Chapter 318 : The Old Ones
“Why did things turn out like this? All I wanted was to do some drawing…” Jiang Xue sighed, glancing at her Teacher, who was busy in the kitchen.
She had given up on continuing her drawing for now. First, it was almost lunchtime, and any further work would delay eating. Second, she couldn’t shake the image of her Teacher’s alluring pose from her mind. Continuing to draw now would only result in a rather risqué version of her character.
The main character in her manga was meant to be pure and elegant, not sultry. If her current mood influenced her art, the entire tone would be ruined.
Jiang Xue hoped to clear her mind and get the design right that afternoon. She wanted to aim for her best work—after all, she was planning to enter the “Water Dragon Awards,” and anything less than her best would feel half-hearted.
Hearing the sounds of clanging pots and pans from the kitchen, mixed with the tantalizing aroma of food, Jiang Xue felt a twinge of nostalgia. She hadn’t used her kitchen in ages; all it saw now was the occasional pot of boiling water for instant noodles.
“Lunch is ready~”
“I’m coming!”
At her Teacher’s call, Jiang Xue headed into the kitchen to help set the table and bring out the dishes. The food smelled so good her mouth was watering.
Jiang Xue usually took her meals outside, grabbing the cheapest steamed buns for breakfast, eating lunch and dinner at the café, and snacking on instant noodles when working late at night.
She wasn’t sure how she’d managed to survive on such a meager diet. Back when she lived with her family, she wouldn’t have glanced at instant noodles.
“Teacher, why did you make so much food?” Jiang Xue asked, bewildered by the full spread on the table.
Ling Ning scratched her head sheepishly. “I bought too many ingredients, so I thought I’d make a bit of everything. Besides, if there’s too much, we can put it in the fridge and heat it up for dinner. And from what I remember, you’ve got a pretty big appetite, don’t you?”
She recalled Jiang Xue’s ravenous eating habits at the café. Jiang Xue ate enough for two people at each meal, devouring her food like someone who hadn’t eaten in days. Ling Ning figured her food-loving disciple and her friend Lin Xi—the bottomless pit of an eater—would have plenty to talk about. They could even become friends or rivals. Who knew?
As they started eating, Jiang Xue’s enthusiasm was on full display, diving into the meal with unmatched gusto. Ling Ning, a bit taken aback, quickly increased her own pace, reminded of Lin Xi’s ravenous energy at meals. She didn’t want to end up hungry that afternoon.
Before long, the entire spread was gone. Most of it had been eaten by Jiang Xue, leaving Ling Ning wondering why she’d bothered saying, “Whatever we don’t finish can be saved for later.” With a food lover like Jiang Xue, nothing was ever left over.
After lunch, Jiang Xue went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Since her Teacher had bought the ingredients and prepared the meal, washing up was the least she could do.
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“How’s it going? Are you finished?” Ling Ning asked, hearing her disciple’s deep sigh.
“Yes, I’m finally done!” Jiang Xue said with satisfaction, admiring her completed sketch. She’d finally managed to capture the character’s essence without any accidental… enhancements. All that was left was to scan it into the computer for the final character design.
Ling Ning walked over to take a look. She noticed that Jiang Xue’s drawing had improved since the last time she’d seen her work at Chen Ruo’s house. It seemed Jiang Xue had indeed learned a lot.
“Very nice!”
“Oh, it’s all thanks to you, Teacher.”
“By the way, would you teach me how to draw manga?” Ling Ning asked excitedly. After reading the manga guidebook all day, she was eager to try her hand at drawing.
“Eh!?” Jiang Xue blinked in surprise. Why did her Teacher suddenly want to learn to draw? But since she asked, how could Jiang Xue refuse?
Seeing her disciple agree, Ling Ning cheered and sat down beside her, watching intently. Reading the guidebook had filled her with confidence—she’d completely forgotten her lack of artistic talent.
Sitting so close, Jiang Xue could smell her Teacher’s subtle fragrance and feel her soft arm pressed against her own. When she turned her head, her eyes landed on a certain… deep neckline. Jiang Xue suddenly felt her brain go fuzzy, thinking, Teacher, you’re way too close! Your… um, chest… it’s touching my arm!
Taking a deep breath to clear her mind, Jiang Xue steadied herself and began her lesson. “If you want to learn to draw manga, we should start with…”
Jiang Xue was thorough, explaining all the basics. Ling Ning understood the concepts easily, but putting them into practice was another matter. Thankfully, Jiang Xue was patient, guiding her step by step.
After much effort, Ling Ning finally completed her first sketch. She looked at it once, then quickly turned away, unable to bear the sight. She’d aimed to draw a beautiful young woman, but somehow, the result looked more like an eldritch horror from a Lovecraft story.
Jiang Xue stared at the disturbing sketch, feeling her sanity drop. How did Teacher manage to draw something like this under my guidance? She didn’t even know how she’d taught her so badly. But maybe it was just her Teacher’s… unique talent. If her manga ever needed a terrifying creature, she might just ask Ling Ning to draw a “beautiful girl.”
“How about… we keep practicing? Maybe… next time will be better?” Jiang Xue offered, trying to be encouraging.
Ling Ning shook her head, looking utterly defeated. “No, I think I’ve realized I have zero talent for drawing. I’ll just stick to my writing.”
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Author's Note:
Finally received my pillow featuring my favorite character. Feeling too lazy to write tonight!