Chapter 3: The Heart-Piercing Truth
Without giving the other person a chance to react, Yun Yingzhi immediately blocked and deleted Huai Boshe from his contacts.
Once the trash was cleared out, he found a quiet place to calm his heart. About ten minutes later, he received several private messages from classmates. They asked if he had argued with Huai Boshe. They said Boshe was trying to reach him but couldn’t, so he asked them to pass on the message.
Yun Yingzhi froze, even more confused by Boshe’s logic. Boshe didn’t like him and had only approached him for Yao Yao. Shouldn’t he be happy to hear about the breakup?
Yun Yingzhi didn’t understand, but he had no intention of unblocking him. He steadied himself and walked back to the dorm. Before he could even enter, a hand gripped his wrist.
It was Huai Boshe. He was gripping so hard it actually hurt.
Yun Yingzhi frowned, meeting his eyes. “Let go, or I’ll call for help.”
As they spoke, nearby students looked over curiously with threatening glares. Between Huai Boshe and Yun Yingzhi, they were the ultimate “strong vs. weak” pair. Adding in the fact that everyone associated Yingzhi with a little rabbit, their gazes were full of warning. No matter who was in the wrong, Yingzhi shouldn’t be bullied given his weak Second Form.
Under the watchful eyes, Huai Boshe let go. “Yingzhi, let’s talk privately.”
Yun Yingzhi lifted his chin, his eyes red, looking heartbreakingly beautiful. “Didn’t you say you didn’t have time, that you were in a bad mood and didn’t want to talk?”
Huai Boshe sighed. “Yingzhi, don’t be like this. I’m really frustrated.”
“Frustrated about what? Frustrated that your true love rejected your confession for the second time, or maybe more?”
Huai Boshe froze, his eyes flickering. “…You know?” He immediately added, “Who told you?”
“Does it matter?”
Huai Boshe shook his head. “So you’re just angry at me over this little thing?”
Yun Yingzhi: “…”
Looking at Boshe’s reaction, Yun Yingzhi was momentarily lost. By his logic, wasn’t it natural to be angry? Why was Boshe acting like it wasn’t a big deal? He doubted his life for a second, then got even angrier.
Huai Boshe really is a scumbag!
Huai Boshe took a deep breath. “Yingzhi, our emotions aren’t stable right now. Let’s both cool down. I’ll come find you next time.” He turned and left.
Other students swarmed Yingzhi, asking what happened. Huai Boshe paused, ears pricked to eavesdrop.
He heard Yingzhi say, “Nothing, it’s just… Huai Boshe isn’t a good…” he swallowed the word ‘lover’, “…brother!”
“What did Student Huai do?”
Yun Yingzhi replied, “He stood me up for our meeting to go confess to someone else.”
One student gasped. “Wow, that’s too much! If it were me, a boyfriend couldn’t possibly be more important than a date with Yingzhi!”
“But it’s true, for some people, a girlfriend is way more important than a friend.”
“Is Student Huai a ‘love brain’?”
Huai Boshe: “…”
His already low mood sank further. He realized for the first time that Yingzhi was always surrounded by all sorts of people. And currently, those people were universally unreasonable.
In the past, he and Yingzhi always walked together. Yingzhi liked to revolve around him, so he hadn’t noticed. Now that he thought about it, Yingzhi always had a crowd. For the first time, he felt pressure from that crowd.
But… he thought, we have years of feelings. It shouldn’t be a problem, right? Once he’s not mad, I’ll just coax him a bit.
Back in the dorm, his three roommates were unpacking takeout.
“Yingzhi, weren’t you looking for Boshe? Back so soon?” Yu Feiwen asked.
“Eaten yet?” another asked.
Yun Yingzhi’s stomach rumbled. Despite his small rabbit form, he’d always had a huge appetite. Even a breakup couldn’t stop his hunger.
“Something happened,” he said. “Can I eat with you?”
The four sat around the desk. Seeing Yingzhi’s red eyes, Yu Feiwen asked, “What’s up with you and Boshe?”
Yun Yingzhi shook his head, not wanting to mention that person, and started competing for the food. They were all boys in their prime; even “fragile” Yingzhi was a fierce fighter when it came to grabbing food. His roommates were used to it.
In fifteen minutes, the food was gone. After cleaning up, Yun Yingzhi lay on his bed, thinking. He sat up and looked at them. “My ‘friend’s’ story has an update.”
Six eyes instantly locked onto him.
“…My ‘green-hatted’ friend saw his lover confessing to his best friend. It was the second time, and the true love rejected him again.”
The roommates immediately cast Yingzhi as the “True Love/White Moonlight” in the story. It made sense; countless people had confessed to him since kindergarten, and he’d never accepted anyone. They felt he was a “sinfully beautiful” man.
“My friend is very, very angry!” Yun Yingzhi said.
“If it were you, what would you do?”
The three went silent.
Yu Feiwen said, “…You’d just have to let it go, right?”
“Huh?” Yingzhi was stunned. Just endure it?
Another said, “As a guy, what can I do to a girl? Just break up and go separate ways.”
Yun Yingzhi added a detail: “What if… the lover wasn’t a girlfriend, but a boyfriend?”
The three were now even more curious about who this “Green Grassland” guy was. The name Huai Boshe popped into their heads.
Yu Feiwen said, “If it’s a boyfriend, that’s easy. Beat him up.”
Yun Yingzhi coughed awkwardly. “But… my friend isn’t very strong. He probably can’t win the fight.”
The roommates hesitated. Huai Boshe was the top student; he was very strong. So it couldn’t be him?
“If he’s not strong, he needs to get strong.”
“He needs to undergo a metamorphosis,” Ji Xiaobo said. “Surpass him in every way. If he’s elite, crush him in every field.”
“Start with grades, then social networks,” Jing Haomiao added.
Ji Xiaobo continued, “And looks! You said your friend was ‘plain,’ which is why he was easily cheated. Tell him to focus on his appearance. If he can crush that scum with just his style, that’s best.”
Yun Yingzhi summarized: Grades, Combat, Social Network, Looks.
Yu Feiwen added, “Your friend probably has no experience and no one likes him, right? Tell him to find a new boyfriend once he’s improved. Someone way better than that scum. That’ll make the scum regret everything.”
Yun Yingzhi added a fifth item: A better lover.
This was going to be hard.
- Grades: Boshe was valedictorian; he was in the tail-end class.
- Combat: Giant Tiger vs. Rabbit. A literal abyss.
- Network: Both were Generals’ sons. Hard to surpass.
- Looks: Maybe he had a chance there.
- New lover: He’d have to find a junior or senior elite.
He opened his terminal to search for help with his grades and thought about which senior elite might be willing to do a “fake relationship” to slap Boshe’s face.
Then he searched for: How can a fragile warrior crush the strong?
The first result: Some warriors are pitiable. They have weak Second Forms and no abilities. But there is a way! Use Source Weapons!
Yun Yingzhi’s eyes lit up. That was his specialty!
Translator’s Note: “Green Grassland” (青青大草原) is a funny extension of the “Green Hat” meme, implying the person has been cheated on so much or so badly that it’s not just a hat, it’s an entire pasture! Our roommates are giving some classic “Revenge” tropes: face-slapping, glow-ups, and finding a better man. Little do they know, Yingzhi is already the school flower! Also, “Source Weapons” (源武器) are the sci-fi version of magical artifacts or spirit tools.
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