Ye Qingli asked, but the next second, applause erupted from the audience. The performance was over, and they had to go deliver closing remarks. Huang Xu raised his hand, making a helpless gesture: "See, no time."
Ye Qingli had no choice but to agree: "Alright."
The party ended. As soon as they finished the closing lines, a bang came from above, and countless golden ribbons floated down, landing on their shoulders and hair. Classes filed out amidst laughter and joy.
Xu Yan couldn't wait to share the photos she'd taken and asked if Ye Qingli wanted to go back together. Ye Qingli patted her shoulder gently and said she had something to do.
"Come back soon then." Xu Yan linked arms with Zhang Yan and Jiang Mo, hopping back to the dorm.
Ye Qingli watched them leave, then turned to follow Huang Xu outside.
She didn't know what he wanted or where he was taking her. They walked far without him stopping. The road ahead had no streetlights, and the light was already dim. Walking in her gown was difficult enough. Ye Qingli turned on her phone's recording, stopped, and called out his name.
Huang Xu stopped and turned. Ye Qingli stood her ground: "Say what you want here. There's no one around. No need to go further."
She was a girl, and she was right to be cautious. She didn't think Huang Xu was trustworthy.
Huang Xu looked around. Indeed, there was no one. He nodded and stepped back to her side.
Thinking about what he was about to say made him nervous. He clenched his fist and looked into her eyes.
"Ye Qingli, I just want to ask, how do you feel about me?"
"No feelings," she answered without hesitation.
"Good or bad?"
"I told you, no feelings."
"Even as friends, there's a distinction, right?"
"But I don't consider you a friend."
This answer caught Huang Xu off guard. He thought Ye Qingli was easygoing, that even if she didn't like him, she wouldn't be so direct. But there it was—she stood straight like a proud swan, making no attempt to hide her disdain.
Huang Xu suddenly laughed.
When he stopped, he raised an eyebrow: "See, you had to hang out with Xiao Yu. Now you've become like him."
Ye Qingli shook her head: "I don't understand why you always try to smear him."
"Always?" Huang Xu thought she was incredibly naive: "Am I smearing him, or are you overestimating him? Do you know why he pursued you in the first place? Because I had my eye on you. He wanted to compete with me, so he deliberately got close to you! Understand?!"
He expected her to be angry, but she just looked at him calmly and said, "I know. I knew from the very beginning."
Xiao Yu, standing by the wall, paused at this.
Huang Xu was stunned. Ye Qingli continued, "But compared to Xiao Yu, I think you're the bad guy. I don't know what grudge you two have. On the first day of school, when he hit you in public, I thought like everyone else that he was terrible—how could he beat someone like that in front of everyone? But during the last trip to visit the elderly in the countryside, I realized he was right to hit you."
"Because you always try to frame him, making everyone think he's crazy and pity you, thinking you're such a good person. But I say, all those rumors are bullshit! You're the most hateful one!"
Ye Qingli's chest heaved as she grew more agitated. Huang Xu burst out laughing, his face twisted like a demon crawling out of hell, terrifying.
It took a while for him to calm down. Huang Xu sneered: "Say no more. You're right, I do want to smear him. I can't stand him, and I want everyone to hate him! But what's the use of provoking me? You're not so great either. I think you're just after his money. You women are all the same, gold diggers! But did you know? That bastard Xiao Yu has nothing now! His mother doesn't want him, and his father has cut ties with him, won't give him a cent from now on! How about that? Disappointed?"
Ye Qingli froze.
Had his relationship with his parents become that strained?
Had it started since their trip back to Gucheng? But he hadn't told her anything.
Seeing her reaction, Huang Xu was even more convinced of his guess. He stepped closer, smacking his lips: "And, you know? His dad is indeed rich, but now he's married to my mom. He's my dad now."
Ye Qingli's mind exploded.
Uncontrollably, she began to shiver—from the cold and from Huang Xu's words.
She finally understood why Xiao Yu had told her to stay away from him.
Too evil. Huang Xu was evil, and so were his parents.
The whole family was evil.
Ye Qingli gritted her teeth so hard it hurt. Huang Xu reached out and hooked her chin with his index finger. Was this idiot about to force a kiss? Xiao Yu took a deep breath, about to step forward, when he heard a sharp slap.
Ye Qingli slapped him.
Her fingertips went numb from the force.
Huang Xu turned his head, eyes wide with rage: "You dare hit me? You..."
"I recorded everything." Ye Qingli waved her phone. The entire exchange had drained her, leaving her completely exhausted.
Huang Xu hadn't expected her to pull this. Ye Qingli sighed and said softly, "Huang Xu, the reason I quit the Youth Association was to have nothing to do with you. I thought even if we weren't friends, at least we weren't on bad terms. But you were the one who crossed that line."
"Last time, when Xiao Yu beat you and you were hospitalized, we came to visit. I know you deliberately recorded the video of me by your side and posted it on the forum. Naturally, Xiao Yu and I fought, and you achieved your goal."
Ye Qingli lowered her eyes and continued, "Actually, at first, I regretted going to see you in the hospital. Your mother made sarcastic remarks the whole time because I didn't bring flowers. I accepted it, but that doesn't mean I was wrong. In my mind, bringing fruit to visit you was to thank you for your past kindness. Flowers have a different meaning—they're for someone you like."
"But now I don't regret it. A fall into a pit, a gain in your wit. I understand what kind of people you are now, so this experience wasn't a waste. Besides, you brought it on yourself. You have no one to blame."
After saying this, she let out a heavy sigh: "If you still want to stay in this school, stop provoking Xiao Yu from now on. Otherwise, I'll upload the recording to the forum."
"That's all."
With that, Ye Qingli turned and walked away, not wanting to hear any more useless nonsense from Huang Xu. Her heels clicked on the ground, and her back was as proud as could be.
Having been outsmarted by a girl, Huang Xu spat, feeling he had suffered a great loss.
Walking back to the dorm, scenes of meeting Xiao Yu in Gucheng flashed through Ye Qingli's mind. A pang of sadness struck her heart. She looked up, barely holding back tears.
Suddenly, she stopped, pulled out her phone, and opened the chat that hadn't changed in nearly a month. She typed a few words.
"Xiao Yu, I want to see you."
As soon as she sent it, she regretted it and tried to retract it, but she heard a low voice from behind.
"Turn around."