“This…” the apprentice glanced at Ye Qingyang, then at Lu Jingcheng, hesitating. “Are you sure he can do it? Maybe you should pick one of our professional stylists. I promise top-notch styling, trendy looks, and with your student ID, you even get ten percent off~”
Ye Qingyang calmly blew Lu Jingcheng’s hair dry and said, “You don’t understand. Our young master’s hair has always been handled by a personal stylist. Today he just wanted to experience life a little, so he came to wash his hair here. Washing is minor; the haircut is crucial. If one of your stylists chops it up carelessly, not only will you be in trouble, but the insurance company will be too.”
Lu Jingcheng: …
He felt like he couldn’t even sit still.
Is Ye Qingyang crazy? Is he even speaking human language?!
The apprentice asked, puzzled, “Insurance company?”
Ye Qingyang replied calmly, “Our young master’s hair is insured. If it’s damaged, it’s worth tens of thousands in compensation. You can see, our young master isn’t ordinary.”
Lu Jingcheng, clearly not ordinary: …
Right now, he was feeling that he really wasn’t ordinary. He was a full-blown Jack Sue. Hair insurance on top of that.
Why not insure his eyelashes too?!
“That’s enough!” Lu Jingcheng gritted his teeth and muttered.
Ye Qingyang immediately obeyed: “Understood, young master.”
He even added dramatically, “Sorry, young master, I shouldn’t have mentioned these things—it was my oversight.”
Lu Jingcheng: …
He swore he would never come to this barber shop again in his life.
The apprentice looked at Lu Jingcheng’s face, then at his wristwatch—obviously expensive—and his limited-edition sneakers. He had to admit, this student did look wealthy and carried himself well.
At Yizhong, a top provincial school, there were many students from rich families.
Seeing Ye Qingyang so calm, the apprentice had no idea if he was telling the truth or just bluffing, so he decided to watch quietly.
Lu Jingcheng saw that the apprentice giving him a haircut wasn’t saying anything and felt even more exhausted.
He mentally cursed himself for the thousandth time: Why did I agree to let Ye Qingyang cut my bangs? Am I insane?!
Regret. That was the only feeling now.
Too much regret.
Once Ye Qingyang finished blow-drying, he picked up the scissors and approached Lu Jingcheng.
Lu Jingcheng doubted his skills and instinctively tilted his head back, his gaze serious.
Ye Qingyang smiled. “Young master, you can close your eyes first.”
Role-playing addiction, seriously… Lu Jingcheng muttered.
Still, he didn’t dare directly watch Ye Qingyang cut, so he obediently closed his eyes, silently telling himself: Better done quickly than suffering slowly.
If Ye Qingyang ruined his hair, he’d shave him into a buzz cut! No—balding!
Unaware of the baldness threat, Ye Qingyang leaned closer with scissors.
Lu Jingcheng’s hair was soft—something Ye Qingyang noticed while blow-drying. It didn’t match the tough exterior he usually showed; it was closer to his inner character.
He cut slowly, occasionally glancing at Lu Jingcheng with closed eyes, thinking he looked so obedient and cute.
Already handsome, his features deep and striking, usually his gaze carried some sharpness. Now, eyes closed, he had the charm of a refined young gentleman.
Truly a male lead: perfect both inside and out.
While Ye Qingyang was cutting, the owner approached, seeing him cutting a customer’s hair, utterly confused.
He frowned for a moment, then couldn’t help nodding slightly.
When Ye Qingyang finished the last snip, the owner couldn’t help commenting, “Not bad, young man. You’ve got skills.”
Lu Jingcheng paused, hearing this. “Finished?”
“Mm.”
He opened his eyes.
But as soon as he did, Ye Qingyang brought over a brush.
Lu Jingcheng instinctively leaned back. Ye Qingyang said, “Don’t move.”
“Why?”
“You still have loose hairs on your face. Don’t you mind?”
Lu Jingcheng stayed still. Ye Qingyang brushed off the stray hairs.
Feeling Ye Qingyang’s breath so close, Lu Jingcheng couldn’t help staring.
His skin looked fair; up close, quite nice-looking.
Feeling awkward, he looked elsewhere: the mirror, the tools on the station.
“Eyes closed,” Ye Qingyang whispered.
“Again?”
Lu Jingcheng grumbled but obeyed.
Ye Qingyang scanned his eyelids. “Loose hairs might be on them too.”
Then, mischievously, he blew gently toward Lu Jingcheng’s eyes. Lu Jingcheng instantly squeezed them shut tighter. Ye Qingyang chuckled, then softly said, “All done.”
Lu Jingcheng opened his eyes, brushing Ye Qingyang aside, and checked the mirror.
The bangs were neither too long nor too short, looking more natural and fresh, unobstructed from before. Not bad.
“Okay, I guess,” Lu Jingcheng commented.
Ye Qingyang helped him remove the barber’s cape and draped it on the chair.
He added a compliment: “Anything looks good on you, young master.”
Lu Jingcheng glanced at him, then went to pay.
The owner looked at the haircut, noticed Lu Jingcheng had only washed his hair, and charged accordingly.
Then…
The owner looked at Ye Qingyang. “Young man, you’ve got skills. Interested in part-time work here?”
Ye Qingyang’s eyes lit up—of course! Absolutely!
“How’s the pay?” he asked eagerly.
Lu Jingcheng had just paid and turned toward him, incredulous. Ye Qingyang looked thrilled.
Wasn’t he only supposed to use his scissors to cut his bangs? Now he wanted to cut for everyone?
Lu Jingcheng scowled. “Who allowed you to take a part-time job?”
Ye Qingyang tilted his head. “Not allowed?”
“No.”
Ye Qingyang pouted. “Young master is really strict~”
Lu Jingcheng snorted and led him out of the barber shop.
The owner looked at the apprentice, baffled. “What’s their deal?”
The apprentice thought for a moment. “Maybe… a private tutor?”
“Tutor?”
“The guy calls him young master, right?”
The owner gasped. “Even in our harmonious socialist society, there’s still a thing called a tutor? Capitalism gone wild!”
The apprentice internally muttered: Boss, you’re capitalism too! Exploiting me! Ugh, the evils of capitalism!
Ye Qingyang struggled as Lu Jingcheng pulled him outside. “Really can’t do it? I think part-time suits me perfectly.”
“Why would it suit you?” Lu Jingcheng said. “You’re a student. Part-time now? Don’t you need to study?”
He glanced at Ye Qingyang’s grades. “Look at your scores—they’re worse than mine!”
Ye Qingyang calmly replied: Grades aren’t a problem. After all, he’d already transmigrated; he could score whatever he wanted.
Money, however, was a problem. Urgent problem: he had none.
“I don’t have money,” Ye Qingyang reasoned. “Look, today I already owe you 20. I don’t even know how to pay you back, so I need to earn money.”
Lu Jingcheng asked, “Your parents don’t give you money?”
“My parents are gone,” Ye Qingyang said matter-of-factly. “Left a few years ago.”
Lu Jingcheng: …
He hadn’t expected that answer and felt awkward for a moment.
After a pause, he muttered softly, “Sorry, I didn’t know.”
“No worries,” Ye Qingyang said, taking the chance to explain. “I don’t really have an income. Part-time work is fine.”
Lu Jingcheng objected: “If you need money, I can lend it to you.”
“I already borrowed 20 from you.”
“Then adding a few more zeros wouldn’t bother me,” Lu Jingcheng said with authority.
Ye Qingyang: … Well, that is generous.
“But I want to earn it myself.”
“You cut my hair; I’ll pay you a wage.”
“How can I take your money? Better to earn from others. The more people I cut for, the more I earn, right?”
The more I cut for others?!
Lu Jingcheng almost exploded. Wasn’t the scissors supposed to be just for him?!
Why now let others profit too?!
Fickle!
Unfaithful!
Treacherous!
“Anyway, I don’t agree. No part-time. These scissors were bought for me! I’ll keep them. Only for cutting my hair from now on.”
Then realizing Ye Qingyang might need them too, he added, “Of course, you can use them when cutting your own hair.”
Ye Qingyang: …
He pondered carefully. “Then… can I switch scissors…”
Lu Jingcheng almost passed out from anger.
“Who else deserves a new pair? You tell me!”