By the time Lu Jia’s wound had fully healed, it was already the end of the year.
New Year’s Day drew closer day by day, and Shen Zhiwei began packing her luggage.
Her exchange program was originally scheduled to end in mid-January, but lately, Song Lan had been dealing with issues every few days.
Her trusted senior sisters were all run off their feet, and the newly trained student showed signs of unrest.
Song Lan had handled it well before, but suddenly an old scandal erupted, pointing out that one of her past works bore several similarities to an obscure earlier piece.
Song Lan was busy fabricating evidence of her originality when the student under her nearly defected.
If not for another student’s quick thinking and Song Lan’s usual caution, she would have been caught in the eye of the storm by now.
With the New Year’s touring exhibition looming, Song Lan asked about Shen Zhiwei’s progress back home and learned that her relationship with Lu Jia remained distant—not close, but not estranged either—and there was no way to make rapid progress in the short term.
After pondering on the phone for a moment, she told Shen Zhiwei to return first and help out.
The Manor needed someone to oversee things, and Song Lan trusted only her at the moment.
Lu Jia’s work was sure to advance to the preliminaries of the Qinghui Cup, so she could come to Country A later and make contact in person.
Upon receiving her mentor’s request, Shen Zhiwei bought a plane ticket right at the deadline and said the procedures at C University were still being processed.
Only she knew in her heart who it was really for.
Before coming for the exchange, the first glance at the photo had drawn her to the girl’s eyes.
Pure and clear.
Unlike someone like her, who appeared glamorous on the surface but had long been mired in darkness, they were so beautiful that she couldn’t look away.
Pristine enough that… she wanted to watch them dim in her hands.
The day she flew in from abroad.
Before heading to the airport, she emerged from the Manor’s basement. Shen Zhiwei raised her hand toward the midday sun and slowly unfurled her palm. The harsh white light made her squint.
Her palm was fair and slender, the color like fine warm jade.
Yet not long ago, it had gripped someone else’s delicate neck, her tone both cold and soft as she whispered threats word by word into their ear, accompanied by a pleasant light laugh.
Shen Zhiwei thought that if such a pair of eyes appeared in the basement, she definitely wouldn’t bear to act and would beg her teacher not to rush the disposal.
She wanted Lu Jia to watch others’ fates there every day, her gaze gradually dimming amid horror and fear.
To etch that shift in her eyes into a complete set of printmaking pieces.
The more she interacted with Lu Jia during this time, the more composed and elegant she appeared on the surface.
The urge to destroy the girl grew louder and more insistent in her heart.
Beautiful, obedient, and soft, with a rare clarity in her personality. On the few occasions when she merely saw Lu Jia smile with curved eyes, Shen Zhiwei nearly failed to conceal her intentions.
Even though she regretted not bringing Lu Jia back to Country A herself, Shen Zhiwei wasn’t anxious.
The “Muse” her teacher favored always ended up in her grasp.
At most a few months later, the narrowest, coldest cell in the basement—the one she had specially arranged to leave empty before departing—would welcome its new occupant.
She wondered what reaction the proud Professor Sheng would have upon receiving the photos.
Shen Zhiwei curved her lips in pleasant amusement.
She could tell Lu Jia’s feelings toward Sheng Shubai were different and had secretly rejoiced at their recent distance. But before she could draw closer to the girl, she noticed signs of their relationship warming again.
If her attitude toward Sheng Shubai had been wary before arriving at C University, it was now more hatred and resentment.
Resentment… that woman had stolen what should have been hers.
Naturally, she didn’t want Sheng Shubai to have it easy, but she wouldn’t be so foolish as to hand evidence directly to the Sheng Family.
As Song Lan’s most trusted student, she knew the past all too well.
The blurred photos would suffice.
She was curious if Professor Sheng, from an artistic dynasty and with two years teaching art anatomy using human bodies, could discern the emotions conveyed by the body language in those fuzzy pixels.
Lost in thought for that brief moment, Shen Zhiwei maintained a calm expression as she waited for the administrative teacher behind the computer to process her paperwork.
After getting the certificate, she thanked them warmly and turned to leave.
Her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a tall, slender female figure.
Shen Zhiwei lowered her lashes, pretending not to notice, and dialed a number. “Lu Jia, are you busy right now?”
Hearing footsteps neither too close nor too far behind her, she subtly lifted the corner of her lips. “Yeah, the three o’clock flight this afternoon. I’ve packed my luggage.”
“You… could you come see me off? I have something I want to tell you.”
As if unaware of anyone behind her, Shen Zhiwei’s tone carried a hint of shy hesitation. Then, whatever the response was, she quickly agreed with a soft “Okay.”
The footsteps behind her slowed to a stop, perhaps entering an office.
Shen Zhiwei pocketed her phone and headed back to her residence.
The calming aroma diffuser she’d prepared hadn’t been given to Lu Jia yet. She was sure she’d like it.
–
That afternoon, just past one-oh-five.
Lu Jia slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped out of her residence when the door across from hers suddenly opened.
“Huh? Miss… Miss Sheng?”
Her wrist was seized by the woman, who pulled her into the opposite apartment with such force that she didn’t even have time to remove her shoes.
Stopping at the entryway with the door blocked behind her by Sheng Shubai, Lu Jia felt no annoyance, just confusion about why Sheng Shubai had suddenly dragged her in.
She waited quietly for a few seconds. Seeing no sign that Sheng Shubai would speak, she explained good-naturedly, “Miss Sheng, I have to go out—”
Before she finished, Sheng Shubai cut her off.
“Shen Zhiwei likes you.”
Sheng Shubai’s tone was one of firm certainty.
Lu Jia was a bit puzzled but still hummed in acknowledgment.
It was obvious, after all. She didn’t understand why Sheng Shubai was bringing it up specifically.
She and Shen Zhiwei weren’t that close, and she reported all their interactions in detail to Sheng Shubai. Perhaps some offhand remark from Shen Zhiwei could help the Sheng Family’s people planted in Country A.
Especially since half a month ago, Sheng Shubai had said there was progress from the agents sent to Country A, and Lu Jia no longer needed to force herself to get along with Shen Zhiwei.
Lu Jia complied, cooling her attitude toward Shen Zhiwei.
“At the dinner gathering a couple days ago, she hugged you.”
Lu Jia’s fingertips curled slightly as she hummed again.
She… hadn’t told Sheng Shubai about that.
That night was a farewell banquet for Shen Zhiwei, organized by Rong Yi. Everyone from the group attended except Shi Mengxi, who was out of town for an exhibition—including Lu Jia.
At the restaurant entrance after it ended, Shen Zhiwei hugged them one by one goodbye.
She was the last, held by the other woman.
It lasted maybe one or two seconds, and Lu Jia was the one who pulled away—or more accurately, struggled free.
Shen Zhiwei’s eyes and brows curved in a tipsy smile, saying she knew Lu Jia disliked physical contact but hoped, given their impending parting, that she’d forgive this one presumptuous moment.
With all their group mates and teachers around, and no longer the type to publicly embarrass someone at an exhibition like on their first meeting, Lu Jia just smiled and let it pass.
It was a trivial matter, especially since she liked Sheng Shubai and knew Sheng Shubai despised Shen Zhiwei. So she concealed it and didn’t report it.
Yet she had no idea how Sheng Shubai found out.
Sensing the woman’s silence, Lu Jia thought it had upset her and opened her mouth to explain—only to be interrupted by another question.
“You… haven’t gotten together with the girl you like yet, have you?”
The topic shifted too abruptly.
Before Lu Jia could process the logic, her honest nature had her nodding. “No.”
Sheng Shubai placed slippers by her feet, and assuming a long talk was coming, Lu Jia bent down to change into them.
“Does she like you?”
Her movements paused imperceptibly.
After changing shoes, Lu Jia straightened up.
Once seated on the sofa, her fingers at her side twisted the hem of her clothes as she spoke calmly, “No.”
Without looking up at the woman, she softly repeated, “She doesn’t like me.”
The air around them seemed to thicken.
It was a gloomy winter day, the light dim.
Lu Jia wasn’t sure if Sheng Shubai had been in the living room earlier—probably not, or the lights would have been on.
Even now, as they sat there, the lights remained off.
When Lu Jia looked up, she saw the dark clouds beyond the balcony, the gray dustiness indoors, and Sheng Shubai’s profile against the light, her thick lashes casting a small shadow that hid her eye color.
After waiting a while with no further words from Sheng Shubai, Lu Jia composed herself.
She checked her watch and said evenly, “Miss Sheng, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”
She had been inexplicably dragged in before leaving, asked a bunch of baffling questions, and then left hanging alone.
Strictly speaking, several of those questions crossed lines.
But Lu Jia was just bemused, not finding Sheng Shubai overly forward.
In her mind, Sheng Shubai was never one to act without boundaries. Mentioning Shen Zhiwei must mean some important reason—perhaps related to Country A.
As for asking about her progress with the person she liked… there might be a reason too.
Still silence.
Lu Jia adjusted her backpack strap and stood to leave.
“You’re still going to see her off?”
The question came indistinctly, floating between them five or six meters apart, the ending light.
Standing against the light, Lu Jia turned back. “See who off?”
“…Shen Zhiwei, right?”
Seeing the puzzled expression on the girl’s face, the heaviness in Sheng Shubai’s chest eased half an inch.
“I wasn’t planning to see her off.”
Lu Jia’s next explanation followed immediately. “I’m going to an exhibition in the next district to find some inspiration. I’ve been sorely lacking ideas lately and want to view more works.”
The sky grew even gloomier. In just minutes, the room had darkened further.
Half her body in shadow, Sheng Shubai didn’t respond.
Just before Lu Jia’s pale, slender hand turned the doorknob, she heard the woman speak again from behind.
“Lu Jia.”
She called her full name.
This was the first time in a while that Sheng Shubai had addressed her by full name.
Stopped repeatedly, Lu Jia patiently halted once more.
She pondered the emotions in those two words inwardly, but the nuances were too complex to pinpoint the woman’s intent.
Yet her intuition told her to stay, to be quiet, to wait for what came next.
Thus, a nearly inaudible sentence drifted into her ear.
More murmur than question, light as air.
“Do you still lack inspiration?”
