“Smack!”
“Eleven…”
“Stand up straight.”
“Smack!”
“……”
The sound of the ruler striking flesh echoed through the empty conference room.
Clenching her teeth, with every cold touch of the ruler against her calf, the pain exploded on her skin.
Hua Qian’an’s body trembled uncontrollably.
She had been facing away from Lin Yanqiu, unable to see her expression now.
She didn’t know which leg or spot the next strike would land on.
For her, this was far more torturous than being slapped on the palm.
“Twenty-three…”
As if on purpose, Lin Yanqiu made her count out loud.
“Smack!”
The sound pierced the silence again, and the sting returned to her calf.
Hua Qian’an’s leg quivered, nearly collapsing to her knees.
But she forced herself to endure.
Clenching her teeth, she continued counting.
“…Twenty-nine.”
When she first met Lin Yanqiu, the latter had been extremely cold and indifferent towards her—her half-sister, adopted with a different father and mother.
But as time passed, under Hua Qian’an’s deliberate efforts to ingratiate herself, Lin Yanqiu finally softened.
Until the day Hua Qian’an made a mistake, accidentally breaking Lin Yanqiu’s cup, and was punished…
After that, Lin Yanqiu became unstoppable.
Whenever Hua Qian’an slipped up, Lin Yanqiu would “punish” her.
Hua Qian’an wasn’t even sure if Lin Yanqiu actually hated her.
“…Thirty-six.”
Her voice trembled now, and the area below her knees felt numb.
Tears welled up in her eyes, as if the pain was about to break her down.
“…Forty-three.”
“…Fifty.”
Finally, it was over.
Hua Qian’an breathed a sigh of relief.
Her legs gave way, and she collapsed, kneeling on the floor.
“Ugh…”
Pressing against the bruised spot, she sucked in a sharp breath.
“Don’t sit on the floor.”
Lin Yanqiu’s voice came from above.
Though still cold, it had softened considerably.
Hua Qian’an looked up at her.
Their eyes met, and Lin Yanqiu’s breath caught for a moment.
Only then did Hua Qian’an realize that the tears swirling in her eyes had already slipped down her cheeks.
Embarrassed, she tried to wipe them away.
But Lin Yanqiu’s cold finger gently brushed her cheek.
Her fingertip passed by the corner of Hua Qian’an’s eye, wiping away every tear.
“Get up. I’ll apply the ointment.”
After wiping Hua Qian’an’s tears, Lin Yanqiu didn’t clean her hands but turned to open the bag on the table.
Struggling to rise, Hua Qian’an sat on a chair.
The ointment prescribed at the hospital yesterday—Lin Yanqiu had kept a tube for herself.
Perhaps for times like this.
Hua Qian’an glanced down at her calf, pale skin crisscrossed with red marks.
It looked terrifying.
The fiery pain still radiated from the wounds.
But for some reason, the burning sensation seemed to climb up her leg and reach her face.
Her cheeks inexplicably flushed.
Her gaze drifted to the floor.
“Lie over the backrest and expose your calf.”
Hua Qian’an complied, kneeling on the seat cushion with her back to the chair and resting her head on the top of the chair’s backrest.
This made it easier for Lin Yanqiu to apply the ointment.
Staring at the red marks on Hua Qian’an’s leg, Lin Yanqiu took a deep breath.
It seemed she was suppressing some emotion.
She squeezed some ointment onto Hua Qian’an’s calf and began spreading it evenly.
The ointment’s scent wafted through the air. Hua Qian’an tried not to think about the sensation on her leg.
But it was hard to ignore.
The fiery heat and the cold ointment created a strange reaction, and Lin Yanqiu’s hands gently rubbed the area, adding an odd ticklishness.
“You don’t have to be this obedient.”
Lin Yanqiu spoke as she applied the ointment.
“You know not to go to those remote places anymore, right?”
Hua Qian’an only muttered a soft “Mm.”
She would still go.
But this time, she would prepare better.
Hua Qian’an suddenly recalled her plan to buy a new phone.
Looks like she’d have to get started in the next day or two.
At least with a new phone, Lin Yanqiu wouldn’t notice her whereabouts so easily.
Even though Lin Yanqiu had tampered with her phone, Hua Qian’an couldn’t openly protest.
She didn’t know when Lin Yanqiu had started paying attention to her schedule…
But this was definitely the first time Lin Yanqiu had blatantly put it right in front of her.
She remembered faintly that she had once suddenly fainted while doing something, perhaps that was when it all started.
Hua Qian’an had to admit, Lin Yanqiu really cared about her safety.
And now, the punishments were because she had truly made mistakes.
Since her health had improved, she hadn’t fainted unexpectedly for a long time.
So she had let her guard down without realizing it, only to faint in an empty, remote mansion.
“Ugh…”
The pain made Hua Qian’an flinch, instinctively trying to pull her leg back.
But Lin Yanqiu’s hand caught her ankle firmly, holding it steady.
Looking at the delicate ankle in her grasp, the veins interlaced under the pale skin as if a little force would break it…
Lin Yanqiu pressed her lips together.
“It’s almost done.”
She said this without speeding up, still rubbing the ointment slowly on Hua Qian’an’s calf.
Hua Qian’an had to endure the strange feeling.
“Is today the first time you’ve seen me in class?”
“Did I scare you?”
Lin Yanqiu’s voice came softly from behind, much gentler than before.
She seemed to be in a good mood.
Hua Qian’an shook her head. “Not really. I’ve known your personality for a long time.”
It would be strange if Lin Yanqiu wasn’t intimidating in class.
“It’s because I wanted to see you at work that I enrolled in your class…”
She said, turning her head to smile at Lin Yanqiu.
Lin Yanqiu just glanced at her and then returned to watching Hua Qian’an’s calf, her hand never stopping.
“Heh… My work appearance, huh? Well, this is one.”
“There’s another one you probably won’t see.”
Hua Qian’an raised an eyebrow, neither confirming nor denying.
After all, her claim about wanting to see Lin Yanqiu at work wasn’t exactly true.
She’d only been assigned to Lin Yanqiu’s class because she hadn’t been informed about the course grab.
So it was unlikely she’d see Lin Yanqiu in other work settings.
Especially considering that Lin Yanqiu was a medical school professor teaching “Evidence Law”…
“Sis, don’t tease me…”
Hua Qian’an whispered.
Lin Yanqiu finally let go of her ankle. “Done applying.”
“I hope you remember this lesson.”
She stared at Hua Qian’an after speaking.
“Got plans for tonight?”
“I can take you out for dinner.”
Hua Qian’an hesitated and shook her head. She really had no plans tonight. “But…”
She still felt uneasy.
Lin Yanqiu knew what she was worried about, but she curled her lips into a faint smile.
“Don’t worry. This meal’s on me.”
“It won’t be added to your debt.”
Hearing this, Hua Qian’an finally relaxed and showed a genuine smile.
Her eyes curved softly as she looked at Lin Yanqiu.
Beneath the usual frost in her gaze, there was now a hint of warm lake-like calm.
“Alright, then tonight’s mine.”
Since Lin Yanqiu had said so, it would be rude to refuse.
She accepted gracefully.
But when she looked at Lin Yanqiu, the latter’s relaxed expression was gone, replaced by a focused stare on Hua Qian’an’s face, as if puzzled.
“…Do you smile like that at everyone?”
Hearing this, Hua Qian’an slowly withdrew her smile, as if not understanding why she was asked.
“What’s wrong?”
Her mouth curved up again, and she touched her own face.
That expression from a moment ago seemed like an illusion.
Lin Yanqiu was silent for a moment. “Nothing.”
She looked toward the door. “Get ready; I’ll drive you to dinner.”
Hua Qian’an could tell Lin Yanqiu’s mood had soured again.
But she didn’t know why.
Lin Yanqiu’s moods remained too unpredictable.
After dinner, when they returned to the school, night had fallen.
“Oh no, I think I left my pen in the classroom.”
Hua Qian’an groaned, heading toward the teaching building.
Hangyang University had no evening study sessions, so classrooms were mostly dark at night, with only the hallway motion-sensor lights on.
Though it was just a pen, it’d be best to find it. If not, there was nothing she could do…
At the door of the classroom where she had her elective, unsurprisingly, the lights were off.
Hua Qian’an entered through the front door and glanced inside.
“Ah!”
She gasped instinctively, startled.
Her whole body shivered.
The classroom was pitch dark, yet someone was sitting there.
Despite her sudden noise, the figure didn’t move.
She recognized the spot.
It was the seat behind hers in today’s elective class, where Chen Zhiyan had sat.
“Click.”
Hua Qian’an switched on the podium light.
After flickering a few times, it lit up, but most of the classroom remained in darkness.
Still, it was enough to see the front rows clearly.
Hua Qian’an confirmed the identity of the shadow.
“Chen Zhiyan?”
She remembered the clothes Chen Zhiyan wore today.
This person had to be Chen Zhiyan.
Remembering she still needed to give her roommate something and thinking she wouldn’t be able to do it today, she was surprised to run into Chen Zhiyan now.
Might as well give it to her now.
Hua Qian’an walked to her old seat and found the lost pen in the drawer.
She looked back at Chen Zhiyan.
But the person, presumably Chen Zhiyan, remained motionless, head bowed.
Long hair obscured Hua Qian’an’s view of her face.
On the desk in front of her was a red makeup mirror.