Chapter 16

Fang Zhou cornered Yue Bai against the wall beside the door, his expression dark and unfriendly. Class had just ended, and the corridor bustled with students hurrying to and fro. Those who caught sight of the scene assumed the boy was about to confess his feelings to the girl. More than a few busybodies cast curious glances their way.

“You got some kind of problem? Let her go.” Xu Nuo shoved Fang Zhou’s blocking form aside with all her strength, her brow twitching irritably.

“What exactly do you want?” Yue Bai’s face grew cold. She had no patience for being publicly cornered like this, drawing unwanted attention from all sides.

“Come with me to the art studio. Let’s paint another one and settle whose skills are better.” Fang Zhou gritted his teeth, still stewing over the earlier humiliation.

“Heh, if your skills aren’t up to par, just admit it. What’s the point of a rematch? You think everyone has as much free time as you do?” Before Yue Bai could respond, Xu Nuo beat her to it, her eyes brimming with contempt.

“You game or not?” Fang Zhou fixed Yue Bai with an intense stare, clearly unwilling to drop the matter without her answer.

Yue Bai met his gaze squarely. A blaze of anger ignited in her usually gentle eyes. With a forceful shove from both hands, she caught him off guard, sending him stumbling back several steps. “Who the hell do you think you are? Why should I waste my time on your pointless games? Get out of my sight and stop interrupting my meals and rest. I warn you—if you pull this again, don’t expect me to hold back.”

She brushed past the boy with obvious disdain. “Arrogant fool.”

“You…” Fang Zhou moved to block her path again.

Yue Bai whipped her head around. A glint of amusement lurked deep in her eyes, overlaid with blatant mockery. Fang Zhou froze for a stunned moment.

As they left the teaching building, Xu Nuo hooked her arm through Yue Bai’s, still fuming on her behalf. “Is that any way for a guy to act? Clinging to something so petty.”

“No kidding. Little Bai outscored him on the entrance major class exam, and now she topped him on the first in-class sketch too. Little wonder he’s about to burst a vein.” Chen Han’s tone dripped with mockery.

“Forget about him. Anyway, I’m starving right now.” Zhao Yu clutched her stomach. “Little Bai, you have no idea—without you yelling us awake, we didn’t even manage breakfast.”

Yue Bai’s expression flickered. She offered a slow smile. If Sang Wan hadn’t bought breakfast for her that morning, she would have shown up to class on an empty stomach too.

“By the way, Little Bai, where did you crash last night?” Xu Nuo asked once more.

“At Senior Sister Sang’s place.” Yue Bai didn’t bother hiding it.

“No way—you’re that tight with Senior Sister Sang?” Chen Han sounded incredulous.

Yue Bai merely smiled, the image of Sang Wan surfacing vividly in her mind.

“Sang Wan, what are you staring at so intently?” Hua Yun peered curiously along her line of sight, but the spot was now empty.

Sang Wan pulled her gaze away, her thumb absently rubbing the back of the graphic drawing tablet. She flashed a bright smile. “Nothing. Who knew the little white rabbit had thorns after all.”

“Huh? A white rabbit with thorns? What on earth are you talking about?” Hua Yun grew even more puzzled.

Sang Wan handed the tablet back to him. “Nothing. Here, it’s yours. Did you check out the image I sent you this morning? What did you think?”

Hua Yun considered for a moment. “The overall composition is solid. The details aren’t fully fleshed out yet, but it’s clear the artist you found has real talent. Where’d you scout such a skilled underclassman?”

Sang Wan had mentioned the day before that she’d recruited a junior girl to help with the artwork. He’d brushed it off at the time, but now that he’d seen the results, her abilities far exceeded his expectations.

“I put real effort into finding her.” Sang Wan replied mysteriously.

Hua Yun shook his head helplessly. “Come on, lunch is on me.”

“Then I’ll have to hit you up good, Senior Hua. After all, I came all the way from the Music Education Building to the Art Building just to drop this off for you.”

After lunch, Yue Bai opened her locker and retrieved her own graphic drawing tablet. Hers was a touch smaller than the one Sang Wan had lent her, but the functions were much the same. She fired off a message to Sang Wan.

“Senior Sister, can I come over now to work on the drawing?” sent Yue Bai.

She’d decided it was best to finish early, so any issues could be tweaked later.

“Sure, but don’t you need a nap?” Sang Wan replied.

Yue Bai tapped out her response, her mind clear and focused. “No need.”

“Mm, come on over then,” Sang Wan sent back.

Yue Bai grabbed her tablet and bolted for the door.

Zhao Yu called after her curiously. “Yue Bai, where are you off to?”

Yue Bai flashed a cheeky grin, her smile tinged with apology. “It’s a secret for now. I’ll fill you in later.”

Xu Nuo waved her off with feigned impatience. “Go on then, get out of here—you’re an eyesore anyway.”

“Right away!” Yue Bai dashed off in a flash.

She made it to Sang Wan’s dorm without a hitch and knocked politely. “Senior Sister Sang, it’s me.”

Sang Wan’s warm voice drifted from inside. “Come in—the door’s unlocked.”

Yue Bai pushed the door open. Sang Wan was lounging at her computer desk, cradling her phone as she typed. Spotting Yue Bai, she set the phone down and smoothly pulled out a chair.

“So eager?” Sang Wan teased, patting the seat to invite her over.

“I’m just worried about falling behind schedule,” Yue Bai admitted honestly.

Sang Wan’s smile deepened at her words, her eyes sparkling. The silver-rimmed glasses perched on her nose lent her an air of refined elegance.

She adjusted the frames. “No rush.”

Yue Bai pressed her lips together and opened Photoshop. While the software loaded, she plugged in her graphic drawing tablet. Her thoughts drifted unbidden to the sight of Sang Wan in her pajamas the night before.

Restrained, yet radiating a lethal allure. It was much like the glasses she wore now, adding an indescribable allure.

Yue Bai’s throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. She gripped the stylus tightly, as if to anchor herself.

Sang Wan was dressed today in a light blue shirt and white trousers that accentuated the length of her legs—the same shirt style she’d worn on the day of Yue Bai’s tutoring session.

“I got you a milk tea.” Sang Wan nodded toward the cup beside the computer.

Yue Bai waved it off. “No thanks, Senior Sister—you keep it for yourself.”

Sang Wan gave her a helpless look, then casually picked up another cup from the table behind her. She popped in a straw and took a sip. “You think I can’t handle two cups?”

Yue Bai fell silent.

With a bit of gentle prodding, Yue Bai finally accepted the milk tea from Sang Wan.

Sang Wan watched her drawing posture for a moment from nearby. Realizing it was making the younger girl self-conscious, she cheerfully retreated to the other side of the room and settled in to binge-watch her drama.

Once Sang Wan had moved away, Yue Bai relaxed a fraction. Her rigidly straight back curved slightly as she fixed her eyes on the screen. The stylus whispered softly against the tablet’s surface.

She lost herself completely in the work, a pursuit that resonated deeply with her soul. In that moment, she could draw from her instincts to shape the image she envisioned in her mind—though the initial sketch still constrained her somewhat.

When fully absorbed in something, time seemed to slip away unnoticed. Before she knew it, class time loomed. Sang Wan kept track of the minutes precisely. When the clock hit the right mark, she rose and circled behind Yue Bai, wrapping her arms around her from the back. A vast shadow fell over the screen.

“Senior Sister?” Startled, Yue Bai paused her drawing and looked up blankly. Her gaze collided with Sang Wan’s eyes—deep and fathomless as the sea.

They held a gentleness that seemed reserved for Yue Bai alone. Staring into her own tiny reflection there, Yue Bai felt her throat tighten involuntarily. Her body leaned back of its own accord, pressing against the chair’s backrest.

“Do you have class this afternoon?” Sang Wan braced her hands on the chair’s backrest and leaned down.

“Let me check.” Yue Bai wriggled out from under the shadow and snatched up her phone. She fumbled hurriedly through it for several seconds before finally pulling up the schedule photo. After a close look, she said, “Yeah, afternoon class. I’m only free after three-thirty on Fridays.”

Sang Wan subtly glanced at the image, a smile playing at the corners of her eyes. With a light pressure from her palms, she stepped back half a pace. “Come on, I have class too. I’ll drop you off.”

“No need, Senior Sister—that’s too much trouble,” Yue Bai protested quickly.

“It’s no trouble. The Art Building isn’t far from my classroom. I’ll ride you over on my e-bike, then head to mine—plenty of time,” Sang Wan assured her.

Yue Bai hesitated for a moment. “Well… if you insist, thanks, Senior Sister.”

Sang Wan’s tongue glided along her gumline. “Really, no trouble at all.”

On the back seat of the e-bike, Yue Bai wrapped her arms around Sang Wan’s slim, toned waist. Only then did she realize just how dedicated Sang Wan was to working out—the smooth, defined lines of her abdominal muscles were unmistakable under her fingers. Yue Bai fought the urge to trace them, holding perfectly still.

But…

“Junior, quit squirming. Aren’t you afraid you’ll fall off?” Sang Wan’s amused voice floated back to her on the breeze.