pjbooks Chapter 195 I Will Make You Pay the Price
Chapter 195 I Will Make You Pay the Price
As August quietly slips into its final days, the lingering warmth of summer is still present, but the air is already faintly tinged with the crispness of early autumn.
Whether it's his own family matters or the complicated affairs of Yuanxian's wardrobe, Lu Yuan has arranged everything perfectly.
Lujia Garment Factory is currently undergoing equipment and management upgrades, and its daily operations are stable and not busy.
My parents have finally found some peace and quiet, and they often meet up with a few friends to drink tea and chat, enjoying a slower pace of life.
Today, Lu Yuan is not only the pride of his family, but also a leading figure among the younger generation in the small town.
The elderly couple walked down the street with their backs ramrod straight, their brows radiating confidence and pride. Whenever they spoke of their son, their voices were filled with undisguised pride.
At the very end of his holiday, Lu Yuan made a special trip back to No. 1 High School to visit his former teachers.
This is not only an expression of gratitude to the teachers, but also a way to bring a perfect end to my high school career.
In fact, the repeat students had already returned to school more than half a month ago, and Hou Mingyu was among them.
Although Hou Mingyu was not severely punished by law for spreading rumors, he did not escape Uncle Qian's "private punishment".
Uncle Qian, considering that he was still a student, only had him severely punished to teach him a lesson, and did not kill him outright.
But the physical pain did not make him realize his mistake; instead, he blamed all his disappointment and humiliation on Lu Yuan.
He stubbornly believed that his current predicament was entirely caused by Lu Yuan.
As fate would have it, he bumped into Lu Yuan at the school gate today.
Old and new grudges surged into his heart, and Hou Mingyu, enraged, blocked Lu Yuan's path, roaring with bloodshot eyes, "Lu Yuan, don't be too smug! One day, I'll make you pay!"
Lu Yuan stopped and looked at Hou Mingyu's face, which was covered in bruises.
He was slightly taken aback at first, then a look of undisguised disdain curled at the corner of his mouth.
In his previous life, he didn't have much interaction with Hou Mingyu, so he naturally didn't know what happened to Hou Mingyu later.
But Lu Yuan knew in his heart that Hou Mingyu had failed to win Jiang Yiqing's heart, and it was highly likely that in his previous life, he had been blocked and deleted by her after graduating from high school.
Although Jiang Yiqing is not perfect, she has very high standards and many suitors. Hou Mingyu's miserable and resentful appearance is simply not worth her attention.
Lu Yuan helplessly touched his neck, his expression indifferent: "Hou Mingyu, to be honest, if it weren't for our past as classmates, you wouldn't even have the right to stand in front of me and speak. It's not that I'm superior, but that you brought this upon yourself."
"You..." Hou Mingyu's facial muscles twitched with anger at Lu Yuan's blatant contempt.
He instinctively clenched his fists, wanting to fight, but a last shred of reason held him back. He knew very well that he was no match for Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan looked at him coldly, his tone calm but every word piercing: "It's Jiang Yiqing's freedom to like whomever she wants. The fact that you can't win her favor only shows that you're incompetent. Instead of barking around like a mad dog here, you should focus on improving yourself. Don't wait until a year later and still not be able to get into a decent university."
"What makes you so sure I won't pass the exam?!" Hou Mingyu roared hysterically, enraged. "I swear, I'll do even better than you!"
"Alright, I'll wait and see." Lu Yuan shrugged and chuckled nonchalantly. "If possible, I hope you'll come and prove me wrong with your report card. After all, I probably won't be paying any attention to you."
These words struck Hou Mingyu like a slam, leaving him speechless once again.
Lu Yuan didn't bother to look at him again, waved his hand and turned around: "Goodbye, Hou Mingyu. I don't have time to argue with you here, I still need to prepare for university."
"Lu Yuan! Don't be so happy!" Hou Mingyu roared almost maniacally from behind. "I'll make you pay for this someday! I'll let the whole world know that I'm far superior to you!"
Despite his desperate shouts, Lu Yuan didn't even turn his head.
This complete disregard drove Hou Mingyu into a fit of impotent rage. He grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at Lu Yuan's back, trying to vent his resentment.
However, fate played a cruel trick on him. A gust of wind blew by, and all the sand and dust that had been stirred up came back and covered his face.
Hou Mingyu bent over in pain, rubbing his eyes in a disheveled state, leaving behind only a comical yet pathetic figure.
……
As I prepare to embark on my university journey, my once inseparable friends will soon be scattered to the ends of the earth.
Gao Zhe specially organized a farewell dinner for everyone.
However, by this time, many friends who went to study in other provinces had already set off and couldn't make it in time.
In the end, only four people showed up: Lu Yuan, Ye Yixian, Gao Zhe, and Wang Qingyu.
These four people were the closest of friends in their high school circle.
"Are you all going to school to register on September 1st?" Lu Yuan asked casually after taking his seat.
Gao Zhe and Wang Qingyu nodded in unison: "Of course."
Wang Qingyu then countered with, "And what about you?"
Gao Zhe and Wang Qingyu are from the same school and major, and they will basically be together for the four years of university. Naturally, they hope to go to registration together so that they can look out for each other.
However, Lu Yuan and Ye Yixian's situations are different.
Although Jiangnan University of Science and Technology and Jiangnan University of Finance and Economics are not far apart, only a ten-minute taxi ride apart, Ye Yixian was alone after all. He had no experience traveling far from home and no family members to accompany him, so it was indeed a bit worrying for people to go to register alone.
Lu Yuan smiled and explained, "We're going that day too. The itinerary was planned long ago. My parents and I will take Yixian to her school first, and after she's settled in, I'll go back to Jiangnan University of Science and Technology to register."
This decision was the result of a long discussion among the family around the table.
Ye Yixian's parents had long regarded her as half a daughter, so naturally they couldn't bear to let her face the unfamiliar university campus alone.
Since meeting Lu Yuan, Ye Yixian is no longer that pitiful nobody.
This kind of happiness of being cherished by "family" is something that most people probably can't truly understand.
"Hey, so you guys had it all planned out in advance." Gao Zhe scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly. "Wang Di and I were thinking that Yi Xian might be shy going to register alone, so we were planning to go and keep her company that day."
The idea was actually proposed by Wang Qingyu.
Their school, Jiangbei College, is very close to the University of Finance and Economics, only about half an hour's walk away.
On the day of freshman registration, the school is most lenient, and it is even allowed that male students can enter the female dormitories to help carry luggage.
"Gao Zhe, Qing Yu, thank you." Ye Yixian's voice trembled with emotion. It was her greatest fortune to have made such a group of friends.
"Why are you being so polite with us? You're my sister-in-law!" Gao Zhe stood up, patting his chest to assure her, "Our schools are close by. If you ever run into any trouble at school and Brother Yuan can't get there in time, just call me anytime, and I'll rush over to help you!"
"Yes, yes, Yixian." Wang Qingyu nodded repeatedly and said earnestly, "Although we're not in the same university, we'll always be good friends. If you have any worries or feel wronged, just tell me anytime. When we don't have classes, let's go out and have fun. There are so many fun places in the provincial capital; I'll take you to see them all!"
"Thank you... thank you all!"
Ye Yixian's eyes instantly reddened.
The closer we get to the crossroads of parting, the more we realize how precious true friendship is.
"Oh dear, don't cry!" Wang Qingyu quickly handed over a tissue, jokingly adding, "We're going to university soon, we should be happy!"
"I...I just..." Ye Yixian sniffed and choked up, "I just never thought that one day, so many people would genuinely care about me."
In her mind, she has always been an unlikable person, unworthy of being liked, and even less worthy of having true friends.
Lu Yuan looked at her, gently pulled her into his arms, and softly comforted her, "You are much better than you think, and you will only get better in the future."
"Yes! I will try my best to become better!" Ye Yixian nodded heavily, his eyes shining with determination.
"Alright, alright, on such a happy day, let's not get too emotional, cheers!" Gao Zhe raised his glass, skillfully defusing the slightly somber atmosphere.
Amidst the crisp clinking of glasses, the four of them resumed their conversation and laughter.
The conversation started with boundless anticipation for university life and then drifted to a sense of uncertainty about the unknown future.
This complex mix of emotions—tension, anticipation, and reluctance—brewed into the most mellow and potent spirit of youth.