Mixed Chapter 6
bySharing an Umbrella
On Friday, right after class, Chi Nuan was called by her counselor to help with the filming of the academy’s promotional video.
The track field, the Library, the Teaching Building, the Gymnasium… Chi Nuan left her footprints across most of the campus throughout the afternoon. By the end, she felt like her legs no longer belonged to her.
They were just aching.
Finally, they reached the last location—the Art Studio.
Chi Nuan carried the camera, tripod, and lighting panel, following the student who was preparing to appear in the video, all the way up to the fifth floor.
Although the weather in April was generally comfortable, Chi Nuan still broke a sweat.
All she wanted now was to finish the shoot quickly and return to her dorm for a nice, hot shower.
The group walked into Art Studio 509.
Another student accompanying them walked up to Chi Nuan and whispered a reminder: “Oh right, let’s try to finish quickly later. I heard the studio next door is reserved for Teacher Song, and she’s painting right now. She doesn’t like noisy environments.”
Chi Nuan was setting up the tripod and mounting the camera.
As soon as she heard the words “Teacher Song,” the fatigue in her body seemed to lessen considerably.
Teacher Song? Could it be the person she was hoping for?
“The Teacher Song you mentioned, is it Teacher Song Shixue?” Chi Nuan’s tone carried obvious anticipation.
“Who else? Do we have a second Teacher Song who teaches painting at our school?”
Chi Nuan instantly felt a surge of energy, as if she’d been injected with adrenaline. She even kindly helped the other students with odd jobs afterward.
The student who had just spoken to her reasonably suspected that Chi Nuan might have taken the wrong medicine.
Thanks to Chi Nuan’s efficiency—doing the work of two people—the shoot finally concluded ahead of schedule.
Chi Nuan lost track of time when she was working.
It wasn’t until she looked out the window that she realized the sky had darkened, and new raindrops were constantly clinging to the glass. She checked her phone; it was already seven in the evening. Her stomach finally felt free enough to let out a rumbling cry.
She walked out the door and noticed the lights in the adjacent Art Studio were off. A sense of disappointment welled up in Chi Nuan.
Had she missed her chance?
When she reached the ground floor lobby, the rain outside was getting heavier.
Chi Nuan felt her crossbody bag and realized she hadn’t brought an umbrella, and her clothes didn’t have a hood. She was about to message Chen Zhiyu to ask her to come and pick her up when a clear, cool female voice sounded beside her.
“Student Chi, what are you doing here alone so late?”
Hearing Song Shixue’s voice, Chi Nuan’s typing hand froze mid-air, her body stiffening as if under a spell.
Only her heart was pounding wildly.
She cleared her throat slightly, trying to mask her panic: “Teacher Song, what a coincidence… Um, well, I didn’t bring an umbrella, so I was thinking of sheltering here first and heading back when the rain lightens up.”
Song Shixue took an umbrella out of her bag: “Would you like to come with me? My car is just up ahead; I can drive you to your dorm building.”
This seemed to be the first time Song Shixue had initiated a private conversation with her. Chi Nuan’s heart bloomed with joy. She was thankful she hadn’t told the truth just now.
If she had said she was waiting for a friend to “rescue” her, she would have perfectly missed an opportunity to spend time with her!
She tried hard to suppress the urge to smile, making her voice sound as normal as possible: “Ah, well, then I’ll trouble you, Teacher Song.”
Wait, why am I always stuttering!
Song Shixue didn’t say anything, just opened the umbrella and waited for Chi Nuan to approach. Chi Nuan truly didn’t dare waste a second and quickly walked to Song Shixue’s side.
For the first time, Chi Nuan wished this path was longer and the rain was heavier.
During the walk with Song Shixue, Chi Nuan kept glancing at her out of the corner of her eye.
Her profile was beautiful. It wasn’t just a sharp, pure beauty, but a gentle one tinged with melancholy.
Chi Nuan looked past her eyelashes, gazing at that mysterious yet captivating amber stone.
She felt a sense of loneliness and bottomless sorrow in Song Shixue’s eyes, like a small boat constantly drifting on the vast ocean.
Song Shixue seemed very unhappy.
Chi Nuan looked down at the ground, where the reflection in a puddle showed the two of them walking side by side.
She must have been mistaken.
The two reached the car. Song Shixue closed the umbrella and opened the car door.
Chi Nuan easily gets carsick, so after being permitted, she sat in the passenger seat. The car had a subtle, elegant fragrance that suited Song Shixue well.
Her gaze fell on the dashboard, where there were surprisingly two small turtle ornaments. This didn’t fit Song Shixue’s outward image at all.
Song Shixue took a pair of glasses from the main driver’s storage compartment, put them on, and gently reminded her: “Although the distance is short, you still need to fasten your seatbelt, Student Chi.”
Chi Nuan, who was still immersed in the contrasting cuteness of Song Shixue, snapped back to attention when she heard her voice.
“Oh, okay.”
This was the first time Chi Nuan had seen Song Shixue wearing glasses. Chi Nuan felt that no matter how ordinary the accessory, paired with Song Shixue’s face, it instantly became sophisticated.
“Is Teacher Song’s eyesight also poor?” Ugh, she was really grasping for things to say.
“No, I just have a slight astigmatism.”
The car was quiet. Chi Nuan was thinking of saying something else.
But her uncooperative stomach beat her to it. Chi Nuan now wished she could find a hole to crawl into!
“Aaaah! This is a social death moment! Why did this uncooperative stomach have to make a sound now of all times!” Chi Nuan thought.
Song Shixue glanced in Chi Nuan’s direction: “Did you not eat dinner, Student Chi?”
Chi Nuan hadn’t fully recovered from the embarrassment: “Ah, no, I haven’t.”
Running around the campus all afternoon, where would she have found time to eat?
Song Shixue softly hummed in acknowledgment.
Chi Nuan thought Song Shixue might continue to show concern, but it turned out she was being overly optimistic.
When they arrived at the dorm building, Song Shixue opened the trunk. She took out two small loaves of bread and a carton of milk and handed them to Chi Nuan.
“Don’t go hungry again, Student Chi.”
Before Chi Nuan could react, Song Shixue had already closed the car door, rolled up the window, and driven away.
Chi Nuan walked back to her dorm, hugging the bread and milk, her heart filled with warmth.
Chen Zhiyu saw Chi Nuan holding the milk and looked confused: “You don’t like drinking milk, Chi Nuannuan, do you?”
She noted that it was clearly nighttime and felt a little creeped out: “Could it be that you’ve been possessed by something unclean?!”
Chi Nuan truly admired Chen Zhiyu’s imagination, but she also wanted to take this opportunity to scare her.
She deliberately drew out her voice: “Chen~ Zhi~ Yu~”
This made Chen Zhiyu shriek repeatedly.
“Are you trying to kill me, Chi Nuannuan!”
Then, Chen Zhiyu’s gossip soul quietly reignited. She leaned close to Chi Nuan’s ear and whispered: “Confess truthfully! Where did these things come from!”
Chi Nuan beckoned her closer.
“Teacher Song gave them to me.”
Chen Zhiyu’s eyes instantly widened. She then silently gave her signature thumbs-up: “Holy crap! You never cease to amaze me!”