Chapter 22: Unexpected Guests and Awkward Encounters

“Mmm…”

In the quiet morning, Zhong Tian stretched languidly within the warmth of his blanket, a soft, almost girlish sound escaping his lips, stirring a hint of curiosity.

He rolled over, his long legs momentarily exposed to the cool air.

Though it wasn’t particularly cold, he instinctively tugged at the quilt.

It didn’t budge.

‘Huh?…’

He pulled again with more force, yet it remained stubbornly in place.

‘Could my quilt have been glued down with superglue?’

He gave it another mighty yank.

After a slight resistance, the blanket finally yielded, covering him once more.

However, as the quilt shifted, a ‘something’ rolled along with it, bumping into Zhong Tian’s back.

‘Hmm… what in the world?’

Zhong Tian rubbed his eyes, stifling a yawn.

‘Well, back to sleep.’

“Mmm…”

What was that sound?

Zhong Tian burrowed out from under the covers, sitting upright in bed.

With sleepy eyes, he glanced at the girl curled beside him, her breathing soft and even, then smacked his lips.

‘It’s Su Linxi.’

He ran his fingers through his slightly disheveled long hair, settling it over the pillow before lying back down.

‘Time to go back to sleep… right?’

‘Huh? (Elements detected)’

‘Hold on?! (Certainty)’

‘WHAT?!!! (Voice cracking)’

“Aaaahhh!!!”

Zhong Tian shot out from the covers, spinning in a frantic 360-degree circle before scrambling into the corner of the bed.

“What time is it…”

The girl slowly rose from the blankets, her voice soft.

“Zhong Tian.”

The girl’s short hair was a mess, and she, too, looked utterly drowsy.

Her loose pajamas made her appear even more petite, stirring an irresistible urge to pull her into a tight embrace and shower her with affection.

Zhong Tian’s face flushed crimson, as if it could drip blood, his pretty features contorted with terror and utter bewilderment.

“Wh-wh-wh-why are you in my bed?!”

“I… didn’t have a blanket… couldn’t sleep…” Su Linxi stated calmly.

“So I… could only… come to you…”

‘I get it, you’re one of those ‘can’t sleep without a blanket’ aliens, aren’t you?’

‘Fine, my bad. But why did you have to sneak into my bed?!’

“Couldn’t you have just woken me up then? Men and women should keep their distance!”

“Men and women… keeping their distance… that should be… my line,” she remarked, beginning to tidy her hair, her expression utterly unruffled.

“You’re acting as if… you’re the one… at a disadvantage.”

Zhong Tian was speechless for a moment.

He then hopped off the bed, grumbling without much enthusiasm, “So you *do* know you’d be at a disadvantage…”

“I… trust you…” Su Linxi said, lifting her gaze.

“You’re not… the type… to do anything… improper.”

“And besides…” she started, then stopped, “Never mind.”

“You truly are… a little genius…” Zhong Tian deadpanned, his cowlick inexplicably twitching.

“No matter how you look at it, I’m a vibrant young teenager; your actions are quite dangerous…”

“The way you say that… only makes me more… at ease…”

Su Linxi, too, got out of bed, slipped into her fluffy slippers, and, yawning, ambled into the bathroom.

“Today… when you go to buy me…” Su Linxi selectively omitted the specific word, “please… bring back… a blanket as well.”

“No, this…” Zhong Tian took a deep breath.

“Do I *really*, *definitely*, *absolutely* have to go buy it?”

“Otherwise… what?” she tilted her head.

“You could also… ask your sister to go, of course… but I don’t think… you can convince her.

By all accounts… you’re not… as assertive as your sister.”

“…”

Indeed, he was quite the weakling.

Zhong Tian sighed, patting his own face, and headed into the kitchen while Su Linxi brushed her teeth.

‘I’ll just make something quick to fill my stomach.’

He called out towards the inner room, “Sis, what do you want to eat?”

There was no reply.

Typically, no response meant a fried egg, pan-fried dumplings, and hot milk.

“Su Linxi, what about you…?”

“Anything…”

Though her voice was muffled, Zhong Tian still made it out.

After preparing breakfast, brushing his teeth, and hastily eating, Zhong Tian returned to his room to change into a short-sleeved top and a short skirt, then began to scrutinize himself in the full-length mirror.

The ‘girl’ reflected before him had a blush dusting her cheeks, her abundant dark hair cascading loosely, and her black eyes sparkled with beauty and brilliance.

Dressed in a simple T-shirt and short skirt, her slender, pale arms and calves were exposed to the air.

The inherent beauty of the ‘girl’ lent an extraordinary charm to the otherwise ordinary outfit.

No matter from which angle one looked, no one would ever discern that the ‘girl’ in the mirror was, in fact, a boy.

‘While my appearance, figure, and even voice are flawless… going into a lingerie store is truly mortifying!’

‘Aaaahhh, what am I going to do?!’

Zhong Tian flopped onto the bed, letting out a helpless wail.

Naturally, even his cries sounded incredibly soft.

After rolling around a few times, Zhong Tian calmed down, collapsing motionless on the bed.

‘Forget it. If I can’t resist, I might as well try to accept it.’

Zhong Tian felt that something within him, something called dignity, had diminished considerably once more.

****

After Zhong Tian left, Su Linxi and Zhong Jing ate breakfast in silent acknowledgement.

After finishing her last pan-fried dumpling, Zhong Jing looked up, her voice devoid of emotion.

“What is your name?”

“Su Linxi. The ‘Lin’ from ‘descend,’ and the ‘Xi’ from ‘stream.’ ”

The girl also looked up, her expression as unperturbed as Zhong Jing’s own.

Zhong Jing’s features, however, were more heroic; when expressionless, she exuded an aura of icy detachment.

Su Linxi, by contrast, appeared gentle and composed, as if utterly indifferent to all matters.

The two women’s calm, unruffled gazes met.

“I need to discuss some matters with you… regarding Zhong Tian.”

“Please do.”

“While you are Zhong Tian’s patron…” Zhong Jing wiped her mouth with a tissue, her tone detached.

“You are merely a patron for his artwork; there are some things you should not demand too much of…”

Su Linxi tilted her head.

“I… don’t quite understand. Have I asked him… to do anything… excessive?”

“No, not at present, at least.” She stood up.

“I merely wished to give you a warning…”

Her eyes glinted with a cold light, her voice still detached, yet it sent shivers down one’s spine.

“He is mine.”

****

Zhong Tian stood before a pink-hued shop, his face slightly flushed, wavering in indecision.

He took a deep breath.

‘It’s nothing, it’s nothing. Just a lingerie store, what’s there to be afraid of?’

‘I’ll just get it over with, buy it, and run!’

“Oh, Teacher… Kezhong?”

Having just stepped into the shop, Zhong Tian froze.

‘Huh?’

The voice from behind him caused Zhong Tian to stiffen.

Without turning around, he silently began backing away, attempting to discreetly exit the store.

However, he bumped into the person behind him.

Both let out a startled cry, nearly losing their footing.

It was then that Zhong Tian clearly saw the girl before him.

‘It’s that long black-haired girl from the comic convention…’

“Are you alright… I’m so sorry, I…”

“I’m fine.” The girl steadied herself and smiled at Zhong Tian.

“Hello, Teacher Kezhong, I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

“Haha…” Zhong Tian offered an awkward laugh.

Though she didn’t know his true gender, he still felt a mix of panic and profound shame.

Standing before a shop that was practically a ‘men forbidden’ zone, and encountering one of his readers, felt to him like a public execution.

A peach blush spread across his fair face, and his small hands unconsciously clutched the hem of his skirt, pulling it down as if to conceal something that wasn’t even exposed.

‘I forgot to wear safety shorts… I feel so utterly exposed!’

Even though the skirt was long, he was still terribly flustered.

‘Perhaps this is the survival instinct kicking in when one faces a crisis.’

“Oh, right! I wanted to ask Teacher Kezhong a few questions!” The girl clapped her hands as if remembering something.

She cast an inquiring glance at Zhong Tian.

“I hope I’m not disturbing you…”

“Not at all, no disturbance whatsoever. I’m not exactly a busy person,” Zhong Tian said, idly twirling a strand of hair by his ear.

She nodded.

“Teacher, are you a high school student here?”

“Yes, at Taisan High School… I’ll be in Class Three of the second year after the summer break.”

“I knew it, Teacher!” the girl exclaimed, clearly delighted.

“I thought I’d seen you somewhere before; turns out we’re classmates from the same school!”

She smiled, leaning forward slightly, her long black hair swaying gently.

The girl extended a delicate, slender hand towards Zhong Tian.

“I’m Chu Lenghu from Class Four.”

Zhong Tian paused for a moment, then slowly took Chu Lenghu’s hand.

“I’m Zhong Tian, from Class Three.”

‘Her hand is so soft…’

This was a thought shared by both of them.

“Oh, right… I have another request.”

“?” Zhong Tian tilted his head.

“Could you be my teacher? I want to learn how to draw!” she said.

“Of course, I’ll pay for lessons!”

“Emm… drawing…” Zhong Tian initially wanted to say that drawing was a dead end, but he swallowed the words.

He imagined a small skit in his mind.

A father says to the child in his arms, [Son, no matter what you want to do in the future, I, your father, will support you.]

[I want to learn how to draw.]

[I wish you luck finding a good spouse.]

This perfectly encapsulated the reality of pursuing art.

Drawing demands immense talent, time, and money; for the gifted, it’s half the effort for half the results, but for the untalented, it’s double the effort for half the results.

Becoming an art student, in particular, means less vacation time and higher tuition fees, while students are bound by extremely strict standards that stifle their personal interests, forcing them into endless practice of exam content.

There’s no time left to draw what one truly loves.

If you ever see someone in art school whose right arm is noticeably thicker than their left, they are undoubtedly an art student.

Thus, Zhong Tian had not become an art student like his father or sister; instead, he was self-taught, drawing the comics he loved.

“Are you looking to develop in this direction?” Zhong Tian asked.

“To become an art student?”

“My family wouldn’t approve of me becoming an art student; I’m just interested in drawing comics,” Chu Lenghu said, looking thoughtful.

“I feel that while drawing can be tiring, the sense of accomplishment and joy after completing a piece is truly something you can’t experience doing anything else.”

‘Oh?’ Zhong Tian was a little surprised.

‘It seems Chu Lenghu’s feelings are quite similar to my own…’

‘Could it be that all artists worldwide feel this way?’

“…Alright then.” Zhong Tian smiled.

“Let’s settle it. As for tuition… whatever you feel is fine.”

‘This can be a way to earn a little extra money for myself, and at the same time, refine my drawing skills.’

‘After all, teaching truly reveals one’s own shortcomings.’

Moreover, since they attended the same school, they could easily communicate even during school hours.

Chu Lenghu appeared somewhat excited; she nodded eagerly.

“Then, then Teacher, please come to my house tomorrow! We can meet here.”

“Mmm… that sounds fine.”

“By the way, Teacher, were you planning to buy something?” Chu Lenghu glanced at the shop beside them.

“Oh, yes, yes, I was…” Zhong Tian gave an awkward smile.

“Then I won’t keep you any longer.”

Watching Chu Lenghu walk further and further away, he sighed, yet his heart refused to calm down.

Having been entirely self-taught, he had essentially relied on raw talent to succeed.

He had never received any professional instruction, so he genuinely didn’t know if his methods could effectively teach someone else.

‘It should be fine, right?’

Musing thus, he quietly walked home.

****

“Hmm?” Su Linxi tilted her head.

“Why are you… back… empty-handed?”

“Huh?”