Chapter 6: Rent

Lu Jia was stunned.

Sheng Shubai blinked. “What’s wrong, don’t you recognize me anymore?”

“Miss Sheng, you’re C University’s… associate professor?”

She didn’t know Sheng Shubai’s age. Despite her mature style of dress, she looked young and beautiful without makeup, so Lu Jia had thought she was at most twenty-six or twenty-seven.

Her gaze instinctively shifted to the gilded nameplate by the door, where Sheng Shubai’s name was followed by the words “Associate Professor.”

Were associate professors this young these days?

Lu Jia thought to herself, not bad for C University.

She had only been here a short while and had met just two professors so far. Not only was her own mentor young and accomplished, but this… Professor Sheng was no slouch either.

Sheng Shubai’s lips curved up. “That surprised?”

Lu Jia nodded, then shook her head, answering honestly, “I was surprised at first, but then I remembered my mentor is young too, so I’m not anymore.”

“Who asked about that?”

Sheng Shubai’s brows furrowed. “How could I possibly look as old as that one?”

“Advisor Rong is only thirty-two this year, she—”

“I’m younger than her.”

Before she could finish, Sheng Shubai cut her off, sounding a bit gritted through her teeth. “Remember this: two months and seventeen days younger.”

“Got it, two months and seventeen days.”

Lu Jia complied smoothly.

Seeing the little stick-in-the-mud repeat it so earnestly, Sheng Shubai couldn’t help but give her a pinch on the cheek.

Then she leaned out halfway, glancing at the still-closed door of the neighboring office before pulling Lu Jia into her own. “Come in.”

“I thought you’d be thrilled to see me, little Lu sister.”

Sheng Shubai tilted her chin up slightly, pointing to the guest chair, and asked, “What would you like to drink? Latte or tea?”

Lu Jia still had her bag slung over her shoulder—the same one Sheng Shubai had seen before.

She sat up straight. “Plain water is fine.”

“I don’t have plain water here.”

The woman’s tone carried a natural familiarity as she poured a cup of iced latte and handed it over. “Can you handle ice? Freshly ground coffee—once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Usually, anyone who just left office 409 couldn’t turn around and grab a coffee from her stash.

Lu Jia glanced at the water dispenser in the corner but said nothing.

She took the cup with downcast eyes and sipped lightly. It was smooth and rich—truly delicious.

“What’s this? After a little time apart, you don’t even dare look at me anymore?”

Her cool fingertips pressed lightly against Lu Jia’s chin.

Lu Jia looked up along her motion, meeting the woman’s exquisite brows and eyes as she leaned in close. “So reserved, hmm?”

“I’m not afraid to look.”

Unconsciously rubbing the handle of the cup, Lu Jia said with her eyes down.

It was just being in the same room—they’d spent several nights together before.

The first moment she saw Sheng Shubai, Lu Jia had been startled.

But she quickly realized: the other woman’s unsurprised reaction upon seeing her, plus that line about “see you again,” made everything clear.

True to form, Lu Jia asked outright, “Miss Sheng, when did you find out I was coming to C University?”

“Not too early—the second night.”

Sheng Shubai chuckled lightly, stepping back and swirling her own latte. “You said you were in Printmaking Major, and I knew your name, so it clicked.”

Lu Jia nodded in understanding.

Printmaking Major didn’t admit many students. She figured that as a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts, Sheng Shubai would have some impression of the names admitted to the neighboring major this year—it made sense.

Sheng Shubai had no idea what Lu Jia was thinking. If she could read minds, she’d deny it on the spot.

As if she had that much free time.

It was just that when the admission list came out, she’d accidentally glimpsed Rong Yi’s new student’s name and remembered it.

That night she met Lu Jia, Sheng Shubai had thought it was a coincidental name overlap.

But the next evening, when Lu Jia mentioned she was a Printmaking Major student heading to C City for grad school, she connected the name on the list to this little stick-in-the-mud.

What a coincidence.

She’d only done it once with someone else, and it had to be her arch-rival’s future student.

But perhaps due to the prior intimacy, she didn’t find Lu-the-little-stick-in-the-mud off-putting—in fact, she was occasionally quite amusing. So Sheng Shubai didn’t extend her aversion to Rong Yi onto her.

After waiting a while—someone who rarely wandered the College Building during term time—she’d casually heard Rong Yi was meeting her new student today.

Sheng Shubai had stood by the window all morning and into the early afternoon before Lu Jia finally entered the building.

The timing of her opening the door had been too perfect, and Lu Jia realized belatedly:

“Were you waiting for me on purpose just now?”

“Yes, but not entirely.”

Sheng Shubai blinked. “What if I said—I pulled you in here to poach you from your mentor?”

Her trailing tone was seductively teasing, and Lu Jia couldn’t help recalling those nights when Sheng Shubai had coaxed her into different positions with that exact voice.

Her gaze fell on the woman’s alluring lips, parting and closing, as she heard Sheng Shubai ask: “So, what do you say? Coming over?”

“Professor Sheng, no need for that kind of joke.”

Lu Jia kept a straight face. “You’re… in watercolor, right? Not my major.”

When choosing a mentor, she’d only checked the Academy of Fine Arts website for Printmaking Major mentors—Sheng Shubai wasn’t listed, or she would’ve recognized her sooner.

In the short time she’d been here, she’d easily guessed the woman’s specialty from the certificates and awards on the display cabinet to the right, plus a few watercolors.

“Even calling me ‘you’ formally now?”

Sheng Shubai laughed at Lu Jia’s tone, shooting her a sideways glance. “Alright, no more teasing. But don’t call me ‘you’ anymore either—you’ll make me sound old.”

Lu Jia was about to say something when her phone buzzed repeatedly.

It was the rental agent calling.

She’d scheduled a viewing that afternoon, but after chatting with Rong Yi, she’d been pulled here by Sheng Shubai and missed the agent’s recent messages.

The agent had asked if she was free now—the place she liked was popular, and another tenant was also planning to view it.

After Lu Jia hung up, Sheng Shubai asked, “Out looking for a rental?”

Lu Jia nodded. “But the agent said the one I liked just got snapped up by another tenant. I need to check other listings soon. If there’s nothing else, can I head out?”

The woman leaned against the desk. As Lu Jia started to rise from the chair, Sheng Shubai’s fingertip pressed against her shoulder blade, stopping her.

Lu Jia looked puzzled but sat back down following the gentle pressure.

“Professor Sheng?”

“No rush. Just curious—what are your requirements for a rental?”

Sheng Shubai blinked. “I’ve been in C City for years, after all. I know which areas and complexes to avoid—might be able to help.”

Lu Jia got it and pulled up the document the agent had sent on her phone.

C University was in a university town with tons of nearby complexes—endless options in every style and price range.

Lu Jia had browsed tons of listings online before coming and only liked one, which had just been taken.

She handed the phone to Sheng Shubai. “I don’t have many requirements: normal layout, good for solo living, preferably two rooms or more.”

Her undergrad roommates had all been fine, but since she was moving out, sharing meant constraints. She was the type who worked nonstop when busy, often coming home late—the sounds of washing up might disturb someone.

With two rooms, Lu Jia planned one as a bedroom and the other as a simple printmaking workspace. If inspiration struck at home, no need to trek to the school studio.

Sheng Shubai listened while scrolling through the document, evaluating each one:

“This complex is near a middle school—class bells and exercise broadcasts every day. Noisy, bad for focus.”

“Security here’s iffy—not recommended.”

“This one’s too far from school—wastes too much commute time.”

…

From traffic and noise to rent prices, after Sheng Shubai’s breakdown, only a scant few options remained, mostly clustered in the same complex.

“So—”

Lu Jia pointed at the screen. “This complex is the best fit?”

Sheng Shubai nodded, her fluffy fox tail finally peeking out.

The woman smiled with curved eyes. “Conveniently, I have an empty place in that complex. Want to consider it, little Lu sister?”

Lu Jia: …?

“You’re sure it’s just a coincidence?”

She paused, took back her phone, and couldn’t hold back.

Sheng Shubai was unhurried. “I pointed out all those flaws fairly—it’s objectively the best match.”

The latest phase had just been completed.

A friend had recently bought one there as a wedding home—solid value.

Seeing Lu Jia still eyeing the other listings, Sheng Shubai covered the screen with her hand, her slender fingers blocking most of it.

“Other landlords might not be as reasonable, and agent listings aren’t always reliable, right?”

Lu Jia thought about it— she’d seen plenty of online horror stories.

Compared to the landlords’ and agents’ unverifiable hype, Sheng Shubai was known quantity—at least she wouldn’t scam her.

Without hesitation, she asked directly: “What about rent? How’s it calculated?”

“Let’s view it first—no hurry.”

Sheng Shubai checked her watch. “Can you go now?”

Lu Jia nodded, grabbing her bag to head out. “Sure.”

“Hold on.”

Sheng Shubai stopped her and opened the office door first.

She glanced right—409’s door still closed. No idea if the person inside had left or was working.

Either way, no direct run-in with Rong Yi. She breathed a sigh of relief and gestured to Lu Jia behind her. “Alright, let’s go.”

In the descending elevator, passing the first-floor lobby, Lu Jia noticed Sheng Shubai looking back repeatedly. Curious, she asked, “Professor Sheng, what are you looking at?”

“Of course, that one—”

Realizing Lu Jia was a new student unaware of her history with Rong Yi.

Sheng Shubai didn’t plan to badmouth her advisor in front of Lu Jia and said casually, “Just checking if your mentor’s still in the office—maybe give her a ride.”

In her dreams.

She’d never let Rong Yi in her car in this lifetime.

Lu Jia said “oh” and pulled out her phone. “Should I message her then?”

Professor Sheng and Advisor Rong must be close, she thought.

Otherwise, why remember Advisor Rong’s birthday so precisely or joke about poaching her.

Just colleagues wouldn’t kid like that.

A vein twitched at Sheng Shubai’s temple as she stopped her. “…No need.”

“What if your mentor’s busy? Wouldn’t want to disturb her.”

Lu Jia felt something off but couldn’t pinpoint it.

The elevator reached the basement parking. Sheng Shubai grabbed her wrist and pulled her along, so she let it go.

The complex wasn’t far from the academic area. Out the west gate near the College Building, two traffic lights later, they reached the main entrance.

One elevator per two units. Shortly after starting at C University, her family had bought these two: one for her daily stays, the other for visits—which had sat empty for years now.

Sheng Shubai lowered her eyes and unlocked one with the code.

Since switching from printmaking to watercolor all those years ago, she’d had a huge fight with her family and hadn’t spoken much since.

Over the years, aside from holiday greetings, she hadn’t gone home and had no desire to.

They’d bought it “for convenience when visiting,” but her artist family was always jetting off worldwide—only her sister had stayed a few times.

Sheng Shubai showed Lu Jia around. Though long unoccupied, it was regularly cleaned of dust.

The last cleaning had been days ago—spotless.

Four bedrooms, two living rooms. Considering the family’s itch without a carving knife in hand, one secondary bedroom and the study had been merged into a dedicated printmaking studio during renovation.

Pushing open the studio door released a faint woody scent laced with ink.

A prominent wide workbench dominated the center, neatly arrayed with various carving knives and inks. The surrounding display walls held transfer proofs and a few pristine woodblocks.

Lu Jia let out a soft gasp. “Professor Sheng, this place…”

“I’ll have those paintings taken down later.”

Sheng Shubai averted her gaze. “You can use this studio freely—no need to hold back.”

The walls were lined with some of her old works from back in the day.

Later, she hadn’t wanted to touch them anymore and hadn’t planned to destroy them either, so she’d simply left them in this studio, out of sight and out of mind.

Lu Jia looked around the space once before asking sincerely, “I really like this apartment. What’s the rent?”

Sheng Shubai figured the place was sitting empty anyway, so she casually quoted a number.

Lu Jia: “?”

She thought her ears had failed her.

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t heard the realtor’s sales pitch—this complex’s single apartments alone cost more than that. And this was a fully furnished four-bedroom, two-living-room unit that even included the studio of her dreams.

Lu Jia paused for a moment. “Professor Sheng, I can afford it.”

But Sheng Shubai just smiled. “Think of it as a teacher looking out for a student from her own department. That’s not okay?”

Lu Jia shook her head. “It’s not right.”

Even if that one studio alone pushed the price to one and a half times the market rate, she would have paid it willingly.

Sheng Shubai watched the stubborn expression on the girl’s face and couldn’t resist teasing her. “You really have to pay money?”

Lu Jia nodded solemnly.

Sheng Shubai was still smiling, but her thoughts drifted far away.

She’d only come today with the intention of teasing the kid a little—jokingly trying to poach from Rong Yi’s territory.

She hadn’t succeeded in the poaching, but the mere fact of “luring that woman’s student to live in her own apartment” brought an emotional payoff far greater than any rent could match.

As for the kid she’d lured over…

“Or—”

Her moist, lustrous eyes slid over, lightly brushing past Lu Jia’s collarbone and below.

The soft, thin summer fabric clung to her two gentle curves.

Sheng Shubai still remembered the exquisite, almost melting delicacy of that touch in her palm.

Her voice turned soft and alluring, carrying an unmistakable hint:

“Want to consider… paying with something else?”