Ji Yanxiu frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Nianxi before quickly moving away, as if even a single glance at her were a waste.
"How tedious." He spat the two words out coldly and turned to leave.
Every time he reacted this way, it would only goad Jiang Nianxi further, causing her to pursue him with even greater persistence. If things went as expected, she would be chasing after him any second now.
Su Tang looked toward Jiang Nianxi with a smug expression. "See? Brother Yanxiu doesn't even bother to—"
Her words came to an abrupt halt.
Jiang Nianxi had walked straight past Ji Yanxiu, a look of contempt resting on her face. "Ji Yanxiu, what makes you think you deserve a gift from me? Don't even dream about it! I’d sooner throw it in the trash than give it to you!"
Ji Yanxiu’s expression froze instantly.
When she had walked toward him just moments ago, he had assumed she was finally about to admit the gift was for him; he had even started to reach out his hand to take it, only to be met with those words. It felt like a slap to the face, leaving him feeling incredibly humiliated.
"Jiang Nianxi, you—"
Jiang Nianxi replied coldly, "Is there something else?"
Ji Yanxiu’s Adam’s apple bobbed; he seemed to want to say something but forced it back down. He wanted to erupt in anger, but he couldn't afford to ruin his cold, elite-student persona, so he could only clench his fists tightly.
Su Tang, however, could no longer hold back. "Jiang Nianxi, what exactly are you playing at? Oh, I get it now. You must be doing this because Brother Yanxiu threw away your gift in public before, making you lose face, so you’re pulling this act, right? How clever of you!"
"The one who thinks they're clever is you, isn't it?" Jiang Nianxi said with disdain. "I’ve already told you I don't like Ji Yanxiu anymore. Why won't you believe me? Shouldn't you be happy that you have one less rival to compete with?"
Su Tang was left speechless. "I..."
People in the crowd began to snicker.
"My god, could it really be that Ji Yanxiu was just being full of himself?"
"Look at his face, it's actually quite funny..."
"So, has Jiang Nianxi really had a change of heart?"
Ji Yanxiu’s complexion turned from pale to blue, then to red. "Jiang Nianxi, that’s enough!"
"Heh, when you told me to stop wasting my time, I stopped chasing you, and now that I actually have, you're not happy either." Jiang Nianxi mocked him, refusing to look at him or Su Tang again, and stepped toward the Business School.
Unable to save face, Ji Yanxiu watched her effortless figure depart with an angry glare, his knuckles cracking with the force of his grip.
...
By dusk, after the final lecture of the day, Jiang Nianxi packed her bag and walked out of the school gate, only to be suddenly blocked by a tall figure.
Ji Yanxiu stood with one hand in his pocket, staring at her with gloomy eyes, his voice dropped to a low mutter: "Jiang Nianxi, have you played enough?"
"Played?" Jiang Nianxi raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"
Ji Yanxiu became even more irritated. "Still playing dumb? You think you can get my attention with a stunt like this? By pretending to like someone else and waiting for me to come to you?"
Jiang Nianxi nearly laughed out loud. He was getting desperate.
"Let me tell you, you think far too highly of yourself if you believe I can't live without you. Are all the men in this world dead? If I was interested in you before, it was only because you were lucky; I was just playing around. Don't go thinking you’re a prize."
In her past life, Ji Yanxiu had constantly belittled her, degraded her, and destroyed her pride and dignity to further manipulate her. Now, she would make him taste every bit of the agony she had endured!
Ji Yanxiu narrowed his eyes, a look of smug certainty on his face. "You chased me for over a year, and now you suddenly say it was just a game? Who are you trying to fool?"
"Oh, so you *do* realize I chased you for over a year?" Jiang Nianxi sneered. "Then why didn't you accept me sooner? Was it because you didn't like me? Because you didn't care? So what gives you the right to interrogate me now?"
Ji Yanxiu choked, then replied with a darkened face, "I just don't like girls who are too aggressive."
"Then I’m not being aggressive now, so why are you stopping me?" Jiang Nianxi retorted sarcastically. "Are you afraid I really don't like you anymore?"
Having his thoughts laid bare, Ji Yanxiu's expression turned incredibly grim. Unable to restrain himself, he grabbed her wrist. "I’m giving you a chance to apologize to me today; don't be ungrateful!"
He exerted significant force, and Jiang Nianxi felt as though her wrist were about to snap. She decisively lifted her leg and drove her knee hard into his groin!
"Ah!" Ji Yanxiu involuntarily released her, doubling over like a shrimp, his face turning deathly pale.
Jiang Nianxi looked at him with utter disdain. "Has your brain been flooded with water? What gives you the confidence to think I'd still like you?"
Ji Yanxiu, unable to straighten his back from the pain, gritted his teeth and looked up. "Jiang Nianxi, can you stop playing games!"
He reached out to grab her, but Jiang Nianxi stepped back quickly. Yet, in the next second—
*Thud!* Ji Yanxiu was kicked flat onto his back. He hit the concrete hard, his vision going black.
Jiang Nianxi blinked, turning around to see Zhou Yan standing there.
*Wait,* she thought. She quickly looked toward the street. A low-profile, luxurious black Maybach was parked there. The rear window was rolled up, but she knew exactly who was sitting inside. Although Xie Zhiyuan’s appearance here wasn't a coincidence—she had sent him a message saying she had something for him after class—it still filled her with an inexplicable joy.
Zhou Yan asked with concern, "Ms. Jiang, are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
"That's good," Zhou Yan said, casting a cold glance at Ji Yanxiu on the ground. "If you want to talk, talk, but keep your hands to yourself. Do you really think you're worthy?"
Ji Yanxiu’s face turned livid. He struggled to his feet and sized Zhou Yan up. Seeing that Zhou Yan’s looks and physique weren't as impressive as his own, he defiantly spat, "Jiang Nianxi, is this the object of your new affection? What do you even see in him!"
Zhou Yan was horrified. "Hey! You can eat anything, but you can't say just anything! We have no grudge between us, don't try to sabotage me!"
If Ms. Jiang were to have a change of heart, it would be for the young Mr. Xie—what business did he have in this? How could he possibly compare to the young Mr. Xie? If it were truly as this dog claimed, he’d be finished at Xie Group and likely listed as an enemy by the young Mr. Xie himself!
Just then, the car window slowly rolled down.
Ji Yanxiu suddenly found himself staring into a handsome, bewitching face, and a pair of cold, sinister eyes. That gaze felt as if he were looking down at an ant.
Cold sweat broke out on his back, and his voice died in his throat. This was the man Lin Shuran had mentioned; the one he had seen at the nightclub that night.
Jiang Nianxi’s uncle, the heir to the Xie Group!
Shuran had told him that this man was the biggest obstacle to their plans and had been driving a wedge between him and Jiang Nianxi. But now... was he here to pick her up? Did that mean their relationship was actually quite good?
Ji Yanxiu suddenly realized that everything seemed to be drifting away from the trajectory he and Shuran had expected, yet he couldn't pinpoint why. An unprecedented sense of unease rose in his heart.
He watched helplessly as Zhou Yan invited Jiang Nianxi into the car, noticing that many people around were watching him and pointing. He hurried away, a flicker of malice in his eyes.
*Damned Jiang Nianxi,* he thought. *She has made me lose face time and time again; I will never let this go!*