r18novel Chapter 20 Yes, she is my girlfriend.
Chapter 20 Yes, she is my girlfriend.
Ye Yixian looked completely bewildered, not understanding what Lu Yuan meant at all, and even less understanding how she had become someone with a problem in her brain.
She felt wronged. She simply didn't want to take advantage of others for no reason, so how did it become a mistake in their eyes?
Gao Zhe, standing to the side, couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Ye Yixian, aren't you deliberately making my brother Yuan lose face? You've already agreed to be his follower, and you still have to keep track of the cost of a meal. If word gets out, people will think my brother Yuan has no ability."
"Is that so?"
Ye Yixian frowned and tilted his head, unable to comprehend this complex web of human relationships.
Lu Yuan feigned displeasure and threatened her in a stern voice, "If you dare mention bookkeeping again, believe me, I'll slap you!"
As he spoke, he actually raised his hand, as if to strike.
Ye Yixian froze in fright, instinctively covering his head with his hands and shrinking to the side with lightning speed, almost like a conditioned reflex.
Fortunately, Lu Yuan only wanted to scare her. Seeing that he had achieved his goal, he withdrew his hand and continued to eat as if nothing had happened.
But Ye Yixian's overly rapid reaction was like a fine needle, gently pricking Lu Yuan's heart, making him feel inexplicably heartbroken.
His gaze unconsciously fell on Ye Yixian's forehead, where a faint bruise still remained, clearly visible even after some time.
There have been rumors at school that Ye Yixian often gets into conflicts with local thugs, and even fights with them.
No matter how strong and fierce she usually appears, she is ultimately just a thin girl who looks somewhat malnourished, so injuries are inevitable.
Just now, I only raised my hand slightly, and she immediately covered her head and dodged. This vigilance, ingrained in her bones, was clearly an instinct she had developed after being beaten countless times.
After finishing their meal, Lu Yuan, without saying a word, pulled Ye Yixian toward the shoe store, determined to buy her a new pair of shoes.
Ye Yixian's canvas shoes were already worn out, with a long tear in the upper and the surface worn white. If she walked even slightly, the shoes would fall apart at any moment.
In the past, if Lu Yuan wanted to give her something, he would always rack his brains to find all sorts of reasonable excuses, carefully protecting her sensitive and fragile self-esteem.
Now there's no need for that trouble. He found a perfect reason: I don't want my follower to dress like a little beggar and embarrass me.
All the gifts were not given out of pity, but simply to save face for him as the "boss".
This reason left Ye Yixian, who had always been unwilling to accept charity from others, speechless.
As Ye Yixian entered the shoe store, she looked up at the price tags on the shoes on the shelf and stared in disbelief, her mouth slightly agape.
The cheapest shoes cost over a hundred yuan, and some even have a price tag of over a thousand yuan.
She wondered to herself, "Are these shoes made of gold thread? Otherwise, how can they be so expensive?"
Lu Yuan glanced at her and said casually, "Pick a pair you like."
Ye Yixian paced back and forth in front of the shelves, looking at each pair, but felt that every pair was ridiculously expensive, and couldn't make up his mind for a long time.
After hesitating for a while, she finally looked up and whispered to Lu Yuan, "Maybe we shouldn't buy it. I can buy it myself later."
"Do you think I'd believe that?" Lu Yuan looked up, casting a knowing glance at her, instantly seeing through her insincerity.
Ye Yixian's cheeks flushed slightly, her expression was hesitant, and her tone was full of insecurity: "My brother will be sending me living expenses soon, and I'll definitely have money to buy shoes then. I promise I won't let you lose face."
He does not mean that.
This sentence allowed Lu Yuan to grasp the key information.
Ye Yixian's living expenses were given by her older brother, not her parents.
What about her parents?
Why do you never care about her?
Is he an orphan, from a single-parent family, or has he encountered irresponsible parents?
A series of questions surged in Lu Yuan's mind.
Seeing Ye Yixian's embarrassment, Gao Zhe didn't want to put her in a difficult position, so he took the initiative to pick out a pair of sneakers that cost over 300 yuan. He then turned to the shop owner and said, "Boss, I'll buy these, and pick out a pair for her too. Let's calculate it together and get a discount."
The shop owner was overjoyed to have sold two pairs of shoes at once, and quickly replied with a smile, "No problem, little sister, pick whichever you like. I'll give you a 30% discount on whichever pair you choose."
The boss had already agreed to a discount, and Lu Yuan was standing next to her with a deep gaze, which put pressure on her.
Ye Yixian could no longer refuse, so he gritted his teeth and chose the cheapest pair of canvas shoes in the store.
The last two pairs of shoes cost a total of over four hundred yuan, which Gao Zhe paid directly.
Lu Yuan gestured for Ye Yixian to change into new shoes in the store, then turned to the shop owner to discuss recycling her old, nearly falling-off shoes, which could be exchanged for five yuan.
Ye Yixian wanted to refuse, but Lu Yuan didn't give her a chance to speak. He reached out and pressed her down on the stool in the shop, then bent down and squatted down, took off her old shoes, and quickly helped her put on new shoes.
His movements looked somewhat rough, but his strength was exceptionally gentle, as if he were afraid of hurting her.
Ye Yixian sat on the stool, looking at Lu Yuan squatting in front of her, and her heart suddenly trembled.
She had an absurd illusion that this usually domineering boy was actually concerned about her.
But this illusion lasted only a moment before she forcibly suppressed it.
She kept reminding herself that Lu Yuan only thought she was dressed too poorly and embarrassed him, not that he cared about her.
The new shoes are soft and comfortable to wear, with warm soles, a world of difference from my old shoes that were hard, cold, and offered no warmth at all.
Ye Yixian couldn't help but wiggle her toes slightly, a strange warmth rising in her heart.
After leaving the shoe store, Ye Yixian felt somewhat uncomfortable wearing the brand-new shoes.
I carefully watched my shoes as I walked, afraid of accidentally getting them dirty.
Seeing her reserved yet cherished appearance, Lu Yuan and Gao Zhe exchanged a glance and couldn't help but chuckle to themselves.
Just as they turned the corner, they bumped into several thugs with dyed hair of various colors, four men and two women, who blocked their way.
In 2010, many young people who had dropped out of school early and had nothing to do were still wandering the streets of Wuhan. They spent their days loitering in the streets and alleys, and especially liked to squat at the school gates and harass female students.
This unhealthy social trend will not be completely rectified for several years.
If you encounter this kind of person on a normal day, just ignore them and go around them.
After all, Lu Yuan and Gao Zhe were tall and imposing, and looked like they were not to be trifled with. Ordinary thugs would not dare to go up and cause trouble.
But coincidentally, these thugs knew Ye Yixian.
One of the girls, with dyed yellow hair and exaggerated, cheap makeup, recognized her at a glance. She immediately stepped forward, blocking Ye Yixian's path, and said sarcastically, "Oh, isn't this Ye Yixian? You've been in the limelight for a few days, haven't you?"
Ye Yixian's expression suddenly changed, his eyes instantly turned cold, his brows furrowed, and his fists clenched tightly involuntarily.
She stared coldly at the group of people in front of her, not wanting to get entangled with them any longer, and turned to the side to try to get around them.
But the thugs deliberately blocked the intersection, clearly preventing her from leaving, and also completely blocking Lu Yuan and Gao Zhe's path.
Upon seeing this, Gao Zhe immediately rubbed his hands together, his face revealing a fierce look, and was about to step forward to make a move, but Lu Yuan calmly reached out and stopped him.
Lu Yuan shook his head slightly, signaling him not to act rashly. He wanted to see what these people were up to.
The blond-haired girl sized Ye Yixian up and down, her gaze lingering on her new clothes and shoes. A malicious smile curled at the corner of her lips. She shoved Ye Yixian on the shoulder and said provocatively, "Not bad, new clothes and new shoes. Where did you get the money? You didn't go to internet cafes to sell yourself, did you? There are plenty of men there willing to pay. A woman gets fifty for touching her, and two hundred for sleeping with someone for a night. Your outfit isn't cheap. You must have been there quite a bit, didn't you?"
The language was foul and offensive, every word and phrase laced with malice and jealousy.
"Snapped!"
A crisp, loud slap shattered the silence of the street.
Ye Yixian was ruthless; without saying a word, he raised his hand and slapped the blond-haired girl hard across the face.
The slap was delivered with all its might, leaving the blond-haired girl named Chen Li dizzy and disoriented. She clutched her burning face and staggered back several steps, unable to recover for a long time.
"Ye Yixian, how dare you hit me?"
Chen Li was furious, and her companions all glared at Ye Yixian with fierce expressions.
Ye Yixian's eyes were icy, and he exuded a murderous aura as he warned, word by word, "Chen Li, watch your mouth, or I'll beat you so badly your own mother wouldn't recognize you!"
Even at this point, she didn't even glance at Lu Yuan and Gao Zhe, showing no intention of asking for help.
Clearly, she was already used to facing these malicious attacks and difficulties alone.
She had experienced such disputes and conflicts far too many times.
Chen Li was furious and annoyed by the beating, and she was not about to let it go. She immediately raised her hand, wanting to slap Ye Yixian back at his face.
But before her hand could even touch Ye Yixian, her wrist was gripped tightly by a strong, large hand.
The force was astonishing, restraining all her movements and rendering her immobile.
Ye Yixian was slightly taken aback. She looked up and saw the tall figure blocking her way, which was none other than Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan stood tall and looked down at the girl in front of him, his eyes as cold as ice, his tone carrying an undeniable air of authority: "Try touching her again."
As soon as he finished speaking, he exerted a little force on his wrist and flicked it lightly. Chen Li lost her balance and staggered back several steps before falling heavily to the ground. She was in so much pain that her face contorted and she couldn't get up for a long time.
Seeing this, the other thugs immediately stepped forward, intending to attack him as a group.
Lu Yuan merely glanced at them coldly, his intimidating aura freezing them in place.
With Gao Zhe looking menacing and ready to pounce, the thugs immediately chickened out and dared not approach.
They were just street thugs after all, bullying the weak and fearing the strong. When they encountered a truly ruthless character, they immediately lost their arrogance.
Chen Li got up from the ground, rubbing her sore bottom, still unwilling to give up. She pointed fiercely at Ye Yixian, then looked at Lu Yuan, gritting her teeth and saying, "Heh, Ye Yixian, you're really something. You've found a backer, haven't you? Which school are you from? Tell me your name if you dare, and I guarantee you'll never leave the school gates again!"
"No. 1 High School." Lu Yuan's expression was calm, showing no fear whatsoever. His tone was calm yet confident. "What, trying to ambush me?"
Incidents of thugs blocking the school gate occasionally occur around the school. In his previous life, Lu Yuan had only seen them but had never experienced them firsthand.
Faced with this provocation, he felt no fear, but rather a surge of youthful passion and excitement welled up within him.
Youth is a time that should have several moments of great excitement, otherwise, wouldn't it be a wasted life?
"Who do you think you are? We're looking for Ye Yixian, what's it to you?" Chen Li shouted angrily, "Is she your girlfriend? Why are you protecting her like this?"
In fact, you could tell from their clothes and demeanor that Lu Yuan and Gao Zhe came from very wealthy families. These thugs had offended many people they shouldn't have, so they had been on guard for a long time.
They were planning in their hearts that as long as Lu Yuan and Ye Yixian had nothing to do with each other, they would just cause trouble for Ye Yixian.
Ye Yixian was also aware of this, and not wanting to implicate Lu Yuan and Gao Zhe, he wanted to step forward and take the blame himself.
At worst, we can fight them again; it's better than dragging others down with us.
But as soon as she moved, Lu Yuan took a half step back and stood beside her.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he raised his hand and firmly took Ye Yixian's arm, pulling her into his embrace with a slight force.
Ye Yixian was completely caught off guard and crashed into Lu Yuan's warm and broad chest.
She froze on the spot, her cheeks flushed crimson at a visible speed, her heart pounded, her breathing became heavy, and her whole body felt numb and weak as if she were being electrocuted.
Lu Yuan held the person in his arms, his sharp gaze sweeping over the thugs in front of him. His voice was deep and firm as he clearly said, word by word, "Yes, she is my girlfriend."