Ch 25: How To Be A Good Lackey

When Shao Ye and Xi Guanming returned home and he saw the clothes Xi Guanming had bought online, his mouth opened and closed for a long while. In the end, he felt that words simply couldn’t express what he was feeling.

He had been too naive. There really were clothes in this world he had never worn before—not just a few, but many. But looking at that bundle of red ropes, Shao Ye sincerely wondered… could this even count as clothing?

Where on earth had the president found all this stuff?

He gave Xi Guanming a thumbs-up.

Xi Guanming took it as praise and even nodded. “I knew you’d like it.”

Like it? Based on what?!

Shao Ye felt there was clearly some misunderstanding here, and that he really needed to have a proper talk with him.

But before he could bring it up, Xi Guanming spoke first. “Try it on, okay?”

His tone was polite and gentle, as natural as if he were asking Shao Ye to taste a new dish at a restaurant. His dark eyes were deep like the sea, full of what looked like affection.

Under that gaze, Shao Ye’s heart wavered. Before he knew it, he had already nodded. “…Alright.”

He hated himself!

Why couldn’t he refuse? Was he just born to be a lackey?!

Xi Guanming smiled and didn’t hold back at all. “Then try this one first.”

What he handed over was a pink-and-white maid outfit. The seller had even thoughtfully included a pair of cat-ear headbands.

Shao Ye weighed it in his hands. “Do I really have to wear this? It looks kind of small—I might not even fit.”

Xi Guanming seemed not to hear the second half of that sentence. He only said, “I really want to see it. Please, Shao Ye.”

Shao Ye’s “natural-born lackey physique” activated again. He grabbed the clothes and went into the bathroom to change.

This maid outfit wasn’t just a little small—it was extremely small. It squeezed tightly over his chest muscles, the sleeves were oddly cut, and he didn’t dare make any big movements. The skirt was ridiculously short, barely covering half his backside.

Looking at himself in the mirror, he thought if he sent this photo back to the seller, they’d probably pay him to delete it overnight.

This was way too weird! The fabric at his chest looked like it was about to burst. Honestly, he’d rather just wear two leather straps.

Xi Guanming sat on the sofa reading a magazine. Hearing the door open, he looked up and saw Shao Ye walking over, face scrunched up, tugging at the hem of the skirt.

He set the magazine aside. His gaze settled heavily on Shao Ye’s chest, then slowly moved downward. He licked his slightly dry lips but said nothing.

Shao Ye glanced down at himself, then scratched his neck. Standing across the coffee table, he complained, “President, this outfit is too small. It’s uncomfortable.”

Xi Guanming nodded in agreement. “It is a bit small. Come here—I’ll loosen it for you.”

Completely unsuspecting, Shao Ye walked over and bent down, assuming there must be some hidden clasp he had missed.

Instead, Xi Guanming grabbed the thin fabric over his chest and, with a sharp rip, tore it apart. The cloth split to either side, fully exposing Shao Ye’s chest.

Shao Ye: “…”

That’s it? He could’ve done that himself!

After tearing it open, Xi Guanming’s gaze lingered on the faint bite marks that hadn’t fully faded from his chest. After a moment, he looked up and said, “This looks better. What do you think?”

It didn’t look that great to begin with!

Before Shao Ye could respond, Xi Guanming pulled him forward, and he fell heavily onto the sofa.

Another two hours passed just like that. Original translation at HololoNovels dot com. The expensive maid outfit was completely ruined—there was no wearing it a second time.

Later, Xi Guanming had two rooms on the first floor knocked together and turned into a gym. Within two days, all the equipment Shao Ye needed was fully set up. He stood in front of the pec-deck machine, eager to try it, but the moment Xi Guanming walked in, he somehow ended up crashing into a yoga ball first.

Was this a gym or some kind of themed hotel?

A gym-themed… something. Well, that was certainly novel.

The seven-day holiday passed quickly. When Shao Ye returned to Golden Laburnum, he felt as though a lifetime had gone by. Now nearly 80% of the students knew he had something going on with Student Council President Xi Guanming, and the remaining 20% were in the process of learning it.

Whenever there was any news from the student council, the class monitor would send Shao Ye to Xi Guanming to gather information. Some students even tried to bribe him—after being caught burning paper offerings in the dorm by the student council, they would give him gifts and ask him to put in a good word for them.

Shao Ye was speechless.

What kind of people were these?!

Even more ridiculous was what happened that afternoon. After his first math class, he woke up from a nap and planned to run a couple of laps on the field to clear his head. But before he could even start, Si Xu blocked his way and said:

“Whatever Xi Guanming can give you, I can give you double—just leave him.”

Shao Ye scratched his head. He must still be dreaming, right? What kind of ridiculous dream was this?

This whole situation actually started from a conversation between Si Xu and Zong Xingze. They had gone from talking about Jiang Yan to the student council, then to Xi Guanming, and agreed that he had been getting more and more overbearing lately. The four of them had originally been equals, but now Xi Guanming seemed to be rising above them. He needed to be taught a lesson.

Direct methods wouldn’t work against him at Golden Laburnum, but if they could somehow get Shao Ye to break with him, then the look on Xi Guanming’s face would surely be worth it.

Zong Xingze had casually suggested the idea, then immediately said it was just a passing thought. But Si Xu went home and thought about it—why not try? There was no downside, and it might even be entertaining.

And so, here they were.

Seeing Shao Ye remain silent, Si Xu pressed, “Is double not enough? Don’t be too greedy.”

Shao Ye was completely baffled. What was wrong with this guy? It was almost scary. Should he call the school doctor?

Si Xu continued, “Even if Xi Guanming really likes you, do you think the Xi family patriarch would accept his grandson being some disgusting homosexual? Think about what your ending would be.”

Shao Ye rolled his eyes. Yep—definitely sick. What did that old man’s opinion have to do with him?

Si Xu saw the disdain in that eye roll and grew even angrier. “You don’t even actually like Xi Guanming—who are you pretending for?!”

“Who said I don’t really like him?” Shao Ye shot back immediately. How could he just slander him like that?

Through gritted teeth, Si Xu said, “Before this, you kept telling me to stay away from Jiang Yan! What’s wrong with you?!”

Shao Ye looked at him with pure contempt. “That just means you don’t understand strategy. It’s called openly building a plank road while secretly advancing elsewhere.”

Si Xu: “Huh?”

Shao Ye didn’t say it out loud, but he kept thinking about that night when Xi Guanming asked whether he loved him. Later, he went online to look up the difference between love and liking. The internet said things like: liking is indulgent, love is restraint; truly loving someone means wanting them to be happy, even if they don’t love you back.

Shao Ye thought about it. Wasn’t that exactly the mindset he had when he wanted to be Xi Guanming’s underling? The article was very long, and he read it word for word with serious dedication. By the end, he felt as if his soul had been cleansed. He even began to wonder whether, deep down, he had known he and the president had no chance, which was why he used the excuse of being a “lackey” to get close to him.

And lately, there were also a few voices on the forum claiming that he was actually very scheming, deliberately pretending to be dumb to lower the president’s guard, then taking advantage of the moment to get physically close to him and force the president to take responsibility, which was how he became the president’s boyfriend.

The phrase “openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing at Chencang” was something he’d learned from the forum. This line of thinking was actually quite niche, and most students dismissed it outright. But after reading it, Shao Ye was still deeply shocked. Was he really that clever?

Si Xu was equally shocked. “You actually have true love for him?”

“You’re the weird one. Of course it’s true love. If it wasn’t, why would we be together?” You could question his motives, but not his feelings.

Shao Ye had even seriously considered that if, the first time they met, Xi Guanming had asked him to be his boyfriend, he probably wouldn’t have refused.

He posted this thought on the country’s biggest Q&A website, and the responses were surprisingly consistent: If that’s not true love, then what is?

But Si Xu probably didn’t understand feelings anyway. Shao Ye went straight for the emotional kill: “No wonder Jiang Yan doesn’t like you.”

Si Xu had come today intending to break them up, but hearing that, he lost his composure first. His face darkened. Since things couldn’t be settled peacefully, he might as well be ruthless. He shot Shao Ye a sinister look and said, “Just you wait.”

Shao Ye ignored him. Why should he wait? Who did Si Xu think he was? Not punching him on the spot was already restraint. After all, he was the president’s boyfriend now. In public, he had to mind his image.

Fuming, Si Xu turned and left. The class bell had already rung for a while. Shao Ye thought that since he was already late, a bit later wouldn’t matter. He planned to go for a quick run first. Surely the teacher would understand. But as he turned around, he walked straight into Xi Guanming.

He gave an awkward smile, rubbed his nose, and asked, “President, when did you get here?”

“I’ve been here for a while,” Xi Guanming said. “Planning to skip class again?”

“Hehe, no, no. I’m heading back now,” Shao Ye replied.

Xi Guanming fell silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, “We’re true love?”

Shao Ye blinked, realizing Xi Guanming really had been there long enough to hear his entire conversation with Si Xu.

“Of course!” he said firmly, then added with some confusion, “Aren’t we?”

The thought that the president might just be playing with him, like some people on the forum suggested, made Shao Ye feel uncomfortably upset.

Xi Guanming seemed not to notice the change in his expression and said, “Then prove it.”

Prove what? How?

Shao Ye looked around. The bell had already rung, and everyone had gone back to class. This place was quiet and remote, with no one around. He cleared his throat and loudly declared, “President, I love you!”

How was that? Good enough proof, right? Look at that boldness.

But wow, that was so embarrassing. How did he even say it out loud? As soon as he finished, Shao Ye felt like scratching at the goosebumps on his arms. He glanced at Xi Guanming, who stood there motionless, his gaze deep, almost like a flame burning within.

Why wasn’t the president reacting? Did he freeze?

Autumn wind swept through the treetops, and ginkgo leaves fell, scattering across the ground. Xi Guanming had only meant to trick him into giving him a kiss, but instead heard those three words directly from him.

He was momentarily stunned, as if on barren land after a storm, countless fragrant flowers suddenly bloomed.

“I love you too,” Xi Guanming said.

No matter how it started, as long as it was real, as long as he would only love him, that was enough.

The fallen ginkgo leaves paved their path back in gold, glowing under the sunlight.

After returning, Si Xu contacted some friends outside the school. Even if he couldn’t drive Shao Ye out of Golden Laburnum, he would at least make him suffer. Otherwise, they’d really think he was easy to bully.

He had just hung up when he turned and saw Xi Guanming standing at the door like a tall shadow, startling him.

Annoyed, Si Xu snapped, “When did you get here? Don’t you know how to knock?”

Xi Guanming didn’t answer. He simply said, “For helping me get an answer, I’ll let you off this time.”

Si Xu found it ridiculous and sneered, “Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it?”

Xi Guanming smiled at him and said slowly, “I’ll kill you.”

Si Xu froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. Had Xi Guanming not grown out of his edgy phase yet? Kill him? Why not just blow up the school while he’s at it?

Xi Guanming’s smile didn’t change. He walked toward Si Xu, a thin blade somehow appearing in his hand. Sunlight reflected off the blade into Si Xu’s eyes, making them sting. Then he heard Xi Guanming ask leisurely, “You think I wouldn’t dare?”

“Si Xu, in this world, there’s nothing I wouldn’t dare to do.”

Si Xu was about to speak, but the moment he met Xi Guanming’s eyes, he froze in place. In that instant, it felt like he saw countless omens of death within those dark, icy pupils. He muttered, “You’re insane.”

“Insane?” Xi Guanming let out a soft laugh. He lifted his head and looked through the glass window at the clear blue sky outside. “This world is fake to begin with. He’s my only light.”

---

Author’s note:

[Qingming thread: What did the president mean by that line? I’m getting goosebumps]

Don’t mention the second half, can we leave the OP a bit of peace? I really don’t want to ship them

: “This world is fake”… does the president know something? Suddenly feels like The Truman Show

: Well… technically… we are watching a Truman Show

: …That’s true

: But the president is different! He’s a native NPC!

: Maybe he’s just using a rhetorical device

: What kind? Irony?

: It’s a metaphor! He used a metaphor!

: …The metaphor is in the second half, which OP said not to mention (whispers: it’s so sweet though)

: I don’t get it. There are six participants, so why is No. 6 the “only light”? Didn’t No. 3 also try to cling to him? Why did No. 3 get expelled then?

: I want to answer that objectively, but OP won’t let me

: I’m wondering if the president just hasn’t suffered in love yet, so he thinks the world is fake

: frozen smile.jpg Thinking of my ex…

: The real suffering is waiting for him later. Once the stream ends, No. 6 will be gone

: Gone Girl

: Stop, I’ve suffered enough reading fanfics, why am I suffering here too? Isn’t this thread supposed to be sweet?

: ???? something’s off about you

: Has the official side said anything?

: They’re probably confused too. Ever since No. 6 got together with the president, the plot’s been out of control

: “President smashing a wall,” guess the idiom

: “Boring a hole in the wall to steal light!”

: No. 6: hehe, your light is here

: Is no one going to do anything about this world full of CP fans?

: Don’t call us CP fans. Please address us as canon-ship supporters, thank you

: Where are the moderators? Haven’t seen them working for days

: Out of five moderators, four turned out to be CP fans. No wonder they were reporting so hard earlier, just to force the official side to release content

: Isn’t there one left?

: The last one is just a regular user

: Good enough, at least someone can still do their job. @ them

: lol she’ll probably say, “as a neutral observer, I also think Xi Guanming × Shao Ye is very shippable”

: …

≽^•⩊•^≼

Thandar: omg omg omg he knowsssssss