Stop Chasing the School Belle, My Shy Deskmate is Sweet and Soft - Chapter 95

In the evening, after walking Ye Ningyu home, Xia Tian immediately rode his bike to the nearest bicycle shop.

He planned to replace Ye Ningyu’s old bike with a new one for Children’s Day.

Her current bike was too old and worn out.

A few days earlier, Xia Tian had learned from Little Ye that the bike she used was a second-hand one her father had bought when they first moved to Beian.

By the time it reached her, it had already been used for an unknown number of years.

The brake pads were so worn down that Xia Tian worried it might be dangerous for her to keep riding it.

With Children’s Day around the corner, it was the perfect occasion to give her a new one.

Besides that, Xia Tian had also bought her a pink handbag the week before.

Girls liked to carry small bags when they went out, but Little Ye often carried a white canvas bag, which seemed hand-sewn by her mother.

As he reached the bicycle shop, the owner was just about to close up.

“Wait, I want to buy a bike!”

“We’re closing up for the night. Come back tomorrow.”

The owner initially brightened at the thought of a sale but then saw that it was just a high school student in a uniform.

He assumed the kid was just looking and would come back the next day with his parents to negotiate, if at all. So, he became impatient.

Noticing the owner’s change in attitude, Xia Tian quickly added, “No, really, I have the money with me. I can’t wait until tomorrow. It’s urgent!”

“Huh? You have the money with you? Well, come on in then… why wait until tomorrow? Buy it today and ride it tomorrow for Children’s Day—you’ll be the coolest kid at school!”

Xia Tian forced a smile, though inwardly he found the owner’s quick change in attitude irritating.

The owner led him inside, and Xia Tian’s eyes were immediately drawn to a pink bicycle in the corner.

He pointed at it.

“That one. Fill the tires with air, please.”

“Ah, good choice, young man. This bike just came in yesterday. It’s all carbon fiber, super light and great to ride, but you know, carbon fiber isn’t cheap.”

“No problem. Fill up the tires. I’ll use my card.”

Xia Tian waved it off, not caring about the price.

“Wait, are you sure? This bike is 1399 yuan!”

“Yes, swipe the card.”

Xia Tian said calmly, handing over his bank card.

The owner’s eyes widened.

Wow, a rich kid! Almost missed out on a big sale!

—

After paying and having the tires filled, Xia Tian rode his bike home with the new one for Little Ye in tow.

Just as he parked the bikes and was about to open the door, he heard voices inside.

“Brother Xia, the layoff list came directly from the director’s office. We might really be on it this time…”

“We’re skilled, long-time employees. How could we be on the first batch of layoffs? That’s impossible!”

“Sigh… Honestly, the higher-ups don’t care if we’re long-time employees. They only care about who can generate more profit. A lot of people on the list have already gone to Director Qiao’s house with gifts, hoping their names will be taken off. We have two days to try.”

“Guan Yi, let’s not beat around the bush. Call it what it is—bribery… You’re close with Old Xia, so just tell us how much we need to give.”

“Well… at least 50,000 yuan.”

There was a heavy silence after that.

Xia Tian, listening outside, frowned deeply.

He recognized Guan Yi, the man talking to his parents.

In his previous life, after his father passed away from lung cancer, Guan Yi had been a great help at the funeral. Xia Tian had even helped Guan Yi’s son find a well-paying job to repay his kindness.

But now the question was why Guan Yi was saying both he and Xia Zhengguo were on the first batch of layoffs.

In his past life, only Guan Yi had been on the first batch list. Why was Xia Zhengguo on it this time?

While Xia Tian pondered, inside, Xia Zhengguo sighed heavily.

“Forget it. Fifty thousand yuan is a year’s salary for us. If we give that, we’ll be working for free for the next year.”

“Sigh, Brother Xia, if we can, we should still give the money. At our age, finding a new job will be tough. Even if we do, it might not be as stable or satisfactory.”

Guan Yi said, and then Xia Tian heard the sound of a chair moving, followed by footsteps toward the door.

Startled, Xia Tian thought about running downstairs but didn’t have time before the door opened.

Guan Yi found Xia Tian crouched by the door, clearly having overheard everything.

Guan Yi looked shocked, and so did Chen Meijuan and Xia Zhengguo as they stared at Xia Tian.

Scratching his head, Xia Tian greeted awkwardly, “Uncle Guan Yi, you’re leaving?”

“X-Xia Tian, you’re home from school?”

Guan Yi looked embarrassed.

It was obvious Xia Tian had heard their entire conversation.

Guan Yi’s face changed, and he tried to comfort him.

“Xia Tian, don’t worry about your dad being laid off. Focus on your exams.”

“I understand, Uncle Guan Yi.”

“Well, since Xia Tian knows, there’s no point hiding it.”

Guan Yi shook his head, stooping slightly as he left.

Chen Meijuan finally spoke, a bit reproachful.

“Since when do you eavesdrop on adult conversations?”

Then she softened her tone.

“Since you heard, we won’t hide it. Your dad’s on the layoff list for the first batch.”

“But it’s not a big deal. With his skills, he’ll find a new job quickly. I’ll take care of you two in the meantime.”

Chen Meijuan patted her chest confidently.

Xia Zhengguo sat on the sofa, smoking, wanting to say something but unable to find the words.

“Mom, you’ll take care of us for now. I’ll focus on studying, and Dad can be the househusband.”

“Dad, don’t be discouraged. Getting laid off might be a blessing. Your job was bad for your lungs. Take a break and find something better.”

Xia Tian smiled, showing no signs of worry, surprising his parents.

They expected him to be concerned, fearing it might affect his studies.

But instead, he accepted it easily?

“Son, you…”

“It’s just a job, no big deal.”

Xia Tian waved it off.

“Oh, Dad, is your director named Qiao Wu?”

Xia Zhengguo nodded, puzzled.

“Yes, that’s him.”

Xia Tian nodded, squinting slightly.

“Good, I’ll go do my homework. Don’t worry. We’ll find a new job.”

With his parents staring in disbelief, Xia Tian went to his room, his smile fading.

He now understood what Qiao Shaoxuan had hinted at earlier.

Qiao Shaoxuan’s father was Xia Zhengguo’s director. This layoff was different from his past life, likely because of the incident at the Heartbreak Museum.

This sparked a butterfly effect, causing Xia Zhengguo to be laid off earlier.

In his past life, Xia Tian hadn’t clashed with Qiao Shaoxuan, so there was no interference in the layoffs.

Xia Tian’s eyes turned cold.

“While Dad’s layoff was inevitable, Qiao Shaoxuan’s meddling changes things…”

He quickly thought of a way to solve his father’s impending unemployment.

Opening his contacts, he found Jiang Jianwei’s number and made the call.