The setting sun outside the window dyed the withered leaves red, and the wind blew, causing them to flutter and fall softly.
Several sparrows flew up from the branches, and Lu Shizhen felt a shiver run through her heart, as if she had been bounced up from a dry branch.
She looked at Xu Shiyue sitting on the chair by the door, her mind a jumble of emotions.
She subconsciously felt that Xu Shiyue had overheard her unintentional revelation about the original world, but she also wondered what if Xu Shiyue was just a newcomer and simply interested in their conversation.
"Host, Xu Shiyue was standing at the door when you agreed to show her the painting." Qiuqiu popped up, shattering Lu Shizhen's hopes. "The original owner didn't have this experience. You'll be exposed if you do this."
"..." Lu Shizhen was utterly despondent.
She recalled the time she helped Xu Shiyue escape the Xu family's pursuit and regained her hope: "Qiuqiu, I remember your system has the function of erasing people's memories, right?"
"That's the main system, host," Qiuqiu reminded him. "Our ordinary systems don't have high permissions. The maximum permissions we can obtain are by using the host's cheat codes to accomplish certain things."
"What can you do now?" Lu Shizhen asked.
Qiuqiu glanced at Xu Shiyue's physical examination on the interface, tilted her little body, and said, "Add... oil?"
"..."
Lu Shizhen really wanted to complain about Qiuqiu, but then she heard the surrounding club members asking, "Why, Senior Lu? Tell us before you leave."
"Yes, yes, don't keep me in suspense."
“Because…” Lu Shizhen looked at the eyes around her that were looking at her, and at the pair of eyes with their eyes lowered not far away, and bit her lip lightly.
“Host, we’ve found that you have a high allergy constitution. I think you can start from that point.” Qiuqiu was surprisingly reliable for once.
Lu Shizhen's eyes lit up when she heard that Qiuqiu had found the information. She quickly connected what Qiuqiu had just said with the original owner of the body: "Because I had an allergic reaction when I accidentally touched paint when I was a child, and then a large area of hives-like bumps appeared on my body. Since then, my family has not allowed me to touch oil paints."
"That's why I hastily drew one last semester." Lu Shizhen felt that her brain had never worked so fast before, trying to explain the discrepancy between her previous and current situation. "But after that day, I found that I seemed to be no longer allergic to paint. Maybe it's because as I get older, my antibodies and other things have gradually changed."
As she said this, a younger female student chimed in: "I have an older sister who was allergic to a lot of things when she was little, but she's much better now."
Hearing her say that, Lu Shizhen quickly nodded: "Yes, yes."
Like a common writing technique, she quoted a medically recognized saying: "Isn't it said that a person's entire body is replaced every eighteen years? I'll be eighteen years old in just a few months."
"I think I've heard this before."
"Yes, the human body is constantly changing, especially since we are still developing."
...
Lu Shizhen's voice was not tense; it was calm and unhurried, as if she were recounting a story that had happened to her.
Those around him listened and believed it, nodding in agreement, though some expressed regret.
Except for Xu Shiyue.
The setting sun outside the window had dimmed a bit, contrasting sharply with the vibrant colors in the painting.
She looked at the girl who was surrounded by people, her eyes slightly raised, her gaze fixed on her. Beneath the darkness and silence lay an unfathomable mystery.
This person just said that she became interested in oil painting by learning impasto, but was forbidden by her family. Now she says that when she was a child, she accidentally came into contact with oil paints, but her family found out that she was allergic and forbade her to touch them. Isn't that a bit contradictory?
Even if this is true, there was a time gap between learning thick painting and accidentally touching paint. Given Lu Shize's personality, it's understandable that he wouldn't allow his sister to do something so dangerous again. However, she probably discovered she was no longer allergic to paint around that time, not last semester.
She said a lot, and every sentence sounded reasonable, but in reality, it was full of loopholes.
Xu Shiyue didn't understand. If Lu Shizhen really knew how to paint, why did she hide it? And if she chose to hide it, why did she expose herself today? She didn't seem like someone who couldn't stand being in the spotlight.
"Actually, if you want to achieve a smooth color transition, you can try this method."
Lu Shizhen didn't want to end her day with her explanation, as it would leave a deep impression.
impression.
Lies, however, cannot leave any lasting impression.
Seeing that everyone was still discussing the "allergy" issue, Lu Shizhen changed the subject and picked up the drawing board she had just put down, taking the initiative to demonstrate her techniques to her fellow club members.
A soft brush dipped in paint was used to apply different colors to the blank spaces.
The girl moved her wrists gently, and in just a few strokes, she blended into the sunset outside the window.
“See, this will be better.” Lu Shizhen held up the palette in her hand. “Besides, the horizon at dusk naturally has a hazy gray color, so you can be bolder with the colors. Don’t think that the two colors are complementary and give up the contrast. If you handle it well, that effect will come out.”
"Wow, senior is amazing."
"This does look quite useful."
"My brain says she's learned it."
"If Lao Xu sees this, he'll probably be drinking again."
"Hahaha, Old Xu is going to be overjoyed."
...
Club members gathered around to watch Lu Shizhen demonstrate, and even Wang Xuejie, standing on the outermost edge, couldn't help but peek inside with disdain.
Xu Shiyue sat in the chair, watching the girl surrounded by people. She could hear the praise for her painting skills and see the strangers crowding around her. She suddenly felt a strange feeling in her heart.
She didn't know how to describe the feeling; it wasn't doubt or vigilance, but just a dull ache in her heart.
It was like the warm light of the setting sun shining through the glass and falling into her palm; she could feel it, but couldn't touch it.
"Alright, that concludes today's lesson."
The paintbrush was tossed neatly into the brush-washing jar, making a crisp clinking sound.
As soon as the closing bell rang, Xu Shiyue saw Lu Shizhen turn around and walk towards her: "Let's go."
Xu Shiyue nodded and quickly stood up: "Okay."
Just as Lu Shizhen reached her, she was stopped by someone again.
The junior student who had just invited Lu Shizhen to come in to draw seemed to be the club leader, and she took the initiative to extend an olive branch to her: "Senior Lu, can we invite you to join our club?"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look at Lu Shizhen, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Lu Shizhen also wanted to agree, but when she glanced at Xu Shiyue beside her and remembered her physics grades, which were far from being in the top fifty of the grade, she declined: "I'm sorry, I'm a senior in high school now, and I should focus on my studies. I might not be able to take care of my drawing a little."
The junior student wasn't about to let such an opportunity slip by, and hurriedly said, "It's okay, you can come whenever you're free. This can also be a way for me to relax after studying hard."
Other club members chimed in, "Yeah, yeah."
Surrounded by eager anticipation, free to paint, and able to exchange ideas with others, Lu Shizhen felt a long-lost sense of familiarity.
She had been in this world for so long, and this was the first time she had felt a sense of belonging that overlapped with her original world.
Lu Shizhen didn't want to lose this feeling, so she hesitated and said, "Okay, fine..."
Just before the crowd cheered, she added, "But I can't guarantee I'll come every week."
"Of course you can come whenever you want, senior!"
"That's right! We welcome you anytime."
...
"I don't think Senior Lu is as scary as Senior Wang said."
"Yes, I think she's a really nice person. She's pretty and down-to-earth."
"Drawing is alright."
"Yes, I'm alright at drawing."
...
Just as everyone around was celebrating Lu Shizhen joining the club, Xu Shiyue overheard a conversation between two girls.
They whispered to each other, their voices very low, but Xu Shiyue could hear them very clearly, and couldn't help but think of Chen Miaomiao's words again.
I don't know if the rumors are too exaggerated, or if there's some other reason.
This notoriously crazy guy in the grade level has somehow stopped being as insane as rumored.
"I wonder if Senior Lu has a girlfriend."
Oh dear, you!
"Is that not allowed?"
...
The girl's slender figure blocked the dimness of the setting sun, and fell slightly on Xu Shiyue's shoulder.
Ear
340; The discussion was getting further and further off track. Xu Shiyue frowned, reached out and hooked her hand around the finger of the person next to her, and asked, "Can we go now?"
Perhaps it was because she had been sitting at the door for too long, but Xu Shiyue's fingers were icy cold. Lu Shizhen, hooked by her fingers, felt her heart skip a beat.
Like a puppet being manipulated by Xu Shiyue, she immediately nodded after Xu Shiyue gave the order: "We should go now, see you next time."
Goodbye, senior.
"goodbye."
...
Because they lingered a little longer in the clubroom, the two missed the peak dismissal time for the first and second year high school students.
The car slowly drove out of the school gate onto the not-so-wide road, and the setting sun began to slowly flow past the window.
Qiuqiu landed on Lu Shizhen's head and breathed a sigh of relief: "Phew, at least we escaped a disaster."
"Luckily, I was quick-witted." Lu Shizhen said with a sigh of relief, leaning back against the leather seat.
Then she remembered something else and discussed with Qiuqiu, "Qiuqiu, since my cheat ability can indirectly detect Xu Shiyue's location, could you send me a notification next time Xu Shiyue gets close? That way, the risk of me being exposed would be smaller?"
"Yes! Host is so smart!" Qiuqiu excitedly lit up and landed in front of Lu Shizhen with her wings fluttering: "Qiuqiu guarantees to complete the mission."
Lu Shizhen looked at the small ball and couldn't help but smile.
Today is the happiest day of her life, even though she didn't receive any extra points.
She gazed out the window at the evening scenery, her figure reflected in the clean glass.
Despite her own lack of relaxed posture, Xu Shiyue's straight shoulders remained taut and unwavering.
The streetlights flickered brightly, and the long, black hair reflected a beautiful sheen in the light, faintly appearing to have a hint of white.
Lu Shizhen paused for a moment and noticed that Xu Shiyue had an earphone in her ear, which was unusual for her.
She asked curiously, "What are you listening to?"
“Twenty-four Billys,” Xu Shiyue replied.
Then she took off the earphone closest to Lu Shizhen and calmly described the contents of the book to her: "This is a very classic psychology book. The protagonist of the case developed twenty-four personalities due to psychological trauma and life experiences. The different personalities are very different, yet they also have some similarities, and some are even unaware of each other's existence."
"Don't you think it's interesting?"
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