Chapter 278 : Anything You Want~
“I see, so that’s how it is~”
Chen Ruo nodded solemnly, but she couldn’t keep her eyes from drifting to the large bag of spicy snacks on the table. The temptation was almost irresistible, but with Ling Ning sitting right across from her, she had to keep up her dignity as a proper lady.
Meanwhile, Jiang Xue was still looking at Chen Ruo in disbelief. She had always imagined “Moe-Lost-Kitty” as a shady middle-aged man, and no matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t reconcile the artist of those “intense” adult illustrations with the innocent-looking girl in front of her.
Had she met a fake “Moe-Lost-Kitty”?
Ling Ning suddenly remembered something and pulled a doujinshi from her bag, handing it to Chen Ruo. “Oh, by the way, this is one she drew. Take a look~”
Jiang Xue watched nervously. This was her best work so far, despite the fact that her Teacher had criticized it mercilessly. But still, it was hers.
The room went silent, with only the sound of Chen Ruo flipping through the pages. After a long while, she closed the doujinshi with a soft thud.
“Well… I have to say, your art style is actually pretty good.”
Jiang Xue’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t expected to be praised by “Moe-Lost-Kitty” herself! She was over the moon.
But her joy didn’t last long. Chen Ruo continued, “However, your paneling is a mess. It’s hard to follow the flow, and there are too many unnecessary frames.”
“The character designs are fine, but you’ve overlooked a lot of small details. For instance, here,” Chen Ruo pointed to the heroine’s hand on a page. “It looks okay at a glance, but if you examine it closely, it comes off as oddly deformed.”
“And here—the wrinkles on the clothes, and the eyes… oh, I can’t stand it. Your fundamentals are decent, and it’s clear you’ve practiced a lot, but there are just so many mistakes!”
Hearing Chen Ruo’s critique, Jiang Xue was stunned. She’d thought her artwork was good, but she hadn’t realized how much she still had to improve.
Watching Chen Ruo’s serious expression, Ling Ning found it strangely charming. Despite her cute face, Chen Ruo had an intense authority about her when discussing manga.
“When she talks about manga, she’s surprisingly impressive,” Ling Ning remarked with a smile.
“O-of course! Who do you think I am?”
Chen Ruo puffed out her chest with a “praise me” expression, reminding Ling Ning of a puppy begging for attention.
Unable to resist, Ling Ning walked over and patted Chen Ruo on the head.
“Hmph! I’m not a child, you know. I don’t get happy from head pats~”
Chen Ruo muttered, though her eyes, squinting contentedly, betrayed her words. Any authority she’d just established was completely gone.
Jiang Xue watched in awe, impressed that her Teacher had managed to win over even the famous “Moe-Lost-Kitty.”
“Hey, Chen Ruo, if you agree to mentor my silly disciple, I’ll grant you one wish. Anything you want~” Ling Ning whispered seductively, leaning close and blowing gently on Chen Ruo’s ear.
She found teasing Chen Ruo far too entertaining. As for granting a wish, that was something she’d just said on impulse. She figured that with Chen Ruo’s personality, she wouldn’t ask for anything outrageous.
Feeling the tingling in her ear and hearing “anything you want,” Chen Ruo’s mind raced. Could this mean… she could turn Ling Ning into her very own “hot weapon”?! Her imagination took off, filling with various scenarios of what she might do once she had Ling Ning as her “weapon.”
“Um… Teacher Moe-Lost-Kitty, are you okay?” Jiang Xue asked, noticing Chen Ruo’s sudden blush.
Startled out of her fantasy, Chen Ruo stammered, “N-nothing! If you ever need help with drawing, feel free to come to me. If I’m free, that is.”
“Yes!”
Jiang Xue responded enthusiastically. Since Chen Ruo had offered, it meant she was willing to teach her. Her Teacher was amazing—one sentence, and she’d convinced “Moe-Lost-Kitty” to… ahem, convinced her to teach. However, she had only caught the last part of her Teacher’s whisper, something like “anything you want.”
Wait! Anything you want?! Could her Teacher and “Moe-Lost-Kitty” be… involved in some kind of secret relationship? Thinking back on their interactions, it actually seemed plausible!
“So… how should I address you, Teacher Moe-Lost-Kitty? Should I keep calling you that, or would ‘Teacher’s Wife’ be better?”
“W-w-wife?! My name is Chen Ruo, just call me ‘teacher!’” The blush that had just faded returned in full force at Jiang Xue’s words, and Chen Ruo couldn’t help but steal a glance at Ling Ning. Actually, she wouldn’t mind being called “Teacher’s Wife.”
“Oh, it’s already almost lunchtime. We’ve been talking for a while!” Ling Ning noted, checking her phone.
Chen Ruo shrugged apologetically. “As much as I’d love to treat you both…”
Ling Ning didn’t expect Chen Ruo to treat them anyway. She glanced out the window at the blazing sun and picked up a pen and paper, jotting down a few ingredients. Handing the list to Jiang Xue, she said, “Alright, disciple, it’s time for you to prove yourself. Go pick up these ingredients at the nearby store!”
“Got it, mission accepted!”
Jiang Xue gave a crooked salute, excitement lighting up her face as she hurried out. She felt light as a feather, with nothing to fear anymore.
“Yawn…” Chen Ruo stretched, though given her petite figure, her stretch only made her look even cuter.
“Oh, by the way, do you have any manga recommendations, Chen Ruo?”
“Of course! Come check out my room.”
Chen Ruo had a nagging feeling she’d forgotten something important…
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Author’s Note:
Today’s innocent book recommendation is Have You Seen My Familiar?/你有看见我家使魔吗？ by Kuso Kuso.
Luo Shui, originally a max-level summoner, had seven familiar girls and a peaceful harem. The future looked bright.
Until one day, his familiars left him…
And the reason they left? They claimed it was because they loved him?
What secrets were his wives hiding?
Luo Shui couldn’t sit still—he had to go get his wives back!
Excuse me, have you seen my familiars?
[PS: Author is currently juggling three stories at once—divine immortality on the horizon!]