Chapter 443 : Molten Core!
“Look at this angle, look at this expression—doesn’t it just scream perfection? I’m starting to think Xiao Xue is wasting her talent drawing serious manga. If she shifted to drawing ecchi manga, she’d undoubtedly surpass me in no time!”
Chen Ruo enthusiastically pointed at the drawing.
“You’ve got a point!”
Ling Ning nodded thoughtfully. Even as an outsider who knew little about art, she could see how exceptional this piece was. Still, there was something oddly familiar about the character on the drawing. It was as though she had seen them somewhere before.
At that moment, Jiang Xue stepped out of the bathroom, now dressed and groomed. She froze as she saw her Master and Teacher animatedly discussing something—something she instantly recognized as the drawing she had left on the table.
Wait a second! That wasn’t just any paper—they were holding the drawing she had done the previous night when she couldn’t sleep! She’d forgotten to put it away, and now her Master had seen it. She felt like her world was collapsing.
Jiang Xue instinctively retracted her foot back into the bathroom and carefully shut the door.
“What do you do when your Master sees an ecchi drawing of herself that you drew? Asking for a friend!”
“…”
No, now wasn’t the time for jokes. She needed to figure out how to smooth this over. Maybe, just maybe, her Master hadn’t realized the person in the drawing was her?
Even if she had noticed, Jiang Xue could claim it was just the protagonist of her manga. That explanation should work, right?
Resolving herself, Jiang Xue stepped out again. Although she appeared calm on the surface, internally, she was in a full-blown panic.
Seeing her approach, Chen Ruo immediately sidled up to her and said with passionate fervor, “Xiao Xue, I highly recommend you switch to ecchi manga. With the quality of this drawing, you’d be a hit for sure!”
“Eh!?”
“Disciple, this drawing is indeed excellent. The character is the protagonist of your manga, right?”
“Y-yes. I was struck by inspiration last night and drew it. I doubt I could replicate it now.”
“Eh!?”
Chen Ruo looked visibly disappointed but didn’t give up. Grasping Jiang Xue’s shoulders, she said earnestly, “If you ever reach the point where you can create drawings like this effortlessly, you must venture into ecchi manga. It’s your destiny!”
“Understood, Teacher.”
After hastily putting the drawing away, Jiang Xue finally breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, her Master hadn’t suspected anything.
Ling Ning glanced at the clock and noticed it was almost noon.
“Well, it’s about time. I’ll get started on lunch. In the meantime, you should consider tidying up your room.” Ling Ning cast a pointed glance at a corner where a blue-and-white striped pair of panties lay.
“I-I’ll clean up right now!”
“I want to watch Ling Ning cook!”
Chen Ruo, having finished her last packet of spicy snacks, followed Ling Ning into the kitchen.
Watching Ling Ning deftly handle the ingredients, Chen Ruo’s eyes sparkled with admiration. If only she had such skills, she could make her favorite dishes whenever she wanted.
Ling Ning turned her head and noticed Chen Ruo’s focused gaze. Smiling, she asked, “Chen Ruo, would you like to learn how to cook?”
“Mm.”
As if struck by an idea, Ling Ning’s lips curled into a mischievous smile. “I can teach you, but…what will you offer in return?”
“Eh!?”
Chen Ruo blinked, then dashed out and returned with her remaining stash of spicy snacks. Reluctantly, she offered, “I…I’ll trade my snacks. Is that okay?”
Ling Ning almost burst out laughing but managed to keep a straight face. “You know, Chen Ruo, those snacks were a gift from me.”
Chen Ruo furrowed her brows, looking troubled. “It seems…all I have are these snacks.”
“That’s not entirely true~” Ling Ning leaned in close and whispered in a teasing tone, “You still have yourself. If you offer yourself to me, I’ll teach you anything you want~”
“Eh!!!???”
Chen Ruo’s face instantly turned crimson, as if she had activated Molten Core. She looked both adorable and completely stunned.
“Am I…being proposed to? How should I respond?”
Chen Ruo’s mind spiraled with thoughts before it completely short-circuited, leaving her frozen.
Seeing her reaction, Ling Ning scratched her head, realizing she might have gone too far. That comment had been entirely unfiltered.
“Um…Chen Ruo? Are you okay?”
The gentle shaking brought Chen Ruo back to her senses. Still dazed, she stared at Ling Ning, struggling to process everything.
“Master, what’s going on?” Jiang Xue, who had been tidying up her room, rushed over after hearing the commotion. All she saw, however, was her Master and Teacher standing normally in the kitchen.
“Nothing…nothing at all. Your Teacher just pulled an SSR, that’s all.”
“Oh~”
Jiang Xue nodded knowingly and returned to cleaning. She hadn’t realized just how messy her room was until now.
Once Jiang Xue was gone, Ling Ning sighed in relief. Leaning closer to Chen Ruo, she apologized, “I’m so sorry about earlier. That was just a joke. Please don’t take it seriously.”
Chen Ruo exhaled deeply. “Of course, I knew it was a joke.”
Although she appeared to brush it off, a small part of Chen Ruo felt disappointed. Honestly, she had almost agreed to Ling Ning’s "proposal."
But had she really dismissed Ling Ning’s words as a joke?
Only Chen Ruo knew the truth.
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Author’s Note:
I’m so broke, even salted fish seems like a luxury.