Chapter 27: Overseas News, Evening Party Registration, Garden Sketch…

Chapter 27: Sign-ups for the Overseas News Evening & Garden Sketching...

Around 10:30 p.m., the bus finally arrived at its destination—the Dongshan District station near the eastern suburbs of the capital city.

As the doors opened, the patter of rain outside spilled in with the howling cold wind, bringing a damp chill.

The rain continued to fall outside, coming down harder with no end in sight.

Qi Heyin received a message from the driver. After getting off the bus, she glanced around briefly and soon noticed her family's car at the corner of the intersection ahead.

After asking Ji Ningye and learning that he hadn’t called for his driver yet, Qi Heyin invited him to share the ride, planning to have the driver drop him off at his home first.

After all, there was still quite a long way from here to the villa area...

Ji Ningye readily agreed, following the girl into the car with clear pleasure.

The driver, seemingly worried Qi Heyin might feel cold, had cranked up the heat.

Ji Ningye leaned back in the rear seat. The warm breeze blowing against his face made him feel drowsy and slightly sleepy.

The atmosphere in the car was quiet—the driver focused on the road, and Qi Heyin remained silent.

Unwilling to disturb this comfortable silence, he turned to look out the window, gazing at the passing nighttime scenery through the blurred, rain-streaked glass.

...Hazy.

After watching for a while, Ji Ningye’s eyelids drooped, about to look away, when he suddenly noticed, under the dim interior light, that the cool glass had somehow reflected their reflections.

His gaze paused, curiously studying their images.

Qi Heyin sat beside him, a faint weariness in her expression, her head slightly bowed, eyes half-closed, lips pressed lightly together. Her glossy black hair cascaded down, slightly dampened by the rain, covering half of her face, revealing only the pale, delicate tip of her chin.

As the car moved smoothly, her drowsiness deepened, her head nodding off more frequently, as if she might fall asleep at any moment.

He smiled to himself.

Staring at the glass, he raised his hand without thinking.

His slender fingers moved slowly upward, hesitating for a moment before carefully touching the window.

Finally, with his fingertip, he gently brushed the reflection of the girl’s peaceful profile.

About half an hour later, after dropping Ji Ningye off at his family manor, Qi Heyin finally returned home.

Due to her late class, Tuesdays were always the nights she slept the latest.

Worn out, she got ready for bed quickly and fell asleep almost immediately.

The next day. Wednesday.

True to habit, Qi Heyin woke up early and took the car to school.

While reviewing some materials during the ride, she checked her device to see the day’s lesson plan when a real-time news alert suddenly appeared on the screen.

"Breaking: Turmoil escalates in Chaos! The head of the Chaos government was assassinated by rebel forces early this morning—fate unknown! Conflict intensifies, threatening to spread across the Western Continent!"

Pausing, startled, Qi Heyin instinctively opened the news details.

It reported that, in the early hours of the previous night, the Chaos government building had been raided by rebel forces, resulting in heavy casualties. The fierce fighting had also harmed many civilians living near the capital.

As she read the news, Qi Heyin thought of Shang Wenze, who was currently visiting Chaos with his father, and her heart pounded.

Unable to help herself, she scrolled through her chat history with Shang Wenze. The last message was from yesterday afternoon, where he had been excited when he heard she had finished making his birthday gift.

After a moment of thought, she looked down and sent him a message.

"Qi Heyin: I just saw the news about the latest riots in Chaos. Are you okay there?"

There was no immediate reply. She tried calling twice, but the calls didn’t go through.

This was really worrying...

Sighing, Qi Heyin reached into her backpack and pulled out a box with an antique design.

Opening the lid, she revealed a small, exquisitely crafted peace pendant resting inside. Under the sunlight, the jade glowed warmly.

She gently traced the pendant with her finger. After Shang Wenze mentioned it, she had gone the very next day to select the jade material and asked the jeweler to rush the process.

He was her first friend and someone important to her, so she was more than happy to fulfill his birthday wish.

Now... she could only hope this item would live up to its symbolic meaning and keep him safe. *(A note on the "peace pendant": This is a traditional Chinese jade ornament symbolizing safety and well-being.)*

Closing the lid softly, Qi Heyin looked up another number in her contacts and dialed.

This time, the call was answered almost immediately. A steady, deep male voice spoke, "Hello? Miss Qi?"

"Hello, Assistant Chen," Qi Heyin said. "I have something I’d like to ask you to deliver to Shang Wenze. Could you come to Faro Academy this afternoon?"

......

About fifty minutes later, Qi Heyin arrived at the academy and entered the classroom.

The lively, buzzing atmosphere in the classroom slightly eased the weight of worry in her heart, helping her regain her composure. She began to consider the possibility that Shang Wenze, as one of the original novel’s male leads, might possess the so-called "protagonist’s halo."

As the class bell rang, the senior professor entered and began the day’s specialty lecture.

Before starting, the professor, in his role as class advisor, announced two pieces of news to the students.

First, he enthusiastically praised Qi Heyin in front of the entire class for successfully passing the competition selection, and amid the students’ applause, he wished her success in advance.

Then, he brought up matters related to this year’s school anniversary celebration.

"Children, in a few weeks, it’ll be time for our annual school anniversary. Like previous years, we’ll be preparing performances for the anniversary gala by department."

The professor smiled warmly. "The faculty at the Mimicry Institute have discussed it and decided to stage an educational theater piece about Mimicry this year."

"The script has already been written by a few senior students. We’ll need some students' Mimic manifestations to assist in the performance. If you’re interested, you can check the script with the class representatives after class and see if there’s a role suitable for you, then sign up."

Participating in the anniversary performances always earned students extra practical credits, so the students were naturally eager.

Hearing that Mimics would be involved this time, the students grew even more excited. Some couldn’t wait and immediately asked the class representatives for the script.

With all four grades of the Mimicry department collaborating on one performance, roles would be first-come, first-served—there might even be competition for spots.

"Qi Heyin, I’ve been meaning to ask—what’s your Mimic?" Jiang Yanche, sitting beside her, turned to her curiously amidst the surrounding chatter.

"A Snowy Owl. A wisdom-type Mimic," Qi Heyin replied.

Jiang Yanche let out an "Oh," propping his chin in his hands. "So it’s a cute bird."

Suddenly, his face lit up with understanding, and he murmured, "Ah, so that’s what Brother Ze’s avatar meant..."

Unsure what he was going on about, Qi Heyin paused and flipped the question back: "What about you?"

To be honest, she was genuinely curious about what Jiang Yanche's Mimic was.

"It's a leopard cat. A strength-type Mimic," Jiang Yanche drawled.

Hearing this, Qi Heyin arched her eyebrows.

"Surprised?" Jiang Yanche scratched his chin, looking puzzled. "Doesn't my personality scream 'mischievous pretty-boy cat'?"

Qi Heyin: "..."

What kind of "mischievous pretty-boy cat" was that? The statement was so ridiculous it rendered her mute. Only someone as shameless as him could say it so boldly...

If anything, Jiang Yanche would definitely be a bad one.

Through the professor's droning lecture, the morning classes soon passed.

At four in the afternoon, after finishing her physical education class, Qi Heyin shouldered her art kit and showed up right on time at the back garden of Faro Academy for the outdoor sketching session organized by the art club that day.

Following the location Wen Zhimo had sent her online, she circled around the small garden and eventually found the art club members by a clear stream.

Only a handful had shown up that day, with just six or seven people present.

"Senior Qi, you're here," Wen Zhimo said upon seeing her, quickly setting down his sketchboard and walking over.

Under his soft chestnut curls, his clear tea-brown eyes curved slightly as he looked at her, a shy smile on his face.

He reached out and naturally took the art supplies bag from Qi Heyin, offering quietly, "Senior, why don’t you sit next to me?"

Qi Heyin didn't mind. She nodded and followed Wen Zhimo toward a spot near the stream, closer to the maple grove.

Sitting down in front of her easel, she set up her drawing board, unfurled her sheet, and then prepared her palette, mixing some colors to get ready for painting.

On one side sat Wen Zhimo, while on the other was a long-haired girl. The girl, intently focused, was bent over her work, carefully outlining shapes on the blank canvas with her brush.

The autumn scenery in the garden was beautiful—golden light filtering through scarlet maples—making it a perfect spot for sketching.

Once her preparations were done, Qi Heyin quickly lost herself in the work, undistracted by anything else.

For a while, the only sound around was the quiet scratch of bristles.

She remained unaware that a slender figure was slowly approaching. After a brief moment of hesitation, it began silently climbing up her pant leg.

Its chill, scaly form brushed lightly against the soft fabric beneath.

Reaching the highest point, it peered down from above, its dark red eyes glinting hungrily as it fixed its gaze on the girl’s slender, pale neck.

The violent instincts of a cold-blooded creature stirred restlessly.

What boiled in its mind was not just its own impulse but also its master’s desire.

It wanted so badly...

To coil, to spiral, wrapping around again and again...

Until this fragile, beautiful creature was utterly ensnared.