My Supernatural Exes Are Desperate to Win Me Back - Chapter 8 - Breakup

Xie Yi wanted to put on an act of being utterly devastated, hoping to garner Xu Xining’s sympathy. However, he feared she might actually take him to a pet hospital, so he had no choice but to act like everything was fine.

Even though the fox appeared lively, Xu Xining ignored Zhan Xingye for several days. Bullying Zhan Xingye as a child was one thing, but him bullying Good Man over a silly horror movie was another, even if it was meant to protect her.

Every day when she left home, Zhan Xingye always seemed to be just a step behind her, making it feel like he spent 24 hours doing nothing but waiting behind the door for her to come out. He wouldn’t take the elevator but would silently wait alongside her.

Xu Xining ignored him, her face cold and expressionless, the elevator’s floor numbers reflecting in her eyes, not even bothering with a greeting. Her emotions were always worn on her sleeve; if she was unhappy, she wouldn’t hide it. She’d rather others be unhappy than herself.

In middle school, there was a bully who targeted her, putting bugs in her water cup, scribbling on her textbooks, and pulling her chair away when she answered questions. Xu Xining, wearing a skirt, fell flat on her back, and the bully snidely remarked that maybe she wanted to be seen.

Xu Xining grabbed the bully by the neck, poured the bug water down her shirt, threw her backpack out the fifth-floor window, and smashed a chair over her head. The bully was left bleeding and crying.

Xu Xining crouched down, smiling like an angel, her soft bangs swaying before her eyes. “Classmate, you don’t know how to sit on a chair either. Want me to teach you?”

After this incident, no one dared to target Xu Xining again. She had merely fallen on her backside, while the bully had to get three stitches on her face, making her already less-than-perfect appearance even worse.

Xu Xining was the kind of person who was naturally likable, able to win over everyone from ninety-year-olds in the park eager to teach her chess, to three-year-olds in kindergarten asking her for candy. But when she didn’t want to be likable, she would trample all social niceties, civic virtues, and rules into the ground.

If you dared to cross her line, she’d act like a little madwoman, smashing a chair over your head in front of the whole class, making you cry for your parents.

Zhan Xingye knew her too well. Even just looking at the few strands of hair sticking up on her head, he could tell she was fuming. His way of seeking reconciliation was the same as when they were kids, cautiously approaching her, offering her the Lemon Candy she liked.

Xu Xining didn’t even bother to lift her eyelids, scoffing, “What for? To numb me? So you can sneak into my house and assassinate the fox when I’m gone?”

In a way, she had guessed the truth, making it hard for him to refute. Under the brim of his hat, Zhan Xingye’s lowered eyelashes cast shadows, hiding the emotions in his dark eyes. He softly said, “I’m sorry.”

Xu Xining didn’t look up. “You didn’t hit me, why apologize to me? You don’t owe me anything. If you want to apologize, do it to Good Man.”

After Xu Xining left, Zhan Xingye stood in front of her door, raising his hand to press against the door panel, coldly lifting his gaze. His ink-black pupils glimmered with a hint of inorganic light, like the cold gleam reflected off the edge of a tempered blade.

In less than a blink, a shadow surged up. His presence seemed to linger, like a frame glitch in real life. Without moving the door lock, he instantly appeared inside.

Zhan Xingye took off his shoes, neatly placing them on the shoe rack, and walked around the apartment. Xie Yi had long fled, leaving only a demon spell to sense Xu Xining’s presence, allowing him to return promptly.

Though he hadn’t been there long, the rented apartment already had Xu Xining’s style-relaxed yet aesthetically pleasing. The narrow space was filled with the scent of her lemon shampoo, and items were casually placed on the table, with a teacup holding pens according to a logic only she understood.

On the coffee table lay half a bag of “Strange” Lemon Candy, a brand Xu Xining had eaten since childhood. Zhan Xingye leaned over, his eyelashes lowered, paused, took one candy, and replaced it with his own-the one Xu Xining had rejected earlier. He gently nudged it to blend in.

The wind lifted the curtains in the living room, sunlight faintly illuminating the floor, and a few strands of fiery red fox fur floated in the air. …Shedding beast.

Zhan Xingye turned to leave, his footsteps making a creaking sound that grated on the teeth. He expressionlessly crushed Xie Yi’s food bowl.

Pianyu Media, meeting room.

Monday mornings were reserved for regular topic meetings. Recently, Huai City had a major hot case: three people had disappeared in succession at the Bailu Bridge Cave, which spanned the Huai River.

Surveillance footage showed them walking into the bridge cave but not emerging from the other side, vanishing on a straight path. If that wasn’t eerie enough, two other media companies, Jingzhe and Aurora, had rushed to cover the story, only for their reporters to go missing, along with the police investigating the case. The bridge cave had “consumed” twelve people in total.

Many had given up guessing the culprit, categorizing it as a supernatural phenomenon. Some said they encountered ghosts, others claimed they fell into a portal to another dimension.

Editor Qin Minjin, with a face resembling a sharp-tongued, menopausal class teacher, assigned, “Shi Yixin, you’re responsible for this interview, alright?”

Shi Yixin, sitting next to Xu Xining, was fresh out of college and also an intern. Her face turned ashen upon hearing this: “But… but the reporters who investigated before seem to have gone missing.”

Qin Minjin’s smile didn’t reach her eyes: “Others went missing, but you might not. Young people can’t just be lazy, can they? I’m giving you this chance because I believe in you. Why wouldn’t I let someone else do it?”

Shi Yixin stammered, “Can we… not do this investigation?”

“Not do it? Where would the traffic come from?” Qin Minjin scolded, then feigned concern, “Don’t worry, if you go missing, I’ll personally write a report for you.”

If she didn’t go missing and wrote the report, it would be news. If she did go missing, never to be seen again, it would be even bigger news. Either way, this month’s performance was secured.

Qin Minjin strutted off in her high heels, Shi Yixin stumbled after her, returning half-heartedly to the meeting table, crying. Xu Xining watched her cry, looking like a drenched puppy.

Shi Yixin gasped between sobs, “Ningning, I don’t want… don’t want to die. If I’m gone, remember not to let anyone check my computer… and search history. You can inherit my 100GB of cloud storage movies. If Conan has a finale, remember to burn it for me. I haven’t seen Shinichi and Ran’s wedding yet, I’ll die with regrets, wah-”

Xu Xining couldn’t help but laugh, “Haha, fearing death isn’t heroic.”

Shi Yixin: “…”

You! How can you still laugh!!!

Xu Xining stood and walked to the editor’s office, knocking on the door, poking her golden head inside, “Editor Qin?”

Seeing her, Qin Minjin immediately put on a smile, “Oh, Mrs. Xie.”

Xu Xining turned to look behind her, then back at Qin Minjin, seriously saying, “You’ve got the wrong person. I’m not Mrs. Xie, I’m Xu Xining.”

Qin Minjin: “…”

She really disliked Xu Xining. When Xie Yi agreed to an interview with Pianyu Media, Qin Minjin desperately wanted the opportunity. But just as things were settled, Xie Yi suddenly insisted on Xu Xining doing the interview.

Qin Minjin nearly spat blood, smiling through gritted teeth at Xie Yi’s agent, “Xu Xining is indeed excellent, but she’s just an intern, lacking experience. There might be mistakes. To be safe, let me…”

Before she could finish, the agent impatiently interrupted, “He only wants Xu Xining. If you change the person, he won’t accept the interview.”

Fine, very fine.

A week later, Qin Minjin saw Xie Yi’s relationship publicly revealed on the “exploding” Weibo trending list. In the photo, the dashing man leaned against a bright red Ferrari sports car, legs bent, kissing a girl in a white camisole.

Her blonde hair and sunglasses, her exposed skin dazzlingly white. Those who hadn’t seen Xu Xining couldn’t see her face, but those who had could recognize her instantly.

No wonder, turns out they were sleeping together.

Qin Minjin despised those who rose through the ranks via connections. It was less disdain and more jealousy to the point of distortion. If she could, she’d do it herself. It’s because she couldn’t that she despised it even more.

If Xu Xining left after her internship, fine. But if she wanted to become permanent, she’d directly rise three levels, stepping on Qin Minjin’s head, thanks to the interview with Xie Yi that became a yearly blockbuster with millions of views across platforms.

Despite her dislike, Qin Minjin had to show her respect, asking, “What brings you here?”

Xu Xining got straight to the point, “I’ll do the Bailu Bridge Cave investigation.”

Qin Minjin quickly said, “That’s not something to do. Over ten people have gone missing; it’s dangerous.”

Xu Xining smiled sweetly, “Oh my, you know it’s dangerous? I thought you couldn’t tell right from wrong with your crooked nose and eyes.”

Qin Minjin: “…”

Sometimes she couldn’t tell if Xu Xining was just blunt or deliberately insulting her.

Qin Minjin forced a smile, wrinkles forming at the corners of her eyes, “If you’re willing, go ahead. I trust you the most with work. Who can be more capable than you, Xu Xining?”

Her words were full of sarcasm, but Xu Xining’s smile grew even sweeter, “Wow! Editor Qin, you like me so much.”

Qin Minjin: “…”

Damn, even more annoying.

As she was leaving, Xu Xining paused, unable to resist asking, “By the way, why did you call me Mrs. Xie?”

Qin Minjin thought a compliment was nothing to question, replying, “Just seeing you and Xie Yi have a good relationship.”

Xu Xining curiously said, “We broke up ages ago. Didn’t you know?”

No one knew!!!

Qin Minjin was stunned, then overjoyed, her face lighting up with glee…

It seemed a bit rude to suddenly laugh maniacally at someone else’s breakup.

Qin Minjin held back, nearly bursting, letting out a snort like a deflating balloon, “Pfft… ahem, condolences. With someone like Xie Yi, after breaking up, you might never meet again…”

Her words were extremely venomous. If she were a woman abandoned by Xie Yi, hearing they’d never meet again would probably make her cry like a machine gun.

Xu Xining sighed.

-Too naive, thinking breaking up means not having to meet? Where in the world does such good fortune exist!!!

Seeing her sigh, Qin Minjin pressed on, “You’re in different worlds now. People are like intersecting lines, moving further apart after crossing the intersection…”

Qin Minjin’s words slowed as Xu Xining’s gaze grew increasingly joyful.

-This girl must have a screw loose.

Xu Xining listened, feeling deeply moved, sincerely saying, “Editor Qin, thanks for your kind words.”

Qin Minjin: “…”

Once the office was empty, Qin Minjin leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs, slowly revealing a sharp smile.

With Xu Xining and Xie Yi broken up, her biggest support was gone. Let’s see how long she can keep bouncing around!

Just as she volunteered to investigate, if she died, Qin Minjin would give her a front-page headline tribute. If she didn’t die… then the report might as well be snatched, with Qin Minjin’s name on it, making the year-end bonus and promotion imminent.

After all, what could an intern do? She couldn’t possibly ask her ex to back her up. With someone like Xie Yi, surrounded by fresh young women, he’d be crazy to care about her. She’d have her time to cry.

The more Qin Minjin thought about it, the more pleased she became, practically gloating. Finally, after being suppressed by an intern for half a year, it was her time to shine!

Upon learning Xu Xining volunteered for the investigation, Shi Yixin clung to her, crying breathlessly, as if they were parting forever, “What if you die!!! Let me go instead, boohoo-”

“Alright,” Xu Xining took advantage of her crying to secretly tie her hair into a ponytail, satisfied, patting her shoulder, “There’s no such thing as demons and ghosts. Sixteen years of objective materialism for nothing? If a ghost appears, I’ll use political theory to smack it! If that doesn’t work, I’ll add Marxism!”

Shi Yixin was amused, wanting to laugh and cry.

Xu Xining asked, “Did you know I broke up with Xie Yi?”

Shi Yixin’s swollen eyes widened, “Huh? You broke up?”

Xu Xining opened Weibo, searching for “Xie Yi breakup,” finding nothing but fans hoping for Xie Yi’s breakup every day.

Strange, paparazzi usually have an extremely keen sense of smell. Whenever a top star has any incident, paparazzi swarm like flies to a stink.

How could Xie Yi and she break up for months, and these people still not get the news?

This batch of paparazzi was the worst she’d ever seen!

Xu Xining pondered, deciding to ask her friend Yu Yuanyuan, since she was a die-hard fan of Xie Yi.

Yu Yuanyuan: [So you really don’t follow any news about your ex.]

Yu Yuanyuan: [I’m not surprised at all.]

Yu Yuanyuan: [Check out these videos. After watching, you’ll understand.]