Ch 11: How To Be A Good Lackey (QT)

“What if Si Xu asks Jiang Yan to dance at the ball?” Shao Ye asked. Since the president told him not to provoke Si Xu, he couldn’t exactly go break Jiang Yan’s legs.

Hm?

Wait.

That didn’t seem like a completely bad idea.

Not to the extreme of breaking her legs, of course, but he could think of a way to keep Jiang Yan from attending tonight’s ball.

Shao Ye quickly got his clever little brain working.

Xi Guanming said, “If they dance, they dance. It’s fine.”

He didn’t think that just because Si Xu invited Jiang Yan, she would necessarily agree. And even if she did, so what? Even if Jiang Yan really became Si Xu’s girlfriend, at most he would lose a minor source of amusement. And now, it seemed he had found something even more entertaining.

One of Shao Ye’s life goals was to become the worm in his boss’s stomach, but clearly he hadn’t cultivated that skill enough. He had no idea what Xi Guanming was actually thinking. He said:

“President, I think your attitude right now is a bit passive. That won’t work. When pursuing love, you have to be bold and take action. You’re too reserved in front of Jiang Yan. She hasn’t even realized you like her. I believe that if you just used even one-tenth of the effort Si Xu puts in, Jiang Yan would definitely choose you.”

“Is that so?” Xi Guanming let out a faint, ambiguous chuckle. Lowering his gaze, he looked Shao Ye over. Translated on Hololo novels. Sunlight fell across his bare back, as if coating it with a layer of sweet honey, making one want to taste it. Only the wound running down the middle was somewhat unsightly.

Xi Guanming pressed his tongue lightly against the roof of his mouth, then asked with a smile, “Shao Ye, you seem quite experienced. How many relationships have you been in?”

“Uh…” Shao Ye gave an awkward laugh. He didn’t dare look at him and lowered his head, lacking confidence. “Not many. Less than five.”

“Less than five means how many?” Xi Guanming pressed.

Why was the president digging into something like this? Shao Ye didn’t want to lie, so he answered in a small, somewhat embarrassed voice, “Zero.”

“That is less than five,” Xi Guanming’s smile deepened slightly. “Alright, you don’t need to worry about this matter anymore. Enjoy the ball.”

He glanced down at his watch, then added, “I need to leave campus for a while. If you’re tired, just sleep here. If you come back late after the ball and the dorm is locked, you can stay here.”

Shao Ye looked up, full of gratitude. “President, you’re so kind.”

Xi Guanming smiled faintly and said nothing more. He put on his coat and left the lounge.

---

A message from home had just come in. The butler said the old master of the Xi family had fallen in the garden that afternoon and had been sent to the hospital, still unconscious. As the eldest grandson, Xi Guanming naturally had to go in person.

Xi Guanming’s parents had been in an arranged marriage. They barely knew each other before the wedding, and afterward, they never developed any real affection. After giving birth to him, they treated him like a burden and went their separate ways, each indulging themselves. In an entire year, the three of them could count the number of times they were together on one hand.

From infancy, Xi Guanming had been left at the family estate. The old master hired two nannies to care for him. One of them had psychological issues and often abused him in secret. Xi Guanming neither cried nor made a fuss. He would simply stare at her with those dark, grape-like eyes, like a puppet. The more she was watched like that, the less control she had over herself. Several times, she nearly drowned him in the bathtub.

Many of the household staff thought the young master was strange, privately wondering if something was wrong with his mind, though none dared say it in front of the old master.

The abuse wasn’t discovered until three years later. The old master was so furious he broke the cane he had used for over twenty years and immediately summoned Xi Guanming’s parents back from abroad that very night, scolding them harshly.

Lying in the hospital bed, Xi Guanming looked coldly at those who came. There was no emotion in his eyes. His mother took one glance and hurried away, saying he was frightening, like a monster. His father, constrained by the old master’s orders, stayed for two hours. One hour was spent flirting with his mistress on the phone, the other complaining about the old master to his drinking companions.

As Xi Guanming grew older and began to understand the rules of the world, he learned to disguise himself, becoming the “good child” everyone spoke of. Even so, his parents still didn’t like him.

His father had countless lovers, many of whom bore him children. Four or five had even been brought to the Xi family to demand money. His mother was slightly more restrained, though she also had many lovers. She gave birth to a pair of twins, whom she cherished dearly, taking them everywhere, holding one in each hand at social gatherings.

Xi Guanming neither envied nor resented them. It was like watching a performance that had nothing to do with him. Only, their script and acting were far too dull. Many times, he felt like helping them spice things up with something more exciting.

A few years later, his parents finally divorced. Yet on their way out, they were involved in a car accident and both died. The scene had been gruesome, their flesh and blood intertwined beyond separation, forcing them to be cremated together.

When alive, they loathed each other, feeling disgusted even after sharing a bed. Translated on Hololo novels. Yet in death, they would lie together forever in this way. The irony amused him. At least it gave the otherwise boring drama a somewhat interesting ending.

At the time, Xi Guanming had just entered middle school. At the funeral, he appeared deeply grief-stricken, like any ordinary child mourning their parents.

In truth, he felt no sadness at all. Nor did he feel joy. It was simply as if two irrelevant strangers had died.

Still, the aftermath provided another entertaining spectacle. After their deaths, those illegitimate children fought over the inheritance, yet in the end, none could even prove they had the right to claim it.

---

The old master’s injuries were not severe. By the time Xi Guanming arrived at the hospital, he had already regained consciousness.

Seeing him, the old man tugged at his lips in a faint smile. “Guanming, you’re here?”

Xi Guanming nodded. “Grandfather, how did you fall?”

The old man seemed in good spirits. “There was a stone underfoot. I didn’t notice and tripped. Forget that—how have things been at school lately?”

“Quite well.”

“You…” The old master began, then didn’t know how to continue. He sighed inwardly. He knew his grandson was emotionally distant, but considering the abuse he suffered as a child and the parents he had, it was already remarkable that he had grown into what he was now.

He had once hoped that attending school and interacting with peers would change his temperament. And indeed, on the surface, he had become more polite and refined. Business partners praised him endlessly.

Yet the old man couldn’t shake a hidden worry. If one day Xi Guanming chose to stop pretending, what kind of things would he do?

“Don’t go too far with anything,” he advised. “That’s enough.”

“I understand, Grandfather.”

“Let’s hope he truly understands.”

“Not dating anyone at school?” Old Master Xi asked, shifting to a lighter topic.

“No.”

The old master smiled. “At your age, you should be dating. No girls chasing after you?”

Xi Guanming shook his head.

“My grandson is this handsome, and not a single girl is after you?” the old master joked. But seeing the exact same smile still on Xi Guanming’s face, he suddenly found it dull. He waved him off. “Alright, Guanming, you can go back. I’ve got plenty of people here. I don’t need you.”

After sending him away, the old master lay alone on the hospital bed, turning his head to look at the towering buildings outside. He couldn’t help but worry when his grandson would finally develop some genuine, human emotion.

---

Night fell deep, a few stars flickering faintly.

Shao Ye slept in Xi Guanming’s lounge. When he woke, he saw a message from his roommate saying the auditorium had been requisitioned. Translated on Hololo novels. They probably wouldn’t be able to attend tonight’s ball. Only the top elites of the school could get in.

Whether he could attend didn’t matter to Shao Ye. As long as Si Xu didn’t go bother Jiang Yan, that was enough. But after asking around, he found out Jiang Yan would be going with her good friend.

Shao Ye couldn’t help but complain. Even someone like him, an utterly ordinary rich guy, couldn’t get in, yet Jiang Yan, a poor student, got an invitation. If Si Xu wasn’t behind this, he wouldn’t believe it even if beaten to death.

He went back to the dorm, grabbed a random outfit from his wardrobe, threw it on, and rushed toward the auditorium.

And, unsurprisingly, he was stopped at the entrance.

Looking at the diligent students guarding the door, Shao Ye lifted his chin. “The president sent me. You’re not letting me in?”

“The president sent you here? For what?” If there was something to do, why wouldn’t the president come himself? And even if he sent someone, it should be someone from the student council.

Shao Ye was completely unreasonable. “Don’t worry about what he sent me here for. If you don’t let me in, you’re basically offending him. Think it through.”

The student rolled his eyes, clearly speechless. Just as he was about to reply, another student ran out from inside and whispered something in his ear. His expression toward Shao Ye immediately shifted from disdain to suspicion. He exchanged a couple of meaningful blinks with his companion, then waved his hand. “Fine, go in.”

Shao Ye lifted his chin with a proud snort and swaggered into the auditorium.

He was wearing a black tailcoat. It wasn’t designer or custom-made, but the fabric was excellent, durable, stain-resistant, and wrinkle-free. In his opinion, all suits should be made of this material. But everyone else thought he looked like an uncouth nouveau riche, pointing at him and snickering.

Shao Ye, however, didn’t realize they were laughing at him at all. What a joke. He was the president’s man now, who would dare point fingers at him?

Perfume lingered in the air, glasses shimmered in the light. Shao Ye searched through the crowd for Jiang Yan, but after a long while, he couldn’t find her. Just as he turned to check the adjacent dining hall, a boy about 175 cm tall walked up to him.

The boy looked somewhat delicate, dressed in a Gothic-style white shirt with layered ruffles under the collar. His features were refined, his skin pale. With a friendly smile, he asked, “Hey, which class are you from? Want to be friends?”

“Sure, I’m in Class 5, second year,” Shao Ye replied readily, immediately pulling out his phone to add him.

The boy turned to get his phone, but in that moment, he failed to hold onto his wine glass. The drink spilled completely onto Shao Ye’s shirt.

Shao Ye looked down at the white shirt soaked in red wine, now clinging tightly to his broad chest muscles. He cursed under his breath, not noticing the boy across from him swallow hard in excitement.

“Ah, sorry, sorry,” the boy quickly set down the glass and reached out. “I’ll help you lick—ah no, I mean, I’ll help you wipe it.”

But before his hand could land on Shao Ye’s chest, it was blocked by a bottle of champagne.

Annoyed, the boy turned his head. “What—ah~”

His initially sharp tone immediately softened into a flattering one upon seeing who it was.

Hearing the voice, Shao Ye looked up. The irritation on his face instantly turned into a bright smile.

“Oh? President, you’re back?”

---

Author’s note:

【Has no one dug into who No. 6 is in real life? No shipping allowed in this thread! No shipping!】

: Of course people have tried, plenty of times, just haven’t figured it out

: That mysterious? What does he do, a spy?

: Probably not that dumb of a spy… right

: If we judge purely by stupidity, maybe just a college student

: We’re just netizens, that comment crossed the line

: I’m just minding my own business online, why did I suddenly get kicked

: I feel attacked, haha! slams bowl on table.jpg

: The most outrageous take I saw was someone saying he’s the emperor’s chief eunuch

: …

: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

: That just hurt my eyes

: Well… uh… I don’t even know what to say

: I seriously think No. 6’s identity isn’t simple. In other streams it’s always the heroine getting splashed, why is it him here? And the president playing hero saving him? What kind of garbage plot is this! And they say he didn’t tweak the backend data? Why did the president stop that guy from groping him? Why did the president get mad? (Don’t say he wasn’t mad, I saw his lips press together before he smiled, that means he was mad!) And the president has severe cleanliness issues, so why let him on the bed, treat his wounds, let him sleep there? The character setting is collapsing! Are they forcing the president into some lovestruck simp too? Completely ruining his image! He’s perfectly normal in other streams! I’m reporting this! I’m reporting this!!!

: I’m speechless… you ship harder than me

: Quickly scoops rice back into bowl.jpg

: OP said no shipping

: But OP is the one posting that…

: Uh…

: Isn’t this just tricking people into shipping

: What a cunning shipper

: I AM NOT A SHIPPER!!!!!!!!

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