After Dumping the Student Council President, I Got Held Back - Chapter 8

Jiang Zhili smiled, placing several pieces of meat on Ling Xiang’s plate. “Eat more. You’ve gotten so thin. I don’t remember you being this skinny in high school.”

“I was still growing back then,” Ling Xiang replied, her expression softening as she recalled their shared commutes in high school. “I remember in sophomore year, when my meal card ran out, you immediately lent me yours without a second thought.”

“It was nothing,” Jiang Zhili chuckled. “You remember that so clearly? I should have treated you to more meals back then. Maybe you would have remembered me even longer.”

Remember me even longer? Ling Xiang thought. The day you graduated was the day my heart broke.

But she knew she would never let Jiang Zhili know about her teenage crush.

As they were chatting, the cafeteria suddenly fell silent. The usual clamor of conversations abruptly ceased.

A familiar, icy gaze seemed to prickle the back of Ling Xiang’s neck. A sense of unease washed over her, and she instinctively looked up in the direction of the feeling.

Ruan Qingcheng stood at the foot of the stairs leading to the second-floor private rooms, her usually radiant face now icy and stern. Her eyes, fixed on the two women eating below, were unwavering.

A group of followers, likely from the Student Council, surrounded Ruan Qingcheng. They had probably just finished eating upstairs and were now watching Ling Xiang with malicious glee, though the palpable anger radiating from Ruan Qingcheng kept their laughter muted.

Here we go again, Ling Xiang sighed inwardly.

Everyone present fell silent, leaving only the buzz of gossip, the thrill of watching a spectacle, and the keen interest in the unfolding drama. A faint sense of pity for Ling Xiang, who was likely about to face the consequences, lingered in the air.

Yet, ever since Ling Xiang had resolved to break up with Ruan Qingcheng, she had felt strangely liberated.

We’re graduating soon. Who cares?

Ruan Qingcheng’s gaze remained fixed on them for ten seconds before she began walking toward their table, one deliberate step at a time.

Though not afraid of Ruan Qingcheng herself, Ling Xiang didn’t want to involve Jiang Zhili. She lowered her voice and said, “Senior Jiang, you should go.”

A faint smile touched Jiang Zhili’s lips as she shook her head. “Perfect timing. I’ve been wanting to meet your girlfriend.”

The object of a teenage crush wanting to meet the girlfriend she was about to break up with? Ling Xiang tightened her grip on her chopsticks, feeling a surge of discomfort.

No, no, it’s not worth it. With Ruan Qingcheng’s spoiled and temperamental nature, it would be a disaster if she got angry and started a scene.

Fortunately, she’s pretty good at putting on a show at school. A perfect Student Council President wouldn’t lose her temper and cause a scene in public.

Ruan Qingcheng stopped in front of them, and Ling Xiang caught a familiar, sweet floral perfume. Ling Xiang pursed her lips and looked up at her, ready to greet her.

But Ruan Qingcheng merely glanced at Ling Xiang with no expression, then looked right past her to fix her gaze on Jiang Zhili across the table.

That look…

Even Ling Xiang, standing beside them, didn’t know how to describe it—it was incredibly complex, cold and suppressing some kind of rage. Clearly, her emotions were far more turbulent toward Jiang Zhili than toward Ling Xiang herself.

If she’s angry, shouldn’t she be angry at me?

Is she even angry at the right person?

Fearing Ruan Qingcheng might take her anger out on Jiang Zhili, Ling Xiang quickly spoke up, “Qingcheng, what are you doing here? I thought you were eating in the Student Council cafeteria—”

Before she could finish, Ruan Qingcheng suddenly grabbed the coffee from a follower beside her, turned to face Ling Xiang, and raised her hand, dumping the entire cup of coffee onto Ling Xiang’s lunch tray.

The carefully prepared meal was instantly drenched, coffee splashing violently across Ling Xiang’s face and clothes.

“Some people should drink more coffee,” Ruan Qingcheng said, tilting her chin, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “It might help you wake up and remember what I’ve told you.”

The cafeteria fell even quieter.

With that parting shot, she glanced at Jiang Zhili one last time and swept out.

Ling Xiang blinked, then reached up to wipe the coffee from her face. She sighed softly at Jiang Zhili. “Senior Sister, this might get more complicated.”

She’d thought Ruan Qingcheng would be too concerned about her image to make a scene, but she’d been wrong. The Young Miss’s stunt just solidified Ling Xiang’s reputation on the school forum as a “cheater.”

It didn’t matter to Ruan Qingcheng, but Ling Xiang didn’t want to drag Jiang Zhili into it.

Jiang Zhili smiled dismissively and pulled a tissue from her bag. She leaned across the table to wipe the coffee off Ling Xiang’s clothes, but Ling Xiang flinched back reflexively and quickly took the tissue herself.

“I’ll do it myself.”

She’s even trying to wipe my face? Can’t she see how weird everyone’s staring?!

“Senior Jiang,” Ling Xiang said, quickly wiping the coffee off her face. She picked up her tray and stood up. “I’m so sorry to have made a scene. I need to go back to my dorm and clean up.”

Without waiting for Jiang Zhili’s reply, and ignoring the curious glances from the people around them, Ling Xiang dumped her food, set down the tray, and left the cafeteria.

Jiang Zhili remained seated, her gaze lingering on Ling Xiang’s retreating figure.

When Ling Xiang returned to her dorm, she was relieved to find it empty. She really didn’t want her roommates to see her in such a state.

After showering, Ling Xiang began washing the coffee stains out of her clothes, replaying the scene in the cafeteria.

She recalled Ruan Qingcheng’s expression, which gave her the strange impression that Ruan Qingcheng cared more about Jiang Zhili’s mistake than her own.

How could that be? They don’t even know each other.

Surely I’m not less important to Ruan Qingcheng than a stranger?

Well, that’s not impossible.

Even though they had shared a bed countless times, Ling Xiang didn’t dare overestimate her standing in Ruan Qingcheng’s eyes.

What weight can a mere tool have?

But… it didn’t matter anymore.

She had originally planned to wait until after graduation to bring it up, but Ruan Qingcheng’s relentless pressure over the past few days had utterly exhausted her.

The taut string in her heart snapped completely over a cup of coffee.

What was the point of holding on?

Even though she was poor, she still had her dwindling pride.

Yes, she was going to break up with her, right now.

With her mind made up, Ling Xiang took out her phone, opened the chat with Ruan Qingcheng, and stared at the profile picture of her side profile. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a long time.

How should she put it? Ruan Qingcheng probably wouldn’t read a long message, so it was better to be direct.

After a moment, Ling Xiang typed a few words: [ Ruan Qingcheng, it’s time our relationship ended. So, let’s end it. ]

She didn’t even use the word “break up.” Ling Xiang felt that their relationship, built on mutual exploitation, didn’t deserve such a term.

A breakup was the end of a relationship.

They had nothing like that between them.

After another full minute of hesitation, she resolutely hit send.

Ling Xiang let out a long sigh, as if she had just completed a major life event. The weight that had been pressing on her heart for so long seemed to vanish instantly.

How would Ruan Qingcheng react? Would she be furious at being dumped, feeling her status as the Ruan Family’s Young Miss insulted, or would she simply shrug off the loss of an insignificant toy?

It didn’t matter anymore.

She had already ended things. Now that she had chosen to cut ties, there was no need to linger or wonder about Ruan Qingcheng’s feelings.

Goodbye, Ruan Qingcheng.

When Ruan Qingcheng received Ling Xiang’s message, she was in the Student Council office, chairing a routine meeting.

“We’ve been getting reports about poor discipline in some dormitories on the North Campus, with noise disturbing students and issues with prohibited items. The Discipline Department needs to step up its efforts. We’ll switch from bi-weekly surprise inspections to weekly ones this month.”

“As seniors graduate, new positions will open up in the Student Council. Make sure all departments are prepared for recruitment in advance. I don’t want to see a repeat of last semester, when the Academic Affairs Department hadn’t finished its recruitment plan by the time freshmen arrived.”

“I’ve approved the plan for next month’s Graduation Gala. The timeline is tight, with only a month for preparation. The Organization Department, Publicity Department, and External Relations Department should take the lead. Everyone, get to work…”

Ruan Qingcheng assigned tasks in a methodical and orderly manner, a stark contrast to the spoiled, arrogant, and unreasonable young lady she was in private. At school, she was the flawless, model student.

Even the curve of her smile was perfect.

The teachers’ eternal star student, the one her classmates always looked up to.

The word “graduation” suddenly brought Ling Xiang’s face to mind.

The woman who had been irritating her so much these past few days.

Right, she was graduating soon too. Ruan Qingcheng had initially thought Ling Xiang had been behaving well enough to earn an internal recommendation into Ruan Corporation, but now.

She was being disobedient and needed to be properly disciplined.

And punished.

Her gaze darkened as she recalled the icy chill and passionate, messy embrace from that night, a restless heat rising in her chest.

Looks like she could summon Ling Xiang tonight.

The phone on the desk vibrated. Ruan Qingcheng glanced at it casually.

Seeing it was a message from Ling Xiang, she ignored it, not bothering to open it immediately. Only after the meeting ended, she closed her laptop and said, “That’s it for today.”

Back in her Student Council President’s office, she brewed a cup of coffee before opening the message:

Ruan Qingcheng, it’s time to end our relationship. So, we’re done.

Ruan Qingcheng frowned slightly, not quite understanding.

Over?

Ruan Qingcheng recalled the scene in the cafeteria where she’d splashed coffee on her and thought, Is she throwing a tantrum?

The thought of Jiang Zhili’s face sent an inexplicable wave of irritation surging from her heart straight to her temples. Ruan Qingcheng’s anger twisted into a bitter laugh.

I told her to keep her distance from that Jiang woman, and she just ignored me? And now she dares to throw a tantrum?

This is outrageous.

She opened her contacts, about to call Ling Xiang, when another call came through.

It was Zhao Qiu. Ruan Qingcheng answered immediately.

Zhao Qiu’s end was noisy. “Cheng Jie, didn’t we agree to meet up tonight? The girls are all here, the drinks are ordered, where are you?”

Ruan Qingcheng instantly forgot about Ling Xiang. “Just finished a meeting. I’m coming right over.”

As soon as the call ended, she grabbed her bag and stood up. After a moment’s hesitation, she pulled out her phone, opened Ling Xiang’s chat, and transferred her ten thousand yuan.

People like her will wag their tails the moment the money’s right. No need to waste any more time on her.

Over? Only I, Ruan Qingcheng, get to decide when it’s over.

Support