Chapter 44

As soon as the second large lecture of the day ended, Yue Bai couldn’t wait to find Sang Wan. She had barely closed her book and stood up when she saw Sang Wan heading out the front door without the slightest intention of lingering.

The guy from class who had asked the counselor—Senior Sister Sang—if she would share her contact info had hurried out after her right away, trailed by a few other guys and girls who wanted the same thing.

Yue Bai pouted, reluctantly picking up her pace. She just had to see whether Sang Wan would give her number to that crowd.

By the time Yue Bai made it out of the classroom, Sang Wan was already surrounded by four or five people.

Well, aren’t we popular, Yue Bai thought sourly.

“Senior Sister, could I get your contact info?” the guy asked with a cheeky grin.

Sang Wan stood tall and straight, lifting her gaze with a gentle tone. “Sorry, classmate, but my phone’s dead.”

Hearing the rejection lifted Yue Bai’s spirits a bit. She haughtily tossed her head.

The gesture caught Sang Wan’s eye, making Yue Bai look like a silly yet utterly adorable little white rabbit.

Sang Wan curved her lips in a smile, eager to extricate herself from the group.

“Senior Sister, what’s your QQ? I could add you there, or maybe your phone number—whatever works,” the guy pressed on.

What a persistent nuisance, Yue Bai thought with displeasure, glaring at him. Next time we turn in assignments, I’ll scrutinize yours extra closely.

“Sorry, but I don’t make a habit of noting those down,” Sang Wan replied tactfully.

The people around her could tell she really didn’t want to share, and pressing further would just be awkward, so they all gave up and dispersed.

Only then did Yue Bai get a chance to approach Sang Wan. As soon as she drew near, she couldn’t help blurting out, “Senior Sister, could I add your contact?”

Sang Wan pulled out her phone with a smile. “QQ or WeChat? Or maybe your phone number?”

Yue Bai already had all three.

“But didn’t you say your phone was dead?” Yue Bai tsked. “Senior Sister Sang, you’re such a liar.”

Sang Wan tapped her forehead in mock distress. “I have no idea what happened—it just suddenly charged up. Maybe the phone sensed that a cute little underclassman was on her way?”

Yue Bai’s lips curved in delight as she took the initiative to grab Sang Wan’s hand.

Sang Wan, amusement shimmering in her eyes, took the book from Yue Bai’s other hand.

They descended the stairs and strolled along the asphalt path through campus. Yue Bai asked slowly, “Why’d you suddenly show up for class, Senior Sister?”

Though Sang Wan had said she was there to keep her company, people usually snuck into lectures before they started or during breaks. Arriving midway was seen as disrespectful to the teacher.

Given Sang Wan’s personality, even knowing Yue Bai’s counselor, she wouldn’t blatantly show up late and plop down in the front row.

“My counselor asked me to pick up some meeting documents from the office and pass them to yours,” Sang Wan explained. “I figured it was on the way, so I stopped by.”

No wonder Yue Bai had seen her counselor on the phone when she got back with water.

“Oh, so you weren’t specifically here to keep me company,” Yue Bai said on purpose. “I was just along for the ride, huh.”

Sang Wan laughed at her words, stroking the top of Yue Bai’s head, her eyes crinkling. “I came specifically to see you. Dropping off the documents was just convenient.”

“That’s more like it,” Yue Bai huffed.

A few days later, during figure drawing class, Yue Bai taped her 4K drawing paper in place ahead of time.

“Class, today is all figure drawing,” the teacher announced from the podium. “No rush to sketch yet—let’s start with human anatomy.”

“As you all know, when drawing the human form, big poses and proportions are crucial. I’m not worried about those basics with students who made it into A University.

“Take a look at this diagram. The muscle textures are similar between men and women, but men tend to be more developed…

Yue Bai listened intently, occasionally jotting down a few lines on her paper based on the image, roughly outlining the contours.

“As artists, you need to shed some of that shame—painting-specific shame, I mean. Sometimes we’ll draw nude figures, and students often hold back out of embarrassment. I’m warning you ahead: this all counts toward your participation grade.”

“Oh man,” Xu Nuo whispered nearby in excitement. “Are we drawing an abs guy? If so, count me in.”

Chen Han shot her down flatly. “It might be…”

She trailed off, but the implication was clear. Xu Nuo shuddered. “Don’t ruin my fantasy.”

“That said, the teacher’s pretty understanding and will ease you into it,” he continued. “Class models wear clothes; nude models haven’t been scheduled yet.”

After covering more tips on figure drawing, the teacher projected a photo of a middle-aged man on the big screen.

“Draw this one first. Hand it in before the morning break,” he said, sipping his hot water despite the groans from below.

“Teacher, can we just do a quick gesture sketch?” someone asked hopefully.

“Can you have plain white rice for lunch?” the teacher shot back cheerfully, setting down his cup.

“Sure.”

“And skip your participation grade?”

“We want it…”

Yue Bai ignored the banter and got to work as soon as the teacher finished speaking. From past experience, this piece was time-consuming but not overly difficult.

When morning class ended, Yue Bai ripped off the tape right on time and was first to turn in her drawing. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Fang Zhou by the flower rack. After she headed to the podium, he glanced up deliberately, then quickly ducked his head.

He was peeling off his tape.

Ever since that incident, things had been awkward between Yue Bai and Fang Zhou—at least, he seemed to think so.

It wasn’t until recently, when their counselor signed them up as a team for a provincial competition, that they’d had to collaborate a bit and ease the tension.

Yue Bai didn’t dwell on it. She glanced at her three roommates’ progress—they were nearly done too—and called out a greeting as she passed them on her way out.

Senior Sister was waiting.

“Yue Bai.” Someone called her name just as she reached the stairwell.

She turned to see Fang Zhou.

“What’s up?” Yue Bai stopped, puzzled.

“Well…” Fang Zhou hesitated, then gritted his teeth. “About accusing you of freeloading before—that was wrong of me. I’m sorry.”

Yue Bai raised a brow. That again? She looked him up and down. He was always too proud to apologize—had he turned over a new leaf? Still…

“Oh, that? Water under the bridge. I’d even forgotten about it,” Yue Bai said airily; she’d never taken it to heart. “If that’s all, I’m heading out.”

She still needed to grab lunch with Senior Sister.

“That’s it,” Fang Zhou said, his tone subdued.

Yue Bai nodded and walked away.

The moment she opened the door, the aroma of food hit her. She stepped lightly into the kitchen. “Senior Sister, I’m back.”

Sang Wan looked up at the sound of her voice, her tone warm. “Hungry? It’ll be about ten more minutes.”

She’d just gotten out of class herself.

“Not really. Anything I can help with?” Yue Bai asked, washing her hands.

“No need—just have a seat,” Sang Wan said, plating a vegetable dish.

Yue Bai lingered nearby anyway.

“Senior Sister, I had figure drawing today,” Yue Bai said, eyeing the glistening ribs in the pot.

“Mm. Anything fun happen?” Sang Wan covered the pot and wiped her hands.

“Nah, just that we might be drawing nudes soon.” Yue Bai watched Sang Wan’s face as she spoke.

Sang Wan’s hand paused mid-wipe. She’d heard from Hua Yun that the Art College hired models for life drawing—volunteers or paid gigs.

“And?” Sang Wan teased, booping Yue Bai’s nose. “Feeling shy? Too embarrassed to draw?”

Yue Bai shook her head. “No.”

“Hm?” Laughter danced in Sang Wan’s eyes, softening her whole demeanor. “Then what?”

She stepped closer, cornering Yue Bai, her eyes—gentle behind the light blue colored contacts—locked on hers. “Want Senior Sister to model for you?”

“Huh?” Yue Bai froze, Sang Wan’s exquisite face filling her vision, reflected in her pupils that quivered.

“I said, want Senior Sister to be your…” Sang Wan leaned in, her back arching slightly as she whispered hot breath against Yue Bai’s ear. “Model.”

The ticklish warmth burrowed into her ear, making it tingle. Yue Bai fidgeted with her earlobe, flustered and at a loss. “Uh, a nude model?”

“Mm?” Sang Wan tilted her head against Yue Bai’s neck, where faint blue veins traced beneath the pale skin.

She licked her lips, closed her eyes, and held back. Can’t scare the little underclassman.

“No, no need! I was just mentioning it,” Yue Bai stammered.

“Silly, I was joking,” Sang Wan said, stepping back half a pace. She lifted the lid and stirred. “Go wait in the living room—it’ll be ready soon.”

“Mm, okay.” Yue Bai, still reeling from the tease, nodded haphazardly and stumbled to the living room.

The amusement deepened in Sang Wan’s eyes. She pressed her fingertip to her lips, reining in a sigh.

In the living room, Yue Bai’s heart raced wildly. She clutched her pounding chest, breathing hard.

Sang Wan’s warm breath seemed to linger by her ear, faint but hitting her brain like a shockwave.

Her limbs buzzed, something desperate to break free.

“Little Bai, dinner’s ready,” Sang Wan called soon after, carrying in the dishes.

Yue Bai steadied her breath, sprang up, and headed to the kitchen for bowls and chopsticks.

One meat, one veggie.

Sang Wan held her rice bowl and said, “I had classes all morning today, so I didn’t have time. What do you want to eat tonight? I’ll make it for you, Senior Sister.”

Yue Bai contentedly picked up a piece of rib. “Anything’s fine for me.”

Ever since she had started dating Senior Sister, her meals had gotten much better. She wondered if her weight had gone up.

“Senior Sister, if you keep feeding me like this, I’m afraid I’ll turn into a ball in no time,” Yue Bai said with a pout. “What if I don’t look good anymore and you stop liking me?”

“How could that happen? You’re so skinny—putting on a little weight would suit you,” Sang Wan replied. She teased, “It’ll feel even better holding you at night.”

“Senior Sister!” Yue Bai cried out in shy annoyance. Then she caught sight of the even brighter smile on the face across from her.

“Alright, alright,” Sang Wan cooed, her tone like that of soothing a child. “I like you no matter what you’re like.”

“Really?” Yue Bai asked dubiously.

“Really,” Sang Wan affirmed.

“What if I eat until I weigh two hundred pounds and pin you down so you can’t get up?” Yue Bai pressed.

Sang Wan’s slender fingers pulled a napkin to dab at the corner of her mouth. She couldn’t help laughing, glossing over the first part of the question. “Pin me down so I can’t get up?”

“Yeah. We’ll see if you still despise me then,” Yue Bai said, swallowing a mouthful of rice.

“I wouldn’t despise you.” Sang Wan clasped her hands together on the table, resting her chin on the backs of them. A hint of excitement threaded through her voice. “If that’s what you want.”

As long as you want it, anything goes.

“Eh?” Yue Bai sounded defeated. She shoveled the rest of the rice from her bowl, then grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth carelessly.

Seeing that Yue Bai had finished eating, Sang Wan rose to clear the bowls and chopsticks. Before stepping into the kitchen, she paused, her words heavy with implication. “But before you pin me down, don’t forget to work out a bit more first.”

“???” Yue Bai stared at her in confusion.