Chapter 25: The Student

Second-floor bedroom, balcony.

It was already deep into the night, past midnight. In the past twenty-four hours, Sheng Shubai had slept less than four hours, yet she felt no sleepiness.

Or rather, she had originally felt a bit tired.

But after hearing that news and being questioned by her own elder sister about her attitude toward Lu Jia, she found it hard to sleep again even if she wanted to.

When she left the study earlier, she passed by the first-floor wine cabinet on her way and swiped a bottle of Sheng Shuyun’s red wine. She poured half a glass into a tall stem glass, which held a full slice of the night sky.

Did she have no interest in Lu Jia?

Sheng Shubai asked herself honestly—perhaps there was some.

Her looks suited her taste, and they were compatible in bed. Apart from the occasional silly remarks that made her laugh or cry, Lu Jia carried a frankness free of ulterior motives.

Everything about her was pretty good.

Even though she studied printmaking, which Sheng Shubai herself avoided, her talent in it was astonishing enough to make Sheng Shubai sigh in admiration.

This time, when she agreed to return to Z City for the exhibition opening, Sheng Shubai admitted that among her considerations, there was probably one or two parts—at most three—dedicated to the plan of bringing Lu Jia along to meet some seniors in the field.

Lu Jia was a genuinely rare talent.

Otherwise, why would she bring someone back to the old mansion she hadn’t set foot in for over a decade? It wasn’t like she was running a charity.

But who would go this far for a mere friends-with-benefits partner without reason?

Her thoughts, immersed in the past, pulled away slightly. With her experience of over thirty years, Sheng Shubai knew herself better than anyone.

She admitted she might have a bit of fondness for Lu Jia, but absolutely not much.

She had never been a good person.

Having lost the ability to place trust in others, she spent over a decade immersed in bars, encountering countless women of all kinds.

There were beautiful ones, interesting ones too. Occasionally, she felt a bit of fondness for someone, but it always stopped abruptly just before things turned ambiguous.

Without hesitation, she turned and walked away.

It wasn’t that the other person had done anything wrong; simply, she didn’t want to continue playing with them anymore.

A bit of flirting, holding hands, at most a chaste hug—that was enough.

As for what those people thought when approaching her, or what their eyes revealed, Sheng Shubai saw it all as clearly as a mirror.

Besides, everything was consensual—who could blame her?

Lu Jia was the only exception.

That first night they met, her innocent look sitting alone at the bar counter was too eye-catching.

When she sent over a drink, Sheng Shubai thought she’d encountered a more experienced college girl. But the next second, meeting Lu Jia’s eyes, she dismissed the idea.

Too pure, Sheng Shubai thought.

When Lu Jia blocked her path and blurted out those rash words, her agreement was sheer impulse.

It was only on the second night they slept together, after confirming Lu Jia’s identity, that she realized they would soon become mentor and student in the same department.

Sheng Shubai had never cared about such formalities.

Besides, she was Rong Yi’s student—not sleeping with her would be a waste.

At her age, it was natural to have those normal needs and thoughts. Since there was a clean, trustworthy one right by her side, earnestly wanting to sign a contract with her, why not?

She liked Lu Jia’s obedience, her stamina, the occasional amusing dazed moments. Lu Jia even insisted on taking care of her more, fearing she’d wear herself out.

In return, she didn’t mind introducing Lu Jia to connections or resources that girls like her wanted—she had plenty.

Of course, as long as Lu Jia didn’t crave things she couldn’t give.

A carefully selected little blockhead who clearly knew nothing of romance.

Sheng Shubai took a sip of wine.

The smooth liquid glided over her lips and tongue, down her throat. It poured over her steadily beating heart, dripping tracelessly into the calm, waveless lake of her emotions.

She thought, Lu Jia must not disappoint her.

If she had to find a replacement, she’d be very troubled—where would she find another so perfectly suited?

—

The venue, opening ceremony.

Sheng Shubai had barely slept all night, the faint dark circles under her eyes mostly covered by foundation. She was up early, ready to head out, but her elder sister forcibly pulled her from the driver’s seat and made her own assistant take over.

The assistant, surnamed Liu, was a very young woman who had followed Sheng Shuyun right after graduation and was now only twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

The car drove steadily, and during a long red light, she didn’t forget to remind Sheng Shuyun of her meetings for the day.

Sheng Shubai leaned back in the rear seat and closed her eyes, teasing the woman beside her: “As expected of President Sheng. Even such a capable all-rounder like Assistant Liu was recruited under your wing. Unlike me in C City, where I have to drive myself every day.”

Sheng Shuyun put down her phone and glanced at her: “You’re all wilted, and you still have the energy to tease me?”

Sheng Shuyun’s relationship with Liu Zhao was similarly ambiguous—they were bed partners.

Back then, she’d taken a fancy to the intern girl, approved her full-time position after graduation, simmered her slowly like boiling a frog in warm water, and eventually got her into bed.

Her little sister usually teased her privately, but today, saying it in front of Xiao Zhao, it was probably deliberate payback for last night’s remarks.

“If you were willing to come back, forget drivers—I could arrange ten bodyguards and eight nannies. Guaranteed you wouldn’t have to lift a finger for anything.”

The woman’s tone was steady: “Second Miss Sheng, why not consider it?”

Sheng Shubai waved her off: “No thanks, I can’t handle that kind of blessing. I enjoy doing things myself.”

She sighed, rubbed her brow: “Alright, I’ll nap for a bit. Remember to wake me later.”

She still had to face Song Lan’s student head-on later; she needed to be in top form.

Sheng Shuyun nodded.

She pressed a button, and the partition rose. The car window curtains were already drawn, dimming the light. Soon, she heard even breathing from beside her.

Originally, she hadn’t planned to come on this trip.

But Sheng Shubai’s intense reaction last night left Sheng Shuyun uncertain whether her sister might lose control upon suddenly seeing Song Lan’s student.

After some thought, she instructed Liu Zhao to postpone meetings and came to check things out first.

The villa was quite a distance from the venue.

By the time they got out of the car, the opening ceremony was about to start.

With Sheng Shuyun by her side, staying low-key was impossible.

As soon as they appeared, several people surrounded them. Sheng Shubai flashed her impeccable polite smile, enduring minutes of flattery and pleasantries, handling it with ease.

Finally, the small talk ended. Sheng Shubai turned her head, scanned half the room, and her gaze unintentionally landed on Lu Jia not far away. As it settled, she noticed the young woman who had appeared by Lu Jia’s side.

That was Song Lan’s student, Shen Zhiwei.

Having seen her photo last night, Sheng Shubai had to admit Song Lan had discerning taste in students—at least, she picked good-looking ones.

The students in the group photos varied in age, but they were all uniformly pretty girls.

Shen Zhiwei stood out the most, delicate and gentle, with the air of a refined lady. Yet her brows and eyes brimmed with smiles, blending poise with approachability—she was hard not to like.

Except for Lu Jia.

That morning, just after waking up, Lu Jia was knocked on by a stranger girl.

Having stayed up almost all night, she reluctantly set down the tablet only as dawn broke.

She reviewed the exhibits she’d seen during the day, flipped through a few pages of the new materials from Rong Yi, slept less than two hours, and when she got up to open the door, her steps were still floaty.

After hearing the girl’s self-introduction, Lu Jia mustered her spirits and politely gave her own name.

But why was Advisor Rong’s new foreign exchange student sticking to her side?

Was it because Senior Shi clung to Advisor Rong so tightly, or the two master’s students from the same cohort held hands like conjoined twins, that Shen Zhiwei latched onto the lone her?

Lu Jia was never temperamental in the mornings, but having not slept well, she just wanted a chance to rest.

Yet Shen Zhiwei kept asking this and that, saying she’d grown up abroad, rarely returned to the country, and was unfamiliar with many things.

Out of compatriotic helpfulness, Lu Jia answered every question, though her attitude wasn’t very warm.

She relied heavily on intuition when getting along with people.

Shen Zhiwei’s gaze was perfectly normal, her speech refined, her looks poised. Apart from being overly enthusiastic, there was nothing to criticize.

But Lu Jia always felt something was off.

Especially after they arrived at the venue, when Shen Zhiwei affectionately linked arms with her in front of Advisor Rong, saying she felt an instant connection.

An inexplicable bafflement welled up in her chest.

Lu Jia didn’t consider herself the type to click with everyone instantly. She quietly withdrew her hand from Shen Zhiwei’s and excused herself to the restroom to get away temporarily.

She scooped a handful of cold water and splashed it on her face, hoping to wake up more.

As she bent over with eyes closed to steady herself, when she opened them again, the mirror reflection showed a familiar tall figure beside her.

Sheng Shubai stood with arms crossed, glancing at her: “What did you do last night? You look this exhausted.”

So young, yet her complexion looked worse than someone like her who’d stayed up until three.

Lu Jia didn’t dare say the reason.

She feared the woman would find out she’d stayed up late reviewing exhibition photos, and then not let her take pictures at the Sheng Family Exhibition Hall in the coming days.

With the opening ceremony approaching, most people were already gathered in the venue’s central first-floor area. Only they were here.

Sheng Shubai didn’t press further. Instead, she tapped a few times on her phone and handed it to Lu Jia. The screen showed their chat interface, with a message in the edit bar, cursor blinking at the end, unsent.

Catching a glimpse of the contact name “Little Blockhead” above, Lu Jia went silent for a moment, then read on:

“Was Shen Zhiwei just with you?”

Lu Jia opened her mouth to speak, paused half a second, then took Sheng Shubai’s phone and typed after it:

“Just met her this morning. She knocked on my door first thing, said she’s a second-year exchange student back from abroad, studying under Advisor Rong for this period, and wanted to get to know me. Does Miss Sheng know her too?”

More than know her.

Sheng Shubai lowered her brows, subtly pursing her lips.

The words she wanted to say were forcibly swallowed. She took back the phone, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the sides while typing.

Lu Jia leaned in and watched Sheng Shubai slowly type out a line:

“She’s Song Lan’s student.”

Lu Jia’s eyes snapped up, meeting the woman’s meaningful gaze.

The opening ceremony ended.

Sheng Shubai turned back and spotted Lu Jia’s position in the crowd, heading straight over.

She nodded slightly to Rong Yi: “I’ll take her now. She should be in Hall Four mostly this morning. If anything, message me directly—Lu Jia might not be convenient to check.”

Rong Yi had just nodded when Shen Zhiwei beside her spoke up: “Professor Sheng, what a coincidence.”

She knew who she was.

Sheng Shubai’s brows and eyes chilled. After all, she was a junior, so she didn’t embarrass her publicly: “Mm.”

She’d harbored a faint hope that perhaps this girl wanted to return to the country on her own, without Song Lan’s meddling.

But now, that slim possibility shattered completely.

“I didn’t expect to run into you so soon. My teacher said if I saw you at C University, to be sure to give her regards.”

A mouse paying New Year’s respects to a cat.

Sheng Shubai let out a light scoff: “I’m doing very well. As for your Professor Song, I wonder how her sleep has been these years—does she sleep well every night?”

She dragged out and emphasized the last words, but the girl before her smiled brightly, as if not grasping the implication: “Teacher’s health has always been good. Thank you for your concern.”

She wished it wasn’t.

Sheng Shubai said no more, crooked a finger to beckon Lu Jia over, and took hold of the girl’s slender wrist.

Seeing Lu Jia about to leave with Sheng Shubai, Shen Zhiwei’s voice floated over again, laced with light curiosity: “So Professor Sheng and Little Lu are that close.”

The exhibition hall was crowded. Their spot wasn’t center stage, but not remote either.

Plus, with their striking appearances and Sheng Shubai present, they drew plenty of covert glances.

Sheng Shubai turned back, her gaze toward Shen Zhiwei cooling further: “What are you trying to say?”

Taking care of a departmental student-mate wasn’t overstepping.

But from Shen Zhiwei’s mouth, with that bent tone, it sounded like they had some unspeakable relationship.

Exhibitions were full of people and gossip.

She didn’t care, but Lu Jia’s career was just beginning.

Shen Zhiwei smiled innocently: “No particular meaning. Little Lu is the first friend I made back in the country. Seeing she’s so close with Professor Sheng proves she’s indeed very likable.”

“But we just met, right?”

Lu Jia suddenly spoke up.

She looked earnestly at Shen Zhiwei, her tone full of confusion: “You and I hardly count as friends yet, Classmate Shen.”