Chapter 155 Shoe Prints

The manager's lips twitched slightly. He stepped forward and ripped off the boy's mask, revealing his delicate and youthful face to the group. "Hiss, he's really not the boss!"

"Heh heh, Gu Xun has never taken off his mask, yet you talk as if you've seen his true face."

Realizing he had been exposed and that the other side outnumbered him, the boy's eyes darted around, and he pleaded, "Big brother, big sister, I had no other choice but to resort to this. Please forgive me, considering it's my first time!"

"Dear guest, your total bill is 208 yuan. The police station will still handle the payment. Please consider it as soon as possible!"

The boy, who was already prepared to dine and dash, naturally ordered the most expensive dish. Upon hearing this, he burst into tears, "I only have 10 yuan on me. Please don't send me to the police station. If I have a criminal record, which school will dare to accept me?"

Goodness, he's still a student!

"What's your family's phone number? Tell them to send money to ransom you."

"I'm a left-behind child. My parents went to work in the south. Me... can I wash dishes? I'm very efficient at it. I can wash them until they're as smooth as a mirror."

"Hey kid, you think you're all that? Take me to the police station and let the officers teach you a lesson!"

"Waaah, no! I only have two years left until the college entrance exam. I know I was wrong, please forgive me this time!"

The college entrance examination is the best opportunity for ordinary students to change their destiny. If you knew this, why would you risk lying to others? Yun Xia sighed and stopped the man. "Well, we should be lenient when we can. I think his clothes are nice. Take them off and send them to the flea market. We can sell them for some money. Why not use them to pay off the debt?"

"No, the label hasn't been cut off yet; I need to keep it to return it."

"Tch, vanity knows no bounds," the girl thought to herself, rolling her eyes and stepping aside.

The boy's pitiful cries drew strange looks from the other diners. The manager found a rag and stuffed it into his mouth. A waiter grabbed his arm and was about to drag him away when Bai Ye strode forward and blocked their path.

"It's only a little over two hundred yuan, not worth ruining someone's future. Here, keep the change!"

With 210 yuan in hand, the manager waved his hand, and the young man, now free, said gratefully, "Thank you so much for your help, young man. I will serve you like a slave in the future to repay your kindness."

"No, you have hands and feet, you can do so many things, why do you have to do fraud? I'll help you this time because you're a student, and I'll also give you a heads-up: Gu Xun, the big boss, has considerable influence. This has already angered him, and if you dare to make even the slightest mistake, he'll definitely..."

Although he didn't finish his sentence, everyone understood the underlying meaning. The boy bowed three times and left, looking dejected.

"Tsk tsk, I hope he'll heed your advice. Manager, room 308 at Fuxiang, check please!"

With meat, vegetables, and drinks, the three of them only spent 125 yuan, which shows how extravagant the boy was.

"Bai Ye, why are you helping him?"

"We're all students, so we naturally understand the importance of the college entrance exam. The fact that he said that means there's still hope. Besides, left-behind children need everyone's care!"

There was nothing wrong with what he said, but Yunxia always felt that he was hiding something. But everyone has secrets, so she was too lazy to ask any further questions and make him uncomfortable. She exchanged a few pleasantries at the door, picked up the food she had prepared, and hurried home.

"Wow, yesterday it was barbecue, today it's hot pot, you two are rolling in money!" Feng Jingling exclaimed, picking up a cooked meatball.

"You made 20,000 yuan in two days, that's a fortune!" he said, beaming with happiness. "I did make a little money, and I also managed to close a deal for you along the way."

"That's great! What should we draw this time?"

Having tasted the sweetness of the previous article's fee, he asked excitedly upon hearing this.

While cutting the melon, Yunxia conveyed the direction of the print given by Bai Ye.

"Heh heh, this is really strange. I never thought that Young Master Bai would ask me for help one day."

"Heh heh, you're overthinking it. It's a collaboration, there's no question of one begging the other!" Jiang Chao, who was just watching the show, added.

The young man raised an eyebrow, plopped down, and said arrogantly, "I don't care, I'm determined to take the lead in this collaboration."

Knowing he was in a rage and wouldn't listen to anything, I took a piece of watermelon and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Oh, it's so sweet! Ah Chao really loves me!" After saying that, she happily started munching on the watermelon.

The next day, at Grandma's Dumpling Restaurant, after eating dumplings, Bai Ye expressed his thoughts, while the painting master and apprentice wrote and drew in their notebooks, recording the key points.

"30 yuan per design, copyright in my hands, submission in a week. Young Master Bai, what do you think?"

"Is a week enough time to submit the manuscript?"

"It's just eight drafts. An'an and I can finish them in a few days. Or does Young Master Bai not believe in our abilities?"

His tone made it sound as if he had agreed but would turn his back on me the next second.

"Not at all, not at all. I trust Young Master Feng's painting skills, especially since Xiaxia recommended him!"

When the little butterfly was mentioned, Feng Jingling's attitude softened noticeably, and her eyes were no longer full of hostility.

"Okay, it's settled then. We'll meet at this restaurant next Monday. Just bring the money to collect the manuscript." After saying that, he pulled An'an away and met up with Yunxia and the others at the alley entrance. They chatted and laughed as they hurried home.

For the next few days, whenever they had free time, the master and apprentice would pick up their brushes and paint. Sometimes their brows would relax and they would smile, and sometimes their brows would furrow and they would look miserable. The trash cans in the room were filled with crumpled drafts.

Knowing that the two were creating, no one dared to disturb them. Jiang Chao also temporarily shut up and stopped arguing with people. Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai even moved to a different spot, working together to make their home in the girl's bedroom, carrying a cloth mat in their mouths.

Two pairs of big, bright eyes stared at you, melting your heart. You nodded, agreeing to the move request, and rewarded each cat with two small dried fish.

The deadline for submissions arrived quickly. There were four designs for both boys and girls. The girls' designs featured flowers, such as plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums, along with cute chibi insect designs. The colors were vibrant yet adorable. The boys' designs focused on sports and brotherhood, featuring trendy cartoon characters and exaggerated poses and expressions that were incredibly exciting.

"Great, I'm very satisfied. Here, 240 yuan, plus a 20 yuan bonus. Looking forward to the next collaboration."

Clutching the banknotes, he brought them close to his ear, flicked his fingers to listen to the rustling sound, and grinned, "Come to me with any orders you have, no matter how difficult, I'll take them, of course... provided you pay me enough!"

"Definitely, definitely, but...did you apply for the copyright for the painting in advance?"

"Don't worry, I took leave at noon to apply for it. I used some connections, and I've got the certificate. Go ahead and get it printed!"

"With Feng Shao's words, I'm relieved. When the finished products are ready, I'll send you a few pairs."

Yunxia only knew that he was going to make canvas shoes, but she didn't know the specific style. After the cooperation was completed, she asked the boss to bring out dumplings. After eating, they parted ways at the store entrance and went home.

An An assisted with this project, and he was responsible for the chibi-style insects. He received 120 yuan in royalties and was overjoyed!

Wow, looking at her empty palms, the child almost burst into tears. "Brother?"

"Here, 5 yuan, your pocket money. I'll save the remaining 115 yuan for you, so you don't spend it recklessly. What? You don't want the 5 yuan?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang An snatched the crumpled five yuan, folded it neatly, stuffed it into his pocket, grabbed Yun Xia's hand, and looked pitifully at his older brother.