Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The next morning, Shen Gali was called down by Uncle Li for breakfast, but Nan Liujing was nowhere to be seen.

He didn’t ask, but Uncle Li volunteered, “The young master has been swamped with work the past couple of days, so he went to the company early this morning.”

Shen Gali: “Oh, I didn’t ask. You didn’t have to tell me.”

Though the tone was indifferent, Uncle Li heard it as:

“Don’t tell me where that nuisance is off to—last night he almost left me unable to get out of bed, hmph.”

By the time Shen Gali finished breakfast, it was nearly noon. Uncle Li took out a neatly pressed set of clothes and said respectfully, “Mr. Shen, please change after eating. Following the young master’s instructions, we’ll be going out together this afternoon.”

Shen Gali had no idea what he and Uncle Li needed to do together and didn’t want to go.

He started to act, rubbing his temples with feigned pain. “Your young master was way too rough on me last night. I didn’t sleep well, and my head hurts. Let me go lie down for ten hours.”

Uncle Li said with a smile, “Let me schedule a house call from the family doctor for a full check-up. Health is the foundation of everything. To keep your body in good shape—”

“I’m changed. Let’s go, Uncle Li.”

*

The weather was overcast, perfect for staying in bed and sleeping.

Shen Gali, sitting in the car, couldn’t understand why, on such a perfect day, Uncle Li insisted on dragging him, a total downer, out.

Outside the window, the scenery slid by slowly, growing smaller and smaller.

Shen Gali wanted to ask Uncle Li where they were going, but the moment he opened his mouth, he felt too exhausted, so he shut it and closed his eyes.

With the car stopping and starting, Shen Gali drifted in and out of sleep. Half-asleep, the car pulled over by the roadside. Uncle Li got out and opened the door for him. “Mr. Shen, we’re here.”

Shen Gali looked up.

?

The big orange sign had acrylic letters:

“Seven-Colored Flower Art Academy”

Around the text were colorful sunflower and giraffe stickers, and on either side of the glass door stood cardboard animal models.

Shen Gali: …

At the entrance, a trendy young mother in stylish clothes hurried in, holding the hand of a little girl in a princess dress.

“This is…?” Shen Gali was dumbfounded.

“The young master cares about you and hopes to find something you’re interested in, so he asked me to book a trial class in creative art,” Uncle Li said.

“I get that, but why is it a preschool art class?” Shen Gali pointed at the word “Preschool” on the sign, raising a genuine question.

“The young master insisted it be within two kilometers of home. This is the only training institution within that radius,” Uncle Li said with a smile. “Also, given your current art level, Mr. Shen, you’re not up to the level for adult classes.”

Shen Gali: (glare)

As they spoke, a woman in her twenties walked out from inside, wearing a bright professional smile. “Mr. Li, right? Hello, I’m Little Deer, the head of the art department at Seven-Colored Flower. You booked our trial creative art class last night, correct?”

Uncle Li shook hands with Little Deer. “My kid is a little special. Please take extra care of him.”

“That’s what we’re here for. Class starts in ten minutes. Come on out, little Jiali,” Little Deer said, bending down to look inside the car.

Her smile froze for a second, but years of teaching experience quickly restored it.

What kind of “little kid” is this? He’s huge! No, that’s an adult!

Stay calm, stay calm—maybe his development is still at a preschool level. She’d seen kids like this before. Stay composed.

“Little Jiali, come in and wash your hands. We’re about to start a fun and exciting painting journey!” Little Deer extended a hand to Shen Gali.

Shen Gali: …

Resigned, Shen Gali got out and followed Little Deer into the school.

As soon as he entered, the children’s screaming, like bandits raiding a village, pierced his eardrums.

He closed his eyes in despair, afraid to look further.

Little Deer opened the door to the Sunflower Class and called out the teacher.

When the teacher saw Shen Gali outside, her heart raced—she thought he must be some kid’s dad, and he was so handsome!

When she found out he was the trial student for today, her smile gradually disappeared.

Parents waiting at the door looked on in disbelief, huddling together and whispering about whether this big kid might have some developmental issues.

Meanwhile, Uncle Li had already set up a camera in the classroom. According to the young master’s orders, he was to livestream Shen Gali’s entire class session to him.

Back in his office, Nan Liujing received the message, opened his computer, and opened his personal livestream.

What appeared on screen was a bunch of kids in orange smocks, looking to be no older than six, all staring at Shen Gali and asking the teacher if he was the new teacher.

The teacher, Little Rabbit, gave an awkward laugh. “This is Shen Gali, who’s playing with everyone today. You can call him Li Li.”

“Teacher, why is he so tall? Is he a giant?”

Shen Gali shot a cold glare at the kid, his eyes saying “God, so annoying, stay away from me.”

The next second, the kid burst into tears at his icy stare.

Behind the screen, Nan Liujing covered his mouth with one hand, holding back a smile.

Little Rabbit wanted to cry. The head of the department had specifically told her that the kid coming today was from a major corporate family and had to be well taken care of. If he liked the course, they planned to register for a two-year course, and from then on, the school’s art supplies would be fully covered by them.

But why was he an adult?

To create the cheerful voice kids liked, Little Rabbit was nearly yelling her head off, constantly glancing at the livestream setup in the corner, feeling the stress.

Shen Gali had no interest in art whatsoever. He couldn’t understand how smearing messy colors randomly on paper could be called “art education.”

If he had that kind of energy, wouldn’t it be better to go scrub the village toilet?

Sitting among a bunch of kindergarteners, Shen Gali felt like a fish out of water. But Little Rabbit was determined to give him extra attention, insisting on calling on him to answer questions, even promising him a sticker if he answered correctly.

Shen Gali: …

Little Rabbit: “We just went over this. Come on, think—what shape are a butterfly’s wings?”

Shen Gali's gaze flickered to the student artworks posted in the classroom, and he casually said, "A strip."

"Why is it a strip..." Even if he'd said teardrop, it would have been more plausible.

Shen Gali slowly pointed to one of the pieces: a colorful butterfly with a caterpillar lying beneath it, gazing up with envy, waiting to transform into a beautiful butterfly herself.

Teacher Little Rabbit gave a dry laugh. "Li Li is using his imagination, thinking of what the butterfly used to be. Great job, everyone, let's give him a round of applause!"

A bunch of kindergarten kids clapped in unison for Shen Gali.

Even though his answer was wildly off-topic, early childhood education encourages more praise than criticism, so the teacher still gave him a sticker.

A cute chibi strawberry sticker—the teacher enthusiastically stuck it right on his forehead, just like the other kids...

Nan Liujing looked at the little strawberry on his forehead and couldn't help but turn his face away, letting out a soft laugh.

Kind of cute.

He suddenly closed his laptop and pressed the intercom speed dial: "Driver Yang, I need to leave early today. Please come pick me up now."

When the driver arrived, he chattered on: "Mr. Nan, is there something important today? Where shall I take you?"

To his employees, Nan Liujing was a workaholic—even when resting at home, he was always glued to his computer. The driver had never seen him leave work this early before.

"Seven-Color Flower Art Education School on Huaihai Road."

Driver: ?

If it were some hotel, that would make sense, but Seven-Color Flower Art Education? That sounds so kiddy.

*

The excruciating class finally ended, and Shen Gali was called out to the hallway by the teacher for a photo.

He held up his painting—a black, unrecognizable blob—standing among a group of kids who were all about a meter tall.

Weak.jpg

Uncle Li beamed like a sunflower, just like the grandparents who brought their grandkids to class, thinking his grandson was incredible—the color, the composition! Da Vinci reincarnated. He held up his phone, snapping dozens of photos of Shen Gali and his painting, grinning from ear to ear.

Shen Gali scuffed the floor with his toe, wishing he could disappear into a crack.

Just then, Uncle Li's phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, instantly wiped the smile off his face, and, clutching his tie, hurried out the door.

When he came back, he was with a man in a wheelchair—wearing a mask and sunglasses, wrapped up so tight that no one could recognize him.

One look told Teacher Little Deer that this man was the real big fish behind the scenes. The way he sat there exuded an intimidating aura, radiating arrogance.

Nan! Liujing! Teacher Little Deer finally remembered why the name Shen Gali sounded so familiar—and that this was the rumored man in a wheelchair who never showed his face. He was the eldest son of the Huanhai Electronics empire!

The other parents, hearing the commotion, abandoned their kids and crowded over to gawk.

Shen Gali was still holding up his lousy painting, silently complaining about how long this photo shoot would last.

The next second, the man he least wanted to see appeared.

Teacher Little Deer quickly took Shen Gali's hand in a friendly way and smiled at Nan Liujing. "Mr. Nan, let's talk over there."

Following standard procedure, after class, the teacher would praise the child's performance to the parents and then close the deal.

In the empty classroom, Shen Gali sat beside Nan Liujing, opposite Teacher Little Deer, with his masterpiece laid out before them.

Shen Gali was drained, slumped over the table, eyes half-closed.

The other teachers, tactful, brought over tea and snacks, then hid outside the door, peeking in to catch a glimpse of the legendary man.

With all those big chain training schools, who would've thought the eldest son of a conglomerate would step into this tiny school?

The teacher asked Shen Gali, "Mr. Shen, what do you think of our creative art course? Was it interesting?"

Shen Gali knew that if he honestly said it was boring, he would be subjected to endless persuasion and trial lessons.

He slumped on the table, slowly raised his hand, and gave a thumbs-up.

Nan Liujing held the edge of the painting and looked down with disdain. "Teacher, what do you think of his work? Does he have talent?"

"Excellent! With no foundation, to paint to this level—he's a natural talent."

Nan Liujing gave a skeptical glance. "A black blob that doesn't look like anything—and that's excellent?"

Teacher Little Deer was stuck. After a long pause, she forced an awkward smile.

Nan Liujing picked up the painting and used one hand to pat Shen Gali's head, waking him up.

Shen Gali looked at the painting with sleepy eyes, his expression full of laziness.

"You tell me—what did you paint?"

Shen Gali glanced at the painting and said nonchalantly, "A caterpillar."

"It's a butterfly—the mature form after a caterpillar pupates. Saying caterpillar is also correct," Teacher Little Deer hurriedly cut in with an awkward laugh.

With other parents, she handled them effortlessly, but facing Nan Liujing, her mind went blank.

Nan Liujing pointed at the black blob. "Then tell me—where are the wings, and where's the body?"

Shen Gali wanted to cry. Why did he have to explain? Could they just let him go? Even if he pointed out the wings and body, would that change the fact that his painting was terrible? Why do people always fool themselves?

He just leaned over, threw his arms around Nan Liujing, and idly played with his collar, in a nasal tone:

"I don't want to say... I'm so tired. Let's go home."

His tone was soft, sugary, almost whining.

Even his posture was exactly like a stubborn little kid. That trick worked on kids 90% of the time.

Nan Liujing frowned slightly, and unceremoniously grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and forced him to sit up straight.

You don't want to sign up? Trying to get out of it, huh?

"Excuse me, Little... Deer Teacher, right? About your school's creative course, I think it's quite good. After careful consideration, I've decided to enroll him in a two-year program, plus include all art supplies. Where do I pay?"

Shen Gali finally came to, and he saw the barely suppressed joy on Little Deer Teacher's face, as well as Nan Liujing's calm demeanor.

......

Before leaving, Shen Gali was carrying the drawing kit that came free with the course sign-up, listening to Little Deer Teacher's endless chatter: "After you get home, Li Li little buddy can show Mr. Nan what you learned today again, to reinforce your memory, okay?"

Shen Gali: I'll die at light speed for you all to see (smile).

In the car.

Nan Liujing still had Shen Gali's masterpiece spread across his lap. He lowered his eyes, repeatedly studying those messy lines.

Beside him, Shen Gali was almost having a heart attack from the hour-and-a-half-long class, listlessly slumped against the window, half asleep.

"Have fun today?" Nan Liujing suddenly spoke, his voice still calm and unreadable.

Shen Gali hadn't expected him to take the initiative to care about him, but his straightforward nature made him say, "No, I didn't have fun. So can I not go anymore from now on?"

Nan Liujing snorted coldly: "No, I told you I'd slowly torment you. How about I just sign you up for another five years?"

Shen Gali had no energy for a war of words, so he slowly closed his eyes.

After a long wait with no response from Shen Gali, Nan Liujing turned his head to look. Just then, the car passed the Art Center, and the faint gradient purple light traced the contours of his brows, his high nose bridge, his face; his long lashes cast razor-sharp shadows.

There was still a chibi strawberry sticker stuck between his brows, forgotten to be removed—round and chubby.

Why's it still on? Trying to look cute on purpose, and for who?

Nan Liujing raised his hand to shake Shen Gali awake and make him tear off that annoying strawberry.

His hand froze in midair for a long moment, then silently withdrew. His sharp brows gradually relaxed into a pleasant curve.

Forget it, let it stay. Let's see how long he wears it.

*

It was already 7 p.m. when they got home.

Although 7 p.m. is dinner time for others, Shen Gali thought: Gotta lie down right now.

A lazy, gloomy, total slacker must do whatever is most comfortable.

He had just dug out his pajamas to take a shower when he ran smack into a tall man. Shen Gali instinctively averted his gaze, not wanting the guy's ugly mug to ruin his mood.

Although the man was sitting in a wheelchair, judging by his broad shoulders and leg proportions, he was easily over 190 cm, conservative guess, so it was not an exaggeration to describe him as tall.

Nan Liujing walked in like he owned the place, sat down at the desk, and turned on the computer.

"What are you doing in my room?" Shen Gali stared at his back, his tone unpleasant.

"Does a single floorboard in this whole house belong to you?" Nan Liujing put on his glasses, which somewhat masked the domineering arrogance in his eyes. The delicate platinum-rimmed glasses lent him an air of refinement.

But what came out of his mouth was anything but refined.

Shen Gali clenched his tiny fists. He hated those capitalist bosses who drive up housing prices.

But he was not convinced: "I have savings. I have more than enough to buy one floorboard of yours."

Two might be pushing it. He silently added in his mind.

Nan Liujing had no interest in his pocket change. He tapped the desk lightly: "Come sit down and draw what you learned in class for me again."

Shen Gali didn't understand. Even a random gorilla trained for two days could draw better than he does. What exactly did Nan Liujing appreciate about his painting? And why did he insist on seeing it again?

He collapsed onto the bed, lowered his eyes, and his weak voice seemed like dust motes in the air: "If you're not satisfied with the plan I proposed earlier, I can come up with other forms of torture for you, but painting? Not possible."

Nan Liujing glanced at his watch and said casually: "Painting, or prepare dinner—pick one. If you choose neither, Uncle Li will come up to talk some sense into you soon."

Shen Gali never expected that someone like him, who didn't even care about death, would be completely cowed by Uncle Li.

After what felt like an eternity, Shen Gali rose gloomily, took the painting set from Qisehua (Seven-Color Flower), and sat down at the desk...

The sound of a news broadcast came from the computer.

Gotta say, Nan Liujing is seriously old-school. In this day and age, a young person actually watching the nightly news.

"What did the teacher talk about in class today?" Nan Liujing asked.

Although he had watched the whole class via livestream, he still insisted on hearing Shen Gali repeat everything. If he refused, he could justifiably accuse him of "not paying attention and wasting money."

How could Shen Gali know what the teacher said? During class, his soul had completely checked out, and only a shell was sitting there.

"The teacher said... caterpillars are long and thin." He took a black marker and drew a long line on the paper.

"Then she said, caterpillars envy... envy..." He couldn't remember.

He kept repeating "envy" like a broken record.

At that moment, the news broadcast suddenly blared out with the host's clear and loud voice: "Today, heavy rainfall hit the southern region of our country, with a typhoon making landfall inland, causing damage to many houses and two people missing. However, Phoenix Manor Cemetery, located in the center of the typhoon, remained rock solid without any damage. Let's go to our reporter on the scene."

Then, the howling wind and heavy rain came through the computer, and the reporter shouted hoarsely:

"I am now at the entrance of Phoenix Manor Cemetery! According to expert explanation, it is believed that the unique triangular design in this cemetery forms the most stable structure! Although before this, many customers complained it was a huge pain to get in and out, but this time..."

Shen Gali couldn't be bothered to listen to the rest. The joy in his heart was like a stone thrown into a lake, sending ripples spreading outward.

A cemetery you can't get in or out of, super inconvenient?

If someday he got the chance to lie in such a fully enclosed tomb, nobody would be able to bother him, right? And he wouldn't have to listen to those fake condolences stuffed with prayers.

So... awesome...

"Envy what?" Nan Liujing's cold and impatient voice cut through Shen Gali's fantasy.

"Envy... the mansion that doesn't connect south or north..." Shen Gali murmured, staring at the live photo of the cemetery on the screen.

Nan Liujing looked over in surprise.

The screen reflected a small blue gleam on the tip of his nose, filling his pupils with sparkling starlight. Most oddly, looking at the cemetery photo, a faint smile of anticipation appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Nan Liujing: ...?