Chapter 11

By the third day that Lu Zhi didn’t return to the Bai Family Residence, Bai Lu finally confirmed that this woman was staying outside again, just like before.

She was fuming early in the morning.

She poked her fried egg full of holes and complained to the housekeeper, “What does she take the Bai family for? Coming and going as she pleases.”

Aunt Wang placed the warm milk by her hand and asked curiously, “Weren’t you the one who didn’t want her staying here? Now what are you throwing a tantrum about?”

“When did I ever say I didn’t want her to stay?” Bai Lu put down her fork, glaring, refusing to admit it.

“Fine, fine, you didn’t say it; I must have misheard.” Aunt Wang didn’t bother arguing and went back to the kitchen while wiping her hands.

Bai Lu sat alone in the dining room, pursing her lips, feeling very upset.

Her father had left for the company early in the morning, and she had no first-period class, so she didn’t have to worry about being late. She slept in until almost nine before coming downstairs.

As a result, she was eating breakfast all alone. Dull. It was better when Shen Qing was here; even arguing with her made the food taste better.

Bai Lu finished her breakfast glumly, then took the car to school for classes, and still had to go to the company in the afternoon.

She even admired herself—how could she be so hardworking? Truly a diligent, self-disciplined little bee.

A few more days passed, and it happened to be the company’s payday. Even though she’d been at the company less than a month, HR still deposited her salary into her account. Then Bai Lu looked at the numbers that came in on her phone and fell silent.

I come here every day, clocking in and taking notes so diligently, and you give me this pittance? Not even enough for one meal!

“Interns get fifty a day. And this is already doubled for you,” Secretary Li explained over the phone.

Bai Lu was incredulous, blurting out, “Fifty a day? You guys are too stingy! How is anyone supposed to live on that!”

Secretary Li didn’t reply. After a moment, he suddenly forwarded her to someone else, saying, “Lulu, from now on, direct these trivial matters to Little Liu.”

Clearly annoyed that she was bothering him with such petty trivialities.

Bai Lu glared hatefully at her phone, all her anger deflated.

Without immediate feedback at work and no supervision at home, Bai Lu quickly lost her enthusiasm. Before long, she reverted to her old ways. The day after skipping class again, she discovered her card wouldn’t work.

“Try this one.” Bai Lu handed another card to the counter.

The young woman took the black-and-gold card with both hands, operated the machine for a while, then gave a polite smile. “Sorry, this one can’t be used either.”

After confirming repeatedly with the clerk, Bai Lu finally had to let Zhao Fei’er foot the bill.

She called her dad, but he was probably in a meeting and didn’t answer. Secretary Li was the same. So she called Little Liu’s phone.

“Miss Bai, we stopped your credit card as per Miss Shen’s instruction, and Chairman Bai approved it.”

Standing nearby, Zhao Fei’er watched Bai Lu’s face visibly darken.

The two left the beauty salon and drove straight to the art studio. Bai Lu had known about this place for a while, but this was her first time here.

“Business is pretty good! Looks more profitable than the one my sister runs,” Zhao Fei’er said, looking around.

It was the afternoon rush, and indeed the coffee shop was quite crowded, mostly young girls and guys.

Bai Lu thought for a moment and pushed Zhao Fei’er down at an empty table. “Wait for me down here. Order whatever.”

“Ah, you’re not letting me come up? I wouldn’t have come if I’d known.”

Bai Lu ignored her and walked to the counter, irritated.

She’d been furious the moment she found her credit cards had been stopped, but on the drive over, she’d gradually deflated. She was far from the righteous indignation she showed on the surface. She knew that going up there meant she’d definitely argue with Shen Qing. Based on their past clashes, she wasn’t sure she could win.

The second floor was much quieter than the first. The walls were covered in wood-colored wallpaper, and a large unicorn wood carving was embedded right in the center of the stairway entrance, full of artistic flair. The reception area was simply but distinctively arranged, with an irregularly shaped glass coffee table in the middle and three sofas that looked very comfortable.

“Sister Qing is painting right now. If you’re not in a hurry, you can wait here…” the young waitress who brought her up said politely.

“I am in a hurry.” Bai Lu cut her off and walked straight to the closed door. Her raised hand paused for a moment, then she knocked loudly.

“Come in…”

A muffled voice came from inside.

Pushing open the door, Bai Lu found it wasn’t bright inside. The blackout curtains were all drawn, and the room was even somewhat dim. She saw a woman, bare-backed, lying on a sofa covered with a layer of blue silk. A warm-toned lamp stood nearby. Shen Qing was half-crouching in front of the sofa, her left hand still placed on the other’s bare, fair back.

Bai Lu’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “What are you doing?!”

Lu Zhi turned at the sound, recognized her, and said, “Bai Lu.”

The woman on the sofa also turned her head, revealing a clean face with captivating features. The movement made her neck arch slightly, and only then did Bai Lu realize she wasn’t naked, just wearing a backless chiffon dress, the thin strap around her neck hidden among her hair.

Even so, Bai Lu still stared wide-eyed, her gaze fixed on Lu Zhi’s hand still resting on the other woman. Her mind was a mess. This woman was dressed way too revealingly, and the two of them in such a weird pose, with the curtains drawn and lights off—what were they doing?

Lu Zhi withdrew her hand and stood up, placing the paintbrush in her other hand on the table. She didn’t immediately acknowledge Bai Lu, instead introducing to the woman on the sofa, succinctly, “This is Bai Lu.”

The woman on the sofa responded with an “Oh” and glanced at her again.

Bai Lu, still dazed, puffed out her cheeks and was about to speak when Lu Zhi turned to her and asked, “You came to see me about something?”

Lu Zhi’s voice was flat and calm. Her words and actions weren’t exactly impolite, but in such an intimate lighting, contrasted with the other woman, she seemed very polite and distant toward Bai Lu.

For some reason, Bai Lu instantly flared up, her voice sharp. “Who is she?”

Lu Zhi glanced at her. “Li Ai, my model.” She then casually picked up a warm-colored shawl from a nearby chair and handed it over. Li Ai took it naturally, draped it over her shoulders, and sat up.

Lu Zhi then walked over and turned on the overhead light.

The room lit up instantly. It was a nearly one-hundred-square-meter open-plan space, scattered with many easels and miscellaneous painting supplies, so it didn’t look empty at all.

Bai Lu squinted and finally noticed the easel in front of the sofa that she’d overlooked. The painting was a heavily saturated blue, with dim, ambiguous lighting. The only highlight was the woman dozing on the sofa in the middle, resting her head on her arm, her face hidden in black hair, the other arm long and casually draped over the silk. Her slightly cool-toned skin extended to a spine as white as jade, slim and delicate shoulder blades, a captivating waist, then the light, gauzy hem of the skirt—capturing the woman’s allure and purity to the fullest. It was evocative and exquisitely gentle.

Even for someone as idle as Bai Lu, she had to admit this painting was really eye-catching.

Painting, huh? She pursed her lips, feeling a bit awkward.

Li Ai got off the sofa barefoot, nodded to Bai Lu, then said to Lu Zhi with a smile, “You two talk. I’ll go rest a bit.”

Lu Zhi hummed in acknowledgment.

Bai Lu watched the woman walk to a corner of the studio and sit down, where there was a soft lounge chair, clearly very familiar with the place.

Her heart twitched, inexplicably annoyed. The unspoken understanding between Lu Zhi and Li Ai that excluded her was very obvious, making her keenly aware that she was being ignored.

But then Lu Zhi’s direct gaze doused her complicated feelings like a basin of cold water. “Speak.” Lu Zhi’s voice sounded beside her as she leaned lightly against the table. “Why did you skip class?”

The interrogation had been preempted, and Bai Lu’s bravado deflated instantly like a punctured balloon. She averted her gaze. Lu Zhi was pulling out a wet wipe and gently cleaning paint from her fingers. Under the light, her features were clear and distinct, her expression very calm.

Suddenly feeling extremely guilty, Bai Lu blurted out a very lame lie. “I wasn’t feeling well.”

“I have classes and work every day, and I’m exhausted. So what if I miss one class? Was that enough to stop my card?!”

By the end, her voice was a little louder, as if that would make her sound righteous.

Lu Zhi laughed, leaning slightly forward to look at this girl who lied without blushing, and said, “Little liar.”

Her voice was light and soft, her enunciation clear, her eyes smiling.

Bai Lu instantly flushed scarlet. For the first time, she felt the penetrating power of someone’s gaze, and two patches of red bloomed on her cheeks. “Who… who lied to you…” Her voice stuttered uncontrollably. She hastily turned away, her gaze drifting around the room, not daring to look back at Lu Zhi. “I really wasn’t feeling well. I had a stomachache. I got my period…”

Lu Zhi made an ambiguous “Oh” and tossed the wipe into the trash bin.

“Anyway, I didn’t do it on purpose. Hurry up and restore my cards.” Bai Lu, still not grasping the situation, stepped closer to her, persistent and whiny.

“What about now?”

“I have no classes this afternoon.”

“No classes, shouldn’t you be at the company working?”

“…” Bai Lu stamped her foot. “I… I’m not some old ox! What’s wrong with taking a break? Aren’t you not at work either?”

“Excuses,” Lu Zhi said, her gaze settling lightly on Bai Lu. “Arrogant, extravagant, lazy.”

Bai Lu froze for a second, then instantly exploded. “That’s just how I am! I’ve been this way since I was a kid!”

Her face bright red, she looked at Lu Zhi, whose calm demeanor drove her to speak without thinking, shouting, “Who asked you to manage me? I didn’t beg you to manage me!”

Lu Zhi watched her for a moment, then suddenly looked away and picked up her phone from the table to make a call. She put it on speaker. A voice barely recognizable came from the other end. “Miss Shen, hello, how can I help you?”

“Please restore Bai Lu’s account,” Lu Zhi said, her voice so calm it was indifferent. “From now on, you don’t need to consult me about her matters.”

The other side paused briefly, then said, “Understood, I’ll handle it right away.”

Lu Zhi hung up, then gently raised her head and looked at Bai Lu. “You can go now.”