Chapter 5: Reunion

Wen Qiu pinched the paper cup sleeve of her coffee tightly, thinking to herself, Was she worried about whether they matched well?

However, seeing that Lu Jia seemed completely normal and didn’t look like a victim deceived by some bad woman, she didn’t press further.

Wen Qiu closed her eyes briefly.

When she opened them again, her tone was much more world-weary than before: “……Let’s take a look at your line draft anyway.”

What was done was done.

Could she turn cooked rice back into uncooked grains?

After repeatedly urging Lu Jia to stay safe, they discussed for another half hour or so. Wen Qiu pointed out details that needed refinement and conveniently ordered food from a nearby cafeteria to be delivered.

By the time Lu Jia left the College Building, it was already past two in the afternoon.

Carrying the freshly printed line draft, she went straight to the studio.

She pasted the line draft onto the third blank woodblock, but her gaze lingered absentmindedly on the first two prints.

Her fingertips traced the smoothly sanded edges of the woodblock, and her previously jumbled thoughts eased a bit.

Her mentor was a mentor for a reason.

With her pursuit of perfection, the few improvement suggestions Wen Qiu had given were ones that wouldn’t stand out at first glance, but upon closer reflection, they were flaws impossible to ignore.

Wen Qiu had said there was still time and told Lu Jia to think about it over the next couple of days.

She sat there until evening, the light filtering into the studio growing dim. After hastily eating some dinner, Lu Jia returned to her dorm to pack simply, then headed straight to the hotel.

She had just arrived a few minutes earlier when Sheng Shubai pushed the door open.

“A gift for me?”

The woman looked at the paper bag Lu Jia held out to her and didn’t refuse: “Then thank you, Little Lu sister.”

Sheng Shubai recognized the perfume as her usual brand and thought to herself that the little stickler was quite thoughtful. She set it down on the table and pulled a small silver USB drive from her bag instead. “For you.”

Lu Jia blinked in surprise and obediently took it.

The cool metal pressed against her palm. She lowered her eyes to examine it, then looked up at Sheng Shubai. “Miss Sheng, what is this?”

Sheng Shubai curved her eyes in a smile. “I’ll lend you my laptop for now. You can check out what’s on it.”

After traveling back and forth all day and attending a meeting in the afternoon, she inputted the boot password, handed the laptop to Lu Jia, then gracefully leaned back on the sofa, closing her eyes to rest.

“Th-this is……”

The usually calm tone of her voice changed noticeably for once.

It was over a dozen printmaking works by the artist who used the pseudonym “L.”

She could find blurry images of a few online, but most were ones Lu Jia had never seen before.

Moreover, from the line drafts to the carved plates and inked proofs, the clarity of each image was exceptionally high.

For Lu Jia, who was currently overwhelmed by her thesis project, the value of this material was like a charcoal fire in a snowstorm.

Sheng Shubai’s eyebrows lifted slightly. As expected, she opened her eyes to see the girl looking at her with a mix of shock and delight.

“I saw you looking at this piece yesterday, and there happened to be some materials stored in C City, so I brought them over.”

Sheng Shubai’s tone was gentle.

Yet Lu Jia felt that half of this gentleness was directed at her, while the other half……was the faint wistfulness that appeared in the woman’s gaze when it fell on the screen.

“It’s something left behind by someone very important, so please don’t share it with anyone.”

Lu Jia agreed readily. “Rest assured, I’ll only look at it myself. I won’t even tell my mentor.”

The girl’s earnest promise was almost like swearing an oath, complete with holding up fingers to the sky. Sheng Shubai chuckled and ruffled her hair. “Alright, I believe you.”

The trace of melancholy that had just surfaced dissipated, amused away. Sheng Shubai remembered the message Lu Jia had sent and asked, “By the way, what did you mean this afternoon when you said you ‘misunderstood what your mentor said’?”

After Lu Jia explained the whole story, Sheng Shubai couldn’t help but chuckle softly. She beckoned with a hooked finger, signaling her to come sit closer.

Lu Jia glanced at the screen, hesitated for two seconds, and reluctantly released the mouse.

“Everyone has their own way of experiencing life. ‘Art originates from this sentence’ isn’t wrong at all.”

Sheng Shubai hooked a strand of her hair, twining it around her slender white fingertip, then letting it go, only to wind it up again—like toying with some amusing object.

“Your mentor pointed you in the direction, but which path you choose depends on what suits you.”

Lu Jia pondered this.

It was just like the earnest advice Wen Qiu had given later, suggesting she could try drawing on films and novels in the future to capture the romantic feelings she wanted to express.

But she had tried that during this time too.

Compared to works transmitted through media, it seemed only the sensations from being close to Sheng Shubai allowed her to paint them out.

It wasn’t just reactions borrowed from the woman; some……were her own personal experiences that she could use.

Seeing Lu Jia deep in thought, Sheng Shubai didn’t disturb her and continued playing with the girl’s hair with great interest.

Her own hair was on the coarser side, while Lu Jia’s was much finer and softer. It was also healthy, natural hair that had never been permed or dyed, feeling wonderful to touch. Sheng Shubai couldn’t stop.

When the girl finally looked up, her face alight with realization: “I get it now. Thank you, Miss Sheng.”

This path of personal experience was the one that suited her best.

She understood now, but Lu Jia couldn’t help feeling a bit of a headache.

For her thesis, she had deliberately chosen a style close to that of her graduate mentor. This time she had Sheng Shubai’s help, but……what about later?

Sheng Shubai nodded. “You’re welcome.”

“Miss Sheng, you seem to know a lot about this. Do you work in the art industry?”

Lu Jia hadn’t asked about Sheng Shubai’s background before; it was just a casual question.

But the woman gave her a sidelong glance, her tone teasingly ambiguous. “Not telling you.”

Anyway, she’d find out soon enough.

Lu Jia assumed it was to protect her privacy, nodded, apologized, and dropped the subject. “Anyway, thank you so much. For the materials, and for clearing things up just now.”

The fingertips twined around the hair tip released it, trailing down her cheek to lift Lu Jia’s chin.

The woman raised an eyebrow. “If you’re thanking me, isn’t just saying it a bit lacking in sincerity?”

……

Three nights of entanglement felt, to Lu Jia, more like a dreamy interlude of tender spring twilight.

On the fourth morning, after waking, she bid Sheng Shubai farewell and returned to school as usual. She saved the contents of the USB drive to her own device and immediately lost herself in them.

Unknowingly, a whole day passed, during which she only tore open a bag of bread to stave off hunger.

When Lu Jia finally set down her tablet and checked her phone messages, she saw that half an hour ago, Sheng Shubai had sent her a few:

“[Image][Image]”

“Trip’s over; heading back to C City first. Looking forward to crossing paths again, Little Lu sister.”

The photos showed the airport waiting lounge.

Slender white fingers gripped the suitcase handle, a silk scarf tied around the lower arm near the wrist, with the edge of a black skirt peeking into the lower left corner.

That morning before leaving, the woman had held up two skirts, one in each hand, asking which one looked prettier.

Both were French off-shoulder dresses, each with its own charm in design. Lu Jia couldn’t spot much difference and pointed to the left. “That one, the black one.”

She hadn’t seen Sheng Shubai in black outfits before, but it should suit her.

Underwear didn’t count.

But after waiting a bit, Lu Jia didn’t see her change into it.

Sheng Shubai was busy with makeup, saying she had an opening ceremony to attend later and asking her to check if it looked right.

Lu Jia glanced at the neckline of her nightgown, hesitating to speak: “The kiss marks there……is that okay?”

Sheng Shubai looked at herself in the mirror. “I’ll try some concealer later.”

She said it casually, but the result wasn’t even.

Meeting the woman’s lingering glance, Lu Jia belatedly realized: those bites she hadn’t held back on last night had caused her some trouble.

“Sorry, I—”

She had meant to say she wouldn’t do it next time, but Sheng Shubai hadn’t said to stay tonight, and she didn’t know if there would be a next time, so she stopped herself.

Her fingertip rested near the kiss mark, the elegant collarbone rising and falling gently with her breath. Sheng Shubai’s tone showed little concern. “It’s fine; a silk scarf will cover it.”

Lu Jia still remembered how, when Sheng Shubai adjusted the angle in the mirror, it accentuated her slender neck—very beautiful. Now removed and tied around her wrist, it looked equally fair and delicate.

Had the kiss mark faded so quickly?

Lu Jia wasn’t sure, but there was no need to ask.

Just like how Sheng Shubai hadn’t mentioned leaving that day until right before takeoff.

Parting ways, they weren’t close enough for such concerns anyway.

The dryness from overuse of her eyes hadn’t faded yet. She blinked and typed a reply:

“Safe travels.”

She thought, There probably won’t be another chance to meet.

–

Her thesis went more smoothly than expected.

Studying the materials Sheng Shubai had given her repeatedly, Lu Jia finally gained inspiration to adjust a few details. With the line draft finalized, all that remained was the less mentally taxing carving work.

Lu Jia had worked with wood for many years; carving was her strongest suit.

After two all-nighters, she produced the rough plates, then spent several days refining them. The final inked prints turned out better than anticipated.

The deadline, which had seemed perilously close, left her with several days to spare once she framed the three woodblock prints.

After the defense, Drunk Night was selected as an outstanding thesis project. The school handled the subsequent graduation design exhibition. Aside from returning in June to collect her diploma, Lu Jia was completely free.

She went back to the Linchang family home, hugging all sorts of wood, and days blurred into one another.

Until July, when a printmaking-themed exhibition opened in C City, running for half a month.

Her advisor, Rong Yi, messaged her, asking if she wanted to come visit and meet up at the school to get acquainted.

C City was in the warmer south, with humid heat.

The weather when Lu Jia arrived was tolerable—no muggy rain—but the sun blazed fiercely, not pleasant at all.

Still summer break, the C University School of Fine Arts building was sparsely populated with teachers and students.

Lu Jia made her way to the fourth floor, encountering almost no one along the way; the offices she passed were all tightly shut.

She knocked on the door of 409. After a “Come in,” she turned the handle.

“Student Lu.”

The woman wore a light gray silk blouse, buttons fastened to the very top. She stood by the desk to shake her hand. “I’m Rong Yi. I’m very pleased to be your mentor for the next three years.”

Lu Jia was pursuing a professional master’s, a three-year program.

She shook Rong Yi’s hand respectfully. “Hello, Teacher. Please guide me in the future; I’ll work hard.”

They had met during the interview, back when she was the examiner and Lu Jia the candidate—no extra conversation then.

Lu Jia only remembered that this mentor’s questions had been serious in tone, not tricky but skillfully probing.

Her research direction matched perfectly, so Lu Jia had ranked her first choice and succeeded.

“The exhibition runs for half a month. Are you staying at a nearby hotel? Is it convenient?”

After some small talk, Rong Yi remembered she was from out of town.

C University’s grad dorms wouldn’t open to new students until September, and spots had to be snatched by speed.

Lu Jia shook her head. “I contacted an agent online before coming. I plan to look at rentals these couple of days and move in if I find something suitable. Not planning on dorms.”

Rong Yi nodded slightly. “You’re new here; message me anytime if there’s an issue. Be careful with off-campus living—safety first.”

They chatted briefly, then the atmosphere grew quiet.

Neither was the chatty type. After a dozen seconds of silence, Rong Yi’s phone rang.

She exhaled almost imperceptibly and pointed outside. “I need to take this call. You head back and rest well.”

Lu Jia left the office and closed the door.

She had just turned, not yet taken a step, when the door to the adjacent 410 office suddenly opened.

A woman in an ink-green long skirt held a latte, raising her eyebrows at her with a smiling drawl:

“What a coincidence, Little Lu sister?”