Chapter 61: A Sister’s Dilemma and a Teacher’s Discipline

Seeing the beautiful silver-haired girl with dazed eyes, her breathing forgotten, unable to snap back to reality for a long moment, Ye Qing slowly extended a small hand, caressing her delicate cheek.

Her flawless, porcelain-like skin emitted a warm, soft sensation, like holding a peeled hard-boiled egg in one’s palm.

She was so tempting, yet one couldn’t bear to put her in their mouth, only wanting to gently brush her with their lips…

The silver-haired girl’s eyes were slightly reddened, crimson waves rippling within them.

She slowly lifted her cherry-red lips, yet only felt a sting in her nose, unsure of what to say. After a long moment, she finally whispered, almost mournfully:

“It must be concern for your sister…”

Ye Qing’s reaction was not surprising. She nodded gently, affirming Gu Xuanyu’s words.

“Yes, but you and Xiao Yu are different.”

Xiao Yu, also known as Ye Yu, was Ye Qing’s biological sister.

“How are we different…”

Gu Xuanyu’s voice grew softer and softer. She felt a tickle in her heart, desperate to hear Ye Qing’s reply, yet still somewhat afraid.

It was the same fear a shy girl feels after a confession, longing for an answer.

“You are a sister more worthy of concern than a lover, and also a sister who could be a lover, it’s just that…”

Ye Qing’s pretty face flushed crimson, and her voice grew softer, becoming as awkward as Gu Xuanyu’s.

Seeing her squirming, kitten-like expression, those familiar with her could already guess that she was about to utter something utterly shocking.

Gu Xuanyu, however, understood Ye Qing even better. Thus, she quickly covered Ye Qing’s mouth.

“It’s just that there are quite a few girls who like Ye Qing right now, right?”

Her little secret exposed, feeling the dampness in the girl’s palm, Ye Qing grew even more bashful, nodding with difficulty.

Gu Xuanyu sighed helplessly, then gently released her hand.

“It’s alright, I already guessed something like this would happen… But I won’t give up. I’ll be the first to become Ye Qing’s only lover!”

Gazing at the spirited silver-haired girl, Ye Qing pressed her lips together, her words caught in her throat. She knew saying them would sound incredibly irresponsible.

‘A lover can only be one person, after all. She really couldn’t make such a choice…’

‘Suddenly, she recalled a certain infamous pink-haired character’s shocking quote from an anime: “You can only have one lover, but you can have many friends.”‘

‘Sisters could be many too, right?’

Ye Qing secretly made up her mind. ‘Worst case, she’d just turn them all into her sisters, and that way, there wouldn’t be any disputes.’

‘Oh, about the blonde big sister… Teacher Shen is such a gentlewoman; she wouldn’t have any strange ideas about me!’

Gu Xuanyu watched as Ye Qing buried her face lower and lower. She couldn’t help but lean in curiously to get a closer look. This, in turn, startled the black-haired girl into a gasp.

Observing the panicked expression on the black-haired girl’s face, Gu Xuanyu’s delicate brows relaxed, and she offered a playful smile.

“So Ye Qing can get scared too? Don’t worry, I won’t make a fuss with them. My eyes are only on Ye Qing~”

Ye Qing’s pupils trembled slightly, and she dared not meet Gu Xuanyu’s gaze. Yet, inwardly, she was secretly grumbling.

‘Just moments ago, she was arguing with Teacher Shen; this girl is lying to me again…’

‘Love really does corrupt people. From today onwards, I, Ye Qing, publicly reject puppy love!’

***

Ye Qing’s sleep that night was anything but peaceful. Even though Gu Xuanyu merely nestled lightly against her back, Ye Qing couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander in a troubling direction.

‘Seriously, she was an expert illustrator, after all. How could she not overthink things at a time like this?’

Fortunately, Gu Xuanyu seemed to have no intention of further intimacy. She merely, from time to time, deliberately or inadvertently, rubbed her calf against Ye Qing’s curled, cold feet.

Enveloped in warmth, Ye Qing eventually drifted into a sound sleep. The next day, however, brought the arrival of a nightmare.

Inside Shen Congqing’s office.

Smack!

Shen Congqing slammed the ruler heavily onto the desk. The black-haired girl immediately sat up straight with her knees together, beads of cold sweat trickling down. Her glistening amber eyes seemed almost to melt with fear.

“I’ll ask one more time, Ye Qing, do you truly not intend to reveal the blue-haired girl’s name? If so, you must be prepared to bear a double portion of the punishment.”

Ye Qing struggled to stretch her lips, forcing out an awkward smile.

“Teacher Shen, please, considering I helped you apply your medicine, could you go a little easier? I don’t have such strong regenerative abilities…”

Evidently, this reply clearly stated Ye Qing’s intention. She was going to bear Tang Nuo’s share of the punishment as well.

‘No matter what, Little Nuo was dragged into this because of her. She couldn’t let her suffer injustice, especially since she was so timid and afraid of pain…’

Smack!

The crisp sound of the ruler hitting the desk once again made Ye Qing jump. Her slender calves had already begun to tremble uncontrollably.

“Very well, I’ll be a little lenient with you then. I recall the number of strikes you gave me: you gave one, and that one gave one hundred and sixty-eight, totaling one hundred and sixty-nine. Let’s make it one hundred for you.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing was on the verge of tears.

‘If she just exposed Tang Nuo, would she only get a light tap?’

‘Eek, could she back out now?’

“Alright, take them off yourself and lie on the sofa.”

Ye Qing obediently lay down, draped across Shen Congqing’s lap. Though the blonde big sister’s ample thighs were exceptionally soft, she was in no mood to enjoy them. She could distinctly feel a cool sensation on her bottom.

Shen Congqing gently blew a breath, as if enchanting a weapon. As the air brushed against Ye Qing’s tender, upturned bottom, she involuntarily felt a shiver run through her entire body, tensing up even further.

“Are you sure about this? The tenser you are, the more it will hurt when I strike.”

Listening to Shen Congqing’s cold and unforgiving voice, Ye Qing’s fear surged continuously. Before she knew it, her eyes were brimming with tears; though her small face remained expressionless, she looked as pathetic as Liu Qingruo.

Feeling the girl tremble continuously on her lap, like a little rabbit caught by its ears, Shen Congqing sighed inwardly.

‘Don’t blame your teacher for being heartless; you two were just as ruthless back then!’

Smack!

The ruler descended, and the girl’s mournful cry echoed alongside a crisp sound. Shen Congqing had controlled her strength well, leaving only a faint red mark on Ye Qing’s pristine white bottom.

Yet, the girl continued to wail, making Shen Congqing chuckle in exasperation.

“Boohoo, Teacher Shen, I was wrong, I won’t dare to do it again…”

Listening to the girl’s pitiful pleas for mercy, Shen Congqing couldn’t help but feel a pang of softness in her heart.

Smack!

“Ugh!”

Smack! Smack! Smack!

Disregarding the strange noises Ye Qing was making, Shen Congqing simply continued swiftly.

‘My dear disciple, today your teacher will teach you one thing: It’s better to suffer a short, sharp pain than a prolonged one. Understand this well!’

Moments later, Ye Qing clutched her burning bottom, sniffling tearfully.

Shen Congqing used a tissue to wipe her tear-streaked face, while helplessly comforting her:

“It was only ten strikes, yet you’re this scared… Alright, take out the medicine.”

Ye Qing sniffled softly, as she retrieved the Yunbei Green Ointment from her black bag.

‘The previous tube she brought had been used up. So this one was newly fetched from home…’

Ye Qing suddenly stopped crying, examining the production date on the Yunbei Green Ointment. Moments later, she burst into even more heartbroken sobs.

‘It expired!’