Faced with questions from regular customers, Chu Junlie didn’t show the slightest hint of anger. Instead, he raised his chin proudly and said, “Maybe I’m just lucky,” before quickly running out of the supermarket and standing beside the person he had thought about all night.
Mr. Si had come to find him.
And so early!
Si Yunyi brought Chu Junlie into the car. Standing at the door, Chu Junlie let the wind blow over him for a while before finally getting inside.
He instinctively wanted to lean closer to Si Yunyi, but remembering that he still carried the lingering smell of the supermarket, he forced himself to sit a bit farther away.
“Mr. Chu, this is the list of items prepared for you.”
The voice suddenly came from the front passenger seat. Chu Junlie tore his gaze away from the man beside him and only then noticed the man sitting in the front.
It was the same man who had guarded him and the Si family on the lawn of the old Si residence last time. According to the family, he was the younger uncle’s assistant, surnamed Xu.
Glancing at the paper in Assistant Xu’s hand, Chu Junlie subconsciously looked to Si Yunyi.
Like a young hunting dog just beginning training outside, every move he made sought the master’s approval.
Si Yunyi gave a slight nod of his chin, signaling permission. With approval granted, Chu Junlie quickly accepted the paper and began reading every word carefully.
There were tasks to prepare for the engagement banquet: arranging his hairstyle, buying two sets of formal wear, preparing engagement rings, and familiarizing himself with the banquet procedures.
“This engagement banquet was originally being prepared by the Si family,” Assistant Xu said in a strictly businesslike tone, completely devoid of emotion, “but Mr. Chu’s parents called last night and insisted on taking full responsibility.”
In Hong Kong City, it had always been customary for the bride’s family to host the engagement banquet, so this request from the Yan couple was entirely reasonable.
Yet as Chu Junlie listened, clutching the list, his eyes brimmed with suspicion and caution.
In the receipts that Madam Yan had previously prepared, she hadn’t even spared a two-yuan bottle of water. How could she possibly be willing to spend lavishly on his engagement banquet?
Was it because of Mr. Si, and they didn’t want to lose face in front of Hong Kong society? Or was she plotting to use this to threaten him with something else?
As the car started, Si Yunyi glanced sideways and saw Chu Junlie still lost deep in thought. He raised his hand and handed over a brand-new phone box.
Chu Junlie took it with both hands. The moment he saw the sleek box, his eyes lit up.
He looked at the box, then at the man sitting beside him, unable to hide his delight.
“Mr. Si, is this for me?”
“Try it.” Si Yunyi rested his head lightly on his hand, the silver chain of his glasses draped across his slender, pale wrist, his every movement exuding elegance.
Forcing himself to look away and suppress his joy, Chu Junlie opened the box and saw a brand-new smartphone inside.
It was the kind everyone else had—the same kind the young people in the Si family all used!
He had wanted to buy a smartphone before, but even the cheapest one cost five hundred more than his old-age phone.
Wouldn’t this mean no one could laugh at him for carrying an old-age phone anymore?
Watching him, Si Yunyi saw Chu Junlie eagerly power off his old device, take out the SIM card, and try to install it in the new phone.
But the old phone’s card slot was larger, while the new smartphone only needed the smaller chip inside. After comparing the two and realizing the problem, Chu Junlie began breaking the larger card to free the chip.
He was used to rough work, so when it came to fine, delicate tasks, he was inevitably clumsy. Even though the card had slots designed for easy removal, the process was still extremely difficult for him.
Finally, when he forced the last edge off with his lips pressed tight, the tiny chip suddenly flew out and landed by Si Yunyi’s feet.
The chip was so small it was hard to see once it dropped onto the floor of the car.
Before Si Yunyi could speak, Chu Junlie had already taken off his jacket and carefully shifted closer, leaning his body down into the space between the front and back seats, groping with his fingers to search for the chip.
The car was designed for maximum comfort, with plenty of space between the two rows of seats. But Chu Junlie’s broad frame filled it completely, squeezing the space tight.
Hearing the noise from behind, Assistant Xu turned his head and immediately saw the man in a black vest, his jacket tossed aside, shifting his body toward the teacher’s side. Bit by bit, under the pretense of retrieving the chip, he revealed his beautiful back muscles and narrow waist.
“Mr. Chu?” Assistant Xu reminded expressionlessly.
Chu Junlie paused, then straightened up with a brilliant smile, holding a tiny SIM chip in his hand.
“Mr. Si, I found it!” His eyes shone with happiness, like a big dog that had just dug up a bone.
Si Yunyi watched as Chu Junlie slid the chip into the new phone. His fingers swiped across the screen, heading straight for the contacts list, creating a new entry and carefully typing in a string of numbers.
It was Si Yunyi’s own number.
When it came to filling in the name, Chu Junlie’s fingers hovered again and again. He sneaked a glance at Si Yunyi’s expression, then, as if terrified his true feelings might be exposed, obediently typed the three characters: “Mr. Si.”
“Thank you, Mr. Si.” Chu Junlie gripped the new phone tightly, eyes shining. “I really like it.”
Si Yunyi gave the slightest nod, his gaze steady.
“As long as you like it.”
The silver car slowly pulled up in front of a private image design studio. Si Yunyi led Chu Junlie inside, while Assistant Xu went to the front desk to confirm the appointment.
Before long, a small group came out, led by a petite woman. Chu Junlie watched as Si Yunyi shook hands with her—it was clear they already knew each other.
“Leaving this child to you.”
Chu Junlie heard Si Yunyi’s calm voice as the woman stopped in front of him. She gave him a long, assessing look before turning back to Si Yunyi with an “OK” gesture.
“Your body proportions are excellent.” The woman rose on tiptoe, squinting as she studied his face.
Caught off guard, Chu Junlie glanced anxiously at Si Yunyi, who seemed about to leave, and instinctively stepped forward to follow.
“Relax. He’s not leaving—he’ll wait for you in the lounge.” The woman frowned suddenly. “What do you usually use to wash your face?”
“S-soap.” Chu Junlie touched his own cheek instinctively.
It actually felt pretty clean after washing.
“Oh, my god.” The woman sucked in a deep breath. “If you weren’t brought here by Mr. Si, I’d really never take you on. Come on, we’re starting from scratch!”
Looking bewildered, Chu Junlie allowed the group to fuss over him. The woman draped swatches of colorful fabric across his chest, holding them up one by one.
“This is a color analysis,” she explained between her busy movements. “Your body and facial structure are good. I’ll design your hairstyle, teach you how to use accessories, and help you develop your own fashion style.”
Chu Junlie’s face was still blank with confusion.
Meanwhile, Si Yunyi sat waiting in the lounge. When the woman finally brought Chu Junlie back, he set down his magazine. It felt like those three hours had been well worth the wait.
As the protagonist, Chu Junlie naturally had striking looks, but before, he hadn’t known how to dress, had never bothered with his hair, and carried a drab, dusty aura. His lack of confidence made him constantly bow his head and avoid eye contact, leaving an impression of timidity.
But now—
Si Yunyi rose to face him. The messy bangs that once shadowed his eyes had been neatly trimmed, his forehead revealed in clean lines.
His brows were sharply arched, his eyes deep-set, his upper face radiating an almost predatory intensity. A too-high nose bridge and tight, thin lips gave him, in repose, a cold and dangerous air.
This was the man who would repay every humiliation a hundredfold—Chu Junlie.
“Well? Not bad, right?” The woman beamed. “If I told people he was the president of some corporation worth billions, they’d believe me!”
Nervous, Chu Junlie looked at Si Yunyi, who had stepped closer. Beneath the cold glint of his glasses, his gaze seemed to measure and dissect him, radiating a chill distance as though facing a stranger.
“M-Mr. Si.” Chu Junlie couldn’t help but speak, his tone tinged with an unconscious yearning to draw closer.
Si Yunyi lifted his eyes. That slightly submissive voice of Chu Junlie’s snapped him back to his senses in an instant.
“Pay with the card,” Si Yunyi said, turning away from his gaze and addressing his old friend.
“Twenty percent off for old clients,” the woman replied cheerfully, taking his card. “And I’ll throw in personal shopping guidance at the mall. How’s that for a deal?”
The moment Chu Junlie stepped into the upscale shopping center in Hong Kong’s new district, he instinctively wanted to retreat.
It was too big, too crowded, the polished floor tiles gleaming so bright it felt wrong to step on them. On the first floor, there was even a car exhibition. He glanced back at the entrance, baffled as to how the cars had even been brought inside.
The woman, clearly well-acquainted with the place, led them straight to the men’s fashion section on the second floor, explaining which colors and styles suited him as she guided them into a store.
She recommended two suits suitable for daily wear. Chu Junlie asked for his size, then emerged nervously from the fitting room. The woman’s eyes lit up immediately, and even Mr. Si gave a subtle nod.
Looking at the mirror, dressed in a tailored suit with his new hairstyle, Chu Junlie could hardly recognize himself.
The reflection looked too sharp, too forceful—surely not the kind of man Mr. Si would like.
“Send both sets to this address.”
Hearing Si Yunyi’s distinctive voice, Chu Junlie returned to the fitting room to change out of the suits, sneaking a look at the price tags.
He froze at the string of digits, counted them again, and his face turned pale.
One suit alone cost three and a half months of his wages.
And Mr. Si had bought both.
After Si Yunyi finished the payment, he noticed Chu Junlie emerge, stiff with unease, standing beside him as though wanting to speak but holding back.
When the store clerk came over to confirm the delivery address, Chu Junlie recognized the name of his neighborhood. Then it hit him—Mr. Si intended to have the suits delivered to his rented place.
“Mr. Si.” Chu Junlie tugged carefully at his sleeve.
Si Yunyi turned, meeting his nervous gaze.
“Don’t send the clothes to my place. The security there’s terrible. Those suits are worth more than me—what if they get stolen?” His voice dropped to a whisper, taut with worry.
“It doesn’t matter if they’re lost.” Si Yunyi gazed at the man before him, calmly stating the fact. “You’re more valuable than those clothes.”
Chu Junlie opened his mouth, but the tips of his ears instantly burned red.
Mr. Si just said… that he was very valuable!
The self who was unwanted by his parents since childhood, the self who was thrown to the countryside to be raised by relatives, the self who was always looked down on by others.
Very valuable!
Chu Junlie clutched Si Yunyi’s sleeve, unwilling to let go. The shop assistants stared at the tall, broad-shouldered man, his ears reddening as he tugged on another man’s sleeve, refusing to release it for a long time.
Chu Junlie had originally thought that just these two sets of clothes were already enough, but he never expected—this was only the beginning.
The saleswoman led the way up front, her words flowing like a lotus blossom, guiding him to try on outfit after outfit. Mr. Si sat on the sofa, observing for three seconds, then pinched a card between his long fingers and handed it to the salesperson.
“Swipe it.”
“This gentleman is truly born to wear clothes—he looks stunning in everything,” the store manager personally came to greet them, grinning ear to ear as she looked at today’s sales figures.
Chu Junlie glanced at Si Yunyi, who was on one side swiping the card and signing his name, then looked at the busy shop assistants on the other. He tried to ask the store manager:
“Are you hiring here?”
“…What did you say?” The manager froze, unable to react at first.
“I want to, after marrying my… fiancé, change to a job that’s a bit more respectable.” Chu Junlie’s ears flushed red as he stole a glance at Si Yunyi, lowering his voice.
“So I was asking if you’re hiring.”
He could disgrace the Yan couple, but he couldn’t disgrace Mr. Si. He definitely couldn’t go to construction sites anymore, and unloading work wasn’t guaranteed every day, so he had to find another path.
The store manager looked at the young master of the Si family not far away, then at the handsome man in front of her. Her eyes flickered—could it be this man wanted to “experience life”?
“Of course we’re hiring, as long as you’re willing to come.” The manager beamed.
“Really?” Chu Junlie immediately sat up straight. “May I ask what the salary is?”
“How about this,” the manager thought for a moment, “four days on, three days off each week, base salary of five thousand, plus commission. How does that sound?”
Chu Junlie drew in a deep breath and nodded repeatedly.
“Manager, it’s a deal then.”
“It’s a deal, it’s a deal.” The manager’s smile was radiant; she could already imagine how much profit this man could bring the store.
When the shopping guidance session in the mall ended, Si Yunyi and Chu Junlie watched as the woman happily left with the complimentary gift. Secretly, Chu Junlie tried to calculate the money Si Yunyi had spent on him today, and the final number he came up with was one he himself could hardly believe.
“Do you want to eat something?” Si Yunyi asked, noticing Chu Junlie’s stomach rumbling quietly.
Chu Junlie pressed his lips together, thick-skinned enough to whisper, “I do.”
Sitting in an upscale restaurant, Chu Junlie gnawed on the herb-roasted lamb ribs and Swiss chicken wings before him, leaving behind a pile of bones, still unsatisfied.
“Would you like to order some more?” Si Yunyi saw that he didn’t seem full yet.
“I’m full, Mr. Si. No need to order.” Chu Junlie looked at the pile of bones he had left, his face a little flushed.
“Then… how about some dessert?” Si Yunyi flipped the menu with his fingers. “Fruit pudding, French mille-feuille, or fresh fruit cake.”
“…Can I have fresh fruit cake?” Chu Junlie’s dark eyes lit up.
[mfn]If you enjoy my translations, you can show your support by leaving a comment or donating to my Ko-fi. It will be much appreciated. Thank you! [/mfn]
![The NPC in the Abusive Novel is Slacking Off [Quick Transmigration]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/The-NPC-of-the-abused-article-is-passive-and-lazy-Quick-Transmigration.jpg "The NPC in the Abusive Novel is Slacking Off [Quick Transmigration]")
