We have broken up.
At school, Mu Qingxi and Qin Yu were sitting at a cafeteria table piled high with snacks. Watching Qin Yu devour her food ravenously, Mu Qingxi calmly asked, “Hey, did your mother forget to feed you yesterday?”
“Mmm…” Qin Yu’s mouth was so full of snacks that her answer was muffled and unintelligible.
Mu Qingxi could only stare at her in silence, finally conceding, “Alright, you eat first. We’ll talk after you’re done.”
With that, she picked up a pack of chewing gum and started to open it, her eyes fixed on Qin Yu’s frantic eating. The more she watched, the more she shook her head—this girl, usually so careful about her image, now seemed to care nothing for appearances when food was involved.
Mu Qingxi sighed, “It’s truly incomprehensible!”
Qin Yu licked her fingers, looking puzzled. “What’s incomprehensible? Is it because Wang Feiyan’s been hospitalized again? Honestly, I can hardly believe it myself—she’s back in the hospital. Don’t tell me she’s had another miscarriage?”
Supporting her head with one hand, Mu Qingxi replied in frustration, “I meant you, my dear; you’re the incomprehensible one. What does Wang Feiyan have to do with me? So she’s in the hospital—what’s so surprising about that?”
She noticed the twitch at the corner of Qin Yu’s mouth, then heard her say, “Qingxi, what’s so incomprehensible about me? We should be concerned about Wang Feiyan. Do you think she really lost her baby again?”
Mu Qingxi hadn’t realized how nosy Qin Yu could be; Wang Feiyan had nothing to do with them, so what was the point of gossiping? But still—hospitalized again?
It was strange. Why would someone end up in the hospital for no reason?
Chewing her gum thoughtfully, Mu Qingxi asked, “Wei Yu, I heard you two broke up. Is it true? What happened?”
Qin Yu’s face clouded instantly, and she gave a bitter smile. “Heh, do you think it’s fake? The night before last, after we hung out, Guo Chen took me home. Just as we reached my door, Dongzi was waiting for me outside. He smiled and said he was returning something, handed me a small bag, and left.”
That was how Qin Yu and Xu Dong broke up—so simple, and it explained why Qin Yu was so hungry. She hadn’t been able to eat yesterday, and after a whole day without food, the sight of snacks had sent her into a binge—she was practically gorging herself.
“Ugh…mm…cough…” Hearing those sounds from Qin Yu made Mu Qingxi genuinely upset. Love really was the most wounding thing—it hurt the heart and could make a person miserable. Like now, Qin Yu had gone a whole day without eating, and now, in her extreme hunger, was bingeing. How could that not hurt her body?
Mu Qingxi gently patted Qin Yu’s back with her left hand and handed her a tissue with her right, saying softly, “Wei Yu, you don’t need to do this. It’s not your fault. Don’t punish yourself like this, alright?”
Qin Yu shook her head. “Mm, I didn’t want to. I just wanted to replace one kind of pain with another. It really hurts.”
Mu Qingxi wiped the corner of Qin Yu’s mouth and nodded. “I understand. I really do.”
From a distance, Bai Fanhao, Xi Haifei, and Guo Chen watched the two of them, each lost in thought. Bai Fanhao nudged Guo Chen and said, “You should go check on her. She needs comfort most right now, and she doesn’t dislike you. Your comfort would help her the most.”
Guo Chen replied in a low voice, “I know. I’ll go. You two head back to class.”
Mu Qingxi turned and saw Guo Chen approaching. She nodded, then leaned toward Qin Yu’s ear and said, “Wei Yu, Guo Chen is coming.”
Qin Yu looked up and saw him walking over. For some reason, her heart gave a hard thump. “Alright, Qingxi, you go back to class. I need to talk with him.”
“Okay, don’t torment yourself anymore. Come back soon—it’s almost time for class.”
After reminding Qin Yu, Mu Qingxi turned to Guo Chen, who had reached their side, and said, “Take care of her.”
Guo Chen promised without hesitation, “I will. Fanhao and the others are over there—you should go join them.”
Mu Qingxi nodded and walked toward where Bai Fanhao and Xi Haifei were standing.