novelslam Chapter 14 When I'm a Sidekick
Chapter 14 When I'm a Sidekick
Ye Yixian's homeroom teacher just announced the schedule for the 100-day countdown rally on Saturday. In addition to the solemn oath-taking ceremony, everyone will be allowed to take photos at the end.
Since the purpose was to take a group photo to commemorate their youth, the students naturally wanted to dress smartly and present themselves in an elegant and eye-catching way.
Girls, in particular, have been planning for a long time to bring out their prettiest clothes and look their best in front of the camera.
Ye Yixian felt an indescribable sense of embarrassment.
She didn't want to be out of place, but the few clothes she owned were all old and outdated, and she couldn't show them off at all.
So she secretly planned that it wouldn't hurt to wear her school uniform jacket during the oath-taking ceremony, and that she could just quietly hide in an inconspicuous corner when it was time for free photos.
After all, she was a loner at school and didn't have many friends, so it's unlikely that anyone would ask her to take a photo with them.
With a heavy heart, Ye Yixian packed her schoolbag and silently walked out of the school gate. As soon as she turned the corner, she saw a familiar figure standing under the big banyan tree at the school gate.
It's Lu Yuan.
He was still carrying the bag of brand-new clothes that they had picked out together at noon.
The banyan tree was the only way Ye Yixian could pass on her way home from school, and she inevitably ended up in front of Lu Yuan.
She first glanced down at the intact clothing bag in his hand, confirming that the clothes were still there, then looked up, her eyes full of doubt, and asked, "These clothes haven't been delivered yet?"
Lu Yuan scratched the back of his head, revealing a slightly embarrassed smile, and replied casually, "Hey, she doesn't like it."
"You don't like it?" Ye Yixian's expression instantly turned surprised.
She couldn't help but mutter to herself, "He doesn't even like such beautiful clothes? His standards are way too high."
"That's right." Lu Yuan scratched his head in frustration and sighed helplessly. "I've already bought the clothes, but the store won't give me a refund. I'm really worried about what to do."
As he spoke, he suddenly looked up and cast a sly glance at Ye Yixian.
Ye Yixian felt uncomfortable under his gaze and immediately frowned, taking a half-step back with a hint of anger: "What does it have to do with me if she doesn't like it? You picked out the clothes yourself, I just gave you some suggestions, don't try to extort me."
In her opinion, Lu Yuan wanted her to bear the loss from buying clothes.
Lu Yuan smiled and shook his head, his tone becoming more serious: "How could I possibly cheat you? I just thought these clothes would fit you perfectly, so why don't I just take them?"
"Give me?"
Ye Yixian's heart skipped a beat. Her first reaction was overwhelming joy. She genuinely loved the outfit; the style and size were exactly what she wanted.
But as soon as this joy welled up in her heart, she forcibly suppressed it.
Her inherent pride and self-respect would not allow her to accept such a gift from others without reason.
Almost immediately, she shook her head vigorously and refused firmly: "I don't want to. It's not like I don't have clothes to wear."
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned to leave.
Upon seeing this, Lu Yuan quickly stepped forward and stood in front of her.
But Ye Yixian was determined to leave, so she turned to the side, ignoring his obstruction, and continued walking forward.
Lu Yuan had no choice but to quickly catch up with her and walk alongside her, saying, "I'm not giving this to you for free; I'm reselling it to you."
"Sell it to me?" A flicker of interest crossed Ye Yixian's mind, but the thought of his empty pockets dimmed his expectations, and he refused outright, "No, I can't afford it."
"You can afford it." Lu Yuan quickly stepped forward again to stop her, his gaze sincere and earnest. "I'll give you a 30% discount, so it'll be 140 yuan."
"I don't have 140 either." Ye Yixian lowered his eyes and his voice became a few decibels lower.
"Don't rush, let me finish," Lu Yuan said quickly, his tone urgent. "You don't need to pay the 140 right away. We'll pay in installments, and you can earn it through your labor."
"Installment payments? In exchange for labor?"
Ye Yixian finally stopped, his brows furrowed slightly, and a clear emotion appeared on his face.
"Yes." Seeing that she had agreed, Lu Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and quickly explained, "You can be my assistant for a month, and I'll pay you five yuan a day. As long as you come to check in before morning reading every day during the school term and do some small chores for me, you can pay it off in a month. What do you think?"
"To be your lackey?"
Ye Yixian frowned instantly, her tone tinged with displeasure and arrogance: "Go ask around at school, when has Ye Yixian ever been someone's lackey?"
She was always a loner and a troublemaker at school, and even the boys who liked to cause trouble didn't dare to mess with her.
To make her submit to someone else is nothing short of a blatant provocation.
"Because I can give you benefits," Lu Yuan said unhurriedly. "As the saying goes, 'whoever feeds you is your mother,' I'll give you real compensation, so of course I have the right to do so."
Ye Yixian was speechless for a moment and fell silent.
She didn't doubt Lu Yuan's promise, and she knew that this was her only chance to get the new clothes.
But the thought of being someone else's follower made her feel extremely awkward. If people she knew outside of school found out, she would inevitably be looked down upon and laughed at.
Torn between the long-awaited new clothes and her unyielding pride, she stood there, conflicted and unable to make up her mind.
Lu Yuan saw through her thoughts at a glance, knowing that she was tempted by the benefits but unwilling to submit to others.
He immediately softened his tone, adopting a pleading expression, and clasped his hands in a fist and bowed repeatedly to Ye Yixian: "Miss Ye, could you please do me a huge favor?"
"We've already bought these clothes, we can't just throw them away, can we?"
"If my mom finds out I'm wasting money and ruining things, she'll definitely spank me."
"Please, please, do me a favor."
He looked helpless and anxious, and appeared exceptionally sincere.
Ye Yixian stared at him for a moment, and gradually felt relieved. She decided to treat it as helping him solve his troubles as a chivalrous act.
She deliberately feigned reluctance and gave a light hum: "Well... it's settled then, I'll do your job for a month to pay off the debt. You can't cheat me, and I won't take advantage of you."
"Alright, alright, I definitely won't cheat you. Heroine Ye is truly righteous!" Lu Yuan smiled broadly and, without saying another word, stuffed the clothing bag in his hand into hers.
Ye Yixian, still somewhat dazed, clutched the clothes in her arms and looked up in disbelief, asking, "This...this is for me?"
"Yes, hurry up and take it." Lu Yuan was afraid she would change her mind at any moment, so he pushed the bag forcefully into her arms.
Ye Yixian looked down at the neat and brand-new clothes in the bag, her heart suddenly racing, and even her breathing became a little rapid.
Although I still felt unworthy of it, I thought again that it was something I had earned through a month of hard work.
It wasn't a free gift, nor was it accepting a gift from someone else; I immediately felt much more at ease.
Lu Yuan watched her accept the clothes and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. In order not to give her a chance to back out, he immediately prepared to leave. Before leaving, he did not forget to remind her: "Remember, as long as it is a school day, you have to go to Class 5 to check in with me before morning reading every day. If you are late or do not come, the payment for that day will not be counted."
"Oh." Ye Yixian looked up at him and obediently responded as if possessed.
After receiving an affirmative answer, Lu Yuan turned around with satisfaction and left in the direction of the setting sun.
As he walked down the street, he couldn't help but secretly admire his own cleverness.
This way, Ye Yixian could accept the new clothes without hurting her self-esteem, and he could also naturally stay by her side and slowly get closer to her.
In fact, he never had any controlling tendencies; he just knew all too well that Ye Yixian was like a little wild wolf.
She locked herself in a lonely cage, refusing to get close to the outside world.
Lu Yuan didn't want Ye Yixian to be forced out of her self-isolation by reality in the future. Instead, he hoped that she could gradually feel the warmth and beauty around her and willingly open her heart.
Ye Yixian stood there, watching Lu Yuan's figure gradually disappear into the sunset.
A gentle evening breeze swept by, and a faint warmth inexplicably welled up in my heart.
She lowered her head and hugged the new clothes in her arms, a faint smile unconsciously curving her lips. Then, looking at Lu Yuan's back, she murmured softly, "What a strange person."