The early morning at Starry Arts Academy is tranquil. Sparkling dew trickles down the tips of the grass, creating ripples on the lake's surface. Amidst the clear bird chirps, the man holds a paintbrush before his sight, contemplating proportions. On the drawing board, a watercolor painting appears vibrant and delicate.
The school's rear garden is vast, with lush green lawns that look like a golf course, or perhaps a broad prairie, stretching beyond the eye's reach. Only the faint outlines of towering trees can be seen.
Along the corridor, various climbing plants cling to the wooden posts, growing upwards from the base and covering the crossbeams. As the wind blows through the tiny leaves, they rustle softly. In the vertical gaps, morning light pours down, landing on the students passing below.
"Good morning, Professor Ventel."
Upon hearing someone call his name, the man raises his head. The female student wears a checkered school uniform with a maple leaf emblem; the brown-gray uniform buttons neatly like a small vest. Below the gray-striped skirt are round-toed short boots, exuding vibrancy and energy.
"Is this your new work? Sketching scenes in the academy's rear garden? Oh, it's indeed beautiful here. I've seen many paintings from East Lake District, but it's the first time seeing here."
Holding books, the female student has long braids on both sides of her head, freckles on her face, and bright, cheerful eyes.
"Mm, good morning." Ventel nods.
"At the release of 'Impression·Sunset,' I couldn't make it to the front of the line. I've always admired you, really like your works, if possible..."
"Mm."
The excitement in the female student's words is interrupted by the man standing up. He waves his hand, packs up his drawing board and paint bucket, and leaves without looking back, leaving the female student in a daze.
She doesn't understand where she misspoke, causing displeasure to this professor.
"Let's go, Xi, everyone knows that Professor Ventel is eccentric, never voluntarily engaging with people outside of professional class time." Someone beside her says.
"Got it..." The girl feels a bit downhearted.
"Oh, not entirely, he only communicates with his prized student, that amazing student council president, Lancelot~" The person beside her deliberately drags out the words.
"Don't think of the Master as too sacred, after all, it's about living, pursuing advantages and currying favor, it's human nature. Who doesn't know that President Lancelot is the second young master of the Withered Flower family?"
"Don't say such things in front of me." The girl glares at the person beside her and then runs forward holding her book.
The person shrugs, indifferent.
The first morning class for the students is about to start soon. Under normal circumstances, students still in the dormitories should be hurriedly rushing towards the teaching building, but in some girls' dormitory—
A purple-haired girl leisurely sprays a bottle of skincare essence onto her own face, leaning back to ensure the essence doesn't run off, letting it fully absorb into her skin before softly patting her face with satisfaction.
One must know that this Delran Skincare Essence can cost nearly five hundred inspirations a bottle. The production process requires rigorous control by professionals in the High-Tier Water Element domain, even losing a drop would be heart-wrenching for people like her.
"Leblanc, hurry up, you'll be late!" Someone beside her urges.
"Oh, why hurry? Did you forget, the first class is Madam Fandony's opera specialty, she's quite nice, never takes attendance, so if we're late, we just don't go."
"This essence liquid was given by Senior Lancelot, a waste if spilled~"
"Lancelot! You, when did you hook up with him, isn't he already got a girlfriend? And it's that Sword Saint..."
"It's normal for men to fool around. On the first day, they talk philosophy and stargazing with depth, and by the second day, they ask to see your legs; though Lancelot isn't of such low taste."
The purple-haired girl says carelessly, taking out a jar of jelly face mask, unscrewing the lid, her slender fingertips spread a layer of the black, muddy surface, smoothing it over her face.
"You vixen." A girl continuously scrolling on some screen in a corner chimes in with a shrill voice, "If that girl finds out, she'll surely skin you alive."
The purple-haired girl chuckles, closing the lid, "What about it~ At least I keep my affairs open, unlike some people who, while putting on airs, are messing around outside school, who knows how many guys they've hooked up with in secret?"
"Exactly, isn't her mother that kind of person? She used any means to get with Lindong family's men, but who knows what she did behind the scenes to make the family so devoted?"
"Hey, don't say that, the girl never accepted help from the Lindong family, has nothing to do with her mom, she grew up in a foster home after all~"
"Well, I think, she's just like her mother..."
Just then, the dormitory door suddenly swings open, crashing against its white frame with a 'bang'.
The room instantly falls silent, you could hear a pin drop.
The previously chatting girls stop, eyes wide, surprised at the blue-haired girl standing at the door.
Leblanc forces an awkward expression: "Sevia, why are you suddenly back at this time, without giving us a heads-up?"
The blue-haired girl walks in without a word, ignoring the astonished gazes of the others, nor answering the girl's question, heading straight to her bed to tidy up her things.
"Sevia, someone asked you something!" A girl raises her voice.
Tang Xin spreads out the clothes in her hand on the bed, folding them neatly before letting out a long sigh, getting up to face Leblanc, looking at her calmly.
Leblanc inexplicably feels like the blue-haired girl has suddenly turned into someone else after coming back, her intense gaze makes her hair stand on end, and an unfounded unease wells up in her heart.
"Firstly, my name is not Sevia," Tang Xin says.
"Secondly, you can continue the earlier topic, some things don't need to be talked about behind someone's back, if there's any discontent with me, feel free to say it face to face."
"Tang Xin, you've changed..."
Leblanc says awkwardly.
"Leblanc, but you're still the same as before, haven't changed a bit." Tang Xin replies with a smile lacking warmth.
Leblanc's words get stuck in her throat.
In her impression, the blue-haired girl was always a kind of silent and unnoticed presence, even when ordered around, never showing displeasure, and definitely never being this strongly assertive.
For a moment, Leblanc still hasn't adjusted to Tang Xin's transformation, shrinking to a corner under the girl's aggressive gaze, appearing as if she's being bullied instead.
Just when she felt too wronged, trying to straighten up and say something, Tang Xin had already packed up her things, dragging her suitcase away swiftly under everyone's watchful gazes.
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