Chapter 17: Bad Character
Although Yan Xiaowen really wanted to share yesterday’s events with Xuan Xia right away, she was also someone who paid attention to propriety.
After giving a preview upon meeting, she refused to say another word. She insisted on waiting until they reached the dining place, ordered, and the food was served before formally starting to talk.
“Yesterday was Ji Weiyi’s birthday,” Yan Xiaowen said.
Only then did Xuan Xia belatedly remember that yesterday was indeed Ji Weiyi’s birthday.
“You weren’t there, we were idle anyway, so we went to freeload food and drinks with Lin Xu and them,” Yan Xiaowen said with a guilty smile.
Lin Xu was Qin Yi’s roommate.
The people from the two dormitories had interacted for two years and had already established a different friendship. Not mentioning Qin Yi and Xuan Xia’s matter, the others from the two dormitories could be considered friends.
Xuan Xia had no issue with Yan Xiaowen interacting with Qin Yi’s roommates.
Everyone had the freedom to make friends, and there was no need to distance themselves from anyone just because of her.
“Then what happened that has you still savoring it so much?”
Seeing Xuan Xia actively asking, Yan Xiaowen felt relieved and giggled again.
“We were idle on one hand, and on the other, we wanted to see how Ji Weiyi and her dormmates planned to matchmake. Guess what happened…”
Before Yan Xiaowen could reveal the rest, she was already laughing so hard she was bending forward and backward, leaving Xuan Xia speechless.
This person really wasn’t suited for sharing funny things; the listener hadn’t understood anything yet, but she was already laughing uncontrollably.
Xuan Xia shook her head.
It turned out that waiting until the food was served to start talking wasn’t because of ritual sense, but to give the speechless her something to do.
Finally, after Yan Xiaowen laughed enough, she rubbed her belly and whined, “I really didn’t want to laugh, but whenever I think of Ji Weiyi and her entire dorm looking deflated, I can’t help it.”
“Let me tell you, Qin Yi was really ruthless. So damn satisfying!”
This time, Yan Xiaowen finally stopped just amusing herself and relayed everything that happened at Ji Weiyi’s birthday party yesterday to Xuan Xia.
Vividly, with exaggerations added.
“So, yesterday’s matchmaking failed? Ji Weiyi and Qin Yi didn’t succeed?” Xuan Xia summarized the content.
Yan Xiaowen nodded vigorously, her eyes and face full of amusement.
“After Qin Yi said that, how could they continue matchmaking?” Yan Xiaowen said gleefully.
Xuan Xia lowered her gaze.
Although when those two formally established their relationship had nothing to do with her, even without her sabotaging yesterday’s birthday party, those two still couldn’t get together smoothly, so Xuan Xia couldn’t help feeling a bit worried.
At this moment, Yan Xiaowen leaned forward and whispered, “Xia Xia, do you think we misunderstood Qin Yi? Actually, he doesn’t like Ji Weiyi at all, but rather…”
Xuan Xia lifted her eyelids, and under Xuan Xia’s displeased gaze, Yan Xiaowen stopped talking.
Yan Xiaowen scratched her cheek and gave an awkward smile.
But in her heart, she thought: Yesterday when Xuan Xia wasn’t there, Qin Yi had proactively asked about her whereabouts. If Qin Yi really had no feelings for Xuan Xia, why bother asking specifically, and why didn’t he just get together with Ji Weiyi last night?
But seeing Xuan Xia’s expression, Yan Xiaowen wisely didn’t say it out loud.
After eating quietly for a bit, Yan Xiaowen brought up the topic and asked how Xuan Xia’s trip to Ningzhou went.
Xuan Xia also snapped out of her earlier thoughts and briefly introduced the situation at Changsheng Temple to her, without mentioning any of the bizarre parts.
So, Yan Xiaowen, who didn’t get the important information, nodded innocently and said expectantly, “When the holiday comes, I’ll go see it. I’ll get a fortune telling too, and eat that delicious noodles.”
“Good, you’re very welcome.”
***
After eating, the two didn’t linger outside and headed straight back to school.
But unexpectedly, they returned at a bad time. Just as they were about to reach the dormitory building, they ran into Ji Weiyi and her roommate Yu Lanlan.
Yu Lanlan was the closest to Ji Weiyi among her several roommates, their relationship roughly comparable to Xuan Xia and Yan Xiaowen’s.
But deep down, Xuan Xia felt the two were worlds apart.
“What bad luck!” Yan Xiaowen said irritably.
Yu Lanlan almost always clashed with Yan Xiaowen whenever they met, and this time was no exception. Upon hearing Yan Xiaowen’s words, she immediately bristled and started fighting back.
“Yan Xiaowen, can your mouth get any filthier!”
Yan Xiaowen glanced upward with the corner of her eye: “Do you smell it every day?”
“You!!!”
Xuan Xia trusted Yan Xiaowen’s strength and turned her attention to Ji Weiyi.
Today, Ji Weiyi wore a light yellow short dress, her long straight black hair simply tied into a low ponytail, with no bangs covering her face, her features fully visible.
Ji Weiyi’s appearance definitely couldn’t compare to Xuan Xia’s, but she had a clear and refined beauty.
There was a natural, unadorned sense of purity.
This was also related to her background; her hometown was in the mountains, and before high school, she was raised by the green mountains and clear waters.
If not for Qin Yi standing between them, they might have been strangers with no interactions for four years at the same school, or maybe even become friends.
But because of Qin Yi, and because of Xuan Xia’s that dream, the latter had become absolutely impossible.
Ji Weiyi noticed Xuan Xia staring at her and told herself to look back with her head held high, absolutely not showing weakness. But her shoe sole involuntarily rubbed the ground—a small habit when she felt awkward.
For some reason, without Qin Yi present, she didn’t want to run into Xuan Xia.
Because it would make her feel an inexplicable inferiority.
Not only was her appearance inferior to Xuan Xia’s, even her score was inferior.
If not for Qin Yi’s occasional care for her, she wouldn’t even be comparable to Xuan Xia.
Thinking of Qin Yi, Ji Weiyi’s mood darkened considerably.
She remembered last night…
“Ji Weiyi.” Xuan Xia called her.
Ji Weiyi jolted, pulling her thoughts back from the recollection, and looked at Xuan Xia blankly yet warily.
Nearby, Yu Lanlan, who was busy bickering, stopped her entanglement with Yan Xiaowen as soon as she heard Xuan Xia speak, and turned to Xuan Xia like a mother hen protecting her chick.
“Xuan Xia, don’t bully our Wewei.”
Before Xuan Xia could say anything, Yu Lanlan had already pinned the crime on her first.
“Bully?” Xuan Xia glanced at her from the corner of her eye and asked amusedly, “Calling a full name is bullying? Then aren’t you bullying me too?”
Yu Lanlan glared furiously, but inwardly regretted speaking first, not expecting a one-against-two situation.
However, she overthought it; Xuan Xia had no intention of paying her more attention.
“Ji Weiyi, if you have something to say, come at me directly. But talking nonsense behind my back—that’s poor character,” Xuan Xia said.
Ji Weiyi moved her foot and rubbed the ground with her shoe sole again.
She bit her lip lightly and asked back, “What did I say nonsense about?”
“This Monday, did you forget what you said to people?” If she didn’t remember, Xuan Xia helped her recall, “I’m just asking, can you be responsible for your words? If yes, I hope we can confront it clearly, and whoever needs to apologize should apologize.”
“If not, you’re spreading rumors. Spreading rumors carries legal responsibility, so I hope you’re aware of that.”
Xuan Xia admitted she was scaring her, but the account with Wen Xizhi really needed to be settled clearly with Ji Weiyi.
