Once mid-December passed, the first-year high school class one, which had been serious for a while, started getting restless again.
Zhu Yaya knew what they were restless about—Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were coming soon.
Looking at the smiles on everyone's faces, she couldn't help but scoff inwardly. They really were still just kids!
However, in the novel "The Overbearing Him, The Pure Love," the relationship between the male and female leads seemed to make some progress on Christmas Day. Progress meant there would be missions! Thinking this, Zhu Yaya also got excited, declaring that her wallet was already itching to be spent.
On her way home these past few days, Zhu Yaya had seen many street vendors and shops selling packaged apples. The small apples you could usually get four for five yuan were now selling for twenty yuan each!
Zhu Yaya's heart began to stir with an idea.
She pulled Yan Heng aside to secretly discuss it: "Brother Yan, look, Christmas Eve is coming. How about... we go into business together selling apples?"
Yan Heng raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Seeing this as a good sign, Zhu Yaya felt a surge of joy and continued, laying out her entire apple-selling plan to Yan Heng—
"Brother Yan, you worked part-time at a fruit store before, so you must have some rapport with the boss there. You'll be in charge of negotiating with him to wholesale a few crates of apples. I'll go on Pinduoduo to buy some cute little gift boxes, and I'll also handle promoting our business, blah blah blah..."
After listening, Yan Heng gave a slight nod: "Okay."
Zhu Yaya got straight to work. After returning home, she immediately ordered the gift boxes on Pinduoduo. She had a good eye and found many pretty designs.
When the boxes arrived, Yan Heng also delivered, buying several crates of good-quality apples. After finishing their daily routine of tailing Xu Chun after school, the two of them worked together at Zhu Yaya's house to pack the apples. Yan Heng had turned down his evening part-time shifts for the past few days for this, but seeing Zhu Yaya's high spirits, he didn't tell her.
Zhao Jing, coming home from work, saw them and joined in to help. Zhu Jianjun cooked in the kitchen, casually making a few extra dishes and inviting Yan Heng to stay for dinner.
Yan Heng hesitated for a moment, but seeing the many still-unpacked apples and scattered boxes, he agreed.
After the apples were packaged, Zhu Yaya, an amateur photographer of dubious skill (self-proclaimed level 4), took a few photos of the packaged apples, even adding some close-ups and filters.
She showed them to Yan Heng confidently: "How are my photos?" Her face was a picture of someone seeking praise.
Yan Heng stared at the overexposed photos, sighed helplessly, took the phone, snapped a few casual pictures himself, and handed it back for Zhu Yaya to see.
Zhu Yaya took a look. The color tones and composition of his photos were excellent. She could even detect a hint of artistic flair, which gave her mixed feelings, forcing her to admit her own skills were lacking.
"Brother Yan, how are you so good at taking photos?"
"Worked part-time at a few photography studios," he answered somewhat offhandedly.
Zhu Yaya: "..."
Alright then, just where else had Yan Heng worked part-time?
Zhu Yaya used Yan Heng's photos, concocted some promotional text on the spot, and posted it on her QQ feed. Within half an hour of posting, it had over a hundred likes.
Since the first monthly exam, quite a few people from Scott High School had been adding her on QQ.
Since the boxes and apples didn't cost too much, and to compete for business, Zhu Yaya and Yan Heng decided to set the price at 18 yuan each, two yuan cheaper than what was sold outside.
People were already contacting her.
Li Hao, Gu Tao, Xu Baoying, and others also sent QQ messages saying they wanted to buy apples from her.
Zhu Yaya gloated as she showed Yan Heng: "Brother Yan, just you wait! Watch how I lead you to the peak of life!"
"Okay." Yan Heng's eyes held only the clear reflection of Zhu Yaya.
On Christmas Eve, Yan Heng asked for leave from the owner of the Tian Tian Breakfast Shop, took the bus to Zhu Yaya's house first, and prepared to move the boxes of packaged apples.
Seeing there were several boxes, Zhu Jianjun suggested he drive Zhu Yaya and Yan Heng to school.
After arriving at school, Zhu Jianjun and Yan Heng carried the boxes up to the third floor of the Lixue Building to Zhu Yaya's classroom. Unable to lift the boxes herself, Zhu Yaya stuffed packaged apples into her backpack and carried it upstairs.
Not long after Zhu Yaya arrived in the classroom, people who had pre-ordered apples came to collect them.
Those who came to pick up their apples expressed satisfaction: "You're selling these way too cheaply. Where we're from, these go for thirty yuan each."
Zhu Yaya's heart shattered into pieces. She had miscalculated!
Xu Baoying wanted to buy two. She said, "Perfect, one for you and one for me."
Zhu Yaya was touched: "Baoying~, then you don't need to buy one. I was going to give you an apple too, so let's just call it even."
Xu Baoying stood empty-handed, without a single apple, feeling like something wasn't quite right.
By just that morning, Zhu Yaya had already sold two-thirds of the apples. Moreover, while she was selling, she also received quite a few apples as gifts.
The classmates giving her apples said with a laugh, "Minister Zhu, don't go selling the apples we give you, okay!"
"Of course not!" Zhu Yaya declared righteously. "These are tokens of your affection for me; how could I possibly sell them!"
"Haha, good."
Zhu Yaya happily cupped her face, never expecting she was this popular at Scott High School.
By the time school ended in the afternoon, the boxes from the morning were empty, with only a few apples left.
Zhu Yaya took out the remaining apples, too lazy to sell them, thinking she could save them for Yan Heng to eat later.
Today, all her classmates had left early. Only Zhu Yaya stayed behind to clean up the empty boxes.
What she didn't expect was that Chen Zicheng from the neighboring class two also came over to buy an apple from her.
"You want to buy an apple too?" Zhu Yaya widened her eyes.
"Mhm. Is that not allowed?" Chen Zicheng adjusted his thick-lensed glasses.
Adopting an "the customer is always right" attitude, Zhu Yaya completed the transaction with him.
To prevent Chen so-and-so from mocking her for being frivolous again, Zhu Yaya wiped the smile off her face, mimicking Yan Heng's usual aloof expression.
Who would have thought, after taking the apple, Chen Zicheng would say to her, "A young lady like you shouldn't get involved in business and such things; it's too materialistic. And you could easily be taken advantage of."
A hundred "WTF" thoughts raced through Zhu Yaya's mind.
It was the 21st century, and there were still people like this.
She fired back without holding back: "None of your damn business!"
Chen Zicheng was left speechless.
Just then, Yan Heng arrived. He knocked on the back door: "Yaya, let's go."
"Coming!" Zhu Yaya immediately packed her bag, leaving this slightly unhinged person behind, throwing him a parting glare before she left.
Chen Zicheng pointed at her and Yan Heng, calling after them, "An unmarried man and woman walking together—this is indecent!"
Without looking back, Zhu Yaya retorted, "Then we were just alone together in a room a moment ago, so you're indecent too!"
Yan Heng turned his head, his gaze falling on Chen Zicheng, so icy it sent a shiver down Chen Zicheng's spine.
