"Alright, everyone has finished looking at Chu Chu's painting. Mm, I won't ask what impressions you have—just reflect on it yourselves. Now then, where are your paintings? Don't tell the teacher you didn't finish them properly."
Seeing their expressions—some immersed, some thoughtful, some lost in boundless reverie—the teacher waited a moment before carefully rolling up Chu Chu's painting and putting it away, then spoke again.
The value of this painting was beyond even a lifetime of her salary—let alone her entire family's assets. If it were damaged, the consequences would be unimaginable.
And as someone who harbored an intense passion for painting, she would never allow herself to damage such a beautiful work.
This was a treasure of humanity. It should not suffer even the slightest blemish in her hands. Even if Chu Chu would not blame her, she would never forgive herself.
When the scroll was put away, the students—especially those devoted to painting—felt an inexplicable sense of loss. Why couldn't they keep looking at it? That irresistible feeling of sinking into it was simply too wonderful.
This was likely the difference between a work with a soul and one without. Chu Chu had reached a realm that Chu Lian herself had not yet attained. The dazzling brilliance she radiated was a goal Chu Lian would strive toward in the future.
No matter what, this painting had indeed inspired Chu Lian. It made her want to further explore the talents she possessed and push them to the same realm.
Of course, that would require a long time. She was not in a hurry, nor could she be. What she needed to do now was resolve the present issues—especially Xiu'er's trouble.
Not long after the teacher collected the scroll, the other students also submitted their paintings. The reason the teacher needed them was simple: to prepare for the school's art exhibition in June. She had already mentioned this before, and the students remembered, so they had all put great care into their work.
Although only a few paintings would ultimately be selected, putting in the effort was enough. If not this time, then next time. As long as one held onto a dream, success would come someday, right?
"I hope mine gets selected. Even if it's far from Chu Chu's level, it's still the piece I poured the most effort into. If it's approved, it would at least be recognition of my ability—proof that my hard work wasn't in vain."
Chu Lian watched them step forward one by one to hand in their paintings. She lowered her head and glanced at her own work, her fingers brushing over the long hair of the exquisitely rendered girl on the page—almost like a CG illustration—and murmured softly.
"Chu Lian, mine will definitely be selected. You have to do your best too," Cai Ya said with a faint smile, having noticed her gesture. She waved the scroll in her hand lightly.
"Mm. This is the piece I worked hardest on. If it isn't selected, then it just means I haven't reached the required standard yet. I'll work even harder in the future," Chu Lian nodded. She knew that most of the girls around her—aside from herself—possessed astonishing talent in painting.
Even if they didn't have Chu Chu's heaven-defying genius, they were far above ordinary people. Chu Lian had compared them before and concluded that their works were no less impressive than those top-tier artists online.
Among them, Ruriko Nana and Li Xiu'er were the strongest, already very close to Chu Chu's level. They were only one moment of enlightenment away from entering the realm of masters.
She knew the road she had to walk was still long. She neither competed nor complained. She would just keep working steadily.
"Keep it up~" Liu Yanran said softly as she passed by.
Her talent was not as high as the other girls', but she had been born into a scholarly family. Since childhood, she had been taught the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
Her living environment and education had given her a considerable head start. For now, her level was still beyond what Chu Lian—rebuilding her skills from scratch with this body's inherent talent—could match.
"Mm." Being "struck" twice in a row, Chu Lian felt an urge to drag the two of them onto her lap and give them a thorough spanking. They were practically provoking her—were they really bullying her for being bad at painting?
Well, she really couldn't match them—but she was still much better than the average person, okay? Her technical painting skills weren't outstanding, but her handling of plot and emotion was excellent. With just those two strengths, she could attract a large fanbase writing comics.
"Lux and Nana... I haven't seen them much these past few days." Her gaze shifted to the other side of the room, where Lux Lyle and Ruriko Nana stood. Ever since that night of the game, she hadn't really seen them. Now, though, they looked far more spirited.
It seemed her promise had eased their worries. The shackles in their hearts had been loosened, and their energy had returned.
Once she removed the shackles from their bodies as well—ending their so-called mission and curse—perhaps the two of them would finally be able to follow her openly.
She was rather looking forward to what interesting developments might occur once a British noble young lady and a catlike Ruriko Nana fully entered her life.
"Still, I really didn't expect those two to end up together. Similar fates... carrying the same purpose... After sympathizing with each other, they began to rely on one another."
"And then, as they drew closer and closer, they realized the other had already become part of their lives. It's quite interesting. I don't mind this outcome at all."
Lux Lyle and Ruriko Nana had not hidden their relationship. Chu Lian and the others could sense it—they simply chose not to voice it. After all, they themselves liked girls. Wasn't it perfectly normal for them to have such a relationship?
Though in the eyes of society and conventional morality, Chu Lian's group might seem morally dubious or sexually confused, they were merely following the belief that their lives should be decided by themselves.
Was liking someone really about whether they were of the opposite sex, combined with other conditions? Or was it about whether you truly liked them?
For these girls—who lived privileged lives, had unique experiences, held their own thoughts, and came from extraordinary families—liking someone simply meant liking them. Age, gender, and other factors were irrelevant.
"I just hope they'll get along well in the future. Their compatibility isn't exactly high," Chu Lian thought. The only thing she worried about was how long Lux Lyle and Ruriko Nana's relationship would last.
They seemed very intimate now, but there were many generational gaps to bridge. If something strange happened, the future could become chaotic—and she didn't want to see that.
"Perhaps... I could join them?" Qu Ningmeng, too, had noticed their relationship. On the surface, there was no obvious intimacy, but that tacit understanding between them was not something ordinary friends possessed.
She found herself unusually concerned about the two of them, wanting to confirm whether things were truly as she suspected. At the same time, she knew that both girls were considered close to Chu Lian. Even if they had not reached the level of intimacy Li Xiu'er and Liu Yanran shared with her, they were not far off.
If she could build a good relationship with them and use that as a starting point, she might be able to draw closer to Chu Lian.
Yes, her true target was still Chu Lian—the girl whose difficulty level was entirely unknown. With unclear motives of her own, even though Chu Lian had once protected her, she had no certainty about how things would develop in the future. She could only begin from other angles.
"Xiu'er..."
The last to submit her painting was the girl who had been quietly crying just moments before. She had already wiped away her tears in secret. Now she looked no different from before.
But Chu Lian had taken note of it. Later, she would find an opportunity to ask her what had happened. Crying all the time was not good for one's health.
"Mm, very good. It seems everyone behaved themselves. The teacher is very pleased."
Counting carefully—aside from Zhang Feng and Wang Tingsi, who were no longer at school, and the newly transferred Qu Ningmeng, who did not need to submit one—together with Chu Chu's piece, there were thirty-nine paintings in total. Not a single one missing.
This teacher is seriously sly. Aside from her obsessive dedication to paintings, the moment she becomes unhappy, there's this terrifying aura that descends... honestly...
Chu Lian gathered her scattered thoughts and looked toward the podium. Upon seeing the faint smile on the teacher's lips, she could not help but complain inwardly.
Zhang Zidi. Such an adorable name—yet paired with such a wicked personality. As expected, mature women really do enjoy bullying people, huh?
Thinking back to the teacher's profile and comparing ages, Chu Lian realized she shared one common trait with Albedo and Ayase—an almost touching fondness for mischievous cruelty.
"Alright, do as you please. As long as you don't make noise, don't leave your seats, and absolutely no flirting or fooling around, you may do whatever you like."
After organizing the scrolls, Zhang Zidi gave her instructions and then sat down, carefully reviewing the paintings one by one, selecting the best pieces to submit.
"You say that, but the only things we can actually do are read or draw, aren't they?"
Though Zhang Zidi had spoken casually, the students—having experienced her methods before—were already mentally prepared. No one intended to casually challenge her authority.
Chu Lian had heard of her track record as well. As a student, it was better to stay cautious. Once she understood the situation more thoroughly in the future, perhaps she could test the waters.
As she thought this, her gaze drifted unconsciously toward the window. The sunlight outside was bright, and the gradually warming air carried a lazy comfort that seeped into one's bones.
She had gone to bed too late the previous night. Her body could handle it, and her mind was fine—but drowsiness still crept in.
She was not the only one. Her younger sister Chu Chu had long since acted as Big Sis' vanguard. The moment Zhang Zidi finished speaking, she had already laid her head down and fallen asleep. Whether or not the teacher had truly meant it that way was irrelevant—if she was sleepy, she would sleep.
No, no, no. The better the weather, the lazier people become. If I give in now, I'll only grow more sluggish in the future and end up doing less and less. How can I allow that to happen?
Chu Lian also wanted to sleep. After her eyes blurred for a moment, she forced herself awake again, widening her beautiful eyes and glancing around.
Yet not long after, the drowsiness returned.
This feeling—like being held in Mom's arms, or slipping naked into a fluffy quilt on a winter day—it's far too soothing. I can't resist it...
In truth, she only needed to circulate the energy within her body and the sleepiness would vanish instantly.
Unfortunately, she had no intention of doing that. Instead, she allowed the drowsiness to spread further.
Did I catch Anna's hypersomnia? Why does it feel like I'm about to max out my talent points in sleeping too?
Chu Lian shook her little head to wake herself up. For a brief moment she cleared her thoughts—but her eyelids soon began to droop again.
I want to sleep...
I can't sleep...
Spring brings drowsiness, summer fatigue, autumn weakness, winter hibernation. It's natural. Suppressing it too much isn't good for the body.
But if I sleep, I'll be indulging my lazy nature. That'll only make things worse later. I can hold on a little longer.
Mm... I've already held on for... a little while...
Don't fall asleep...
Ah, whatever. Sweet dreams...
Her thoughts swayed back and forth between sleeping and staying awake. In the end, she could not resist the invasion of the sleep demon. One small hand propped against her cheek, and just like that, she slowly drifted off to sleep...