Shi Sheng hesitated, but still accepted the call.
“Student Qiao Chu?”
The person on the other end spoke in a magnetic, masculine voice.
Shi Sheng quickly searched through her brain, but it seemed like this voice wasn’t in Qiao Chu’s memories.
“You are?”“Qin Ge.” The person on the other end paused before clarifying, “The professor for your elective.”
‘Elective? Professor? A beast[1]? Why’s he calling me(bbb)? Did he take a liking to my(bbb) looks?’
Shi Sheng took the phone away from her ear to check the screen. After quite a while, she put it next to her ear again. “And?”
“You didn’t come to class today. As your professor from now on, I’m giving you a reminder: if you miss classes three times, you can forget about the course credits for your elective.”
Qin Ge didn’t seem easy to get along with—his tone wasn’t polite at all.
“Oh.” ‘Crazy!’
Shi Sheng quickly hung up.She’d already gone through university countless times and didn’t want to do so again. Hence, Show-off Sheng expressed that she didn’t care about credits.
She’d only just hung up when another call came from Chen Xi.
Shi Sheng hadn’t said anything when Chen Xi started prattling, “Chu-Chu, why didn’t you pick up your phone? I’m telling you, the new professor is ridiculously handsome! But he’s not very good-tempered—he keeps finding fault. He called everyone who didn’t come to class, did you get a call from him? I heard that course credits would be completely deducted if three classes are skipped...”
“So just why did you have to pick this class for me?” Shi Sheng spoke.
“Well, you told me to just pick something... And you could use it for your painting course...?” Chen Xi’s voice grew weaker. He didn’t dare to admit that he’d completely forgotten about this back then.
“Did the professor call you?” Chen Xi hurriedly changed the topic.
“Yep.”
‘That perfectionist professor is simply seeking death! Actually calls people to harass them for not coming to his classes!’
She heard that this professor was someone who’d returned from overseas. He was just 24 years of age. One could see how much of a genius he was to be invited as a guest professor by the school.
Before the day was even out, a photo of this professor was posted on the school forums.
Shi Sheng went on to check him out.
The background was set in one of those lecture theatres. The man wore casual clothes and appeared to be in the midst of checking attendance. His features were sharp, defined, and handsome. His eyes were black, but bright. His thin lips were slightly parted. His expression was strict and cold.
Below the original post was a long line of replies going along the lines of “PLEASE MARRY ME!”
Hot people in school were always more popular. So when suddenly presented with a professor who stood out—and wasn’t all that old to boot—these girls went crazy.
Shi Sheng shut the page and tossed this matter to the back of her mind.
Qiao Chu chose a Chinese Painting course for some reason or other. Shi Sheng went to a class once and she refused to attend another on pain of death.
As someone who was shit with the brush, Chinese painting was really out of her reach.
As a result, her professor called her in to criticize her attendance.
But Shi Sheng’s indifferent attitude angered the professor greatly. In the end, the professor chose to ignore her—after all, the one who wouldn’t be able to graduate was Shi Sheng.
......
When the Mid-Autumn Festival came around, Shi Sheng went back home for a meal at Qiao-fu’s behest.
She’d only just reached the door when she bumped into the FL-sama who had gotten off a hired car.
The FL was carrying a box of mooncakes. Her gaze swept past Shi Sheng, but she didn’t have any intent of greeting the latter while walking past her to enter the house.
“Qian’qian, you’re back.” Qiao-mu opened the door, her face all smiles. “How’ve you been doing at school? You wanna move back?”
Shi Sheng followed the FL in, but Qiao-mu seemed not to notice her.
“Pretty well, Mum.”
Qiao-mu had a concerned expression. “Look at how skinny you’ve gotten! You’ll have a few days off for the Mid-Autumn Festival, won’t you? I’ll have to feed you up while you’re back.”
“Thanks, Mum.”
Though Qiao Qian’qian’s tone was clearly distant, Qiao-mu appeared not to have noticed as she pulled her into the kitchen, treating her like a treasure all the while.
Shi Sheng puffed out a breath of air. She greeted Qiao-fu before heading back to her room.
When he came to call her for dinner, Qiao Qian’qian and Qiao-mu were already seated at the table. During the meal, Qiao-mu and Qiao Qian’qian chatted while Shi Sheng kept quiet and ate her food.
“Xiaochu.”
Shi Sheng paused eating to lift her head and look towards Qiao Mu. “?”
“I heard you haven’t been going to classes?” Qiao-mu had a strict expression on her face.
“Oh, didn’t feel like going.” Shi Sheng went back to her food.
“We spent that much money, and you skip classes because you didn’t feel like going?! Qiao Chu, just what are you planning on doing?!” Qiao-mu smacked her chopsticks down.
Qiao-mu was truly angered by this daughter of hers. ‘I can understand her being mischievous when she was younger, but she’s still this wilful now that she’s grown up!’
“Enjoy myself while I’m alive.”
‘And find my man. That’s the life of a human scum. I(bbb) want to be a proper human scum.’
Qiao-mu’s face was red from anger. She yelled at Qiao-fu, “Ol’ Qiao, look at what impudent things she’s saying!”
“Don’t be angry.” Qiao-fu hurriedly played mediator. “Chu-Chu, have you encountered anything in school? Just tell your mother, I’m sure she’ll understand.”
“Nope.”
“Then why don’t you want to study this anymore?” Qiao-fu frowned.
“Just don’t feel like it.” Shi Sheng ate her last mouthful of rice. “I’m finished, so I’ll be going back to my room.”
“Qiao Chu, you stop right there!” Qiao-mu shot to her feet. “Do you even respect me as your mother?!”
Shi Sheng waved and shot back to her room.
“This damn girl! Did I owe her from a past life or something?! Back when I told her the major she chose wouldn’t do, you didn’t listen—you insisted on spoiling her. Now look! Look at what happened!”
Probably knowing that her daughter wouldn’t listen no matter what she said, Qiao-mu could only lose her temper with Qiao-fu.
“Don’t be mad, I’ll go talk to her. Qian’qian, help your mother to her room for some rest.” Qiao-fu patted Qiao-mu’s shoulder.
‘These two seem like they have a natural enmity or something.’
This meal didn’t have any of the reunion atmosphere expected of Mid-Autumn.
Shi Sheng was in her room, putting stuff away. A lot of Qiao Chu’s stuff was related to painting—it seemed the girl really liked this pastime.
A pity Shi Sheng really had no talent in painting. Even if she had Qiao Chu’s memories, the things she painted were barely acceptable to look at.
When Qiao-fu came in and saw Shi Sheng packing stuff away, he was startled. “Chu-Chu, what’re you doing?”
“Cleaning up my room.” Shi Sheng pulled a chair out for Qiao-fu to sit on.
“Kid.” Qiao-fu sighed helplessly. “Why do you oppose your mum so much? Don’t retort when she speaks to you—would she harm you?”
“Dad, she won’t, but I can’t accept this method of teaching.” Qiao Chu’s rebelliousness had to do with Qiao-mu’s attitude as much as it did with the FL.
Qiao Chu was the type who listened to persuasion instead of scolding, and Shi Sheng even more so.
“Your mum’s temper isn’t very good, but it was because you angered her so much.” Qiao-fu was even more helpless. “Be more understanding of your mother.”
Shi Sheng didn’t reply.
