Meng Ze had once liked Ye Shaohua too.
Back in elementary and middle school, she had been the center of attention for everyone.
But by high school, she had changed completely.
She even took a year off during her first year of high school.
It wasn’t until he met Ye Yun that he realized he couldn’t keep lying to himself, which was why he decided to come clean with Ye Shaohua.
If she wanted to hit him or curse him out, so be it.
“Of course, even without our relationship, my dad would still support Uncle Ye,” Meng Ze added at the end.
After all, the two of them had grown up together.
If this had been the only reason, the original host might have just been heartbroken for a while.
But what truly shattered her was the fact that Meng Ze had only mustered the courage to say this to her because of Ye Yun.
The main reason?
Two weeks ago, Ye Yun had gotten drunk at a bar due to “overwhelming stress,” and when Meng Ze went to pick her up, they “accidentally” ended up in bed together.
While secretly dating Ye Yun, Meng Ze had been stringing the original host along—never breaking up with her.
It wasn’t until last night, after a meeting that dragged on past midnight, that Chairman Meng secured an additional 5% of company shares with Ye Guofu’s support. Only then did Meng Ze finally speak up.
In the original storyline, after seeing Meng Ze and Ye Yun together, the original host beat them both up.
But this gave Ye Yun the perfect opportunity to spin the narrative online, painting the original host as an “unhinged woman who slits her wrists after a breakup.”
Thinking of this, Ye Shaohua flexed her fingers and straightened her clothes.
Three minutes later.
Ye Shaohua walked out of the Ye Corporation’s front entrance, refreshed and satisfied.
Behind her lay Meng Ze, bruised and battered.
Before confronting Ye Shaohua, Meng Ze had imagined countless possible reactions—tears, pleas, anything but this.
Never had he expected her to beat him up instead!
“Son! Are you okay?!” Chairman Meng nearly had a heart attack when he saw his son’s swollen face downstairs. “What are you all standing around for? Call the police!”
Meng Ze hissed in pain. “It’s fine. Shaohua did this. Don’t call the police.”
“Shaohua?” Chairman Meng was stunned. “Why would she hit you? She’s getting more and more out of control.”
“No, I told her I wanted to break off the engagement,” Meng Ze said, wincing but still relieved. “She agreed—but not before beating me up.”
Despite his son’s injuries, Chairman Meng’s eyes lit up. “Worth it.”
Meng Ze only had superficial wounds that would heal within two weeks.
To resolve things with Ye Shaohua so easily? Father and son couldn’t have been happier.
…..
Meanwhile, Ye Shaohua headed to school.
Though the original host had intended to take over the company, she couldn’t neglect her studies—especially since she was still in high school.
She hadn’t brought her backpack, hopping off the bus alone.
Her books were still neatly tucked inside her desk.
At this hour, classes were in session, and the school gates were wide open. The security guard, clearly familiar with Ye Shaohua, turned a blind eye and let her in.
Just as she stepped onto the tree-lined path of the school, a voice called out to her.
“Ye Shaohua—it really is you?”
Hearing this, Ye Shaohua lifted her gaze slightly.
A group of people stood ahead, and the one who had called her was a girl among them.
The girl looked about her age, wearing a champagne-colored dress, her face meticulously made up, her hair dyed chestnut brown and styled in loose waves.
Her entire appearance exuded a mature vibe that clashed starkly with the school environment.
But the undisguised mockery in the girl’s eyes told Ye Shaohua this wasn’t a friendly encounter.
Narrowing her eyes, Ye Shaohua searched her memories for this girl’s identity.
“I told them we might run into you at First High, and here you are,” Xu Mengjie said, eyeing the girl in the drab school uniform with a light chuckle. “How have you been?”
She studied the former prodigy she had once envied so deeply.
The girl who had been praised endlessly by teachers, parents, and relatives three years ago had now become a delinquent, worse off than even the troublemakers at Third High.
“Too important to remember, huh, Ye Shaohua? I was your classmate for three years in middle school and half a year in high school. Too bad you took a year off—otherwise, you’d have been that year’s top scorer.” Xu Mengjie smiled sweetly.
Her gaze lingered on the bandage wrapped around Ye Shaohua’s forehead.
Just as the rumors in their group chat had said—this former star had fallen hard.
Always getting into fights, she had become a full-blown delinquent. Now, with college entrance exams just around the corner, she was still out brawling.
High school wasn’t like middle school. Missing even one lesson could mean falling behind. And after three years of slacking off?
Ye Shaohua would be lucky to even get into college.
Seeing Ye Shaohua remain silent, Xu Mengjie assumed she had struck a nerve. Her smile widened.
“It’s been almost three years, and you never reached out to any of us. Even the school heartthrob who used to chase you has moved on to the new campus belle. You should come to our class reunion this summer—we’ll celebrate your stellar exam results. How about it?”
Xu Mengjie had been overshadowed by Ye Shaohua for too long.
Back then, Ye Shaohua had skipped fifth grade entirely, jumping straight to seventh—and still topped the class.
With her looks and brains, she had instantly become the school’s idol.
Every boy Xu Mengjie liked had gone after Ye Shaohua instead.
But then, in their first year of high school, Ye Shaohua self-destructed—getting into fights, skipping classes, even getting expelled.
Xu Mengjie had her sources. She knew that after Ye Shaohua’s year-long suspension, it was only because Ye Guofu donated a library to the school that the principal allowed her back.
But even then, Ye Shaohua hadn’t changed. If anything, she’d gotten worse.
Every classmate who heard about it could only sigh in disbelief.
Xu Mengjie smirked at the girl before her, who had only just shown up halfway through afternoon classes—clearly coming back from another fight.
Ye Guofu could throw money at a high school, but Xu Mengjie doubted he could buy her a university spot.
“I’m at X University in the neighboring city now,” Xu Mengjie said, still smiling. “Give me your contact info. I’ll make sure to invite you to the reunion, okay?”
Perfect chance to show everyone how far their former campus goddess had fallen.
