Sheng Shubai: “……”
A vein throbbed at her temple. She had originally wanted to say “student,” but the words caught in her throat as she realized Lu Jia wasn’t exactly her proper student.
She certainly couldn’t say “friends with benefits.”
The atmosphere quieted for a few seconds before Lu Jia spoke up politely first. “Hello, I’m Lu Jia. Miss Sheng is my… landlord.”
She paused before continuing her explanation. “We’re not lovers.”
Sheng Shuyun was also momentarily stunned.
After introducing herself as well, she looked at her sister with a bit more scrutiny in her gaze.
Her eyesight wasn’t poor; she had clearly seen the intimate actions between the two at the lounge door earlier.
That kind of contact, far beyond mere social distance—could it really be just landlord and tenant?
She didn’t quite believe it.
But ever since childhood, her sister had called her stodgy, and these years they hadn’t seen each other often. Sheng Shuyun cleared her throat lightly, figuring she was getting on in years and simply chose not to pry into the young people’s affairs.
“Sis, why are you back? Didn’t you go out of province?”
Sheng Shubai frowned, skipping over the earlier topic that had left her at a loss for words.
She and Sheng Shuyun were very close; she was the only member of the Sheng family she still kept in touch with.
However, with the other busy developing the family business these years and Sheng Shubai unwilling to return to Z City, their meetings were few and far between.
Sheng Shuyun was strikingly beautiful, with clear, refined features and a small mole at the outer corner of her right eye, more prominent than Sheng Shubai’s.
Dressed in a deep ink-colored suit, she exuded a capable and steady aura. She looked less like she was here to see her sister and more like she was dressed for a meeting.
Her waist was slim, her legs long—perfect proportions.
Lu Jia tried her best to restrain herself, only stealing two extra glances, and inwardly sighed that such curves and attire were perfect for a painting.
Sheng Shubai subtly glanced at her before looking away.
Sheng Shuyun curved her lips slightly. “Auntie Xie said you’d returned to the old mansion, so I rushed back to see you.”
At first, she thought her sister had finally decided to come home.
That morning, upon receiving the news, Sheng Shuyun had immediately pushed aside her remaining tasks and flown back to Z City.
But after landing, she heard from Auntie Xie that Sheng Shubai had returned with a young woman in tow. Not only were they acting intimately, but everyone in Qing San Hall had seen her bring the woman into Sheng Ling’s Works Display Room.
She had guessed it was her sister’s lover at last, but both denied it outright.
Sheng Shuyun didn’t dwell on it and asked warmly, “Xiao Bai, are you free to have dinner together tonight? At my place.”
She turned to Lu Jia. “Miss Lu, you too?”
Sheng Shubai didn’t rush to refuse and instead turned to ask Lu Jia’s opinion. “My sister has some nice collections there too. Want to go take a look?”
Lu Jia’s eyes lit up. “Can I?”
Amused by the girl’s reaction, Sheng Shuyun agreed. “Of course. Have Xiao Bai take you later. I even have a few guest rooms if you’d like to stay over.”
“No need to stay over.”
Sheng Shubai declined politely. “Her mentor is still waiting for me to bring her back. If she doesn’t show up tonight, her phone will probably ring all night.”
Feeling a bit guilty, Lu Jia touched her nose. She thought about how, since she wasn’t going back for the group dinner tonight, tomorrow she’d have no idea how Advisor Rong would lecture her.
Advisor Rong would probably sigh first, then look at her mournfully.
After a minute or two of silence, she’d start her usual nagging, telling her to stay as far away from Professor Sheng as possible.
Sheng Shuyun’s place was in the west side of the city, a four-story villa.
The moment Lu Jia saw the interior decor, she understood why Sheng Shubai’s villa with the pool had that style—it was clearly this President Sheng’s taste in renovations.
The identical black, white, and gray tones felt even cooler in Z City’s not-so-warm evening air.
By the time they entered, dinner had just been set on the table.
The nanny nodded. “Eldest Miss, Second Miss, Miss Lu.”
Lu Jia smiled back awkwardly as Sheng Shubai held her hand and led her inside.
While washing her hands in the guest bathroom, she finally couldn’t hold back her smile and whispered to Sheng Shubai, “Second Miss, can I call you that next time?”
Glared at by the woman, Lu Jia instinctively covered her face, not letting her lean in to pinch her.
Instead, her forehead got a light tap, the sound crisp.
Sheng Shubai leisurely withdrew her hand, pulled out a tissue to wipe away the water droplets, and eyed the wet spot on Lu Jia’s forehead. “Naughty. This is to teach you a lesson.”
She hadn’t said she couldn’t call her that.
Lu Jia made up her mind: next time, she’d use a new title in bed, when… when she took the initiative.
The dinner table conversation flowed harmoniously.
Upon learning Lu Jia was a printmaking major at C University, Sheng Shuyun deliberately steered the topic toward printmaking. Her extensive experience, elegant speech, and every gesture carried a springlike warmth that put people at ease.
Compared to their deep knowledge of printmaking, Lu Jia was still a novice, though she shone with fresh, unique inspirations.
When they discussed a few specific works, Sheng Shubai pulled up photos of Lu Jia’s pieces on her phone and handed it to her sister.
Sheng Shuyun’s flipping paused repeatedly. Then, her gaze toward Lu Jia softened considerably, and she switched from “Miss Lu” to “Little Lu.”
She began inquiring if Lu Jia had any plans to develop in Z City.
Such a promising talent delighted Sheng Shuyun.
Just the other day, the family elders had been lamenting that they hadn’t found any satisfactory students this year—and here was one right in front of her?
Having taken over the family business these years, Sheng Shuyun was half a businesswoman herself.
With just a moment’s contemplation, she began weighing the pros and cons.
Aside from uncertainty about Sheng Shubai and Lu Jia’s true relationship, the mere fact that her sister had brought her to the old mansion—a place she hadn’t set foot in for over a decade—meant they were definitely more than “landlord and tenant.”
Sheng Shuyun mused inwardly: if she could lure Lu Jia to develop in Z City, wouldn’t she see her sister more often?
Lu Jia hadn’t planned her future that far ahead and wasn’t limited to any one city. Even C University had been a roll of the dice among equally good options.
Seeing Sheng Shuyun’s amiable attitude, she asked if she had plans for a PhD.
Lu Jia thought for a moment. “If Advisor Rong gets promoted to PhD advisor in a couple years, I’ll probably continue for a few more.”
Rong Yi matched her research direction perfectly and always pinpointed her issues sharply—a great teacher.
“I’m only in my first year of grad school, no rush.”
Sheng Shuyun’s eyes flickered as she said patiently, “Z City’s not bad either. You can take these two years to think about where to go. Xiao Bai can recommend places for you then.”
She glanced casually at her sister, and seeing Sheng Shubai’s odd look, she smiled even more warmly. “Or you can come to me. Though I haven’t taught at a school in years, I know plenty of professors.”
Lu Jia agreed and exchanged contact info with Sheng Shuyun.
The woman glanced at her messages. “The collections are all on the fourth floor. Have Xiao Bai show you. I have some things to handle.”
The printmaking collections here were all relatively new, mostly modern works.
A few were painted by Sheng Shuyun herself—the most recent from last year, the oldest from over a decade ago. There was even one by Sheng Shubai, placed prominently near the center.
Lu Jia recalled the Sheng Family Exhibition Hall from earlier that day and asked, “Miss Sheng, are your paintings… kept in a display room too?”
Sheng Shubai hummed in affirmation.
But only those from before she was eighteen. Her undergrad printmakings—aside from required assignments and her thesis—had all been tossed.
Except for the few times Sheng Shuyun visited her in C City and took some as birthday gifts.
“Want to see them?”
Seeing her hesitate, Sheng Shubai offered proactively.
Lu Jia softly assented and turned to the printmaking in front of her. The technique and composition were very mature—leaps and bounds better than her own undergrad work.
Calculating the date marked below, this was just Sheng Shubai’s freshman year-end assignment.
She really did want to see Sheng Shubai’s old works.
But having heard that past story today, she knew Sheng Shubai’s current attitude toward printmaking and worried such a request might reopen old wounds.
Unexpectedly, the woman agreed crisply. “Tomorrow… or the day after if it’s too rushed. Almost forgot, there’s the opening ceremony tomorrow.”
Lu Jia fell silent.
In the months they’d spent together, Sheng Shubai had never refused her anything.
Even this seemingly overstepping request got a straightforward yes.
Lu Jia swallowed her question, knowing it wouldn’t be the answer she hoped for.
But what answer did she hope for?
She wasn’t even sure herself.
Unfortunately, this piece at Sheng Shuyun’s was just the ink proof, without the original woodblock. Lu Jia’s gaze returned to the painting, tracing it inch by inch.
After admiring all the collections on the fourth floor one by one, it was nearly nine-thirty when they headed downstairs.
“Little Lu, done looking? If any catch your eye, just take them—as a belated meeting gift.”
Sheng Shuyun had emerged from the study and was sitting on the sofa, sipping coffee unhurriedly. She looked up at the two on the stairs.
Lu Jia waved her hands hurriedly. “Thank you, but just viewing these collections is an honor. It’d be too much to ask you to part with them.”
Sheng Shuyun smiled. “They’re all… You go to the same school as Xiao Bai, no need to be so formal.”
It was late. After bidding Sheng Shuyun goodbye, Lu Jia thought to just take a cab back to the hotel, but Sheng Shubai insisted on driving her.
“If your mentor finds out I picked you up but didn’t drop you off, letting a young girl take a cab alone to the suburbs at night, won’t she point at my nose and curse me out next time?”
Sheng Shubai joked, then grew a bit more serious. “Besides, I wouldn’t feel right about it.”
Dropping Lu Jia at the hotel, sure enough, they spotted a familiar figure in the lobby lounge.
As they entered, Rong Yi happened to check her watch, with a stack of documents beside her.
“Professor Sheng, you’ve finally decided to return my student?”
Rong Yi’s tone was neither cold nor warm. “It’s nearly midnight—one hour to go. Indeed, ‘early.’”
She emphasized the word “early” pointedly.
Sheng Shubai glanced at her but, unusually, had no interest in retorting. She just nodded slightly. “Since I’ve brought her back, I’ll head out.”
“Little… Professor Sheng, it’s so late already. You still have to drive back?”
Lu Jia tugged at her clothes, asking softly. “Why not stay here?”
The woman had seemed tired since morning, accompanied her viewing prints all day, and now had to drive back.
Rong Yi glanced over, shuffling her papers loudly.
Sheng Shubai curved her lips. “I still have things to discuss with my sister. Rest early; see you at the opening tomorrow morning.”
Watching the woman leave, Lu Jia turned to her mentor. “Teacher, sorry to make you wait.”
Rong Yi had been waiting in the lobby early on.
That evening, she’d gotten a message from her student saying she was dining with the Sheng sisters and would visit President Sheng’s collections later.
A sense of crisis immediately arose.
She knew Sheng Shubai avoided printmaking like the plague, but her older sister was quite renowned in the field.
Even after getting busy with the family business, Sheng Shuyun occasionally exhibited works.
If not for past dealings confirming President Sheng’s good character, Rong Yi might have suspected the sisters were deliberately using their collections to poach her student.
How could she allow that?!
