The next morning, Rong Yi hurried to the hospital again to visit Shi Mengxi.
She arrived just in time, bringing porridge she had personally simmered, remembering that the girl loved eggs, so she had specially steamed a bowl of egg custard.
The winter wind was chilly, and the insulation bag had taken on some coolness outside, but fortunately, the food was still hot.
Shi Mengxi had an IV needle in her left hand, but her right hand held the spoon steadily enough that she didn’t need the caregiver’s help.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Rong Yi softly reminded her to rest well, then turned and left.
By the time she returned to the College Building, it was nearly ten in the morning.
Rong Yi had just turned on her computer when she received a message from Lu Jia, asking if it was convenient for her to come over and discuss matters related to the exhibition. She typed a reply.
A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door.
“Teacher, is my senior sister okay?”
Ever since learning about Shi Mengxi’s hospitalization, Lu Jia had felt deeply guilty, thinking it was because she had dragged her to the City Art Museum.
If she had been a bit more attentive yesterday afternoon, she might have noticed her senior sister’s discomfort earlier.
But when she had messaged to ask, Shi Mengxi had only said there was nothing serious and that she could be discharged after the checks.
Normally, in front of Advisor Rong, she tried to avoid mentioning Shi Mengxi.
But precisely because she knew about the things between them before, and had learned that it was Advisor Rong who had carried her senior sister to the hospital last night, she… wanted to ask.
What if their relationship had eased a bit?
But she saw Rong Yi’s expression change slightly before she calmly said, “Acute gastritis, lighter than the last stomach perforation. If there’s no issue, she can be discharged the day after tomorrow.”
Lu Jia nodded. “Then I’ll go visit my senior sister this afternoon.”
Shifting back to business, she handed over the measurements from the Side Hall site yesterday, along with several proposed layout designs, to her mentor.
Rong Yi had replied very late last night with some revision suggestions.
Lu Jia had seen them first thing in the morning. She tumbled out of Sheng Shubai’s bed, rubbing her waist as she got up. Yawning, she worked with two members of the Academy Research Association until just now, finally settling on the general style.
Rong Yi scrolled through the screen with her head lowered.
In the indoor 3D diagram sent by the museum, every floor had been revised proportionally with new decorations, much more pleasing to the eye than before.
After examining it carefully, she approved, “This is done very well; there shouldn’t be much need for changes. I’ll report it to the leadership shortly and give you a reply this afternoon. Then contact the manufacturer for these decorations; here’s the contact information.”
With that, Rong Yi opened her contacts and pushed the business card to Lu Jia.
The New Year Exhibition’s decorations were mostly in bright red tones, accented with goose yellow and some decorative colors. The manufacturer had collaborated with the C University Academy of Fine Arts many times, and their products had almost no color deviation.
With the style more or less finalized, Lu Jia smoothly voiced the prepared remarks.
She pointed to the docent rest areas on each floor’s sections and asked, “Teacher, do we need to uniformly custom-order the docents’ outfits this year? It would better match the overall exhibition style.”
Rong Yi nodded. “That’s fine. The budget this year is generous; do as you like.”
“Then… any requirements for the style?”
Lu Jia asked cautiously.
As soon as she spoke, she saw Rong Yi look up, her eyes narrowing slightly behind her plain glasses.
Lu Jia’s heart skipped a beat, but she kept the same smile on her face.
“Anything else you want to ask? Say it all at once.”
Rong Yi set the tablet back on the desk, took a slow sip of tea, and waited for her to continue.
She knew Lu Jia had a good relationship with Professor Sheng and had been handling the exhibition matters lately, so she must have heard plenty of the gossip that had circulated for years. Such a question wasn’t surprising.
Lu Jia knew she couldn’t hide it from her mentor, so she straightforwardly asked, “Back then… was the conflict between you and Professor Sheng over the outfits?”
Rong Yi said flatly, “Yes, and no.”
Back then, she was still an undergraduate and had taken on the responsibility for the first New Year Exhibition, naturally interacting with professors at various levels.
Not just from the school, but also a professor invited from abroad to guide.
That professor turned out to be a sanctimonious hypocrite.
She had visited the venue several times during setup, and the last time, she spotted Sheng Shubai leaving surrounded by students.
Her appearance was lush and beautiful, her demeanor eye-catching.
The guidance professor pulled Rong Yi aside and probed, overtly and covertly, about the girl’s name, but Rong Yi deftly avoided the topic. Unexpectedly, the woman still didn’t let it go.
The day before the official opening, Rong Yi confirmed the final details with the institute leadership and revisited the exhibition site.
The venue was empty. As she prepared to leave, she overheard a familiar woman’s voice around the corner—it was the guidance professor.
“That little docent is truly beautiful. I specially chose her. Senior sister, you’re back in the country after so long; go see her at the site tomorrow. If you like her, call old Xu to send her over tonight, and we can enjoy together?”
“Go hard at it? Sounds good. But if she’s like the last one, feisty and no fun, it’ll be a waste.”
Rong Yi wasn’t a fool; she understood the implications in the guidance professor’s lewd words and felt a chill run through her.
The “old Xu” mentioned was her and Sheng Shubai’s undergraduate advisor, Professor Xu.
Certain rumors she had heard before turned out not to be baseless.
At that time, she didn’t know Sheng Shubai was from the Z City Sheng Family, only that the schemer was a rising star in the overseas printmaking world with fame in China—someone ordinary students like them couldn’t oppose.
Rong Yi’s first instinct was to tell Sheng Shubai.
But she knew her former roommate’s temperament too well and feared that if she learned the truth, not only would it come to nothing, but it would also ruin her bright future.
They were all girls. Even if she had disliked Sheng Shubai because of Rong Yu, she couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
Before going to find Sheng Shubai, Rong Yi resolved to stick by her side without leaving for the next few days. Already unsettled, and spurred by those words, she impulsively took over the docent duties by force.
As long as the visiting professor from abroad didn’t see Sheng Shubai, they could block this incident for now. Afterward… she hoped the guidance professor would return abroad directly and forget about it.
The argument escalated loudly, even drawing institute leadership to inquire, but Rong Yi never revealed a word of the truth.
She didn’t trust any of the higher-ups; unless she climbed up herself.
Only when Sheng Shubai bought a plane ticket the next day and flew to another province for a trip did Rong Yi’s suspended heart settle, though she didn’t let the matter drop easily.
A few months later, when Sheng Shubai transferred to watercolor, it stirred another buzz in the academy. Seeing several Sheng Family elders visit the College Building, Rong Yi then learned she was a Sheng.
The guidance professor, long abroad, probably hadn’t known and thus took an interest in Sheng Shubai.
Rong Yi had been in C University’s Printmaking Major for years and handled plenty of information.
She quietly gathered rumors and connected with several girls. In her first year of grad school, she anonymously sent the sequence of events and collected evidence to Sheng Shuyun’s email.
She knew President Sheng could easily guess it was her.
Thus, she made two requests: don’t involve the victims’ names and identities in the action, and don’t tell Sheng Shubai.
She never intended to call in the favor or use it to mend things with Sheng Shubai.
Besides, with Sheng Shubai’s status, even if she had been targeted then, Professor Xu wouldn’t have dared send her to those two women’s bed.
As long as they didn’t cross paths, that was fine.
After all, her dislike lingered, but helping in this matter was basic human decency—even if it were the other way around, the person she disliked would likely do the same.
Sheng Shuyun acted faster and more decisively than she expected.
In less than half a month, from plagiarism to scandals, the three were ruined, causing an uproar in the industry.
Even the academy, usually adept at official platitudes, didn’t opt for a mere suspension; they immediately issued a dismissal notice for Professor Xu.
He was quickly imprisoned, and the other two extradited back and handcuffed. Rong Yi visited him in jail as a former student and cursed him as scum to his face.
It was her first time cursing someone, but it was worth it.
“These years later, I hadn’t planned to bring it up again.”
Rong Yi glanced at her expressionless student, knowing Lu Jia’s mind was overloaded, and chuckled lightly. “What, do you think I’m scary?”
Lu Jia snapped back, shaking her head repeatedly, then earnestly said, “I think you’re amazing.”
If it were her, she couldn’t have lain low like that, even continuing grad school under that Xu for a while.
Even knowing Rong Yi soon switched mentors, Lu Jia empathized and felt disgusted from the bottom of her heart.
Then she thought of the bar misunderstanding back then and pursed her lips.
These two really had clashing fates.
Clearly both helping each other, yet one couldn’t swallow her pride to tell the truth, the other forged ahead with good deeds without asking about the future, leading to years of mutual misunderstanding.
Lu Jia couldn’t help recalling the novels she’d read lately to learn how to pursue someone; the current situation looked just like a classic enemies-to-lovers trope.
No… this wouldn’t do!
Even knowing that in novels, once such a misunderstanding cleared, it often led to other developments, she had to act as a messenger for them today.
After all, Lu Jia was confident in herself.
She wasn’t dense; she could feel Sheng Shubai’s attitude toward her growing warmer lately, faintly heading toward ambiguity.
Moreover… her own experiences with women seemed even more novel-like than any narrow enemies’ path.
Lu Jia carefully recalled that night Sheng Shubai talked about the past: from start to finish, she had only said there was no need to tell Advisor Rong, not that she couldn’t tell.
Even if she got an earful later, she’d accept it.
She organized her words. “Teacher, I actually have something to tell you too, but I have a condition I hope you’ll agree to.”
Rong Yi frowned. “What?”
“The condition is—can I relay today’s matters to Sheng… Professor Sheng?”
“Sheng Miss” slipped too easily; she almost said it in front of her mentor.
Seeing the woman’s face change slightly, Lu Jia quickly added, “Or hear me out first, then decide.”
The story from back then wasn’t complicated, just a few sentences.
But at the first line, Rong Yi furrowed her brows tightly.
Only after Lu Jia finished, specially explaining for Sheng Shubai, “Professor Sheng wouldn’t lie about something like this. She just thought since Sister Rong Yu had forgotten, there was no need to mention it again, to avoid leaving any shadows.”
Rong Yi lowered her eyes, her fingertip resting on the cup’s rim. After a long pause, she said, “I understand. Thank you.”
“Then… the condition?”
Lu Jia’s tone carried cautious inquiry.
Rong Yi sighed. “If I say no, will you hold back from telling her?”
Lu Jia hesitated. “I’ll try to endure.”
Rong Yi eyed her quietly for a few seconds, then waved her hand. “Go ahead, as you like.”
From her recent contacts with President Sheng, Rong Yi could see the Sheng Family’s determination to claim Lu Jia.
She knew she might not keep a talented student like Lu Jia.
Moreover, the Sheng Family’s platform and resources were beyond ordinary reach; she shouldn’t block her student’s future.
Having taught the same student at different times, it was a chance to make peace with that woman—as if… at her age, she could turn swords into silk.
After Lu Jia left and closed the door behind her,
Rong Yi looked down and opened a chat she almost never used: “Thank you, for little Yu’s matter back then.”
Instant reply: “Lu Jia told you?”
Rong Yi: “Mm.”
Sheng Shubai: “Is she at the academy?”
Rong Yi: “Yes.”
It showed “typing” for several seconds, but no message came. Rong Yi went back to work first.
Meanwhile, in the corridor,
Lu Jia waited for the elevator when her phone buzzed with several messages in a row.
“Lu Jia?”
“Pack up and come back now.”
“Never mind, wait at the academy gate. I’m almost there.”
