Xu Qingqing said next made Xie Lianqing raise a brow. "I’m that terrible?" he echoed, then lowered his gaze and chuckled silently.
Xu Qingqing seemed born knowing how to make people yield. And of everyone, Xie Lianqing was the least willing to see her heartbroken.
When Xu Qingqing finally settled down, Xie Lianqing stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the sky outside, his voice impossibly gentle. "Still want that paper?"
Xu Qingqing, clutching a tissue box, blew her nose loudly. "You said you wouldn’t write it! Jerk!" she muttered under her breath.
Xie Lianqing was used to being called a jerk. In Xu Qingqing’s eyes, all men were scoundrels—and those who crossed her were the worst of the worst, irredeemable trash.
He was equal parts exasperated and amused. Rubbing his face, he sighed. "I’ll write it, of course. How could I refuse you?"
He continued, "…Would Miss Xu prefer an argumentative essay or prose? Lyrical or narrative? Recited in person or over the phone? Is 800 words enough, or should I hit 3,000 before submitting?"
Xu Qingqing hesitated. "Can I have all of them?" Her voice was still soft and tentative from crying. Normally, she’d have declared imperiously, "Obviously, I want everything!"
The thought made Xie Lianqing’s heart melt.
In a low voice, he said, "Fine. You’ll get it all."
He must’ve owed her in a past life!!!
The next day, Xie Lianqing sipped coffee while drafting a business proposal, his second cup in hand to stay alert.
His friend Zhou Chenyu dropped by and laughed. "How late did you stay up pacifying your little empress last night?"
Xie Lianqing arched a brow. "How’d you know?"
Zhou Chenyu plopped into a seat, crossing his legs with a smirk. "You didn’t see her Weibo?"
Xu Qingqing and Xie Lianqing were something of a legend in their circle.
Xu Qingqing wasn’t just famous at A University—she was a standout even among their wealthy peers. Despite her temper, her family background was top-tier.
Yet this very young miss had somehow ended up with Xie Lianqing, the heir of the Xie family!
While everyone placed bets on how soon they’d break up, the two kept cycling through splits and reunions—until it seemed they were now barreling toward engagement!
Many were stunned.
After soothing Xu Qingqing the previous night, Xie Lianqing had gone straight to bed, then rushed to the company the next morning. Only now did he have a moment to breathe.
At Zhou Chenyu’s remark, he opened his phone and checked Xu Qingqing’s Weibo.
She had a secondary account—username a jumble of numbers and symbols, profile picture blank—where she frequently vented about trivial things: the cafeteria worker shaking her two pieces of braised pork off the spoon, the copycat in the next dorm buying the same clothes as her (but looking worse in them, so she magnanimously forgave her)…
The account had barely a dozen followers, including Zhou Chenyu and Xie Lianqing. Zhou Chenyu and Xu Qingqing had grown up together, childhood friends who frequently liked and commented on each other’s posts.
With Zhou Chenyu’s hint, Xie Lianqing braced himself. He clicked into her page and found she’d posted the paper he wrote for her last night.
She hadn’t photographed the whole thing—just the final line: "I’ll always love you."
Although this Weibo post seemed half-hearted at best, everyone who followed the account recognized Xu Qingqing. By now, there were already likes and comments, mostly from the wealthy second-generation circle she belonged to, along with some influencers whose faces she could hardly remember.
Someone asked Xu Qingqing what this meant—was she confessing to someone?
As the quintessential spoiled young mistress with a flair for drama, Xu Qingqing arrogantly ignored every comment.
Zhou Chenyu leaned over curiously, clicking his tongue. "Tsk tsk, 'Young Master Xie'? 'President Xie'? This handwriting… don’t tell me you wrote this yourself?"
Xie Lianqing stared at the screen without a word, his eyes crinkling with amusement.
Zhou Chenyu scoffed beside him. "You’re really done for, falling head over heels for Xu Qingqing."
Xu Qingqing had no idea her Weibo post had sparked a conversation between her boyfriend and others. As for why she posted it? She just felt like it.
Most importantly, she wanted to keep this post as evidence!
If she really ended up dying unexpectedly like in the novel she dreamed about last night, and Xie Lianqing ended up with Bai Youlan, she’d hand over her Weibo account to Zhou Chenyu. Then, she’d make him repost this every single day, tagging Xie Lianqing to spite him!
Completely unaware of his girlfriend’s sinister intentions—and even moved by the post—Xie Lianqing: "…"
But since Xie Lianqing’s attitude remained as doting as ever, showing no signs of change, Xu Qingqing began to doubt whether the events in her dream were real.
Though she believed most men were scum, she inexplicably trusted that Xie Lianqing would never end up with Bai Youlan.
He knew exactly how much she despised Bai Youlan.
For someone as petty and vindictive as Xu Qingqing, her list of hated individuals could fill an entire diary. From the orange cat at school that refused to let her pet it, to the fake friends at parties who constantly clashed with her, and even the creepy old man who leered at her on the street…
Of course, despite her princessy temper and tendency to hold grudges, there was one silver lining—her memory was terrible. The people above only angered her for a few seconds before she completely forgot about them.
So, in truth, the number of people Xu Qingqing genuinely despised was very small. If she had to rank them, the top spot would undoubtedly go to her cheating scum of a father, followed by the homewrecker stepmother who moved into her house, and third place went to that white-lotus stepsister of hers!
Xu Qingqing’s family situation was complicated, to say the least.
Her parents were childhood sweethearts from equally prominent families, dating from their first love to marriage, remaining devoted even after. Back then, Xu Qingqing was doted on by her parents, getting everything she wanted—a little princess known far and wide.
But reality, unlike fiction, took a cliché turn. Her father had an affair and boldly declared he’d finally found his "true love," demanding a divorce from Xu Qingqing’s mother.
The statement was laughable. They had known each other since childhood, fallen in love as teenagers, and spent over a decade married—yet only now, after a third of his life had passed, did he claim the woman beside him wasn’t his soulmate?
The irony was even more bitter—the mistress who helped him force the issue was Bai Yaxiu, her mother’s closest friend.
Xu Qingqing’s mother had always been frail, so Bai Yaxiu often visited with her daughter to keep her company. As a child, Xu Qingqing saw them frequently. Her mother even praised Bai Yaxiu for her kindness and loyalty to friends.
Yeah, right. So loyal she ended up in her best friend’s husband’s bed.
If it had been anyone else, Xu Qingqing’s mother might have stepped aside. But perhaps because the pair had gone too far, she stubbornly refused to divorce, clinging to her position as the Xu Family’s matriarch. She forced Bai Yaxiu to remain a mistress for years, ensuring her child was born illegitimate.
Years later, after her death, Xu Qingqing learned her mother had already been diagnosed with a terminal illness. While her mother endured treatment alone, heartbroken and hopeless, her father was outside romancing his mistress, naming their illegitimate son Xu Tianbao and taking Bai Yaxiu’s daughter on lavish family trips.
After Xu Qingqing’s mother passed, her father put on a show of mourning for a few days before Bai Yaxiu and her children moved in, officially becoming the new lady of the Xu Family.
……
Lying in bed, Xu Qingqing stared blankly at the ceiling, her dark almond eyes unfocused.
She’d had chances to uncover her father and Bai Yaxiu’s affair earlier. But back then, she and Bai Youlan were close friends, and Bai Youlan had deliberately helped her mother cover it up. Xu Qingqing had been too naive, overlooking all the red flags until it was too late—leaving her and her mother as the last to know.
The cruelest joke? When she found out Bai Yaxiu was divorced, she’d actually comforted Bai Youlan, telling her to treat their home as her own. And sure enough, it became hers—while Xu Qingqing was sent to live with her grandparents in the Xu Family’s old estate.
Now, with school almost on break, Xu Qingqing had stayed in her dorm last night simply because her grandparents were traveling, and being home alone felt too empty.
As for her father’s place? She hadn’t visited in a long time. Though it held years of memories with her mother, Bai Youlan and her mother were there now, and she refused to step foot inside.
Even though her grandparents had bought her multiple properties as compensation, Xu Qingqing still felt deeply wronged. To have a home she couldn’t return to—how pitiful was that?!
So even if she died, and even if the whole world perished, Xie Lianqing could never, ever end up with Bai Youlan!
If he did, she’d haunt his dreams every night, screaming at him for being a scumbag!
