Chapter 17: A Blushing Question and a Hidden Opportunity

“What’s wrong?”

Gu Xuanyu paused, slightly startled by Ye Qing’s intense gaze. She couldn’t quite grasp its meaning, yet felt a profound sense of awe.

It was as if she had been seen straight through.

“Do you like girls?”

Though Ye Qing’s question was posed with a calm demeanor, its impact was explosive, a fact evident from Gu Xuanyu’s suddenly crimson face.

“Eh, wh-why…?”

Usually eloquent, Gu Xuanyu found herself stammering, unable to form a coherent sentence. Her delicate thoughts, in turn, led her spiraling into wild speculations, twisting the situation in peculiar ways.

‘She’s the illustrator I follow, always sending me so many suggestive images. Now she’s asking if I like girls. Could she possibly be thinking of…?’

Gu Xuanyu stared blankly into Ye Qing’s burning amber eyes, swallowing with difficulty.

‘But she truly is adorable. For some reason, whenever I look at her serene little face, my heart always races uncontrollably.’

‘No, no, that’s too abrupt, no matter how you look at it…’

“It’s nothing, I was just curious.”

Perceiving Gu Xuanyu’s bashfulness, Ye Qing hastily brought the topic to a close.

‘That was an embarrassing question. I accidentally spoke to her the way I used to.’

“Oh, is that so…?”

Gu Xuanyu’s cherry lips parted slightly in a daze, the warmth on her cheeks quickly fading, replaced by a faint sense of loss, as if she had just missed an opportunity.

At that very moment, Lin Shaoyao emerged from the shop, darting towards Ye Qing with swift steps. Noticing Gu Xuanyu’s wistful expression, a mischievous smile involuntarily played on her lips.

She gently pinched Ye Qing’s delicate nose, speaking in a chiding tone:

“You little rascal, leaving us inside! What are you doing out here all by yourself?”

Startled by the lively pink-haired girl, Ye Qing inadvertently let out a sweet sound from her throat before quickly swatting Lin Shaoyao’s hand away.

“What do you want…?”

Tang Nuo also hurried over, and the two girls began chattering around the black-haired Ye Qing. Seeing this, Gu Xuanyu hesitated for a moment, ultimately losing the courage to press for more answers.

‘I was inadvertently overlooked. This scene feels so alien, as if I’m merely an outsider.’

‘Oh, right. To Ye Qing, I’m just a stranger she recently met. What reason do I have to develop these inexplicable feelings…?’

Her quiet departure did not escape Lin Shaoyao’s notice, who promptly narrowed her rose-colored, star-like eyes.

‘So, even the highly esteemed Miss Gu Xuanyu can display such a defeated demeanor?’

“So why exactly did you pinch me…?”

As Ye Qing rubbed her face and grumbled, Lin Shaoyao leaned close to her ear, her breath fanning against the sensitive lobe, causing it to instantly flush crimson.

“Because you’re too adorable, attracting attention everywhere you go. This is your punishment, Ye Qing~”

***

Finally home, Ye Qing collapsed onto her bed, expending the last vestiges of her strength. She lay there like a soft, black furball, beginning to replenish her lost energy.

‘The blanket is so soft.’

Though she had only been away for half a day, Ye Qing felt as if an eternity had passed, too weary to even lift a finger.

She had initially worried if it was too much to use a girl’s body to get close to other girls. Now, it seemed she was the one being overly-handled.

Lost in thought, Ye Qing puffed out her pink cheeks in exasperation.

Suddenly, her phone chimed with a new message. It was the third unsolicited message she had received in recent days, a rarity for Ye Qing.

The sender was a commissioner who used a Magical Girl Akai avatar. Ye Qing recalled a period when they were so poor they could barely afford food, even crying to her about it.

‘They’re babbling on and on, but how am I supposed to understand? And why would someone who can’t even afford food commission illustrations?’

[😭 Qingyu-sensei, thank you so much for the illustrations! My book has finally been published.]

Ye Qing’s eyes glinted.

[Qingyu: I wish you great success.]

[Tiramisu: Qingyu-sensei is as cold as ever. I wanted to find a chance to thank you in person.]

Ye Qing typed, ‘Then there’s no need,’ into the chat box. Just as she was about to send it, she hesitated and deleted it.

[Qingyu: Then choose a time and place.]

[Tiramisu: 😋 Yay!]

Observing the other party’s tongue-out emoji, which looked ready to drool at any moment, Ye Qing’s lips twitched.

‘Mom told me not to play with idiots.’

Her change of heart was primarily due to the other party’s unique nature.

If even Xiao Conan possessed the potential to become an evil executive, then the even more significant Miss Tiramisu was surely no less formidable.

‘It’s right to expand the evil organization as quickly as possible and defeat the Magical Girls.’

Ye Qing suspected there was something amiss with Gu Xuanyu, but she had no leads for the time being.

If the matter involved Magical Girls, then she would have no choice but to rely on the power of the evil organization to verify her suspicions.

***

The following day, Ye Qing finally arrived in the classroom on time, adhering to her schedule. Amidst the bustling crowd, she discovered an exceptionally suitable spot.

‘A small recluse hides in the wild, a great recluse hides in the city. Surrounded by people, I won’t be easily noticed.’

“Ye Qing!”

‘Eh, class is over, why are they still calling me?’

Shen Congqing adjusted her glasses and put away her lesson plan. It seemed Silver Moon, the teaching assistant, wasn’t with her today.

“Come with me for a moment.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing couldn’t help but furrow her delicate brows.

Sensing the sympathetic glances from those around her, interspersed with a certain mischievous pink-haired girl’s gloating eyes, she sighed helplessly and dutifully followed Shen Congqing.

As she walked behind the blonde woman, Ye Qing became more acutely aware of the significant height difference between them.

Ye Qing estimated her own height to be around 150 centimeters, making her a petite girl; any smaller, and she would be considered a loli.

Shen Congqing, on the other hand, was the epitome of an elegant older sister figure, her outstanding physique rivalling that of any model, making her a perfect figure to adorn.

Her crisp, tailored suit certainly accentuated her slender figure, though it might strike some as monotonous. Yet, in Ye Qing’s aesthetic, it embodied a simple, practical beauty.

It was as if she managed to live through every season of the year with only two identical outfits.

Ye Qing had seen quite a few girls these past few days, but in her opinion, the cutest one was undoubtedly the black-haired girl she saw in the mirror.

‘Apologies, this isn’t narcissism. I, Ye Qing, am an honest person.’

Trailing behind Shen Congqing, Ye Qing’s heart remained aflutter with apprehension.

After all, according to An Yueying, Shen Congqing was exceptionally strict in her teaching, and someone like Ye Qing, who had entered through “backdoor” connections, would surely face her full force.

Spotting the office ahead, Ye Qing’s heart tightened as she deliberated on how to respond. However, Shen Congqing didn’t stop, continuing straight past, leaving Ye Qing bewildered.

“Teacher Shen, the office should be this way…”

“I know.”

Shen Congqing’s voice was cool and devoid of discernible emotion, yet it flowed as melodiously as a clear spring, instilling a strange sense of peace in Ye Qing.

Finally, Shen Congqing stopped before a slightly dilapidated art studio and unlocked its door with a key.

Inside, the art studio was even more rundown than Ye Qing had imagined. Aside from an easel standing in the center, the surrounding furnishings were covered in a thick layer of dust.

Cobwebs subtly clung to the corners of the ceiling, suggesting it had been long abandoned.

“Apologies, the sketching studio is occupied by others, so I had to bring you here for now.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing blinked blankly.

“Eh, my sketching class isn’t already…?”

“Indeed, but I’ve decided to give you an opportunity.”

Shen Congqing handed her a sharpened pencil, a faint, unreadable smile playing on her lips.

“If you wish to be my student, then try to please me with your drawing.”