Chapter 51: Accepting Jiang Xue as a Student
On the one hand, Jiang Xue was astounded by the sky-high tutoring fees; on the other, she was sceptical that a basic art tutorial would cost so much. Moreover, why was the boss behaving so differently? Earlier, he had been the picture of politeness, eager to secure a big business deal, but now, he was as cold as the Antarctic.
Li Si sniffed arrogantly as he said, “It’s not an outrageous sum. 350,000 yuan is hardly much. If you can’t afford it, then you’re welcome to look elsewhere for cheaper options.”
In a much softer voice, he muttered, “Is she really the Young Miss of Kunlun Construction’s boss? She can’t even afford 350,000 yuan. Isn’t that a little too shabby? Humph!”
Jiang Xue flushed in embarrassment at Li Si’s words. She snuck a glance at Liu Cheng seated beside her and resolved herself. She could not lose face in front of Liu Cheng, or all her effort building her image would crumble.
A familiar feeling welled up in her chest, and not a pleasant one at that. She hated being looked down on by others. “What are you talking about? 350,000 yuan is paper money to me. What makes you think I can’t afford such a measly sum?” She demanded hotly.
Li Si’s eyes lit up. Was this the power of his taunts? He had not used much, just a little trick, but Jiang Xue, the rich young lady she was, took the bait, hook, line and sinker.
“Is that so? You could be saying all this to fabricate some reason for us to return your money, or maybe it’s some elaborate ruse to make off with only paying a portion of the deposit. Who’s to say you aren’t some con artist trying to take advantage of my honest establishment?” Li Si added fuel to the fire, hoping to goad Jiang Xue into signing a contract with the school.
Jiang Xue’s eyes widened. How did the boss know what she was thinking? She had thought of paying the deposit in Liu Cheng’s presence before demanding it returned when she fabricated the truth of Teacher Shen’s competence or lack thereof. After which, she would be free to look for another teacher without losing face. Now that the boss had exposed her plans, however, she had no way out.
It was not that she did not have the money. Her mother, Xia Chun, would willingly part with the sum if she requested.
Jiang Xue merely felt that spending so much money on something she could not show off was not particularly satisfying. With that same amount, she could probably buy a few branded handbags.
She need only appear with the season’s latest branded handbags for all her peers to go green with envy. She would be the centre of attention wherever she went. Jiang Xue wanted to flaunt herself, drawing the gazes of many; her pride demanded it. Learning painting and calligraphy would not add to her image.
Li Si knew he had hit the nail on the donkey’s head from the look Jiang Xue sported. It was almost too easy. Mustering as much sarcasm as he could, he snarked, “Since you can’t afford the tuition fees, you shouldn’t dream of asking Teacher Shen to mentor you.”
“Teacher Shen is very busy. Time is a precious commodity, so not everyone has the right to receive Teacher Shen’s teachings.” Li Si peeked at Jiang Xue through the corner of his eyes as he turned to leave.
By then, Jiang Xue was blushing like a tomato. “Stop right there!” She hissed through clenched teeth. “Who says I can’t afford it?” She whipped out her credit card, ordering, “Charge it to my card. What is 350,000 yuan to me? It’s nothing but small change; I don’t care about such a paltry sum!”
Liu Cheng was extremely envious of how Jiang Xue could throw money around. Although her family had some wealth, spending 350,000 yuan on hiring a teacher for a month was too extravagant. More so when the skills taught were the bare basics.
Jiang Xue was keenly aware of the changes to Liu Cheng’s expression and felt comforted. Still, she felt the pinch of spending 350,000 yuan. At least, she had managed to save some face for herself as the young miss of the Jiang family.
Li Si grinned from ear to ear. Since she had said as much, he was not overly polite. He quickly swiped Jiang Xue’s card and completed the registration process.
Li Si recorded Jiang Xue’s information, laughing merrily as he skipped back to Shen Xi’s office. He could barely contain his joy as he said, “Xixi, you’re the best. Jiang Xue signed up!”
Shen Xi was slightly surprised when she heard Li Si’s words. She knew Jiang Xue well enough to know she would not have wasted 350,000 yuan without good reason, and she certainly would not have spent it trying to improve her calligraphy and painting skills.
However, from Li Si’s narration, Shen Xi quickly understood what drove her to make such a hasty decision. It seemed Jiang Xue truly cared more about her reputation than she had realised.
People with low self-esteem are often hyper-aware of their shortcomings. Jiang Xue had lived in poverty for many years and was probably afraid of how other people saw her.
“Since she’s paid, I shall, with great reluctance, accept this student,” Shen Xi exclaimed dramatically, offering Li Si a meaningful smile.
Shen Xi arranged for Jiang Xue’s class to be at 8:30 in the morning, which was very early.
Previously, because Shen Xi lived far away from home, she had to transfer several buses to get to work. If she could not make it to work in the morning, she did not arrange a lesson at that time.
But now, with Jiang Xue’s tuition fees and Si Li’s accommodation, she could ride a car to work every morning, saving her time and the hassle of braving the morning crowds.