After a One-Night Stand with a Seductive Bad Woman - Chapter 21

Several days later, upon arriving at Z City, Lu Jia and her group transferred to a business-class bus at the airport.

As she approached the vehicle, she glanced up and saw a woman with a radiant smile sitting near the door.

Sheng Shubai leaned back in her seat, her voice drawling, “Little Lu.”

Only then did Lu Jia understand the meaning behind the woman’s knowing gaze from the other night.

Those three futile attempts in the bathroom had been for nothing.

Many graduate students from the Printmaking Department had come for this exhibition trip, totaling a few dozen.

The other professor leading the group had a family matter to attend to and wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow.

The other students had already boarded, mostly settling in the back rows. Lu Jia had waited for Shi Mengxi earlier, who then insisted they wait for Rong Yi as well. By now, no other students remained outside the bus.

“Professor Sheng,” Lu Jia greeted with a nod.

Two soft coughs came from behind. Lu Jia turned to see Rong Yi holding a bag and looking at her. “Xiao Lu, hurry up and get on. We’ll go to the hotel to rest first. Let’s not waste any time.”

Lu Jia nodded in agreement.

After boarding the bus, Rong Yi tried to move further inside, but Sheng Shubai gently tugged her wrist. “Since we’re pressed for time, why not sit here? It’s closer.”

Rong Yi froze mid-step, catching herself with Shi Mengxi’s steadying hand behind her. She swallowed her retort, remembering the other students on board.

She watched helplessly as her students placed their bags in the seats beside Sheng Shubai. Rong Yi set down her own bag and took the seat in the adjacent row, separated only by a narrow aisle.

“Teacher, can I sit next to you?” Shi Mengxi asked, her smile bright and seemingly oblivious to the tension simmering in the front row.

Rong Yi remained silent, wordlessly allowing Shi Mengxi to squeeze in beside her.

The hem of Shi Mengxi’s sleeve, rolled up to her elbow, brushed against Rong Yi’s nose, carrying a familiar, faint lavender scent—the new laundry detergent they’d switched to last week.

Shi Mengxi had lived in Rong Yi’s apartment for over a year, taking on all the household chores, including washing and drying their clothes. Both Shi Mengxi’s shirt and Rong Yi’s skirt carried the same lavender fragrance.

Their exchange was brief, lasting only a few sentences in total.

The other students on the bus paid no attention to the front.

Occasionally, a few who knew about the tension between Rong Yi and Sheng Shubai would crane their necks curiously from several rows back, only to have their view almost entirely blocked by the seatbacks.

Seized by a sudden burst of inspiration the night before, Lu Jia had rarely stayed up so late, managing only a hurried two or three hours of sleep before dawn.

Now, fresh off the plane and seated by the window with her headphones on, she leaned her head to the side and drifted off.

The bus started moving slowly, its ride relatively smooth, though occasional bumps were inevitable.

Sheng Shubai heard Lu Jia’s head knock against the window twice with dull thuds. Sighing, she reached out to pull the girl closer to lean against her.

Just as her hand touched Lu Jia’s shoulder, a forceful cough erupted beside them.

“Ahem!”

Rong Yi, who had been keeping an eye on the movements around her, glanced over to see the woman attempting to touch her student.

Sheng Shubai’s voice remained calm and measured, though she lowered her tone. “Professor Rong, are you feeling unwell? Xiao Shi, remember to check on your mentor. It would be troublesome if she suffers from travel sickness in the coming days.”

Noticing Lu Jia’s eyelashes flutter slightly as she fumbled to remove her headphones to hear the commotion, Sheng Shubai continued, “Don’t worry, Lu Jia. Just rest.”

Sheng Shubai lowered her voice again. “Lean on me and get some sleep. It’ll be a long drive to the hotel.”

Lu Jia murmured a drowsy acknowledgment.

Sheng Shubai expertly grasped Lu Jia’s arm, pulling her closer until they were pressed together.

Rong Yi wanted to speak, but Sheng Shubai glanced at the girl in her arms and mouthed, “She’s almost asleep.”

Rong Yi swallowed her words.

Shi Mengxi watched their exchange intently. Just as she was about to look away, Sheng Shubai raised an eyebrow at her, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

Shi Mengxi lowered her gaze, concealing the sudden flutter in her chest.

She was certain she had hidden her feelings well.

No one should have noticed…

Lu Jia woke up groggy.

When she opened her eyes, the light outside the window had already dimmed.

After a moment to collect her thoughts, she realized they were still on the bus. The vehicle had been swaying for nearly an hour, and she had no idea where they were.

This year’s triennial printmaking exhibition in Z City was a grand affair.

The airport was in the city’s outskirts, but the exhibition venue was located on the opposite side of the suburbs. Coupled with rush-hour traffic through the city center, they were still about half an hour away from their destination.

“Professor Sheng, thank you.”

Lu Jia’s voice came out dry and hoarse. She pulled a water bottle from her bag and took a sip. “I’m sorry for leaning on you for so long. Is your shoulder sore?”

Sheng Shubai shook her head. “It’s fine.”

Feeling apologetic, Lu Jia offered, “Let me massage it for you.”

Seeing no objection, Lu Jia turned to help Sheng Shubai with her shoulder. Her gaze drifted sideways, and she noticed Rong Yi glancing their way.

Lu Jia pressed her lips together, her hand freezing halfway before awkwardly withdrawing it.

Sheng Shubai chuckled softly, as if expecting this. “Don’t worry, rest a bit longer.”

When their mentor looked away, Lu Jia straightened up again.

Keeping her eyes fixed forward, Lu Jia lowered her voice to a whisper, “I… I’ll help you later tonight.”

Hotel lobby.

Room types were entirely voluntary and reimbursed by the academy.

Except for a few students who were particularly close and wanted to look out for each other, most opted for single rooms with queen-sized beds.

Lu Jia naturally chose the same.

She wheeled her suitcase into the elevator and headed upstairs. Just as she was halfway through unpacking, a knock sounded at the door.

“Xiao Sheng… Professor Sheng.”

Lu Jia let Sheng Shubai in. Turning around, she noticed two tote bags still piled on the chair. “Sorry for the mess. Did you finish unpacking so quickly?”

Sheng Shubai smiled but didn’t answer.

She gracefully settled onto the small sofa Lu Jia had just cleared. “Want to come over to my place tonight?”

Lu Jia frowned, confused. “What?”

Sheng Shubai blinked. “Didn’t we agree you’d give me a massage tonight?”

Lu Jia nodded. “Okay.”

“By the way, Miss Sheng, how did you end up coming with us?” Lu Jia asked belatedly, glancing at Sheng Shubai, who was fiddling with her phone. “Isn’t this a printmaking exhibition?”

Sheng Shubai held her phone loosely in one hand, her slender fingers resting against the porcelain-white frame. “It’s a family matter. Since the exhibition happened to be in Z City this year, it was hard to decline the invitation. I arrived half a day earlier than you all.”

Initially, she hadn’t planned to attend, but when she learned that none of her family elders were available, she had no choice.

Since she wouldn’t have to meet anyone important, and one of the organizers was a family elder she’d known since childhood who had repeatedly called her, Sheng Shubai felt obligated to come. She decided to treat it as an opportunity to mentor some students from her department.

Though she wasn’t particularly interested in others, she was willing to look after Lu Jia.

“Oh,” Lu Jia replied, not pressing further.

She already knew about Sheng Shubai’s family background.

Lu Jia hadn’t even needed to search for information. After entering the Printmaking Major at C University, she often saw works by Sheng Shubai’s family elders during the Integrated Media Expression course, thanks to casual introductions by the instructor.

Only when she matched the names did Lu Jia realize she had already studied many works by these renowned artists during her undergraduate years.

Knowing how private Sheng Shubai was about her family, Lu Jia had never brought it up.

“Anyway, that’s not important,” Sheng Shubai said, smoothing a stray strand of hair across her shoulder. She glanced at her darkened phone screen as a mirror and added, “May I use the bathroom mirror to touch up my makeup?”

Lu Jia nodded. “Of course.”

The bathroom wall was frosted glass, but Lu Jia had already drawn the privacy curtain when she entered. Now, glancing sideways, she couldn’t see anything through it.

After quickly tidying up her belongings, Lu Jia glanced down at her phone to check the time.

It was seven o’clock in the evening, and she hadn’t had dinner yet.

Just as she was about to ask Sheng Shubai if she wanted to go out together, she heard three more knocks on the door.

“Director Rong… Director Rong, didn’t you go to the restaurant with Senior Sister?”

Lu Jia’s fingers tightened on the doorknob, and she subtly narrowed the gap she had opened.

When they got out of the car earlier, she had overheard Senior Sister Shi chatting with Director Rong behind her, discussing what they wanted to eat later.

“I just came back to put my suitcase away and thought I’d bring you these materials,” Rong Yi said casually, seemingly unaware of the tension. “These documents are all related to the exhibition. You can review them tonight and tomorrow when you have some free time.”

“Okay, thank you, Mentor.”

Lu Jia took the stack of folders and was about to close the door when she heard the sound of running water from the bathroom.

Rong Yi looked surprised. “Didn’t you book a king-size room? Why is there someone else here?”

Lu Jia’s breath caught in her throat.

Just then, a woman’s voice drifted out from the bathroom: “Little Sister Lu, could you grab my lipstick from my bag? I smudged it.”

As if to ensure Lu Jia understood, Sheng Shubai added, “The matte, true red one you complimented last time.”

The mentor’s face turned as cold as ice.

Feeling guilty, Lu Jia silently took a half-step backward.