Chapter 22: Giving Up Hope

Nonsense, of course you’re the one waiting for me at my doorstep.

Oh.

Early the next morning, after packing up her things and stepping outside, Lu Yiqi saw Xie Xu standing not far from her door.

“What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’re waiting for me?”

Xie Xu immediately flared up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. “Who’s waiting for you! We clearly agreed you’d be waiting for me, but now I’m the one waiting for you. And who knows why you get up so late? You’re a grown adult and still lazing in bed—no wonder you’re a pig!”

What?

Lu Yiqi glanced at the time. “Who’s lazing in bed? It’s only seven twenty.”

“Seven twenty is early, really?”

“Of course it is,” Lu Yiqi replied, full of confidence. “Besides, I told you to wait for me, didn’t I? If you were up already, couldn’t you have messaged me or called to check if I was awake?”

Xie Xu couldn’t take it anymore. “Just shut up.”

“Oh.”

First day of successfully annoying Xie Xu—accomplished.

Serves him right for always calling her a pig.

“By the way, I want wontons for breakfast.”

“Eat, eat, eat—that’s all you ever think about. You’ll get fat.”

“So what if I do? Being a little chubby is cute!”

Xie Xu scoffed. “You, cute? Don’t insult the word ‘cute,’ okay?”

He would never admit that this woman—Lu Yiqi—was indeed a bit cute!

He, Master Xu, would never slap his own face like that in this lifetime!

While they were sitting in the breakfast shop waiting for their food, Lu Yiqi asked him, “Xie Xu, you said last night you’d tell me the results today. Can you tell me now?”

“Mm.” Xie Xu nodded. “The account that posted the video belongs to Class 2, Senior Three—a guy named Qin Cheng.”

“Qin Cheng…” Lu Yiqi frowned slightly. “Why would he post the video online?”

Xie Xu answered coolly, “Actually, I found out something else.”

“What is it?”

Before Xie Xu could reply, the owner came over with their wontons. “Here are your wontons.”

Lu Yiqi habitually thanked him.

When the owner left, she pressed again, “Come on, what is it?”

“Qin Cheng confessed to Xia Jing’an.”

What?!

“He failed in his pursuit, so love turned to hate?” Lu Yiqi scooped up a wonton, speaking with her mouth full. “If he can’t have her, he wants to destroy her? That’s dramatic.”

Xie Xu didn’t refute her. “That’s probably it. We need to tell Xia Jing’an about this when we have time today.”

“Alright.”

...

After Xie Xu and Lu Yiqi found Xia Jing’an and told her everything—

“What? It was him?” Xia Jing’an was stunned.

After a few seconds, she composed herself and said, “Why should I believe you two? Where’s the evidence? Didn't we agree that everything should be based on evidence?”

At the mention of evidence, Lu Yiqi realized that Xie Xu had investigated this, but they didn’t actually have any concrete evidence, like surveillance footage.

She instinctively glanced at Xie Xu: What do we do?

“If you don’t believe us, Xia, you can come with us to confront Qin Cheng.”

Xia Jing’an hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded. “Alright.”

In truth, she was already eighty percent convinced that what Xie Xu and Lu Yiqi said was true, but she couldn’t resign herself to it. She didn’t understand what made her inferior to Lu Yiqi.

But, no matter what she did, she still couldn’t win Xie Xu.

She might as well go confront Qin Cheng with them. If he confessed, then she could finally, truly give up.