In a room bathed in soft pink tones, the petite white-haired girl stretched out languidly, sinking into the wide adjustable sofa.
She seemed a bit restless, her pale little feet tapping against the orange footrest with a rhythmic patter.
For some reason, she couldn’t settle her mind. She painted because she loved it, yet now she couldn’t muster any enthusiasm.
With a soft sigh, the girl set her stylus down beside the digital tablet on the side table.
In front of the sofa stood a sturdy white corner desk. At its center, an adjustable arm held two monitors stacked one above the other on the front, while her favorite figurines and gaming console sat off to the side.
If she wanted, she could even paint or play games while lying down—though it wasn’t the most convenient.
Though she had been frail and sickly since birth, her parents had done everything possible to give her the best.
Whether it was their loving care or indulging her small, unreasonable requests.
Even if her health kept her from making friends in real life.
Her mom and dad doted on her endlessly, and the online friends she’d met in the group chat were all so kind. She never felt truly sorry for herself.
“It’s been a whole day now. Xiao Yi must have uploaded the pictures by now,” the girl murmured, pursing her pale lips. “I wonder what he wrote.”
“If I ask him directly… he probably still won’t tell me.” She could understand Xiao Yi’s embarrassment, but… she was just a tiny bit curious.
He hadn’t told her not to search for it herself, so it should be fine, right?
Worst case, she’d peek quietly and not mention it in the group. That way, Xiao Yi could pretend she knew nothing, and she’d still find out what he’d written.
A win-win.
“I think Xiao Yi once posted a screenshot of his novel bookshelf in the group.”
Her eyes lit up suddenly. She grabbed her pink phone from nearby and opened the group chat, scrolling through the history.
She couldn’t recall any specific keywords, so she relied on her vague memory of the timing, flipping back message by message.
Luckily, it was just a small group of five people. With a bit of memory and persistence, she quickly found the image.
“There it is. Hmm, looks like the bookshelf interface on Cat Cat.”
Cat Cat—she read novels there too, so this made things much easier.
She was a total homebody, more so than anyone else in the group, in every sense of the word.
Because of her weak constitution, she spent most of her time cooped up at home.
Even her rare outings were usually just hospital checkups.
That left her with plenty of time for novels, games, and everything in between.
The character Xiao Yi had asked her to draw didn’t match any from the anime or games she’d seen.
So it was probably an original from one of his novels.
“As long as I search by original tags and update times, I can narrow it down bit by bit. I’ll definitely find it.”
Even better, she had time in spades—more than enough to dedicate a whole day to the hunt if needed.
“Mmm, got it!” A cute smile bloomed on her pale, almost sickly white face.
“Junior Sister Raising Plan. Yeah, that’s the cover I drew.” Eagerly, she jumped to the “Character Design” chapter in the table of contents. “Uploaded yesterday too—has to be it.”
…
“Shishi, are you asleep?” A gentle knock at the door pulled her from her immersion.
“Not yet.” She hadn’t checked the time and answered on reflex.
“It’s 10 p.m. already—why aren’t you in bed? I’m coming in, okay?” Despite the words, the door stayed shut.
“Mm… alright, come in.” The girl started to refuse but softened when she remembered it was her mom looking out for her.
With her permission, a poised middle-aged woman in a dark suit entered.
“What happened today?” She came to the girl’s side and gently stroked her hair. “It’s so late—you should be resting. You know your health can’t handle staying up.”
“Mm… I just lost track of time a little.” The girl mumbled evasively. Noticing her mom was still in work clothes, she asked curiously, “Did you just get home so late, Mom?”
“Yeah, the university just started the semester, so there’s a ton of work.” Her mom sighed.
“You’re a teacher at H University, right, Mom?” The girl suddenly remembered. “When can you take me to see it?”
“What’s this? Suddenly interested in H University?” Her mom said, puzzled. “You always refused when I offered before.”
“Lately, I’ve seen some stuff about it online, so I’m a little curious.” The girl’s gaze shifted shyly as she smiled.
“Nothing special’s been happening lately. What’s got you so curious?” Her mom ruffled her hair gently. “I’ve been too busy to keep an eye on you anyway.”
“Take me to the school, and I can wander around on my own.”
“You’re not well enough for that. I wouldn’t feel right letting you roam H University by yourself.”
“Mm, okay.”
The girl was always so obedient. She understood her mom’s concerns and wouldn’t throw a tantrum over it.
Besides, her health really was an issue.
Even if she suggested meeting friends like Xiao Yi, the President, or Xiao Huo to show her around, her mom wouldn’t trust handing her off to people she’d never met.
…And what if she felt unwell while strolling the campus and became a burden to them? That would be awful.
“So, Shishi, make sure you rest properly. Bedtime means bed,” her mom advised patiently. “That way, you’ll get better, and I’ll let you go anywhere you want.”
“The doctor said painting helps your mood, so your dad and I support it.”
“But staying up late for it defeats the purpose, got it?”
“I understand.” The girl nodded obediently.
“Want me to shut down the computer for you?”
“Ah, at least let me save my draft first.” She said quickly, “I’ll go to bed right after.”
“Alright, I trust you.”
After all, she knew her own daughter—sweet and honest, not one to lie about something like this.
With that, she turned and left the room, closing the door softly behind her.
Once again, the girl was alone.
She stared at the glowing white screen, hesitating before saving her half-finished draft and powering down the computer.
Sorry, Drawing-chan. Time for bed.
And sorry for dragging you into this.
